Friday, 21st March, 2014 by Peoples Media Limited

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 13 No. 4

Friday, February 21, 2014

. . . putting the people first

Rabi’uth Thani 22, 1435 AH

Unremittedfunds:NPDCdeniesreceiving$6bnfromNNPC

N150

>>>>> Page ?

Sanusi’s suspension shuts financial markets

 Naira depreciates against dollar  His exit won't hurt economy - Okonjo-Iweala  SLS to challenge removal in court  Atiku, Kwankwaso back legal action  Why he was removed, by Presidency  SSS seizes axed apex bank boss' passport  APC, Fashola, SERAP condemn sack Godwin Emefiele is new CBN Governor >> Pages 2, 3 & 5 It is also important to note the unrestrained manner, recklessness and impunity with which the CBN governor had governed the apex bank in the last few years. In 2013 alone, the suspended CBN governor single-handedly made spurious donations and awarded questionable contracts totalling 163 billion Naira (over 1 billion US dollars) to various institutions without recourse to the President as stipulated by Section 7 sub-section 5(a) of the CBN Act – Presidency

Even if I challenge it, I will not go back to the job. Even if I challenge it successfully, I will not go back to it. I think it will be in the interest of the institution for the courts to establish once and for all if the president has the powers to do this. . . . If it is not challenged, the next Central Bank Governor cannot be independent with fear of being suspended by a politician. I do plan to have the courts confirm if indeed that authority exists and I will challenge it. – Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Boko Haram: Reps seek Gunmenkill12infresh more troops for Borno attack in Plateau >> Pg 4

>> Pg 4

Jonathan replaces Stanley with Farouk as PPPRA boss >> Pg 6

PAGE 2

News CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

Op.Ed

Letters

Opinion

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch

S/Report

24-25

Int’l

27-31

Anger in Senate over N700m daily kero subsidy – Page 6

Vogue

32-33

Feature

34,35

Digest

Politics

37-38

Newsxtra

39,40

Sports

Columnist

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Sanusi’s suspension shuts financial markets By Clem Khena-Ogbena, with agency report

he suspension, yesterday, of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi by President Goodluck Jonathan, has affected the nation’s financial markets. Similarly, the nation’s currency, the Naira was affected as it depreciated by one percent. Nigeria’s foreign exchange (forex), bond and money markets have all stopped trading because of uncertainty and volatility created by the central bank governor’s suspension, several dealers told Reuters yesterday. “The market is frozen right now because no one wants to take position and the fact that the market was already short,” said one of the dealers. Commenting on the development, the Head of Economic Research, EcoBank, Angus Downie, lamented the suspension, saying, “Sanusi did a fantastic job as governor and it will be very difficult to find someone that can continue his line of effort in restructuring the banking sector and strengthening monetary policy to the next phase. “He was due to step down in June but when something unexpected like this happens it does raise concerns about what is happening with the direction of policy in Nigeria”, the analyst added. Also, Alan Cameron, Economist at Nigerian Stockbroker CSL, said: “It’s not so much what it does to the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria), which we believe had a strong institutional foundation and skilled leaders, but what it says about the Presidency itself. “If the Jonathan administration is willing to discard a safe pair of hands at a time when the currency is being

tested anyway, it shows more political motivation than economic awareness. “Speaking from the perspective of international investors, this is likely to go down badly”, Cameron said. Melisssa Verreyne, Economist, NKC Economists in Cape Town, remarked, “This is very worrying for the central bank’s independence, and creates uncertainty about the future monetary policy direction. “The strange allegations made against Mr. Sanusi, and the fact that the government was not content with simply letting his term expire, appear to be aimed at sending a warning to outspoken central bank officials. “The ability of the central bank to criticise fiscal policy and the remittance of oil revenue is important, as it improves the accountability of the public sector. “Any reversal of this will jeopardise the central bank’s ability to maintain price and exchange rate stability, due to the pressure on foreign exchange reserves caused by corruption and government withdrawals”, the economist said. Yvonne Mhango, Africa Analyst, RENCAP, said: “His suspension does raise concern among investors about the ability to sustain the Naira at present levels. We will see more pressure on the currency between now and June, and more weakness than we had anticipated prior to this news. Razia Khan, Head of Africa Research, Standard Chartered, also said: “The nature of the suspension will come as a significant shock to foreign portfolio investors, whose willingness to invest in Nigeria was very much influenced by the transparency and anti-inflation credibility associated with Sanusi’s policies. “This will be a significant negative

for the Nigerian Naira and Nigerian financial markets. Investors will pay attention to whichever successor is announced, but this is unlikely to sit comfortably”, Khan said. Samir Gadio, Emerging Market Strategist, Standard Bank, said: “This is a disruptive move which indicates that the CBN has de facto lost much of its independence. “Clearly it is driven by political motives given Sanusi’s vocal criticism of oil revenue leakages and the opaque fiscal system in Nigeria. “If anything, this development will compound upside risks to USD/NGN by precipitating the foreign exit and a negative domestic positioning against the Naira. “Foreign investors are likely to be active sellers of Nigerian assets in coming days subject to market liquidity constraints”, Gadio said. But the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the suspension of Sanusi would not have any negative effect on the Nigerian economy. The minister, who stated this yesterday in Abuja while briefing the media on the suspension, also gave the assurance that the federal government was ready to manage the post-Sanusi economy in a manner that would continue to be the envy of all stakeholders. “When the news broke out on the suspension of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the governor of the CBN, there have been concerns in the market, which is not unusual; you know when there is movement of one of the major avenues for managing an economy, there are bound to be some reactions but I just want to use this opportunity to focus on our market participants of the resolute

attention of this government to begin to manage the economy. “Our objective remains to maintain macroeconomic stability, that has been the hallmark of this government and of this administration. It is the maintenance of macroeconomic stability that has enabled us to continue to transform the different sectors of the economy and that will not change”, she said. “I assured that there will be no change in the policy stance of government in this economy and the tight fiscal and monetary policy will continue”, she added. On the appropriateness or otherwise of suspending Sanusi at this time, the minister said, “It is the president’s prerogative. That’s why I won’t comment on the issue of how the CBN governor was removed, but we know that an acting governor is in place. “Dr Sarah Alade is the longest deputy governor of CBN. She has the experience. She has been part and parcel of the former policies, we know that the policy on stability will continue”, she added. Meanwhile, President Jonathan yesterday announced the choice of Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc, Godwin Emefeile as the new CBN governor. He said through a statement by his media aide, Reuben Abati, that Emefiele’s name has been forwarded to the Senate for confirmation of the appointment. While condemning Jonathan’s action, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar urged Sanusi to challenge the illegality in court. On his part, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state described the removal of Sanusi as baseless.

former’s sack was broken to him. Sanusi was among central bank governors of West African countries who were billed to hold a meeting in that country, shortly before his removal. “If it (the decision) is not challenged, then from now the next CBN governor cannot be independent. He can be suspended for any reason, and the independence of the CBN would be totally undermined. It is important to establish the point legally whether this can happen. I do plan to ask the court to confirm if, indeed, that authority exists. I will challenge it,” he stressed. A statement by Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati said yesterday that Sanusi was removed for alleged “financial recklessness”. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has rejected Sanusi’s suspension, describing it as “illegal and unconstitutional”. A motion moved by Rep. Samson Osagie (APC Edo), under matters of urgent national importance, faulted the decision of the president to suspend the Sanusi, saying the CBN Act as amended has no provision empowering the president or anybody to suspend the CBN governor. According to him, only Section 11(7) of the CBN Act gives the president powers to remove the governor, subject to approval of twothird majority of the Senate. “This House has recommended

the sack of the Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mrs. Arunma Oteh and many other recommendations of the House and yet they were not sacked or suspended. “Therefore the House mandates its committees on Justice and Legislative Compliance to compile all resolutions of the House which indicated any public officers for which the president has refused to act for purpose and request that the president acts on them expeditiously”, the lawmakers said. In a related development, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday condemned the action, saying that the suspension was patently illegal, poorly thought-out and in bad taste, noting that it will definitely have negative consequences for the nation’s economy. In a statement issued in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also said: “As the country wallows in unprecedented corruption under the rudderless and corruptionhugging Jonathan administration, the president may have finally decided to send a strong signal to all Nigerians that it will not tolerate any exposure of corruption under any circumstance. What better way to do this than to silence the man who has exposed the alleged missing 20 billion dollars in the NNPC accounts?” APC said that Sanusi’s suspension

has also shown clearly that President Jonathan as a leader does not care if he destroys national institutions on the altar of personal ego and political expediency. “President Jonathan should not destroy our institutions before he bows out of office next year. These institutions are older than him and will definitely outlive him,” APC warned. Meanwhile, the governor of Kano state, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has also faulted the suspension of Sanusi, saying that there was an ulterior motive behind the action. Speaking at a public function in the Kano Government House yesterday, Gov. Kwankwaso stated that the suspension was a grand design to dislodge Kanawa from the economic and financial decision-making agencies of the federal government in order to further impoverish and marginalize the state. The governor also said it was sheer disrespect to the existing laws of the land and show of ingratitude that a person who has brought about sweeping positive changes that would have put the nation’s economy on the pedestal of growth, would be treated unfairly. He said Sanusi should rather be commended for exposing the rot and corruption in the NNPC. “A responsible government would have promptly investigated the allegations but they disappointingly refused to so doing,” Kwankwaso said.

. . . To sue Jonathan over suspension By Lawrence Olaoye, Etuka Sunday, Umar Muhammad Puma, Abuja, & Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

uspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday vowed to seek judicial interpretation to his suspension as the apex bank boss, to ascertain whether indeed, President Goodluck Jonathan has the power to take such action. Sanusi who spoke on cable news network, CNBC Africa, said: “It has never been my desire to hold on to a job. However, I believe if the CBN governor cannot be removed from office, then he cannot be suspended. He can be queried, but the exercise of the arbitrary decision to remove him must be challenged. “There is the view by some people on whether the president has the authority to remove or suspend the Central Bank governor, or whether the action is not illegal. I am not interested. “As an individual, I was invited to serve my country, and I have always known that at any point the government feels it is time to go, I will go. But, in terms of the institution, it would be helpful to establish the principle by the court, and I think that is the step I intend to take,” Sanusi said shortly after he handed over to the CBN Deputy Governor in charge of Policy, Mrs. Sarah Alade, in Niamey, Niger Republic where the news of the

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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News

Why Sanusi was suspended – Presidency By Lawrence Olaoye, Abuja, Suleiman Idris, Lagos & Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

resident Goodluck Jonathan has said that governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was suspended on account of several grievous issues bothering on impunity, incompetence, non challant, fraud, wastefulness, and gross abuse of office and noncompliance with provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007. This is coming as men on the Department of Security Services (SSS)also yesterday seized Sanusi's international passport after detaining him briefly shortly after his arrival at the Lagos airport yesterday. Jonathan, in the statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, said "the issues that culminated into the suspension of the CBN Governor dates back to April 2013 following the submission of the CBN audited accounts for the year that ended on December 31, 2012 and which was submitted to the president by the apex bank. "This caused Mr. President to issue a 22-paragraph query to the suspended CBN governor on the 4th of May, 2013 and the subsequent written explanation by Malam Sanusi which was forwarded to the president on the 22nd of May 2013. After painstaking analysis and examination, the response was forwarded to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria for further scrutiny and professional advice. "The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria thereafter forwarded a13-page response to Mr. President with various critical observations and far-reaching recommendations. One of the recommendations states thus "

 SSS seizes his passport Your Excellency may wish to exercise the powers conferred on Mr. President by Section 11(2) (f) of the CBN ACT 2007 or invoke Section11 (2) (c) of the said Act and cause the Governor and Deputy Governors to cease from holding office in the CBN" "It is also important to note the unrestrained manner, recklessness and impunity with which the CBN governor had governed the apex bank in the last few

years. In 2013 alone, the suspended CBN governor Single-handedly made spurious donations and awarded questionable contracts totalling 163 billion Naira (over 1 billion US dollars) to various institutions without recourse to the President as stipulated by Section 7 sub-section 5(a) of the CBN Act. "Most unfortunate is the fact that of the 63 projects listed under the Corporate Social Responsibil-

ity of the CBN, only 3 of the contracts above 1 billion Naira were referred to the bureau of Public Procurement as required by law. "It was based on this and other recommendations contained in the said report and after further consultations among stakeholders that Mr. President in his wisdom and in the interest of probity, accountability and in order to preserve the integrity and sanctity of the Nations apex bank, decided to

President Goodluck Jonathan (2nd right), exchanging pleasantries with former CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (left), during the president's visit to Emir of Kano’s palace, last Saturday in Kano. With them are Wamban Kano, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi (2nd left) and Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero (sitting-right).

take the appropriate decision to place Mr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on immediate suspension. "This action of Mr. President is coming after a painstaking appraisal and investigation of all issues involved. The fact that this has occurred at the same period that Mr Sanusi accused the NNPC of non-remittance of 20 billion dollars to the Federation Account does not in any way derogate from the grave infractions and illegalities discovered in the audit report of the CBN and its operations. "For the avoidance of doubt, Nigerians should be assured that Government will go to any length to ensure that Malam Sansui’s allegations against the NNPC are fully and conclusively investigated and if anyone is found culpable, they will be subjected to the full weight of the law", it further said. Meanwhile, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Nasir el-Rufai yesterday confirmed that officials of the SSS have seized the travelling documents of Sanusi, shortly after he arrived Lagos from Niger, where he had gone to attend a meeting of governors of central banks in the West African subregion. Shortly after his plane landed at the Executive Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, he was accosted by plain cloth operatives who detained him briefly and insisted he must surrender his passport. They also insisted that he would not be allowed to leave the airport until the Lagos state director of the SSS arrives. But after a while, the operatives had a change of heart after communicating with their superiors. The CBN governor was allowed to leave but only after his passport was confiscated. See more reports on Page 5

You cannot suspend the truth - Sanusi tells Jonathan Below is the transcript of the major parts of Sanusi's first interview after his suspension. He spoke to CNBC Africa. Excerpts:

n whether he was on notice with respect to his suspension: Well, I have been told by my office that a letter was received. As you know, I flew in this morning to Niamey along with other Governors of West African Central Banks to meet with the President of Niger and President of Ghana... Fortunately, I came in with my VP Sarah Alade whom I have been asked to hand over to. I have left the meeting to hand over to her. I have just met the Nigerian Ambassador to Niger who confirmed to me that the President asked him to inform me of the decision. On accusations of "various acts of financial misconduct and recklessness" he said: I don't know what they are talking about. When I come back, I will see what those allegations are...I don't think there is any issue raised that has not been raised before. We all know what this is about. This is about consequences for decisions I have taken... This is something that is long overdue. I am surprised it took them so long. On concerns for the market: Basically, my concern is for the safety of the market...I have had

a wonderful time in service to my country. I would not want to see all of my work unraveled. No individual is worth it. On whether his suspension is politically motivated: It is not for me to comment. I am not sure that erm... I think the answer to that is obvious...there is a legal question of whether the president has the authority to suspend the Governor and whether suspension is not removal. It will be helpful to establish the principles by court. Even if I challenge it, I will not go back to the job. Even if I challenge it successfully, I will not go back to it. I think it will be in the interest of the institution for the courts to establish once and for all if the president has the powers to do this... If it is not challenged, the next Central Bank Governor cannot be independent with fear of being suspended by a politician. I do plan to have the courts confirm if indeed that authority exists and I will challenge it. On his legacy: He pointed out Low inflation. Stable exchange rate. Reformed and well governed banking system, robust reserve, independent central bank, financial inclusion,

systems reform...history will record this, nothing is going to change that. You can suspend an individual, you can't suspend the truth. And this is all about these concerns around oil revenues,

around decadence in the oil sector and if this is going to bring about the $20 billion then that's fine. Sanusi Lamido also emphasized the fact that he trusted the competence of his successor Sarah Alade and the other deputy governors to continue his good work. His grouse seemed to be on the legality of his suspension and the future independence of the CBN

Governor. He insisted he'd go to the courts to contest the arbitrariness of his suspension, citing the fact that the President himself did not sign his suspension letter as it was signed by the Secretary to the Federal Government. He finished by saying he had no regrets or ill feelings towards anyone on the matter.

L-R: Former CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi with Malam Nasir el-Rufai shortly after the former arrived Lagos yesterday from Niger, where he had gone to attend a meeting of governors of central banks in the West African sub-region.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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News

Bama attack: Death toll rises to 80

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri & Umar Muhammad Puma

eath toll in the last Tuesday’s bloody attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Bama community of Borno state which initially stood at 47, rose to 80, the chairman of the council, Baba Shehu Gulumba has said. Chief Nursing Officer of the

Bama General Hospital, Emit Mohammed Shuwa also told newsmen that after the attacks, 200 injured persons were brought to the hospital,17 died later, some treated and discharged while others with gunshot wounds were referred to various hospitals in Maiduguri This is even as the monarch of the area, Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Kyari Ibn El-Kanemi, said he narrowly escaped being killed

Gunmen kill 12 in fresh Plateau attack

. . .32 guns recovered, STF says From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

welve persons were killed and five others injured in an early morning attack suspected to have been launched by fulani assailants in Rapian village of Barikin Ladi local government area of Plateau State, the Plateau Special Task Force(STF) said. The STF spokesperson, captain Salisu Mustafa , who confirmed the incidents said the attack occurred around 12: am and believed to be a reprisal for rustling of cows belonging to the Fulani people which were rustled last week. Mustafa said, “The attack is

believed to be a reprisal against the cow’s rustled on 11th February this year which belonged to Fulanis”. A source from the area also said,” the attackers came on Wednesday night when almost all of us were sleeping and started killing us.” The STF media officer added that the situation was under control and measures have been taken to avoid further attack. In another development, the STF media officer in the state revealed that it had recovered 32 guns and 519 ammunitions in the state between January and February this year.

 As Reps demand more troops for Borno by the assailants who attacked the palace with Rocket Propelled Grenades, (RPGs) and explosives. Our correspondent who was in the entourage of top officials of the state government who went to the town to sympathise with the wounded victims, reports that a District Head of Goniri Ward, Alhaji Baa Shehu Terab was among those killed by the insurgents. Over 500 buildings comprising the palace of the monarch, local government chairman, residential houses, shops, schools and markets were burnt. Others were the local government secretariat public offices and several buildings occupied by security forces, among others. However commander of the youth volunteers popularly known as civilian JTF, who participated in the search and rescue operation, Akura Satomi claimed that 98 people lost their lives, while hundreds of the invaders were equally killed by security forces but they picked the corpses and went away with them. “We discovered some corpses

in the surrounding bushes and inside houses as many of the victims were trapped in their houses after being set on fire and were subsequently burnt alive”, Satomi said. Also speaking, the Shehu of Bama, El-Kanemi who led newsmen to inspect parts of burnt palace, said he escaped death by the whiskers when the insurgents invaded the palace. Meanwhile, Following the recent attacks in Bama by the Boko Haram, the House of Representatives yesterday called on the Defence Headquarters, DHQ to send in more troops and sophisticated weapons to Bama and its neighbouring communities in Borno state. The resolution followed a motion of matter of urgent public importance title: “Deadly Attack on Bama Local Government Area of Borno State by Boko Haram Insurgents” sponsored by Rep Mohammed Monguno (APC Borno). Monguno noted with dismay that Borno state has witnessed several attacks by insurgents in

the last three months, adding that it has cumulated in the killing of hundreds of civilians and several men of the Nigerian Armed Forces. He insisted that the weapons used by the insurgents appear more sophisticated than the ones used by the army, saying this might have led to the low morale of the officers and men of the Armed Forces engaged in these operations. The lawmaker expressed dissatisfaction that the inability of the security agents to promptly respond to attacks on Bama invariably led to the killing of 37 people and destruction of the emir’s palace. In its resolution, the House called on the DHQ to send in more troops and sophisticated weapons to the troubled areas and urged the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA to immediately send relief materials to the affected areas. It further called on the president, senate president and the speaker to visit the troops operating in the areas as a means of boosting their moral.

Missing $20bn: NPDC denies receiving $6bn from NNPC By Patrick Andrew

he Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) has sharply contradicted Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) claim that the sum of $ 6 billion was transferred to company by denying that it did not receive any such lump sum from the corporation. Also, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Bello Mohammed Adoke, in compliance with the committee’s request for a written legal opinion on the alleged unremitted $49.8 billion oil status of the $6 bn to the NPDC by the NNPC instead of the federation account submitted a written position as required. Clearly disparaging claims the NNPC had stoutly canvassed last week before the Senate Committee on Finance currently investigating the alleged unremitted $ 20 billion to the federation account, the Managing Director of NPDC, Engr. Victor Briggs, said yesterday that the NNPC is only mandated to contribute funds to cover its asset and nothing more. Speaking yesterday before the Ahmed Makarfi-led committee, the managing director said though the NPDC is an auxiliary corporation set up the NNPC for upstream business, it has other sponsors and is legally required to work within the service and strategic contract terms adding that it receives barely

enough to cater for assets contributed by the NNPC. “There is a funding relationship. The NPDC has service and strategic contract with the NNPC which pays specific amount to cater for its asset in the company. We did not receive $ 6billion from the NNPC. We, however, received specific amount to cover the asset as statutorily required,” he said in apparent contradiction with the position of the NNPC on the unremitted amount. Peoples Daily recalls the amount though is part of the lump sum the CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had said the NNPC ought to have remitted to the federation account but was not. The NPDC is an auxiliary company set up by the NNPC to engage in upstream business. The NPDC declaration prompted the committee to request for specific documents from the company to back up its claimed on basic funds for asset of the NNPC even as Makarfi directed the CBN, PPPRA and the NNPC itself to present in subsequent meeting specifics on what percentage of the $ 6bn ought to have accrued to the federation account, and third party receipts from the proceeds from the NPDC. They are to present needed documents on February 28 when the committee will reconvene to consider them and subsequent makes its recommendation to the Senate.

L-R: Minister of Information/Supervising Minister of Defence, Mr. Labaran Maku receiving an invitation letter from the Chief Operating Officer, Peoples Media Ltd, Malam Ali M. Ali, during a visit by the media house management to invite the minister for the forthcoming 2nd Peoples Media Annual Conference, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Army, Air chiefs visit troops in Borno, Yobe By Joy Baba

he Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah and his counterpart in the Air Force, Air Marshal Adekunle Amosu embarked on an operational visit to units within 7 Division area of responsibility. A statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Brigadier General Olajide Laleye, said the two security chiefs specifically visited troops deployed on Operation ZAMAN LAFIA in Borno, Yobe

and Adamawa states, from Tuesday to yesterday. The statement also said the Army chief while addressing the troops advised them to make discipline their watch word at all times and remain resolute in the face of security challenges facing the country. He noted that the present security challenges facing the nation are not insurmountable if troops are well led and remain vigilant while carrying out assigned duties. According to the statement: “The Army chief charged the

troops particularly those in the border units to ensure that arms and ammunition were not smuggled through their areas of responsibility. “He further urged troops to steadfastly observe the rules of engagement in the conduct of ongoing operation. “I am aware that your task is not an easy one, considering that you must defeat a faceless and vicious enemy while at the same time protecting the rights of innocent citizens in the operational area”, he reportedly said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Senate to speed up action on FCT revenue JNI condemns board, property tax, says Mark ... as FCTA unveils additional 180 Abuja taxis attack on Shehu of Bama’s T palace By Stanley Onyekwere

he Senate President, Senator David Mark has assured that the Senate would expedite action on the Bills for the establishment of the Federal capital Territory (FCT) Board of Internal Revenue and FCT Property Tax respectively. The Senate President gave this assurance yesterday, while commissioning fleet of 180 brand new vehicles for the second phase of the FCT Administration’s Subsidy

Re-Investment Programme Taxi Scheme, in Abuja. Represented at the occasion by the Senate Deputy Leader and Chairman of Senate Committee on SURE-P, Senator Abdul Ningi, the Senate president reiterated that the expedited attention would enable FCT leverage its revenue base with a view of building capacity for funding of its key infrastructure and public service programmes. He commended the Senator Bala Mohammed-led FCTA, for

making good its pledge to alleviate the pains associated with the ban on rickety buses from the roads of the Federal Capital City. “Yours is indeed, an Administration that identifies with the plight of the people. I commend you for listening to the citizenry, as the foundation of every successful democracy is dialogue and giving ear to the voice of the people.” Earlier, the FCT minister, described the launching of additional 180 Taxis through the FCT-SURE-P, as yet another

important milestone in the fulfilment of the pledge made to the people. He disclosed that with the commissioning of the second phase of transport initiative, his administration has succeeded in introducing 340 taxis into the system. “We have recorded significant reduction in crimes, roads accidents, pollution and other socio-economic consequences that hindered the development of the city,” he added.

L-R: Minister for Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, Chairman, First Surat Group of Company, Mr. Hikmet Coban, President Goodluck Jonathan, and FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, cutting the tape to commission the Nigeria-Turkish Hospital, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

Reps to probe alleged corrupt practices by NUC Umar Muhammad Puma

ollowing allegations of imbalance and fraudulent practices against the National Universities Commission (NUC), in the process of accreditation of courses in Nigeria, the House of Representatives has ordered an investigation into the allegation of bribery by universities. While the committee’s investigation is to determine whether the condition of physical facilities, teaching staff and so on meet the minimum benchmark of academic standards and other accreditation guidelines, it is also to determine whether procedure

for regulating Nigerian universities should be reviewed to meet international standards with a view to curtailing capital flight occasioned by patronage of foreign universities by Nigerians. The House in another development yesterday announced the suspension of its regular plenary until March 11, 2014 to allow its relevant standing committees attend to government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in defence of their revenues and expenditure projections in the Appropriation Bill. A member of the House, Abayomi Abdul Kabir in a motion on the floor drew attention of the House

to alleged imbalance and fraudulent practices at the NUC in the process of accrediting courses and programmes for universities. According to him, in spite of huge allocations to the universities in recent years, there has been no commensurate improvement in infrastructure in the institutions, adding that “the procedure for selecting accreditation officials lacks credibility and is biased in favour of only members of the academia capable of doing the bidding of the leadership of the NUC.” While expressing fears that if the alleged acts of corruption were not checked, the imbalances in the regulation of universities would

persist, the lawmaker argued that the process of accreditation ought to provide a means of recognizing some levels of performance, quality and integrity, which in turn would engender confidence from the public and the education community. Confirming the suspension of regular plenary of the House of Representatives, Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Zakari Mohammed while fielding questions at a media briefing said the House objected to the suspension of CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi because actions of such nature may send wrong signals to intending foreign investors.

From Muhammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

ama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI) yesterday said it received with shock and bewilderment the cruel and rattled attacks on innocent people of Bama in Borno State, including attack on Shehu of Bama’s Palace, which was reported to have claimed about 40 lives. A statement by Secretary General of the group, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu said among the death at the emir’s place was the son of the Shehu of Bama and a senior counsellor/aide of Bama Emirate Council. JNI added that properties worth over millions of naira was destroyed after setting a substantial part of the palace ablazed. “ It is quite unfortunate, regrettable and condemnable that, after the unfortunate Konduga, Izge (Gwoza), Madagali massacres which should have been the last in such attacks at these times, a more diabolical attack would be unleashed on innocent citizens of Bama in Borno State, and would continue unabated for a number of hours. Indeed this is the peak of barbarism and lawlessness. “This act cannot be seen happening in any developed part of the world. JNI lament this sorry state of violence and insecurity in the strongest terms, for the nation seems to be gradually sliding into lawlessness leading to multiple losses of innocent lives. “ JNI reiterates its several calls that rules of engagement should be professionally employed by the Joint Task Force and other security agencies in curbing insurgencies in Nigeria so as to reduce collateral damages recorded in such types of upheavals,” the statement reads. The religious group further added that Federal Government must be seen doing something positive beyond lip assurances.

More Nigerians blast Jonathan for suspending Sanusi Ayodele Samuel, Akilani Abdullah & Zainab Yusuf, Lagos

igerians yesterday blasted President Goodluck Jonathan for suspending the Governor of Central Bank, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, while the issue of the missing $20 billion oil money he raised remain unresolved. Former Minister of Education, Dr Obi Ezekwesili, and former Vice President of the World Bank, African Division, described the Jonathan administration as being "intolerance for

accountability". According to her, the issue of missing $20 billion oil money raised by Sanusi should have been resolved before the Presidency takes any action on the suspended CBN boss. "For CBN Governor to be suspended when serious issue of missing $20 billion that he raised remain unresolved shows intolerance for accountability", she said. Lagos based lawyer, Bamidele Aturu on his part said the purported suspension of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, by the President is the

most egregious desecration of the rule of law and the principle of legality in Nigeria to date. It is unsurpassed in its blatant illegality and immorality. He said the "decision is symptomatic of the desperation that has gripped the presidency and its allies in the wake of the troubling allegations made by the Governor of the Bank that public officials in the NNPC are looting the country blind in the name of subsidy payments. To the best of my knowledge the allegation has not been coherently answered by the Corporation or by the Government. "As far as the law goes, the pur-

ported suspension of the Governor is unwarranted. Section 11 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 clearly lists the instances when the Governor or any of his Deputies can cease to remain in office. For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, none of such instances include suspension by the President", he noted. "The only mention of the word 'suspension' is in section 11(1)(d) relates to the removal of the Governor when he or she is disqualified or suspended from practicing his or her profession in Nigeria. Of course, the illegal suspension of the Governor is not from

a professional body and is not at all contemplated by the law", he added. The national president of National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations, NACOMYO, Alhaji Kamal'ddin Akintunde described the suspension of the CBN governor as unfortunate development ,coming on the heels of furore generated by media-report of the differences between the apex bank boss and NNPC's over unremitted oil sales/certain lodgements. He said the suspension undermines effort at rejuvenating the country's ailing economy, just as it can over-heat the polity.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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News

Anger in Senate over N700m daily kero subsidy By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

emper flared yesterday in the Senate over the N700 million which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations (NNPC) claims to spend daily in subsidising Kerosene, even though the money is not budgeted and approved by the National Assembly. Debating a motion titled “Urgent Need to stop N700 million - A Day Illegal Kerosene Subsidy”, which was sponsored by Babajide Omowurare (APC, Osun East), the senators unanimously agreed that the payments of subsidy on Kerosene is illegal because it was not appropriated by the parliament. In addition, some of the senators lamented that the controversial subsidy on Kerosene was not serving the interest of the poor masses of Nigeria as NNPC

...Senators want Kero subsidy suspended claims, even as they called for the abolishing of subsidy scheme since it does not serve the interest of Nigeria. However, though the prayer of the motion was to stop the daily payment from the federation account, the sum of N700 million as Kerosene subsidy, the Senatefailedtogranttheprayer,instead, it directed its committee on Finance to continue with its investigations over the kerosene subsidy. Speaking during debate on the motion, the sponsor, Babajide Omowurare said it has been established

that the kerosene subsidy scheme runs outside the national budget. He said it will have dangerous impacts on the fiscal stability of the Nigerian economic wellbeing and the future of Nigeria as a sovereign democratic entity. Speakingduringthedebate,Ahmed Makarfi, who is the chairman of the Senate on Finance, which is probing the issue, recalled that there was a conflicting resolution in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He said while the resolution in the

House of Representatives directed NPC to pay subsidy on Kerosene, another resolution in the Senate directed the corporation to stop payment of subsidy on kerosene. He however said, given that section 80(2,3) of the Constitution of Nigeria makes it clear that only what is appropriated by the National Assembly could be spent, the best option before NNPC is to spend only what is approved by the parliament, pending when the committee would conclude its probe on the issue.

War against terror: Police deploy sniffer dogs at airports By Joy Baba

Zome, exNIPOST PMG dies at 64 From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

he Former Post Master General of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) and current President of the Zuru Emirate Development Society ZEDS, Mr.Nathaniel Zome is dead. The Emir of Zuru, Major General Muhammadu Sani Sami who confirmed the death yesterday in Zuru said Zome died at the age of 64 after a brief illness. “He had slumped in my presence penultimate Tuesday 11th February, 2014 while briefing council on the proposed National Conference and was rushed to UDUTH where he died ,” Sami said. In his condolence message, former Army Commander, retired Major General Mohammadu DanHanne Isah described Zome as “a well respected elder statesman. He was a great man and a well committed person who always championed the cause of peace and development beyond his capacity as President of ZEDS.

Jonathan appoints new executive secretary for PPPRA

he Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed D Abubakar, has ordered the immediate deployment of sniffer dogs to the nation’s Airports. A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mbah in Abuja said the sniffer-dogs will, among other things, be used for detecting explosives, rescue operations, perimeter patrols, patrols of parking lots and the apprehension of offenders resisting or attempting to evade arrest. The statement further said the IGP charged the dog handlers to respect the fundamental rights of the citizens and also work in collaboration with other security agencies towards providing effective security at the Airports. “The first phase of the deployment of the sniffer-dogs has commenced with the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Murtala Mohammed International Airport I and II, Lagos and Port-Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa. “Others are Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Jos Airport as well as Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu” the statement added.

BRIEFS

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

L-R: All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Aspirant, Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah, being welcomed by Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, during his visit to the ISLAMIC cleric, yesterday in Kaduna. Phoo: NAN

Tiv/Fulani clashes: Suswam begs Abuja to intervene By Lawrence Olaoye

enue state governor, Gabriel Suswam, yesterday raised alarm over the incessant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and the farmers in the state. Suswam who paid a courtesy visit on the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, urged the party’s boss to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan, to intervene in the matter before it gets absolutely out of hand. The governor said several investigations carried out into the skirmishes between the Fulani herdsmen and the Benue people have failed to discover the real

reason for the constant violence between the two groups in the state. The National chairman in his reaction said he was confident of Suswam’s ability to steer the party to winning streaks in 2015 even as he maintained that his good works would speak for the party in the state.

resident Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Mr. Farouk A. Ahmed as Executive Secretary of the Petrol e u m P r o d u c t s Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA). A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati said Mr. Ahmed will take over from the incumbent Executive Secretary, Mr.Reginald C. Stanley who is retiring after 35 years in service. It added that the incoming Executive Secretary, who hails from Sokoto State, is the current Managing Director of Nidas Marine Ltd., a subsidiary of the NNPC.

IGR: Reps avert clashes between OAGF, CAC By Umar Muhammad Puma

he House of Representatives yesterday averted a dispute over the fine points of a directive compelling agencies of the federal government responsible for remitting revenue accruals to the federation account to pay 25% of their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) to the federal government. The agencies at the session were: the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF),

Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The CAC, whose IGR for 2013 was N9.7 b, particularly raised concern that N100 million was arbitrarily withdrawn from its account by the OAGF, which claimed it was 25% cost reduction fund based on a directive to it by the finance minister, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala.

Chairman of the finance committee, Abdulmumini Jibrin (APC, Kano) mediated in the dispute by suggesting that both the OAGF and the CAC should meet privately with the committee to thrash out the grey areas of the matter. Before Jibrin’s intervention, the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), Samuel Tyonongo Ukura, explained that his office had a target for agencies remitting funds to it based on an official circular, adding that some of the

agencies were not complying with the directive, “so the minister of finance asked us to go and analyse agencies that have not met their targets.” In the course of carrying out this assignment, the OAGF checked the CAC account and debited the sum of N100 million accordingly. “But they later complained and their complaint was found to be genuine. So, we are in the process of refunding the money,” Ukura stated. On his part, the chairman of

FIRS, Alhaji Kabiru Mashi told the committee that at a point it paid its operating surplus into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), but this was queried at a certain federation account meeting. FIRS said that it remitted a total of N84miliion between 2011 and 2013 into the Federation Account. It also paid N4.1 billion as Operating Surplus within the same period. The CAC, RMRDC and the NCS generated over N25 billion, N42million and N68.5 million respectively.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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News

Suspected revenue collector slaughters food vendor in Benin From Osaigbovo Benin

Iguobaro,

female food vendor in Benin City was yesterday, allegedly slaughtered by a suspected revenue collector (now at large). Reports have it that the victim was attacked in a makeshift kitchen in Butcher Street, off Mission Road near king square

by the revenue collector while requesting for undisclosed daily revenue from the woman. The victim who hails from Enugu State, was said to have begged for little time to enable her finish cooking and attend to few customers in order to raise the money and pay for the ticket, but her plea fell in deaf ears. It was gathered that the victim had survived hot edible

oil removed from a burner in the kitchen and splashed on her by the suspect. The woman’s Captor was said to have shut the exit door to the kitchen against the victim before using the machete to mutilate her body including her thigh, rib cage, head and arms. The bewildered traders lost their patience and protested to Lagos Street police post where

they were told that no police operational van was available to assist the dying woman who could only mutter words in the pool of her own blood. The traders who described the bizarre incident as one too many, stating that the Lagos Street police post has ceased to be a destination to solving problems including murder related cases. They called for an end to

impunity and alleged extortions by Street urchins loyal to a prominent musician resident in the area. In a telephone interview with Oba market Divisional police officer, CSP (Mrs) Betty Otimenyin denied knowledge of the incident. She challenged our Reporter to indicate his relationship with the victim. I think you are a relative to the person’’.

Man, 35, in police net for vandalism

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

AIG Zone 10, Alhaji Mamman Sule (right), addressing officers and men of the Sokoto state Police Command, yesterday in Sokoto. With him is Commissioner of Police Shuaibu Gambo (right). Photo: NAN

Sex worker remanded in prison custody for allegedly stealing customer’s iPhone

23-year-old sex worker, Favour Okeke, was yesterday remanded at Ikoyi Prisons after she pleaded guilty to a charge of theft preferred against her. The accused, who lives at

Baale Street, Abijo in Eti-Osa Council Area, entered a guilty plea at a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. The Magistrate, Mrs Salama Matepo, fixed Feb. 24 for sentencing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, SP Austin Orji, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Feb. 19 at Prince Kingsley Close, Sangotedo in Ajah. According to him, the accused confessed that she stole the

phone because the complainant, one Emeke Wisdom, slept with her and failed to pay for the service she rendered. ``The accused claimed that she decided to take the iPhone belonging to Wisdom valued at N150, 000 to compel him to pay her.’’ Orji said the offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. (NAN)

Police in kebbi parade 3 armed robbers From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

he newly posted Kebbi State Police Commissioner , Mr. Benjamin Uche Onwuka has sent warning signals to criminals across the state to relocate elsewhere as Kebbi will no longer be safe for them.

The C.P who spoke through his Police Public Relation Officer(PPRO) Mohammed Mainagge(DSP) stated that to ensure security and safety of life and properties, the Command will continue to adopt new strategies to bring down the activities of criminals. He explained that in less than

one week since his assumption of office, the Command has recorded success in crime prevention, by arresting 3 robbery suspects with one locally made pistol; 3 live cartridgesand two machetes. He explained further that the Command also foiled an attempt to rob one Mr. Mairiga Saidu

of N250,000 while coming out from Zenith Bank. Pointing out that the hoodlums planted slippers with nails under his car tyres and had a flat tyre along the line. “This paved way for them to pull their guns at the man and disposes him of his money.” He added.

Man arraigned for falsely obtaining N.4m

45-year-old man, Chinedu Orji, was yesterday arraigned at an Asaba Magistrates’ Court for falsely obtaining N400,000 with the promise of selling a plot of land. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Orji was charged with not redeeming his

promise after obtaining money from one Bernard Azubike. When the matter came up for hearing, the prosecutor, Mr David Okeh, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Oct. 17, 2013 at 4, Terepreye Street, Asaba. He said the offence was

punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap C 21, Vol. 1, Laws of Delta State, 2006. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge. In her ruling, the magistrate, Miss Queen Momoh, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 and a surety in like

sum. She also ordered that the surety must be a civil servant on a salary grade level not less than 09, be resident in Asaba and provide two passport photographs. The case was then adjourned to March 19 for hearing.(NAN)

he Kaduna State Police Command has arrested one Sunday Adams, 35 years old, for his involvement in the vandalisation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) cables. Confirming his arrest, Kaduna State Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), DSP Aminu Lawan said the man, according to his confession had consistently engaged in cable vandalism until luck ran out on him. He added that, the suspect has already been arraigned before an upper customary court, Sabon Tasha in Chikun local government area of the state, adding that upon interrogation earlier, the suspect disclosed his accomplice who buys the cables from him. “When we got report of the case, we immediately swung into action and arrested the suspect eventually, we have also arrested his accomplice” DSP Lawan said. Briefing newsmen in PHCN Sabo Tasha business unit, the Business manager Engineer Bayo Dada said information available to him before the eventual arrest of the suspect indicated that the vigilante group while patrolling the area, saw him beside a transformer. When asked what he was doing, he said his car had a fault and needed to be pushed, he was helped and he started the car and drove off. “Just about 40-1 hour, the same vehicle was sited around the same transformer spot. It was then the vigilante group opted to search his car, only to discover tools for cutting cables and some wires; then he was beaten, the tires of the car were deflated. “The man pretended to be unconscious and all of a sudden he took to his heels and escaped through the fence abandoning his vehicle.” Speaking through the Technical Engineer in the unit, Engineer Ayuba Gwary, the business manager said the issue was reported to the police who immediately swung into action and subsequently apprehended him. He said, the suspect had vandalized three transformers at Mahuta new extension substation 1 and 2 and Halima.

PAGE 8

Photo Splash

Unemployed youth waiting to be interviewed for employment into Akwa Ibom state civil service, yesterday in Uyo. Photo: NAN

Traditional rulers at the launch of a book on Etsu Nupe, yesterday in Abuja.

Cars inaugurated during FCT SURE-P/AICL Abuja Taxi Scheme Phase 2, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Oil spill site within Ogoda-Brass pipeline, yesterday in Bayelsa.

Photo: NAN

Dr Chinomso Chinyere (right) of Landmark University Medical Centre, Omu-Aran attending to Professor Josiah Bello (left), the institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deputy Vice Chancellor, during the commencement of the Federal Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free eye screening, surgery and free eye glasses initiative, yesterday at the centre in Omu-Aran, Kwara state. Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 9

News 2015: Gumi warns against imposition From Muhammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

Kaduna based renown Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi has called on the leadership of the country to desist from imposing its will on the people. The Scholar noted that such acts could spore disobedience: “If people elect leaders; people are ready to obey them. But if you impose yourself using whatever means you have in power, people will disobey you and there would be commotion” he added that if politicians can avoid that Nigerian problems will be completely taken care off. Gumi was speaking when the Chairman of Leadership Newspapers led his campaign team to the scholar’s resident in

Kaduna as part of their nationwide consultation on his presidential ambition come 2015. The cleric said the right to elect leaders is the wish of the people, adding that the country is gradually coming to it. “I just hope that from 2015 such rights would be truly exercised. If we exercise such rights all the problems we have will disappear, he said. He noted that a credible election starting from the grassroots is the first step towards solving the problem. Sheikh Gumi further explained that the constitution gives every Nigerian equal franchise to vote and be voted for. “This is something every Nigerian should understand and we should respect this constitutional provision if we want to free the

nation. “Everybody should be allowed to contest and is you are defeaed, do not assume that that is the end of the road “He should be able to accept and assist in continuing development of the nation. But what we have is ones somebody is defeated he goes back to join the opposition. He lamented the fact that some politicians exhibit the traits of bad sportsmanship, adding that a healthy environment for competition, devoid of such malice will lead to credible election. “People should not be allowed to be intimidated by incumbency that comes by power, money or a yield to pressure. Let there be a free and fair elections that we would be proud of,”the urged. The Islamic leader further advised the delegation to be ready to accept the wish and decision of the people.

“As you are aspiring I wish you good luck on your endeavour. I will only advise you to accept people’s decision and not to try manipulating people in whatever form because leadership is a collective responsibility,” he said. Earlier, Mr Sam Nda Isaiah said they were not at the house to campaign but to inform the scholar of his presidential ambition come 2015. “ As far as I am concerned the simplest thing any leader can do is to unite his people. It is a very simple thing. We are not campaigning we only came to intimate you on what we are doing which is consulting and I feel I should come and inform you so that you will not only read it on newspaper,” he said. He also lamented the division among Nigerians based religious or tribal lines.

Court adjourns alleged robbery case against Sen. Yarima, 29 others From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

Zamfara High Court has adjourned the charges of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and attempted murder filed by Inspector General of Police against Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima and 29 others to April 8th, for proper arraignment. It would be recalled that, IGP had instituted a charge of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and

attempted murder against Senator Ahmad Sani and 29 others before the court in connection with the attack on a member of the House of Representatives. Engr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau. during sitting yesterday, the prosecution counsel, Oloye Torugbene said, the 30 accused persons had on the 31st August, 2013 conspired to commit the offence contrary to the section 212 (6) of the penal code. Torugbene pleaded that, subject to the convenience of the

court to read the charge against the 30 accused persons standing trial before it considering its competitiveness in handling the case. In his submission, the defence counsel, Barrister Muhammad Sani Katu, has kicked against the procedure followed in filing in the charges, therefore, urged the court to strike out the charges. Katu, observed that, under normal circumstances, the prosecution should have preferred the charges on separate

sheets, as each of the charges is distinctive. Ruling on the matter, Justice Bello Tukur Gummi, said after listening to the arguments engaged by both counsels, the court sees nothing wrong with submission of the three or more count charge on one sheet. He therefore dismissed the application of the accused counsel which requested for the re-submission of the case and adjourned to April 8, for proper hearing of the case.

R-L: Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Special Adviser to the President on Gender Matters, Dr. Asmau Abdulqadir, representative of the Chairman of SURE-P, Dr. Halima Alfa, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Mohammed, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Habiba Lawal, during the sensitisation workshop for state commissioners and directors in the ministries of Women Affairs on maternal and child healthcare in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja. Photos: Mahmud Isa

Security operatives nab 5 terror suspects on Kaduna–Kano highway From Muhammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

ecurity forces in Kaduna state have arrested five suspected terrorists at Kwanan Dangora, a border town between Kano and Kaduna states while they were planning to attack the area. A top security source craved anonymity spoke Peoples Daily said: “Some of the weapons we

recovered from the suspects includes seven primed Improvised Explosives Devices, one General Purpose Machine Gun , three AK 47 Riffles, five fully charged magazines, 66 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunitions and a Jerry Can of petrol, among other things,”. The source further explained that: “During the early hours of Wednesday, 19th February, 2014, the assigned members were on their way to actualize the planned

attacks but were arrested by the joint security forces,” he said. Leader of the group was said to have been recruited into the gang 14 months ago. He said they met in a commercial vehicle in Bauchi and that they were on a revenge operation against Soldiers in Bauchi who killed their friends five years ago. It was further learnt that they

were given a car and N17,000 at Karfi near Kano to attack the Kwanan Dangora police station on Tuesday and to hide all weapons that will have been stolen from the police station at Kunkumi a boarder village in Kaduna State. The top security source gave names of the arrested alleged terrorists as 28-year-old, Bashir Ali, Abdullahi Adam 21 , Adamu Abdullahi ,29, Abubakar Abdullahi 32 and Mohammed Umar, 32.

Jonathan tasks private sector on healthcare delivery By Hassan Haruna Ginsau

resident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan yesterday called on the private sector within and outside Nigeria to join the federal Government’s efforts in improving the country’s health sector. Jonathan stated this during his address at the official commissioning of the Nigeria -Turkish Nizamiye Hospital, at the Life Camp, Abuja. In his words: “I would like to use this opportunity to again invite the Private Sector within and outside Nigeria, to join our collective efforts to take healthcare delivery in our country to the next level, by utilising the viable and varied investment opportunities which nowabound in our country.” The President said the project demonstrated a concrete and commendable response to the Government’s call for enhanced private sector participation in healthcare delivery in Nigeria, which he stated was the bedrock of his administration’s Transformation Agenda. He added that the commissioning of the hospital, which he described as a “noble project” marked a significant milestone which would consolidate and sustain progress in Nigeria- Turkish relations. “Today’s commissioning of the Nigeria-Turkish Nizamiye Hospital in Abuja, represents another important landmark in the existing cordial relations between Nigeria and Turkey”, said the president. Jonathan added that in line with the government’s commitment to the provision of improved healthcare for all Nigerians, a high Level National Committee of Experts chaired by Mr. Tony Elumelu was working tirelessly to develop a network of improved modern healthcare infrastructure around the country, with Nigeria already signing a country to company investment memorandum of understanding with General Electric (GE), under which a number of world-class diagnostic and treatment facilities are currently being developed in Abuja, Lagos and other locations across our country. He also noted that Private Sector initiatives such as the Nigeria -Turkish Nizamiye hospital, would help the Government’s efforts to halt the enormous capital flight arising from increased medical tourism, and the avoidable stress experienced by Nigerians on such missions.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

News

Epileptic power supply disrupts Bafai proceedings in Lagos High Court Gora set to receive late Balat’s M corpse From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

afai Gora, the home town of late Senator Isaiah Balat is recording influx of sons and daughters of the town since the demise of their son, last Tuesday at the National Hospital, Abuja. He died at the age of 62 after a brief illness. The quiet town located in the Zango Kataf Local Government area of Kaduna State came alive with people in mourning mood. A son of the town, Mr. Elias Gora who was the former secretary of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) who spoke to reporters in Bafai Gora said, sons and daughters of the town are rushing back to the town to prepare for a befitting burial for “our fallen hero”. According to him, Late Senator Isaiah Balat is a broad minded person who brought not only people from his home town together, but the whole Kaduna State in peace and unity without discord right from his youthful days as a student, businessman and politician. All commercial hotels in Bafai Gora and neighborhood have been fully booked by people who want to witness the burial. The chairman of the burial planning committee, Dr John Ayuba, said the committee is putting everything together to ensure their son is given a befitting burial. Meanwhile, the National Association of Kaduna State Students (NAKASS) had, in a statement by Ajetu Aliyu David commiserated with Kaduna State governor, Dr Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and the people of Kaduna State over the sudden of Senator Isaiah Balat.

any courts in the Ikeja High Court complex yesterday decided to conduct their proceedings in darkness due to persistent epileptic power supply. There has been persistent power outage in the court in the past one week. Yesterday, no court was able to sit until about 11am

when one of the power generating sets was switched on. Even then, 30 minutes after proceedings kicked off, power supply from the generating set went off prompting some of the judges to suspend their proceedings. However, some of the judges decided to continue sitting using torch lights to conduct their sittings. Our correspondent who was at

Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo’s court observed that the judge carried on with the day’s business with torch light. Lawyers in the court also used lights from the phones since the courtroom was in pitch darkness. The judge however rose about 10 minutes after unable to continue with the torch light. It was also observed that Justice Kudirat Jose conducted

L-R: Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in a handshake with Country Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pa Lamin Beyai, during the latter’s working visit to the governor, yesterday in Ado-Ekiti.

part of her court proceedings in darkness for about five minutes before she could not go on with the proceeding. The judge was scheduled yesterday to hear the bail application filed by alleged fraudster, Fred Ajudua. It would be recalled that, Ajudua and his co-defendant, Charles Orie, are facing trial for defrauding Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen, two European businessmen, of $1.69 million (N287 million). The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, accused Messrs Ajudua, Orie, Rasheed Adekunle, Abisola Fawehinmi, and Stephen Joiner (the last three are still at large) of committing the crime between 1999 and 2000. Ajudua, who is also known as Isa Audu, and the others allegedly obtained the money from the businessmen as sundry payment to various government officials for payment of an $18 million contract No. FMA/EED/3040/S92, according to the EFCC. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge. Both defendants were first arraigned on 24th July, 2003, before Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole. But Ajudua’s disappearance during trial in 2007, after he was granted bail to seek medical checkup overseas, stalled the trial until early last year. After his surprising reappearance, justice Oyewole declined to free him on bail, forcing his lawyers to approach a vacation judge, Justice Ganiyu Safari, who granted his bail request. Subsequent to the epileptic power supplied, Justice Jose adjourned till March 12 for hearing of the bail application filed by the defendants.

I will name my successor by August - Sule Lamido From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

overnor Sule Lamido of Jigawa state has promised to announce who would succeed him as the next governor come 2015 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by August this year.

The governor disclosed this yesterday in Dutse while delivering his address shortly after the swearing-in of the newly elected local government council chairmen in the state. “The next governor would be better than me in terms of developmental projects in the

state”, he promised. According to him, “the next governor of this state would be known by August and we would make sure he would be the popular choice of all and accepted by the majority who should be more than me in terms of developmental performance in the state”.

Lamido noted that, “we made a 35 year developmental plan which would make the state a reference point in all developmental matters in the country”. Twenty five local government council chairmen and their deputies were swornin at the occasion.

Lack of social justice contributes to Nigeria’s current crisis , says Maitama Sule From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

lder statesman, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule has declared that lack of social justice among our leaders and citizenry contributes to the current crisis in the country particularly in the north east where insurgency and political violence has claimed many lives. Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule made the declaration yesterday

in Bauchi during the second annual lecture to mark Bauchi Radio Corporation at 36 saying that injustice is the reason behind crisis everywhere in the world. The first Republic minister who was the guest speaker at the occasion with a theme “Nigeria’s Centenary Euphoria: A catalyst for a united Nigeria”, said the current crisis bedeviling the country was not new stressing that Nigeria has been dogged by crises since its amalgamation in

1914. According to him, the only solution to the current state of insecurity in the country was for the leaders to promote social justice to all irrespective of religion, ethnicity, gender or political affiliation. He said “We should not point accusing fingers to anybody. The question we should ask ourselves is what is wrong and not who is wrong because in the past we had so many crises and we were able to overcome them irrespective

of our differences. I believe God brought us together for a purpose. We have to unite, love one another and live in peace. I have a feeling that Nigeria will not break up in spite of the current crisis.” Dan Masanin Kano therefore appealed to leaders to put their differences behind, come together to work for the peace and development of the country by promoting social justice “Our leaders should be leaders and not looters, they should be

leaders who are compatriots and not leaders for a privileged few. They should not be leaders who will perpetuate themselves in office but leaders who will be elected by the people” In his remark Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State observed that some politicians have turned politics into enterprises adding that “you cannot be a leader as well as a business man, you must choose one. We must all work to bring a lasting solution to the insecurity in our region.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 11

Money Sense

Seven rules for coping with sales rejection By Jane Porter

ark Carlson couldn’t even look at the phone without feeling anxious about being rejected by prospective clients. Soon, sales at T. Charles Wilson Insurance Service, the Aurora, Colorado, firm he bought three years ago, began to decline, dropping from $1.6 million in 2009 to $1.4 million last year. He knew he had to overcome his apprehension fast. Using techniques he learned in a seminar on sales prospecting, Carlson decided to try zapping his negative feelings. Literally, he started wearing a thick yellow rubber band around his wrist that he called a “thought zapper.” Every time he looked at the phone and felt anxious, Carlson snapped the rubber band and thought of something positive. He also made a point of scheduling time each day to call potential clients. Soon his negative thoughts dissipated, and sales rebounded this year to $1.6 million. Fear of rejection is common among small business owners like Carlson, especially those who are just learning how to sell themselves and their product or service. Consider these seven rules for coping with rejection in your business. Know your sales ratio: Rejection is inevitable when you’re selling, but you may not get as discouraged if you know how much to expect. Trelitha Bryant, a vice president at Behavioral Sciences Research Press, a Dallas-based firm that focuses on how fear affects selling, calls

it your “sales ratio” and estimates that on average it takes about 30 calls to get an appointment with a prospective client. The number will vary depending on what you’re selling; bigger ticket items typically have a higher sales ratio. There’s

no science to figuring out this number, but talking to others in your business about their experiences and paying attention to your own success rate will help you estimate how many rejections to expect. “That knowledge of what your sales

ratios are is going to help to immunize you to rejection,” says Bryant, whose firm put on the seminar that Carlson attended. Set long-term goals: A personal goal also can help you reframe your thinking to cope better with sales rejections, Bryant says. Goals that go beyond your business objectives help “you stay focused and persevere through those challenges.” Perhaps you want to pay for your children’s University education or donate money to a favorite charity. For Carlson, it helped him stay motivated if he thought about being able to take his daughters to Disneyland again. Don’t take it personally: Many small business owners, especially solopreneurs, take rejection personally. They figure there’s no one to blame but themselves. “When you work for yourself, you have no excuses,” says Mike Taubleb, founder of Promenade Speakers Bureau, a lecture agency in Brooklyn. “It’s all up to you.” Debra Condren, a business psychologist and small business coach in New York, advises people like Taubleb to avoid self-blame. “Every time you get rejected you learn something about yourself,” she says. “Look at it more as a learning opportunity.” Get into a routine: Developing a routine is another way to stay motivated. For Carlson, making phone calls at the same time everyday has helped him overcome his fear of rejection.

…and five signs you’re losing a sale, – how to save It

By Jane Porter

arla Kaye could not afford to lose this deal. She had watched sales at You Name It Promotions, her Oakland, Calif.-based promotional products company, drop by more than half since the start of the recession--from $3.5 million in 2007 to $1.5 million last year. When a six-figure sale to a new client seemed about to fall through this spring, she had to act fast. The technology company Kaye was courting wanted a customized USB drive with its brand name on it to hand out at trade shows. When Kaye, 58, found out the client was planning to go with a cheaper bid from a competitor, she stepped her offering up a few notches--shaping the device like the company’s logo and loading it with files about its product. “I said, ‘Give me a chance to show you why what we do will stand out,’” she says. “We saved it by doing more work than just answering a bid.” Related: How to Adopt a Sales Mindset Having a keen eye for when a sale is going sour takes savvy. Here are five red flags and strategies for saving the sale: No. 1: If a Potential Client Seems Indifferent A client who is interested in

doing business with you should have questions and concerns. If they don’t outright reject you but don’t have any questions either, be on the alert, warns Victor Cheng, author of the book Extreme Revenue Growth (Innovation Press, 2007). To resolve this problem, he suggests creating more of an advisory relationship with clients. You can let them know that you’ll help either to solve their problem or point them in the direction of another business that might be a better fit. Offering to help people find other vendors might seem counterintuitive, but it can go a long way to earn the trust you may need to win over a client, Cheng says. “People will share more with an advisor than a salesperson. It’s more of a dialogue than a broadcast.” No. 2: If There’s No Hard Deadline For a Decision Having urgency around a sale is important, Cheng believes. Early in the process, ask potential clients about their timeframe. You want to prioritize those companies that have a hard deadline. You can find ways to firm up deadlines, says Rich Sloan, co-founder of StartupNation.com, a Birmingham, Mich.-based business-advice website. He suggests limited-time offers or discounts to create urgency around a

sale. “The only way you get someone engaged is to find their buttons,” Sloan says. Perhaps point out what the competition is doing, or identify the financial risk involved in not acting quickly on the sale. No. 3: If You Aren’t Dealing With the Decision Maker You may start out talking with a junior-level employee who is vetting options, but beware if you aren’t put in touch with the decision maker after a few conversations. It’s probably a sign the company isn’t serious about buying, Cheng says. Getting past that roadblock can be challenging. The bigger the organization you are dealing with, the more layers of management you likely will have to penetrate, Sloan says. He recommends creating a presentation that your initial contact can easily show to upper management. You also might request a quick conference call with the senior-level person involved. “It’s a sticky situation because you need to be respectful of the person you are talking to and not undermine them,” Sloan says. No. 4: If Your Price is Too High People generally object to a price because they believe they can find the same product or service for less

or because you’re trying to sell more than they need, Cheng says. If your competitors are offering a lower price, focus on how you can provide added value, as Kaye did with her customized USB. But if you’re offering more than a client needs, you may need to scale back the initial proposal, Cheng says. You also could offer creative payment alternatives, Sloan suggests, such as incentives on the first purchase if the customer continues to buy more. Related: Seven Ways to Avoid Competing On Price No. 5: If You’re Asked For a Proposal Instead of a Conversation When potential clients ask for a proposal before agreeing to talk with you, it’s usually a sign they’re simply gathering price quotes from vendors, Cheng says. Before submitting a proposal, ask what the client is looking for and what criteria will be used to make the decision. Reaching a verbal understanding on those issues increases the likelihood that you’ll get the sale. “The problem with a proposal is there is no chance for them to tell you what is wrong with it,” Cheng says, “as opposed to working through all the nuances verbally.”

Every morning at 9, he spends half an hour calling prospective clients; then he gets back on the line at 10:30. “You can make about twenty phone calls in half an hour,” Carlson says. “The more people you reach out to, the more people you are going to find who have an interest in your product.” Build relationships: Don’t reject prospects after they reject you. “If you’ve been rejected, it doesn’t necessarily mean this person will never be your client,” Condren says. “Keep the conversations going.” She suggests creating a newsletter or writing articles that establish you as an authority in your field and allow you to communicate regularly with potential customers. You will feel better about yourself and develop credibility with prospects. “They are looking to you as an expert source,” she says. “It’s all about relationship building.” Talk to other entrepreneurs: It’s easy to feel as if you’re the only small-business owner facing so much rejection. That’s why it’s critical to reach out to other entrepreneurs to know you’re not alone. “The more we get rejected, the more we tend to isolate and go into our hermit holes,” Condren says. “That’s when you need to pick up the phone. When you reach out and talk to other entrepreneurs, it normalizes what you are going through.” Acknowledge your accomplishments: Taubleb makes sure to keep track of his daily achievements. Each night before bed, he writes down the top three or four things he did that day in his journal. It helps him sleep better. “I’ve almost never skipped a day,” he says. “That helps me recognize progress.” He also focuses on the sales he has won and finds that they outweigh the rejections. “You only need a few of them to carry you psychologically for a while,” he says. “It’s your success.”

Money Tip

tart a go-to fund for emergencies: The average family will face up to $2,000 (N320,000) a year in unexpected bills, says Register. For families already stretching to pay the bills, those surprises can trigger longterm financial problems. While you can’t plan what or when, you can have money set aside just in case. “You need to really boost your cash reserves,” says Edelman.

Quote There is some magic in wealth, which can thus make persons pay their court to it, when it does not even benefit them. How strange it is, that a fool or knave, with riches, should be treated with more respect by the world, than a good man, or a wise man in poverty! – Ann Radcliffe

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

EDITORIAL n a January 30 editorial titled “We want to believe CDS Badeh but..’, we praised the optimism and courage the new Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, has brought to his primary job of ending the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east zone of the country. While taking the oath of office last January, he said he expected the sectarian violence that has taken tens of hundreds of lives already to end sometime soon. Indeed, he was quoted to have given April as the timeline for putting the violent sect to rout. We acknowledged in that editorial that “Certainly, a new military helmsman, untainted by the controversies that have dogged the counter-insurgency campaign so far and a native of one of the affected states, does inspire public hope and expectations”. However, we feared that the CDS was rather precipitate in his expectations, given our sad past experience, particularly what the sect did after former Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim pledged to end the insurgency sooner. The sect scaled up its murderous campaign which had experienced a lull before the IG made his boast. He almost paid with his life in a bomb attack on Force Hqtrs in June 2011, and the following year President Goodluck Jonathan gave him the sack. We recall telling the new

CDS that “he should not be surprised if the reality he will confront forces him to scale down his hopes”. Well, he has since clarified his remarks uttered on the day of his swearing in . A statement by Defence Hqtrs

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Boko Haram: A déjà vu

Theour lesson is that leaders should not give ou rpeople assurances that only create a false sense of security.

in Abuja denied the CDS gave April this year as the deadline for ending the insurgency, saying that he only expressed a hope of ridding the country of this menace “very soon”. However, that ‘clarification’ meant no difference to the sect. As far as it was concerned, Badeh had drawn a new battle line and it was back to the trenches. A month after, Boko Haram foot soldiers who had all but been driven out of Borno state’s urban centres regrouped and launched attacks on three towns, inflicting fatalities and

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physical destruction never before seen during the more than 4-year insurgency. From Borno, they took the war into Badeh’s Adamawa state. Two attacks on Konduga in Borno in less than a week this month claimed over a hundred lives, including 11 soldiers ambushed and killed while on a rescue mission. Next to fall to the sect was the town of Izge where on February 16, over 130 residents were rounded up, made to line up and then were slaughtered like rams. The sect even kidnapped students from a girls’ secondary school. Four days later, Bama town was attacked and reports said 37 people were killed. A day earlier, February 17, the sect killed 11 in an attack on Galga village in Adamawa state. A case of déjà vu? The resurgence of Boko Haram, after the army claimed to have killed its leader, Abubakar Shekau, and the boast of the military’s new helmsmen, shows that Boko Haram’s head is far from scorched. Indeed, Borno governor Kashim Shettima put it bluntly this week when he told journalists in Abuja that the Nigerian military was no match for Boko Haram and that “it is absolutely impossible to defeat” the sect . Who can doubt words from the horse’s mouth? The lesson is that our leaders should not give our people assurances that only create a false sense of security.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 13

Opinion Illegality of Sanusi’s suspension By Bamidele Aturu

he suspension of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, by the President is the most egregious desecration of the rule of law and the principle of legality in Nigeria to date. It is unsurpassed in its blatant illegality and immorality. The decision is symptomatic of the desperation that has gripped the presidency and its allies in the wake of the troubling allegations made by the Governor of the Bank that public officials in the NNPC are looting the country blind in the name of subsidy payments. To the best of my knowledge the allegation has not been coherently answered by the Corporation or by the Government. It should be pointed out that the only occasion the President can recommend the removal of the Governor or exercise any disciplinary

control over him is under section 11(1)(f) and that recommendation must be supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate before he can be removed. Now the law is indubitably clear that the express mention of one thing is the exclusion of the other. In other words, if the law had intended that the President exercises the power of suspension over the Governor of the Central Bank it would have expressly stated so, particularly as the same law As far as the law goes, the suspension of the

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Governor is unwarranted. Section 11 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 clearly lists the instances when the Governor or any of his Deputies can cease to remain in office. For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, none of such instances include suspension by the President. The only mention of the word ‘suspension’ is in section 11(1)(d) and that relates to the removal of the Governor when he or she is disqualified or suspended from practicing his or her profession in Nigeria. Of course, the illegal

suspension of the Governor is not from a professional body and is not at all contemplated by the law. provides for the removal of the Governor based on his suspension from professional practice. The purported removal of the Governor of the Central Bank is a continuation of the atrocious illegalities perpetrated by the present administration. From Salami to the serial acts of infamy imposed on the people of Rivers State and now to Sanusi, one can say without

As far as the law goes, the suspension of the Governor is unwarranted. Section 11 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 clearly lists the instances when the Governor or any of his Deputies can cease to remain in office. For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, none of such instances include suspension by the President. The only mention of the word ‘suspension’ is in section 11(1)(d) and that relates to the removal of the Governor when he or she is disqualified or suspended from practicing his or her profession in Nigeria. Of course, the illegal suspension of the Governor is not from a professional body and is not at all contemplated by the law.

any fear of equivocation that the cup of illegalities of this administration is full. If we don’t act now, we don’t know whose turn it would be next. We must challenge the desecration of the laws of our country by its Chief custodian. The Senate must view the so-called suspension of the Governor for what it is: a naked usurpation of its powers and privileges. There is no room for illegal removal of the Governor through the back door. The Nigeria Bar Association now has an opportunity to redeem whatever is left of its image by demanding that the Attorney General of the Federation who is deemed to be privy to this embarrassing decision step aside or is declared persona non grata. The people and in particular the civil society must ensure that this latest rape of our laws does not stand. Bamidele Aturu is on linkedIn

Is Boko Haram being ignored? By Hamisu Abubakar

s there something wrong with elders these days? Everywhere we turn these days in Nigeria, our elders are spewing what is less than elderly. If it is not from Niger Delta region where an elder has run riot with his tongue, then it is from the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), against a man (retired Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika) who had sworn to defend the nation’s territorial integrity and had diligently done so. The NEF threatened Ihejirika with possible charges of genocide at the International Criminal Court (ICC); and when the elders from Ihejirika’s part of the country (prominent Igbo men), would speak, it was also to pour bags of pepper on the festering injury. When the NEF spoke, it was obvious they were not salutary and were merely playing politics to whip up primordial sentiments. I have never respected such men even though they claim to be my elders. Now that the army boys have slowed down, for whatever reason, not excluding, perhaps, the dampening of their morals

by the careless talk by the elders, let us see if the NEF, and its verbally diarrheic spokespersons like Ango Abdulahi, will remedy the situation. Even in the face of it all, has anyone bothered to ask why the All Progressives Congress (APC) states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe are unruly? Is this a foretaste of things to come in other states or in the country if they take power? In the South West where there has been relative peace, the actions of Rauf Aregbesola are heightening tension. Leader Bola Tinubu went there but was unable to come up with anything meaningful to stop divisions along religious lines. What does this portend for those who are sympathetic to

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the party? Is this the kind of change they have been talking so loudly about? In the specific case of the North -east zone, one of its chief executives with a military background is known to have boasted that he would distribute kola nuts to his Fulani ethnic stock to back APC. We hope it did not include making the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) look bad at all cost, even by sabotage. For many who do not know, the people of his Fulani ethnic stock can be found in neighboring countries that are now being fingered for complicity in the Boko Haram insurgency. President Goodluck Jonathan will do well to call for a thorough security check on this man and the former

governor of one of the states in that geo-political zone, if he is to be taken serioulys as the commander-in-chief. That former governor, who is said to have sworn to match Tinubu naira for naira, dollar for dollar over who becomes the chairman of the party’s board of trustees, recently visited his state after being absent for a long time, during which time the state enjoyed relative peace. In quick succession, a bomb went off, and the intensity of attacks and deaths spiraled out of control. Now the elders of his state are claiming that the federal government is ignoring Boko Haram. In a recent new report, the elders in Maiduguri said the federal government must step up efforts to fight the insurgency.

That former governor, who is said to have sworn to match Tinubu naira for naira, dollar for dollar over who becomes the chairman of the party’s board of trustees, recently visited his state after being absent for a long time, during which time the state enjoyed relative peace. In quick succession, a bomb went off, and the intensity of attacks and deaths spiraled out of control. Now the elders of his state are claiming that the federal government is ignoring Boko Haram. In a recent new report, the elders in Maiduguri said the federal government must step up efforts to fight the insurgency. The spokesman for the Borno Elders Forum, Dr. Bulama Mali Gubiosaid in Maiduguri that while “wanton killing of Borno people” has been going on by insurgents, there has been little attention from the federal government. Gubio also pilloried Jonathan for failing to speak out in the past weeks when insurgency attacks heightened, causing the death of nearly 200 people within a week.

The spokesman for the Borno Elders Forum, Dr. Bulama Mali Gubiosaid in Maiduguri that while “wanton killing of Borno people” has been going on by insurgents, there has been little attention from the federal government. Gubio also pilloried Jonathan for failing to speak out in the past weeks when insurgency attacks heightened, causing the death of nearly 200 people within a week. Gubio was quoted to have said, “it is certain that the Federal Government has failed to identify the actual problem bedeviling us or is deliberately looking the other way while our people are being massacred with impunity. During the civil war, the Nigerian soldiers, including thousands from the northern part of the country, were mobilised to the rain and mangrove forest in eastern Nigeria where they spent over 30 months confronting the rebels and they succeeded in keeping Nigeria one…” So Gubio wants the soldiers to step up action so that data on them can be collated and sent to the ICC, or did he not hear what the NEF said? Or, is it not our own northern elders, who in

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 14

Opinion

Tragedy of defections and politics sans values By Udo Jude Ilo

ohandas Karamchand Gandhi, writing in the Young India newspaper on October 22, 1925, espoused the theory of the seven social sins. It has lessons on economics, politics, science and religion and spoke to our common destiny and humanity around the world. While the seven social sins are subject to various interpretations, the first of these lessons –the sin of politics without principles – is certainly relevant here in Nigeria where politicians are current engaged in a macabre display of defections and crass politicking within the country’s two major political parties, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). Nigeria’s current political situation also brings to mind English author and politician, Jeffrey Archer’s book, Honour Amongst Thieves. The sad reality here, however, is that there isn’t even honour amongst our political parties, let alone its thieves. In Archer’s book, even the most debased of human endeavors follows certain basic rules. But in Nigeria this is far from the case. The politicians’ power grab – through whatever means possible – continues to undermine the country’s quality of governance and could be a major trigger for instability. There does, however, exist some amount of “reasonable competition” between the two major political parties, and each one have – at least on paper – the potential to win the general elections. Sadly for Nigerians though, the quality of choice between these less-thanhonorable political parties leaves much to be desired. Some people argue that there is no choice at all, seeing the APC

as little more than elections, the a mutant version of fact that political the PDP with little parties could ideological difference not rally their Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, or operational members to distinction. As it review the text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written currently stands, voter’s register contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters the only difference disenfranchised - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your one sees in the many people. two major political Their inability name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be parties is only of to even mobilize addressed to: nomenclatural citizens to vote relevance. The same produced a characters that where record low The Editor, in the PDP are now turn-out in Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, finding a home in the governorship 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. APC. The common elections. If denominator? political parties Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com Acquisition of power cannot even SMS: 08134607052 through whatever rally their own means necessary. members or Great countries provide them are not built on an ideologically-retarded that celebrate disregard for principles? with basic civic education, how do they political class. Most of our politicians Party leaders in Party A suddenly move expect to run a country? stand for nothing, which means they to Party B and begin to contradict Interestingly, the current are effectually “open to everything”. It everything they had done in Party disenchantment with political parties is therefore premature for Nigerians A. How do we explain the claim that also provides huge opportunities for to celebrate our political ‘choices’. political office holders are paid to remain them to remake themselves. It cannot What we have right now is not only a in their party? How do we explain that be business as usual. Moving towards contaminated pool of parties, but also a negotiations for party allegiance is the 2015 elections, the PDP and APC structurally-debased political culture that premised on automatic ticket and preneed to prove to Nigerians that there relegates the need of the people behind determined political posts? In all these are differences between them, aside the greed of the few. The reality is that types of horse-trading and deal-making, from name. Simply being known all our politicians are currently tarred nobody is talking about the people or as the opposition party does not with the same brush. The compromises securing obligations or commitments guarantee votes, unless you can actually they have made, the characters they have on infrastructural development. Nobody distinguish yourself from the ruling welcomed, and the inconsistencies they is raising the issue of free education or party. Internal party politics – especially have shown underscore the value-free healthcare, let alone anything remotely going forward to the primaries – must nature of our politics. representative of the needs of the people. be taken seriously, and democracy must How do we explain a situation What manner of politics in Nigeria are begin from intraparty levels. Nigerian’ where lawmakers defect from one party we playing exactly? voices must count. Aggressive citizen’s to another and then defect back to The failure of political parties has mobilization, based on discernible their original party in the space of only dire consequences for the quality of political promises must be pursued. one month and under circumstances governance in Nigeria. In Anambra Parties cannot promise free

WRITE TO US

education in 2015, as example, when governors from such parties are not currently pursuing such policies. We need to be clear on the policy direction of each political party – not just as election propaganda, but actually seen to be at the centre of their currentlypursued activities. If political parties focus their energy on policy issues and spend less energy on hurling abuses at each other, our governance narrative will undergo seismic change. The APC’s current membership registration has shown how progressive mobilization can improve the fortunes of a political party. Other political parties are watching and a response is no doubt in the works. This is the kind of competition Nigerians want and need to see. However, we cannot wait forever for our failed political class to remake themselves. Increasingly, we’ll have to pursue a third way – a new wave of politically-conscious Nigerians uniting to build a political union that is built on the values of accountability, responsiveness to people’s needs, and a clear strategy on changing the political fortunes of this country. It doesn’t have to be a political party, but it must be a political force. And it must be one that commands attention and defines issues. Those progressives exist in the virtual chat rooms. They exist in the drinking bars. They exist in our schools and churches. They even exist in our political parties. But we need to provide a different avenue to ventilate these values and draw out these progressives. Nigeria is too precious to be left in the hands of men without honor or leaders without principles. Udo Jude Udo can be reached on twitter via @udoilo

The evil of second time

By Luqman Soliu

ow that election is getting nearer our people have started campaigning again and the prominent of this electioneering is the feature of old faces. Is it a curse that we must be recycling our leaders or their children? What is the fate of those of us that are educated but don’t belong to these erstwhile leaders’ family? Is there any sign or hope that we shall ever occupy any significant posts? Well, I may not be politically-inclined for now but what about those endowed with the charisma but are prevented by these cabals who continually cage us in their political nest. If Nigeria is a country with more than one hundred and fifty (150) million people and those above age 18 are more than 60% of this figure, this means that more than ninety (90) million people are above voting age of eighteen (18) years in Nigeria. If among this populace, half (45 million) is more than thirty years of age which is the minimum number of age required by the Constitution for anyone to contest elections in the country, how many people in the whole of the country would occupy posts among the millions of people within eight years if politicians are allowed two terms? Now, to understand the issues let us examine the constitutional provisions as regard the age for various positions. The constitution as regards House of Representatives as contained in Section 65(b) prescribes 30 years as minimum age for election of a member into the house while Section 65(a) prescribe 35 years for the senate. Similarly, Section 106(b) prescribes 30 years for election of a member

into state house of Assembly while Section 77 (b) prescribes 35 years for a candidate to be elected governor and section 131(b) prescribes 40 years for a candidate to qualify to contest for presidency. Meanwhile, the average lifespan for most citizens in Nigeria nowadays is sixty-five (65) years and if someone could occupy a post or another since he clocks 30 years tills he dies and other people are in the same age group, don’t you guess the minute fraction of the whole population will perpetually rule us while the same set of people would continue to be servants to the enigmas? If a president, 36 governors, 774 chairmen, 109 senators and 360 honourables in the federal House of Representatives, state assembly honourables, councillors, commissioners, advisers, ambassadors, etc that could not exceed 10,000 in all now recycle themselves into power, are we not bound to be perpetually enslaved? When will it be my turn or your turn to become leaders even if qualified in all ramifications except we insist anyone that has occupied a post should vacate for others and find something else done? If politics is the same as activism which people like Gani fawehinmi laboured for, would our people be struggling and killing themselves over that? It is obvious, they siphon public funds in politics that is why they are bent to win at all cost whereas in activism one spend his wealth, time and energy. It is high time Nigerians started abhorring two-term syndrome. After all, late General R. Murtala Mohammed remained the best leader the country had ever produced despite using just six months and some days. If he

could achieve such a feat within a short period although eliminated gruesomely by the wicked souls and our current leaders could not beat his record within four years, then there is no basis of even supporting our current leaders to complete their four year tenure let alone promoting them for second term. What other wonder did Fashola perform in Lagos during his second term if not exacerbate people’s living conditions? At least, those motorists plying Lekki/Ajah Road would testify to the extortion on the roads by the agents of government while Lagos state university students who were hitherto paying just N25,000 and were later made to pay N250,000 immediately Fashola secured his second term would be in the best position to narrate their experience. Apart from crisis and a costly plane Amaechi bought for Rivers government, which other achievements did he bring to Rivers people during his second term? Babangida Aliyu was an epitome of selfless service in his first term but his second term was nothing but a pay time to his cronies. Jonah Jang of Plateau was only successful during his second term at dividing governors’ forum and supervising ethnic cleansing in his state while Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state only succeeded at supervising PDP road to extinction as the PDP governors’ chairman that could not prevent defection of aggrieved members to the opposition parties. Olusegun Mimiko is another example of fraudulent administration that embarks mainly on three millennium schools for almost three years.

The state was standstill until a year to his second term election that he started construction of roads and hospitals and once he secured the second term, the pace of his landmark achievement has been overtaken by moribund development. Even the former Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, who ought to be resting in prison for hiring fowls for his fake poultry project commissioning is still contesting for Ekiti gubernatorial election. The case is not different in Osun State where thugs and murderers are now the major contenders in major elections. What an unfortunate society with throngs of armed robbers as politicians! Now, our ex-convict and acquitted former port authority chairman is still warming up for another appointment after defrauding the agency of more than N53billion even when Mr. fix-it that could not fix just a road with billions of naira allocated to his ministry while he was Minister of Works now heads the board of trustees of the national ruling party for the second time. Is it not a curse that the present rulers would continually rule us and or be substituted by their children and relations? They bar us from contesting election while below the age of 30 years whereas majority of them assumed national leadership at age 23 and 25 years and they are yet to quit the stage for the younger generation. These same sets of power mongers that have turned themselves to cabals and power brokers now intimidate us with their insistence to remain in power. How many are these cabals? Are they as many as the downtrodden? Can these oppressors defeat the

oppressed if the oppressed decided to revenge? Is it not the time for the oppressed to resist the attempt to be enslaved forever by these cabals? Attempt of some former leaders that had occupied posts in the country without any impact on their people to contest again is an affront on the electorates’ intelligence. Well, I acknowledge the fact that the rampaging youths that have constituted threats to orderliness, peace and progress of the country are mostly errand boys for these oppressive politicians and that this hard-hitting message might not have made majority to withdraw their support for the big men and see whether the big men can survive without them. Nonetheless, it is my candid believe that if youths clamouring for second term of our politicians could reason and withdraw their support for them, a new chapter in the political history and governance of our country would be opened whereby youths would determine those that should contest or not. Instead of singing praising for another person’s second time, why not promote yourself or another person for a better tomorrow? Or is it a curse that you must always serve people while none serve you? No wonder, they keep mortgaging the future of our youths without recourse to the needs of the masses. If Amosun of Ogun state that promised 50% reduction in school fees before his assumption of office could fail to redeem the promise, you should expect nothing than geometric increment in fees should he secure a second term. Luqman Soliu is on solumsec@yahoo.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Comment 2015: We must get involved By Bobby Udoh

NEC has announced dates for the 2015 general elections. The National Assembly and Presidential elections will hold on February 14, 2015 and the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 28, 2015. I think the biggest concern is the lack of political engagement by a critical mass of citizens who have frequently stated that we desperately need credible, courageous and visionary political leaders at this critical phase of our development. Credible candidates need to be selected by the political parties, the influence of godfathers have to be reduced, finances for credible candidates needs to be generated from transparent sources, well researched manifestos needs to be developed, etc. These and many other activities require the involvement of credible citizens involved in the political process. We can no longer afford to sit back and allow the process to evolve and we get in at the very last stage - the voting on election day. How can we get involved? Party membership: Members of a political party can influence the party leadership, party candidates, party policies, party members in government and most certainly, the destiny of the nation. So, if we want to change our politics and our nation, we must become members of a party and initiate change within the party. All of the leading

political parties in Nigeria can be changed through more Nigerians becoming members of these parties. Only then can credible people be attracted or nurtured and supported for elective offices. Besides, those who win elections need a strong platform within their parties to support the implementation of some tough but necessary ideas from their manifesto. Party leadership: It is not just our political offices that need visionary leadership but also our political parties. In fact, I believe the visionary leadership must first be seen in a political party before it is seen in political offices. The key essence of participation in the leadership of the party at national, state and local government levels is to ensure the protection of party policies; ensure efficiency and transparency in party’s organisation and activities;

“

encourage and sustain internal democracy; develop, model and mentor future party leaders; attract more like minds to the party; and provide effective monitoring of party men in political offices. Influence party ideology and programmes: One of the key weaknesses of our political parties is that we don’t know what they stand for and therefore, we are unable to separate one party from another. The end result is our political leaders come into political offices with no clear agenda, policy, ideas and we the people do not know what to expect from them. We need citizens to get involved in party politics to help create think tanks that will research national problems, their solutions and implementation. With strong ideology and programmes, defection to another party will be reduced.

Party primaries: It is the party primaries that will determine the candidate we will vote for at the general election. Our participation will improve the quality of party primaries. This will improve the chances of credible members winning party primaries, thereby presenting better candidates to the voting public at the general elections, and it will also encourage more qualified citizens to join the process. We will also see reduced dictatorial tendencies by so called ‘godfathers’ who will have enlightened, educated and visionary members seeking transparency and adherence to the party constitution. Our democracy will only grow when members of our political parties are allowed to assess, deliberate hard enough and then decide which candidate to vote for in the party primaries. Mobilisation of others: We

One of the key weaknesses of our political parties is that we don’t know what they stand for and therefore, we are unable to separate one party from another. The end result is our political leaders come into political offices with no clear agenda, policy, ideas and we the people do not know what to expect from them. We need citizens to get involved in party politics to help create think tanks that will research national problems, their solutions and implementation. With strong ideology and programmes, defection to another party will be reduced.

should not only participate in party politics but must also actively engage in mobilising our friends and families to join the process. In effect, we must be converted and also convert others into the process. We must also focus on mobilising the 18-25 year olds because this is the core group with innovative ideas and their active involvement will lead political parties to innovate and offer the party candidates with new approaches to solving national issues. Others: Get a voters card, go out to vote and defend that vote by making sure the results are not manipulated; enlighten and mobilise others to get registered and to vote wisely; attend political rallies and town hall meetings, and where possible participate in organising such meetings to provide the candidates with a platform to explain their manifesto. To help break the myth of politics being a dirty game, it should be noted that many Nigerians engage in political activities as members of their Alumni, Social Club, Sports Group, Cultural Association, Religious Group, etc. If we can start up an association or group and make it run successfully for years with numerous activities and projects, then we can easily join a political party, get involve in its leadership, develop good manifestos and present best qualified candidates at the general elections. Would you go register with a political party? Bobby Udoh can be reached on bobbyudoh.com

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on “reforming Nigeria” By John Campbell

tuart Reid published in the current issue of Foreign Affairs a fascinating interview with Nigeria’s Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The finance minister was educated at Harvard and MIT and is a former vice president of the World Bank. More recently she was a candidate for the presidency of the World Bank. International investors and business people associate her with many or most of Nigeria’s economic reforms in the administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan. She is probably much more popular outside of Nigeria than at home, where her reforms have gored many oxes. In her interview, OkonjoIweala reviews what she sees as her most important economic achievements, which range from Nigeria’s accelerated economic growth, to the clearing of Paris Club debt, to a focus on agriculture. She also looks forward to new initiatives such as expanding and invigorating the housing sector with the establishment of a Nigerian mortgage market.

The minister is also candid about the impediments to reform, such as vested interests, corruption, and what she characterizes as the current “poisonous political atmosphere.” She is less convincing on the Boko Haram insurrection in the north. She sees the president’s policies as working because, she says, Boko Haram is now isolated to Borno and Yobe states. (In fact, there has been an upsurge in violence in Adamawa state.)

“

She describes a three pronged approach: counterinsurgency with the help of the United States, United Kingdom, and France, a “political approach,” which seems to refer to a committee that is supposed to talk “to these people and find out what they want,” and “inclusion,” which seems to be an acknowledgement that Yobe and Borno are much poorer than other parts of the country, and that the government needs to address that poverty. She makes

no reference to government human rights abuses in the north. However, to be fair, her writ extends to the formal economy, not to security issues. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is closely associated with Goodluck Jonathan. Her interview casts his administration in the best light she can. As a statement of the government’s position on a number of issues the interview is useful, and her personal observations ranging from Western misconceptions

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is closely associated with Goodluck Jonathan. Her interview casts his administration in the best light she can. As a statement of the government’s position on a number of issues the interview is useful, and her personal observations ranging from Western misconceptions about Africa to why her mother was kidnapped are fascinating. But, her discussion of economic achievements refers to or depends on statistics (such as economic growth) that are being increasingly questioned. See, for example, Morten Jerven’s book, Poor Numbers. Like many other Nigerians from the south and the west, she also downplays religious conflict between Christians and Muslims by citing examples of families that include adherents of both religions. She makes no reference to endemic ethnic and religious conflict in the Middle Belt or threats of renewed insurrection against the government in the Niger Delta, the oil patch.

about Africa to why her mother was kidnapped are fascinating. But, her discussion of economic achievements refers to or depends on statistics (such as economic growth) that are being increasingly questioned. See, for example, Morten Jerven’s book, Poor Numbers. Like many other Nigerians from the south and the west, she also downplays religious conflict between Christians and Muslims by citing examples of families that include adherents of both religions. She makes no reference to endemic ethnic and religious conflict in the Middle Belt or threats of renewed insurrection against the government in the Niger Delta, the oil patch. She concludes her interview with a vision of Nigeria’s future as a more democratic state with high growth rates and reducing poverty. Friends of Nigeria share that vision, which has been articulated in one form or another since the end of the colonial period. As she acknowledges, Nigeria has a ways to go to achieve that vision. John Campbell, a former US ambassador to Nigeria, is a blogger

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

FCDA demolishes illegal structures in Byazhin

he Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Wednesday continued its intensive “City Clean up’’ with the demolition of illegal structures along Byazhin road, Kubwa, Abuja. Officials of the Development Control Department of the FCTA and law-enforcement personnel carried out the exercise. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that mechanic workshops, block industries, unauthorised extensions, as well as a church were among structures that were demolished. Mr Chika Ejiogu, the Pastor Bethel Boamages Church, the demolished church, lamented the exercise, saying he did not receive any demolition notice. He said that the owner of the plot gave him permission to build the church there. However, the Development Control District Officer, in charge of Kubwa, Mr. Abubakar Sodangi, told NAN that the structures had to be removed to create order in the city. He said that the area is a government layout earmarked for development and should not be occupied by unauthorised

individuals. He added that a church was not supposed to be located in a plot approved for residential building. “This exercise is a continuation of the clean up exercise that started late last

year to ensure that there is order in the city. “This whole area is a government layout earmarked for future development and we cannot allow unauthorised people to encroach on them. “There is a mechanic village

for some of these artisans along Zuba road; they should take advantage of that facility,’’ Sodangi said. He advised residents of Kubwa to avoid constructing illegal extensions to their houses to avoid demolition by the department. (NAN)

Two women preparing pounded yam at a local food joint, yesterday in Kwali Area Council of Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Waste management: Society to sensitise FCT area councils

o ensure people take positive steps towards mitigating ineffective waste management, the Abuja Chapter of Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), says that it would begin a public education on effective waste management in Karu, Kuje and Bwari Area Councils respectively. The vice chairman of the

society, Mr. OkobiaEfegbidiki said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Efegbidiki said further that the essence of the campaign was “At Karu, you see waste being dumped on the streets and if you go into the various inter roads you find out that the health situations of those

people are not pleasant. “The gaseous emissions from the waste like nitric oxide, hydrogen sulphide are pollutants that are dangerous to the human health. “But the people within those localities don’t know; this is just as a result of negligence in waste management,’’ he said. He further said that NES had started sensitising the

council areas to greenhousegas- related issues with a view to enlightening the public on the adverse effects on their health. He added that NES would educate health officers in the FCT area councils on indices and parameters to look out for in addressing the health challenges caused by poor waste management. (NAN)

Akinjide expresses shock over lack of health tech institute in FCT By Stanley Onyekwere

he Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), MsOlajumokeAkinjide, has expressed shock over the non-existence of School of Health Technology in the Territory; to train and retrain human resource in its public Primary Health Care (PHC) system. The minister, who is also the supervising minister of Ministry of Police Affairs, expressed this during an interaction with the key

implementing stakeholders of the recommendations by the ministerial committee on PHC system rejuvenation in the FCT. Peoples Daily reports that the FCT has achieved only 12.5 % of minimum required staffing providing the minimum health care package services in the available 32 PHC centres and 183 PHC clinics. She said given the unfortunate situation; the FCT Administration is on a very long walk towards ensuring efficient service delivery in the PHC system

in the Territory. However, to address the situation, she said in the meantime, the FCT Administration would before the end of the year set up a School of Health Technology, with an initial space as a temporary base, to kick start the school. According to her, the establishment of the school would serve the objective of capacity building as well as help to address the identified human resource and service problems facing PHC facilities in the nation’s capital. “It is shocking that FCT does not have a

school of health technology, to produce the needed human resources for quality health care delivery for the teeming residents of the Territory. “As a matter of urgency we will rent a place or get a space at the health secretariat to start off. “It is absolutely essential that we work towards establishing our own capacity building facilities, to enable us produce the needed human resources for quality health care delivery in the FCT; as we need to have trained personnel to do this,” she stressed.

Infrastructure: Brazilian investors seek partnership with FCTA … to build 1,000 houses By Stanley Onyekwere

he Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, has received a delegation of Multi-Billion-Dollars Brazilian investors, who are in Abuja to find ways of partnering with the FCT Administration. The minister who received the delegation led by the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nigeria to Brazil; Mr. Vincent Okoedio, in his office, noted that the delegation is one of the quick wins of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda. Mohammed disclosed that the delegation is interested in partnering with the FCTA on its Rail Mass Transit, Mass Housing as well as road development. According to him, the FCT Administration is expecting over $3 billion if this partnership and collaboration come to fruition. He reiterated that it is the intention of the FCT Administration to take a cue from the Federal Government to allow the Organized Private Sector drive its development as well as economy. The minister assured that the FCT Administration under his watch would continue to provide an enabling environment for investors to strive. He used the opportunity to call on local investors to take advantage of the liberalized policy of the government to harness their potentials by investing in the Federal Capital Territory. It may be recalled that the World Trade Centre under construction at the Central Business District, Abuja is over $1 billion Foreign Direct Investment; apart from the investment for the Abuja Down Town development, Abuja Industrial Park as well as the Abuja Land Swap Initiative, expected to open up about 10 new districts within the 250 square kilometers of the Federal Capital City. Responding, Director of Bitello Group, Frederico Joao Stella, who was part of the delegation, thanked the minister for the opportunity given their company to participate in the development of FCT. He assured that 1,000 houses would be built within some few months as their company has the technology and technical capability to produce a two bedroom flat per day.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Metro

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

INSIDE FCT COURTS

Public servant docked for mischief T

he police yesterday arraigned a public servant, Fatima Duankhai, 36, in an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court for criminal intimidation. Duankhai, of Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja is standing trial on four counts of criminal intimidation, mischief, theft and resisting arrest before Senior Magistrate Zubairu

Mohammed. The prosecutor, Cpl. Simon Emmanuel, told the court that Glory Berkuk of No. 69, Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja, reported the case at the Gwarinpa Police Station on February 10. Emmanuel said that on February 9, the accused threatened to deal with the complainant by

saying, ``you will see in 10 days’’. He said Berkuk became frightened and lodged a complaint at the police station. Emmanuel said two police then invited Duankhai to the station and she resisted arrest. He said while the complainant was away from her house the accused went to the house and

threw out her property. He said that the accused tore some of the complainant’s her wrappers and stole two braziers, a necklace and a head tie, all valued at N3, 700 as well as N25, 000 in cash. The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charge. The presiding magistrate

granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in like sum. Mohammed ordered that the surety must have a means of livelihood and must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court. He then adjourned the matter to March 3 for hearing. (NAN)

Bail: Court remands panel beater in prison

Young children displaying their God given talents in a public function, recently at Garki, in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Police arraign scavenger for stealing motor parts

he police yesterday arraigned a 20-year-old scavenger, Edeth Godwin, in an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court charged with stealing of vehicle spare parts, valued at N792,000. Godwin, who resides in Pataka Village, Mpape, Abuja, is standing trial for joint act, criminal trespass and theft. The prosecutor, Sgt. Musa Abdulahi, told the court that Sgt. Wanyi Bawa of the FCT Police

Command arrested the accused on February 15. Abdulahi said the accused and two others, now at large, criminally trespassed into a mechanic workshop belonging to one Kazeem Tijanni and stole auto spare parts valued at N792,000. He said the accused was apprehended by Sgt. Bawa while trying to flee from the scene of the crime. The prosecutor said that

the accused had confessed stealing the auto parts during investigation. He added that a car battery, two shock absorbers, a gear box and a Toyota block engine were also recovered from the accused. The offence contravened the provisions of sections 79 and 346 of the Penal code respectively. If convicted, he faces seven years in prison or with an option to pay fine or with both.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the offence. The Magistrate, Mr. Emmanuel Iyana, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N300,000 and a surety in like sum. Iyana said the surety must have a fixed address and must reside within the jurisdiction of the court. He adjourned the matter to March 10 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)

Court jails 2 labourers to 4 months’ imprisonment for theft

Grade 1 Area court in Kuje, Abuja, yesterday sentenced two labourers, Francis Maxwell, 24, and Felix Onyeka, 29, to four months in prison each for theft. The presiding judge, Mr Nuhu Ibrahim, sentenced Maxwell and Onyeka both of Guda-Aba in Kuje after they pleaded guilty to stealing a block-moulding machine, two shovels and four bags of cement. The convicts were charged

with joint act, criminal trespass, mischief and theft. Ibrahim, however, gave them an option to pay a fine of N12, 000 each. The judge ordered that if the convicts failed to pay the fine, they should be remanded in Kuje Medium Prison for four months. Ibrahim also ordered the convicts to apologise to the complainant for stealing his property. Earlier, the prosecutor, Sgt.

Ninyo Ishaya, told the court that Mr Okoye Maduka of Pegi Village, Kuje, lodged a report against the accused at the Kuje Police Station on February 10. ``Maxwell, Onyeka and one other, now at large, went to a block industry belonging to Maduka and destroyed the gate. ``They stole a moulding machine, two shovels, four bags of cement and a six-inch moulding crate,” Ishaya said.

The prosecutor said that during police investigation, the stolen items were recovered at Tipper Garage, Kuje when they were about to sell them. Samuel said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 79, 342, 355 and 286 of the Penal code respectively. The convicts pleaded for leniency and apologised to the complainant and the court for their action and promised not to repeat such an act. (NAN)

Gudu Upper Area court, Abuja, yesterday ordered that a panel beater, Matthew Iorhemen, be remanded in prison till March 13, pending hearing in his bail application. Iorhemen who resides in Kado Biko, at Gwarinpa in Abuja, is charged with two counts of criminal breach of trust and mischief. The presiding judge, Mr Abdullahi Abdulkareem, gave the order after Iorhemen pleaded not guilty to the charge. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the judge later adjourned the case to March 13. Abdulkareem also ordered the accused to get legal representation so as to file a written bail application and furnish the court with the full address of the accused. Earlier, the prosecutor, Sgt. Ambi Ayuba, had told the court that Frank Ankar of 32, Garki New Town, Apo in Abuja, lodged a report against the accused. Ayuba said Ankar lodged the report at the Durumi Police Station on February 8. He said Ankar gave his Honda Accord card to Iorhemen to panel beat and paint its left side’s door. The prosecutor said the complainant paid the accused N25, 000 and he was told that work on the car would have been completed by the close of work at 4 p.m. “When the complainant went back for the car after close of work as agreed, the accused told him he had left his workshop and the car was in a safe place,’’ he said. Ayuba said the accused called the complainant later and told him he had an accident with the car at Gwarinpa and damaged it. The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 327 of the Penal code respectively. If convicted, Iorhemen faces nine years in prison with an option of paying a fine or both. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

INSIDE

etuka2012@gmail.com/meetetus@rocketmail.com 08066605655,08182721672

CAC award not for questionable characters, says Chairman - Pg 20

R-L: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr. Godknows Igali, Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, and MD/CEO, ETA Zuma Energy Group, Dr. Ette Zuma, during the latter’s working visit to the minister, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

40,000MW power generation feasible by year 2020, says FG By Etuka Sunday

he Federal Government has said that the target of power generation peaking at 40,000MW by year 2020 is realizable with more capacities coming from Mambilla, Zungeru large hydros, off grid power from solar, wind and more importantly coal to power that will use the abundant coal resources in Nigeria. A statement by the Deputy Director (Press), Timothy Oyedeji quoted the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr. GodknowsIgali to have made the disclosure while he played host to the team of the body of Permanent

Secretaries in the Civil Service on Peer review mission. He identified the key element of this initiative as it would make the civil service more responsive and accountable to the Nigerian people. While making his presentation,Igali said the bottom line of his Ministry’s mandate is to provide policy framework for the realization of electricity for domestic and industrial uses of Nigerians. “For a long time Government has regulated the sector, the attending problems have been with us for long, now the determination of Government is to charge gear and allow the private sector to

come in to power”. Expressing optimism that Nigerians will soon experience uninterrupted power, he said that although Government has not privatize Transmission, with huge investment required in the evacuation of Power, Government is encouraging private sector to come into that sub-sector. The Head of Service, AlhajiBukarGoniAji commended the manner the leadership of the sector had handled privatization adjudged to be the biggest on the continent; he ascribed this feat to the openness, purposeful and transparent leadership. He promised to align the civil

service with the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President, by religiously implementing Government policies and programmes that are people oriented. At the interaction segment with the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo commended the Head of Service for upholding ethic of Public Service with passion. He said service delivery is key hence he should leave no stone unturned in his quest for excellence at all times. He described him as a reformer, whose orientation is in tandem with Transformation through leadership by example.

NEDEP: FG to disburse funds to first batch of cooperatives From Ayodele Samuel and Zainab Yusuf, Lagos

he Federal Government yesterday disclosed that the first batch of cooperative bodies set up under the National Enterprise development programme (NEDEP) will get approved funding before the end of February. The Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigerian SMEDAN, Bature Umar Masari while speaking with newsmen in Lagos, said the approval for the award of funds was obtained after the cooperatives’ business plans successfully passed the requisite assessment and evaluation of SMEDAN and the Bank of Industry (BOI). He added that the NEDEP programme entails the implementation of the One Local Government One Product (OLOP) programme which is based on

a borrowed idea from Japan which has seen them developing economically and otherwise. “And so far we have been able to cover 22 states within a period of three months and we have also formed as at the end of December 2013, 20, 111 cooperative bodies all over the country that are now very busy being guided by SMEDAN to come up with bankable business plans.” According to him some of the successful cooperatives with bankable business plans have already received letters of award from BOI. He explained that all developed business plans must come through SMEDAN before it goes to BOI who also in turn gives SMEDAN a copy of their assessment and evaluation of the cooperative, stressing that all these are done in order to minimize the incidence of defaults. He also disclosed that the

minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, OlusegunAganga and SMEDAN were also reaching out to other commercial banks because of the need for competition even in the area of access to finance. He noted that other funding agreements will equally be entered into with other funding institutions like CBN, BOA and other commercial banks that are SME friendly because it is not every commercial bank that is SME friendly. Masari urged those who do not have the needed financial muscle to go about their businesses to key into this programme stressing that it is a programme that will be audited and evaluated continuously by independent bodies that would be set up. The scheme which was officially flagged off by President Goodluck Jonathan last week is the flagship programme of the ministry of Industry, Trade and

Investment which is domiciled in SMEDAN, BOI and ITF for implementation.

Africa offers great opportunities for SMEs growth-DHL boss -Pg 22

Tax implication of mergers and acquisition -Pg 22 Exchange Rates CBN as at 19th February, 2014 Buying

Selling

154.7

155.7

€

258.29

259.96

212.50

213.78

Riyal

41.26

41.52

YEN

1.51

1.52

CFA

0.30

0.32

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY Three ways introverts can build their personal brands

hile many ways to establish your brand are weighted toward extroverts — taking leadership roles in professional associations, starting a conference, or embracing public speaking, for example — introverts, too, can build connections and develop their personal brands while respecting their natural tendencies. Social media. This is an area where introverts, who thrive on quiet contemplation, have an advantage. By writing a blog, for example, you can take time to formulate your thoughts and engage in real dialogue on social networks around

the strength of your ideas. One-on-one connections. If you’re more comfortable socializing oneon-one than in bigger groups, become a connector one person at a time. Ask a new person from a different office or department to lunch once a week, and you’ll build a robust network on your own terms. Subtle cues. Small things can establish your personal brand without a word: simply placing diplomas or awards on your office walls can reinforce your expertise to others. Source: Harvard Business Review

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Business CAC award not for questionable characters, says chairman By Clem Khena-Ogbena

he Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) citizens award will not be given to people of questionable characters, its board chairman, Otunba Funso Lawal, has said. The board chairman, who gave the indication yesterday in Abuja, at a media briefing on the corporation’s 1st Annual Citizens Award, also disclosed that the board had set up what he described as Business Rescue Unit, with a view to helping to revitalize ailing companies in the country. He, however, explained that assisting such companies to wake up would not place any financial

commitment or burden on CAC, adding that the Commission would only offer moral support, guide and encouragement to such companies. According to Lawal, the award was designed to promote the culture of good corporate governance in the Nigerian environment, by recognizing corporate citizens who had conducted their affairs to date in compliance with statutory requirements and best practice of corporate governance. The Corporate Citizens Award ceremony, he added, was expected to hold between May and June, 2014, stating that the award would be the first of its kind in the history of CAC, even

as he disclosed the Commission would not use its own money to sponsor the ceremony, rather it would depend on corporate organisations and companies for donations and sponsorship. He said, “We are not using one kobo of CAC money, but we depend on corporate organisations for donations and sponsorship.” Lawal further explained that the award would cover all sectors of the economy, to avoid shutting out any sector of the economy from the ceremony. On the eligibility for the award, he stated, “In order to be eligible for the award, the nominees must have complied with the requirements of the

Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 (Cap C20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) and respective industry regulations to date. “Additionally, the nominees must also have performed creditably well in corporate social responsibility and productively impacted on the industry within which they operate. We want the best of the best to win this award.” Other criteria to be considered by the panel of judges for the award include, Quality of financial management; Management of stakeholders’ relations; Work place environment; Corporate social responsibility; Industry leadership; Innovation; Environmental performance.

Ericsson to manage MTN network in Nigeria By Etuka Sunday with Agency report

he poor mobile networks being experience in Nigeria may soon be over as MTN Group has awarded a contract to Ericsson to manage its networks in Nigeria for five years. The agreement is for MTN networks in Lagos, Abuja, Enugu and Port Harcourt in the most populous African country where MTN is the largest operator with 45 million subscribers. MTN would now be able to focus more on customer experience, while Ericsson would become Johannesburg-based MTN’s largest managed services partner in Africa, the Stockholmbased Ericsson said yesterday. MTN and rivals have clashed previously with the Nigerian Communications Commission over poor quality of service on cellular networks. In 2012, MTN and Etisalat were each fined 360 million naira (about R24m at yesterday’s exchange rate). On November 19 last year, MTN signed a contract with Ericsson and Chinese networking and telecoms equipment firm Huawei to maintain its Nigerian network. Ericsson said last year it planned to expand its network

management services in Africa as more phone firms outsourced the technical side of their businesses, Bloomberg reported yesterday. The Swedish company was pushing the expansion of fourth generation (4G) highspeed performance networks on the continent although it believed that the bulk of new subscriptions by 2019

would remain for services on 3G networks. Ericsson was prioritising the roll-out of mobile television in addition to operations and business support systems, Fredrik Jejdling, Ericsson’s head for sub-Saharan Africa, said this week. Ericsson’s core business is building and running networks. It said 40 percent of the traffic

on the continent was channelled through its equipment. About 15 percent of subSaharan Africa’s population is covered by broadband networks. Ericsson has projected this to grow to 65 percent by 2019 as operators diversify their income away from voice to data revenue. MTN shares rose 2.75 percent to close at R200.69 yesterday.

Golden Plaza Building, Falomo-Ikoyi, Lagos

NATA election holdsFebruary 27 From Yakubu Mustapha,Minna.

he rift between the executive and members of Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) , Niger state chapter will soon be over as a six man electoral committee have been inaugurated with the mandate to conduct election within one week. The Association have been engulfed in leadership crisis because of the refusal of the outgoingexecutive to call for a fresh election when their tenure expired four years ago. It was gathered that

the outgoing chairman ,AlhajiJamiuLawal has been in the position for past 14 years and all effort by other members to let him see reason to conduct a fresh election to enable fresh hands to take over the mantle of leadership of the association felled on deaf ears. However, the Association’s crisis got to a stage whereby the State Director of the State Security Services SSS has to intervened and called the protesting members and the ‘’seat tight’’ executive to a peace meeting in his office recently. According to source, it was at

the meeting with the SSS director that the over stayed executive were given the matching order to conduct an election within the shortest possible time Inaugurating the six man electoral committee on Wednesday the outgoing chairman stated that all efforts made by him to conduct election for new officers was not fruitful because of the ambition of some few members who wanted to truncate the constitution of the association.. AlhajiJamiu who confirmed that his second tenure expired about four years ago said, Tools Centre, he established in

conjuction with the GTZ was not his personal property but that of NATA. The six man electoral committee is chaired by UguchukwuAneke fromChachanga Unit, BabatundeLawall as secretary wo is from Bosso Unit while DaudaHamza, UsmanSule, Yaha Mohammed and AdewaleSaka fromBosso, Chachaga and Minna West respectively are members of the committee. The election is expected to hold on Thursday 27th Feb., 2014 atMaitumbi Unit of the Association.

6 Communities petition Tambuwal over maltreatment by Intels, others By Umar Muhammad Puma

ix communities known as the Ubgo-Mefa have petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, AminuTambuwal over alleged maltreatment by concessionaires in Warri Port, Delta state. The petition dated January 20 and signed by elders of the communities and titled ‘ The Obnoxious and Anti People Operations of Integrated Logistics Services Ltd (INTELS) against the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, Warri Port host Communities’. The petition which was presented by Rep Daniel Reyenieju, (PDP Delta) alleged that Intels and other concessionaires had deliberately denied their teeming youths employment and warned that this could escalate crime in the communities. It was also stated in the petition that” it is a known fact that seaports wherever they are situated and operated, have the capacity of improving the economic index of the immediate localities, communities or people as the case may be. “Sadly, this is not the case with the Warri Port, rather the reverse is. “It is with great sense of pain, frustration and deprivation owing to the foregoing fact, that we, as law abiding citizens of this great country and particularly as elders, youth and members of the Ugbo-Mefa in NPA Warri have brought our grievances before the Honourable House of Representatives. “You will recall that sometime in 2006, the OlusegunObasanjo administration concessioned the various seaports in the country, a move which divested the NPA of the day to day running of the nation’s seaports located in Lagos, Warri, Calabar, Onne, Sapele, Koko and Port Harcourt. “As a result of the said concession, one of the concessionaires, Integrated Logistics Services Ltd (Intels) became the major terminal operator of the Warri Port; other operators are Julius Berger Services Ltd, Associated Marine Services Ltd (AMS). Intels, through its monopolistic drive of the Warri Port operations is depriving our teeming youth of veritable means of livelihood. “You will agree with us that, a thousand persons is no mean number. “This is crucial, owing to the volatility of the region. We cannot sit by and fold our arms, hoping that everything will just turn out fine; hence, we are taking our destiny in our hands and are prepared to use every available legal means to fight this cause. “Intels has neglected the Ugbo-Mefa. Despite being the major concessionaire of the Warri Seaport, it deprives members of our Communities employment and contracts and has firmly resisted the idea of signing an MOU with the Ugbo-Mefa.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Tax Alert

Tax implication of mergers and acquisition

erger is defined as ‘‘any amalgamation of the undertakings or any part of the undertakings or interest of two or more companies or the undertakings or part of the undertakings of one or more companies and one or more bodies corporate’’. Simply put, a merger is a combination or integration of existing companies to form a single company. Acquisition on the other hand, is known as take-over. It is the takeover of by one company of sufficient share in another company to give the acquiring company control over that other company. A merger may result in any of the following situations: Formation of a new company. Continuation of the consolidated business by one of the merging parties, in its name or under a new name. Cessation of business by the other merging parties. In acquisition, there is only an acquiring company and the company being acquired. Statutory Requirement under Companies Income Tax Act (CITA) The CITA in Section 29(12) Cap (21, LFN, 2004) provides that ‘‘no merger, take-over, transfer or restructuring of the trade or business carried on by a company shall take place without having obtained the Board’s direction under sub-section 9 of this section and clearance with respect to any tax that may be due and payable under the Capital Gains Tax Act’’. The implication of this provision is that the approval of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is a necessary condition for the completion of the process in a merger or acquisition bid. Therefore, no merger or acquisition bids would be fully consummated without the companies involved having obtained the consent of the FIRS. Procedure for Obtaining the Board’s Approval From the start, the merging companies are required to submit to the Board, copies of the scheme of merger and scheme of arrangement on the consolidation request for its study and proper evaluation in order to ensure that taxes which may result from the companies’ transactions are correctly assessed and collected. Herein lies the relevance of the Board’s powers under Section 29(9)(i) to require either of the companies directly affected by any direction which is under the consideration of the Board to guarantee or give security to its satisfaction for payment in full of all tax due or to become due by the company which is selling or transferring such asset or business. Emergence of a New Company 1. Rendition of Annual Returns Where a new company emerges from a merger process, then the new company is expected to file its returns in line with the provisions of Section 55(3)(b) of CITA. The section provides that “every new company shall file with the Board, its audited accounts and returns within eighteen (18) months from

the date of its incorporation or not late than six (6) months after the end of its first accounting period as defined in section 29(3) of this Act, whichever is earlier”. It should however be understood that a mere change of name does not make an existing business entity a new company. Such companies will continue to be treated as old businesses on an on-going concern basis. 2. Basis of Assessment Commencement rule as provided under Section 29(3) will apply to the new company, except where any of the under-listed circumstances arise: a) Where the merging parties are connected parties, the Board may direct that commencement rule be set aside, in which case, the new company will file its returns as an on-going concern and its assessment will be determined on preceding year basis. b) Where the new business is a reconstituted company, taking over the trade or business formerly run by its foreign parent company. 3. Claim of Allowances CITA did not categorically address the value at which assets may be transferred for the purpose of capital allowances claim. However, International Accounting Standard 22 prescribes that in merger accounting, the assets, liabilities and reserves must be recorded at their carrying balances, implying that merger process does not permit the recording of assets at their fair value in the event of consolidation. The new company will therefore not be entitled to any investment allowance claim or initial allowance on the transferred assets; it will only be entitled to claim annual allowance on the Tax Written Down Values (TWDV) of the transferred assets. 4. Unabsorbed Losses and Un-Utilized Capital Allowances Brought Forward The new company may also not be permitted to inherit the unabsorbed losses and capital

FIRS Ag Chairman Alhaji Kabiru Mashi allowances of the absorbed companies, except under the following circumstance: Where a reconstituted company is carrying on the same business previously carried on by this company and it is proved that the losses have not been allowed against any assessable profits or income of that company for any such year; in that case the amount of unabsorbed losses shall be deemed to be a loss incurred by the re-constituted company in its trade or business during the year of assessment in which the business commenced. 5. Taxes and Deductibility of Related Expenses • Stamp Duties Duty payment will arise on the share capital of the new company, subject to the provisions of Section 104 of the Stamp Duties Act, in relation to capital and duty relief. • Consolidated Expenses Fees paid to statutory bodies such as SEC, NSE, CBN, Land Authorities etc, including professionals like accountants, stockbrokers, issuing houses, and solicitors are regarded

as capital in nature and will therefore not be allowed as deductible expenses by virtue of Section 27(a) of CITS. • Taxation of Consolidation Fees: Fees paid to professionals for services rendered in connection with consolidation will be subject to VAT and WHT at the rates of 5% and 10% respectively. 6. Tax Indemnification Section 29(9)(i) of CITA provides that the Board may require the new company to guarantee or give security for payment in full, for any tax due or that may become due by any of the ceased companies. 7. Approval for Pension Scheme The new company will need to obtain a Joint Tax Board (JTB) approval for its staff pension scheme. Status of a Surviving Company in Relation to Taxation t is a possibility that one of the merging companies survives with its old name or a new name to inherit the assets, liabilities, reserves and entire operations of the merging

parties. Where this happens, the following points must be noted: the surviving company must file its returns in line with the provisions of Section 55(3)(a) of CITA. Commencement rules under Section 29(3) of CITA will not apply to the surviving company, as it will be regarded as an existing company. The surviving company will not be allowed to claim investment allowance on the assets which were transferred to it and will also not claim initial allowance on such assets. The surviving company may however claim annual allowance only on the TWDV of the assets transferred to it. The surviving company may not inherit the unabsorbed losses and capital allowances of the merging companies, except it is proved that the new business is a reconstituted company. All fees payable on merger bids or consolidation will be liable to VAT and WHT just like it is applicable on the emergence of a new company. Stamp Duties will be paid on the increase in share capital and the company will have to obtain its own staff pension scheme approval from the JTB. Ceased Businesses he merger or consolidation exercise may also result in cessation of business for any of the merging parties. In this case, cessation rule as applicable under Section 29(4) of CITA will apply to any of the merging companies which have now ceased business permanently, except if any of the following circumstances occur: a) Where the merging companies are connected. Here, the Board may direct, in line with its discretionary powers, under Section 29(9) of CITA that the cessation rule may not apply. b) Where a reconstituted company is formed to take over the trade or business formerly run by its foreign parent company. (see Section 29(10) of CITA).

Capital Gains Tax Shares or Cash Received ection 32A of Capital Gains Tax Act (CGTA) Cap 121LFN 2004 provides that a person shall not be chargeable to tax under the Act, in respect of any gains arising from the acquisition of the shares of a company, either merged with, or taken over or absorbed by another company, as a result of which the acquired company has lost its identity. However, where shareholders are either wholly or partly paid in cash for surrendering their shares in the ceased business, the gains arising from the cash payment will be subject to CGT. Effect of Taxation on Consolidation of Acquiring/ Acquired Companies The tax implications of consolidation on acquiring or acquired companies are similar to those of mergers. Acquisition expenses are non-deductible while fees paid to professional bodies are equally subject to WHT and VAT.

Revenue House

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Business

FG urges telecom operators to improve QOS By Chris Alu

T L-R: Consumer’s Representative, Ms Chinyere Ezekwesili, Vice-President, Consumer Awareness Organisation (CAO), Dr Ikenna Chukwu, and CAO President, Professor Felicia Monye, at a news conference on consumer rights, yesterday in Enugu. Photo: NAN

Africa offers great opportunities for SMEs growth-DHL boss By Etuka Sunday

he Managing Director of DHL Express SSA, Charles Brewer has said that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are clearly the growth engine for Africa and the critical driver for sustainable economic growth. Brewer said, “Africa’s middle class has tripled over the last 30 years, and the current trajectory suggests that the African middle class will grow to 1.1 billion in 2060. As African economies are some of the fastest growing in the world, the outlook for the continent is very positive going forward.” “Manufacturing, on a large

scale, is still somewhat embryonic in Africa and as such, there is a definite opportunity for SMEs to fill the gaps which are not being serviced by these large global companies. As important, a growing SME base will create hundreds and thousands of new jobs, which is an absolute must for this ever growing continent.” He said other than the usual challenges which SMEs are likely to face in Africa, such as infrastructure challenges, customs regulations and controls, access to finance may be an obstacle going forward. “The Institute of International Finance reported that due to many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

struggling with controlling price pressures, central banks have tended to keep monetary policy fairly tight. Despite this challenge, we expect SMEs to create growth opportunities through increased consumer spending power and expansion into untapped markets. “The growing internet user penetration in Africa also provides a sizeable opportunity for SMEs, and as Africa continues to adopt e-commerce as a way of life, businesses are able to leverage this online market, while reducing traditional customer acquisition costs. World Wide Worx’s 2012 Internet Matters report reveals that the local

e-commerce market is growing at a rate of around 30% a year and shows no signs of slowing down. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2014 is expected to be slightly higher than of that in 2013, at around 6%. This growth, coupled with the more than one billion consumers on the continent who spend $600 billion annually, as well as having the fastest growing middle class in the world, and the significant opportunity that connecting with the world represents, provides African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with boundless opportunities in 2014.

Ocean Blues takes valentine celebration further, to promote unity By Etuka Sunday

cean Blues Entertainment has said it would take valentine celebration a step further by reaching out to the less-privileged in the society. This it said would be done by instituting an ‘ambassador’ who will take the gospel of love and unity to Nigerians across the country. Ocean Blues said the Miss Valentine Ambassodor ‘s grand finale was scheduled for May 22, 2014 in Abuja and would be contested for in the four geo-

political zones of the country. It said the zonal winners would be called ‘Her Royal Majesty, an ambassador of culture and love’ for the region, and the overall winner would be called ‘Her Royal Majesty (Ambassador 1)’. She is also expected to reign for one year with a car and a wellequipped office in the heart of Abuja. Speaking, the General Manager of Ocean Blues Entertainment, Uju Udenwa said, “Miss Val International is a brainchild of Ocean blues Entertainment. It is not just pageantry. It is to extend arms

of charity to the less-privileged. People think Val is all about erotic love. It goes further than that. Ocean Blues deems it fit to look at the fact that we cannot do without love. Look at the situation we are now in Nigeria, because we lack love that is why we could have Boko Haram, kidnapping and all that. We intend reaching the whole 36 states. For the pageant, in the next two days now, our forms will go on air. We have made contacts to some of the banks like Diamond, First Bank and some of our supporters.

In all the states, the contestants will pick up the forms and go for auditions. And if they are qualified, we will be expecting two from every geo-political zone to come to Abuja for the grand finale. And at the end of the day, the Ambassador of love will emerge. She will run an office for a whole year” she said. On the academic qualifications of the contestants, the General Manager said that the minimum academic qualification will be school certificate. Also, other criteria will be considered.

he minister of communication technology Mrs. Omobola Johnson yesterday called on service providers in the country to improve on the quality of services. The minister made the call at the auction of 30 MHz Slot of the 2.3 GHz Spectrum band in Abuja. According to her, all the telecom operators in the country need to seek more innovative and creative ways of deploying infrastructure in order to provide quality services to the citizenry. The minister who was represented by Dr. Tunji Olaopa, permanent secretary ministry of communication technology, explained that the ministry would not relent in demanding for better quality of service to consumers, adding that all obstacles and barriers to speedy investment and deployment of services especially in the area of broadband would be addressed by the ministry. “At this stage of our development, high quality services are in very high demand and “We cannot move fast in the speed direction of broadband with poor quality of services. We hope that the winner of this auction will make quality service a priority. “The minister stated. She stressed the determination of the Federal Government to accelerate the level of Internet penetration in the country. According to her, the sensitization programme under the National Broadband Roadmap was established with the aim to mobilize the industry, the government and the general public on the benefit of broadband. “We will continue to make reference to the often quoted statistics of a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration delivering a 1.3 per cent increase in GDP, She said.

Why we repackaged our lubricants–Forte Oil From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

he Group Chief Executive Officer of Forte Oil, Akin Akinfemiwa said the company repackaged its lubricants brands in line with its company’s repositioning plan to sustain its growth. Akinfemiwa speaking at the relaunch of Visco 2000 and Super V engine oils said the repackaged lubricants come with innovation, convenience as well as distinctive qualities that ensure that customers spend on the

company’s range of lubricants. Akinfemiwa stated that they had used an enhanced formulation, but still retaining the same British Petroleum formulation representing excellence, quality and thus is an above average lubricant. “At Forte Oil, we are committed to excellence and quality, and we do our things in a transparent way that makes us stand out as a brand. Our core values are being committed, open, responsive, and also respect. “We are committed to

everything that we do as a company. We are open and very transparent in our dealings with all our stakeholders we value honest and open feedbacks both from our employees and even receiving such from our stakeholders.” We are responsive to the needs of our customers and all our stakeholders and in everything that we do we treat everybody with respect.” Akinfemiwa said “You need to look at Forte Oil beyond just engine oil; we are a foremost integrated energy solutions provider.

“We are not only manufacturers of lubricants, we are also retailers of refined petroleum products; we are involved with power generation, we are involved with upstream services now if you look at our entire business you will see that we are an energy solutions provider. “And there is nobody that says that being an energy solutions provider has to be masculine. We must take into account the female gender in everything that we do.” He explained that the rebranding project commence

three years ago when AP oil decided to create a new appeal as Forte Oil. He said the company started with rebranding their stations, rebranding their people, processes and philosophies, and now as part of that rebranding process they had thus repackaged their lubricants products. “What we found most important and crucial to us lies in our core values and when we looked at those core values beyond the masculinity of the engine oil business which is one aspect of our business.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Stock Watch

Report as at Thursday, February 20, 2014

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Special Report

How Nigerians are ‘killed like insects’ in Borno Over the past few days, more than 100 people have been killed in two horrific attacks by militants in Nigeria - prompting the hashtag Borno Massacre on Twitter. It’s an attempt to alert Nigerians, and the world, to what is happening.

eople are being killed like cattle and it’s as if nobody seems to care,” says Sam Hart, a journalist in Abuja, and one of the creators of the hashtag #BornoMassacre. “Human beings, Nigerians like us, have died”. Hart and a few of his friends on Twitter, started the hashtag on Tuesday, in a deliberate attempt to get it trending - hoping that public pressure will encourage the federal government to take more action. It has been used about 2,800 times so far. The most recent attacks were in the villages of Izghe and Bama in the state of Borno, in the northeast of Nigeria - both are blamed on Boko Haram, an Islamist group that wants to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state. At least 63 people were killed in a village called Izge in Gwoza Local government of Borno State after gunmen believed to be Boko Haram attacked residents on Saturday night, the police and witnesses said.In the village, the suspected Boko Haram gunmen went doorto-door, dragging residents outside before slaughtering them. The attack came three days after gunmen attacked the same village and killed nine soldiers in a broad day shootout. Boko Haram had carried out another attack on villagers in Doron-Baga in Kukawa local government area on the same night even though details of the incident is yet to be made public. Hassan Ali, a resident of Izge said that the gunmen who attacked their village wore military fatigues. He recounted that the attackers invaded the quiet community at about midnight and killed at least 63 persons in cold blood. Many others who survived were left with serious injuries, while some fled into the bushes.

“

Displaced victims of insurgency in Maiduguri

“We thought they were soldiers, because they were driving in military trucks, they told some of our villagers to gather at a spot as though they were trying to protect them, they suddenly opened fire on them,” said Malam Ali. “They entered Izge driving in seven Hilux Pick -Up vans while others rode motorcycles, while chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great). Only those of us that were fortunate to hear the arrival of the gunmen were able to escape while several others who were already asleep were caught unawares and slaughtered.” “They burnt houses and left with ten vehicles belonging to our people. Several women and children were found seriously injured. They also looted our stores and left with food items. We had to flee the village because we cannot risk being attacked again”. A top politician and members of the Gwoza local government caretaker council on phone, but

craved anonymity, said “the attacks were messy, I don’t want to celebrate the numbers of casualties because even one life is too precious to be killed in the manner the Boko Haram are killing us”. The local council official, who was in Izge on Sunday, said “the town was also razed down, and virtually everyone has fled and those that were caught running for their dear lives were rounded up and

President Goodluck Jonathan

slaughtered as well”. The politician said the attack in Gwoza area and specifically Izge town became intense after the military had withdrawn its men from there.“Our convoy was shot at three times as we were trying to leave Gwoza for Maiduguri; but I thank God that we escaped them and arrived safely,” he said. “Our state is fast becoming volatile, the attacks are coming from

everywhere. We need more soldiers in Gwoza, because that is the area that borders Sambisa forest. The military withdrew its soldiers from Izge after Boko Haram had killed nine of their personnel during the last Wednesday’s attack.” More than 2,000 people have been killed by the insurgency since 2009. Many of the tweets are angry. One says innocent people are being

“killed like insects” - “to sit back and allow it is an international disgrace”. Meanwhile, The House of Representatives has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to relocate the headquarters of the Nigerian Army to Borno state. According to the House, the relocation of the Army Headquarters to Maiduguri will afford the Chief of Army Staff not only to have first-hand knowledge of the reality on ground, but also the opportunity to devise ways of properly tackling the matter. The advice was contained in a resolution adopted by the House following a motion at plenary by Peter Biye Guntha (APC, Borno). Among the prayers of the motion was the need for the Federal Government to liaise with the governments of Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroon to discuss ways on how to tackle the activities of the insurgents

around the border areas. While commiserating with the people and government of Borno state over the killings, the House urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to the affected victims. A survivor of the attack on Bama by Boko Haram militants said the Nigerian soldiers on guard duty fled upon sighting the rampaging militants, who invaded Bama in their dozens. The survivor, who bore witness to the latest attack on the besieged town in north east Nigeria told the French news agency, AFP that the Boko Haram assailants invaded the town in their dozens and drove into the town around 4:am in heavy trucks through a secondary school. “We realized that they were in hundreds carrying sophisticated weapons. So we had to run as the soldiers on guard also took

“

They entered Izge driving in seven Hilux Pick -Up vans while others rode motorcycles, while chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great). Only those of us that were fortunate to hear the arrival of the gunmen were able to escape while several others who were already asleep were caught unawares and slaughtered

Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima

Nigerian soldiers on patrol in a northern town in Borno state

to their heels,” he added. The survivor who said that he escaped to Maiduguri on foot added that his other colleagues ran into a nearby Bama General (government) Hospital before fleeing into the bush. “The attackers set everywhere ablaze using Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) as they moved. As we ran, we kept seeing burnt houses and dead bodies and others injured”, he said without giving details of death toll. Some of the properties damaged included the Emir of Bama’s palace which was slightly touched by the attackers and scores of other houses owned by

National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, (rtd)

the residents, he said. The mobile phone network in Borno is patchy and calls to Bama area residents were not going through on Wednesday. It was a different story however by Nigeria’s defence spokesman, Chris Olukolade, who claimed the insurgents were engaged by Nigerian troops and that a large number of the militants were killed. Bama is about 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, which is the stronghold of the Islamist rebels who have killed thousands during a fourand-half year insurgency. “The attackers came from various locations,”

Olukolade said. “We believe that there were suicide bombers among them. They used bombs during the operation (and) attacked one of our tanks.” He said “many” of the attackers were killed when troops repelled the raid, but could not offer a specific figure or comment on casualties among civilians or the security forces. Olukolade also said that a “cordon and search operation was ongoing in Bama with a view to apprehending fleeing attackers”. More than 200 people have been killed in 2014 in Borno state alone, by the insurgents who claimed they want to impose an

Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Kenneth Minimah

Islamic theocracy on northern Nigeria. But much of the attention is focused on the Federal Government - and its perceived lack of focus on the violence. Ahmed Rufa’i, another of the people who first got the hashtag going, says the government in Abuja has a taken a “lackadaisical attitude”. He and many others want an official statement condemning the violence, and a promise of action. To date, the official government response to these attacks has been to say they are “winning the war”. A large slice of the national budget is spent on the military. Little information is coming out on social media from the state of Borno itself. For several months, all internet and mobile phone signals were cut in an attempt to stop Boko Haram from organising further attacks. That ban has been lifted now, but most people are too afraid to use social media, says Ahmadu, one of the few people who is tweeting from the state. “I hardly sleep at night, I expect to be attacked any moment. That’s how everyone feels here. No-one is safe.” (Source: BBC)

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Islam

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

World disorder: Muslim ration of the guilt Allah says: “Our Lord! Make us not a (test and) trial for the Unbelievers, but forgive us, Our Lord; for Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise. There was indeed In them an excellent example for you to follow,- for those whose hope is In Allah and In the Last Day. But if any turn away, truly Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.”[al-Mumtahnah: 5-6] In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah! We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our evils and bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and final messenger to mankind. May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon His last and final Apostle, his Household, his companions and all his followers till the end of time. Today’s discourse is solely meant to address our shortcomings and deficiencies as Muslims, and look inward deeply in order to aptly dispense blames and faults to the entire Muslim Ummah all over the world, and most especially of this nation. I precisely mean to point the accusing finger to the accused, in line with the sacred words of Allah the Most high: “O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, As witnesses to Allah, Even As against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both; follow not the lusts (of your hearts), Lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, Verily Allah is well- acquainted with all that ye do.”[al-ma’idah: 135] Today, though it is better to late than never, we must, as a matter of expediency and want of correction, look inwardly in order to ascertain the extent of our faults as they caused serious defects to the world order as they affect religion, politics, economy and social dispensations! To say that Muslims are blameless to the global disorders, insecurities, killings and corruption today, is to repudiate righteousness in its entirety. In fact is to uphold injustice and iniquities to the human race! Today, the entire world has changed; altered not for the better but for the worst! There are rampant waves of mistrust, suspicions and insecurity. Everybody is complaining of disrespect of human dignity and violation of personal innocence. Every person is expressing resentment and dissatisfaction of injustices, of economic woes and inequalities, of social injustices and of lack of

confidences and sanctuary. The West is accusing the Muslims, and the Muslims are blaming the West. The non-Muslims are directing their accusing fingers at the Muslims, and the Muslims are sentencing the Christian leaders. But the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, the Muslims have their own share of the culpabilities for the present worlds’ disorders! The pre-911 world today has become a tale and legend! Currently many people are asking, usually in disbelief, will there going to be a duplication of a without terrorism? A world which warrants liberty to move around and associate freely? A world which is full of security and trust for everyone and everywhere? A world devoid of terrorists, and without aggressors and tyrants! Allah (SWT) has elated and elegized this Ummah in the Qur’an in several places more than 1,500 years ago! He says and confirms the equilibrium nature of this in all aspects of human activities; that is to say Muslims are unprejudiced and impartial to all peoples and religions: “Thus, have we made of you an Ummah justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations...for Allah is to all people Most surely full of kindness, Most Merciful!”[al-Baqarah; 143] It is this inherent fairness in the Ummah in her relationship with other communities and nations gave her the affirmation to spread the message and teachings of Islam to all the nations. He says: “Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity. In addition, the presentation of the truth must be carried out in a manner that is most appropriate and conforming to the realities on ground. Alla says: “Invite (all) to the way of Thy Lord with wisdom and preaching; and argue with them In ways that are best and Most gracious: for Thy knoweth best, who have strayed from His path, and who receive guidance.”[annahl: 125] T h u s , the secret for the

ISLAM EXPLAINED By Husain Zakariyya Yawale +234-8052952900 (sms only) islamexplained35@yahoo.com accomplishment and triumph of the Ummah is bonded on three platforms; a. Its ability to sustain equity and fairness in all its dealings, notwithstanding cultural or racial differences b. Acquiring and equipping with relevant knowledge and education in undertaking the task of spreading and inviting the people to the truth c. Its commitment to calling others to the way of Allah and His deen in a manner prescribed and taught by the lea d e r o f humanity, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) d. Its perseverance to live as good ambassadors and examples of Islam in all circumstances. Hence, once the Muslims can remain obliged to these aforementioned determinations, the terror, the hatred and the animosity against Islam and Muslims will cease naturally, and in their stead confidence, love and admiration. Subsequently, Islam will blossom once again; Muslims will then reoccupy their rightful places! Then Muslim Ummah must raise and live up to its

responsibility and obligation as allotted to them by Allah, the Most High! Allah says: “Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing In Allah. If only the people of the Book had Faith, it would have been best for them: among them are some who have Faith, but Most of them are perverted transgressors.”[al-Imran: 110] The Muslims of the glorious days when they were sincere adherent of the true and pure teachings of their religion, they were feared, respected and trusted. I remember during my childhood days when I will be making money for slaughtering the chickens of the Christians and non-Muslims during the Easter and Christmas celebrations living in our neighbourhood. Today, Muslims are not invited to help kill the sacrificial animals and birds of the non-Muslims; the respect and adoration have gone with the winds! During that sublime period, Muslims were not

indulging in guzzling all types of liquor or smoking substances. Muslim women were decently covered with hijabs and move unnoticed in the Ummah. They were modest in their affairs and moderate in their quests; they were not materialistic ostentatiously! Any nation that lives in accordance with the prescriptions of Allah and His Apostle will forever remain strong, dynamic and prosperous. But, when we make sincere assessment of our state of affairs in relation to this verse, we will surely be disappointed and saddened. Today Muslims all over the world, in hamlets and villages, in cities and towns, are in different stages of despair, dejection, desolation and dissolution about the chaotic nature of the entire Ummah. We seems to be backward in almost everything aspect of human endeavours! Politically they are disunited and disenfranchised. Economically they are virtually unproductive and recessive. Educationally they are ebbing because their children have taken to drugs and liquor! Today you can only see the children of the Muslims roaming the streets of all major cities and towns either in search for alms or peddling and vending worthless stuffs. Socially they are retrogressive due to their poor level of exposure and interpersonal relationships! Unfortunately all these negative trends are abhorrent to the very teachings and messages of Islam. Islam is a way of life chosen by Allah for mankind. It is the religion of decency, knowledge, mercy and good human relationship. It is an embodiment of understanding and indulgence. Similarly, one will be traumatized to find that Muslims’ interpersonal relationships are characterized by distrust, deceitfulness and dishonesty. Many of them today will never trust their brothers with a coin to keep or to invest; they will rather other people. Materialism has overtaken most Muslims nowadays. The get rich quick has eaten deep into their psyches. Worst of all without matching struggle to amass the wealth. Indolence and slothfulness still remain the enemies of their progress. The too rich amongst them are readily willing to go any length and breadth that will excessively increase their ‘fortunes’ without recourse to the Day of Recompense! Today not only money is worshipped, but anything can be worshipped if at the end money will come overflowing! Next Friday is not far from today; we will continue, in sha Allah!

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 27

International

Australia: Plight of child refugees

A child refugee in Australia

ANALYSIS

en years after Australia’s human rights commission found the country breached its international obligations towards children in immigration detention, a recently-announced new inquiry will find no change in the treatment of the most vulnerable of refugees. Australian governments, with an international legal obligation as signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to act with the best interests of the child, including ensuring access to education and health services, and to only detain children when no other option is available, have denied child refugees humanitarian protection. And the situation shows no sign of being turned around. On Sunday February 16, 10 unaccompanied children were sent to offshore detention on the remote Pacific island of Nauru by their legally-appointed guardian, the Australian immigration minister. The human rights commissioner Gillian Triggs said she had to call the inquiry because the government will not co-operate in providing information about mental health and self-harm amongthe more than 1,600 children in detention. Now the government has denied Professor Triggs access to the Nauru detention centre on the grounds it is out of her jurisdiction of Australia’s borders. It is a blight on Australia’s humanitarian record that the inquiry needs to be held. You don’t need to be an expert in international conventions to see that Australia fails to treat child refugees humanely. The practice of removing children from detention centres and placing

them in residential community detention, a recommendation of the 2004 commission report, was begun by the Howard Government. In October 2010 then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the residential programme would be expanded to balance Australia’s humanitarian obligations to refugees with its mandatory detention policy. “This is especially important for children,” the statement from the Prime Minister’s office said, “for whom protracted detention can have negative impacts on their development and mental health.” Despite the government’s own admission of the harm detention inflicts upon children, in August 2012, it announced offshore processing of asylum seekers, including children, would resume. This decision, and the conditions children are living in, have drawn widespread criticism from international and domestic rights groups. The 2004 review, which examined the conditions of children in detention from 1999-2002, found “Australian laws that require the mandatory immigration detention of children, and the way these laws were administered by the Commonwealth [government], have resulted in

numerous and repeated breaches of the Convention”. It found out that Australia’s detention system was “fundamentally inconsistent with the Convention”, not least because it is well-established that children held in long-term detention were at significant risk of serious mental harm. As at December 31, 83 per cent of asylum seekers had been detained for between three months and one year. The new review will again examine whether Australia was meeting its obligations under the Convention, and whether there has been any progress since the previous inquiry. As a result of the inquiry, the Howard Government made some alterations to the Migration Act, including the addition that ‘’a minor shall only be detained as a measure of last resort.’’ But as the commissioner of that inquiry, Sev Ozdowski, noted in a 2008 lecture, this does nothing to prohibit the detention of children. The first indicator, in which the commissioner will find that no progress has been made, is the increased number of children in detention. In 2002 there were about 700; as of December there were 1,144 in mainland and offshore detention and 462 in “alternative

“

places of detention” - unofficial detention centres where children are still deprived of their liberty. The review of the years 19992002 took in the period of the infamous Woomera Detention Centre. The centre, in the middle of the South Australian desert where daytime temperatures often reached 50C in summer, was the site of riots and hunger strikes where detainees sewed their mouths shut in protest at their treatment. A 2003 story on the ABC’s investigative Four Corners programme, aired a month after Woomera was closed, reported children standing witness as a man hanging from razor wire cut himself, while staff from the centre told stories of children being beaten and the alleged cover-up by centre management of the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old Iranian boy. While it is almost unbelieveable that children were kept in such a place, it is similarly inconceivable that children would be sent to remote islands in the Pacific Ocean simply because they arrived, or attempted to arrive, in Australia by boat. The horrors for children in detention have not disappeared simply because Woomera closed, they have merely moved location.

The new review will again examine whether Australia was meeting its obligations under the Convention, and whether there has been any progress since the previous inquiry.

Australian detention centres are no place for children The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees visited Manus Island and Nauru late 2013 and found the harsh environments at both locations - were unsuitable for children. Of Nauru, the UN said no child, either unaccompanied or with their families, should be transferred there. Amnesty International labels the practice of sending children to remote detention centres “despicable and undeniably illegal”. The organisation visited Nauru in late 2012 and found daytime temperatures exceeded 40C with 80 per cent humidity, making life in tents unbearable. It said the Australian government was ‘’failing spectacularly in its duty of care to asylum seekers”. Meanwhile refugee advocate Pamela Curr has warned babies are at risk of death in such conditions, while it was reported three of six pregnant women transferred from Manus Island miscarried. Currently no children are detained on Manus Island - a blessing as in recent days one man was killed, another was critically injured, a third was shot and 77 more men were injured, 13 seriously, in unclear circumstances during protests by detainees. At last count there were 116 children on Nauru. And due to a lack of legislation prohibiting children being sent to Manus Island, it is only the whim of the government that keeps them free of that camp. Children imprisoned on the mainland fare little better than those detained offshore - several of the mainland centres are managed by Serco, a company that also runs jails. According to one former Serco staff member, they are trained to prison standards. Reports of children selfharming have come in from all corners of the detention network. An ombudsman’s report on suicide and self-harm found that immigration department and Serco statistics were inconsistent and poor quality, but what data they had showed child self-harm was at a ‘’concerning’’ level, making up almost 14 pe cent of all incidents. An ABC news report revealed children at the Pontville detention centre (an “alternative place of detention”) have attempted suicide and self-harm. “At 3am if you come here you will see people walking around like crazy because they can’t sleep,” one child said. “They are going crazy so people cut themselves.” You don’t need to be a “bleeding-heart” to see that keeping children locked up indefinitely is a blatant contravention not just of international law, but of human decency. Jailing children in camps in the middle of phosphate mines on unbearably hot remote islands, with limited facilities to aid their development, is unnecessarily callous. It cannot be justified on grounds of conducting security checks or administering vaccinations. These children Australia is holding prisoner come from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - some of the most conflictravaged places in the world. More than any others, they deserve compassion and care, not cruelty. Source: Al Jazeera

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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International

UN warns of ‘grave’ food shortage in Somalia

ore than 850,000 people in Somalia are in desperate need of food and are living “in crisis and emergency conditions”, the director of UN humanitarian operations has said.

Egypt adjourns Al Jazeera journalists trial

he trial of three Al Jazeera English journalists in Egypt was adjourned yesterday until March 5 after they appeared in court in Cairo and pleaded not guilty to all charges against them. Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohammed are accused of joining, or aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation. The judge adjourned the hearing to consider the case in private and is expected to deliver a ruling later on Thursday on how to proceed. Al Jazeera continues to reject the charges and is demanding the immediate release of its staff. An Egyptian court is to try Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed for allegedly having links to a “terrorist organisation” and spreading false news. Since their arrest, journalists have stagedprotests worldwide demanding their release, and rejecting claims the three have links to the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s former ruling party which has since been designated a “terrorist” group. The case is one of many that have led to criticism of Egypt’s military-backed government, with rights groups pointing to growing intolerance for dissent in the Arab world’s most populous country. “Journalists should not have to risk years in an Egyptian prison for doing their job,” Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “The prosecution of these journalists for speaking with Muslim Brotherhood members, coming after the prosecution of protesters and academics, shows how fast the space for dissent in Egyptis evaporating.”

Greste

John Ging, who just returned from a three-day visit to Somalia, said on Wednesday that another two million Somalis out of a total population of 10 million were considered to be “food insecure”.

Somali girls wait in line to receive food aid

“These figures are very, very large,” he told a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York. “They tell us a simple message which is that the situation in Somalia for Somalis on the humanitarian side is very grave. It’s also very fragile.” Ging said the UN World Food Programme’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit reported this month that 857,000 Somalis were in acute crisis conditions and required urgent humanitarian assistance. This is “a modest improvement” from the previous six months when 870,000 Somalis desperately needed food, he said. In recent years Somalia has made some strides in security and governance, particularly since August 2011, when al-Shabab

fighters were forced out of the capital, Mogadishu. But the rebels have not been defeated and the government controls only small parts of the country and is struggling to keep a grip on security and battle corruption. The food security unit said a majority of needy people have been displaced from their homes, largely as a result of fighting, insecurity and lack of food. The UN appealed for $933m for the humanitarian crisis in Somalia this year, but Ging said so far it had received only $36m. In 2011, the UN appeal for Somalia was 86 percent funded, but in 2013 it was just 50 percent funded, he said.

South Sudan oil state capital divided, says government

he capital of South Sudan’s main oilproducing region was divided between the army and rebels yesterday, but the government said it remained committed to peace talks which have stalled this month. Rebels allied to former vice president Riek Machar on Tuesday attacked Malakal, which lies on the edge of Upper Nile state’s oil fields, triggering the fiercest clashes since a January ceasefire and adding to jitters in global oil markets. International pressure is mounting on the warring factions to return to negotiations, although Western diplomats say in private that mutual recriminations over ceasefire violations raise questions about each side’s commitment to talks. “Malakal is not yet fully calm ... there are pockets of resistance within the town. It is split between the two sides,” South Sudan’s Information Minister Michael Makuei told Reuters. Makuei was speaking in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa,

Rebel fighters in a village in Upper Nile State

where East African states are trying to broker a second round of negotiations between the government and rebels, who have said they control all of Malakal. “We are here to continue talking despite the aggressive and intolerable (ceasefire)violations,” Makuei said. “Ultimately, whenever we are under attack,

we will not fold our hands and say we are abiding by the cessation of hostilities.” This week’s clashes in the dusty market town, which lies on the banks of the White Nile about 650 km (400 miles) north of the capital Juba, has raised concerns over the security of Upper Nile’s oil fields and installations.

Global oil prices have been supported in part because of the conflict in South Sudan. The Juba government says it has already cut output by about a fifth to around 200,000 barrels per day, though analysts say the departure of foreign technical staff and the continued fighting mean the real figure may be lower.

Libyans vote for constitution body amid bombs, tensions

xplosions rocked five polling stations in eastern Libya yesterday as voters began electing a body to draft a new constitution, another step in the OPEC producer’s rocky transition since Muammar Gaddafi fell in 2011. Nobody was wounded in the dawn bomb attacks in the restive town of Derna, residents said, but the incident highlighted the volatile situation in the North African country. Prime Minister Ali Zeidan’s government is struggling to assert its authority over militias which helped topple Gaddafi but kept their weapons and have become major political players. Two of the most powerful militias

threatened on Tuesday to dissolve the General National Congress (GNC) assembly which they accuse of paralyzing the country by endless infighting. Libya desperately needs a viable government and system of rule so that it can focus on reconstruction and on healing the divisions exposed by the NATO-backed campaign against Gaddafi. Polling stations opened across most of Libya, although they stayed closed in Derna after gunmen forced one voting center to shut, an election official said. Security conditions meant some polling stations in two other towns also failed to open. Nobody claimed responsibility for

the Derna attacks but residents said the bombers had scrawled “There is no constitution but Islamic law” on a wall near the scene of one blast, suggesting radical Islamists were responsible. Early voting appeared sluggish in the capital, Tripoli, and the main eastern city of Benghazi, where soldiers guarded polling stations. Helicopters circled over Tripoli. “God willing this is the starting point for democracy and freedom, which is what we came for,” Hatem al-Majri said as he voted in Benghazi. More than a million people had registered to vote, well below the almost three million who did so for the parliamentary election in 2012 - a sign of low trust in political institutions

among Libyans emerging from four decades of quirky one-man rule. The 60-strong constitutional committee, drawn equally from Libya’s three regions of Tripolitania in the west, Cyrenaica in the east and Fezzan in the south, will have 120 days to draft the charter. Libya used a similar model for the committee that drafted a preGaddafi constitution implemented on independence in 1951. The new constitution’s authors will need to take into account political and tribal rivalries, as well as demands for more autonomy for the east, when deciding what political system Libya will adopt. Their draft will be put to a referendum.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 29

International Separated for over six decades, tears and joy at Korean reunions

ore than 100 South Koreans, many of them on wheelchairs, crossed the world’s most heavily fortified border yesterday to be reunited with family members living in the North whom they have not seen since the 195053 Korean War. The reunions were held after the North set aside a demand for the suspension of joint military drills by the South and the United States, which it had demanded as a pre-condition. At the Mount Kumgang resort just north of the border, long-lost relatives embraced with tears, joy and disbelief. Some failed to recognize family they have not seen in more than six decades. Among the South Koreans was Jang Choon, an 81-year-old in a wheelchair who was dressed in the light brown suit and maroon tie he had bought for the reunion with a brother and a sister living in the North. “My youngest brother Ha-choon had not even started school when I

last saw him,” said Jang, the eldest of four siblings, one of whom has died. “But now he’s an old man like me.” The six days of family reunions take place under the cloud of a U.N. report on human rights abuses in North Korea, which investigators have said were comparable to Nazi-era atrocities. They have said North Korean security chiefs and possibly even leader Kim Jong Un himself should face international justice. Pyongyang has rejected the report, describing it as a concoction by the United States and its allies, Japan and the European Union. But the North appears to be willing to maintain a rapprochement with South Korea that may be

crucial as it seeks food for its people. The possibility of looming food shortages could have been a factor. “Now it’s almost March, when the new farming season must

begin, and Kim Jong Un has no means to feed his people,” said Kim Seok-hyang, professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.

North Korean Lee Yun-geun (R), 72, hugs his South Korean sister Lee Sun-hyang, 88, during their family reunion at the Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea

World powers, Iran make ‘good start’ towards nuclear accord- EU

ix world powers and Iran made a “good start” in talks in Vienna towards reaching a final settlement in the decadeold dispute on Tehran’s nuclear program, but acknowledged their plan to get a deal in the coming months was very ambitious. By late July, western governments hope to hammer out an accord that would lay to rest their suspicions that Iran is seeking the capability to make a nuclear bomb, an aim it denies, while Tehran wants a lifting of economic sanctions. Wide differences remain on how this could be achieved, although the two sides said yesterday they agreed during

meetings this week in the Austrian capital on an agenda and timetable for the talks on such an accord. “We have had three very productive days during which we have identified all of the issues we need to address in reaching a comprehensive and final agreement,” EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters. “There is a lot to do. It won’t be easy but we have made a good start,” said Ashton who speaks on behalf of the six powers - the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany. Senior diplomats from the six nations, as well as Ashton and Iran’s Foreign Minister

Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet again on March 17, also in Vienna, and hold a series of further discussions ahead of the July deadline. Tehran says its nuclear program has no military aims and has signaled repeatedly it would resist dismantling its nuclear installations as part of any deal. “I can assure you that no-one had, and will have, the opportunity to impose anything on Iran during the talks,” Zarif told reporters after the Vienna meeting. A senior U.S. official cautioned their discussions will be “difficult” but the sides were committed to reach a deal soon. “This will be a complicated,

difficult and lengthy process. We will take the time required to do it right,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We will continue to work in a deliberate and concentrated manner to see if we can get that job done.” As part of the diplomatic process, Ashton will go to Tehran on March 9-10. Although modest in scope, the agreement on an agenda for talks is an early step forward in the elusive search for a settlement in the nuclear dispute. A deal could ward off the danger of a new war in the Middle East, reshape the power balance in the region and open up major new trade opportunities.

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant again leaks radioactive water

round 100 tonnes of highly radioactive water have leaked from a storage tank at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, operator Tokyo Electric (Tepco) says. The toxic water may have overflowed after a valve was left open by mistake, Tepco said. However the water was unlikely to have reached the ocean, the operator added. The plant, which was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, has faced multiple problems including leaks and power cuts since the disaster. The latest leak is the most serious since August, when the plant leaked 300 tonnes of water, prompting Japan’s nuclear agency to raise the incident’s alert level. The water from Wednesday’s leak was radioactive, with a reading

of 230 million becquerels per litre of radioactive isotopes, Tepco spokesman Masayuki Ono told reporters. A becquerel is a unit used to measure radioactivity. WHO guidance advises against drinking water with radioactivity levels higher

than 10 becquerels per litre. Tepco says the radioactive water overflowed from a storage tank on Wednesday, but the leak was not discovered for several hours, the BBC’s Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo reports. The operator says the leak

The leak is thought to have occurred when this storage tanker overflowed

occurred when contaminated water was accidentally pumped into a large storage tank that was already full, our correspondent adds. “We apologise for worrying the public with such a leak,” Mr Ono said. “Water is unlikely to have reached the ocean as there is no drainage in that tank area.” “We are now in the process of recovering the leaked water and the earth it has contaminated,” he added. On 11 March 2011, an earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant. Waves knocked out cooling systems for the reactors, leading to meltdowns at three of them. Water is being pumped in to cool the reactors. However, this creates large amounts of contaminated water that must be stored securely.

Asia & Middle East Thailand’s prime minister denies corruption charge

hailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has issued a statement denying charges of corruption in connection with a controversial rice purchase scheme. Thailand’s anti-corruption commission said on Tuesday that it would charge her for her role in the scheme. If found guilty she could be forced from office. Meanwhile, anti-government protesters have continued their campaign to oust Ms Yingluck. “I reaffirm that I am innocent of the accusations by the NACC [the anti-corruption commission],” Ms Yingluck said on her official Facebook page. “Even though I am accused of criminal charges and face removal [from office], which were the wishes of people who want to overthrow the government, I am willing to co-operate to establish the facts,” she added. Thailand has been in a political crisis since mass protests began in November. Police had cleared some protest sites in Bangkok last week, dismantling barricades near some government buildings with little resistance. Protesters, however, soon regrouped. On Monday, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the prime minister’s office, Government House, cementing the gates shut in a bid to stop officials returning to work in the building. The rice purchase scheme has seen the Thai government buying farmers’ crops for the past two years at prices up to 50% higher than world prices. The policy was popular with farmers. However, it has led to Thailand’s rice exports being badly hit, and critics say the scheme is too costly and vulnerable to corruption. Farmers – Ms Yingluck’s natural backers - have recently demonstrated themselves, angry that they have not received payment under the scheme. Correspondents say the government blames the delayed payments on the protesters, as it cannot borrow money to make the payments until a new parliament has convened.

Shinawatra

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

International Ukraine truce shattered, death toll tops 50

A man walks at the site of clashes between anti-government protesters with Interior Ministry and riot police in Kiev

resh fighting broke out in central Kiev yesterday, shattering a truce declared by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, as the Russian-backed leader met European ministers demanding he compromise with pro-EU opponents. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland reported back in Brussels to EU

colleagues, who will decide on possible targeted sanctions against those deemed responsible for the bloodshed. Russia criticized the European and U.S. measures, saying they would only make matters worse. A Ukrainian presidential statement said dozens of police were killed or wounded during the opposition offensive hours after Yanukovych and opposition

leaders had agreed on a truce. Witnesses said they saw snipers firing during the clashes. The Health Ministry said two police were among yesterday’s dead. That raised the total death toll since Tuesday to at least 51, including at least 12 police - by far the bloodiest hours of Ukraine’s 22-year post-Soviet history. Local media said more than 30 protesters were killed in

yesterday’s flare-up. The country is the object of a geopolitical tug-of-war between Moscow, which sees it as the historical cradle of Russian civilization, and the West, which says Ukrainians should be free to choose economic rapprochement with the EU. The renewed fighting, which subsided after about an hour, heightened concern voiced by neighboring Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that Ukraine could descend into civil war or split between the pro-European West and Russian-speaking east. The EU ministers’ meeting with Yanukovych was delayed for security reasons but began an hour late. They expected to present him with a mixture of sanctions and enticements to make a deal with his opponents that could end the bloodshed. A statement from Yanukovych’s office said: “They (the protesters) are working in organized groups. They are using firearms, including sniper rifles. They are shooting to kill. “The number of dead and injured among police officers is dozens,” the statement on the presidential website said.

Ex-Murdoch editor Brooks launches hacking defence

he jury trying Rebekah Brooks over phone-hacking charges should not hold her role as a former Rupert Murdoch editor with huge political influence against her, her lawyer said, as the former British newspaper boss took the stand yesterday. Brooks, a friend of Prime Minister David Cameron, answered questions in court for the first time on the hacking scandal which has convulsed Britain’s elite and forced Murdoch to close the 168-year-old tabloid at the center of the scandal, the News of the World. Opening Brooks’s defense within a packed court room on day 62 of the trial, Jonathan Laidlaw urged the jury to forget the myth that had built up around one of the most famous women in Britain, and to focus on the specific charges. He was speaking shortly after the judge ruled that Brooks had been acquitted on one of the five charges she was facing, relating to

…acquitted on 1 of 4 charges

one charge of authorizing an illegal payment for a picture of Prince William in a bikini. She denies all the other charges. “It is time for you to see Mrs Brooks as she is, not as she is described or spoken of, but as she is,” Laidlaw told the jury, adding that the time had come for them “to begin the process to work out if there is any truth in the allegations made against her”. Laidlaw said he would have more to say later in the trial about Brooks’s treatment “at the hands of the police and the prosecution and about the approach that has been taken to her case”. He told the jury Brooks was not on trial for her role as a senior editor to Murdoch, or the influence that this gave her. “She is not being tried, is she, because she was the editor of a tabloid newspaper,” he said.

“Neither is she on trial for having worked for Rupert Murdoch’s company or for having worked her way up literally from the bottom through that organization.”

Laidlaw said Brooks was not being tried for her political views or the stance of News International, News Corp’s British newspaper arm which she ran until 2011.

movement called Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), which wants to pressure Israel to change its policies in the occupied Palestinian territories by isolating the country. Opponents of BDS say the movement - which calls for Palestinian refugees’ right to return - is an attempt to delegitimise Israel and dilute its majority-Jewish population. Last week, BDS called on the Rolling Stones to cancel concerts planned in Israel this coming summer. The movement also played a role in the recent decision of Dutch pension fund PGGM, which oversees about $200bn in assets, to withdraw money from five Israeli banks.

“Given the day-to-day reality and domestic legal framework they operate in, the banks have limited to no possibilities to end their involvement in the financing of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories,” the fund said in a statement. Other organisations participating in the boycott include the Association for Asian-American Studies, the 100,000-member Federation of French-Speaking Belgian Students, and the Teachers Union of Ireland. The boycotts recently sparked a diplomatic row between the United States and Israel. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference earlier

this month, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that allowing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians to fail would give fodder to critics of Israel, including those in the BDS movement. “You see, for Israel there’s an increasing de-legitimisation campaign that has been building up. People are very sensitive to it. There is talk of boycotts and other kinds of things,” Kerry said. “Today’s status quo absolutely, to a certainty, I promise you 100 percent, cannot be maintained. It’s not sustainable. It’s illusionary. There’s a momentary prosperity, there’s a momentary peace.”

Brooks (R) and her husband Charlie arrive at the Old Bailey courthouse in London

US mulls bill punishing Israel boycotters

wo U.S congressmen, Peter Roskam and Dan Lipinski a Republican and Democrat respectively, both from the state of Illinois - have introduced a bill that would strip American academic institutions of federal funding if they choose to boycott Israel. The move follows a growing international movement to protest the Israeli occupation and violations of Palestinian human rights. The most recent to join the boycott is the American Studies Association (ASA), a group composed of about 5,000 academics and scholars dedicated to the study of American culture. The ASA boycott is part of a larger

Europe and Americas Venezuela shifts politician’s court hearing

bout 100 supporters of Leopoldo Lopez, the jailed Venezuelan opposition politician, have rallied outside a Caracas court where he had been due to hear charges blaming him for a deadly episode of violence. But his party said in a Twitter message on Wednesday that the hearing had been moved to a military jail. Juan Carlos Gutiérrez , Lopez’s defence attorney, said a court illegally ordered the change claiming it would protect Lopez’s life. Heavy security had surrounded the Palace of Justice, blocking streets leading to the building, where Lopez, a Harvard-educated economist, had been scheduled to appear after spending the night at the Ramo Verde jail in Caracas. Rachel Levin, reporting from the Venezuelan capital, said: “The government has issued a new statement saying that the hearing will be held in the prison where Lopez is kept right now. “However, Lopez’s lawyers say that having him appear in that prison for his hearing is putting undue stress on him and they are arguing against it. “But the government says it is doing it for the safety of Lopez. It claims there is a plot against him from his own party.” Lopez’s surrender to National Guard troops at a protest rally on Tuesday came after two weeks of protests against the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro. Four people have been killed in violence linked to the ongoing protests, as sporadic trouble was reported across Venezuela again on Wednesday. The latest fatality was a 21-yearold woman who had suffered a bullet wound to the head during a march in the city of Valencia. Genesis Carmona, a college student and model, died in a clinic later on Wednesday. In western Tachira state, security forces and protesters fought in the streets for about two hours, with two students injured, various vehicles damaged or destroyed, and local monuments charred, witnesses said. In southern Puerto Ordaz city, pro- and anti-government marchers fought in the street, witnesses said, with police firing tear-gas to quell the trouble.

Lopez

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Strange World

Man’s extremely rare blood saves millions of babies’ lives

4-year-old James Harrison is a superhero in his own right. Granted, he doesn’t wear a cape or spin webs, but he has saved over two million babies’ lives in the past 54 years. And in real life, it doesn’t get cooler than that. Australian-born James has a very special type of blood – the plasma contains an antibody that cures babies of Rhesus disease, a severe form of anemia. He has been donating blood every few weeks since he was 18 years old, and has done it over 1,000 times now. James never fails to make a donation; even when he’s holidaying, he makes sure to stop by a donor center. “I’ve donated on the Sunshine Coast, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, NSW, wherever I go and I get around the place with the caravan club I’m in.” “I’ve never thought about stopping. Never,” he said. His initial motivation for donating was a major chest surgery that he underwent at age 14, for which he needed 13 liters of blood. “I was in the hospital for three months. The blood I received saved my life so I made a pledge to give blood when I was 18. I said to my father that I would give blood myself as soon as possible and I stayed true to my word.” It was just after he started

donating that the rare antibody was detected in his blood. Thousands of Australian babies were dying every year at the time of Rh disease. Some newborns suffered permanent brain damage. James’ blood became so valuable that his life was insured for AUS $1million. In 1966, he began to donate plasma. “I wasn’t scared. I was glad to

help,” said James, who has been dubbed the ‘man with the golden arm’ and the ‘man in two million’. “I had to sign every form going and basically sign my life away.” When the truth about his blood was discovered, he volunteered for a series of tests to help develop the Anti-D vaccine. The vaccine is given to all pregnant women who

are Rh-negative. Rh disease creates an incompatibility between the mother’s and unborn baby’s blood. This happens when one has Rh-positive blood and the other, Rh-negative. James’ plasma was discovered to be able to treat the condition, so his blood is given to millions of pregnant women. He

himself has Rh-negative blood, and was given injections of Rh-positive. Joy Barnes, one of the mothers James has helped, has known him for 23 years. She had miscarried twice at four and five months, before receiving the treatment. “Without him I would never have been able to have a healthy baby,” she said. “I don’t know how to thank you enough.”

James holding a pair of twins

Bodybuilder, 70 is fitter than most men half his age

am ‘Sonny’ Bryant Junior doesn’t look a day over 40. He’s a bodybuilder with a perfectly ripped body that puts younger men to

shame. Especially when they get to know about his real age –70 years and still going strong. Very strong. “They ask me when I’m going

to retire. I say never. I say more people die retired than they do when they are working. I’ve been doing this for 27 years.” Sonny says. He started working

Sam

out at age 44, when he was in a bad marriage. Initially, he just went to the gym to relieve stress; he knew nothing about working out or lifting weights.

Championships in Macon, in the US state of Georgia. I find his story incredibly inspiring. I mean, I’m nowhere near 70 and there are times when I feel old.

But he never gave up and just 11 months later, Sonny’s instructor asked him if he wanted to take part in a bodybuilding contest. “I said, ‘You think so?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ So I went to a contest in Georgia. I’d never been in a contest or competed for anything, you know. I won third in the novice, fourth in the master. And then I was hooked.” Before he knew it, Sonny was addicted to the gym. “I love to work. I love to work out,” he said. As for age, well, he says that it’s all in the mind. “People have a misconception that age makes you old. I realize that it’s the state of mind that makes you old. Age is just a number, you know.” Sonny says that a lot of people tell him, “Wait till you get to my age.” And then he tells them his real age and they are embarrassed. According to Sonny, it’s all in the subconscious. “You start thinking old and then your body’s going to start acting old. And then you’re old. I don’t believe in that. I could dance all night.” Sonny wants people to recognize him for what he can do and become a role model for them. “I’ve seen a lot of younger people sitting down. It’s their lifestyle, that’s what they chose to do. Go home, sit down, watch TV, all weekend, sit around do nothing. See, I can’t do that. I can’t sit in the house that long. I hate it, you know. I got to be busy.” Last July, Sonny competed in the INBF Southern Natural Bodybuilding and Figure

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Weekend Revue

WITH TOBIAS LENGNAN DAPAM lovelengz@yahoo.com 07036990957

Rihanna wins multi-million dollar lawsuit against ex-accountant

ulse com has ulse.com ulse has reported rep epor orte ted d that that Rihanna Rih ihan anna na has has won won a 10 10 million mill mi llio ion n dollars doll do llar arss from from a lawsuit law awsu suit it against aga gain inst st her her former for orme merr accountant, Peter Gounis of Berdon LLP after she claimed he was the main reason she went bankrupt in 2009. The Barbadian singer, real name Robyn Fenty, sued Gounis and the firm Berdon LLP, claiming they advised her to buy a $7.5 million house in Southern California in 2009 despite the fact they were fully aware she was running low on funds. She added that the accountant advised her to make bad financial decisions which made her lose $9 million out of $11 million in just one year. The 25 year old however was forced to sell the trouble-ridden mansion last year despite making a loss of about $2 million. She complained in an earlier lawsuit that the Beverly Hills mansion turned out to be rotting from water and mold damage and she had to spend over a million dollars in repairs. R Rihanna’s lawyer, Edward Estrada, wrote: “The defendants advised Ms. Fenty by e-mail that purchasing a home in Los Angeles would be a good investment despite knowing Ms. Fenty was experiencing financial difficulties”. RiRi also claimed that it was her accountant’s fault for failing to warn her that her ‘Last Girl on Earth’ tour would not turn a profit. She fired Berdon LLP in 2010 and sued him for $35 million in 2012 but according to New York Post, “it’s understood the firm has settled with the pop star out of court for around $10 million” with papers due to be signed this week. Arya with her gladiators on revenge mission

duty in Sooraj Barjatya’s next

ollywood’s ‘Dabangg’ star Salman Khan will be seen in a double role in SoorajBarjatya’s next film. The 48-year-old actor will give his fans a treat 16 years after his first double-role appearance in David Dhawan’sJudwaa. In his 25-year long career ‘Judwaa’ is the only movie where Khan has played such a role. According to reports, Salman has already scheduled 160 days for the film. The movie is scheduled to go on the floors in May, and is scheduled to release during Diwali 2015. The search for a female lead is still on. The list of contenders includes DeepikaPadukone and SonamKapoor, though more details have yet to emerge. The actor is believed to be excited about the film as it’s another one of those romantic family entertainers, with fun, laughter, music, lots of actors and

characters. SoorajBarjatya and Salman Khan go back in time together. They have worked together in 3 movies- ‘Maine PyaarKiya’, ‘Hum AapkeHainKaun’ and ‘Hum SaathSaathHain’. ‘Maine PyaarKiya’ and ‘Hum AapkeHainKaun’ turned out to be the biggest hits of 80s and 90s respectively. While ‘Hum SaathSaathHain’ also turned out to be the highest grosser of 1999.

‘Game of thrones’ season 4 trailer: Everyone wants blood to be deadly

H Salman Khan

ollywood ll d Reporter R t has h said that the long awaited season four of the epic movie, ‘Games of throne’ will witness serious revenge. It said that the second trailer for the up-coming episodes begins with Arya (Maisie WIlliams) reciting the names of the people she plans on killing. She has even more reason to be angry this season after the

bl d h d att the th Red R d Wedding. W ddi bloodshed Sansa (Sophie Turner) also is traumatized by the events, saying all she can think about is what happened to her loved ones at the bloody wedding. Jon Snow (Kit Hrrington), too, has revenge on his mind, saying “All we can give him now is justice.” Cersei (Lena Headey) utters

li d G line readers off George R.R. Martins books should recognize, though we won’t spoil to whom she is speaking: “A day will come when your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth. And you’ll know the debt is paid.” The trailer comes after HBO revealed itsfirst season four trailer last month and debuted a 15-minute Thrones presentation

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Weekend Revue Seun Kuti under fire for linking daughter’s name to deity

eun Kuti, Kuti, i son off late late Afro-beat Afro-beat Af b king, ki Fela Fella Anikulapo-Kuti, Anik ikullapo-K K has been widely criticized for the perceived ‘odd’ naming nam of his newly- born daughter. K According to reports, the newest entrant into the Kuti dynasty was christened ‘Ifafunmike’ which means “A child ch gotten from a deity”. deity” This action has not gone down well with many of his fans, who criticized the naming. A fan who pleaded anonymity, opined that what Seun did is an indication that there is more to it than meets the eye. “Why will Seun go ahead and name his new-born baby ‘Ifafunmike’? It is rather absurd and shows that there is a spiritual undertone to the event. It is ungodly. His contemporaries who have been getting married and delivering babies have not done this kind of thing. I am disappointed,” the fan said.

after record Valentine’s Day

‘Modern family’ casts lands in Australia to shoot Holiday episode

T A scene from the movie, ‘Beijing love story’

he romantic comedy grossed $33.15 million in its first four days, while “Frozen” was Hollywood’s top performer with $17.38 million over the same period, Hollywood Reporter has said. Gritty realist drama from China may be winning prizes overseas and wowing international audiences, but the romantic comedy ‘Beijing love story’is the movie doing big business at home, taking $33.15 million in its first four days after opening -- on Valentine’s Day. The Chinese New Year holiday officially ended on February 14, but there was plenty of gas left in the tank to give China’s box office a boost in the week ending February 16. In the week that Diao Yinan won the Golden Bear in Berlin for his ice-cold film noir, Black Coal, Thin Ice, Chinese audiences flocked to

Wizkid appeals to fans

Wizkid

commercial romantic comedies over the Lunar New Year holiday. Beijing love story is Chen Sicheng’s directorial debut, a spinoff from the popular Chinese TV series, presenting a complex series of intertwined love stories. The film set a single-day record for a 2-D film in China with its Valentine’s Day opening of $16.1 million. Reality TV adaptation ‘Where Are We Going, Dad’ held the prior record for just two weeks, after it opened huge at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday. With an ensemble cast featuring Feng himself, Tony Liya, Wang Xuebing, Yu Nan, Liu Haoran, Nana Ou Yang and Tony Leung, the movie has gone down well on the mainland after its day-and-date release, clocking up 118,236 screenings with 5,642,550 admissions.

he cast and crew of ‘Modern family ‘ have arrived in Sydney, Australia ahead of filming a special holiday episode of the hit sitcom in Australia over the next two weeks, Hollywood Reporter has said. It is the first time the show has shot outside the U.S. but follows the Emmy-winning series’ tradition of filming its holiday episodes at a special destination. Past holiday episodes have been filmed in Hawaii and on a ranch in Wyoming. Part of the episode will center on the Dunphy and Pritchett families’ stay at the luxury Queensland island resort, Hayman, and the surrounding Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef, with other filming to take place in Sydney, including at the iconic Harbour Bridge climb. There’s no word yet on the storylines, although one reason for the visit is that Phil Dunphy, now dubbed “Crocodile Dunphy,” has Australian roots. The show’s co-creator and executive producer, Steven Levitan, will direct the

episode. “We just had to go to Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef, since, like Sofia Vergara, it’s one of the natural wonders of the world,” he said. Aiming to capitalize on the tourism industry boost afforded by exposure to the show’s huge global audience, the Queensland government’s tourism and events body has pitched in some funding to finance the production, as has Australian airline Qantas and local

industry agency Screen Queensland. Queensland arts minister Ian Walker said: “Modern Family is a hugely popular show, and it’s very exciting for our tourism industry to know that places like the Great Barrier Reef and Hayman Island will be seen by millions of people right round the world. “This coup is a testament to the Government’s commitment to creating local jobs and promoting our screen and tourism industries to the world.”

Anita Joseph’s fiancé wants her to quit shows for marriage

usic star, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as ‘Wizkid’ has urged his numerous fans to join forces with him in calling out an ‘impostor’ on twitter. Speaking recently on the issue, the talented musician complained bitterly about a yet-to-be-identified person who has been perpetrating crimes under the guise of his name with a fake twitter account thought to belong to him. Wizkid, therefore, called on his fans to help him fight this battle as he cannot do it alone. He used the opportunity to thank them for their unflinching love and support.

‘Modern family’ casts on location

Anita Joseph

ollywood actress Anita Joseph is really on a hot seat for marriage, This is because during the Valentine celebration, she got marriage proposal from her friend of many years, Martins Okorie, who is based in Europe but the actress turned the proposal down. According to the information gathered, Mr. Okorie, who is planning to get married to Anita this Easter gave her the condition to quit show business. The actress, Nigeriafilm.com gathered swallowed her ‘Yes’ without thinking twice, as she cannot lose her immense passion for entertainment business. Further sources said they were not sure if the issue was settled between them and whether the wedding will ever hold. However, insider sources disclosed that Anita appeared to be thinking seriously to consider the proposal and that if she does, the talented actress will be off the screen to face her husband.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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Feature

Nigeria: Emulating Israel’s exploits in tourism and national development By Mark Longyen, just back from Israel

hen President Goodluck Jonathan visited Israel recently, important issues bordering on security, tourism, trade and agriculture constituted the core subjects of his personal diplomacy talks with Israeli President, Shimon Peres. The two leaders pledged to increase diplomatic cooperation in these crucial sectors in their mutual and respective national security and developmental interests. The Nigerian president killed the proverbial two birds with one stone by combining his pilgrimage to Israel with official state functions which now underscores the essence of improving Israeli-Nigerian cooperation. `` Combating the menace of terrorism is a challenge that we must address in partnership with all peaceloving countries and peoples of the world. I seek the cooperation of your country to confront the security threat from terrorist groups that my country is now facing. ``There is no doubt that Israel has had decades of experience in combating terrorism; Nigeria can benefit tremendously from your experience in this area,’’ Jonathan was quoted as telling Peres. Jonathan also solicited for greater cooperation between the two countries in the other sectors and assured Peres that the signing of Bilateral Air Services Agreement between them would further bolster Israeli-Nigerian relations. Responding to Jonathan’s speech, Peres said: ``Today, we also face common menaces; Nigeria and Israel have been steadfast partners in combating terror groups such as Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah and Boko Haram, which threaten the regional stability in the Middle –East and West Africa.’’ Peres then pledged Israel’s partnership with Nigeria in the tourism, trade, agriculture and ICT sectors that would foster mutual benefits between both countries. Without doubt, Jonathan’s pilgrimage and state visit to Israel marked a significant milestone in bolstering IsraeliNigerian diplomatic ties which would serve Nigeria’s over-all national security and developmental interests. This is because Nigeria has so many lessons to learn from Israel, and can borrow a leaf from Israel’s exploits in virtually every sector with which she can confront her hydra-headed domestic challenges. Israel presents an alluring model in curbing anti-terrorism, in tourism development, agricultural exploits, and expertise in medical science and technology, all of which Nigeria is in dire need of and which she can emulate. This, therefore, makes Israel an indispensable strategic partner for Nigeria in her search for peace and security, tourism and over-all national development. This becomes even more compelling when juxtaposed against the backdrop of Nigeria’s mounting terrorism threat by the Boko Haram, her vast tourism potentials and search for alternative foreign exchange earner to oil. In the area of tourism, the entire Israeli landscape parades a plethora of holy sites which are of great religious

President, Goodluck Jonathan cum historical significance to Christians, Muslims and Orthodox Jewish Judaism. Notably, these holy sites constitute a case study in both Israel’s creativity and perfection in organising a tourism industry that is second to none globally. The most amazing thing about this is that these sites have been preserved for years on end despite the open-ended major wars that have rocked the MiddleEast and Europe. This had subjected the Israelis to foreign rule for several centuries under different enemies who had tried at various times to no avail to destroy every trace of Jewish history and Christianity. Available records indicate that about 3.5 million pilgrims cum tourists from all over the world visit Israel annually out of which about thirty thousand are Nigerians (nearly 1 percent). This makes Israel one of the most frequently visited countries in the world with the country earning over 20 billion dollars annually from tourism alone which is about 10 per cent of Israel’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Underscoring the significance of Israeli-Nigerian ties in this regard, Mr Joseph Tabor, the President of Tabor Tours, a Jerusalem-based tour firm, applauded Jonathan’s support and promotion of tourism between Israel and Nigeria.

President, Shimon Peres Tabor made the commendation in Jerusalem on the occasion of the recent investiture of Jerusalem Pilgrim (JP) title to some Nigerians who completed their pilgrimage to Israel. He said that President Jonathan’s pilgrimage to Israel in October was a clear demonstration of his commitment to encouraging many Nigerian citizens to perform the pilgrimage and promote tourism. ``As a sitting president, he took timse off to come to Israel this year and performed the pilgrimage, which is very rare indeed. The pilgrimage was a clear demonstration of the president’s commitment to encouraging many Nigerian citizens to perform the pilgrimage, which promotes tourism. ``Not many countries in the world give so many of their citizens the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage to Israel through government support like in Nigeria,’’ he said. Tabor disclosed that Israel had a Christian population of just 2 per cent and it was Christian pilgrims who trooped into Israel from so many countries like Nigeria that constituted the Christian majority. He said that the Bi-lateral Air Service Agreement signed between Israel and Nigeria during Jonathan’s visit would further enhance tourism and

Israel’s technological success is the fruition of the nation’s dream

“

Yitzchak, a retired Fine Arts don from Israel’s Hebrew University in Jerusalem, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jerusalem that Nigeria can learn from Israel’s success in tourism and other sectors. “Yes, Nigeria can learn from Israel, it will only take time, discipline and some creativity to get there,’’ he said.

development between the two countries. No doubt, pilgrimage experience is significantly spiritually enriching and the tourism aspect is an eye-opener when one begins to compare what obtains in both Israel and Nigeria. For instance, a Nigerian first timer would be left in bewilderment as to how and why things work perfectly in

a country like Israel where the state of infrastructural development is terrifyingly amazing. Now, given Nigeria’s plethora of tourist attractions nationwide, can she borrow a leaf from Israel’s exploits and success to turn around its vast tourism sector for over-all national development? Mr. Ivriani Yitzchak, 74, a worldrenowned artist and owner of Ivriani Art Gallery in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, said that things work perfectly in his country because Israelis are disciplined and very creative. Yitzchak, a retired Fine Arts don from Israel’s Hebrew University in Jerusalem, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jerusalem that Nigeria can learn from Israel’s success in tourism and other sectors. ``Yes, Nigeria can learn from Israel, it will only take time, discipline and some creativity to get there,’’ he said. Agriculture is another sector in Israel where creativity and discipline combine to make Israel self-sufficient in food production to cater for her population of about 8 million. Located in the desert with almost no rainfall and difficult, rocky terrain that is unsuitable for farming, Israel has overcome all these challenges to produce large scale cash crops through widespread irrigation and governmentregulated mechanized farming.(NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Feature Painful beauty of fake eyelashes T

he quest for outstanding beauty has made many try out various beauty treatments, such as surgery and body extensions. One of the most popular is eyelash extension and eyelash surgery; procedures that give people thick, luscious and longer lashes. This trend has become popular in the fashion world, that it is now almost a must for women seeking to look glamorous. The procedure involves sitting still while applying glue to the eyelids, to keep the extensions in place with the aid of a sharp object. In Nigeria, many patronise the road side beauticians because their prices are cheap. Blessing Akachukwu, a beautician in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, said she charges between N300 and N700 depending on the type, adding that it doesn’t take much time to fix. While some go for the temporary extensions, others go for permanent extensions, which involve surgery. A banker, Miss Tolani Abubakar, says the extension makes her happy. ``Whenever I fix them, I’m happy because they look so natural and people just stare at my new long thick lashes.” Mrs. Mercy Auve, a hairstylist says, “naturally I have thin lashes and a few bald spots in my lash line, so I decided to try eyelash extensions to see if they could help. ``Now with them I feel like a celebrity and it makes me look more beautiful.’’ Mrs. Amoge Adu-Ibrahim, a lawyer, says like any other beauty procedure or treatment, it helps to enhance a woman’s facial beauty. ``To me, if you can have hair extensions, why can’t you have eyelash extensions?’’ she asked. Mr. Innocent Okri, a plumber, said he doesn’t know why women have to do it as they naturally look beautiful. ``I don’t like it because it makes them look too artificial and they resemble baby dolls, and that doesn’t go well with me.’’ However, Mr. Isaac Ogor, a civil servant, said there’s nothing wrong with women making extra effort to make themselves look more beautiful. Nevertheless, experts say going the extra mile to be glamorous may have attendant health risks. According to an Optometrist, Dr. Michael Ezinne of Quality Eye-Care, Ikeja, Lagos, improper use of

A swelling eyelash

eyelash extension could cause ``traction alopecia.’’ This is a condition where the hair falls out due to excessive tension placed on the hair shaft. ``As a result, this can damage the hair follicle in the eye, which can slow down and even cease production of hair.’’ Ezinne said that the false lashes could also trap dirt and bacteria, cause irritation,

“

among others. Singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth, after suffering an adverse effect, told David Letterman on the ``Late Show,’’ a talk show aired in the U.S. that she developed an allergic reaction to the glue that held the extensions in place. This, she said, was because the glue contained formaldehyde, which made

her eye swell up, caused her to sneeze and make her ``look like I have lips on my eyelids.’’ A consultant Ophthalmologist at Florida Eye Clinic in Abuja, Dr. Stephen Ume, said apart from the itchiness, other reactions include swelling of the eyes. He also said that many of the people that carry out the procedure, lacked the skills to handle the chemicals, resulting to eye irritation called kurtosis. ``People come in here with their eyes filled with puss after fixing eyelash extensions, because the eyes have been infected with whatever was used in fixing the extensions. ``You also see people that tug and pull the lashes, and that can lead to alopecia, which is loss of hair follicles, so you have people who after years of wearing extensions have no eyelash left. Most times you see them pulling the eyelashes, and when they do that, it’s the natural lashes that fall off and then they begin to have bald spots. ’’ According to Ume, another condition called stye (swelling at

Oil glands produced by the eyelid is used to moisturise and lubricate the eyes and these glands can actually get infected or blocked by the use of eyelash extensions, so you see people having things like boil on the upper or lower eyelid because the oil glands were blocked.’’

the edge of the eyelids) could also arise as a result of the eyelash extensions. ``Oil glands produced by the eyelid is used to moisturise and lubricate the eyes and these glands can actually get infected or blocked by the use of eyelash extensions, so you see people having things like boil on the upper or lower eyelid because the oil glands were blocked.’’ He however said that if women must fix eyelash extensions, they should go to professionals. ``The eyes are very delicate and we cannot allow chemicals to keep getting into them because after a while they get toxic”, he stated. “Even if you have to fix them, it shouldn’t be all the time; give your eyes a break and let them rejuvenate, because if you have it day in day out, you will cause damage to the eyes. ``If anything goes wrong, the first thing the person should do is to keep the eyes open, and thoroughly wash away the chemicals with clean water, then seek medical attention’, he further said. He kicked against eyelash surgery, because it may alter the original arrangement of the eyelash. ``The eyelash of the eyelid is supposed to grow out, and when that surgery is done it can actually alter the contour or shape of the eyelids. So, instead of growing out, they begin to grow in and begin to irritate the eye, and as such anything can happen to the eye. When that happens or in the case of a mistake it becomes difficult to correct,’’ he said. Experts have given their opinion, it is for those who want to enhance their facial beauty through eyelash extension to take the decision, whether to continue or not. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 37

Digest

Why can you remember your dreams? b brief periods of wakefulness. ‘This may explain why high d dream recallers are more reactive tto environmental stimuli, awaken m more during sleep, and thus better eencode dreams in memory than llow dream recallers. Indeed the ssleeping brain is not capable of m memorising new information; it n needs to awaken to be able to do tthat,’ said Perrine Ruby, who led tthe study. The South African n neuropsychologist Mark Solms h had observed in earlier studies tthat lesions in these two brain a areas led to a cessation of dream rrecall. The originality of the French tteam’s results is to show brain

Researchers have identified two types of dreamer - and only one can remember them By Mark Prigg

esearchers have discovered how we store dreams - and why some people can never remember them the morning after. A French team say they have identified two types of dreamer and only one can remember them. They discovered a region in the brain responsible for remembering dreams, allowng them to be encoded in our memory while we sleep. The team were puzzled by the fact some people recall a dream every morning, whereas others rarely recall one. The team led by Perrine Ruby, an Inserm Research Fellow at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center studied the brain activity

of these two types of dreamers in order to understand the differences between them. The researchers found the temporo-parietal junction, an information-processing hub in the brain, is more active in high dream recallers. Increased activity in this brain region might facilitate the encoding of dreams in memory, they believe. In a study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, the team found ‘high dream recallers’ have twice as many time of wakefulness during sleep as ‘low dream recallers’ and their brains are more reactive to auditory stimuli during sleep and wakefulness. This increased brain reactivity may promote awakenings during the night, and may thus facilitate memorisation of dreams during

activity differences between high and low dream recallers during sleep and also during wakefulness. ‘Our results suggest that high and low dream recallers differ in dream memorization, but do not exclude that they also differ in dream production. ‘Indeed, it is possible that high dream recallers produce a larger amount of dreaming than low dream recallers’ concludes the research team. In this new study, the research team sought to identify which areas of the brain differentiate high and low dream recallers. They used Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to measure the spontaneous brain activity of

41 volunteers during wakefulness and sleep. The volunteers were classified into 2 groups: 21 ‘high dream recallers’ who recalled dreams 5.2 mornings per week in average, and 20 ‘low dream recallers,’ who reported 2 dreams per month in average. High dream recallers, both while awake and while asleep, showed stronger spontaneous brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and in the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), an area of the brain involved in attention orienting toward external stimuli. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

The team found those who slept badly were more likely to remember their dreams

Are we really happiest when we wake? By Fiona Macrae

f you are not a morning person, you will find this hard to believe - but breakfast is our happiest moment of the day. Analysis of more than half a billion Twitter messages showed that people from all over the world wake up in a good mood but become grumpier by the hour. However, we do cheer up in the evening. By counting how often various

words linked to happiness cropped up in Twitter posts, the researchers Cornell University also showed we are happier at the weekend. This suggests that the stresses and strains of work and commuting are getting us down during the week. But the researchers don’t believe this is the whole story. They think sleep and our body’s natural rhythms also play a big role. Backing this up, they found that although we are happier at the

If you dread the alarm clock going off then it may be heard to believe, but analysis of our tweets during the day shows that we are happiest in the mornings

weekend, spirits are highest a bit later in the morning – likely because we get up later. Researcher Michael Macy told the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference: ‘We found people are happiest around breakfast time in the morning and then it’s all downhill from there. ‘It wasn’t about work because we found the same pattern on the weekend but it was delayed by about an hour and half.’ The professor thinks that start the day happy because we are refreshed by sleep. And that the extra lift at the weekend comes from waking up at the time nature intended, rather than being jolted to life by an alarm clock. The need for sleep could also help explain why we use more and more negative words as the day goes on. Professor Macy used a hub of powerful supercomputers to analyse 509million tweets written by 2.4million Twitters in 84 different countries. He looked at how often ‘fantastic’, ‘incredible’, ‘hilarious’ and other words that denote a good mood cropped up at various times of the day, versus language used to describe sadness, anger or

The Twitter analysis showed that we got more miserable as they day went on. This wasn’t because of work, as the weekends followed the same pattern

embarrassment. He found the same pattern around the world, across cultures, religions and countries, although the ‘weekend effect’ moved to fit in with a county’s work timetable. For instance, in the United Arab Emirates, Fridays and Saturdays – the days that constitute the weekend there – were the happiest. Co-researcher Scott Golder told

ABC News: ‘People criticize the Internet for being mundane or filled with gossip, but that’s really not so. ‘The Internet records everything, so Twitter is a giant archive of timecoded conversations.’ Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said it is easy for the working day to get people down.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 37

Confab: Braithwaite, Fasehun draw fresh agenda for South West

Ekiti guber: PDP leaders insist on consensus candidacy

From Ayodele Samuel and Zainab Yusuf, Lagos

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

s confusion continues to trail delegates’ nomination and agenda of the south west ahead of the proposed national conference, self determination groups in the region yesterday met to draw up fresh agenda to the conference. A fresh gathering led by Elder statesman , Dr Tunji Braithwaite and founder of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun, under the auspices of “Pan-Yoruba Agenda for the 2014 National Conference” at a two day workshop yesterday insisted that all yoruba views must be harmonized in the agenda to be presented by the region at the national conference. Fasehun said many self determination groups were not represented at the meeting where the agenda for yoruba land was formulated. “There are 29 groups here today, including my group (OPC), which were not invited for the meeting at Ishara on Monday where an agenda for Yorubaland for the proposed conference was adopted. “The groups here were the ones that fought for topics in the agenda for the national conference,” he said. He said that the meeting of the self determination groups was to come up with their own agenda for national conference. He however said the group was not opposed to the harmonization of all agenda for the Yorubas at the national conference. “The decision here is not hostile; it would be harmonized with the larger yoruba interest.” Braithwaite said even though, the National Conference is considered historical, no force within or outside government should attempt to stop it or teleguide its outcome. According to Braithwaite, the amalgamation that brought Southern and Northern protectorates together in 1914 was fraudulent. He said this is therefore the right time to revisit it. The amalgamation of 1914 was not binding on Nigerians both in legal and political context. “Our sovereignty as a people has stopped the amalgamation from binding itself on us. It is time to re-examine it. All the constitutions since 1914 are fraudulent. We need to revisit it and have in place a brand new constitution. It is when we have new constitution that we can start talking about 2015 election,” Braithwaite said.

L-R: Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi, Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, during their condolence visit to the late Senator Isaiah Balat’s family, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

APC, APGA, LP members decamp to PDP in Bauchi From Ahmed Bauchi

Kaigama,

any prominent politicians and supporters of APC, APGA, and Labour Party in Zaki Local Government Area of Bauchi state have decamped from their different political parties to the ruling People’s Democratic Party. Receiving them at the local council secretariat, the chairman PDP Zaki Local Government Alhaji Umar Faruk Rodi said the decampees were former members of the party who decamped to other opposition parties. According to him,“ I want to assure our decampees that PDP is giving them with warm

welcome. The party is also using this opportunity to appeal to our members who are still in the valley of indecision to make up their minds and return to where they belong. PDP is assuring that they will continue to be treated as any other member without any apathy” “I also urge our members who have returned back to the fold to maintain ,support and work towards the success of the party in view of its popular policies and programs that uplift the people’s welfare,” he urged. The chairman said that the party will makeup for its lapses and ensure that every contestant during the 2015 election has a level playing ground. In his speech, the chairman caretaker committee of the local

government, Dr.Muhammad Babbaji Katagum, said the party has been transforming the lives of the citizenry through the provision of basic infrastructure in the state. He said that the people of Zaki Local government have immensely benefitted from development programs of the state government and advised the decampees to remain trustworthy and committed towards the success of the party. Speaking on behalf of the decampees, Alhaji Baka Maula, assured that they will work towards the progress and success of the party. “We will see that PDP is enthroned in the state and eschew the politics of sentiments,” he assured.

olitical leaders in the Ekiti South Senatorial District, under the aegis of Ekiti South Leader’s Forum (ESLF), has declared support for the selection of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate through consensus. The group said “It is in the interest of the PDP, Ekiti people and people of the South Senatorial District for a candidate to be picked from among the aspirants from the zone through consensus.” According to the leaders, the consensus option will save the party the crisis and waste of money usually associated with primary elections, adding that “No aspirant is greater than the party, and its Leader, President Goodluck Jonathan who suggested the consensus option.” In a release signed by its Chairman, Chief Afolabi Ojuawo, and Secretary, Hon Gboyega Akinola, the leaders insisted that the PDP must pick its gubernatorial candidate from the zone to enhance the party’s chances of winning the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State. They said “No indigene of the zone will settle for anything other than the governorship. The position of our people in the South is that PDP should pick its governorship candidate from the South, and Minister from either Central or the North. “This will be in obedience to Chapter 1:7, Sub Section 3c of its Constitution which states that ‘the party shall pursue its aim and objectives by adhering to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices in pursuance of principle of equity, justice and fairness.’ We still maintain that position. “On the issue of primary election, it is our position that the PDP should first and foremost zone the governorship to the South, and thereafter allow the party leaders to present an acceptable candidate from among the aspirants.

Kebbi: Group wants Bello Sakin Yaki as governor From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

head of 2015 election, a group under the aegis of Concerned Kebbi Citizens and PDP elite has advocated for the candidature of General Bello Sarkin Yaki as the successor Saidu Dakingari come 2015. The group leader, Haliru Abubakar, in a Press conference

with journalists in Birnin Kebbi yesterday, said that as the 2015 election approaches they have joined the teeming politicians and the good people of Kebbi state to ask for Yaki to contest the governorship of kebbi state under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He explained that considering the great potentials

of the General and his role in the security matters of Nigeria, he deserved to be the next pilot of Kebbi State. “Actually, General Bello Sarkin Yaki did not publicly declare intention, but the appeals and calls he has been receiving to seek for Governorship ticket is over- whelming. He has the potentials to develop Kebbi State

and foster unity amongst the four emirates in the state”, he said. The group’s spokeperson also kicked against those in support of emirate zoning system, describing it as undemocratic and capable of sabotaging democracy, even as they pointed out that people should be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Politics

Ewuga: Profile of a nomadic defector Analysis From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

t is indeed a season of defection among politicians in the country, preparatory to the 2015 general elections. There has never been a time in the political history of Nigeria that witnessed such high level of political realignment,with political actors shifting from one party to another. On 23rd January,11 senators defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former Nasarawa state governor and one time National Secretary of the PDP. Prior to that,five state governors belonging to the ruling PDP,defected to the APC,paving the way for a major political changeover involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who led his supporters to the opposition party having also defected to the APC. In Nasarawa state,two federal lawmakers, Haruna Kigbu (Lafia/Obi) and David Ombugadu (Akwanga/Nasarawa Eggon/Wamba),were caught by the defection bug and after slight hesitation,pitched their tents with the PDP. However, of all the defections among politicians,the one that appeared more absurd than any other,is the defection of Sen Solomon Ewuga from the APC to the PDP, which came amidst funfares. Granted, Ewuga has every right of association,the right to belong to any political party of his choice, but the manner he chose to oscillate between one party and the other,portrays him as an over ambitious politician desperately seeking power, which has so far continuously eluded him. At the dawn of the present democratic dispensation, precisely in 1999,Ewuga was in the PDP as a leading contender in the gubernatorial election, but as fate would have it,he ended up being Deputy Governor under the first civilian governor of the state, Abdullahi Adamu. Due to what most people describes as his insatiable quest to become governor,Ewuga left his post as Deputy Governor to take up a ministerial appointment barely three months after being sworn in as Deputy Governor. In 2003, in further attempt to actualise his dream to become Governor,he secretly entered into alliance with former Governor Aliyu Doma,conscripting his political godson, the late Chris Abashi, to deputize for Doma.

Sen. Solomon Ewuga

Having realised that he could not achieve his desire to fly the flag of his party,the PDP; having been beaten by the incumbent Abdullahi Adamu, Ewuga allegedly directed his supporters to side with the opposition ANPP, but was disappointed when Adamu and the PDP still emerged victorious. In 2007,Ewuga finally left the PDP for the ANPP, where he was able to clinch the ticket of the party to contest for the governorship election against Adamu. Once again, Ewuga was floored by Adamu and after much hues and cries, resigned to his fate following which he went into a political hiatus allegedly to strategize. In 2010, Ewuga again returned to the PDP,ostensibly to seek a platform under which to launch his campaign for the Senate to represent Nasarawa North. Unfortunately for Ewuga,the powers that be within the party had other plans and he was again floored by the incumbent, Sen Patricia Akwashiki, who also wanted a second term. It was at this moment,during a brief political lacuna that Ewuga tested the other side of harsh realities of life. He was banished completely from active participation in the affairs of the party,sidelined by the now rising Labaran Maku,a fellow Eggon man. At a function organized by Akwe Doma at the tail end of his administration,when he convened a meeting of party leaders from across the state, Ewuga appeared at the City Hall venue in quite pathetic mood, his neck swatted in bandage, adorned in a threadbare flowing gown, the butt of jokes from those on the high table while

he led his team from Nasarawa Eggon down on the floor was ‘a common party man’. Also, in 2011, Ewuga found himself in the then Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). As he was still ambitious and desperately seeking political office, he successful became a senator of Nigeria after the court pronounced him victorious in the case involving him,the CPC and Sen Nagogo. One would have thought that Ewuga should have learnt his lessons, considering the shabby treatment he received while he was in the PDP; how he was reduced to a ‘common party man’, banished to his country home on the outskirts of Akwanga. Unfortunately, not long enough after, that he went back to the PDP in another search for the ever elusive power. Yet, once again by his defection to the PDP,he is only demonstrating that insatiable quest to become governor of the state,even when it is apparent the political space is so tight that his return would only worsen the situation. Speculations are rife that Ewuga defected to the PDP in order to actualize his ambition to become governor. But even before his arrival,already three others from the same zone were said to be warming up to contest for governorship. They are Labaran Maku,the current Minister for Information, Michael Abdul,former Deputy Governor and Sen Damboyi. Ewuga’s foray into the fray is seen by many as a desperate move by someone too desperate to wait for the appointed time, but who would muscle his way through and in the process destroy the party. It is on record that when

Ewuga lost the governorship primary to Doma in 2007,he persisted, decamping to the ANPP to continue with his quest. This was in spite of the gentleman agreement within the PDP to zone the position of the governor to another zone. At the expiration of Adamu’s second term,to honour this arrangement,none of his kinsmen from Nasarawa west came out to contest for the seat of the governor. When it was tacitly agreed that Nasarawa south should produce the governor. Ewuga became furious,his ambition blinding him from seeing reason and instead, he challenged Doma at the primaries and when he lost,he went to join the ANPP. It is on record that Ewuga single handedly resisted the zoning arrangement, just to fulfill his ambition to be Governor of Nasarawa state. During a reception he hosted to celebrate his victory and emergence as a senator,he told his Eggon kinsmen that with his becoming a senator,they have merely dressed him halfway,that he would be fully clothed when they make him Governor. It is alleged that following his decision to move back to the PDP, Ewuga, like he did when he planted the late Chris Abashi in the ANPP while he remained in the PDP, instructed his supporters to register in three separate political parties, including APC, APGA and PDP. This strategy is all in another desperate bid to seek alternative platform per chance his foray into the PDP failed to bring the desired result. While it will be impossible for Nasarawa Eggon alone to produce the Governor of Nasarswa state, senator and a member of the House of Representatives in the 2015 election, Ewuga’s defection arguably has the potential to jeopardise the chances of the party, but by his dividing his supporters across different parties,he is merely being extra careful. Those believed to belong to the camp of the Minister for Information,whom sources said, are gunning for the seat of the Governor, rather saw Ewuga’s defection to the PDP as not only a threat but a confirmation of earlier fears that the senator is a spoiler,continuously being used by the Hausa/Fulani to thwart the ambition of the Eggon people. A text message presently making the rounds, which is said to have emanated from the Maku’s camp, alleged that Ewuga is being used by the Hausa/ Fulani, to divide the Eggon people and make them ineffective come 2015. According to this text message being circulated among

the Eggons, former Governors Adamu, Akwe Doma, the emir of Lafia and others, secretly met and agreed that Ewuga defects to the PDP, just so that he could be a spoiler. For a man that had it all as Deputy Governor, Minister, member of both the constituent and consultative assemblies and now a senator, many are of the view that by now, he should be grooming others to take over from him, rather than seeking to corner everything for himself alone. Granted, he has the right to aspire for any office in the state, but at what cost should an individual pursue their ambitions, even when it is apparent that such action could only generate rancour and tension? Ewuga and his fellow decampees are in the PDP only to seek platforms for elective office. Meanwhile, already there are a plethora of eligible candidates warming up for same elective offices. It does not take a genius to know that very soon, their will be further discontent, as politicians jostle for limited space,with the possibility of another implosion. More so that the party is already considering automatic tickets to the defecting governors and senators. Be that as it may, Ewuga’s latest defection to the PDP has rather confirmed his nomadic instincts; that penchant for changing political parties at the drop of a hat; always seeking to fulfil an inordinate ambition to be Governor of Nasarawa at all cost and by all means necessary. Inadvertently, he has by his frequent moves from one party to another,committed a deadly sin in politics, as observed by Mahatma Ghandi, when he said politics without principles is one of the seven deadly sins. Ewuga is willing to move to the next party at the slightest challenge, which implies that he lacks the resilience to absorb the dynamics of politics. For Ewuga’s supporters, who through the years, have sustained and fuelled his insatiable quest to become Nasarawa state Governor, let them know and according to C.S Lewis, that of all tryranies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than omnipotent moral busybodies because the robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep,his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but that those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their conscience.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

News Extra

Deplorable condition of federal roads worries motorists in Yobe From Uche Uche, Damaturu

otorists in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital has called on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), to, as a matter of urgency, give attention to the deplorable conditions of some federal roads to reduce the hardship of commuters. A truck driver, Mohammed

Lawan who spoke to Peoples Daily in Yobe, blamed the deplorable condition of the roads decried the impact of such bad roads on motor tires and breaks, which has led to several accidents.. Also commenting on the situation, the state chairman, National Union of Road Transports Workers, Abdu Saleh said they are deeply worried over

the deplorable condition of some of the federal roads especially Gujba and Potiskum roads which he said requires urgent attention by the authorities concerned. He however regretted that the presence of FERMA is not being felt in the state capital and in the rural areas where their services are needed in order to ease transportation of goods

and services, thereby affecting economy of the state. A visit to FERMA office in Damaturu by Peoples Daily revealed that most of the officials were not on seat. This, a source said could be reason for the temporary suspension of road maintenance activities in most of the dilapidated federal road projects in the state.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Court did not sack us, says Nasarawa APC chairman T

he All Progressives Congress (APC), in Nasarawa has denied that a High Court in the state had sacked the interim chairman of the party, Arch Stanley Buba. Arc Stanley Buba, at a press briefing in Nasarawa, made the clarifications yesterday while briefing the press in his office, saying the state interim committee of the APC is still intact. The APC state interim chairman explained that the injunction pronounced by the High Court 3,

headed by Justice Aisha Ahmed, was issued to restrain the APC from constituting, recognising and inaugurating the proposed APC state harmonization committee. He dispelled claims by the state chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yunana Iliya, to the effect that as a result of the said injunction, the APC has been technically knocked out of the forthcoming local government elections. Displaying a copy of the court injunction before journalists, Stanley assured supporters of the party that there was never an

injunction restraining the affairs of the interim management committee as it is been bandied by the PDP. “I want to say that this is most unfortunate, I see it as the cry of a sinking person”, Stanley said. Arc Stanley described the PDP as an undemocratic party, urging its members to decamp to the APC, warning that as long as they remain in the PDP there is every possibility they may not fulfill their political aspirations. “PDP did not conduct any primaries for the council election. Candidates were merely

handpicked, with the national assembly members decamping to the party promised automatic tickets when we are in a democracy”, he stated. Recallings the injunction dated February 17, in a case instituted by one Nurudeen Umar as plaintiff, with the APC, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, Stanley Buba and two others as defendants, Arc Stanley said aside the matter being blown out of proportion, the plaintiff, Nurudeen Umar has no legal basis to institute a case against the party because he is not a registered member of the APC.

NEDEP: FG to disburse funds to first batch cooperatives From Ayodele Samuel and Zainab Yusuf, Lagos

he Federal Government has disclosed that the first batch of cooperative bodies set up under the National Enterprise development programme (NEDEP), will get approved funding before the end of February. The Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, Bature Umar Masari, while speaking with newsmen

Minna: General Hospital extension worth N1.4bn to be completed on schedule From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

L-R: Professor Obaro Ikime, Professor A. E. Ekoko, and Professor. Mahmood Yakub, members of Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN), during their visit to President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

From Ali Abare ubakar, Lafia

BRIEFS

in Lagos, yesterday said the approval for award of funds was obtained after the cooperatives’ business plans successfully passed the requisite assessment and evaluation of SMEDAN and the Bank of Industry (BOI). He added that the NEDEP programme entails the implementation of the One Local Government One Product (OLOP) programme which is based on a borrowed idea from Japan which has seen them developing economically and otherwise.

“And so far, we have been able to cover 22 states within a period of three months and we have also formed as at the end of December 2013 20, 111 cooperative bodies all over the country who are now very busy being guided by SMEDAN to come up with bankable business plans.” “We have received and handed over those business plans that are ready to BOI which is a collaborating partner of the NEDEP programme with a view to providing financing for the enterprise of their choice

along an identified product’s value chain. And I believe that before the end of this month these ones that have qualified will start getting financing from BOI,” he said. Masari stated, that the rate of lending shouldn’t be a problem as BOI is ready to lend at one digit as they have different products under cooperative funding and that the rate of lending in some areas could be as low as five per cent where there are matching funds from state governments but never up to ten per cent.

he delay in the completion of 134 bed capacity neonatal General Hospital extension in Minna, Niger state has been attributed to the muddy nature of the area, discovery of 58 soakaways and four wells which stalled progress of work. Director General, Niger state Public Private Partnership, PPP, Alhaji Shehu Kudu Mohammed gave the explanation while speaking with journalists in Minna. He said that the developer had to excavate the land, cover all the soakaways and wells before the proper construction could commence. Kudu however, assured that the 8 months completion period as contained in the MOU will be achieved despite the challenges. He disclosed that the developer has not reached the required 36.6 percent as stipulated in the MOU to enable his agency direct the bank to release the N500 million irrevocable payment standing order IPSO and subsequent N180 million monthly release of funds.

NHIS requires N48bn for pupil’s enrolment in Nigeria- says E.S By Abbas Aminu Bamalli

he Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas says the scheme requires N48 billion to implement its proposed coverage for all pupils in public primary schools in the country. Dr. Thomas disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti, during an advocacy visit to the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu. A statement issued to pressmen in Abuja, signed by the Head of media and public relations, NHIS, Ayo Osinlu, said the advocacy visit was part of a working tour of the state to assess the structure and progress of the scheme’s interventions in Ekiti state. According to him, 40 per cent of the required fund for the programme had been set aside by the scheme, adding that the balance was expected to come from benefitting states and other stakeholders. He called for the deepening of NHIS Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Maternal and Child Health (MCH) project in the state, commending the release of its counterpart fund for the programme as a sure footed step in the right direction.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

News Extra Yobe COA relocates amidst challenges of insurgency From Uche Uche, Damaturu

he College of Agriculture, Gujba, in Yobe state has been closed down following recent attacks by insurgents,s even as government makes arrangement for the provision of adequate security in the institution. It was however gathered that the state government, determined not to allow the students and academic activities

of the college to suffer too long, has decided to relocate the college to a temporary site at the Government Boys Secondary School in Damaturu, the state capital. The Provost of the College, Alhaji Mulima Idi Mato, who disclosed this to Peoples Daily in his office at the temporary site, said the turn-out of students at the site is commendable adding that most of the lecturers have also completed their syllabuses

and have been conducting continuous assessment tests. He said it is expected that the examination for the 2013 and 2014 second semester would begin by 3rd March, after academic activities started in January 2014. The examination officer of the college, Alhaji Ismaila Mohammed however lamented that the temporary site has not effectively accommodated both staff and students of the

institution, and called on the state government to speed up necessary arrangements to ensure better teaching and learning process. Most of the students who spoke to Peoples Daily decried the situation of inadequate water supply in the site, causing them to buy water from water vendors at exorbitant prices, and appealed to the state government for assistance.

NATA to hold election Feb. 27 From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

he rift between the executive and members of Nigerian Authomobile Technicians Association [NATA] , Niger state chapter, will soon be over as a six man electoral committee have been inaugurated with the mandate to conduct election within one week. The Association has been engulfed in leadership crisis because of the refusal of the outgoing executive to call for a fresh election when their tenure expired four years ago. It was gathered that the outgoing chairman, Alhaji Jamiu Lawal has been in the position for past 14 years and efforts by members to make him conduct election for new leadership of the association had failed. However, the Association’s crisis got to a stage whereby the State Director of the State Security Services [SSS] had to intervene, calling the protesting members and the ‘’seat tight’’ executive to a peace meeting in his office recently. The six man electoral committee was inaugurated on Wednesday Alhaji Jamiu, who confirmed that his second tenure expired about four years ago, said that the Tools Centre, which he established in conjunction with the GTZ, was not his personal property but that of NATA. The six man electoral committee is chaired by Uguchukwu Aneke from Chachanga Unit, Babatunde Lawall as secretary wo is from Bosso Unit while Dauda Hamza, Usman Sule, Yaha Mohammed and Adewale Saka from Bosso, Chachaga and Minna West respectively are members of the committee. The election is expected to hold on Thursday 27th Feb., 2014 at Maitumbi Unit of the Association.

L-R: Kwara state Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, congratulating the new Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Prince Saheed Popoola, after the commissioner was sworn in, yesterday in Ilorin.

Gov Ahmed swears-in 16 commissioners, 2 perm secs From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

he Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has sworn-in sixteen Commissioners and two Permanent Secretaries to join him in directing the affairs of the state. Governor Ahmed who swore in the new Commissioners on Thursday, warned the new cabinet members to be transparent and accountable to the people.

The Governor enjoined them to roll up their sleeves and get to work immediately to make ‘Shared Prosperity’, more meaningful to the people. “You must key-in to the programme to re-assure the people about our commitment to building better schools and hospitals, more road, energy and portable water projects while stimulating economic activities to put more money in their pockets. “You must also be mindful that in line with Performance

Contracting, we will appraise your performance on a regular basis to ensure compliance with set targets. “Let me also warn that here in Kwara State, Governance is not business as usual. Openness, accountability, prudence and diligence must therefore guide your conduct in this new assignment. While I acknowledge that we are in a season of active politicking, this should not detract from high performance”. The governor said.

Think of baking national cake for posterity- EHOAN From Omale Adama, Lokoja

ational Vice President (North central) of the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN) Mr. Solomon Anyegwu has called on Nigerians to look beyond sharing of the national cake to baking it for posterity. Anyegwu who was speaking in an interview with reporters in Lokoja, yesterday, said the call has become necessary to create the necessary environment for Good

Governance to thrive in Nigeria, bedeviled with corruption. He said that the monolithic nature of the nation’s economy with every eye on how to share revenue generated from oil rather than thinking of alternative sources of revenue and baking more cakes was unhealthy for the economic growth of the nation. The present scenario with emphasis on sharing, he noted, was undermining good governance, adding that “who gets what should be backed by

who gives what.” Anyegwu, said attainment of good governance, reforms and setting of standard were imperative and the three institutions for such reforms were the state, the private sector and the civil society. He opined that the concept of good governance was centred on “The responsibility of governments to meet the needs of the ever-growing masses as opposed to a selected group in the society.”

BRIEFS FG blames road decay on pressure

he Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar has said that the movement of people and goods from one place to another by roads has put a lot of pressure on the infrastructure resulting in bad roads leading to accidents and making some of the roads difficult to ply. The minister told a press conference yesterday in Abuja that road transport worldwide are regarded as one of the most reliable modes of transport that has affected investors and business as both humans and goods are being transported from one part of the country to another. Represented by Mr. Peter Utsu, the Deputy Directory Research and statistics in the Ministry, the Minister said the role transportation plays in the socio-economic development of any nation cannot be over- emphasized, noting that any nation without an efficient transportation sector is as good as a vehicle without fuel. To minimize the ugly trends caused by the hazards experienced by road users and to make the roads safe and encourage investors and tourism in the country, he said there is the need for a database that will provide information to commuters, tourists, investors, transport operators, police makers and the general public.

Ex- EFCC operative docked for certificate forgery By Joy Baba

former operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Femi Michael Ajibade was Tuesday arraigned before an Abuja High Court, Abuja on a 2-count charge which borders on forgery. He was specifically accused of forging a certificate titled University of Ilorin certificate No: 004675 dated 24th November, 2004 and purportedly signed by the Vice-chancellor and the Registrar awarding you a Bachelor of Science (Geology & Mineral Science) with Second Class Honours (Upper Division). This according to the statement was with the intention of causing it to be believed that the same was made by University of Ilorin which you knew did not make it and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 364 of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532 Laws of the Federation (Abuja) 1990 Act.” The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

SPORT 41 PAGE

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

SMS- 08036258222, albertakota@yahoo.com

Bosso to earn N5m at Abia Warriors FC

By Albert Akota

oach Ladan Bosso will earn five million Naira bonus should he qualify Abia Warriors FC to international football. Bosso was yesterday presented as coach of newly promoted Abia Warriors after he was not given a new contract by Bayelsa United. The former Nigeria U20 coach said that he will be paid a

monthly salary of 1.5 million Naira after signing-on fee was abolished by the league. He has signed a year’s contract with the Umuahia-based outfit who are set to debut in the Nigeria top flight in the new season. Bosso has been one of the most nomadic coaches in the Nigeria league after he changed clubs in the last four seasons. During that time he has handled

Niger Tornadoes, Wikki Tourists, Kano Pillars and Bayelsa United. Last season, he led Bayelsa to finish third and thus qualify to feature in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup. The club’s Chairman, Emeka Inyama, said at the ceremony in Umuahia that Bosso was appointed to take over the reins of the club after a careful consideration of his pedigree.

“It is not a coincidence that this is happening today. We have a lot of confidence in Bosso and that he will take the club to new heights. “He has done it in other clubs in the country and will do it again here,” he said. Reacting, Bosso said that he was happy to identify with the Umuahia-based club. “Nobody believed that I will be here today and this is

happening because I share the same philosophy with the club’s chairman. “The terms of the contract favour the two sides and as the ViceChairman of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, I will be a role model for others,’’ he said. Bosso assured the club’s fans of a good outing, adding that he was looking forward to starting in earnest on a positive note with his players.

informed technical adviser Okey Emordi accordingly.” However, Pillars officials refused to confirm the resignation of the respected coach. The former Enyimba coach led Pillars to the recent pre-season

Super 4 in Abuja. He assisted Mohammed Babaganaru to ensure Pillars successfully retained the league championship in October. He is widely known for his eye for top talent having worked at

the defunct Buffalo FC of Kano and FC Abuja during which time he produced the likes of Gambo Mohammed, Anthony Ujah and Nosa Igiebor. A massive re-organisation is ongoing at Pillars after they

crashed out of the CAF Champions League last weekend. The board led by Abba Yola and the top management have been sacked after the Kano State Government said the club’s exit was “unacceptable”.

Coach Maikaba quits Kano Pillars

ano Pillars coach Abdu Maikaba has quit his post over “unbearable conditions” at the Nigeria champions. A top source said: “Maikaba has resigned as Pillars coach. He has

Beach Volleyball Championships kick–off in Abuja

>>42

Maigari deserves praise for national team’s successes – Oladipo >>42

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Sports

Maigari deserves praise for national team’s successes – Oladipo

NFF doubles Flamingoes’ winning bonus, allowances Stories by Albert Akota

he camp of the U-17 Women National Team, Flamingoes, erupted in joy yesterday after NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, announced that the Federation had decided to increase their allowances and match bonus by one hundred percent. While on a visit to the team’s

Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye, Abuja yesterday, on his way to a special meeting with CAF President Issa Hayatou in Cairo, Maigari charged the girls to go all out and do,Nigeria proud at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals taking place in Costa Rica from 15th March - 4th April. “Only yesterday, our dear leader, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR pledged even more support for sportsmen

and women vying to bring glory to Nigeria. And as you are also aware, every individual or team that lifted the name of the nation in one way or the other has been honoured by President Jonathan. “The NFF charges you to concentrate very well and be focused during your final training camp and to pay attention to the instructions of your Coaches. That is the only

Yakubu Alfa

he President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Olalere Oladipo has declared that the present NFF administration headed by Alhaji Aminu Maigari deserves tremendous praise and commendation for the successes that have been recorded by the National Teams in the past few years. Speaking at the NFF Secretariat, Abuja, when he led a delegation of his Club’s executive council and some members to pay homage to the nation’s football-governing body, Oladipo contended that Maigari’s humility, team spirit, sobriety, administrative acumen and everready listening ear have played a huge role in the accomplishments. “As far as those of us in the Supporters Club are concerned, the recent successes of our National Teams would not have been possible without your excellent leadership qualities and listening ear. You are also a very lucky man. The Almighty God, not man, has put you on this seat. “Every Nigerian football fan and Nigerians of goodwill everywhere will continue to be grateful to you for returning Nigeria football to strong reckoning in the international sphere,” said Oladipo, who has led one of the world’s most colourful, disciplined and organised Supporters Clubs in the past 24 years. The visit came only hours after the Supporters Club decorated President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR as Grand Patron, at a gorgeous ceremony inside the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa. Responding, Maigari commended the efforts of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, acknowledged as a strong motivational force by several Nigerian legends, in being the extra man for Nigeria National Teams in every match, praising their commitment, personal sacrifice and investment in the Nigeria game over the decades.

Flamingoes

he Secretary-General of Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Adisa Beyioku, yesterday said all was set for the third edition of the NVBF President’s Male and Female Beach Volleyball Championships. Beyioku said that the championships would get underway in Abuja today, with participating teams and officials expected to arrive on Thursday. “We have concluded all arrangements for the championships to run smoothly, and the teams and officials taking part are all expected to start arriving

Beach player

today (Thursday),’’ he said. The NVBF secretary-general said the competitions’ Technical Meeting was already fixed to hold at 8 a.m. today, with matches scheduled on Saturday at the Jabi Lake Dam. “The matches will begin after the Technical Meeting today. The competition is for two days, and Sunday, Feb. 23 is for the departure of all teams and officials,’’ he said. Beyioku said the federation was expecting massive participation, with entrants being expected from all the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

“We had informed the states and clubs about these championships since early February, apart from the fact that they were aware it is part of our national programme. “So, we are expecting many participants at the championships, and we are also expecting an exciting event as it is the first beach volleyball competition this year,’’ he said. The NVBF official then called for more moral and financial support for the game from corporate bodies and individuals, saying ``the federation needs more support to raise the game’’.

route to success in Costa Rica. I have faith that after your final training programme, you will be well prepared to lift the World Cup trophy.” The Flamingoes are now scheduled to depart Nigeria through Abuja today, aboard a Lufthansa Airline flight, for a 19day training camp at the Browns Sport and Leisure Club in Faro, Portugal. Already, the Nigeria Football Federation has secured a top g grade friendly for the team, w with the U-17 Women National T Team of Belgium, to be played i Brussels on Tuesday, 4th in M March. A number of games with s some clubs in Portugal are also o the line. on The team will return to Faro f from Brussels and then fly from M Madrid, Spain to San Jose, c capital of Costa Rica, on 12th M March, with their first match of t tournament against China on the 16th March.

FA to hold local election next week at M Minna

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

n order to ensure a successful election of new executives that will pilot the affairs of football in Niger state, the state football association has inaugurated its electoral committee for next week local football council election. Inaugurating the committee the first vice chairman of the state FA Alhaji A B Yabagi charge the committee to uphold the guidelines line up for the success of the election. The election scheduled to take place from 24-28 to take place simultaneously in all the 25 local governments of the state. Already sales of nomination forms have begun and it would last up to tomorrow in order to give every contestant an opportunity to contest. Alhaji Yabagi said the state football association is ever committed to bring sanity to football organisation in the state so that those interested in promoting the game would have confidence on the FA executives. He also said”the time has come to move away from the old practice to the new best practices as obtain all over the world and has given football a good image. In his acceptance speech the chairman of the electoral committee comrade Adamu Sani Osmond thanks the state football association for giving him the mandate to serve and promise to that the election would be free and fair.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICE

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ASSOCIATION OF TENANTS OF VOM BANEX VINA PLAZA,ABUJA NIGERIA

OBANORROSSY FOUNDATION FOR PEACE AND UNITY INTERNATIONAL

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.ENGR PRINCE OBANOR VICTOR (CHAIRMAN) 2.ANTHONY ISERE JOSHUA (SECRETARY) 3.PRINCESS OBANOR JENNIFER ADESUWA 4.TESTIMONY OSAYOMORE OBANOR 5.PURITY OSALELE OBANOR 6.OSARUYI COURAGE OBANOR 7.NANCY IFUEKO AIGUOBARUEGHIAN 8.APOSTLE MICHEAL OBANOR 9.NELSON OBANOR 10.AMBASSADOR AUSTIN ENEHIZENA THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1.TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE PEACE AND UNITY IN THE SOCIETY.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.MR EZEH JIDEOFOR CHINWUBA - CHAIRMAN 2.MARTIN C. AGBA ESQ - SECRTARY 3.MR FELIX EMERUOM 4.DANLADI OCHEKPE ESQ 5.MRS JOSEPHINE ORAGWA 6.MRS ADAKU STELLA SANDA 7.MRS AMAKA OHA 8. MR STANLEY MBACHU THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO FACILITATE THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.

PUBLIC NOTICE CONVENANT HOUR INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.MR. HARRIS KINGDOM GOODLIN 2.MRS. TRACY GOODLIN 3.MR. JUDE ANORMHEN 4.MRS. HELEN ASEMOTA 5.MR. MONDAY AIKUSOE 6.MR. GODDAY EBIYE 7.MR. OGBEMUDIA FRANCIS THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1.TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED:MARTIN C. AGBA ESQ 08038824473

SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

EL-SHADDAI POWER FOR RESTORATION INTERNATIONAL MISSION

UNITED WOMEN FOR PEACE INITIATIVE

GLOBAL INITIATIVE FOR HARMONY IN NIGERIA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. AISHA ABDULLAHI HUDU 2.NKEM ANEKE 3.LILIAN OKAK 4.ASMAU GAMBO 5.MARIA AGBATA 6.RUKAYAT OLAWALE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO UNITE WOMEN OF VARIOUS TRIBES AND TO EMPOWER THEM. 2.TO PROVIDE SCORE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEDGED NIGERIANS INRESPECCTIVE OF THEIR TRIBE(S). 3.TO INITIATE PEACE PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN OF VARIOUS TRIBES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. AMB. ELIZEBETH OMINI 2. AMB. STELLA ETIEBET 3. BARR. DANLADI OCHEKPE (SECRETARY) 4. MR. JOHN OLU TAYLOR 5. MR. LIVINUS OKECHU KWU 6. MR. MICHAEL OMINI UDOBO 7. MR. ANSA HENSHAW THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. TO PROMOTE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND INDOCTRINATE OUR YOUTHS INTO ACCEPTING NIGERIA AS ONE NATION OF ONE PEOPLE DESTINED TO LIVE TOGETHER AS ONE FAMILY. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED:EMMANUEL .M. NWICHE, ESQ, SOLICITOR-08135089274, 08124814053

SIGNED: BARR. DANLADI OCHEKPE (SECRETARY)

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE CORNERSTONE CHURCH OF LIBERTY

DIVINE RICHES INTERDENOMINATIONAL CARE MINISTRY

TOTAL FAMILY HEALTH INITIATIVE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAME HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.PASTOR AUGUSTINE EVBUOMWAN 2.PASTOR BLESSING EVBUOMWAN 3.DEACONESS PATIENCE IDOWU 4.DEACONESS JOY OSAKPANWAN THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1.TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAME HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.MURPHY OKPALA 2.NGOZI MURPHY-OKPALA 3.PRISCA OZOILESIKE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.DR EDITH CHINEDU ALIYU 2.PASTOR BODAMS OBED ALUWONG

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.DR. ADEBUKOLA OMOTOLA OLAJIDE 2.REV. PETER OLUKAYODE DIJI 3.ALABA KAMILU OLADIPO 4.ADEMOLA A. AWOJIDE

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO BUILD UP THE BODY OF CHRIST. 2.TO GIVE BELIEVERS THEIR INHERITANCE IN CHRIST.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO PREACH THE GOSPEL 2.TO HELP THE NEEDY 3.TO CARE FOR THE WIDOWS

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO RENDER FREE MEDICAL SERVICES TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED.

SIGNED:PRISCA OZOILESIKE

SIGNED:LUCKY OKPEAHIOR ESQ

SIGNED:AKINTOYE OLAWALE ESQ 07030820506

PUBLIC NOTICE

HEAVEN EXPANDERS MISSION

FAMILY RESCUE MISSION

ARTHUR MOJEK FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.REV. EMMANUEL ISAAC (CHAIRMAN) SISTER AKUDO ISAAC (SECRETARY) 2. BRO ENYINNA UZOAMAKA 3. BRO. IFEANYI IKPE 4.SISTER IJEOMA UKA 5.DEACONESS PRISC ILLA ERONINI 6. SISTER PATRICIA EZEWU IHE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO EXPAND THE KINGDOM OF GOD THROUGH PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 2.TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS TO ALL NATION. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: CHAIRMAN

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY INFORMED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MISSION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990. THE TRUSTEES: 1.PST. JONAH GYANCHE 2. MR. DANIEL SANI 3. REV. SARDAUNA AKPAS 4. MR. PATRICK MADALLA 5. PST. SAMUEL OGAH 6. MRS. LAMI ADAMU 7. MRS. PEACE AGU AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1 TO WIN LOST SOULS TO JESUS. 2. TO EQUIPE THE BODY OF CHRIST FOR THE KINGDOM . 3. TO PREPARE MEN & WOMEN COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA DISTRICT, ABUJA, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION SIGNED: EKOKOTU JUSTINA

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY INFORMED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990. THE TRUSTEES: 1. CHIEF BULUS J. DEDA 2. MR. LUKA JOHN 3. CHIEF ET IDIKU 4. HON. AMINAT A. MUSA 5. ONWUACHUMBA K. STANLEY 6. MRS. JOY C. OBIJIAKU 7. PRINCE/ BARR. OBIJIAKU A. DANIEL AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO CARE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGE HOMES 2. TO EMPOWER THE YOUTH/WOMEN ON SKILL ACQUISITION. 3. TO ELIMINATE CHILD ABUSE, GENDER DISCRIMINATION & POVERTY. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA DISTRICT, ABUJA, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION SIGNED: PRINCE/BARR OBIJIAKU A. DANIEL

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

ORI FOUNDATION

ZOE FAITH EMBASSY INTERNATIONAL

GLORIOUS DELIVERANCE AND LIGHT FOR LIFE MINISTRY THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. CHIEF FELIX OTA OFFIA 2. MADAM DORIS IJEOMA OFFIA 3. MRS. COMFORT ULOMA OFFIA 4. MRS COMFORT ULOMA OFFIA

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR FAVOUR JONATHAN OKEME 2. PASTOR ALBERT ADEWALE ADEBAYO 3. PASTOR OSARO ISAAC BRAIMOH 4. MRS. PRECIOUS JONATHAN OKEME

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO CARE FOR WIDOWS AND CHILDREN IN THE SOCIETY 2. TO PROMOTE LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR YOUTHS 3. TO PROVIDE GENERAL RESEARCHES AND REORIENTATION TOWARDS HIGHER PERSONAL AND NATIONAL IDEALS AND GOALS

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROPAGATE AND PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST 2. TO ESTABLISH LOCAL BRANCHES FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL WORLDWIDE 3. TO ORGANIZE OUTREACHES, CRUSADES, SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS AND REVIVAL SERVICES FOR THE WORKS OF THE GOSPEL

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

CHAIRMAN SECRETARY

SIGNED: VICTOR KANU ESQ.

PUBLIC NOTICE

LATE SARKIN SUDAN MU’AZU MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ALH. IBRAHIM MUAZUS 2. ALH. UMAR MARATA 3. ALH. ATIKU MARATA 4. MAL. ALIYU MUAZUS 5. ALH. AHMED MUAZUS 6. ALH. ATTAHIRU MUAZUS 7. ALH. MUAZUS BARAU 8. HAJ. FATI MARATA 9. HAJ. AMINA MUAZUS 10. HAJ. DIJE BARAU AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO FOSTER THE SPIRIT OF ACTIVE CO-OPERATION AND TEAM SHIP AMONG MEMBERS AND FAMILY OF LATE SARKIN SUDAN MU’AZU 2. TO FOSTER UNITY AND PROGRESS AMONG ALL FAMILY MEMBERS OF LATE SARKIN SUDAN MU’AZU 3. TO RENDER ASSISTANCE TO LATE SARKIN SUDAN MU’AZU FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE LACKING EITHER IN KIND OR CASH. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: AMINA USMAN TOLI; 08035896147

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. AGHOGHOVWIA AMOS 2. IDU TUWERE 3. AKPOYIBO MATTHEW 4. IGHOGBOJA AMROBORE 5. IDU MACDONALD 6. IDU OMOGHENE

FOUNDER/PRESIDENT TREASURER SECRETARY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST TO ALL NATIONS OF THE WORLD ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. FRANCIS KENNEDY ANAKWU

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SOULWINNERS’ TEAM GLOBAL MISSION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANISATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. EVANGELIST ISRAEL CHUKWUEMEKA MBAKPUO 2. DEACONESS MRS. CHIOMA GLADYS MBAKPUO 3. PASTOR MRS. COMFORT UCHENNA NWOLE 4. ELDER BERNARD NWABUEZE NWOLE 5. BROTHER NOBLE NSE ASUQUO 6. DEACON EMMANUEL EKANEM UDO 7. PROFESSOR MRS. OKWUCHI PATIENCE ERIM 8. ENGINEER OBOT JOSIAH JEREMIAH

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR (MRS) KIKELOMO TINUADE ADEKOLA 2. LADUN OLANIRAN 3. REV. ABIFARIN ADEGBOYEGA ADESOJI 4. UMEZURIKE PATRICK ONYEKACHI 5. OMOJU VICTORIA MORENIKE

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH, TEACH AND PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY 2. TO ORGANIZE CRUSADES, SEMINARS, CONFERENCES, PRAYER MEETINGS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AIMED AT WINNING SOULS TO CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

CHAIRPERSON SECRETARY MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO SUPPORT AND COMPLEMENT THE WORK OF THE CHURCH IN WHATEVER CAPACITY TO HASTEN THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL AND IN BUILDING CHRISTIANS WITH GODLY CHARACTER AND POWER TO MAKE READY FOR HEAVEN THROUGH: EVANGELISM, CHRISTIAN EDUCATION, PRAYERS, MINISTRY OF HELPS AND CHURCH PLANTING ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: EVANGELIST ISRAEL CHUKWUEMEKA MBAKPUO; PRESIDENT. 0803858974

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

PUBLIC NOTICE

HELENCROWN OLADIPUPO FOUNDATION

REX CHOSEN MINISTRY

ACTIVE FAITH MINISTRY

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OLADIPUPO OLATUNDE CROWN 2. OLADIPUPO OLUWABUKOLA HELEN

ENGINEER BUSINESS WOMEN

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS 2. TO SPONSOR THE EDUCATION OF THE LESS PRIVILEGED CHILDREN 3. TO AWARD BURSARIES TO DESERVING STUDENTS 4. TO FACILITATE AND SPONSOR THE COURSE OF EDUCATION IN OUR SOCIETY 5. TO ENGAGE IN OFFERING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO FINANCIALLY CHALLENGED, AGED, WOMEN AND CHILDREN 6. TO OPERATE A QUALITATIVE WELFARE PROGRAMME FOR AGED WIDOWS 7. FOR THE PROVISION OF REGULAR WELFARE PACKAGES TO DEPRIVED COMMUNITIES 8. ORGANIZING FREE FEEDING PROGRAMMES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REVEREND REX CHOSEN 2. BISHOP YOMI ISIJOLA 3. MISS KIMBERLY CHOSEN 4. MISS STEPHANIE CHOSEN AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROPAGATE AND PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST 2. TO ESTABLISH LOCAL BRANCHES FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL WORLDWIDE 3. TO ORGANIZE OUTREACHES, CRUSADES, SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS AND REVIVAL SERVICES FOR THE WORKS OF THE GOSPEL

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REV. TANKO DELISON MOTALEM CHAIRMAN/PRESIDENT 2. DR. MRS. TANKO OLUDARE ABOSEDE 3. PASTOR EKEFRE UNOBONG OKON

VICE-CHAIRMAN SECRETARY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 2. TO ENGAGE IN CHRISTIAN TRAINING AND CHURCH PLANTING

SIGNED: BARR. YEWANDE OGUNDIPE; NO. 19 DAN SULEIMAN ST. UTAKO ABUJA. 08023310633

SIGNED: IWUAGWU NNAMDI ESQ. 08064332700

SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE LAGOS STREET, IGBO YOUTH ASSOCIATION KADUNA

MIRACLE WORD EVANGEL MINISTRY

DIWANI RECITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REV. DR. FAKEYE APOLLO ALABA 2. MR. SOKUNBI OLADAPO ZACHEAUS 3. MRS. TAIWO OLUWAFUNMILAYO OMOYENI 4. MR. ADELEKE ADEKOYA ABAYOMI 5. REV. MRS. APOLLO VICTORIA FOLAKE 6. MRS. ASHIMEDUA CHRISTY LINUS 7. MR. ADEWALE BABALOLA OLUWASANUFUNMI

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. SHEIKH ABDUL AHAD NIASS 2. SHEIKH ABUBAKAR ALFULATY 3. SHEIKH AHMAD TIJJANI AWWAL 4. SHEIKH IBRAHIM DAHIRU BAUCHI 5. SHEIKH SANUSI MANZO ARZAI 6. PROF. ABUBAKAR YAGAWAL 7. KHALIFA LUKMAN BULALA 8. RT. HON. GHALI UMAR NA’ABBA 9. SHEIKH MUHAMMAD ABDULLAHI SURU 10. SHEIKH NAZIR AHMAD DAURA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO IMPROVE THE PEACEFUL PROPAGATION OF ISLAM USING EULOGIES ON THE PROPHET MOHAMMED (SAW) ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD TO ALL NATIONS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR. CHINEDU MBACHU 2. SUNDAY ANADI 3. IYKE ASOMGBA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROMOTE PEACE, LOVE AND UNITY AMONG ALL MEMBERS 2. TO WORK FOR THE PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUTHS 3. TO INCULCATE IN ALL MEMBERS THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND PATRIOTISM 4. TO PURSUE THE ATTAINMENT OF HIGH MORAL STANDARDS IN EVERY FACET OF THE MEMBER’S RESPECTIVE ENDEAVOURS WITH THE VIEW OF PROMOTING AND ENHANCING SOCIETAL GROWTH AND PROGRESS 5. TO ENCOURAGE MEMBERS TO BE LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS AND RESPECT THE LAW OF THE LAND ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BLESSING ATUBE; 08066674635

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

PAGE 45

CLASSIFIED

PUBLIC NOTICE

LIFE REDEMPTION EVANGEL MINISTRY

NEW NAME: ASSOCIATION OF OUTSOURCING PROFESSIONALS OF NIGERIA OLD NAME: ASSOCIATION OF OUTSOURCING PRACTITIONERS OF NIGERIA NEW

MERCY SEAT AND TRUTH TELLING FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR CHANGE OF ITS NAME UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BISHOP JOHN AKPESIRI OGHENEOVO -CHAIRMAN 2. PASTOR MAKEPEACE IFEANYI OMORUYI - SECRETARY 3. PASTOR (MRS) JOYCE EWOMA OGHENEOVO 4. PASTOR FIDELIS ADEOLA AKHIMIE 5. ELDER (MRS) CAROLINE EREBI OBERIA

TRUSTEES REMAINDS THE SAME

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IN ALL PART OF THE WORLD. 2. TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN CHURCHES AND MISSIONS IN NIGERIA AND FOREIGN LANDS

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAINS THE SAME

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. COMRADE PRINCESS OKUWOBI ADEBIMPE ADEPEJU (MRS) 2. BARRISTER PETER KEHINDE OGUNKINLE 3. OLADAPO BOLAJOKO OKUWOBI 4. PRINCE AKIN ADENIYI WILSON 5. OGUNKINLE OLAITAN MORAYO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROMOTE TRUTH,LOVE,PEACE AND UNITY AMONG NIGERIANS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, AND MAITAMA. P.M.B 198, ABUJA, WITHIN TWENTY EIGHT (28) DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS CHANGE SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, AND MAITAMA. P.M.B 198, ABUJA, WITHIN TWENTY EIGHT (28) DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

SOCIAL POSITIVE CHANGE INITIATIVE LALAIPIDO

ANSARUL FAYDAT ASSOCIATION

TOUCHING LIVES AT CHRISTMAS INITIATIVES

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVES HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. DANLADI MALLUMS 2. BRISKA JOHN LARABS 3. BIARATU ABUBAKAR 4. ADO SOLOMON 5. YUSUF SALE

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. SHEIKH ABDUL-AHAD IBRAHIM NIASSE 2. SAYYADA NAFISATU ALIYU CISSE 3. SHEIKH DANIYALU SHITTA 4. ALHAJI IBRAHIM MADUGU (SHEHU ELF) 5. ALHAJI LAWAL SALIHU MALAMI 6. HON. JUSTICE NURUDEEN YUSUF ABDULLAH

TRUSTEES ARE; 1- AROKOYO KAYODE PHILIP 2-DR AFOLABI DAVID OLAOLUWA 3- AYODELE TEMITOPE BAMIDELE 4- ADEBAYO MERCY OLUFUNMILAYO 5-ADEBAYO EZEKIEL OLUSOLA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1- TO WORSHIP OUR GOD FOR THE GIFT OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST 2- TO GIVE A REORIENTATION TO CHRISTIANS ON HOW BEST TO CELEBRATE CHRISTIANS,THE WAY GOD INTENDED IT. 3- TO TRAIN BOTH CLERGIES AND LAITIES ON RELATIONAL EVANGELISM 4- TO SERVE AS AN UMBRELLA ORGANISATION FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN SOCIAL WORK AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1- YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT. 2- TO INCULCATE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VALUES OF THE PEOPLE

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO PREACH, PROMOTE AND ADVANCE THE SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS OF ISLAMIC FAITH BY PRACTICING THE RELIGIOUS RITES.

ANY OBJECTION(S) TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA, ABUJA, WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: BARR, SULE PAUL HANKURI 07037376697

IGNED: FARUQ LAWAL TOP FOR THE SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHANGE OF NAME

PATRICK CLIFFORD ANGULU OKPANACHI FOUNDATION

IGBO YOUTH LEADERS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS RAKIYA GALADIMA GARBA NOW WISHES TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS RAKIYA GARBA MUAZU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL,CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION,ABUJA,WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED DADA JOHN MAYOKUN ESQ

SIGNED: SECRETARY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSEMBLY HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. NWACHUKWU CHIBUIKE OZIRI (CHAIRMAN) 2. ONUKWUFOR STANLEY 3. EKWEOZOH PRINCE NKEM (SECRETARY) 4. IWUEZE CHUKWUEMEKA MATHEW. 5. ONWUAMANAM JUDE NDUBUISI. 6. WILSON SHEILA ONYINYE OKEKE 7. OKEHI SAMSON 8. UKAWOKE CHIDI. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF THE MEMBERS. 2. TO PROMOTE UNITY AMONG THE YOUTHS IN NIGERIA . 3. TO PROMOTE VOCATIONAL TRAINING AMONG IGBO YIUTH. 4. TO PROMOTE SYNERGY BETWEEN IGBO YOUTH AND YOUTH 5. OF OTHER ETHNIC EXTRACTION. 6. TO PROMOTE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, AND MAITAMA. P.M.B 198, ABUJA, WITHIN TWENTY EIGHT (28) DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: EKWEOZOH PRINCE NKEM ( SECRETARY).

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHANGE OF NAME I FORMERLY KNOWN AS POLINA SAMAILA, NOW WISHES TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS YALDAM SAMUEL BITRUS. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PETER OKPANACHI 2. ANTHONY OKPANACHI 3. DOROTHY AYE OKPANACHI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDY IN THE SOCIETY 2. TO PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPERATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

HOUSE OF THANKSGIVING MINISTRY

BISHARA IKON ALLAH CHURCH

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BRO. ENGR. EMMANUEL IFECHUKUWUDE OKWUENU 2- SIS. DOROTHY NGOZI OKWUENU 3- SIS. PRINSCILLA NWAKAEGO BALLAN 4- BRO. ERIC CHUKWUJINDU OKWUENU 5- BRO. JOHN NWACHUKWU OGOH

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR MRS HANATU ADAMU. -(GENERAL OVERSEA) 2. ANDREW YKONO - (SECRETARY) 3. JOHN AUDU - (TREASURE) 4. GARBA ADAMU

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PREACH, TEACH AND PROPAGATE THE TOTAL GOSPEL OF OUR LORDJESUS CHRIST BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY. 2- TO ORGANIZE CRUSADES, SEMINARS, CONFERENCES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AIMED AT WINNING SOULS TO CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, AND MAITAMA. P.M.B 198, ABUJA, WITHIN TWENTY EIGHT (28) DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. MRS. HAUWA IGOMU SUITE 26, WUSE SHOPPING COMPLEX, ZONE 3, ABUJA.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. PROPAGATE AND PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. 2. TO WIN SOULS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, AND MAITAMA. P.M.B 198, ABUJA, WITHIN TWENTY EIGHT (28) DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

CHANGE OF NAME I FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS DOROTHY OYAMAMEH OSIKI NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS. DOROTHY OYAMAMEH IGBUMAH. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AMERICAN EMBASSY AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I FORMERLY KNOWN AS HAFSAT MOHAMMED ONOGU NOW WISHES TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS HAFSAT NATHANIEL MOMOH. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MAIMUNA ABUBAKAR WAZIRI, NOW WISHES TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MAIMUNA HAMZA MADAKI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN RELEVANT. THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I FORMERLY KNOWN AS ISAH ABDULLAHI NOW WISHES TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS HARISU AYUBA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ARAFAT PAUL MBAH. NOW WISHES TO BE KNOWN AS ORISON NNAMDI NWAGBO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID.ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

SALAMI ODUTOLA FOUNDATION

DEJI ODUTOLA FOUNDATION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE-NAMED FOUNDATION WHICH IS LOCATED IN LAGOS STATE, HAS APPLIED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE – 1. ALHADJI RASHEED ADEDEJI ODUTOLA 2. ALHADJI SALAMI ODUTOLA JNR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES (A) TO EMPOWER THE LESS PRIVILEGED PERSONS IN THE SOCIETY. (B) TO ASSIST THE NEEDY IN THE SOCIETY. (C) TO PROVIDE HOME FOR OLD PEOPLE. (D) TO ASSIST THE ORPHANS. (E) TO CATER FOR THE SICK. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA, ABUJA, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: J N ENAJEDU ESQ J N ENAJEDU & CO LEGAL PRACTITIONERS TEL 08023132360

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE-NAMED FOUNDATION WHICH IS LOCATED IN LAGOS STATE, HAS APPLIED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE – 1. PROPHET ADEDEJI ODUTOLA 2. DR OLUBUNMI ODUTOLA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES (A) TO EMPOWER THE LESS PRIVILEGED PERSONS IN THE SOCIETY. (B) TO ASSIST THE NEEDY IN THE SOCIETY. (C) TO PROVIDE HOME FOR OLD PEOPLE. (D) TO ASSIST THE ORPHANS. (E) TO CATER FOR THE SICK. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA, ABUJA, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: J N ENAJEDU ESQ J N ENAJEDU & CO LEGAL PRACTITIONERS TEL 08023132360

PUBLIC NOTICE

GLORIOUS SAINTS BIBLE OUTREACH.

EMI- ALORE CHERUBIM & SERAPHIM CHURCH

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE COPERATE AFFAIR COMMISSIONABUJA, UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIESAND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE COPERATE AFFAIR COMMISSIONABUJA, UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIESAND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 TRUSTEES ARE (1) OLAIDE KAFILA OLUSOTO (PRESIDENT/FOUNDER) (2) OLATOMIWA OLUGBENGA AJOSE (3) FASHORANTI OLAYEMI (4) AYODELE PAUL ODOFIN

TRUSTEES ARE 1. PASTOR JAMES OLATUNDE OKEBIORUN 2. PASTOR (MRS) GRACE FEHINTOLA OKEBIORUN 3. PASTOR ODERINDE MATHEW AKANNI 4. ASST. PASTOR AGBOOLA OLUSEGUN MICHAEL. 5. PASTOR (MRS) ELISABETH ABE. AIMS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR_ GENERAL COPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION

AIMS (1) TO PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. (2) TO BRING PEOPLE TO CHRIST. (3) TO WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL COPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION

LOSS OF DOCUMENTS THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF A STATUTARY RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY WITH PLOT NO: (1) AHE 1149 OF ABOUT 1,197.74SQM (2) AHE 1143 OF ABOUT 1,216.3SQM AT AMAC HOUSING ESTATE LUGBE BELONGING TO ENGR. EMMANUEL IROH. ALL EFFORTS MADE TO TRACE LAND DOCUMENT PROVE ARBORTIVE AGIS AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE OR CALL ENGR. EMMANUEL IROH 08055236805,08129998822 LOSS OF DOCUMENTS LOSS OF CERTIFICATE/CAVEAT EMPTOR THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND AUTHORITIES OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ADMINISTRATION OF THE LOSS OF ORIGINAL STATUTORY RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY CERTIFICATE (R-OF-O) IN RESPECT OF PLOT 893, CADASTRAL ZONE C03 OF GWARINPA II, ABUJAFCT BELONGING TO ABBA D. HAMMAN ADAMA. ALL EFFORTS TO RECOVER OR TRACE SAME HAS PROVEN ABORTIVE. THE GENERAL PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY BUYERS ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED TO BEWARE. BUYER BEWARE

SIGNED CHAIRMAN

SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE OTUNBA ADEDOTUN ADEAGBO MEMORIAL FOUNDATION.

GLORIOUS SAINTS BIBLE OUTREACH

MAYOR RUEDA INTERNATIONAL CLUB

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE COPERATE AFFAIR COMMISSIONABUJA, UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIESAND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE COPERATE AFFAIR COMMISSIONABUJA, UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIESAND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

TRUSTEES ARE 1. PASTOR JAMES OLATUNDE OKEBIORUN 2. PASTOR (MRS) GRACE FEHINTOLA OKEBIORUN 3. PASTOR ODERINDE MATHEW AKANNI 4. ASST. PASTOR AGBOOLA OLUSEGUN MICHAEL. 5. PASTOR (MRS) ELISABETH ABE.

TRUSTEES ARE 1. SYLVESTER FRANK NDUBUISI (CHAIRMAN) 2. NNOLI VINCENT CHIDI ( SECRETARY) 3. NNAEMEKA FESTUS CHUKWUYEKA 4. UMEH OBINNA RUFUS

AIMS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.

AIMS TO PROMOTE PEACE, UNITY AND BROTHERHOOD AMONG MEMBERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL COPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION

SIGNED CHAIRMAN

SIGNED BARRISTER OGULANNA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. ENGR ADEJARE ADEAGBO 2. CHIEF ADELERE OKETOKI -SECRETARY 3. MR YEKINI ADENIRAN 4. DR DELE ADEAGBO -CHAIRMAN . AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO MOBILISE RESOURCES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED 2. TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT TO YOUTH, AGED AND WIDOWS. 3. TO RENDER EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO THE NEEDY IN THE SOCIETY. 4. TO PROVIDE MEDICAL AND ASSISTANCE TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. ABIOLA ADEBISI JAMES.

PUBLIC NOTICE

BLESSED ZION FRIENDS CLUB

THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSIONARY SISTERS OF THE HOLY GHOST (SPIRITANS) NO: 13331

ASSOCIATION OF SHEA AND & ALLIED PRODUCTS PRODUCERS THIS IS TO INFROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. JADESOLA M. DUROTOYE 2. ROTIMI BANKOLE- WILSON 3. TIMI IDOWU 4. VICTORIA OLUWASHINA 5. BOLAJI ABIJO 6. EME UGWUGBU 7. FRANKLIN CURRIE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO MEMBERS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCTS 2. TO ACT AS A FORUM FOR MEMBERS TO NETWORK AND SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE 3. TO PROMOTE THE INTEREST OF THE ASSOCIATIONAND ITS MEMBERS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: MATTHEW OGAGAVWORIA FCA

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY INFORMED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ARINZE IFEDIBA 2. HENRY OKWUDILI OKEAHIALAM 3. CHIKA NWOKEDI

- CHAIRMAN

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED BODY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR LOSS OF ITS ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION (CTC) UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990. THE TRUSTEES REMAINS THE SAME

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES THE SAME

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, GARKI, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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QUOTABLE QUOTE The road to the 2015 elections should not be stained by the blood of Nigerians. There is so much acrimony and mudslinging there is a need to stabilize the polity. PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

. . . putting the people first

– Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111

SPORTS China in Africa: Devil or angel? LATEST T GUEST COLUMNIST French court drops Ribery, Benzema prostitution case

French court has dropped charges of sex with an underage prostitute against footballers Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema. The judge ruled there was insufficient proof the men were aware that Zahia Dehar was a minor at the time the alleged offences took place. The two footballers, who denied the charges, had faced up to three years in prison if convicted. Neither player, nor Ms Dehar, appeared at the early stages of the trial. Ms Dehar, 21, told investigators that Mr Ribery had flown her to Munich as a birthday present to himself in 2009, when she was still 17, though she insists she lied about her age. Karim Benzema is alleged to have met Ms Dehar in 2008 in a Champs Elysee nightclub and to have taken her back to his hotel where he paid to sleep with her. He denies there was any encounter. Mr Ribery’s lawyer, Carlo Alberto Brusa, said he was “very happy with the verdict”. Mr Benzema’s lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, said he “could feel all the weight coming off”. He said the case had been “morally very trying” and described the decision as “the end of a nightmare” for his client. The court also dropped the case against Mr Ribery’s brotherin-law for soliciting a minor for sex, but handed down sentences - from three months suspended, to one year plus an extra year suspended - to five others for “aggravated pimping”. Franck Ribery plays for German team Bayern Munich, and Karim Benzema for Spain’s Real Madrid. Both men also play for the French national side. The age of consent is 15 in France, but paying for sex with anyone under 18 is a crime. Ms Dehar became a celebrity following the scandal and has since established herself as a designer of luxury lingerie, thanks partly to being befriended and promoted by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Despite the trial Mr Ribery arguably had the best season of his career in 2012-13, helping Bayern win the German Bundesliga and European Champions League.

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oo many doubts have been raised in the international community over the nature of China-Africa cooperation. As early as 2006, then Britain foreign secretary, Jack Straw, remarked that what China was doing in Africa was much the same as what Britain had done 150 years before. Five years later, Hillary Clinton, the then American Secretary of the State, insinuated in Zambia in June 2011 that China’s presence in Africa was a new colonialism. During a recent visit to Africa in January 2014, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said China’s aid to Africa was motivated by a desire to secure access to African natural resources. This, to some degree, indicates that some westerners tend to interpret China’s Africa policy and Sino-African relations from the perspective of self-righteous moralists. Speaking of China’s role in Africa’s development, is China a devil or an angel? As is well known, a nation’s foreign policy always serves its national interest. China is no exception. China has never denied that its African policy has its own strategic interests. However, one of the most outstanding features of China’s African policy from the very beginning is its aspiration to promote the South-South cooperation and to achieve the renaissance of Asia and Africa. Of course, there exist, no doubt, some problems in China-Africa cooperation, such as trade imbalance, lack of corporate social responsibility of some Chinese enterprises and so on. But, the fact is that China’s engagement in Africa provides Africa with new development opportunities and promotes Africa to integrate into the global system in a more favourable way. First of all, China’s economic development benefits from China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. According to statistics, bilateral trade rocketed from $10.6 billion in 2000 to $198.4 billion in 2012. Since 2009, China has been the largest trade partner of Africa, surpassing the United States and Europe. China’s outward foreign direct investment (FDI) stock in Africa increased fast from $400.9 million in 2003 to $21.2 billion in 2012. China began to import crude oil from Africa in 1992. The amount increased from 500 thousand tons in 1992 to 64.69 million tons in 2010. In recent years, crude oil from Africa accounted for 23.9% of the total of China’s imported oil. China’s economic interest in Africa lies in many fields, while the most important and urgent is to realize the diversification of its import of

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President Xi Jinping

resources and energy. Like any other big power which has its own definite overseas energy interest and energy strategy, China doesn’t need to skirt around its energy demand from Africa. When facing Western criticism of China-Africa energy cooperation, China should not feel stampeded or panic. China-Africa economic cooperation will also help Chinese enterprises to accumulate the experience they need in order to better engage with globalization, which is part of the significance of China’s enterprises going abroad to Africa. Through investment, trade and projects in Africa, the Chinese enterprises can get precious experience of overseas market development, business management, capital operation, risk aversion and ways of dealing with local government, the public and the international community. Chinese enterprises in Africa are confronted with great pressures and criticism in respect of environment protection and labour-capital problem, which, as a result, promote Chinese enterprises to behave themselves, enhance their corporate social responsibility and gain more knowledge of rules of international economy. Above all, China-Africa cooperation is of great strategic importance. In history, African countries have given China many extremely valuable diplomatic supports which could be manifested, at least, by three important events. First, African countries supported China to regain its legal seat in the UN

in 1970s. Just with the help of African countries, China was able to break the diplomatic plight, returned to the international community and won world respect. Second, after the 1989 political turmoil, African countries again helped China to break the western blockade. In China’s overall diplomatic strategy, Africa remains a very important strategic pivot which is vital for China to develop its relations with the rest of the world. Currently, the ChinaAfrica relations focus more on economic cooperation than political cooperation. However, the political mutual trust is still the important content of China-Africa new-type strategic partnership in the 21st century. China will not engage in military alliances, but China also needs political partners. It is no secret that China’s African policy has its own strategic intention, such as seeking for political support from Africa, obtaining access to strategic resources, suppressing Taiwan’s so-called ‘diplomatic space’ in Africa and so on. However, there is an idealism or mission or aspiration beyond the national interest from the very beginning in China’s African policy, which, unfortunately, is always overlooked, suspected or even denied by some foreign scholars. In essence, the contemporary China-Africa relationship is a brand-new reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship which can promote the common development of both sides. It is a

new type of strategic partnership based on political equality, characterized by mutual benefit and aimed at common development. It reflects China’s good will to advocate common prosperity and long-lasting peace of the whole world. China successively put forward wellknown concepts such as ‘peaceful development’ and ‘harmonious world’, which demonstrates that China, sticking to a peaceful development path, will continue to view the relationship between its own international responsibility and the outside world in a broad vision of cosmopolitanism. In this sense, it is reasonably sound to say that promoting Africa’s common development will be an important part of China’s foreign policy in the new era. China’s development not only brings good to itself, but also benefits Africa and the rest of the world. In the long run, China should contribute more to Africa’s development while emphasizing the mutually beneficial and win-win characteristics of the China-Africa cooperation. Since African countries’ industrial development capacity is weaker than China’s and are in an inferior competitive position in the globalized economy based on market principles, China should take particular care of Africa’s development, provide more help and benefits to Africa in the course of their bilateral economic cooperation. It can’t only stress its own economic gains through cooperation; instead, it must strive for the common development hand in hand with African countries. Besides, China’s engagement in Africa should answer the call of humanitarianism to help the needy and redress the unjust imbalances. To be a world influential power, China must learn how to help others while achieving its own development. With the increasing consciousness of its global responsibility as well as the increasing strategic significance of the China-Africa relationship, China surely will contribute more to Africa’s peace and development. At the same time, African countries are attaching more importance to an all-around cooperation with China so as to promote their own renaissance and balance their traditional relations with western countries. Under such circumstances, we are firmly confident that the China-Africa relationship will have a much brighter future. Luo Jianbo is director and professor of Center for African Studies and Zhang Xiaomin is associate professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

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