Tuesday, December 22nd, 2015 Edition

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Tuesday, December 22, 2015/ Rabiu’l Awwal 10, 1437 AH

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Newspaper vendors urge Why Nigeria is in police to stop arrest, economic mess detention of members - Uzodinma

Gunmen attack Lebanese residence, kill 3 cops in Gombe

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Vol. 21 No. 73 N150

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Arms procurement under Jonathan shady – Buhari page 2

L-R: British Secretary of State for Defence, Hon. Michael Fallon, President Muhammadu Buhari, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, and Minister of Defence, Brigadier-General Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali (rtd), during the visit of the British Secretary of State for Defence to the President, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

617 Days after

Will the abducted Chibok schoolgirls ever be rescued?

ISIS figures on Boko Haram a hoax - FG page 6

NERC defies Reps, increases electricity tariff

By Etuka Sunday

N

igerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) yesterday announced the removal of electricity fixed charge with an increase

in tariff in average double digit across the 11 Distribution Companies (Discos), effective from January 1, 2016.

The increment by NERC was against the earlier call by the House

Contd on Page 2

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

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

19-22 23

S/Report 24-25 Feature 26 Defence 27 Agric 29 Feature 30

Arms procurement shady under Jonathan – Buhari

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari has said that the process of procurement of arms and ammunition by the previous administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was shady stating that his administration was taking urgent and appropriate actions to restore order, due process and probity to the process.

The President made this disclosure while receiving the British Secretary of State for Defence, Mr. Michael Fallon, in his office yesterday.

This is just as Fallon promised Britain’s assistance to the country in the areas of arms procurement, intelligence gathering and training.

Buhari in a statement by his Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, lamented that the procurement of equipment for Nigeria’s Armed Forces which followed due process

in the past, became open to corruption and shady deals under Jonathan.

“They just put foreign exchange in a briefcase and traveled to procure equipment for the military. That is why we have found ourselves in the crisis we are now facing,” the President said.

While welcoming the offer by the British Government to assist Nigeria, Buhari restated his conviction that the international community must collaborate more and work with greater unity of purpose to overcome global terrorism.

“Terrorism has become very sophisticated now. If developed nations can be attacked, and hundreds of lives lost, how much more developing countries?

“In the West African subregion, Nigeria is the main battleground of the Boko Haram insurgency. We have made a lot of progress against the terrorists, but we will welcome more assistance from our friends and the

international community,” the President told Fallon.

Meanwhile, Fallon when asked what his mission was to the President told the State House Correspondents that “We discussed what we can do to help Nigeria to deal with this country’s insurgency. Britain and Nigeria have democracy, they are free people. Boko Haram and its way of life needs to be defeated. So we have been discussing today what probably we can do to step up Nigeria in the area of full training on how to deal with improvised explosive devices and what can be done to improve the intelligence you need to deal with terrorism.”

On what to expect from Britain, he said “For this year, for example, we have about 130 military personnel here helping to train the Nigerian Army. Next year, more than double, more than 300 are coming to offer training and particularly to improve the Army’s resilience to IEDs obviously that have been left

behind by Boko Haram.”

Asked what would be the role of his country in the ongoing rehabilitation programme in the areas affected by the Boko Haram, Fallon said “Yes, we want to do more to help stabilize those areas once the terrorists have been driven out, that means sustaining them with not only reconciliation but economic development, providing security for this place for them to go back to their villages, with the knowledge that they need to be protected and the infrastructure their to be repaired.”

Responding to question as to whether the army would vanquish the insurgents this December in line with the Presidential timeline, the Defence Minister, Monsur Dan-Ali, said “Time line is for those in the military. We were time line in December, but December is not the end of the operation. It is a campaign.

Campaign last for years, not dates.”

Gunmen attack Lebanese residence, kill 3 Police in Gombe Faleke drags Kogi govelect, Bello to tribunal Pgae 18

Metro

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Int’l 39 S/World

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Digest 40 Sports 41 Columnist 48

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From David Hassan, Gombe

A

t least three Policemen were confirmed dead on Saturday when gunmen attacked a Lebanese residence at Buba Shongo estate in Gombe.

Confirming the incident to newsmen yesterday at the Police headquarters in Gombe, the

spokesman, DSP Fwaje Atajiri said the assailants stormed the area at 19:50hrs on foot before opening fire on the security operatives, living three policemen and two civilians dead.

According to him, Police has swung into action to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

He said Police would not relent in performing its duties until justice is done.

The Police spokesman also assured that police were ready to protect lives and properties of citizens.

However, a source told our correspondent that the assailants gunned down the policemen without taking away

their rifles.

He said the gunmen who were numbering ten came by foot and called one of the deceased to open the gate for them before opening fire on him.

He said no one could tell whether the assailants had a mission to kidnap the Lebanese that owned Triata Construction Company in Gombe.

NERC defies Reps, increases electricity tariff Contd from Cover page of Representatives, Electricity Consumers Associations and Civil Society Groups to stop the planned increase of the tariff.

However, the call was thrown to the wind.

Meanwhile, the Fixed Charge (FC) that was removed is a component of the tariff that allows electricity consumers to pay a static sum whether they consume power or not during a billing period.

While Abuja Distribution company (Disco) customers pay N702 monthly on it in 2015, others in Eko and Ikeja Discos pay N750, with similar charges across the other eight Discos.

The Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi who announced the newly approved tariff in a statement said: “The objective of the new tariff is to enable prudent consumers to save money on

electricity bill as they can now control their consumption and not pay monthly fixed charges.”

The Commission which said the tariff was approved at the weekend announced that the other component, Energy Charges (EC) has increased for all electricity consumers.

Additional information has it that the new electricity cost for Residential customer classification (R2) under Abuja Distribution company (Disco) will increase by N9.60 per kilo watts hour (/kwhr). It was N14.70 in the current tariff ending December 31, 2015.

Those in Eko and Ikeja Discos will have their price increased by N10 and N8. Kaduna and Benin Discos’ customers will now pay N11.05 and N9.26 added to their rates this year.

The abolition of fixed charges, NERC said works more for commercial consumers who paid

about N17,000 and N22,000 earlier in Enugu and Ibadan Discos. Their Energy Charge however has risen by N12.08 and N13.35 respectively.

With the risen tariff, NERC said it has signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Discos to rapidly improve the quantity and quality of electricity supply.

More so, they are not allowed to connect new customers without metering the customer first so as to close the over 50 per cent metering gap identified.

Nevertheless, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola in his recent briefing said the approved tariff will help to hold Discos to “a more efficient and fair collection system based on the use of meters, so that consumers pay for only what they use.”

He said: “I know that it has been a contentious matter, but I make this fervent appeal to

consumers to give us the benefit of doubt, to forbear and accept it.

The Regulator, NERC, has been mandated to work out the fair market tariff and announce them when they are finalised.”

Fashola noted that the policies will also affect those who propose it in their homes too “because we will need power in our homes, and so will our relations. Therefore we are not asking Nigerians to do what we will not do. The surest way not to have power is to oppose the implementation of the Tariff Order.”

He advised Nigerians to conserve power just as they do with phones by flashing instead of calling to conserve credit. By switching off appliances when not in use; “…the impact of the tariff regime can be contained because we will use less power even if the unit tariff cost goes up,” Fashola said.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

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News N9.6bn fraud: Court grants Dasuki, Yuguda, Bafarawa, others bail

By Joy Baba Yesufu

A

High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, yesterday granted the former National Security Adviser

(NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki( rtd.) and five others bail.

Others granted bail include; former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, ex-Minister of Finance, Bashir Yuguda, a

former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Shuaibu Salisu and two others on the condition that they provide N250 million bond each and a surety in like sum.

Justice Peter Affect, who delivered the ruling in Monday, granted the accused persons, who are facing a 22-count criminal charge bordering on allegations of diversion, misappropriation

Fuel queue on Olusegun Obasanjo Way, yesterday at Central Business District, in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

NASS shuts down as Buhari presents 2016 budget today

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

head of 2016 budget presentation today by President Muhamnadu Buhari to a joint session of the National Assembly, all staff of the legislative complex and organizations running private businesses within the premises, have been directed to stay away from the area today.

According to a circular issued to that effect yesterday from the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, the stay away directive is to prevent any form

of rowdy atmosphere during the budget presentation by the President.

The circular signed by the Director, Personnel Management, Mamud A Abubakar, on behalf of the Clerk, however exempted staffers of the National Assembly working in any of the two chambers and security personnel from the stay away instruction, just as it warned that appropriate punishment would be meted out to any staff found flouting the order.

Business organizations affected by the stay away order include, all operators of Banks, eateries, Airlines, Insurance outfits, telecommunication

centers and the National Open University Office (NOUN).

The statement entitled: ‘Presentation of 2016 Budget to National Assembly by President Muhamnadu Buhari” reads “The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari , is presenting the 2016 Budget to the National Assembly on Tuesday , December 22, 2015.

“In view of the above, all staff of the National Assembly as well as the operators of Business outfits in the National Assembly Complex with exception of those on essential duties e.g, Chamber, Security and Medical

Staff are directed to stay away from the NASS complex on 22nd December, 2015.

“Any staff found to have violated this instruction will face appropriate disciplinary action” Meanwhile, security operatives have taken over the premises of the National Assembly as at yesterday evening just as last minute preparations for the event were seen being carried out by staffers of the National Assembly like laying of the red carpet from the main entrance into the White House to the House of Representatives Chamber where the the joint session would hold for the presentation.

Blame Jonathan for fuel scarcity - FG

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he Federal Government has blamed the ongoing fuel scarcity across the country on the inability of the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan to make appropriate budgetary provisions for subsidy payment in the 2015 budget.

Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the accusation yesterday while responding to questions from the State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

This is just as he informed that the government plans a review of tax laws presumably in order to

raise funds against the revenue shortfall in the country.

Asked his message for Nigerians considering the scarcity if petroleum products in the country, Mohammed said, “What I will be telling Nigerians is that what we met on ground is such that we are paying for the sins of the last administration.

I am being very serious. You remember that about two weeks ago, we had to go to the National Assembly for a supplementary budget of N674 billion. Of that figure, N522billion was for arrears of fuel subsidy which was incurred as far back as August last year. One of the reasons for the fuel scarcity was the inability of the last government to make

adequate provision for fuel subsidy. We do face some other logistic problems but majorly we are paying for the sins of the last administration.”

On the solution to the problem, the minister said “The solution is what you have seen us doing. The first thing we have done now is to make sure that unlike before when the marketers used to import the major percentage of the fuel, NNPC has been involved in importation, because some of the marketers had stopped importing for a couple of months. If you see any fuel anywhere today, it is imported by the NNPC. On the review of the tax laws, the minister for Budget

and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, said “On the taxation law, it was a memo presented by the Attorney General and it is basically looking at the policies behind the taxation laws to see whether any of them needs to be strengthened. It is a review to see whether there are any gaps.”

Explaining further, the information minister added “we have noticed some inadequacies in the current tax regime and that these inadequacies have been exploited by both individuals and corporate organisations to evade tax which has led to loss of revenues to the government.

The review aims at plugging these loopholes.”

and breach of trust in respect of N19.4 billion, brought against them by the federal government bail in the sum of N250 million each with a surety in like sum.

Justice Affen in his ruling which mirrored that of the Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, which last week had granted Dasuki and four others bail, on the 19-count money laundering charges to the tune of N13 billion rehearsed the conditions for bail given by the higher court, directing that the six accused are to produce sureties, one must be a serving or retired Director in the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).

“The sureties must provide property worth N250 million within Abuja, and an evidence of means.

“The defendants are also expected to deposit their travel passports and their counsels must notify the court of any intention by the defendants to travel out of Abuja. And until they perfect their bail conditions, the accused person will remain remanded in the custody of the EFCC,”the judge ruled.

He also adjourned the matter for trial till February 02 and 03, 2016 respectively for definite hearing.

Boko Haram child suicide bomber kills six in Borno

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child suicide bomber detonated his explosives, killing himself, two other bombers and six people in Nigeria’s northeast, in the latest bloodshed blamed on Boko Haram Islamist group, the army said on Monday.

The attack in Beninsheikh in Borno state happened around 8.30 pm on Sunday when three suspected suicide bombers aged between 10 and 15 years, were stopped for security screening by civilian vigilantes in the area, Colonel Sani Usman said in a statement.

He said one of the bombers, who was strapped with explosives, detonated the bomb, causing the “death of nine people while 24 others sustained various degrees of injuries.”

Usman said the three suicide bombers were among the dead.

“The security and emergency management agents have mobilised to the scene. The bodies have been evacuated and all those injured are receiving medical attention,” he said.

Suicide bombings – many by young boys and girls – have fast become Boko Haram’s preferred method of inflicting civilian casualties since it control of captured territory to a renewed military offensive by the military in recent months.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has given his military commanders until the end of the month to end the sixyear violence.(AFP)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page 4 Report

Seeking lasting solution to farmers/herdsmen clashes L

By Ochiaka Ugwu

ast week Thursday, the much age long conflict between farmers and herdsmen reverberated in the floor of the nation’s House of Representatives, with the green carpet chamber appealing to federal to urgently establish ranches that will transform cattle rearing for better.

The resolution last week on how to end the recurring clashes between herdsmen and farmers was directly captured and timely given the spate of clashes witnessed in the society today. The members asked the federal government to urgently establish cattle rearing settlements to replace the traditional itinerant cattle rearing practice that has caused a lot of bloodshed and bad blood between communities.

The proposed settlements are to be equipped with modern infrastructural facilities like grazing reserve, residential accommodation, health and educational institutions.

Before now, people have suggested a change of the archaic pastoral practice of herding cattle from one part of the country to another, but as held by some school of thought, such lofty proposals have been destroyed on the altar of a debilitating ethnic politics. Even the last National Conference proposed the establishment of ranches by government at all levels to reduce the frictions between farmers and herdsmen which mostly arose on the event of the former looking for grazing lands for their livestock.

Historically speaking, the clash can be traced back to years when herders from the northern Sahel, continuously moved down to agricultural villages in the south in search of pastures for their cattle especially during the dry season. This somehow brought a kind of mistrust between the farmers and the headers who always accuse the herders of destroying their crops and the herders in turn accuse the farmers of mishandling or out rightly killing their cows. But, these acts of violence were due in strong terms to competition over the scarce natural resources of the available fertile lands.

Due to climate change which affected most vegetation, herders were forced to move south during dry season which allowed for access to the agricultural production and resources of the farmers in the southern Sahel regions. This created conflict while competing over scarce natural resources. Conflicts are just as prevalent today with most farmer-herder conflicts occurring in the Sahel region of Nigeria, a semi-arid, semi-humid region that is conducive to both agriculture and pastoralism.

Some specific regions where farmerherder conflicts of varying degrees tend to occur and have been tried to curtail include: the Inland South, middle belt areas and Mambila Plateau.

It should be worthy of note that in course of the time, many large areas

Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase

are being expropriated for conservation and special use in parts of the country.

As a result of this sudden increase of controlled land, there have been both positive and negative effects in these regions. For centuries, this region, as well as the other regions in Africa have long been dominated and occupied by pastoralists. Due to the large variety of ethnic groups present in our clime, there has been a great deal of conflict over the control of resources, the primary resources being water and fertile land use. Throughout the history of humanity, ownership of land has been contested, and there have been several factors contributing to this disagreement. The main influencing issues are migration into the land, resource competition,

“

conflict between herders and farmers, as well as negotiated access to the rangelands.

However, contrary to many conventional solutions, like establishment of ranches to domesticate the animals, environmental security, political ecology uncovers the root of conflicts between farmers and herders. These conflicts are not only caused by changes in or limited access to natural resources, but also by the policies that determine the land uses. In Nigeria, the land use Act has remained a source of confusion. This best explains why tongues are waging that government should repeal it and in its place evolve a better land use policy that will reflect our culture of inheritance and land acquisition. Through political

Some communities have imposed forced boundaries on pastoral groups, restricting them to an area which quickly runs out of vegetation, forcing herders to seek outside sources of grain feed for their animals. This way of sedentary life forces many former pastoralists into poverty as they are unable to sustain the necessary level of nutrition for their families, and pay for the grain used to feed their livestock.

ecology it is deduced that conflicts between herders and farmers are due to the imbalance in the rights of access to resources, rather than the lack of resources due to natural causes such as population, or climate change.

Indeed, beyond establishing grazing lands for a pastoralist which I believe is a welcome development of some sort, the authority should also know that based on observations done on farmer-herder conflicts, many of the policies that have been implemented were operating on the assumption that pastoralist movements and life ways were major contributors of environmental degradation due to overgrazing. Herders move from one area to another in an attempt to find an appropriate amount of vegetation and water with which to sustain their herds and families. For quite some time, experts believed these herds overgrazed the lands they occupied, then moved to a new area and repeated the cycle of stripping the land of crop life. Many scientists believed this process of continuous overgrazing contributed to the spread of desertification.

Although this is still popular among many scholars, recent research has been dedicated to disproving this notion, in favor of mobility. Researchers now believe that the restriction of herder mobility causes intense degradation in specific tracts of land. Through movement, herds are able to relocate before doing significant damage to an area of land.

Some communities have imposed forced boundaries on pastoral groups, restricting them to an area which quickly runs out of vegetation, forcing herders to seek outside sources of grain feed for their animals. This way of sedentary life forces many former pastoralists into poverty as they are unable to sustain the necessary level of nutrition for their families, and pay for the grain used to feed their livestock.

Herders may not be forced to remain on specific tracts of land, but the actions of the government, farmers, and various outside organizations have essentially limited land access, so much so that movement is no longer feasible.

Farmers have always restricted grazing movement, but as the population swells, more land is needed to produce crops, further limiting herders.

These factors all contribute to the conflicts between herders and farmers, causing them to come in contact with one another as both fight for their livelihood. Agreed that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari should take the proposal by the House of Representatives into cognizance, but more importantly is to try hard to see that this did not force these herders to poverty as a result of sedentary life they may be forced to live in the event of being restricted to a place. The government must wake up to its responsibility to these herders, seriously if it intends to end the sad fratricidal war between farmers and cattle herders.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

News

PAGE 5

FMC Owerri strike: FG inaugurates interim mgt committee

By Doyin Ojosipe

A

fter shutting down the Federal Medical Centre Owerri last week, the Federal Government yesterday inaugurated a six man interim committee to oversee the activities of the hospital in the next six months.

Their duty is also to “reorganize the centre and restore services within the shortest possible time,” the federal government said.

Briefing news men in Abuja, the Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole expressed regrets over the action as he sad, it was the toughest decision he ever made in such a short time after his resumption.

He said it was disheartening that the aggrieved health workers could neither be pacified nor give him the benefit of doubt that their case will be looked into, the workers unions all walked out on a meeting aimed at returning peace to the medical center.

Explaining, he said, “despite all entreaties, the Unions stuck to their guns and turned down my request to give a three month moratorium to work with the management, within which period, I would make resources available to address some of their welfare issues in addition to improving the lot of the hospital. I promised that I will return at the end of February 20156 to reassess the situation. They did not deem it fit to give me the benefit of doubt.

The rather preferred to sacrifice the members of the TMC.” Adewole further said it was a big shame that the health workers had forgotten and left the primary object which was the reason for their engagement in the first place to chase after personal gains.

He said “the unions… held the board and management hostage and forcefully discharged the patients. Every day, they would converge in the hospital, all clad in black attires chanting protest songs.” “…this was the scenario I was confronted with and which left me with no better option than to temporarily shut down the hospital and install an interim management committee,” he added.

The interim committee members are; Prof Ndubisi Ekeh, Dr Bridget Akin-otiko, Mr. Michael Okereke, Mr. Ayo Olagunju and Mr. Abdu Msheliza The Minister also listed the duties of the committee as: To take over all administrative, technical operational and financial functions of the Medical Center, Owerri; and restore humane healthcare services to our people.

Wife of Chief staff, Haj Umma Turkur Buratai (middle) with her cousin during a dinner of her sister, Fatima Aliyu Baba at Royal Tropicana Hotel Kaduna.

Army, Shiite clash: Rights commission institutes probe

By Albert Akota

T

he National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has inaugurated a five-man committee to investigate the alleged violation of human rights during the clash between Shiite sect and the military at Zaria in Kaduna state which occurred on the 13th Dec 2015.

Due to the clash between the sect and the military, in line with the mandate of commission to receive complaints on human right violation, the commission has received complaints from both parties involved in the clash.

The panel which has two months to complete its assignment and submit its report will look into the circumstances that led to

the clash, immediate and remote causes of violation and find out those responsible or culpable for violation among other details .

During the inauguration ceremony yesterday in Abuja, the Executive Secretary National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe mandated the committee to work assiduously to unravel the menace.

Speaking earlier, the chairman of the committee, Tony Ojukwu Esq said they are overwhelmed for the huge responsibility and promised to work in modest to assist Nigerians as well as the commission.

The members of the committee are Kabriu Elayo Secretary, A.A Yakubu, Halilu Adamu and Babangida Labaran as members.

The statement reads in part, “However to our greatest shock they were tortured using electric shock and also stabbed severally. It was gruesome Our members with gun shots still in prison without medical care. 13 members of the IMN killed by Police in Kaduna in last week’s procession “Reports reaching us have indicated that there are well over 40 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) who are languishing in two prisons in Kaduna after surviving gun shots of the soldiers on Saturday 12/12/15.

“Among them 2 died yesterday

due to unattended wounds, whose release we are still negotiating with the Police authorities in Kaduna.

“Some of the wounded members are detained in Open Prison at Barnawa qtrs, while the rest are in Kaduna Central Prison.

“Yesterday, five corpses of our members were handed over to us for burial by the Police in Kaduna, who were given proper Islamic burial.

However to our greatest shock they were tortured using electric shock and also stabbed severally.

It was gruesome. “They were killed after being arrested at the peaceful procession they staged in Kaduna

on Tuesday 15-12-15 condemning the continued detention of our leader Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky and the indiscriminate killing of our members. Before then on Thursday 17-12-15 four were buried, the following day Friday 3 were again buried after being handed over to us by the Police Command. This made the total number of people killed by the Police on the day of the protest in Kaduna to 13.

“We hereby call on the authorities in particular to release or at least give access to our wounded members so that we can give them proper medical attention.”

…5 corpses of our members handed to us, says Shiite

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

T

he Islamic Movement in Nigeria has disclosed that five corpses of its members involved in the recent clash with the Army in Zaria have been released to them for burial.

The President, Media Forum of the Movement, Ibraheem Musa stated this in a press statement made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

According to the statement, the five corpses were handed over to the movement for burial by the Police in Kaduna, subsequently were given proper Islamic burial.

NTI flags off MDGs capacity building workshop for teachers

By Maryam Garba Hassan

T

he Director-General/Chief Executive of the National Teachers Institute (NTI), Dr. Aminu Ladan Sharehu has said the institute has the capacity to conduct any professional training for the teeming population of Nigerian teachers.

The Director-General of the NTI made this disclosure at the flag-off ceremony of the

2014 Batch “B” MDGs capacity building workshop for teachers held at Shiroro Hotel Minna, Niger State.

The Director-General of the NTI said with the network of the Institute field offices spread over the nooks and crannies of all the state of the Federation and the quality of course materials and facilitators, the Institute has all it takes to give Nigerian teachers the necessary and modern techniques

in classroom and outdoor teaching.

According to the DG, massive series of workshops embarked upon by Nigeria’s Federal Government through the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) has had a far-reaching salutary impact on its target audience of some 560, 000 primary school teachers.

He added that as the nation transits from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the National Teachers Institute NTI has even greater role to play. He called on the Federal Government to include training and re-training of Teachers in the SDGs programme so as to ensure sustainable capacity development of teachers as one of the better ways to improve their quality and good service delivery which will further improve the standard of education in Nigeria.

In his address, the chief host and special guest of honour at the flag-off, The Executive Governor of Niger State, represented by Deputy Governor, Alh. Ahmed Muhammed Ketso said he has no doubt that the National Teachers’ Institute is equal to the task of elevating the morale of the Nigerian teacher by its numerous capacity building workshops for training of primary and secondary school teachers.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

PAGE 6

News

NYO urges govt. to engage youths in skills acquisition

By UsmanShuaibu

T

he president of Nigeria Youth Organization (NYO), Mr. Ahmed Abul-Azeez , has called on the government of the day to deem it necessary to engage Nigerian youths in the skill acquisition programs instead of paying the youth N5,000 monthly

as was being proposed by the government.

Abdul – Azeez, who made the call in an interview with newsmen at the weekend during the occasion of the grand finale of Miss Nigeria football beauty pageant which took place at the Sheraton hotel and tower in Abuja, also pleaded with the government

to place a greater emphasis on the employment of the youths so as to prevent them from social vices in the society.

He further charged the government to support and encourage the youths in whatever they are doing in the society to earn a living, saying that youths are the future leaders of

tomorrow.

He assured the Nigerian youths that his administration will continue to take the youths along in the scheme of things, as according to him, the leadership of the organization is working assiduously towards the progress of the youths in the country.

The president, however,

thanked the leadership of Nigeria football beauty pageant for organizing competition among the girls in order to exhibit their talents.

Also speaking to newsmen, the Deputy President of NYO, Chief Jerry Ugwu, urged the government to always be of help to the youths in the society.

Gunmen attack Lebanese resident kill 3 police in Gombe From David Hassan, Gombe

A

t least three policemen were confirmed dead on Saturday when gunmen invaded a Lebanese resident at Buba Shongo estate in Gombe.

Confirming the incident to newsmen yesterday at the Police headquarters in Gombe, the spokesman, DSP Fwaje Atajiri said the assailants stormed the area at 19:50hrs on foot before opening fire on the security operatives living three policemen and two civilians dead.

According to him, Police has swung into action to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

He said Police would not relent in performing its duties until justice is done.

The Police spokesman also assured that police are ready to protect lives and properties of citizens.

A source told our correspondent that the assailants gun down the policemen without taking away their rifles.

He said the gunmen who were numbering ten came by foot and called one of the deceased to open gate for them before open fire on him.

He said no one could tell whether the assailants had a mission to kidnap the Lebanese that own Triata Construction Company in Gombe.

L-R: Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Muhammad, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bulus Lolo, Deputy Ambassador, Germany Embassy, Regina Hess, during the signing ceremony of a 10 million Euros grant to Nigeria by the Government of Germany in support of the last phase of polio eradication operational programme, yesterday at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

ISIS figures on Boko Haram attacks, killings a hoax – FG

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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he Federal Government has described as a hoax the figures being bandied by ISIS concerning the number of attacks carried out by Boko Haram and the number of people killed by the terrorists in Nigeria in the last two months.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the imaginary figures were part of the ISIS’ strategy to shore up the morale of its dispersed and defeated fellow-terrorists in Nigeria. ‘’Apart from these fake figures, we are aware of the planned release of old videos of Boko Haram attacks

in Nigeria through the terrorists’ preferred channel to give the impression that they have continued to carry out spectacular attacks.

Those videos are neither recent nor genuine. ‘’The ISIS/Boko Haram propaganda is being deliberately timed to coincide with the Dec. 31st 2015 deadline issued to the military by the President to decimate the terrorists, and is also aimed at distracting the military and striking at its all-time high morale. ‘’But the truth of the matter is that the capability of the military has improved drastically, and there is a higher level of awareness among Nigerians concerning the war against terrorism, which has led them

(Nigerians) to increase their support for the troops on the frontline and to also own the war. ‘’Therefore, the figures being pushed out by ISIS on behalf of Boko Haram represent nothing but a figment of the terrorists’ imagination.

We recently visited Bama, from where they once ran their phony Caliphate, but all we saw were gallant troops holding sway. We even shared a delicious lunch of ‘balango’ (a kind of suya) and soft drinks with the troops. ‘’We therefore wonder where the terrorists have been carrying out their so-called spectacular attacks, as indicated by ISIS, when indeed the capability of the shameless cowards has been so degraded that all they can

do now is to target innocent women and children, using equally innocent children and women as their bomb carriers,’’ he said.

The Minister said the decimated Boko Haram terrorists are so hungry, so broke, so sick and so desperate that all they can now do is to clutch at straws, hence Nigerians should ignore their meaningless propaganda. ‘’In the days ahead, there will be more of such Boko Haram propaganda, targeted at weakening the resolve of our brave troops, instilling fears into the minds of Nigerians and also seeking to impress their fellow terrorists in ISIS. Nigerians should see the propaganda for what it is: a hoax!’’ he said.

FRSC charges tricycle operators on safe driving in Mubi From Umar Dankano, Yola

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n an effort to ensure a hitch free yuletide and New Year celebration in the Ancient commercial border town of Mubi and its environ, the Federal Road Safety Commission have charged commercial Tricycle operators to adhered strictly to Traffic rules and

regulation.

The Unit Commander incharge of the commission in Mubi, Mr. Mohammadu Taki, disclosed the development at a stakeholders meeting with the cyclists yesterday in Mubi.

Taki said the need for safe driving and respects for traffic rules and regulations by the

cyclists became necessary in view of their role as the major source of transportation in the commercial border town.

Taki also tasked them on security consciousness and the need to always be wary of passengers they carry.

Also speaking at the meeting, the representative of Adamawa

Board of Internal Revenue, Abubakar Bobboi, urged the cyclists yet to register with the board for their papers and number plate to do so.

Bobboi said the registration would not only boost government revenue for development projects but also ensure the security of the registered tricycles.

In his response, the spokesman of the tricyclists, Sani Musa, lauded FRSC for organizing the meeting assuring that his members would comply for their own good.

Musa also said that the cyclists union would ensure that all it’s members registered with relevant authorities for security reasons and easy tracking of erring members.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

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Woman seeks dissolution of 10-year-old marriage over husband’s abandonment

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L-R: Ordinary President, Brekete Family, Ahmad Isah, giving out Christmas gift items to the Chairlady, Brekete Family Widow’s Association, Mrs. Nkechi Ohiri, during the launch of Christmas gift distribution to widows, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

Abducted catholic priests regain freedom in Delta

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

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he two catholic priests abducted by gunmen last Thursday around Issele-uku community in Delta State, were on Sunday evening released by their abductors.

Although details of their release were still sketchy as at the time of filling this report, but strong indications had that

they were released unhurt and without any ransom.

Confirming their release, the Director of Communication, Issele-uku dioceses of Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Charles Uganwa told our correspondent that the priests were released unhurt and without ransom paid.

Before their release, the kidnappers had earlier established contact with the

church demanding for a ransom of N100, 000, 000 for the release of the victims: a ransom described as unrealistic by the Catholic worshipers.

The priests, Rev. Fr. Franklyn Odiaka of Catholic Church of Assumption (Zappa) Asaba and Rev. Fr. Onwochei were abducted by unidentified gunmen last Thursday around Obior community axis while returning from a church event.

According to Rev. Fr. Uganwa “it is true that two of our priests were kidnapped, the kidnappers have established contact with the church and they are asking for N100, 000, 000 saying that the church was praying for their as the church would not pay any ransom because the two victims do not work for salaries Niger Accountants arrest to fish out big looters.

Why Niger accountants were arrested - Report From Yakubu Mustapha,Minna

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he arrest and detention of Niger state Pension Board accountant and four others was targeted at the big fish looters of the immediate past administration of Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu during his 8 years misappropriation of public funds.

Although, the Chief Accountant, Alhaji Yahaya Gimba and four others have been released after security source said that they were not find wanting after investigation, just as they might have given the fund

recovery committee information about who were involved in the pension fraud.

Investigation revealed that the said accountants were held by the security operatives over petition written against them at their disposal which has led to the arrest and detention of those in charge of finances in that particular establishment so as to get the real looters.

It was reliably gathered that some of the big fish targeted are on the run while others are now cooling their heels in the security net for interrogation on how, where, when and who

were involved in the fraudulent activities in the board.

Findings further revealed that four members of finance staff of the Local government Pension Board were taken by the Fund Recovery Committee for interrogation to ascertained the culprits but nothing incriminating against them accordingly.

Consequently, the alleged millions of naira find on them during interrogation was said to be untrue and unfounded according to security sources who spoke to our reporter under the condition of anonymity.

Niger state government has

set up a discreet committee to recover funds allegedly stolen by the officials of the immediate past government of Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu in the state just as the Finance Management Committee set is still yet to submit its report to government.

Investigation revealed that the committee set up were allegedly made up mainly of security personnel who were charged with the mandate of inviting those who they felt are found wanting with a view to recover funds from them. but offering selfless service by serving God almighty.

Plea bargaining good for criminal justice system - Don

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rof. Adeniyi Olatunbosun, the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan says the inclusion of plea bargaining in the nation’s criminal justice system is a welcome development.

Olatunbosun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ibadan that the concept would help to ``fast track adjudication, decongest cases in court and forestall deliberate subversion of justice’’.

NAN reports that a plea bargaining is an agreement in a criminal case between the prosecution and the defendant, where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a particular charge in

return for some concession from the prosecutor.

The idea is that in corruption cases, a defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge with minimal punishment in exchange for the return of most of their stolen wealth.

The university don stressed that there were many legal complexities and technicalities that slow down court proceedings and prompt determination of cases, which plea bargaining could address.

He added that plea bargaining would not only fast track trial, but reduce cost of prosecution. ``In plea bargaining, before arraignment there is an agreement

between the prosecutor and the accused person to the commission of the crime. ``It means that, the accused person agrees to have corruptly enriched himself with the sum which he is ready to return to government coffers without being made to undergo full trial. ``It is noteworthy to state that, the court will confiscate the property, the money stolen in addition to paying a fixed amount of fine by the accused person. ``Let me categorically state that, it is a misconception by members of the public that a token amount is merely collected from

corrupt persons who undergo plea bargaining,’’ he said.

Olatunbosun said that the prosecutor usually weigh the options before accepting to an offer of plea bargaining.

He said the concept was misunderstood by many that it would encourage corruption.

Olatunbosun said that plea bargaining is a global concept particularly in capitalist economy like in the U.S. and Britain. ``Though the concept is first operational in the U.S., it was adopted in Nigeria due to high rate of corruption in the public and private life,’’ he said. (NAN)

37-year-old woman, Mrs Udoka David, on Monday urged an Alimosho Customary Court, Iyana-paja, in Lagos State, to dissolve her 10-year-old marriage as her husband has abandoned the matrimonial home.

The petitioner told the court on Monday that her husband, Moses David, with whom she had four children in their 10-year-old marriage, packed out of their house to an unknown destination.

“I do not know what is wrong with my husband; he rejected me and the children by packing out of the house, saying that he was done with me and the children “When our church and family members tried to settle the matter, he said it was over his dead body that he will never accept me or the children,” she said She described her husband as an irresponsible husband and father, stressing that “my husband refused to pay our rent. ``He owes our landlord three-year rent; the landlord threw our property out around 9:00 p.m.

“I called my husband to inform him, but when he came he packed his remaining belongings and left us there, laughing and mocking us.

“He told me that he has the money, but he will not pay it that he wanted us to suffer.

“It was my church that rented another apartment for me and the children,” she said.

In his defence, David, a 46-year-old labourer, said that he did not have money that was why he could not take care of his children.

“It is not my fault that I cannot care for my children, it is just that I don’t have money and a good job,” he said.

He s said that his wife was stubborn that was why he left her and the children.

The president of the court, Alhaja S.O Mumuni scolded the respondent for saying that he did not have any money to cater for his children.

“When you know you did not have a good job, you should have limited the number of children you had. `` How do you want them to survive, the children’s welfare should be of paramount importance to you’.” she said.

Mumuni admonished the couple to maintain peace and adjourned the case till Jan. 20 for counseling. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Dalung appeals to investors on grassroots development

By Albert Akota

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he Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr Solomon Dalung has appealed to investors, Corporate Bodies, Businessmen and women, as well as the well to do in the society to invest in grassroots sports development as part of their corporate and social responsibilities towards youth

empowerment, talent haunt and employment generation for our teeming youths.

Barr Dalung made the appeal in Sokoto at the weekend while speaking as a Special Guest of Honour at the Grand Finale of the 2nd edition of the Kukah Unity Cup Football Competition aimed at promoting peace, healthy completion and inter-religious

harmony and mutual respect among Christian and Muslim youths in the North in particular and the country in general.

This year’s edition was also used to celebrate Bishop Kukah the founder of the Kukah Cup Competition on the occasion of his 31st Anniversary as a Priest.

Dalung also directed officials of the Sokoto State National

Football Federation to come up without delay with a framework of upgrading the competition to a bigger tournament for participation by the entire nineteen (19) Northern States; even as he promised to use his good office to look for sponsors for the tournament.

The Minister described Bishop Mathew Hassan Kuka,

L-R: Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Jummai AlHassan, Minister of Environment, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, and Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Kwara: Father of 2-year abducted boy remanded for arson From Olanrewaju,Ilorin

Photo: Joe Oroye

SGF to Nigerians: Buhari needs your prayers From Umar Dankano, Yola

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igerians have been called upon to as a matter of patriotism support and cooperate with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for provision of more dividends of democracy.

Secretary to Government of the Federation, Engr. David Lawal Babachir said for president Buhari’s government to achieve its desired goals in the fight against corruption and other developmental agendas to move the country forward, all hands

must be on deck.

Engr. Babachir made the call at a special inter-denominational Christmas Carol of 9th lessons, organized in his honour by Saint Theresa Catholic Cathedral in Yola, Adamawa State Capital, weekend, charged Christians to use the Christmas period to pray more for the unity and peaceful co-existence of the nation.

Urging Nigerians to love one another irrespective of tribal, religion and ethnic differences, the SGF thanked the organizers for the gesture saying that lack of good leadership have been the challenge of Nigeria as an entity

but with the Present change mantra of president Buhari things have started taking shape. “ The president needs your prayers as religious leaders and also as individuals, with your prayers and support, we would definitely achieve our desired objectives and by God’s grace with the mechanism put in place by the present administration of Muhammadu Buhari Nigeria will come back to its normal shape, therefore i urge you all to exercise patience”. Babachir maintained Earlier, Governor Umar Jibrilla of Adamawa state represented by his Deputy,

Engr. Martins Babale described the appointment of the SGF as an evident that it was based on his track record of integrity, transparency, detribalize, as well as an instrument to Buhari’s administration in the fight against corruption.

In a remark, Most Reverend Stephen Mamza said, the event was first of its kind in the history of the Church organized in honour of a personality whom believed in promoting peace, unity, transparency and uprightness, saying that no society or country as a whole could develop in violence situation.

Zamfara Police rescues 2 kidnapped women From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

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he Zamfara state Police Command has rescued two kidnapped women identified as Aisha Ahmadu and Hadiza Bello all of Bukkuyum local government area of Zamfara following tip off by men on patrol.

The rescued women as according to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state Command, DSP Sanusi Amiru, were demanded to pay the sum of 300,000 naira each by the group of kidnappers before they would regain freedom to reunite

the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese in whose name the competition is named as a guiding light on promotion of peace and development as well as interfaith harmony and understanding in the country “your contributions in promoting national unity and development across religious, ethnic and cultural barriers are too numerous to go unnoticed.”

He said.

In his remarks, Bishop Kukah said “apart from serving the objective of promoting peace and unity, if we keep to the spirit of the game, we will be able to fight corruption, ethnic and religious bigotry and other vices. Our youth will also get the right message.”

with their families.

Narrating the incidence to newsmen at the Police headquarters Gusau, the state capital, the kidnapped women who were accommodated by the Police for safety collectively said, gunmen had invaded their matrimonial rooms midnight and have abducted them into the forest where they abandoned them on sighting the patrolling team of Police.

The PPRO further disclosed that, the Police were able to arrest one of the kidnappers who is identified as Abubakar

Abdullahi who is now helping with useful information while four others disappeared deeply into the forest and have been put on trail.

He stressed that, “The suspect was arrested following a tip off, and that the other suspects at large are being tracked by the police, as “effort is being intensified to arrest them and bring them to book” DSP Amiru assures.

In another development, one Tukur Yahaya of Kairu village also under Bukkuyum local government area was arrested

by the Police in connection with the missing of one Hajiya Tumba of the same village who was suspected to be kidnapped by the group that he belongs to.

The DSP also disclosed that, one Sanusi musa was arrested for conspiring with one other suspect and snatched a Honda Accord from the owner, explaining that exhibits recovered from the suspects include one Honda Accord with Reg. No. 432 Abj, another Honda Civic with Reg. No. BNG 842 H, and two keys of Honda and Toyota vehicles.

Father of two years old child,Mr James Abichi has been remanded in custody of Kwara State Police for allegedly setting ablaze the house of the suspected kidnappers of his son,Joefrey James.

The aggrieved father, who lived in Ossa village, reported at the Banni Division Police station on 06\12\2015 that his son, Joefrey was abducted by one Gabriel Lorfa and Clement Dooga to an unknown destination.

According to Police First information made available by Prosecutor, Inspector Mathew Saye, investigation conducted at the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Ilorin revealed that the suspects actually abducted the missing two years old son.

“Investigation conducted at the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Ilorin revealed that you Gabrief Lorfa and Clement Dooga both male were the actual culprits that abducted the said Joefrey James to unknown destination. You thereby committed the above offences”.

The suspects were charged with Criminal Conspiracy and abduction contrary to sections 97 and 273 of Penal Code Law. When the case was mention at the Ilorin Magistrate, presided over by Magistrate Mrs. K.A Yahyah on Monday, the father of the missing two years old son who is 36 years old and one Paul Abichi was also charged with criminal conspiracy and mischief by fire contrary to sections 97, and 337 of Penal Code Law. According to the Prosecutor, the suspected abductors also reported to the same Police station that the father of the missing son set their house ablaze while property worth of N542,000 were burnt.

The Prosecutor informed the Court that investigation conducted revealed that both James Abichi,father of the mission two years old son and Paul Abichi “criminally conspired and burnt” the suspects house.

After denied the father of the missing son and his partner bail, the Presiding Magistrate, Justice Yahyah order that both the suspected abductors and the aggrieved father, his partner be remanded in the Police custody till next adjournment.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

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Newspaper vendors urge police to stop arrest, detention of members

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

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he Newspapers Vendors Association, Abuja (NVAA) has urged the Nigeria Police force to stop the incessant arrest and detention of its members..

The call was made in

a statement signed by the association saying that the Police has been threatening Newspaper Vendors with incessant seizure of Newspapers, arrests and detention of vendors around the Federal Secretariat in Abuja ,by infringing on the newspaper vendors freedom.

However, the statement stated that their fear is that the successful stoppage of newspaper vendors in any part of Abuja will spread like a wild fire to any other attempted areas for the same reason in the past within Abuja and beyond.

The association further said

that there is a need to pass the freedom of information bill (FBI); stakeholders in the media industry too heed to the clarion call and come together to salvage this by nipping it promptly.

The statement stated the association was given it legitimate service is to contribute and

promote the workings of both governments and public institution with the purview of the law but will not accept extreme security orders even as law abiding citizens on information dissemination or suffice to say any oppression against press in a demo crating setting , the statement said

Lagos court registrar jailed 10 years for defrauding Bamaiyi of $330,000

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ustice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of an Ikeja High Court on Monday sentenced a court registrar, Mrs Oluronke Rosolu, to 10 years imprisonment for defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi of 330,000 dollars.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rosolu was convicted on all the two counts charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Lawal-Akapo while sentencing Rosolu said: “The representation that she never collected $330,000 from the complainant is deceptive; the accused could not provide a strong alibi for her whereabouts when the fraud occurred.

“I find the accused guilty as charged.

“As a registrar of court, the accused should have been an image maker of the judiciary, but she acted in the contrary.

“She has to swallow her bitter pill.

“On count one, I sentence the accused to 10 years imprisonment and on count two I sentence the accused to 10 years imprisonment.

“Both sentences are to run concurrently.”

NAN also reports that Rosolu collapsed in the dock as soon as the judge gave the verdict, wailing in Yoruba language: “I do not know anything about the money, what is going to happen to my children.”

Earlier, Rosolu’s lawyer, Mr Bamidele Ogundele, in his allocutus pleaded with the court

to temper justice with mercy:``My Lord, my client is a first-time offender without any criminal record and she has four children as dependants.

“My Lord, the society will not gain if her four children are abandoned without motherly care.

“She has been on suspension from the judiciary for over a year and she is retiring next year after 34 years of active service in the judiciary.”

Counsel to the EFCC, Mr E.E. Iheanacho, however, requested that Rosolu should receive the maximum sentence.

He said:``The crime for which the accused is being charged carries a mandatory sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

“In the circumstance, we will be urging the court to sentence her

accordingly.”

The convict, who was a former registrar to Justice Joseph Oyewole, was tried for aiding Mr Fred Ajudua, a one-time Lagos socialite to defraud Bamaiyi at Kirikiri Maximum Prisons between November 2004 and June 2005.

The fraud was perpetrated when Ajudua and Bamaiyi were remanded in Kirikiri Prisons for different offences.

During Rosolu’s trial, experts from EFCC and Bamaiyi had testified that Rosolu came to the prison during the period to help Ajudua funnel the funds from Bamaiyi.

The anti-graft agency had alleged that Ajudua had made a false representation to Bamaiyi that the 330,000 dollars was the

professional fees for the law firm of Afe Babalola and Co. to facilitate Bamaiyi’s release from prison, a claim which the firm has since denied.

Two forensic experts from the EFCC had also testified during the trial that Rosolu had failed a polygraph test.

Rosolu, who testified during her trial, however, denied going to Kirikiri Maximum Prisons or knowing Ajudua and Bamaiyi.

(NAN)

Share, Tsaragi crisis: Gov Ahmed sets up Committee From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin

L-R: Special Adviser to Sokoto state Governor on Media, Imam Imam, Secretary to the State Government, Professor Bashir Garba, Commissioner for Information, Jelli Abubakar III, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Alhaji Nasiru Zarumai and participants, during a strategic communication training for media and information managers, yesterday in Sokoto.

Photo: NAN

Bauchi distributes food items worth N8m to Christian women From: Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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auchi State Government has distributed food items worth eight million naira to indigent Christian women across the state to alleviate their sufferings and to enable them perform this years’ Christmas without hitches.

The Acting Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, Mr Isiaku Cindo

Siri while distributing the items to the beneficiaries, explained that the gesture followed the efforts of the wife of the state governor, Hajia Hadiza Muhammad Abubakar.

Items distributed included 200 bags of rice, 120 bags of sugar, 160 bags of maize, 1,100 wrappers and 150 gallons of vegetable oil.

Mr Isiaku Cindo Siri said governor Muhammsd Abdullahi Abubakar had graciously approve the distribution in order to enable

them celebrate Christmas and New Year without much difficulties.

Siri, said despite the financial difficulties of the state government, the present administration deemed it fit to release the amount in order to celebrate the forthcoming event successfully.

He used the occasion to commend the wife of the state governor Hajia Hadiza Muhammad Abubakar for her untiring effort which made the

distribution a reality.

Mr Isiaku Siri called on the beneficiaries to use the donation positively for the successful celebration of the fiesta.

Some of the beneficiaries, Mrs Rabecca Ademola Ogunlewe from Cherebum and Serephin Church Bauchi and Mrs Maryam David Dan-Dajin from Ecwa church Bayara, thanked the state government for the gesture and pledged to pray for the success of the administration.

The Kwara State Government has set up a fact finding committee on the remote and immediate causes of the recent communal clash between Share and Tsaragi communities in the state.

The committee was headed by the State Deputy Governor, Elder Peter Kisra and comprises members of the state executive and security councils.

The Committee has since visited the communities with a view to finding a lasting solution to the crisis.

The Senior Special Assistant, Communications, to the Governor, Dr Muideen Akorede, who disclosed this during a post state executive council meeting, said the state executive council expressed concern over the unnecessary and sad clash between the two communities that had led to loss of lives and properties.

The Governor’s aide said the committee would assess the extent of damage and recommend necessary measures to stem the communal clash to the State Governor.

Akorede who added that the government has zero tolerance to communal clash advised residents of the state to always live in peace and harmony in order to ensure growth and development while creating enabling environment for businesses and investments.

Similarly,the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Alhaji Mahmud Ajeigbe said the Council approved the establishment of a Directorate of Orientation under the Ministry of Information and Communications for re-orientation against societal ills.

The Commissioner said the Council took the decision in order to address issues of immorality, indecent dressing and other daily contraventions.

Alhaji Ajeigbe explained that the Directorate would partner the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and other relevant agencies in sensitising the populace against societal ills.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

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Pupils of Great Light Scholars Academy (GLSA), Juhu 3, Masaka, celebrating 2015 Christmas Carol at the school premises, yesterday in Masaka, Nasarawa state.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

National Islamic vocation course holds in Minna From Yakubu Mustapha,Minna

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o fewer than 4,500 members of Muslims Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) are set to attend 73rd National Islamic Vocation Course IVC for 19 Northern States and FCT Abuja, A Zone to hold in Minna the state capital of Niger State.

The event which has the theme: Purposeful Leadership: a tool for good governance and positive change, said that the essence was to bring the youths under one umbrella to inculcate in them to stand for unity and need for peaceful coexistence in the country.

The Chairman of Local Organising Committee LOC, Ustaz Yabagi Alfa made the disclosure in a press briefing yesterday in

Minna, intimated that the event is scheduled for between 22nd to 28th December, 2015 assuring that adequate preparation has been concluded for the hosting of the occasion including security of lives and properties.

Alfa who was optimistic of the event said that the delegates will comprised of brothers and sisters in Islam with 70% from secondary schools and the rest from tertiary institutions in Nigeria as participants just as N25 million budgeted for the occasion.

He added that male and female participants were to be accommodated in police secondary school and government girls secondary school respectively even as they were not unaware of the security challenges facing the nation.

He noted that the instructors or

resource persons were intellectuals from higher Institutions of learning tested and well known for preaching peace devoid of abuses, brotherhood, non violence and peaceful coexistence of the country.

The cleric who regretted the way and manner youths were been used to perpetuate all kinds of devilish acts and religious violence in some parts of the country as very unfortunate explained that the Forum will be used to discourage youths from such acts by seeing themselves as leaders of tomorrow.

He stated that it is on record that the Muslim Students’ Society of Niger State Area Unit has been conductor its activities peacefully and has been in the vanguard of promoting peace, tolerance in the state.

Accordingly, “Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) came

into being in 1954 with its objectives of teaching the true knowledge of Islam to Muslim Inculcating Islamic Moral values Promoting the spirit of unity and brotherhood among Muslim students and other Muslim s in general Developing me spirit of tolerance and peaceful coexistence with adherents or other religions “ Alfa reiterated that the aims and objectives are being achieved through Islamic Vacation Course (IVC) leadership training programmes (LTP), National Higher Institution Convention of Muslim Students (NICOM).

He therefore applauded the Niger State Government under the leadership of Abubakar Sani Bello for it hosting while charging security agencies for their maximum support for the success of the event.

Senator Adamu backs Buhari, says 2016 budget not late Sen. Abdulahi Adamu (APC Nasarawa West) says the presentation of the 2016 Budget to the joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday as proposed is not late.

Adamu made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

He said that the date of presentation would still be within the time allowed by the constitution.

Adamu was reacting to media reports that the budget and indeed the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) upon which the budget would be predicated was late.

The Senator said that President constitutionally had until Dec. 31 to present the budget to the National Assembly. ``In terms of the budget calendar, one may be right in saying that the presentation at this time of the year is late. ``But it is not late because

most of the time, budgets are presented between the months of November and December and the constitutional provisions are very clear. ``Section 80(1) stipulated that Mr President is at liberty to present his budget proposal to National Assembly and the latest date allowed him is Dec. 31 of the preceding financial year. ``So the executive is still within the time frame provided by the constitution,” he said.

Adamu cautioned Nigerians not to be quick in passing judgement, but should consider all issues.

He explained that the perceived delay was due to some factors beyond the control of the President.

The Senator said that he partly blamed the last administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for not having a comprehensive handover note ready for the incoming administration. ``The out gone government, for reasons best known to the operators then, did not prepare the

handover notes and did not give the necessary information needed for transition. ``When you do not have a well articulated hand over note to give you the status of the government that is going out, it is difficult for the new government to plan. ``There is also the issue of the dwindling fortunes of the economy; it is all about what we are expecting and what we are going to do with the money that we are expecting. ``Somehow, the projection for revenue accruable to government has been very unstable to say the least. ``The price of oil, which is the main stay of the economy, has dipped to the lowest in the last 15 to 20 years; it will not be easy to make a projection and still budget. ``Subsequent upon this, it wasn’t easy for the incoming administration to say this is the draft budget for the National Assembly to work on,” he said.

The Senator commended the current administration for wanting

to propose a budget of over N6 trillion with emphasis on capital projects in spite of the economic situation.

He declined comments on the possible sources of funding the budget, stressing that President Buhari, being a man of integrity, would harness all accruable revenue to fund the budget. ``I do not want to preempt the government on how to source the budget, but am sure that he will do it. ``So, the budget is coming within the constitutionally admissible time and I can see clearly that the President is going to make Nigerians proud in spite of the low revenue. ``The President is going to come up with a budget that emphasises capital projects, not just recurrent; it is a very positive innovation in our budgeting exercises,” he said.

Adamu said that the time for the diversification of the economy was now as the demand and price for oil had gone very low. (NAN)

Army honours senior officer with new rank in Yobe From Uche Uche, Damaturu

T

he Nigerian army in Yobe state, has yesterday, decorated a newly promoted senior military officer Beneth E.Onyeiuko, who, according to his curricular vitae, read out during the decoration ceremony which took place at the headquarters of the Nigerian Army 3 Division Tactical, Damaturu the state capital, has served in the Nigerian army for a total period of 29 years and has attended top military schools, rising as he goes to a Colonel and now decorated with his new rank of Brigadier General.

Speaking during the ceremony, the state Governor, Alh. Ibrahim Gaidam, while congratulating the officer, remarked that the promotion was based, just as in the civil service, on merit of hard work, honesty, obedience to headship in the army and dedication to duty and urged him to continue with such good quality and his limited would be where the military ranking stops, and prayed that God should guide and protect him in his new assignment.

He described the military work as a structure that grows as a pyramid in that in some distance ahead, only some would be surviving and so one should, especially those entrusted with office of leadership should learn how to survive.

Page 11

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

EDITORIAL

T

Talk tough, act tough!

he governors of the 19 northern because it draws on the region’s pool what is now Boko Haram. states, some of which are ravaged of uneducated young men and women. “We must locate the current crisis of by the Boko Haram insurgency, This pool is inexhaustible. Their tough Boko Haram within the context of the now in its sixth year, have given talk on almajirci, the Islamic education inability of the northern Muslim elite what news reports have described to live by their own dubious creed of as a “tough talk” on terrorism and being Muslims. They preached Sharia poverty. Speaking through chairman Law but only for the poor. They preach of the Northern states’ Governors a religion that encourages education, Forum (NSGF), Alhaji Kashim yet their own people are held in the Shettima, who is the governor of bondage of ignorance.

Borno state, the governors promised “They came to power on the basis of a to join forces to fight Boko Haram democratic society but they turned whose terror attacks have claimed around and declared Sharia to tens of thousands of lives. generate a false consciousness among Shettima was at Wannune in Benue the poor that they want a theocracy. state to condole with Senator They did not wish to live by the same George Akume over the death of his standards, so they decided to live elder brother and the Tor Tiv, Alfred their own Islam in the capitals of the Torkula. He was accompanied by world away from the prying eyes of the Jigawa state governor, Alhaji their own people. Boko Haram began Mohammed Abubakar and that of as a revolt against this mendacity, Benue, Samuel Ortom. “The leaders subterfuge and hypocrisy.” of the north will not relent until It was Kukah’s “considered view” that peace is fully restored in the troubled northern leaders still are not asking states of the north just as our joint the right questions about Boko resolve to overcome poverty in the Haram. “Although we all seem to north will continue to receive top pretend that Boko Haram has caught priority.” However, he asked for us unawares, the worst thing is that “patience and understanding” on we continue to hide our heads in the the part of the people, apparently sands of self-deception by further system that allows pupils to beg for because defeating Boko Haram denying the roots of this ugly side of alms on the streets, has not eradicated would take time. our humanity. it.

It is all well for the NSGF to talk “That Boko Haram, its disciples and tough. They always do whenever a The disconnect between the verbal victims are localised to northern toughness of Northern political leaders big crisis blows up in their faces.

Nigeria, should be instructive. What and action was captured in a diatribe No wonder their tough words are this calls for is an honest review of the delivered by the Catholic Bishop never taken seriously by their root causes. We need to ask what it is of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah at the people. Not many years ago, the about the past or the present that has weekend. He said, “A hypocritical elite governors came together in Kaduna led us to this ugly and deadly path.” continues to believe that it can claim Yes, it is this “honest review” we and declared “war” on illiteracy in the benefits of democracy but use it the North. Today the region is still demand of our leaders. In addition, only to consolidate its hold on power. most backward educationally. Boko we ask that they not only talk the talk This is what has laid the foundation for Haram is the potent force it is today but also walk it.

“

The disconnect between the verbal toughness of Northern political leaders and action was captured in a diatribe delivered by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah at the weekend.

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PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Opinion

Buhari & Saraki: Birthdays of emancipators

By Senator Kabiru Gaya

T

he oxford English dictionary defines birthday as the day that is exactly a year or number of years after a person was born or an anniversary of same. As Nigeria’s president and the president of Nigeria’s senate celebrate their 2015 birthdays incidentally the same memorable month of December, some of their antecedents are merged by fortune. While Buhari is the fifth executive president of the country, Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki is the eighth president of the Nigeria’s senate.

The two presidents are the first in the country to take over from an opposition party. While it took Buhari years of struggle for his intent of emancipating Nigerians from the claws of misrule to occupy Aso Rock, Saraki watched patiently for years at the red chamber before emerging as its president.

However, one thing holds the two firmly together and that is the slogan of their party, ‘change.’

Muhammadu Buhari, the fifth executive president of Nigeria, was born on December 17, 1942 in Daura, Katsina state, to his father Adamu and mother Zulaihat. He is the twenty-third of his father’s children. He was raised by his mother having lost his father early in life when he was about four years old.

He attended primary school in Daura and Mai’adua before proceeding to Katsina Model School in 1953, and to Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College Katsina) from 1956-1961.

Buhari enlisted into the Nigerian Army by enrolling in the Nigerian Military Training College (NMT) in 1961. In February 1964, the college was upgraded to an officer commissioning unit of the Nigerian Army and was renamed Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) prior to 1964, the Nigerian government sent cadets who had completed their NMTC preliminary training to mostly commonwealth military academies for officer cadet training. From 1962 to 1963, the then young officer underwent officer cadet training at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in England.

In January 1963, he was commissioned a second lieutenant, and appointed platoon commander of the Second Infantry Battalion in Abeokuta, Nigeria. From November

1963 to January 1964, Buhari attended the Platoon Commanders’ Course at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna. In 1964, he facilitated his military training by attending the Mechanical Transport Officer’s Course at the Army Mechanical Transport School in Borden, United Kingdom.

From 1965 to 1967, Buhari served as Commander of the Second Infantry Battalion and appointed Brigade Major, Second Sector, First Infantry Division, April 1967 to July 1967.

Buhari was made Brigade Major of the Third Infantry Brigade, July 1967 to October 1968 and Brigade Major/ Commandant, Thirty-first Infantry Brigade, 1970 to 1971.

Buhari served as the Assistant Adjutant-General, First Infantry Division Headquarters, from 1971 to 1972. He also attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India, in 1973.

From 1974 to 1975 Buhari was Acting Director of Transport and Supply at the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport Headquarters.

In August 1975, after General Murtala Mohammed took power that year, he appointed Buhari as governor of the North-Eastern State, to oversee social, economic and political improvements in the state.

He was also Military Secretary at the Army Headquarters from 1978 to 1979 and was a member of the Supreme Military Council from 1978 to 1979.

From 1979 to 1980, at the rank of colonel, Buhari (class of 1980) attended the US Army War College in Carlisle, in the United States, and gained a Masters Degreein Strategic Studies. Upon completion of the on-campus full-time resident program lasting ten months and the two-year-long, distance learning program, the United States Army War College (USAWC) college awards its graduate officers a master’s degree in Strategic Studies.

He was General Officer Commanding, 4th Infantry Division, August 1980 – January 1981. Between January 1981, and October the same year, he was General Officer Commanding 2nd Mechanised Infantry Division. And in October 1981, he became General Officer Commanding, 3rd Armed Division Nigerian Army, before December 1983 coup when he became head of state.

After his government was unseated in a palace coup by General Ibrahim Babagida in1985, he later served as

chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), a body created by the government of General Sani Abacha who also overthrew an interim government led by Chief Ernest Shonekan in 1993.

In 2003, Buhari ran for office in the presidential election as the candidate of the AllPeople’s Party (APP).

On 18 December 2006 when the party changed its name to All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Major-Gen. Buhari was nominated as the consensus candidate of the party. His main challenger in the April 2007 polls was the ruling PDP candidate late president Umaru Yar’Adua.

In March 2010, Buhari left the ANPP for the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party that he had helped to found and was the CPC Presidential candidate in the 16 April 2011 general election, running against incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

However in 2015, he achieved a historic victory in the 28 March election, becoming the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent president in Nigeria. Today, he is the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the federal republic of Nigeria. He is the second to achieve the feat of ruling as military head of state and elected executive president after Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

In the same vein, His Excellency (Senator) Abubakar Bukola Saraki, a two term governor of Kwara State and president of the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who is also celebrating this birthday almost this same time with the president, was born to the family of former senate majority leader in the second republic, late senator Olusola Saraki on 19 December, 1962.

Senator Saraki went through the glide of education in Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) where he qualified as medical doctor. Upon qualification, he practiced as medical doctor at Rush Green Hospital, London.

After a stint of time in London, Abubakar returned to his home country of Nigeria in 1989 and served in various capacities in the financial sector rising to enviable positions.

After successful career in the financial sector, his delve into the Nigerian murky political waters were an answer to the clarion call from the people of Kwara State to seek office as an elected governor. He was elected

overwhelmingly at his debut in 2003 under the platform of the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and was re-elected for second time in 2007.

The call of the people for the senator to take front seat in Kwara politic was a recompense of what he did for them when he was appointed special assistance to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on budget in 2000. When he took office as special assistant on budget in 2000, the assiduous task of successful budget implementation, formulation and initiation of fiscal policies thereby became his constituency. Rising to the occasion, he initiated the Fiscal Responsibility Bill and served on Economic Policy Co-Ordination Committee, this added responsibilities to his office for formulation and implementation of key economic policies in the country where he performed creditably. The senate president used the position to improve the overall wellbeing of the people of his home state Kwara.

His tenure as governor was full of embodiment of creativities, innovations and outstanding results. For instance, his agricultural programme in the state was second to none; his educational and health policies were comparable to those of advanced nations of the world.

As the nation cum the world faced environmental challenges, Kwara under the senate president as governor, enjoyed environmental pragmatic reforms.

His incomparable policies as governor prompted his colleagues to elect him as chairman of governors’ forum. This trust bestowed on him by colleagues propelled him to vociferous on the success of peer review mechanism among the then colleagues of him, the state governors.

By his pragmatic policies as chairman of governor’s forum, the country witnessed accelerated development in nooks and crannies of the nation as there was cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of the government.

His developmental policies imbued him were not without reward. He was awarded several awards. It is on record that Saraki as governor was the first in that capacity to be honoured with Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Apart from the national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), the senate president’s silverware is replete with awards. After the nation recognised his contribution with national award, it challenged the state to

bestow him the traditional title of Turaki one of the highest traditional titles in the Ilorin Emirate Council and several others.

After excelling in the executive arm of government as governor, Saraki’s entrant into the senate of the federal republic is without fluke as he also excelled as senator of the federal republic before ascending to its presidency. He sponsored the motion on the floor of the senate on the need to end fuel subsidy regime in Nigeria. Apart from fuel subsidy regime motion, the distinguished senator also sponsored other bills and motions, this include National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency Amendment Bill 2012 which is aimed at putting a halt to oil spill in the Niger Delta, as well as Gas Flaring Prohibition Bill 2012, he was an ardent supporters of Climatic Change Bill 2013.

In his capacity as chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, distinguished Senator Saraki was vocal on improving the living standard of Nigerians being threatened by ecological problems. He was firmed standing against Meat Poisoning incident in Zamfara State where scores of lives were endangered was a nostalgic case he championed. Also Global Alliance for Clean Cook-stoves, a vision for healthy living for the citizenry and conserving the environment from deforestation was another case the senate president showed zeal and passion for Nigerians.

On assumption of office as senate president, Senator Saraki has not shown any trace of animosity against any senator or party member that were oppose to his ascendency to the pinnacle of his legislative career. Again, the senate president showed that he meant well for the country. He visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri, first of its kind for any occupier of the exalted office of senate president. He did not only visit the troubled state but donated money for rehabilitation of the displaced people.

As the presidents celebrate the mercy of the Almighty for adding another year to their lives, and honouring them with another exalted offices, it is my sincere prayer that He gives them good health and wisdom sail the ship of the Nigerian affairs, safely ashore.

and fiercely committed to the ideals of progressivism. The virtue of Mr Faleke present struggle in the matter of Kogi gubernatorial seat lies in its inevitability, its morality, its objectivity and its hope, of course, its humanity.

The greatest outrage against democratic norms, the worst scenario of treachery and shameless would have gone down in history had Faleke not resisted the convenient decision to submit the Audu/Faleke mandate to Alhaji Yahaya Bello and deputize him like a cheerful slave. Without doubt, Mr Faleke is a quintessential party man with unquestionable loyalty to the All Progressive Party, but these are no ordinary times, clear warps and distortions are noticeable in the decisions so far taken by the party in the course of the matter at hand and naturally, a man like Faleke is duty bound to help untangle the party from the dire consequences of its expedient decision. Around the country and beyond, the preference for Yahaya

Bello over Abiodun Faleke to carry on late Prince Audu unfinished business has met with serious revulsion.

For more reasons than the few that informed the former choice, the latter remains the eminently qualified APC man to play the role of late Prince Audu replacement. Regardless of how matters now stand, the roles of the two men before, during and after the November 21 election in Kogi state are well known and recognized. As opposed to the superficiality and opportunism that sits with Yahaya Bello adventure, Faleke ambition on the other hand, is hinged by a possibility driven by participation, contribution and legitimate conscience. Unarguably, Faleke ambition stems from a moral depth and represents the only sane, humane and just consideration for the multitudinous indigenous Igala people of the state and the sympathetic memory of the late Prince Audu. The death of Prince Audu has become a factor in political discourse. The Igala

nation, the late Prince Audu kinsfolk’s, a huge factor in the political direction of the state and not withstanding a fanatical circle of political adversaries, Prince Audu was more than just “one of us “ to his people; and now that he is no more, it is obvious that they know better. As expected, they may have resigned themselves to uncomfortable times but the shock of their grief could be lightened if what they, along with late Audu, worked can go to a man who embodied and expressed Audu philosophy and vision. Kogi state, a victim of wasteful administrative effort could be the better for it if availed the benefits of Faleke wisdom and grassroots administrative experience. Lagos state represents our most advanced democracy.

Democracy in lagos state is quite inclusive and, of course, progressive thus allowing individuals with talents and charisma to thrive.

Being a success in Lagos politics as Faleke has is no easy feat and he can be

trusted to advance on his experience and to harness his social and political wherewithal to steer Kogi to the much needed prosperity in line with the vision and strategic framework of the Audu/ Faleke platform. If Audu was trusted, that trust should serve as a cover for Faleke. The expectations are even higher with Faleke. He has got energy, intellect and vibrancy. He has the advantage of peer reviewing his own strategy against the one he has inherited from Audu and ensure the best leadership deal ever for the citizens of Kogi state.

By and large, Audu votes are Faleke votes. It is callous to assert that Audu votes died with him, it is unjust, immoral and senseless to transfer Audu votes to a man who never had anything to do with Audu or the APC during the campaigns.

Faleke struggle is a testaments to courage and sacrifice.

Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wrote in from Abuja.

Faleke: A stitch in time saves nine

By Musa Wada

L

ong before the unfortunate circumstances of the death of Prince Abubakar Audu summoned Mr Faleke to an urgent fate, he stood out as a man of principle. His uniqueness is neither here nor there.

Practicing politics with an uncommon candour, compassion and wisdom, Faleke, a highly respected legislator in Nigeria House of Representatives, has recorded stellar accomplishments for Ikeja constituents including insightful floor amendments and contributions.

He is one of the most highly respected council boss in Lagos state. He earned that respect due to his knowledge, talent and strategic success in accomplishing so much for Ojodu LGA citizens while being a champion for the interests of the Masses.

Abiodun Faleke is a man distinguished essentially by a refinement of character. He is a study in loyalty. He is honest, intelligent

Wada wrotes in from Abuja

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

PAGE 13

Comment

PMB’s economic policy direction

By Abubakar Usman

I

have heard and I have read, many people say that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari does not have an economic direction. That this is the reason why things are getting bad in the country. My submission is that people who share this opinion have either refused to tell themselves the truth or they live elsewhere outside this world. However, I have decided to pen this piece to let them know that not only does the Buhari government have an economic direction, it is also one that looks very promising.

In the last few months, particularly since President Buhari took over the mantle of leadership, things have really taken a nose dive. The hunger in the land is increasing, the unemployment rate is worsening and the poor are getting poorer.

Was this unexpected? The answer is a clear no. What we are witnessing today is not a factor of a Buhari government. I posit that Nigeria would still have been witnessing the same thing or even worse if Jonathan were to be the president today and I will tell you why.

Except for the first quarter of 2015 when the price of crude under the Jonathan regime sold for $58.7 per barrel on the average, Nigeria’s crude sold for as high as $150. In 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, Nigeria’s crude was

sold for a yearly average of $113.8, $113.5 $111.0 and $100.4 per barrels respectively. Within the same period, our foreign reserves rose and fell from $32,639.8bn $43,830.4bn $42,847.3bn and $34,250bn respectively, before it finally crashed to $29,595.28bn in the first quarter of 2 015, while the country’s GDP rose from $409.34bn in 2011 to $561.61bn in 2014. (Source: RTC Advisory Services Ltd, Nigeria Retrospect – Economy and Policy, 1999-2015).

Looking at the above figures, the belief was that Nigeria’s economy was on a good footing, but this is not exactly so. Why the growth figures are good, the successes recorded are largely uncoordinated, especially because the structure and quality of growth were not considered.

This is why the UNDP Human Development Report, 1996 stated that “unless governments take timely corrective action, economic growth can become lopsided and flawed. Determined efforts are needed to avoid growth that is jobless, ruthless, voiceless, rootless and futureless.” Take unemployment for example, despite the huge revenue from oil between 2011 and 2014, the unemployment rate never really dropped. In 2013, it was 24.7% and in 2014, it stood at 24.3%.

Even in 2012 when the yearly average of oil earning was $113, unemployment rate stood at 27.4%.

The question then is why are

most Nigerians poor despite rising revenues and GDP growth?

The answers are not far-fetched.

Firstly, oil which is Nigeria’s main revenue does not by itself, create many jobs. Jobs created from oil are only a few compared to the revenue it generates. Secondly, is the issue of corruption and lack of transparency that was pervasive in the last government. Over the last four years, there have been several alarming and scandalous cases of corruption in Nigeria. From the $6bn fuel subsidy scam to the missing $20billion NNPC scam and the 300,000-400,000 barrels of oil per day that was stolen from the country amongst many others.

And juxtaposing this with the fact the infrastructural problem of the country especially in areas of roads and transportation; power; information technology continue to suffer neglect despite huge revenue, it will be a mirage to think that Nigeria can be repositioned for success.

One other thing responsible for the poor state of affairs in the country is the fact that the poor population of 110 million Nigerians lack access to healthcare, education and other social welfare programmes due to low spending on these sectors by the last government.

So what is the way forward?

What is the Buhari government doing differently? Since coming into power, President Buhari has put in place measures specifically to shore up the revenue of

government because no matter how lofty your plans are, you can only implement those plans where there is money. This is why the president has ensured transparency in the oil and gas sector with the appointment of Dr Ibe Kachiku as the GMD of NNPC who in turn has taken measures to reform the sector and block leakages in oil revenue.

The president also appointed Babatunde Fowler, the man who turned around the revenue of Lagos State to head the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) and Hameed Ali into the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS). With the reforms and re-organisation going on in these two agencies of government, the plan is to ensure that revenue earned from both surpasses the revenue generated from oil.

The directive that all ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government register for the Treasury Single Account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria is also another measure to shore up government revenue.

At least N1.4tn had so far been paid into the TSA to date, an amount that would have been available to looters to feast on in previous administration.

In addition, the government is also pursuing an anti-corruption agenda to prosecute and bring to justice, those who turned the country’s resources into their private pockets. Though, nobody has been convicted so far, but

some perpetrators have been taken to court and some amount of money recovered. I believe details on this will be made available soon.

Away from shoring up revenue, government has also put in place measures to invest in the people (social sector investment).

To achieve this therefore, the government has outlined an objective of stimulating and supporting the establishment of world class skill acquisition centres in all 109 senatorial districts of the federation. The government has also made a commitment to provide one meal a day for all primary school pupils which will create 1.14million jobs in agriculture, with a multiplier effect in increased food production and attract investment.

Boosting rural economy, lifting millions out of poverty through a conditional fund transfer to 25 million poorest households to incentivize vaccination, education and production is also at the heart of the government. The government is also set to diversify the economy by investing in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment and technology as well as boosting education and building capacity to improve teacher quality with the expectation of having an educated population to increase economic potential for productivity.

Usman is of the Buhari Media Support Group.

Cigarette imports and the long wait for the health ministry

By Ishola John

T

he alleged circumvention of Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act by Philip Morris International (PMI) through import of unlicensed cigarette brands into Nigeria would seem to reinforce the long-held views by public health experts that the tobacco industry will never abide by any rule that seeks to regulate the marketing and sale of their products.

The revelation adds to a list of scandals that the tobacco industry has been linked with in recent time. Only last month, an expose aired on British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Panorama exposed British American Tobacco (BAT) briberies to weaken antitobacco legislations in East Africa.

Paul Hopkins the whistleblower and former BAT worker revealed a shameful financial inducement contrived and carefully implemented by BAT in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Comoros Islands.

Hopkins revealed that the company funded illegal corporate espionage and its contractors bribed politicians and policymakers in the aforementioned countries

to stall the passage of laws that are in consonance with the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) As the global condemnation over that issue continues to garner support, PMI is now in the news.

The company is said to have registered a subsidiary in Nigeria – Philip Morris International Nigeria Limited (PMINTL Nigeria Limited) on December 11, 2014 and by May 2015 got the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) certificate for the brands which would be imported into Nigeria from Senegal from September 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016.

On the surface the entire transaction may seem harmless but in reality something is not right about it.

Following the revelation of the alleged transaction, public health experts demanded an investigation of PMI and agencies of government that may have turned a blind eye, fast-tracked the entire process on the or compromised to ensure that not only does the PMI subsidiary get quickly registered, but also to ensure the imports come in unnoticed to undermine the National Tobacco Control Act.

In dissecting what seemed to have transpired, it can be deduced that while PMI was on the race to get its products licensed, it was very much aware that former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan would sign the Tobacco Control Act into law and the license to import would not be granted.

Fortunately Jonathan signed the Tobacco Control Act on 25 May 2015, barely a week after PMI got the SON certificate for five PMI brands: Malboro Gold, Malboro.

Chesterfield Blue, Chesterfield Mint Burst and Bond Street Blue and since PMI was yet to get other approvals and complete the documentation processes for importation, it ought to have complied with the new law.

Even with the SON approval, PMI still needed the Finance ministry approval to enable it complete the importation process.

By the time it applied for Finance ministry approval, the Act was already in place and under Nigerian laws, PMI was already bound by the Act. Since the National Tobacco Control Act became effective from 25 May 2015 which was the date of its signing by the former president, the responsibility of authorising a

license to import or distribute the tobacco products now rests with the Health Minister. Further, Section 29 (1) says “No person shall manufacture, import or distribute tobacco or tobacco products except the person has obtained license or is authorized in writing by the Minister” The Act also stipulates sanctions for violators in Section 30 (3a) “a tobacco manufacturer or importer, upon conviction, will pay a fine of not less than N10,000,000.00 and a term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years or both; The fact that PMI still went ahead to obtain the go-ahead from other agencies of government (excluding health ministry) to import well after May 25 makes the transactions very suspect.

What Nigerians now expect the Minister of Health to do is to intervene in this controversy and set the records straight. Of utmost importance also, is the need for the Ministry of Health to also fast-track the development and adoption of strong regulations for effective implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act. In coming up with regulations, it must be wary of tobacco

industry interference in form of suggestions on how the law will be implemented or run its course.

The WHO-FCTC explicitly warned that “in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law”.

This warning in Article 5.3 of the WHO-FCTC means the Ministry of Health as the focal agency of government implementing the National Tobacco Control Act must ensure the tobacco companies operating in Nigeria do not exploit loopholes in our laws as public health experts feel the PMI transactions may seem to indicate, and ensure that violators are prosecuted.

On the long run, the way the controversy over the PMI cigarette imports is handled will show Nigeria’s readiness or otherwise to fulfill its obligations under the WHO FCTC. A mis-step will definitely send a wrong message.

Ishola John, an analyst wrote in from Ibadan.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

News

Bauchi hosts 2016 annual Hausa music day From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

N Fire fighters at scene of inferno where a warehouse was gutted, on Sunday night at Wuse market, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Katsina govt pledges to strengthen Tsangaya schools From Lawal Katsina

Sa’idu

Funtua,

D

eputy Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu has pledged that the state government would strengthen the 19 existing Tsangaya Islamic schools located in the former seven local governments of the state.

Yakubu made the pledge while speaking at the closing ceremony

of the 2015 Qur’anic recitation competition held weekend at the Sir Usman Nagogo College of Arabic and Islamic Studien, Katsina.

He similarly noted that the government has constructed new Tsangaya schools in Matazu, Rijiyar Tsamiya, Dankama, Kusada and Safana as well as according to him the completion of the new Tahfeez College in Katsina.

Yakubu observed that the

annual Qur’anic recitation competition encourages Muslims youths the world over to attained an appreciable perfection in reading, reciting and committing to memory the whole of the holy Qur’an.

He added that the competition also focuses towards forging Unity, understanding, respect for one another as well as he said improves the spirit bof Islamic brotherhood as enjoined by Allah (SWT)

In a remark, the director of the state Islamic bureau, organisers of the competition, Alhaji Usman Imam thanked the state government for releasing the sum of N10 million for the organizers of the competition.

He added that each of the 34 local governments of the state got N160, 000 for preparations while Daura zone was given N540, 000, Funtua zone N494, 000 and N495, 000 for Katsina zone.

Encomium as Justice Auta retires in Minna

From Yakubu Mustapha,Minna

T

he Chief Judge of Niger state, Honorable Justice Fati Lami Abubakar has described the retired state high court judge, Justice Christopher Ibrahim Auta as hard-working, humble, simple and dedicated Judicial officer to be emulated.

Justice Abubakar made the disclosure yesterday in Minna at the valedictory court session in honour of retired Justice Christopher I. Auta of Niger State High Court added that he is a pictograph of the wisdom that came with working as an arbiter in the temple of justice.

She assured the judiciary workers in the state of improved welfare packages for their efficiency and effective service delivery devoid of corruption.

Chief Judge reiterated the state judiciary’s appreciation to the retired officer who she said had left a vacuum cleaners that will be felt by the state judiciary since his retirement in June this year.

The Niger State, Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello who was represented by the Solicitor General of the State, Alhaji Ndagi Wali disclosed that a good judge must be always patient which was the

greatest attribute of Justice Auta.

He stated that he succeeded due to his ability to be very patient and good listener while urging other judges and lawyers in the state and Nigeria to emulate such virtues if they must succeed in their careers.

Responding, the retired Judge, Justice Christopher Ibrahim Auta frown at the disparity of judges age of retirement in Nigeria just as he said there should be no differences between judges in the country, just as he appreciated the Chief Judge

of the state and Niger State government for their supports.

Barrister Ibrahim Ishaku SAN, said lack of adequate library facilities in the country was a challenge to the judiciary but relayed on past judgments in passing there’s, that was not obtainable in contemporary society.

The Chairman State branch of Nigeria Bar Association, Barrister Baba Aliyu noted that the accusation of corruption tendencies in the judiciary was due to inadequate funding and autonomy of the judiciary even as he warned to fish out any member found wanting.

Taraba PDP delegates congratulate ex-acting gov. at 68

From Ayodele Samuel,Lagos

O

ver 400 delegates elected from 168 electoral wards in Taraba State under the umbrella of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the weekend facilitated with the former acting governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar UTC, on his 68 birthday.

The delegates said this in a special birthday message signed Bala Ahmed, PDP delegate Gassol LGA on behalf other delegates.

The group described Umar as a visionary leader, who has exhibited his capacity of leading Taraba to its dream land.

While commending the uncompromising attitude of Umar, the delegates ‎said “they have resolved to continue to support Umar aspiration and vision for a better Taraba State.

The delegates describing Umar as the major victim of the PDP political robbery in the state, said the governorship election tribunal

has vindicated his strong claim that they was no PDP primary election.

“We were denied our voting rights to choose a candidate for our party, you stood by us as a good and worthy party leader despite injustice melt on you by selfish party leaders and pressure to compromise our common goal.”

Among the legacies of Umar, highlighted by the PDP delegates are payment of bursary and construction of roads among others.

“We are happy to rejoice with you on your 68th birthday, you remain the one of the best individual who had govern the state, you gave the people good roads, created massive employments and paid backlogs of students bursary among other within two years, all these stands you out as a good leader.”

The delegates wish the former acting governor better years ahead in good health”, they added.

The former acting governor was born 19 December 1947.

ot less than 100 Hausa musicians across the country and neighboring countries will converge in Bauchi state for the 2016 Annual National Hausa Music Day billed to take place from December 30, to January 1, 2016.

The chairman of the organizing committee, Haruna Aliyu Ningi stated this while briefing newsmen in Bauchi yesterday, saying all arrangements have been concluded to host the 3 day event which will bring an array of Hausa musicians from Nigeria and the neighboring countries such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic.

According to him, “so many of our Hausa musicians are doing very well but they are not recognize and popular so we believe this even will bring them to a limelight because over 100 Hausa musicians will perform at the event.”

He said the event with the theme “Traditional Music A Vehicle For Social Harmony and Diplomacy will feature musical concerts, public lectures and award in recognition of artists and veteran Hausa musicians.

Ningi said, “The aim of the annual event is to encourage and make some of the Hausa musicians popular.

On the theme of the event, Aliyu Ningi said the them was chosen in order to educate the listeners on the messages contained in the music because music is one of the easiest ways to send message to the society “Music is a message because people can not listen to other to things the way they listen to music.

“When you put a message in a music , a lot of people listen to it because you can listen to music anywhere, that is why music is unique in sending a message.

On criticisms that trailed the recently concluded Music festival in Kaduna, Ningi who is the famous musician in Bauchi, said those criticizing the festival do not have interest in it saying that the reality is that musical festival should hold because of their importance to society and not the cost of holding the event.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

PAGE 15

Akwa Ibom assembly gets new speaker

By Doyin Ojosipe with agency report

T

he Akwa Ibom House of Assembly has elected a new speaker following the Court of Appeal’s nullification of the election of the former speaker, Mr Aniekan Uko (PDP- Ibesikpo/ Asutan Constituency).

The new speaker elected

yesterday, is Mr Onofiok Luke (PDP-Nsit Ubium Constituency).

Luke is a two-term state legislator and the immediate past chairman, House Committee on Education.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 24 members, out of 26 were present during Monday’s session.

In the same vein, the

House Deputy Leader, Mr Aniefiok Dennis (PDP-Etinan Constituency) was replaced by Mr Aniekan Bassey (PDP- Uruan Constituency).

The replacement of Dennis followed the Court of Appeal’s nullification of his election.

The former speaker’s election was nullified a week ago by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja

and a re-run ordered.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the sitting, the new speaker said that he ascribed his emergence to the will of God. “We ascribe everything that happened today to God. Only God should take glory,” Luke said.

He promised to work for the unity and progress of the state.

(NAN)

Catholic priest tasks politicians on humility, simplicity From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

T

he Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku in Delta State , Rt. Rev. Michael Elue has urged political office holders to imbibe the virtue of humility and simplicity, saying, “you stand to gain everything when you are humble and when you are simple.”

The cleric made the call weekend at the thanksgiving service of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu.

The event saw the state Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa led top government functionaries to the occasion which took place at the All Saints Catholic Church, Onicha Ugbo, Aniocha North local government area of Delta State.

Elue commended Dr Kachikwu for giving thanks to God, saying the Christians should pray for him to succeed as Minister and Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“The Minister has invited us to pray with him so that he will grow in his calling, he also know that without the assistance of God, no good can be achieved by anybody and no strategy can succeed,” the Bishop said, adding, “he desires that his brothers and sisters pray for him to succeed.”

“Jesus said we should be perfect as His Heavenly Father is perfect; Jesus does not want us to be just ordinary; the command is, you must be exceptional; so, we remind our brother that he, as a Catholic should be exceptional in his job because, our vocation as Catholics is to be salt of the earth and the light of the world; the world may be a very dangerous place but our lives should redeem it,” the Bishop emphasized.

Governors, captains of industries also, attended the ceremony.

L-R: Bauchi state Governor, Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar, welcoming Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, during APC rally where about 3,070 PDP members decamped to APC, on Sunday in Dutse, Jigawa state. Photo: NAN

Why Nigeria is in economic mess - Uzodinma

By Ali Abare Abubakar

C

hairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has said that the current economic challenges facing Nigeria was not a direct consequence of the fall in oil prices but because the country had perennially mismanaged her petroleum resources.

During a chat with newsmen at the weekend, the lawmaker was of the view that the country’s oil wealth was not managed well leading to the present precarious state adding that if it had been managed well, the nation would have been able to weather the storm even if oil were to sell below 20 US Dollars per barrel.

He attributed the hiccups

in the sector to government’s inability to muster the political will to enforce the rules.

He argued that Nigeria would not have been relying on imported petroleum products had the government compelled the Joint Venture Companies (JVCs) to refine at least 20% of their products locally adding that the panacea to the perennial problem of shortage of petroleum products is to reduce importation.

“With the current price of oil and the drastic fall in foreign exchange earnings, we cannot afford to continue to import refined fuel. We had thought that by now local refineries would have begun to work and reduce the need for importation, but that has not been realized” he said.

Senator Uzodinma advised

however, that the Petroleum Industry Bill should be adjusted to make it compulsory for JVCs to become involved in downstream operations. “If the JVCs refine at least 20% of their products locally, that would reduce the costs of importation and therefore the cost of subsidy” he said.

Uzodinma who represents Imo West, similarly advised the country to develop other sectors, especially Maritime, Aviation and Communications to cushion her economy from the instability of the petroleum sector, which he said will linger for some time.

“Most OPEC countries are migrating to Communications, Aviation and Maritime and we should emulate them” he advised.

NUJ tells NASS to expose its 2016 budget

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has urged the National Assembly to be transparent regarding its annual budget by exposing its own share of the national budget to enable Nigerians scrutinise them.

President of NUJ, Waheed Odusile, who made this request when he paid a courtesy call on the Senate President, Bukola Saraki in Abuja, said openness of NASS budgets to Nigerians would go a long way in enhancing its credibility before the public.

He said over the years, Nigerians have always been interested in knowing what and what packages in monetary terms, each member of the National Assembly is collecting on monthly or yearly basis and what and what projects the National Assembly has been executing with the over N100 billion budget votes it has been collecting since 1999.

Odusile who also pleaded for collaboration of the National Assembly in passing into law, a bill on self regulation of Media practice in the country as a way of getting rid of quacks, also admonished NASS to refrain from considering any bill aimed at gagging the press.

“For far too long, we have been hearing negative stories about NASS and we expect NASS to be more open because Nigerians want to know more about your budgets and how they are appropriated.

“We are the only profession that the constitution gives the power to monitor governance and to hold government accountable to the people. We have been trying our best to do that but we have constraints and these are some of the things we said we should bring before the leadership of the National assembly to assist us in moving journalism forward in this country.

“We are not entirely satisfied with the way journalism is practised in the country today not necessarily due to the fault of the practitioners but the enabling environment that is not making it conducive for us to operate the way we should and the way our colleagues elsewhere work”, he said.

In his remarks, Saraki said NASS will support any legislation to make journalism more effectively practiced in Nigeria, urging the leadership of the union to bring forth any legislation that will protect journalists in doing their jobs.

He further promised that the National Assembly would make open all its appropriated funds for 2016 to Nigerians, as part of its own change agenda anchored on transparency and accountability.

Just as he said that the 8th Senate and by extension, National Assembly, would not come up with any bill that will gag the press or trample on peoples’ right to freedom of information.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Politics

Kwara House approves Gov Ahmed’s N20b bond

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

he Kwara State House of Assembly has directed the state government to use part of the earlier approved and accessed loans for execution of projects which have direct bearing on the people of the state.

This followed a motion without notice raised by the leader of the House, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke on utilisation of the accessed loan for some critical development projects in the state.

The projects enumerated by the House were arrived at following public hearing in

various constituencies conducted by members.

The projects were Elerin way - Ga’a Iyaloja, Egbejila - Asa dam road, Idigba - Alfa Yahaya in Ilorin West LGA Maya - Ile-Apa - Lajiki - Oke-Oyi road in Ilorin East Amayo - Agbabiaka - Tanke road in Ilorin South, Afon - Aboto - Oyo State boundary road in Asa LGA, Osi -Obbo - Aiyegunle, 24km Offa township roads, Iloffa/Odo-Owa township roads, completion of Zambufu - Shagbe road, Offa GRA - Ipee township road, Ojugbede Awe - Ohan road.

Other roads which the House directed the State Government to

execute were Abati - Alara - Oloru road, Oke-Oyi - Lanwa road and Yahikira - More - Kishi rural roads to fast track the socio-economic transformation of the state.

He praised the Speaker of the State House of Assembly for creating the platform for the people of the state to have inputs in the projects that would be executed in their localities through the constituencies briefing which according to him was the first of its kind.

Hon. Oyeleke explained with delight that the public hearings had helped to articulate the needs of the people which he said

would help the state government to execute only those projects that would have direct positive impact on the people of the state.

He said the current challenge of paucity of funds and dwindling federal allocation made it expedient for government to borrow money but the House he said resolved that in order to attain the best result, there should be a public hearing and consultations with Kwarans in which most Kwarans preferred road projects to other developmental strides.

Members who spoke on behalf of Kwara Central, South

L-R: APC Governorship Candidate for Bayelsa state, Mr. Timipre Sylva, APC Deputy Chairman for South-West, Chief Segun Oni, and APC Director of Organisation, Mr. Abubakar Kari, during INEC chairman’s meeting with leaders of political parties and candidates for Bayelsa state governorship election, recently in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

and North Senatorial Districts Hon. AbdulRafiu AbdulRahman, Barrister Kamaldeen Fagbemi and Alhaji Isiaku Adams praised the speaker for creating a platform for government to feel the pulse of the people on projects needed to be executed in their localities saying that the legislators remain the intermediary between the people and the government.

The speaker in his remark, praised members for choosing to meet the yearning of the people, saying the House under his leadership had higher responsibility of raising the bar of governance by reflecting the wishes of their people in projects to be executed in their localities and described this as democracy in action which other states of the federation should emulate.

The House has authorised the state government to raise debt capital of up to N20bn for a tenor of 7 years from the capital market on such terms and conditions and by any offering method as the State Executive Council may deem appropriate.

This followed the adoption of the report on the documents earlier submitted by the executive on the utilisation of the bond with some amendments on some projects like the Osi and Ilesha - Baruba campuses of the State University and Kaiama - Tesse road.

The House equally authorised the state to deduct on monthly basis a sum as may be determined by the State Executive Council from the statutory allocation accruing to the state from the federation account.

It also mandated the Commissioner for Finance and the Accountant General of the state to take all steps, including issuing of a revocable standing order and letter of authority authorising the Accountant General of the federation to deduct the amount from the state’s monthly statutory allocation from the federation account for the credit facility.

Delta Speaker blames LG crisis on negative attitude of leaders From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

A

n insight into the robust and pleasant relationship between the legislature and executive in the state was yesterday given by the Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Monday Igbuya.

The speaker in an interactive session with key local government functionaries in Delta State said “the bitterness that has pervaded the passing of state appropriation bills and other bills as experienced in some states has been clearly absent in Delta State”.

“Since the creation of Delta

State, the legislature and executive have continued to enjoy a cordial relationship which has translated to the rapid development of the state” he said.

Igbuya who harped on the need to maintain the status quo stressed on the three broad duties of the legislature, which include law making, representation and oversight.

He identified the constitution, character of council chairmen and councilors, the level of socio-economic and political stability in the local government, the disposition of the governor, paucity of funds and outright

refusal of council chairmen to disclose the financial strength of the council as sources of conflict in the local government.

“With the dwindling fortune of our economic main stay in the area of revenue, particularly the sharp and ridiculous drop in the price of crude oil, we don’t need a soothsayer to tell us that these are perilous times and there is no better time to develop, maintain and improve upon the cordial relations that has existed and has continued to exist between the legislature and the executive in Delta State” He urged those in the

executive arm to always take into cognizance the yearnings and aspirations of the people.

“There should be direct interactions between the legislature and executive arms of government, even as each arm operates strictly within its constitutional provisions.

Sufficient information, consultation and effective communication should exist between the legislature and the executive arms of government, particularly in the area of government finances and spending, so as to guide against unsettling perceptions and wrong

analysis of government programs, especially in the areas of legislative oversight” he advised.

“The Delta State House of Assembly in this short space of time has successfully passed the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency Law, 2015, Delta State Technical and Vocational Education Board Law, 2015 and Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Law, 2015 while the Delta State Appropriation (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Delta State Contributory Health Commission Bill, 2015 are waiting for assent” he added.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

PAGE 17

Politics

$2b Arms Scam: Group urges FG to try beneficiaries for treason A

coalition of Society groups, New Nigeria Agenda and The Nigerian Project yesterday, urged the Federal Government to try all beneficiaries of the two billion meant for the purchase of arms for treason.

The Coordinator of the group, Mr Phil Roberts, made the call at a joint news conference in Abuja.

He said ``it is our wish that anyone, no matter how highly placed, that is found culpable

should be treated as committing treason against the Nigerian state. ``This is because we believe it is the only way people in position of authority will respect the innocent lives of Nigerians placed under their watch. ``Now that we know that funds meant for our security was embezzled by a few, we are happy that the long arm of the law will gradually bring all of them to justice.’’

Roberts urged Nigerians to support the military in the fight against insurgency as it was a collective fight.

He said ``we also want to empathically state that this fight is a fight that demands the participation of every wellmeaning Nigerian.’’

He added that the group decided to speak out in total condemnation of how Nigerian troops were subjected to ridicule.

He explained that the group

had taken it upon itself to launch the Support Our Troops Initiative to create sustained awareness on military operations against insurgency in the country.

He called for adequate funding of the military in the 2016 appropriation to boost their morale.

The coordinator condemned comments by some Nigerians on the recent action of the Army against the Shiite group who allegedly attacked the Chief of

Army Staff (COAS) convoy in Zaria.

He said ``the act by the Shiites was a clear attempt to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff. ``But to our greatest shock, we read where Nigerians have been condemning the Army, all to make the government look bad.’’

He said there was nowhere in the world today where civilians would confront the Army in such a manner without sinister motive. (NAN)

Taraba Governorship: Appeal Court reserves judgment on Ishaku’s election

By Patience Paul with agency report

T

he Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday reserved judgment in an appeal filed

by Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba against the nullification of his electoral victory by a tribunal.

Justice Abdul Aboki said the court would later announce the date for the judgment in the appeal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the appeal by Ishaku followed the judgment of the Taraba Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Nov. 7 and awarded victory to Mrs Aisha Alhassan of APC. Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN), Counsel to Ishaku, raised four issues in the appeal.

He said the petition was not accompanied by valid statements as the respondents claimed that it was the fault of the registry.

Agabi said the respondents claimed that the election was marred with corruption yet claimed victory in the election.

He said the respondents also pleaded that Ishaku was not sponsored by the party but later agreed that his sponsorship was not supported by any fact.

He complained that 51 witnesses of the appellant were not reviewed by the tribunal and urged their lordships to allow the appeal.

Mr Solo Akuma (SAN), Counsel to Peoples’ Democratic Party PDP and Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN), Counsel to INEC urged the court to allow Ishaku’s appeal.

However, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), Counsel to Alhassan, filed a cross appeal, saying INEC had no right to clear a candidate for election.

He urged the court to dismiss Ishaku’s appeal and uphold the tribunal’s judgment. (NAN)

Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (4th right), Managing Director, Hadeja Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Senator Masa’Udu El-Jibril Doguwa (4th left), Directors, Hadeja Jama’are River basin Development Authority, and others, during a visit to Chief Whip, recently at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Bayelsa poll: APC raises alarm over alleged plans by PDP to victimize top civil servants From Isaac Money, Yenagoa

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised alarm over Governor Seriake Dickson’s alleged plan to victimize top civil servants that are not in support of his election bid.

But the PDP campaign organisation has denied the allegation, saying its but a false alarm.

The APC, in a statement from Sylva/ Igiri Campaign organisation, signed by Director of Media, Chief Nathan Igba, alleged that in the governor’s “ acts of desperation, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, has vowed to use all possible official means to deal with some top civil servants and politicians believed not to have supported him in the ongoing governorship election”.

The statement, titled “Bayelsa Guber election fall out: Dickson

stops salaries of top Civil Servants, Politicians”, also alleged that Governor Dickson is also buying up Permanent Voters Cards to perpetuate illegal voting in the rescheduled Southern Ijaw elections.

“The Governor is at the same time buying up Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) of eligible voters from Southern Ijaw and other Local Government Areas ahead of the January, 9th 2016, rescheduled election”, he added.

Chief Egba said it was disturbing for a governor preaching good governance and good democratic norms to be muzzling up his people to support him against one of the pillars of democracy that preaches freedom of choice and association.

“The strategy of the Governor Dickson is to throw around cash as a form of inducement to secure victory and at the end abandon

the people again like he has done for almost 4 years now”.

The statement advised Bayelsans not to be carried away with the cash and other gifts which are just “Greek gifts” at this crucial period in the life of the state. “Our people should stop selling their PVCs to the Governor’s agents who are also asking for passport pictures of those who’s PVCS they buy, with the promise of opening bank accounts into which monthly allowances would be paid”.

Reacting to the allegations, a statement from the Bayelsa Restoration Campaign Organisation and signed by the Director of Publicity, Jonathan Obuebite, however described the allegation as “false and desperate propaganda claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state that it has stopped December salaries of civil servants”.

Further debunking the

allegations, Obuebite said civil servants in Bayelsa State trust Governor Dickson not take such an action because they know him as the most civil servant friendly governor who places premium on their welfare and general wellbeing.

“Governor Dickson bluntly refused to apply for bailout but rather took the hard decision to cut down on all other expenditure of government just for the sake of Bayelsa workers. Sylva does not have that kind of discipline because Bayelsans know him as having ran a profligate system, thereby plunging the state into huge debts to the tune of N432 billion that the Dickson government has reduced to N90b, making the state now as one of the least indebted in the country as opposed to the unenviable rank of being of the highest during Sylva’s regime of misrule”, Obuebite was quoted as saying in the statement.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

PAGE 18

Politics Faleke drags Bello to tribunal From Ahmad Ibrahim, Lokoja

A

ll is now set for the commencement of post election legal fireworks at the Kogi State Governorship Petition Tribunal, following the filing of petition by Hon. Abiodun Faleke, challenging the declaration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as governor.

Faleke who stormed the tribunal at the High Court complex in Lokoja around 11.30 am yesterday, expressed

confidence that justice would be done at the end of the struggle.

He told newsmen shortly after filing his petition that he has nothing against the leadership of the party, adding that he decided to drag the electoral umpire to court as a result of the process that produced Alhaji Bello as governor.

Faleke stressed that his late boss, Prince Abubakar Audu and him won the governorship poll conducted on the 21st of November, maintaining that

the supplementary election of 5th of December, this year was completely unnecessary.

He assured that if they get justice at the end of the day, everything humanly possible would be done to fulfill the electioneering campaign promises they made to the people of the state.

Meanwhile, Hon. Faleke has said that the current battle to reclaim the mandate freely given to them by the people of the state was not aimed at fighting

the people of the central axis of the state.

Addressing a large crowd at Prince Audu’s residence in Lokoja yesterday, Hon. Faleke said their decision to approach the court was to get justice, insisting that the injustice done them was too glaring.

While expressing confidence in the judiciary to come to their rescue, Hon. Faleke stressed that he would give his all to ensure that the battle is fought to a logical conclusion.

Kumo now APC candidate for Akko Federal Constituency

By Ali Abare Abubakar

F

ollowing the Court of Appeal judgement nullifying the election of Abubakar Barambu as the member of the Federal House of Representatives, as well as banning the lawmaker from re-contesting the seat, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared Dattuwa Ali Kumo as its candidate in the rescheduled election for Akko Federal Constituency in Gombe State.

Ali Kumo is expected to contest in the yet to be scheduled re-run election against the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sama’ila Kashere, a former Commissioner for Rural Development who was defeated in the first vote.

It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal annulled Rep Barambu’s election after the PDP candidate instituted a case seeking for the nullification of the election alleging that Barambu was till the election an active member of the PDP but won the

election under the platform of the APC. The court equally barred the former lawmaker from participating in the re-run election.

The Barambu’s replacement by the APC with Ali Kumo is reportedly similar to what transpired in the Kogi election, after the passing away of the party’s gubernatorial candidate, when the party had no option than to substitute the late Prince Abubakar Audu with Yahaya Bello who came second during the governorship primary of the party in the state.

Ali Kumo was said to have been the runner-up in the party’s primary election for the Akko Federal Constituency.

APC youths in the constituency have hailed the choice of the party, describing Ali Kumo as a youth capable of representing their interest at the National Assembly, stressing that the candidate emerged successful mostly because of his forbearance and loyalty to the party.

Dattuwa Ali Kumo

FCT Area Councils poll: APGA concludes primaries in Gwagwalada

By Ochiaka Ugwu

T

he All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Gwagwalada Area council has concluded its primary elections for the party flag bearers in the forth coming FCT Area Councils elections coming up on March 19, 2016.

The event which took place at the popular Tifany Garden Gwagwalada, was attended by party stalwarts from the territory and National Officials, delegates and other members from the 10 electoral wards in Gwagwalada Area Council.

The process started with the

accreditation of delegates from all the electoral wards in the area.

After the elections, Hon. Danze Mustapha emerged the chairmanship flag bearer. Hon. Mustapha who contested during the last chairmanship election in the area council under the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) emerged victorious after pulling 103 votes out of the 106 votes cast during contest.

While the following aspirants won their primary elections to contest in the following wards; Jibrin Sadiq (Kutunku), Mohammed G. Suleiman (Gwako), Abubakar Yakubu

(Tunga maje), Usman Uba Nuhu (Quarters), Saidu Abubakar (Zuba), MammanKabo (PaikoKore), Adamu Hashim (Ikwa), Abubakar Zakari(Ibwa),Ibrahim Anize (Central) and Barde Haruna (Dobi).

Addressing the aspirants, a member of the National Working Committee of the party, who was also the returning officer in the primary elections, Elder Chuks Achusi charged the party’s flag bearers to do their campaigns and conduct themselves during the main elections in accordance with the electoral act and to always be their brothers and

sisters keeper, as power belongs to the electorate.

The Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman of the party, Engr.

Solomon I. Umezuruike while congratulating the flag bearers, advised them to shun violence while approaching the electorates for their support. He further promised them that the party will do all it takes within the law in supporting them to victory.

The contest was observed by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Officials, Police, State Security Services, The Press and civil Society Organizations, and it was adjudged peaceful by all.

Quoting from the book of Ezekiel chapter 21 verse 27, Hon. Faleke who was the running mate to late Prince Audu, expressed confidence that the present injustice would be upturned by the Almighty at the appropriate time.

Al-makura’s wife donates N350, 000, household items and foodstuff to widows

By Ali Abare Abubakar with agency report

W

ife of Nasarawa State governor, Hajiya Salamatu Al-makura yesterday donated N350, 000, household items and foodstuff to 350 widows from across the three senatorial zones of the state.

The governor’s wife told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that 100 widows benefitted from western and northern zones, while 150 others benefitted from the southern part of the state.

According to her, “the gesture will assist them to celebrate both Christmas and the New Year with ease and calm”.

Al-makura promised to do everything humanly possible to assist the less privileged in the society to improve their standard of living through her pet project “Mother and Child Care Foundation ((McCEF)”.

Al-makura explained that the gesture will cushion the hardship that they may face during these festivals because of absent of their husbands.

She however sympathized with the widows over their plight, and encouraged them to remain steadfast as God will surely sustain them.

Al-makura advised the widows to give the education of the children topmost priority, despite their current challenges.

According to the governor’s wife, “I enjoined the widows to ensure proper upbringing of their children, so that when they grow up they would become responsible leaders tomorrow”.

She has appealed to Christians to use the period of Christmas to seek God’s intervention in the socioeconomic crisis facing the country.

Al-makura said that Nigerians should set aside some time to reflect on the state of the nation and pray for a way out of the prevailing insurgency and economic problems.

The governor’s wife particularly advised the people to continue to live together in peace and harmony irrespective of their tribal and religious affiliations, saying that nothing should be allowed to jeopardize the existing peace in the state.

Page 19

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Kaduna Refinery to commence supply of 1.5mlpd of crude oil-MD From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

K

aduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) Managing Director, Engineer Saidu Muhammed Aliyu yesterday said the company will commence supplying 1.5 million liters of refined crude oil per day soon. According to him, in the next few days they will increase it to two million liter a day which translates to over 50 truck of fuel a day.

Engineer Saidu who disclosed this in a brief chat with newsmen

in the state also said about 600 million liters of kerosene would also be supplied by the company soon.

He pointed out that soon the long queues will disappear from filling stations, in Kaduna state. “ Nigerians need to be patient because by tomorrow Tuesday (Today) I expect PPMC to commence trucking and we are looking at initially about 1.5million litres per day which of cause in the next few days we would escalate it to two million litres of PMS then about 600 million litres of Kerosine.

“But of cause subsequently we

expect to reach the treshhold of 2million litres per day. Our Flare is on which is an indication that the plant is working and it has been on since last week. We hope to continue. “ If you could recalled we shutdown sometimes in September because of lack of crude oil. The challenges with the supply of the crude oil is essential and in Kaduna it has been completed.

“Of course with the support we are getting from the top management and the minister of state for petroleum and the president of federal republic of

Nigeria. There is an effort now not only to repair and get out but to repair and safeguard the pipelines.”

He said. He explained further that a concrete arrangement is being made now for 24/7 safeguard of the pipeline to ensure that nothing happen to it again. “ So as we are talking right now crude oil is still following from Warri to Kaduna we with that there will be sustenance of operations, “he added “This is to what we said earlier that we have a term rehabilitation program which we earmark 18-24 months

for ourselves as we go along and we have achieved substantial part of the first operation we earmarked.

“The term rehabilitation for the KRPC is in three stages: First of all to bring us to reliably operate to minimum stage which is usually 60 percent; the second stage is to make us sustain the 60 percent and to build on it to 90 percent.

“The final stage is to go back on how we were designed and built to operate that is on 100 percent.

That is related to the plant. But the critical part of it of the operations is the supply of the crude oil,” he said.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Musa Istifanus; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and Minister of State for Solid Minerals Development, Hon. Abubakar Bwari, during the inaugural news conference by the minister, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justine Emma owoh

Why we flew into Bauchi airport, Aero management From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

A

s discussions continues to trail the controversial Aero flight 5N-BLG into Bauchi airport where passengers were disembarked with the aid of a ladder, the airline yesterday said it got assurance of the availability of the equipment before the flight took off from Abuja.

The airline told reporters in Lagos that 48 hours prior the chartered flight, the Bauchi airport management had assured it of presence of the airstairs and it cost, the arrangement were confirmed by it Head of Ground Operations, Peter Omata. Acting Managing Director and Accountable Manager of Aero Contractors of Nigeria, Captain Russell Lee Foon affirmed that the airline did not deliberately

disembark passengers with a ladder at Bauchi airport at the weekend.

While acknowledging that it was against recommended procedures to open the door when the the stairs were not on ground, the passengers among whom was the groom for a wedding, had insisted that the ladder be used.

He said the aircraft was airborne at 09: 57 after assurances by the Airport Manager that they were ready to receive them but added that they were informed that the ladder had broken down after the aircraft touched down.

“A charter was booked and confirmed from Abuja to Bauchi on a Boeing 737 -500 series aircraft.

The charter was booked by a group of young people, part of a wedding party, attending this important event in Bauchi.

“On Friday 18th November 2015, confirmed arrangements were made by our Head of Ground Operations, Mr. Peter Omata for the handling of the flight through the airport manager of Bauchi, Mr. Abubakar. He confirmed on many occasions the availability of the airstairs and cost. “Prior to leaving Abuja, the Flight dispatcher contacted the Airport Manager to advise that the aircraft was taxing out and he confirmed that they were ready to receive the flight”, he said.

He said at 10:42, the aircraft touched down on Runway 35 at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, the controller also advised the crew that due to the absence of marshallers and no ramp officials of any sort that parking would be at their own discretion.

“After parking, the Captain

reports that they waited for up to 10 minutes for the stairs to be brought to the aircraft but no assistance or stairs came to the aircraft. The Captain reported that he informed the passengers of the situation as they were beginning to get agitated.

“At 10:57 the crew called the controller to enquire as to why there was no one to position the stairs to the aircraft and he was told then that the stairs has just broken down and that the Fire services are making provisions to sort it out”, added.

He explained that after waiting for another 15 to 20 minutes, the passengers became furious as they were now getting very late for the wedding ceremony. The Captain went to the cabin and explained to them that he may have to take them back to Abuja as they cannot disembark due lack of stairs.

“The group insisted that he cannot keep them on board the aircraft and he considered that their anger was becoming potentially threatening for the crew to take them back to Abuja.

The alternative which the Fire services provided was a ladder which the passengers took as an option and on their own free will decided to use the ladder to disembark against the wishes of the Captain and crew.

The Captain allowed this procedure in order to reduce what he thought was a volatile situation”, he added.

However the airline reiterated that in the last 24 hours; ‘an investigation into the event has been called, the results of ‘an investigation into the event has been called, the results of which could lead to changes in our operational procedures”.

Page 20

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Energy

Fuel crisis: NNPC staff takeover distribution monitoring

By Etuka Sunday

I

n a bid to ensure the total eradication of queues from fuel stations across the country, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has ordered the deployment of NNPC staff to filling stations across the country for effective monitoring of the distribution system.

Speaking at an emergency meeting with senior staff of the corporation at the NNPC Towers, Dr. Kachikwu said though there were a number of challenges in the supply and distribution system that hamper efficient distribution of products across the country, it was time for NNPC to rise above

the challenges by ensuring that the special intervention supplies are not diverted or hoarded.

“This calls for effective monitoring of the supply system, especially at the end points, to ascertain that what is trucked out from the depots is delivered at the designated fuel stations and dispensed to the public in the most efficient manner. We need you to be out there to help achieve this; we can’t be at ease while Nigerians are going through so much pain to get fuel”, Dr. Kachikwu stated.

A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ohi Alegbe said, he challenged staff to volunteer for the monitoring exercise,

adding that standing up to provide creative solutions to challenges was what the new NNPC is all about.

The Minister urged the staff to work towards achieving zeroqueues at their respective stations as soon as possible, adding that they should be ready to sacrifice their Christmas break if need be.

Also speaking at the emergency meeting, the Group Executive Director, Commercial& Investment, Dr. Victor Adeniran, called on staff on monitoring duties to work closely with the Rapid Response Team by reporting any situation that needs urgent intervention such as low stock, delayed arrival of trucks or any underhand dealing.

Explaining further, Dr. Adeniran said the Rapid Response Team is made up of PPMC staff and representatives of law enforcement agencies that can adequately handle any challenge, adding that so far, about 200 trucks of the special intervention stock have arrived Abuja. He called on the staff deployed for monitoring duties to be vigilant and ensure that all the petrol designated for their respective stations is delivered and dispensed to members of the public in a most efficient manner.

Meanwhile, in continuation of the special intervention fuel supply for the Yuletide season, another 567 trucks have been dispatched nationwide today.

Power-plant

Yuletide: Offices to remain open to respond to faults, complaints-AEDC

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has assured its customers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states that its offices will be opened to respond to faults, customers’ complaints and also distribute the electricity allocated to it by the System Operator (TCN) during yuletide and even beyond.

The Company said it has been working relentlessly to ensure that all its customers in the franchise area get sufficient power supply to enhance their comfort and joyous moments during the season, adding that barring any unforeseen hitches from the other arms of the value chain or any local fault, such steady supply is guaranteed.

The AEDC reiterated its commitment to improved quality of its services to all classes of its customers, saying that with the renewed vigour by the present administration to grow the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), its customers should expect the very best at all times.

In a statement by the Head, Media and Public Affairs, Ahmed Shekarau, the Company, however, appealed to all its customers to ensure safe use of electricity while also urging them to always settle their electricity bills on time to avoid disconnection.

The AEDC wished all electricity consumers and other residents in its operational area a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

NACCIMA to FG: Don’t increase electricity tariff

By Etuka Sunday

T

he National Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has cautioned the Federal Government to shelve any plan increase in electricity tariff.

The national vice president of NACCIMA, Prince Billy GillisHarry, who gave the warning in Abuja said, there was need for proper consultation with stakeholders in decide what the consumer will pay.

Gillis-Harry said that it was not proper for the government or its agency to just wake up and said “this is what the consumer

would pay on electricity without involving them.

“The decision should come from pool of opinion every stakeholder should be part of it because the negative impact would be on all looking at economy that is.”

He said that before the proposal for the increase in tariff, consumers have been paying more than what they consume because of the compromise in the system.

“Actually we do not need to muzzle Nigeria because for any policy or projection, ordinarily a minister should not be the one canvassing for that, there should be processes by which those cost

should be evaluated.

“Whether we like it or not we are paying more, because if your bill is N2000 you will discover that your consumption is not up to N1000, there is a compromise in the system so when they gave that bulk of responsibility back to ordinary Nigerian, you are just trying to kill the zeal of that Nigerian to become somebody “We don’t want Nigeria to be discouraged before the Federal Government take any policy decision to make this increase they should work with the stakeholders and check what it is,” he said He said that the country had

passed the stage when anybody would wake up and said “this is what I want to do.

“We need to know why you want to do it, what is the history, the reason why it has not happened or why it has failed, and we must be able to talk about it.”

According to him Nigerians need to be told what is happening, we need to know what is happening, why we should do that and what is the expectation from such change.

“If we know that paying more for electricity will give power 24/7 which is better that using generator, we will be willing to pay,” he said.

While commenting on the plan to remove subsidy on fuel he called on the government to tread it softly stressing that whatever decision being taken should impact positively on the populace.

“I believed that Nigerians are willing to embrace change for the value that will give them a better standard of living.

“You cannot wake up and say that you are removing subsidy in fuel. Yes,we are the ones advocating for it to give room for competition but there has to be a process for how it should be done not just a policy statement coming from a minister,” he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page 21

ICT Self-driving delivery robots could be Santa’s new helper

Self-driving-robot

F

leets of small autonomous robots could soon become a familiar presence on public pathways with the advent of ground-based drones that aim to improve local delivery of goods and groceries.

Former Skype co-founders have launched a new company, Starship Technologies, which is preparing to test their selfdriving delivery robots in London.

The as yet unnamed robots are small, safe, practical and free from CO2 emissions, according to the developers. “When you place your order online, as you do right now, but instead of getting the delivery by somebody coming up to your door and knocking on your door, you would get it by a robot,” said Ahti Heinla, a Skype co-founder and CEO at Starship Technologies.

The robots can carry the equivalent of two bags of shopping and complete local deliveries in between five and 30 minutes from a designated hub or retail outlet. Heinla explained that the robots are not designed for long-distance orders, but for completing the final mile of a

delivery.

He said this puts the customer in control of their deliveries by allowing them to choose from a selection of short, precise delivery slots.

“When you as a consumer, when you find it convenient for you, you call up the delivery using your smartphone. And then the robot gets loaded with your parcel in our hub and it drives to your doorstep. And that takes about 20 minutes. So instead of having a delivery window of half a day or something that you’re getting your delivery sometime during today; you can pick a delivery window that is like ten minutes,” said Heinla.

When a package is out for delivery with a robot, the customer can track it in real time on their smartphone.

When it arrives at the delivery address, the customer uses their smartphone to unlock the secure compartment to access their goods.

In Greenwich, London, close to where the pilot schemes will take place, the ‘droid drew a few

puzzled looks but also a largely positive response from passersby.

“I’m very impressed.

It’s small, it looks safe, looks futuristic. Very clever idea, I think,” said Jake.

“I think it’s the thing of the future. In decades to come you’re going to see these sorts of things buzzing around the streets or up in the air. It’s the start of the way ahead, I think,” said shopper Pete, who added the robots could save his bacon over the festive period: “For someone like me who leaves Christmas shopping until the last minute it would certainly be handy for getting it next day.”

Starship’s technology uses ‘off the shelf’ components, with the robots lightweight and low-cost enabling the company to bring the current cost of delivery down by 10-15 times per shipment.

Each delivery robot will be fitted with navigation and obstacle avoidance software, with the company saying the robots will drive autonomously 99 percent of the time. But they are also overseen by human operators who can step in to ensure safety

at all times. Any concern about theft of the robot’s cargo can be allayed by the in-built security features that Heinla said makes the potential reward for a wouldbe robber not worth the risk.

“While you might think that some people would want to steal something from the robot, it’s actually much harder than you would think. First, the parcel compartment is obviously locked. So it’s not easy to break into the robot, especially if you don’t have any special tools to do it. And most hooligans on the street, they don’t have special tools. Secondly, the robot has nine cameras and it’s constantly connected to the internet. It has GPS. There is an operator that can actually talk to people around the robot, there is a loudspeaker and microphone in the robot. So it’s not that easy actually,” explained Heinla.

Automated delivery services are being developed by a number of companies, including Google and Wal-Mart. Online retailer Amazon, whose unmanned aerial drones are looking to take

flight in the near future, recently launched a video showing a prototype of their technology.

Starship Technologies, however, say there are huge “social acceptance” problems with autonomous airborne drones; something their earthbound robots won’t have.

“It’s safer than a flying drone. People actually do not like low flying drones, especially when they are flying over their backyard and it’s a buzzing, flying machine. If it’s doing a delivery for you maybe it’s okay, but of it’s doing a delivery for somebody else, you know, people don’t like that. People don’t like other machines flying over their backyard where their children are playing. So there’s huge social acceptance problems with the robots, with the robots that are flying. But not so much for the robots that are land-based, and safe, and look cute,” said Heinla.

Starship Technologies will launch real-life trials of the robots in London and a couple of U.S. cities in Spring 2016.

(Reuters)

Page 22

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Business

Dangote Cement gives scholarship to students from 14 host communities

By Etuka Sunday

T

he management of Dangote Cement PLC, ibese plant in Ogun state at the weekend announced a fresh multi-million Naira scholarship awards for secondary school and higher institution students from its 14 host communities in what is now annual activity.

Leaders and youths of the host communities to the Company were sent into celebration mood when the Company presented cheques to some 49 students of higher

institutions and secondary school scattered across the country.

Prominent monarch from the area, His Royal Majesty, Oba Gbadebo Adesola Oni, the Olu of Imasayi, who was the Royal Father of the Day commended the Cement Company management for the gesture which he said has been running for some years since Dangote started production in Ibese land.

He stated that the communities’ leaders appreciated the fact that there have always been an improvement in the number

of the benefitting community members urging the company not to rest on its oars. The Royal father particularly saluted the business acumen of the Chairman of the Company, Alhaji Aliko Dangote saying he is a man who loves the development of the people and the Nigerian society and that his many investments have been helping the people and the Nigerian society.

The Olu of Imasayi pointed out that so many Nigerians have the kind of money Dangote has but could not invest with it because there own interest is in their pocket

noting that should Nigeria be blessed with five Dangotes, Nigeria would have joined the developed countries of the world.

God has been blessing him because his prodigy is beyond Nigeria but across Africa.

“He needs to be appreciated so that he can do more. There are many Nigerians who also have money but the development of their society does not interest them.

God gives us resources so that we impact others positively, this is just what Dangote is doing through the employment of teeming populace who otherwise would have been jobless”, Oba Oni stated.

He promised that in as much as the Dangote Cement is putting smiles in the faces of its host communities they could only pray for peace to continue to reign in the area so that the company would continue to thrive.

The Kabiyesi then urged the management to see to the need to urgently complete all ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility projects scattered all over the communities.

In his opening remarks, the Acting Plant Director, Louis Raj described the scholarship as an annual ritual for the company all in the efforts at contributing to the educational development of the

people and the host communities.

He said it was all part of the company’s CSR plan to impact positively on the lives of the people and the community within which it operates and that is what has made the CSR profile of the company to be very robust.

Raj promised the people to expect intervention from the company in critical areas of their lives like power, water, healthcare social harmony and so on.

While reading out the names of the beneficiaries, the Community Relations Officer of the Company, Joseph Alabi highlighted the procedure and criteria for the scholarship award saying the candidates are recommended by the Communities only.

According to him “the number of candidates from each community is regulated by the Nigerian Population Commission’s estimate of the population of the affected communities and that the screening is strictly by the Scholarship Management Committee, made up of Communities, Government and Dangote Representatives.

“Each awardee enjoys the scholarship award till completion of the course subject to his or her academic performance and each community produce replacement for the graduating awardee.”

We spent 40% production cost on energy-MAN

People buying second-hands clothes at Abubakar Gumi Central Market, yesterday in Kaduna.

Photo: NAN

SEC revokes operational license of 84 capital market operators

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Management of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced it has revoked the operational license of eighty four (84) capital market operators that are considered inactive.

SEC said, it is “empowered under section 30 (1) and (2) of the Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2007 to revoke the operational license of capital market operators that are inactive.

“Consequent upon the above, the general public is hereby notified that the registration of the under listed Capital Market Operators (CMOs) have been revoked:“AIQ Venture Capital Fund Managers Ltd; Amalgamated Capital Funds Ltd; Allbond Investment Ltd; Associated Investment Trust CO. Ltd; Bayhead Alpha Capital Ltd; Bluebird Capital Ltd; Boston Capital Investments Ltd; Brickfield Road Associates Ltd; Capital Partners Ltd, Corporate Investment Adviser; Capital Structures Ltd, Por; Circular Trust Ltd; Citizens Inv. & Sec. Ltd; “City Investment Management.

Ltd; Consolidated Investment Limited; Consult & Capital Limited; Dakal Services Limited; De-Canon

Investment Limited; Development Business CO; Dolbic Finance Limited; DVCF Oil & Gas Plc; Dynamic Trust & Securities Ltd; Eazytrade Concept Ltd; Elyon’s Asset Management Ltd; Emi Capital Resources Ltd; Enterprise Capital Mgt. Ltd; Equinox Asset Management Limited; Express Discount Limited; FB Asset Mgt. Limited; First Marina Trust Limited; Fittco Securities Limited; Floodgate Finance & Sec. Limited; G. Akomas & Partners; Global Capital Market Ltd; “Global Inv. & Sec. Ltd; Habitat Trust Ltd; Hazonwao Assets Management Ltd; Honey Comb Asset Mgt. Ltd; Indemnity Finance Limited; Integrated Capital Services Ltd; Investment Monitors Ltd; Jubilee Global Fund Plc; Kendall Securities Limited; Kingsway Securities Limited; Koltron Ltd; Lombard Asset Mgt. Limited; “lynac Securities Limited; Malachai Funds & Assets Mgt. Ltd; Maninvest Asset Management Plc; Metropolitan Trust Nigeria Limited; NCDF Investment Limited; N-Cheque Securities Ltd; Niche Securities Limited; Nicon Trustee Ltd; Nma Investment & Securities Ltd; Noble Financial Trust Ltd; Novare Investments

Ltd; Oceanic Trustee Ltd; Others are: “Omas Investment & Trust Company Limited; Omnisource International Ltd; Pan Securities Limited; Peach & Prime Ltd; Peak Securities Limited; Peninsula Asset Management & Investment Company Limited; PHB Asset Management; Platinum Capital Limited; Prudential Securities Limited; Seasons Trust & Investment Ltd; “Securities Solutions Limited; Securities Trading & Investments Limited; Skylimit Investment Ltd; Slamad Securities Ltd; Stock Investment Sec. Ltd; Synergy Inv. & Sec. Limited; Taricol Investment Ltd; Treasureline Interlink Ltd; Truevine Global Asset Mgt. Limited; UTB Trustee Limited; Ventures & Trust Limited; Vileo Capital & Asset Mgt. Ltd; Visa Investments & Sec. Ltd; Wizetrade Capital & Asset Management Limited; WT Securities Limited; Zuma Securities Limited.

“The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, all Capital Market Trade Groups, the investing public and all stakeholders are hereby directed to desist from dealing with them.”

…Collaborates with NERC to save industries

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) said its members spent forty (40%) of their production cost on energy therefore, has developed a new policy with Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for electricity supply to 28 industrial clusters across the country.

The new policy, using microgrid generation adopted according to them, when fully implemented is capable of reducing the cost of production to 10 per cent.

Recall, a committee was set up comprising both staff of MAN and NERC to brainstorm on the framework of micro- grid power generation to be adopted to properly capture the demand of MAN in the area of electricity demand by the manufacturers in the country.

Speaking during the formal presentation of the document by the committee, the President, MAN, Dr. Frank Jacobs said: “MAN members spent forty percent of their production cost on energy and we do have 28 clusters, industrial clusters spread around the country who are not supplied adequate power from the national grid and even when we do have supply, they are not of the quality that will help proper running of factories.

“So the operationalization of the micro grid and embedded generation for the industrial clusters is a wonderful initiative. It is something that is going to bridge the gap and help our members in ensuring adequate supply of electricity in their factories. It is our hope that government will adopt this policy and make it functional as soon as possible.

“I am glad that the chairman NERC has already promised that this report will be delivered to the minister of power, works and housing because that’s the way to start. It is our hope that as soon as this is done, this will become functional because it will really help our members and the economy at large. It is when we are producing that the economy will grow. So I thank you very much for this excellent work you have done we are really pleased that you delivered on the mandate within the time that we requested you to do it,” he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi said, the policy would, be presented to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing for final approval.

“I have spoken with the Minister of Power, Works and Housing because of obvious policy issues in this report. It l further be delivered to the Minister for review. We expect policies that would enable sustainable micro-grid.”

According to him, the framework was the result from the conclusion of work by a joint committee on microgrid set up by both NERC and MAN.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

PAGE 23

Stock Watch: Monday, December 21, 2015 Company

7UP

Previous Closing Price

185.06

184.5

Opening Price

184.5

High

Low

184.5

Close

184.5

Change

Trades

-0.56 25

Volume

Value

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

233,796

43,137,315.02 MAYBAKER 1.26 - - - 1.26 5 26,078 32,955.18

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - 1.25 0 - -

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

ABCTRANS 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 4 505,000 252,500.00

MCNICHOLS 1.2 - - - 1.2 5 154,383 176,896.62

ACADEMY 0.59 - - - 0.59 0 - ACCESS

4.46

4.46

4.64

4.46

4.5

0.04 321

28,060,764

126,589,999.78

ADSWITCH 1.63 - - - 1.63 0 - AFRIK 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - AFRINSURE 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

MOBIL 138.99 - - - 138.99 20 6,378 854,115.18 MORISON 1.73 - - - 1.73 0 - MRS 49.66 - - - 49.66 1 500 23,590.00 MTECH 0.91 - - - 0.91 0 - MTI 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - MULTITREX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

AFRIPRUD 2.65 2.7 2.7 2.61 2.61 -0.04 35 553,581 1,479,349.55 MULTIVERSE 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 10,000 5,000.00 AFROMEDIA 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 1 550,000 275,000.00

NAHCO 4.38 4.17 4.17 4.17 4.17 -0.21 19 203,175 850,145.97

AFRPAINTS 2.59 - - - 2.59 0 - -

NASCON 7.18 7.5 7.3 7.16 7.3 0.12 26 1,031,170 7,479,398.60

AGLEVENT 1.02 0.97 -

-

1.02

8 48,971 46,330.44

AIICO 0.9 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.01 18 983,972 898,207.23 AIRSERVICE 1.91 - - - 1.91 3 1,505 2,918.35 ALEX 9.84 - - - 9.84 0 - ALUMACO 7.75 - - - 7.75 1 200 1,474.00 ANINO 0.25 - - - 0.25 0 - ARBICO 5.04 - - - 5.04 0 - -

NB 135 135.2 135.2 129.51 129.51 -5.49 105 1,220,085 161,842,702.19 NCR 11.02 - - - 11.02 0 - NEIMETH 1.03 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 -0.05 6

126,800 124,264.00

NEM 0.69 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.01 16 1,774,600 1,241,859.00 NESF 552.2 - - - 552.2 0 - NESTLE 814

822.99 822.99 822.99 822.99 8.99 73

115,282 94,401,035.72

NIG-GERMAN 4.91 - - - 4.91 0 - NIGERINS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

ASHAKACEM 22.5 - - - 22.5 16 55,698 1,233,876.58 NIGROPES 7.46 - - - 7.46 0 - ASOSAVINGS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

NNFM 8.99 - - - 8.99 0 - -

AUSTINLAZ 2.09 - - - 2.09 0 - -

NPFMCRFBK

AVONCROWN 1.52 - - - 1.52 0 - BECOPETRO 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - BERGER 9.6 9.61 9.61 9.61 9.61 0.01 9 379,696 3,674,398.56 BETAGLAS 48.51 - - - 48.51 0 - -

0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0

6

174,000 170,510.00

NSLTECH 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - OANDO 8.5 8.92 8.92 8.48 8.48 -0.02 364 7,671,197 65,761,034.51 OKOMUOIL 28.82 - - - 28.82 21 108,772 3,056,214.60 OMATEK 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - OMOSAVBNK 0.92 - - - 0.92 0 - -

BOCGAS 4.18 - - - 4.18 0 - PAINTCOM 1.14 - - - 1.14 0 - CADBURY 20.1 - - - 20.1 15 82,240 1,655,764.64 PHARMDEKO 2.14 - - - 2.14 1 5,000 10,850.00 CAP 38 39 39 39 39 1 16 166,666 6,492,031.87 PORTPAINT 3.53 - - - 3.53 0 - CAPHOTEL 4.07 - - - 4.07 0 - -

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - 2.95 0 - -

CAPOIL 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

PREMPAINTS 10.93 - - - 10.93 0 - -

CAVERTON 2.63 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 -0.13 7 145,913 366,122.50 CCNN 8.73 9.16 -

-

8.73

7 51,560 458,087.60

CHAMPION 4.17 4.17 -

-

4.17

11 146,282 587,170.36

CHAMS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - CHELLARAM 3.76 - - - 3.76 0 - -

PRESCO 30.5 - - - 30.5 6 32,910 1,045,950.40 PRESTIGE 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - PZ 25.5 25 25 25 25 -0.5 33 567,539 14,195,538.05 RAKUNITY 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - REDSTAREX 4.2 - - - 4.2 2 19,785 83,097.00 REGALINS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

CILEASING 0.5 - - - 0.5 2 4,000 2,000.00

RESORTSAL 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 1 100,000 50,000.00

CONOIL 27.41 26.04 -

ROADS 6.6 - - - 6.6 0 - -

-

27.41

8

13,350 330,799.00

0.6 - - - 0.6 0 - 1.06 1.01 1.06 1.01 1.06 0 11 3,520,635 3,661,166.09 ROKANA ROYALEX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - CORNERST 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - RTBRISCOE 0.5 - - - 0.5 3 78,164 39,082.00 COSTAIN 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 5,000 2,500.00 CONTINSURE

COURTVILLE 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - CUSTODYINS 4.1 - - - 4.1 6 16,101 64,845.03 CUTIX 1.45 - - - 1.45 1 26,666 38,665.70 CWG 2.67 - - - 2.67 0 - DAARCOMM 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 4,000 2,000.00

SCOA 4.16 - - - 4.16 0 - -

SEPLAT 230.04 225 225 225 225 -5.04 20 77,862 17,490,790.00 SIMCAPVAL 103.24 - - - 103.24 0 - SKYEBANK 1.9 1.9 1.99 1.9 1.99 0.09 75 2,020,105 3,920,083.45 SKYESHELT 100 - - - 100 0 - SMURFIT 0.98 - - - 0.98 0 - -MAY-

DANGCEM 162 163 163 163 163 1 33 156,759 25,532,904.96

BAKER 1.26 - - - 1.26 5 26,078 32,955.18

DANGFLOUR 2.31 - - - 2.31 16 31,484 75,328.68

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

DANGSUGAR

- - - 1.2 5 154,383 176,896.62 6.52 6.32 6.51 6.32 6.51 -0.01 26 343,221 2,210,542.55 MCNICHOLS 1.2 MOBIL 138.99 - - - 138.99 20 6,378 854,115.18

DEAPCAP 0.58 - - - 0.58 0 - -

DIAMONDBNK 2.87 2.8 2.8 2.74 2.74 -0.13 43 1,315,800 3,645,250.00 IPWA 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - JAPAULOIL 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 10,000 5,000.00 JBERGER 39.5 - - - 39.5 4 1,180 44,879.00 JOHNHOLT 0.96 - - - 0.96 0 - -

MORISON 1.73 - - - 1.73 0 - MRS 49.66 - - - 49.66 1 500 23,590.00 MTECH 0.91 - - - 0.91 0 - MTI 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - MULTITREX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - MULTIVERSE 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 10,000 5,000.00

JOSBREW 1.51 - - - 1.51 0 - -

NAHCO 4.38 4.17 4.17 4.17 4.17 -0.21 19 203,175 850,145.97

JULI 1.75 - - - 1.75 0 - -

NASCON 7.18 7.5 7.3 7.16 7.3 0.12 26 1,031,170 7,479,398.60

LASACO 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 1 300,000 150,000.00

NB 135 135.2 135.2 129.51 129.51 -5.49 105 1,220,085 161,842,702.19

LAWUNION 0.54 0.53 0.53 0.52 0.52 -0.02 14 910,610 481,548.30

NCR 11.02 - - - 11.02 0 - -

LEARNAFRCA

0.68 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 -0.03 10 1,074,871 699,416.15

LENNARDS 3.15 - - - 3.15 0 - LINKASSURE 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - LIVESTOCK 1.4 1.41 1.41 1.41 1.41 0.01 9 134,400 192,410.51 MANDRID 5.35 - - - 5.35 0 - MANSARD 2.62 2.55 -

-

2.62

8 37,850 99,859.50

Top Gainers Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

NEIMETH 1.03 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 -0.05 6

126,800 124,264.00

NEM 0.69 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.01 16 1,774,600 1,241,859.00 NESF 552.2 - - - 552.2 0 - NESTLE 814

822.99 822.99 822.99 822.99 8.99 73

115,282 94,401,035.72

NIG-GERMAN 4.91 - - - 4.91 0 - NIGERINS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - NIGROPES 7.46 - - - 7.46 0 - -

Top Losers Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

ALUMACO 7.75 - - - 7.75 1 200 1,474.00

MULTITREX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

FORTISMFB 5.42 - - - 5.42 0 - -

NNFM 8.99 - - - 8.99 0 - -

UNHOMES 5.23 - - - 5.23 1 3,750 18,637.50

MCNICHOLS 1.2 - - - 1.2 5 154,383 176,896.62

INFINITY 1.42 - - - 1.42 0 - -

UTC 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

OMOSAVBNK 0.92 - - - 0.92 0 - -

UNIONDICON 11.84 - - - 11.84 0 - -

MULTIVERSE 0.5 - - - 0.5 1 10,000 5,000.00

MANDRID 5.35 - - - 5.35 0 - -

ASOSAVINGS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

CADBURY 20.1 - - - 20.1 15 82,240 1,655,764.64

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - 1.25 0 - -

JULI 1.75 - - - 1.75 0 - -

Peoples Daily, TUesday, DECEMber 22, 2015

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Special Report

Revealing West Africa’s forgotten heritage

W

ord, Symbol, Song sets out to appeal both to Britain’s African diaspora and to people who have never visited any of the 17 nations involved.

There is no universally accepted definition of West Africa so, for the record, the exhibition covers Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Gambia and Cape Verde.

It’s quite a list, but curator Marion Wallace says diversity has been a strength, not a problem.

“West Africa is a dynamic and hugely creative place.

“We wanted to give a sense of what has happened in writing, in visual art and in music, right up to the present day. But by some reckonings there are, for instance, a thousand languages in West Africa - so we can only pick out the main strands.

“West Africa has a very old tradition of both storytelling and scholarship. All this was going on from at least the eleventh century.

“The oral tradition

With the days growing shorter, the British Library hopes to offer the perfect artistic antidote to a chilly London autumn: a tour of a huge chunk of African culture. of telling folk tales is another major part of the exhibition. In West Africa, one of the best-known tales is the Sundiata epic from the Mali empire, but we also feature less familiar stories.”

Yet the British Library has not created a dry display of dusty, ethnographic curiosities and folk literature. The display is helped hugely by the long tradition in West Africa of music, from the most ancient to the era of rap.

Janet Topp Fargion selected the musical content.

“We consulted widely, and the modern name which came up more than any other was the Nigerian superstar Fela Kuti - so we’ve given his material its own little room.

“Fela protested vehemently about the Nigerian government of the time and we wanted visitors to see how political his material can be.

“But his messages were carried in irresistible Afro-beat which he developed and which had a real flavour of jazz. As so often, it’s a story of genres mixing and influencing one another.

“Fela Kuti often sang in pidgin English because that way his message could get to other West African nations, and travel even beyond that.

“But if politics isn’t your thing, just enjoying the album covers is great fun.”

Fela Kuti died in 1997 and Topp Fargion was keen to include more recent material too.

“The whole section is called Speaking Out, and I thought it was important to include music from contemporary female singers such as Angelique Kidjo, Rokia Traoré and Oumou Sangaré.

“They all sing about social issues which affect women and about human rights more broadly.”

But the display featuring the three

West African design fed into the carnival tradition in the Caribbean and in Britain

singers is only moments away from one of the exhibition’s quirkiest and most evocative items. From an oldfashioned gramophone horn emerge ancient recordings of Christian hymns, evoking the Nigeria and Ghana of colonial times. They are partly in English and

Textile designs old and new feature heavily (left), while Feminist Power series is a painting by contemporary Nigerian artists Nike Davies-Okundaye and Tola Wewe

partly in the Yoruba and Twi languages.

There are also examples of Highlife and gumbé music.

Writer and broadcaster Gus CaselyHayford is an adviser to the exhibition. His own family roots are in Sierra Leone and, in what was then, the Gold

Coast (now Ghana).

“Eighty years or so ago, my grandfather sat in the British Museum and wrote nationalist pamphlets against colonial rule in West Africa. So it’s wonderful that now we have this material at the British Library: it’s a really important exhibition.

Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti is one of the performers remembered in the exhibition

“Perhaps down the years, Africa hasn’t often enough been part of the schedule, but we can all learn from Word, Symbol, Song.

“Too many people have thought of Africa as primitive and a place without history, and that meant its importance was under-rated. But

with this show, you’ll get a real sense of the richness and complexity and intellectual depth of West African history.

“So this is a way to get people to rethink our relationship generally, with Africa and its history. And I hope that West Africans will come too and maybe think

about what unites the region.”

Marion Wallace says people who are keen readers may not realise they have already sampled West African literature.

“There are obvious names such as Chinua Achebe and the Nobel Prize-winner Wole

Soyinka, but the Booker Prize-winner Ben Okri is also in that tradition.

And we’ve just had another Nigerian writer, Chigozie Obioma, on this year’s Man Booker shortlist.”

Wallace says even comic books and contemporary writing on the internet can have

“

A cloth made to mark the death of famed Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe in 2013

With the days growing shorter, the British Library hopes to offer the perfect artistic antidote to a chilly London autumn: a tour of a huge chunk of African culture.

Word, Symbol, Song sets out to appeal both to Britain’s African diaspora and to people who have never visited any of the 17 nations involved.

There is no universally accepted definition of West Africa so, for the record, the exhibition covers Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Gambia and Cape Verde.

It’s quite a list, but curator Marion Wallace says diversity has been a strength, not a problem.

a West African flavour.

“And we could fill the whole exhibition space with stuff about Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry. But I’m confident people will be inspired to find out more.”

So is the British Library taking a deliberate risk with a large exhibition devoted to West African culture?

Superficially it might appear to have less popular appeal than their recent shows on underground comics or on Gothic literature.

But Wallace is sure there’s a huge enthusiasm for Word, Symbol, Song.

“We’re finding that even people who know very little about West Africa enjoy the show.

“It’s a part of the world which often attracts negative headlines - and we don’t ignore problems there - but we also show the huge creativity.

“I defy anyone to come to the exhibition and not think West Africa is a fascinating place.

Source: BBC

Page 26

Feature

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Why are some Egyptians pining away for their long-gone king?

O

nline, many Egyptians were reminiscing about the days of the monarchy. Farouk I took the throne in 1936, aged just 16 years old. At first he was popular, but his playboy lifestyle soon grated on Egyptians, particularly during the hardships of World War II. A British high commissioner of the era described Farouk as “uneducated, lazy, untruthful, capricious, irresponsible and vain, though with a quick superficial intelligence and charm of manner.” His unpopularity contributed to the 1952 revolution that established a republic and eventually installed Gamal Abdel Nasser as leader.

But despite his unpopularity at the time, the sentiment towards Farouk I seems to have changed somewhat in the last few years. A Facebook fan page in his name that was set up in August 2011 has been liked more than 2.2 million times.

“King Farouk was wrongly and unfairly depicted,” says Amr Abu Seif, a 40-year-old Egyptian who set up the Facebook page as well as a King Farouk website, which he started in 2007 after he couldn’t find any websites dedicated to the Egyptian monarchy.

“I’m very fond of that era,” Seif says.

“Life was simple and uncomplicated back then.”

The King Farouk page posts praiseladen articles and evocative stories about the Muhammad Ali dynasty, of which Farouk was the last leader. The page also shares many old black and white pictures of King Farouk with his family and images of quiet streets and elegantly dressed people.

Many Egyptians call the time “the beautiful era” and to some the Farouk years mean glamour, class, religious tolerance and a civilised society. But that idealised image bothers many others.

“We are obsessed with that image of elegance and class but that’s not all there was to that era,” says Egyptian doctor and blogger Nervana Mahmoud, “People will watch the classical films and look at old pictures that show religious tolerance and freedom for women to wear what they want. But that was just serving a niche class of society. There was also injustice

Amid the turmoil and unrest of Egypt today, some are reminiscing about life under the country’s last monarch prompting an online debate about how good the “good old days” really were.

“I’m begging King Farouk not to leave Egypt to the army,” an Egyptian tweeted recently - quite an odd plea, as Egypt hasn’t had a monarch for more than 60 years. But that message, and thousands like it, were shared in a sort of mass historical role play that pushed the phrase “Tweet as if you’re in the 1950s” to the top of Egypt’s Twitter charts.

This picture from the mid 1940s showing actor and singer Farid al-Atrash with belly dancer Samia Gamal in Cairo, is typical of Egyptian style at the time - at least for the country’s elite

through rose-colored glasses, we won’t be able to build our future,” she says.

But Seif disagrees. “It’s not about politics,” he argues. “We don’t want to bring back the monarchy rule in Egypt, that would be absurd. We’re just reminiscing about how good the old days were, and that’s just human nature.”

Source: BBC

and a big gap between the rich and the poor that we conveniently forget about.”

Why now?

Mahmoud believes people are retreating into the past to escape the reality of Egypt’s present, where bombings and violence are increasingly common, the economy is ailing, and the political system is in turmoil. But, she says, many forget the hardships of the Farouk era.

“It’s selective nostalgia,” she says. “There are Egyptians who are yearning for that era but they forget that there was a price many Egyptians had to pay.

“Until we stop looking at the past

This picture of Egyptian water sellers was taken around 1940. Life for many at the time was far from glamorous

“

King Farouk I of Egypt was overthrown in a 1952 revolution - but now some Egyptians are reminiscing about the days of the monarchy

The King Farouk page posts praise-laden articles and evocative stories about the Muhammad Ali dynasty, of which Farouk was the last leader. The page also shares many old black and white pictures of King Farouk with his family and images of quiet streets and elegantly dressed people.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page 27

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page 28

Defence Boko Haram devices new tactic of operation - DHQ Stories by Joy Baba-Yesufu

A

uthorities of the Defence Headquarters has said reports reaching them has shown that the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists have now devised other means of inflicting harm on innocent citizens to further their terrorist cause.

T h i s w a s containe d in a statement signed by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar yesterday in Abuja.

Abubakar in the statement said some of such tactics they now use include crying and feigning pains and shouting to attract sympathy from unsuspecting public adding that When a lot of people of goodwill

gather to render help in the process, the suicide bomber detonates bombs which they conceal under their clothes.

“The recent suicide bombing in Damaturu is instructive” he also said. The statement further said, in other development, suicide bombers use monetary incentives and other inducements especially in crowded places to lure innocent

Lieutenant -General Tukur Buratai, Army chief

A

Haram terrorists’ Ameer (Leader) in Bulayaga. The Ameer was notorious in terrorizing Bale, Wass and Mufurundi villages.

A statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, (DAPR) Col Sani Usman said the troops recovered an AK-47 rifle with its magazine, 43 rounds of 7.62mm Special Ammunition, 1 Grinding Machine and 5 Dane Guns.

Other items recovered include 7 Motorcycles,21 bags of grains and 2 Boko Haram terrorists’ hoisted

fear in the minds of the populace.

“Defence Headquarters also warns citizens to be extra vigilant and weary of terrorist malevolence in such places as parks, worship centres and recreation spots particularly in this festive period.

Citizens are advised to report suspicious persons or objects to security agencies for prompt action” the statement added.

Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin

Troops kill Boko Haram Ameer, fighters in Borno

s part of their determined efforts to rid the society of all known Boko Haram terrorists enclaves and hideouts, troops of 25 Task Force Brigade based on tip off conducted a fighting patrol along Damboa-Njaba-Bale road in Borno State.

The troops encountered and killed three suspected Boko Haram terrorists that had been terrorizing the communities around Sabon Gari and Damboa. Among those killed was the Boko

citizens in order to cause colossal damage to both lives and property.

Yola suicide incident is fresh in our memory. The Defence Headquarters spokesperson therefore, advises citizens to be wary of such antics of the terrorists who are losing out in their former enclaves and are now desperate to remain relevant by using any means to perpetuate

flags.

The statement further said in a related development yesterday, troops of 7 Division Garrison on patrol at Mainari village in Mafa Local Government Area had an encounter with Boko Haram terrorists noting that the encounter led to the killing of 9 terrorists and recovery of weapons which includes 4 AK-47 and 1 Pump Action Gun. “The patrol teams have continued to dominate the respective areas”, Col Usman further said.

Military is committed to one indivisible nation, says CDS

T

he Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin has assured that the Nigerian Armed Forces will continue to ensure that Nigeria remains one and indivisible entity.

General Olonisakin made the declaration while receiving the Commander of French Forces in Senegal, Brigadier General Pascal Facon when he paid courtesy call at Defence Headquarters, Abuja in furtherance of the French Government’s bilateral cooperation with the Nigerian Armed Forces.

General Olonisakin maintained that no matter the several forces who are bent at entrenching disunity in some section

of the country, the Nigerian military is capable of ensuring that the country will come out clean and even stronger.

Earlier, the French Forces Commander in Senegal told his host that he was in Defence Headquarters in furtherance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s bilateral talks with the French President to collaborate in fighting insurgency in the North East.

He further applauded the Nigerian military for their successes made against the terrorists and assured of his country’s readiness to support the Nigerian Armed Forces in the areas of training and intelligence to defeat the terrorists and other maritime criminalities.

Page 29

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Agriculture

IITA/SARDD-SC: Over 1000 Farmers Benefit from Wheat Project

By Doyin Ojosipe with agency report

A

bout 1,600 Nigerian farmers have reportedly benefitted from the Wheat Initiative Programme which was organized by the International Institute of Tropical

Agriculture (IITA) in collaboration with Support Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) The Farmers who were picked from Kano and Borno states were among others from 11 countries in the Sub Saharan Africa to participate in the same exercise.

This was revealed by the IITA/ SARD-SC Project coordinator, Dr Chrys Akem, who explained that the wheat component had within two years of the inception of the SARD-SC project, mobilized a fast-tracked seed multiplication programme. Akem further said that

the component had also distributed about 58 tons of improved seeds that have been grown over 500 hectares of wheat areas, in six innovation platform sites across Kano and Borno states of Nigeria.

The Coordinator also noted that, the SARD-SC wheat project have

provided two tons of improved seeds of Norman and Attila-Gan-Attila wheat varieties to the Mauritanian team, as part of contributions towards preparation by the regional DRFCA staff in order to enable them plant varieties of the seed in the nearest future.

Nigeria to host 2016 IFAD West Africa programmes review workshop

N

Nigerian female farmers harnessing wheat in local way

Aquaculture: Lagos ministry to partner FG on value addition

T

he Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture has restated its commitments towards partnering with the Federal Department of Fisheries on value addition in aquaculture activities.

Dr Olajide Bashorun, the Permanent Secretary, made this known at the `Merry Fish Day’ organised by the state Catfish and Allied Association of Nigeria

(LASCAFAN) in Lagos.

Represented by Mr Abiodun Balogun, Olajide said that the state was positioning itself to be a major fish producer in the country. ``Fish farming has come to stay; we will support the Department of Fisheries and other affiliates, especially in the area of value addition. ``Farmers will lose more if they do not add value, so there

is need to develop the sector,’’ he said. Olajide pointed out that the state government was in support of the Federal Government’s ban on importation of fish.

He urged members of the association to be ready to take up the task of providing enough fish for local consumption.

Meanwhile, Mr Babafemi Ajala, the President of the association, said

that members were ready for the task ahead.

Ajala noted that the association was serving as a pressure group to influence government policies on fishery production.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that awards were given to seven members of the association in recognition of their contribution to the fishery sub-sector. (NAN)

Kano State Govt. employs 729 extension workers - Official

T

he Kano State Government has employed 729 extension workers to assist farmers to improve agricultural production in the state.

Prof. Mahmud Daneji, Managing Director, Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), disclosed this in Kano on Sunday in an interview with the

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Daneji said that the government had also distributed 400 motorcycles to extension workers to solve their transportation problems.

According to him, the motorcycles have been distributed to both male and female extension workers to enable them reach out to farmers particularly those living

in rural areas. ``Agriculture is the mainstay of economic activities and major employer of labour in the state, hence the decision of the present administration to make the sector its focal area of priority investment, `` he said.

He said that the government’s priority to agriculture was informed by the need to embrace

farming in view of the fall in the prices of oil at the international market. ``Agriculture is also given priority in view of the need to ensure food security in the state and the country, `` he added.

The managing director called on farmers to support government’s measures aimed at ensuring food security for the people. (NAN)

igeria will host the 2016 International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), West Africa programme review workshop, to examine the performance of the fund’s programmes in the sub-region.

Dr Shehu Ahmed, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, made this known at a cultural celebration on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Director, Rural Development in the ministry, Alhaji Olumuyiwa Azeez, represented the permanent secretary at the occasion.

NAN also reports that the celebration was organised to mark the end of IFAD’s Sharing and Learning workshop.

The workshop, hosted by Nigeria, was charged with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluating IFAD’s programmes for West and Central Africa Division.

The permanent secretary said that the country was glad to have IFAD as a development partner, adding that the partnership had brought millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

According to him, IFAD plans to bring out 10 million Nigerians out of poverty, adding that Federal Government would not let the IFAD down in its attempt to achieve the goal.

Ahmed said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was committed to ensuring adequate food security, reduction of food importation and unemployment in the country.

In his remarks, the Director, West and Central African Division, IFAD, Dr Ides de Willebios, commended Nigeria for effectively hosting the workshop.

He said that he was impressed by the rich culture of the Nigerian people.

Guests and participants at the event were treated to cultural dance displays by the Tiv cultural group from Benue and Jarawa group from Jos. (NAN)

Page 30

Feature

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

School in tent: A life of teaching Afghan refugee girls

A

qeela Asifi’s passion for education is evident in everything she says.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I was inspired by my own teachers,” Ms Asifi recalls.

“I was lucky to be born in a very enlightened and liberal family. My parents were very supportive of my and my siblings’ education.”

It was also a different time in Afghanistan when she was growing up she said.

“Kabul was prosperous, vibrant city there was no difference in the way men and women were treated.

I lived in a time in Afghanistan that many haven’t seen.”

Ms Asifi became a teacher of history and geography.

Chaos Things changed when the civil war broke out and by 1992 she, her husband and her children had to flee Kabul during the siege by mujahideen Islamic guerrillas.

“The government fell and the mujahideen took over. It was complete chaos. We had to run for our lives. I left everything behind, my school, my students and my house,” she says.

“It took us six years to build our house back in Kabul and I left without even packing. It was a painful time,” she adds.

Ms Asifi was 26 when she arrived at Kot Chandana refugee village in Mianwali, one of the most conservative areas in Punjab province.

It was hard getting used to life as a refugee, but she said it was meeting the other refugees that was the actual shock for her.

“We were all Afghans yes. But I soon realised that the life I’d lived in Kabul and the life these people lived in other parts of Afghanistan were very different,” Ms Asifi says.

“The people were generous and kind at heart but also very traditional. Girls weren’t allowed to leave the house, let alone get an education.”

Spreading the word When Ms Asifi arrived at the camp not a single girl went to school. It was only for boys.

“I had to be careful not to upset this very traditional community but I also felt a moral obligation to give girls and women there the basic human right of education,” she says.

Ms Asifi and her husband started talking to community elders and imams. To gain the families’ trust,

Aqeela Asifi began teaching other Afghan refugees in Pakistan 23 years ago. Now, as she tells Shaimaa Khalil, some of her former pupils have started their own school.

The UN has recognised Ms Asifi’s dedication with the 2015 Nansen Refugee Award.

Aqeela Asifi, now 49, challenged cultural sexism by setting up classes for girls in a makeshift tent.

they went door to door spreading the word and starting a conversation about girls’ education.

In the beginning, the community didn’t know what to call her. There was no word for a female teacher.

“Gradually we started from a small tent in the refugee camp,” she remembers. “The first lesson was home economics and personal hygiene. I wanted them to know that education was nothing to be scared of, it just helped you live your life better.”

Ms Asifi says she started with only a handful of girls. But then she had to work in shifts when the number grew.

Soon she could see the change in the girls: “They were more confident and more engaged. One girl told me she offered to help her uncle keep a register of all the wool he sold.

“He laughed at her in the beginning. But then eventually, through the simple maths she learned in my tent school, she helped her uncle with basic bookkeeping. He was so impressed, he got his son to marry her.”

Going home?

Now the tent school has become a permanent building and some of her former students went on to become teachers themselves.

Three of them studied until they became teenagers, then married and returned to the Afghan province of Kunduz.

Aqeela Asifi says that instilling a belief in the power of education for girls in this generation will transform opportunities for the next.

“

Ms Asifi says she started with only a handful of girls. But then she had to work in shifts when the number grew.

Soon she could see the change in the girls: “They were more confident and more engaged. One girl told me she offered to help her uncle keep a register of all the wool he sold.

“Within a month of their return they opened a school in a village there.

It’s been 12 years since then and that school is still running and all the girls in the village go to that school. I am very proud of that,” she says.

After 23 years of educating refugee girls, Aqeela Asifi has now been given the Nansen Refugee Award by the UN refugee agency UNHCR. “This award will help strengthen

my cause. But I’m also happy to be recognised as an Afghan Muslim woman and, of course, as a teacher.”

Ms Asifi said that she’d like to go back to Afghanistan in the near future.

“There are so many children there in need of education. I want to work them and open schools for them,” she said.

Source: BBC

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

PAGE 31

Traffic warden on duty, yesterday at Karu in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Vigilante group captures 3 suspected thieves in Dei-Dei

By Usman Shuaibu

A

vigilante group has arrested three suspected thieves at Tudun-Fulani, Dei-Dei in Abuja Municipal Area council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The suspects: Sekina Suraju, Sani Umaru and Ibrahim

Mohammed, who have allegedly been terrorizing the residents in the area, were nabbed and handed over to the Gwagwa police divisional headquarters.

Peoples Daily learnt that the trio, were specialized in stealing peoples’ cloths, handsets, mattresses, electronic gadgets and other valuables in the community.

Disclosing this to Peoples Daily, at the weekend in Dei-Dei, the secretary general committee of the vigilante group in the area, Mr. Yekini Imran, revealed that the three suspected thieves were arrested during a robbery operation.

He said that the notorious thieves were known to be

terrorizing the residents in the area, both at night and daytime for so long.

He pointed out that the vigilante group was ready to fight criminals at any time of the day especially during the yuletide period.

Imran therefore reiterated that the leadership of the vigilante

group was ready to partner with the authorities of the police, in order to curb crime in the area.

When contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Gwagwa, Barrister Nkem Raphael, who confirmed the incident, said that investigation was in top gear, to unravel the facts of the situation for further action.

Counselor advocates teaching of reproductive health in primary schools

G

uidance and Counseling Officer, African Community School, Abuja, Mrs. Deborah Menegbe, has called for the inclusion of reproductive health education in primary schools curriculum in the country.

Menegbe, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, at the weekend.

She stressed that the initiative would equip the pupils with the knowledge to make informed decisions on their sexual life.

“It is important for sex education to be integrated into the school curriculum, while the parents have a role to play.

“Sex education means giving enlightenment to a growing child about the dangers involved in an unhealthy relationship with the opposite sex,” she said.

She said there were implications when a child lacked exposure on the knowledge of the different reproductive health organs.

Menegbe, said that children had been victims of sexual abuse from uncontrolled behavior due

to ignorance.

“There are things parents think they cannot discuss with their children, and such children could get exposed by peer group, internet and the media.

“It is important that from the age of six, parents should educate the child, and by 10 years they are fully educated on reproductive health,’’ she said.

She noted that all sensitive parts of the body should be pointed out clearly to the child, adding that the child should be taught about the dignity of his

or her body.

The counselor encouraged parents to be friends of their wards so that they become their confidants.

“It is important to discuss reproductive organs in their body; they need to protect their private parts and dangers of sex before marriage.

“The home is the agent of change, parents should educate them from the home and the teachers can play their part in school, ‘’she added.

She encouraged parents to have ‘wisdom talks’ with

their children, which may not necessarily be from the Holy Qur’an or Holy Bible.

The counselor said that story books and folk tales that teach morals could be used to open up discussions with them.

She said that parents and teachers should also be mindful in their use of language when they were around children.

Menegbe, urged parents and guardians to monitor the conversations that their wards were exposed to, while regulating their indulgence in the use of internet. (NAN)

PAGE 32

Photo Splash

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Manual labourers waiting for patronage, yesterday at Area 11, in Abuja.

Scavengers searching for valuables at Karu refuse dump, yesterday in Abuja.

Staff of Abuja Environmental Protection Board on duty, yesterday at Maitama, in Abuja.

Business activities going on, yesterday at Nyanya, in Abuja.

Commercial motorcyclist carring a passanegr, yesterday in Mararaba.

Photos: Mahmud Isa

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

PAGE 33

metro

Bello tasks staff on attitudinal change

By Stanley Onyekwere

S

taff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have been admonished to change their attitude towards service delivery, in line with the change mantra of the Federal Government.

This point was made by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, while receiving the Chairman of the Joint Unions

Action Committee, Comrade Titus Okoro, an umbrella organization for all affiliate unions under the FCT Administration in his office.

He noted that the FCT Administration is poised to serve the people, and therefore solicited for the support of officials of the unions as well as the entire staff of the FCT Administration to achieve this onerous task.

According to the Minister, though the challenges are quite

enormous but they are not insurmountable; but ‘in serving the people, we must take care of their welfare and security.’

He assured that his Administration would do its best to promote the welfare of staff but within the context of the overall national policy.

“I want to assure you that I will sincerely do my best for you but would also like to appeal for genuine support on the part of

your members,” he said.

While thanking the staff for their patience and understanding so far, he said would improve the partnership.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Joint Unions Action Committee, Comrade Titus Okoro, appealed to the Minister to look into the 100 percent payment of staff rent supplement in line with extant rules, as the amount now being paid is not sufficient to

secure accommodation for staff of the Administration.

The Chairman also called for the resuscitation of the staff ‘Long Service Award’, to reward the uncommon sacrifices made towards building the befitting capital city, Abuja.

According to him, it is equally desirous to bring back the preretirement training for staff due for retirement.

Woman selling local delicacy (opa), yesterday at UTC, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

How Police nabbed 6 robbery suspects

T

he Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said it had arrested six robbery suspects who specialised in attacking and robbing people of cell phones and money.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Anjuguri

Manzah, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Manzah said that the suspects were arrested in separate operations in Mabushi, Nyanya and Wuye divisions by operatives of the command.

He said that the suspects

would be charged to court on completion of investigation in the matter.

He said that the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, had directed all Divisional Police Officers and Area Commanders in the territory to ensure adequate

security during the Yuletide.

The Police Spokesman called on residents of the territory to assist the police by volunteering useful information that could lead to the arrest of criminals.

“Residents of the territory should help the police by reporting suspicious movements

in their neighbourhood,” he said.

It would be recalled that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, had directed Command Commissioners of Police to personally ensure adequate security during the Yuletide.(NAN)

Commercial driver docked over alleged mischief

T

he Police have arraigned a commercial driver, Bitrus Matthew, 38, in a Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court on a threecount-charge of mischief, breach of trust and cheating.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Adaji, told the court that the

complainant, Cpl. Friday Enumaje, attached to `A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba, reported the matter on December 12.

Adaji said that the complainant entrusted his Toyota Camry car to the accused for commercial purpose, with an agreement of

remitting N15, 000 weekly.

He said that the accused used the car for two weeks, and did not remit the money as agreed, instead he ran away with the said car to an unknown destination.

The prosecutor said that the accused was seen on December 9

with the car and he was arrested.

He said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 327, 312 and 322 of the Penal code respectively.

The accused denied committing the crime.

The Presiding Judge, Mr.

Albert Maga, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety in the like sum.

He said that the accused must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and adjourned the case till December 24 for further hearing.

(NAN)

Page 34

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Money Sense 9 Ways to avoid rookie mistakes when starting your own business

By Nicole Lapin

L

ots of people are dissatisfied with their careers and believe they’d be better off braving it on their own. After all, the “new normal” we all live in is not so pretty: job uncertainty, financial uncertainty, pay cuts, furloughs. With the jobs picture so bleak, many people tell me they’d rather get paid in happiness. And that might mean jumping ship to start your own thing.

But there is one thing to know before you take that proverbial leap: You are probably going to fail.

That’s why, in the beginning, it’s better to have low expectations; so you can exceed them. Just because you’re a small business owner doesn’t mean you know how to be a boss.

A great chef doesn’t necessarily know how to run a restaurant.

An internet whiz doesn’t necessarily know the ins and outs of marketing. That’s why it’s important to know what you don’t know, then find creative ways to learn it and/or work with others who have that knowledge base you’re missing.

The dirty little secret is that no one has it totally figured out.

But every day it gets better. We all fake it to some extent . . . until we make it. However, there are some steps you can take to ensure you don’t make too many rookie mistakes (because you will make some, believe me) and do get on your way to creating a successful business.

1. First, have a plan: A business plan is a playbook for what you’re trying to create. The subject of business plans could fill a book (and it has, hundreds of them), but basically it’s a description of your company, your proposed product or service, the market for that product or service, whom you’ll be competing against, how you’ll find your customers and a financial analysis of how you expect things to go. Yes, a lot of these details will be an educated guess, but you can run them by your nearest and dearest for a quick market test.

Invite family and friends over, load them up with yummy eats and drinks and seek feedback about your idea. Be specific, but make sure that your questions are open-ended, and listen carefully. Better to learn of your weaknesses and glitches in the comfort of your own home than at a meeting with an investor, or, worse, after you launch.

2. If you can produce your product easily, make samples, find vendors and build from there: Lara Merriken, the creator of LARABAR, made her original snack bars in her own oven after mixing the ingredients in her (sanitized) bathtub. It wasn’t until years of bathtub baking later that she acquired a professional bakery operation (and eventually sold to General Mills).

3. You don’t need an MBA to complete a financial

Friends looking at business materials

analysis: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Just figure out what your costs are and whether you can make money. Jennifer Fleiss, the woman who started Rent the Runway (the “Netflix for fashion”), and her cofounder, Jennifer Hyman, both went to business school. I asked them, “Do you need a business plan?”

Maybe not, they said; assuming you have a clear elevator pitch.

Try having both a paper plan and a pitch plan. They will work for different audiences, but you never want to have to answer, “I don’t have one” if someone asks.

4. Know the jargon: Most new business owners don’t have the handle on their industry jargon, or the numbers, as much as they should. You should know the differences between revenue versus profits versus valuation. Improperly using the lingo or avoiding it altogether, is an immediate giveaway that you are out of your league.

5. put it down in writing: You might be wide-eyed and excited to start a new adventure, but get everything in writing and a clear agreement in place, even if that feels uncomfortable.

Contracts are for worst-case scenarios. You might hate them when you are first signing them, but you will be endlessly thankful for them if things don’t go as planned.

6. Dream with your eyes wide open.

Yes, dream big! But know that you can’t achieve greatness in the first six months; and be at peace with that. Have one-, three-, five- and ten-year goals, as if you are already accustomed to creating.

Clothing designer talking on telephone in workshop

7. Don’t be a dictator: You want people to want to work for you. You also want people to root for you. By being

a dictator, you might get people to do the work, but they won’t like it. If they don’t like it, if they don’t believe in you or your purpose, they won’t give you their best. So be respected. Be liked. Don’t be feared.

8. Maintain your relationships: Burning old bridges, or failing to keep up with your contacts from your previous career, can be the end of your next career. If you totally fail in this new endeavor, you want to have a fallback plan.

Don’t dismiss all of your former colleagues, even if they aren’t in your new industry. You never know whom you might need to employ, who your future clients may be, who might make a career change just like you and end up in a position to hire you or work with you. If you were assistants together, don’t dismiss them just because you were elevated to the next rung first. You never know when your past might come back to help you, or to haunt you.

9. Eat a slice of humble pie: You don’t know everything.

You have to take the time to understand all aspects of the business. The dirty little secret is that no one has it totally figured out. Every day it gets better. Every day you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

We all fake it to some extent. . . ’til we make it. And once you’re truly prepared, you can quit waiting. A year from now you’ll wish you’d started today. www.smallbusinesses.com

world news

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page 35

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

UN mission chief on challenges of S Sudan peace INTERVIEW

to get out and patrol with the current troops, how are an additional 1,100 on top of 12,500 troops going to make a difference?

It has been very difficult for TCCs, troop contributing countries, to deploy with the necessary equipment. It has also been difficult for us in the mission to get the camps up and running because of the physical conditions. We decided ... we wouldn’t ask for something unrealistic that couldn’t be implemented in the next year.

South Sudan recently marked the second anniversary since a brutal conflict began that has killed thousands of people and forced two million others from their homes.

Under immense international pressure, President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed a peace deal in August. Nevertheless, fighting continues in many parts of the country with widespread reports of atrocities against civilians.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission (UNMISS) has been in South Sudan since the interim period that ushered in South Sudan’s independence in 2011.

Since the eruption of the most recent conflict, 180,000 internally displaced people have sought protection inside its bases across the country. The UN Security Council has just boosted the deployment by another 1,100 troops.

Al Jazeera spoke to Ellen Margrethe Loj - special representative of the UN secretary general and head of the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan - about the mission.

What challenges does the international community face in reaching the 4.6 million South Sudanese in need of humanitarian assistance?

We are now approaching the dry season, which makes it possible hopefully for the humanitarian actors to move around and preposition supplies for people in need. But it’s of course very important for the peace agreement to be implemented so the fighting stops and humanitarian actors can reach people in need.

There are two challenges. First of all, internationally a lot of people are in need, so there is a lot of demand for financial resources.

Here in South Sudan we also have the challenges with access, both from the two parties and other groups. And I would also say that as the economy is getting very strained, we also see informal groups putting up roadblocks to extort money and goods.

The peace deal signed in August is significantly lagging behind deadlines. Is there enough political will and commitment on the two sides?

Well both of them say they are committed to the peace deal and we can only hope they will show that in practice. I know there’s all kinds of discussions going on to have the opposition come back to Juba with an advance team, so that some of the mechanisms in the peace agreement can be implemented. But as you have seen since December 2013, also during the peace negotiations in Addis Ababa, ever so often we saw delay and delay, so I must say for the sake of the South Sudanese people that I hope the commitment to the peace agreement is genuine on both sides.

The government expects the international community to fund the peace process, but donors have been hesitant so far because of various reasons, including human rights violations and corruption. Could the lack of funding become an obstacle to implementation?

Funding is certainly needed and it’s a very ambitious peace agreement in terms of funding.

There are many challenges in the world today for donors, so it could be delayed because of lack of funding. But again, we have to make progress step by step. I think for many donors it’s also a question of having the necessary confidence in the parties to move forward. If we get the SPLM-IO back, if we get the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Committee up and running … I’m hoping the delay will not be as big.

More than 1.6 million have been displaced internally by the conflict, with around 180,000 civilians still sheltering in UN bases across the country.

Despite the peace deal, many are still afraid to return. How

UN chief in South Sudan Ellen Margrethe Loj says all sides need to end the fighting [Bebeto Matthews/AP]

and when are you planning on enabling these 180,000 people to return home?

We don’t have a timeline.

The vast majority of the people are in three camps, Bentiu, Malakal and Juba. What we have decided -together with our humanitarian colleagues - is that as the peace agreement starts being implemented, we would do a strategic review of each of these sites and look at possible solutions and timelines. One thing is absolutely clear: Return from the POC [protection of civilians] site has to be voluntary, safe and sustainable. We cannot assist in moving people to an area of the country if their life is in danger or if they will starve, for instance.

But let me add, we are also unfortunately seeing increased criminality within the POC sites, gangs, all kinds of activities, which we are doing our very best to calm down, but we need the cooperation of the IDPs [internally displaced

“

I think it’s very important that peacekeeping missions are composed and structured so they can meet the challenges in each specific theatre... I also think it’s crucial that peacekeeping alone is a temporary solution allowing for the political processes to find solutions

people]. If they are really there because they need protection, we would hope that they would not engage in those kinds of criminal activities which create insecurity.

The UN Secretary General in his report on November 23 admitted that despite the challenges “more can be done to extend protection beyond the UN sites”. Could you have prevented some of the atrocities committed?

Well the balance is that we have civilians within our bases, and they have to be protected, and as I said criminality is rising, so that draws more police and military resources to deal with the protection sites. But there’s no doubt about it, there’s a misunderstanding in my view that protection of civilians is only about protecting civilians within our bases. On the contrary, that should be the last resort, only if anything else has been tried. Mobility is much more important, to move around, to observe what’s going on, hopefully to give a sense of security to the local population. So it’s that conflict. And then of course it has been difficult for us because of movement restrictions ... ever so often when our peacekeepers try to move they are forced to turn around.

To help UNMISS support the peace deal implementation, the UN Security Council approved 500 additional troops and 600 additional police personnel.

The mission currently has 12,500 uniformed personnel.

If you are already struggling

Do you struggle to recruit peacekeepers with the right background and skillset to deal with an army and militia that often don’t observe rules of engagement or the Geneva conventions?

Yes, it has been a challenge for many years for the UN to recruit properly trained peacekeepers. We had hoped the requirements would go downward, so the UN could look at the right capabilities, but unfortunately the crisis in South Sudan, Mali and Central African Republic have meant the demand for peacekeepers has gone up. We rely on certain troop contributing countries, because there are a lot of countries - especially in Europe and North America that don’t contribute peacekeepers or very small numbers of peacekeepers to UN operations. We are doing the best we can, but the Secretary General is very actively trying to broaden the base of countries contributing to UN peacekeeping.

There’s currently an ongoing review of UN peacekeeping operations around the world to make them more efficient. What are the main things that need to be done to improve effectiveness of peacekeeping in South Sudan?

I think it’s very important that peacekeeping missions are composed and structured so they can meet the challenges in each specific theatre... I also think it’s crucial that peacekeeping alone is a temporary solution allowing for the political processes to find solutions.

Peacekeeping alone without going hand in hand with political efforts to solve the underlying challenges will not be successful in the kind of conflicts we are facing today.

Finally, we have to be more creative in the tools we are given in terms of special capabilities, again, depending on the challenges in the country in question.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page

News From Africa More UK support for Nigerian forces fighting Boko Haram

Kenyan Muslims shield Christians in Mandera bus attack

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he UK is to step up support to the Nigerian armed forces to tackle militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

It will include a specialist team to help deal with improvised explosive devices and more medical training.

The move was announced by UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon on a visit to Nigeria to see President Muhammadu Buhari.

Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow the Nigerian government and create an Islamic state in West Africa.

Mr Fallon said: “Boko Haram is a brutal organisation that has murdered and kidnapped innocent civilians. We stand united with Nigeria in its efforts to defeat them.

“Stepping up our training efforts will help support the Armed Forces of Nigeria for crucial counterinsurgency operations.”

The UK has vowed to more than double the number of British personnel deployed on training tasks in Nigeria in the coming year.

Up to 300 people are expected to provide support during 2016, including a new RAF training team to help the Nigerian Air Force improve airfield defence and counter insurgency operations.

Burundi: We will not allow foreign troops to enter

M Somali-based al-Shabab frequently launches attacks over the border in Kenya

A

group of Kenyan Muslims travelling on a bus ambushed

by Islamist gunmen protected Christian passengers by refusing to be split into groups, according to eyewitnesses.

They told the militants “to kill them together or leave them alone”, a local governor told Kenyan media.

At least two people were killed in the attack, near the north-eastern village of El Wak on the Somali border.

The Somali based al-Shabab group is the main suspect for the attack.

It has not said if it was responsible, but often carries out attacks in Kenya’s

north-east.

The bus was travelling from the capital Nairobi to the town of Mandera.

When al-Shabab killed 148 people in an attack on Garissa University College in April, the militants reportedly singled out Christians and shot them, while freeing many Muslims.

Last year, a bus was attacked near Mandera by al-Shabab militants, who killed 36 non-Muslims travelling to Nairobi for Christmas celebrations. ”The locals showed a sense of patriotism and belonging to each other,” Mandera governor Ali Roba

told Kenya’s private Daily Nation newspaper.

The militants decided to leave after the passengers’ show of unity, he added.

An employee of the Makkah bus company, who had spoken to the driver involved in the attack, confirmed to the BBC that Muslims had refused to be separated from their fellow Christian passengers. One of the victims was shot dead after trying to run away from the militants after passengers had been forced off the bus, the same employee told the BBC’s Bashkas Jugsodaay in Nairobi.

Only mediation can stop the violence in Burundi

B

urundi’s government has rejected the African Union’s decision to deploy a 5,000-strong peacekeeping force to curb ongoing violence in the troubled country, saying it will prevent foreign troops from entering its borders.

The African Union’s Peace and Security Council agreed on Friday night to deploy an African Prevention and Protection Mission (MAPROBU) for an initial period of six months - primarily to protect civilians after months of political violence following the disputed re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza in July.

The MAPROBU force is mandated to “prevent any deterioration of the security situation” as well as to protect civilians and “contribute to the creation of the necessary conditions for the successful holding of the inter-Burundian dialogue”.

Nkurunziza’s spokesman Gervais Abayeho told Al Jazeera on Saturday, however, that Burundi does not need a peacekeeping force.

“We will not allow foreign troops in Burundi. We don’t need them,” Abayeho said.

Malawi ‘suspends’ antihomosexual laws

Suspected fighters are paraded before the media by Burundian police near a recovered cache of weapons in the capital Bujumbura, [Reuters]

T

he Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU) made the unprecedented decision to send a 5,500-strong intervention force to Burundi on December 17. Known as the African Prevention and Protection Mission in Burundi, the intervention force is meant to quell the deteriorating political crisis.

Indeed, this decision came at a time when recent events raised concerns of imminent risk of the country relapsing back to civil war. The fact-finding mission of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights described the deteriorating crisis as “escalating

violence and violations of human rights”. Similarly, the UN human rights chief warned that Burundi was “on the very cusp of a civil war”.

What is remarkable about this decision is that the plan is to send the intervention force “with” or “without” the consent of Burundi’s government.

This is the first time that the AU has decided to deploy an intervention mission even against the consent of a member state.

This historic decision puts the protagonists in the Burundian crisis under the spotlight. It is an exercise in coercive diplomacy aimed at inducing

cooperation.

The actual worth of this decision depends on both whether the forces will be deployed with the consent of the Burundi government and how long it will take to assemble, organise, equip and deploy them.

Deployment of the troops with the consent of the government is the first and preferred option. As discussed by the American academic Paul Williams, even if the Burundi government consents to the deployment of the force, it is unlikely that the troops will be on the ground quickly enough in a matter of weeks.

alawi has imposed a moratorium on antihomosexual laws pending a decision on whether to repeal the legislation, Justice Minister Samuel Tembenu has said.

A review of all colonial-area sodomy laws will be launched in consultation with the people of Malawi, he added.

Mr Tembenu also ordered the release of two men charged with having sex “against the order of nature”.

One human rights activist describes the move as a step in the right direction.

However, many Malawians are not happy with the decision and religious leaders have asked the government not to relent to pressure from Western donors by allowing same-sex relationships.

Since 2012, the US government has put more than $350m (£230m) into supporting gay rights groups in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the New York Times.

The arrest of the two men earlier this month was condemned by the United States and leading international human rights organisations.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries of the world and relies heavily on international aid.

Mr Tembenu said the country was a signatory to international treaties which allowed homosexual acts, the local Nyasa Times newspaper reports.

But he wants the international community to appreciate the “sensitiveness of the matter”.

As in several African countries, homosexuality is widely seen as taboo in Malawi.

Both the Catholic Church and Muslim leaders have in the past described it as un-Godly.

Malawian human rights activist Billy Mayaya told the BBC that before the law was changed, the government should explain its new position.

“It is on the right track to abolish sodomy laws but the public needs to be sensitised to understand the secular nature of our country,” he said.

“Many people here thought Malawi is a Christian country which is not true, we are a secular state,” Mr Mayaya added.

The government announced a similar suspension of antihomosexuality laws in 2012, however this did not prevent the two men being arrested.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

In Gaza’s Khuzaa caravans, families fear another winter

Page

Asia & Middle East

China landslide: Rescuers search for 85 people still missing

D

K

huzaa, Gaza Strip - As cold, late-autumn rain poured down on the Gaza Strip last month, Yousef al-Najjar watched as his makeshift home sunk deeper into the mud, its thin laminate floors cracking.

Intended as a temporary solution for residents made homeless by Israel’s 2014 war on Gaza, the static caravans of Khuzaa - a cluster of around 70 tin-sheet homes on the town’s outskirts, paid for by donor nations such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - are scarcely equipped for another winter. Najjar fears that cold temperatures and increased rainfall will make the homes unliveable.

“We live in a horrible situation,” Najjar, a 47-year-old father of three, told Al Jazeera.

“This area of Khuzaa is lower than the rest. When it rains, the water settles here.”

“The [caravans] aren’t insulated, and over time, they have shifted,” he added. “The outside air comes in, then it gets hotter or colder depending on the season. We are provided heaters, but they aren’t effective. Last year, we tried to build fires inside the caravan, but we stopped. We know it’s not safe. What if we fell asleep and it caught fire?” The cold, wet weather has serious repercussions for the health of all families living in the caravan camp.

“The health of the people here is always bad,” Mohammed Mohanna, a doctor from the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), a grassroots health organisation, told Al Jazeera at his mobile clinic in Khuzaa. “But you can see a big difference in their well-being during winter. It gets much worse.” Mohanna serves more than 50,000 Palestinians in the northern and middle regions of Gaza every week, and says that some of the toughest cases he encounters are in Khuzaa.

One of the main problems is hygiene. With no plumbing, each caravan is equipped with three large barrels of water for sanitation, but the pipes used to deliver water here were destroyed by recent flooding. Often, there is no way for residents to clean themselves, making the community a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.

“At the beginning of winter, tonsillitis, contagious skin conditions like impetigo, influenza - all become serious issues,” Mohanna said. “These conditions are quickly complicated by secondary bacterial infections, leading to acute tonsillitis, hightemperature bacterial fevers, and worsening skin rashes.”

Russia-Turkey crisis: Sukhoi jet black box ‘unreadable’

Hundreds of workers continue to search the site on Monday

H

undreds of rescue workers are looking for survivors after a landslide hit 33 buildings in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Seven people were pulled from the rubble with minor injuries but 85 are still missing. About 900 were evacuated as the landslide struck on Sunday.

Authorities said a huge man-made mound of earth and construction debris lost stability and collapsed.

The city is one of China’s biggest and is a major industrial centre.

It is situated in the southern province of Guangdong, across the mainland border from Hong Kong.

The landslide has blanketed a vast area of 380,000 sq m (455,000 sq yards) covering it with up to 10m (32ft) of mud at an industrial park, Shenzhen’s emergency management

office said on its official microblog.

State news agency Xinhua said that the landslide caused an explosion at a natural gas pipeline.

Workers have cleaned up about 400m of damaged pipeline and are now repairing it. China’s land and resources ministry said in a statement on its website that initial investigations showed the landslide happened when a huge mound of soil, cement chunks and other construction waste became unstable.

“Because the mound was very large, and the angle of its slope was overly steep, this led to it losing stability and collapsing,” it said.

People’s Daily said the mound had accumulated at a stone quarry that had been converted into a dumping area with its entrance and exit facing an industrial district.

Residents evacuated from the

surrounding area described hearing loud roars when the landslide happened.

Amateur footage of the incident broadcast on state television showed waves of red soil quickly engulfing and crushing buildings.

A video taken by an eyewitness and posted online by Beijing Daily newspaper shows plumes of soil shooting up in the air as the mound of earth collapses. Until 30 years ago, Shenzhen was nothing but a quiet fishing village across the border from Hong Kong. But Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping had a vision.

And he led its transformation into the country’s first, and still most successful, special economic zone full of self-made entrepreneurs.

Shenzhen is a boomtown, with a city centre surrounded by miles and miles of sprawling industrial parks.

Six foreign troops killed in Afghanistan suicide attack

A

suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a joint US-Afghan patrol in Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least six foreign soldiers, NATO said.

It is the deadliest attack on foreign troops since August.

Brig Gen Wilson Shoffner, head of public affairs at NATO’s Resolute Support base in the Afghan capital

Kabul, said in a statement that six members of its Resolute Support mission were killed in the attack that happened in the vicinity of the Bagram airbase, the biggest US military facility in Afghanistan.

Three other Resolute Support soldiers were wounded in the attack.

“We’re deeply saddened by this loss,” said Shoffner.

NATO did not confirm the nationalities of the casualties, in accordance with its normal practice.

Earlier, an Afghan official put the number of NATO personnel dead at three, with another two wounded.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility on Twitter and said 19 soldiers had been killed and a number wounded.

ata on the flight recorder of the Russian war plane downed by Turkey last month has so far proved to be unreadable, Russia’s military has said.

It said the memory chips from the Su-24 bomber downed on the Syrian border were destroyed or badly damaged.

The Russians had hoped to prove the plane never entered Turkish airspace, as claimed

by Ankara. Work will continue to try to retrieve the data.

The incident sparked a major bilateral crisis, with Russia imposing sanctions.

The Russian military representatives presented their preliminary findings in Moscow on Monday, after opening the “black box” on Friday in the presence of international experts.

Some 13 of the 16 chips had been destroyed, while x-ray tests on the others showed extracting information would be impossible using normal methods. However, the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Moscow says further work will be done to see if other methods of retrieving the data are possible.

The Su-24 was shot down by F-16 fighters on 24 November.

Turkey insists that the jet, from the Russian air contingent deployed in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, ignored warnings to leave its airspace.

Both crew members ejected but the pilot was killed, apparently by militants on the ground while the navigator was rescued. A Russian marine sent to rescue the crew was also killed and a helicopter destroyed on the ground.

Russia says the plane was shot down within Syrian airspace. President Vladimir Putin has described Turkey’s action as a “stab in the back” committed by “accomplices of terrorists”.

Russia has demanded an apology from Turkey and in the meantime has imposed sanctions including a ban on package holidays, which could cost Turkey billions of dollars.

Iranian hackers ‘targeted’ New York dam

I

ranian hackers penetrated the computers controlling a dam near New York, reveals the Wall Street Journal.

The 2013 attack did no damage but revealed information about how computers running the flood control system worked, said the paper.

Hackers working for nation states regularly hit national infrastructure targets, said a separate AP report.

About 12 times in the last decade

hackers have won high-level access to power networks, it said.

Extensive information about the Bowman Avenue dam in Rye, New York state was taken by the hackers, experts familiar with the incident told the newspaper.

An investigation pointed to Iran as the likely source of the attack and alerted US authorities to the significant cyber warfare capabilities of that nation, said the report The same group of hackers

that attacked Bowman Avenue was also implicated in separate attacks on three US financial firms, it added.

The US power network has also come under regular attack by “sophisticated foreign hackers” said AP in an extensive investigation.

Many times security researchers had found evidence that hackers had won access to these sensitive systems. So far, all the attacks seemed intent on gathering detailed

information, including engineering drawings, about networks and facilities.

One extensive campaign gave hackers access to 82 separate plants spread across the US and Canada.

Comments in the code found when the attacks were detected suggested Iranian hackers were behind this attack. Information about this series of attacks led the FBI to issue a warning to power industry that it was being targeted.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page

Europe & Americas

Despair and anguish for Moroccans stuck on Greek border

I

and migrants from a makeshift camp on the Greek side of the border.

“I left Casablanca, left my family behind, my home,” he said, recalling taking a flimsy rubber dinghy with Syrians and Iraqis from Turkey to Greece.

“I want to live in dignity and respect like everyone else. Now we’re stuck [in

Greece].”

Hamza and Mohamed are among more than 968,000 refugees and migrants who have arrived in Europe by boat this year, according to the United Nations human rights agency (UNHCR). At least 3,625 people have died at sea or still cannot be accounted for.

domeni, Greece - As the sun gradually dimmed into night, 20-year-old Hamza Chimawi hung off the side of a train car with one arm and swung himself down to the platform at the Idomeni crossing on the border of Greece and Macedonia.

Like thousands of other mostly young Moroccans, Hamza left his home

town and took off for Europe. Lighting his cigarette and then another for his friend Mohamed, who is a year younger than him, he said that they risked their lives on boats and land to make it to any country in Europe. ”Anywhere, I’d go anywhere in Europe,” he told Al Jazeera just days before Greek police forcibly evicted thousands of stranded refugees

Las Vegas Strip crash: Dozens hurt as car crashes into crowd

Spain election: Tough talks ahead after historic result

Australia’s Tasmania may raise smoking age to 25

A

t least one person has died and 36 have been injured after a car ran down pedestrians in front of a hotel in Las Vegas, officials said.

Police say they believe the crash was intentional but terrorism has been ruled out.

The vehicle left the northbound lane of Las Vegas Boulevard and mounted the sidewalk twice at about 6:30pm local time (02:30 GMT) on Sunday evening.

The female driver, aged in her 20s, fled the scene but was later arrested.

She is being tested for alcohol and drugs.

A three-year-old child was found unhurt inside the car when police tracked it down.

“At this point we are treating this as an intentional act,” said Capt Dan McGrath of the Las Vegas police.

Earlier, another police captain told reporters it was not an act of terrorism.

The person killed was an adult but witnesses say those hit by the car also include children.

Seven people were in a critical condition, according to officials.

The Miss Universe beauty pageant was being held in a nearby hotel at the time of the crash. The car appeared to be travelling between 30-40mph (48kph-64kph) as it hit pedestrians, according to one witness.

“It was just massacring people,” Justin Cochrane told the Associated Press news agency.

Another witness said she saw victims “flying through the air.”

“The car was like a bowling ball and the human bodies were like pins,” Rabia Qureshi told local broadcaster KSNV.

For Moroccans, like several other nationalities, the Macedonian border is sealed shut. Last month, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov announced that only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans would be allowed to pass through his country en route to elsewhere in Europe.

Ivanov deemed potential asylum seekers from Morocco, Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, Somalia and elsewhere as “economic migrants”, claiming that the presence of more than 2,000 refugees and migrants in Macedonia at any given time would result in “permanent and direct threats and risks for national security”.

T Campaign posters are coming down - but the political bargaining is just starting

S

pain’s political parties are facing a struggle to form a stable government after a historic election that broke the traditional two-party dominance.

The incumbent conservatives took most votes, but the surge of two new forces stripped it of its majority.

King Felipe VI will now talk to all parties before nominating a candidate for PM, who must then win a vote of approval in the hung parliament.

The uncertainty prompted a fall on Monday in the Madrid stock market.

Shares on the Ibex 35 fell 2.8% in early trading, before recovering slightly.

For decades the conservative Popular Party (PP), now led by incumbent PM Mariano Rajoy, and the Socialists (PSOE) had dominated the Spanish political scene.

But a surge of support for the

anti-austerity Podemos party and the centrist Ciudadanos has broken the mould. The PP took 28.72% of the vote in Sunday’s election, the PSOE 22.01%, Podemos 20.66% and Ciudadanos 13.93%.

In the 350-seat parliament this translates to: PP (123); PSOE (90); Podemos (69); Ciudadanos (40).

Mr Rajoy’s immediate reaction was to insist his party was “still the number one force” and he would attempt to form an administration.

Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez was equally adamant that Spain wanted “a move to the left”.

Although he acknowledged Mr Rajoy had won the right to have the first attempt at forming a government, the Socialists made it clear they would not back a Rajoy-led government.

This is the beginning of a new, multi-party era in Spain. The unrivalled dominance of the PP and the Socialists, who alternated in power for 32 years, always with

parliamentary majorities, is over.

Compromise and co-operation, so fundamental in Spain’s transition to democracy at the end of the 1970s, but generally absent in much of the political discourse since, will have to become the new watchwords of Spanish politics.

A PP-led government, or one led by the Socialists, will require long and complicated negotiations.

The new parties, particularly Podemos, would surely demand radical changes in the way Spain is governed and in economic policy, before risking being a junior partner in any government.

The figures show that finding any workable administration could be a tough task.

An alliance between the PP and the liberal Ciudadanos would not provide enough seats for a majority.

But an alliance of the PSOE and Podemos would fall similarly short.

he Australian state of Tasmania is considering raising the legal age for buying cigarettes to at least 21 and potentially as high as 25.

If the plan goes ahead it will give Tasmania some of the toughest tobacco laws in the world.

The current legal age to purchase, possess or smoke cigarettes in all Australian states is 18.

Critics have complained the proposed restrictions would be a violation of civil liberties.

Australia already has some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking policies.

It introduced so-called plain packaging in 2012, where packs are coloured an identical olive brown and are covered in graphic health warnings.

The country is also one of the most expensive places in the world to buy cigarettes - from around A$20 a pack ($15; £10).

Parts of the world already ban cigarette sales to those under 21, including Kuwait and, from next year, Hawaii. Around one-in-five Tasmanians smoke, with the vast majority taking up the habit before the age of 25.

The Tasmanian government proposals are part of a five-year plan to make the state Australia’s healthiest by 2025.

Colombia’s Farc: ‘No peace deal by March deadline’

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olombia’s largest rebel group, the Farc, says it will not sign a final peace agreement with the government by 23 March 2016 as both sides had previously announced.

A Farc negotiator told Colombian broadcaster Noticias Uno “there won’t be a signing of

the final agreement on 23 March”.

He blamed the government for the delay.

The two sides have been holding peace talks for three years to end more than 50 years of armed conflict.

Senior Farc negotiator Jesus Santrich told Noticias Uno that

the delay had been caused by government negotiators “changing the rules of the game”. The deadline of 23 March 2016 for the signing of a final agreement had been set by President Juan Manuel Santos on 23 September.

That day, the president travelled to Cuba to announce that the two

sides had reached agreement on the issue of transitional justice, one of the thorniest on the agenda.

He and Farc leader Timochenko shook hands at the conference centre in Havana, where the talks have been taking place since November 2012. A day later, however, another Farc negotiator, Ivan Marquez,

was already casting doubt on the viability of the six-month deadline to sign a final agreement.

On Sunday, Jesus Santrich reiterated those doubts.

He blamed government negotiator for the delay saying they had gone back on points which had already been agreed.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Strange

Page 39

world

The bizarre parade in Colombia where farmers compete to load as much as possible onto their Jeeps

By Becky Pemberton

I

t is astounding that some of the Jeeps in Colombia’s annual Yipao parade can move at all given the vast collection of items loaded onto the roofs.

Guitars, toilets and even pets are among the decorative pieces loaded onto the vehicles to represent the family’s wealth.

Meaning ‘fully-loaded Willy’, Yipao seeks to celebrate the role the Willys MB Jeep models have in coffee-growing regions.

They were first introduced to the country in 1946 when the US Army began selling surplus vehicles to developing countries for discounted prices.

As they can travel up the mountainous areas carrying agricultural produce with ease, many were snapped up by farmers in the Quindío Department of western Colombia to replace mules. In areas with a lack of electricity, their running engines are also used to power generators and water pumps.

At the festival there are prizes for the largest amount of objects piled on top and the most creative displays.

DailyMail on Facebook

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page 40

Digest

Breakfast every day helps pupils

Pupils who eat a healthy breakfast every day are more likely to perform better in school, research shows (file picture of breakfast)

By Ben Spencer

P

upils who eat a healthy breakfast every day are more likely to perform better in school, research shows.

Those who start the day with cereal, bread, dairy or fruit were twice as likely to do well in tests, a Cardiff University study found.

Having snacks such as crisps or

sweets in the morning was no better than eating nothing at all, they said.

Researchers who asked 5,000 pupils aged nine to 11 from more than 100 primary schools found that youngsters who carried on eating fruit and vegetables at other times of the day also did better.

While academics have long

linked morning meals to brain power, the Cardiff team said their large study indicated the ‘strongest evidence yet’.

Dr Graham Moore, who worked on the study, said: ‘We analysed links between whether young people were eating breakfast and the quality of that breakfast.

‘There’s a significant

Those who start the day with cereal, bread, dairy or fruit were twice as likely to do well in tests (file picture of oatmeal)

association between eating breakfast and doing well, but there is also a link between a healthy breakfast and doing well.

‘The odds of achieving an above average teacher assessment score were up to twice as high for those pupils who ate breakfast.

‘The odds of scoring above average was between 50 per cent and 100 per cent higher if any breakfast was eaten.’

Dr Moore said it did not matter whether pupils ate breakfast at home or during a breakfast club at school.

‘The main thing is to make sure they have a breakfast,’ he said.

During the study, pupils were asked to list all the food and drink they consumed over a period of just over 24 hours, including two breakfasts.

Hannah Littlecott, lead author of the study, said: ‘While breakfast consumption has been consistently associated with general health outcomes and acute measures of concentration and cognitive function, evidence regarding links to concrete educational outcomes has until now been unclear.

‘This study therefore offers the strongest evidence yet of links between aspects of what pupils eat and how well they do at school, which has significant implications

for education and public health policy.

‘For schools, dedicating time and resource towards improving child health can be seen as an unwelcome diversion from their core business of educating pupils, in part due to pressures that place the focus on solely driving up educational attainment.

‘But this resistance to delivery of health improvement interventions overlooks the clear synergy between health and education. Clearly, embedding health improvements into the core business of the school might also deliver educational improvements as well.’

Chris Bonell, professor of sociology and social policy at the University College London Institute of Education, said: ‘This further emphasises the need for schools to focus on the health and education of their pupils as complementary, rather than as competing priorities.

‘Many schools throughout the UK now offer their pupils a breakfast. Ensuring that those young people most in need benefit from these schemes may represent an important mechanism for boosting the educational performance of young people throughout the UK.’ Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY

Sports

TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page

41

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

Dilapidated sports facility worries commissioner in Niger State

I want to keep scoring form, says Ighalo >>Pg 43

Club World Cup deserves greater recognition, Giggs tells FIFA >>Pg 46

Dilapidated indoor Sports facility at 123 quarters in Minna

By Yakubu Mustapha

T

he Niger State Commissioner for Sports Development and Youths Empowerment, Alhaji Mamman Musa Bosso has expressed worries over the dilapidated facilities in the sports ministry in the state calling for urgent attention if it most succeeds as government.

Bosso made his feeling known while inspecting all the facilities under the ministry of sports immediately he assumed office in Minna the state capital.

He attributed the dilapidation to lack of maintenance culture on the part of the immediate past administration which he described as very unfortunate that despite the numbers of facilities obtained in the state It

was allowed to decay to such level that needed overall rehabilitation.

The Commissioner assured that the present administration under the leadership of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello will take the bull by the horn because his ministry is one of the Cardinal points of this administration

>>Contd on Pg 42

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Page 42

Sport

Dilapidated sports facility worries commissioner in Niger State >>Contd from Pg 41

and most be pursue head on as this is an area that cannot be neglected no matter the situation facing the government.

The new Commissioner, Alhaji Mamman Musa Bosso who expressed dismay over the deplorable condition of facilities in the ministry saying that legal action would be taken on any contractor that defaulted in their agreements.

“We are ready to do even what is more than legal action against any contractor who defaulted in their contract agreements” he warned.

Bosso made his feeling known in an interview in his office after inspecting all the facilities under the ministry said that the Ministry will not hesitate to take legal action against any contractor that defaulted or abandoned projects.

He intimated that enough money was earmarked and released for sports facility development by last government but was diverted to an unknown destination, assured to get to the root of the matter and those involved will be brought to book and to face the full wrath of the law.

He said that professionals should be made to handle sports projects for efficiency and effectiveness of job, charged the staff of the ministry to be supportive, opened, sincere and United so as to have maximum result in order to achieve the desired positive change in the state.

The Commissioner who expressed mixed feelings after the inspection said his joy was because of the number of facilities he saw while his sadness was due to the level of dilapidation of structures on ground, added that the lost glory of sports will be regained in the state.

He further disclosed that the Ministry will invite some contractors handling handball court awarded to the tone of N64 million, paid N32 million with less than 5% job done.

Bosso added that the N2.4 billion naira stadium contact at Maikunkele was a disappointment haven received over 25% of the total cost but with less than 10% work done abandoned the site, that will not be acceptable he said.

Investigation revealed that the contract design and soil test cost about N500 million awarded by the immediate past administration of Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu which comprised shopping mall, loading, indoor sports, tennis courts and international standard stadium but could not see the light of the day despite after distorted foundation laying at the site, only overhead rubber water tank, some pillars were at the site.

While at the Abdul salami Youth center Minna, met with a group of National Youth Service Corps NYSC members who complaint of lack of allowances from the state government for their 8 months in the state.

The Commissioner assured the youth corpse members that he will notify the governor on the matter which he said must be due to non availability of funds to the state government despite the assurance by the last administration promised to increased allowances to them.

Apparently, while the Commissioner was going round to see for himself the level of dilapidation he inherited in the ministry following a report made available to him by some sports stakeholders in the state expressed shock over what he saw.

He lamented over the deplorable situation he has find the present fa-

Dilapidated dressing room at 123 quarters in Minna

cilities which he attributed to lack of maintenance on the part of the immediate past administration of Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu for its various non chalant attitude.

Bosso stated that the present administration under the leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello will do an all inclusive accessement of the situations so as to preferred a lasting solution to them an indication that this government will not toy with the sports and youth ministry that was the order of the day in the past.

In a bid to authenticate the true situation of sports facilities by the present administration in Niger state, Honorable Mamman Musa Bosso who was inspecting all the facilities in company of key staff of the ministry of sports development and youth empowerment raised a number of questions in which some could not be answered immediately by the leadership of the team.

Notwithstanding the unpreparedness and un-readly documents at the moment the Commissioner disclosed that he will certainly going to get access to relevant files and documents assured to inform the public on what he met on ground at the appropriate time.

Bosso while at Abdulsalami Youth center charged for the utilization of the equipments available by training and empowering the youths and women so as to reduce poverty, crime and joblessness ravaging the contemporary society.

He added that gona are the days in which government would purchase equipment but been dumped to decay while assuring that the present administration under the leadership of governor Abubakar Sani Bello will not tolerate such lawlessness. He directed for the optimal use of the available materials and proper management.

Determined by the son of Niger state who was once a head of state General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar who find it worthy for the establishment of the Youth Center which was aimed at empowering youth and women in the state, Bosso assured to continue to sustained the Centre and will not allowed the place to die so as to achieved the aim of establishing the place by making it function adequately.

The madam in charge of the Centre told the visiting commissioner that the center generated an average of between N250,000 and N300 , 000 monthly which the Commissioner described as grossly inadequate even as the madam noted that their revenue are being remitted to

Sports commissioner shocked at level of dilapidated facilities revenue board which hindered the main of the Centre.

He promised to remove all obstacles making it difficult to maintained the center and even advised for policy change when necessary where legislation is needed in order to ensure proper maintenance, utilization and its operations appropriately.

Consequently, Bosso was at the indoor sports at Okada road and that of 123 quarters where he expressed displeasure over the deplorable state of structure and the encroachment of its land by a primary school, therefore reassured to engage the youths who served as the majority of voters during elections as the government will be youth friendly.

At Bako Kontagora Memorial Stadium in Minna, he asked about the problems confronting the arena just as he to construct perimeter fencing, expand dressing room and revamp the Pavilion to the required standard to enable it host conveniently the premier League and other competitions in the country.

The Commissioner was as well at the entrepreneurship center to seek synergy between the state government and CBN Entrepreneurship Center in Minna so as to serve as center for youths and women center to complement Federal Gov-

ernment efforts.

He reiterated the commitment of the present administration in the country under the All Progressive Congress APC not to condoned corruption and short charged Nigerians especially in Niger state.

He emphasized that he was not previewed to see the contract documents of N2.4 billion new stadium yet but had find out that 25% was released as advanced payment to the contractor while he abandoned the site, assuring that the Ministry will invite them before government shall make its position known to the public.

The Commissioner said that the government was eager to see the full execution of the new ultra modern stadium abandoned by the contractor and other contracts awarded but yet to see the light of the day despite after receiving mobilization from the past administration of Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu. “we as a ministry through the staff who were conversant with the contractors will invite them for a meeting with the management to know the situation of things before appropriate action to be taken as government, because we believe in rule of law “ he stated.

Picture of only structure at N 2.4 billion new stadium at Maikunkele, Minna abandoned

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Sport Eduok risks loan move after nightclub episode

Emem Eduok in action for Tunisian club Esperance

N

igeria international Emem Eduok is now in danger of being sent out on loan by Tunisian club Esperance after a highly publicised nightclub episode involving the forward and a female companion.

It was reported that Esperance were far from impressed with the negative fallout from the episode as it has affected the club’s public image and so they plan to sanction the striker by shipping him out on loan.

“It’s not great times for Emem in Tunisia after the nightclub incident involving him and he is now most

likely to be sent out on loan as a result,” a top source informed.

The Tunisian transfer window has reopened this weekend and the former Dolphins star may soon know where he will go on loan to.

Emem’s troubles are in stark contrast to the emergence of former Flying Eagles star Bernard Bulbwa as one of the top stars of ‘The Blood and Gold’.

“Bulbwa is not just a regular for Esperance, he is also one of their top stars after a rather slow start in Tunisia,” another source reported.

I hope Guardiola comes to Manchester City one day, says Pellegrini

M

Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola

anuel Pellegrini hopes to see Pep Guardiola given the chance to manage Manchester City in future.

The Bayern Munich boss will give an announcement on his future on Sunday, when he is expected to confirm he will leave the Bundesliga champions at the end of the season.

City have been touted as Guardiola’s most likely destination, with former Barcelona directors Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain pulling the strings at the Etihad Stadium, though Chelsea and Manchester United remain rumoured potential options.

Pellegrini, speaking candidly about the prospect of being replaced by Guardiola, says any coach in the world would find the Premier League difficult to turn down and claims he would enjoy seeing City thrive under the former Spain midfielder in future years.

“I cannot talk about Pep, but I can assure you that all the important managers want to work in the Premier League, it is impossible not to want to work here,” he said.

Pellegrini also offered words of encouragement to axed Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, claiming he could emerge a stronger manager for his experience this term.

Page 43

I want to keep scoring form, says Ighalo

O

dion Ighalo scored twice to down Liverpool and thereafter said Watford just wishes to keep going in the English Premier League.

Ighalo,26, has now netted 12 goals in his debut season in the EPL, just three shy of leading scorer Jamie Vardy, as his goals in the 15th and 85th minutes ensured a fourth straight win for modest Watford.

Watford remains seventh on the league table with 28 points

from 17 games.

“We want to keep going,” declared Ighalo.

“It was again an all-round team performance from start to finish against Liverpool.”

Man of the match and Watford skipper Troy Deeney further praised the Nigeria striker.

“This man is on fire! He is so strong and so quick,” he saluted his strike partner.

Ighalo shoots for goal

Leicester City beat Everton to top EPL at Christmas

R

iyad Mahrez scored two penalties as Leicester City won 3-2 at Everton on Saturday to ensure they will be top of the Premier League at Christmas.

The in-form winger scored a spot-kick in each half, either side of Romelu Lukaku netting in his seventh consecutive league game for the hosts.

Shinji Okazaki appeared to have wrapped up the points, before a late strike from substitute Kevin Mirallas set up a dramatic finish as Claudio Ranieri’s men held on.

Leicester’s eighth victory from 10 games means they are guaranteed to be top of the league at Christmas and the omens look good for a shock title bid as five of the last six teams to have held that status went on to be crowned champions.

The visitors now sit five points clear of Arsenal who face Manchester City will today at the top of the table, although they will hope Jamie Vardy has not suffered a serious injury after he came off holding his hamstring in the closing stages.

Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez celebrates at Goodison Park

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Sport

Lee aims to show his class against Saunders

A

ndy Lee says he will outbox rather than overpower Billy Joe Saunders when they meet for the former’s WBO middleweight title.

Ireland’s Lee and England’s Saunders are both from the Irish Traveller community, meaning many are expecting a war at the Manchester Arena.

The quietly-spoken Lee, a cousin of heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, won the vacant WBO

title by stopping Russia’s Matt Korobov last December. He has 24 knockouts from 34 professional victories, with two defeats and a controversial draw against Peter Quillin in his last fight in April.

But while Saunders boxed for Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics, Lee also has an impeccable pedigree, having boxed for Ireland at the 2004 Olympics before turning pro with venerable American trainer Emanuel Steward.

Saunders came through a tough test against Chris Eubank Jr

Four officials to face IAAF hearing into alleged doping cover-up

T

he son of ex-world athletics Chief Lamine Diack is one of four officials facing a disciplinary hearing this week over an alleged doping cover-up.

Papa Massata Diack, a former consultant for the IAAF, and exIAAF anti-doping director Gabriel Dolle are charged with breaches of the IAAF’s code of ethics.

Former All-Russia Athletic Federation chief Valentin Balakhnichev and coach Alexei Melnikov are also in the dock.

None are expected at the three-day hearing, which starts on Wednesday.

The charges relate to the payment of about £435,000 that

Russian former London Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova allegedly made to have her doping violations covered up.

Her 38-month ban from track and field was reduced by seven months after she turned whistleblower for the World AntiDoping Agency.

A decision from the hearing, which will be held in London, is expected in early January.

Russia has been banned from international athletics competition after a report by Wada’s independent commission alleged they were guilty of “state-sponsored doping”.

Rodionova to play Australian Open playoff on wedding day Arina Rodionova is ranked 309th in the world

A

rina Rodionova will be busier than most brides on her wedding day as she attempts to win a wildcard to the Australian Open.

The 26-year-old will play a qualifying match in the morning before tying the knot in the

afternoon.

The Russian-born Australian needs to win two matches to qualify for the first Grand Slam of the year, which begins on 18 January.

Rodionova had been due to play compatriot Storm Sanders on Saturday afternoon, which would

have clashed with her wedding to Australian Rules football player Ty Vickery.

But tournament organisers and her opponent agreed to move the match to the morning.

If Rodionova beats Sanders in the play-off-semi-finals, she will be

Smith wants Cotto showdown after Kelly

L

Liliya Shobukhova

iam Smith has called out Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto ahead of the first defence of his WBO light-middleweight title against Jimmy Kelly.

Liam became the first of Liverpool’s four fighting Smith brothers to win a world title when he stopped American John Thompson in October.

Kelly will be taking part in only his 17th pro fight at the Manchester Arena but will have home advantage.

Cotto is a former four-weight world champion who lost to Mexico’s Saul Alvarez in his last fight in November. Cotto has been campaigning as a middleweight for the last three years.

Smith, who is unbeaten in 21 pro fights, is also targeting unification matches with WBA champion Erislandy Lara and IBF champion Jermall Charlo.

Kelly, 23, is trained by former British light-middleweight champion and world title challenger Ensley Bingham, who believes his charge is boxing’s bestkept secret.

Liam Smith (left) is one of four boxing brothers - and the first to win a world title

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Sport

Page 45

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l

Lille OSC’s attacking midfielder Soufiane Boufal has reportedly attracted interest from Italian giants AS Roma.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini have been handed eight-year bans from all football-related activities following an ethics investigation.

Sports Personality of the Year Andy Murray says he can combine fatherhood with competing for Grand Slam and Olympic glory in 2016.

Rory McIlroy will have a busy early-season schedule in 2016 as he aims to return to world number one before the Masters.

World heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury apologises for “hurting anybody” after comments made about women and gay people.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Sport

Club World Cup deserves greater recognition, Giggs tells FIFA Ryan Giggs has won more trophies than any other player in Manchester United’s illustrious history.

Yet out of all the 35 major honours he accumulated in 24 memorable seasons with the club; the 1999 Intercontinental Cup and the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup winner’s medals prove that the Red Devils were the finest team on the planet.

In an exclusive interview with FIFA.com seven years to the day that he and the Manchester United squad touched down in Tokyo, Giggs recalls the glories, his Japanese experiences and explains why he believes that Manchester United have never received the recognition they deserve for being the first British team to be crowned champions of the world.

T

he FIFA Club World Cup is one of the hardest tournaments to qualify for and to win. From a player’s point of view, does that give the tournament extra credence?

Well, even though it’s called the Club World Cup, European players might see the Champions League final as bigger. But is it actually? To win it, you have to do so much and you’re coming up against a team, usually a team from South America, who definitely want it.

They realise how big it is and it’s their chance to beat the champions of Europe. So, it’s a massive challenge. For us, I think even the players weren’t aware of how big it was before.

Once we got over there, Sir Alex [Ferguson] drilled into us.

He told us that United had never won it, and we could be the first.

If the lads didn’t already know how big the game was, he made sure everyone knew.

How much does a dressing room feed off a manager’s desire to win?

It certainly does. On that occasion, Sir Alex definitely honed in a lot more about how important this was for not only Manchester United, but for English football as well.

He stressed the need to be

crowned world champions saying, ‘There’s not many teams who’ve had this chance. You might not get this chance again, so make sure you win it.’ That really hit home.

You tasted success twice in Tokyo, once for the 1999 Intercontinental Cup and at the FIFA Club World Cup eight years later. Both were 1-0 wins. What are your memories of both occasions?

Against Palmeiras in 1999 for large parts of the match they were the better team.

They definitely were before Roy Keane scored. After the goal, we dominated and we could have scored a couple more. I was man of the match, but I don’t think I deserved it.

Mark Bosnich saved us on a couple of occasions!

After we beat Liga de Quito in 2008, I could take it in a lot more. In many ways, you could compare it to the joy I felt after winning the Champions League for the second time.

I got a lot out of seeing the euphoria of the other players.

There was a bigger realisation of what we achieved. It was an unbelievable feeling.

Do you enjoy going to Japan?

Most definitely, I think it’s always good to experience different cultures. But in

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Japan, there’s obviously a lot of Manchester United fans which helps! But for the players, the training facilities and stadiums are very good. Things are always well organised and the atmosphere when you play is great.

Do you think that accounted for that highscoring semi-final against Gamba Osaka when you won 5-3?

Well, it’s always hard when you play local teams because they’re used to everything.

They don’t have a problem with the jetlag; they’re used to the facilities. We’ve always had tough games against Japanese opposition.

More often than not we’ve won but we’ve been surprised a couple of times and lost a few. There is quality among the J.League teams and you need to play well to win against them.

Do you think Manchester United have received the appropriate recognition for being the first British team to win the Club World Cup? No I don’t. It’s definitely one of our achievements that doesn’t get the recognition or exposure it deserves.

Because of the qualification involved and the fact that you have to beat another continental champion in the final, arguably it’s the hardest trophy of them

Giggs

all to win.

In an era when the Champions League and the Premier League are so big; they’re the priority, so there’s no way in England that it gets that recognition.

And because no one from England is in this competition for five or six years at a time, the exposure perhaps isn’t as great.

Do you think history will change perceptions?

It could do. If English teams win it a lot more, maybe the fans here will know more about it. But if teams don’t win it as much, it’s even more special and highlighted when teams do win it.

I think Rio Ferdinand has gone on record to say that it’s the proudest success he has ever had because of what we had to do to

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win it. I would definitely second that. It’s a massive achievement.

As you are a coach now, what would your advice be to the clubs going to compete at the Club World Cup? Because you don’t usually come across the teams you’re playing against, the analysis of the other teams is really important. You need to know how they’re going to play, because you won’t know most of the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses.

So the staff have to do their job, but the players really just need the message that Sir Alex gave us; that they might not get this chance again. It is so hard to qualify for a Champions League, let alone win one. So, you’ve got to make the most of it.

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PAGE 47

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Some Interesting Facts 1. According to the Senate joint committee, Nigeria’s chief terrorist leader, AbubakarShekau is not a Nigerian; he hails from Niger republic. {Shekau is believed by security services to be deceased.} 2. According to current demographics, after Hausa-Fulani (29%), Yoruba (21%), Igbo (18%) and Ijaw (10%) comes Kanuri (4%) and then Ibibio (3.5%) and Tiv (2.5%).

3. Not really a northern caucus, but it was late M. K. O. Abiola that orchestrated and sponsored the Buhari /Idiagbon coup and then again the Babangida coup

Leisure

overthrow of Buhari. –Shagari memoir, “Beckoned to Serve;” Babangida, “Karl Maier – Midnight in Nigeria.” (Max Siollun) 4. The leading caucus is basically a childhood friendship: President Obasanjo was childhood friends with President Babangida, President Abacha and Commander Danjuma.

5. President Babangida was childhood friends with President Abdulsalam.

6. President Obasanjo graduated Abdulsalam who later became President and went on to hand over power to democratically arranged President Obasanjo.

7. Under the Presidential system, Nigerians have had 7 years total Northern rule and 11+ years Southern rule.

8. Total civilian rule, Parliamentary and Presidential, Nigeria has had 12 years Northern and 11+ years Southern rule.

9. 6 coups is the highest number of any nation in Africa. Nigeria along with Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Uganda and Mauritania are the nations with 6 coups.

quick crosswords

CROSSWORD SOLUTION 119

CROSSWORD SOLUTION 118

Say what?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Christmas card outtake: A crying baby and two unimpressed kids make for a funny holiday snap.

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tUEsday, DECEMBER 22, 2015

SPORTS

ban for eightyear

F

IFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini have been handed eight-year bans from all footballrelated activities following an ethics investigation.

They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a $2-million “disloyal payment” made to Platini in 2011. The bans are in place with immediate effect.

A statement by the FIFA court said both men showed “abusive execution” of their powers and added that they were guilty of a conflict of interest.

It said there was “no legal basis” for the payment in an oral agreement between the two officials.

The news scuppers Platini’s hopes of succeeding Blatter as FIFA’s president, with the 79-year-old Swiss announcing earlier this year that he was stepping down as head of football’s world governing body.

Platini, 60, has been in charge of UEFA (European football’s governing body) since 2007.

Blatter and Platini have also been fined $40,000 and $80,000 respectively.

A spokesman for Blatter confirmed that he will appeal against the ban and is prepared to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. Platini is expected to follow suit.

The news adds to turmoil at FIFA following the opening of criminal investigations in both America and Switzerland in regards to alleged corruption in the organisation.

Sepp Blatter

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By God’s grace this thing – insurgency will come to pass, it has happened before, it is happening now and will come to pass; it will be history one day.

—Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume

The boa-constrictor at ‘73’

Blatter, Platini F latest

QUOTABLE QUOTE

or a tribute to Buhari at 73, I thought I should serve readers a re-jig of my March 24th 2015 piece titled ‘Buhari: Four Days to Armageddon’. It was written 4days to the Presidential election; and maybe in titling it I was carried away by the apocalyptic sound of its last paragraph to think that it was a pre-war bombast heralding the imminence of an electoral war to end all wars than the ‘tribute’ I now think it was. This was what I wrote in that war-mongering paragraph: “it is four days to Armageddon today.

On that day the battle between good and bad will be waged, the battle between a thieving Jonathan and an incorruptible Buhari; between an enslaving PDP and a liberating APC; between ethno-religious bigots and true men of God; between Father Mbaka and the false prophet Oritsejafor; between true patriots and enemies of the fatherland.”

So now having read the warring part, read the ‘tribute’. Happy reading.

TRIBUTE They had laughed at his loses and bemoaned his gains. They scorned his feats and derided his foibles. His frailties they raised to the height of unspeakable sin. They dug his excellent past and incitingly perverted it. In fact they laced his military antecedent with an ill-foreboding brush of divisive falsehood.

They were so sadistic they even celebrated his most harrowing bereavements, cruelly mocking the reposed-spirit of his late sickle-celledanemic daughter and without a heart, carving lurid conjectures on the grave of his late divorced spouse. They were the desperate, ravenous hyenas of our political playing field, and all was sumptuous ‘flesh’ and crunchy ‘bones’ that ever came to their greedy jaws.

Often they would mount the chivalry charge of political righteousness to challenge him to a political discourse; but just like the cowards that they were, each time he approached they had retreated to the sanctuary of base insult; or to the cowardly refuge of petty trivia.

They said that at 72 he was too old to be President. A brazen damn at the democratic right of the people to decide themselves whether to be properly governed by the wisdom of ‘age’ or to be misgoverned by the extravagant energies of decadent youth -which in Jonathan bountifully abound. And they knew that the intendment of the law of eligibility has never been about the ‘age’ of the ‘body’ but about ‘lucidity’ of the ‘mind’ –a grace again which old Buhari has but even a youthful Jonathan grossly lacked.

And now at 73 Buhari still stands erect like a ramrod; agile and full of the equanimity of mind. But the proof of the pudding of PDP’s ‘youthful’ leadership as all can now see, is revealed in the unremitting gluttony of their inglorious ones; -those insanely corrupt and wicked leaders who are now uncovered daily by the ‘aged’ and ‘unsound’ mind of Buhari. So that even those who have made a fetish of loving to hate him, now secretly pray that the lord gives them his grace by the time they will be his age’.

They said that he was sick. Even though they knew that there is none

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TuesDAY Column Mohammed Adamu (08035892325 sms only)

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President Muhammadu Buhari who is not ‘sick’ aside he that is not born. Nor any that is ‘healthy’ except he that is dead. Because “Everyone who is born” as Susan Sontag would say “holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the ‘well’ and in the kingdom of the ‘sick’”. Yet they cooked up a medical report to claim he was cancerous. He was not to last the campaigns. Because he was not to have the strength to withstand the rigor. And so since he was a dead man walking, Fayose and Fani Kayode -who claimed they enjoyed the privy confidence of God- urged Nigerians not to waste their votes on Buhari. But to invest them in Jonathan.

Four days to Armageddon and I was wondering ‘would they try something funny to make their deathprophecy come to pass? But four days would be more than enough for the Cherubims and the Seraphims of PDP to contrive matters of life and death.

Or would they simply tap Buhari on the shoulders and politely make a James Hardly Chase request: ‘Do Us A Favor Drop Dead!

Why not!? Buhari might just oblige. He was ‘brain-dead’, remember? And as they claimed he was Tinubu’s decoy. If he won, he would ask Osinbajo to resign, nominate Tinubu as Vice President and -like the ‘salmon fish’ in its circle of self-immolation-, Buhari will then go lie in his death-bed, do a few kicks of death, gasp for breath, and die. Then the prophesy of a Tinubu Presidency would be fulfilled.

And so if Buhari could be a co-conspirator in a tragi-comic melodrama in which he was to die to pave the way for another, he might as well be amenable to a polite James Hadley Chase request by the PDP to ‘do them a favor and simply drop dead!’

Remember they had also said that he was un-certificated; that he never went to any school. Neither primary nor secondary. And that all the

courses and trainings he underwent from his enlistment into the Army to becoming a General, weren’t worth even a kindergarten experience.

He was thus not qualified to contest the Presidential election.

And since in the realm of law you cannot put something on nothing, the absence of foundation certificates in Buhari’s academic claim, meant that his entire life-time military career was null and void. So that not only should he never be called a ‘General’ again, but having been a serial ‘impostor’ Buhari should be arrested, tried and jailed! He should be made to cough out every nickel he took in his entire ‘fake’ military career.

There was no trick in the books they had not tried; no red herrings they had not thrown. They even said he was a Muslim fundamentalist. As if being a fundamentalist of a creed is a vice and not a virtue. And yet they would not admit –the hypocrites that they were - that Jonathan, the ‘believer President’, more than being a fundamentalist of his faith, was an extremist of a kind.

Jonathan had turned the pulpit into a trench of war. He used the altar as a platform for foul and un-cleaneth language. He used men of God and the holy estates of the divine to traffic arms and to launder wealth of illrepute. He had paid state money to purchase the anointing of God in his personal political affairs. He gave to Caesar what was God’s and he took the filth of Caesar right on to the altar of the Almighty. Yet in Jonathan’s hypocritical flaunt of religion to meet a political end, bigoted supporters of PDP claimed they saw ‘virtue’; but in Buhari’s sincere moderation of his personal life in accordance with his faith, they saw ‘vice’.

EULOGY In burst of physical size or height Buhari is nothing near any of the towering shrubs of the deciduous northern topography; but in the portents of ‘courage’ and ‘constancy’, in the attributes of ‘honesty’ and ‘humility’; and in the Spartan discipline of life and the patriotic observance of duty, he outsizes the towering baobab tree of the dry Savannahs. Two outstanding attributes, namely a comportment that seems to fight an over-bearing great persona, and a demeanor always lit by a humble smile, both combine to create in Buhari a uniquely selfeffacing ‘character’ that puts him in charge of the chosen measure of his modesty.

For resilience Buhari evokes the attributes of an even smaller deciduous shrub of the Savannahs, the ‘moringa plant’ –one of science’s multi-healing discoveries and

pharmacology’s candidate-elixir for the many sicknesses of man. Moringa is a stem plant that has a unique capacity to survive both the assail of harsh, dry weather and the daily harangue of crop-dependent man.

Jonathan’s PDP made the political Buhari a veritable ‘moringa plant’ of the fabled Hausa man’s praise whenever he sings: ‘zogalegandi na mai gari, ana saranka kana tsaye’; -meaning ‘amazing moringa the King’s delight, the more defoliated the further it blooms’.

And for tenacity Buhari is like the botanical ‘chamomile’ –that stubborn carpe grass of Shakespeare’s description which “the more it is trodden upon the faster it grows”. Thrice they had ridden roughshod over him; thrice like Bob Marley’s ‘fallen fighter’, Buhari had risen again; demonstrating yet another Shakespearean adage that “wise men do not sit to bewail their losses; but rather cheerfully rise to redress their harm”.

The Hausas say: ‘dan hakin da ka raina, shi ke tsone ma ido’ -‘the prickly object ignored, is soon the troubling speck in the eye of the ignorer’. And the Yorubas put it in the riddle: ‘Igi gangaran ma gunmi loju; - meaning: ‘thou prickly object hurt not mine eye’! And to which is replied: ‘okere latinwo’, -meaning: ‘safety is to the foresighted, not to the negligent’. But either for fun or for want of dialectal depth, the urban un-acculturated Yorubas prefer to answer with the padded code-switch: ‘wa dodge-ye.’

–or ‘safety is to the one who dodges’.

Buhari was that ‘the prickly object’ in the Hausa adage, which the PDP, to its own eternal damnation, had arrogantly underestimated. He was the ‘Igi gangaran’ in the Yoruba riddle that the PDP had foolishly made a poor job of ‘dodging’. And now the man who was to die before the contest, did not only become the troubling speck in the watery eye of an unheeding incumbency, he has started cutting the ‘cake of life’ right in the office which was the ‘apple of discord’. Ironically histraducers are now gasping for breath!

Happy birthday to the ‘boaconstrictor’ of the gluttonous!

DAN GAYE

EFCC moves to arrest top politicians —News

Again, masu gudu su gudu!

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