PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016. EDITION.

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N150 Vol. 4 No. 90

Economy

Naira devaluation won’t benefit Nigerians —Buhari Page 6

United States Permanent Representative to UN, Amb Samantha Power (R) interacting with victims of Boko Haram insurgency during her visit to Malkohi IDPS camp, yesterday in Yola, Adamawa State

Army kills 35 insurgents, rescues 198 civilians

Osinbajo urges Saraki rejects Omolori African nations as Clerk of National >>PG 6 Assembly >>PG 10 to develop Joint military force warns militants robust tax against attacks on oil facilities Pg 10 systems >>PG 10 740 Days after

Will the abducted Chibok schoolgirls ever be rescued?

NEWS

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Interview

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Nigeria not ripe for naira devaluation – Dr Ekechukwu Dr Chijioke Ekechukwu, an economist and ex-banker, is the managing director of Bristol Investments Limited, Abuja. He spoke to Ahmed Abubakar on the pros and cons of naira devaluation in this interview.

W

hat are the likely benefits of naira devaluation?

Everything being equal, devaluation is employed when a country’s economy is dwindling, or undergoing a downturn. It has benefits accruing to it. Nigeria is running a deficit budget, which implies that the country is going to borrow funds to finance its budget. If you are running a deficit budget and you devalue your currency, it automatically fills a funding gap that would have been caused by the deficit. If for instance you sell your oil and you receive dollars, in the process of devaluation, you will have more naira. It is a major advantage of devaluing the currency.

The second benefit arises from the fact that you are trying to build the real sector of your economy. When the currency is devalued, a whole lot of real sector players will come into play. Instead of looking outside for things you want to import, there will be many middle and large-scale manufacturers emanating from every sector of the economy. People, who used to import a lot, will no longer import. During devaluation, the local capacity of the real sector will start picking up gradually. In the long run, there will be growth in the local capacity. Devaluation is meant to grow the real sector.

This is because many people are going to grow the solid areas that were hitherto not exploited. When a currency is devalued, a lot of agricultural products will emerge because people will no longer import the raw materials that were emanating from agricultural products.

Items that were produced through agriculture will be produced locally because the cost of importation is rising, and manufacturing those agricultural products will start taking place locally. In real economic terms, when you devalue, it is expected that there will be enough employment because more and more people will aspire to be entrepreneurs. But this is obviously not in the short run. There will also be a direct investment into the country because with little foreign currencies, there will be a lot of money to invest. Little foreign currency can buy a lot in a devalued economy.

When these things happen, in the long run, the economy will grow.

Because there will be a lot of manu-

facturing taking place and less of imports, the balance of payment of the country will get better. When the balance of payment increases to the extent that you are now beginning to export more products and receive foreign currencies than you are importing, the balance of payment will improve. It is a sign that the economy is growing.

What could be the reasons for those against this notion?

I earlier said all things being equal. I also said under normal conditions. Unfortunately we do not have the normal conditions.

All the benefits I have mentioned are those of economic devaluation.

The same people advocating for devaluation did not let Nigerians know the demerits therein. One of the demerits is that the burden will be passed over to the ultimate consumers. From the first day, inflation will creep in. The demerits are enormous. Various manufacturers today may have borrowed money from foreign creditors. If such was borrowed when the rate of naira was N150 per dollar for instance, and you are paying your debt at N300 per dollar, it means even if you have done well with the money you borrowed, you are going to incur losses of over 200 percent. Therefore, borrowers of foreign loans are at a heavy disadvantage during devaluation; government inclusive. The real sector of the economy can only grow when there is a local capacity being built in electricity. When there is no electricity or so much is being paid for it, how will the real sector grow? Under normal economic situations, these things are supposed to be provided. The interest rates of banks should be single digits for local manufacturers to even start manufacturing. As far as Nigeria’s electricity remains at its comatose

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stage, as well as high-interest rates of banks, manufacturing sector cannot take advantages of a devalued economy. There are essential goods and services that we cannot produce in this country. And because we have those essential commodities that we must import, such as drugs, machinery, vehicle spareparts, the benefits we would have gotten in devaluation will be lost during importation. We also know that during devaluation, professionals go outside the country because it will pay them more to earn their salaries in foreign currencies, and return to change them. Hence the country will lose her human capacity.

Having juxtaposed the pros and cons of devaluation, what is your candid advice to the government?

I already said that when an economy is going down, a major solution is to devalue. I also mentioned that the benefits of devaluation will be wiped out by what we do not have. We would have optimized the benefits of devaluation if today manufacturing companies coming to exist will have enough supply of power and raw materials produced locally. But because we do not have these, it will be difficult for the benefits to be harnessed.

We have also not grown Nigeria’s agricultural base. Many of the raw materials are still being imported.

Until these areas are addressed, devaluation should not take place.

We also have an economy where the interest rate of borrowing from banks is high: between 27 and 30 percent per annum. Until the rates are reduced to a single digit, Nigeria is not ripe for devaluation yet. However you could see that we already have artificial devaluation. What we experience today is an unofficial devaluation where

We would have optimized the benefits of devaluation if today manufacturing companies coming to exist will have enough supply of power and raw materials produced locally. But because we do not have these, it will be difficult for the benefits to be harnessed.

Dr Ekechukwu even without reducing the value of our currency, the value is already reduced through demand and supply. I expect that the Central Bank of Nigeria provide enough currencies for this artificial devaluation to be eliminated from the system.

The parallel market rate determines that. We are not the only country suffering the reduction in the price of oil. Our current situation is because we are one country that imports petroleum products in foreign currencies. We are not the only country that imports petroleum products. The government should do everything within its powers to ensure that we start refining petroleum products locally. We have the crude, and when we refine it here, we will save this country a lot. We also have to grow our local capacities by making sure that our electricity is in place as well as growing the agricultural sector.

Why does naira depreciation fluctuate?

The cause is not something that Nigeria has control over, so we have to live with it. We can only forestall the effects of this decline through identifying the items being imported into the country that form 80 percent of our importation. We then have to find the alternatives to these items. I have mentioned the petroleum products.

We should also identify products that we ought not to import, such as rice. We need to form commis-

sions that will grow other areas. It is surprising to note that even as the United Arab Emirate is a heavy oil producer, about 80 percent of their revenues come from tourism.

This can be duplicated in Nigeria.

We should also identify the nation’s mineral reserves, and deploy the technology to harness a few of them. If we don’t have this plan, it becomes difficult to even say that we are going to grow our economy in the near future.

There are speculations that the FG is planning to ban foreign exchange for Nigerian students abroad. Is it another way of salvaging the economy?

Much as I agree that we spend a lot in paying for foreign school fees, I do not think that is where the problem is. It is going to create problems for students that out there already. If the FG bans the use of foreign currencies to pay their fees, how would they expect the students to pay their school fees? Hence the CBN should find a way to ensure an alternative. What will stop the parents is when they see what they are going to pay in the exchange rates. They will discipline themselves. Government should deregulate that area. Let the value of demand and supply be the regulating factor. A lot of students hitherto abroad are back to the country already.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 3

FEATURE

Using weather information to boost food production

By Cecilia Ologunagba

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) states that the effect of climate change is affecting crop yields in Nigeria.

In a report entitled: ``Effects of Global Climate Change on Nigerian Agriculture: An Empirical Analysis’’, it says weather-sensitive agricultural productions systems are vulnerable to climate change. ``This vulnerability has been demonstrated by the devastating effects of recent flooding in the Niger Delta region of the country and the various prolonged droughts that are currently witnessed in some parts of northern region. ``Nigeria is highly vulnerable to effects of climate change, therefore, understanding farmers’ responses to climatic variation is crucial, as this will help in designing appropriate coping strategies,’’ the report says.

Analysts say agriculture is the future of Nigeria and needs to be developed to harness its full potential in view of the dwindling oil fortune.

They recall that former Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, once noted that Nigeria is one of the most promising agricultural producers in the world in the 1960s.

To address the challenges of the impacts of climate change on agriculture, they say access to reliable information on climate change is crucial to boosting farming activities.

In the light of this, the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMet) recently inaugurated the 2016 Public Presentation of Seasonal Rainfall Predictions (SRP).

At the inauguration, NiMet predicted the likelihood of delay onset and less-thannormal rainfall in several parts of the country.

Presenting the predictions, Sen. Hadi Siriki, Minister of State for Aviation said the SRP would provide information for reducing losses in agriculture and transportation programmes. ``I have been informed that empirical evidence shows that the proper application of agro-metrological information to farmers could increase crop yield by 35 per cent. ``This year’s SRP has indicated the likelihood of delay onset rainfall in several parts of the country; we cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past warnings. ``It is important for all stakeholders to take necessary precautions to reduce the negative impacts, especially on agriculture and water resources, in the event that this prediction becomes a reality,’’ he said.

NiMet Director-General Anthony Anuforom said that dry periods would be frequent and severe in many parts of the north during the rainy season.

He also observed that little dry season or August Break in parts of the South was expected to be pronounced. ``The expected lower-than-normal rainfall in parts of the country does not rule out the possibility of isolated flash floods due to high intensity rainfall at the peak of the season. ``These are risk factors for farmers in the affected areas and the challenges have to be carefully and scientifically managed,’’ he said.

Anuforom further said the provision and dissemination of full climate services were beyond the capacity of any organisation. ``I suggest that the Federal Ministry of

Agriculture and Rural Development should work closely with NiMet to include relevant agro-meteorological information as part of its agricultural extension package. ``NiMet will like to work with the Ministry of Environment to complete the development of a National Framework for Climate Services. ``We are also ready to partner with any state government or organized groups to downscale the SRP to their zone; translate it to local languages and provide training on interpretation and application,’’ he said.

For effective management of SRP, Dr Gloria Obioh, a botanist solicited the use of biotechnology to boost farming.

Obioh, the Head of Environmental Biotechnology and Bio-conservation Department, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja, said the use of biotechnology would increase crop yields.

The director said that biotechnology required the use of reliable, systematic weather and climate data to make it efficient.

To boost farming, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh at the inauguration announced a plan to support farmers with improved seedlings and farms inputs.

The minister also said that the ministry would support farmers by providing agriculture extension workers in every local government area in the country.

According to him, the effort will help farmers to access information that will support them to imbibe good agricultural practices. ``We have to consider using dams, irrigation system and extension services to teach farmers on how to apply the knowledge received on SRP to boost agricultural

production.

Ogbeh, however, said that the ministry had designed a soil map that would give farmers specific information on fertilizer and soil.

He said the soil map would give information on specific fertilizer farmers should use and also the type of soil that could boost food production.

In her comment, Ms Atsuko Toda, Country Programme Director, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), commended the Federal Government for promising to make SRP available to the farmers, especially the small scale farmers.

She said IFAD would support farmers to embrace modern technology in agriculture to achieve food production and create more jobs through agriculture.

One of the discussants, Dr Basir Gwandu, a director at the Institute of Agriculture Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, advised farmers to plant drought-resistant seeds.

He said that planting drought-resistant seeds would help the farmers to prevent loss due to the short rainfall as predicted by NiMet. The director also urged farmers to take advantage of information from SRP to start early planting.

He called on all the three tiers of government to support farmers with improved seeds, technology and loans facility to boost their yields.

Similarly, another discussant, Dr Shinkrat Jagtap, emphasised on the need for the three tiers of government to support farmers, citing the example of India.

Jagtap, a lead consultant in Global Climate Technologies and Development,

said that Indian farmers had started building small dams to support their irrigation farming because of the support they received from their government.

He also advised the government to train extension workers for effective service delivery.

In his view, Prof. Daniel Gwary of Crop Protection Department, University of Maiduguri, called on the three tiers of government to step down SRP to the farmers in local languages.

He said the availability of weather information would help farmers to plan better to boost food production. ``SRP is good news for farmers, in the past they have been forgotten, they have been relegated to the background; now they are coming on to the centre stage,’’ he said.

Alhaji Murtala Mohammed, a farmer appreciated the effort of the government and other stakeholders in making SRP available for the farmers.

Mohammed, the Executive Chairman, EMBEE Farms in Kaduna, appealed to the Federal Government to sensitise farmers to the importance of SRP. He, nonetheless, called on farmers to make use of the report to plan their crops for maximum output, create job opportunity and enhance the economy.

By and large, experts advise farmers to take the opportunity of SRP to work with all levels of government to revive the agriculture sector.

According to them, when agriculture is revived, it can provide employment for the teeming population, feed the nation and also serve as mainstay of the economy.

(NANFeatures)

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Special Report

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

How Tuberculosis wreaks hovoc In Delta communities

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

T

he Eku environment, a semirural community detached from Abraka, the university town of Delta State, is still and quiet. A section of the community, away from the hustle and bustle of community life, houses the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Centre, established by the Delta State Government for all tuberculosis and leprosy cases in the state.

But as the name tuberculosis repels people from the sufferer, the road leading to the centre is one of a godforsaken type.

Hence, Mr. Chiedozie Onyeukwu, the Executive Directive of Krucial Aid Nigeria, a non-governmental organization that works with foreign donors to alleviate the pains of tuberculosis patients, said as the disease repels people so also the road to the centre is repellant, nauseating and disgusting. While the road may not be of importance in this report, the pains and challenges of the tuberculosis patients will be most vital in this regard. Besides the attendant trauma of the patients occasioned by continuous coughing and discomfort, the apathy of the Nigerian government towards assisting tuberculosis patients in the country is most worrisome. Consequently, most patients die as the disease ravages the body system.

The case of late Favour Okiemute, a 25-year old graduate of Microbiology from the University of Lagos readily comes to mind. Prior to contracting the disease in 2010, Favour was the darling of her home in Sapele, an ancient town in Delta State. After graduation in 2011, Favour had her youth service in Benin City where she was diagnosed of tuberculosis.

But Favour was not too favoured as her name signifies.

The disease affected her drastically, reducing her to a shadow of herself.

Medical personnel battled to rescue her, applied all known medications, referred her to several centres but efforts to save her life did not yield the needed result.

And on May 21, 2013, after much struggles, the lady passed on.

Her case is one among others who are dying unheard of in the rural communities of the country. Another case, although not dead, but currently on the sick bed, is that of a 21-year old Mercy Ojonogo, a Linguistic graduate of the University of Benin. Mercy has graduated from the university and currently waiting for mobilization for the National Youth Service Corps.

According to her, “I was working on some projects and conducting research when I took ill. School wasn’t in session and I wanted to make some extra preparations for the next semester before I discovered the disease. That was in May 2014 when I was in my final year.” She further said “I had been to the Central Hospital Warri, then, I was referred to one closer to my home. I also went for

Chiedozie Onyeukwu, Executive Director of Krucial Aid Nigeria, having a discussion with TB patients in Eku some private checks to double check what the government hospitals were saying; just to be sure. In all these movements, the experiences weren’t so interesting.

The treatment though is free, but no expense can be spared in ensuring that the living condition of one undergoing such treatment is adequately conducive.”

Mercy is, however, optimistic fora better future because she is recovering as the doctors at the Eku referral hospital are committed to the welfare of the patients.

This, she confirmed, saying “the workers are committed to their work, they have listening ears and are ready to help out as much as they can”. In the midst of her gratitude to the doctors and nurses, Mercy’s youth service is pending until she is

fully recovered and get mobilized for the youth service.

John Osioni from Ughelli, is another case of tuberculosis patient.

Osioni, a 21-year old student of Delta School of Health Technology, is another typical example of a tuberculosis sufferer. He discovered the disease between 2012 and 2013 when he was in Senior Secondary (SSIII).

According to him, it started with cough and fever. Unknown to him, he was busy treating malaria while the tuberculosis was developing. “We later discovered and started treating the tuberculosis. We discovered from where I was receiving treatment, the lady observed that the sickness was not going

and therefore recommended that I go for tuberculosis test and the test showed positive. And so, for the past five years we have been on it. It has been weighing me down, chest pain, back pain, all the joints, everywhere paining me. I’ve stopped schooling, I deferred the admission because the pains. We were about to resume year two when the thing weighed me down and I couldn’t continue. And so,last year in July 2015, I had to stop school to concentrate on the treatment.

And by the grace of God I’m getting better”.40 year old Donald Ebi fromAgbaroh has more bitter tales to tell. Although he appears hopeless following

Contd on Page 5

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 5

Special Report How Tuberculosis wreaks hovoc In Delta communities Contd from Page 4 his narrative, he seems not to be aware of the situation surrounding his health.

Ebie, who works as an accountant in a finance company is depending on the grace of God to survive the trauma. He discovered the disease in 2012 and had visited several hospitals both in Delta and Edo States but respite appears far away from him. “I discovered the disease in 2012 in Sapele. I have been to Central Hospital, Sapele twice for treatment. When it couldn’t work, I left for Edo State where I was admitted at Ogan Hospital and I stayed there for almost four months.“After certifying me okay, I was still coughing but the doctor said I was okay and that they have done all they could for me. I said I’m not sure going by the way I was feeling. It was then they referred me to this Eku to continue with the treatment.

My experiences have been terrible.

I could not walk a long distance, even to take my bath was problem to me. I coughed a lot and yellow sputum was coming out of my mouth.”

But his fate seems to be hanging in the balance because, according to him, the doctors at Eku Referral Centre had told him that he had received all the treatments he needed to receive but was only asked to wait for a class of experts to see what be done for him.

Mrs Meg Ike, Senior Programme Officer of Community Medicine Department of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) a Principal Recipient under the Global Fund Round 9, told this reporter that tuberculosis is a disease that could be cured within six months.

But the poor attitude of Nigerians to health management, according to her, lead to tuberculosis patients graduating from the initial susceptible stage to Drug Resistant stage which if care is not taken could lead to the third stage which remains absolutely incurable as far as medical science is concerned.

She said many patients had died out of poor understanding and unguarded treatment of tuberculosis. She said the susceptible stage of tuberculosis could be treated within 6 to 12 months while the second stage which is Drug Resistant tuberculosis goes for 20 months, which is divided into two sections.

Tracing the foundational cause of tuberculosis, Meg said “people are not supposed to live in crowded places, you need ventilation around you. People should not smoke, people should eat very well so that they look healthy because when your immunity is compromised, you become susceptible to disease, including tuberculosis.”

She said the third stage of the disease has no cure for now, adding “we are not sure that anything could be done to rescue the person at this stage of the disease. Executive Director of Krucial Aid Nigeria, Mr. Chiedozie Onyeukwu, under whose organisation the Global Fund is assisting the Multi Drug Tuberculosis patients in the state, said his organization has battled to ensure that

Dr. Alexander Akpodiete with the patients tuberculosis is eradicated from communities in the state. Onyeukwu, who took this reporter to Eku where he and his team organized a sensitization workshop for over 40 Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) Patients and their Treatment Supporters, with the aim oftreating, preventing and controlling tuberculosis, explained that the fight has been both successful and challenging.

He said the his organization has experienced certain challenges which ranged from treatment default and abscondment, drug side effects (loss of hearing), treatment failure, while most complicated cases have led to death among patients. He expressed pains on the fact that after the global partners have spent much on the treatment, some patients still die following their default in the treatment.

“We have continuously ensured that patients do not stop the treatment before it is completed, allowing the bacteria to mutate and move from the ordinary Susceptible stage to the Drug Resistant stage. We’ve tried to monitor them so that they do not default and go down with more severe tuberculosis which is more difficult to treat requiring, on average, two years of medication.

We call on Nigerians to join in the fight to eliminate TB. Ouraim is to end tuberculosis in our communities and make our communities safe,” Onyeukwu said. Onyeukwu explained that KrucialAid Nigeria, a sub-sub recipient and Health Alive Foundation (HAF), another sub recipient of the Global Fund Round 9 Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) Grant, which assists Nigeria to “Strengthen Multi Drug Resistance Tuberculosis Prevention and Control in Nigeria”, has the objective of promoting behavioural change about tuberculosis in communities and strengthen tuberculosis prevention and control in Nigeria.Dr. Alexander Akpodiete, the Deputy Control Officer

of the State Tuberculosis Program and Medical Director,Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Centre in Eku, Delta State, revealed that not less than 500,000 people are affected by tuberculosis every year in Nigeria with only 100,000 infected persons finding access to health care facilities across the country.

He also said in Delta, there are estimated cases of 15,000patients per year but medical experts say only between 2,500 to 3000 are available for treatment annually.Akpodiete who gave lurid details of the disease in Nigeria revealed that Nigeria ranks 10th among the 22 high burden tuberculosis countries globally. Dr. Akpodiete said though the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the disease a global emergency, it has remained one of the world’s major causes of ill health and death. Research findings, according to Akpodiete, are indicative that one third of the world’s population, a total of two billion people, are carriers of tuberculosis, noting that more than nine million of these figure are sick each year with active tuberculosis that could spread to others.

According to him, the disease affects people in resource-poor settings, particularly Africa and Asia and it poses a

“

challenge to developing economies as it primarily affects people during most of their productive years, stressing that more than 90 percent of new TB cases and deaths occur in developing countries. He said globally, tuberculosis is the second greatest contributor among infectious diseases to adult mortality, causing approximately 1.7million deaths a year worldwide. He said given the increasing trend towards globalization, trans-national migration and tourism, all countries are potential targets for outbreak of tuberculosis. He called on Nigerians who are infected or have knowledge of those infected in their communities to bring them forward for treatment, explaining that tuberculosis is curable and treatment is free, since it is funded by Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In confirmation of the apathy of government towards tuberculosis patients, the Delta State Ministry of Health could not provide any data regarding the state efforts towards fighting the disease and aiding the patients to survive the trauma. Contacts made to the ministry were unproductive as our correspondent was told that there was no data in the ministry regarding the state’s efforts at combating the spread of tuberculosis.

We call on Nigerians to join in the fight to eliminate TB. Ouraim is to end tuberculosis in our communities and make our communities safe

Page 6

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2016

News

Army kills 35 insurgents, rescues 198 civilians

T

he Nigerian Army said its troops attached to Operation Lafiya Dole under the Army’s 7th Division have recorded s huge success against members of the Boko Haram sect with the killing of suspected terrorists and rescue of trapped civilians in several operations across Borno State, leaving several villages liberated.

The operations, carried out on Thursday, ended with the killing of about 35 suspected Boko Haram combatants, rescue of scores of civilians, including women and children, and recovering weapons, ammunition, foods and money, the Army said.

A statement signed by the acting director of public relations, Sani Usman, said troops carried out clearance operations alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force following tip-offs from residents in several Borno villages.

“On Thursday, 21st April 2016, troops of 21 Brigade Nigerian Army carried out clearance operations at Bulari, Tori 1, 2 and 3 during which they successfully cleared the general area of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists.

“During the operation, 10 terrorists were killed and one was captured alive. Unfortunately, 2 Civilian JTF accompanying the troops lost their lives. The troops rescued 7 civilians and recovered a Volkswagen Golf car, 15 bicycles and various bags of foodstuffs.

“The troops of 22 Brigade on the other hand intercepted 26 persons comprising mostly women and children, coming towards Adah village in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, who on interrogation stated that they were held hostage by Boko Haram terrorists, but escaped as their captors were moving towards Lake Chad general area because of troops presence,” Mr. Usman, a colonel, said.

The troops were said to have continued their patrol where they carried out other similar tasks.

“Similarly, troops of the same Brigade carried out a fighting patrol, cordon and search operation on Thursday 21st April 2016, along DikwaMarte road, Kaje, Selenge, Manekura, Mane Gana and Gawayi villages. Although there wasn’t any encounter with the

terrorists, the troops recovered 5 motorcycles, 6 Boko Haram terrorists flags and 4 bags of grinded corn in Mane Gana village. They also rescued 3 women and 5 children at the same village. The rescued persons told the troops that their husbands were actually Boko Haram terrorists who have ran away towards Lake Chad area due to immense pressure from the military clearance operations”.

In a related development, the Nigerian Army yesterday announced that it had arrested four key strategists for the extremist Boko Haram sect, a development it described as unprecedented.

“Troops of 3 Battalion, of 22 Task Force Brigade have made an unprecedented catch with the arrest of 4 Boko Haram terrorists Ameers (kingpins) at Rann, headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area today, Friday 22nd April 2016,” the spokesperson for the Army, Sani Usman, said in a statement Friday night.

“The arrested kingpins specialized in various aspects of criminality to sustain the Boko Haram terrorists group in their areas.”

Mr. Usman, a colonel, said the four terrorists were arrested “following a tip-off by well meaning members of the public.”

He said “Subsequently, the troops conducted a cordon and search operation in the general area that led to the apprehension of the terrorist leaders, who contribute to the sustenance of the insurgency through their illegal trade specialization.”

The Army spokesperson gave the names of the the arrested suspected terrorists to include Umara Mai Gyaran Rediyo (Radio Technician), Umaru Mai Nama, (who specializes in cattle rustling and sales), Alifa Makinta (a specialist on stealing foodstuffs) and Balu Jugudum (in charge of stolen jewelleries).

“Presently the suspects are undergoing interrogation,” Mr. Usman said.

The Army has of recent announced the arrest of several high profile suspected terrorists.

The whereabouts of those arrested however remained unknown, and so far none has been charged to court.

Lady Maiden Ibru, Publisher, Guardian Newspaper (L) presenting the Guardian Man of the year award 2015 to Alhaji Aliko Dangote during the Guardian Man of the year 2015 award ceremony held at Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos,

Economy

Naira devaluation won’t benefit Nigerians - Buhari

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buahri has said that he was yet to be convinced that the vast majority of ordinary Nigerians will derive any tangible benefit from a devaluation of the Naira.

According to a statement from his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President reiterated his opposition to the devaluation of the Naira yesterday while speaking at a meeting with members of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Buhari said that he still held the conviction which motivated his principled resistance to devaluation in his first tenure as Head of State.

“When I was military Head of State, the

IMF and the World Bank wanted us devalue the Naira and remove petrol subsidy, but I stood my grounds for the good of Nigeria.

“The Naira remained strong against the Dollar and other foreign currencies until I was removed from office in August, 1985 and it was devalued.

“But how many factories were built and how many jobs were created by the devaluation? That is why I’m still asking to be convinced today on the benefits of devaluation,” Buhari told the retired Permanent Secretaries led by Otunba Christopher Tugbobo.

The President welcomed the Council’s pledge of support for the successful implementation of his administration’s Change Agenda, especially in the priority areas of improving security, curbing corruption and revitalizing the national

economy.

“I am glad you have rightly identified the key issues we campaigned on. We need a dynamic bureaucracy which will not mislead us into taking wrong decisions,” Buhari said.

The Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries was established in 2004 to serve as a platform for retired permanent secretaries to offer constructive advice to government on key policy issues.

Chief Philip Asiodu, the Pioneer Chairman of the Council, said that its members want the present administration to succeed because Nigeria has already lost many opportunities for progress.

“We are non-partisan. The interest of Nigeria is paramount to us and we are anxious that you should succeed,” Chief Asiodu told the President.

APC inaugurates AMAC transition

By Osby Isibor

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC), in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has inaugurated a 25-member transition committee to work out modalities for a proper handing over of power from the outgoing AMAC chairman to the incoming chairman elect.

Inaugurating the committee yesterday in Abuja, the AMAC chairman elect, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, tasked the members to take the assignment very seriously and gather relevant information that will enable the incoming AMAC leadership to kick start governance in the area council.

The 25-member committee has

the former AMAC secretary, Hon Yakubu Adamu as its chairman and Mr. Murtala Usman as secretary.

The committee was given up to May 15, 2016 to submit its report.

Among the terms of reference are, “to seek to know the working of the general administration of the council and various departments.

Seek to know the contractual agreements between the council and the IGR consultants. Seek to know the overall debt profile of the council as at the 30th day of April, 2016. Seek to know the current staff strength, the last date of employment and the size and the overhead cost of the staff before the last date of employment. Seek to know as at the 30th day of April, all banking transactions and the

balance sheet, among others”.

Hon. Candido emphasized that the committee was not set up to witch-hunt or probe the outgoing AMAC leadership, but to liaise with the administration and gather information, data and statistics that will enable the incoming administration to take off smoothly.

He said members were selected based on their credibility and experience, and expressed confidence that the committee will do a thorough job.

“The members of this committee are credible people with long standing experiences in different sectors. I am confident that you’ll do a good job. This is not a witch-hunt committee or a probe panel.

“Corruption has continued

to thrive in the area council over the years and we cannot tolerate it anymore. We must deal a deadly blow on corruption in AMAC, so that we can begin to deliver the dividends of democracy for our people.

“I am ready to match on any toes if that is what it will take to move AMAC forward and make our people happy.

Speaking to PEOPLES DAILY, the chairman of the transition committee, Hon Yakubu Adamu, thanked the chairman elect for carefully selecting the personalities and intellectuals in the committee.

He assured that members of the committee would work together as a team to ensure that they do a thorough job and deliver on their mandate.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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“We needed streetlights not ‘last minute’ traffic lights”

By Osby Isibor, Isioma Nwabasha and Doyin Ojosipe

S

ince the creation of Abuja as the capital city of Nigeria, the Federal Government through the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has made concerted efforts to develop the city in the areas of infrastructure and service delivery. Successive administrations over the years have at one time or another, executed projects and implemented policies toward the transformation of the city, thereby making life more meaningful for residents.

However, in the course of implementing these policies by government, some of these projects are either executed in a haphazard manner or outrightly abandoned, and nobody cares what happens next. There are reports of millions of verifiable abandoned projects dotting virtually all the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Since 2009 when infrastructural development peaked in Abuja, the city has witnessed continued award and reaward of contracts in public infrastruc-

ture development and an extinction of existing ones.

A few weeks before the exit of the immediate-past administration of the country, Abuja witnessed the sudden germination and maturing of traffic lights planted by the FCT administration. The development had got many thinking, of reasons why the FCT Minister had waited till the last minute before putting the lights in place. For many

“

Nigerians, it was no doubt a welcome idea as it was going to make things a lot easier but as diverse as the races and colours so are the many opinions of different Nigerians.

The installation of solar- powered traffic lights at several intersections in the Federal Capital city is one of such projects undertaken by the FCT administration. The traffic lights were installed in the Federal Capital City (FCC), Gwar-

A few weeks before the exit of the immediate-past administration of the country, Abuja witnessed the sudden germination and maturing of traffic lights planted by the FCT administration.

inpa District, Kubwa, Utako District and other areas of the town.

Since the commencement of the project in April 2015, controversies and mixed reactions continued to trail the exercise. Many viewed the action of the authorities of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to provide infrastructural facilities in the FCT at the twilight of the administration’s tenure, as a last minute bid to cover up its tracks.

Before that time, most traffic lights in Abuja were not functional and this was worsened by the epileptic and unreliable power supply. Most times, they were only stable in highbrow areas of the city. In most satellite towns, there were no traffic lights, and where they existed, they were mere decorations on the highways. And in most areas, the poles were either vandalized by hoodlums or pulled down by careless motorists.

This was the concern of Abuja residents who expected government to have taken prompt action in addressing these issues. So, when the former FCT Contd on Page 8

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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“We needed streetlights not ‘last minute’ traffic lights” Contd from Page 7 Administration commenced installation of new traffic lights within the city at its twilight, it was seen as a welcome development. But to some residents, the action came rather too late.

The residents described the project as ill-timed and opined that the FCT administration commenced the installation of the traffic lights as part of efforts to hurriedly complete some abandoned projects in the nation’s capital before the May 29 handover date. They were of the view that the administration was embarking on last minute projects’ completion to mop up funds before the exchange of guards.

Though the FCT authority had given an official statement that the project was a donation by the Chinese government, economy watchers said the administration was using the project to retire funds and balance its accounts.

According to the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, the installation of the new traffic lights was a collaborative project with the Chinese government and the project was to gulp N861 million.

Addressing State House correspondents then, Bala said the contract was packaged in 2012 by the National Planning Commission as a collaborative project between Nigeria and China.

The minister explained that while China funded the contract with N780 million, Nigeria provided N81m as counterpart fund.

He described the allegation that the project was aimed at siphoning funds as a campaign of calumny and mischief against his administration.

“Of course, China is bearing the whole cost of the project at the cost of N780m and as usual, with this collaborative project; they nominated the contractor, which is doing the project from China. The only thing we’ve done is to make sure that we provide the counterpart funding for the project totaling about N81m that we’ve provided as a territory and the supervision.

“So, it’s not true, it’s deceptive and it’s misleading for anybody to think that something that we’re getting as a collaborative and multilateral assistance is something we’ve conceptualized as a last-minute bid of a project for us to go away with. This is a project I believe the incoming administration

One of the installed lights should be very happy with,” the former minister stated.

Even though the minister tried to pacify the people and give clarification that the installation and rehabilitation of the traffic lights were not a case of an attempt to complete an abandoned project, many questions were still begging for answers.

For instance, why would the FCTA authorities embark on a project few weeks to the expiration of the administration?

A resident, Mr. Johnson Monyem, who lamented the rate at which the traffic lights were being erected in the affected districts, said the administration was using the project to retire funds and balance its

“

accounts. “They just want to rush the project to retire money that was not spent before the new government comes in,” he said.

According to another resident who did not want his name in print, many abandoned projects in the FCT were now being worked on so that the contractors can have their certificate of completion to claim their money from the incoming administration.

“There are many projects within and around the city and contractors want to do the work to a level where they can get their certificates of completion, so that the new government can pay them,” he said.

Anita Usman (a commuter),

said even though the intention of those who installed the traffic lights was to ease movement and reduce unnecessary gridlock, in reality the reverse is the case. “Most of them are even malfunctioning. Last week on my way to the bank, an accident occurred at Maitama due to the conflicting signals from the traffic light. It showed the green colour at the same time on lanes that were not supposed to move at the same time.”

For Josiah Rabo, (civil servant), “the new traffic light is something that should have been done earlier, but I feel the administration has not done enough in putting the lights together because if you look at

For instance, why would the FCTA authorities embark on a project few weeks to the expiration of the administration?

it, they are just within the city, other parts of Abuja are yet to have traffic lights; I think something is wrong, also monitoring the project that cost about 80 million suggests it might be fraud, I have not seen much to require such an amount of money. Government needs to sit up, do the right thing at the right time and we need these traffic lights in other satellite towns too, we need them in Karshi, Kuje, Bwari, these places need them.

“If only, people can be patient, waiting for the traffic light signal should not be problem at all; if people obey the traffic it will ease friction and commuters will be able to move freely.”

Mrs Odera (motorist) said: “I don’t think most of the traffic lights were installed by those with the required expertise even though I am a layman, I don’t see why traffic lights should be installed in an estate (Gwarimpa). Since their installation, the traffic situation in the mornings when people are rushing to work and in the evenings has become hellish. The estate roads are not too wide with many intersections and cars parked at the roadside, these lights have only increased traffic jams.”

Another respondent who identified himself simply as Mr. Sunday, expressed dismay over the inconsistencies of the traffic lights.

He said: “I have been complaining about it; there are some certain confusion with the new traffic lights; sometimes, the yellow and the red lights come on at the same time and we seem to be lost on the message or signal; for me I don’t just understand, what it says; at times some vehicles who are obviously lost just move and this is beginning to cause some accidents, the old ones are just okay; I don’t have any objection on the delay, what matters most is just patience, the government has tried though it didn’t place the light on time, but there have been traffic lights before now, only that it took time to spread; and it has to be gradual, even Rome was not built in a day.

My only problem is that it should be adjusted and done properly; the rush hour work is annoying.

According to Ahmed (Commuter), the installation of traffic lights in most traffic-prone areas in the FCT is commendable even though the timing was suspicious. “But be Contd on Page 9

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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“We needed streetlights not ‘last minute’ traffic lights” Contd from Page 8 that as it may, the location of some of these lights smacks of ignorance. Their number in Asokoro is unbelievable. The most unfortunate aspect is that some of them malfunction to the extent that they cause accidents. Recently, a cab I boarded to Central Area almost had a head on collision with another vehicle close to the Garki General Hospital, the traffic light showed the green colour on all the stands at the same time resulting in a maddening rush.

Even though the initiative is laudable, but let the grey areas be addressed.”

For Niyi (Taxi Driver), the traffic lights in almost every junction in the city centre are causing untold hardship to motorists and commuters alike.

“There are places that do not require it because of the low volume of traffic. The city is becoming chaotic during rush hours, it is also time wasting.

There are places that have up to three lights at a stretch coupled with most drivers’ impatience.”

Furthermore, an IT worker, Levi Peters said the action seemed like a round up so payments could be made before the former government finally elapsed.

In his words, “it is a good development, these set of lights are good; those on the pedestrian can cross without fear because the traffic lights have stopped the cars; just that Nigerians are not patient enough, you’ll see some of them still bypassing the traffic lights and it is quite absurd. The timing is also funny because it seems

the contractors were just waiting for the outcome of the elections and now that Jonathan was unable to return, they just wanted to rush up everything so they could get their pay, that’s the scenario I see. This is something that should have been done before now, street lights should not only be built in Abuja, what is happening in the other 36 states, when you travel out you see street lights too everywhere.”

Chidera Okonkwo (motorist), said the installation of the traffic lights was a welcome development. “Abuja is now being seen as a Federal Capital City. Also, it will ease traffic jam. I haven’t seen anyone that is malfunctioning. Why most Nigerians are complaining about it is because they are impatient, they are always in a hurry which always results in accidents.”

For Victor (Corps Member), “they are good but they are not being coded well, the seconds or intervals between the ‘GO’ and the ‘STOP’ are so short, the time frame was set at 30 seconds though some are not even up to that, I think they should have noticed that a particular route does not have much traffic while others could have heavy traffic yet they are being stopped even before a minute and at the end of the day, it generates more traffic jams than normal.

Ugochukwu (Motorist), said the new traffic lights were causing a lot of gridlock, especially during rush hours. Most of them were not properly situated. Where is the wisdom in putting about three traffic

Another traffic light lights on a street? For example, Mississippi Street in Maitama, has about four traffic lights.

The traffic situation there coupled with the many intersections can only be imagined.”

But Mohammed Isa (Driver) said whichever way, it was a relief for drivers and traffic warders.

He said, “the traffic lights are good, the holdup is always much, the policemen are not also resting because of the absence of traffic lights, so it is really a good development, there is no serious problem with the

period of erecting the lights, there have been traffic lights in other places just that it just got to some places though I still think it is just part of the last minute job they should have done earlier. The traffic light is better than the yellow fever man and any time the traffic warder is not there, because he has to close and go home to his family, the traffic jam becomes very annoying, so even if it is at the dying minute, it was done any way, at least it will minimize gridlock and plenty quarrels on the road.”

Taiwo, (Taxi Driver), said, “please help us tell the government to remove some of the traffic lights because instead of easing traffic hold up, they are compounding it. The lights are too much and they are affecting our work; anywhere you go they cause unnecessary gridlock. There are places that do not require them. So let the relevant authorities look into this problem, as it is obvious they

“ One of the older lights

were hurriedly installed without adequate planning. Instead of these unwanted traffic lights let them install street lights all over the city so that drivers can see well at night which will help prevent accidents.”

Mr. Daniel, who is a businessman, said it’s a kind of farewell package from the former government. “If you notice, there were some working traffic lights before this set, just that these new set seem better as they do not include direction for both cars and pedestrians like the old ones which was very confusing and dangerous then; these new ones are just strictly for cars and it’s better that way. Though the time delay is there but I think it is better especially for Abuja drivers; they are very reckless when driving and when they bash other people’s car in the name of trying to beat time, they still want to claim right, so traffic light at every junction is better for Abuja drivers.”

The new traffic lights were causing a lot of gridlock, especially during rush hours.

Most of them were not properly situated. Where is the wisdom in putting about three traffic lights on a street?

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Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2016

News

NLC faults Kano govt on ghost workers From Kano

Edwin

Olofu,

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Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (R) welcoming the chairman, council of Africa Tax Administration Forum, Mr Gershem Pasi at the presidential villa, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: JorOroye

Saraki rejects Omolori as Clerk to the National Assembly

By Osby Isibor

T

he president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has requested the National Assembly Service Commission to reverse the appointment of Mohammed Sani-Omolori, as the Clerk to the Assembly, to allow further consultations.

Mr. Sani-Omolori was named the acting Clerk to the National Assembly on Wednesday in a letter by the Executive Chairman of the NASC. He was until his appointment the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

In a letter dated April 21 by his Chief of

Staff, Isa Galaudu, to Mr. Fika, the senate president, who is the chairman of the National Assembly, said the appointment did not follow due process.

He argued that the Commission should have first considered Ben Efeturi, who is currently the deputy clerk to the National Assembly, for the position to replace Salisu Maikasuwa, who is proceeding on preretirement leave this month.

The letter said, “The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives were informed that Mr. Efeturi was not considered for the appointment because he was not duly

appointed as Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly.

“On further enquiry, we found he was duly appointed by the National Assembly Service Commission vide Extract from Minutes of its 403rd Meeting held on Friday, 21st November, 2014.

“From the foregoing, you have misled and misinformed the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“Consequently, I am directed by His Excellency, the Senate President, to inform you that the letter appointing Mr Sani Omolori as Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, be withdrawn immediately for

Osinbajo urges Africa nations to develop robust tax systems

V

ice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday urged African tax administrators to develop a more robust tax administration systems.

Osinbajo spoke when he received a delegation of the African Tax Administration (ATAF) Forum, led by its chairman, Mr Gershem Pasi, at the Presidential Villa.

According to the vice president, taxation plays a critical role in defining government accountability and directs the society in a positive direction.

Osinbajo also commended the existence of such a forum.

“People don’t pay taxes, it

also means they do not hold the leadership accountable.’’

He added that when people don’t pay taxes “they don’t often feel a sense of entitlement to the resources and corruption is allowed.”

Prof. Osinbajo explained that the business of taxation is a compact between the government and the people.

He observed that countries that export commodities and are involved in the extractive industries, such as Nigeria, had focused only on the revenues from such sources and had not benefitted from taxation.

Osinbajo stated that people should be made to appreciate that government will do what it

is supposed to do by providing services and creating an enabling environment. ``Very often you hear people say ‘we don’t pay taxes because we don’t see the services,’’ but ``If government takes its responsibilities seriously it is easier for people to pay taxes,” Osinbajo explained.

Earlier, Pasi had told the vice president that the group just concluded a workshop in Nigeria and thanked the government for its role in the formation of the forum and in hosting the workshop.

He said that among the other activities of the forum was addressing the problem of illicit financial outflows from

the continent, especially after the African Union report on the matter.

Pasi is the CommissionerGeneral of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).

Chief executives of national revenue agencies and tax policy makers from 28 African countries established ATAF in 2009 as a platform for the promotion of mutual cooperation among African tax administrators and other relevant stakeholders.

Pasi was accompanied by several other chief executives of national revenue agencies across Africa, including Mr Babatunde Fowler, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue

he Kano state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Kano state government are at a sharp disagreement over the authenticity of an interim report from the office of the Head of Service that 7,629 are ghost workers which were not captured in the biometric exercise.

Briefing reporters on Thursday at NUJ secretariat, the NLC chairman, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir categorically stated that the ongoing biometric exercise was characterised by mixed up on the part of the consultant employed by Kano state government.

According to him, “The labour centres will want to remind the Kano state government to take cognizance of some workers undergoing training outside the country after securing their release while some pensioners are not residing in the country after retirement from service, but yet are bonafide pensioners of the state”.

“We also identify some mixed up in the data provided by some government organs as

part of their staff lists. My humble self the labour leader in the state after duly being captured in my area of assignment, I was listed among the 7,626 staff lists submitted to the consultant from my former station as part of those who have not appeared for the exercise. While staff on active service including directors were identified in the list who have already being captured”.

Minjibir urged the state government to fully scrutinize the established figures from the interim report and ensure accurate data, as from the side of labour we will not take it lightly if any of genuine worker or pensioner was deleted from the payroll after undergoing all the process and were captured.

The NLC chairman also appealed to Kano state government to as a matter of urgency, settle the eight months salary arrears of the newly recruited teachers, health workers, pensioners and dead benefit of workers.

He also called on the state government to extend the biometric exercise with two weeks so as to mop up - validate workers representatives to provide avenue for reconcile the interim report so that all workers

Joint military force warns `militants’ against attacks on oil facilities

T

he joint military force deployed to protect oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta on Friday reiterated its resolve to crackdown on vandals and economic saboteurs.

A statement from its spokesman, Col. Isa Ado, said that the military was poised to deal with a reported threat by vandals to resume attacks on oil facilities.

The statement assured that the force, christened Operation Pulo Shield, would ensure the arrest of perpetrators of such vandalism and their accomplices for prosecution.

“Anybody or group masquerading as militants are criminals and will be resisted and crushed in line with the mandate of the joint force in the Niger Delta.

“The Federal Government granted amnesty to repentant agitators and the grant automatically ends militancy and agitation in the region. Any group or persons by whatever guise will be treated like common criminals.

“The force had carried out aggressive patrols and surveillances within the waterways and the

creeks which led to the arrest of suspects, arms and ammunition, illegal oil bunkering vessels and barges.

“Those arrested are at various stages of prosecution in courts of competent jurisdiction,” the statement said.

It warned vandals that threatened to attack facilities to have a rethink and desist from crossing the path of Operation Pulo Shield or be ready to face the consequences of their action.

“The command is calling on community leaders to advise their subjects, especially youths on the dangers of engaging in any act capable of undermining the security and economy of the country.

“Youths should engage themselves meaningfully to help themselves and the society and avoid any act capable of ruining their future.

“The joint force assures the Niger Delta residents of its determination to wipe out all acts of illegalities in the region and urged them to volunteer useful information to aid the joint force in its

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2016

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News

Cross River plans to ban use of wood for roofing -- Governor

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ross River state governor, Ben Ayade has expressed his administration’s resolve to legislate against the use of wood for roofing to check deforestation, restore lost greenery and boost forest regeneration.

Ayade spoke when Ms Elsie Attafuah, the Senior Regional Technical Adviser, United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) programme, visited him at Government House, Calabar.

He said: ``We are in a process of enacting a new law that will prohibit the use of woods for roofing and encourage the use of steel instead. ``So, very soon when the house passes the law, we will stop roofing with woods and when this happens, the demand for timber will drop drastically. ``As we speak, a company is already on ground to start production of these roofing materials to meet the needs in the industry and reduce the dependence on wood as deliberate plans to save and protect the forest.’’

Ayade also urged the UN ``to do away with theoretical work and be more practical in its programmes in a manner that will translate into wealth creation among Nigerians’’.

He said the state government expected the REDD programme to impact in a desired manner on the citizenry, particularly host communities, to the reserved forests across the state.

Ayade said that in the last three years the REDD programme focused only on training and educating people on understanding measurement analysis baselines, safeguards.

He said although the programme was appreciable, `` the time has come when they must reflect on the needs of the people to better their lots.’’

The governor said ``REDD PLUS is a plus and so please reflect on the needs of my people. Please fast track this readiness so that we can get into the investment phase because truly, everything REDD has done is wise. `` What they have not done is that they have not been able to put one tree on the ground, so I don’t know how you want to reduce emissions when you are not focusing on the practical aspect. ``Essentially, REDD Plus is intended to preserve the forest for the good of mankind. So, if that man that you are preserving the forest for has to die of hunger, REDD must be coming too slow. ``So, for me as a governor, a professor of Environmental Science, a lawyer, a combination of all these tells me clearly that the communities are not having a fair deal. `` The communities are in pain and you must look into this as soon as possible. The ultimate thing is that action must be on ground,’’ he said.

Attafuah earlier told the governor that she was in the state with her team to commence the implementation process of the programme.

She said the REDD programme would bring the desired benefits to the communities where the project was being carried out.

She said that policy dialogue at the highest level was necessary for the smooth transition of the UNREDD projects from strategy to implementation.

Attafuah also solicited the support of the state for a successful transition. (NAN)

DSS parades four certificates forgery syndicates From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Department of State Services (DSS), Kwara State has paraded four suspected syndicates who specialised on forging certificates of government institutions for unsuspecting public.

The Director of the Service in Kwara State, Mr. Abdullahi Shinkafi who paraded the suspects on Friday before journalists, disclosed that the prime suspect, Abdulmajeed Olaide who was the leader of the syndicates has jumped bail and presently at large.

Shinkafi said the four suspects were arrested on 11th and 15th of April, 2016 with different High Courts stamps pad and several others local governments and National Youth

Service Corps (NYSC) certificates.

The suspects include Adebimpe E. Ayodeji, Moshood AbdulHafiz, Sikiru Rafiu, Aliyu Abdulfatai and Muslimat Majeed who was the only woman among them.

“The arrest followed a tip off that fake indigeneship certificates of LGAs in the state are being produced for interested persons by the suspected fraudsters.

“The Service’s investigation led to the arrest of the suspects in whose residences search warrant was executed and the following incriminating items founds”.

The items, he said included a stamp pad of Kwara State High Court, Ilorin, hundreds of Kwara State Indigeneship certificates of Oke-Ero, Ekiti,

Ilorin-South, Ilorin-West, Ilorin-East, Edu, and Irepodun LGAs. Others items retrieved from the suspects are; several first school leaving certificates, several NYSC/Exemption certificates, over 100 copies of Kwara State Polytechnic certificates, College of Education Ilorin certificates, Lagos State University certificates, hundreds of NECO certificates, hundreds of WAEC certificates, several passport photographs; and stamp pads and seals of several institutions.

The DSS director noted that the fake certificates and documents issued to various unsuspecting members of the public almost look alike, stressing that their investigation revealed that many

unscrupulous persons in the state have patronised the fraudsters and used the certificates to gain employment into government agencies and institutions.

“The Service’s findings are not unconnected with the discovery of some employee being in possession of fake academic documents during the ongoing screening of workers and pensioners in some Local Government Council Secretariats,

by Kwara State Committee on Personnel Database Development”.

The DSS director who charged members of the public to be vigilant on these set of fraudsters, said that the Service is committed to the fight against certificates fraudsters and other undesirable elements in the society.

Chairman, Ebira Senior Academic Forum Professor Sa Garba with Kogi State Governor Alh Yahaya Bello during Forun courtesy call to the Governor’s residence, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Govt House

Victim raises alarm over armed robbery attacks in Ogwashi-Uku From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

A

n armed robbery victim, Mr. Innocent Osakwe has raised the alarm over incessant armed robbery attacks on residents of Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South local government area of Delta state in recent times.

The victim who was attacked by suspected armed robbers recently, spoke to our correspondent yesterday on the situation in Ogwashi-Uku. He told our correspondent that armed

robbers in the town now carry out robbery operations in day light, particularly on Sunday when people might have gone to church.

Osakwe said that the situation has become alarming as the robbers robbed four different compounds and families within a week and made away with their money and property worth millions of naira.

According to him, “the victims sustained different degrees of injuries and subjected to inhuman treatment”.

Lamenting the situation, he recalled how

he was attacked at night by heavily armed bandits numbering over five.

He said the suspect yet to be arrested carted away all his money, electronics, and handsets of members of his family, jewelries and other household items.

Mr. Osakwe said the robbers treated him and other members of his family to inhuman treatments and they sustained injuries all over their bodies. He said the matter was reported to the police but no arrest has been made yet.

According to him “we are very worried

over this new development called armed robbery attacks in Ogwashi-Uku, I am saying that Ogwashi-Uku is under siege by robbers.

“The situation now calls for beefing up of security by the Police, the local vigilante and other security agencies. I am calling on the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Alkali Baba Usman, to rise up to the occasion and save lives in Ogwashi-Uku, before everybody packs out of the town for fear of attack by robbers”, the victim pleaded.

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Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2016

Photo Splash

Members of Devatop center for Africa development during a campaign against child trafficking, yesterday in Abuja

A cross-section of participants at the association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN)’s orientation and Induction programme, yesterday in Dutse, Jigawa.

Cross section of beneficiaries of the 14th phase resettlement of Graduands of Vocational Skills Development Scheme, yesterday in Port Harcourt

L-R: President Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Mrs Victoria Isiguzo; Gov Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Rivers State Deputy Governor, Mrs Ipalibo Harry-Banigo during the visit of the Association to the Governor, yesterday in Port Harcourt

R-L: Zonal coordinator, North Central, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Bishop Edwin Jarumai, Executive Secretary UBEC, Dr, Suleiman Dikko and Director office of the Executive Secretary UBEC, Alh. Aliyu Kardi, during UBEC working visit to inspect it Project in Benue State

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2016

Page 13

IDPs urged to embrace farming for sustenance, economic revival

From Uche Uche, Damaturu

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s peace gradually returns in Yobe state and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) returns to their communities liberated from Boko Haram insurgents, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Abubakar Sadique has urged the returnees to engage in agriculture and other activities to re-engineer economic revival in the areas to improve their economic wellbeing and become self-reliant.

Air Marshal Abubakar Sadique made the call recently in Yobe state on the occasion of presentation of relief materials donated by the National Logistic Committee on Relief to Internally Displaced Persons which took place in Buni-Yadi town in Gujba local government area of Yobe state.

Represented by Air Commodore P. N. Dimfwina, the chief of air staff, said the presentation of the relief materials was in continuation of the intervention programme by the federal government to assist fellow Nigerians displaced by the insurgency crisis in the last five years.

He pointed out that it is in fulfillment of a presidential mandate given to the ComptrollerGeneral of Customs to transfer items seized by

the custom and legally forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria for the use of Internally Displaced Persons in various camps across the Northeast.

He disclosed that in the first phase of its operation in Yobe, the committee transferred items including 4,491 bags of rice in 50kg; 2,504 jerry cans of vegetable oil in 25 litres; 500 cartoons of soap; 263 bales of used cloths; 397 pieces of new cloths and 41 rolls of textile yard materials.

Pointing out that the relief materials is meant to cushion the effect of hardship occasioned by the activities of Boko Haram, he emphasised on the importance of self-reliance by their involvement in agriculture and other economic activities.

“It is gladdening to note the current trend of IDPs leaving the designated camps back to the communities. This is a testimony to the fact that Nigeria is winning the war on insurgents, and peace is being restored to the North-East.

“It is our hope that with the coming of the raining season, our citizens in the liberated territories will engage in agriculture and other activities to re-engineer our economic revival”, Abubakar said.

Speaking during the donation ceremony, the Chairman of the National Logistics Committee on Distribution of Relief Materials to IDPs, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Sanusi Umar, said that customs had benefited from effective collaboration that ensured smooth operation, pointing out that that the materials presented had been moved into Yobe for quite some time and apologized for the delay in presentation.

He said that members of the committee included representatives from Custom, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force and the Nigeria Police including members of the civil society organisations like the Red Cross and the Media were also part of the committee.

He thanked the local organising committee which had been working with the main committee to ensure safe custody of the items in Damaturu.

On his part, Yobe state governor, Alh. Ibrahim Gaidam, represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu called on individuals and organisations to emulate the national committee to collectively contribute to the social and economic reconstruction of the state.

L-R: Deputy Ambasador of Gambia to Nigeria, mrs Fatou Njie-Hydara; Director of Planning, Gambia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr Musa Mbye and Gambia’s minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Alieu Jammeh, during the visit of the Gambian envoy to the National youth service corps Headquaters, yesterday in Abuja .

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

News

DPR clamps down on marketers, seals 2 NNPC affiliated stations From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

T

he Department of Petroleum Department (DPR) in Niger state has declared war against unrepentant marketers in the state capital, Minna and its environs and consequently sealed off two NNPC affiliated stations in the state at the weekend.

This followed the department unscheduled inspection tour by the state Controller, Engineer Abdullahi Isah Jankara and his team to various filling stations in the state capital and its environs where many stations were compelled to sell at government approved price and desist from hoarding the product.

The two NNPC affiliates filling stations sealed by the DPR were NNPC Shango, along Minna/Suleja road and NNPC Maitumbi, along Minna/Gwada road, all within Minna metropolis.

Also the DPR forced some independent marketers who were found to be selling the product above government approved pump price to sell the product to the public under supervision at 86:50 per liter.

Jankara who ordered the closure of the NNPC mega affiliate in Shango for using only one pump out of the 18 pumps in the station to sell the product to the public, described the situation as a plot to hoard the product.

Engineer Jankara said the station will remain sealed until six (6) pumps are functional, saying that the attitude of the station did not only amount to sabotage, but a deliberate attempt to inflict suffering on the public who are made to remain on queue for several hours before getting the product.

He, however, gave the station owner 48 hours within which to repair all the broken down pumps or be made to pay fine.

Jankara, however said that the mega affiliate in Maitumbi along Minna/ Gwada road was sealed off for selling the product in the night and at N100 per liter to black market operators.

He said the station will remain sealed until the operator of the station pay the N400,000 fine to federal government of Nigeria.

Jankara pointed out that the department will not relent on the clamp down on all those stations involved in illegal dealings until sanity is restored.

Okowa assures investors of peaceful, secured environment

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

T

he Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has assured investors of his administration’s commitment to the provision of an enabling environment for infrastructural development.

Speaking when he received on courtesy visit, members of the Delta Commercial City Project Committee and its development partners led by Chief Clement Ofuani, Director-General, Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency, yesterday in Asaba, Governor Okowa stated that the state would partner with genuine investors interested in the development of the state.

“My administration will provide the

needed environment and see to the progress and development of the projects for the benefit of Deltans. We are committed to the development of the Delta Commercial City as it would provide employment to the people and bring development to the state”, he assured.

He added that the robust partnership between the state and the development partners would help the quick completion of the project.

While commending the Committee for its commitment and sincerity in the development of the project especially in the ‘Open Industrial Day’ session, Senator Okowa urged them to continue to drive the developmental process in the spirit of the

partnership so as to see the project to fruition.

He stressed that “I am impressed with the rigorous process of sifting out those interested in the development of this project, the partnership with the development partners not only shows their interest in the gains of the project but in the development of the state.”

Earlier, Chief Ofuani said that they were in Government House, Asaba to brief Governor Okowa on the progress made so far on the development of the Delta Commercial City project, a critical component of the urban transformation of the state government SMART Agenda.

He said that the project was a public

private partnership imitative with Sergio D’Arcano SRL and ALHUDA Nigeria Limited as Development Partners, stating that a Special Purpose Vehicle [SPV] would be set up to drive the project to fruition.

He explained that Development Partners, D’Arcano SRL and ALHUDA Nig Ltd would have 38percent and 32 percent respectively of the share capital, while the state government would have 30 percent, stressing that the Development Partners would provide 19 million and 16 million Dollars respectively of the initial capital, and the state government would provide 15 million dollars which would be taken from the value of its 266 hectares of land provided for the project.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 14

Crime Cycle

Stanley Onyekwere pmlcrimecycle@gmail.com 08138559513

Top 10 most startling facts about people of colour and criminal justice in the US

Source: AP/ California Dept of Corrections

E

ven decades of celebrating the Selma-to-Montgomery marches of 1965, in commemoration shared history of the civil rights movement in the United States of America (USA), still a broken criminaljustice system has proven that the country still have a long way to go in achieving racial equality.

And today ,people of colour continue to be disproportionately incarcerated, policed, and sentenced to death at significantly higher rates than their white counterparts. Further, racial disparities in the criminal-justice system threaten communities of color—disenfranchising thousands by limiting voting rights and denying equal access to employment, housing, public benefits, and education to millions more. In light of these disparities, it is imperative that criminaljustice reform evolves as the civil rights issue of the 21st century.

Below are outlined top 10 facts pertaining to the criminaljustice system’s impact on communities of colour: 1. While people of colour make up about 30 percent of the United States’ population, they account for 60 percent of those imprisoned. The prison population grew by 700 percent from 1970 to 2005, a rate that is outpacing crime and population rates. The incarceration rates disproportionately impact men of colour: 1 in every 15 African American men and 1 in every 36 Hispanic men are incarcerated

in comparison to 1 in every 106 white men.

2. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in three black men can expect to go to prison in their lifetime.

Individuals of colour have a disproportionate number of encounters with law enforcement, indicating that racial profiling continues to be a problem.

A report by the Department of Justice found that blacks and Hispanics were approximately three times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than white motorists. African Americans were twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police.

3. Students of colour face harsher punishments in schools than their white peers, leading to a higher number of youth of colour incarcerated. Black and Hispanic students represent more than 70 percent of those involved in school-related arrests or referrals to law enforcement. Currently, African Americans make up twofifths and Hispanics one-fifth of confined youth today.

4. According to recent data by the Department of Education, African American students are arrested far more often than their white classmates. The data showed that 96,000 students were arrested and 242,000 referred to law enforcement by schools during the 2009-10 school year. Of those students,

black and Hispanic students made up more than 70 percent of arrested or referred students.

Harsh school punishments, from suspensions to arrests, have led to high numbers of youth of colour coming into contact with the juvenile-justice system and at an earlier age.

5. African American youth have higher rates of juvenile incarceration and are more likely to be sentenced to adult prison.

According to the Sentencing Project, even though African American juvenile youth are about 16 percent of the youth population, 37 percent of their cases are moved to criminal court and 58 percent of African American youth are sent to adult prisons.

6. As the number of women incarcerated increased by 800 percent over the last three decades, women of colour have been disproportionately represented.

While the number of women incarcerated is relatively low, the racial and ethnic disparities are

“

startling.

African American women are three times more likely than white women to be incarcerated, while Hispanic women are 69 percent more likely than white women to be incarcerated.

7. The war on drugs has been waged primarily in communities of colour, where people of colour are more likely to receive higher offenses. According to the Human Rights Watch, people of colour are no more likely to use or sell illegal drugs than whites, but they have higher rate of arrests.

African Americans comprise 14 percent of regular drug users but are 37 percent of those arrested for drug offenses. From 1980 to 2007 about one in three of the 25.4 million adults arrested for drugs was African American.

8. Once convicted, black offenders receive longer sentences compared to white offenders. The U.S. Sentencing Commission stated that in the federal system black offenders receive sentences that are 10 percent longer than

white offenders for the same crimes. The Sentencing Project reports that African Americans are 21 percent more likely to receive mandatory-minimum sentences than white defendants and are 20 percent more like to be sentenced to prison.

9. Voter laws that prohibit people with felony convictions to vote disproportionately impact men of colour. An estimated 5.3 million Americans are denied the right to vote based on a past felony conviction.

Felony disenfranchisement is exaggerated by racial disparities in the criminal-justice system, ultimately denying 13 percent of African American men the right to vote. Felony-disenfranchisement policies have led to 11 states denying the right to vote to more than 10 percent of their African American population.

10. Studies have shown that people of colour face disparities in wage trajectory following release from prison. Evidence shows that spending time in prison affects wage trajectories with a disproportionate impact on black men and women. The results show no evidence of racial divergence in wages prior to incarceration; however, following release from prison, wages grow at a 21 percent slower rate for black former inmates compared to white exconvicts. A number of states have bans on people with certain convictions working in domestic health-service industries such as nursing, child care, and home health care—areas in which many poor women and women of color are disproportionately concentrated.

Theses racial disparities have deprived people of colour of their most basic civil rights, making criminal-justice reform the civil rights issue of our time. Through mass imprisonment and the overrepresentation of individuals of colour within the criminal justice and prison system, people of color have experienced an adverse impact on themselves and on their communities from barriers to reintegrating into society to engaging in the democratic process.

Culled from www. americanprogress.org

As the number of women incarcerated increased by 800 percent over the last three decades, women of colour have been disproportionately represented. While the number of women incarcerated is relatively low, the racial and ethnic disparities are startling. African American women are three times more likely than white women to be incarcerated, while Hispanic women are 69 percent more likely than white women to be incarcerated.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 15

Interview

‘No president fought corruption with Buhari’s seriousness’

W

hat are the cardinal objectives of the Albino Foundation?

We envisioned a society with equal opportunity for persons living with albinism in Nigeria and the world, that vision is succinct and explicit. What that means is that we want equal opportunity across board, i.e equal opportunity with people living with albinism. Someone will be tempted to ask if anybody is denying people living with albinism equal opportunity. Yes, the system denies us that opportunity, individuals deny us that opportunity, and the environment denies us that opportunity. So it takes an individual to make the environment conducive for us, it will take policy makers to make the mainstreaming of albinism into government thematic projects.

It will take individual to appeal to the society and advocate to the society to create a level playing field for persons with albinism, because there is need for quality. However the United Nation system and national government across the globe are preaching equality in all spheres of human lives but unfortunately, the individuals and the underserved they are preaching it to, are not seeing the need for that equality. That is why we exist as a foundation to be able to bridge that knowledge, awareness and understanding gap that flourishes as a result of the aforesaid.

To what extent have you been able to achieve the core objectives of your foundation?

I think I should leave people like you and others to judge us but then, it is important to point out some of the milestone achievement of the foundation. There is only one National Policy on Albinism globally and it is in Nigeria and which of course, was a brain child of Albino Foundation. We had also recorded a number of successes in the educational sector; prominent among them is our membership of National Council on Education. In fact we are one of the few Non-Governmental Organization, (NGO) that are members of the highest policy making body of the ministry of education. We are utilizing our membership to advance the course of albinism in the education sector and

Mr. Jake Epelle is the CEO and Founder of Albino Foundation, in this exclusive interview with Peoples Daily Weekend, he gives insight into the vision and mission of the foundation, the journey so far as well as the visible achievements. He applauded the giant strides of the current administration in the fight against graft while calling for stiffer penalty to those involved in the arms deal saga. He also spoke on other issues

Epelle

“

Someone will be tempted to ask if anybody is denying people living with albinism equal opportunity. Yes, the system denies us that opportunity, individuals deny us that opportunity, and the environment denies us that opportunity.

So it takes an individual to make the environment conducive for us, it will take policy makers to make the mainstreaming of albinism into government thematic projects.

that is paying off as the ministry is already supporting most of our projects, politically and morally. We have also established 42 chapters of the foundation across the federation and we are still expanding. We are currently working with Kebbi state government to establish the Kebbi State chapter.

What is the current status of the National Policy on Albinism in Nigeria?

The important thing is that we have a national policy, even though the implementation process is very slow at the moment, the fact remains that we have a policy on albinism. Gradually we are pushing for its full implementation. You know that it is one thing to do a policy and another thing to implement it. However, we are strategic, patient, pragmatic and proactive in our approach to the implementation. So we will ensure that it is implemented so that the money, time and energy invested in putting the policy together will not be a waste.

What are the obstacles inhibiting the full and smooth implementation of the policy in Nigeria?

The main obstacle is ignorant, majority of the people do not know much about policy on albinism and many do not also know the basic issues the policy is set out to address. So ignorant is a constraint, lack of political will on the part of government is a challenge, financial constraints is a challenge, low level of advocacy on the existence of the policy is a constraint, and getting the albinos to understand what they have so as to drive the process is also a constraint. But challenges are there for you to brass up and become challengers of your challenge, become advocate that will bring solution to the challenges confronting you and that is what we are out to achieve.

Do you have confidence in the 2016 budget proposal presented to the parliament by the president despite the controversy that had trailed its presentation?

Well, I will say that you don’t have to blame the government totally because only God knows the future.

When they were preparing the budget, Contd on Page 17

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 17

Interview

‘No president fought corruption with Buhari’s seriousness’ Contd from Page 15

there was hope that the price of crude oil will not fall below the proposed benchmark but unfortunately, the forecasters were wrong.

Meanwhile you cannot on the basis of that blame them out rightly; this is because the whole business of forecast is dependent on some unforeseen variables and circumstances. However, if they brass up and make the necessary adjustment and maintain the principle of zero budgeting as proposed and ensure its full implementation, as well as manage the deficit, then the administration will be able to navigate the turbulent waters before them and reposition the country for economic prosperity and progress. Those who prepared the budget have done their best and the president as you know is corruption phobic. He means well for the country and we pray that he should assemble a team of administrators who have the same vision and commitment like himself so as to lead the country out of the woods. The challenges notwithstanding, I have a firm believe that the president is going to do well.

If Nigerian factor creeps in the process of fine-tuning and implementation of the budget then we will have problems greater than what we are currently battling to overcome.

Take for instance if those charged with the responsibility of scrutinizing the budget (the parliament) decides to place their personal interest above that of the nation, then we will be inviting difficulty.

Some provisions in the proposed budget are allegedly frivolous, does that not negate the anti corruption posture of the current administration?

It is unfortunate, but again we cannot blame the president for that, because you cannot avoid such scenario where you have crafty and smart individual in the system. But then, when the public begins to point them out, it becomes incumbent on the government to correct such frivolity immediately so as to guide against

pitfalls. Thank God the budget has not scaled through the parliament yet. So this is the time to scrutinize the budget properly and correct all the envisaged or identified errors.

But again I am also been very careful because in Nigeria, we often time sensationalize issues of this nature, may be because of our diversity.

Is it really true that there are frivolous provisions in some of the sub headings in the proposed 2016 budget? In fact you and I had not even seen the budget, so most times we work on speculations. But if they approve the budget with such unreasonable component even when sections of the public had raised objections then the budget will leave a lot to be desired. In terms of how willing he is to cub corruption in the country, I can tell you that he is determined than any president before him to sanitize the nation of graft related offences.

Do you share the view in certain quarters that the change APC promised is poverty and economic retardation as the nation’s economy is on a standstill?

We need to be patient because change is a process and the process of change is often cumbersome when it is taking place in a situation ridden with corruption. I do not think any right thinking person should start judging the president’s performance now. It is too early to pass negative judgment, let us give him time. I think that the only thing that will form the basis for judging him will be when the budget is passed and implemented and it did not affect the lives of common men positively,

“

then we can begin to evaluate his performance objectively.

However, there is need for the media and public to keep the government accountable and keep them responsive to all their political promises during the campaign. It is also important that we do not aggravate the already tensed situation in the country.

Practically speaking, we need to be patient and wait until we see situation and circumstances that will cause us to panic and raise alarm, let us not blow the whistle when there is nothing to worry about. The economy is at a standstill per se, but not holistically, there are still some hopes, I don’t think that it will crash eventually. Government is trying its best to manage the situation even though some of the management style is questionable; we need to give the benefit of doubt. Secondly, we should understand that every time there is a transition in government, more especially from one party to the other, it is often never an easy transition. I am very optimistic that we will come out of the hard times. I will also use this opportunity to appeal to government to always excuse non performing cabinet members from the cabinet to avoid further retardation in the economy. Some professional and competent hands should be injected into the cabinet to drive the system.

Some militants recently busted oil pipeline, what is the benefit of such restiveness and sabotage and where will it leads us to?

It is unfortunate; I think it is best for the President to tackle it head on. Negotiation should

Epelle

be the first option, call them back and see how best to work with them, instead of trying to fight with them because it is very easy to destroy but very difficult to build. So we cannot afford to do that now because doing that at this point in our national journey is suicidal, unfortunately, some of these ex-militant are flexing muzzles with government which is not good. At the end of the day, they will not be the one to feel the consequences like the common people will.

The president has been accused of non adherence to the rule of law in his fight against graft, what is

It is important that we face the reality about this issue of rule of law, these corrupt individuals who had enriched themselves with the common wealth of this country knows that they can use the legal processes to wriggle their way out of the evils they had committed against the nation and they are trying to do that.

your view on that?

It is important that we face the reality about this issue of rule of law, these corrupt individuals who had enriched themselves with the common wealth of this country knows that they can use the legal processes to wriggle their way out of the evils they had committed against the nation and they are trying to do that. But if for any reason, a court that was misguided by dubious, corny and smart lawyers and their clients makes a decision that will not augur well for the entire country. I am against total freedom for corrupt people in the name of law. If you stole money and return it, does not mean you should not face some level of prosecution, you should be prosecuted so that those who may have intention of doing same tomorrow will refrain from such. The current administration must prosecute all those who had helped themselves with the common wealth of this nation, more especially those involved in the arms deal or Dasukigate as it is popularly known now.

Page 18

NEWS EXTRA

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Minister calls for review of teacher education policy

T

he Minister of State for Education, Prof.

Anthony Anwuka, has called for a review of the National Teacher Education Policy to address the encumbrances that had hindered its implementation.

Anwuka made the recommendation while delivering the Rhema University maiden convocation lecture at the university’s campus in Aba, Abia state on Friday.

In the lecture delivered on behalf of the minister by his Special Adviser on Technical Education, Prof. Godswill Obioma, he said there was a need for Nigeria to reform its education sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education by 2030.

“Although the education roadmap and past education strategy plans sustainably made provisions for the policy since 2009, its implementation has been challenging to date.

“It is recommended that the policy be further reviewed to address all the encumbrances that have hindered its smooth implementation. Such a review should also incorporate the issues of tertiary teacher education,” Anwuka said.

He said that the non-implementation of the policy had contributed largely to the low quality of teachers in the country’s educational institutions.

Anwuka said that consequently, the review and implementation would boost the quality of

teachers.

He called for curriculum realignment for education and training of pre-service teachers for the basic education levels and the professionalisation of teaching as a means of achieving the SDGs. Anwuka called for “a well graded system of remuneration and allowances for teachers” to encourage the work of teaching and improve the nation’s education system.

The topic of the convocation lecture was “Improving the Quality of Teachers in Nigeria: Closing the Gaps in Education and Training and Professionalisation”.

(NAN)

Court affirms jurisdiction to try Rickey Tarfa

J

ustice A. A. Akintoye of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere on yesterday, dismissed an application filed before the court by Rickey Tarfa, challenging the jurisdiction of the court and seeking an order to quash a 27-count charge against him.

Mr. Tarfa is facing charges bordering on alleged willful obstruction of authorized officers of EFCC, refusing to declare assets, making false information and offering gratification to a public official brought against him by the anti-graft agency.

The judge ruled that the court had jurisdiction to entertain the charges and turned down Mr. Tarfa’s prayers for the charges to be quashed.

“This Court has a jurisdiction to entertain the charges on this matter,” he said. “The prayer of the applicant asking for an order on jurisdiction to entertain charges on this matter is hereby dismissed.”

“The prayer of the applicant asking for an order to quash charges laid before the court is hereby dismissed.

“The prayer of the applicant asking the court to restrain EFCC operatives, staffs, agents, or any person whatsoever to investigate and prosecute the defendant is hereby refused.

“The applicant’s motion on notice on 10th March, 2016 is hereby dismissed accordingly,” he said.

One hundred and thirty six lawyers including 40 Senior Advocates of Nigeria appeared for Mr. Tarfa.

Justice Akintoye subsequently adjourned the matter till 20 and 27 May, 2016 for commencement of trial and further hearing.

Mr. Tarfa was arraigned on 9 March, 2016 by the EFCC on a 27-count charge bordering on alleged willful obstruction of authorized officers of EFCC, refusing to declare asset, making false information and offering gratification to a public official.

Wife of the Governor of Kebbi State, Hajiya Aisha Bagudu ( 3rd-L), presenting relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) at their camp, yesterday in Sawwa, Arugungu Local Government Area of Kebbi state

Army parades fake colonel, three serving soldiers

T

he Nigerian Army yesterday paraded a fake colonel, Mr Prince Onyemauche and three serving soldiers who until their arrest had indulged in fraudulent activities in different parts of the country.

The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman made the announcement at a news conference in Abuja, where the suspect was paraded.

Usman said the suspect was arrested in Gwagwalada on Feb. 17 alongside three soldiers, including one Staff Sergeant Jacob Philip, by troops of 176 Special Forces Guards Battalion.

He said the suspect had earlier escaped being caught at an Abaji military checkpoint where he claimed to be a colonel in the Nigerian Army.

Usman said the suspect was arrested with one vehicle and other items including a rifle, a Luger pistol, several rounds of ammunition, cell phones among others. ``The suspect was driving a grey-coloured Toyota Tacoma Pick-up van with registration number Lagos LSD 05 BM at the time of his arrest. ``The suspects were moved to Gwagwalada barracks

where a search was conducted on the Toyota Tacoma van. ``Items found in the vehicle include an AK 47 rifle and four magazines, out of which two were empty, while the other two were loaded with 42 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. ``Others include a Luger pistol, 21 x 9mm parabellium ammunition, six cell phones, one Samsung galaxy tablet, 12 cheque booklets, six ATM cards and the sum of N1, 011,300,’’ he said.

Usman said investigation revealed that the suspect had been illegally using soldiers as escorts while travelling outside Lagos to his village in Imo and sometimes to Abuja.

He said the arrested soldiers who were travelling with the suspect without official authorisation would be tried through a court martial.

Usman urged the public to be aware that not all persons that claimed to be military personnel were truly so.

He said that Mr Prince Onyemauche would be handed over to the civil police for further investigation and prosecution.

(NAN)

Police to establish human right desk in states

T

he Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, yesterday pledged to establish human right desks in all police commands across the country.

Arase gave the pledge in a message at the closing of a four-day workshop on human right for instructors of police colleges in the Northern states, held in Kaduna.

The IGP, who was represented by Mr Olufemi Adenaike, the AIG in charge of Training and Development, said that the force had already set up a human right desk in Lagos State.

“We are going to make sure we sustain it, and make sure that all police state divisions in the country equally have human right desks,” he said.

According to him, the move is to raise the level of policing in the country to global standard, where the rights of citizens are protected.

He said more changes would be effected in the operations of the police to make it more responsive to the needs of the citizenry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the end of the workshop, the participants resolved to stop soliciting or accepting gratifications so as not to compromise their duties.

The resolution was signed

by Uju Agomoh, Executive Director, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action and ACP Ambrose Abah of Police Training and Development Department.

They called for continued training and retraining of policemen in the areas of administration of justice, and maintenance of law and order. ``That the police should encourage and promote child friendly policing practice while enhancing the protective role of police officers and improving access to justice for children.’’

They called on police authorities to improve the condition of service, pension and insurance cover for personnel. ``Officers and men of the police force are human beings and are entitled to all the human rights accruing to human beings. ``The authorities concerned should improve the funding of the service, particularly the provision of adequate and effective working materials and other logistics.’’

(NAN)

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 19

Tourism

IITA Forest Ibadan: Birdwatchers’ paradise Golf course at IITA

T

he International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a research and training institute for students, as well as professionals in the area of agricultural research.

Located just a few kilometers northward of Ibadan city, the institute is not only a research site, but also a huge leisure estate that is well known as a birdwatchers’ paradise.

In response to specific development needs, IITA works with research and development partners to deliver research outputs that are achieving an initial outcome.

They then use this research outcome to excite and attract more partners who will ultimately take charge of upscaling and outscaling the technologies by broadening participation and increasing the chances of success and ultimate development impact.

Much of IITA’s 1000-hectare campus is used for scientific research on improving food production in Africa.

A third of the campus consists of unspoiled tropical forest, a natural preserve for birds and other fauna, a lake about 3 km long, developed to provide irrigation water and attract hundreds of species of resident and migratory birds.

The lake has been spawned with various fish species and is a lodestone for anglers.

Guides are available for visitors wishing to take a tour of the forest, try their luck at angling in the lake, or watching for rare migrating birds.

Educational and recreational facilities IITA is in an area of outstanding natural beauty covering 1000 hectares and this includes rain forest, lakes and the research laboratories. There is a fully equipped medical unit, water treatment plant, and power generators.

IITA offers recreational facilities such as swimming pool which is adjacent to the Snack Bar, just relax and soak up the rays or take a cool dip.

It also has a pool table available for use inside the I-House. Cue sticks and cue chalk is obtainable from the reception

desk.

Other sporting facilities at the institute include a 9-hole golf course, football pitch, badminton court, lawn tennis court, table tennis, squash, and fishing at the institute’s lake.

Also available is a bike ride and opportunities for children to play in a safe and secure environment.

IITA forest accommodation I-House, with its 108 well furnished rooms, spacious dormitory facilities, and a conference hall is an ideal venue for organizing workshops, retreats, team building exercises, or a relaxing weekend with the family.

Active visitors can go fishing or just stroll around the lake while less active visitors can kick back at the pool or in one of the bars.

IITA’s hotel rooms are in three categories namely; Superior Rooms, Standard Rooms and Flatlets. Equipped with an en-suite bathroom, satellite television, direct dial telephone, data dial socket, room temperature control, shaver socket in bathroom fully equipped kitchen for self-catering, the hotel offers the perfect atmosphere for a pleasant experience.

IITA Forest reserves and bird-watching The forest reserve is a mature Guinea-Congo lowland rainforest with scattered emergent. Thick climbers grow in openings where the secondary nature of the forest is most apparent, with clumps of Terminalia spp., Bambusa vulgaris, Elaeis gurlensis (Oil palm), Ceiba spp., Milicia spp. The reserve also boasts of a small lake for water sports such as canoeing and fishing.

Also a total of over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve and some of them include Ibadan Malimbe (Malimbus ibadanensis), Great snipe (Gallinago media), Phyllastrephus baumanni and a diverse assemblage of Pale arctic water winter birds at the site.

The forest is a good place for birdwatching because of numerous species of tropical birds.

Cometonigeria.com

Forest Lake at IITA Ibadan

Spacious lawns at IITA

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 20

Homes

What your front door colour says about you

Dark green is also commonly associated with money

D

oors aren’t always the most exciting part of your home but it doesn’t mean they can’t be used to make an impact. Think about how you want to feel when you enter a room or approach the front of your house. How do you want your visitors to feel? next time you decide to redecorate or simply want to freshen up your home, give some thought to your doors.

What colour is your front door?

As the saying goes, first impressions are everything – and this is certainly true of your home. An immaculate front lawn or a freshly painted door makes visitors feel welcome and shows that you take pride in your home. When your front door is freshly painted in high-shine gloss bright fire engine red with gold fixtures, it makes you smile every time you arrive home.

When choosing your front door obviously functionality is key, the design and style of the door is also important. If you’re on the look-out for a new door you can find a range of sliding doors, front doors, solid wood doors and even fire doors. When choosing you need to think about the kind of impression you want your doors to make, how they will complement your existing décor and what your door hue says about you.

Many cultures associate rather complex meanings to the colors we choose for our home, especially the color we choose to paint our front door? The front door is thought to be the “mouth” of the home, the entry point where energy, abundance and opportunities may find us!

Red: Red is the feng shui color for prosperity and abundance. Red represents joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, and love. Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.

Red has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red a very emotionally intense color, red calls for attention, so you’re not afraid of being noticed.

White: A crisp white door is for those who are (or strive to be) organised, neat and clean. White is associated

with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection.

Green: Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. A green front door suggests you care about your home and your community and you have more traditional values. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.

Black: This is a timeless look, showing you don’t waiver for trends. You’re consistent, conservative and reserved.

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Black is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color.

Blue: Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body.

Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.

Yellow: If you choose this sunny hue, a color that evokes mental clarity, perception, understanding, wisdom, confidence, curiosity, humor and merriment. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness and stimulates mental activity. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety.

Purple: You’re comfortable taking risks and dreaming big. Some may call you a “free spirit.” Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

Orange: Orange corresponds to desire, sexual passion, pleasure, domination, aggression, and thirst for action. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. Orange is symbolic of strength and endurance. Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design. thefabuloustimes.com

Red is the color for prosperity and abundance

Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness and stimulates mental activity

e n i z a

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

d n e k e We

g a M ent

m Entertain

Fashion

ps Beauty Ti

od Kannywo

David Spade’s ‘embarrassing’ meeting with Adele >>Pg 35

I make $60,000 every day —Dencia PG 34

Paul Coker is leaving EastEnders in ‘explosive storyline’. . weeks after going public with Ben Mitchell PG 35

d

Hollywoo

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d Bollywoo

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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Your Body, Image & U

What you eat says a lot about your body image With Jacqui Iwu bwreforms@gmail.com 08184825606 (sms only)

A

lot of people feel what they feed their body is not vital and they can eat whatever they lay their hands on. Again, food must not be when you eat a whole pot of cooked food and drink whatever you see.

Food could even be small but very healthy chops. Those who enjoy snacking can also feed on healthy snacks.

Some nutritionist will disagree that snacking is healthy.

This is because lots of people who love snacks hardly go for healthy ones. Cooked or fried groundnuts with fresh garden eggs are all healthy snacks. Roasted unripe plantain is good too. The only problem with roasted plantain is the unhygienic way it is prepared by road side sellers, if you have a barbecue equipment, you can do your roasted plantain on your own and add other items like fish and beef to spice it up depending on your taste. A combination of fried groundnuts and fresh banana is a also a healthy snack and can be used as food. There are so many healthy snacks so, I totally disagree that snacking is not healthy, it all depends on what you snack on.

Those who feed on too much baked foods and flavoured drinks suffer from the bad effects of snacking.

Lots of people love to eat cakes, pies, doughnuts, chinchin, biscuits, and all sorts

“

The thing with baked foods is that they go well with sweetened drinks so those who enjoy eating too much of them hardly drink water, but rely more on cola and other fizzy drinks which contain lots of caffeine and sugar.

of things, while forgetting to take fresh fruits and water.

The thing with baked foods is that they go well with sweetened drinks so those who enjoy eating too much of them hardly drink water, but rely more on cola and other fizzy drinks which contain lots of caffeine and sugar. Drinks with just caffeine and sugar are not healthy at all. They are just empty calories and have no nutritional value.

Those of you who love fruits like watermelon, oranges, coconut are on the right track. If you break the coconut yourself, enjoy the water. Coconut water flush out toxins and enrich your skin texture. These fruits can be used as food and your body will get all the nourishment it needs. They will also make your skin glow. There are people you see, especially women and you think that they use very expensive skin

products, but if you examine them closely, they feed more on fruits and vegetables.

Such women also drink lots of clean water to moisturizse/hydrate the skin both in and out.

If you are a man and you drink lots of alcohol, you must make regular water drinking your companion. You must not rely on just the one glass of water you drink during your lunch or dinner, but must drink plenty water starting with your breakfast. Water will help reduce the bad effects of the alcohol in your vital organs like the kidney/liver/ heart. Please do not use water as an excuse to drown in alcohol. This will backfire in your face some day. Try to reduce the amount of alcohol you take and drink more water. There are men you see with very crinky and dry skin, such men tend to con-

sume too much alcohol and apart from the damages done to the kidney/liver/heart, it dries up your skin and makes you look older than your age.

The worst kind of alcohol are the dry ones like gin, brandy, vodka, whiskey etc.

It does not matter how expensive or refined these alcoholic drinks are, they are still unhealthy when consumed too much. Those who drink beer can always check the number of bottles they take in a day and must not make beer consumption a regular stuff.

How about wine? Different wines have their alcoholic contents and some are much healtheir than others.

Wines are made from grapes which are basically fruits, but their production process matters a lot, making some more healthier than others.

Red wine is much healtier than other types of wine, but

stay away from wines with high alcoholic contents.

I personally get very bad headache when I drink some types of white/dry wine in small quantity so, I keep away from white wine even if it is one glass. If this happens to you each time you consume any wine product, stay away from such wine. It means they are not good for your body.

Champagnes are good, but also contain alcohol as well so do not pride yourself as one who can afford to drink champagne and then feel it is healthy. The alcohol in them are equally as bad as the ones in other alcoholic drinks.

Those who come from countries where most wines are being produced tend to benefit more from getting them fresher than some of us in this part of the world.

Coming back to solid foods, those who cook their own food and also understand various food nutrients tend to eat healthy because they know how to combine their food items. Someone who eats eba/amala/tuwo every day, morning, afternoon/night does not understand what eating healthy is.

These are basically carbs that must be combined with some protien so that you can have a balanced diet.

Knowing how to combine your food makes your diet rich/healthy. Carbs are just for energy and weight gain.

The foods that nourishes your body and gives it a good look are protein/fruits/vegetables plus plenty of water.

Jacqui Iwu is a Life/ Career/Business Coach A Stress Management Expert &Conference Speaker Media Relations Personnel BLOG: http//bluntjacqui.blogspot.com FACEBOOK: Beautifulwoman.column TWITTER: @ JacquiWORLD

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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Womanhood

Common side effects of taking birth control pills I f you take, or have taken, hormone-oriented birth control pills, I don’t have to tell you that they can cause some pretty wacky side effects. In the first few months of taking a new birth control pill, your body may have reacted with slightly annoying cramps or breast tenderness to more serious migraines or breakthrough bleeding, causing you to switch pills or swear off them forever.

Here are the most common and widely reported side effects of taking birth control pills…

1. Spotting Embarrassing and unpredictable spotting, or breakthrough bleeding as doctors call it, is most common when taking progestinonly shots or low-estrogen pills.

It occurs when the lining of the uterus becomes thin and sloughs off a little bit in the middle of your pill cycle.

2. Missed Periods Adding any new hormone in your body will often times cause your periods to become so light that they disappear entirely. This is common again to progestin-only pills. You may need to switch to a form that’s a little higher in estrogen to keep your cycle regular (although that will differ from woman to woman). Talk to your doctor.

3. Breast Tenderness Breast tenderness is often a

temporary side effect of taking oral birth control pills. The elevated levels of estrogen may cause you to retain excess water, which can cause breasts to look larger (or swollen) and feel tender to the touch.

4. Extreme Libido Hormone-based birth control pills will often mess with your libido as well. For instance, you may experience lowered sex drive or heightened sex drive depending on the pill you’re taking. It may take a bit of trial and error to find a pill that works well for you.

5. Weight Gain Although most instances of weight gain from taking birth control pills are caused from water retention, a small percentage of women may experience a small amount of weight gain that regulates itself within the first 3 months of taking a new pill. If you suspect your birth control pills are making you gain weight, talk to your doctor about switching to a different birth control pill.

6. Nausea & Cramps Nausea and cramps are often temporary reactions to a new birth control pill. They typically last only until your body gets used to the new hormones, usually a few month’s time, at most. If oral contraceptives continue to cause stomach upset, talk to your doctor

Symptoms of Endometriosis: Do you have it?

Endometriosis affects over 5 million women in North America. The disease is caused by the endometrial cells, or the cells of the uterus, abnormally growing in inappropriate areas of the body. The tissue acts just like the normal uterus, shedding the lining every month. Depending on the location of the abnormal tissue, this can cause massive scarring and bleeding through the body.

Endometrial tissue is commonly found in the reproductive organs, such as on the outside of the uterus, the fallopian tubes, and the ovaries. It can spread to other internal organs, such as the intestines and bladder. If the tissue affects the lymphatic system, it can grow across the entire body.

The only definitive test to confirm a diagnosis of endometriosis is through laparoscopy. Treatment of endometriosis include hormonal medications like birth control, pain killers, and surgery.

Here are 11 common symptoms of endometriosis. If you believe you may have endometriosis, contact your doctor as the long term effects can be devastating.

1. Painful Menstruation One of the most common symptoms of endometriosis is painful menstruation. This pain can start one

week before ovulation and continue until one week after the end of menstruation. The pain may be a constant discomfort, or it can cause cramping.

about switching pills or contraceptive methods.

7. Migraines Headaches and more serious migraines can occur as hormone levels fluctuate with a new birth control pill. However, migraines linked to hormone-based, oral

contraceptives most often plague women with a history of migraines. If migraines become more frequent and severe, talk to your doctor about switching pill brand.

8. Irritability Mood swings—ranging from crying to depression and from

unexplained anger to stress—are common to those taking hormonebased birth control pills. Many times, switching pills will not help alleviate irritability and the patient may need to switch to a non-hormonal birth control method.

The cramping pain may radiate and come in waves. Over the counter pain medication is a good treatment option for painful menstruation. There are specialty medications specifically made for menstruation pain that include a mild muscle relaxant.

2. Excessive Bleeding During Menstruation One dangerous symptom of endometriosis is excessive bleeding during menstruation. Menstruation may also last for longer than 7 days.

Excessive bleeding can cause low levels of iron. This can lead to fatigue, hair loss, and anemia. For women who experience heavy or long menstruation, iron supplements or iron intravenous injections may be necessary. Taking birth control regularly can help women with endometriosis.

Continuous use of birth control without breaks can reduce the number of periods, which can remove this symptom in entirety.

3. Back Pain Back pain for endometriosis can be caused by a variety of conditions.

Before, during, and immediately after menstruation, back pain may be a painful symptom. This can be caused by the uterus contracting and cramping. Back pain may also be caused by scar tissue that forms around the

internal organs after endometriosis damage. While the damage is internal, the pain may radiate to the back or chest. A warm, relaxing bath can help relax tense back muscles. Along with pain medication, this symptom can be controlled with the help of your doctor.

4. Painful Penetrative Sex As endometriosis damages the reproductive organs, sexual intercourse may become very painful. The act of penetration can push against scar tissue, damaging the muscles.

Going slowly with open communication can help when achieving penetrative sex. A woman’s body may also tense up, not allowing for penetration if there has been pain during sex in the past. Speak to your doctor about your treatment options.

5. Infertility One devastating symptom of endometriosis is infertility. It is estimated that over 30% of women suffering from endometriosis will be unable to get pregnant. This is caused by scar tissue damaging the ovaries and the walls of the womb. Getting pregnant is not the only problem. Carrying a child to term may also be difficult.

Some studies have shown that women with endometriosis have a higher change of miscarriage. This can be caused by hormonal imbalance and scar formations. Some studies have found a link between the body’s immune response and miscarriage, leading to the hypothesis that the body may not recognize the embryo unlike it does with healthy women.

6. Painful Urination A symptom of endometriosis is painful urination. The entire urinary tract my become affected, including the bladder, kidneys, and urethra.

Painful urination can be caused by the endometrial tissue implanting along any of these organs. It can also be affected by the tissue rubbing from implants on other organs, such as the uterus. Other bladdar symptoms include bloody urine, pain in the kidneys, urgent need for urination, frequent urination, and the inability to urinate.

7. Painful Bowel Movements

Issues affecting the entire gastrointestinal tract are common with women suffering from endometriosis. This can start simply with painful bowel movements, but can affect other areas as well. These symptoms are commonly caused by the endometrial tissue rubbing the intestines from implants on the back of the uterus.

The tissue can also attach itself to the bowels themselves, causing scarring.

Other gastro-intestinal symptoms include bloating, bowel pain, cramping, and bloody bowel movements. If you experience blood in the water or stool after a bowel movement, contact your doctor. Bowel obstructions are a possible corresponding condition, as the tissue may implant on the inside of the intestines.

9. Feeling Of Insides Being Pulled Down In later stages of endometriosis, one possible symptom is the feeling of the internal and reproductive organs being pulled down. As the endometrial tissue adheres to the organs, the resulting scar tissues may fuse multiple organs together. As more scarring takes place, the organs may be unable to shift freely within the body. This may result in the feeling of the organs being pulled down to the pelvic bone. The only treatment for this advanced scarring is surgery to separate the organs. Correlated symptoms to this feeling include bladder and bowel issues and painful sexual penetration.

10. Constipation or Diarrhea Women who are affected by endometriosis have a higher risk for IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. If you experience regular bouts of constipation or diarrhea, make a food journal to analyse your symptoms.

If the bowel issues are related to specific food consumption, you may have IBS. The symptoms of IBS and endometriosis are similar and people may be misdiagnosed with one or the other. As the endometrial tissue can cause inflammation as it affects the large intestine, both illnesses can affect the same person.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 24

Kiddies World SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

B E AD C

HIS AND HERS CORNER

National Museum Lagos

National museum

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he National Museum is definitely worth seeing, but note - no cameras are allowed. The star attractions are the brasses from Benin City, with their own gallery.

The Nok Terracottas are also well represented. Another gallery dedicated to traditional symbols of power contains carved ivory and a royal host of crowns. A less fortunate symbol of power is the bulletriddled car in which Murtala Mohammed was assassinated in 1976. This museum also operates a nonprofit crafts centre, which stocks a good range of batik cloth, woodcarvings and textiles at fixed prices. There’s a fine range of intricately decorated calabashes from across Nigeria.

The museum has a small crafts village with woodcarvings and other handicrafts for sale at fixed prices; you might also see a demonstration of adire - clothmaking from Abeokuta.

The museum is 150m southeast of Tafawa Balewa Sq, a huge arena adorned by statues of gargantuan horses.

In the square is Remembrance Arcade, with memorials to Nigeria’s dead from two world wars and the Biafran conflict.

Established in 1957,

“

National Museum has great collections in archaeology, ethnography and traditional art.

Located in Onikan, Lagos, National Museum displays contemporary arts and historical monuments.

The main attractions at the museum are the galleries dedicated to brasses from Benin City, Nok Terracottas etc.

Another gallery dedicated to traditional symbols of power contains carved ivory and a royal host of crowns.

The museum houses the bullet-riddled car in which the late General Murtala Mohammed was assassinated in 1976.

This museum also operates a nonprofit crafts centre, which stocks a good range of batik cloth, woodcarvings and textiles at fixed prices.

There’s a fine range of intricately decorated calabashes from across Nigeria. The museum has a small crafts village with woodcarvings and other handicrafts for sale at fixed prices; you might also see a demonstration of adire – cloth-making from Abeokuta.

It opens daily (except Sundays) from 9am to 5pm.

The main attractions at the museum are the galleries dedicated to brasses from Benin City, Nok Terracottas etc.

Moving higher

Cartoon Angle

Mickey and Minnie Mouse at the park

Scoobydoo and friends

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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B Kiddies World

E A CD

MODEL OF THE WEEK

AFRICAN TALES

How Rabbit got his long ears

Ostrich

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long time ago when Rabbit was first on this earth he had very short ears. One day he had nothing to do. He was very bored so he decided to play a trick on all the other animal’s.

He told Beaver, “Did you know that the sun was not going to rise again?”

Of course Beaver told Squirrel and Squirrel told Chipmunk and Chipmunk told Skunk and so on.

The story soon got around and all the animals were worried.

The animals were all upset.

They said, “If the sun is not going to shine anymore it will be dark and cold like winter. We will have to gather our food and get ready right now.”

Even Bear was worried.

He began to eat and eat the blueberries around him so he could grow fat and store his food.

Squirrel was busy gathering all the nuts he could find. Everyone was busy getting ready for the sun not to shine again. They had no time to play even though it was a nice summer day.

Now Rabbit really thought this was funny. He hid in the bushes. He was laughing and laughing as he watched the other animals all running around trying to get ready for the sun not to shine anymore.

Along came Glooscap.

Normally the animals were all very glad to see Glooscap. They

usually gathered around to talk to him. But this day no one run up to greet him.

Glooscap asked Bear, “How are you? How is everything going?”

Bear said, “I don’t have time to talk to you.”

Glooscap just kept walking.

No one paid any attention to him.

Glooscap went back to Bear.

“What’s wrong with you?

You’re not talking to me. What is going on? Talk to me. Something is wrong!” Glooscap said.

“Well, don’t you know?” Bear said. “The sun is not going to shine anymore and we have to hurry up.

I have to get ready for winter now.

That is what everyone is doing.”

Glooscap told bear, “Whoever told you that story is lying. It’s not true.”

So Glooscap called a meeting with all the animals and they all gathered around him in a circle.

He got to the bottom of it.

He said, “Who told you Bear?”

Bear said, “Raccoon told me.”

And Raccoon said, “Well, Chipmunk told me.”

Everyone said who they heard the story from, all the way down to Beaver.

Beaver said, “It was Rabbit that told me.”

Glooscap said, “Well, where is Rabbit?”

Rabbit was really scared so he hid in the bushes. Glooscap knew for sure then that Rabbit had started the story.

“Where is Rabbit?” he asked again.

“Not here. He is gone. He must be hiding,” Beaver said.

Glooscap went and looked in the bushes. He found Rabbit and when he did he grabbed him by his ears and lifted him up. That is how Rabbit got his long ears.

CREATIVITY

Make a flying helicopter at home

A

helicopter flies by creating lift and displace air downward, You can make a simple flying just a few simple supplies. Children assemble toy helicopter.

with rotating blades. The blades rotate which lifts the helicopter into the air. helicopter toy at home in minutes with will enjoy helping to build this easy-to-

Shamsiya Ali Gwazunu

ACTIVITIES

With the help of the right materials, have fun colouring the image below. Show your work to your parents or teacher for correction. Cheers!

Items you’ll need • 8- to 10-inch length of balsa wood (propeller) • Ruler • Sandpaper • Pen or pencil • ½-inch diameter dowel rod • Saw • Wood glue Instructions Prepare the propeller by sanding the ends of the balsa wood until the corners are rounded. Measure the balsa wood to find the center. Mark the center of the propeller with a pen or pencil.

Cut a length of dowel rod 6 to 8 inches long with a small saw. Smooth the cut end with sandpaper. Sand one end as flat as possible for the balsa wood propeller.

Place a drop of wood glue on the center mark on the balsa wood propeller. Place a second drop of wood glue on the flattened end of the wooden

dowel rod. Place the propeller on a flat surface. Press the glued end of the dowel rod onto the glue in the center of the balsa wood propeller so that the dowel and the propeller form a “T” shape. Hold the dowel in place until the glue dries.

Place the dowel between your hands with the balsa wood propeller pointed upward to fly the helicopter. Rub your palms in opposite directions rapidly while simultaneously tossing the helicopter up into the air.

Tips and warnings • Use a hot glue gum for faster assembly and drying of the glue.

• Fly the helicopter by simultaneously spinning the dowel rod between your hands and tossing the helicopter upward.

• Paint or decorate the dowel rods and balsa wood propellers prior to assembly.

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e-Learning

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

About to go under the knife? Visit your dentist first

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fter surgery, teams of rehabilitation experts come together to ensure you make a quick recovery. But increasingly experts believe what you do before an operation could be just as important.

‘Prehabilitation’, as it’s known, is a major research topic.

Last year, doctors in the U.S. warned that making patients go ‘nil-by-mouth’ (without food or drink, sometimes for an entire day) before operations could hinder recovery, as it increases stress and can weaken the immune system. Instead, they suggested patients fast for no more than eight hours and have a carbohydrate-rich drink two hours before an op - they found this could reduce hospital stays by an average of two days.

Another study, published in the journal Anesthesiology, found patients awaiting colorectal surgery who took part in a 25-day prehab programme of exercise, nutritional changes and relaxation techniques could walk an average of 23.2 metres further eight weeks after surgery than at the start of the study, while rehab-only patients lost ground, walking an average of 21.8 metres less.

Whether you have days or weeks before surgery, we asked the experts how you can get in the best shape possible…

Southampton.

Being fit provides endurance needed to withstand surgery.

‘A healthy, strong heart pumps blood and oxygen around the body more efficiently, reducing the effort your body has to make to keep functioning after surgery,’ says personal trainer Kris Cann, who assists the University of Southampton with pre-surgery fitness studies. But it isn’t just about fitness, according to Professor Grocott. ‘Exercise can also boost mitochondrial function - mitochondria are tiny structures in cells that help generate the energy they need to their job when healing.’

Both aerobic exercise (anything that gets you slightly out of breath, from walking to cycling), and resistance exercise (such as lifting weights) improve mitochondrial function.

HOW TO WORK OUT IF YOU CAN’T WALK Even for people who might find exercise difficult - such as those awaiting joint replacements - there is usually a way of exercising, for example using an arm crank (an armpowered bike, found in gyms).

‘There are very few conditions that would prevent you from exercise, such as just having had a heart attack,’ confirms Professor Grocott.

But ease in gently if you’re new to it, says Kris Cann. ‘You should be able to hold a conversation while exercising and should not be in any pain or feel sick, dizzy or overly breathless.’

Whether you have days or weeks before surgery, we asked the experts how you can get in the best shape

DINE ON STEAK AND APRICOTS

It’s important that iron stores are at their optimum anaemia increases the risk of infections and length of hospital stay. Plus operations can be cancelled if you’re anaemic, so have daily portions of ironrich foods for seven to ten days beforehand.

‘Lean red meat is the best source, so include one portion a week, such as steak,’ says Lucy Jones, a dietitian and specialist in pre-surgery nutrition. ‘Baked beans, fortified breakfast cereal and dried apricots are good sources for vegetarians and they should have these every day.’

Note: Certain types of surgery require specialist diets that exclude certain foods. Always follow the advice of your doctor.

A dentist or hygienist could advise whether you have high levels of bacteria in your mouth

SEE THE DENTIST FOR A CHECK-UP This is especially important if you’re having heart surgery.

‘We all have bacteria in our mouths and, even with healthy gums, we get bacteria in our bloodstream when we chew,’ says a spokesperson for the Royal College of Surgeons.

‘Our bodies normally deal with it, but if a patient has bad gums, the bacteria may cause infection after surgery.

‘The biggest worry would be in a patient having an artificial valve implanted as infection on the new valve would be life-threatening (bacterial

SUPERCHARGE CELLS WITH EXERCISE ‘Fitter people have better survival rates after surgery and fewer complications,’ says Mike Grocott, professor of anaesthesia and critical care medicine at the University of

endocarditis).’

A dentist or hygienist could advise whether you have high levels of bacteria in your mouth - as well prescribe an anti-bacterial mouthwash.

QUIT SMOKING ...

EVEN THE DAY BEFORE Giving up six weeks or more before surgery is best but even quitting just 24 hours before will make a difference (within the first hour, your body begins to get rid of poisons and circulation improves). ‘Smoking damages the tiny hairs that carry secretions out of your lungs,’ explains Professor Grocott.

‘Under anaesthetic you don’t breathe as deeply because you have a machine doing it for you, and so sludge can build up. If your lungs can’t clear this effectively, you are at a much higher risk of pneumonia.

“

‘Smoking also suppresses the immune system.’

HAVE PROTEIN WITH EVERY MEAL Protein is needed for maintaining muscle, which in turn produces substances that are key to the healing process.

Lucy Jones recommends high-quality protein with all three meals for seven to ten days before surgery. ‘The best sources, aside from meat and fish, are eggs, soya and dairy,’ she says.

‘If you’re veggie you need to mix proteins, eating a range of nuts, seeds, soya, beans and pulses.’

This is because protein is made up of chains of amino acids. There are different types - but unlike animal sources, no one vegetarian source provides all of them in one go.

MAILONLINE

Giving up six weeks or more before surgery is best but even quitting just 24 hours before will make a difference (within the first hour, your body begins to get rid of poisons and circulation improves).

PAGE 27

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Leisure

The Magic Crocodile

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here was once a big cave.

The top part of the cave was dry and there was water in the bottom part of it. Many animals lived in the dry part and a crocodile lived in the bottom part of it. He liked to lie in the water and sleep. Sometimes he came out of the cave for a short time.

One day a hunter with his bow and arrow came near the cave.

He saw the crocodile and decided to kill him. He aimed at the crocodile. But he became blind at once. The hunter dropped his arrow and he began to see again!

He saw the smiling crocodile of course. The crocodile was happy! The hunter aimed at the crocodile a second time and again he became blind.

Then the hunter ran back to the village where he lived and told the people about the crocodile. “As I aimed at him I became blind. The arrow fell out of my bow and then I could see again,” he said.

The people of the village did

not believe him. Many of them took their bows and arrows and went off to the cave. They saw the crocodile. He was lying in the sun near the cave. They aimed at him and became blind.

“Take your arrows from your bows,” the hunter cried. They did so and could see again! It was clear that the crocodile was a magic crocodile.

“No man can kill me,” thought the happy crocodile and went back to the cave. The other animals in the cave were happy, too. The magic crocodile did not let the hunters kill them and of course. They said “thank you” to the crocodile. Many young men came to the cave and tried to kill the crocodile. But nobody could do it with bows and arrows. In those days hunters knew nothing about the guns. However one day, a hunter who had a gun in his hands killed the crocodile.

The crocodile’s magic worked only against bows and arrows. It did not work against guns.

Laugh out loud (lol)!

Search out the weather words!

Akpors and friends on a picnic Three friends: Akpors, Rukewe and Oghene decided to go for a picnic.

Rukewe packs the picnic basket with drinks and sandwiches. Oghene carried the basket and they set out for the park 10km away.

It takes them 2 hours to get there.

When they arrived, Rukewe quickly spread the mat and set out the sandwiches. After checking around, Oghene found out that Rukewe did not pack the bottle opener. They then begged Akpos to make the 4 hour trip to go for the opener. He disagreed. “You’ll finish the sandwiches before I return,’’ Akpos protested. ‘’No we won’t’’, assured Rukewe.

After some more cajoling from them, Akpos reluctantly sets out for the opener.

After 5 hours, there was no sign of Akpors.

They decided to wait for another 3 hours. There was no sign of Akpors.

Oghene and Rukewe after waiting on Akpors for more than 8 hours were by now very hungry so they decided to take one sandwich each.

As they were about to eat, Akpors pops out from behind a rock screaming:’ I knew it! I’m not going again’’!!!

Pay attention to this motivational story…

L

esson: “A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.”

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days work,” he said.

“Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I

help you?”

“Yes,” said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor, in fact, it’s my younger brother.

Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll go him one better. See that pile of lumber curing by the barn? I want you to build me a fence - an 8-foot fence - so I won’t need to see his place anymore. Cool him down, anyhow.”

The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.

The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing.

About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped.

There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge... a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work handrails and all - and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.

“You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.”

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.

“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but, I have many more bridges to build.

Beauty Page 28

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

TIPS

How to choose the right sunscreen for your skin

S

unscreen is one of the most essential cosmetic products one should have as it helps prevent the sun’s ultraviolet radiation from reaching the skin. SPF stands for sun protection factor and is the measurement of a sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin. Excessive or unprotected exposure to the sun can lead to sunburn, wrinkles, skin degeneration and even skin cancer. It is important that you protect your skin from sun exposure on a daily basis to prevent dangers. There are many different types of sunscreen that are designated by the sun protection factor (SPF), ingredients, resistance to water and whether or not they block UVA or UVB rays. Many sunblocks are also designated by age groups, such as those that are to be used by children, teens and adults. Choosing the correct type of sunblock for your type of skin is important to maintaining a healthy skin.

Its believed that sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher do an excellent job of protecting against UVB, however the numbers do not indicate how much time you can spend in the sun without getting sunburned. It actually means that if it takes 30 minutes for your unprotected skin to start getting red, using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 should protect your skin 15 times longer. A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 has the capacity to filter out 93 percent of all incoming UVB rays. Similarly 97 percent of incoming UVB rays can be kept out by a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 and 98 percent

by SPF 50. While the differences might seem to be negligible, it can make a huge difference if someone has a history of skin cancer or if you are light-sensitive. No sunscreen is capable of blocking all UV rays.

Many people are not sure if they should use sunscreen. A sunscreen should be used daily by everyone over the age of six months. Everyone is exposed to ultraviolet radiation for some period of the day, even those who work inside.

If someone works near windows, they need to use sunscreen as windows generally filter out UVB but not UVA rays. It is important to know which SPF is right for you. The SPF you choose should depend on how much time you spend in the sun, sunscreens with higher SPF block more rays and enable the user to spend more time outside.

Use high SPF sunscreens on thin-skinned areas such as your nose, ears and backs of hands. It is also good to use on any exposed skin when exploring at high altitude, polar regions or areas of intense sun exposure. If you feel SPF 50 sunscreens feel heavier, greasier or less breathable on skin, then use SPF 30 or higher on sweat zones (arms and legs) and carry a separate tube of SPF 50 or 50+ to touch up thinskinned areas.

Sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection means that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It isn’t enough to just protect against one of the UV rays, because if you protect against UVB rays, you will still get damage from UVA rays and vice versa. Therefore, it is important to select a sunscreen with broadspectrum protection.

How do you know if your sunscreen is broad-spectrum? Well, skin care companies will usually have the words ‘broad-spectrum’” labeled on their products. However, just because a sunscreen has this label doesn’t mean it protects against 100 percent of all UVA and UVB rays.

Instead of looking for the words ‘broadspectrum’, it is better to look at a sunscreen’s SPF and PPD. SPF measures how well a sunscreen protects against UVB rays, while PPD (persistent pigment darkening) measures how well a sunscreen protects against UVA rays. Therefore SPF will help prevent sunburns, while PPD guards against photoaging.

SPF has been in the limelight for some time now and many people erroneously assume that if they use a sunscreen with a high SPF, they are adequately protecting themselves from the sun.

However, even if a sunscreen has a high SPF, being well-protected against UVB rays isn’t enough.

What you really want to know now is which sunscreen you should buy, right? Here are a few safe and effective recommendations that score highest on the EWG scale of best sunscreens and are also paraben-free: Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunblock, Fragrance Free, SPF 30, All Terrain AquaSport Face Stick, SPF 28, Badger Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, Lavender, SPF 34, Kiss My Face Natural Mineral Sunscreen With Hydresia, SPF 40 and Nature’s Gate Aqua Block Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50. Use about a shot-glass-size amount, and apply 30 minutes before heading out in the

Types of sunscreens

A lady applying sunscreen to her face sun. Don’t forget to reapply every two hours and after swimming or sweating.

There are many benefits of using a sunscreen with both UV-A and UV-B protection. UV-A light is the number one cause of aging and pigmentation. Regular use of sunscreen will keep your skin glowing and young. UV-B light causes tanning and skin cancer so its protection

is extremely important.

A regular sunscreen routine will ensure that your skin stays supple, fresh and healthy.

It is highly recommended to use a sunscreen on very sunny days as your skin is highly prone to sun damage during this time.

Fashion

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 29

Five unique gifts for men

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any males get to complain that their girlfriends or female friends don’t like giving them gifts, instead the women want to receive the gifts. So where are all the ladies? We all know how shopping for a guy is very tough, so here are five unique gifts for men especially if you are planning a surprise shopping gift package for your son, brother, husband or friend.

All that really matters is knowing what he likes and giving him the best.

If you can’t afford expensive things, you can get what is within your budget and he’ll love it. Also remember, you don’t wait till its February 14 or his birthday to surprise him.

Gadgets: Whether it’s an apple I pad or I pod, blackberry, Nokia or whatever brand is in vogue, that is what he would love. Having the latest innovation or gadgets makes men feel special and helps their self esteem a great deal. Be careful not to to go to the extreme and buy something that is above your capability.

Socks: Socks is another necessity because most men always wear shoes and most of them don’t see the necessity of getting many pairs and get to be stranded when the few pairs they have are dirty. You can get him nice pairs of socks but it is not advisable that you purchase neutrals because many cannot maintain colors like white, pink etc.

Belts: This is one accessory most men don’t joke with. However be sure to buy very stylish and original belts, if not he will never wear it more than once. If you can’t afford really nice belts because they cost too much, I advise you wait for sales from major shops and online fashion retail where the prices of these items are slashed to lower rates.

Perfumes: A man is not complete without spraying a particular brand of perfume. So get him a very nice deodorant or cologne. . Some want to be recognized with the smell of their cologne…yes!

Some are vain like that. So if you want to get him a perfume, to be on a safe side its better you ask him the brand he loves or has been craving to try out for a long time. If you want to surprise him, you can go through their items to determine his brand.

Earphones: A lot of men love music, so getting him very quality earphones. It won’t be a bad idea, just be very careful getting one because there are inferior earphones are out there.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 30

Pots & Pans

Coconut Candy (kwakumeti)

There are other snacks or desserts referred to as coconut candy but the sweet chewy coconut candy here is the one made in northern Nigeria and called [kuakumeti].

Though some work goes to grating the fresh coconut meat into tiny pieces, the snack itself is easy to make.

Ingredients • 1 head fresh coconut with the juice • 200g icing sugar (powdered sugar) • Water Method of preparation: Break the coconut, making sure to collect the coconut juice from it.

Remove the meat from the shells and grate into small pieces.

Make sure to grate along the meat of the coconut rather than across it. This is so that you’ll have long thin coconut pieces rather than a mass of grated coconut.

Directions Pour the coconut juice into the pot.

Add the icing sugar (powdered sugar). Stir.

Add the tiny coconut pieces and stir.

Add water to the same level as the coconut pieces.

Cover the pot and set to boil at high heat.

Once the contents start boiling, stir continuously till all the water is just about evaporated.

Reduce to low heat and continue stirring.

At a time, you will notice that the contents have started sticking together. That is the sugar caramelising.

Keep stirring till the coconut pieces start turning slightly brown.

Turn off the heat and scoop the very hot coconut candy onto a flat plate and leave to cool down.

Once cold, you can serve as dessert or eat it as a snack.

The coconut candy should be sticky when cold. It should not be dry.

You can store it in the freezer for up to a month.

This is supposed to be a very sweet snack that is why all that sugar is used in the preparation but feel free to reduce the quantity of sugar.

Orange juice concentrate Orange juice concentrate is often frozen and later made into orange juice by adding water to the mixture. The juice must have the water removed to become a concentrate.

The procedure for removing the water is a simple one, though time consuming.

Instructions Pour the orange juice into a plastic, thin-necked jug. Allow extra room for the juice to expand. Place the jug in the freezer and allow it to freeze completely. The amount of time it takes to freeze will vary depending on the amount of juice.

Remove the jug and put it upside down over the wide-necked con-

tainer. Allow the juice to melt and drip into the second container. The water crystals melt slower than the juice, so the initial drips are concentrated orange juice.

Discard the plain ice when the drops are no longer orange. This is not a necessary part of the juice.

Repeating the freeze-and-drip process twice will result in a fine concentrate with minimal water content.

Freeze and store the concentrate when it is finished until ready to use.

Allow the ice to melt naturally.

Adding heat will result in ice melting faster and more water in the end result.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

PAGE 31

Relationship

‘Living in sin’: A waste of time?

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ohabiting with your partner before marriage is a super sensitive topic because our society and even the two dominate religions frown at it. Being a livein-lover entails doing everything that legally married people do without signing the dotted lines or the payment of dowry. Popularly called ‘Abuja or Lagos marriage’ most of these ‘married couples’ even have kids.

In secular circles, it is common for lovers to move in together as soon as their relationships gets serious, often not getting married until years later. For them, it has the advantage of saving money on rent and gives them the muchneeded opportunity to see if they could happily live under the same roof before making a bigger commitment. Life is full of choices and decisions. The decisions you make can positively or negatively affect the rest of your life. Recently, a friend told me a story of a woman who had been living with a man for eight years without the benefit of marriage. Her partner’s children do not consider her their mother and she does not have legal rights to any of his benefits. Her story is like many other women who have given their life to men without being legally married. Though attitudes about marriage are continually evolving, one thing remains true there are benefits and disadvantages of living together before marriage.

Cohabitation, shacking up, living in sin, live-in-lovers, however you call it, today’s younger generation view it as an alternative to marriage. Most of them believe that a license does not constitute a marriage. Without saying “I do” they take on the responsibilities of married couples such as dividing bills and household duties. While some decide not to get married, others live together before marriage to get to know their potential spouse first.

Unfortunately, Nigeria’s economic situation has led many unmarried couples to live together in order to survive. Sometimes without thinking, women shack up with men that they do not know well, that have less education and are in bad economic situations. The vast majority of these men do not have the ability to be husbands even though the women are hoping the cohabitation leads to marriage.

According to Adekunle Nasir, ‘‘when you move in with your partner, you get to really know the other person, no matter how much time you spend with them, you cannot really know their character until you have been shacking up together. You ease into marriage life early enough to ‘rehearse’ for the main thing. Sharing responsibilities before the real thing will help when you eventually start sharing responsibilities when the real thing begins.

For Chinelo Onari, I don’t think unmarried people should live together. More often than

not, no matter how in love you guys are, living in one another’s pocket all the time will get tiring.

And from what I know, it presents problems on both sides. From the guy, it is a case of ‘why buy the cow when I can get the milk for free’ and for the girl; she believes the boy owes her a ‘more than girlfriend, less than a wife’ status.

It is always better to take things easy, enjoy the moment and spend some weekends together. ‘‘Living together before marriage sets the wrong foundation. The consequences might not be immediately apparent, but it will tell later on.

No respect or additional love can come from giving yourself so freely to a man before you perform traditional rites. There is something about the formalities of a wedding that passes across the significance of the contract being entered into by the two partners.’’

Please I can’t shout ooh, what if the guy fails to marry you after the numerous ‘kpanshing’ and maybe several abortions?

In Kevwe Oghene’s opinion, ‘‘I know a few persons who have lived with their boyfriends for some years now. They are financially independent of each other. They are just happy and comfortable.

Marriage na just license to have sex without criticism. What is the difference between couples who are living together without marriage and those who are married? If you don’t know some ‘unmarried living together couples’ are happier than some married ones.

For Dooshima Terva, when I was in school, I lived with my boyfriend and it gave me a sense of direction as he was a serious and focused guy. He was like my elder brother, I couldn’t even think of cheating on him because I had it going well. My point is, it boils down to the individual you are cohabitating with, marriage doesn’t change anybody, it is just a way of telling people officially that we are cohabitating for life.

Also, whether we admit it or not, because most of us are hypocrites, ‘living in sin’ helps you to know if there is actually a future for both of you. Believe it or not, hanging out together with friends, going to places together and doing the most amazing things with your partner is great, but it is only until you move in together and realize their husband/wife material is only one yard and cannot even tie ‘gele’ conveniently. Moving in together can expose some things

“

you will not be comfortable with later on in the relationship and it can help you decide if you really want to be with this person or not.

According to John Idoko, ‘‘As a Christian, the scriptures should be our standard for defining what is good. We just don’t ask if something is good, but also if it is godly. Scripturally, having a ‘livein’ lover is wrong. I believe it is best to learn the values of marriage from the one who instituted it in the first place and not from what society deems acceptable now. So living together with a partner even a fiancé is wrong. Co-habitation is not worth it because the guy would get tired of the girl or vice versa and there is this tendency that the people won’t get married because they may have seen all of each other.’’

For Adekunle Oladimeji, for me I don’t like the idea of living with my girlfriend. I think this happens when the guy is just trying

to take advantage of a girl. If he wants to marry you, let him do the honourable thing by waiting till he is ready. Remember, a man cannot buy what he can borrow. If my girlfriend asks me for something like that, I would run. Often times, it never works out because familiarity breeds contempt.

When you are paired up with someone who is not ideal for you, you are missing opportunities to meet the person who is the man or woman of your dreams and living together makes it hard to extricate yourself from lukewarm relationships. As humans, all we want is to be accepted and loved for who we really are. So if you have the opportunity of living with someone who knows, accepts and love you, you are truly blessed. And though relationships can be really hard, when you share a home with someone who also feels like home, it all seems worth it.

When you are paired up with someone who is not ideal for you, you are missing opportunities to meet the person who is the man or woman of your dreams and living together makes it hard to extricate yourself from lukewarm relationships.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 32

Fiction

The return of Marvin

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linking back her tears, she adjusted her posture on the plain, dark-grey chair she was perched on in the interview room. DCI Strong jotted down notes whilst the other detective slammed questions freely at her as if she were Marvin himself.

She tried to remember what the duty solicitor said to her before the interview began. She tried, too, to ignore the whirring of the black tape recorder that DCI Strong had slotted a cassette into when the interview started.

Her efforts failed.

“I haven’t done anything wrong.” Warm tears trickled down her cheeks. Would it ever be all over? Marvin had seemed like the nicest man on the planet. He’d even waited until their fifth date before asking if he could kiss her.

“He didn’t behave like a pedophile, you know. He didn’t have it tattooed on his forehead so I had no idea,” she screamed.

“The way you had no idea that your first husband was arrested for sleeping with a fifteen year old girl in 1997?” The detective cocked his head forward.

She stayed quiet.

“Are you going to tell me you didn’t know? That you were simply an innocent woman that picked the wrong guy? How is it that you keep picking men who prefer children?”

“Saheed was not a monster,” she tried to stay calm. “He was just eighteen. He met the girl in a club and she told him she was eighteen.

Isn’t that why the charges were dropped?”

Abike was nineteen when she met Saheed. That was why she failed to understand the seriousness of the story he narrated to her. She had only lived in the UK for a few months and knew nothing about the complicated age of consent laws he explained to her.

“Perhaps your husband got the girl to lie for him.”

“She told her parents and the police the truth. My husband didn’t do anything wrong.”

“That was exactly what you told my colleagues about your current husband.” The detective picked up a phone bagged in a transparent bag. “For the benefit of the tape, the suspect is being shown evidence lot HA101.” He held the phone up.

“Do you recognise this phone?”

The older detective chose this time to open his mouth.

“Someone found this phone at Hartley Park. We think they were going to keep it but probably changed their mind,” DCI Strong said.

“That was because of the images of children on the phone.”

The other detective added, glaring at her. “Indecent images.”

“Images?” she asked.

“Yes, Mrs Hayes,” he straightened his posture. His jaw line tightened at the same time, making Abike feel as if his scowls were all a facade. That he was, in fact, struggling to hold it together.

“Images of girls as young as two being abused by men; sometimes gang-raped.”

“Mrs Hayes,” DCI Strong spoke in the voice he used on the phone with her. “All we want to know is if you were the one that tried to get rid of this evidence by dumping the phone at the park. We already have a witness who claims that you helped Marvin fulfill his

“

The laughter continued when they both fell over as they tried to navigate the way out of the front door when the taxi he booked – because he could barely recall his name or see past his nose, let alone drive – arrived.

desires. That you encouraged your children’s friends to come over regularly.”

Abike gawked at the solicitor before returning her attention to the policemen.

“I haven’t seen that phone for ages. I didn’t drop it at the park.

And if you are parents, you would know that a mother would never support anyone to do what Marvin did to my daughter. Or what he did to Tania.”

Wale drove her home after the police released her. The solicitor said they didn’t have enough evidence to charge her. Yet, all she could think of in the car was why anyone would try to set her up for something she hadn’t done.

“What if they arrest me again?”

Abike asked Wale after having a shower that evening. Her pyjama top hung loose like it had been donated to her by someone bigger.

He was at the table eating the jollof rice he had cooked earlier, because for the first time in her life she had not felt as if a warm house and full belly would make everything seem normal.

He set his spoon down and pointed to the plate heaped with rice and cubed, fried meat. “Sit down and eat your food please.”

“When I called the children earlier, Foluke didn’t speak much.

Do you think it was her that dumped the phone?”

He nodded and then picked up his glass of wine. “Don’t be angry

with her. She did it before you told her why he had been arrested.”

“Did she?”

“She told me on the phone… when you were in the shower that she found the phone under her pillow. Perhaps Marvin wanted to stay in touch with her. You said that he was going to run away before the police arrived.”

“What about the images? Did she look at the pictures?

He shook his head. “No. Apparently she took it to the park the day he was arrested and flung it in the bin. She thought he had been arrested for stealing or something like that and I’m guessing she wanted to protect him.”

Abike gulped down the rest of the water in her cup. Afterwards, she picked up the wine bottle and filled her cup to the brim.

“What are you doing, Abby?

You don’t drink.”

“I have just found out that my daughter keeps a lot of secrets from me.”

“Cheers then.”

She took a few swigs from her cup, ignoring his look that was set somewhere between worry and disapproval. “My mother-in-law hates me. Another reason to drink.”

“Sure thing.”

“I think she is the witness the police are referring to. She told them I was helping her son do what he was doing.”

He poured himself some more wine. “Let’s drink to our families –

your children, my wife and the girls in Lagos.”

“Girls.” Abike narrowed her eyes at him. “You can’t be drunk already. You have one child.”

“You obviously don’t talk to Sherri anymore. She gave birth to a baby six months ago.”

“Wale, you didn’t say you went to Lagos last year?”

“I didn’t.” He sipped from his drink and made a weak attempt to return to his food before shrugging.

“The baby is our married neighbour’s child.”

“Enh? Fred, your neighbour?

Were you two not friends? The last time you spoke about him, you said he helped Sherri with everything.”

“Yeah. He helped Sherri with everything, including keeping our bed warm. I guess he did the job a little too well.”

“I didn’t know. Why didn’t you say something?”

He picked up the wine bottle which was now empty, glared at it before setting it down close to the edge of the table. “We need more wine or something stronger.

I will go to the supermarket, looks like I’m going to turn up to work tomorrow with a hangover.”

“Do you miss her?”

“No, I think as the years passed, we both learnt to cope without the other. By the time I was ready to have them move here a few years ago, she said no.

She said she wouldn’t like the cold weather and the boredom. She said

I should continue coming home at Christmas and in July.”

“Haba, you could have tried harder, Wale. I know how much you love Sherri and your daughter.”

He sighed. “This whole thing with Marvin really affected me.

Now I lay in bed awake every night wondering if my ten year old daughter is safe.”

“All men are not like Marvin.”

“I know, Abby. I also know there are quite a lot of men like that.

My mother was fifteen when they found out she was pregnant. She was soon married off to my father, a man that was forty years older when they got married.”

She knew the story. Alhaji Dehinde and Saheed’s grandfather — fondly called Chief NairaBaba –were close friends. Alhaji Dehinde had helped his friend in the business world, assisted him in setting up his first saw mill. When Chief Naira-Baba discovered his older friend had made his daughter pregnant, he invited him over and the men decided that the girl would become one of Alhaji’s wives.

“He already had six wives.

They subjected her to all manner of hell before she managed to escape one night with me. My uncle…”

“Saheed’s father?”

“He refused to let her go back and raised me like his own.

Even though my mother became a successful businesswoman, she never got back what my father took from her. You have seen the way she is with the wives and daughters.”

Abike knew what he was referring to. She saw the way Saheed’s mother dropped everything to welcome Alhaja Taiwo and Mama Shagamu who were five years younger than Wale’s mother once. The way Aunty Kaffy, Wale’s mother always seemed to be full of apologies. She had assumed she was this way because the latter had no husband.

They drank until she could barely make out what time it was.

Until, she was bold enough to tell him she had pretended to like him when Saheed introduced them. He had this bond with Saheed that she envied. She told him he made her uncomfortable, the way his eyes studied her. He explained that he needed to be sure she was good enough for his cousin.

“So, you can judge my character by the size of my hips?

She questioned, eyebrows raised.

He laughed.

She noticed how perfectly his dimples suited his features. The way his eyes held hers too.

Had she ever looked at him like that? The answer did not come to her.

Abike chased the thought out of her head. Men were dead to her.

The last one left scars deeper than wells.

The laughter continued when they both fell over as they tried to navigate the way out of the front door when the taxi he booked – because he could barely recall his name or see past his nose, let alone drive – arrived.

They hugged long and hard before he got in the taxi.

She fumbled with the door but couldn’t remember locking it. That was why when she woke up several hours later to a man’s voice, she didn’t jump out of bed and instead stayed frozen under her duvet.

It could only be Marvin.

Naijastories.com

Page 33

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Romance

My pregnancy aborted what would have been my worst mistake

By Oluwafunminiyi Komolafe

T

his is not a case to be settled here on earth, the court to resolve it is high above the earth’ I said to myself as I stirred the tea well to allow the strange substance I added to it blend well.

Knowing him not to skip the warm tea he drinks before dinner for anything, I found it the best transport for him to the afterlife, where I would then meet him an hour later.

Temitayo William, my dear husband was the man I considered the best husband until three hours ago when I learnt about his dirty secret. If not for our laundry man who came here to get the dirty clothes, I wouldn’t have found the skeleton he hid carefully well in his wardrobe.

I stared at the picture of the boy about three years old, who because my six years old marriage wasn’t fruitful would take over my father’s property which I gave fully to my husband. The name below the image reads ‘Olakunle William’.

Two hours later, he entered with his suit case firmly in his hand. I would have ran to him and rested my head on his shoulder while he would plant a light kiss on my lips but not tonight. I tried to hide the boiling

“

anger inside me but it was to no avail.

‘Darling what is the problem?’ he asked when he noticed my face was deprived of the usual smile.

‘It’s nothing, I just had a slight headache and I have taken two tablets of paracetamol to take care of it’ I lied.

He went inside to change and freshen up while I helped him microwave his ride to heaven, so he can enjoy it better. He came out later hiding something in his back.

‘My love, close your eyes, I have a special gift for you’ he said putting on the charming smile he used to enchant me when we first met.

I did as he said and when I opened up, I was mesmerized to see him holding a teddy bear. For the first time in five hours, I smiled. What a remarkable man he was? My mind quickly played the memories of all those romantic moments we have shared and my hot rage cooled down.

Even though I still hate him for his betrayal, the urge to have him in the grave vanished from my mind.

I realised also that I wasn’t ready to hitch a ride to heaven yet.

He took a seat at the dining table where I have laid the tea mug and a plate of fried rice for him. I prayed in my heart that he ignore his tradition today and eat the rice alone but my

I was saved by his ringing phone which made him put down the mug and took his call. The call lasted for only a few seconds ending with the word ‘Thank you very much’ from Tayo. I asked who the caller was and he told me it was from his friend Lawrence.

heart almost jumped out when he raised the mug to his lips.

I was saved by his ringing phone which made him put down the mug and took his call. The call lasted for only a few seconds ending with the word ‘Thank you very much’ from Tayo. I asked who the caller was and he told me it was from his friend Lawrence.

A thousand volts hit my heart when I saw him lift the tea cup from the table again. He was about to dip his lips inside when I shouted.

‘Don’t drink it’. He stared at me with surprise.

‘Why? What is wrong?’ he asked.

‘Please don’t drink it, it has been poisoned’ I confessed.

‘Poisoned? By whom?’ he asked.

Instead of answering the question I broke down on the sofa.

‘Answer me Kemi’ he barked.

‘I love you, did everything for you but yet you betrayed me’ I poured out.

He looked as if my words found no meaning in his ears.

‘What do you mean?’ he asked.

I pulled out the picture which was the source of my distress and shoved it to him on the table.

‘Is that not him, your secret son, Olakunle Williams’ I said shooting accusing look at him.

He glanced at the picture and smiled a little before changing his facial expression to a stern one.

‘So this is why you wanted to kill me? I never thought you could be

this jealous. Can’t you see that this is my childhood photograph?’ he said showing me the picture.

‘Don’t fool me Tayo, this isn’t an old picture and Olakunle isn’t among the names I know’ I blurted refusing to give in to his lie.

He explained that the picture was the reprint of the old one he picked up when we went to visit his uncle at the village few weeks ago. He further stated that the name Olakunle was given to him by his late grandmother.

I didn’t believe him until he produced the old picture, it was then that I realised that I had made a terrible mistake. I went on my knees pleading before him.

I wet his feet with my tears as I begged him continuously to forgive my mistake. He stood up and pulled me up.

‘Dear, I have a confession to make; it wasn’t Lawrence that called me earlier. The call was from our family doctor, he told me you are three weeks pregnant,’ he muttered.

His last three words kept ringing in my ears, indeed I went to the hospital last week when I wasn’t feeling fine and the doctor ran a few tests but I never went for the result when I was fully recovered the next day. So my womb is carrying a child?

Thank you Lord for preventing me from committing what would have been my worst mistake.

Naijastories.com

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Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Nollywood

I now appreciate women more... Entertainer allegedly involved in domestic violent reveals

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-solo has built a name over the years, and has no doubt earned a spot for himself in Nigeria’s entertainment world.

The entertainer recently became a father, after his wife delivered a baby boy on the second of this month.

In a recent interview with Encomium, he revealed how much he has learned to appreciate women more, after watching his wife labor for hours before giving birth.

In his words: ‘‘I now appreciate women more. I know it is not easy. It is only God that can do it. A lot of women went in there and some didn’t come back alive.

I am really grateful.’’

It is quite surprising though, that such is coming from a man who was allegedly accused of domestic violence by his ex wife, which was said to have caused the untimely death of their unborn child.

After allegedly denying several times to save the entertainers career, it was said, she finally exposed his illtreatment, and the duo finally parted ways in December 2012.

Coming from someone with such history, does he really appreciate women more now, just because he has a son? A chameleon they say do not change its skin, but we are quite hopeful the entertainer truly means what he said and not for saying sake.

I thank god that I mind my business —Timaya

People should not break up my relationship with Adekola — Kemi Afolabi

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inger, Timaya, is one singer that can easily be pointed out that had a rough beginning until God’s favour smiled his way some years ago.

The singer recalling how far he has come in the industry, stated that people keep telling him that he slays which he does not even know the meaning but what is paramount to him is that God has been so good to him.

In his words, “GOD made man. I can’t believe am that plantain boy! I am so grateful GOD and I like the way you made me learn how to mind my business. They say I slay, trust me I don’t even know what that means.

In summary I just want to thank GOD and I will serve him till I die.”

Timaya, while in school when he came to Lagos, precisely Ikeja Grammar school, Oshodi, was never able to complete his academics in the school because he was expelled. He and some of his friends were caught at popular hangout at Ikeja, Water Parks in their school uniform and he was paraded on the assembly ground before he was expelled.

But discovering his talent, the singer is ensuring that he gets the best out of life and gives the best to his children.

N

ollywood actress cum film maker, Kemi Afolabi has finally spoke about her alleged romance with Odunlade Adekola. A lot of fingers have been pointed at the two for doing some shady bed things behind Kemi’s husband, a man who has always supported her in her career.

She has revealed that her husband and Odunlade have a cordial relationship because it’s been a long time. She said “ Actually, it’s quite sad to me because when people try to break me up with people that are my helpers, people that support my work, it’s really sad. And I want to use this medium to appeal to you journalists to do your work very well.

She added that she knows sometimes a story may be so juicy and some journalists will just go to press without proper investigation. But it’s always good to hear the other side. “Regarding Odunlade Adekola’s issue, I just want to appeal to you all to leave the gentleman alone. He’s happily married.

He’s someone I really respect. Odunlade is one of those people who encouraged me when I came back. When I was back, I had to take a queue. But he was one of those people who picked me up and encouraged me.”

She explained the more “… People should just not break up our friendship. He’s a very good friend of mine but the media has been able to separate us. And there is this notion about Nigerians or Africans as a whole. When you play a character in a movie very well, and strictly by the script, they tend to quickly jump into a kind of conclusion, “Oh! These two people are wonderful. The chemistry is so good.”

I make $60,000 every day - Dencia

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t was last year the N632million one-level Mediterranean mansion in Westlake Village, California of Dencia was shown to the world. There was a total meltdown on the social media when this palatial house that has five bedrooms, six baths, a four-car garage and a jacuzzi in the master bedroom was said to belong to Dencia. How did Dencia make her money?

Dencia has earn the wrath of many people with her Whitenicious product and she is still fighting people like Lisa Raye McCoy who spoke against her the beauty cream during a radio interview. Dencia has finally revealed how she makes her money everyday She wrote on the social media. “I make $ in my sleep.

I don’t sleep 4 $,” she had captioned the screenshot of her figures, and then revealed that she made $600k in 10 days, and she them added, “#DontComapreMeWithThem.”

This is a huge amount of money. She is still waiting for anyone that may challenge her with her figures.

Meanwhile, She has made it clear that no one will have access to her private life writing, “My life is still super private,” adding, “No one will ever know who I am dating or date, when I have kids, etc. People only know what you put out.”

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Hollywood

David Spade’s ‘embarrassing’ meeting with Adele D avid Spade has recounted his embarrassing meeting with Adele.

The 51-year-old comedian was starstruck when he spotted the 27-year-old singer at a restaurant but admitted that by the time he approached her he was “a little buzzed” and embarrassed himself.

Speaking on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, he said: “I was like, ‘I think that’s Adele.’ I go, ‘I’m not gonna say anything because I’m not like that’. Then I got a few knocks in me.

“I don’t want to just bust in, so I do the procedure where I walk up, and her bodyguard is like, ‘And you are?’ And I go, ‘Hey, can I go talk to Adele? I’m sort of a medium star’.

I go in. I don’t say hello. I don’t give the cornball [introduction]. I go, ‘Wassup.’ I gave her the American one.

“I talked to her and she was very sweet. She goes, ‘I’m playing the Staples Center in August.’ I go, ‘Oh, that whole month is tough for me’. She invites me and I don’t even know what I’m saying, because I’m a little loopy, buzzed.”

David claims he kept “yamming away” to Adele and her friends and joked it was “probably three or four minutes too long”.

He explained: “And I said, ‘Let’s do this at my house next time. I have a huge back yard.’ What am I talking about? Why am I saying this? It was probably three or four minutes too long. Anyway, it was great, very embarrassing.

But when you get star struck, I see what happens you don’t know what’s going on.”

Emmerdale’s Eden Taylor-Draper expecting abuse for affair storyline

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mmerdale’s Eden Taylor-Draper is expecting to be bombarded with spiteful abuse when her cheeky character strikes up an affair with her married doctor later this month.

The 18-year-old actress has already mentally prepared herself to be on the receiving end of nasty comments from fans when her alterego Belle Dingle falls in love with Dr Jermaine Bailey (Micah Balfour) in forthcoming scenes.

She said: “Hopefully viewers will see that, awful as it is, they do think they’re in love. But I can imagine I’ll get a few ‘marriage wrecker’ comments thrown at me in the street.”

And, although the blonde beauty - who first joined the soap when she was just six years old - feels at ease with Micah, she has admitted the intimate scenes leave her red-faced.

She explained to Scotland’s Sunday Post: “It’s certainly a change and it is odd to be doing scenes like that although I am enjoying it.

I get on really well with Micah and it doesn’t feel awkward. But it’s strange having a film crew of about 40 people inspecting your kissing. It’s not really the sort of thing I want my dad watching. He texted me the other night to say it was really weird seeing me flirt. I was like, ‘Sorry!’ “

Paul Coker is leaving EastEnders in ‘explosive storyline’... weeks after going public with Ben Mitchell

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PAGE 35

ctor Jonny Labey made his debut as Les and Pam Coker’s grandson just last year but it looks as though he is already set to bow out of the role.

“We can confirm Jonny will be leaving the show later this year.

We wish him all the best for the future,” a spokesperson from the soap told Mirror Online.

In true EastEnders style, he’ll of course be going out with a bang.

“Jonny is leaving in a couple of months as part of an explosive storyline,” an insider added.

“Bosses are keeping tight lipped about what’s in store but there’s plenty of drama in store for Paul before he leaves.”

Next week, Ben and Paul will finally go public with their romance by sharing a passionate kiss in the Queen Vic before a packed out bar.

Ben’s dad Phil witnesses the embrace and is less than pleased with the relationship.

However, his son appears serious about the romance and after ditching lying girlfriend Abi Branning, clearly wants to commit to his boyfriend.

But with Paul set to leave the show later this year, is Ben going to be left heartbroken?

EastEnders returns to BBC One tonight at 7.30pm.

AC/DC’s Johnson ‘Crushed’ about quitting tour

B

rian Johnson, the lead singer of AC/DC has said he was “personally crushed” to have to give up touring due to his hearing loss.

The musician issued a statement saying he wanted to explain why the band was forced to postpone 10 of its US shows in March.

The British singer has been replaced by Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose for the rest of the band’s European and US shows.

Johnson said that he is not retiring and will continue to record with the band in the studio.

He said he had partial hearing loss, which affects his performance onstage, and he was advised by doctors in March that he risked “total deafness” if he continued to tour in large venues.

Johnson called it “the darkest day of my professional life.”

“I am personally crushed by this development more than anyone could ever imagine,” he said.

“Being part of AC/DC, making records and performing for the millions of devoted fans this past 36 years has been my life’s work. I cannot imagine going forward without being part of that, but for now I have no choice.”

AC/DC, known for songs such as Back In Black and Highway To Hell, was supposed to perform in US cities in March and April. The shows have yet to be rescheduled, but are expected to take place later this year.

“I am hoping that in time my hearing will improve and allow me to return to live concert performances. While the outcome is uncertain, my attitude is optimistic,” Johnson said.

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Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Celebrity Gists

Pop superstar Prince dies at 57 S even-time Grammy winner Prince, who was known for megahits like “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain,” has died at the age of 57.

Prince was found dead in the elevator of his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minn. on Thursday. Deputies and medical personnel found the music icon unresponsive when they arrived at his home and they performed CPR but it was unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m. local time.

A transcript of the 911 call from the compound shows confusion as an unidentified caller struggles to give the dispatcher the proper address. The caller said he was at “Prince’s house” but first placed it in Minneapolis. Another person at the compound eventually gave the correct address in the suburb of Chanhassen.

The caller first says he has “someone who is unconscious” before saying “the person is dead here.”

As the dispatcher identifies the address as Paisley Park and begins to ask a question, the caller interrupts to say, “Yes, it’s Prince.”

“It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning at the age of 57,” his rep wrote in a statement.

According to a press release, “The Carver County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.” An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

Prince had been rushed to an Illinois hospital this past Friday and was released several hours later. His rep told TMZ he had been battling the flu for several weeks.

As news of Prince’s death spread Thursday afternoon, approximately 200 people gathered outside the Paisley Park compound to leave bouquets, balloons and signs in tribute to the singer.

Shortly before 6 p.m., Prince’s sister, Tyka Nelson, emerged to tell the crowd that her brother “loved all of you. Thank you for loving him back.”

MTV canceled its regular programming Thursday and went wall-to-wall with Prince music videos following the news of his death. President Obama released a statement calling the superstar “a creative icon.”

“Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent,” Obama said. “As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer.”

As night fell across America Thursday, shock and grief gave way to celebration of Prince’s life. In his hometown of Minneapolis, thousands of people gathered for an all-night dance party outside the First Avenue nightclub, where part of Prince’s hit 1984 movie “Purple Rain” was filmed, as local musicians played

covers of the star’s hits.

In Brooklyn, filmmaker Spike Lee drew a crowd of roughly 1,000 people for an impromptu street party that shut down an entire block. People wearing purple items of clothing swayed and sang along, while some hoisted bouquets of purple flowers.

A vigil quickly turned into a party at Los Angeles’ Leimert Plaza Park, where dozens danced as huge speakers blasted Prince hits and deep cuts. Some wiped away tears but most treated the gathering as a celebration.

Several prominent landmarks were tinged with Prince’s signature color purple Thursday night, including New York’s Madison Square Garden, the Superdome in New Orleans, the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., city halls in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Lowry Avenue and I-35W bridges in Minneapolis, Terminal Tower in Cleveland, and the Zakim Bridge in Boston.

On Broadway, the stars of “The Color Purple” performed a rendition of Prince’s hit “Purple Rain.” The show posted a video of the performance led

by Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo online late Thursday.

Prince broke through in the late 1970s with the hits “Wanna Be Your Lover” and soared over the following decade with the albums as “1999” and “Purple Rain.”

The title song from “1999” includes one of the most widely quoted refrains of popular culture: “Tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999.”

The singer, songwriter, arranger and instrumentalist was widely acclaimed as one of the most inventive musicians of his era, drawing upon influences ranging from James Brown to the Beatles to Jimi Hendrix.

In his lifetime, he sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Prince was fiercely protective of his independence, battling his record company over control of his material and even his name. Prince once wrote “slave” on his face in protest of not owning his work and famously battled and then departed his label, Warner Bros., before returning a few years ago.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 37

Entertainment

‘There’s no authenticated licensed marketer in Alaba’ – D’banj N igerian music star, D’banj while delivering a speech at the 4th edition of Nigerian Entertainment Conference{NECLive} yesterday, pointed out that one of the major problems the music and movie industries are facing, is lack of proper distribution channel.

According to him, ‘Since the day I started my music career, people always say Alaba is killing us. I say where is Alaba? They made it almost look like it’s a mirage.

‘But of late, I have been doing research and I found out that, there’s no authenticated licensed marketer for both movies and music that has a store at Alaba.

That means distributions physically has not really been made clear to us.

‘And I looked abroad, I mean the western world, and I said to myself that how do they do it? And I will tell you in all my life that I have been travelling, I have never seen one music stand, or one movie shop, where someone can just walk in and that it’s only music or movies you buy.

‘So when you go to London, you see a Virgin Mega Store or HMV, and when you walk in to purchase other things, you will see where you can buy original CDs and DVDs. So, I asked myself, do we have such kind of platforms here in Nigeria, do we have such networks here in Nigeria that we can register with and finally say to ourselves as an industry that we do have physical distribution?’

SAD! Socialite, Tope Ogun dies with 6 months pregnancy

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lose friends and family of Tope Moradeyo Ogun have been thrown into mourning, following the death of the beautiful lady who’s well known of in the Lagos social scene.

Tope, who is married to a Lagos socialite, Leke Ogun died on Thursday, April 14.

According to reports, she died after suffering pregnancy complications.

Many who knew the bubbly and friendly lady could not help but express shock over the news of her death.

A source however revealed that Tope had been battling with an ailment which had to do with her heart and lungs, but this was not known to many.

She was 6 months pregnant at the time she breathed her last, we gathered.

Since the news of her death broke,

Olu Maintain N sings in French in new song ‘Excusez mon Français’

igerian singer, Olu Maintain kicks off his 2016 musicwise with a new single titled ‘Excuse My French’ (Excusez mon Français).

As the title suggests, Olu Maintain delivers the entire song in French and it’s quite nice.

Olu is not the first Nigerian pop artist to do an entire song in French.

In May 2014, Yemi Alade released a French version of her smash hit single ‘Johnny‘.

Olu Maintain’s Excuse My French was produced

by P-Loops (producer of D’banj‘s ‘Emergency’) and A&R by Jason Amusa.

many of her friends have flooded her Facebook Timeline with condolence messages, while also recalling the good times they shared with her.

Meanwhile, it seems she had a premonition of her death, as she reportedly called and reconnected with many old friends few days before she passed on.

She is survived by a 5-year-old daughter, her husband, Leke Ogun, her aged father and siblings.

Late Tope Ogun attended Mayflower Secondary School, Ikenne and graduated with a degree in Banking and Finance from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State.

Just about a year ago, she lost her mother to the cold hands of death.

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Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

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

Chief Operating Officer Ali M. Ali

Deputy Manager, Production Aminu Jibril Mohammed

Acting Editor, Weekend Lawal Sabo Ibrahim

Manager, administration Hassan Hammanyaji

Acting Head, Lagos Bureau Ayodele Samuel

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

ISSUES

Fighting terrorism with a lean purse

By Olalekan Waheed Adigun

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part from those who witnessed the Mallam Muhammadu Maitasine riots in the ’80s, many would have beaten their chests that terrorism cannot be an issue in Nigeria as we know it today. These people have obvious reasons to support their optimism. It is no longer news that terrorism is now an, if not the main, issue in African politics.

The terrorists did their very worst in early 2015 attacking Garrissa University in Kenya leaving 148 innocent students dead in the process. Al-Shabab has since claimed responsibility for the attack and has grown even bolder and more daring.

Boko Haram has constituted itself into a regular menace in Nigeria’s north eastern region gaining notoriety for the death of tens of thousands and injuring others. The Islamic State’s (ISIS) activities has gotten it world attention good enough to convince the most ridiculous doubting Thomas of the reality of the threat posed by these groups on us as a people. The question then is how to fight it!

The threat of terrorism is one that transcends conventional solutions. The military alone cannot, just as I have posited in the past, win the war against terror, in this case Boko Haram. Supply of Western arms has proven to be useless as the rise of ISIS attests to. Improved budgetary allocations to the military and joint military actions against terror without corresponding support of the ‘civilian sector’ will just be as futile as pouring water into a basket.

As hard as this may sound, it is true.

What we must understand is that funds allocated to fight against terror more often than not find their way into private pockets as #DasukiGate has proven in Nigeria. If they are not siphoned, they often turn out not to be enough, no matter the face value of the currency. If it were for huge allocations, the United States will not be spending millions maintaining their soldiers in Afghanistan fighting a lost war against the Talibans. What about the Vietnam debacle of the ‘60s?

If we are truly serious about winning

WRITE TO US

Peoples Daily Weekend welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: The Editor, Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. contacts@peoplesdailyng.com adverts@peoplesdailyng.com admin@peoplesdailyng.com news@peoplesdailyng.com or sustaining victory against Boko Haram and other terrorists, there is need for a strong civilian component in the fight. By “civilian component”, I mean thoroughlyoriented, organised and systematic efforts at integrating the public in the fight against insurgency while in the process improving civil-military relations. Improved image of the Nigerian Army and its Civil-Military relations will do a lot of good in the fight against Boko Haram. This is where, I think, the media is going to play a key role.

Presently, there seems to be a major disconnect between the army on one hand and the public on the other hand.

My best guess is that this gap is what insurgents are taking advantage of. Even in conventional wars, the Army still needs the civilians. This may be why there are often militias who are themselves not professional soldiers but trained by the military during conventional wars. If the military needs civilians during war; why then the disconnect in the fight against insurgency? The truth of the matter is that it is cheaper to engage civilians in our efforts at sustaining momentum and hopefully the total eradication of terror in our land.

During one of his visits to the Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri, Bama, Konduga, and other areas affected by the crisis, Nigeria’s Minister for Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, recognizing the need for

civil engagement, spoke about the need to have his ministry inaugurate a national security campaign against insurgency to sensitize Nigerians on active participation in security matters. In the minister’s own words, “No nation succeeds in the fight against insurgency without the civilian component; so, we will let Nigerians know that the fight against insurgency is a national issue…’’ Before I proceed, let me be clear that I am not a fan of Lai Muhammed as Information Minister, though I once applauded him as APC spokesman and in that capacity alone. But even if I don’t agree with his appointment in that portfolio, I have to on this matter.

Many people tend to have forgotten the fact that Britain once had the challenge of terrorism like Nigeria. Northern Ireland used to be a troubled spot thanks to the violent activities of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its affiliates. The group terrorized people in the region with reckless abandon in the 20th century. This is where I propose “Attrition by Charm” launched by the Royal Irish Regiment to seek a permanent solution the Irish problem in the late ‘90s.

What did they get right? First, the British anti-terrorism strategists understood the fact that the regiment, which is an amalgam of the Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment, had a particularly poor image among nationalists making them vulnerable to

attacks in spots with strong Dublin or Catholic attachments. Second, the fact that the soldiers were largely seen as “foreigners” which reminded the locals of colonialism (which most Irish resent) led to a decision by a number of soldiers to take lessons in the Irish language and the Gaelic culture to improve their image in the nationalist community.

If we adapt this into our own fight against terror, we can achieve similar result with minimal budget. What we need to do are the simple, minutest things. Our soldiers fighting in the northeastern part of the country should be made to take lessons in Kanuri language. I say this because it is spoken by about 500,000 people who use it as a second language. Since the most troubled areas are Borno and Yobe, speaking the language of the locals, other than simply Hausa will make the soldiers no longer look like strangers who the locals should not trust. When this is done, our antiterror strategists should consider seeking the support of local opinion leaders and farmers and make them ‘feel’ part of the solutions to the challenge of Boko Haram. The support of media platforms like Aboki News and the likes may also be sought on behalf of the military.

As useless as dirty water is compared to tea, so is media without a message.

The message in this regard should be simple, easy to understand and ruthlessly effective. We can have a message as simple as making the locals and civilians to be “part of the solution, not the problem”.

Civilian engagement can help the military in identifying insurgents, provide critical intelligence reports and spot supplies and logistics. This is why many nations during war engage powerful propaganda just to mobilize their people to support the military’s efforts. They do this because they know the military alone cannot win the war. War can be costly in terms of human and material resources, but if we adopt the right tactics and strategies- two key elements of any successful war- we would see the end of terrorism in our nation.

Culled from Abusidiqu.com

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 39

Opinion

Danbatta and deployment of ICT for poverty eradication

By Yakubu Musa

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t’s not for nothing that the nation’s apex training ground for public policy makers, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, made the current Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the commission to share his thoughts with participants of its course.

If you are searching for a man to address you on the imperatives of mainstreaming Information Communications Technology (ICT) for poverty reduction in the country, you no doubt don’t need to go beyond the professor of telecommunications engineering.

Indeed, Danbatta is not only at the helm of affairs of an agency in charge of developing the sector, he has already demonstrated unmatched zeal in actualizing his vision on the subject matter.

His 8-Point Agenda has, among others, laid emphasis on deepening broadband penetration as well as deployment of other telecommunications infrastructure to stimulate socio-economic development, in the country.

Perhaps no one captures the connotation better than the man who introduced the Professor of telecommunications engineering at the historic event.

“You can’t get a better man to do justice to the topic,” noted Rear Admiral Obi Ofodile, after reading a wonderful citation on the NCC boss.

Interestingly, the NCC chief opened his

address with a clarion call to Nigerians at all levels to embrace ICT for not only poverty eradication but economic development. To him, we are living in an era that ICT is sinequa non to economic growth. You can’t argue with that.

Yet like a physician diligently diagnosing the ailment of his patient, Danbatta lamented failure to tap on the nation’s abundant endowments to fight poverty to standstill as the bane of the nation.

“The poverty level in Nigeria is not a true reflection of our population size, natural and environmental endowments. This is because the poverty level in the country contradicts the country’s immense wealth.

“The challenge en­countered by developing nations is no longer poverty in its traditional sense, but a lack of access to ICT tools and the vast potentials derivable from ICT. ICTs have the potential to combat poverty, be it rural or urban poverty,’’ he pointed out.

The NCC chief was also of the opinion that one of the major challenges for the poor is inability to access information due to the inadequate infrastructure, ignorance or illiteracy. He put the current nation’s broadband penetration at around 7 percent.

“For most developing countries, particularly those with large populations, inadequate infrastructure has made it difficult to participate as equal partners in the worldwide enterprise of knowledge production and dissemination,” he further explained.

The domino effects, according to him are: “unequal distribution of access, resources and opportunities in this new economy”.

Yet if the diagnoses are compelling, the prescriptions, too, are unmistakable. “In Nigeria, ICT must be considered a critical key driver for social development and economic growth. To stimulate the Nigerian economy particularly in production, agriculture and intellectual property, we should aim to improve ICT penetration in both mobile telephony and broadband services to all parts of the country no matter how remote,” he stressed.

He further maintained that ICT interaction and usage in critical sectors like agriculture, health, trade, finance, insurance and transport should be increased since it would automatically affect the nation’s GDP, improve the quality of life, reduce dependency on forex and improve the value of naira.

He, however, noted that, ICTs are not simply a connection between people, but a link in the chain of the development process; and its contribution to socioeconomic development cannot be overemphasised adding :“It goes without saying that ICTs have the potential to combat poverty, be it rural or urban poverty. It will also foster sustainable development if appropriately deployed and made to address the diverse discrepancy in the ICT needs of people of all locations, age group and economic status.”

Besides, he said investment in ICT alone was not enough for development to occur and be sustained or for poverty to be eradicated, noting that successful ICT poverty reduction interventions could only be achieved with an enabling environment, participation of

the private sector and non-governmental organisations, free flow of information, access to ICT by women and youths, and capacity building.

He said, “Consequently, ICTs may be regarded as an enabler of other developmental efforts and infrastructure required for sustainable development. Only a banquet of strategies duly implemented can attempt to resolve the global menace of poverty.

“The challenge for the poor is inability to access information due to inadequate infrastructure, ignorance or illiteracy. The availability of information sources for the poor should be of great concern if poverty is to be reduced.

“For most developing countries, particularly those with large populations, inadequate infrastructure has made it difficult to participate as equal partners in the worldwide enterprise of knowledge production and dissemination.”

Danbatta thereby asserted that ICTs are critical resource in the promotion of socioeconomic development, with a potency to alleviate poverty which is caused as a result of lack of access to ICT tools and know-how.

At the end of this brief piece, I can’t find a more eloquent word to concur with Danbatta that “we must all join hands, support the government, protect our resources and infrastructure, grow our economy and push poverty away from our nation for the benefit of all Nigerians”.

an old generation bank that had served the market community for years.

Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who was away in Abuja had to rush back to the city. In a state-wide address, the governor announced the inauguration of a 9-man committee to assess the level of damage and the traders affected by the inferno. The committee, chaired by Alhaji Alin Bagadaza, was also mandated to advise the government on how to resettle the affected traders.

The committee submitted its report to the government in five days, and traders, according to the recommendation of the committee, are allowed to rehabilitate their shops, a decision welcome by the traders, considering past experiences, while the state Urban Planning and Development Agency KNUPDA is mobilized to clear the debris left in the wake of the disaster.

Other immediate measures taken by the government to alleviate the suffering of the traders include resettling the victims at a convenient location, which would enable them proceed with their day-to-day economic endeavors, as KNUPDA and the three metropolitan local government councils have been directed to scout for suitable site for temporary relocation of the affected traders.

Governor Ganduje, who described the fire as a national disaster in view of its magnitude and multiplier effects, also set up an appeal fund committee under the chairmanship of the business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

The composition of the committee, which membership cuts across all strata of the society, is to organize a befitting fund raising with a mandate to scout for assistance from all

the nooks and crannies of the country. They are also to reach out to state governments, corporate organisations, foreign multinational corporations and well-meaning individuals that are willing to contribute.

In addition, the government extended the mandate of retired Justice Wada Aliyu Rano Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the fire incident at Singer Market three months ago to determine the causes of incessant fire outbreaks in Kano city by two weeks, to enable it cover the recent fire outbreak at Sabon Gari market.

Also in response to the fire outbreak, the government has constituted a Standing Inter-Ministerial Committee on markets improvement strategy that will advise government on physical restructuring, operational regulation, management and revenue generation in respect of major market in the state under the chairmanship of the commissioner for information, youth and culture, Malam Muhammad Garba.

The state government also planned to restructure markets in the state to facilitate improved business transactions, which will start at Kantin Kwari market, with the provision of roads, culverts and fire service points, including the provision of collapsible structures for petty traders to substitute the present wooden structures, which tends to disrupt hitch-free passage for emergency interventions during fire or other incidents.

The state government yielded to the demand of the traders to allow them reconstruct their shops. This opportunity should not be used to repeat the mistakes of the past by raising illegal kiosks, attachments, sheds and what not that not only block the

road and make passage difficult but also makes it easy for fire to spread in the event of disaster. Traders should desist from the habit of keeping their cash in their shops, because that was why the losses incurred by the traders were enormous.

It is also important for the traders to accept in good faith whatever will be the outcome of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the state government as it is established with the best of intention to investigate the immediate and remote causes of fire disasters in our markets and proffer solution. Because while one is not trying to preempt the commission’s outcome, in the event it recommends the relocation of traders whose activities are deemed not fit within the market premises should not have a second thought but accept it wholeheartedly.

It is very imperative that the leadership of the various markets in the state should put their house in order by ensuring that peace and unity reign in the interest of development.

This would go a long way in ensuring that the traders pay their taxes appropriately.

One economic expert during a radio discussion in the wake of the fire disaster, hinted that an average of 500, 000 traders make it to the market daily to carry out one form of transaction or the other. According to the expert, if the traders will task themselves to collect at least N50 from each person that visited the market daily, how much will they realize in a month. At least that will be enough for the market to acquire the most sophisticated firefighting equipment for the market.

Musa wrote in from No 160 Kofar Mata Quarters, Kano

Musa, Special Assistant (Media) to the EVC of NCC, wrote in from Abuja.

Appraising Kano govt’s palliatives for S’Gari traders

By Hassan Musa K/Mata

T

here is no doubt that the latest fire disaster that ravaged the popular Sabon Gari Market in Kano has inflicted heavy loss not only on the traders but the economy of this country, considering the volume of trading activities in the market which prides itself as a commercial outlet for business activities that cut across the West African sub-region for decades.

In fact, the market, with the adjacent Singer and Kantin Kwari Markets represent the nerve centre of commerce for the whole of the North, from Sokoto to Maiduguri, Yola to Kontagora as well as for Niger Republic, Central African Republic, northern Cameroun and beyond.

Over time, critical sectors of the nation’s economy and infrastructure are consumed by fire leaving in their trail huge economic losses to individuals and the nation at large. The rate at which these fires occur is becoming worrisome, calling for urgent need to address the trend by way of implementing fire code among other expectations.

National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, confirmed that no fewer than 3,800 shops were burnt in the latest Kano inferno said to be the worst market fire disaster in Nigeria in recent times. Areas razed by the fire included structures, shops and makeshifts situated along D-Line, CLine, M- Line and L- Line. Goods destroyed include drugs, shoes, cosmetics, fabrics, gold, ceramics, bicycles and provisions, among several others. Some of the facilities within the market were not spared by the fire. These included a mosque – Abacha Mosque – and

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 40

Comment

In Praise of Sultan’s position on white elephant projects

By Musa Mato, Karu

T

he propensity by Nigerian Governors to embark on the construction of white elephant projects that guzzle lots of money with no direct bearing on the common masses that voted them into office baffles no end. As soon as they settle into office, they waste no time in coming up with bogey projects without stakeholder consultation, due diligence, feasibility studies and environmental impact assessment for sustainability.

The endemic problem has become deep-rooted so much that every state in Nigeria wants to own a University, an Airport and a Stadium even where such facilities are readily available and accessible in adjoining states. For goodness sake, what does a state need a university for when the indigenes of such state cannot even fill their allotted quotas in federal universities not to talk of building a capital-intensive airport with no commercial viability when the flying publics

from such state are so few that they can easily commute to the nearest airport to fly? Besides, how many citizens can afford to fly?

This reminds me of what late Julius Nyerere, former Tanzanian President said about misplacement of priorities by African leaders. He said, “while the developed countries of the world are trying to go to the moon, African leaders should strive to reach their rural areas.”

His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Abubakar Saad III, recently re-echoed the venerable African Elder Statesman when he charged the political leadership in Nigeria particularly State Governors to always strive to address the immediate needs of their people instead of embarking on white elephant projects that do not benefit the common man in Nigeria.

The Sultan broke his silence during the 58th National Council on Health which took place from 7th to 11th March 2016, in Sokoto, where various

stakeholders in health sector assembled to discuss the way forward in the management of the citizenry health with particular reference to resuscitation of primary healthcare centres across the country in order to achieve universal health coverage.

Failing short of naming names, his eminence said “there are so many political leaders today who embark on projects that don’t benefit the common man, our problems on leadership is that we have

“

misplaced of priorities, you as commissioners of Health should tell your Executive Governors the truth about embarking on projects that would benefit common man.

“For example, I say it very clearly, how can some governors build multi billion naira airports when they can’t afford to build small functional clinics in their states, what have the airports got to do with common man who doesn’t even know how plane looks like, why can’t those governors put

This reminds me of what late Julius Nyerere, former Tanzanian President said about misplacement of priorities by African leaders. He said, “while the developed countries of the world are trying to go to the moon, African leaders should strive to reach their rural areas.”

the money meant for building the airports to work on all the roads in their political zones so that the common man who uses the roads could be saved from the agonies of road crashes here and there, most of our roads are dead traps.

“Some of those projects that our governors embarked on are frivolous, and it must be stopped; let us have functional healthcare system in the country so that Sultan or President or Governor would not have to go to America or Dubai to treat a common headache which is mostly the case now in Nigeria.”

It is important for people of such states in the country to stand up against such political leaders that would not stop such frivolous projects, let us have projects that will have direct impact on the life of the common man. The Sultan reminded those that Almighty God gives leadership positions that they will account for their stewardship here and in the here-after.

Karu wrote in from Abuja

Before the naira is destroyed

By Kingsley Ohajunwa

O

f course as expected a number of excuses are continuously being advanced for the declining state of the naira. While some have attributed it to Christine Lagarde’s recent visit, alleging external pressures on President Buhari from the World Bank, others have associated it with the recent fall in world oil prices.

Yet a few others are insisting that heavy importation has nothing to do with it stating that “does the US not import too or are you saying Japan and China manufacture every single thing they need?” Of course they do. Virtually every country of the world imports one thing or the other as nature evenly distributes resources among nations and ensures that “no nation dominates the other if their respective resources are properly utilized”.

How many Nigerians, especially of the elite class spend their vacation in Obudu Ranch resort or take time-out at the Yankari games reserve?

The options will be to go to the

Caribbean Islands, Bahamas or some exotic place where they consider to be “serene”. Some Nigerians even go on sightseeing to neighbouring countries.

Interesting! A lot of parents will be eager, proud and happy to have their children in tertiary institutions in the US, Canada, the UK and even certain Asian and African countries. What happened to the great Ile-Ife where these parents had their university education? What fate now faces Nigeria’s university of first choice and the nation’s pride- UNILAG? Are we now saying UNN and ABU Zaria are of low standard? Anyway the effect of these actions is in the capital flight which runs into several billions of dollars. Come to think of it the rate at which our professionally trained teachers, doctors, engineers, pharmacists, sports men and women go abroad to seek greener pastures is disturbing. We trivialize this economic and social menace with the term “brain drain”, making it look like child’s play.

It will be safe for us to recognize that one of the problems of Nigeria is the continued “outsourcing” of our “brains” to

other countries to use. This is yet again why meaningful Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) isn’t obvious in Nigeria.

Nigerians are known to be very social people who enjoy organizing and attending flamboyant events. In fact we are all involved in this. Take a look at every bottle of wine at parties, they are either made in France, Italy, Scotland, USA or any other country but not Nigeria.

As ordinary as we may consider this to be it accounts for several millions of dollars exchanged in purchase of these drinks.

So, is it that we can’t produce these drinks due to the absence of factories or are they just too sophisticated for us to produce?

Which exactly? I have steadily observed as the cost of kidney transplants and other terminal illnesses increase.

Early in this century, Nigerians were going abroad to have kidney transplants done at about N2 million, now it costs between a whooping N6 – N10m. Of course as with many other services sought abroad, the demand by Nigerians is high since the country is yet to put its medical system in shape

to handle it. Container load of frozen chicken and turkey are usually destroyed by officials of the Nigerian Customs Service when imported. It’s really disturbing that something as basic and necessary as domestic birds for local human consumption can’t be effectively catered for but has to also be imported. If we consider the kind of chemicals used in preserving them while being shipped for several weeks, one can only but create an abstract picture of the magnitude of health hazards that await Nigerians.

While it is generally agreed that falling crude oil prices has negatively affected Nigeria’s economy in a significant manner, one wonders why the economies of some other oil exporting countries aren’t as affected as ours (by the way our “oil exporting” status is laughable since we still import finished products). The answer isn’t far-fetched. Other countries have long understood the way the world economy works.

While some are specialists in agricultural produce such as Thailand; others have supported their technological

and industrial arm seeing to the manufacture of automobiles, mobile phones and household appliances; yet others have invested significantly in tourism thereby attracting visitors from all corners of the earth.

It must be understood that no nation attains the height it aspires by simply wishing for it, there must be a vibrant and robust economic, political, social, cultural and technological synchronization of factors that can motivate human resources to advance a new cause. It is worthy to note also and understand that in an atmosphere where corruption reigns the above factors cannot find a common bearing for anything meaningful.

Therefore, we as a people must collectively and honestly seek means to add value to every sector of our economy to such an extent that we can attract international patronage, thereby giving the naira a more prestigious reputation before its contemporaries in the international community.

Culled from Omojuwa. com

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 41

Online Comments State of the nation: Osinbajo, Saraki, Atiku, Tinubu, others in closed door meeting SirOscie. says: Party leaders discussing the way forward is always a welcome development, one that all organs of the party and Nigerians stand to benefit from considering the fact that the APC is now the party in power.

Army on high alert to combat N/Delta militants Tony says: It is preposterous to think that hungrylooking and inept Nigerian soldiers can stand the highly equipped Niger Delta militants, many of whom are experts in guerilla warfare.

Murtala Made Us Crazy S. A. Maigari says: There’s always a new way of telling an old story. Well done, Oga Yawe.

JIBWIS unveils satellite radio, television stations in Abuja Yusuf Abdullai Kwoffie says: We need and want to donate to manara programmes and also register our masjid so kindly help us.

The emerging political debate in Jigawa Shehu Bello says: Leaders like Sule Lamido are visionaries, committed, honest, dedicated, transparent, faithful; hardworking and unbiased and they are in very short supply. So, he deserves to be appreciated and respected. Suspending his son makes us believe that he is being witch-hunted by this clueless administration of Gov. Badaru. It is unfortunate. Lamido will continue to excel.

Abubakar Aliyu says: This is incredible!!! Why will the governor behave this way? Why will he suspend district heads? He should take things easy and gently. He should be wary of all these kind of things because what goes around comes around. Sule Lamido deserves respect, gratitude, commendation and appreciation. Not humiliation and witch-hunt. May God guide us aright.

Muhammad Bello says:

The late Murtala

Mr. Adam, Governor Muhammad has nothing to envy in Sule talk less of those district heads who want to live under the expense of their community and the Jigawa people in general. Infact even if you are ignorant of what Badaru’s government is all about you can’t compare him with Lamido.

Isa Dan-Sidi Kafin-Hausa says: Administrators are cheap and easy to find and cheap to keep. Leaders like Sule Lamido are visionaries, committed, honest, dedicated, transparent, faithful; hardworking and unbiased and they are in very short supply. And ones with vision are pure gold. Lamido is more than gold. Sir, keep on, sky is the limit. Baba we are with you come rain come sun. May Allah reward you. Sai Lamido. .

Isa Dan-Sidi Kafin-Hausa says: This action of suspending Lamido’s son is illogical and politically motivated. I pity governors with this kind of attitude.

Badaru you are governor and we are all yours but don’t intimidate Lamido’s family and his supporters. We pray for Jigawa’s peace and unity. Oh God help us.

Adamu Muhd Usman KafinHausa says: Lamido and his administration accommodated insults and abuses from the people without having to reprimand anyone and in its bid to entrench democratic values, his government ensured the freedom of speech. PDP was not afraid of the APC, but was enjoying its activities.

He observed that it was his deliberate policy of promoting freedom of association that made it possible for those in the opposition to merge and challenge the ruling party.

Lamido believes that strong opposition is good for our democracy. APC should be very grateful to Sule Lamido and his administration. He added that the administration has promoted the right to vote and be voted for and strengthened the sanctity and integrity of democracy by ensuring that votes count.

Lamido pointed out that despite all negative comments against him and his government, there had not been any political prisoner or suspend anybody because he is facing trial in the state also the administration of Lamido had been able to stabilise the state assembly by not interfering with their operations. This, he explained, is his own way of decentralizing power by strengthening institutions rather than making himself or anybody serving under his government a dictator.

Atiku’s philanthropy not inspired by political consideration

Atiku Abubakar

VP Osinbajo

Saraki

– Associate

For example from late 2007 to 2015 Jigawa State accomplished the construction of over 1,200 housing units in the state capital, Malam Aminu Kano Triangle square, state high court complex, Second phase of state secretariat, chief judge, grand kadi, deputy governor, speaker, deputy speaker residences, five Emirs lodges, Dutse ultramodern market, NYSC permanent orientation camp and sport complex, New legislative quarters, illuminated Dual Carrige road traversing the nook and cranny of the state capital.

The state University at Kafin-Hausa, the beautiful airport etc.

SirOscie. says: I believe Atiku means well for Nigerians and will keep giving back to the people even after 2019.

Between Gov. Badaru, Lamido and Jigawa health sector (II) Abubakar Aliyu says: The purpose of human life is to serve, show compassion and the will to help others. It is very rare, thrilling and fascinating to get a leader with this kind of initiative and attributes of pity, love, care, concern, compassion, commitment, dedication, devotion and empathy etc to his people like Sule Lamido. He who cares the situation and bears the challenges and interests of humanity, that man is blessed Thank you Lamido.

Mansur Ahmed Jahun. says: I really pity my beloved state, Jigawa.

Things are going in a reverse gear. From inception of this present administration we are lacking and lagging behind in all works of life and missing good things.

Because of ignoring or not continuing with Sule Lamido’s policies and the application of some unpopular and outdated policies in the state especially the neglect of health sector in the state. Sule Lamido’s uncommon commitment, efficiency, selfless service, love of his people, intensity and approbation of fashionable developmental issues mark him out as a purposeful leader. Thank you Baba, we are with you come rain come sun.

Auwal Muhd says: One good thing about life is the rotation of time. It is popularly said: “A fool does not know the value of his left hand until he loses it”. I really sympathize with the good people of Jigawa for a great lose. Lamido is the one who has Jigawa and its people at heart. A meaningful developer and a great achiever. The best that has ever ruled the state. Without fear of contradiction, his name has been written in gold, shining and glowing. Jigawa people are today victims of circumstances (change). If at all there will be meaningful development, honour must be given to whom it is due..

Umar Danjani says: Sule Lamido touched all spheres of human life ranging from education, health, transportation, rural and infrastructural development to agriculture, economic empowerment, housing and water supply.

Isa Dan-Sidi Kafin-Hausa says: Dr Sule Lamido, a great Leader that contributed immensely to the development of Jigawa State. He left lasting structures, especially free education, free health delivery, youth empowerment, massive road contraction etc.

Emmanual Abraham says: Malam Adamu, I really appreciate your consistent comments and stand on Jigawa and Nigerian politics in general. One thing with politics is that you can win election with propaganda but you can’t run government with it. APC has deceived gullible people on electioneering campaigns now they find it impossible to take people to a Promising Land. . Keep on brother, don’t relent in your effort please. Lamido has proven to be a leader par excellence. He changed Jigawa to a modern locality and a place to be and live. The present governor should borrow a leaf and stop political vendetta. May God help us.

NFF threatens to demote Oliseh over CHAN comments

Onyekachi, M says: “The truth be said, Oliseh is yet to show signs that he is capable of taking the Eagles to the expected heights. We might ask him to work under a technical adviser or resign if he cannot but we can’t risk leaving him to experiment with our dear Super Eagles.”

NFF executives are unversed otherwise they would have known that Oliseh is inexperienced to coach a team like the Super Eagles in the first instance. How could you sack an experienced coach Keshi and replaced him with an inexperienced coach Oliseh? Does that make any sense?

Look! The Super Eagles won’t qualify for the Nations Cup if Oliseh remains the coach. Many of our high-profiled foreign-based players won’t honor Oliseh’s invitation (or even if they do, they won’t play well) simply because Oliseh lacks the pedigree to lead the Super Eagles.

Biographies

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 43

Sir Shettima Kashim Ibrahim (1910 – 1990)

S

ir Shettima Kashim Ibrahim was a Kanuri politician who was head of the Native Administration in Borno and was a minister for Social Services in the 1950s.

He held the traditional title of Waziri of the Emirate of Borno after two previous Waziris had been forced to resign as a result of scandals in the Borno local administration.

He was a close associate of Ahmadu Bello.

Ibrahim was born in Gargar Ward, Yerwa to the family of Ibrahim Lakanmi. He started his education learning Arabic and Quran before attending Borno Provincial School in 1922.

In 1925, he was admitted into the Katsina Training College and finished his studies with a teacher’s certificate in 1929. He started working as a teacher in 1929 at the Borno Middle School and by 1933, he had become a

“

Provincial Visiting Teacher. He was later promoted to a Senior Visiting Teacher and education officer for theprovince of Borno.

He was conferred with the title of Shettima of Borno in 1935 and for a while he was known as Shettima Kashim. He joined politics in 1951-52, when he was elected into the Northern Regional Assembly, he was nominated from the North as a cabinet nominee. Thereafter, he was appointed the Federal minister for Social Services and later that of Education.

In 1956, he was appointed as the Waziri of Borno by the Shehu. Waziri Ibrahim, became the Governor of the Northern region in 1962, holding office until the military coup of 16 January 1966 that brought Major General Johnson AguiyiIronsi to power.

He was appointed a CBE in 1960 and knighted KCMG in 1962.

He joined politics in 1951-52, when he was elected into the Northern Regional Assembly, he was nominated from the North as a cabinet nominee.

Sir Kashim Ibrahim

Sir Kashim Ibrahim being sworn in as Governor of Northern Nigeria, 1958

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Archives

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

The female Pharaoh Ancient Egyptians tried to erase from history

H

er successful reign lasted two decades, yet history has largely forgotten Queen Hatshepsut who was a powerful woman in a man’s world.

Many monuments of Hatshepsut, who was considered ‘both king and queen,’ were destroyed, so images of her represented as a woman are extremely rare.

But now archaeologists have discovered a number of carved blocks that probably belonged to an unknown building of Queen Hatshepsut that show how her image was changed.

They were discovered by the German Archaeological Institute on the Island of Elephantine, Aswan.

One block shows how the woman’s form was changed to that of a male and another, how her cartouche - a lozenge bearing her name - was scratched away.

Ancient Egyptian Antiquities expert Dr Mahmoud Afify said the building from which the blocks came must have been erected during the early years of her reign, before she began to be represented as a male king.

Hatshepsut had herself crowned in around 1,473BC, changing her name from the female version Hatshepsut -

Archaeologists have discovered a number of carved blocks that probably belonged to an unknown building of Queen Hatshepsut that show her female form. A re-purposed pillar from the building is shown

which means Foremost of the Noble Ladies - to the male version, Hatshepsu.

Born into the most advanced civilisation in the ancient world, Hatshepsut commandeered the throne of Egypt from her young stepson, Thutmosis III, and, in an unprecedented move, declared

herself pharaoh.

To cement her position as the first female ruler, she donned the traditional clothes, head-dress and even the false beard traditionally worn by male pharaohs of Egypt.

She is thought to have reigned with little opposition for more than two decades be-

The modest resting place of Hatshepsut was discovered by Howard Carter, who famously revealed Tutankhamun’s grave. This mummy is thought to be that of her husband, Pharaoh Tuthomis II

fore dying in around 1458 BC. But all mentions of Hatshepsut’s name were erased

by Thutmosis on taking power and all representations of her female figure were replaced by images of a male king - her deceased husband Thutmosis II. Only very few buildings from this early stage of her career have been discovered so far, with the only other examples having been found at Karnak, making the ‘new’ blocks extremely rare.

The Egyptian Antiquities Authority said the newly discovered building sheds light on the early reign of the queen and that of Thutmosis III who is now known as the ‘Napoleon of Egypt’ so successful was he during his military campaign.

Dr Felix Arnold, the field director of the mission, said the building from which the blocks came probably served as a waystation for the festival barque of the god Khnum – the potter god of creation.

The building was later dismantled and about 30 of its blocks have now been found in the foundations of the Khnum temple of Nectanebo II –

a pharaoh who ruled between 360 and 342 BC. Some of the blocks were discovered in previous excavation seasons by members of the Swiss Institute, but the meaning of the blocks has only now become clear, showing the queen as a woman early in her reign.

Thanks to the discovery of the blocks, the original appearance of the building can be reconstructed and experts believe it comprised a chamber for the barque of the god Khnum, which was surrounded on all four sides by pillars.

The pillars bear representations of several versions of the god, as well as others such as Imi-peref ‘He-who-is-inhis-house’, Nebet-menit ‘Lady-of-the-mooring-post’ and Min-Amun of Nubia.

‘The building thus not only adds to our knowledge of the history of Queen Hatshepsut but also to our understanding of the religious beliefs current on the Island of Elephantine during her reign,’ the authority said.

MAILONLINE

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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Digest

Standing up in class makes children smatter

Standing up in classrooms could allow pupils to increase the amount they learn while at school. Researchers found children were more engaged and were better at solving problems when they used standing desks (pictured) compared to traditional classroom seating plans

S

tudy after study has connected inactivity with negative health outcomes, including heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.

But most of this attention has been focused on adults in an office environment, and the negative impact of sitting on physical health. Hence, the growing popularity of standing desks in offices.

Moving more is good for our bodies. Over the past few years many researchers have begun evaluating the use of standing-height desks (allowing students to sit on a stool or stand at will) instead of the more traditional seated desks in school classrooms.

Results have been promising, but until now, researchers have typically focused on utilizing standing desks as a way to combat sedentary behavior.

While studies shows that standing desks can burn calories, anecdotal evidence from teachers suggests that students also focus more and behave better while using standing desks.

But is there anything to these anecdotal observations? Our team at the Texas A&M Ergonomics Center decided to investigate whether standing desks had neurocognitive benefits for students.

It turns out that letting kids move in the classroom helps boost

attention and focus.

My colleague, Dr Mark Benden, first looked at classroom movement as a way to deal with the growing number of obese children.

In the past three decades, childhood obesity rates have quadrupled, particularly in adolescents aged 12-19 years.

Benden found that students assigned to classrooms equipped with standing desks that allow the students to have the option to stand or sit on a stool, burned 15 to 25 percent more calories than those assigned to traditional seated classrooms.

While burning calories is certainly important, the question at hand is whether standing desks improve learning.

In a study of nearly 300 children in second through fourth grade over the course of a school year, Benden and his team found that kids in classrooms with standing desks exhibited 12 percent greater ‘on task’ engagement when compared to kids in classrooms with the traditional seated desks.

Engagement was measured both during fall and spring by looking at behaviors such as answering questions, raising a hand or participating in active discussion.

However, we aren’t sure if standing height desks were behind the increase in classroom engage-

ment. For instance, the way desks are arranged in a classroom and how well teachers engage the students can also influence classroom engagement.

Thus, Dr Benden and I set out to explore the benefits of standing desks on basic cognitive tasks such as reaction time, response inhibition, attention, memory and cognitive flexibility.

Together, these abilities are lumped as executive function.

Figuring out how well someone’s executive function is working is a proxy for measuring goal-directed behavior that is integral cognitive development.

We studied 34 high school freshman who used standing desks at two points during the school year.

Desks were installed in the classrooms during the fall so we could compare the same kids before they got the standing desks and after.

We wanted to see whether continued use of standing desks affected executive functions.

Executive functions are cognitive skills we all use to analyze tasks, break them into steps and keep them in mind until we get them done.

These skills are directly related to the development of many academic skills that allow students

to manage their time effectively, memorize facts, understand what they read, solve multi-step problems and organize their thoughts in writing.

We gave students a series of computerized tests to assess their executive function, which they took at standing desks in a computer lab.

This allowed us to isolate the effects of the standing desk from classroom configuration and other classroom variables.

Because executive functions are largely regulated in the frontal brain region, students wore biosensors on their foreheads while taking the tests. That way, our portable brain imaging device - functional near infrared spectroscopy - could track changes in frontal brain function.

Our test results indicated that continued use of standing desks was associated with significant performance improvements in executive function and working memory capabilities. Changes in corresponding brain activation patterns were also observed.

This is the first study to objectively examine students’ cognitive responses while using standing desks and provide a neuropsychological basis of the improvements observed.

Moreover, by testing basic cog-

nitive functions, we got to measure the impact of standing desks on the building blocks of child behavior in classrooms.

Interestingly, our research showed the use of standing desks improved neurocognitive function by seven percent to 14 percent, which is consistent with results from previous studies on schoolbased exercise programs.

We now plan to expand this research to multiple schools and to study more children across different age groups, and over several years.

Further research could encourage policymakers, public health professionals and school administrators to consider simple and sustainable changes in classrooms to increase physical activity and enhance cognitive development and educational outcomes.

Let’s face it – society as a whole used to be more active. Standing desks allow for children to stand or sit at will and these transitions facilitate movement. If we can start slowly changing behaviors in children (and allow them to wiggle, fidget and move during the school day), movement could become the norm.

After all science says we think better when we move.

MAILONLINE

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International

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

‘There’s always an Intifada inside the prisons’

By Patrick Strickland

A

nger is building up among Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, with several inmates on long-running hunger strikes in a number of prisons and clashes erupting in the Nafha jail in southern Israel.

Rights groups have warned that the health of a hunger-striking jailed Palestinian has plummeted as his fast hits 51 days.

Sami Janazrah, 43, launched his hunger strike on March 3 to protest against being held in solitary confinement and administrative detention, a practice in which Israel jails Palestinians on “secret evidence” without charges or trial.

Janazrah, who is a married father of three from the al-Fuwwar refugee camp in Hebron, is reportedly suffering from low blood pressure and arrhythmia, causing seizures and fainting spells. Meanwhile, his weight has sunk to 52 kilogrammes.

He is one of several prisoners refusing food behind bars. Among them are also Fouad Assi and Adib Mafarjah, both of whom have been on hunger strike for 20 days.

“This could cause a lot of noise because [they] don’t appear to be willing to give up the strike,” said Farah Bayadsi, a lawyer at the prisoner rights group Addameer.

Of the estimated 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli lockup at the moment, at least 700 are being held as administrative detainees, according to Addameer.

“Recently there have been far more administrative detention orders,” Bayadsi told Al Jazeera. “For the [Israeli] occupation, this has become the easiest way to lock up Palestinians.”

A spokesperson for Israel Prison Services did not reply to Al Jazeera’s requests for a comment.

Anger has spread throughout the prisoner population as tensions continue to soar over the treatment of Palestinians in Nafha, a prison in southern Israel.

Clashes erupted there between guards and prisoners on Wednesday during security checks in the facility’s Section 4, where most prisoners are affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad political

Health of Palestinian Sami Janazrah, on hunger strike for 51 days, plummets as tensions rise in several prisons.

Rights groups estimate that 7,000 Palestinians are currently jailed by Israel [Abed Hashlamoun/EPA] parties.

The guards are accused of firing tear gas and beating handcuffed prisoners.

“During the last few days there have been many attacks on Palestinian prisoners in Nafha,” Bayadsi said. “What happened in Nafha is very dangerous. The situation is very bad right now.”

The accusations come a week after similar charges were levelled at Israeli prison guards in Nafha following heavy clashes that left around 60 prisoners injured, according to the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners Affairs.

The prisoners branch of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a leftist political party,

released a statement on Wednesday calling for “massive popular anger against the occupation’s attacks on prisoners” in Nafha.

“These days of anger come in support of the prisoners struggling to confront the attacks by the Zionist prison administration and to support the prisoners in Nafha prison facing violent attack[s].”

On Sunday, thousands protested across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in the Gaza Strip on Palestinian Prisoners Day. That same day, thousands of detainees in several prisons conducted a one-day hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinians held in Nafha.

‘Always an Intifada’ The number of Palestinians behind Israeli bars has soared since October, when tensions between Israelis and Palestinians boiled over into violence.

Since October 1, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 208 Palestinians, including alleged attackers and protesters, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

During that period, Palestinian attackers have killed at least 29 Israelis in shooting, stabbing and car-ramming incidents, according to Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Alaa Tartir, analyst and programme director at Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network,

explained that hunger strikes and other acts of non-compliance by prisoners have grown increasingly important against the backdrop of the current unrest.

“Although the current political leadership is letting the prisoners down and leaving them on their own, the centrality of the prisoners’ plight is always significant in the popular and public conscience and this is what empowers them in their struggle,” he told Al Jazeera.

Referring to the soaring tensions inside Israeli prisons, Addameer’s Bayadsi said: “There is always an Intifada [uprising] inside the prisons. They have nothing to do but resist by hunger striking or similar means.”

Syria civil war: UN evacuates four besieged towns

S

afe passage secured for sick and wounded in four towns as government pushes renewed offensive against rebels.

The United Nations has started evacuating hundreds of people from besieged Syrian towns in a rare sign of humanitarian progress that came as tens of thousands of civilians fled fresh fighting.

Safe passage was secured for those in need of medical attention from four towns on Wednesday a complex mission as a strained ceasefire appeared to buckle further.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said plans were afoot to evacuate about 500 people, including the sick and wounded along with their family members from the four towns.

People were evacuated from the rebel-held towns of Zabadani and Madaya near Damascus, and the

government-held towns of Foua and Kefraya in northwest Idlib province.

On the outskirts of Madaya, where dozens of residents starved to death last year, seven large white buses were used to take the people out.

Dozens of men, women and children got out of the bus and were checked by security officials before boarding once more, the AFP news agency reported.

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, reporting from the Turkish city of Gaziantep close to the Syrian border, said a convoy came under fire while carrying out the operation.

“Whether the attacks were directly aimed at the convoy carrying people from Madaya is unclear,” he said.

“People from Zabadani and Madaya are mostly civilians, but there are also 25 soldiers being carried to safer areas in the country.”

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the UN said at least 40,000 Syrians had fled fighting near Aleppo, a northern city, in recent days as the government pressed an offensive against the opposition despite the truce.

Four million people besieged The escalating violence has pushed people eastwards towards the strategically vital town of Azaz, which is on the border with Turkey, as well as the Bab al-Salameh and Sijjou refugee camps, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs said.

“We are extremely concerned at the intensification of fighting in northern Syria and its impact on civilians, as well as humanitarian delivery to the area, and continue to monitor the situation closely,” Ariane Rummery of the UN refugee agency said.

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders said that there

were now more than 100,000 people trapped on the Syrian side of the Turkish border.

It said that 35,000 of those had fled in the past week from camps that had been taken over by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or ISIS) or had become too close to a creeping frontline.

Turkey has closed its frontier to all but the most seriously ill or wounded.

More than four million people in Syria live in besieged or hard-toreach areas, with limited or no access to food or medical supplies.

Debate over Assad’s future The UN has long pressed the Syrian government to grant unrestricted access to these areas, and has asked all sides to end sieges.

But, despite fierce criticism, the government frequently denies passage to aid convoys or limits what kind of assistance can enter cut-off

areas.

The opposition cited the dire humanitarian situation and the Syrian army offensive when it walked out of peace talks in Geneva this week, saying it needed a “pause”. The future of Assad also proved a major sticking point.

The already-shaky ceasefire between the government and some rebels was severely strained on Tuesday when at least 44 people were killed in air strikes on two markets in the northwest.

The Geneva talks are aimed at ending the five-year war by fashioning a political transition, writing a new constitution, and holding fresh elections by September 2017.

The war has killed at least 250,000 people and scattered millions of fleeing Syrians across the world.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 47

Business

FG tasks SMEDAN on job creation

F

ederal Government has urged the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), to put policies in place to generate employment for unemployed Nigerian youths.

Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, made the call while declaring open a twoday SMEDAN Strategic Management Retreat in Kaduna on Friday.

According to her, the special needs of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) must be attended to, to enable businesses thrive and provide job opportunities for the nation’s huge unemployed youths.

“As a resource base, SMEDAN has what it takes to stimulate the growth and development of MSMEs in the country, as such, we are in a hurry to feel the positive effects of the agency in addressing the problem of unemployment.”

Abubakar said that the Federal Government would give the agency all the support it needed to deliver on its mandate.

She equally urged the agency to revisit the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP), stressing that the programme provides a road map for the actualisation of SMEDAN mandates.

Abubakar also said that SMEDAN must develop a working synergy with public and private sector to create enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

“Information sharing should also be one of your key priorities in 2016, because the business environment needs to know what ser-

L-R: Former Permanent secretary, Federal ministry of power, Dr Abdullahi Aliyu; Minister of state for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar; Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development agency (SMEDAN), Dr Umaru Dikko-Radda, and representative of the Governor of Kaduna state, Alhaji Shehu Balarebe, at the SMEDAN’s strategic management retreat , yesterday in Kaduna vices are being offered.

“This is because many start-ups fail in the first two years due to lack of information and poor knowledge of accounting, management and marketing,“ she said.

Also speaking, Gov. Nasiru ElRufai of Kaduna State commended President Muhammadu Buhari led-administration for the efforts in propelling growth and development of MSMEs in the country.

El-Rufai, who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Tourism,

Alhaji Shehu Balarabe, described MSMEs as a critical element to achieving the Nigerian Vision 2020.

He advised SMEDAN to unlock all funding opportunities available to MSMEs for maximum impact.

In a keynote address, a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Power, Dr Andullahi Aliyu, said Nigeria was blessed with abundant raw materials.

Aliyu called on SMEDAN to collaborate with the Raw Material Research and Development Council

(RMRDC), to make raw material available to MSMEs. “The agency should equally set up enterprises development centres in the six geopolitical zones in the country to provide strategic training to entrepreneurs to ensure sustainability,“ he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of the agency, Dr Umaru Radda, explained that the retreat was organised to provide platform to review the agency’s operations and chart a way

forward.

“The retreat was also organised to among other things align the operation of the agency to the fundamental goal of the current government, which is revamping the productive and service sector of the Nigerian economy.

“This retreat is expected to come up with creative and innovative options for financing MSMEs and enhancing the funding profile of the agency in a sustainable manner,“ Radda said.

(NAN)

Power Outage, High Tariff: Union demands Dangote sugar refinery, Airline Services & Logistics report Q1 revenue urgent review of Electricity Act

T

he Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) on Friday called on the National Assembly (NASS) to urgently review the Electricity Act to protect consumers from incessant power outage and tariff increases.

The union also said that the measure would ensure stable supply of electricity by operators of the industry.

Mr Akoh Ndubusi, the Senior Assistant Secretary General of NUEE, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

According to Ndubusi, the call is necessary to put the power generation and distribution companies on their toes. ``Before the privatisation of the power sector we had about 4000 mega watt, but look at what is happening today, power generation has dropped a lot; so, how can Nigerians get the dividend of this privatisation. ``A lot of us are always running our generators and you know how much it cost to buy fuel now; it involves everyone in the society. ``We are not living in the moon; we all need electricity just as the other ordinary Nigerian needs it. ``We don’t need to blame anybody in the sector, instead, it is time for the government to look inward and marshal out plans on how to improve the privatised power sector,’’ he said.

However, he said that even though the power sector had been privatised, it was still the duty of the Federal Government to ensure that the sector was effectively supervised.

Ndubuisi noted that effective supervision and monitor-

ing were the best ways the power distribution and generating companies would ensure steady generation and distribution of electricity to Nigerians. ``What these private people know is how to collect money and increase tariff; it is difficult for them to mount one transformer since they came on board. ``The vehicles they are using today, if not hired, are the ones left by former Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). ``So they have not added any value here since they came on board; the privatisation has not attracted any foreign direct investment. ``If you look at the transmission companies for instant, they cannot effectively supply electricity,’’ he added.

He alleged that some of the DISCOs do not have the capacity to distribute the mega watt sent to them to distribute to Nigerians. ``So it is important for government to take action on the power sector because if they leave it in the hands of these capitalists, we will go into total darkness with what we are seeing now. ``The Act must be reviewed because this is where the development of any country is when we are talking about creating jobs. ``If we have constant electricity in this country, every unemployed youth will look for one thing or the other to do and a lot of other things will fall in line.’’

Besides, the scribe urged the federal government to pay them their outstanding benefits and severance packages.

(NAN)

By Mohammed Usman

D

angote Sugar Refinery Plc has reported 2016 group revenue of 32.62 billion naira versus 22.52 billion naira year ago Reuters added that it(Dangote sugar refinery) also reported Q1 group profit before tax of 5.11 billion naira versus 3.80 billion naira year ago, saying that the sugar refinery added that the board recommended dividend of 50 kobo per ordinary share to be paid to shareholders for year ended Dec. 31, 2015 Source.

Also, Airline Services and Logistics reported FY 2015 group revenue of 4.55 billion naira versus 3.55 billion naira year ago. Reuters added the Airline Services and Logistics reported FY 2015 group loss before tax of 56.8 million naira versus profit of 171.1 million naira year ago.

Chemical and Allied Products Plc too, reported Q1 revenue of 1.85 billion naira versus 1.81 billion naira last year with Q1 profit

before tax of 619.9 million naira versus 715.0 million naira year ago That of N E M Insurance Plc shows Q1 net premiums income of 2.53 billion naira versus 2.25 billion naira year ago with Q1 profit before tax of 2.72 billion naira versus 1.65 billion naira year ago.

On its part, Courteville Business Solutions Plc showed Q1 revenue of 346.8 million naira versus 358.3 million naira year ago with Q1 profit before tax of 8.1 million naira versus 105.5 million naira year ago Meanwhile, SacOil Holdings Ltd Co and Energy Equity Resources signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to explore oil and gas opportunities in Republic of Nigeria.

Reuters went on to say that Revenue generated from sale of crude allocation will contribute meaningful income to SacOil and will support SacOoil’s growth and investment strategy Source text for Eikon.

PAGE 48

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Business

Naira weakens slightly against dollar at parallel market

T

he naira weakened slightly against the dollar at the parallel market on Friday as it exchanged at N321 to the dollar.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian currency lost N1 to the dollar from N320 rate on Wednesday.

The naira also fell against the pound sterling and the Euro on Friday to N452 and N362, respectively from their previous rates of N450 and N360.

The naira still maintained N197 to the dollar at the official CBN segment of the market.

Traders said that activities in the market were still low due to late implementation of the 2016 budget.

They said that the budget would indicate the direction of the economy in 2016.

Meanwhile, NAN also reported that Mr Kolawole Opadeji, Chair-

man, National Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), Lagos State branch, on Friday, called on government and nongovernmental organisations to aid technologists to achieve the desired success in technological innovations.

Opadeji made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He identified finance as a major challenge limiting the effort of technologists in attaining the desired growth in innovative technology in the country. ``The major challenge facing technologists to embark on a couple of innovations that will be relevant to the economy and the agroallied sector is finance. ``With the diversification process in the country, technologists have a great role to play with the

agro-processing equipment fabrications that they have achieved. ``This can be achieved with maximum support from government and Non-Governmental Organisations, ‘’Opadeji said.

He added that the association had identified agro-business as one area that would bring the country out of the woods at the same time creates employment for the teeming youths.

Opadeji said this had motivated members of the association to look for equipment that would be useful in the agricultural chain.

Opadeji said that for now, NATE usually levy themselves for any project they chose to embark on, adding that such project always turn out to be functional and not prototype.

He cited an example with the Automatic Operated 360-Egg Incuba-

tor which e said the association exhibited during the 2013 NATEWEEK, adding that the project was solely financed by donations from members.

He added that members of the association could also carry out the fabrication, adapt and localise the equipment for the cottage industries, given the availability of funds.

He said that the association was poised to take its rightful place in the technological growth of the country, if given the opportunity. ``Japan technologists did it for Japan, Chinese technologists did it for China, likewise Indian technologists, and NATE will do it for Nigeria, if given the where with all. ``If Nigerians excel in every field outside our shores, government can also make this country conducive for professionals to thrive,’’ Opadeji said.

L-R Executive Director/Chief financial Officer, Union Bank, Mrs Oyinkan Adewale, CEO Nigerian Stock Exchange Oscar Onyema, MD/CEO Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa, Chairman Union Bank, Mr. Cyril Odu, at the sounding of the closing gong and Union Bank facts behind the figures, yesterday in Lagos.

Electricity: Mining coy begins generation of 300MW from coal

M

r Joseph Ayalogu, the Executive Director, Corporate Relations of the ETA-Zuma, says the company will start generating 300 megawatts of power from coal to reduce power deficit.

Ayalogu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja that the company, which engaged in coal mining, had concluded arrangements to start constructing the power plant before the end of 2016.

He said the company got licence to provide 1,200 mega watts but it would start with 300 due to huge capital required for the project.

He said that the company would be sited at Itobo community in Kogi and it would be completed within 13 months.

According to him, the company is currently mining coal for sale and for the power project sited at okobo community close to Itobo.

He also said that the company was aware of both health and environmental hazards associated with the coal project, adding that the company had initiated plans on how to manage wastes from the plant.

He said coal to power was the best for Nigerian indus-

tries; the country has the best coal compared to other countries currently operating on the system. ``Power from coal is baseline power that is needed for industries; our industries need heavy power and that is what coal to power can give. ``Our government policy is to generate 30 per cent power needed from coal and other percentage will be generated from other sources, including renewable energy.

Germany develops 40 per cent of its energy needs from coal which is over hundreds of thousands mega watts.

(NAN)

Profit taking: NSE All-Share Index down by 0.24%

I

nvestors on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday embarked on profit taking, reversing the threeday growth recorded by the market indices.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the All-Share Index lost 59.77 points at 0.24 per cent to close at 24,850.11, compared with 24,909.88 achieved on Thursday.

Similarly, the market capitalisation, which opened at N8.568 trillion, lost N21 billion or 0.25 per cent to close at N8.547 trillion.

Market analysts attributed the development to profit taking embarked upon by some investors to take advantage of the gains recorded by the market in the last three days.

Major blue chips recorded price depreciation and this was led by Nestle with a loss of N20.01 to close at N620 per share.

Guinness followed with N1.84 to close at N98, while Access Bank dipped 15k to close at N3.83 per share.

Champion Breweries shed 14k to close at N2.81 and Tiger Branded dropped 13k to close at N2.78 per share.

On the other hand, Seplat led the gainers’ table with a gain of N4 to close at N340 per share.

Mobil garnered 99k to close at N155 and Nigerian Breweries rose by 68k to close at N105.70 per share.

UACN chalked up 57k to close at N19 and Berger Paints increased by 36k to close at N9.30 per share.

In spite of the drop recorded by market indicators, the volume of shares traded appreciated marginally by 5.56 per cent with 188.72 million shares valued at N1.51 billion transacted in 3,050 deals.

This was in contrast with 178.78 million shares worth N1.81 billion exchanged in 3,223 deals on Thursday.

Zenith Bank drove the turnover volume, accounting for 30.52 million shares valued at N369.46 million.

Access Bank came second with an exchange of 26.35 million shares worth N101.97 million, while FCMB Group sold 19.51 million shares worth N20.46 million.

FBN Holdings traded 13.15 million shares valued at N43.87 million and United Capital transacted 10.41 million shares worth N15.58 million.

(NAN)

Interbank rate rises on decline liquidity

By Mohammed Usman with agency report

O

vernight interbank rate rose for the second consecutive week to an average of 6 percent on Friday, from 4.5 percent last week, amid a drop in commercial lenders liquidity level on payment for treasury bills purchases, but rate seen falling next week on budgetary disbursal.

Nigeria sold a total of 167.51 billion naira ($841.76 million) worth of debt with maturities ranging between three months and one year, while payment for the pur-

chase is due on Friday.

Traders said the cost of borrowing among banks has declined progressively this week from last week’s close after the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN)asked commercial lenders to make provisions for foreign exchange purchases on Wednesday, and the fact that no cash was flowing into the banking system.

Traders said liquidity level stood around 232.85 billion naira ($1.17 billion) on Thursday, down from 414 billion naira last week.

“We expect that rate will decline to around 2-2.5 percent

level next week in anticipation of the disbursal of budget allocations to government agencies,” one trader said.

Traders said about 199 billion to 200 billion naira is expected to be injected to the banking system next through budget allocation.

Traders said overnight lending was priced lower by fund takers because many of them had expected the injection of the budget cash on Friday, but resistance from major fund placers kept the rate at the prevailing level.

The interbank rate reflects the level of naira cash liquidity in the banking system.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Page 49

Oddities

‘I’m a cat trapped in the wrong body’ A

Norwegian woman, Nano claims she realised she was a cat when she was 16 years old and has adopted feline mannerisms ever since.

Nano claims to possess many feline characteristics including a hatred for water and the ability to communicate simply by meowing.

The young woman shows off her cat characteristics by wearing fake ears and an artificial tail. She communicates by meowing.

“I realised I was a cat when I was 16 years when doctors and psychologists found out what was ‘the thing’ with me. Under my birth there was a genetic defect.”

As they walked through Oslo’s central station, the presenter asked Nano what she could hear and see that a normal person might not.

“Suitcases rolling on the ground, keys clinking in pockets, people with ice under their shoes.”

Then all of a sudden, she lets out a hiss and takes a step back.

“There is a dog over there.

Sometime I hiss when meeting

dogs in the street. It is because of their behaviour and my instinct automatically react by hissing.”

The cat woman wears a pair of pink fluffy paws with which to groom herself, especially when she is in contact with water.

When asked if she was born as the wrong specie, she said: “Yes, born in the wrong specie.”

Nano prefers to crawl around on her hands and knees, and paws at windows when she wants to go outside.

She also said, despite their size, she can sleep in the sink and on windowsills.

“It is also obvious that I am a cat when I start purring and meowing,” she explained. “And walking around on four legs and stuff like that.”

The cat also claims to have night vision, but has never caught a mouse.

“I can see better in the dark than in daylight.

The young woman said her life as a cat is “exhausting” but she doesn’t want to live as a human.

“My psychologist told me I can grow out of it, but I doubt it.

I think I will be a cat all my life.”

Teenager caught having sex with a sheep in Enugu

A

15-year old boy, Miracle Oluebube Nweke, a native of Eziagu, Enugu State, was caught recently having sex with a Sheep. A friend who caught him in the act raised an alarm leading to his arrest by a vigilante group.

Miracle said he knew that it was not normal but that he could not help himself and that anytime he had the urge, a strange voice would lead him to where he would get a sheep which he would loose and drag to an uncompleted building to have sex with it.

According to Authorityngr. com “It gives me great pleasure whenever I have sex with a sheep, I have never had sex with human being in my

life, I haven’t tried any other animal to know the difference, my experience with sheep is sweet”.

He explained that on sighting any sheep, he would engage, first, in sexual fixa¬tion otherwise called zoophil¬ia before graduating to raping it otherwise called bestiality or sodomy.

“Whenever I get any sheep of my choice, I untie it from the spot where the owner has left it and take it to a secluded building and have sex with it. I don’t do anything else with the sheep. I nor¬mally make sure that no one is around watching while doing it because I know that the own¬ers may not like it.

He, however, blamed evil

Annual bonus: Firm gives inflatable sex dolls To male workers

spirit for being responsible for his sexual depravity.

“There is a spirit that normally tells me to go and look for a sheep and whenever I hear the com¬manding voice of the spirit, it becomes irresistible to take away my eyes from sheep. I will be so restless and confused until after I have car¬ried out the instruction of the unseen spirit.’’

Mr Uche, the own¬er of the sheep, told vigilante operatives that he would not go home with the animal again, he demanded that the teenager who defiled his sheep must buy it. He also argued that it would be misleading for an¬yone to think that it is still normal after its encounter with Miracle.

A

company decided to hand out inflatable sex dolls to its male employees as an annual bonus instead of cash.

The end-of-year gifts, traditionally in the form of cash, were replaced by the blow-up dolls and presented to staff at an annual company gala before Chinese New Year.

Lianlian, the internet

company based in Guangzhou, capital of South China’s Guangdong Province, is responsible for creating an online dating application. Wang Yuzhu, its CEO, thought it apt to gift the company’s young, single men one sex doll each as their annual bonus, making them forgo entirely a cash bonus.

The men in their 20s

were also taught how to use the dolls and were invited on stage to demonstrate the uses in front of hundreds of colleagues.

Chinese New Year galas are a long-standing tradition in Chinese business practices, and are all-hands events which usually take the form of a large feast.

Page 50

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Healthy Living

How to make a simple fruit salad

F

ruit salad is a dish or dessert containing a mixture of different kinds of fruit. Different kinds of fruits that can be used to make a fruit salad such as; strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, pawpaw, orange, pineapple, apple, grapes, banana, cherry, pears e.t.c.

The whole essence of a fruit salad is to get a mixture of as many fruits as possible including the juices in a bowl.

Eating fruits is healthy as this fortifies the digestive system with nutrients the body needs in guarding against diseases, lowering the rate of heart disease, High blood pressure, stroke etc. One of the major rules of eating fruits is to take it on an empty stomach so that the body would be able to absorb the nutrients it needs quickly. If you take fruits with your meal, it’d be held for a longer time in the stomach with the food and this after sometime would ferment and rot which would result in runny tummy, indigestion,

Fruit salad

heartburn, burping e.t.c. The best time to take fruits would be 1 hour before your meal or two hours after to get maximum benefits.

You need a quarter medium sized pineapple, two apples (red & green) and asmall sized water

Fruits

melon.

Wash the fruits thoroughly, remove the seeds from the watermelon and the pineapple eyes, dice the fruits into small bits, mix all the diced fruits together, refrigerate and serve chilled

“

You need a quarter medium sized pineapple, two apples (red & green) and asmall sized water melon.

Do the benefits of soy milk outweigh its dangers?

T

he benefits of soy milk may outweigh the dangers for many, but this is not true for everyone. How this milk alternative will affect your body depends heavily on your current

Soymilk

state of health.

Its dangers are threatening to those that have a rather specific medical history (e.g., breast cancer or hypothyroidism).

Soy milk is the product of

soaked soy beans and water.

That is it. Well, depending on your personal taste. Like the other milk alternatives, you simply blend, strain, and enjoy. It is available in a variety of flavors: unsweetened, sweetened, chocolate, and vanilla.

Soy milk is rich in some essential vitamins and minerals.

It is a significant source of: fiber, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and protein. In comparison to other milks in the market, it is a healthy choice.

Soy milk is nutritionally comparable to skimmed milk. So the fact that it is low-calorie, like skimmed milk, seems to support the weight-loss claims.

Also, the fatty acids inhibit the absorption of fat in the body.

Finally, soy milk’s fiber content really helps! It allows the body to feel fuller. Feeling fuller longer means eating less, so I suppose this milk does promote weight loss.

One of the highly promoted benefits of soy milk is it is ability to improve the heart. The Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids have protective powers in the blood vessels. They help prevent hemorrhage and lesions. These fatty acids also keep free radicals from wreaking havoc and cho-

lesterol deposits from forming in the lining of the vessels. They also increase the flexibility of cells, which in turn makes them more resilient to blood pressure.

The milk has zero cholesterol and mostly unsaturated fat. Research has also suggested that regular consumption of soy may lead to a decrease in low density lipoproteins (LDLs or “bad cholesterol”) and an increase in high density liproproteins (HDLs or “good cholesterol”).

While there may be wonderful benefits of soy milk for some, it can cause great harm for others.

One major concern is soy’s effect on the thyroid’s function

“

in the body. Researchers believe the isoflavone geinstein may prevent the thyroid from functioning optimally (hypothyroidism).

This is a concern for people that already suffer from hypothyroidism or even an iodine deficiency.

This gland is responsible for producing thyroid hormone. Its primary function is to regulate the body’s metabolism. Symptoms include: Fatigue, weight gain, extreme difficulty in losing weight, depression, constipation, increased sensitivity to cold, hair loss and rough, dry skin.

If left untreated, these symptoms progress into life-threatening issues such as extreme depression or even heart failure.

Soy milk is rich in some essential vitamins and minerals. It is a significant source of: fiber, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and protein. In comparison to other milks in the market, it is a healthy choice. Soy milk is nutritionally comparable to skimmed milk. So the fact that it is low-calorie, like skimmed milk, seems to support the weight-loss claims.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

The mistakes of Samson (IV)

I

’m glad to welcome you to your favourite column as I continue today to talk about other mistakes of Samson having considered some in the past namely: (1) He lacked a sense of divine destiny. (2) He misused divine gift. (3) He was temperamental and revengeful.

(4) He was Lustful. (5) He was secretive but had poor judgment who to confide in. (6) He was tricky.

These mistakes and others I’m about to share with you and similar ones you must avoid in your life – this is the objective of this message. It’s not to criticize or discredit Samson. Here are other mistakes of Samson: • He was callous and impulsive – Samson was impetuous. He acted rashly. He was neither sensitive to the rights of others nor think about the consequences of his actions on others. In Judg 14:19, Samson went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. These were innocent people he killed because of his own initial fault. He also caused the death of his in-law and wife

by Philistines who retaliated his burning their farmland – standing corn, vineyards and olives. (Judges 15:3-6) Look at what he even said in verse 3: “This time I shall be blameless regarding the Philistines if I harm them!” (NKJV). That seems to suggest admittance that he was to blame for previous harm on the Philistines. Even on this occasion he was to blame. He burnt their farmland and they killed his father-in-law and his daughter he had wanted to marry. A more sensitive person would have sat down to consider the possible consequences of his actions.

Eccl 5:2 warns, “Do not be rash

with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God” (NKJV). That means you think before you speak and not the other way round. Be quick to hear and be slow to speak. (James 1:19) Think well before you act. Look at issues from the perspectives of others; don’t consider your own interest alone. Rom 12:10 says, “In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another” (ASV). Haste most times equals waste. Be careful. Prov 25:8 says, “Don’t be in a hurry to go to court.

You might go down before your neighbors in shameful defeat” (NLT).

• He was disorderly or disorganized – Samson seemed not to have any plan how to judge or lead Israel. He was not proactive in his attacks – he was mostly reacting to the Philistines’ attacks. He had no company – he didn’t fight with any standing army though the Spirit of God first began to move him in the army camp of his tribe – Dan (Judg 13:25). He was a lone ranger leading no army or the people – at least there is no record of how he judged or led the people he was born to begin to deliver from the Philistines.

Only after his death did we see his brethren and the house of his father coming to take his body for burial (Judg 16:31). Prior to that in Judg 15:11, the people of Judah, 3,000 men, had come to arrest him and handed him over to the Philistines but they struck a deal.

There is no record how he actually led the people of Israel.

Imagine what would have happened if Samson had led the people the way Deborah who didn’t have the kind of power Samson had led the people. Suppose he had raised an army and provided the kind of leadership that Gideon provided. Suppose he had raised

a standing army like David later did in Israel. None of these had the kind of power that God endowed Samson with. But he had no strategic plan how to go about the assignment God had given him. That God gave him the assignment and special power didn’t mean God expected him alone to prosecute the assignment.

There are many people today that are still making this mistake that Samson made. That is why though they have outstanding gifts their effectiveness and impact is not being maximized. There is still time for such people to change.

• He was proud – Samson relied more on his strength then on God. Only when he came to the end of himself did he call upon God. He saw his feat as his own accomplishment. After he killed a thousand Philistines with the jaw bone of an ass, Samson took the credit for this outstanding feat.

He said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!” (Judg 15:16, NKJV). So it was a victory that his hand gave him! He didn’t acknowledge that it was the power that God gave him that made this monumental feat possible. I consider that as pride on Samson’s part. David wouldn’t have said that.

But not long after then, Samson came to a place where he saw the limitation of his power.

He was thirsty and he couldn’t produce water for himself to drink.

At this point, he called on the Lord and gave the victory to him. “Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, ‘You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?’ So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he

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From the Pulpit green pastures

By Pastor T. O. Banso

cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore he called its name En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day” (Judg 15:18-19, NKJV).

One could say that Samson merely used God to quench his thirst! If it had been possible for him to use the power God had given him to produce water, he wouldn’t have cried to God or acknowledged that the victory he had over the Philistines which he had already taken credit for in verse 16 was actually made possible by God. You must beware of pride.

Whatever great work God is doing through you, don’t ascribe the success to yourself. Learn to give the glory to God. That was a similar mistake that Moses made when he thought he was the one that would bring water out of the rock for the people to drink. After all, he had done it before! But it wasn’t him that brought water out of the rock; he only struck the rock while God brought out water (Ex 17:6-7).

And this second occasion, he was only supposed to speak to the rock but due to the pressure the Israelites had put on him and Aaron, he misfired and struck the rock twice. “And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, ‘Hear now, you rebels!

Must we bring water for you out of this rock?’ Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank” (Num

20:10-11, NKJV). He got everything wrong. Neither Moses nor Aaron was capable of bringing water out of the rock. And it was not for him to judge the people and call them rebels. That amounted to pride.

Permit me to stop here today.

I believe God has spoken to you.

Learn from the life of Samson and avoid the mistakes he made. I’ll conclude this message next week.

TAKE ACTION! If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today.

I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God.” I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations!

You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I’ll be glad to hear from you. May the Lord be with you.

The sure signpost to signs and wonders (I) 2. HIS COVENANT SEVENFOLD “I WILL” Hebrews 8:6,8,10; 6:14; 1:4,5; 2:12-15; 10:30; 13:5,6; 10:16-23.

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he Lord has promised to make a better covenant with us than the one He had with Abraham. “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.”

God never reversed or reneged on His promises to His people. His covenants with Abraham, Israel, David etc., were all fulfilled to the letter. And if the Lord was faithful in keeping His covenant to Old Testament believers, He will also be faithful in keeping the better and greater covenant He has made with us. His promise in this covenant is, “I will bless thee”. Through this better covenant, the Lord will perfect everything concerning us.

As a believer, you are no longer a beggar but a son or daughter of the Most High God as He has promised that, “I will be to him a Father”.

The covenant Christ has made with us is very sure because He has

an intimate relationship with the Father and whatever He requests from the Father, that will He do.

Christ promises to reveal God to us.

He says, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren”. The Lord also promises to preserve and keep us from the power of darkness under the better covenant. It is time for us to forget the past and forge ahead with the Saviour under the new and better covenant.

Enemies cannot stop the progress of God’s people. We should therefore not worry about what they are doing to hinder us.

With the better covenant, the Lord has promised to fight our battles: “I will recompense, saith the Lord”. In moments of trials and afflictions, God, the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, the Creator of the universe, our Supplier, Healer, Deliverer and Helper will not forsake us. His promise is, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”.

What a joy it is also for us to know that our guilt and condemnation are all taken away under the

By Pastor W.F Kumuyi better covenant when we believe!

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. The Lord who has promised us this sevenfold covenant will not deny us His blessings.

3 THE CONCLUSIVE SEVEN-FOLD “I WILL” Luke 5:4-6; 9:57; 15:18-24; Psalms 18:1-3; 77:11,12; 101:1-3; 55:16-19; 71:7.

Though God is determined to bless us, our faith must agree with His pronouncement before we can

have the promised explosion of miracles, signs and wonders. When we forget our past experiences of failure and obey the Master’s instruction like Peter did, we shall enjoy manifold blessings.

He said, “At thy word I will let down the net”. We experience success, progress, courage, healing, deliverance, dominion and multiple blessings when we follow the Lord’s instruction. The Lord has promised to give people who believe His promise a net-breaking miracle.

Every believer needs to

make commitment to the Lord by declaring that, “I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest”.

Commitment to follow Christ through is the secret of blessing because He leads to the land of victory, promise and everlasting joy. This requires that the prodigal return to Him in penitence. The prodigal son or daughter needs to say, “I will arise and go to my father”. Our God is a compassionate Father who will not forsake or reject anyone who comes to Him with a sincere heart. When sinners and backsliders return to the Lord, He restores all that they had lost.

We continue to enjoy explosions of miracles, signs and wonders with the following scriptural attitudes and affirmations: “I will love thee…

I will trust… I will call upon the LORD”. “I will remember the works of the LORD… I will meditate also of all thy work”. “I will behave myself wisely… I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes”. “I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me”.

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Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Salgado: Zidane coaching Real Madrid was destiny

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NFF Technical Committee group Di Maria: of Charlatans – Babangida Pg 53 Nothing has changed at Man Utd —I left to win things Pg 53

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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Sports

NFF seeks French coach for Eagles, to be paid N10m per month T

he Nigeria Football Federation is set to hire a Frenchman as coach of the Super Eagles after the team failed to qualify for a second consecutive Africa Cup of Nations, punchng.com reports.

National U-23 team coach Samson Siasia was drafted to the Eagles for the double header against the Egyptians after Sunday Oliseh resigned but the Eagles drew 1-1 in Kaduna before they were beaten 1-0 in Alexandria by the record African champions.

According to Punch, the federation is already in talks with the French coach but they (NFF members) would meet with Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Tuesday to finalise discussions on the matter.

A top official of the federation, who pleaded anonymity, said the coach has also indicated interest to work with Nigerian legend Austin Okocha in his technical crew. He said members of the football body were forced to look to Europe because Nigerian coaches lacked “an all-encompassing manager with the managerial and technical abilities.”

But he disclosed that ex-international Emmanuel Amuneke and Salisu Yusuf would also assist the coach if he eventually gets the job.

A source revealed to Punch, “The coach we are targeting is not just a regular foreign coach; he wants to write his story with Nigeria. He has a wide knowledge of Nigerian players in Europe and he also has a list of players that have not decided to play for Nigeria. Right now, we are arranging Holland and Scotland friendlies through him. The Frenchman is excited to manage Nigeria and he wants to live in Lagos.

“He will be paid €44,000 monthly

Wikki Tourists target top-half finish, says Godwin Obaje

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ikki Tourists striker Godwin Obaje has revealed of the fact his team wants to finish in the upper echelons of the Nigeria Professional Football League table this season.

The Bauchi-based side are third in the NPFL and face Lobi Stars at the Aper Aku Stadium on Wednesday.

“It was my fourth goal of the season. I’m so happy,” Obaje told Goal.

“For me the game against Wolves is our best match of the 2016 season, we can still do more.”

“I think we have tried our best so far but we should have won against Heartland and Akwa United in Bauchi. There are still more games to play this season,” “We have a precise identity and that is certainly an added advantage.

Anyway we are satisfied. We can look to improve our position in the next eleven weeks.

“The team wants to continue the cycle against Lobi Stars,” he added.

“We are always interested in winning. When we are set up well on the pitch, it’s difficult to put us down.

“We are solid and our opponents struggle: it’s our trademark.”

NFF Technical Committee group of Charlatans – Babangida

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ormer International, Tijani Babangida has lampooned the NFF Technical Committee, pointing fingers at the department for its incompetence and redundancy as the bane of the country’s national teams.Babangida’s comments come on the heels of the vacant Super Eagles Coaching job. The Nff had hired three Coaches to execute the countries Afcon 2017 qualifiers, though the country had gone on to miss out on a ticket for the competition.

In a chat with footballlive.ng, the former Eagles Liaison officer said the committee did not support coaches nor carried out their duties and are simply happy to pull the trigger on coaches.

Meanwhile, Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung seems ready to head down a war path with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation and its Technical Committee following in th fall out of Nigeria’s failed bid to reach the 2017 Afcon.Dalung spoke in a press briefing on Friday where he disclosed he’d implement ‘radical policies’ and carry out far reaching reforms within football and other sports.

The Minister also blamed the NFF of ‘misplaced priority’ citing this as a factor behind most of the problems encountered by the FA. On Tuesday, 5th April, the Minister will receive a delegation from the NFF where the Technical Committee is expected to be drilled to unearth their role in Nigeria’s Afcon 2017 qualifiers fiasco.

Tijjani Babangida

but it’s not about the money. He’s coming with a trainer and tactician and he’s going to pay them from his money. That’s how you know the coach is serious. We have put plans in place to ensure he gets his salaries and allowances without hitches.”

NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, however declined comments on the issue but admitted that the meeting with Dalung was geared towards moving Nigerian football forward.

“We will meet with the minister on Tuesday to map out strategies on how to move Nigerian football forward. We want the best coaches to manage our national teams and we are working towards that,” he stated.

Nigerian coaches have managed the national team since 2001 when Amodu Shaibu took over from Dutchman Bonfrere Jo with the Eagles facing elimination for the 2002 World Cup. Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick has stated that the Nigeria Football Federation intends to contest the decision of the Confederation of African Football CAF to subtract the points of the CHADIAN national team that withdraws from the ongoing 2017 AFCON qualifiers when the points should have been added up.Pinnick told footballlive.ng that the decision has put Nigeria and the group in an unfair position as far as best losers spot in the qualifiers is concerned and that Nigeria will have no other option than to explore the option of involving the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

The FA chief, however, said he will meet with the CAF President Issa Hayatou first to make known Nigeria’s position on the case on ground.

Ahmed Musa was forced to give Mikel Captaincy – Reports

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eports have emerged that Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi actually insisted he will only feature in the AFCON qualifiers against Egypt if he were made Super Eagles captain, and coach Samson Siasia and top officials thereafter pressured Ahmed Musa to relinquish the armband.

Mikel was assistant captain to Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama when former coach Sunday Oliseh picked AhmedMusa as the country’s new captain in October.

AfricanFootball.com now reports that Mikel demanded the Eagles captaincy when he spoke with caretaker coach Siasia prior to the matches against Egypt.

“Mikel made it very clear to Siasia he be made captain if the coach wanted him to play the crucial matches against Egypt,” a top source told Africanfootball.com.Pressure was thereafter mounted on Ahmed Musa to surrender the Eagles captaincy.

It was also gathered that a top official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) advised Ahmed Musa to drop the band.

Siasia would then hold a private meeting with Ahmed Musain his hotel room in Kaduna on the same matter.“The meeting was for 30, 40 minutes, just Siasia and Ahmed. And it was in that meeting that it was made clear to the player to give up the captaincy,” a source revealed.

Immediately after this tete-a-tete, coach and player headed to the press conference where Ahmed Musa announced Mikel as new Eagles skipper while accepting that there was “a mix-up” when more senior players were overlooked for the leadership of the team.

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Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Sports

Di Maria: Nothing has changed at Man Utd —I left to win things

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aris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria feels the way this season has panned out vindicates his decision to leave Manchester United.

Angel Di Maria says he left Manchester United for Paris Saint-Germain to win trophies and has not seen anything this season to make him think he made an incorrect decision.

The Argentina international, 28, also felt Louis van Gaal’s decision to move him into different positions hampered his chances of settling in the side following his 2014 move from Real Madrid.

After starting only 20 Premier League matches, he joined PSG last July and has already won Ligue 1 as Laurent Blanc’s men chase an historic quadruple.

“It’s more that they didn’t let me settle properly than I couldn’t settle,” Di Maria told BBC Football Focus. “I decided to leave, not only to be happy but to win things.

I left and that team are still playing the same way - out of European competitions, far from being champions of the Premier League.

“I don’t think it was my fault or the fault of my

RUMORS: Diego Costa offered to PSG

teammates. I did all I could every time I was given the opportunity, but it didn’t work out as I hoped.”

Di Maria claimed Van Gaal had not deployed him properly and hailed the methods of current boss Blanc, who he credits for an impressive campaign which has seen him score nine league goals and produce 11 assists from 24 games.

“I started a game in one position, then the next game in another,” he continued on his year at United. “I scored goals playing in one position, then suddenly the next game I was picked to play in a different position. I think this also didn’t help me settle. It’s up to the manager to decide where and how every player should play, but I think that the player should be comfortable in that position and adapt to it.

“That is what I am doing here and I’m very thankful to the manager for it. From the beginning he was clear where he wanted to play me and has never changed his mind. He gave me total freedom to move where I need to move. I’m very happy here and it wasn’t the case over there.”

Diego Costa

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Di Maria

he former Atletico Madrid striker is likely to leave Stamford Bridge following Antonio Conte’s arrival and could be brought in as a replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been offered to Paris SaintGermain by his agent Jorge Mendes, according to France Football.

Incoming Blues boss Antonio Conte is willing to let the Spain international leave Stamford Bridge this summer, with Atletico Madrid reported to be interested

in a reunion with its former forward.

But with Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to leave Parc des Princes at the end of the season, Mendes has moved quickly to offer an alternative to the Ligue 1 champion in the shape of Costa.

Mendes - who also represents Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho - has a good relationship with PSG following Angel Di Maria’s move to the French capital last summer and is keen to secure a similar deal for another of his clients.

Van Gaal: We still have a lot to fight for

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he Red Devils look to finish with a flourish as they get ready to pay tribute to Bobby Charlton before Sunday’s game with Everton.

Louis van Gaal insists Manchester United still has “a lot to fight for” as the Dutchman targets a topthree finish in the Premier League and FA Cup glory.

United is sixth in the table ahead of Sunday’s clash with Everton at Old Trafford, although it is only five points behind third-placed Arsenal with eight games remaining.

Van Gaal has seen his side win three of their last four league outings, including a 1-0 derby victory at Manchester City, before the international break.

The FA Cup is also a target, as United has a quarterfinal replay against West Ham looming with the winner then moving on to face Everton in the last four.

“Still we are capable of being in the top three in the league at this moment and we believe in that, the players believe in that,” Van Gaal told MUTV on Friday. “We can also win the FA Cup, so we have a lot to fight for.

“I hope that we show it already in the first match [back against Everton] because that is the most important match as you have to continue what you have done against City.”

United will use the league game against Everton to pay tribute to club legend Bobby Charlton, including renaming Old Trafford’s South Stand after the 1968 European Cup winner.

Dutchman Van Gaal is delighted to see Charlton, someone he idolized when growing up, honored in such an appropriate way.

“I had two idols in England, from watching the FA Cup finals. One of them was Jimmy Greaves and the other was Bobby Charlton, so I have known him already in my mind for a lot of years,” he added. “Now I have met him personally. He is such a kind, friendly man and his wife is also very nice and friendly.

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

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Sports

Salgado: Zidane coaching Real Madrid was destiny

Heading into Saturday’s El Clásico at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid will be doing everything they can for a win to stay in the hunt in the La Liga title race. Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane was a supreme competitor in his playing days, and perhaps no one knows this better than his former team-mate Michel Salgado.

FIFA.com caught up with Salgado recently to get his thoughts on Zidane’s appointment as first team coach at his beloved Real Madrid, the strength of the Spanish Premier Division and the unprecedented duel for the FIFA Ballon d’Or between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years.

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IFA.com: In your role as an ambassador for La Liga, you stress that the league is more than Real Madrid and Barcelona. Why is that important for you to communicate?

Michel Salgado: La Liga started its job late worldwide, to be honest. The English Premier League has been travelling to Asia for many years, even here in USA because the language, of course. Now we are trying to explain to everyone what La Liga is, obviously it means much more than Real Madrid and Barcelona. We are the first competition to have five teams in the UEFA Champions League history. We have teams working in grassroots amazingly, introducing players every single year with a special style of playing. Obviously one big part of Spanish football’s success in the last six to seven years

when this generation achieved something that will be difficult to repeat, winning three major trophies back-to-back. I think La Liga played a big part in that.

Why can La Liga compete with any competition in the world?

We are improving our brand recognition and play on the field all the time. The new television deal will be close to the deal the Premier League got. That’s going to improve the quality of all the teams as well. At the same time, we have to say we have the best two teams in the world, the best players in the world. There’s so many reasons to try to get a little bit more out of La Liga.

I know you emphasise La Liga is more than Real Madrid and Barcelona, but we can you give us your thoughts on Zinedine Zidane’s appointment as head coach at Real?

He was one of the best players I saw in my life. When he steps into the dressing room, everybody is going to say, “Wow!” They’re going to respect him and listen to him. He’s got character on and off the pitch. He can seem kind of shy but when it comes to normal relationships with people, he’s got a special character. He’s got Algerian blood in there!

He’s got that mentality, that hot blood. When people say he won’t have the character to deal with players and to be a winner, they are totally wrong. He’s got a lot of character. He’s a winner as well. He suffers when he doesn’t win. He’s a perfectionist as well.

For me, it was fate when he was named the manager of the second team, everyone knew the next step would be to be the first team manager. The question is: would it make any difference to stay two more months or two more years? I don’t think so. Professional football is professional football. For me, this is the right time. The team needed him. The club decided to change things because they needed a change. He’s in there now bringing a change of mood. You can see happiness now with the fans. The fans love him. So it’s the first step and obviously it’s the work he’s going to do as a coach. He’s got all the experience and knowledge to deal with Real Madrid and the players. He’s been through all kinds of situations in Real Madrid and all the teams he played in.

You think it’s the right time for him?

It’s never the right time, is it? When Guardiola was appointed, the same questions were being asked at Barcelona. What about his

experience? Players like Pep who had been in there 10 to 15 years at the highest level, I don’t think they need experience. It’s really just a question of dealing with the dressing room and the egos and personalities you’ve got in there. Zidane has an advantage. It was destiny.

There isn’t so much pressure because the team was struggling. The only thing he can do now is improve it.

The FIFA Ballon d’Or concluded in January in Zurich. How long do you think Messi and Ronaldo will have a strong grip on the trophy?

It’s difficult to say. This competition between Ronaldo and Messi is the best fight ever in football! It’s amazing to see two players like them, to be honest, pushing each other to be the best. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know how long it will last, but I hope they can keep going.

Ronaldo is over the 30 years old mark, but I know he is a fighter and he works really hard every day to be the best. Age is age. He needs to know the muscles won’t be the same. I think it will be really exciting if we can see another player, like Neymar this year, coming through and making it difficult for them. I think it will happen. I still think Messi has years to stay up there. Ronaldo has at least another two years as long as he stays at Real Madrid and doesn’t decide to go for another experience, I think he’ll stay up there.

Michel Salgado was speaking with FIFA. com at the 2016 National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention in Baltimore on behalf of La Liga and US Club Soccer.

BIG PUNCH Henceforth, government will deal decisively with perpetrators and sponsors of violence, irrespective of their status in the society. Violence in any form will no longer be tolerated before, during or after elections Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Saturday Column By

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Frisky Larr

t’s been quite amusing since the inception of the Buhari administration barely one year ago, observing self-styled critics of the new government, who are driven by diverse motivations. I have identified them in three different categories. The first group comprises those who have set out to criticise the government from the very beginning, no matter what the regime does. This group has now become popularly christened as “The Wailing Wailers” very much in disrespect of “Bob Marley and The Wailers” of the classical Reggae fame! The second group includes those who believe that they are being objective by being seen as criticising the government after throwing their full weight behind Buhari’s watershed election in a juicy grand style. The third and final group comprises those who are genuinely angry that things are not proceeding the way they had hoped would uplift the common man in a very short time.

I have issues with all three groups with varying degrees of understanding. I tend to show the least understanding of the position and attitude of the first group, which set out from the very beginning, to attack and disparage the government at all costs no matter what it does. It is the group that exemplifies the “ideal” form of despicable attacks and criticisms like it should never be practiced in a healthy democratic culture.

Confronted with the levity of their actions and illogicality of their utterances, their most commonly advanced argument is “What does it now feel like getting back a taste of what you dished out to Jonathan?”

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This extremely infantile and pubescent approach to important matters of state and the destiny of a nation can hardly be qualified by any discerning mind, with any flattering or polite adjective for the sake of decency.

The actors are aware of the sense of immaturity that their actions reflect but they are very well driven by the impact of group dynamics.

What an individual would never do, left to himself, he will now do very easily with a sense of justification and righteousness, feeling not alone in the company of likeminds. Educated minds that would ordinarily weigh the pros and cons in words and deeds simply metamorphose into cyber touts and rabblerousers, spewing hate and mischief for the simple sake of angering the state because they feel secure in the comfort of a mob. Their most popular stock in trade, so far, has been the habit of jumping on every issue perceived as negative in relation to the government of Muhammadu Buhari and ripping all facts apart and out of context if need be, as long as it serves the purpose of boosting a negative perception of the government in public view.

They celebrate, in ecstatic fascination, the shortage of cash in the state’s treasury

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—President Muhammadu Buhari

Attacks on Buhari: How pathetic they’ve become!

President Buhari

as incompetence in the management of financial and economic affairs, knowing too well what the impact of dwindling prices can be when it affects the mainstay of the economy. They celebrate the padding of a budget as incompetence and hypocrisy, conveniently ignoring the criminal dimension to the despicable act perpetrated by remnants of decadence and the preparatory environment under which the habit thrived. They celebrate the emergence of buyers’ queues at filling stations as an opportunity that can never

be missed to cut a pound of flesh, willfully negating the reality that the folks also suffered same in the reign of their hero. They suddenly find the mega-phones to announce the random criminal killings perpetrated

by Northern cattle rearers as the new crime-in-town introduced by the hated Northern President. The truth that they know so well, however, is that the problems have existed in varying degrees in several governments. They know so well too, that it is one thing to point out the urgent need for

They tweet half-truths and sponsor ads for political ambitions and clearly overlook the consequences of the political tradition they are breeding for future generations within and outside the senate.

a solution and another thing, entirely, to label a problem as the poster-problem of a hated regime.

Then they are led by people who should have known better with an intimidating background of academic experience and financial resources, lending credence to pettiness and idiosyncrasies. They tweet half-truths and sponsor ads for political ambitions and clearly overlook the consequences of the political tradition they are breeding for future generations within and outside the senate.

The tweeting senator with a not-so-covert presidential ambition simply ends up spearheading a movement of half-truths and willful manipulation with recklessness and reminds me of the foul seeds of journalistic analyses that were sown by the likes of Reuben Abati, Okey Ndibe and Simon Kolawole at the peak of their activism against Olusegun Obasanjo.

Contd on Page 16

DAN GAYE NASS indicts police –News

But this IG ‘recognises’ Speaker.

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PAGE 16

Peoples Daily WEEKEND, SATURDAY — SUNDAY, APRIL 23 - 24, 2016

Saturday Column Contd from Back Page

Today, the behaviour of the so-called Wailers is a partial manifestation of this academically misplaced tradition that I strongly condemned in vain at that crucial point in time.

The tweeting senator who saw all the ills of the preceding government and made no commonsense to challenge the fundamental spread of decay has now suddenly rediscovered and redefined the word “common sense”. In all his tweets and rants, he cleverly forgets to make commonsense on Dasukigate or Badehgate. He makes no common sense of the financial recklessness of the red chamber. Femi Fani-Kayode has long gone silent under the yoke of a corruption cover-up that went awfully wrong and no tweeting senator saw a commonsense factor to tweet about.

Then it dawned on me that the folks are trapped in a state of mind from which they have failed to free themselves. They are yet to grow past the problem of the North-South dichotomy that has plagued Nigeria for several decades past. To them, Buhari is always a Northerner before being Nigerian and they themselves remain Southerners before being Nigerians.

It’s “Us” versus “Them”! It does not matter to them that even President Muhammadu Buhari, who in the past, was a personification of sectionalism with reckless pro-Northern utterances, has now grown past that stage and continued on the footpath of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, embracing the Federal Character mandated by the constitution for the good of the country. No. In their perception, a Southerner who embraces the anti-corruption project of the president (which, in their view, is nothing but hypocrisy because Buhari is also a thief) is nothing else but a traitor and a sellout.

The fight against corruption has suddenly become a misplaced priority of governance as long as the thieves may end up being predominantly Southerners. Never mind though that the hated government has, so far, focused far more disproportionately on its Northern kindred.

This is the point in time in which we recognise the pitiable state of mind that the critics have long degenerated into.

The second group of critics for which I show a limited understanding of seeks to wear the cloak of objectivity by being seen to be criticising the administration having staked a lot of energy backing the same regime. I am sometimes irked by this group for the simplicity to which it reduces itself to be loved and adored as everybody’s darling.

For want of subjects to criticise, its members hop aboard the bandwagon of trivialities and irrelevance. With a vast and radiant array of positive

Attacks on Buhari: How pathetic they’ve become! mental and rational energy, they unwittingly obscure their hardearned reputation needlessly flipflopping in the murky stream of dirty water lilies. They suddenly find favour in unleashing attacks on a president’s honesty that promises foreign partners the resolve to rein in the rampant culture of crime and dishonesty, for which a section of Nigerians is known all over the world.

They dance upon the carnival wagon showcasing budgetary irregularities to be seen as fair and square. Then they fail to make amends when news unfolds of the criminal syndicate underlying the embarrassing plot.

They suddenly begin to hinge on the president’s distinctive slow pace in prosecuting his signature policy of War Against Corruption. They occasionally stray into the Wailers’ terrain, illogically asking if this was the Change they sought with their votes, only to provide the relevant answer when they start defending the president again.

This is a group that basically means no harm to the national interest, but seems to crave the notion of advancing their personal image with a simplistic approach to popular appeal.

The last group, with which I sympathise and empathise, is the group that is simply reacting authentically to the persistence of pain against all expectations. My grudge with this group, however, is bedded in its involuntary supply of needless ammunition to the camp of the grumbling wailers. This is the group that heaved the most sigh of relief when power supply suddenly surged upon the assumption of the presidency by Muhammadu Buhari.

It enjoyed every bit of the moment, in which our comatose refineries swung into action and did outlandish magic.

We called it all the body-language impact. Deep within though, we all knew, it was a transient knee-jerk reaction. After all, the fear of the

“

President Buhari

unknown was leaving a livid track on the comportment of those who had axes to grind. With revenues dwindling, however, and culprits compelled to spit out the “yam” that they have eaten, the fear of who may be the next person in line, now seems to drive the panic reaction of overnight saboteurs.

Yet, I must not fail to pay tribute to all these men and women in this last category of involuntary critics, who live in Nigeria and bear the brunt of hardship that daily life demands and still remain level-headed enough to separate the wheat from the wasteful chaff. I doff my hat for all courageous men and women who go through hours and days of power failure, weeks and months of fuel shortage, unpredictable days of armed robbery, and the uncertain days of kidnapping. I adore their resilience and doggedness for making ends meet in extremely challenging conditions. Yet, they keep their cool

and know where to lay the blame and help to craft a blueprint.

The missing link of added patience that is required in the face of mounting pressure signals the weight of the burden that they bear. Yet, it will all get worse before it becomes better.

Little wonder then that the group of the Wailers, in its isolation and desperation, seeks to capitalise on the pains of the vulnerable third group in the hope that it will bring it relief.

But the nagging and wailing of the third group is as transient as the pains that it endures. It simply requires a heightened dose of reality check.

By the way, if I were a tweeting senator, I’d imagine myself saying right away, “My name is Frisky Larr, I’m just trying to do some reality check”.

Frisky Larr is a German-based Radio/Television Journalist and author of Africa’s Diabolical Entrapment.

They are yet to grow past the problem of the North-South dichotomy that has plagued Nigeria for several decades past. To them, Buhari is always a Northerner before being Nigerian and they themselves remain Southerners before being Nigerians. It’s “Us” versus “Them”!