PEOPLES DAILY, Thursday March 24, 2016. Edition.

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Thursday, March 24, 2016/ Jumada- Al-Akhir 12, 1437 AH

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Vol. 22 No. 43 N150

Arms deal: Dasuki’s absence stalls trial page 14

NASS cuts FG 2016 spending by N17bn page 5

l Transmits passed budget for President’s assent l APC’s policies’ll now be implemented - Oyegun

President Muhammadu Buhari (4th left), Chief of Staff, Malam Abba Kyari (2nd right), Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu (4th right), President, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr. Igwe Achese (3rd left), President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr. Francis Johnson (2nd left), Director General, Department of State Service (DSS), Mr. Lawal Daura (right), National Industrial Relations Officer, PENGASSAN, Mr. Nduka Ohaeri (left), and Chairman, Petroleum Tankers Driver, Solomon Oladiti (3rd right), after President Buhari’s meeting with NUPENG & PENGASSAN on oil and gas industry, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Fuel scarcity will end in May, says Kachikwu pAGE 5

3 ex ministers quarrel over green card contract pAGE 6

Police begin recruitment of 10,000 personnel pAGE 3

2 buried alive over alleged N130, 000 theft >> pg 3

pAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

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

19-22 23

S/Report 24-25 Property 27 Motoring 28 Arts 30

IGP advocates modern high level policing to defeat insurgency Page 7

Arts

30

Metro

31

S/World

39

Digest

40

Finally, FG releases Dasuki’s Aide, Ashinze

By Joy Baba Yesufu

T

he Federal Government has released Colonel Nicholas Ashinze, the former Military Assistant to Former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki.

Colonel Ashinge who had been under the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Military Authority

was released at 2pm yesterday and has already reunited with his family.

Recall that the serving Colonel was still being held incommunicado by the two authorities in defiance of the high court order of March 14, 2016 that directed his release.

A Judge of an Abuja High Court, sitting in Jabi Justice Yusuf Haliru had on March 14, 2016 ordered EFCC, and the Nigerian Army

(NA), to release the serving Colonel Nicholas Ashinze who served as Military Assistant to former NSAs, Sambo Dasuki and Patrick Azazi.

Colonel Ashinze who was detained before resuming his new posting as Defence Attaché in Germany, has been in detention since December 23, 2015.

In his judgment, Justice Yusuf Haliru, had ordered the anti-graft agency and the army to

November 2008, would begin soon.

According to him, “this administration did not give birth to epileptic water supply, rather, it inherited the problems”.

He however attributed the slow pace of the state government intervention in the water sector which appear to have been replaced by private bore-holes, especially in the urban centre, to “low demand for water”.

“Have you seen where people demand for water? But, I have seen a situation where people are demanding for schools and roads But, I do not know why people relegate the demand for water to a secondary position.

“So, if that is the case, government functions to follow the lead of the people. What that means is that what the people demand, that is what they give, especially when the finances are not always there.

“As sub-heads, we must function the way that we bring to the attention to the head of the government, issues that bother on relevant Ministries. We communicate directly with the people and take it up to debate it at the highest levels. But, when it doesn’t come and there are also competing interests, what do you do?...” he said.

Edo/Delta states Coordinator, standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Akogun Ilesanmi and a staff of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NAFDAC), Edo state, Mr. David West, delivered keynote addresses at the event, which was well attended by staff of Ministry of Energy and water resources and table water producers association in the state.

World water say was set the day aside to periodically lay emphasis on the need for safe water.

Edo to domesticate water policy

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

E

do state government has announced plans to domesticate water policy which is expected to regulate and guarantee uninterrupted safe water supply in both urban and rural areas including the various households in the state.

The State Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources, Mr. Washington Osifo disclosed this on Tuesday at a formal ceremony to mark the 2016 World water day, with a theme: “water and jobs”.

He said the water draft document was up for debate at the state executive council meeting before it would sent to legislative arm of the state for necessary input and ascent.

Osifo, assured that public taps which hitherto had been comatose before the present government was born in

Sports 41 Columnist 48

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L-R: Mr. Abdullahi Nyako, Professor Maxwell Gidado (SAN), Alhaji Kabir Turaki (SAN), Chief J.K. Gadzama (SAN), former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Garba Gajam, Mr. Mamman Tahir (SAN), Senator Abubakar Sodangi and Dr Silva Opusunju, during a visit to the former VP by friends of Chief Gadzama, yesterday in Abuja.

Two buried alive for alleged N130, 000 theft

By Doyin Ojosipe with agency report

T

he police have confirmed that two robbery suspects were buried alive by two siblings at Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State for allegedly stealing N130, 000.

Police spokesman in the State, Femi Joseph who confirmed the incident to the media said that said the incident occurred at Omonira Street, Igbokoda on March 12.

According to reports, the

siblings named Omoniyi Alaleran and Oluwaseun Enikuomehin had accused Igbekele Orisabinole and Ogbaro Erinbo of stealing their mother’s N130, 000.

Reports said that their mother, Mrs. Ogunnuga, lost N130, 000 and accused Orisabunole and Erinbo of stealing the money.

She told her children who tortured the duo to confess and bring out the missing money.

The deceased were said to have claimed innocence of the offence but the brothers refused to accept the pleas.

After the torture, the suspects allegedly led the deceased inside a bush, dug a pit and pushed them inside and covered the pit up to their necks.

However, the siblings have been arrested by the police and transferred to the Special Investigative Bureau at the police headquarters in Akure, the state capital.

The State police spokesman, said investigation on the matter has almost reached conclusion and the suspects will be charged to court very soon.

immediately release the applicant on self-recognition, saying his detention for over three months without trial, was “illegal, wrongful, unlawful and constituted a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of the applicant.”

The court also ordered immediate release of documents and items the anti-graft agency seized from the house of the applicant.

JAMB reviews criteria for selecting examination centres

T

he Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will review criteria for selecting centres for its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Dr Fabian Benjamin, the board’s Head of Media and Information, disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Benjamin acknowledged that there were technical hitches in about 20 of the 520 centres registered to host the 2016 UTME on the Computer Based Test (CBT) platform nationwide. ``I want to say that we are making efforts to come up with new selection method and approval of the centres we shall be using for the conduct of our examination henceforth. ``We shall be considering using more of public owned centres and a few oragnised privately owned centres. ``From statistics available to us, we have discovered that most of the issues we had with centres during the examination were associated with those with private concerns,’’ he said.

While expressing the board’s regret over the technical problem, Benjamin, however, said he was happy that the conduct of the examination was generally successful.

He noted that over 1.6 million candidates sat for the examination within and outside the country.

Benjamin re-iterated that the board had not cancelled the entire results of the 2016 examination as was being speculated.

According to him, the board is finalising modalities for the retake of the examination by only those with genuine cases. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 3

News

Police begin recruitment of 10,000 personnel

T

he Police Service Commission (PSC) has warned that there would be no short-cut into the Nigeria Police Force in the recruitment of 10,000 personnel.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2015 approved the recruitment of 10,000 policemen at the National Security Summit in Abuja.

In a statement Wednesday, Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission, told journalists that Mike Okiro, Chairman of the commission, gave the warning while unveiling a portal for the exercise in Abuja.

The statement said that the portal would be opened to the public on April 1 to herald the commencement of the exercise.

“The process leading to the recruitment of 10,000 Policemen as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari at the National Security Summit in Abuja last year, has commenced,” the statement said.

It said the unveiling of the portal was in actualisation of the presidential directive on the recruitment of the 10,000 Policemen.

The statement noted that the exercise was remarkable because

there had not been recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force for more than five years.

It said that thousands of policemen who died in the course of service, dismissed or retired, had not been replaced since the last five years.

The statement stressed that the recruitment would strengthen and re-energise the force to tackle more security challenges facing the country.

It explained that the exercise could not begin last year because the funding was not captured in the 2015 budget.

The statement urged interested

applicants to access the portal through the commission’s website: www.psc.gov.ng or that of the Nigeria Police Force: www.npf. gov.ng.

It said that no fee would be charged for the processing of the forms which would be filled online.

“We are not charging money. It is free, absolutely free,” it said.

The statement said that the exercise would be in three entry points of Constable, Cadet Inspector and Cadet ASP, while there would also be recruitment into the Specialist cadre.

It said that applicants for Police

Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje (2nd right), Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abudlmumin Jibrin, (middle), Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas (left), and Chairman, Senate, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, (right), during the joint press conference on the passage of the 2016 Budget, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Federal roads: Why state govts must comply with standards -Dogara

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara, has declared that state governments must ensure that they adhere to best practices in regards to standards, as well as the Procurement Law, in rehabilitation of federal roads across their domains.

The Speaker stated this while delivering an address at a joint investigative hearing on the claims by state governments of expenditure incurred on rehabilitation of federal roads at the National Assembly.

The Speaker explained that while it is not in the place of the federal government or the National Assembly, specifically, to dictate to state governments on how they should go about their business, in this case, they have to comply with federal government’s standards since they seek to get a reimbursement of the funds

expended on the road projects.

He said, “It is very relevant therefore to find out if state governments complied with the basic tenets and principles of the Public Procurement Act in the award of Federal road Projects within their states for which they seek a refund. Is there value for money for those contracts?

Are those contracts awarded whimsically to conies and favoured companies without due process?

“Ordinarily, it is not the business of the Federal Government in a Federation, to get itself involved in how state governments conduct it procurement and award of contracts. But when you want the Federal government to re-imburse you, then the National Assembly as constitutional guardians of our commonwealth and patrimony, has a duty to ensure, that due process is followed and that there is value for money for the Nigerian people. This is the purpose of this public hearing and this is why the National Assembly is involved, in an

otherwise state activity.”

Dogara went further to note that the 1999 Constitution has provided for road matters in the Exclusive Legislative List, and there exist various legislations on the subject, citing Item 11 of the Exclusive Legislative List which provides for “Construction, alteration and maintenance of such roads as may be declared by the National Assembly to be Federal Trunk Roads”.

Going further, he pointed out, “Infact, the Second Schedule, Part II: Supplemental and interpretation, provides that: “ Where by this Schedule the National Assembly is required to designate any matter or thing or to make any declaration, it may do so either by an Act of the National Assembly or by a resolution passed by both Houses of the National Assembly”.

In addition, he added, existing legislation such as the Federal High Way Act, Cap F13, 35 of LFN, 2004 is also relevant.

Further emphasizing the

reasons why the National Assembly is within its powers to give specifications on what standards the states should use for rebuilding roads if they expect the federal government to refund the monies spent, the speaker noted that the legislature’s powers of the purse entails the Executive can only incur expenditure as provided for by law.

“It is thus within the province of the National Assembly to determine the amount to be appropriated for road projects and to oversight any MDA where monies are appropriated for roads. Furthermore, the National Assembly passed the Public Procurement Act of 2007 wherein the method and process of contract awards are stated”, he concluded.

The hearing will also look into the procedure and process of declaring federal trunk roads and federal highways to conform with Constitutional provisions and make recommendations to the House.

Constables are expected to possess five credits including Mathematics and English Language at Senior School Certificate Examination in not more than two sittings.

It said that for Cadet Inspectors, in addition to having the requirements of Police Constables, candidates would be expected to have an Ordinary National Diploma (OND), Advanced Level (A level), National Certificate in Education (NCE) or their equivalents.

The statement said Candidates for Cadet ASP must possess a University degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND). (NAN)

Group wants N/ East to declare state of emergency on education From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

N

ortheast Education and Social Accountability Cluster has called on states of the North East region of Nigeria to declare state of emergency on the education sector.

In a statement signed by its members and issued to journalists in Kano yesterday, the group expressed concern over the deteriorated condition of education in the region.

The group said in the statement that North East region has the worst education statistics in Nigeria, adding that the poor state of education is critical in the region.

According to the group, a survey showed that percentage of children between the ages 6 and 16 who have never attended school has high prevalence in Borno, Yobe and Bauchi states with 72%, 58% and 52% respectively.

The statement added that the performance of the states in both NECO and WAEC has been the lowest in the country, noting that the problem was caused by the incessant insurgency bedeviling the region.

The group also called on five northeast states to emulate Bauchi state for declaring state of emergency on education sector and inauguration of a committee to reform the sector. “ This committee is saddled with the responsibility to studying and reviewing the existing policies on education in the state. It would also monitor and evaluate the implementation of these policies and make appropriate recommendations incidental to the assignment of the committee.”

PAGE 4

PAGE 4 REPORT

By Ochiaka Ugwu

I

n a manner so frustrating to many people who are desirous of getting a job to support self and family, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released Unemployment/ Underemployment Report for (Quarter 4) 2015, which shows that the number of jobless Nigerians increased by 518,102 persons, resulting in an increase in the national unemployment rate.

The report also stated that unemployment rate in the country climbed to 10.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to 9.9 per cent in the previous quarter. The rate was recorded at 8.2 per cent in Q2 2015. While putting the active labour force of the country at 76.96m, the bureau explained that a total of 22.45 million of the total labour force of 76.96 million were either unemployed or underemployed in Q4 compared to 20.7 million in Q3 and 19.6 million in Q2.

The nation’s statistical agency maintained that the labour force population, those within the working age population willing, able and actively looking for work increased to 76.96 million from 75.94million in Q3, representing an increase of 1.34 per cent during the quarter.

NBC also informed that the economically active population or working age population persons within ages 15 and 64 increased to 105.02 million in Q4, from 104.3 million in Q3, representing a 0.68 per cent increase over the previous quarter and a 3.2 per cent rise when compared to Q4 2014.

The whole statistics shows that about 1.02 million Nigerians in the economically active population joined the jobless queue that is individuals that were able, willing and actively looking for work but were yet to get one.

This report, although doubted by most Nigerians who will rather believe that NBS is being economical with the true situation of unemployment in the land dismissing the report as not representing the true record of unemployment, which has eclipsed the plight of Nigeria’s unemployed and working poor.

There is no doubt that unemployment is the main concern for about half of Nigeria’s teaming jobless poor population, the other is concerned about low earnings, or the poor quality of work and most times no payment at all as it is the case with many establishments. Ordinarily, in this period of financial crisis and the ensuing period of austerity, there suppose be a renewed interest in the unemployed as is done in developed countries of the world. In these developed economies, there are concerns about the rising number of unemployed and those who are working but who still cannot make ends meet.

Indeed, the release of the latest unemployment figures is a reminder that the country has a different problem.

Unemployment seems to have been one of the biggest challenges since the 90s, with roughly 30% of the labour force consistently being unemployed.

This number is based on the most conventional definition of unemployment by the writer or may be a rough estimate from some quarters. With this rate, it is perhaps not surprising that

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Rising unemployment: Any solution in sight?

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige successive regimes have been less concerned about poverty among the employed and the underemployed.

However, the truth remains that the multiple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment require that we consider how the labour market is linked with the goal of poverty reduction by paying more attention to job creating activities. How on earth can one hope that a budget laced with high recurrent cost can bring jobs into the economy?

The fallout being that recurrent expenditure of every

“

appropriation bill takes the lion share over current expenditure that would have retooled the infrastructure for better national development. It is so bad that poverty is no longer a problem of unemployment in Nigeria as employed people are also living below the poverty line. People just work merely for socialization or to be living their houses every morning. It is just very unfortunate and unbearable.

In this context, we fail to recognize the fact that Nigeria has both an unemployment problem and a working poverty problem.

Most people who are working can

barely make both ends meet. That roughly 30 percent of Nigerian workers are poor and that half of all poor Nigerians live with at least one employed person would suggest that the contribution of the labour market to human development is not having far reaching effect.

The fact remains that more than 30 percent of employed Nigerians have been living in households that are not able to meet their basic minimum food and non-food requirements.

This is according to unverified statistics done by some data collection agencies.

But

Government must solve the problem of organisations that would rather poach employees from other companies, instead of employing and training talented people who lack skills and work experience but could add value in the long term.

This ugly habit has made it possible for firms to struggle to fill vacancies, upon the fact that unemployment is high.

this reflects in our everyday life.

Unemployment and underemployment situation in Nigeria is no longer a laughing matter as it has reached a crescendo.

In arresting this ugly situation, the time is now for us to hold the bull by the horn. We have to stop rounding the corner if we are serious about solving this problem. On the interim, we must confront the fact that while our government has been incredibly successful at large, one-off projects that involve a limited number of steps, we have fought corruption vigorously and even humbled the untouchable elements in the polity by arresting and prosecuting them in the court of law. Something that has not happened in resent time.

Government must solve the problem of organisations that would rather poach employees from other companies, instead of employing and training talented people who lack skills and work experience but could add value in the long term. This ugly habit has made it possible for firms to struggle to fill vacancies, upon the fact that unemployment is high And we also need to address the structural constraints of a large, poorly educated, mostly poor population without the social capital to get workplace skills, work experience, and job placement.

This was evidenced on the recent CBN lopsided recruitment which only benefitted the children of the rich which were better placed to acquire education in specialized fields.

The onus is on the Federal Government to direct firms to start a project that will begin to confront those challenges by making them to employ and train young Nigerians in requisite skills that will stand them out.

Their main focus should be on how to diffuse the factors that prevent young people from finding employment.

These firms should prepare first-time employees for work, train young Nigerians against the risks associated with employing first-time job seekers. They should go further to fashion out a scalable model to source, screen, and match high volumes of young people based on their personal strengths, instead of simply looking at their educational history or other formal qualifications, and it can do this for multiple organizations at the same time. They should also assist job seekers in identifying which of their skills may need improvement and offers them help.

However, stakeholders, statisticians, economists and policy makers can get into the boring details and even come up with many suggestions on solving this worsening issue. But the numbers presented by the bureau and the reality on ground point to an ongoing crisis, one that seems to have deferred all known solution.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 5

News

NASS cuts FG 2016 spending by N17b

l Transmits passed budget for president’s assent l APC policies will now be implemented - Oyegun

By Ali Abare, Ikechukwu Okaforadi, Umar Puma and Lawrence Olaoye

T

he National Assembly yesterday slashed by N17 billion, the N6.08 trillion 2016 budget presented by President Mohammadu Buhari last year December, thereby approving N6.060 trillion for the executive in the 2016 fiscal year.

The passed budget will be transmitted to President Buhari for his assent.

This is just as the federal lawmakers adjourned plenary till March 1, to enable them mark the Easter celebration.

The N17 billion , according the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, was slashed from the overhead votes of the recurrent expenditures of the government ministries, departments and agencies, which is now slashed from N2.65trillion to N2.646, 389, 236, 196trillion.

Other highlights of the approved budget are N351.4billion for statutory transfers, N1.587trillion for capital expenditure, N1.475trillion for debt service and N2.2trillion as fiscal deficit.

Also, the budget was based on the parameters of $38 per barrel oil price bench mark, 2.2million barrel of oil production per day, exchange rate of N197 to a US dollar and deficit Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 2.14 per cent.

The Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing got the lion share of N422, 964, 928, 495billion of the capital expenditure of the budget, while the Federal Ministry of Interior got N451, 942, 552, 070billion as lion share from recurrent expenditure component of the budget.

Other Ministries with high capital allocations are Transportation, N188, 674, 679, 674billion, Defence N130, 864, 439, 542billion, Interior N61, 713, 279, 496 billion, Agriculture N46, 173, 963, 859billion and Education N35, 433, 487, 466billion.

Aside Interior, other ministries with high votes of recurrent

expenditure allocations are Education, with N367, 734, 727, 223billion, Defence, with N312, 213, 355, 618billion, Health, with N221, 412, 548, 087billion and Ministry of Youth & Sports Development, which has N72, 297,326, 595billion.

Of the N351.370billion first line charge, otherwise known as statutory transfers in the budget, the National Assembly takes the lion share of N115billion allocation, while the Universal Basic Education (UBE) is allocated N77, 110, 000, 000billion.

Others are: National Judicial Council N70billion, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) N41billion, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) N45billion, Public Complaints Commission N2billion and National Human Right Commission N1.210billion.

Speaking after the passage of the budget, the Senate President,

Bukola Saraki, said the senate and by extension, the National Assembly would work with the executive to ensure full implementation of the budget through effective oversights of various government departments and agencies.

“The budget reflects efficient and equitable allocation of resources to reduce the challenges that we are all aware of. This budget is a product of bipartisan engagement, commitment and patriotism.

“While implementing it, we charge the Executive to also consider the need to support locally produced goods in order to help our economy.

“I will also thank the Appropriation Committee and, of course, we have all noted the areas of omission and I hope the Executive will be able to address the different areas that we talked about.

“We have played our part; the different committees should do their job now in the area of oversight to ensure that we have a budget that is

fully implementable.”, he said.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje (APC Gombe Central), who led debate on the budget, explained that the N17billion reduction effected in the budget size was done in view of the revenue and general economic challenges confronting the nation.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has assured that all its policies and programs would be implemented by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari after the passage of the 2016 budget.

Oyegun who briefed newsmen Tuesday night after the party’s caucus meeting at the Presidential Villa said they discussed vital party issues at the meeting.

He said “It was a very serious meeting that discussed serious issues that have to do with the

progress of the party.

Basically, we are expecting the budget to be out, and once that is done, implementation of our policies will start.

That is what we will use to deliver on our promises to the people. So we are waiting.”

Asked about disagreement among members of the party, he said “Skirmishes among party members are normal. We have set up a committee that is looking into all those issues and will resolve those issues.”

He said money recovered from looters would be deployed into government coffers and be put to judicious use after due appropriation by the National Assembly.

On whether his office was under threat, he said “I am not aware that my office is under threat. I led the party to the State House. It amazes me, occasionally it annoys me. That is one of the things you have to endure when you are in a position like mine.”

L-R: Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, receiving recognition certificate from the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, during the presentation of the certificate for Edo University Iyamho, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Fuel scarcity will end in May, says Kachikwu

By Lawrence Olaoye

H

ope of an early end to the lingering fuel scarcity in the country was dashed yesterday when the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu said the queues at the filling stations would persist for the next two months (May).

The minister, who briefed State House Correspondents after President Muhammadu Buhari met with him and the leadership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), said measures being put in place by the government would help build the nation’s fuel reserves which

would in turn assist in sustenance of the supply of the products.

He pleaded with Nigerians to bear with the government as they endure the inconveniences.

Asked when long queues would disappear from the filling stations, Kachikwu said “One of the trainings I did not receive is that of a magician but I am working very hard to ensure some of these issues go away.

And let’s be honest, for the five six months we have been here, NNPC has moved from a 50 per cent importer of products to basically a 100 per cent importer.

“And the 445 barrels that were allocated was to cover between 50 and 55 percent importation.

So, it’s quite frankly sheer magic that we even have the amount of

products at the stations. We are looking to see how to get foreign exchange input. The president and I discussed extensively on how to get more crude directed at importation.

“His excellency will rather have less crude but have individuals in the society suffer less with inconveniences than have more crude and have them continue to suffer. So we are going to put a new model to enable us increase the pace and actually get majors as part of the crew of those to bring in more products so that the NNPC will, sort of, go back on the capacity of what it used to do and the majors will take over the balance of importation.

“I think if we do that although I don’t want to put a time frame

but I will expect that over the next two months. Of course, you are aware the SAP programme begins in April. So, over the next two months we should see quite frankly a complete elimination of this.

“Our strategy is that whatever is produced in the refineries will not go for sale; we are going to keep them in strategic reserve.

Because the key problem here is that there is no reserve anytime there is gap in supply; it goes off.

So, we are going to dedicate the next couple of months to moving all the products that we produce to strategic reserve so that we can pile up reserves in the nation and that will push up the reserves in the nation.”

Asked what the demands of

the unions were, the minister said they raised concerns over Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), fuel scarcity, refineries, utilization of depots, logistic issues, and loss of jobs in the petroleum sector.

He however assured that the government was working with the oil majors to ensure that the anticipated job loss in the sector never happened.

Kachikwu also pointed out that lot of the challenges facing the oil sector were inherited by the Buhari’s administration.

Igwe Achese, National President, NUPENG and Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson, expressed satisfaction with their engagement with the President especially his resolve to present the PIB to the National Assembly.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 6

News

KCC hosts Nigeria-Korea poetry fiesta in Abuja

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Korea Cultural Centre (KCC) yesterday hosted Nigerian and Korean poetic exhibitions in Abuja, to mark the World Poetry Day and exhibitions by renowned Nigerian and Korean poets.

The fiesta which was held in Abuja, attracted peptic students from across the country, including Lagos, Edo, Abuja, among others, all of who made poetic presentations to

entertain the audience.

In his welcome speech, the new Director of Korea Cultural Centre, (KCC), Hansen Lay, said literally culture has blossomed in Nigeria, observing that Nigeria has world class literary figures like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, among others.

While appreciating the literary works of these respected Nigerian and Korean poets, he said the culture and poetry has played key role in uniting the world.

He explained that poetry provides the means through which people express their hearts through the beauty of worlds.

He said that because of the importance Korea places on Cultural development and relations of both Nigeria and Korea, it established the Korea Cultural Centre in Nigeria, which he said is the first in Africa.

Also speaking, the chairman at the event, Wale Okediran, said six years of cultural promotion in Nigeria is not a joke, adding that to

organise literary events in Nigeria is not easy.

The event featured presentation of proms by poets, award presentation of N20,000, N30,000 and N50,000 by the KCC to outstanding poets, including Kanu Ugonna, Onyemaechi Precious, for the Kids category.

Others were senior category award presentation, which included N30,000 for third price, N50,000 for second price and N100,000 for first price.

L-R: Former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Emeka Wogu, former Ministers of Interior, General Godwin Abbe, Capatin Emmanuel Ihenacho, and Comrade Abba Moro, during the public hearing on the contract by the Federal Ministry of Interior and the Nigerian Immigration Service for the outsourcing of expatriate residency management and boarder facilitation, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Dogara’s wife gives succour to 50 VVF patients in Bauchi From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

T

he wife of the Speaker, House of Representatives Gimbiya Dogara Yakubu has promised to sponsor the repairs of 50 women suffering from the Virginal Vessicular Fistula, VVF, at the National Obstetric Fistular Centre in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi state.

The Speaker’s wife made this promise yesterday while presenting items of assistance donated by her Non Governmental Organization, NGO, known as ‘ Sun of Hope Foundation’ that included, computers, beds, mattresses, detergents and foodstuffs to the patients receiving treatments in the centre.

She said the wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari was aware of the challenges facing the hospital assuring that the first lady would soon visit the facility to undertake a comprehensive assessment with a view to improving it.

Mrs Dogara who explained that the foundation was established with the objective of assisting women in the areas of health care delivery, education and economic empowerment also appealed to the philanthropists and other Non Governmental Organizations to come to the aid of the VVF patients.

In his response, the Medical Director of the Centre Dr. Umar Nasiru Ibrahim applauded the speaker’s wife for the gesture and asked the government of Bauchi state to provide them with vehicles, pay its take up grants and provide additional plot for the hospital for expansion noting that they treat VVF patients from across the country.

3 ex-ministers quarrel over Green Card contract

By Umar Muhammad Puma

F

ormer Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro has said that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) does not have what it takes to produce international passports booklets and the Combined Expatriate Resident Permit Green Card (CERPAC).

Speaking before the House of Representatives committee investigating the contracts awarded by the Federal Ministry of Interior and the NIS to various companies for outsourcing of expatriate residency management and borders facilitation by the House of Representatives committee on interior.

Moro said because the various agreements entered into with different companies were not judiciously implemented, the NIS personnel were not properly trained to take over from the service providers in accordance with the letters of the agreements.

“I have read some of the agreements; in some of them, it is to train our personnel (NIS) to take over from the organisation involved in the PPP.

Unfortunately, we have not been able to reasonably implement our agreements.

“As at today, it is not correct to say that the NIS has the capacity to implement these projects.

As at today, I am saying the NIS does not have the capacity for passports production and CERPAC forms”, he told the panel.

On allegations that Nigerians go through difficulties to obtain international passports, Moro denied saying the administration of Goodluck Jonathan simplified the process by introducing a 64-page passport and 10-finger biometric registration.

Speaking on the operations of CONTEC, one of the companies being investigated in the contracts, the former minister said that “CONTEC does not issues passports or CERPAC; it sells CERPAC cards. It only produces the passports” But another former Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho disagreed with Abba Moro insisting that the CERPAC contracts were a conduit pipe for siphoning the government monies. He said the only solution

is for the NIS to be well equipped to take over the CERPAC project.

In his submission, Interior Minister under the Late Umaru Musa YarÁdua administration, Maj. Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd) told the committee that when he was appointed, he noticed some anomalies in the contract with CONTEC and “my only position was that CONTEC should not continue with the contract because it bordered on the security of the nation’” The acting permanent secretary, Ministry of interior, Alhaji Mohammed Maccido who represented the minister, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau (rtd) at the hearing disclosed that the minister had constituted a committee to review some the contentious contracts and make appropriate recommendations.

He explained that there were noticeable lapses in some of the agreements, which need to be reviewed.

Also, testifying, former minister of labour and productivity and one time supervisory minister of interior, Chief Emeka Nwogu told the committee that the Federal Executive Council

(FEC) at the time approved the contract for reprinting of Nigerian international passport to Iris Smart Technologies Ltd. Appearing before the panel, NIS CGI, Mr. Ibeshi confirmed that the Service issues passports and CERPAC but unfortunately has not access to the data base because the service providers were in charge.

He said, the NIS needs a technology roadmap to properly manage the CERPAC and produce passports.

This is even as the Comptroller General of NIS, Michael Kure Ibeshi said though the service is in charge of management of passports, visa and CERPAC, it does not have control over the data base.

Earlier, while declaring open the investigation, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said the House has been inundated with numerous complaints by Nigerians about the quality of service delivery of the Nigerian Immigration service as it relates to their statutory responsibility of controlling persons entering and leaving Nigeria, issuance of international passports to Nigerians within and

outside the country, issuance of residence permits to foreigners in Nigeria and surveillance and patrol, among others.

He said the House was made to understand that the Nigerian Immigration Service outsourced these all important statutory functions to certain companies, primarily to automate and computerize the process as to enhance security and efficiency.

Dogara noted that “As the representatives of the people, when Nigerians started lamenting and complaining about the difficulties involved in obtaining the Nigerian passport, especially Nigerians in diaspora, and the equally worrisome allegations of loss of huge revenues accruable to the country as well as the controversy surrounding the contracts, we have no alternative but to institute this inquiry to find out the facts, in order to aid further legislation in this field’.

In his opening remarks, chairman of the committee, Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba allay fears of all stakeholders assuring that the efforts was not meant to witchhunt anyone or organisation but a fact finding process.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 7

News

Easter: FRSC deploys 11, 000 Officers, 795 vehicles, 283 bikes, 76 ambulances

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he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has deployed 11,000 personnel, 795 vehicles, 283 bikes and 76 ambulances across the nation for the Easter celebration.

This is contained in a statement signed on Wednesday by Mr Bisi Kazeem, the Head, Media Relations and Strategy of the FRSC in Abuja.

According to the statement, the approval of the deployment is based on the observations of the commission and that of Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the organisation.

The statement said the deployment would address the misuse of the roads by road users which had, in the past, resulted in high level of road traffic crashes, particularly during festive seasons.

“Nigerians will be once again on the road to visit their homes and loved ones in the spirit of Easter celebration marking the death and resurrection of Christ.

“It is in a bid to arrive at their destinations early that most transporters and private vehicle owners drive recklessly and overtake wrongfully, thereby, undermining their safe arrival.

“In a bid to make more money, most transporters resort to overloading and the resultant effect is crashes which in turn lead to loss of lives and property,’’ it said.

The statement also said that the commission would check all cases of wrongful overtaking, overloading, reckless driving and dangerous driving.

Other violations to be checked include; number plate violation, speed limit violation and lane indiscipline.

“The Corps Marshal’s vision is to increase Traffic Management of the Corps to ensure smooth travels before, during, and after the festive season to minimise the occurrence of road crashes,” it said.

To achieve this, the statement said that public enlightenment, removal of rickety and broken down vehicles and a full-scale enforcement against fake and expired drivers licence, would be employed.

“With the measures on ground and with the cooperation of motorists and all staff of the Corps deployed for the operations, road crashes would be reduced minimally, if not eradicated,” the statement added. (NAN)

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, representative of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hajiya Amina Zakari, and member Board of the Electoral Institute, Prince Adedeji Soyebi, during the 12th Electoral Institute public lecture on “ICT and Electronic Voting: Issues and Challenges”, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

IGP advocates modern high level policing to defeat insurgency

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

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he Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Solomon Arase on Wednesday in Asaba, Delta State described as a major challenge, insurgencies currently bedeviling the country, saying that it has remained semantic war that requires modern and high level of policing to win.

He said: “Our major challenges in the present situation bedeviling the country is insurgencies, it is a challenge that has become pandemic and it requires modern policing because it is sematic war to overcome”.

IGP Arase on a two day

working visit to the state urged theCommissioner of Police, Alkali Baba Usman while addressing officers and men of the police force to fine-tune ways for regular town hall meetings with major stakeholders, such as members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), market women, civil society organization, among others with a view to enhancing strategies that will arrest of upsurge insecurity challenges in the state.

IGP Arase said: “There is nowhere in the world where you cannot find crime challenges, and I cannot sit down in Abuja

and be dishing out orders, I must sensitise the police in all the states and their commissioners, it is very important for town hall meetings with stakeholders to fashion ways of arresting crimes”.

On extra judicial killings, IGP Arase frowned at indiscriminate use of arms by the police, saying: “Arms are giving to the police to protect lives and properties and not to be killing people indiscriminately, I hate to extra judicial killings, I don’t like it and I will not subscribe to it and if any policeman is found wanting in that regard he will face the music appropriately because extra judicial killings has given

rooms to litigations, it is not good and I will not support any policeman involved in the act I will prosecute the policeman and try him”.

Noting that a good police force has nothing to hide, IGP Arase said: “I’m a proud policeman, I am proud of the job and I came here in Asaba to thank all of you collectively, especially in the fact that I have attachment to Delta State, despite numerous challenges we may have been facing as police”, disclosing that he had since his assumption of office as IGP promoted over 40,000 police men and women but in rank and file.

…As court strikes out case of self-confessed Boko Haram’s agent

A

self-confessed Boko Haram agent, Mr Lawrence Ugwu, has begged a Karu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, to forgive his criminal intimidations to his former employer.

Ugwu, former staff of Top View Hotel, Abuja, was arraigned on a charge of criminal intimidation contrary to Section 397b of the Penal Code.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and promised to be of good conduct by writing undertaking of good behaviour to the court.

Ugwu told the court that frustration led him to using threat of being a boko haram agent to extort money from the complainant.

The complainant, the management of Top View Hotel, had pleaded with the court to temper justice

with mercy, saying ``the management of the hotel has pardoned him’’.

The hotel also begged the court to strike out the case, since it had lost interest in the case.

Prosecutor Ashashi H.P had told the court that the defendant sent a text message from his handset to the complainant telling him that ``he is an agent of boko haram’’.

Ashashi said the text message

stated that ``I am coming to night to drink star at the hotel and bomb it. ``You should get ready for mass burial. I have done it in Emab Plaza some time ago.’’

The Magistrate, Folashade Oyekan, struck out the case following a plea by the complainant.

Oyekan admonished Ugwu never to allow frustration lead him to committing crime. (NAN)

YABATECH expels 6 final year students

T

he Academic Board of the Yaba College of Technology has expelled six final year students for presenting fake or altered National Diploma (ND) and National Certificate of Education (NCE) results for admission.

The expulsion notice is contained in a circular signed by Mrs Taiwo Obadimu, the Deputy

Registrar of the college, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.

According to the circular, the authorities of the institution considered the report on verification of the affected students’ results and found them culpable. ``Their expulsion was approved,

having found the students guilty for presenting fake/altered ND/NCE results, as their conduct violated the college’s rules and regulations. ``The students are advised to hand over all college property, including student identity cards in their possession, to the heads of their department, the Polytechnic Librarian and the Dean of Students’

Affairs, with immediate effect,’’ the circular stated.

NAN reports that the affected students were in the departments of Food Technology, Mathematics and Integrated Science, Physics Education, Estate Management and Valuation, Industrial Technical Education and Industrial Maintenance Engineering. (NAN)

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

News

NUJ plans Bill to purge impostors, says Odusile

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he Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) says it plans to submit to the National Assembly a Bill on the elimination of impostors in the journalism profession.

The President of the union, Mr Waheed Odusile, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, in Abuja, added that the Bill would be submitted after due consultation with all stakeholders in the profession.

According to Odusile, all members of the Nigeria Press Organisation need to make their inputs before a comprehensive Bill is sent to the National Assembly by April. ``We are making progress on the Bill we want to take to the National Assembly. ``We have been trying to get all stakeholders on board, because like they say, `a bird does not fly with one wing’. ``All stakeholders in the industry, especially the newspaper proprietors, the Guild of Editors and NUJ, together we constitute the Nigeria Press Organisation. ``So we have met and we have a draft of the bill that has been there for some time now; everybody has gone through it, everybody is satisfied. ``So, we are just waiting for a final meeting of the Nigeria Press Organisation to take a final decision on it so that we will have a very comprehensive bill, which we will take to the National Assembly. ``We have been in constant touch with the Senate and they are waiting for us. I expect that before the end of April it should be there. ``The last time we were at the Senate, the Senate President

promised that the chamber would have to take the issue up this legislative year. ``So we want this Bill to pass in this 8th senate and we are working towards it.’’

Odusile also said the union would clamp down on people, who paraded themselves as journalists but were not working for established media organisations in the country. ``There is a committee in each council, mandated to monitor press conferences or where journalists gather in large numbers for events, to actually fish out - I won’t even

call them quacks, I will call them undesirable elements - in our profession. ``At the national level, we are about going into partnership with an ICT firm that would help us to do a comprehensive and elaborate verification of our members. ``We want to do biometrics of our members and put all the necessary information in their ID cards, such that if you are a journalist, let’s say you are from Gombe and you find yourself in Lagos and somebody has the cause to doubt whether you are a journalist or not, once you have the ID card, they will take you to

the NUJ council. ``There will be a computer there and if truly you are a journalist, it will be there, they will see your details. ``There are laws for setting up a newspaper or any media organisation. ``Once the law is followed most of these fake mushroom papers will not come into the market.’’

Odusile said plans were underway to invite online publishers to a dialogue on how to check the excesses of the social media (NAN)

Lagos state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right), and Kebbi state Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu (2nd left), during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding on the development of commodity value chains between the two states, yesterday in Lagos. With them are Lagos state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau (right), and Permanent Secretary, Kebbi state Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Nababa Adamu (left).

Court adjourns trial of ex NIMASA D-G, others till April 18

A

Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday fixed April 18 for continuation of the trial of former NIMASA boss, Patrick Akpobolokemi and five others, charged with N2.6 billion theft.

Justice Ibrahim Buba adjourned the case which was earlier fixed for trial, to April 18.

The adjournment was at the instance of the court.

The judge said it was saddled with much work load and so fixed the continuation of trial on the next adjourned date.

Akpobolokemi is standing trial alongside Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Amaechi Juan and two companies, Blockz and Stonez Ltd and Al-Kenzo Logistics Ltd, on a 22-count charge bordering on the offence.

The accused are charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They had all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Justice Buba had granted them bail in the sum of N50 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.

In the charge, the accused were said to have committed the alleged offences between December 2013 and March 2014.

The prosecution alleged that in February 2014 in Lagos, the accused persons conspired to convert about N437 million belonging to NIMASA. They were said to have on January 9, 2014 converted to their private use, about N66 million and between April and August 2014, converted the sums of N21 million and N53 million respectively, to their use.

The total sums of money allegedly converted by the accused is said to have amounted to about N2.6 billion.

The offence is said to have contravened the provisions of Sections, 15 (1), 15 (3) and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012. (NAN)

Sokoto suspends 5 primary school teachers for absenteeism

S

okoto State Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr Jabbi Kilgore has suspended five teachers of Tsaki Primary School in Kware Local Government for absenting themselves from the school without permission.

Kilgore told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday

shortly after addressing staff and pupils of the school, that the state government would not tolerate any act capable of sabotaging its efforts at reviving the education sector.

He directed the suspended teachers to report to the Education Secretary of the local council for

further disciplinary action. ``Already the state government had sought the support of traditional rulers in monitoring the conduct of primary school teachers across the state. ``The royal fathers are expected to report to the education secretary any teacher that fails to

report to his/her duty post. ``Parents are also to complement the efforts of the state government by sending their children to school in good time,’’ he said.

He said that the government had taken concrete measures to ensure the provision of modern

learning materials to public schools across the state. ``We are committed to providing an enabling environment for our pupils to acquire western education to enable them contribute positively to nation’s building,” he said.

(NAN)

Cooperative development critical to job creation-says labour minister

By Albert Akota

T

he Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has advocated the use of cooperative and similar enterprise for job creation and youths’ empowerment in Nigeria.

Sen. Ngige who was represented by the Director Social Security and Cooperative Development, Mrs. Mojisola

Sonubi, stated this recently in Abuja while declaring open a one day Youth-Cooperative Dialogue organised in collaboration with Foundation for Greater Access and Support.

In his words, “unemployment poses a great perennial challenge to many Governments across the globe. It creates the single most contributory factor to poverty and is a threat to the economy.

We therefore must find new ways to create jobs and youths empowerment through the formation of Cooperatives and similar enterprise.”

Speaking further, the Minister emphasized that Cooperatives remain the largest non-governmental organisations contributing to national economy being an instrument for job creation and youth’s empowerment.

He added that the management of cooperative organisations should be maximally supported and given all the necessary technical and financial assistance needed to boost its effective operations aimed at mass employment generation.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Foundation for Greater Access Support (F-GAS), Dr. Dickson Okolo stated that the Youth Cooperative Dialogue

is aimed at using cooperatives to achieve the diversification of the economy towards employment and wealth creation for the teeming unemployed youths and the vulnerable groups.

The Youth Cooperative Dialogue is an attempt to mobilize Nigerian youths to adopt cooperatives as a business model for self empowerment and contribute towards national development.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 9

NEMA decries increase in building collapse

From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

N

ational Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director General, Alhaji Sani Sidi yesterday described the increase in building collapse in the country as worrisome.

He said many lives and property have been destroyed as a result of collapsed buildings in the

country.

According to him, there is need for building contractors to abide by rules and regulations while constructing houses so as to protect the houses from collapse.

The Director General was speaking while commissioning an excavator vehicle for use in rescuing victims of building collapse for North-West states.

The NEMA boss who was

represented by the North West Zone Coordinator, Musa Ilallah said the excavator would be used when there is any collapse building incident in the zone.

“We are here to commission this excavator which we believe will help greatly during building collapse. Although we are not praying for such a disaster to happen but we must take preventive measures looking at

the report of building collapse that happened in state like Lagos.

“The way and manner we are witnessing building collapse in some states of the federation is worrisome.

We need to safe peoples’ lives. This vehicle will help to rescue victims when such disaster occurs,” he said.

He urged the stakeholders in disaster management to feel free to make use of to excavator any time they need it.

EU seeks value addition to Nigerian products

M

s Cristina Modoran, the European Commission’s Trade Affairs Manager to West Africa, on Wednesday said that for more Nigerian products to get into the European markets, more value should be added to them.

Modoran disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on the sidelines of this year’s first Breakfast Meeting, organised by the Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce and the Belgian Documentation and Information Centre.

The EU official also said that it was imperative for Nigeria to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) to stop duties currently being paid on Nigerian products exported to the EU countries. ``Europe is a big market that imports a lot of processed agricultural products. There are lots of opportunities for Nigerians in the business of exporting the required products to our countries. ``We would really wish to see more value addition to Nigerian agricultural products before they are exported to the European countries. ``We also really wish to encourage Nigeria to sign the EPA. We strongly believe that signing the EPA is the future for Nigerian companies,’’ she said.

Modoran said that according to a World Bank report, the EPA would increase the operations profitability of Nigerian companies by 62 per cent, if signed.

The EU Trade Affairs Manager said that the EPA had a lot of benefits for Nigeria, including the establishment of a more stable environment for investment.

Modoran, therefore, advised the Nigerian government to urgently take advantage of the benefits of the EPA provisions to promote its ongoing economic diversification drive.

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) are a scheme to create a free trade area (FTA) between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). (NAN)

Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan (middle), consecrating the Holy Eucharist, during the Chrism Mass at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Gov. Bello orders payment of 10 casual PHC workers From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

T

he Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has directed the immediate payment of two years salary owed ten casual primary health care workers in Maje town of Suleja Local Government of the state.

According to a statement from the Chief Press Secretary CPS, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, governor Bello gave the order yesterday when the governor paid an unscheduled inspection to the health facilities.

The governor has directed Suleja Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Diko to effect immediate payment of the two years outstanding salary of the casual workers.

“It is very unfair for people to work without payment. As the Chief Security Officer (Suleja LG Chairman) of this place, go and get money to pay these workers their due salaries within 24 hours,” the governor directed.

He assured the affected workers of permanent employment if they discharge

their duties diligently. “If you do your work as expected, I assure all of you of permanent employment.

“This hospital is being used especially by pregnant women, always ensure proper hygiene especially in the bathrooms and toilets”, he stated.

He therefore pledged his administration’s resolve to provide adequate modern medical facilities to the primary health care centres across the state for easy access to health care services, especially the teeming rural dwellers.

Benin Republic poll: Peace Ambassador congratulates president elect

By Doyin Ojosipe

T

he Peace Ambassador and National President of the Union of Beninese Resident in Nigeria, Mr. Honore Hounkpatin has congratulated the newly elected President of Benin Republic, Mr. Patrice Talon on his emergence, after a successful election exercise.

Addressing Journalists in Abuja yesterday, the Peace Ambassador commended the Commission Electorale Nationale Autonome(CENA) and other

international bodies for contributing to the success of the election, adding that the election was well conducted, free and fair and devoid of violence.

He also commended the outgoing President, Mr. Zinsou Lionel for his understanding and show of maturity by conceding defeat.

In his words, “we also congratulate Mr. Zinsou Lionel for his show of maturity by accepting the outcome of the election and as a show of sportsmanship, congratulating Patrice Talon even before he was declared winner.”

The incumbent President, had followed the precedent laid by a former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan by calling up the President elect and wishing him well as he takes over governance.

The Benin Republic held its Presidential election on the 7th of March 2016, where the President elect had garnered about 65% of the votes including ones collated from Diaspora. t was reported that about 11,000 Benin nationals in Nigeria had converged at the Benin Republics’ Consulate Generals premises in Lagos to also participate in the election.

News Atiku’s media office condoles family, Sun Newspaper over correspondent’s death From Umar Dankano, Yola

T

he media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condoled with The Sun Newspaper over the death of its correspondent in Adamawa State, Mr. David Malomo.

A press statement signed by the Director of the Atiku Media Office (AMO), Mazi Paul Ibe yesterday said that the late Malomo was a dependable friend and a journalist par excellence.

“Although an indigene of Offa in Kwara State, David had made a home of Yola through the years of being on his beat covering Adamawa State.

“We will sorely miss David Malomo at the AMO. We condole with his family for this irreparable loss; his employer, the Sun Newspaper and, of course, his colleagues covering Adamawa State. May his soul rest in peace”.

UNICEF, Zamfara embark on safe water provision From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

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he United Nations International and Children Educational Funds (UNICEF) in collaboration with Zamfara state government has vowed on efforts to provide an appropriate quantity and safer drinking water to the rural and urban communities across the state.

The development was pronounced on Tuesday in Gusau, Zamfara state capital by the Head of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), a UNICEF sponsored programme in Nigeria, Mr Kannan Nadar at a one day seminar to mark the World Water Day in the state.

Mr Kannan disclosed that the UNICEF 2013 investigations has revealed that the proportion of population accessing improved water sources in the state was 35.6%, with about only 57.8% of the population that depends on unimproved open wells and other surface water sources.

Mr Kannan, called on Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar to hasten fulfilling his commitment for the release of 2016 N400m counterpart funding as well as approving the operational funds of N250,000 monthly to each of the 14 local governments for the provision of general basic water services to the rural communities.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 10

News

Textile workers get new national president

Senior Assistant SecretaryGeneral, Nigeria Union of teachers (NUT) Lagos wing, Comrade Mohamadu Braimoh (left), being congratulated after his lecture by the Senior Assistant SecretaryGeneral of NUT FCT wing, Mr. Bello Argungu (right), during the NUT FCT Study Circle Leadership Workshop, yesterday at Gwagwalada, in Abuja. With them is the Chairman, NUT FCT wing, Abuja, Comrade Knabayi Adalooh (middle).

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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Photo: NAN

Easter celebration: NSCDC calls for vigilance, orderliness From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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n order to make the 2016 Easter celebration hitch-free, the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps, Kaduna State Command has called on residents and members of the public to be vigilant and maintain orderliness during the festivity.

The State Commandant of the Corps, Alhaji Modu Bunu who made this call, said conscious

efforts should be made in self protection while shopping before, during and after the celebrations.

Bunu advised that crowded places like markets, recreational facilities and densely populated areas should be avoided, noting that enemies of humanity who are desperate in causing confusion may want to take advantage of such gatherings to wreck havoc.

The State NSCDC boss called on youth who are the most

vulnerable group to eschew violence in whatever guise and embrace orderliness before, during and after the Easter celebration.

He commended the peace being enjoyed in the state, attributing it to the peace process by the government as he enjoined residents to consolidate on it by reporting suspected acts and persons to security agencies for necessary actions.

In another development, the Commandant has assured of adequate security during African Nations Cup qualifier match between Super Eagles of Nigeria and Pharaohs of Egypt at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna this Friday. According to him, the command has concluded all arrangements to ensure mass deployment of personnel for the two events slated to hold between this Friday and next Monday.

Education board uncovers 73 ghost workers in Delta From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

N

o fewer 73 ghost workers have been discovered in Delta State Unified Teaching service (UTS) from Agbor, Asaba and Isoko Zones of the state Post primary Education Board (PPEB), Executive Chairman, Board, Mr. Patrick Akporuno has said.

Akporuno, who gave the figure in an interview with our correspondent, at Utagba-Ogbe Grammar School, Kwale in

Ndokwa West Local government Area of the state, disclosed that the ongoing verification of staff of the Board was aimed at fishing out ghost workers from the system.

According to him, “The figure is made up of dead staff, retires of the board who are still receiving salaries, those that have absconded from their duty posts and some youth corps members who are no longer with the PPEB”, adding that the state government had been paying monthly salaries to the ghost

workers for close to three years.

He stated that the Board, under his watch, had earlier forwarded names of 50 ghost workers to the office of Delta state Accountant-General for removal from the state government’s payroll.

“On Monday, March 21, we were in Isoko Zone of the PPEB for the verification exercise where 20 ghost workers were dictated”, Akporuno said, that as at 11.05 as at on Tuesday PPEB discovered three ghost workers in one school in Kwale

(name withheld) Zone of the Board, including a youth corps member.

The PPEB boss pointed out that the verification exercise had been carried out in Asaba, Agbor and Isoko Zones, exercise is going on in Kwale zone.

He said that other members of the board, the permanent Secretary and other senior Directors in the Board are simultaneously conducting the verification exercise in other areas of the state that have not been covered.

he National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) has elected a new National President in the person of John Adaji formally of UNITEX Ltd, kaduna .

The election which was announced in a communiqué issued after the 11th national delegates’ conference saw Comrade Issa Aremu returned as the General Secretary of the union.

The election which has its Returning Officer, Comrade Angelina Chitambo, the National President, Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union also saw thirteen other officers being elected as national executive officers.

The communiqué also expressed concern that low crude oil prices had impacted negatively on economic performance in recent time leading to a sharp fall in GDP growth rate, adding that there is also rising inflation occasioned by the depreciating value of the Naira and declining industrial performance as a result of rising cost of in-puts and infrastructural challenges.

The textile workers observed that with the price of crude oil falling below 40 dollars, Nigeria has a new opportunity to diversify and industrialize the economy, create jobs and move the people out of poverty, Stressing that what Nigeria needs is to turn abundant raw materials, namely crude oil, limestone, cotton, diamond, gold, groundnuts, cocoa, tomatoes, into finished processed manufactured They urged that Nigeria take advantage of the multiple benefits of crude oil by fixing existing local refineries, exploring local refining capacity and building petrochemical and gas plants.

The textile workers also condemned the recent statement credited to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu that “It’s cheaper to import petrol than refine locally”.

They called on the Minister to withdraw this unhelpful statement failing which we demand he should resign.

The union urged President Buhari to urgently convene stakeholders meeting on textile with a view of implementing the Nigeria industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Cotton, Textile and Garment policy, under the Chairmanship of the Vice President of Nigeria.

Nasarawa Govt to build additional hostels in boarding schools

T

he Nasarawa Government says it will build additional hostels in each of its 28 boarding schools across the state to ease accommodation problems of students.

Ramatu Abubakar-Ajuji, the state Commissioner for Education, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia on

Wednesday that government was concerned by the congestion at the hostels. ``I have directed the relevant departments to go round the boarding schools for need assessments and report back to me for prompt action,`` she said.

She said that the report would inform the next action to be taken

by government and urged the concerned departments to carry out their assignments with sense of patriotism.

The commissioner said the government met a very bad situation on ground, particularly in schools in rural communities that were in terrible conditions.

She said that the efforts of the

government in the past four years were not felt in the education sector.

The commissioner said the government would also upgrade facilities in public schools to enhance the teaching and learning of science subjects in all public schools.

She said that the state government under Governor Umaru Al-Makura would not relent

on its efforts until it succeeded in repositioning the sector for better service delivery.

She expressed satisfaction with the improvement in the performances of students from the state in all external examinations and urged them to redouble their efforts to justify their parents’ and government’s investments. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Page 11

EDITORIAL

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Halt farmers, herders clash

he federal government on often in the past, such tough involving nomadic herdmen and Monday (March 14) issued what pronouncements were not followed crop farmer has been raging in the can be said to be its strongest throughout. Lack of action had Middle Belt years. Since 2001, that reaction yet to the February encouraged the attackers to return is a15 year period, over 60, 000 massacres in 10 communities to the battle fields. As a first step, were killed in herdsmen/farmers in Agatu local government area the investigative team government confrontations. Compare this of Benue state. They are Aila, has promise should establish the statistic with the 17, 000 killed by Adagbo, Akwu, Okokolo, Ogboju, true identity of the perpetrators of Boko Haram since 2009!

Odugbeho, Ogbaulu,Egba and the Agatu killings. The impression The causes of the so-called range Obagaji.

In ferocious attacks war are both historical and lasting 7 days, men suspected to be crop climactic. Before Nigeria’s independence, the British cattle herders, armed with bows colonialists, established tin and arrows, matchetes and guns, mines in what is today Plateau repeatedly attacked the 10 farming state. They brought people from communities, killing men, women outside to work the mines. and children. Houses, barns They would soon be joined by storing last year’s harvests, school kinsmen who were cattle rearers buildings and police stations were in search pasture. The arrival of razed to the ground. the herddmen put pressure on Former President of the Senate the land, leading to occasional David Mark re-elected for the 7th clashes with farmers. time last month, hails from that The 1960s drought in the Sahel part of Benue state. On a recent region made such confrontations on the spot assessment of the more frequent by reducing carnage, he told accompanying traditional grazing lands. Climate journalists that 500 persons were change, unfortunately, has kept up killed in the February attacks the pressures. The consequences alone. He described the killings resulting from the clashes over as “genocide”, saying they were diminishing land are revenge “mindless”. attacks and ethnic cleansing of Reacting to senator Mark’s appeal Fulanis by so called indigenes. for government help for his The solution to this seemingly people, the federal government intractable problem is a return vowed to “deal decisively” with to what happened to make such perpetrators of the Agatu killings. clashes fewer and far between Speaking through minister of in the 1960s, Then, the northern interior Lt-Gen Abdulrahman given is that they were Fulani regional government had grazing Dambazzau, the government herdsmen. But their umbrella lands dedicated to patoralists and said the killers were “unwittingly organization, Miyetti Allah, has special pathways were worked testing the will and capacities” of denied this. Only the government out for their animals so that they the government. team can establish the fact of the did not have to trespass into We welcome the government’s matter. farmlands. That way friction was tough talk on Agatu; we expect However, we know for a fact that what kept to the barest minimum. We it to also walk the talk. Too has been described as a “range war” should walk that road again.

“

Climate change, unfortunately, has kept up the pressures.

The consequences of the clashes resulting from the clashes over diminishing land are revenge attacks and ethnic cleansing of Fulanis by so called indigenes.

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PAGE 12

Opinion

Opt not for the quick fix in the FCT

By Jamila Musa

F

rom the wisdom of Socrates we learnt that “he who is contented with what he has would not be contented with what he would like to have”.

Times changes We have just been treated to a political show where seemingly irresistible forces suddenly came to an unexpected stop, landing us in a rediscovered Nigeria where the quick fix no longer applies but a careful calculated, purposeful and deliberate policy action. Curiously, past experiences have conditioned our minds to a misguided sense of the purpose and values of leadership so much so that matters of our nationhood only find expression in scandalization at one end and trivialization at the other end.

Indeed, it is beyond one comprehension how some individuals still struggle to resist the fact that times have changed. That its no longer business as usual and that it’s a President Buhari regime where arguments and actions are based on principles, integrity, sincerity and coordinated by defining priorities. Now, government business is transacted with passion, prudence and a sense of commitment hitherto alien to our teeming populace which seems lost between the two colliding ways of our national

life. The past ways of life, the days of a quick fix solution typified in deceptive facts and manipulated figures that played up to the mental attitude of a people who have all along been sheltered from the real challenges of the Present times by an easy environment which albeit, certainly mortgages our future.

In contrast, there is a new dawn where it is being emphasized that to make progress, to secure the future of a nation we must begin at the very beginning by confronting our worst fears, our adopted norm of impunity and recklessness and the stereotypical life of wealth without work. This government is preaching a change agenda built on the realities of societies and seeks to develop in us a mental attitude of a people who have been challenged and have responded victoriously. It is a proven fact of history that change is always resisted even by the very people who would benefit from it in the long run.

The reason for such resistance is not far-fetched . just as it is true that no one recovers from fever without having taste the bitterness of quinine, change cannot usher in the desired level of development without a variation in the status quo. It may involve such unpleasantness as the replacement of immediate comfort and perhaps, happiness

with a consciousness of pressure and a feeling of anxiety. To be able to appreciate the struggles of the present administration, we must learn to take a long view. Ease, as they say, is the enemy of civilization .

The situation in the FCT is much the same. It is therefore unfair that a Nigerian living in the present times could so despicably attempt to blacken the name of a distinguished man, Alhaji Mohammed Musa Bello, the Honourable minister of the FCT in a recent publication of the Nigerian Pilot Newspaper Entitled “ FCT Minister, sit up or resign”. Visible in that write-up was a futile attempt to replace credibility with credulity. Mr Obinna is clearly an unserving memory of some sorts and his sense of judgement lopsided.

Criticizing a man when you have a prejudiced mind, a selective vision and a grudge to deal can be a messy and ridiculous exercise. In the writers haste to put the Honourable Ministers of the FCT down as is being done to other ministers and even the President himself by henchmen of the fallen tyrants, he failed to see the benefits of the Honourable Minister situation assessment, careful planning and strategic prioritization. He could not see the greeneries that bedeck the city nor the renovation and repairs of road networks across the metropolis

and statelite towns. He was even particular about the jabi motor park road condition. I do not know whether there are two of such places but the jabi motor park road, the m20 which was in a deplorable state before the minister assumed office is under going repairs just like most of the other parts he has mentioned. There is also an ongoing negotiation for financial bail-out to area councils. In an era marked by stark paucity of funds, it is foolish to expect that our governments should rush up everything in one swoop.

Maybe it is their expectation that this government will rush into activities without sizing up the situations and then buckles under the weight of hazy proceedings and become ready prey to their criticisms.

Mr Obinna can go and tells his friends and masters that these men of the moment are no fools and no amount of provocation can goad them into hasty actions. Security challenges, infrastructure problems and even environmental degradation are actually inherited problems in the FCT. The world over, there are problems of urban settlements and there is really no one –size-fit –all solution.

These matters need to be achieved without fundamentally damaging the natural and sociocultural environment of the city and to begin to think that the

FCT minister has no plans to tackle these issues, only four months into his administration is utterly cynical. Patriotism goes beyond criticizing. It also involves making painful efforts to understand government programmes and policies.

These government has targeted combating corruption as a priority agenda and knowing the damage and helplessness to which that horrible phenomenon has subjected this nation. It is patriotic enough to support the government in the fight even if it will go down in history as their only achievement. By and large, no development can be sustained if we have not been able to end or subdued corruption. The FCT as you must be aware is a victim of huge corruption which had hitherto eaten into its operating budget at the detriment of transit, planning, library services, corporate support, facility cost and other nondepartmental costs. We cannot seriously be expecting the Minister to reverse this trend without having set the stage for a responsible and forward – looking fiscal management.

We must, therefore, support development in the FCT through plain modest living.

Jamila Musa, a public affair analyst sent this piece from Abuja.

A silent prayer for President Buhari at a time like this

By Joe Igbokwe

O

h God Almighty in whose all Almighty hands are the destinies of nations and individuals please protect this president and his cabinet members. A time comes in the life of any country when good men take the centre stage to reorder the course of events.

A time comes in the life of any nation when men must stand up to say enough is enough. I have been screaming from the roof top to anybody who cares to listen that President Buhari is doing the unthinkable in Nigeria. President Buhari is digging the deepest well in Nigeria. This man is breaking his back for Nigeria to come alive again. President is jumping from California to Catalina Island, a distance of 26 Kilometers even though it looks an impossible task. President Buhari is going the whole hog to clear the Augean Stable PDP left behind in 16 years.

This man is going extra miles to recover the soul of Nigeria stolen for 16 years. This man is bitting bullets to retake Nigeria that has been plundered and pillaged to bones in 16 years.

I am a student of the Bible

and at a time like this is what we are told as Christians is to pray for the leader whom God has chosen at a time like this. Given the magnitude of corruption, impunity, lawlessness and brigandage in our country today every right thinking person must rise up to offer a helping hand.

Forces of darkness who want the maintenance of the status quo are very rich, very powerful, and well connected. They are capitalizing on the massive poverty they have created in the land to take advantage of the weak and the vulnerable. They have used massive poverty as an instrument to work on the psychology of our people. Now our people are poor, weak , dejected and confused.

Our God, our Helper must do something for his people who are down, robbed and plundered.

Throughout history I have known that our Creator cannot send you on a battle and leave you empty handed. He always arm those who genuinely love him and even those who do love him for a purpose and care for His people.

You do not need to be a Christian for God to recognize you. After all Cyrus did not know God as

written in Isaiah 45 and yet God blessed him. President Buhari did not emerge as president last year for nothing . God has a purpose for putting this man in the saddle at a time like this. If money, soldiers, police , secret police, powerful men and women, political structures, networks etc were the yardstick for winning the 2015 Elections PDP would cruised to victory. But God was on the side of APC and President Buhari. From the unexpected quarters he raised Buhari to come and restore hope in the land. But will this job be easy as milking a cow. We are seeing that it is not an easy task. Corruption is fighting back in the from all directions; the judiciary, MDAs, National Assembly , Banks, and from a vast preponderance of other institutions in Nigeria. This man needs all the support from all and sundry to succeed.

I am therefore invoking Psalm 20 on this day of March 21 2015 to encourage this President at a time like this. Please pray with me: “The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and

strengthen thee out of Zion; Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.

We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.

Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.”

You can be an APC or PDP member, a Christian, Muslim , a professional, a trader, a market man or woman, student, artisans , labourer, carpenter etc and you firmly believe in President Buhari’s drive for a new Nigeria, all you need to do is to key in to this project to pray for the president to succeed. If you like what the president is doing today, if you are a lover of good things, if

you are lover equity, Justice and FairPlay, if you hate corruption, and impunity, if you believe in the project Nigeria under Buhari, if you want our country to join the comity of civilized world, if you want our economy to grow, if you want Nigeria to rebuild her infrastructure,please key in to this project.

Light and darkness have no meeting point. Hope and hopelessness have no meeting point and so it is good for leadership and bad leadership. A country deserves the kind of leaders it gets.

As man thinks so he is. The Holy book says we should not cast away our confidence in God which has great reward. Corruption must not defeat Buhari and Nigeria. If God is with us as a mighty terrible one, the enemies of Nigeria will crumble and they will not succeed no matter how powerful they are.

Their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.This should be our prayers at a time like this.

Amen!

Joe Igbokwe is the Publicity Secretary of All Progressives’ Congress (APC) Lagos State Chapter.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 13

Comment

Transforming Nigeria’s educational system for societal impact

By Gerald Nwokocha

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he quote: “Knowledge is Power”, is so right. Without knowledge, people perish.

Knowledge can be acquired through education to change in behavior, perception, and attitude, how to do things and how to think. All these changes come in the lives of people especially the educated ones. You cannot over emphasize the influence education could have in a society, technology wise etc.

When there is leadership failure in the larger society, it is a confirmation of a failed education system. The University system and indeed the higher institutions should be blamed for the wrath found in the society today. Yes! Because the university is supposed to be a pinnacle for all including the government, to look up to gain knowledge which could be translated to the community. The true leader of the society is the University. Unfortunately, she has failed to lead the society to prosperity. She has failed to lead the people leading the society. What do you see today? The universities lecturers are crying “give us more money... ooo, increase our allowee... ooo, you cannot tell us to make sacrifices while the politicians are busy amassing wealth… ooo, increase funding in our schools…ooo.” So you see that the university teachers have brought themselves to a level where they are now beggars and praying to the people in government to be merciful to them. That’s where they lost it. A look at Nigeria’s political history from 1966-1979, when the military took over government, they never came near the university because they were afraid of what would happen. But they had their gradual process of coming into the university and because of the greed and human nature of some people in the university, they later capitulated.

This is not to say that the government has no blame at all in the whole issue but the higher institutions especially the university was careless in ceding what was supposed to be their “authority” to the politicians, the government, etc.

It now looks as if higher

institutions of learning, be it university, polytechnic, colleges (of education, agriculture, technology), are not designed to solve problems rather to issue certificates for societal grading and fame. Academic staffers are interested in the next promotion, welfare package and title.

Members of the non-academic staff are interested in salary increment every now and then.

The management is interested in the contracts they award, the allocation they get from the government, Tertiary education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and other interventionist agencies, as well as their internally generated revenue (IGR) which they get from tuition increment. For the students, they are interested in the grade points.

A University Don Dr. C. Uwaoma said, “They say there should be increased funding of institutions because the laboratories are not in place, etc. Of course, they need funding. But then, you would ask, what type of laboratory did Michael Faraday use when he invented electricity decades ago? The issues are not all about equipment, and funding, rather issues are integrity, dedication, content, and morality. If all the billions are given to university lecturers and administrators that are not dedicated, the whole money would be wasted and there would be a calamitous outcome because, they have been receiving funding and interventions but have been leaking. If you check it, you would notice that most Private universities in Nigeria do much better despite the limited funds available to them than their public counterparts that have whooping budgets and allocations from government and interventionist agencies.”

The problem is more of ethical and not infrastructures or funding.

It is the inability to think, greed by some lecturers who have failed to research and upgrade themselves to the global happenings but chose to be gyrating in the glories of the past, and thinking only about their pockets and titles. Greater number of them has no passion for teaching not to talk of transferring knowledge to students. They would shutdown the system by embarking on strike actions if you refused to dance to their demands

(pay increment) but wouldn’t want to be asked why they go to the classrooms only when it pleases them. Some lecturers go to lectures only once in a semester. Others would go to class, and because a student said something that got them angry, they would now punish the entire class by telling them, “We would meet in the exam hall”. That marks the end of that course for the whole semester.

Some are lecturing, doing business and at same time, wanting to be like politicians.

On the other hand, there is lack of diversity in the teaching and learning system. Examples, most of the students studying Maritime Technology, don’t even know how a vessel is, likewise have never come across a seaport before. Some graduates of Computer Engineering don’t have a computer system not to talk of knowing what a motherboard is.

A fresh graduate of one of a state owned university in the SouthEast Nigeria said; “I studied Mass Communication. We never used the studio for ones. They only open it whenever there is National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation. I feel if I should find myself in the broadcasting sector, I’d mess up. I could learn though if I developed the interest. My study was much more of theories than the real stuff.” Now, you can see that school only prepares students for exams, and not to know.

A situation where your course title, course outlines contents are not relevant in today’s global market realities, and you still hold on to them in the name of ‘keeping to the visions of our founding fathers’. You forgot that ‘our founding fathers’ visions were limited by what they knew and saw as at then and were determined by the realities of their days. Great minds like Samuel Tunde Bajah (renowned science teacher), Grace Alele –Williams (Nigeria’s first female vice-chancellor), and Aliu Babantunde Fafunwa (former education Minister), etc., were products of our schools in those days. These individuals weathered the storms in their chosen career. Indians used to send their children to University College Ibadan to come learn Medicine and Surgery. But today,

it is not so, the reverse is the case.

Ghananians were much here then and obtained their education here until they were jilted. Today, Ghana’s educational system is stronger than Nigeria’s and there are thousands of Nigerians rushing to school in Ghana. How did things go wrong?

Apply for an admission or make an inquiry online to know the duration of a programme, tuition, etc, in a Nigerian university portal, you are on your own because, you will never get a feedback. There is no correspondence. For instance, a school in the Southern Nigeria said, “one could now apply for and get transcripts online without needing to be physically present in school”. But when you try it and finish making payments online, if you didn’t return to the school to process it, then you would have to wait till eternity.

Even when you write to the emails provided in the portal, nobody will reply. This can’t happen in most schools outside the country.

You can virtually do everything online with most schools outside Nigeria; they would even attach you to an academic adviser who would put you through on what the course you intend to study is all about. They would call you, but not so in Nigeria.

The system here has refused to embrace the ever changing and dynamic nature of modern world.

A student, Chinaza Emmanuel, said, “I got queried by my computer lecturer for organizing a workshop on programming language (Java, C++ and PHP) for 200 level students. I was told, ‘that was too high for their level’”.

A look at lecture notes of some lecturers would reveal that, it was same lecture notes used 10years ago when they were Assistant Lecturers that they are still using to teach students now that they are Senior Lecturers. A Nigerian graduate Chiamaka Uzomba in a chat on facebook revealed one of his experiences during his undergraduate program, “a lecturer who gave us his lecture note to photocopy because he was busy to lecture, warned us to be careful with it as it was almost 10 years old. Then it dawned on me that school wasn’t what I needed to succeed. I started

reading extensively, going away from school materials to a more informative book. Today, I am happy man.” Imagine that? For ten years, no new information at all?

You spent years thinking you were preparing for life, you finally came out of school, and then realized you were much unprepared for life. It then dawned on you that after school, real learning. Our lecturers need serious caution.

If the higher institutions refused to be dynamic, evolving, and innovative, they would remain obscure in the league of higher institutions in Africa, not to talk of the world. Some school administrators during in an interaction with them said, “In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the system was doing exceptionally well. There were no top journals, publications, where they do research in the world that didn‘t carry a publication by a Nigerian. By then Nigeria was right in the world league not in the African league at all. But now, we have virtually nothing to show.

Intellectually, what is the type of things we publish that has not been published in the world?”

Textbooks authored by some lecturers now are copy and paste.

They lack the zeal to research, to engage in multitasking adventure.

They are eager to get their works published so that they would be counted among those that have published journals. In most cases, they used undergraduate final year project works, dobbed them, pushed them to the press and automatically become Authors.

Most Nigerian authors practice plagiarism. The decay in the system is alarming and so the impetus to research, innovate and develop has diminished.

If all these ingredients could be fixed back into the system, Nigeria could be an educational giant, commercial giant and industrial giant in the whole of Africa. Then the quality of output would reflect positively in the society and her leadership.

are exposed to risk factors. Noma infection appears like cancer in the month which if not early treated can lead to deformity of the face.

Dr Ahmed stated that severe malnutrition, measles, HIV AIDS, exposure to dirty environment, poor oral hygiene and residential proximity to livestock are the risk factors to ‘Noma’ disease.

The pediatricians further stated that the disease affects the mouth and occasionally the genitals. ‘Noma’ is caused by multiple bacteria which some of them are Borrelia Vincentii, staphylococcus aureus,

porphyromous, gingivitis but the common one that usually affect is staphylococcus aureus.

“There will be a sudden rapidly worsening tissue destruction, the gums and lining of the checks becomes inflamed, and it develops into a mouth odour and odor of the skin too. From there, it spreads to the skin tissue very rapidly on the lips and checks which lead to deformity and loss of teeth” she said. Dr Ahmed noted that, ‘Noma’ can also affect the genitals, spreading to the genital skin which often results to deformity.

She pointed to fever, reduced appetite, diarrhea, wound in the mouth, mouth odor which will be very chronic, sever body temperature, odor of the skin on the check as symptoms that goes with the disease. The medical Expert however explained that introduction of oral care, that is, cleaning the mouth of an infected child two to three times daily are some of the measures that can be taken to prevent the occurrence the disease.

For treatment, she explained that anti-biotic, passage of tube to feed an affected child

till the wound in the mouth gets healed, but if it is so sever, corrective surgery will be advised for deformed face. Dr Ahmed concluded that good oral hygiene, taken of balance diet, drinking of safe water especially one treated with chlorine, prevention of HIV AIDS, sanitation and reduction if children exposure to livestock are helpful for the prevention of Noma disease.

Gerald Nwokocha is a young writer, Content Development Specialist, and Principal Author; The Metamorphoses of Nigeria.

Examining poor nutrition and disease in children

By Shirley Oghenerume Isodje

Children who are exposed to unhygienic conditions as well as malnutrition may be susceptible to a new disease called ‘NOMA’.

According to health expert, the ‘Noma’ disease is a gregarious infection of the mouth or genital which affect children within the age of two years to sixteen years.

A pediatricians in the Federal Medical Center Bida, Dr Grace Ahmed who revealed and explained that ‘Noma’ is also known as ‘cancrus Oris’ usually affact children and adults who

Shirley Oghenerume Isodje, student of HNDII Mass Communication, Federal Polythenic, Bida

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

News Kaduna holds Economic Summit April 6

T

he Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit, organised to generate investment to the state, will hold from April 6-7, in Kaduna.

The Executive Secretary of the State Investment Promotion Agency, Alhaji Gambo Hassan disclosed this at a press briefing on Wednesday in Kaduna.

He said that the summit with the theme ``Let’s move Kaduna into the Global Economy”, would attract business moguls including Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, international finance organisations and development partners.

He said the forum would highlight key growth-oriented actions, including facilitating the availability of information on investment, and areas where the state has comparative advantage. ``The purpose of the KADINVEST is to bring together the world’s savviest investors to share fresh insights and discuss the strategies put in place for investment in Kaduna state. ``It will seek to answer questions such as ``What is the current state of the market in Kaduna State? ,”Where to invest in Kaduna State? and How to invest in Kaduna State?. ``The summit objective is to broadcast Kaduna State’s investment promotion messages to potential investors, lift the profile of the state’s economy within the international investment community.’’

Hassan announced that Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i would unveil the state’s Economic Agenda and Development Plan during the summit.

He said that the state government had demonstrated firm commitment to providing sustainable economic growth and appropriate legislations, for businesses to thrive.

According to him, the state has aligned its budget to capital development to build human capital and infrastructure.

He stressed that private investment remains ``the best vehicle for job creation’’, as such the forum would serve as a major platform for investment. ``Kaduna State understands the critical significance of mobilizing domestic and international financial resources, leveraging international trade and increasing international development cooperation in achieving sustainable development goals.” Hassan said.

The official identified said the government hopes to attract investment in key sectors over the next four years.

The sectors include transportation, housing, renewable energy, Information and Communication Technology, hospitality and Tourism, as well as agriculture, waste management, manufacturing and mining.

NAN reports that the forum would be jointly hosted by the state government, Nigeria Investment Promotion Council and Nigerian Economic Summit Group. (NAN)

Petrol hawkers waiting for buyers, yesterday at Ojota, in Lagos.

Photo: NAN

Arms deal: Dasuki’s absence stalls trial

T

he absence of retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser (NSA), on Wednesday stalled his trial at an FCT High Court, Abuja.

Dasuki, Shuaibu Salisu, a former NSA Director of Finance, and Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former Executive Director, NNPC were arraigned for diversion of N13.6 billion meant for purchase

arms.

The other defendants were Acacia Holding Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited At Wednesday’s hearing, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that Dauski refused to come to the court because his lead counsel would be absent.

Jacobs said that he persuaded him to come but he said, ``unless you abduct me, I am not coming’’.

Citing Sections 267(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, he said that it was a deliberate effort made by the first defendant and his counsel not to appear in court.

However, Mr Wale Balogun, holding brief for Mr Joseph Dauda (SAN), told the court that it was the duty of the prosecution to produce the first defendant in the court.

He said that the prosecuting

counsel did not produce affidavits evidence before the court as for why he could not produce the first defendant.

Olakayode Dada, Mr Solomon Umoh (SAN), Dr Abiodun Layoun (SAN) and Mr Olajide Ayodele counsel for 2nd to fifth defendants, respectively aligned themselves with Balogun’s submission.

Justice Husseni Baba-Yusuf adjourned the till April 6 for continuation. (NAN)

15 Kwara LGAs owe workers six months salary -NULGE From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin

T

he Secretary of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Kwara State, Mr. Afolabi Abayomi has said that 15 Local Government Councils out of 16 were unable to pay their workers over six months’ salary arrears.

Abayomi disclosed this during an interview with journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday.

He said only Kaima Local Government Council with the Headquarters in Kaima is not owing its workers any salary, stressing that the conditions of workers in the remaining 15 Councils are not palatable.

According to him, “the situation is moving from bad to worse because some councils are still owing from September.

“Some of the workers badly affected by unpaid salaries are

husband and wife working in the same Local Councils”.

He attributed the ability of Kaima Local Government Council to pay salary up to date to small number of workers and financial prudent of the Council Chairman.

The NULGE scribe said the workers in all the 16 Local Councils are currently undergoing biometric data exercise aimed at fishing out ghost workers among them.

Abayomi said the Councils

Chairmen have pledged to settle all arrears of salaries at the end of the verification exercise.

He advised the Workers to continue to be at work pending the promise to be fulfilled.

It could be recalled that LG Workers in Kwara in January embarked on an indefinite strike action over unpaid salaries for over two month before the intervention of Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

Edo targets ‘life of dignity for citizens’

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

T

he roadmap on ‘life of dignity’ for Edo citizens begun, yesterday in Benin City, with the inauguration of 25man technical committee on social protection.

The technical working group was inaugurated by Edo state Head of Service (HOS), Mrs. Gloria Idahor, yesterday in Benin City, the state Capital.

Mr. Charles Odigie, the Permanent Secretary, the state Ministry for budget and planning and economic development, was named the head of the team whose membership was drawn across

different Ministeries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) as well as Civil society Organizations.

Members of the group are expected to consult widely with all the stakeholders, review all the necessary documents and get the neccessay data as well as produce policy measures that would be able to address the different issues around vulnerability and poverty in the state using state resources.

The stakeholders involved in the chain of Federal government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) support programme, are expected to contribute their inputs into the draft document to the

theoretical framework to deliver the welfare to the extremely poor and those who are vulnerable to diffrenrent socio-economic shocks.

Social policy specialist, UNICEF, Mr. Muhammad Okorie, said states are to adopt the policy based on their own specific context what they can implement to be able to ensure a life of dignity for their citizens.

According to him, “the stakeholders are to interract with more people and work to ensure that everyone in the state is carried along as they are about to develop a policy that ensures welfare for all.

“For us in UNICEF, we would ensure that the poor people, the

extremely poor and those who are vulnerable to diffrenrent socioeconomic shocks are able to get upliftment by looking at social protection, not as handouts, but a kind of hands off - social investment by governments.

Senior Special Assistant to the state governor on donor agencies and external interractions, Mrs. Osaro Obadigie, commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole for providing the social infrastructure, essentially for between between age 0 and 5-yearold and pregnant and nursing mothers as well as the elderly people.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 15

Kwankwaso/Ganduje feud: 12 Kano APC Reps sue for peace

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

welve All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in the House of Representatives from Kano state, have called on the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to abide by the counsel of the North West governors and the party leadership to facilitate their reconciliation.

The call is contained in a communique, signed by twelve members at the end of the 2nd

consultative meeting of the Kano state members of the National Assembly with the governor of Kano state.

The members also urged Governor Umar Ganduje to consolidate on the achievements of his predecessor to foster the rapid development of the state.

The members therefore expressed their unalloyed support and loyalty to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

The communique however noted that Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is a force to reckon within the APC, saying he contributed immensely in ensuring the success of the party both at state and national levels.

It also extent its gratitude and appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC National chairman, John Odiege Oyegun and the Governors of Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto states, for their collective effort to broker peace

among the two top Kano politicians.

The 12 lawmakers who signed the communiqué include; Rep Aliyu Sani Madaki, Rep Sani Mohammed Rano, Rep Danburam Abubakar Nuhu, Rep Nasiru Sule Garao, Rep Garba Umar, Rep Garba Ibrahim Muhammad, and Rep Bashir Baballe.

Others are; Rep MuktariM. Chiromawa, Rep Musa Ado Tsamiya, Rep Shehu Aliyu, Rep Abdulmumin Jibril, and Rep Ahmed Garba Bichi.

L-R: APC Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Kano state Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Power, Housing and Works, Mr. Raji Fashola, and Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, during the APC caucus meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday night at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Saraki to Senators: Use oversight to ensure implementation of budget

By Ali Abare Abubakar and Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

enate President, Bukola Saraki has tasked the various standing committees of the National Assembly to ensure full implementation of the 2016 budget through effective use of their oversight duties.

Giving his remark during the plenary after the passage of the 2016 Appropriation Bill by the Senate in Abuja, the Senate President also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure an effective implementation of the budget, while also calling on the President to ensure an early presentation of the next year appropriation bill to the National Assembly.

He also pledged that the Senate would immediately commence the amendment of

the Public Procurement Bill currently before the National Assembly as a way of aiding the effective implementation of the budget.

According to a statement by the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, the Senate President said, “The budget reflects efficient and equitable allocation of resources to reduce the challenges that we are all aware of. This budget is a product of bipartisan engagement, commitment and patriotism.

“It gives me great joy to commend and appreciate all the efforts that all of you, my colleagues, have put in. It is the duty of the Executive arm to ensure full implementation of this budget as part of the campaign to bring succor to our people. While implementing it, we charge the

Executive to also consider the need to support locally produced goods in order to help our economy.

“We have all seen the earlier hiccups in the beginning of the budget and we hope that by the time we are preparing the 2017 budget, the Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the Budget Office would improve their level of interaction. We also hope that government itself would bring the budget much earlier to give ample time for the legislature to do its job. It is very important that we do this.

“I will also thank the Appropriation Committee and, of course, we have all noted the areas of omission and I hope the Executive will be able to address the different areas that we talked about.

“I also particularly observed that we have made an effort to

reduce the size of the budget, in our own view, to reduce our deficit and also reduce our level of borrowing and as much as possible we all want a budget that is sustainable.

“We have played our part; the different committees should do their job now in the area of oversight to ensure that we have a budget that is fully implementable.

“Nigerians have been waiting for us to pass the budget; I think at this time too, the implementing agencies should ensure that they get to work quickly in implementing the budget. We on our part have one or two bills to consider like the Public Procurement Act so as to assist with easy implementation of the budget.”

He commended the Senators for a job well done, despite the earlier hiccups encountered when the 2016 Appropriation Bill was presented last year.

NCC promises to deploy facilities for e-voting

By Ahmed Abubakar

T

he Nigerian Communications (NCC) said it would deploy more broadband facilities whenever the country is ready for electronic voting.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, at the 12th public lecture of The Electoral Institute (TEI), the training arm of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday in Abuja, promised that the facilities would cover virtually all major cities and rural areas of the country.

He said the action was in-line with the country’s National Broadband Plan.

He expressed the belief that e-voting would not only improve on the efficacy and the confidence in the Nigeria’s electoral process but translate into free, fair and credible elections.

Danbatta, who observed that the existing paper ballot system of voting was “susceptible to human errors and influences”, noted that “during these elections, card readers generally failed to verify fingerprints. This is attributed to the ICT platforms.

“To address this from our part, the NCC, we have rolled out eight points agenda. Significant is the provision of efficient/effective access to ICT platforms.

“These include facilitating Broadband Penetration; improving quality of service and; promoting ICT innovation and investment opportunities.

“The need to foster methods that will address problems in our voting system has led TEI to explore e-voting which depends on ICT platforms for its operations.”

The theme of the lecture was “ICT and Electronic Voting: Issues and Challenges.”

According to him, the failure of the ballot papers led INEC to the use of ICT platforms for biometric registration and authentication prior to voting during the 2015 election, “which significantly improved the democratic process.”

Chairman of INEC, Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu who was represented by Hajia Amina Zakari said it was commendable that African countries were adopting the use of technology to improve on their electoral processes, which, according to him had reduced tension and crisis in elections.

“The use of technology had made elections more acceptable and reduced post election conflicts.

“However, if you are not careful in the use of technology, the process can be truncated.

“So we need to come to middle class and that called for a lecture like this to share experiences of other countries where ICT has been deployed successfully to improve on electoral processes,” he added.

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Politics

Minister commends National Assembly for passing budget

Injustice destroyed PDP in FCT – Hon Obika

By Ochiaka Ugwu

T

he Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma has commended the National Assembly for passing the 2016 budget today.

In a press statement released in Abuja and made available to Peoples Daily, the Media Adviser to the Minister, Mr. Akpandem James said that Senator Udoma was particularly pleased that the Legislature kept the budget within the amount proposed by the Executive, especially as the fiscal deficit was not increased.

According to the statement, “I wish to commend the National Assembly for passing the 2016 budget today. I am particularly pleased that they have kept the budget within the amount the executive proposed and the fiscal deficit has not been increased,” the Minister said.

It could be recalled that on Tuesday, March 22, the report on the harmonized budget was laid before the Senate by both chambers of the Assembly and the Appropriation Bill was eventually passed into law yesterday.

By Muhammad Mammani Shuaibu

A

Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara (middle),Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba ( left ), and member of the Committee, Hon. Hon. Danasabe Charles (right ), during the public hearing on the contract by the Federal Ministry of Interior and the Nigerian Immigration Service for the outsourcing of expatriate residency management and boarder facilitation, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

We lost 2015 due to arrogance - Kure

By Ahmed Abubakar

F

ormer Niger state governor, Eng. Aabdulkadir Kure has linked the Peoples Democratic Party’s failure in the 2015 elections as due to sheer arrogance.

Kure stated this yesterday during the meeting of former PDP states governors and deputies at the national secretariat.

According to him, “If you have power and are arrogant Allah will have a way of taking that power from you and that is what God has done to us because we were arrogant”.

He said, “It was in our party that someone was saying that we would rule for 50 years and Allah has decided to put a stop at that and allowed us to govern for 16 years.”

He said unless this show of arrogance is being addressed by the stakeholders the party would continue face stiffer challenging

tasks head.

He advised the new PDP chairman to have above ll the utmost fear of God in whatever dealings of the party and try not to outwit his party members in the scheme of the party’s affairs.

He said what happened to the PDP, the greatest political party in Africa call for a serious sober and sincere reflection in order to avoid plunging in the same situation.

On his part, the former Ogun state governor, Otumba Gbenga Daniel warned the party leaders to respect the state governors and avoid that situation that they were seen and regarded as liabilities on the party.

He said the party leadership must avoid a situation that it once disregarded the mood of some PDP governors whom were genuinely angry only to allow the opposition party to cash on the situation and today that is all history.

Also, former Ebonyi governor, Dr. Sam Egwu commended the move by the new national chairman by remembering them and also calling them for a meeting on how to fortify the party.

He said he was part of the founding members of the party but it is sad today that most of the former PDP governors were suddenly forgotten immediately they are out of power.

He said even governors that succeeded them don’t seem to remember them by acknowledging them in the scheme of states politics.

On his part, former Taraba acting governor, Bala James Ngilari said the party has to get it right this time around since according to him, “those who played God are no longer in our party”, he stated.

Earlier the national chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff assured the former PDP governors and their deputies that the party

under his watch will incorporate them in whatever major decision to be taken by the party.

He said it is wrong to ignore the role and contributions of former governors in the building of the party stressing that henceforth they would always be part of the decision making of the party.

Those present at the meeting include former Jigawa state governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Ebonyi Dr. Sam Egwu, Taraba Bala James Ngilari, Niger Dr. Babangida Mu’azu and Eng Aabdulkadir Kure.

Others include, former Ogun State Governor, Otumba Gbenga Daniel, Kaduna Ramalan Yero, Kano Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Captain Idris Wada of Kogi and Theodore Orji of Abia state respectively.

Also among the former governors at the meeting include, Gabriel Suswan of Benue, Iyiola Omisore of Osun, and many former deputy states governors.

chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Joshua Chinedu Obika has noted that it injustice that destroyed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Hon. Obika, former councilor who represented Gwarimpa Ward at the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) while commenting on the forthcoming election to be held on April 19, 2016 at a media chat with journalists stated that greed is the major problem bedeviling PDP. “When a group of people hijack what belong to all, while others work for nothing is the kind of injustice that will not allow progress to exist. This has diminished the fortunes of the PDP and brightened the chances of APC and its candidate Abdullahi Adamu Candido in winning the elections in AMAC,” he stated.

According to Obika, PDP died when the zonal structure and representation according to the party constitution was jettisoned in FCT, “When they were doing it based on the thinking that the party will always be in power.

Now that the party has lost at the federal level, I know people are tired of what is happening in AMAC, where things are presently being one with impunity by PDP,” he said.

However, he likened the issue of the present administration in AMAC under the leadership of Hon. Micah Jiba, who is a friend and former colleague as a good driver in a bad vehicle.

“It is the situation he finds himself under the current party leadership of PDP. And there is nothing the driver can do when the vehicle is bad.”

While drumming support for APC in the next election, Obika noted that the party has come to stay in FCT because it will bring about good leadership and governance the way things are done by fast tracking development through accountability.

Rivers Re-run: Gov.Wike commiserates with NYSC over slain corps member

G

overnor Nyesom Wike of Rivers said yesterday that the state government would immortalise Mr Samuel Okonta, the Corps member who died during the March 19 re-run legislative election in the state.

Wike disclosed this in Port Harcourt during a condolence visit to the state secretariat of the National Youth Service Corps.

The governor said the state

government would provide assistance to the police to investigate the killing and identify those responsible.

Wike announced an increment in the monthly allowance of Corps members serving outside Port Harcourt from N10,000 to N15,000.

He also said allowance of Corps members serving in Port Harcourt had been increased from N5,000 to

N10,000.

The governor said it was sad that the Corps member died serving the nation, saying that the state government would take care of his family.

Wike said that the death was more painful because the Corps member was an orphan who suffered to graduate and was on the verge of being of help to his immediate family.

“The death of this Corps member is unfortunate and condemnable.

I urge the Police to thoroughly investigate the crime. ``The outcome of the investigation should be made public so that those involved are prosecuted. ``The killing of this corps member must not be swept under the carpet,” he said.

The State Coordinator of the

NYSC, Mrs Ngozi Nwatarali, commended the governor for commiserating with them at the moment of grief.

She called for greater protection for corps members during elections.

Mr Alex Edeabeatu, a member of the family of the late corps member, thanked the governor for his gesture.

He said that the late corps member was a shining light for the family. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 17

Politics

Group warns Sen Shehu Sani, Lah against criticizing El-Rufai’s policies From Mohammad Kaduna

Ibrahim,

A

group known as Concerned Citizen of Kaduna state yesterday warned the Senator representing Kaduna Central and his counterpart from the PDP, Senator Dajuma La’ah representing Southern Kaduna

against attacking or criticizing the state governor’s good policies.

According to them, Governor El-Rufai’s policies are people oriented.

Leader of the group, Adamu Barde Abubakar Kagarko, in a statement made available to newsmen described those criticizing Governor El-Rufai’s

policies as mischief makers.

“I wish to draw the attention of the good the people of Kaduna state to the unnecessary and mischievous attacks on the good policies of our governor and his deputy especially his free school feeding.

“It is unfortunate that because of political sentiments these two

Senators could not see this policy as a good development especially towards restoring the lost glory of primary education in the state.

“Senator Lah was not honest enough to tell his audience that 60% of the funding of the feeding programme is coming from the Federal Government. Unknown to him and many other critics,

L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ahmed Lawal, Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and Chairman, House Committee on National Planning, Hon. Baballe Bashir, during the dissemination report of joint session of Senate and House Committees on National Planning and Appropriation on Child and Maternal Health in Nigeria, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Presidency commends NASS for passing 2016 Budget T

he Presidency yesterday commended the National Assembly for passing the 2016 Appropriation Bill.

The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, told newsmen at a press briefing in Abuja that the expeditious consideration and passage of the bill was laudable.

He further commended the

Senate and House committees on appropriation as well as the sub-committees for working hard in ensuring that the budget was passed. ``I followed the entire process and I have seen the industry that has been exhibited by the senators. ``I want to say that we appreciate particularly the fact that in the course of consideration,

the committee chairmen, the committee members and the chairmen of appropriation committees were in constant touch,’’ he said.

The special adviser further commended the legislature for approving the harmonised version of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), adding that they were the parameter for

passing the budget.

Enang also extolled the media for extensive coverage of the process leading to the passage of the budget.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2016 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on Dec. 22, 2015.

Nasarawa LG Chairmen lose case for tenure extension

By Ali Abare Abubakar

A

High Court sitting in Lafia has dismissed application filed by eleven local government chairmen seeking for elongation of tenure by a year barely 24 hours to the expiration of their two-year tenure of office.

Delivering his judgement in Lafia yesterday, Justice James Abundaga, dismissed the application for lack of merit.

Justice Abundaga dismissed the application on the groumds that based on the 2009 local government law of Nasarawa State which stipulated two years for local government chairmen, it was illegal for the courts to grant any tenure elongation.

“The position of the law is clear and I will not soil my hands with the muddy waters of politics. The chairmen and the state Assembly should settle their differences”.

The court stated that the chairmen of Keffi and Keana local government areas would vacate office on the 12/11/2016 following their victory at the election petitions tribunal after a protracted legal tussle.

However, Justice Abundaga described the constitution of Transitional Management Committee (TMCs) as illegal and unconstitutional in any democratic setting.

He also queried the rationale behind handing over to Directors of Personnel Management saying the position of the law was clear on transition from one elected council leadership to another.

Barr. Mary Onyeka, counsel for the chairmen, described the judgement as an aberration of the law and declined any further comment on whether her clients would appeal the judgement.

the policy is helping in no small measures in reducing drastically street hawking, begging, theft and many other menaces” he said.

The group expressed regret that, it is unfortunate Senator Lah has never supported any policy of the state government for the purpose of synergy to better the life of the good people of the Southern part of the state.

Adamu also attributed Senator Shehu Sani’s attacks on Governor El-Rufai’s policies to his 2019 ambition, saying Senator Sani is misrepresenting the good people of Kaduna central with his onesided style of representation.

He advised Senator Sani to focus on the mandate given to him by the people instead of engaging in anti party activities by hosting PDP members from southern Kaduna with view to incite them against Governor El-Rufai’s administration.

He said recently Senator Sani shared analogue radios in his constituents and only his followers from Tudu-Wada, Rigasa, Unguwan Sarki and some few areas within the metropolis and sidelined people from Sabon-Tasha,kajuru,GoninGora and other areas within his constituency, saying that one imagines his kind of gospel of love for the people of Southern Kaduna.

“We want to states categorically, that those attacking the good policies of this government are either being mischievous or are doing so for the purpose of scoring cheap political points.”

Court adjourns cases against Metuh, Badeh for today

T

he trial of the spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, has again been rescheduled.

The case will continue today, the registrar of a Federal High Court said yesterday.

Metuh is facing a sevencount charge of alleged money laundering to the tune of N400 million.

He was billed to open his defence yesterday but the case was adjourned.

The court had adjourned the opening of Metuh’s defence last Thursday, following an application by the PDP spokesperson for the case to be transferred to another judge.

The application, filed by Metuh’s lawyer, Emeka Etiaba, listed 16 reasons the registrar of the Federal High Court should not be allowed to hear the case.

Also on yesterday, the case against former Chief of Air staff, Alex Badeh, was also rescheduled to today.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Politics PDP leadership: Okupe a hypocrite – Obasanjo F

ormer President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday described a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, as a hypocrite for describing him (Obasanjo) as the leader of the opposition PDP in the South West.

Obasanjo said he has left partisan politics for good.

Obasanjo, according to an online medium, was reacting to Okupe’s comments that he (Obasanjo) remained the “undisputed and authentic” leader of the PDP in the Southwest region of Nigeria.

Okupe,a former aide to Mr. Obasanjo,who made the disclosure on his Facebook account last Friday, also blasted Buruji Kashamu, a senator, who lays claim to being the leader of the PDP in the South West.

The former presidential aide said it was wrong to describe Mr. Kashamu leader of the party merely because he runs a local nongovernmental organisation in Ogun State.

“Senator Buruji Kashamu is not the leader of the PDP in the South West. He is not even the leader of the party in Ogun State. He leads an NGO called Omo Ilu which engages in empowerment programmes in the state, mainly in the Ogun East Senatorial district.

“Baba Obasanjo still

remains the undisputed and authentic leader of the PDP in the South-West. The fact that he tore his membership card is not tantamount to resignation from the party. An action he has not undertaken to date.

“Tearing of the membership card though a very negative action is undoubtedly a knee-jerk reaction to certain unacceptable or intolerable happenings within the

party which can and will be redressed,” Okupe said.

However, the former president was reported to have said “Okupedoes not know what he was saying”.

Obasanjo said he did not apply to join the PDP in 1998, rather, what was given to him was a registration card and his decision to tear the card meant he was no longer a member of the party.

He also said there was no

way he could be referred to as a leader of the party in the South West even if he was still a member.

“I was a national leader of the party for eight years, so, how would I now reduce myself to becoming its leader in the South West,” he said.

Obasanjo also said Okupe should be ignored because he was one of those who campaigned for his expulsion from the party.

Former Vice-President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) Atiku Abubakar (middle), Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (right), and Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila (left), during the APC caucus meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday night at the State House, in Abuja.

Groups vow to investigate corrupt public officers

By Albert Akota and Yahaya Suleiman

C

ivil Society groups have reiterated their commitment to investigate corruption within public offices in Abuja.

The president of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups, Etuk Bassey Williams who stated this at a press conference yesterday said the mandate was in line

with policies of Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

Mr. Bassey noted that the conference dwells on the current state of the Nigerian economy with more emphasis on the role and impact of the Central Bank of Nigeria in shaping the nation’s economy through the instrumentality of various policies.

He further stated that Nigerians voted for change and

not magic, therefore a change that will usher in an everlasting period of prosperity must be gradual and not spontaneous with the capacity to repair the faulty foundation and maladministration of decades experienced by our great nation.

Mr. Bassey also commended the leadership of President Muhammad Buhari with his various policies that have helped to bring about monitoring and price stability in the system.

“Our attention has been drawn to a shadowy, bogus and unscrupulous group parading itself as a civil society organization has been circulating messages threatening a protest against the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele,” he added.

He therefore urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and steadfast in fighting corruption in both public and private sectors.

INEC registers 161, 671 voters in Bwari – Official

M

rs Zainab Gbefwi, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Electoral Officer in Bwari, on Wednesday said a total of 161, 671 voters were registered for the April 9, council poll.

Gbefwi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bwari, FCT, that although the figure represented a major chunk of eligible voters, the turnout for the collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) was low when compared to the Bwari population.

“We have a total of 161, 671 registered voters, but as at this moment, the number of people that have collected their Cards are not up to that.

“16, 061 cards are so far issued-- which is low-- compared to the number of registered voters, in spite of the 229, 274 populations that make up the area, based on the 2006 census.”

She decried the low turnout by residents of the area for the collection of their voter cards, since the postponement of the March 19, council election date to April 9.

She said the Commission had embarked on the training of ad hoc staff to ensure a credible election.

“We are expecting to conduct a peaceful and transparent election, with the hope of improving on what we had in 2015.

“We are presently training some former National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members as ad hoc staff, to ensure the conduct of a credible April 9 polls.

“This is so because we could not get the target number we wanted, which is also a major reason the Commission postponed the election date.

“Although we trained 779 Corps members to participate in the conduct of the forthcoming council polls, we still need more.

“We are now training 1, 533 ex-Corps members who took part in the previous general elections, due to their experience to complement those we already have.”

The electoral officer said the Commission would ensure adequate security during the election, for the safety of lives and property. (NAN)

Easter: Lawmaker plans to convey 2,000 picnickers to Sultan Beach

D

auda Kako-Are, Accord Party member, representing Lagos State’s Mushin 1 Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, said he would take 2,000 intending picnickers from his constituency to the Sultan Beach on Easter Monday.

Mr. Kako-Are told the

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos that this would afford them the opportunity to relax in a natural setting devoid of the hustling and bustling of the city centre.

He said it had been his culture to take some members of his constituency to tourist sites during Easter celebration.

The lawmaker said that no less than 2,000 intending picnickers had already shown interests in the exercise and more were still registering.

He said that the aim was to give back to the society and an avenue for people to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

“I believe my people need to

enjoy the dividends of democracy and this is an avenue to do so.

“I will be responsible for the expenses and not the constituency because I do not want my people to be overburdened,’’ he said.

Mr. Kako-Are said the idea was also to enable people know the tourism potentials in the state, adding that the beach was one of

the best sites located in Badagry.

NAN reports that Mr. KakoAre had been responsible for free school bus ride for primary and secondary school pupils in the area.

He was also providing clean water and monthly allowances for adults and the elderly in his constituency. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Director General of PenCom, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu (5th left), opens the London Stock Exchange market, during the inaugural meeting of the LSE Africa Advisory Group, in London.

Data submission: NERC to sanction TCN for negligence T

By Etuka Sunday

he Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) yesterday said it would sanction the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for its refusal to submit six months report against the provisions of the act.

Addressing newsmen at the Performance Review Meeting of the industry, the Acting Chairman, NERC, Dr. Anthony Akah said, the TCN’s refusal to submit its report as stipulated by the provisions of the act, would not go unpunished.

Akah who was represented by the Head, Engineering, Standards and Safety, NERC, Abdul-bello Mohammed said: “Particularly TCN, I am so disturbed, because I believe they are the hub of the power industry.

They are the centre, if they don’t behave well every other part of the sector suffers. Their performance is critical to us.

“Why they refused to submit six month report against the provisions of the act, against the provisions of the regulations of the commission; that is why I say we will write them a letter, a query on that particular lack of compliance.

They missed the first half of the year, although they submitted 2

days ago which is unacceptable to us,” he said.

Asked if the commission in the absence of the board can perform critical function like sanction, since Two- Third of the board must be present before decisions are taken, he said: “Why not? We are already doing our work. There is no vacuum, no gap in taking decisions. The rules are there, we have an Acting Chairman. The only thing we cannot do is to issue final orders, because the act recognizes that is only a set of Commissioners that issue final orders.”

On why the commission delays in sanctioning erring power companies, he said: “There is a procedure for sanctioning any of the licensees; you have to follow the procedure.”

He noted the meeting performance curve of Discos that moved downward from 46% to 45% was as a result of inaccurate data submission, but however, warned that any inaccurate data submission henceforth would lead to penalty by invoking the act.

Speaking on the under performance of the sector, he said, “the impression is bad. The performance needs to be improved.

As you me say, the performance is very unimpressive and we are not

leaving any stone unturned to make sure that the utility, our licensees live up to expectation.

He attributed the high death rate in the industry to lack of investment and bad configuration of networks.

“That shows the state of the industry, lack of investment, the networks are so bad, badly configured, the practices out there are so bad and the new investors are not really making efforts so we are going to Fitch out those nonperforming utilities and sanction them accordingly,” he said.

Abuja Chamber advises FG to use experts in management of nation’s economy By Etuka Sunday The Abuja chamber of commerce and Industry (ACCI) has called on the Federal Government to co opt economic experts in the management of the nation’s economic problem.

The President of ACCI, Mr Tony Ejinkeonye stated this while feeding questions from newsmen on the two-day National Economic Summit that ended on Tuesday in Abuja. ``In the face of the Nigeria economic crises, there is an urgent need to lend the hands of economic experts in the management of the

nation’s economic problem,” he said He said that there were specific groups in advanced countries that were saddled with responsibility of making sure that government economic policies are strictly implemented.

According to him there are groups such as German Economic Team in Germany, White House National Economic Council in U.S and UK Government Economic Services that handle such tasks in those coutries ``These set of individuals also ensure that the government planned agenda are incorporated in the policy implementation. ``We believe that the government can evaluate this model which in our opinion can yield plausible results,” he said.

According to him innovation and start-ups fuel economic growth, they are the ultimate job creators who start with ingenious ideas, take risks and create value for the Nigerian consumers.

He said that the government should institute policy actions that would encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. ``Especially in our current economic downturn, it is crucial that we pursue national policies that promote innovation to

ensure that there will be enough prosperity to carry on into the next generation. ``SMEs having been identified as the engine of growth for any economy, there is need to pay more attention on domesticoriented industries for the nation’s economic growth,” he said.

He said that there was the need for policy actions on how government can provide support to strengthen the SMEs by introducing new measures and rationalizing existing efforts to further develop resilient SMEs. The measures that have been identified are improving the institutional support system, facilitating accessibility to financing, upgrading technological skills, enhancing market access, promotion of greater usage of ICT and increasing awareness of product branding and protection of intellectual property rights.

He said that efforts should be intensified to assist entrepreneurs in improving their skills in business management, Information Communication Technology, Research and development product development and marketing as well as establish strategic alliances with various chambers of commerce.

Page 20

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Business

Economists suggest effective implementation of national budget

F

ollowing the passage of the 2016 budget, some economic experts have called for the political will to effectively implement the budget.

The experts, who made the call in a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday, also called for transparency and credibility in the implementation of the budget.

They lauded the efforts of the government to diversify the economy but stressed that national development could not depend on the production of primary products.

A development expert, Dr Emeka Okengwu, advocated a threeyear cycle for capital expenditure in the national budget to enhance sustainable development.

Okengwu said while the capital framework could run for three years, the recurrent framework should be implemented yearly. ``If we can tie our budgets to three-year period, it will give us opportunity to have what we call milestones. ``With this, we can evaluate and revaluate and then break them into capital, running for three years and recurrent running annually.

He expressed optimism that the current budget would not face funding challenges considering the will and steps taken by the

government to ensure efficient implementation. ``I see the will on the part of this administration to do things differently. ``From what is happening in the economic space so far, particularly, the recoveries and blockages, enough funds will be available to fund the budget. ``Things are happening and eventually we might surpass the demand of the budget,” he added.

Commenting on concerns over the reliance on oil revenue in relation to the budget, Okengwu said crude oil was not the major contributor to Nigeria’s revenue but that oil was used as benchmark for planning the budget. `The only thing is that oil is the highest contributor to the foreign exchange but not to the revenue of the country. `` Non-oil revenue, made up of taxes, contributes more than oil to the revenue. ``Oil is the benchmark of budget that receives the country’s foreign exchange. ``It is somehow for people to say that oil is contributing 90 per cent of the budget but I do not think it is a true assessment. ``If you look at the last budget that the Federal Government proposed, it is contributing, I think N800 billion.

`` Right now, the government is targeting more of non-oil resources to finance the budget which are taxes,’’ he said.

A former Director of African Heritage Institution, AfriHeritage, Enugu, Dr Ifediora Amobi, said that the zero-budgeting approach and process adopted by the Federal Government would check corruption and ineptitude.

Amobi said zero-budgeting would make for easy specification and monitoring of each item in the budget … thus helping to check paddling and exaggerations. ``On the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the service sector accounts for over 40 per cent; agriculture about 30 per cent; information, communication and computer 10 per cent, entertainment (music, video, theatre etc) 10 per cent; while manufacturing and other miscellaneous is about 10 per cent. ``The manufacturing sector of the GDP is still very low due to power and credit issues as well as the need for our people to patronise our own locally-made goods,’’ he said.

Amobi said deficit budget planning and pegging the benchmark lower due to price variation was in the best interest of the country.

``It would make for more prudence and government thinking more ingenious ways to fund the deficit instead of having a surplus budget. ``So, with deficit and lower benchmark; it makes for creativity and having excess to save if the parameters used in pegging the budget improve. ``This means that if the 2016 budget is benchmarked at 32 dollars per barrel and the global oil price rises to 100 dollars per barrel, it is surplus for the country,’’ he said.

A former Head of Department of Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Cletus Agu, said the government should not depend on foreign grants and aids to fund the deficit. ``But government should invest the money borrowed to fund the deficit on profit yielding ventures so as to pay back at the appropriate time. ``The problem in African countries most times is that monies borrowed to fund deficit budgets are embezzled or invested on white elephant projects. ``It is not proper for government to depend on foreign grants and aids to fund budget deficits because if the expected foreign grants and aids do not come such budget projections will fail,’’ Agu said.

L-R: Kaduna state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Abdulsalam, Executive Secretary, Kaduna state Investment Promotion Agency, Dr Gambo Hamza, and Kaduna state Commissioner for Commerce Industry and Tourism, Alhaji Shehu Balarebe, during a news conference on Economic and Investment Summit, yesterday in Kaduna.

Photo: NAN He advised the executive arm of government to always prepare the budget on time to enable the National Assembly to have enough time to scrutinise it. ``If Nigeria’s fiscal year run from January to December, the budget should be ready to be presented to National Assembly latest by October so that before December ending it has been passed by National Assembly. ``Why government delays in presenting budget is because it knows that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will provide what is called `ways and means’. ``This is money the apex bank provides the government to carry recurrent expenditures pending when budget is passed,’’ he said.

The economist said Nigeria’s budget would continue to depend on oil because past leaders abandoned agriculture and other resources that could earn the country forging exchange. ``The present situation where the country imports almost everything, including toothpicks, is not in the best interest of the country and it will continue to depreciate the naira,’’ he said.

Dr Richard Edeme, a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics in UNN, blamed poor implementation of budget to the lack of monitoring. ``Most times some road projects listed in the budgets in federal, states and local government have remained unconstructed

and nobody asks about the money budgeted for such projects. ``Budget implementations in the country has not crossed 50 per cent in the past two decades,’’ Edeme said.

Dr Taofik Ibrahim, an economist with Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, Ibadan, said the problem with the country’s budget was the lack of political will to implement it.

He criticised delays in passing the budget, saying `` we have not been able to keep to the fiscal periods as there is always overlapping because budget processing is always delayed’’.

He said that an economy that depended on primary goods would

always face challenges.

“The oil sector dominating the economy in revenue profile is a major problem. `` We need to look at issues like savings which can be turned into investment; government should tax investors and there will be revenue.

“Our current expenditure is more than income, so Sovereign Wealth Fund should be considered because they are domestic ways of mobilizing resources to cover the revenue gap,” he said.

The President of Institute for Fiscal Studies, Mr Godwin Ighedosa, said: ``Historically, we tend to operate the budgeting system that we would call traditional or incremental system of budgeting.

``I think that had always been the problem with our fiscal management system in Nigeria where you take individual lines of items every year and you basically just say we spent a certain amount last year and you say prices have gone up.’’

Ighedosa said such budgeting system was susceptible to corruption.

He said this was because ``all you are doing is that you just take a line and increase the money because you think that the cost of doing it this year must be more than what you spent on it last year. ``What we are seeing with the current administration is the idea of performance based budgeting which most industrial countries adopt.’’

He said such strategy ensured that every item in the budget was subjected ``to vigorous analysis’’ of importance and value for money. ``So you are starting afresh every year, subjecting the budget to much more rigorous analysis to say let us look at it afresh and that is the best form of budgeting system,’’ Ighedosa said. ``The key issue is our undue reliance on oil and that is what we have done in the last 45 years to 50 years. ``We have relied heavily on revenue from oil and 90 per cent of our foreign reserve is from oil revenue and about 75 per cent of government revenue is from oil and 35 per cent of GDP is from oil. ``So, the government relies heavily on oil. ``What has happened now is that the precipitous decline in oil revenue has cracked open the opacity in our fiscal architecture. ``For the first time we are beginning to realise that the reliance on oil revenue is not sustainable in the long term,’’ he said.

Ighedosa said the attempt by the government to diversify the economy was good. ``They mentioned agriculture and a number of other industries that they are trying to develop. Yes, agriculture is good. ``The issue is that you cannot actually get rich by selling primary commodities like oil. ``No country has been able to achieve a sustainable level of development by selling those commodities. Countries only get rich by making things to sell. ``If you are relying on agricultural development which is a great idea … what will make this country rich is industrial development policy and that is where the issue is. Even managing the naira, creating jobs and all depends on this. ``So, my focus are the government efforts in terms of driving industrial policies that will move Nigeria into the industrial age,’’ he said.

Mr Eze Onyekpere, Lead Coordinator, Centre for Social Justice, said ``Nigeria, over the years, may have been running deficit budgets because of leakages and corruption in the fiscal system.’’

He called for popular participation and reflection of the people’s preferences in the budgeting process.

Onyekpere said oil had been used as the reference price for the budget because it was the major foreign exchange earner and source of budgetary revenue. ``This is a result of the fact that the economy has not been diversified and is dependent on the commodity. ``The benchmark should have been set on tax revenue if the economy had been diversified and the productive sectors fully developed.’’ (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Page

Business L-R: Anambra state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, Minister Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Zamfara state Governor, Alhaji Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Jointly briefing State House Correspondents after the closing ceremony of a two-day National Economic Council retreat, on Tuesday at the State House Conference Centre of Presidential Villa, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Fallout of Brussels attack: Security beef up around airports, others From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

F

ollowing the terrorist attack Tuesdays on Brussels airport and subway in Belgium, indications emerged yesterday that the federal government has ordered security to be beef up around major airports in Nigeria and other sensitive locations just as the Easter holiday draws near.

Our correspondent who went round the terminals at the Murtala Muhammad Airport in Lagos notice increase security personnel around the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), the MMA2 and the international wing of the airport.

The management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) did confirmed the

development affirming that it has beefed up security in and around all the airports in the country.

The general manager, public affairs of FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati also disclosed that among other, sniffer dogs have been deployed to airports in conjunction with the Nigerian police.

Mr Dati said the Authority will not leave any stone unturned to ensure maximum security at the airport especially with the Easter celebrations around the corner.

He expressed shock over the dastardly act carried out at the Brussels airport warning those without business at the airport not to constitute nuisance stressing that a special task force from the Independent Corrupt Practices were on ground to append touts.

He said all the body scanners and Close Circuit Television gadgets were operational beaming activities of all at the airport and advised passengers to arrive the airport on time to do their normal check in procedures in order not to miss their flights.

Dati urged all air passengers not to leave any luggage behind as such item will be taken away and destroyed.

FAAN assured passengers and airline operators, that necessary operational and security measures have been put in place at all our airports to ensure hitch-free passage of passengers and cargo during the forthcoming Easter holidays. “ Passenger facilitation at all

our airports has also been enhanced by the installation of more modern and bigger conveyor belts and metal walk-through detectors. The expansion and modernisation of all the airport terminals in the country now provide better ambience for passenger facilitation and commercial offerings.

Passengers are hereby advised to take advantage of online portals to book their flights ahead of time and avoid carrying unauthorized items. The Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) mounted around the airport vicinity is to aid the joint security efforts” he added.

Furthermore, travellers are encouraged to leave home early on their travel dates, in order to complete their boarding facilities in good time.

Association calls for a clean-up of Customs Service

T

he Shippers Association Lagos State on Wednesday called for a clean-up of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to weed out ``businessmen in uniforms’’, who connived with rice duty evaders.

The president of the association, Mr Jonathan Nicol, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The shipper said that those customs officers that connived with evaders of duty on rice from the borders should be brought to book for making the policy ``antiproductive’’.

He said that if not for the compromise with the importers of rice through the borders, customs revenue in the past five months would have doubled.

According to him, the ban on rice coming through the land borders will obviously affect the Seme Border Customs revenue. ``Seme command of Customs raked in over N1 billion last month (February) because all the components were functional,’’ Nicol said.

NAN reports that the comptroller-general of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, on Tuesday said that his officers and men could not be totally exonerated from the abuse associated with the implementation of the order on rice.

Ali said that his office had been inundated with reports of collusion between some customs officers and rice importers.

The comptroller-general had directed investigation into the reports, insisting that indicted personnel would be sanctioned.

NAN reports that the NCS on Tuesday in a statement issued by its Spokesman, Mr Wale Adeniyi, announced a re-introduction of the restriction order on importation of rice through the land borders.

According to the statement, the comptroller-general gave an approval for the reversal of an earlier policy in October 2015 which allowed rice imports through the land borders, once appropriate duty and charges were paid.

The service said that the

dwindling revenue from rice imports through the land borders did not match the volume of rice landed in neighbouring ports. ``Rather, reports from border commands indicated an upsurge in the tempo of rice smuggling. ``Implementation of the restriction order got off to a smooth start with a high level of compliance in October 2015. However, revenue started dwindling from January 2016, with importers blaming access to Forex as major impediments,’’ it said.

The NCS said that during the five-month period when the importation was allowed, between October 2015 to March 17, 2016, 24.992 tonnes of rice valued at N 2.33billion were imported through the land borders.

It said that during the period, total revenue generated amounted to N1.68 billion. ``This is considerably lower than the revenue projected to be generated with the removal of import restrictions,’’ the service said.

The NCS, however, said that an upsurge in the number of seizures

had been reported across the land borders since January 2016. ``In the first two months of 2016, a total of 9,238 bags were seized, with Duty Paid Value of N64.66 million made by the Customs antismuggling patrol teams of Federal operations and Border commands. ``The comptroller-general noted that his officers and men cannot be totally exonerated from the abuse associated with the implementation of the order on rice, as his office has been inundated with reports of collusion between them and rice importers. ``He has directed investigation into the reports, insisting that indicted personnel will be sanctioned. ``The comptroller-general directed a zero-tolerance to rice imports through the land borders irrespective of volume with immediate effect. ``He also said that importers who had already initiated import processes would have a grace period ending Friday, March 25, 2016, to clear their consignments,’’ the service said. (NAN)

Uber launches in Abuja, promises free ride for residents

...Access Bank to assist Nigerians own transport coys

By Ali Abare Abubakar

A

buja yesterday joined the growing list of smart African cities to offer Uber, a technology company connecting riders with independent drivers through a smartphone application.

Uber launched its services at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, making Abuja the 400th city in Uber’s growing global network cutting across over 70 countries.

Announcing the commencement of Uber services in Abuja, Ebi Atawodi, General Manager, Uber Nigeria, expressed excitement at the opportunity to introduce the service in Nigeria’s flourishing federal capital, which now becomes the second city to have Uber beside Lagos.

“We’re really excited to launch Uber in Abuja. Uber gives the people of Abuja an affordable, easy and flexible choice to move around the city safely and reliably.

“For those who don’t know, Uber moves around millions of global citizens every day offering affordable and reliable rides at the touch of a button. By offering a friendly and reliable complement to existing transport options, we can help improve urban mobility in Abuja, reduce traffic congestion and the environmental impact of vehicles at the same time” Atawodi said.

She disclosed that so far Uber has enabled 1000 work opportunities since launching it in Lagos , with the possibility of raising the figure to 3000 in the coming year, with the company pledging to create one million jobs for women by 2020.

In his welcome address, Alon Lits, General Manager, Uber SubSaharan Africa, listed the benefit of Uber to include: “It’s safe, innovative and reliable way to travel around Abuja, it helps people get a ride at the push of a button-there’s no waiting on the streets, drivers undergo rigorous screening, including background and driving history, among others.”

Also speaking at the launch, Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Personal Banking Division at the Access Bank, lauded Uber Nigeria for the initiative saying his organization will partner with Uber to provide Nigerians with the opportunity to run transport companies. “Uber’s innovative platform connects drivers with riders in real time, at the touch of a button. Whether you’re going to work or going out with friends, Uber provides an affordable, safe and reliable way to get across the city. Abuja is a place where entrepreneurs are born, it is a growing city in the heart of Nigeria.

Page 22

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Business

MPR hike: Nigerian capital market sheds 1.09%

P

rofit taking resurfaced on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday with the market indices dropping by 1.09 per cent, reversing the four-day growth.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the All-Share Index lost 283.40 points or 1.09 per cent to close at 25,736.92, compared with the 26,020.32 recorded on Tuesday.

Also, the market capitalisation shed N97 billion or 1.09 per cent to close at

Airtel introduces new code to activate, deactivate unsolicited messages

M

r Ahmad Mokhles, the Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, on Wednesday said the telecommunications company had introduced new Service Short Code- *902#- to activate or deactivate unsolicited messages.

Mokhles, in a statement in Lagos, said that the short code would empower customers to choose, activate or deactivate their Value Added Service (VAS) subscription at any point in time.

The statement said that the service would allow customers to dial *902# to choose from two options of either activating or deactivating a VAS or SMS service.

According to it, Airtel customer will either press ‘2’ to deactivate or ‘1’ to activate a service.

It described the new offering as ``placing power back in the hands of consumers’’, saying that it would enable them to easily decide what services to enjoy on the smartphone network. ‘’This simple-step service short code offers our customers freedom of choice which ties with our commitment toward enriching the lives of Nigerians. ‘’This is through the provision of exceptional service experience, driven by innovative products and services,’’ the statement quoted Mokhles as saying. (NAN)

N8.853 trillion, as against the N8.950 trillion achieved on Tuesday.

Market analysts attributed the dip to ofit taking embarked upon by some investors, due to a hike in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 12 per cent from 11 per cent.

They stated that the dip was impacted by value depreciation recorded in the stocks of FBN Holdings, Total Nigeria, Mobil, Zenith Bank, Dangote Cement, GT Bank and Lafarge Africa.

Mobil Oil recorded the highest loss, to lead the losers’ chart with a loss of N7.54, to close at N154.91 per share.

Total trailed with N7.49 to close at N142.46, while Dangote Cement depreciated by N4 to close at N164 per share.

Guinness lost N3.07 to close at N108.93 and Seplat dropped

by N3 to close at N308 per share.

Conversely, Nigerian Breweries led the gainers’ table, increasing by N4.41 to close at N113.61 per share.

Vitafoam followed with a gain of 20k to close at N4.30, while NAHCO gained 19k to close at N3, 99 per share.

Oando increased by 9k to close at N4 and Fidelity Bank appreciated by 6k to close at N1.40 per share.

United Capital emerged the most active stock, exchanging 95.96 million shares worth N199.62 million.

Access Bank followed with an exchange of 60.75 million shares valued at N239.84 million and Multitrex traded

40 million shares worth N20 million.

The FCMB Group sold 38.13 million shares worth N29 million and Zenith Bank transacted 28.68 million shares valued at N356.49 million.

In all, a total of 398.28 million shares worth N2.65 billion were exchanged by investors in 3,581 deals.

NAN reports that this was against the 344.12 million shares valued at N2.46 billion traded in 4,386 deals on Tuesday. (NAN)

R-L: Hon. Michael Enyong, in a handshake with one of the beneficiaries of motorcycle, during the presentation of poverty alleviating skill acquisition material, recently in Uyo Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom state.

Joint Tax Board condemns extortion at police check points

By Yahaya Suleiman

J

oint Tax Board has condemned the extortion of fees and levies from motorists at road blocks mounted by members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) nationwide.

According to a statement made available to newsmen by the Chairman of the Joint Tax Board, JTB, Tunde Fowler, the fees and levies collected from motorists at road blocks mounted by members of the Nigeria Police Force are illegal.

Mr. Fowler, who is also the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS therefore called for more collaboration between the Police and various tax authorities in the country to stop these illegal practices.

He was speaking when he led some members of the JTB on a

visit to the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, in Abuja.

The Chairman noted the existing good working relationship between the JTB and the Police, saying this needed to be strengthened further given some challenges encountered in the country’s tax system, especially on illegal taxes and levies by some government agencies across the country.

“Unauthorised persons mount road blocks for purposes of collecting illegal revenues by selling certain unauthorised emblems or stickers to motorists on the highways,” Mr. Fowler said.

He pointed out that such illegal activities were not only counterproductive, but negatively affecting the development of the country’s tax system.

Urging the police chief to continue to support the FIRS

and the State Boards of Internal Revenue Service in their operations, the JTB Chairman said this was the only way to help realize their mandate of increased revenue at this time of declining national income.

“It is clear that what is needed now is effective collaboration and cooperation between the Nigeria Police Force and major stakeholders to stem the tide of multiple taxation, which impedes voluntary compliance among taxpayers,” Mr. Fowler said.

In his response, IGP Arase thanked the delegation for the visit, assuring that the Police Force would continue to provide the needed security for revenue officers across the federation to enable them discharge their jobs.

The police chief informed the JTB members that he had already directed all Police Commands nationwide to apprehend and

prosecute any person or group of persons involved in mounting illegal road blocks for purposes of unauthorized revenue collection.

“I have already told my men that if a CP (Commissioner of Police) allows his jurisdiction to be used, I will hold the CP accountable. Be rest assured that I will do that.

He said he had given the general public the Police Compliant Response Unit Phone numbers, namely 0805700001 and 0805700002, for them to call and report wherever road blocks are found mounted by any group for illegal collection of taxes and levies.

Reiterating the police’ support for tax authorities to achieve optimum revenue collection, Mr. Arase identified other areas of collaboration among the JTB members and the police to include training and exchange of information.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 23

Stock Watch: wednesday, March 23, 2016 Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

7UP 170 170 170 170 170 6 151,035 25,675,959.95

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - - 0 - -

MCNICHOLS

ABCTRANS 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

MOBIL 150 - - - - 17 10,350 1,521,554.60

ACADEMY 0.55 - - - - 0 - ACCESS 4.05 4.11 4.1 4.06 4.06 0.01 59 1,887,248 7,709,066.30 ADSWITCH 1.63 - - - - 0 - AFRIK 0.5 - - - - 0 - AFRINSURE 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

1.18 1.21 1.21 1.21 0.03 2

270,464 327,261.44

MORISON 1.73 - - - - 0 - MRS 49.66 - - - - 0 - MTECH 0.91 - - - - 0 - MTI 0.5 - - - - 0 - MULTITREX 0.5 - - - - 0 - MULTIVERSE 0.5 - - - 0 - -

AFRIPRUD 2.58 2.46 2.46 2.46 2.46 -0.12 26 979,264 2,412,030.84 NAHCO 4.02 4 4 4 4 -0.02 22 251,094 1,001,583.80 AFRPAINTS 2.59 - - - - 0 - -

NASCON 6.86 - - - - 9 80,100 560,610.00

AGLEVENT 0.77 - - - - 2 5,500 4,165.00

NB 99.99 99.94 99.94 98.5 99.9

AIICO 0.8 - - - - 6 62,998 50,338.15 AIRSERVICE 2.29 - - - - 1 4,588 10,001.84 ALEX 9.84 - - - - 0 - ALUMACO 7.75 - - - - 0 - ANINO 0.25 - - - - 0 - -

-0.09 68

293,234 29,196,308.21

NCR 11.02 - - - - 0 - NEIMETH 0.72 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 -0.03 5

518,000 357,600.00

NEM 0.73 - - - - 6 134,441 99,520.75 NESF 552.2 - - - - 0 - NESTLE 700 715.5 700 700 700 41 75,818 52,951,924.47

ARBICO 5.04 - - - - 0 - NIG-GERMAN 4.91 - - - 0 - ASHAKACEM 24 - - - 15 109,227 2,671,023.97 NIGERINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - ASOSAVINGS 0.5 - - - - 0 - -DUN-

NIGROPES 7.46 - - - - 0 - -

LOP 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

NNFM 6.65 - - - - 1 433 2,736.56

EKOCORP 3.72 - - - - 0 - ELLAHLAKES 4.26 - - - 0 - ENAMELWA 29.78 - - - - 0 - EQUITYASUR 0.5 - - - 0 - ETERNA 1.76 1.84 1.84 1.84 1.84 0.08 6 97,300 177,432.00

NPFMCRFBK 1.08 - - - 1 4,760 4,950.40 NSLTECH 0.5 - - - - 0 - OANDO 3.48 3.65 3.49 3.47 3.47 84 3,565,310 12,378,579.44 OKOMUOIL 30 - - - - 5 12,300 364,216.00 OMATEK 0.5 - - - - 0 - OMOSAVBNK 0.92 - - - 0 - -

ETI 15.6 - - - - 14 177,450 2,635,288.67 PAINTCOM 1.04 - - - - 0 - -

ETRANZACT 3.1 - - - - 0 - -

PHARMDEKO 2.14 - - - 0 - -

EVANSMED 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

PORTPAINT 3.36 - - - - 0 - -

FBNH 3.79 3.93 3.86 3.8 3.8 184 5,055,956 19,275,492.20

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - - 0 - -

FCMB 0.87 0.84 0.87 0.84 0.85 90 29,249,726 24,926,812.18

PREMPAINTS 10.93 - - - 0 - -

FIDELITYBK 1.21 1.22 1.22 1.22 1.22 0.01 12 128,900 157,724.34 FIDSON 2.69 - - - - 27 614,065 1,572,223.05 FIRSTALUM 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

PRESCO 34 35.7 - - - 5 11,400 412,350.00 PRESTIGE 0.5 - - - - 0 - PZ 21.9 - - - - 12 36,726 816,355.90 RAKUNITY 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

FLOURMILL 18.4 18.99 18.99 18.99 18.99 0.59 27 197,247 3,727,672.78 REDSTAREX 3.8 - - - - 3 12,500 49,875.00 FO 342 - - - - 6 15,200 4,938,480.00 REGALINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - FORTISMFB 5.15 - - - - 0 - RESORTSAL 0.5 - - - - 0 - FTNCOCOA 0.5 - - - - 0 - ROADS 6.6 - - - - 0 - GCAPPA 14.46 - - - - 0 - -

ROKANA 0.6 - - - - 0 - -

GLAXOSMITH

ROYALEX 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

24.17 25.37 25.37 24.99 29 501,798 12,648,111.26

GNI 0.5 - - - - 0 - GOLDBREW 0.97 - - - - 0 - GOLDINSURE 0.53 - - - 0 - GUARANTY 16.87 17.45 17.45 16.59 16.66 149 3,576,744 59,751,776.00

RTBRISCOE 0.5 - - - - 1 941 470.50 SCOA 3.96 - - - - 0 - SEPLAT 302.48 317.6 318 318 318 15.52 30

388,650 123,626,470.56

SIMCAPVAL 103.24 - - - - 0 - -

GUINEAINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - -GUINSKYEBANK 1.08 1.12 1.08 1.07 1.07 -0.01 39 1,959,858 2,104,852.11 NESS 118 - - - - 10 15,500 1,818,000.00 SKYESHELT 100 - - - - 0 - HMARKINS 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 2 5,004,000 2,502,000.00 SMURFIT 1.02 - - - - 0 - HONYFLOUR 1.37 - - - 4 20,000 27,916.00

SOVRENINS 0.5 - - - - 0 -

IAINSURE 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

-STACO 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

IKEJAHOTEL 2.89 - - - - 0 - INFINITY 1.42 - - - - 0 - INTBKPREF 13.5 - - - - 0 - INTBREW 20 20 - - - 6 14,700 284,197.00 INTENEGINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - INTERLINK 4.21 - - - - 0 - -

STANBIC 14.15 - - - - 5 37,001 523,343.90 STDINSURE 0.5 - - - - 0 - STERLNBANK

1.73 1.73 1.73 1.73

1.73

13

0

1,104,932 1,911,701.10

STUDPRESS 2.19 - - - - 0 - TANTALIZER 0.5 - - - 0 - THOMASWY 0.61 - - - 0 - -

IPWA 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

TIGERBRANDS 1.26 1.25 1.26 1.21 25 3,285,439,119 4,073,967,894.07

JAPAULOIL 0.5 - - - - 2 24,262 12,131.00

TOTAL 145 - - - - 3 3,296 480,630.96

3.51 - - - - 0 - JBERGER 41.5 42.73 - - - 12 31,470 1,386,784.78 TOURIST TRANSCOHOT 5.51 - - - 0 - JOHNHOLT 0.88 - - - - 0 - JOSBREW 1.51 - - - - 0 - JULI 1.75 - - - - 0 - LASACO 0.5 - - - - 0 - LAWUNION 0.67 - - - - 0 - LEARNAFRCA

0.81 0.85 0.89 0.85 0.08 12 610,400 526,304.00

LENNARDS 3 - - - - 0 - -

Top Gainers Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

1.15 1.18 1.18 1.13 -0.02 57 6,563,730 7,435,456.87

TRIPPLEG 1.69 - - - - 1 500 805.00 UAC-PROP 5.2 - - - - 3 20,251 110,165.44 UACN 20.47 21.44 - - - 13 65,995 1,344,425.15 UBA 3 3 3 2.9 2.9 121 6,406,693 18,969,767.92 UBN 5.3 - - - - 8 24,412 126,491.00

Top Losers Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

SEPLAT 302.48 317.6 318 318 318 30 388,650 123,626,470.56 GLAXOSMITH

TRANSCORP

TRANSEXPR 1.21 - - - - 0 - -

24.17 25.37 25.37 24.99 29

501,798 12,648,111.26

FLOURMILL 18.4 18.99 18.99 18.99 18.99 0.59 207,732 3,926,887.78

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

AFROMEDIA 0.5 - - - - 0 - LENNARDS 3 - - - - 0 - RTBRISCOE 0.5 - - - - 1 941 470.50

WAPCO 80 80.5 80.5 80.5 80.5 19 14,337,554 1,154,154,991.51

DUNLOP 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

DANGSUGAR

ETI 15.6 - - - - 14 177,450 2,635,288.67

5.44 5.36 5.6 5.36 44 2,017,332 11,033,075.32

ETERNA 1.76 1.84 1.84 1.84 1.84 0.08 97,300 177,432.00

INTBKPREF 13.5 - - - - 0 - -

LEARNAFRCA 0.81 0.85 0.89 0.85 0.08 610,400 526,304.00

UBN 5.3 - - - - 8 24,412 126,491.00

UNITYBNK 0.6 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.03 501,617 316,018.71

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - - 0 - -

Peoples Daily, Thursday, March 24, 2016

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Special Report

When doctors take on traditional healers in Kenya

I

n our series of letters from Africa, journalist Joseph Warungu considers a possible fight back by Kenyan doctors against traditional healers.

Like elsewhere in Africa, traditional healers or herbalists are everywhere in Kenya, and they say they can cure everything.

A quick look at the pages of our daily newspapers says it all.

You will find herbalists proudly advertising their services, not just in the newspapers, but also on posters stuck on street lamps.

The services of a traditional healer are indispensable.

As long as there are marriages to be rescued, football games to be won and businesses to be resuscitated, the healers are here to stay.

“Is your husband falling out of love? Come and see me and I shall give you the cure to capture his love permanently,” the adverts say.

Yet others would shout: “If you’re struggling with a terrible disease that no doctor can cure, come to me, I can help you.”

We see this kind of advertising daily and many of us do not think much of it.

The fact that the herbalists can sustain regular expensive newspaper advertising suggests business is good.

But now the herbalists are about to face competition on street lamps and on the classified

“

It might be unfair to say the men and women in white coats were getting a little jealous of their herbalist counterparts, who have faced no restrictions, even as they claim to treat anything.

The move by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board - which regulates the practice of medicine and dentistry - to allow advertising by doctors, is partly seen as a fight back.

Medical practitioners will be able to counter the popularity of herbalists, who were able to to aggressively market their products and services, while doctors, bound by their code of ethics, kept a respectful distance.

Newspaper adverts for healers even promise to help expose romantic infidelities

Herbalists promise to cure all sorts of ailments pages of our newspapers.

Medical practitioners will soon be able to advertise their services, following a change in the law that is due to come into effect this month.

Treatment abroad It might be unfair to say the men and women in white coats

The doctors’ union wants tighter regulation of herbalists

were getting a little jealous of their herbalist counterparts, who have faced no restrictions, even as they claim to treat anything.

The move by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board - which regulates the practice of medicine and dentistry - to allow advertising by

doctors, is partly seen as a fight back.

Medical practitioners will be able to counter the popularity of herbalists, who were able to to aggressively market their products and services, while doctors, bound by their code of ethics, kept a respectful distance.

The Medical Board says it will deny the title “doctor” to anyone not examined and reviewed by the board but who purports to cure certain illnesses.

But all this may not be enough to regain the custom of some more affluent Kenyans, who having lost faith in home-grown

doctors, are opting to leave the country and receive medical treatment abroad.

According to estimates, Kenyans spend the equivalent of $100m (£70m) every year for treatment overseas, with India the most popular destination.

On a recent trip to

The new rules should level the playing field between doctors and traditional healers

Ahmedabad in western India, I met many Africans who had come from different countries such as Tanzania, Cameroon, Kenya and Nigeria in search of specialised treatment.

All of them told me they were very satisfied with the standard of medical care they were receiving

and the opportunity to access generic Indian drugs, which cost a fraction of what they’d pay back home.

“I came here on a wheelchair due to a severe back problem,” one Kenyan woman told me.

“Two weeks later and I’m walking again.”

Part of the success of the socalled Indian medical tourism has been aggressive marketing by Indian hospitals in Kenya.

However, a few doctors have been a little too eager to put their patients on a flight abroad.

A local daily newspaper recently revealed a scheme, in

which Kenyan doctors were allegedly working on commission to fast-track patient referrals to Indian hospitals.

‘Difficulty spotting a quack’ It is also not clear how the newly permitted marketing by medical professionals will actually function.

The Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board has been busy working out the finer details.

Some people are worried that the move might affect the doctor-

African doctors also have to compete with medical tourism destinations, especially India

patient relationship.

The reason the ban was introduced in the first place was to safeguard trust between doctor and patient.

It gave people confidence that the doctor was working in the patient’s best interests, without being motivated by how deep their pockets were.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentist Union wants to see clear guidelines for doctors.

Its secretary-general, Dr Ouma Oluga, told me they would like the new rules to be brought in carefully.

“Sometimes the public don’t know who is a genuine doctor and who is a quack,” he says, adding that there also needs to be tighter regulation of herbalists.

“The media gives prominence to these herbalists who claim they can cure serious illnesses in no time at all, yet when things go wrong doctors get the blame.”

Now the men and women with stethoscopes may have to go head-to-head with competitors armed with herbs and other traditional remedies.

We do not know yet how far the doctors will go in selling their services, but as long as the herbalist is free to sell me the world, I am tempted to direct my protruding pot belly to his obscure clinic, just to see if I come out with a six-pack.

Source: BBC

Page 26

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Mother Earth

NEMA commends World Food Programme in Nigeria … As 70,000 people to benefit cash transfer and foods assistance

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

T flood in Nigeria

Oil Spill: Expert wants FG to sensitise producing communities

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna, with agency report

A

n environmentalist, Prof. Sylvester Egwu, has urged the Federal Government to sensitise communities in oil producing areas on the dangers of oil spill on their environment.

Egwu, an oil spillage remediation expert, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recently in Lagos.

According to him, the

enlightenment is necessary as most communities are happy when there is oil spill because of the compensation to be paid to them by the affected oil company. ``The communities do not even think about the toxic substances that will pollute their environment when oil spills occur. ``What happens is that they will start quarrelling among themselves about how to share whatever they get as compensation from the spill. ``The companies capitalise on this confusion created by the communities and take them to

court instead of focusing on how to mitigate the spill,’’ he said.

Egwu said that at times too, the communities instigate the spill so that they could get compensations from oil companies.

He said that some of the community leaders were selfish because of what they get out of the spillage.

The environmentalist said that the Federal Government needed to do something about this.

He added that the communities needed awareness to change their attitude to the environment.

``The communities need to have surveillance groups that will help to protect their communities.’’

He said that surveillance groups would serve to prevent deliberate oil spills as well as give early reports on those that were not deliberate.

Egwu said that most communities in oil producing areas had no access to clean water and therefore drank polluted water which resulted in cancer and death.

He said that the communities needed to be told that oil spill was a deadly weapon against humans and the environment.

Foundation calls for review of National Water and Sanitation Policy

B

read of Life Development Foundation, a NonG o v e r n m e n t a l Organisation (NGO), has called for review of Nigeria’s National Water and Sanitation Policy, to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Programme Officer of the foundation, Mr Taiwo Owolabi, said in a statement in Abuja on Friday that the review would help to achieve universal coverage for safe water supply and sanitation by 2030.

The foundation said the current policy, which was approved in the 2000 had stressed the need for achieving the newly adopted SDGs. It said that it was particularly significant with Target Six of SDGs on safe drinking water supply and sanitation. ``This necessitates a review

of existing strategies that has not worked, and the formulation and development of new policy instruments, guidelines, strategies, and funding mechanism. ``There is the need for sustained allocation of sectoral rules and responsibilities to turn the dream of universal coverage of safe Water Sanitation and Hygiene by 2030, into reality,`` it said.

The foundation called on the 36 state governments in the country to review and update their water supply and sanitation policies.

It maintained that urban and rural water supply and sanitation were statutorily state and local governments` responsibilities.

The foundation expressed regret that it was unfortunate that Nigeria, in spite of its enormous financial resources, was unable to achieve Millennium Developmental

Goals and its target for water supply and sanitation.

It reiterated the need for renewed commitment to achieving SDGs for water supply and sanitation. ``The SDGs is a much more ambitious target because it calls for universal coverage of safe drinking water and sanitation by the year 2030. ``Now is the time for federal and state governments in Nigeria to start making ambitious plans and allocating adequate public funds to achieve the SDGs for water supply and sanitation. ``Also, new policy declarations, strategy documents, and implementation guidelines developed in this regard must be backed by firm political commitment and action. ``We have another 15 years

to give our people access to safe drinking water, and it is our belief that 15 years are enough to eradicate open defecation in Nigeria. ``Fifteen years are enough to stop the incidence of preventable infant and maternal diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid in Nigeria. ``Fifteen years are enough to ensure that every Nigerian has access to safe drinking water supply and sanitation services. ``Now is the time to update national and state policy instruments, sector strategies and implementation guidelines, `` the foundation said.

It maintained that adequate public financing, backed with strong political will, would assist nations to meet the SDG Six for water supply and sanitation. (NAN)

he Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani Sidi has commended the efforts of World Food Programme (WFP) for the ongoing cash transfer programme and foods distribution in the North East by the organisation.

He stated this, when the Executive Director of WFP visited him in his office in Abuja recently.

The NEMA Boss said “ Let me use this opportunity to commend your leadership style and initiative of the World Food Programme officials here in Nigeria even though you don’t even have an office, I think you should have an office now that we are facing this serious challenges and for the continued support”.

He noted that “the insurgence activities in the North East has led to socio-economic stagnation, breakdown of means of livelihood for the majority of the people and the unprecedented destruction of properties and infrastructures.

Sidi said the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Emergency Management Agency has put in place other program and policies to assist victims of insurgency, like Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE), Victim Support Fund and has also consistently provided support to the IDPs and their host communities, in collaboration with their affected state government.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP) Ms Ertharin Cousin appreciated the partnership and assured of the continued support to Nigerian government.

She said “We have performed the first cash based transfer and food assistance this month to the approximately Five Thousand people and work together with you over the next six months to increase to seventy-thousand”.

Meanwhile the Executive Director of the World Food Program Ms Cousin has flagged off the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program during her recent visit to Borno State, accompanied by the Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, Dr Yaya Olaiton who launched the programme in collaboration with NEMA targeting 45,000 households among the 1.2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) residing in host communities across the metropolis The team also flagging off the exercise and had an interactive session with beneficiaries at Chezkon IDP host community.

Page 27

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Mother Earth

Bio-fuel production in African countries

A

frica has over time been used to generate products and services for rich countries, as an almost century long colonization of Africa by European countries was aimed to secure raw materials and markets for the latter.

The global economic stagnation of the 1970s made Africa, with the help of development assistance become markets for the products of industrialized countries.

The question is; can Africa’s bio-fuel production this time around be seen as a provider of alternative energy to confront climate change and thus enable the population of rich countries to maintain their high level of consumption?

This question arises from the rush towards bio-fuel production among foreign investors in Africa that seems to have created serious problems for governments to coordinate and guide such production.

In many African countries, including Nigeria, investors are on the ground without the existence of policies and guidelines for such production.

The recent and dramatic global crises may well lead to reduced pressure on Africa for some time as a safety valve for production of alternative energy for rich countries, but as prices of oil is likely to rise again in the future, the issue of bio-fuel production will once more enter forcefully.

To some of us who do not know what Bio-energy is; bio-energy is produced from biomass including all types of organic matter such as wood, charcoal, energy crops, agricultural and forestry wastes, manure etc.

Due to rising oil prices and climate change, bio-energy emerged as an alternative renewable energy source that can help reduce green house gas emissions.

There currently exist at least five different forms of bio-fuel; bio-ethanol made from sugarcane, wheat, cassava, sorghum and maize that are rich on starch; biodiesel, made from oil rich seeds including soya, oil palm, jatropha and algae.

Others are bio-gas produced from the biological breakdown of organic matter including waste from plants and wood; biomethanol made from celluloses and bio-hydrogen made from biomass or by converting methane through steam reforming.

The bio-energy forms in focus today and of particular relevance to Africa are bio-ethanol and bio-diesel. These energy forms can be used to fuel car engines, either directly or in some form of blending with other fuels, such as petroleum.

The emphasis on bio-ethanol and bio-diesel are related to several factors; global techniques are

available for their production and the fuels can easily be distributed in existing transport and distribution infrastructure; they are considered to be renewable energy forms that can substitute non-renewable energy sources, as positive effects on climate change; they require land areas for their production and the energy, given certain preconditions, is considered to be commercially competitive on a global scale.

In order to avoid the continuation of the historic

Ambrose Inusa Sule environment watch globenviron@yahoo.com 0703-441-4410 (sms only)

scenario of Africa as a provider for others, experts have suggested that there is the need for urgent research on biofuel production in Africa that should throw light on some of the following issues; What type of biofuel crop/ feedstock is best suited for African needs and at the same time secure an export market and incomes over time? Can biofuel generation from other crops than sugarcane or those that require well watered lands represent a potential?

What scale of production of

biofuel can best promote and protect the interests of African smallholders? How can the rights of smallholders to land and water be secured? Can smallholders to a larger extent produce biofuel to generate energy and incomes for their own communities? Can smallholder farmers cooperate with large scale production units

to create win-win situations?

Can inter-cropping of biofuel crops with other crops minimize or avoid the reduction in biodiversity, can it help in mitigating climate change, or can biofuel crops be designed so that they both generate food and energy, such as, has been developed by ICRISAT for sweet sorghum?

including Nigeria.

According to a recent Human Rights Watch study, thousands of people in the Gambella region of Ethiopia were displaced due to farmland. The government’s promises of improved living conditions turned out to be hollow.

Similar examples can also be found outside of Africa.

Documenting the vast scale of farmland purchases and rent by foreign investors in developing

countries, Oxfam International reported that since 2001 a total of 227 million hectares of land has been acquired, the greatest amount in the past two years alone.

With all the negative experiences countries have had, one might expect greater caution in the trend toward cultivating bio-fuel crops. But this is not the case. Yet, companies often keep the true state of their business affairs secret, and governments

do not always guarantee an effective control mechanism.

It is therefore necessary to secure the legal rights of the local residents and improve the transparency of contract compliance. The debate over the cultivation of biofuel crops should also shift from the developed world, where it has taken place for the most part up until now, to developing countries, since it is their residents that bear the brunt of the “ecological” aims.

Bio-fuel

It is not in doubt that the recent interest enjoyed by African countries from abroad, thanks in part to a great amount of available land apparently ideal for cultivating crops for providing food security and for the production of bio-fuels.

However, it has been discovered that the insufficient legal protection for the local population often leads to the signing of contracts that deprive these people of their source of subsistence. Residents usually have little influence on the content of these contracts, which, furthermore, are often not even available for public review.

While the private sector dominates investment in farmland (“land grabbing”), it frequently has strong financial or other support from the local government. The main countries targeted by investors are countries in Africa, especially areas in the Sub-Saharan part of the continent

“

It is therefore realised that only government could ultimately set the terms of that “full repairing lease”.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Page 28

Emergency Update NEMA delivers additional relief materials to Agatu IDPs

I

n furtherance of humanitarian supports to the displaced persons affected by the recent attacks their communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has delivered additional relief materials for distribution to assuage their condition.

The materials were presented in Makurdi to the state governor Dr Samuel Ortom by the Director General of NEMA Muhammad Sani Sidi in the presence of a delegation from the House of Representatives led by the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Hon Ali Isa. The Director General who was represented by the Director of Search and Rescue Air Vice Marshal Charles Otegbade said the additional materials were outcome of report from the initial relief delivered by the North Central zonal which identified the need for more supplies for the displaced persons.

He said the continued supports of the agency to assist the displaced persons as promised during the recent rally by a group from the area that recently visited the headquarters of NEMA in Abuja.

Responding, Governor Ortom who received the materials on behalf of the affected persons assured of the distribution to

them. The governor said the state government has already set up a special committee for the care of the affected persons which would work with the state emergency management agency in distribution of the relief items.

He expressed regrets over the attack that resulted in many deaths, destruction of property and displacement of many communities. He said the problem was not new as many communities in Benue and neighbouring states have continued to suffer losses arising from attacks by the herdsmen which he believe are not Nigerians but from neigbouring countries. “We dont have problem with the local fulani herdsmen that are Nigerians and have been living with our people in the communities. The problem caused by the porous Nigerian borders have lead to an influx of foreigners in the country”, he said.

Advocating for the implementation of ranches in Nigeria, Ortom said “keeping animals in paddocks serves as a restriction mechanism.” This, he also noted that various countries in Asia and Europe use the ranch system for their animals.

Also speaking, the deputy chairman of the House committee on disaster and preparedness, Ali Isa, said the uncontrolled killings by the herdsmen is saddening.

Isa informed the governor that the House of Representatives

Benue State Governor Dr Samuel Ortom (C ) taking delivery of the relief items from the Director Search and Rescue NEMA AVM Charles Otegbade and Deputy Chairman House of representatives Committee on Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Hon Ali Isa. The items were delivered by NEMA for distribution to IDPs affected by recent attacks in the state has passed a resolution directing its committees to ensure the victims of the attacks are taken care of. He assured Benue natives that members of the House of Representatives share in their pain and would ensure a lasting solution aimed at stopping the

incessant killings.

It will recall that immediately following the violent attack on the communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, NEMA through its North Central Zonal office deploy some relief supports to the displaced

persons. The Nnorth central zonal coordinator Abdulsalam Muhammad led in the relief distribution with officials of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency led by the Executive Secretary Mr Boniface Ortese.

Financial reforms: NEMA trains account staff

F

A section of the relief items delivered by National Emergency Management Agency for distribution to persons affected by the recent herdsmen attacks in Benue State.

ollowing the introduction of reforms in accounting for financial transaction, especially Treasury Single Account TSA by the Federal Government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has organized training for its staff in Finance and Account Department and Internal Audit on current developments in financial system at the weekend in Lagos.

The Director General, Muhammad Sani Sidi said that the training was meant to update staff on current realities in the financial transaction and broaden the scope and mind of the staff to be aware of the enormous expectations of government and the public in general as well as to be in line with international best practices.

“In view of the current humanitarian challenges in the North east and the amount of resources required to address emerging challenges

the training to review policies and plans has become necessary”, he added.

Sani Sidi said the Federal Government had introduced so many reforms in accounting for financial transaction, such as Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS), Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS), Treasury Single Account (TSA) etc. and inventory documentation would soon be included.

“The need for proper accounting for good decision making cannot be overemphasized. It is therefore obligatory for you to provide management with financial and non financial information that will assist management in making sound decisions”. He emphasised.

He urged staff who distinguished themselves to keep the good work and cautioned them to avoid doing anything capable of tarnishing the image of the agency.

Feature A Kashmiri boy who refused to leave police custody

Page 29

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

four-year-old boy has become the centre of a controversy between India and Pakistan - and between his father and mother.

Iftikhar Ahmad was in police custody, in a cell in Ganderbal town, near Srinagar, in Indiaadministered Kashmir, for the last five days.

He hadn’t been arrested - but his father, Gulzar Ahmad Tantray, had - and Iftikhar refused to leave without him.

Mr Tantray, who grew up in a village in Ganderbal, crossed over to Pakistan-administered Kashmir in 1990, allegedly for arms training at the peak of the insurgency against Indian rule.

He returned to Indiaadministered Kashmir last Thursday along with Iftikhar, and was taken into police custody on Friday.

Mr Tantray was released on bail late on Tuesday, and he and Iftikhar left police custody.

However, Rohina Kayani, Iftikhar’s mother in Pakistanadministered Kashmir, has accused her husband of kidnapping the child and running away to the Indian side.

Mr Tantray’s family has denied the charges.

In fact, the two sides can’t even agree whether Mr Tantray is Iftikhar’s biological father or not.

The BBC’s Geeta Pandey in Delhi explains the different sides of the story.

Mother Rohina Kayani’s story Rohina Kayani says she married Mr Tantray in 2002 and as the couple did not have any biological children, they adopted Iftikar in January 2012.

“I lost several members of my family during the devastating earthquake in 2005. Among the dead was my favourite brother, Iftikhar, so I named my baby after him,” she told BBC Urdu’s Aurangzeb Saifullah at her home in Muzaffarabad, in Pakistanadministered Kashmir.

“The child brought immense joy to our lives,” she said.

But, the happiness did not last.

“On 12 March my husband took away the child saying he was going to attend a wedding in Haripur, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [in Pakistan]. He said they would return in the evening.”

However, he did not return, and by the next day, his phone was switched off. When a three-day frantic search yielded nothing, she called her husband’s parents in Ganderbal.

“That’s when I found out that he had arrived in the Kashmir Valley via Dubai. I have no idea when and how he arranged travel documents for himself and the child.”

She has now lodged a complaint at the local police station in Muzaffarabad, accusing her husband of kidnapping their child.

“I think I’ll never be able to see my child again,” she says, tears rolling down her cheeks. “He was my only hope. Now he’s been taken away from me.”

Pakistan-based human rights activist Ansar Burney has written letters to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian high commission in Islamabad, urging them to restore Iftikhar to his mother as soon as possible.

“This is trafficking,” he told the BBC. “If the child has a Pakistani passport, shouldn’t he be brought back to Pakistan?

“The child’s welfare is paramount. I think a mother is the mother, whether she gave birth to him or adopted him and nurtured him. He should be returned home as soon as possible.”

The Tantray family defence As Gulzar Ahmad Tantray has been in police custody for the past few days, BBC Hindi’s Majid Jahangir met his father Mohd Maqbool Tantray at his home in Saloora village, Ganderbal district.

“How can a father kidnap his own child?” asked Tantray senior, adding that the charges against his son were “totally false”.

“My grandson loves his father a lot so he came here with him,” he said.

Gulzar Ahmad Tantray is thought to have been among thousands of Kashmiri youths

Rohina Kayani calls Iftikhar her “only hope” who began crossing over to the Pakistani side after 1988 to join militant training camps and fight for freedom from India.

Since November 2010, when the Indian government announced “a policy to allow for return of exmilitants to Jammu and Kashmir state”, hundreds have returned home to the valley, many of them with families.

Mr Tantray’s family denies that Iftikhar is adopted.

His brother, Zubair, told The Indian Express newspaper that Gulzar had two wives in Pakistan and Iftikhar is his child from the second wife who is now dead.

Rohina Kayani, he says, is the child’s stepmother, and that is why his brother decided to bring the boy with him.

Police ‘at a loss’ The controversy has highlighted just how separate India-administered Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir are.

The region has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan since it was split in 1949

“ Iftikhar’s parents disagree over whether he was adopted

Gulzar Ahmad Tantray with his wife and child - and direct travel between the two sides is not possible.

What should police in Ganderbal have done with a four-year-old who refused to leave their custody and who reportedly refused to go with his father’s family because he was not familiar with any of them?

The boy was not charged with any offence, officers told BBC Hindi’s Majid Jahangir.

However, they were at a loss about what to do with him.

“How can we arrest a fouryear-old boy. He is allowed to go anywhere. But he doesn’t want to leave,” the paper quoted police official Asif Iqbal as saying.

That problem was finally resolved when Mr Tantray was granted bail on Tuesday night.

Source: BBC

A four-year-old boy has become the centre of a controversy between India and Pakistan - and between his father and mother.

Iftikhar Ahmad was in police custody, in a cell in Ganderbal town, near Srinagar, in India-administered Kashmir, for the last five days.

He hadn’t been arrested - but his father, Gulzar Ahmad Tantray, had - and Iftikhar refused to leave without him.

Mr Tantray, who grew up in a village in Ganderbal, crossed over to Pakistan-administered Kashmir in 1990, allegedly for arms training at the peak of the insurgency against Indian rule.

Feature Page 30

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

“This is the spot where the first explosion went off,” he said pointing to brown patches on the tarmac, where blood stains had been darkened by a layer of dust.

The camp stretches across both sides of the road and so residents still have to pass the scene of the attack every day to get water and food.

There are 15,000 people still living here and they are scared.

But they have nowhere safe to go, so they are staying here.

Now, they say they cannot trust anyone, not even children.

An elderly woman, Falmata Mohammed, remembers the minutes before the attack.

“A soldier was trying to arrange our queues... There was this woman wearing a red veil and she had long hair.”

The Dikwa camp is home to tens of thousands of people

Boko Haram: Confession of a supposed female suicide bomber O n Tuesday 9 February, two Nigerian girls entered a camp for displaced people in the country’s north-east.

Minutes later they detonated their explosive vests, killing 58 people.

A third girl refused to take part in the suicide mission for Islamist militant group Boko Haram. This is her story.

Hauwa, not her real name, doesn’t know her age, but she looks 17 or 18.

She had been held by Boko Haram for more than a year when her captors suggested the plan to attack the Dikwa camp.

In return for carrying out their mission, the three girls were told they would go to paradise.

But Hauwa knew that she had to defy them.

‘Spiritual problems’ “I said ‘No’, since my mum is residing in Dikwa, I won’t go and kill people there. I would rather go and stay with my family, even if I die there,” she tells me through a translator.

Both her parents and her

siblings, except for one brother who had been captured with her, were staying in the camp at Dikwa in Borno state, along with about 50,000 others forced from their homes.

Hauwa explains how she ended up being lured into joining the group.

“I had spiritual problems and so the Boko Haram told me they could help get rid of them,” she says.

We do not know exactly what Hauwa was suffering from, but these so-called “evil spirits” had caused her to soil herself and even put her hand into a fire.

Whatever the reason, she saw Boko Haram as the answer to her problems, and they took her in.

from her husband and then got remarried.

Her second husband then ran away and when she refused to take a third husband, the group suggested their plan: “They said since I refused to remarry, I should take the bomb,” she says.

The Dikwa camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) was 85km (50 miles) north-east of Maiduguri, the state capital of Borno and the birthplace of Boko Haram.

Hauwa knew it well and it was

not far from the place she was being held by the militants, so the night before the attack was due to take place, she sneaked out very early in the morning.

Her plan was to alert her family and others staying at Dikwa of the impending attack.

But she was too late.

By the time she reached Dikwa camp, the two suicide bombers had already struck.

An army officer showed the BBC team the scene of the attack.

She remembers a typical day living with the militants.

“We were living in grassthatched houses. When my husband was around, I cooked three times a day... the men would steal meat and bring it for us to cook.”

After a while, Hauwa separated

“ Boko Haram, which means “Western education is forbidden”, has often attacked schools

The Dikwa camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) was 85km (50 miles) north-east of Maiduguri, the state capital of Borno and the birthplace of Boko Haram. Hauwa knew it well and it was not far from the place she was being held by the militants, so the night before the attack was due to take place, she sneaked out very early in the morning. Her plan was to alert her family and others staying at Dikwa of the impending attack.

But she was too late.

Boko Haram at a glance: Image copyright Boko Haram video Image caption Boko Haram has sworn allegiance to Islamic State and often displays its trademark black flag • Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means “Western education is forbidden” in the Hausa language • Launched military operations in 2009 • Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, hundreds abducted, including at least 200 schoolgirls • Joined so-called Islamic State, now calls itself IS’s “West African province” • Seized large area in northeast, where it declared caliphate • Regional force has retaken most territory this year Falmata says she looked round when the woman began complaining about the soldiers, who were trying to disperse the crowds.

“As soon as we moved onto the road, she shouted ‘Wayyo’, saying she had a pain in her stomach…

People rushed to help her and tried to lift her up and that’s when the bomb detonated.”

“We saw fireballs around us,” she tells me, saying that suddenly she became aware that she was surrounded by dozens of mutilated bodies.

Hauwa did not see the attack herself, but she was shown footage of the aftermath by military investigators and reflect on the fate of the two girls.

“It wasn’t a pleasant thing to see. It wasn’t good to carry a bomb to go and kill fellow human beings,” she says.

“I don’t know if the other girls knew they would die when they went on the mission.”

For parents in this part of Nigeria, the fear of Boko Haram is all too real.

The group is prepared not only to abduct their children, but to send their own young back as assassins in the very places they have sought refuge.

This is the same state where Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in April 2014. Most of them are still missing.

Hauwa chose to defy the group and to escape, saving her own and the many lives of her would-be victims.

We talk about her future, but when the topic of children comes up, she laughs it off.

“I’d like to get an education,” she says.

Source: BBC

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 31

SAG raises alarm over ‘dormancy’ of FCT Revenue Board

By Stanley Onyekwere

A

front liner of the original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the convener of Save Abuja Group (SAG), Yusuf Yunusa has raised alarm over alleged non usage of the FCT Revenue Board, therefore, calling on the National Assembly to intervene.

Yunusa who spoke to journalists in Abuja, said he is disappointment with the level in which the Revenue Board

recently passed by the national Assembly and assented by the president has not put to work by the FCTA administration.

Yunusa further linked the nonepayment of the FCT area council workers salaries to the dormant nature of the Revenue Board.

According to him, “For me by now we expected the Board to generate enough resources for both the FCT and its area councils but as it is for now that Board is not working and that has finally exposed the

weak nature of the minister to manage the affairs of the territory.

“We want to also advise the minister to have a rethink over his purported plans to dissolve the six area councils of the FCT before the council’s election because council administration in the territory is backed by the law.

“And the minister should come out and tell the general public what is happening with the FCT administration, imagine our

parents are being owned salaries for a complete 3 to 4 months and the minister could not tells us why and he has used his politics ambition to divide our people at the grassroots level” Yusuf I insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari should review the appointment of his cabinet ministers, in order to ensure they are up and doing.

He advised Mr. President to put the FCT minister under his watch list to avoid the withdrawal and support of the original

Vehicle wind screen sellers waiting for customers, yesterday at Waru village, in Abuja.

inhabitants of Abuja.

“This is the first time in the FCT we are experiencing this type of treatment by the FCTA having a minister who has no idea of the constitutional powers bestowed on him by the president.

“To be candid the president has been working tirelessly around the globe to source for what will be better the nation but his ministers are not creative in discharge in their duties especially the FCT ministerial who has not shown shine a leader” he said.

Photos: Mahmud Isa

Residents groan under epileptic power supply in Lugbe

R

esidents of Lugbe Federal Housing Estate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried the continued power shortage in the area, saying that it is killing businesses.

The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the situation was compounded by the ``huge’’ electricity bills.

They therefore, appealed to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to address the situation.

Commenting on the situation, Mr. Anthony Okeke, noted that electricity tariff was increased recently without commensurate service. “It is so bad that we receive electricity bill of over N7, 000 per month for a one bedroom flat for electricity not provided.

“When I first moved into this area, my monthly electricity bill was between N3, 000 and N3, 500, which I paid grudgingly, because we hardly ever had light.

“Now, the bill has been increased to between N7, 000 and

N7, 500 monthly, yet there is no regular electricity supply.’’

Okeke wondered how an average civil servant would survive in such area with his N18, 500 minimum wage, without engaging in fraud to make ends meet.

Another respondent, Mr. Anthony Ifemenoku, said the irony of the situation, was that while those that usually paid bills were most times not supplied electricity, people in shanties who do not pay, get regular electricity

supply.

Mrs Mary Akingbade, another resident, said the situation was not only affecting business activities, but also demoralising business owners.

Mr Hyacinth Ifeakanwan, who owns a barbing saloon in the area, said he spends a lot of money on fuel in order to remain in business, adding that he had to pushes part of the cost to his customers.

Meanwhile, an official of the AEDC, who spoke on grounds of anonymity, has described the

electricity issue as complex and urged the residents to be patient.

NAN recalls that the Nigeria Electricity regulatory commission (NERC) on February 1, raised electricity tariff by 45 per cent, sparking protests by the organised labour.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NUC) led the Trade Union Congress and Civil Society led a protest to the Senate, AEDC and NERC over the tariff hike, demanding immediate reversal.

(NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Photo Splash

Gbagyi women entertaining guests, at a public function yesterday in Abuja.

Two women hawking groundnut, yesterday at Apo Mechanic, in Abuja.

Children and their mothers at Internally Displace Persons (IDPS), yesterday in Wassa Village, Abuja.

. Clowns entertaining guests, at a public function recently in Abuja.

Hawkers display their wares at a traffic jam along Apo Mechanic village road, yesterday in Abuja.

Photos: Mahmud Isa

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 33

Photo Splash

Mascots adding glamour to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally, recently in Bwari Area Council of Abuja.

Traders off loading their goods from an articulated vehicle, at Nyanya-Mararaba road, in Abuja.

Staff Abuja Environmental Protection Board on duty, at Central Area, in Abuja.

Children hawking beverages and sachet water, at Gwagwalada motor park, in Abuja.

People taking ride in an tipper truck, at Karu, in Abuja.

Photos: Justin Imo-owo

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PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Money Sense

21 Common household items to re-use and upcycle

By Louis DeNicola The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the average American generates 4.38 pounds of waste every day.

About 1.51 pounds of that is recycled or composted, but that leaves a lot of waste heading to the landfill. Many items can be reused or recycled right at home.

Some items can even be upcycled; recycled in such a way that their value increases. These projects might involve learning a new skill or using new tools, but most are fairly straightforward and don’t require much of an investment.

From plastic bags to wood furniture to old towels, many household items can be repurposed for a useful second act.

Picture frames:

paper or a light-color fabric and make notes on the glass surface using a dry-erase marker. Or leave the center empty, add several rows of twine, and hang many pictures within one frame.

Newspapers: Not as common as they once were, the daily paper has potential for generating great waste. Recycled newsprint can be reprinted by professionals, but repurpose it at home by saving the funnies to use as wrapping paper.

Furniture:

It’s a shame to throw away a beautiful picture frame when there are so many ways to reuse it. Replace the backing with lined

Upcycling furniture requires skill but pays off handsomely; it’s a profession in its own right.

Techniques vary depending on the piece, but wood furniture is generally the easiest to upcycle because you can sand down and refinish it, and the piece will look like new.

Old hardcover books: An old book is something to treasure, but if you don’t want to pass it on or donate it to the library there are other ways to reuse it.

Floating book shelves are one of the most interesting and require only a few supplies. Instructors offer a how-to guide, and you can see many examples of the floating shelves in action in the comments section. Another option with large books: Cut a hole in the center pages, glue the rest of the pages together and you now have a secret compartment.

Plastic bags: Store old plastic bags or doggie bags in Kleenex boxes to keep them organized and easy to pull out when you need one. Disinfectant wipes containers, especially the cylindrical ones, also work well for this purpose.

Plastic bags, round 2:

In trendy restaurants and bars, Mason jars have become iconic drinking glasses. But any old glass jar can be reused as a cup, vase, or candle holder, and as a pot for starting plants and storing small bulk items. Removing the label is the hardest part if the adhesive isn’t water soluble, but there are

some tricks. Fill the glass with water and then microwave it -- the heat and steam help the sticker peel off. WD-40 is a good chemical solution, or scrape off the residue with steel wool or a razor blade.

Textiles: Old towels, sheets, curtains, and clothing can easily be given

a second life. Cut them into manageable pieces and you’ll have a stack of rags. Alternatively, save the scraps for making quilts or patches.

Tires: From seat covers to yard decorations, swings, and planter pots, there are many ways to reuse an old tire. Take a look at these 45 creative solutions at Homesthetics.

Yogurt and egg containers Spring is in the air and it’s time to start your garden. Plant seeds in cleaned yogurt containers or egg cartons and you’ll be able to keep a protective eye on your starts while controlling their environment.

Wood pallets: Easy to find at home improvement stores and warehouses, wood pallets can be reused in the home in several ways. They’ll probably need a good sanding, and possibly a paint job, but they then can be stacked and used as a coffee table, TV frame, or bed frame.

Cigar boxes: Many cigar boxes are beautifully crafted and finished and can be used to store jewelry or other trinkets. (Remove the smell by leaving a dish of baking soda inside for some time.) If you want to refinish a box, they are easy to paint over and decorate.

Speaking of plastic bags, they can be reused many ways: bring to the grocery store, pick up animal waste, line the garbage pail, and carry lunch. Or, follow a tutorial at the blog Made and melt several bags together to create one strong tote.

Old doors: Doors can be turned into desks and coffee tables without much skill or know-how. If the door is in good shape all you need to do is bolt or screw legs onto it and the Large black binder clips can be used for much more than just paper.

BuzzFeed lists more than 50 fun ways to use these clips, including as a replacement keyboard foot, a toothpaste tube squeezer, and a cable organizer.

Glass bottles: If you want to liven up your kitchen, take an empty glass bottle; Coke, it doesn’t matter and fill with dish soap. Pop on a slow-pour spout and you have your own trendy soap dispenser.

CD/DVD cases: If you’ve ever burned CDs or DVDs you’re familiar with the plastic cases they come in. Without any additional work, these cases can be reused as cord organizers. Wrap cords around your hand and then place them in

the case. The cases are often see-through and stackable as well, making storage even easier.

13 of 22 © Courtesy of Amazon.com Over-the-door shoe racks: The shoe racks many plastic or cloth pockets that hang over your door can be used for a variety of purposes. Hang it in the kitchen or pantry for holding snacks, or use the pockets to organize cleaning, sewing, or craft supplies.

Glass jars:

table is done. Or, place the door on top of file cabinets or small drawer units to create a desk.

Mugs, bowls, and bottles: Just about any spherical object can be repurposed into a lamp with the proper tools. There are many examples online of how to make a lamp, but be sure to read up on safe installation of the electrical components, which is the dangerous part of the job.

Binder clips:

T-shirts: You can turn old shirts into rags as well, but there are more creative ways to reuse them. Consider making a headband, belt, bracelet, or bag out of the shirt, or get inspired by the 39 ideas shared at the blog Personal Creations.

Pillows: There are two parts to every pillow: the cover that can be repurposed in the same way as any textile and the stuffing that can be turned into new cushions, pillows, stuffed animals, and pet toys. This is a low-cost and simple project to tackle.

Cracked ceramics: A crack in your plate or bowl doesn’t signify the end of its life. You can put the piece back together; the website HomeLife walks you through a creative way to do this while adding color to the dishware. You also can use the pieces to create a mosaic.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

world news ANALYSIS

By Marwan Bishara

A

mericans should realise that their choices come with great responsibility for their country and the world.

I see that you’re enjoying the political circus masquerading as a presidential race. But the fact is this is not just another four-yearly carnival during which you listen to a handful of candidates schmoozing you and saying things they don’t mean and making promises they won’t keep.

This time you’re toying with evil, and if you continue to swallow the rubbish fed to you by your leading populist candidate, you’re bound to poison your entire liberal system and sever relations with the rest of the world.

Anyone who blames Mexicans, Blacks and Muslims for the misfortunes of your country is deceiving you. They don’t deserve you, and they sure as hell don’t deserve your support.

Anyone who tells you that only the rich can pull you out of misery after the banks ran your financial system into the ground is lying to you.

So why are so many of your own swallowing these lies like hot cakes? Why do they nod in approval when someone promises to deliver greatness by erecting a wall, scrapping a nuclear agreement or undoing a health programme?

You are an industrious and hard-working nation and you know all too well that things don’t come that easy in life.

You’ve been issued cheques you can’t cash.

Just how many times are you going to be bit in the same place by the same snakes?

You probably reckon it just doesn’t really matter. They’re all the same any way; they come, they speak, they wave, and then they’re gone until the next elections. So why not enjoy the spectacle while it lasts, right?

Wrong. This time it’s different. You’re playing with fire.

These are serious times and they do require serious people with real ideas, not phallic innuendos. The twisted entertainment must stop. Life is not Hollywood. Plain and simple.

I understand you like to be told you’re great, that you’re

Page 35

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Dear America, don’t be so damn gullible

Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz [AP]

God’s gift to the world, and how God loves America. And that’s just fine; he does have a big heart.

But dear America, God said love, not hate, thy neighbour!

In a scare frenzy, you’re incited to fear your own nationals just because they follow a different faith.

You’re pushed to use torture.

To discriminate. To kill. To take revenge. And to break your word. And that should “make America great again!” Really!

You’re told that if only you detested your neighbour enough; if only you demonised them as rapists and killers enough, you will receive heaven on earth. That’s just lazy bigotry.

It’s time to stop kidding yourself.

Your patriotism is envied.

Even your imperialism is at times appreciated and even desired by those seeking your protection.

But when in the wrong, you need to take responsibility for your failed and at times bloody policies at home and abroad.

The kind of nationalism being forged and sold during this presidential campaign

“

It doesn’t make you special when the British and the Russians, the Muslims and the Mexicans, the French and the Chinese warn against the kind of fascism on full display in your rallies and fundraisers. It makes you weak and renders you isolated. is not about the love of one’s country - it’s about confronting the whole world.

It doesn’t make you special when the British and the Russians, the Muslims and the Mexicans, the French and the Chinese warn against the kind of fascism on full display in your rallies and fundraisers.

It makes you weak and renders you isolated.

It’s time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop being delusional. It’s high time you shook off this laxity and end this dangerous fatalism.

These are tough times that demand serious people who understand that you need the

world as much as it needs you.

To be sure, dear America, this is not my first open letter to you. I wroteto you more than a dozen years ago, warning of similar impulses.

I want to repeat to you today, what I said then: Our right to security is a universal right. Preserving it in an era of globalisation is a multilateral venture. That’s why our interdependence is a sign of our maturity, not our weakness. All of us democrats must confront irrational geotheology and deadly geostrategy by emphasising geoethics.

Putting our values above

our interests, our humanity above our nationalism, could help us create coalitions across continents and religions to block the fatalistic and destructive drive to war.

In the absence of democracy, Middle East Arabs have not made the choice of their fundamentalists or their leaders.

You Americans, on the other hand, are a democracy and have a choice. The fundamentalists and the militarists succeed only when we democrats of the world fail to be what we must.

Dearest America, last time you didn’t heed my advice and the result was wars, bloodshed, destruction and more insecurity. But it’s not too late this time around to do the right thing, as you must.

Marwan Bishara is the senior political analyst at Al Jazeera. Follow him onFacebook.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.

Source: Al Jazeera

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Page

News From Africa

Somalia Prime Minister Sharmarke backs anti-FGM campaign

S

omalia’s prime minister has publicly backed a campaign to ban female genital mutilation (FGM) in his country.

It is currently against the constitution but parliament has not yet passed a bill outlawing the practice.

Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has joined more than a million others by signing an online petition calling for a comprehensive ban.

The UN children’s agency, Unicef, estimates that more than 90% of Somali girls undergo FGM. It says that it is mainly performed on four to 11-year-olds and can have a long-lasting impact on the girls’ physical and mental health.

Somali anti-FGM campaigner Ifrah Ahmed told the BBC that she had persuaded Mr Sharmarke to sign the petition organised by online campaign group Avaaz.

She said that it was a significant move as many people in Somalia do not openly speak about the issue.

Ms Ahmed, who has experienced FGM herself, thought it would help put pressure on the lawmakers to pass the bill.

She has worked with Somalia’s Women’s Affairs Minister Sahra

Ifrah Ahmed persuaded the prime minister to sign the petition Samatar in drawing up the draft legislation.

Ms Samatar told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the prime minister’s action was a “huge boost” to the efforts to get the law passed.

South Africa launches plan to exhume hanged political prisoners

S

outh Africa’s government has tweeted about its plans to exhume the human remains of 83 political prisoners who were hanged on the gallows by the apartheid regime and buried in unmarked graves: Madeleine Fullard, from South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authorities Missing Persons Task Team, has also been tweeting from the event at the museum at Kgosi Mampuru II prison in the capital, Pretoria Her team looks for the remains of those who disappeared during apartheid.

The justice department says a total of 130 political prisoners were hanged at this Pretoria prison between 1960 and 1990.

Forty-seven of these prisoners have been exhumed while 83 of them remain buried in unmarked graves.

The prisoners were mainly members of the Pan Africanist Congress (POQO) and United Democratic Front (UDF).

The government says their remains will be handed over to their families once they have been positively identified.

But campaigners acknowledge that it will take more than a law to end the practice.

Ms Ahmed said that an education campaign, as well as a willingness to enforce the legislation, will be

UN experts give Burundi death toll

N

ew figures from the UN indicate that 474 people have been killed in Burundi since last April, when a crisis broke out over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term.

Experts presented their findings from a visit to Burundi earlier this month at the UN Council for Human Rights in Geneva.

But the leader of a Burundi human rights organisation said the number of victims exceeded 600.

A Burundian government representative said the killings have been perpetrated by insurgents.

On Tuesday, a senior army officer and ally of the president was shot dead inside the defence ministry compound on Tuesday.

An army major was also reportedly shot dead last night while leaving a bar in the centre of the capital, Bujumbura.

What challenges ahead for Niger’s president?

O

ne of the immediate challenges facing Niger’s President Muhamadou Issoufou, who won Sunday’s presidential run-off which was boycotted by the opposition, is to form a stable government.

International monitoring bodies have advised he negotiate with the opposition and other aggrieved citizens to ease the tense political situation.

Another challenge is the issue of insecurity, particularly from the Islamist Boko Haram insurgency on the border with Nigeria, and the need to secure borders with Mali and Libya, which both have active militant groups.

In a speech after his re-election, President Issoufou acknowledged some of these problems and the need for national unity.

Niger is currently part of a multi-national task force fighting Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

Poverty, unemployment, infrastructure and food security are also big issues that need

attention in the uranium-rich nation.

Recently, the UN said about two million people would need urgent food aid this year as a result of drought.

Issoufou

necessary.

She said that it is widely practised in Somalia as people believe it is a religious requirement and girls who have not undergone it are taunted for not being cut.

Kenya Mpeketoni terror suspects freed

A

two-year wait for justice in Kenya following terror attacks near the coastal town of Mpeketoni has ended in frustration for police and victims’ families.

At least 60 people were killed over two nights of terror in June 2014.

But the High Court in Mombasa has acquitted the two main suspects Dyna Salim and Mahadi Swaleh – on all 60 counts of murder.

Justice Martin Muya said the police failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the pair was culpable.

He said resources and manpower had been wasted, describing police investigations as poor.

During his ruling, Justice Muya asked the government to address some security concerns.

He singled out a communication breakdown in the police units during the Mpeketoni attack and castigated the department for refusing to respond to the midnight attack for fear of an ambush.

The police have long accused the judiciary of frustrating the war on terror by releasing suspects on bail or being too lenient on suspects.

This ruling makes it clear that the onus is on officers to gather evidence if they want to secure convictions.

Uber taxi torched Egypt cabinet reshuffle ‘highlights in Kenya

A

n Uber taxi was last night torched in the ongoing fight between the car-hailing app and traditional taxis in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

Police said the vehicle was burnt down in Nairobi’s Riruta area by four men who had been waiting for it but the driver escaped unhurt, Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper reports.

“The four were joined by the man who had hired the taxi as the driver jumped out and escaped on foot,” said Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome.

This is the second such incident in a month to happen in the city.

In February, local taxi operators held a protest in Nairobi and gave the firm a seven-day notice to cease operations in Kenya, after accusing it of flouting local laws and engaging in “neo-colonialism”.

Guinea ‘prepared for jihadist threat’

Nile dam concern’

E

gypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi reshuffled his government on Wednesday, naming nine new ministers and creating a new portfolio for business but leaving the key ministries of defence, foreign affairs and interior untouched, the Reuters news agency reports.

It says the replacement of the water minister follows the lack of any tangible progress in drawnout negotiations between Egypt and Ethiopia over Ethiopia’s construction of a massive dam.

Ethiopia began diverting the Blue Nile in May 2013, amid works to construct a hydroelectric plant known as the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The river is a tributary of the Nile, on which Egypt is heavily dependent.

G

uinea’s new security minister has said his country has taken measures to ward off potential terror threats which have recently affected other West African states.

“Nothing can be ignored. We are not seeking to find out if they are there or not but where and when they are going to strike. As a result, we are preparing ourselves. By the grace of God, we will ensure that does not happen to us”, Almamy Kabele Camara told Guineenews website.

Guinea contributes to the UN mission in Mali which is fighting jihadist groups - and has lost nine soldiers during attacks there.

During the in-depth interview, the minister also touched on the problems his department has had introducing new biometric identity cards, but he said he hoped these would soon be resolved.

The Blue Nile in Ethiopia is being diverted

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Page

Asia & Middle East China Yemen conflict: US air strike vaccine scandal: 37 ‘kills many al-Qaeda fighters’ arrested T

A

US air strike has killed dozens of fighters from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in a mountainous region of Yemen, the Pentagon says.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the target was an al-Qaeda training camp that was being used by more than 70 fighters.

Tuesday’s air strike was the most recent US attack on AQAP in Yemen.

Last year, the US military killed several of the militant group’s leaders with drone strikes.

Since late January 2015, AQAP has lost a number of high-profile figures in US drone strikes - including leader Nasser al-Wuhayshi, religious official Harith al-Nadhari, ideologue and spokesman Ibrahim al-Rubaish along with lower ranking figures.

Mr Cook said the attack demonstrates the US military’s “commitment to defeating al-Qaeda and denying it safe haven”.

The Pentagon did not disclose the location of the camp.

However, Yemeni security officials told the Associated Press that the air strike hit a former military base that had been taken over by al-Qaida militants in the southwest part of the county near AQAP’s stronghold city of Mukalla.

The civil war in Yemen has indirectly helped AQAP militants gain a foothold in the country In Yemen, resurgent al-Qaeda militants have seized territory and infrastructure - indirectly assisted

by Saudi-led air strikes on the rebel Houthi movement, their Shia Muslim foes.

At least 6,000 people have been

killed in Yemen since March 2015, when a coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched a military campaign to defeat the Houthis and allied army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and restore the government.

The coalition’s member states consider al-Qaeda a terrorist organisation, and the jihadist network’s local affiliates have attacked coalition forces and Yemeni government personnel.

Syria troops ‘reach outskirts of IS-held Palmyra’ Vietnam bloggers: Press. yrian government forces are that such structures are idolatrous.

Mr Barazi added that he The UN cultural agency, Unesco, reported to have reached the Nguyen Huu Vinh and outskirts of the ancient city of has condemned the destruction as a expected “positive results” over the next few days.

Palmyra, after driving back Islamic war crime.

Minh Thuy jailed Syrian government forces The Syrian Observatory, which State (IS) militants.

S

A

court in Hanoi has sentenced a wellknown Vietnamese blogger to five years in jail after finding him guilty of publishing anti-state articles.

Nguyen Huu Vinh, a former policeman, had connections to the ruling Communist Party elite. His assistant received three years. Both denied the charges.

They were detained in 2014. The “Ba Sam” blogs they were accused of posting attracted several million page views.

Earlier, police outside the court broke up protests seeking their release.

The one-party state is often criticised by rights groups for its intolerance of dissent. Vietnam’s mainstream media are state-run and heavily regulated.

However, the internet has emerged as a forum for criticising the authorities.

Nguyen Huu Vinh’s case differs from other dissident bloggers jailed in recent years because of his family background his late father was a government minister and former ambassador to the Soviet Union.

Quynh Le of BBC Vietnamese says the blog, which began in 2007, was a mixture of news and commentary from a stable of distinguished contributors.

“I am completely innocent,” Vinh told the court.

His assistant Minh Thuy Thuy said she did not know who had written the articles or posted them, the Associated Press reports.

The authorities said the two had lowered people’s trust in the ruling party.

Presiding Judge Nguyen Van Pho said the articles “distort the lines and policies of the party and law of the state and vilify individuals”.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that troops were now only 2km (1.2 miles) south of the Unesco World Heritage-listed ruins.

IS militants seized the site and the adjoining modern town in May. They subsequently destroyed two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers, drawing global outrage.

IS, which has also demolished several world-renowned pre-Islamic sites in neighbouring Iraq, believes

relies on a network of sources on the ground in Syria, told the AFP news agency that government forces were on Wednesday only 2km from Palmyra’s southern outskirts and 5km from its western edge.

The governor of Homs province, Talal Barazi, confirmed the advance and said troops were now stationed on several hills overlooking the Greco-Roman ruins.

“There is continuous progress by the army from all directions,” he was quoted as saying by the Associated

launched an offensive to retake Palmyra at the start of the month, backed by heavy Russian air strikes.

Last week, the Russian military said its aircraft were flying up to 25 sorties a day over Palmyra to help liberate what President Vladimir Putin has described as a “pearl of world civilisation”.

Palmyra is also situated in a strategically important area on the road between the capital, Damascus, and the contested eastern city of Deir al-Zour.

Myanmar finance minister nominee Kyaw Win has fake degree

T

he man proposed as Myanmar’s new finance and planning minister has a fake degree in finance, it has emerged.

Kyaw Win admitted buying the bogus PhD from a fictitious online university - Brooklyn Park in the US which sold fake qualifications from Pakistan.

He was caught when the National League for Democracy party, which is forming the new government, made his CV public.

It remains to be seen if Kyaw Win remains on the list of cabinet ministers to take office next week.

A party spokesman told the BBC that the fake degree did not matter.

Confronted by the Myanmar Times newspaper, Kyaw Win admitted the degree was fake.

“I am not going to call myself ‘Dr’ any more, as I know now that it is a fake university. The PhD on my CV is not a real qualification,” he told the newspaper.

A BBC check found the title still on his LinkedIn page, reports the BBC’s Jonah Fisher.

Kyaw Win wrote a number of articles on economics and finance using his fake title.

Our correspondent says if the former civil servant is confirmed as minister, he will be responsible for a huge budget and his honesty and accuracy will be vital to the

smooth running of Aung San Suu Kyi’s new government in Myanmar, also called Burma.

Brooklyn Park University was among some 370 academic websites exposed as bogus last year by the New York Times which traced tens of millions of dollars in estimated revenue from fake degrees back to Pakistan.

Kyaw Win quickly admitted that his degree was not real

hirty-seven people have been arrested in eastern China over a huge vaccine scandal, state media report.

It comes after police in Shandong announced last month they had arrested a mother and her daughter accused of buying and selling vaccines illegally.

The estimated $88m (£61m) worth of vaccines were not properly refrigerated or transported.

The illegal vaccine ring, said to have been in operation since 2011, has sparked widespread anger in China.

The scandal has led to a crackdown, with checks ordered on vaccine makers, wholesalers and buyers.

The vaccines were bought from a variety of sources, both licensed and unlicensed, then sold on to both illegal agents and legal local disease control and prevention centres at inflated prices, reported the Xinhua news agency.

The ring is alleged to have involved hundreds of people across 20 provinces, it said.

Though authorities had known about it since April last year, they only made the news public late on Friday when they issued a call demanding that suppliers come forward to help them trace potential victims.

The delay has angered many people in China who questioned why the authorities had not alerted the public earlier.

Local authorities have now been given a deadline of Friday to identify who bought the medicines.

Three pharmaceutical companies are being investigated, Xinhua reports, citing people handling the case. One, Shandong Zhaoxin Biotech Co, has been ordered to suspend operations, it added.

New Zealand man jailed for milk formula 1080 threat

A

New Zealand businessman has been jailed for eight and a half years for threatening to spike baby milk formula with controversial pesticide 1080.

Jeremy Kerr sent anonymous letters containing packets of pesticide-laced milk powder to dairy giant Fonterra and a farming body in November 2014.

The exercise sparked an international scare and cost Fonterra and authorities NZ$37m ($25m; £18m) in investigations.

New Zealand is the world’s largest dairy exporter.

The dairy industry forms the backbone of its economy.

Kerr had pleaded guilty to two charges of attempted blackmail in sending the packages, which appeared to be a protest against the widespread use of 1080 in New Zealand.

A judge ruled that Kerr, who owned a company that manufactured an alternative pesticide, had done it knowing that he would benefit financially if 1080 was banned.

Justice Geoffrey Venning said Kerr’s actions had “posed a major threat to trading relationships between New Zealand and other countries,” reported NZ Herald.

Fonterra alone reportedly spent NZ$20m as it secured supply chains and conducted checks.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

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Europe & Americas

Brussels attacks: Two brothers behind Belgium bombings

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wo of the suicide bombers who carried out attacks in Brussels on Tuesday have been named as brothers Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui, Belgian nationals.

The federal prosecutor said Brahim was part of the attack at Zaventem airport that killed 11 people. Khalid struck at the Maelbeek metro, where 20 people died. In all 260 people were injured.

Police are still hunting another man seen in an airport CCTV image.

Belgium is observing three days of national mourning.

The nation held a minute’s silence at midday (11:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

So-called Islamic State (IS) has said it was behind the attacks and warned that more would follow.

On Wednesday, anti-terror police also carried out a raid in the Anderlecht area of the city, making one arrest.

The federal prosecutor, Frederic van Leeuw, denied earlier media reports that the man was wanted jihadist Najim Laachraoui. The arrested man’s identity has not been released.

Mr van Leeuw said the two brothers were known to police and had criminal records but these were

not related to terrorism. They were identified by DNA records.

He said Brahim el-Bakraoui had left a note saying that people were looking for him everywhere and that if he gave himself up he would end up in a cell.

The RBTF broadcaster, quoting a police source, said that Khalid el-Bakraoui, 27, had used a false name to rent the flat in the Forest area of the Belgian capital where police killed a gunman in a shootout last week.

It was during that raid that police found a fingerprint of Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the Paris terror attacks of 13 November.

He was arrested in a raid in Brussels last Friday and is due to appear before a pre-trial court on Wednesday.

Khalid el-Bakraoui appears on the Interpol website. It says that he is being sought for terrorist activities.

RTBF said Khalid was jailed in 2011 for carjacking while Brahim, 30, was jailed in October 2010 for firing at police.

Brahim el-Bakraoui is in the middle of the widely circulated CCTV image taken at Zaventem airport, Mr van Leeuw confirmed.

The man on the left is believed

Khalid el-Bakraoui, the metro suicide bomber, and brother Brahim to have died at the airport but has not been identified.

The man on the right has not been identified and is still being sought, Mr van Leeuw said.

He said that this man had a bag of detonators that were left behind and which were later exploded

without harming anyone. No other weapons were found at the airport.

Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure had earlier identified this man as Laachraoui. He was named earlier in the week by police as a wanted accomplice of Abdeslam.

Analysts say Laachraoui is

Brussels attacks: Terrorists ‘will get through in UK’

T

errorists “will get through” the UK’s defences to carry out an attack similar to that in Brussels, former home secretary Lord Reid has told the BBC. He said: “Politicians ought to be honest with the British people and tell them, ‘This will happen.’”

Four Britons were injured in explosions at an airport and metro station in Brussels on Tuesday; 34 people died.

There are also fears for David Dixon, an IT programmer from Nottingham, who has not been seen since the attacks.

Security has been stepped up at key sites across the UK, and on Wednesday morning David Cameron chaired a

second emergency Cobra meeting in the wake of the events in Brussels.

Afterwards, Number 10 said: “We are concerned about one missing British national and we are in close contact with the Belgian authorities.

“We are aware of four British nationals who were injured in the attacks - three are being treated in hospital, one has already been discharged. Our embassy staff are working to assist all British nationals affected.”

At the start of Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Cameron told the Commons: “Britain and Belgium share the same values of liberty and democracy.

“The terrorists want to destroy everything our two countries stand for,

but we will not let them win.”

Home Secretary Theresa May will make a statement to the Commons on the UK response after PMQs at about 12:30 GMT. The Queen, meanwhile, has sent a message of condolence on behalf of the UK to those affected by the “terrible series of events” in Brussels.

Lord Reid, who was Labour home secretary until shortly before the 7 July 2005 bombings in London, told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme: “It will happen here because the terrorists only have to get through once.

“So you can quote the statistics on how many plots have been foiled, but the terrorists will get through.”

Trudeau seeks increased spending to boost Canadian economy

C

anadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has delivered its first budget, hoping to spur the fragile economy with more spending.

The deficit will hit C$29.4bn (£16bn) by 2017 and balancing the books could take at least five years, the government projects.

The budget called is a departure from former the Conservative government’s austerity policies.

Dropping oil prices and currency values have contributed to a weakened economy.

“This budget puts people first and delivers the help Canadians need right now,” Finance Minister Bill Morneau said, addressing the House of Commons.

“It is an essential step in a sustained and strategic effort to restore prosperity and optimism.”

The government aims to spur growth by 0.5% in 2016-17 and by 1.0% the next

fiscal year.

Canada’s economy officially came out of recession in December, but high commodity prices remain an issue.

Mr Morneau said the government will invest in green technology projects and offer tax breaks for energy efficiency.

“Some believe we must choose between a strong economy and a clean environment. They are simply wrong,” he said.

Also notable in the budget is C$8.4bn allocated over five years for the country’s aboriginal population, with nearly half the money to be spent on education. The allocation is a significant increase from the Conservative budget under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Mr Trudeau promised during his campaign to improve relations with Canada’s indigenous peoples.

The government also announced funding to sponsor 10,000 more Syrian refugees, with C$245 million (£132

million) over five years. The government hit its goal of resettling 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February.

“The world saw the best of Canada in our response to this crisis,” Mr Morneau said.

“This budget puts people first and delivers the help Canadians need right now,” Mr Morneau said

believed to be a key bomb maker, and French media say he also played a major role in the terror attacks in Paris.

Some Belgian media reported on Wednesday that he was the man arrested in Anderlecht but this report has been withdrawn.

Jeb Bush endorses Ted Cruz over ‘vulgar’ Donald Trump

F

ormer Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush has endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz for president, calling him a “principled conservative”.

Mr Bush, former governor of Florida, dropped out of the race last month after poor showings in state contests.

He said Mr Cruz has shown the ability to appeal to voters and win primary contests, like in Utah on Tuesday.

Republicans must “overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity” Donald Trump has introduced, he said.

If not, the party will certainly lose the White House to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, Mr Bush wrote in a Facebook post.

“Republicans can win back the White House and put our nation on a path to security and prosperity if we support a nominee who can unite our party and articulate how conservative policies will help people rise up and reach their full potential,” he wrote, and linked to Mr Cruz’s website.

Mr Cruz, speaking to CNN on Wednesday, said Mr Bush’s endorsement proved his candidacy had garnered support among Republicans.

Former 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also recently

endorsed Mr Cruz, strongly urging fellow Republicans not to back Donald Trump, a billionaire businessman from New York with no prior political experience.

Mr Trump, the party’s front-runner, currently has the highest delegate count and has said there may be “riots” if he is denied the Republican nomination come the party’s convention this summer.

Anti-Trump Republicans are hoping for a brokered convention, in which party officials, not delegates, would chose the nominee, but that is only possible if Mr Trump falls short of the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination.

After contests in Utah and Arizona on Tuesday, Mr Trump has 739 delegates and Mr Cruz has 465.

Mr Trump endorsed Mr Romney for president in 2012, but now Mr Romney calls Mr Trump a “phony” and a “fraud”.

When Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, was still in the race, Mr Trump called him “pathological”.

Now Mr Carson has endorsed him.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who attacked Mr Trump on the campaign trail, backs the businessman now that he is out of the race.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Page 39

Strange

world

Doctors extract sixteen foot long worm from a man who loves sashimi Medical staff were left stunned after they removed an enormous tapeworm from a man’s intestine.

Chen, 45, from Nanning, Guangxi, south China, told doctors he was a fan of raw beef and fish and had been experiencing stomach problems for a while, according to People’s Daily Online.

The city’s Department of Gastroenterology had conducted several initial tests on Chen before finding the 16 feet long pest lurking within his bowels. It then took five days before they were able to remove the creature.

Chen had to remain in hospital for five days until the worm was passed out of his system.

After it was extracted, the parasite was taken to the laboratory so that the scientists present could study it.

Junior doctors marveled and made sure they got pictures of the remarkable crea-

ture whilst observing it at a lab within the institute.

It was so long that doctors had to stand on chairs to make sure the worm didn’t touch the floor when they lifted.

Doctors deduced that it had come from contaminated raw food.

Taenia saginata, or the beef tapeworm, has eggs which hatch in the intestines of cattle and are carried throughout the body of the cow through the circulation of blood.

Three months after they are consumed by a human, the eggs hatch and develop into adults in the small intestine and have a life expectancy of up to 60 years according to scientists.

Doctors have advised that meat and fish fans should be wary when eating unregulated and under cooked-produce - and that if raw beef is consumed, it should be chilled well beforehand.

MAILONLINE

Odd: 45-year-old Chen from Nanning, south China, had pest removed and told doctors he was a fan of raw beef

“

Watch out: Doctors have warned meat fans to be wary when eating unregulated and undercooked produce

The city’s Department of Gastroenterology had conducted several initial tests on Chen before finding the 16 feet long pest lurking within his bowels. It then took five days before they were able to remove the creature.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Page 40

Digest

You’re probably burning more calories than you realize while walking

By Lisa Ryan

I

t’s commonly thought that merely walking doesn’t burn many calories.

And so, many of us turn to exercises, such as running or spin class, to stay trim.

Yet, scientists have revealed, walking actually burns far more calories than originally though.

The leading equations used to predict or estimate energy expenditure – the number of calories burned – during walking are inaccurate, scientists have revealed.

And so, a team of experts from Southern Methodist University developed a new equation that is ‘four times more accurate for adults and kids’.

Under the new equation, people generally burn 10 per cent more calories when walking at an intermediate speed and 20 per cent more when ‘power walking,’ Dr Peter Weyand of SMU told Daily Mail Online.

Dr Lindsay Ludlow, a SMU psysiologist, explained: ‘Our new equation is formulated to apply regardless of the height, weight and speed of the walker, and it’s appreciably more accurate.’

The current standardized equations to measure calories burned during walking assume that one size fits all, the researchers noted.

But, those standards have been in place for almost half a century – and were based on data from a limited amount of people.

Those standards – known as ACSM and Pandolf – were developed for the American College of Sports Medicine and the military.

The Pandolf method specifically uses walking metabolism data from US soldiers And so, both methods were developed on a small number of adult males of average height.

Those standards predict too few calories burned in 97 per cent of the cases researchers examined for the study.

Study co-author Dr Peter Weyland said: ‘The economy of level walking is a lot like shipping packages – there is an economy of scale.

‘Big people get better gas mileage when fuel economy is expressed on a per-pound basis.’

The team of scientists compiled a database using available walking metabolism data available in literature to

Most people assume that they don’t burn many calories while walking - but scientists have revealed that they may be burning more than they think, since standard equations for calorie burning are flawed evaluate the leading equations for walking on level ground.

Dr Weyand said: ‘The SMU approach improves upon the existing standards by including different-sized individuals and drawing on a larger database for equation formulation.’

SMU’s equation predicts the calories burned when a person walks on a firm, level surface.

It takes into consideration that bigger people burn fewer calories on a per pound basis of their body weight when walking.

The new method, the researchers say, is more useful.

Dr Weyand said: ‘Burning calories is of major importance to health, fitness and the body’s physiological status.

‘But it hasn’t been really

clear just how accurate the existing standards are under level conditions because previous assessments by other researchers were more limited in scope.’

Accurately predicting how many calories a person burns can help predict their aerobic power and likelihood for executing a task – including training for an

athletic competition or carry out a military objective.

And, the new estimates can be combined with other physiological signals – such as heat, core temperature and heart rate – to improve predictions of fatigue, overheating, dehydration and more.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

A team of scientists developed a new equation to calculate the amount of calories burned during walking that actually takes into account different body types. Pictured here, a doctor supervising a treadmill test

PEOPLES PEOPLES DAILY DAILY

Sports

thursday, 24, 2016 wednesday,MARCH january 27, 2016

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41

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, sports@peoplesdailyng.com,SMSSMS-08142929046 08142929046

have Egypt must fall in Kaduna We strategies on Friday —Mikel declares to contain Pharaohs – Siasia

>>Pg 42

Tunisia hoping to stop Adebayor at Monastir

Mikel (right) for Nigeria against Tsabedze Tony of Swaziland last year

By Albert Akota

C

helsea midfielder Mikel Obi has said the priority for Nigeria is to beat Egypt at home on Friday so as to improve their chances of qualifying for next year’s AFCON in Gabon after they missed out on last year’s tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

The Super Eagles are two points behind group leaders Egypt in the qualifying group for Gabon 2017, but a win in Kaduna on Friday will see the three-time African champions leapfrog

their closest rivals before a reverse clash in Alexandria four days later.

Chad will host Tanzania in the group’s other match today in Ndjamena.

Chad have lost their first two points, while Tanzania have a point from a draw with Nigeria in Dar es Salam in September.

“Egypt are ahead of us in the qualifiers, we therefore have to win on Friday so as to go above them on the table,” said Mikel, who has been mobbed by eager fans at the team’s trainings in Abuja and Kaduna.

“So, Friday’s match is really the big one and we are

playing at home.

“We must beat Egypt and go on to qualify for the Nations Cup,” added defender Chibuzor Okonkwo, who has staged a comeback to the team on the return of coach Samson Siasia at the helm.

The kick-off time for the crucial AFCON 2017 qualifier between Nigeria and Egypt at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna on Friday has been moved by an hour, according to officials.

The match was originally fixed for 4pm local time, but it has now been shifted to 5pm as the home team have expressed concerns that the heat in the northern city of

Kaduna could affect the Nigeria foreign-based players, who are just coming out of winter in Europe.

Coach Samson Siasia first raised this concerns when he took temporary charge of the team following the sudden exit of Sunday Oliseh last month.

Chelsea star Mikel said the heat in Kaduna could work against the Eagles, but the team will not use it as an excuse not to win on Friday.

“The weather is harsh, totally different from what we have abroad, it will affect us, but we can’t use that as an excuse on Friday,” he assured.

>>Pg 43

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Page 42

Sport Egypt arrives Kaduna in chattered plane

We have strategies to contain Pharaohs – Siasia

By Albert Akota

S

Pharaohs of Egypt

E

agles’ opponents in Friday’s game, the Pharaohs of Egypt will be arrived at the Kaduna airport straight from Cairo yesterday in a chartered plane and they have been scheduled to leave immediately after the match by the same arrangement.

However, the West Africans will be heading to Egypt in a commercial plane to save money. They will be flying the national carriers of their opponents, Egypt Air. An official source said yesterday that the Egyptians have informed the

NFF of their arrival plans, but did not give details of the number of the contingent on the trip.

“We are making arrangements to welcome them in Kaduna and provide them with the necessary things they need to prepare for the match. We shall make them comfortable in Nigeria as good host,” the source stated.

Meanwhile, all feeding, drinking, transport and other arrangements including the hotel they want to stay for their maximum comfort has been already taken care of by their own without depending on their hosts.

Eagles are favourites, says Egyptian coach

uper Eagles gaffer, Samson Siasia, has revealed that his boys will not give the Pharaohs of Egypt room to operate during the forthcoming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers between the two teams this Friday in Kaduna.

Siasia Siasia Siasia who spoke yesterday after the team rounded off its training session in Abuja before departing for Kaduna said he knows that the Egyptians have some sleekfooted players which mean they will not be given the chance to play their game.

According to him, the duo of Roma of Italy winger, Mohamed Salah and Arsenal of England midfielder, Mohamed Elneny, (Alex Iwobi’s team mate) may be very good players but only them cannot win the game for their country which means they are not the only ones to be closely watched throughout the duration of the encounter.

“We are not going to be afraid of attacking the Egyptians, we know them already but all that we want to ensure is that we get our tactics right. We have to play as a unit together and not to give those guys that we believe that can give us problems room to play because if you give them room to play, they will destroy you. We know them and we have to make sure they don’t have that room to operate.”

On why he seemed so relaxed going into the big match, Siasia said; “You know that Egypt is not two countries put together and again I have utmost confidence on the players we have and with such players, you don’t have to worry about anything. I am also at home and so must not have any pressure here.”

It is sad to note that the bus that conveyed the national team to Kaduna from Abuja had no working airconditioner. Most of the players were forced to strip off their shirts in attempts to contain the very humid, hot and unfriendly weather.

Eagles in training

Bring jerseys to stadium, leave your weapons at home —NFF tells fans

By Albert Akota

T

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appealed to spectators coming to the Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Friday to ensure they do not have any weapon of any kind on them.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, made the appeal in Abuja as the NFF continued the countdown to the big match.

“We are especially appealing to our football fans not to come with any item that might be seen as a weapon, because security will be very tight

Osama Nabih

A

ssistant coach of Egypt’s national team, Osama Nabih has identified three factors that could derail his side’s chances of positing creditable results against Nigeria in this month’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying matches.

Three-time champions, Nigeria will face Egypt in the first of two 2017 Afcon qualifiers at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on March 25 with the return fixture coming up four later at the Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria.

“The first difficulty is Nigeria is a big name in the African continent, despite failing to reach the last edition of the Africa Cup. “Nigeria is coached by Samson Siasia who reached the Olympic Games

(winning a Silver medal) first with the U-23 team.

“Moreover, Nigeria has 22-foreign based players alongside well prepared ones in the domestic Nigerian league.

So Siasia possess all the tools that lead to success.

“Despite the difficulty of the Nigeria game, we are working to improve our chance of qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in the coming Nigeria game,” Nabih told Egyptian media outfit, www. nilesports.com.

Egypt is leading Group G with six points, two ahead of second-placed Nigeria.

Only the group winners are guaranteed automatic qualification for the 2017 Afcon.

Fans

on the day. We also appeal passionately to the fans to co-operate fully with the security agents to make for hitch –free entry into the venue.

“Similarly, we are appealing to the fans to come to the stadium wearing green and white colours. We want the venue proudly adorned in our national colours.”

The Super Eagles clash with the Pharaohs of Egypt in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Friday, from 5pm, and both teams battle again in Alexandria on Tuesday, March 29.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

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Sport Competitive spirit in Ghana camp ahead of Mozambique clash today

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hana’s star player Andre Ayew is out injured, but this has created healthy competition in the Black Stars camp ahead of their 2017 Africa Nations Cup Qualifier against Mozambique today in Accra.

The Black Stars can secure early qualification to the finals in Gabon next year with wins over the Mambas over both legs to be held between now and next Tuesday.

Swansea City attacker Ayew has been ruled out of double qualifier with an ankle injury, but this has seen several other players in the squad jump at the opportunity to take his place.

Anderlecht winger Frank Acheampong is among three players looking for a starting XI place. Evans Mensah and WAFA youngster Samuel Tetteh will provide stiff competition for Acheampong.

Providing extra excitement around this fixture, is the fact that Ghana’s experienced striker Asamoah Gyan is close to his 50th goal for his country and with 48 goals in 95 appearances, Ghana’s all-time leading

goal scorer could hit the mark over the two legs.

Meanwhile opponents Mozambique will will look to Levante midfielder Simao Mate, who has played 25 Spanish LaLiga matches and scored one goal this season.

Other players to watch out for in the Mambas squad include Benfica youth team midfielder Reinildo Isnard Mandava and China-based defender Zainadine Abdula Chavango.

Also, the South African-based duo of Elias ‘Domingues’ Pelembe (Bidvest Wits) and Helder Pelembe (Bloemfontein Celtic) will also be exoected to add spark and a cteative edge to the visitors.

Mozambique has lost their two qualifying matches so far in Group H, losing to Rwanda and Mauritius, and is bottom of the group. Ghana meanwhile are top with wins over Mauritius and Rwanda.

This will be the fourth meeting between Ghana and Mozambique at senior level, with the Mambas yet to win a match.

mosewin I, formally known as blessing modibo now wish to be known and addressed as mosewin modibo. All documents remained valid. general public to take note.

Tunisia hoping to stop Adebayor at Monastir

D

espite starting the 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers on a high, Tunisia are now under pressure to get a win against Togo on Friday.

The Carthage Eagles have registered an 8-1 victory over Djibouti in their first match in June before losing to Liberia away.

The hosts will therefore target anything other than a win and boost their aspirations of making it to Gabon next year.

Although they have the most goals in Group A with eight, the Tunisians find themselves languishing in third spot with three points behind Liberia and group leaders, Togo, who have two wins.

Henry Kasperzcak will have to dig deep on his experience and motivate his side to going all out for a victory and improve their log standings.

The coach will hope to build up on their recent 2016 CAF African Championships success after crashing out in the quarter-finals losing 2-1 to Mali.

Focusing on the group leaders, the Sparrow Hawks will definitely target a win and ensure hey consolidate their top spot to make nine points next to their name.

In their previous two qualifying ties, they bagged two wins defeating Liberia 2-1 and Djibouti 2-0 and this places them as favourites to get a win in Monastir.

Coach Tom Saintfiet has worked wonders with the Togolese side and there seems to be an understanding between him and his charges.

Samuel Tetteh

MRS. JUDITH

I, formally known as Miss Judith Uloma Uwaezuoke now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. JUDITH ULOMA EZE. All documents remained valid. United Bank for Africa, GTB and the general public to take note.

West Ham confirm Benteke interest

W

est Ham chairman David Sullivan revealed his admiration for Christian Benteke but conceded the Liverpool striker’s wage demands are a stumbling block ahead of any potential move.

Benteke is facing an uncertain future at Liverpool, having failed to fully convince manager Jurgen Klopp, though he has managed to score seven goals in 12 Premier League appearances.

The 25-year-old Belgium international is reportedly a target for West Ham, who may be priced out of a deal.

Benteke scored an injury-time winner in Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on March 6, but was involved in a public discussion with Klopp following last weeks’ 3-2 loss against Southampton, having missed a glorious chance to put the Anfield club 3-1 ahead in the second half.

Nwachukwu

I FORMERL KNOWN AS Nwachukwu Prince Chideraa. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS Nwachukwu Princewill Chideraa. All former documents remain valid. the GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

mrs. Michael-abiodun

I FORMERL KNOWN AS Miss Oladele Elizabeth Oluwaseun. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS mrs. Michael-abiodun Elizabeth Oluwaseun. All former documents remain valid. the GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE DAR-AL-THAQALAYIN ORGANISATION. IT No.10271

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Organization has applied for change of trustees to Corporate Affairs Commission for registration Under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

Old trustees: 1. Dr. Suleiman Kumo 2. Aminu Tahir Moddibo 3. Muhammad Ahmad

- - -

new trustees 1. Dr Ali Fallah Zaroomi.

- 2. Dr Sanusi Abubakar Atiku.

- 3. Professor Dahiru Yahya.

- 4. Professor Hussaini Mohammed Tukur. - 5. Alhaji Aminu Nasidi -

Removed.

Removed.

Removed.

Newly appointed.

Newly appointed.

Newly appointed.

Newly appointed.

Newly appointed.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES remain the same: Any objection to this change should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja, within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed : Abubakar Aliyu Esq

PUBLIC NOTICE

REVELATION CHURCH OF ZION WORLDWIDE, New Jerusalem, Arogbo Ese-Odo LGA Ondo State.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named church has applied for change of trustees to Corporate Affairs Commission for registration Under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990. trustees: 1. Rt. Reverend Primate Mathias Tamaraumiyentei Agitan.

2. Superior Senior Apostle Ajakpo Seraph Fiyeboh 3. Boarnerge Mada Ijanpele 4. Most Senior Cherubu Martins Gbamila.

5. Senior Apostle Raphael Timiekoru Disegha.

6. Most Senior Cherubu Ekpomiyenmini Oyenyen.

7. Superior Senior Apostle Lucky Loko.

OBJECTIVE: to propagate the gospel of Christ.

Any objection to this change should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja, within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Liverpool striker Christian Benteke

Signed : Solomon Ijowei Tunyan (JP) Solicitor.

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Sport

Browne fails drugs test after WBA heavyweight champion W

BA heavyweight champion Lucas Browne says he is “shocked and devastated” after failing a drugs test.

Australian Browne stopped defending champion Ruslan Chagaev to win the title in Russia earlier this month.

The 36-year-old delivered a positive sample for clenbuterol after the fight, his management company have revealed.

“I would like to assure all fans, the whole of the boxing world and all of Australia that I am not a drug user or a drug cheat,” said Browne.

Sydney-born Browne was knocked down in the sixth round but floored Uzbekistan’s Chagaev with a big right to improves his record to 24-0.

He added: “I will fight for as long as it takes to clear my name. I have never heard of the drug clenbuterol and had no idea what it is used for.

“I am now aware that it is essentially a weight-stripping drug and as a heavyweight boxer, the idea of me using it is utterly ridiculous.

“My team and I were well aware of the many risks involved in going to a place like Chechnya to fight a reigning champion and believed we had taken sufficient precautions.

Lucas Browne

Robson loses in Miami Open first round

F

ormer British number one Laura Robson lost 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 to Belgian Kirsten Flipkens in the first round of the Miami Open.

Robson, 22, has struggled with a wrist injury over the past 18 months and made her first appearance since August at the BNP Paribas Open on 11 March.

She lost to Magdalena Rybarikova in the first round at Indian Wells.

Meanwhile, British wildcard Katie Swan lost 6-2 4-6 6-2 to American Sam Crawford in qualifying.

The 16-year-old had beaten world number 102 Lauren Davis but struggled with a tight hamstring against Crawford.

Fellow Briton Naomi Broady also went out in the final round of qualifying, losing 6-4 6-2 to Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

James Ward failed to join compatriot Andy Murray in the main draw of the men’s event, losing 6-3 6-3 to American Bjorn Fratangelo.

Swan, who is from Bristol but based with her family in the United States, only recently turned professional after choosing tennis over university.

Robson

Armitstead aims for record of £15,000 prize at Tour de Yorkshire

B

ritish world champion Lizzie Armitstead will race for the most lucrative prize in women’s cycling at next month’s Tour de Yorkshire.

This year’s winner will get £15,000 from a £50,000 prize fund. Last year’s winner Louise Mahe received £1,000.

The 135km ride from Otley to Doncaster takes place on Saturday, 30 April, with the second stage of the men’s three-day race starting later on the same course.

The 27-year-old is also the reigning British and Commonwealth champion and has won her last five races, including that superb victory at the World Road Championships in the US last September.

Armitstead skipped last year’s inaugural Tour de

Yorkshire as it clashed with a higher-ranked event in Luxembourg but the British race’s organisers, Welcome to Yorkshire, have worked hard to boost its profile.

It is now classified in the category just below the 17 races on the new International Cycling Union (UCI) Women’s WorldTour, and with Leeds-based supermarket Asda as a sponsor, the £50,000 prize fund is comparable to the biggest one-day races on the men’s circuit.

French sprinter Arnaud Demare’s prize for winning Milan-San Remo, the first big classic of the men’s season, on Saturday was £15,600, which is the same as will be available at the next major one-day race, the Tour of Flanders. The winner of the Women’s Tour of Flanders, however, will take home £957.

Armitstead won the elite women’s UCI World Championships

Boxing has major problem with drugs —Bellew B oxing has a “major problem” with drugs, according to Liverpool’s European cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew.

Australian Lucas Browne tested positive for a fat-burning drug after beating Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA heavyweight title.

“I think professional boxing has a major problem with drugs,” said Bellew.

“There are not lives at risk in a 100m race. There are in a boxing ring and that is why it is so alarming.”

Australian Browne, 36, has denied any wrongdoing and had said that he will clear his name.

Drug testing was a major issue of contention during Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s long-running negotiations for their May 2015 superfight, with both fighters eventually agreeing to unannounced blood and urine testing.

Sheffield fighter Kid Galahad

was banned for six months after failing a drugs test for steriod Stanozolol in September 2014.

Galahad (left) had his ban reduced from two years after claiming that his brother spiked his nutritional supplement Bellew believes the greater risks in boxing should correspond to lengthier bans.

“Steriods allow people to train much much harder and recover much much quicker,” he added “If someone is taking them in the couple of months in the leadup to a fight they have such a huge advantage “I suggest nothing less than a lifetime ban. It shouldn’t take someone dying in the ring at the hands of a steroid-user for this to happen.”

Bellew is to fight Congo’s Ilunga Makabu for the WBC cruiserweight world title this summer, with Goodison Park mentioned as a possible venue.

Bellew has 26 wins from 29 bouts as a professional

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Sport

Page 45

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l

Hundreds of fans mobbed Eagles stars Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Efe Ambrose after training at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna

South Sudan Football Association receives an official visit from new Fifa president Gianni Infantino

Two-time Wimbledon champion and world number seven Petra Kvitova has been confirmed to play at the Eastbourne Open WTA tour event in June

Ill Arsenal youngster Alex Iwobi and latest arrivals Ogenyi Onazi and Daniel Akpeyi were part of the Super Eagles first training in Kaduna ahead of Friday’s must-win AFCON qualifier against Egypt

The kick-off time for the crucial AFCON 2017 qualifier between Nigeria and Egypt at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna on Friday has been moved by an hour, according to officials.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 46

Sport

Home-based players that may start against Egypt

T

Ikechukwu Ezenwa

he Sunshine Stars goalkeeper will not make the 18-man squad except firstchoice Carl Ikeme or his cover Daniel Akpeyi are not available.

Chibuzor Okonkwo

The FC IfeanyiUbah defender has always featured in Coach Samson Siasia’s teams whether with the Olympic team or the Super Eagles. It was therefore not surprising when he was recalled by the coach.

In training camp he played at right back and central defence. He may have slowed over the years, but may well be the best option at the Eagles problematic right back.

Etim Matthew

The Enugu Rangers defender is yet another option at the problematic right back position.

He has previously worked with Siasia with the U23s, which should give him additional points.

Kalu Orji

The Rangers defender can play at right back or in central defence.

Chibuzor Okonkwo

He showed his class as a stopper at the CHAN in Rwanda and with Kenneth Omeruo ruled out and Leon Balogun a major doubt, he could well battle Efe Ambrose and Godfrey Oboabona for a starting spot at the heart of the back four.

Ifeanyi Matthew

The Kano Pillars midfielder could play either as a defensive or offensive player.

His creativity and versatility will give him a decent chance to be considered more likely for the reverse fixture in Alexandria on March 29.

With former coach Sunday Oliseh, he would have been a sure-bet to start on Friday.

Ikechukwu Ezenwa

Oghenekaro Etebo

The former Warri Wolves star who is bound for Europe after the AFCON qualifiers and he is Siasia’s favourite player in whom he is most pleased going by his exploits at the U23 AFCON in Senegal.

He has the biggest chance of all the players who have been training for the past two weeks to start on Friday in Kaduna.

Etim Matthew

Kalu Orji

Ifeanyi Matthew

Oghenekaro Etebo

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, MARCH 24, 2016

Some Interesting Facts • It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open • The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old!

• The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds • Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not • Slugs have 4 noses.

• Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.

• A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years!

• A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

• The average person laughs 10 times a day!

hottest puzzle book kakuro 18

puzzle 18

PAGE 47

Leisure

• An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain • If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

• If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.

• The human heart! creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.

• A pig’s orgasm lasts 30 minutes.

• A cockroach will live for weeks without its head before it starves to death • Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories a hour • The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male’s head off.

• The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It’s like a human jumping the length of a football field.

• The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.

• Some lions mate over 50 times a day.

• Butterflies taste with their feet.

• The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

Say what?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Dozing off: A clothes shop becomes too much to bear for this gentlemen who has nodded off in his chair Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

THURsday, March 24, 2016

SPORTS latest

Leicester poised to face Barca, PSG at ICC

S

urprise Premier League leaders Leicester City will join European giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in this year’s International Champions Cup. The fourth edition of the annual pre-season tournament will be staged across North America, China, Australia and Europe before the start of the 2016-17 campaign.

Leicester are set to rub shoulders with the elite of European football in next season’s Champions League as they sit five points clear at the summit of England’s top flight with seven matches remaining.

Claudio Ranieri’s men will get an early taste of what might be in store when they face European champions Barcelona in Stockholm on August 3 as part of the North American and European leg of the ICC. Leicester kick off their campaign against Celtic in Glasgow on July 23 before taking on Paris Saint-Germain in Los Angeles seven days later.

Premier League counterparts Liverpool and Chelsea and Serie A rivals AC Milan and Inter complete the 10-team line up for the North American and European leg, while Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham will take on hosts Melbourne Victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Arsenal can still win EPL, insists Koscielny

L

aurent Koscielny says Arsenal still has hope in the Premier League title race following their victory over Everton.

The Gunners’ 2-0 win at Goodison Park leaves them 11 points adrift of leaders Leicester City with eight matches to play, having played one game fewer than Claudio Ranieri’s side.

A run of three league games without a win appeared to have ended their chances of claiming a first top-flight crown since 2004, but Koscielny says they will treat every remaining match as a final to keep their hopes alive.

Koscielny feels injury problems are to blame for derailing much of Arsenal’s season after some promising form before the turn of the year.

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Terrorism fight: Buhari’s option and wailing of critics

A

good number of the reactions to President M u h a m m a d u B u h a r i ’ s announcement that Nigeria has joined the Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism, show quite clearly that many Nigerians do not fully understand the president’s motives for this decision.

With the rise of the Boko Haram Terrorist group in the past few years, Nigeria faces a threat like no other in its entire history and existence. Desperate times require desperate, unusual, measures.

The girls in Gwoza who were raped by militants do not care where the help comes from as far as they will eventually be able to move about freely without fear of being kidnapped and used as sex slaves. The mothers in Bama whose sons were slaughtered before their eyes do not worry whether Boko Haram is defeated by a Christian or Muslim coalition.

The hundreds of thousands in IDP camps are concerned simply about when they can safely return to their homes and resume their normal lives. For these ones most hard hit by the Boko Haram terrorists, whether the help they so desperately need comes from the United States of America or from Saudi Arabia does not matter.

One of the main thrusts of President Buhari’s campaign was the war on terror. He promised that his administration would bring an end to Boko Haram, and set about doing just that as soon as he was elected, travelling to different countries and meeting with various heads of state to discuss the way forward on the issue. At the time, no Nigerian worried that President Buhari was seeking help from the West. No one worried about the ideology of those willing and able to help our country to defeat terror. Nigerians were simply united with their President in a determination to bring Boko Haram to an end so that our brothers and sisters in the northeast can resume their normal lives.

It is on account of these people and their desperate situation, and on the basis of national interest only, that President Buhari accepted the offer, with both hands, of assistance from G7 countries at the commencement of his administration. Religion was not a consideration then. It is also not a consideration now that he has made the decision to embrace help in fighting terror from the Middle-East. The

0806 564 8620 0704 385 9705 0814 292 9046 08074420617

Thursday Column

By Garba Shehu

President Muhammadu Buhari safety of Nigerians and the total annihilation of Boko Haram is of more importance than the unfounded worries of Nigeria’s so-called Islamisation.

Those efforts by President Buhari led to several gains, including the technical defeat of Boko Haram by the end of 2015 as he had promised during the election campaigns. Once again, our Commander-in-Chief has sought help where he believes our country will benefit and the religious affiliation or ideology of our benefactors should not be the paramount consideration. It is simply one of those cases where the enemies of our enemy has become our enemy. The enemy of terrorists all around the globe is our friend.

The fears that our country’s membership in this coalition will draw Islamic State, ISIS’s attention to Nigeria are too late.

As the President has repeatedly maintained, it is Boko Haram that proclaimed allegiance to ISIS, thereby dragging us into the global terrorism network.

By pledging allegiance to ISIS, the terrorists already drew the international terror group’s attention to this part of the world.

ISIS proudly and openly accepted this proclamation of allegiance.

They have their sights set on us already.

Terrorism is heathen and knows no religion. It can only be defeated by the unity of entire humanity. Criticism of the membership of this alliance only shows our disarray and a lack of unity against terror and will only make the terrorists happy. The

fears of so-called Islamisation are strange and unfounded, and meant only to feed the fear and suspicions existing among Nigerians.

With a precedent as shown above, it will be unkind and uncharitable of anyone to accuse President Buhari of executing deception. In an unusually harsh commentary, this country’s most respected newspaper The Punch on Sunday succeeded in exactly doing this. Read this: “The presidency’s doublespeak on Nigeria’s membership of the Saudi Arabia-led anti-terror Islamic coalition is unfortunate in the extreme. In the beginning, an aide to the president on media and publicity issued a statement to the effect that the president had declined Nigeria’s membership of the coalition and therefore did not attend its meeting while on a diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia.

But barely two weeks after, President Muhammadu Buhari himself confirmed Nigeria’s membership of the coalition in an interview with a foreign television station, Al- Jazeera. Buhari, who never tabled such a sensitive matter before the National Assembly, said there are terrorists in Nigeria who have claimed to be Muslims. So, according to the him, “We are part of it because we have got terrorists in Nigeria who claim that they are Islamic.

So, if there is an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, Nigeria will be part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism.

“This explanation is simplistic, to say the least and does not do any good to expected political astuteness of President Buhari.

In the main, membership of any such coalition is unacceptable for it offends the sensibilities of Nigerians in their diverse inclinations and should be reversed.”

Sensibilities offended? Can anyone face the more than two million un-housed, mostly Muslim refugees displaced by terror now being fed, almost exclusively by Christian charities that it is offensive them, or that it matters to them who, between Christians and Muslims is supplying the next meal? The one who raised a tent over their heads?

Let me say that the

presidential aide in question is no other than myself. Although I write statements emanating from the Presidency, I don’t choose what headline writers will use to caption those stories.

To that extent, it is untrue of anyone to say the President had ab initio rejected a membership of the coalition against terror.

What the President said, to paraphrase him, was that “we may not be with you, but we will support you in every possible way we can.” This does not presuppose rejection. Even if it was one, nothing says that a government cannot move or adjust its position based on new, superior facts as we individuals do in our daily lives.

That some of the criticism against the President is coming from opposition Senators is even more absurd, showing a lack of judgement and discrimination- or even worse.

It holds up a mirror to the PDP’s cluelessness and total absence of strategy to defeat Boko Haram terrorism. The party’s projection of itself as better than the APC in this regard is hobbled by their own record of indecision and serial abdication on Chibok girls as disclosed by Ambassador Packock and greed, corruption and a general incapacity to drive the anti terror war.

A set of politicians who failed to confront or attack terrorism while in power have no right to challenge President Buhari’s hounding of them. To global acclaim. Trivia smells. There is a need for a new fragrance in the air.

Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity

DAN GAYE

Police begin recruitment of 10,000 personnel – News

Make sure terrorists or militants are not recruited!

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