Monday, 26th September, 2016 Edition

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Monday, September 26, 2016 Zul-Hajji 22, 1436 AH

Alleged fraud: Patience Jonathan not above the lawAPC pAGE 16

Budget padding: I won’t appear before panel, Jibrin dares Reps pAGE 5

@pmlonline

peoplesdailyng

7 detained Shiite members regain freedom pAGE 7

>> pg 3

N150 Vol. 23 No. 110

Man arrested with cocaine concealed in anus pAGE 3

Kwankwaso to Ganduje:

Erasing Kwankwasiyya inscriptions waste of time page 5

• L-R: Wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the President Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle at the 56th independence anniversary interdenominational church service, yesterday, in Abuja .

Photo: State House

Boko Haram: Shekau insane, unstable – Army lAs troops kill 22, lose 4 soldiers in Borno 896 Days after:

pAGE 5

Will the abducted Chibok schoolgirls ever be rescued?

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

News

CONTENTS

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

19-22 23 24-25

Recession: Buhari’ll rescue Nigeria, Osinbajo assures

By Lawrence Olaoye

V

ice President Yemi Osinbajo has assured Nigerians that his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, will rescue the country from its challenges of economic recession.

The Vice President stated this yesterday at the interdenominational church service organized by the Christian Association (CAN) to mark this year’s 56th independence celebration this weekend.

Speaking as Special Guest at the event which held at the national Ecumenical center, Abuja, Osinbajo urged Nigerians to exercise patience

with the present administration which means well for the citizens.

“Be strong and of good faith, every Nigerian will benefit from the new Nigeria”, Osinbajo declared.

“The promise of God to our nation is that we build a new Nigeria. A new country where there will be peace from the north east to the Niger Delta.

“A Nigeria where our economy will experience abundance and prosperity, where there will be job for the jobless. A Nigeria where there will be honest and committed leadership, where Christians, Muslims and men of different faith, men and women from every state will live and work

together in peace and harmony,” Osinbajo noted.

He added that “the promise is that we are on our way out of the wilderness to this land flowing with milk and honey.

As Christians we have a duty to bring to past the will of God for our nation.

Recalling the situation of Isrealites who became grumblers in chief for lack of faith in God, Vice President Osinbajo said that Nigerians must have faith in the present administration.

He said “The Lord God Almighty saw our nation when He decided that

Education 28 Health

30

Food security for Nigeria: An urgent Challenge?

Page 4

Metro 31-33 Money Sense 34 Strange World 35 Digest 36 Vogue 39-40 Sports 41 Columnist 48

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• Deputy Governor of Yobe state, Mr Abubakar Aliyu (L) assisted by the commissioner for Health Yobe state, Dr Bello Kawuwa while Administering polio vaccine on a one of the children found along at a check point on Damaturu-Maiduguri road , yesterday in Yobe State. Photo: NAN

Sokoto: Water scarcity not caused by power shortage - Kaduna Electric From Raji Bello, Sokoto

K

aduna Electric has said the recent water scarcity that hit Sokoto state, was not as a result of power failure on its part as reported in some sections of media.

The Business Development and Relationship Officer in charge of Sokoto Area Office, Abubakar Sani, made the clarification in an interview with journalists at the weekend.

It would be recalled that the General Manager, Sokoto State Water Board, AlhajiMoyi Tambuwal, in a recent interview, said the water scarcity experienced by Sokoto residents was as a result of power shortage caused by Kaduna Electric in the state.

But Sani countered that the distribution company was not in any way responsible for the water shortage, as the state water board constantly enjoys an improved

and uninterrupted power supply from its new injection substation.

He, however, acknowledged the fact that there was a minimal outage of power supply on a feeder station that supply’s the state’s water station, but quick to say the situation was not tantamount to a sabotage on their part.

His words: “Sokoto State Water Board is on 33 kv line which has been enjoying 24 hours uninterrupted power supply. In fact, the feeder that is feeding the water station is one of our priority feeders,” Sani explained.

Speaking further, Sani said: “Based on the record available, on 19th September 2016 at about 20:30 hours, there was a fault on the 33 kv line from Kanji station that lasted for almost 24 hours, but was restored on 20th September, 2016 at about 20:25 hours.

“Also, on 21st September 2016, the new injection substation that is feeding the state water

board tripped off on fault at about 8:02 hours, and that was quickly restored at about 8:18 hours.

“All these happened within 24 hours and our technical team responded to it at appropriate time. We wondered how this could have cause the acute scarcity of water supply in the state,” he queried.

He described the statement credited to the General Manager as untrue, unfounded and a mere blame game.

According to him, “We are setting the record straight that Kaduna Electric was not responsible for the scarcity of water supply experienced in the state as claimed by the state water board.”

He assured that Kaduna Electric, as a responsive and corporate organisation will not relent in its efforts to continue providing an improved and stable power supply to all its franchise states.

He was going to put the leadership that is now in place.

“This leadership will take us across the red sea, this leadership will take us to new Nigeria”, the Vice President declared.

In the message delivered by the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Dr. Samson Supo Ayokunle, said that the leaders need divine revelation and to receive wisdom from God to handle the economy.

According to him, the wisdom from God will prevail over the economic recession in the country.

Despite these huge resources in the country, he said that Nigeria found herself in recession for a number of reasons.

One of the causes of the recession, he said, was Nigeria’s inability to save during the rainy days.

He said: “They were siphoning the resources for their pockets. We got into this also because of our inability to diversify. We killed our agriculture for oil.

“We are all responsible for the self-imposed trouble. There is hope, help will come from above for Nigeria.

There is a way out in the mind of God if we seek Him.” He added.

As a way out of the recession, he said that the government should go beyond party affiliations as the solutions are not limited to the members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The government, he said, should be able to listen to others, promote and celebrate excellent leadership.

While urging Nigerians to always put God first in all they do, he called on employers of labour to always do everything possible to pay workers their salaries and allowances.

He also urged the government to always promote the politics of love and not hate.

Also noting that the country is also being troubled by insurgency, militancy, unemployment, he advised that the quicker Nigeria stops paying lip service to agriculture, the better for the nation.

“When you have left office, what will you be remembered for?” he queried “Judgment of God is coming.

The corrupt Nigerians that have not been apprehended will not escape the judgment of God,” he said.

He urged the government to restore religious studies and discipline in schools.

Part of the scriptures the clergy read in the Holy Bible included Isiaiah 60: 9 to 20 and 1st Chronicle 12:32.

The 1st scripture reading was taken from Ezekiel 37: 1 to 14 by a representative of the judiciary.

The 2nd scripture reading was taken from Romans 8: 28 to 39 by the Chief of Defence State, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin.

Intercessory prayers were said for the Nigerian nation, security and economic challenges, for the President, Vice President and other executives.

Prayers were also offered for the legislature and the judiciary, peace and development of the country and the unity of the church.

Dignitaries at the occasion included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, Wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo, Bayelsa State Governor, Sarieke Dickson, former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, Senator Olurunibe Mamora.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

News

Kebbi NULGE applaud Gov Atiku on Agric policies From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

T

he President of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Kebbi state Chapter Com. Umar Faruk Abubakar has applauded the Kebbi state governor for his agricultural policies and diversification of the state economy.

Abubakar stated this, weekend, while fielding questions from newsmen in Birnin Kebbi, adding that it has become imperative to commend Governor Bagudu’s foresight in prioritising the agricultural sector in the state.

According to him, the sector has provided job opportunities for youths in the state and also created wealth in the hands of the common man and NULGE members who took the advantage of CBN loan program to farmers in the state.

Ag News Editor Ese Awhotu

Fuel tanker falls on car, kills one in Lagos A

petrol tanker with Reg. No. AGL 664 XG, on Sunday morning fell on a moving car in Lagos and killed the lone occupant.

A witness told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that the incident happened at about 4.08 a.m. at Ikorodu roundabout.

He said that the tanker, laden with 33,000 litres of petrol, fell while trying to turn at the

roundabout.

“The tanker fell on one Hyunda saloon car with Reg. No. KJA 421 AH, trapping the only occupant in the car – a male – who died before help could come,’’ the source said.

Confirming the incident, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, said that timely intervention of the service prevented fire outbreak from spilling petrol.

Fadipe said that the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Federal Road Safety Corp, police and some other emergency managers also acted in time to prevent more havoc.

“The truck was carefully lifted upright, while the dead body was removed by LASEMA response team with the use of light duty equipment.

“The corpse was taken to

the Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary.

“The vehicles were cleared off the road and handed to the police,” he said.

Also commenting, Adeshina Tiamiyu, General Manager of LASEMA, advised motorists to stop over speeding.

He urged them to adhere to all traffic rules and regulations to avoid accidents.(NAN)

• R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Defence, Brig General Mansur Mohammed Dan-Ali, Director General NIA Mr. Ayo Oke as President returns to Nigeria after a Successful outing at the UNGA71 Event in New York. Photo: State House

Police arrest robbers who invaded Kaduna community

T

he Nigeria Police, Kaduna State Command, has arrested seven armed robbery suspects who allegedly invaded Godogodo in Kafanchan Local Government Area of the state on September 24.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Aliyu Usman, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Kaduna.

“The contingents of policemen deployed for Operations Maximum Safety along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway received a distress call about the blockage of the road by suspected armed bandits, on Sept.24,’’ he said.

Mr. Usman, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said that police officers attached to the area successfully arrested seven suspects while others fled.

“The seven suspects have been transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation while efforts are on to ensure the arrest of the remaining suspects,’’ he said.

Mr. Usman also said the police recovered three motorcycles used by the suspects during the attack.

He said the suspects left three victims they kidnapped while fleeing.

He gave the assurance that security agencies were on ground at the affected area to ensure return of normalcy.

Mr. Usman said that the police were determined to reduce crime to the barest minimum in the state.

“We will trail them and make sure they face the law,” he said.

He urged members of the public to volunteer useful information to security operatives for arrest of criminal elements.(NAN)

Edo Okays automated pension scheme for retirees

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

E

do state government has completed the certification of an automated pension scheme for retirees in the state public service.

The initiative is to ease off the drudgery usually associated with the processing and profiling of retirees in conjunction with the state Pension Board, which is the clearing House for other related matters.

The state governor, Adams Oshiomhole gave the indication during a solidarity of the state chapter of organised Labour in his honour held at the Weekend

in Benin, the state Capital.

He revealed that an additional N100 million has been approved to the sum of N300 million to complete the labour House in Benin.

He however challenged the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September 28th 2016 Governorship poll in Edo state to brace up for the challenges ahead and declared Tuesday and Wednesday as work free day.

According to him, the fraud associated with age declaration and other related offences in the state Civil service and hindrances associated with retirement including the adjustment of

retirement from 55 years to 60 years have been eliminated by his government.

“We have eliminated all the fraud associated with age declaration.

“We have just completed the computerisation process to ease unnecessary delay with newly retired pensioners in the state.

“We have removed every possible loophole that encourage stealing and abuses”, he said.

The governorship candidate of the APC, who was endorsed by the workers, said he takes responsibility for the successes and failures of Governor Oshiomhole.

“I just want to assure you that today because I have been part and parcel of the Edo project from the beginning, I accept full responsibility for the decisions we have made”, he said.

Representative of the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, Comrade Godwin Uche said Edo workers were lucky to have Governor Adams Oshiomhole as he has transformed the face of governance in the state.

He noted that eight yars ago, only one airline was flying into the state, but with the increase in business and commerce in the state, more airlines now fly into the state daily.

Man nabbed with cocaine concealed in anus

By Paul Efiong with agency report

T

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency yesterday disclosed that it has arrested a 46-year-old man who allegedly concealed wraps of narcotics into his anus on his way to Italy.

The NDLEA in a statement said that the man named Innocent

Anazodo was found with the wraps which tested positive to cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

According to the NDLEA Commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, “Anazodo Innocent was found with seven pellets of cocaine weighing 375 grammes inserted in his anus while Agwu Samuel had ten pellets of cocaine

weighing 110 grammes concealed inside his jacket.”

“Agwu was nabbed during inward screening of passengers on a South Africa Airline flight from Brazil through Johannesburg.

The second suspect, Anazodo was caught during screening of passengers on a Royal Air Maroc flight while going to Milan, Italy,” he explained.

Agwu said that the agency also arrested another susupect,Samuel Agwu, 31, who concealed wraps of narcotics in the collar of his jacket on his way from Brazil.

He said both arrests were made during routine check on passengers.

The NDLEA commander said the suspects will soon be charged to court.

PAGE 4

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Page 4 Report

Food security for Nigeria: An urgent Challenge?

By Ochiaka Ugwu

O

ne can only speculate why the former Jonathan’s administration assured that Nigeria is near to achieving food security. Almost when he assumed office, Dr Goodluck Jonathan through his then Agric Minister, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina had embarrassed Nigerians with projections about food security and superlative agricultural productivity and 3.5 million jobs to be created by 2015 which never materialized until the regime was shown the way out by Nigerian electorate.

Given our self-defeating dependence on food imports, it is easy to fall prey for someone who, like money doublers promise mouth-watering returns on cash invested which his clients never receive at the end of the day.

But be it as it may, we all know the official explanation; that is, such ‘longsought’ agricultural investments enhance the country’s food security. For a country that is somehow associated with hunger and poor nutrition especially in rural areas, there should indeed be no higher priority than food security.

They even guaranteed creating millions of jobs without providing the details of how they would achieve it – state by state; job category by job category.

Yet, how agricultural production by western oriented policies like 10 million phone purchase for farmers which gulped billions of tax payers’ monies improves the food security of poor Nigerians was not terribly clear. Indeed, compelling evidences show that increased food production per se doesn’t necessarily correlate to any improvement in the food security of people in any country.

However, experts have opined that hunger has both technical as well as political dimensions. A convincing effort to stamp out hunger must thus address both dimensions of the problem.

First, there should be sufficient food for the populace which will be achieved through multidimensional approach to the issue at stake. The fact that hunger is more of a problem of distribution in Nigeria than of availability of food should not imply that there are no issues with respect to food supply.

Indeed, and this is ironic, most victims of hunger are food producers. For developing countries, such as Nigeria, low productivity associated with lack of technology and agricultural inputs, remains a veritable problem. That agricultural labor productivity in least developed countries, such as ours, is less than 1 percent that of the level in developed nations explains it all. As regards small holding farmers, therefore, any food security program must necessarily involve improving their food productivity. For the urban poor, the availability of sufficient food stock in the country or at the local granary is not sufficient.

Although food is physically available, it may still be economically unreachable for the very poor as most of them are poor to purchase the right food items forcing them to under feed. Therefore, any food security program embarked by the present regime must ultimately aim at enhancing the capability of individ-

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina ual’s to compete and purchase enough food. That in effect means fighting urban poverty which was compounded by high rural urban migration.

The truth remains that poverty is both the root and consequence of hunger. People go hungry because they are poor and could not afford the basic necessities of life. Yet, poverty does not offer foundational explanation to hunger.

It begs the question of why people are so poor in the first place. We know that poverty is avoidable and also preventable. We also know that our common resources are not too insufficient to free

“

people from abject poverty and starvation. Indeed, too often, resource constraint is not even among the primary causes of poverty and hunger in our clime today. Endemic hunger rages unabated, not because the problem is invincible, but because its victims which are mostly the downtrodden find themselves in socioeconomic and political circumstances that rob them of the ability to defy the misfortune.

The fact that hunger is predominantly a rural phenomenon means that its victims are not only socially and economically marginalized, but also

For the urban poor, the availability of sufficient food stock in the country or at the local granary is not sufficient. Although food is physically available, it may still be economically unreachable for the very poor as most of them are poor to purchase the right food items forcing them to under feed. Therefore, any food security program embarked by the present regime must ultimately aim at enhancing the capability of individual’s to compete and purchase enough food. That in effect means fighting urban poverty which was compounded by high rural urban migration.

are often geographically removed from the scene of political decision making. Powerlessness, be it in the control over productive resources such as land, or in decision making processes at local and national levels explains much of the problem. While the starved are powerless and their voices too muted to be heard, they are often ignored, by the few welding political and economic power.

We heard several times our leaders denying the existence of hunger, even as they plead for economic bailout. A credible food security program must thus exhibit the political will to comprehensively address every handicap that undermines a person’s entitlement to food, whether it is illiteracy or bad land policy, high level corruption or misdistribution, political suppression or overpopulation, discrimination or ecological degradation, institutional incompetence or unemployment, lack of accountability or political instability.

Moreover, market forces, by their nature is said to facilitate the movements of goods, including food, to places where they can attract the most competitive price rather than to places where they have greater utility. That best explains why most nourished food items find its way to urban areas where they have people with high capital and the ability to purchase them.

For example, food is always exported from impoverished part of the nation to affluent part. That is the clear reality. What the market naturally does is responding to demand, not to need.

Not only food products directly but also productive resources, such as land are increasingly being diverted away from growing staple foods for the poor and the hungry towards cultivating export crops like cotton and gum Arabic that will be exported to foreign countries for pecuniary gains. Some even engage their lands for livestock feed that would go to satisfy the dietary taste of the supper rich mostly staying in the city. Such diversion of farm land was among the major drivers of food crisis, which is estimated to have plunged many people into extreme poverty and hunger.

At the same time, however, a rapid growth of per capita food consumption has been recorded among the growing middle class around the country. Indeed, we do not need to look elsewhere; many of the investors that have acquired land and loan for farming seek to produce crop for export purpose and biofuel production, and, of course, they do not have any responsibility towards the food security of Nigerians.

How this boosts the country’s food security is not clearly spelt out.

Finally, the present regime’s policy on agriculture must take care of rural population as there are many family lands in Nigeria. The necessary increase in agricultural production must not ignore the implications for rural societies. A massive migration from the countryside to the cities will cause enormous problems since cities, industries, and services cannot welcome rural people properly.

PAGE 5

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

News

Kwankwaso to Ganduje:

Erasing Kwankwasiyya inscriptions waste of time

T

he immediate past governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has advised the Umar Ganduje administration in the state to desist from erasing Kwankwassiya inscriptions on public structures, saying the exercise was a waste of resources and time.

The Kano House of Assembly had last month ordered the immediate removal of all Kwankwassiya inscriptions on all public buildings in Kano metropolis and other local

government areas of the state.

Kwankwassiya inscriptions can be found on public buses roofs of public buildings pedestrian interlocks, parameter fences, schools etc in Kano State.

Reacting to the move to erase the name of his political movement from all public inscriptions, the former governor, who spoke yesterday, said instead of “squandering the state’s scarce resources on a futile exercise, the government should use such

funds to revitalize the education sector, which is deteriorating.”

Kwankwaso, who spoke through an aide, Muhammad Tajuddeen Usman, during an event organized to empower women, also urged his supporters to remain calm.

“The Kwankwassiya movement can never be erased from your minds.

This is why I am asking the state government to desist from erasing our symbols on public structures because it is a total waste of resources and

time. They should instead channel the funds to reviving education which they have allowed to deteriorate,” he said.

He added that if the government insists on deleting all Kwankwassiya logos in the state, then they should be prepared to establish a whole ministry to carry out the exercise because it is an impossible task.

“You should remain steadfast in your belief in Kwankwaso; they can’t take that away from you. The time will

come when your votes will be more than dollars. That is when we will ask you to follow a certain direction to change your destinies”, he said.

On his part, Chairman of the Kano Project Protection Agency (Kano PRO-PA), Mahmoud Sani, who organized the event, said about 75 women were re-empowered with about N800,000 as a reward for utilizing an earlier empowerment benefit given to them four years ago.

Boko Haram: Shekau insane, unstable – Army

By Ese Awhotu over times to be irrational and therefore •As troops kill 22, lose 4 soldiers in Borno unreliable especially when it comes he Nigerian Army yesterday

T

referred to the embattled factional leader of the Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau as insane and unstable.

The army in an apparent reaction to a new video released yesterday morning by Shakau in which he debunked military’s claim that he was wounded in Air Force strikes, , said that, “the video has shown beyond all reasonable doubt the earlier suspicion that the purported factional terrorists’ group leader is mentally sick

and unstable. The ranting is also another sign that the end is near for him which is part of the signs of all wicked people.”

Shekau in the 39 minutes video posted on YouTube, Shekau threatened fresh hostilities on various towns, groups and individuals.

However, the military in a statement

by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, Acting Director Army Public Relations, assured the public that they should not be bothered by the contents of the video

clip.

“This is because the facts on the ground speak for themselves. It is public knowledge that the military has been making concerted efforts to clear the remnants of the terrorists and rescue all persons held hostage by them especially the abducted Chibok Secondary School girls. This is a task that will be accomplished, no matter how long it takes. We are determined in this regards.

Already thousands of persons have been

rescued by troops from the terrorists,” the army said.

According to the army, the video has further shown that Shekau has derailed and no longer believes and practices the Islam he professes to follow; as he was absent at the last Eid prayers video.

The army advised the public not be fooled by this individual.

“No nation or society would believe him or any Boko Haram terrorist based on antecedent and as he has shown

• L-R: Col. Sani Bello, Coordinator, Global Association of Christian and Muslim Youth for peace and Development (GACMYPD) , Comd. Ibrahim Yusuf and Col. Ali Mustapha during the launching of the GACMYPD, recently in Abuja Photo: Justin Imo-owo

to negotiations on the release of the abducted girls. Therefore he must release them unconditionally.

“We want to assure Nigerians especially the residents of Maiduguri, Kano, Kaduna and Zaria not to panic as we have more than what it takes to defend them and deal decisively with the remnants of the terrorists group.

“We would like to reiterate that Boko Haram terrorism as it was known is gone for good. We are just counting down to the day when all the few remnants will be totally wiped out or brought to justice,” the army stated.

However, the army noted that a window still exists for the repentant Boko Harm members to lay down their arms and surrender to justice.

Meanwhile, , some suspected remnants of Boko Haram fighters attacked troops location of at Logomani along Dikwa-Gambarou road, Borno State, in a 3 waves attack using 36 Hand Grenades and Rocket The army, however, said that troops fought gallantly and repelled the attack which lasted for about one hour. Adding that at the end of the fierce encounter, the troops counted 22 dead bodies of Boko Haram fighters, recovered 2 AK-47 Rifles, 1 FN Rifle, 1 G3 Rifle and some 36 Hand grenades.

Unfortunately, the army said that troops lost 4 soldiers and their rifles as a result of the effect of Boko Haram use of Rocket Propelled Grenades, while 2 soldiers were wounded in action.

Budget padding: I won’t appear before panel, Jibrin dares Reps

By Umar Muhammad Puma

F

ormer chairman House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Rep Abdulmumin Jibrin, has said that he would not appear before the ethics and privileges committee set up to probe alleged breach of privileges by the lawmaker.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Jibrin said he won’t allow someone who does not see anything wrong in padding the budget pass judgement on him.

“I’m not going, I have given sufficient reason, I’m not going before any ethics committee, the chairman had made a lot of public statements, he granted an interview to an online medium where he said there is nothing like padding.

That is the person that would pass

judgement on me, many members of this committee were part of those putting on mufflers in the chamber.”

“He had no qualms referring the matter to the ethics committee despite being aware that some of the members were part of those that wore the iStandWithDogara mufflers during plenary on Wednesday the 21st and the chairman of the Ethics and Privileges Committee has made several public statements acted in such a way and manner that his ability to the impartial in the matter is in doubt. In one of such statements, he told premium times that I am wrong to say padding is an offense.

“I have responded to the letter of invitation from the chairman Committee on Ethics and Privileges, I have also written Speaker Dogara expressing my opinion and position

on the matter and Mr Femi Falana SAN has written the Speaker that the issue of my suspension is already a matter in court. I have spoken extensively on these letters and my position is in the public domain,” Jibrin explained.

Rep Jibril while tendering more documents to journalists against the Speaker and four other principal officers, insisted that the accused persons padded the 2016 budget to the tune of N40 billion.

His words; “This document is an evidence on how speaker Dogara gave instruction for the N40 billion to be distributed, go anywhere you want go in the national assembly, you will not see any evidence of anybody trying to distribute that N40 billion, except speaker Yakubu Dogara.

“You can see his red pen here, the security and anti-corruption

agencies have sighted original copies, you can see it here indicating extra way of sharing the money, this document.

“You can see his red pen giving instruction; this document was handed over to me, hand to hand.

“The question is that Nigerians are asking is that what they did with?

They inserted it fraudulently into the budget. Look at this document for instance, see how it is tabulated, you see the project, the title, the agency they put the project, you would see the ministry and the amount and you would see who owns it.

“For instance, you see now that the owner is deputy speaker, Lasun, if you look at all these pages (three pages), about 100 projects were inserted by the deputy speaker.

“I give you an example, look at it, take item seven in particular, item

seven here says rehabilitation of borehole in his constituency, he said rehabilitation of existing borehole, look at what he added here N50 million. N50 million to rehabilitate existing borehole, N50 million. Then you sit down and say we have power of appropriation, it’s a law not an offence.

“There is so many ways these people can be charged under sabotage because if the money hasn’t gone to your hand and you are claiming that you did not any money from it, you have sabotaged the budget.

“That is why there wasn’t sufficient money to put into capital expenditure because you have taken the money and inserted fraudulent projects.

“Look at the chief whip the job he came to do at the National Assembly insertions.”

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

PAGE 6

News

Gwagwalada LG chair makes developmental projects priority

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he Executive Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Hon. Adamu Mustapha Danze, has promised to focus more on the developmental projects at the grassroots level.

Danze who made the pledge while presenting his address during the swearing in ceremony of the council’s executive members / celebration of one hundred days in office on Tuesday

in the Area Council, urged the entire residents of Gwagwalada to continue to support his administration.

He pointed out that his administration had completed Paikon double cell / single cell culvert linking Ibwa village and other communities as well as extension of electricity and provision of transformers in Yimi Machada community.

He further added that his administration had rehabilitated township market /one way

road in Gwagwalada as well as ongoing construction of a single cell-box culvert along Abattoir road within Gwagwalada.

He said that his leadership was able to maintain daily evacuation of refuse in all the nooks and crannies of the entire Gwagwalada Area Council for the benefit of the residents, and assured the good people of Gwagwalada that his administration would not hesitate to carry out meaningful projects in the area.

While inaugurating the council’s executive members comprising of council’s secretary, supervisory councilors as well as Special Advisers, the Chairman congratulated the political appointees for being given the opportunity to serve in this present administration of the Area council.

Danze, however, charged the appointees to always exhibit purposeful leadership capable of satisfying the aspirations of the masses in the area.

L-R: Former vicePresident, Dr Alex Ekwueme; VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo; wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr David Lawal; Senator representing Benue North-East, Sen Barnabas Gemadi and Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (senate) Sen Ita Enang at the 56th independence anniversary interdenominational church service , yesterday in Abuja .

Photo: State House

Adamawa govt. relocates 350 IDPs from Mubi

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he Adamawa Government says it has relocated no fewer than 350 Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) made up of mostly women and children.

The IDPs were relocated from the transit camp in Mubi to the designated camp in Malkohi, Yola South Local Government Area of the state.

Haruna Furo, the Executive Chairman of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Yola on Saturday.

Mr. Furo said the move was to ensure adequate welfare of the IDPs and easy coordination of operations.

The relocation, he said, would also enable the state government to reopen the Mubi Burnt Brick Factory initially used as a transit camp.

“We relocated about 350 Internally Displaced Persons, mostly women and children, from the Mubi transit camp to Malkohi camp in Yola South Local Government Area.

“The development is to bring together all IDPs in the state under designated and secured camps,” Mr. Furo said.

He said all the IDPs arrived safely and were camped successfully.( NAN)

Probe earth tremors, affected residents urge FG

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he communities affected by the July and August earth tremors in Rivers and Bayelsa have appealed to the Federal Government to investigate the incidents.

The people made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Yenagoa on Sunday.

The earth tremor was reported to have occurred around oilfields operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, in Bayelsa and Rivers between July and August.

Abel Shadow, the traditional ruler of Mbiama, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers, said the two vibrations beneath the ground caused panic among his subjects.

Mr. Shadow said that the occurrence of

the two incidents in quick succession was worrisome, adding that the intervention of government was required, with a view to tackling the problem.

He said that the community was so much in panic, especially when the incident recurred in August as the people gathered outside their houses in despair.

“The incident sent shockwaves down the spine of everyone in Mbiama.

“I was having a meeting in my palace when the earth started vibrating. We initially thought the vibration was caused by a machine at a nearby construction site.

“To our greatest surprise, we discovered that no machine was working anywhere around,’’ the monarch said.

The traditional ruler said that he suspected the incidents might not be

unconnected with seismic activities in the oilfields.

Mr. Shadow who expressed doubt on the safety procedures at the oilfields in the Niger Delta, called on government to audit the safety records of the companies in to preserve human lives and the environment.

Iboh Umor, a resident of Mbiama, recalled that she was in a hair-salon when the tremor occurred. She said she initially thought the vibration was a result of seismic activities by oil firms in the area.

She said the incident caused panic in the town as people rushed out of their houses in confusion.

Victor Idiedo, a resident of the affected Igbogene community in Bayelsa, also called on government to investigate the incidents.

Mr. Idiedo noted that the occurrence

of the earth tremor within the space of one month was disturbing and federal and state governments should make efforts to know why it has happened.

According to him, there have been prior predictions of possible earthquake in Bayelsa and other states in the Niger Delta, expressing worries that the August incident occurred around 4 p.m., exactly one month after the first one.

Asueize Arugu, an indigene of Okarki, said the people heard a loud sound which they thought was caused by dynamites used by oil firms operating in the area.

When contacted, Precious Okolobo, the Media Relations Manager of SPDC, declined comments on the development.

(NAN)

Buhari urged not to sale Airports, refineries

By Usman Shuaibu

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serving civil servant in Abuja, Malam Iliyasu Idrisu Nigi, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to sell the Airports as well as refineries in the interest of Nigerians who voted him into power.

He also charged the president to expedite action to provide basic necessities of life for the poor masses, noting that Nigerians were going through economic hardship in the country.

Nigi who made the call in an interview with Peoples Daily on the

state of the nation’s economy on Saturday in Abuja, pointed out that the people should stop saying that president Buhari was the one responsible for the hardship the Nigerians were passing through at this present time.

He noted that what responsible for the ongoing economic hardship in the

country was as a result of bad things being masterminded by some people in the land that made the Almighty God not to be happy with us.

On the security challenges, he commended the president and Nigerian Army for the steps being taken so far to combat Boko Haram insurgency in the

country, urging the security agencies to always fight criminals in the societies.

While commenting on the leadership of the National House of Assembly, Nigi called on the Senators as well as the lawmakers to redouble their efforts to focus on the development of the country.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

News

Court grants bail to 7 Shiite members A

Magistrates’ Court at Karu in Abuja on Friday granted seven persons from the Shiite group bail of N100, 000 each on the three-count charges against each of them.

The seven defendants were charged for the offences of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly and inciting public peace, contrary to sections 97, 102 and 114 of the Penal Code.

The defendants are Ibrahim Dogo, Khadija Mohammed, Rukaiya Salisu, Mohammed Habib, Aminu Sani, Leminu Sani and Aisha Ameen. All were arraigned for the same offences.

The Magistrate, Abubakar Umaru, granted the defendants a bail with two reliable and reasonable sureties each in like sum.

He said the sureties must be Civil or Public Servants with a Grade level of 8 and above.

Mr. Umaru also said the sureties must live within the jurisdiction of the court and their addresses must be verified by the officer of the court.

He added that the sureties must submit their passport photographs and national identity cards with the court.

State Prosecutor, Patrick

Ogele, had earlier told the court the defendants were arrested by CSP Nwakeme Ezenwa, at Dakwa Road in Deidei, along the AbujaKaduna expressway on Thursday.

The prosecutor said Mr. Ezenwa, a police officer attached to the Zuba FCT Police Command, reported the matter to the FCT Commissioner of Police.

He said the defendants were arrested after they gathered on the road while holding up two large brand new posters with the face of the Shiite leader, Ibrahim ElZakzaky, on it.

According to Mr. Ogele,

the defendants gathered with a common intention of going into the city, and specifically to the court premises where the trial of their leader was ongoing.

Mr. Ogele alleged that the intention of the defendants was to storm the court premises and disturb public peace.

He told the court that during police investigations, the defendants could not give a satisfactory explanation to the police.

The prosecutor also applied that the defendants not be granted bail by the court.

He asked the court to consider

the nature of the offences and prevailing circumstances of their arrest.

“The court also needs to consider the activities of the group in the country and the fact that the defendants are all residents of Kaduna state,’’ Mr. Ogele had said.

Counsel to the defendants, Bala Adukwu, prayed the court to grant his clients bail on liberal terms and that they were resident within Nigeria.

After listening to the charges, the seven defendants all pleaded not guilty and the matter was adjourned till Oct. 26 for hearing.

(NAN)

Navy solicits Nigerians support against Niger-Delta militants From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Nigerian Navy has urged Nigerians to support forces in restoring peace to the Niger Delta and ending militants bombing of oil installations in the region.

The Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command,Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed made the call in Offa, Kwara state while speaking with newsmen shortly after the passing out parade of class one and 38th batch basic medical qualifying courses at the Nigerian Navy school of Health Sciences, Offa.

Mohammed said that maintenance of peace and security is the responsibility of every Nigerians.

“Just like President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration mantra of ‘Change Begins With Me’, the peace and security of the country lies in the hands of all Nigerians, “he said.

On the graduation of the Navy schools students, Mohammed said it was in fulfillment of the vision of the Chief of Naval Staff “to develop a credible naval power in fulfillment of the Nigerian Navy’s constitutional roles towards enhancing national prosperity and security”.

Mohammed said he was optimistic that the graduands would make immense contributions to the quality of healthcare delivery in the country.

Ms. Azuka Ogo, Director Consumer Affairs Department, Nigerian Shippers. Council, Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary/ CEO, Nigerian Shippers. Council and Mr. Ogbogo Aloga, President, West African Road Transport Union

Niger govt, police, army disagree over military invasion of villages From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna.

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he Security Adviser to Niger state Governor, retired Brigadier General Nda-Gulu Abubakar Imam has debunked the earlier claim by the Brigade Commander, 31 Artillery of Nigeria Army Minna, Brigadier General Olanrewaju Jimoh that arms and ammunitions were being stockpiled by the communities was discussed at a security meeting in Government H ouse.

General Iman in his testimony before the commission of inquiry on Saturday, said that as a retired intelligence officer in the Nigeria army and as a security adviser to the governor, he was not aware of any security report of arms stockpile and gun running about these communities.

“The issue of gun running and arm stock piling by the communities was never discussed in any security meeting which I attended” he said.

It could be recalled that the

Brigade Commander, during a cross examination by the counsel to the communities, Mohammed Abubakar earlier claimed that the government was aware of the operation but that, the time and date of the operation was not communicated to the government.

But the security adviser maintained that prior to the August 4th, invasion by the military, there was no report of arms stock pile by the communities nor was the issue mentioned in any of the security council meeting which he, as a security adviser attended.

He also disclosed that the military never informed the government before the operation until he got a distress call from a member of the communities to inform him that they (communities) were under attack from some armed bandits dressed in military informs.

Also testifying before the commission in Minna last Friday the Commissioner of Police Zubairu Muazu submitted that, contrary to the claims by the military authority

the villagers attacked had no prior record of criminality.

The army had blamed the «cordon and search» carried out on the communities on stockpiling of arms and ammunitions by the villagers.

According to the police Boss, «There has never been any report of gun running or armed banditry in the area before the military invasion», adding that the police had an outpost which is five hundred meters from Kpaidna where the incident occurred and «there has never been any report from the station about such incidents».

Muazu who said that the crisis occurred only nine days after he assumed duties as the state police commissioner said he never received handover notes on the area being a dangerous spot .

The police also faulted the army for embarking on the «cordon and search operation» alone saying the Army did not have constitutional powers to embark on such action without the presence of the police

and other security agencies.

The CP further submitted that «such cordon and search operation can only be done through joint operation with the police taking the lead while the army will provide cover», pointing out that the operation must be carried out after search warrant must have been obtained.

In addition he said that «cordon and search operation» could only be done between the hours of 6am and 7pmnot the wee hours that the army carried out the operation», stressing that the area could be cordoned at any time but the actual search can be conducted after 6am and it was the police that should carry out such search.

On how to forestall future incident Alhaji Muazu declared that «it is important and necessary that we all join hands together in situations like this so as to prevent future occurrence».

Contrary to the claim by the army the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also said it was not aware of the plan to carry out the operation.

The state Commander Mr Philip Ayuba who also testified before the commission on Friday said it was the distress call of the villagers that attracted his command to the scene.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

News VIO begins ‘ember months’ campaign, warns motorists against recklessness

By Paul Efiong

such campaign without arrest is meant to educate drivers, car he Directorate of Road owners and indeed the general Traffic Services(DRTS) motoring public on reasons why otherwise known as their vehicles must always be road the Vehicles Inspection worthy at every particular time Officers(VIOs) have commenced and specifically within ember ember months campaign which is months.

The campaign according aimed at sensitizing the motoring public and indeed all road users to Kalu was tagged ‘Close shop on the importance of avoiding all Exercise’ where most of their kinds of recklessness while plying personnel where directly involve sharing some leaflets to all the roads.

In an interview with Peoples motorists as well as conduct free Daily yesterday, the spokesman advice to all drivers irrespective of the organization, Emeto Kalu of their vehicles. ‘The exercise who spoke on behalf of the Acting was aimed at sensitizing all Director, Engr Wadata Bodinga road users because during this explained that the ‘ember months ember months, most people and campaign’ has always been part particularly drivers want to make and parcel of his organization it by all mean, and as a result there since inception, adding that is usually a high cases of road

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crashes and accidents, therefore our outing was to remind them of reasons why their vehicles, tyres, breaking system among other important things must always be intact’.

Responding to questions on whether his directorate would also enforce speed limit technology, he answered affirmatively, stressing that in Nigeria two major government organizations are back by law to check the activities of road users in order to prevent accident and road crashes, warning against every tendency to claimed domination as all are government establishments.

Kalu further pointed out that his directorate has been educating Nigerians on the need to maintain specific speed limited allow by law

whether such is commercial or private disclosing that excessive speed is globally accepted as a major cause of accident in the road.

The DRTS spokesman maintained that the arrest and impounding of vehicles was not the core mandate of his organization, claiming that they only arrest and impound vehicles as last option when vehicle owners deliberately refuse to comply with the government directives on matters pertaining to their vehicles.

Responding to question on his new acting director capacity, Engr Wadata Bodinga, Kalu urged all staff to breast up and hoped on massive positive changes that will include staff welfare.

300 Bauchi pilgrims return home from saudi

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

00 pilgrims first Batch of Bauchi state, have returned home after performing the 2016 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims, on board a Fly Nass Airline, landed at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport yesterday with three hundred pilgrims.

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The pilgrims, who, were in good health, were later transported in buses from the airport to the Hajj camp.

The Information Officer of state Pilgrims Welfare Board Alhaji Muhammad Sani Yunusa, told newsmen that the second batch of pilgrims from the state were expected to leave Mecca for Jeddah tomorrow.

Alhaji Sani Yunusa said

the board had made adequate arrangement to ensure that transportation of the pilgrims back home was hitch-free, adding that no pilgrim would be given preference.

Also speaking, one of the pilgrims who returned home and the state chairman of All Peoples Congress Alhaji Uba Ahmad Nana, thanked Allah for the successful conduct of the

pilgrimage.

He commended Governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar for his support to the pilgrims from the state which contributed to the successful conduct of the religious journey.

Meanwhile, the second flight with another three hundred pilgrims from the state, is expected today .

L-R: vice president, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Prof. Joseph Otubu; CAN FCT chairman, Rev. Israel Akanji; President, CAN, Rev Supo Ayokunle and rep of Former Head of State, National Secretary, Nigeria prays, Evang.

Austin Kemie, during CAN thinks giving on the newly Elected President, at the weekend in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Al-makura restates commitment towards girl child education

By Umar Muhammad Puma

G

overnor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa state has restated his administration’s commitment to support all efforts aimed at improving the standard of education, especially girl-child education in the country.

Governor Al-makura made the promise during the inspection of Model Junior Secondary School in Panda area of Karu and Udege development area of Nasarawa local government in the state.

Al-makura promised that the state government will make provision for power and boreholes in the two schools to assist in water supply and power generation.

He said that the provision of power supply and portable water is aimed at ensuring the completion of the structure›s that are almost 90 percent completion.

Al-makura who expressed satisfaction with the level of work direct the contractors to see him in government house Lafia to finalise process for the commissioning of the two schools.

He pointed out that his administration has made it a cardinal point to support the girl child education due to their importance in the society.

He urged the communities where the structures are located to religiously guard them so as to secure the future of their children›s education and ensure safety of equipment›s in the schools.

Eid-el-Kabir: Okowa urges Muslims to reflect on nation’s challenges Late Kabba monarch buried

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he late traditional ruler of Kabba Town in Kogi State, Michael Olabayo, was on Saturday laid to rest in a ceremony attended by Governor Yahaya Bello and other eminent personalities.

The state burial climaxed a threeday of activities put together by the government and the people to honour the monarch, who died at the age of 71.

Mr. Bello in a funeral oration noted the late monarch as a peace loving man whose virtues he urged the people of Kabba to uphold by continuing to live in

peace.

According to him, the demise of the late monarch will test the unity of the people in coming months.

He also urged them not to see his demise as the end of the progress and development of the town.

The governor urged the people to take over from where the monarch stopped by taking the town to the next level in its development. He extolled the virtues of the late traditional ruler for living a life of service to God and humanity.

The governor then urged them not to mourn but to celebrate him and his achievements.

Mr. Bello further urged the people to continue to give their support to the federal and state governments, promising that in turn he would provide the town with infrastructural facilities to uplift the people’s standards of living Conducting the burial service, the Catholic Bishop of Lokoja, Martin Olorunmolu, extolled the life of the monarch as worthy of emulation by all.

He enjoined Christians to always remember God in whatever position they find themselves as they would be recalled to account for their deeds and misdeeds.

Mr. Olorunmolu also advised the people to make the selection of the new

Obaro crisis-free to maintain his legacy of peaceful co-existence.

The late monarch from the Ilajo ruling house ascended the throne on Oct. 17, 1985 and was till his death the Chairman of Okun Traditional Council.

Dignitaries at the occasion included the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Ahmed Umar, former Governor Ibrahim Idris, David Jemibewon, former Minister of Industry, Kola Jamodu, and Dino Melaye.

Others included Smart Adeyemi, a former Federal Attorney–General and Minister of Justice, Bayo Ojo, among others attended.(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

News Another Niger Pilgrim dies in Saudi Arabia

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna.

A

nother Niger State Pilgrim was reported to have died in the Holy land of Saudi Arabia, she is Hajiya Aisha Suleiman kaka from Edati local government of the state making the total of two Pilgrims who lost their

lives iand buried n Mecca.

The Pilgrims are Alhaji Haruna Kusherki, a member of the State’s Hamiru Hajj team who died a fortnight ago and one Hajiya Aisha Suleiman Kaka, a pilgrim from Edati local government area of the state.

Hajiya Aisha, was said to have died on Saturday after a brief illness,

while their remains have since been buried after prayers at the Majid AlHaram in Makkah the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in accordance with the Muslims rites.

Our reporter gathered that prior to the deceased Female pilgrim’s illness in the Holy land, she was said to have got burnt on her legs due to excessive heat on

the tiles of Prophet Muhammad Mosque in Medina about three weeks ago.

Earlier, a day after Arafat a Pilgrims, Alhaji Haruna Kusherki, a member of the State’s Amiru Hajj team died a fortnight ago.

Further findings revealed that while on treatment at a Saudi Hospital, she was allegedly

Page 9

diagonised to be diabetic by Medical personnel at the hospital in the holy land.

In same vein, another pilgrim from the state, (names withheld) is said to be receiving treatment at a Saudi Hospital in Makkah after being fractured on the leg as a result of a road traffic crash in the holy land.

FRSC speed limiters: NGO predicts failure

By Paul Efiong

of helping road users instead agency in Nigeria had proposed a of another imposition of wrong speed limiting technology for all concept aimed at exploiting commercial vehicles in Nigeria, ust as the Federal Road vehicle owners under the pretence this proposal was greeted with Safety Corps(FRSC) has of speed limit devices. series of debates among major set aside September 31st It would be remembered that stakeholders on its workability, of this month as the deadline the FRSC as a lead road safety sustainability, as well as for all commercial vehicle questioned the motive behind the concept and the amount involve.

Nigerians particularly the motoring public also called for outright cancellation of the policy but not for the timely intervention of the Senate that carried out a public hearing to ascertain the acceptability of the policy and eventually supported its enforcement, come Oct 1st 2016 but with some dissenting voices who also spoke against the danger as well as exploitative nature of such policy during implementation in the country.

Speaking against the move, the Executive Director of APRI, Price Fidelis Nnadi in an interview with Peoples Daily in Abuja explained that although the initiative is commendable owing to it ability to curtail over speeding, which is globally identify as a major cause of accidents and road crashes related fatality in the country.

APRI boss further used the opportunity to raise pertinent questions against the enforcement of speed limit technology in the country: such as who accredit the vendors for the implementation?

Is there a warranty on the part of devices who may fail to provide the needed service and where does the fund generated during the exercise go to as well as why such enforcement should kick – off during Nigeria’s Independent Day Celebration?

According to Nnadi, there L-R, State Overseer, Deeper Life Bible ChurchFCT, Pastor Joshua Esho and the crusade coordinating Commandant/Nyanya Region Overseer, is a clear difference between Pastor Augustine Onokor, during a press briefing on crusade ‘one day of Supernatural Wonders’ Crusade by Pastor William Kumuyi at the legislation and the power to Abuja National Stadium, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo enforce such law which they claimed is from the legislature. ’yes you can enforce the law as you want but the instrument behind such enforcement might be challenge in a competent court a former senior officer of the Is- of law by individuals who knows IP institute, Israeli ex- Director General of the institute, perts in pact to train Ni- David Okoror, disclosed this to “The training is in response to raeli Defence Forces and chief their right’.

Speaking on the way gerians on VIP protection newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the heightening state of inse- instructor at the Israel College

By Umar Muhammad Puma saying the training will hold at curity prevailing in the coun- of Security and Investigation. forward, the NGO advised the FRSC to focus more on vehicles the institute’s training facility lo- try and the planned withdrawal The International Institute for cated in Abuja, the Federal Capi- of policemen attached to VIPs He was also a senior bodyguard manufacturers particularly those Security and Governance Studies tal Territory and is meant to train and other important dignitaries to three successive Israeli prime that comes into the country He earlier described the (IISGS) with headquarters in Abu- participants on how to provide by the present administration ministers. Mr. Okoror added that this initiative will ensure that appointment of the current ja, in partnership with interna- specialised bodyguard protection tionally renowned Isreali security for VIPs, foreign dignitaries, pol- Adding that the one-month will only professionally trained and Acting Director of the Directorate experts has concluded plans iticians, top business executives commence from the third week certified persons will be allowed Of Traffic Services (DTS) often to commence the train- and their family members from of November 2016 and facilita- to be responsible for the protec- refers to as Vehicles Inspection ing of Nigerian men and potential kidnappers, armed tors of the training programme tion and security of VIPs and Officer(VIO) Engineer Wadata rapists, assassina- will be drawn from Isreal and Ni- their family members, outside Bodinga by the Minister of FCT, women in the area of pro- robbers, fessional VIP Protection. tion, in addition to defen- geria with the lead instructor to officers of the of the Security ser- Mohammed Bello as putting a round peg on a round hole. sive and security driving. be Mr. Samuel Shumulik Bashan, vices and the Nigeria Police

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owners in the contrary to fix the mandatory speed limit devices in their vehicles or quite transport business or face arrest and subsequent prosecution, a Non –Governmental Organization known as the Accident Prevention

and Rescue Initiative(APRI) has come out to predict massive failure of such concept by the lead road safety agency in the country.

The NGO urged the Corps to look for a proactive measure

Gaidam reads riot act to illegal traders

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

News

PTAD boss cautions pensioners against fraudsters

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

he Acting Director General/ Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Murtala M.O., has cautioned pensioners on the activities of fraudsters who contact pensioners claiming to facilitate the payment of their pensions for a fee.

The DG made the remark recently while commenting about the gains of the First National Retreat on Pension Administration in Nigeria, organized by the Senate

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Committee on Establishment and Public Service.

He reaffirmed PTAD’s commitment to resolving pensioner complains at no cost to the pensioner, but warned pensioners about pension fraudsters.

“Pensioners should not fall prey to these dubious characters,” he said.

The Ag. DG revealed that the agency has ensured the smooth management of pensions under the Defined benefits Scheme (DBS) with innovations towards

improving pensioners’ welfare and establishing free communication flow between PTAD and the pensioners.

“Since we took over the administration of pensions under the Defined Benefit Scheme about two years ago, PTAD has worked hard to make life better for pensioners,” he said.

According to him, PTAD has recorded a number of achievements, highlighting the role of technology and the agency’s robust complaints management.

“Under PTAD, monthly

pension payments are regular and prompt. Payments are processed electronically by the 24th of every month, subject to availability of funds, on the governments payment platform».

He added that “over 4,000 genuine pensioners” who were unjustly removed from the payroll before the establishment of PTAD have been reinstated.

“We have payrolled and brought huge relief to pensioners who had never received a pension for upwards of 10 years.”

He added that the agency has,

Niger: Mashegu LG warns workers against lateness, under- production From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

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he Chairman of Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger state, Alhaji Saidu Kaboji has warned that his administration would not tolerate truancy, lateness to work under productivity on the part of the workers in the local government.

Kaboji who handed the warning

in an interview with newsmen at the local government headquarters in Mashegu at the weekend maintained that if a staff misses work for a day without a cogent reason, their pay for one day will be deducted accordingly.

“It is not going to be business as usual, as the local government staff owe the people of Mashegu the duty to work for the salaries they are paid, a situation where people come to

work when they feel like and close at any time is totally unacceptable and will no longer be condoned.

“I have directed the sub-unit heads to start giving schedule of duty to each staff on a daily basis as part of efforts to check mate this problems,” he stated.

He said arrangements have been concluded to build a junior staff quarters to address staff accommodation challenges.

He listed some of his achievements to include electrification of Manigi and Makira communities at the cost of N73million and construction of an adult education center in Kaboji at N3.5million.

“The electrification of those places and beyond is 75 percent completed and the N73m also covers purchase of a 500KV transformer for them”.

Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) opens Nigerian kitchen, recently in Israel.

Photo: NCPC Media Unit

through the on-going database clean-up and verification process, removed 15,000 bogus names from the payroll and has transferred the savings from these 15,000 non-existent pensioners to pay genuine pensioners with outstanding payments.

“The database clean-up process also ensures that, pensioners who were not receiving their pensions hitherto now have hope of receiving their entitlement as every kobo of savings is ploughed back into the system».

Recession: Delta wants UNICEF funding reviewed From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

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he Delta State Government at the weekend blamed economic recession to her inability to meet the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and called for a review of its funding arrangements of the counter part funding to enable the direct beneficiaries not to lose out completely.

Dr. Nicholas Azinge, the State Commissioner for Health told Journalists in Asaba that there was need to guard against the State losing UNICEF’S 70% assistance to children and mothers who are the major beneficiaries of the funds because of its inability to meet its own financial obligation through the prompt payment of its 30% counterpart fund through the review of its existing maniacal arrangements.

His Words: “The government is presently working out ways around the financial challenges is presently experiencing by thinking outside the box to raise its internally generated revenues and pleaded with UNICEF not to withhold its 70% counterpart fund because the State is yet to meet up with its own share of the funding and therefore called for a review of the counterpart funds arrangement for the sake of the children who will benefit most from the prograrmme.

He said “I thank UNICEF for its contribution with the State Primary Health Care development Agency which has gone a long way in strengthening the Agency”.

Women, girls raped as robbers attack motorists on Benin- Asaba Road From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

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ampaging armed hoodlums operating on Benin-Asaba Expressway on Saturday night operated unhindered on the Expressway between the bad spot of Okhuahe Community to the NNPC Depot where motorists and their passengers were trapped in the Web of massive challenge of hold ups literarily caused by the deplorable spot of the road.

Eye witnesses said the hoodlums

“sized up” the stranded passengers who resorted to trekking lone distances especially those returning from eastern States to Benin City, Edo State at gunpoint and allegedly robbed them forcefully of their belongings, particularly handsets and money estimated to N300,000.00.

Expectedly, female passengers trapped in the darkness shouting themselves down for help were allegedly subjected to sexual intercourse behind long vehicles by the hoodlums who shot sporadically

into the air to scare security agents.

It was reliably gathered that motorists and their passengers many of whom abandoned their vehicles for their dear lives considering the unbearable long queue of long trucks to the NNPC depot in Benin City, Edo State.

While the hoodlums’ operation lasted, investigation revealed that in the last six months motorists have been embattled and suffer untold predicament on the road following the deplor-

able condition of the bad spot with deep long cuts posing death traps.

More often, sources said motorists heading towards Benin City, Edo State in violation for the traffic rules, have abandoned the bad spot to be driving one way thereby making the narrow road congested with in-coming long vehicles, particularly trailers to struggle with small vehicles, in most cases, ran into them and kill their passengers.

Some of the motorists who spoke to our reporter, one of them,

Obazee Frank called on the State and Federal Governments to make repairs of the bad spot, saying “FERMA should come to our aid to repair the bad spot, the bad spot kills.”

While the bad spot continued to record disaster among motorists, further investigation revealed that only last Monday no fewer than fourteen persons were allegedly feared killed on the Okhuahe head bridge during a multiple trailer accident.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

DIVINE TRIANGLE OF POWER LOVE PEACE MINISTRIES

the general public is hereby notified that the has applied to the corporate affairs commission ,appointment, and re-appointment of trustees under part “c”of the companies and allied matters

above name, for removal Registration Act 1990

Old trustees: 1. Mr. Top Bassey Essua Etukudo........Retained 2. Bassey Inyang Inyang........ Retained 3. Shief Nsemo Ita Offiong....... Retained.

4.Ekpenyong Easien Ekpe ........Retained 5. Pastor Inyang David Akpan......Removed 6. Hon.Chief Chris Ekpenyong ....... Removed.

New Trustees: 1. Udo Harry Etukudo.

2. Stephen Joseph Cocobassey.

The Aims and Objectives Remain the same Any objections 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 of this publication.

Signed.

Bassey Inyang. okpo Mfom & associates 68 edgerlly Rd calabar.

PUBLIC NOTICE AMAIMO PROGRESSIVES FORUM

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. CHIEF UCHE OJOR 2. CHINEDU ANYANWU 3. CHUKWUMA ANAELE 4. CHIEF CHUKWUMA AWURUM 5. CHUKWUMA ANUSIEM

6. COLLINS ARIOLE 7. UGOCHUKWU ASIEGBU 8. CHIEF CHARLES AWURUM 9. CHIEF UBA MMADU 10. NNAMDI IHEOMA

Aims & Objectives: 1. To foster peace and unity among members. 2. To provide a renewed consciousness through positive re - orientation of the youths.

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

08076476790.

Ogbooro Muslim Community Association

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Abdul Salam Imam Useni.

2. Olanrewaju Abdul Azeez.

3. Olanrewaju Suleman Dele.

4. Alabi Wahab.

5. Barr Muraina Jimoh Adetunji.

6. Barr Fasasi Wasiu Adetayo.

7. Ogunseni Akeem Adebayo.

8. Mustapha Rasheed Olanrewaju.

9. Salau Morili Mosunmola.

10. Buhari Mukaila Olusola.

Aims.

1. To protect the interest of the members and propagate islam.

2. To provide charitable services, mobilizing and sensitizing muslim welfare.

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

Ogweda

I formerly known as Ogweda Nana Shetu now wish to be known and addressed as Ogweda Nana Fatimah all fomer documents remain valid. All authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

Jafaru

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS Jafaru Ali Murtala now wish to be KNOWN l and addressed as Jafaru Murtala. All former documents remain valid. first bank PLC and THE general public to TAKE note.

Halima

I, formerly known as Halima Hassan Jibrin now wish to be known and addressed as Halima Bello. All former documents remain valid. All authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

FEDERAL COLLEGEOF LAND RESOURCES TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI, NIGERIA. P.M.B 1518, OWERRI. FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

ANDENDUM

AN ANDENDUM TO INVITATION FOR TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL TENDER FOR EXECUTION OF 2016 CAPITAL PROJECTS AT THE FEDERAL COLLEGE OF LAND RESOURCES TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI. The Federal College of Land Resources Technology (FECOLART), Owerri; hereby issue ANADDENDUMon the requirements for the initial publications made on the INVITATION for qualified, interested and eligible vendors; suppliers; contractors; Original Equipment Manufacturers (OMEs) and Consultants to tender for the procurement of Goods, Works And Services appropriated under the various programmes of the college in the year 2016 Appropriations as follows: i.

The request for evidence of VAT Registrations and pass

VAT remittances in the advert should be ignored in line

with the provision of Section 16(6)(d) of the Public Pro

curement Act, 2007. ii.

The request for 2% bid security should be ignored in line

with provision of Section 26(1) of the Public Procurement

Act, 2007.

iii.

iv.

v.

vi.

However, in addition to the earlier requirements; Interested bidders are to submit the current ITF & PEN CON COMPLIANCE CERTIFICTES in line with the provision of Section 16 (6)(d) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

Interested bidders are to submit the INTERIM REGISTRATION REPORT (IRR) issued by BPP/Evidence of registration on the National Database of Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers in line with the provision of Sections 5(h) and 6(1)(f) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

Interested bidders are to note that the tender shall be opened immediately after the deadline for submission as stated earlier and as required in Section 30(C) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

In addition to the above, only technical bids will be opened at the time of bidopening while the financial bids are to be opened publicly for the successful bidders on the date to be communicated to them. Besides, the financialbids of the un successful bidders will be returned unopened.

Signed MANAGMENT

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Opinion Nasarawa@20: Time for sober reflection

By Ali Abare Abubakar

S

ince its creation in 1996 by the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Nasarawa State has been blessed by leaders that have contributed their best toward developing the state. Right from inception, with the late Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim as its pioneer military administrator, through the eight-year rule of the first democratically elected governor of the state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, to the moment when former governor, Aliyu Akwe Doma held sway, to the present moment with the incumbent Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura in charge, Nasarawa State has undergone tremendous transformation through the effort of these leaders who gave their best and are still doing so to take the state to the next level.

Each preceding administration has within limited time and resources at its disposal, contributed toward the growth of the state and its people, both in terms of infrastructural development, social welfare, human capital development, healthcare delivery, education among several other development indices.

With the history of nations and likewise states being the biography of individuals, magnified, projected and thrown on the screen of the past, it’s not too difficult to realize that they journey that began 20 years ago has not been an easy one. It has been a journey replete with triumphs, challenges, victories, loses and near capitulation.

Like a newborn baby that has to first learn how to crawl, walk and eventually run, Nasarawa State could not fail to pass through this phase as the years roll by, with each administration constraint and forced to grapple with emerging challenges associated with growth. Throughout the years, the state and indeed preceding administrations have contended with and are still confronting challenges that abound, be it communal/ethno religious conflicts, epidemics, outbreak of diseases, rise in crime rate, inflation, dwindling economic fortunes among others. Just like the baby that has to surmount several challenges on the path to maturity and growth, Nasarawa State cannot be an exception in this natural process of development.

What this implies therefore is that these challenges associated with growth and developments exist independent of the entity called Nasarawa State, meaning that not minding who’s leading the state at any particular time, these challenges exist, waiting to be addressed. Leaders will come and go, Nasarawa State will continue to grapple with its development challenges in the bid to attain maturity and growth.

Of course, leadership plays significant role towards addressing some of these challenges as according to John Kenneth Galbraith, a leading proponent of 20th-century American liberalism, “All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major

anxiety of their people in their time.

This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.”

When Alhaji Umaru Tanko Almakura was elected governor of Nasarawa State back in 2011, the “major anxiety” of the people was the yearning for good governance. At a point in time, the people of the state were hopeless and desperately sought to depart from the years of profligacy, gross mismanagement and apparent lack of direction as demonstrated by the locust years when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held sway.

Governor Al-makura rode into power with a vision to instill sanity into governance. He came with a mission to demystify governance which previously remained almost like an occult that admits only its membership. He came with the agenda to enshrine accountability, responsibility and people-oriented leadership. Al-makura came with the mission to eliminate waste, cut down on the cost of governance and to direct the excess towards providing critical infrastructure for which the campaign slogan for the 2015 election, “Seeing is Believing” was not only apt but a true manifestation of what the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has so far done.

Agreed, the journey so far has not been rosy, particularly at this trying moment occasioned by the downfall in revenue leading to an economic recession. But as already said, this is part of the challenges associated with growth, that at this particular moment,

whether it’s Al-makura that is in power or not, Nasarawa State would have to contain with the consequences of the downfall in revenues.

Therefore, at this juncture, it’s critical for the people, particularly politicians to try to identify with the governor as he confronts the numerous challenges bedeviling the state. It will serve no one any good for individuals to constitute themselves into artificial stumbling blocks while the governor is trying his best to tackle genuine issues bordering on the growth and development of the state.

Since it is apparently clear Governor Al-makura is not seeking another re-election, it’s only pertinent if contenders wait for 2019 which is by the corner, rather than needlessly overheating the polity and attempting to distract the governor from carrying out his responsibility to take the state to the next level.

As Gary Wills, an American historian and author rightly observed in his ‘Certain Trumpets: The Call of Leaders,’ “The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers. ... Leaders, followers and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership.” Governor Al-makura and the people of the state have a goal to attend and the followers must first give Al-makura the necessary support.

Ali Abare Abubakar wrote in from Keffi and could be reached at aliabare2003@yahoo.com

An appeal to Nigerian youth

By Kennedy Emetulu

T

his year that is now coming to an end is a monumental year for Nigeria and Nigerians, especially for the Nigerian youth. For good or ill, we changed the face of our country by electing President Muhammadu Buhari as our democratic leader.

Those who actually campaigned and voted for him did so believing that our country needs his leadership now or at least, they believe that amongst persons presented to us on the ballot, his putative leadership most closely represents their aspirations. Those of us who did not campaign for him or support him in the election may have had other ideas, but the reality is that he is today our President, our leader and anyone who has a drop of patriot’s blood flowing in them must accept him fully as our leader and must work to make his leadership a success, whether or not you voted for him. This is because if Buhari succeeds as a leader, the glory will not be his; it will be Nigeria’s to enjoy and sustain. We all, including Buhari, are only here for a time to do our bit. When we are long gone, Nigeria will remain.

One of the ironies of the moment is the fact that Nigeria made up of over 70 percent young people aged thirty and below chose to elect a man of over seventy as our leader. Not only is he over seventy, he is a man without a democratic track record, but only a record of dictatorship as a former military ruler. Most of the young people who voted for him were not born or were not conscious enough at the time he first ruled as a military Head of State and he and a lot of fellow oldies running affairs today might not be around to see the full effects of their policies on the young of today in latter years. This is why as much as I consider it a victory for Buhari’s doggedness, having committed himself to fighting for the

presidency since 2003, I also think it’s an indictment of the leadership of the PDP as a party that for 16 years at the helms at the centre, they never found the vision, commitment and discipline to develop a worthwhile leadership ideology that Nigerians could identify with. They ran a government so bad that the people didn’t even care whatever else they voted in to replace them at the centre. In fact, it is fair to say the APC did not win over Nigerians, but that it was the PDP that lost Nigerians.

Nonetheless, all that is sentimental talk. Whatever it is we have done, the nation remains. We the people must run it and make it work, no matter who we have voted for or whatever idea they have. That is why I’m watching with a kind of sad amusement as you, the young, vibrant people of Nigeria are being used once again. When will you finally learn that the politicians’ ever effective tactic of divide and rule is tailored to perpetually put you in quandary? When are you going to step out of this campaign mood into a governance mode? Do you think Nigeria will always be there to be the butt of your jokes and the underwriter of your deliberate mistakes and greed? You think even the younger ones after you will not ask you tomorrow why you squandered an opportunity for change in an orgy of precipitate celebration without looking at the fine print?

Listen, your country is in a mess. You can blame King Solomon or Caliban or whoever from the past that takes your fancy. But you are there now, your time is now and if you cannot appreciate the demands of the time, if all you are interested in is to shadowbox with those you call “Wailing Wailers” or “Hailing Hailers” or whatever, then know that you are a monumental waste! You are on a suicide mission! You are killing your future and the future of all those who come after you! Think! This country that

these old men are running aground is yours to inherit. Will you continue this battle with yourselves over crumbs thrown down from the high tables of these ancient predators?

My prayer for you this coming year is that you find your strength and the wisdom to realise that our country cannot move forward without youth energy driving it. That energy should not be wasted following failed politicians and models from Government Houses to Aso Rock; it must be utilised as leaders and drivers of our politics, economy and social envelopment right there in your own environment, in your own community. Today, I’m 51 years of age and the generation before us were called the “Wasted Generation”. Yes, they were our fathers, but surprisingly, they still hold sway after falsely anointing us ‘the leaders of tomorrow’. Though my generation has since joined them in a battle for control, yet, amidst the co-option, they’ve prove even more wasteful!

So, young Nigerians, this is your own time of trial.

Are you going to join them on that heap of waste or are you going to chart a new course by asking the right questions of leadership and fighting for what is best for the country, rather than fighting to defend failed politicians and criminals in government? The choice is yours. When they call you for a feast by day and suck your blood at night, do not see yourself as privileged and do not think you are on your way to El Dorado. You are on your way to one sure place all without blood, without courage, without vision end up. You are on your way to the dustbin of history, its ultimate cemetery of no memory. Stop eating crumbs, stop eating your country. Think.

Kennedy Emetulu is a Public Affairs Analyst.

PAGE 13

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Comment

Taking the leaf of revolution to NUC

By Mustapha Gide

W

e would not be unmindful of the quest to raising the standard of the Nigerian universities for some to fall within the best 100 in the world ranking. This is the challenge and mandate in which President Muhammad Buhari appointed Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed as Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC).

Professor Rasheed’s appointment may not be unconnected to his performances in Bayero University from 2010 to 2015 as Vice Chancellor. Some of his momentous records were documented to his book titled: Bayero University, Kano – The Rasheed Revolution (2010-2015), published by the University’s Media Teem.

Between the year 2014 to 2015 at a giving time there were 87 undergoing capital projects at the four out of the five campuses of Bayero University of which 90 percent were commissioned before the expiry of his tenure.

He also ensured that Innovations, researches, teaching, quality assurance, manpower development etc were boosted; a major instance to this was the Faculty of Medicine transformed to College of Health Sciences at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) with four Faculties and 29 Departments, in addition to Centre for infectious Diseases Research and Centre for Advanced Medical Research.

His successes may not be unconnected to amongst others setting-up and assembling a team of both leftists and rightists to develop his 2010 to 2015 Development Plan. According to him “We had a strategic plan within a very short time. We developed it and wanted to expand our academic programmes. We wanted to expand the access and quality. We wanted to deliberately shift the emphasis of this University from a predominantly humanity-based University to one that is a Centre of Excellence in the Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering etc. We quickly achieved that at the level of the plan and implementation “When I looked at the plan at that time I realised that we had implemented over 80 percent of the new programmes, new faculties and so on, additional staff, taking qualitative non-teaching people to strengthen the support arm of the University and then the physical infrastructure. There was a time, we spent our weekends here and came up with 37 projects, praying that if Bayero University had money these were the things we should do in five years. Believe me, within one year we had done all the projects. That was my personal vision. I wrote it myself. I consulted books and articles. I used my knowledge, my University experience and other

University systems. Since I was lucky I had degrees from other universities in the UK in ABU and in Bayero, I visited so many places. I worked. I had fair wider knowledge of the University system, so I developed “My Vision, My Pledge”, a three-page material, which presented to the Congregation in 2010. The Congregation overwhelmingly voted for me. We are the only University in Nigeria where a candidate for Vice Chancellor will have to go through a popular vote.”

However, one of the major challenges Professor Rasheed has to battle with was ensuring cordial relations among administrators of the Nigerian universities. Many universities suffer due to scuffles the Vice Chancellors had with Registrars or Council.

The template of Bayero University needs to be implemented because of its long lasting reputation that ushers in cohesion and development. There had never been bad transition from one management to another. A study of the most recent managements in the University revealed that due to harmonious relationship that reign in the management continuity and total stability had ushered in. The success recorded by Professor Rasheed had its root from the previous Vice Chancellors; Professor Musa Abdullahi to Professor Attahiru Jega, coming to his tenure and extended to the present Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello.

A testimony to this was the completion of the remaining physical projects initiated by the NUC Executive Secretary which were completed by the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello.

He unveiled his score card at the just concluded 49th Congregation meeting on Saturday 17thSeptember, 2016 when he cited some of such completed projects to include the new Mahmud Tukur Theatre B, Twin Theatre for Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, and Department of Physics buildings on the Old Campus; new Faculty of Law structures, Faculty of Communication, Faculty of Agriculture Phase 4, the new Centre for DryLand Agriculture building, the Centre for Renewable Energy Research, Centre for Gender Studies, Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue and other projects at College of Health Sciences, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

The universities had to also imbibe the culture of democratization in the selection of Vice Chancellor to be able to move with the global trend. The era of electing Vice Chancellor by government had gone, thanks President Umar Musa Yar’adua, who enacted a law permitting due process in the selection of Vice Chancellors and eventual endorsement of Councils

of respective Universities, even though many Nigerian Universities are not fully democratizing the process. Bayero University was the only Nigerian University copying Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard to democratically allow University Community to cast their votes as part of the processes to the choice of Vice Chancellor.

The appointment of Professor Abubakar Rasheed and other reputable people from academia was a greater plus. The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Professor Hafiz Abubakar said when Professor Rasheed and Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa were honoured as Executive Secretaries National Universities Commission (NUC) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) respectively in Bayero University that “We have to praise President Muhammadu Buhari for respect to the recommendation of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu in the appointment of heads of agencies and parastatals. This was the first time a serving President gave approval to the recommendation of his minister without tempering anything even as none of the appointees filed in application; this is the first time since 1999 due process was respected.”

Above all, the Bayero University model ensures that every stakeholder is carried along, the Governing Council, the traditional institution, Kano state government, political appointees, business tycoons, the Alumni and other stakeholders were shown the window and they have been contributing financially and morally to the development of the University.

Nigeria needed a system that would be strictly adhering to by the universities. Any university wanting to catch-up had to act revolutionary rather than evolutionary, meaning coming up with strategies that will strengthen intellectual culture, promote Linkages with Overseas, creates facilities for internationalisation of research works, formation of research networks with Overseas Institutions, creating dynamic structure whereby older Professors mentor the younger academics to help them grow, create more conference opportunities within their campuses in such a way that Faculties regularly host international conferences by means of empowering Departments and Faculties without ignoring massive infrastructural development, efficient laboratories, libraries, ICT facilities and workshops. Building on the aforementioned will help to singled out Nigerian universities to fall within the world best rated Universities.

Mustapha Gide is Principal Registrar, Bayero University, Kano.

Assistant

Agbero: Menace to the transportation system

By Ibironke Oluwatobi

T

ransportation is an important element of any community, especially if it serves a population in excess of 21 million people. It is sure for these people to access different quarters of the area for commercial and personal purposes. This system is best maintained without obstruction of the free flow of movement. More so, extortion of people in the process of locomotion or transportation of materials is an erratic thing to do.

Not only would it have a responsive extortive effect on individuals, it would lead to an imbalance in the economy of that area. Since a few black marketers would be enriched at the expense of the general populace.

The operation of hoodlums on the roads, which has become a culture especially in Lagos, is a veritable example of this lamentable picture.

The sad bombardment of roads with hoodlums, popularly called Agberos remains a mainstay in the list of problems facing the traffic system in Lagos. They have become popular members of the road administrative team. The allowance their establishment has enjoyed over the years, has given

reason for suggestions that they have the nudge of the government. This idea seems wild but with the present system, it is difficult not to think of it that way. It becomes right to ask, has the government of the state been so occupied not to have observed this long-living menace?

Agberos have been allowed so much space that their tentacles have spread to other states across the country, which now have similar illicit structures in their quarters. The mission statement of the hoodlums has been spelled around administration of parks and regulation of traffic, but I write to dispel that guile.

Their true actions are extortion of road users, both drivers and passengers by sporadically changing bus fares. In some areas in Lagos, Agberos collect as much as a thousand naira daily from individual bus drivers, who in turn increase the fares for passengers.

They are responsible for exploiting social issues such as traffic congestion, scarcity of fuel to make financial gains.

They increase fares at the whiff of petrol scarcity or the sight of bottlenecks. It has become so rampant that commuters find it difficult to predict the sporadic nature of bus fares, owing to their actions.

This group alter bus fares based on mood and interest, holding commuters to ransom by making them pay exorbitantly. The situation has now degenerated to a point that, a trip which initially cost #100 could be made as expensive as #300 when returning, which could result in an unsuspecting commuter being stranded.

This problem bearers are responsible for deliberately causing hold-ups on the road in their bid to collect their illicit charges from reluctant bus drivers.

They delay buses at the bus-stops and layby at the same time, leading to traffic situations which sometimes extend to the road.

Though different policies have been adopted to improve the system of transportation, the impact has so far been light. Several indecent factors have clawed these intended life-easing policies. The hoodlums and their cohorts are major players in the act of frustrating beneficial policies. They do not represent any good to the state of affairs. It is expected that the present government should seriously investigate the activities of these extortion agency.

If the Agberos are beneficial to the ambience on the road, why don’t countries with enviable transportation

system tolerate Agbero-like structures?

A good suggestion is that the activities of these black hats should be checked by the government. Direct supervision by the state government would be necessary for the effectiveness of this process, as it has happened overtime that some government parastatals have shared the assignment of traffic management with them, sometimes complimenting each other. It would be a welcome idea to engage the Agberos in more productive areas since complete abolishment might cause them to devise other social vices.

It is noteworthy to mention that an economically fair transport system to commuters, profitable business to bus drivers and effective road utility to the government is the ideal transportation system. Therefore, hindrances such as the increasing menace of the Agberos, the exploitative tendencies of commercial buses and their administrators are all elements that need to be swept away in an attempt to make the traffic situation better. Increased level of welfare and tactful adoptions would give longlasting answers to this disturbing issue.

Ibironke Oluwatobi ibironkeoluwatobi@gmail.com

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

PAGE 14

News

From Mohammad Ibrahim, KADUNA

K

aduna State government has vowed to complete the multi billion naira Zaria water project that would supply water to eight local government areas of the state in July 2017 and that the project will cost 69 billion naira.

The state government said the work is 90%complete, saying the gigantic water treatment plant would be completed in December while the entire project will be completed next year to end the decades of suffering by residents over non-potable water.

The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Aliyu Lere gave the

Zaria water project to gulp N69bn –Kaduna govt deadline while addressing newsmen during an inspection tour of the water project sites at the weekend.

“We are expecting the whole project to be completed by July 2017, that is the aspect of the construction of the transmission lines and the distribution, but the construction of the water treatment plant will be

completed in December and by that time there will be serious improvement in the supply of water even before 2017.

“By the time we are completing the project in 2017 we would have spent an estimated sum of 69 billion naira , that will include; the construction of the water treatment plant constructed by the state government and the

Dam constructed by the Federal government and others already outlined.

Water requirements currently for Zaria and environs are about 100 million litters a day and what we have on ground is 60 million liters now. Even though, it is not operating at optimal capacity because of the dilapidated nature of the old water works and the

challenges of power, but by the time this new ones come on board we will have a total capacity of 210 million liters a day, which will have the potential of not only supplying to Zaria and Sabon Gari with potable water but additional communities within the 6 local government areas that surround Zaria and Sabon Gari,» he said.

… To spend N750m on Geographic Information System project Gombe From David Hassan, Gombe

I

n its effort to ease land administration processing, Gombe state government has awarded the contract of Geographic Information System project to GIS Transport a firm under Siraj Engineering Consultants Nigeria LTD at the sum of about 750 million naira within duration of two years.

The state Commissioner for Lands and Survey Shehu Abubkar Durbi disclosed this while speaking with Journalists during the handing over of the project

side in Gombe to the contactor.

He added that the firm has also fetched all mutilated land documents including the Intelligent Sheet from where all of Gombe land use can be traced, and reproduced them into global system documents with computer backups.

Mr. Durbi said that the project would also introduction of a new Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), for an ongoing recertification which has phased out the old and bogus certification process which was beneficial only to the privileged

few.

“Our Governor vision is to turn things around, take advantage of the proximity and make the area an ambitious and dependable revenue source, to remove our reliance on the federally-generated oil revenue.

That is the brain behind the introduction of the reform programme, and by extension, the initiation of the Gombe Geographic Information System GOGIS project,”Durbi said.

However, he said the government is not just looking at income that will accrue

to the public purse through this urbanisation process and Government will have to, first, build confidence in property owners through the provision of model world habitat with all social infrastructures to compete with, and serve like Nasarawa state and Abuja.

Also speaking the General Manager of the Firm Mr. Roland Klaus said that the state will benefit immensely from the project in providing data base to enact policies on how to move the state forward.

L-R: Centennial Past District Governor, Rotary club district 1925 Jos, Mr Sunny-Joe Agba, Charter president, rotary club of Utan Jos, Mrs Grace Aniah and centennial past district Governor, rotary club district 1925 Jos, Mr Mogbeyi Omatsola during the installation ceremony of the charter president of rotary club of Utan, yesterday in Jos. Photo: NAN

flags off environmental sanitation From David Hassan, Gombe

A

s part of the effort to mark anniversary at 20 years, Gombe state government has flagged off environmental sanitation in order to keep the state clean.

Performing the function at the weekend at the Women and Children Hospital Gombe, venue of the event, Governor Dankwambo who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Charles Iliya said the significance of the event was to ensure that all streets across the state are sanitized in order to mark the celebration of Gombe at 20 year which is scheduled to take place on the 1st of October this year.

He emphasized the need for cleanliness which he said is next to Godliness.

He assed that there was urgent need for the people to keep their environment clean.

The deputy governor called on them to always be proactive while sanitizing their environment.

Also, the Commissioner for environment in Gombe state Hajiya Sa’adatu Sa’ad Mustapha enjoined the people to always sustain their domain by keeping their environment clean.

She appeal to them not to cut trees unnecessarily without replacing them, adding that any tree cut most be replaced with two economic trees.

Igbinedion diverted N4bn loan – Oshiomhole alleges

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

E

do State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday alleged that the former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion of diverting N4 billion Bank loan under the watch of the former Secretary to the State Government and PDP 2016 gubernatorial Candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Peter Okhiria, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Oshiomhole, alleged that in spite of earning the highest revenues from the Federation Account, the

PDP states in the South-South region were the most indebted in the region with the exemption of Edo state.

Part of the statement read: «our attention has been drawn to the lies peddled by one Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a factional candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the debt profile Edo State.

We make bold to state, and the facts are clear, that in spite of earning the highest revenues from the Federation Account, the PDP states in the South-South region are the most indebted in the region and not Edo State.

The domestic debt profile released by the DMO as at December 31, 2015, the last time it was issued, lists Delta State as having a debt profile of N320,605 billion; Akwa Ibom had N147,575 billion; Cross River: N115, 522 billion.

Others include, Rivers, N134,9566 billion; Bayelsa N103,374 billion as against Edo which had a far lower profile.

While the other South-South PDP States have continued to amass domestic debts with high-interest rates, Edo is close to completely liquidating its domestic debt.

It said «while Ize-Iyamu

continues to peddle his falsehood, we have the record of the N4 billion borrowed by the PDP government of Mr Lucky Igbinedion, with the knowledge of Osagie Ize-Iyamu as Secretary to State Government from Guaranty Trust Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank and paid to an address in Lagos.

Edo people are not deceived.

They know that the PDP and IzeIyamu are the ones who have a record of borrowing to steal and not the APC government led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Our records are open and we run a transparent government. No amount of planted or concocted

stories by hack writers will distort the facts.”

But in a swift reaction, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, PDP governorship Candidate in the September 28th 2016 governorship election, described the governor as a shameless liar and dared Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to publish the The man is shameless liar, if there was no truth in it, why has he not reported to the EFCC. I do not know about Igbinedion.

Throughout my time in government, I didn›t steal any kobo. I have a clean name», he said.

PAGE 15

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

By Ali Alkali

S

enator Rowland Owie, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has rebuked and condemned the emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, for commenting publicly and harshly on national issues, especially the economic recession and government policies, saying the emir was still hungry for publicity.

“I urge the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, to stop playing to gallery with national issues in Nigeria and emulate dignified and respectable emirs like the Emir of

Corruption allegations against Buhari’s chief of staff unacceptable...

Northern group From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

L

eader of a Northern group, under the auspice of Arewa Youth Leaders for Development and Change, Abubakar A Karga, at the weekend expressed worries over alleged campaign of calumny against President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, by some individuals in the country describing such allegations as unacceptable. The group said it observed for some time now attacks on the Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Mr. Abba Kyari, in some online publications in which he was accused of corruption.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the group’s National President Abubakar and made available to newsmen in the state. He explained further that while several platforms publish or re-publish these malicious contents, a certain online medium, based in the US, had been at the forefront of these attacks. He said the impression sought to be created is that Abba Kyari is corrupt, describing such allegations as unjustified attacks on an achiever out of spite and should at best be ignored.

“This medium and its associates added Mr. President’s nephew, Mamman Daura, to its list of those to be brought down. Like Kyari, Daura had been falsely accused of corruption and meddlesomeness in state affairs repeatedly and without basis. After painstaking efforts to understand the nature and intent of these attacks, we came to realize that Kyari and Daura are pawns on the board for people who want to get at President Muhammadu Buhari for selfish reasons.

“They are just trying to link both men to corruption, in order to Rubbish Mr. President’s anticorruption efforts by making it appear as if he condones wrongdoing from his trusted aides and family members.They want to blackmail him into firing those that genuinely have his interest at heart, while clearing the way for those sponsoring these attacks.

PDP Senator rebukes Emir Sanusi over public comments on Nigeria’s economy •I’m Ready to face probe over my CBN tenure, says emir

Dutse,” the PDP chieftain said in a statement. He should behave as a father traditional ruler now or abdicate the throne and go into politics.”

“As a grade one traditional ruler from the North, he should have direct access to President Muhammadu Buhari to advise him, instead of doing it in the media. The Emir should know that he is no longer the CBN governor.

In a related development, the Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has declared his readiness to face investigations into his tenure as former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The emir made the comments in response to a call by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate alleged “diversion” of government funds by the CBN, under Mr. Sanusi.

The senior lawyer also called for the probe of Mr. Sanusi’s predecessor, Prof. Charles Soludo.

Mr. Falana, in a statement on Saturday, said “Sometime in 2006,

former Central Bank Governor, Profesor Chukwuma Soludo removed $7 billion from the nation’s external reserves and doled it out to 14 Nigerian banks. Two years later, the Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (the current Emir of Kano) also gave a bailout of N600 billion to the same banks.

The request of some civil society organizations for the recovery of the huge loan of $7 billion and N600 billion from the commercial banks has been ignored by the management of the Central Bank”.

He further said: “In the Appropriation Act, 2011, the sum of N245 billion was earmarked for fuel subsidy. In violation of the Act, the Central Bank of Nigeria headed by Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi paid the sum of N2.5 trillion to a cabal of fuel importers. Following our petition the EFCC conducted an investigation into the fraud but the exercise was compromised due to pressure from the former Jonathan administration.

Even though the EFCC has charged some of the suspects to court the

investigation ought to be reopened with a view to getting to the root of the monumental fraud”.

In his response, the emir said he was always available at any time to answer questions regarding his stewardship at the central bank.

On fuel subsidy, he said “The Central Bank does not pay and has never paid subsidy to marketers and the only circumstance this would happen is the Central Bank acting as banker to Government and carrying out instructions to make payments from Government accounts”.

“There is absolutely no circumstance under which the CBN would have disbursed its own money for payment of subsidy or disbursed money on behalf of Government without authorization”, Mr. Sanusi said late Saturday.

He said the CBN was at the “forefront of the effort to expose the corruption in the subsidy regime and put a stop to it”.

He also described Falana’s allegation on bank bailouts “strange”.

“The money was not given to bank

shareholders and management but was provided to ensure that ordinary Nigerians and other depositors who kept their money in banks did not lose their savings as a result of the mismanagement of these banks and bad loans”, he said.

“The money remains a loan to those banks and is to be repaid from a combination of sources over the years. These include sale of collateral backing non-performing loans held

by AMCON, recovery of those loans, sale of share of the banks held by AMCON and a sinking fund into which all banks are to make annual contributions.

“This will continue no matter how long it takes until the banking industry repays all amounts due to AMCON and the bondholders are repaid.

“All of this is in line with the law setting up AMCON and the purpose of setting it up in the first place.

“The resolution of the Nigerian banking crisis and the AMCON model are actually being held up as an example of how to deal with severe and systemic banking crisis. Not a single depositor in any Nigerian bank lost a single kobo due precisely to these arrangements”.

• R-L: Former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar, Deputy Governor, Niger State, Alh. Ahmed Muhammed Ketso (C) and former Governor Niger State, Aliyu Babangida at the wedding fatiha of Ibrahim Aliyu Babangida, son of former Niger State Governor, Aliyu Babangida at Alfuqan mosque, at the weekend in Kano . Photo: Atiku Media office

Recession is a ‘good omen’ for Nigeria – APC Edo gov candidate

G

odwin Obaseki, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming Edo State governorship election, says the present economic crisis is “a good omen” for Nigeria.

Speaking in Benin on Sunday at a forum for student unions of tertiary institutions across the state, Obaseki said the recession will help Nigerians to “think fast and secure a brighter future.”

“To me, I will say the present economy crisis is a good omen for

us. We need to think and act fast,” he said.

“Spending more than $17billion on food importation yearly should not be for country such as Nigeria because we have the resources. We have the land and human resources that can produce same food we import, only if we can evolve policies that will make it for the youth to be effectively deployed to production.”

He said youths constitute the larger productive segment of the society, consequently necessitating

the formulation of policies to engage them productively, in order to fight crime and improve the economy.

Obaseki explained that he wanted to be the governor of the state to make the state better and improve the people’s standard of living.

“I am not in the race to acquire more wealth, because I’m already blessed. I want to be successful by translating what I have attained to those who need it. We are in a race against time. Population is growing rapidly but infrastructure is not

growing in a corresponding way.

“There is need for us, as a state and people, to plan ahead before we are caught in the web. I want to be part of this plan, which accounts for the reason I ‘m seeking to be governor of this state.”

To realize his governorship ambition, Obaseki will have to defeat a host of other candidates, particularly Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a pastor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Politics Dariye’s defection to APC just a trick to escape EFCC – PDP

P

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State has described the defection of Senator Joshua Dariye from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a “sham” and an attempt to escape prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC. Dariye, a former Plateau governor, had last Thursday announced his defection to APC in a letter read by Senate President Bukola Saraki on the floor of the Senate.

The senator representing Plateau Central had in the letter, hinged his decision to defect to the governing APC on the “protracted division at the national level of the PDP”.

Dariye is currently standing trial on a 23-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of N1.2billion ecological funds while he was governor of Plateau State between 1999 and 2006.

However, Mwolwus, a former Special Adviser to former Governor Jonah Jang on Political Affairs, in a chat with journalists in Jos, the state capital yesterday, described Dariye’s excuse as “flimsy and out of tune with realities”.

According to Mwolwus, who had lost the PDP primaries for the Plateau Central senatorial seat to Dariye, “He is only looking for a soft landing and escape from the anti-graft agencies, which are investigating and prosecuting him.

“The public is aware that Dariye, who is our former Governor under the platform of PDP, is facing trial for some of his activities while as Governor of Plateau from 1999-2007.

“But the unfortunate thing is that, this action cannot save him; APC will not, by his decamp, forgive him all the rot, because they claimed to be fighting corruption.

“I am sad and worried for him (Dariye) especially his political career; I could sense that he is descending politically by that wrong action he took”.

The PDP chieftain further described the ex-governor’s action as very shocking and surprising to the people of his constituency, Plateau Central Zone and the entire people of Plateau.

According to him, Plateau Central Zone, which Dariye represents, had been the most formidable force in the politics of Plateau, “but he has disappointed it”.

“Nobody that had ruled Plateau would behave the way Dariye had done; jumping from ACN to LP to PDP and now to APC, which I am sure, will definitely think twice about him.

Patience Jonathan not above the law- APC

By Umar Muhammad Puma

D

eputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has described protest in support of former First Lady, Patience Jonathan over the freezing of her dollar account containing about $31.4 million as baseless and empty threat against the Federal Government.

Frank, in a statement he issued yesterday, said it is high time people realize that the era of campaign is gone for now; and also the era of above the law is over.

“My candid advise to Mrs. Patience Jonathan is to apologize to Nigerians for the current economic hardship which Mr. Jonathan’s regime could have easily averted, instead of sponsoring shameless protest against the government. Anyway, Nigerians are still waiting for the apology.”

The statement warned the youths

to desist from such shameless act of defending politicians for a pot of soup, adding that the present APC administration is fighting corruption so as to secure future for them.

The Bayelsa born APC publicist said it is surprising that Mrs. Jonathan had such big amount of money in her custody, and people from her region were dying for lack of common water, saying, it took President Buhari’s government, for example, to recently commission a water project even in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, where Goodluck Jonathan was born.

“The show of shame call protest at the Port Harcourt office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to demand the unfreezing of Mrs. Jonathan’s dollar accounts was uncalled for, and there is nothing wrong if the former first lady explain the source of $31.4 million to anti-corruption agency.

“The country is presently going

through recession as a result of mismanagement of economy left behind by Patience Jonathan’s husband-led administration, which APC is working hard to correct as soon as possible.

“It should be made clear that there is nothing wrong for EFCC to invite Mrs. Patience Jonathan for questioning, if the organization suspect a foul play in accumulation of such big amount of money. Again, the era of above the law is over. This is a change government of accountability where rule of law is paramount.”

“The number four citizen of this country today, Senate President Bukola Saraki, whose office is prominently recognize by the constitution, is facing trial not to talk of one former first lady whose Nigeria constitution does not recognize.

Again, we should also remind those who have forgotten that a national leader of APC, who was once the Vice

• L-R: Chairman, APC, Rivers State, Mr Davies Ekanya; Publicity Secretary, Mr Chris Finbone and women leader, Mrs Caroline Nagbo during a news conference on the attack on members of APC and destruction of their properties, yesterday in Rivers State.

Photo: NAN

President of this nation, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was once investigated. So, why must Mrs. Jonathan’s case be different?

“We called on the leadership of the EFCC not to feel threatened in carrying out its official duty and ensure that whoever is caught in the web is properly brought to book.”

CRPP backs IzeIyamu, ridicules Oshiomhole

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

T

he Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) has asked its supporters and members to vote the Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, for Wednesday 28th September 2016 governorship election in the state.

Edo State chairman of CRPP, Dr. Samson Isibor, said in a statement, on Sunday which was made available to journalists in Benin after a wild consultation by its members in the state.

He cited the sterling qualities of the standard bearer of the PDP which he claimed is cut-out to re-write the wrongs of the ruling All Progressives Congress government of Adams Oshiomhole.

“Edo State needs a man that has the capacity to deliver the state from the present administration in the state and we believe Ize-Iyamu will be able to do this to alleviate the sufferings and poverty of the Edo masses.

The statement blamed the dearth of industries in the state on the inconsistencies in government policies.

“We in the CRPP also have every reason to accuse Governor Oshiomhole of not only killing the industries he met in the state or resuscitate the dying ones like Okpella Cement company but did not establish any one throughout his tenure”, he said.

Benue PDP unhappy with Gov. Ortom over Suswam’s Property From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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enue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lambasted the governor of the state, Samuel Ortom for his brazen disregard for the rule of law by instructing officials of his government to forcefully take over the residence of his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam, despite a pending court action to determine the ownership of the property.

The party, in a press statement signed by its publicity secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, and made available to Peoplesdaily in Makurdi yesterday, averred that Suswam purchased the property, Atom Kpera Lodge, located in Makurdi from the state government during Sen. George Akume’s administration, and it had served as his residence after the expiration of his tenure as governor.

However, last year the administration of Governor Samuel Ortom revoked Suswam’s ownership

of the property; following which the former governor had filed a suit at the state high court in Makurdi challenging the action.

According to Lortyom, the presiding judge of the High Court, Justice Theresa Igoche, had struck out the matter on 10th February 2016 for lack of jurisdiction to entertain the suit; and Suswam, through his Counsel, David Iorhemba Esq ,leading Barristers M. T. Nyiutsa and T. A. Shija, then approached the Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi.

He said: “We further understand that on 27th June, 2016, after adopting the motions of both parties, presiding judge of the appellate court, Justice Oyebisi Oluwaye JCA, had adjourned the matter to 6th October, 2016 for the entertainment of written addresses of both parties, and had further directed against a forceful take-over of the property by government, reiterating to its Counsel, Barr. Mike Assoh, the need for compliance and warning against

the consequences of disobedience of the directive.

“However, we find it regrettable and deeply disturbing that despite such a clear position of the law on this matter officials of the Ortom administration a few days ago had gone and forced their way into the property which still houses the personal belongings of the former governor, stating an official directive to convert the place into office accommodation for an agency of government.”

But in a swift reaction, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr Michael Gusa, has debunked rumours that Governor Ortom ordered government officials to take-over the Atom Kpera Lodge purportedly allocated to Suswam.

Barr. Gusa whose views were made available to Peoplesdaily by the Chief Press Secretary to Govenor Ortom, Terver Akase, explained that it was the decision of the State

Executive Council which directed the revocation of the said lodge after discovering that the allocation was illegal as due process was not followed.

He said the State Executive Council discovered that the former governor misused power and allocated a government lodge to himself before necessary application was tendered for processing and the Council directed its revocation and taking over accordingly.

Gusa further explained that Suswam took the state government to the Makurdi High Cour,t but the suit was dismissed against him, and the state government accordingly took over its property.

He explained that by law, the State Government was right to take over the property, saying that even if the former governor had gone on appeal, no court has issued any stay of execution order against the government restraining it from making use of the affected property.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Politics

Edo election: PDP debunks APC’s allegation on rigging plot

By Ali Alkali

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has debunked allegation that the party is planning to rig the Wednesday governorship election in Edo.

Debunking the allegation, PDP said, “We have read the comments attributed to the Deputy Director General, Obaseki Campaign Organization, John Osakue to the effect that our Party is working to rig

the forthcoming Edo State Gubernatorial Election.”

A statement signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye on Saturday in Abuja said PDP had no such plan.

“This statement is false, misleading and totally in keeping with the All Progressives Congress (APC) principle of propaganda over no substance.”

The statement added that it was on record that the PDP had

• L-R: Deputy Governor of Rivers state, Mrs Ipalibo Harry Banigo; Gov Nyesom Wike; Archbishop, Province of Niger Delta, most Rev Ignatius Kattey and Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese (Anglican communion), Rt Rev Raphael Ebirien at the 56th independence anniversary interdenominational church service, yesterday in Port Harcourt .

Photo: NAN

Ondo 2016: 30 political parties present candidates

APC panel recommends fresh Ondo governorship primary

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he Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Primary Appeal Committee has recommended the cancellation of the disputed poll that threw up Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) as the governorship candidate.

The committee headed by Mrs. Hellen Bendega also recommended that a re-run primary should be held immediately to beat the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Committee (INEC).

The panel also suggested that the party’s national leadership should revert to the earlier delegates’ list, which was distributed to aspirants in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), shortly before the controversial primary.

According to the committee, a final and properly harmonised list acceptable to all contenders should be compiled, adding that the delegates’ list should be released, not on the eve of the primary, but much earlier to give sufficient time for the take-off of elections and avoid being used in favour of any aspirant.

The panel pointed out that although there was substantial compliance with rules during the primary, “that consideration may not be sufficient reason to ignore such serious and weighty, identified irregularities”.

“In view of the change mantra of this administration, it is pertinent that the party blazes

since raised the alarm over the plans of the APC to manipulate the electoral process in Edo State.

“John Osakue’s comment is therefore a smokescreen designed to deceive Nigerians and was made to distract people from plans perfected by APC to rig the Election. The objective is to falsely curry sympathy from the Nigerian public while orchestrating and perpetrating their nefarious activities.

“We urge the Obaseki Campaign Organisation as well as the APC to stop peddling the falsehood,” he said.

Adeyeye urged the party’s supporters and members in Edo who had decided to vote PDP on Wednesday to ignore the allegation and consider it as political propaganda.

“We urge our teeming members, supporters and the good people of Edo to shun the propaganda of the APC. We urge them to also come out en masse to vote for our candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, on Sept. 28,” he said

the trail by refusing to condone a less than perfect exercise. We, therefore, formally submit our recommendations for the National Working Committee (NWC) to use its discretionary powers in line with the APC constitution and the Electoral Act to arrive at a final decision,” the committee said.

No fewer than 24 aspirants participated in the primary conducted at the Dome, Akure, the state capital on September 3.

The exercise, which was widely condemned by party chieftains and observers, was supervised by Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru.

The committee received six petitions. The complaints came from three aspirants; Chief Olusola Oke, Dr. Olusegun Abraham and Prof. Ajayi Boroffice; the Chairman of Ondo Central APC, Mr. Adegboyega Adedipe, his Ondo East counterpart, Mr. Akintunde Temitope, and Mrs. Toyin Ajinde, a delegate.

Oke, a lawyer who called for the nullification of the primary, alleged that the confusion started before the shadow poll when he received two delegates’ lists, adding that non-delegates were hired and financially induced to vote.

Rejecting the results, Abraham called for a fresh poll, saying that 157 fake names were injected into the delegates’ list. He also alleged that some delegates voted twice because of lack of thumb printing ink after voting.

Boroffice said the primary was not credible because the delegates’ list was fraudulent, adding that the improper accreditation of delegates dented the process. He urged the committee to cancel the primary and order a fresh one.

In his petition titled: “A call for the nullification of the fraudridden primary,’ Temitope alleged that 64 fake delegates from his zone voted. He said accreditation and voting should have taken place at the same venue to prevent fraud.

Ajinde, the Ondo South Women Leader, said it was unimaginable that her name was omitted on the delegates’ list, adding that she was prevented from voting.

However, Akeredolu, who also appeared before the committee, said the delegates’ list was authentic. He also denied tampering with the accreditation, saying that he had no hand in the distribution of delegates tags.

The committee observed that the delegates’ list was a bone of contention, stressing that its

content was disputed and its late distribution enraged many aspirants and party members.

On the late release of the list, the committee said: “The late distribution, the aspirant claimed, didn’t afford them sufficient time to lobby delegates. The situation was further compounded by the appearance of strange names of persons they couldn’t easily locate.”

Faulting the accreditation process, the panel said the confession of non-delegates on the television that they were hired from the streets to rig for a particular candidate cast doubt on the credibility of the process.

It added: “Equally disturbing is the public perception of the primary. there have been so many negative reports on this exercise all over the print, electronic and social media…A party founded on a platform of due process and which prides itself with zero tolerance for corruption and fraud, cannot be seen to condone illegality.”

Edo Election: Sept. 27,28 declared public holidays

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overnor Adams Oshiomhole has declared September 27 and September 28 as public holidays in Edo state to enable electorate participate in the Wednesday’s governorship election.

The Governor made the declaration at the weekend. He said the holidays would enable workers travel to their places of registration and participate in the voting exercise on Wednesday.

T

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said 30 political parties had submitted names of their candidates for the Nov. 26 governorship election in Ondo state.

The commission’s Deputy Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Nick Dazang, disclosed this in an interview with journalists. Dazang said that all the parties met the Thursday deadline for the submission of names of the candidate as specified by the Electoral Act. He said that the names of the candidates could not be announced until the date specified by the Electoral Act, as they were still subject to change. “As at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, 30 political parties have submitted the list of their candidates for the Ondo governorship election. “The parties can also substitute these names between now and Oct. 27, that is one month to the election when we will publish the final list.

“At that point when the list is published, they cannot withdraw or substitute any longer,’’ he explained. Dazang also said the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction submitted names of candidates for the election. He said that the commission was yet to decide on which of the two candidates, Mr Eyitayo Jegede or Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, that was acceptable to it. Jegede emerged from the primary election organized National Caretaker Committee, while Ibrahim is the candidate of the Sheriff-led faction.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Politics

Order probe of Patience Jonathan, Group asks Court

T

he Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has dragged the Federal Government to the Federal High Court in Lagos asking the court for “leave to apply for Judicial Relief and to seek an order of Mandamus directing and or compelling the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against former first lady Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan over $15m unexplained wealth frozen in four companies’ accounts.”

The suit with number FHC/L/ CS/1318/2016 dated September 23 was filed on behalf of SERAP by Adetokunbo Mumuni. SERAP’s suit is coming against the background of the request last week by Mrs. Jonathan for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to defreeze her accounts and offer her a public apology within 14-days.

SERAP’s suit brought under Order 34, Rules 1 (1) (a); 2, Rule 3 (1) and (2) (a), (b) and (c) of the Federal High Court Rules, 2009 and Inherent Jurisdiction of the Court reads in part: “The Attorney General of the Federation has a duty to prosecute intentional illicit enrichment, that is, a significant increase in the assets of a public official that he or she cannot reasonably explain in relation to his or her lawful income.”

“By virtue of Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) the Attorney General of the Federation is constitutionally empowered to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person in Nigeria in respect of any offence created by or under any Act of the National assembly in superior courts in Nigeria.”

“The Attorney General of the Federation has failed, neglected and or refused to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan over $15m unexplained wealth frozen in her accounts.”

“Obedience to the rule of law by all citizens but more particularly those who publicly took oath of office to protect and preserve the constitution is a desideratum to good governance and respect for the rule of law. In a democratic society, this is meant to be a norm; it is an apostasy for government to ignore the provisions of the law and the necessary rules made to regulate matters”.

“Mrs. Jonathan is a politically exposed person under anticorruption standards. She is also covered under the definition of ‘public officials’ contained in the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party. Under article 2 of the convention, public officials include Mrs. Jonathan or any other family members of the former President Goodluck Jonathan who exercised official duties while he was president.”

“This matter is presently generating a lot of public concern and discourse and is presently in the front burner of national discourse thus germane to Nigerians and that the alleged crime is in our society at the

moment regarded so serious as to be a bother on daily life. By the nature of the case, it ought to be heard urgently.

It is in the interest of justice to grant this application.”

SERAP is asking for: A declaration that the failure of the Respondent to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan over $15m unexplained wealth frozen in four companies’ accounts is unconstitutional and unlawful as it contradicts and in conflict

with the duties and obligations of the Respondent under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 An order of mandamus compelling the Respondent to urgently institute and undertake criminal proceedings against Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan over $15m unexplained wealth frozen in four companies’ accounts.

“Nigerian laws allow for criminal

penalties and forfeiture if in the course of an investigation there are reasonable grounds to believe that a corruption offence has been committed, that is, the failure to explain the origin of the $15m given present or past emoluments, and other relevant circumstances.”

“By a letter dated September 13, 2016, requested the Attorney General of the Federation to urgently institute and undertake criminal proceedings against one Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan over $15m unexplained

Next Edo governor ‘ll meet empty treasury – Igbinedion

• L-R : Hon. Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun (left) with the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko when the Governor visited Hon. Minister in Abuja. Photo: Finance Media Unit

F

Why UI is Nigeria’s only varsity in top 1,000 globally – VC

T

he Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, UI, Idowu Olayinka, has asked the Federal Government to allocate special funds to the university to improve research and infrastructure.

Mr. Olayinka made the request in the university’s bulletin signed by the Registrar, Olufemi Olukoya, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria.

He said that the special funding will enable the institution to do more to

compete favourably with the world’s best universities.

He noted that the latest ranking of universities by Times Higher Education (THE) placed UI among the top 1,000 universities in the world.

UI was ranked 801 in the rankings.

Olayinka described the ranking as a welcome development, noting that it showed that UI was the only Nigerian university that made it among the top 1,000.

He said that the university

was blessed with dedicated world class scholars, and urged that Nigeria must engaged them effectively to solve its problems.

“In spite of the underfunding by the Federal Government, the University of Ibadan has finally been ranked among the 1,000 best universities in the world,” he said.

According to him, the latest ranking was based on teaching, research, and citations of scholarly publications, industry income and international outlook. (NAN)

Appeal Court Ruling: Again, Bayelsa Govt. extends olive branch to APC, Sylva

T

he Bayelsa State Government and Chairmen of the existing Local Government Councils in the State, again, yesterday extended the olive branch to the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva following last week’s judgment by the Court of Appeal which upheld the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal on the election victory of

wealth frozen in four companies’ accounts. But since the receipt of the letter, and up till the filing of this suit, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has so far failed, refused and/ or neglected to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan.”

“Mrs. Jonathan has admitted that the four accounts belong to her and that she is the sole signatory to these accounts. The four Companies and their directors have since pleaded guilty to the commission of the offence. The fact that the $15 million found in the four accounts belong to Mrs. Jonathan raises serious suspicion or at the very least a primafacie case of unexplained wealth/ illicit enrichment, and imposes a duty on Mrs. Jonathan to explain and justify the source(s) of the $15 million.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Governor Seriake Dickson.

Recall that the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite, had said that though the state received the decision of the appellate court with cheers, the State Government extends a hand of fellowship to the few APC followers remaining in the state and Mr. Sylva, to come join hands with the

administration of Gov. Dickson and contribute their own quota.

The Local Government Chairmen through the Chairman of the Brass Local Government Council, Hon. Bello Bina, again, pleaded with those in the opposition party especially former Governor Sylva, to join hands with Dickson to move Bayelsa forward, as this has become imperative.

ew days to the governorship election in Edo State, a former Governor of the state and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, has said the next PDP government in the state will meet “an empty treasury and a big hole”.

The former governor was reacting to the claim by Governor Adams Oshiomhole that his (Igbinedion) government failed woefully and dared him to walk freely on the roads of the state.

But Igbinedion fired back, saying he pitied the PDP government that will take over from Oshiomhole because of the debt profile of the state.

The former governor said he prayed daily for the incoming governor to have the wisdom and ingenuity to return the state to sound footing “because the debt they have put the state is alarming and very frightening”.

Igbinedion reeled out some of the achievements of his administration in Edo, saying he was able to offset backlog of 18 months salaries, paid pensioners and salaries up to date.

He said he left government without owing any debt unlike the Oshiomhole administration, which according to him, is indebted to the tune of over $ 200 million.

The former governor stated: “I never stole Edo State money.

I never mismanaged Edo State money. I was never charged for money laundering locally or internationally.

“Did we have the money to be stolen? We were receiving one of the lowest allocations in the federation.

“I can say categorically that my administration was one of the best and I impacted positively on the lives of our people”.

Page 19

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

L R Country Representative, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Mairo Mandara; and Prof.

Shima Gyoh of Benue State University discussing during Future Health conference in Abuja , Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Dangote vows to scale up investment despite recession

By Etuka Sunday

I

n recognition of his immense contribution to human capital development in Africa through the establishment of businesses across the African continent, a United States of America based Organization, AfricaAmerica Institute (AAI) has honoured the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote with the “2016 African Business Leader Award.”

The business guru was named and presented the award at a colourful ceremony held on the side-line of the United Nations Congress held in New York city, United

States alongside other prominent Africans like Stephen Hayes, President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), who won the AAI ‘2016 U.S. Business Leader Award’; and Sunil Benimadhu, Executive Director of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM), who won the AAI ‘2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award.’

Dangote said he was humbled by the award considering the pedigree of the award which celebrates African achievement at the global stage and promised that he would not be deterred by the current economic challenges in Nigeria but would intensify the expansion of his businesses across Africa.

At the award Gala themed “Education: The Key to Africa’s Economic Growth,”, Dangote expressed delight that the Institute broughteducation in Africa to the front burner., noting “I have always been passionate about education because I believe it is a weapon of liberation.

Drawing a reference from a Nelson Mandela quote that: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”, the Chairman of Dangote Cement, global, said he identifit’d himself with laudable initiatives that seek to promote educational growth and development, particularly in Africa.

“As a matter of fact, I am a founding

AMCON acquires CityScape assets

By Ochiaka Ugwu

T

he Federal High Court Lagos Division has granted interim orders in favour of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) against Cityscape International Limited. AMCON has since appointed Mr. Anire Kanyi as Receiver to Cityscape, a major player in the real-estate sector in the country.

Justice A.M. Anka, the presiding judge while granting the order on the application of counsel to AMCON, restrained Mr. Akinwale Akinmusire who is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Office of Cityscape from challenging, interfering with or otherwise obstructing or frustrating the Receiver (Mr. Anire Kanyi) appointed by AMCON over the assets of the company. Cityscape’s indebtedness to AMCON is nearly N6billion.

The Court also mandated the Receiver to take over and preserve all the assets of Cityscape including the property situated at Buena Vista Estate, Lafiaji Town, Lekki, Lagos State and measuring 25.52 hectares being assets covered by

Deed of Legal Mortgage dated December 2009 and registered as No. 12 at page 12 in Volume 2014 at the Land Registry, Ikeja (Mortgaged and charged for a loan granted to Cityscape International Limited and guaranteed by Mr. AkinwaleAkinmusire).

The presiding judge said the order was pursuant to section 34, 35 and 48 of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria Act 2010, section 6 of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (Amendment) Act 2015 and the Deed of Appointment pending the determination of the Motion on Notice filed along with the motion.

The order also restrained Cityscape, Mr. AkinwaleAkinmusire, Cityscape directors, shareholders, agents, servants, employees and or privies howsoever named or any other person acting under their authority from interfering with or otherwise obstructing the Receiver in the course of his duties as Receiver over all the assets of Cityscape including the aforementioned property situated at Buena Vista Estate, Lafiaji Town, Lekki, Lagos State.

Justice Anka however ordered all banks and financial institutions, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), agencies, institutions and organisations having custody of Cityscape’s fund to furnish the Receiver or his office the details of any sums standing to the credit of Cityscape within seven days of being furnished with the order.

Recall that 400 obligors of AMCON account for more than N4.5 trillion, which is approximately 80 per cent of the total outstanding loan balance of the Corporation’s over twelve thousand accounts with obligors that have become recalcitrant over time despite obvious efforts of the Corporation.

To deal with the situation however, AMCON recently increased the tempo of its recovery activities using firmer negotiation strategies as well as utilizing the special enforcement powers vested by the AMCON Act to compel some of its recalcitrant debtors especially those that are politically exposed and business heavyweights to repay their debts. The eventual takeover of Cityscape is coming as aresult of that initiative.

member of the Gordon Brown-led Global Business Coalition for Education.

Education is also one of the cardinal areas that the Aliko Dangote Foundation focuses on. I believe quality and affordable education will address the immense social and economic inequalities that often breed discontent in many parts of Africa.

I also believe education will strengthen the human capital that will drive Africa’s development in the 21st Century.

“I am happy to note that AAI has been contributing to Africa’s development, through training and education, since it was founded 63 years ago. This award is coming at a time the Dangote Group is rapidly expanding its footprints across Africa, and into new sectors.

“Last year alone, we commenced cement operations in Ethiopia, Zambia, Cameroon, South Africa, Senegal and Tanzania. By 2019, we will have operations in 18 countries with a total capacity of nearly 80MMTPA, thus making us the largest cement producer in Africa and the 6th largest in the world.

“Over the next few years, we will be investing nearly $20billion in projects ranging from a petroleum refinery, petrochemicals, fertiliser, gas pipeline, and backward integration in sugar and rice production. These projects will create over 250,000 jobs and provide foreign exchange earnings and savings of $16billion for the country and help diversify our economy. Central to this developmental trajectory is the need for capacity building and ramping up of the quality of skills of a fast growing African workforce.

“Despite the current economic challenges, we will continue to scale up the value of our investments not only in Nigeria but also across the entire continent, because we believe in Nigeria’s and Africa’s potential. We believe that it is only by sustained massive investments in infrastructure across the continent, supported with access to education, that Africa can reach its full potential.

Page 20

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Money Market Deputy Governor of Katsina State ,Alhaji Mannir Yakubu (Middle) with Chinese Investors, during a meeting with Nigeria China Local government on Business dialogue in Abuja

Fidelity Bank boss commends CBN Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme Stories from Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

T

he Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Fidelity Bank Plc. Nnamdi Okonkwo has commended the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure food security in the country.

Okonkwo, who said the project has the capacity to boost the country’s non-oil export earnings noted that soon Nigerians would start to see the impact of the scheme.

“The CBN has ensured that thousands of rice farmers form the anchor borrowers.

The CBN lends money to the farmers, but you know it is not like in the past when the farmers saw such cash as

government money and find it difficult to repay.

What the CBN does now is give them the money in the form of inputs and improved seedlings. And the farmers have formed themselves into co-operatives to make loan repayment easy. And when the produce are harvested, the farmers get immediate buyers for their produce. I believe that over time, Nigerians will feel the impact of the scheme,” he said.

Speaking on access to finance by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), he called for right policy framework in place, to enable Deposit Money Banks (DMB) lend to them.

Okonkwo equally opined that there was also need for improved infrastructure across the country to ensure funds lent were profitable.

According to him, banks were willing to lend but absent of right policy frame in place has remained a challenge.

He regretted that a lot of banks collapsed in the past because of assets mismatch. “When there is a run in the system, the owners of the short term funds will come for their money and you have to pay them. And if you pay them, the people you gave long-term loans cannot pay up.

Then you begin to have distress in the system”, he said.

He stated that in most cases funds lend to the SMEs failed to yield returns because of the deplorable nature of infrastructure in the country. He shared a story on how Fidelity was able to grow its business very fast in Onitsha within three years because factories were working well then.

Heritage Bank CEO lists Nigeria’s export potentials

H

eritage Bank Limited has identified major commodities that can boost foreign exchange earnings for the country. This becomes necessary as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to boost non-oil export revenues.

Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Heritage Bank Limited, Ifie Sekibo said some of the export potential products cocoa, cashew, groundnut, fish, horns, sesame seed, ginger, cassava and snails among others. He also listed tobacco, coffee, cotton lint, rubber, among others.

Sekibo urged farmers and exporters of agricultural produce to seek more knowledge in order to increase the quality and quantity of their products because export business involves dealings with other world players.

The bank chief who spoke at the 2016 Annual Conference organized by Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Lekki, Lagos, said the 10-year tenor export stimulation facility provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) at 9 per cent interest rate is a laudable incentive for exporters.

According to him, although the lenders would want the economy to grow by lending to farmers and other productive sectors of the economy, farmers/borrowers/exporters on their part should know that banks want their monies back and that “there is need for competence, commitment and confidence in the process.”

Speaking on the topic: “Providing Finance for Exports: Ex-

pectation & Experience,” Sekibo said Nigeria can also export such manufactured Goods as: Cocoa cakes, butter, powder & liquor, detergents, Malt drinks Palm kernel cakes & oil, baby clothes, confectioneries, leather. In the category of handicraft, Sekibo noted that Nigeria can export Talking drums, Calabash, Wood carvings, Raffia products among others, not forgetting the ever flourishing Nollywood which is even being watched

by Militants (like Gendam) in neighbouring countries.

Represented by Olugbenga Awe, Group Head, Agriculture Finance, Project & Development Finance Department of Heritage Bank, Sekibo regretted that exporters from Nigeria are not competitive enough, such that some Nigerian exporters go to Cameroun to bring in products, blend them to Nigerian products so that they can export. For instance, Yams that are consumed in London are from Ghana, not Nigeria.

As a country, Nigeria cannot afford to continue going backward in terms of non-oil export he reiterated. The banker therefore advised exporters to master the steps to getting funding for export.

He said, the first step is to know the difference between funds required for financing the business between the commencement of the manufacturing or procuring process and the dispatch of the goods, known as pre-shipment finance; and that of post-shipment finance, which are funds required for financing the exporter between the dispatch of goods and

the receipt of payment.

It should be recalled that in recognition of Heritage Bank’s commitment to promoting non-oil export business, the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) recently provided a $150 million funding support for the lender.

Afreximbank, a frontline African financial institution believes in the uniqueness of the business strategy of Heritage Bank especially the Small Growing Business focus of the bank which aligns with the founding mission of Afreximbank.

According to the bank chief, exporters should also know that banks look for certain criteria for financing.

“There must be history of previous performance in terms of volume of export handled in the past; Frequency of Export; Payment methods; Payment Terms; how Products are sourced and how risk are mitigated,” he said.

Banks according to him also look at seasonality of the products; product destination; transaction cycle and buyer’s payment history.

The reason why Banks look at these key aspects is because they face challenges of inadequate resources for export finance. They also face challenges of inadequate infrastructure to control products quality; lack of dependable source of local product prices and supplier information; too many players in the products supply chain and the challenge of fraudsters in the product supply chain.

Page 21

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Capital Market R-L: CEO , Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Olusegun Awolowo . Minister of Mines & Steel Development Dr.Kayode Fayemi and Minister of Interior, Abdulraman Bello Dambazua , during Economy Retreat for Ministers, recently in Abuja

Equity market: Investors wealth up by 1.39% Stories from Ngozi Onyeakusi, billion shares valued at N9.788 billion traded in 9,805 deals; thus Lagos contributing 96.45% and 58.25% riven by activity in the to the total equity turnover volume financial services industry, and value respectively.

The Consumer Goods Industry transaction on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) followed with 65.533 million shares last week ended on a bullish noted worth N5.017 billion in 2,855 deals.

The third place was occupied by as market indicators ended high.

Specifically, the NSE All-Share the Conglomerates Industry with Index appreciated by 1.39% to close a turnover of 31.751 million shares at 28,247.07 basis from 27,858.48 worth N125.102 million in 594 basis points it opened with while deals.

Trading in the Top Three the Market Capitalization of listed equities as well increased by to Equities namely – Great Nigerian 1.39% close at N9.703 trillion Insurance Plc, FCMB Group Plc from N9.570 trillion recorded the and Diamond Bank Plc (measured by volume) accounted for 3.299 previous week.

Meanwhile, a turnover of 4.331 billion shares worth N3.704 billion shares worth N16.803 billion in 1,308 deals, contributing billion in 16,797 deals were tradedin 76.18% and 22.04% to the total contrast to a total of 611.527 million equity turnover volume and value shares valued at N5.495 billion that respectively.

Similarly, all other Indices exchanged hands in 9,650 deals finished higher during the week, the previous week.

The Financial Services with the exception of the The NSEIndustry (measured by volume) Main Board Index, NSE Banking led the activity chart with 4.177 Index and the NSE Consumer

D

Goods Index that depreciated by 0.14%, 0.73% and 0.53% respectively, while the NSE ASeM and NSE Insurance Indices closed flat.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All Share Index increased by 388.59 basis points to 28247.07 kobo from 27858.48 traded the previous week. The NSE Premium Inded added 67.69 to 1,969.44, NSE 30 Index rose by 11.34 basis point to 1255.71, NSE Oil and Gas Index 20.04 basis points to 331.46, NSE Lotus II grew by 28.53 to 1,849.88 and NSE Pension Index 14.31 to 844.02 points Review of activity in the market showed that Thirty-three (33) equities appreciated in price during the week, lower than thirtyfour (34) equities in the previous week. Twenty-five (25) equities depreciated in price, lower than twenty-six (26) equities in the previous week, while one hundred and twenty-two (122) equities remained unchanged higher than

one hundred and twenty (120) equities recorded in the preceding week.

Conoil Plc led gainers table, growing by 33.48 per cent or N10.66 kobo to close at N42.50 kobo, Cutix Plc followed with a gain of 19.41 per cent or N0.33 kobo to close at N2.03 kobo, Total Nigeria Plc surged by 18 per cent or N45.00 to close at N295.00. Other companies appreciated in price were Oando Plc 15.29 per cent, Cadbury Nigeria Plc 14.13 per cent, Stanbic IBTC Holdings 9.35 per cent, MRS Oil Nigeria Plc 8.87 per cent, Eterna Plc 8.28 per cent, Zenith International Bank Plc 7.59 per cent and PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc 6.41 per cent.

On the other hand, Carverton Offshore Support GRP Plc topped losers chart, dipping by 13.22 per cent or N0.16 kobo to close at N1.05 kobo, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc trailed with a loss of 12.96 per centt or N0.14 kobo to close at N0.94 kobo while

Beta Glass Company (Nigeria) Plc dipped by 9.73 per cent or N3.76 kobo to close at N34.90 kobo. Other firms that took negative trend during the week were Guaranty Trust Bank 7.25 per cent, Guinness Nigeria Plc 7.01 per cent, E-tranzact International Plc 5.00 per cent, African Prudential Registrars Plc 4.96 per cent, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills Plc 4.96 per cent, Airline Services and Logistics Plc 4.76 per cent, Avon Crown Caps and Container Plc 4.35 per cent.

Also traded during the week were a total of 615 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N6,070.20 executed in 21 deals, compared with a total of 945 units valued at N9,541.90 transacted last week in 18 deals.

A total of 3,394 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N3.263 million were traded in 5 deals compared to a total of 1,700 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N1.591 million transacted last

Sterling Bank backs Made-in-Nigeria Festival

T

he campaign for the patronage of made in Nigeria goods and services championed by Sterling Bank Plc received a major boost over the weekend as the financial institution announced its sponsorship of the 2016 Made-In-Nigeria festival. The event is scheduled to hold between September 26 and October 1st, 2016 at the Eko Atlantic City.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibajo; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Godwin Emefiele; Director General, Budget Office of the Federation , Mr. Ben Akabueze; Senior Special Adviser to

the Vice President on Trade Dr. Jumoke Oduwole and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Okey Enelamah will lead discussions at the event.

The sponsorship of the event, according to the Bank in a statement made available to reporters over the weekend and signed by its Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Mr. Shina Atilola , is In line with the its commitment to promote and support government’s drive to diversify the economy occasioned by the declining revenue generated from crude oil exports and the relatively weaker exchange rate

against the US dollar in the parallel market.

The maiden edition of the Festival, according to the Bank, would focus on enhancing innovation, creativity and promoting the buy Nigeria culture to stimulate key growth sectors, create jobs as well as facilitate trade and investment in sectors such as Power & Infrastructure, Agriculture, Technology, Manufacturing The Bank stated that the week long program will comprise of a 3-day summit, 7-day Exhibition of Made in Nigeria products, a showcase of Made-In-Nigeria, art & entertainment and an Independence

day Concert tagged “the Supremacy” featuring the best of Nigerian artists like Tuface, Asa, Dbanj, King Sunny Ade & Wizkid.

Sterling Bank has remained at the forefront in the crusade to promote and encourage the patronage of local indystry through the Finance and patronage of Labana Rice Mills; partnership with Innosson Motors (the first indegeniuous motor manufacturing company in Nigeria and the introduction of made-in-Nigeria week when staff of the Bank whore local fabrics to the office.

Page 22

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

PAGE 23

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Stock Watch: Friday, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Company

7UP

Previous Closing Price

185.06

184.5

Opening Price

184.5

High

Low

184.5

Close

184.5

Change

Trades

-0.56 25

Volume

Value

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

233,796

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

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - 1.25 0 - -

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

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

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

ACADEMY 0.59 - - - 0.59 0 - ACCESS

4.46

4.46

4.64

4.46

4.5

0.04 321

28,060,764

126,589,999.78

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

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

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

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

AFRPAINTS 2.59 - - - 2.59 0 - -

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

AGLEVENT 1.02 0.97 -

-

1.02

8 48,971 46,330.44

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

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

126,800 124,264.00

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

822.99 822.99 822.99 822.99 8.99 73

115,282 94,401,035.72

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

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

NNFM 8.99 - - - 8.99 0 - -

AUSTINLAZ 2.09 - - - 2.09 0 - -

NPFMCRFBK

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

0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0

6

174,000 170,510.00

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

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

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - 2.95 0 - -

CAPOIL 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

PREMPAINTS 10.93 - - - 10.93 0 - -

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

-

8.73

7 51,560 458,087.60

CHAMPION 4.17 4.17 -

-

4.17

11 146,282 587,170.36

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

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

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

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

CONOIL 27.41 26.04 -

ROADS 6.6 - - - 6.6 0 - -

-

27.41

8

13,350 330,799.00

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

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

SCOA 4.16 - - - 4.16 0 - -

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

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

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

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

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

DANGSUGAR

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

DEAPCAP 0.58 - - - 0.58 0 - -

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

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

JOSBREW 1.51 - - - 1.51 0 - -

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

JULI 1.75 - - - 1.75 0 - -

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

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

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

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

NCR 11.02 - - - 11.02 0 - -

LEARNAFRCA

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

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

-

2.62

8 37,850 99,859.50

Top Gainers Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

NEIMETH 1.03 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 -0.05 6

126,800 124,264.00

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

822.99 822.99 822.99 822.99 8.99 73

115,282 94,401,035.72

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

Top Losers Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

Company

Previous Closing Price

Opening Price

High

Low

Close

Change

Trades

Volume

Value

ALUMACO 7.75 - - - 7.75 1 200 1,474.00

MULTITREX 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

FORTISMFB 5.42 - - - 5.42 0 - -

NNFM 8.99 - - - 8.99 0 - -

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

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

INFINITY 1.42 - - - 1.42 0 - -

UTC 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

OMOSAVBNK 0.92 - - - 0.92 0 - -

UNIONDICON 11.84 - - - 11.84 0 - -

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

MANDRID 5.35 - - - 5.35 0 - -

ASOSAVINGS 0.5 - - - 0.5 0 - -

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

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - 1.25 0 - -

JULI 1.75 - - - 1.75 0 - -

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Feature

Why is China’s female prison population growing?

Her long grey hair hanging down her back, Ding Yuxin wept in a Chinese courtroom last December.

Following a one-day trial, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribing government officials.

China has one of the fastest rising women’s prison population in the world.

W

hen the verdict was announced, Ding wobbled on her feet and was steadied by security guards.

Tears rolled down her face.

With only a primary school education, Ding Yuxin built an empire hinging on lucrative government coal and railway deals. Many were secured by greasing palms, netting Ding more than $325m (£207m: €290m) in contracts.

She’s a particularly flashy example of a new kind of Chinese prisoner: a woman put behind bars for a non-violent crime. It’s an unlikely symbol of how China is changing.

Female prisoners on the rise Overall, the number of women held in Chinese prisons is soaring, up 46% in the last decade. That is in contrast to a 10% rise in the number of male prisoners, says Dui Hua, a US-based prisoners rights organisation.

Women comprise just 6.3% of China’s prison population. If trends continue, within five years,

Ding Yuxin: Grey haired and weeping at trial

Chinese prisons do offer some education programmes

undergoing transition. In the past crimes in relation to that,” Dr few years, we’ve seen an increase Cheng says. “But that figure has in non-violent crimes involving stabilised.”

Life in prison women such as drug trafficking Chinese prisons must take and telecommunication fraud,” the growing number of women prisoners into account.

Prisons in China offer some benefits for prisoners that are unavailable in some Western countries, Dr Cheng says. Prison Chinese prisons must take the growing numguards are forbidden from shackling a woman who is giving ber of women prisoners into account. Prisons birth, or keeping a small child in China offer some benefits for prisoners that behind bars with a mother who is are unavailable in some Western countries, Dr serving a prison sentence.

Cheng says. Prison guards are forbidden from However, Chinese prisons are shackling a woman who is giving birth, or keep- also rife with problems.

The number of prisons serving ing a small child behind bars with a mother who women is quite low. On average, is serving a prison sentence. there is just one female prison for every Chinese province.

“It is difficult for family include the estimated hundreds explains Dr Cheng Lei, deputy of thousands of women being held director of Renmin University’s members to visit the prisons, since in China; in juvenile detention, Centre for Criminal Procedure and the family often has to travel a long mandatory drug rehabilitation and Reform.

China’s antiforced education camps.

Even so, why is the number of corruption campaign is having an effect on women increasing so quickly? populations “A major reason is that China is prison too. More women are also being convicted of taking bribes, because the number of women working in the Chinese government has also gone up.

According to Dr Cheng, violent crime is not responsible for the increase in female prisoners.

“In the past, a lot of women in prison were victims of domestic violence and had committed China will imprison more women than the United States, home to the world’s largest prison population.

China’s prison statistics are slightly misleading: they don’t

“

Separation from their children is a serious issue in prison

way to reach the prison,” Dr Cheng explains. “A lot of China’s prisons are newly-built, and most of them are in remote suburban districts.”

Limited contact with family members was a key issue in a prison survey conducted by Professor Cheng in 2013. All prisoners commonly request more family meetings, but this issue is of greater concern for women, who are often the primary carers of their children.

Even when they can visit, glass barriers in prison meeting rooms often prevent parents from holding their children.

Simply put, many women behind bars are also mothers, prison researchers point out. It is this fact the Chinese authorities will need to consider as more women are deemed criminals.

Source: BBC

Many of China’s prisons are far away from inmates families, making visiting difficult

PAGE 27

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Education

UNILAG should reconsider decision to suspend SUG – Hon. Asalu

By Ese Awhotu

A

gainst the backdrop of recent disturbances in the University of Lagos that led to the closure of the institution and the decision of the school authorities to suspend the activities of the Student Union Government (SUG), calls have come from numerous quarters both within and outside the institution urging the authorities to reconsider their decision and lift the suspension order in the interests of the students and the

university itself.

One such personality that has lent his voice to these resounding calls is the Special Assistant on Nigerian Youth Parliament to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Ayodele Asalu.

According to Hon. Asalu, “While some of the tactics applied by some of the students during the recent agitation may well have been precipitate and immature, it should be stressed that the UNILAG SUG cannot be held responsible for the actions

or omissions of each and every student of the university and suspending the SUG’s activities may be counterproductive and capable of sending the wrong signals to the student community who may feel that they do not have any legitimate representatives to channel their complaints or grievances to the relevant authorities and this could be a recipe for further crisis, tension and instability in the student community at large.

“The more prudent approach would be for the university

authorities to reopen the school, address the immediate and root causes of the students’ agitation and create a faster and more accessible channel of communication between them and the students via the SUG; because in many instances, escalation of crises is largely due to a breakdown in communication between the contending parties rather that the issues at stake in the first place.

“In this regard, we call on the UNILAG authorities to lift the SUG suspension order as

swiftly as possible while urging the student community to remain calm and law abiding while following due process and the rule of law in seeking redress for any wrongful act or injustice that may have been occasioned to them jointly or severally”.

“That is the only way to ensure lasting peace, order stability and mutual coexistence among all stakeholders in the university community in order not to aggravate on already tense situation and for the benefit of all and sundry,” Hon. Asalu added.

Sokoto closes 20 illegal schools

T • L-R: Mrs. Marie Owoniyi, Executive Manager-Stakeholder Relation, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Modupe Mujota, Ogun state Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Gloria Nwbuike, Marketing Manager, Nestle Water and Mrs. Omotunde Egunjobi, Director, Social Mobilization, Ogun state Universal Basic Education Board [SUBEB], during the Nestle Nigeria Plc Launch Water Education for Teachers [Wet] Project and Press Conference, at DLK, Event Centre, Abeokuta, in Ogun state,

Use internet to boost your education, CITAD urges women From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

A

n NGO, Centre for information Technology and Development (CITAD)has urged women to explore the usage of internet to boost their education and businesses in their communities.

The Executive Director, Centre for information Technology and Development (CITAD), Engr. Ya’u Zakari Ya’u speaking at a workshop tagged “Research Findings on Women and Use of Internet in the North”, weekend, said that if education is a right and internet is the major tool, then access to internet should also be a right to everybody.

Ya’u called on women take advantages of Internet usage and explore knowledge, educational research and business in their communities and globally He, however, observed that internet ids being used for research,

learning, access to knowledge and communication.

“And now we have seen examinations are gradually migrating online, JAMD examination is now computer base and increasingly more and more examinations will migrate online” Accordingly, he said, a person who lacks the internet skills will be left out in the pursuit of education, stressing that internet is also a tool for personal empowerment.

Ya’u explained that a lot of people earn their living on internet either as squatted creators, data miners, and people who promote business or uses internet as a platform to conduct businesses According to him, no business one can today do without accessing the internet as even the crack sellers realize that with internet they create greater market.

“As a communication tool

we know that it is a platform for participation. Democracy itself is about participation, ability to contribute in decision making process, about our lives, society and about how our society is govern or how we elect our representatives” Ya’u noted that for us to live meaningful, productive and politically engaged life, we need to have access to internet, hence internet gives universal access to men and women, young and old that no one should be left behind.

He said that educationally, women in particular are marginalized with less access to education and all other aspects of marginalization including the very few in decision making process like those in the state and national legislatures.

“So if they have less access to education, they would continue to be excluded in economic life, political life and in every other spheres of

life, and as the saying goes, educate a man you educate one person, and educate a women you educate the whole nation”.

The CITAD director therefore stressed the need for taking all necessary measures to ensure that women have access to internet and the skills to use it.

He said, however, that there are many other categories of people that are left behind including people with disabilities who do not have access to our educational processes because we are not able to make the necessary investment for the provision of their required learning tools.

“Even older people are also excluded, but they are excluded because perhaps they have become static in their own learning process and is so difficult now to learn new skills, new knowledge,” Ya’u explained.

he Sokoto State Government on Friday announced the closure of 20 illegal primary and secondary schools across the state.

This is contained in a statement signed by the chairman of the committee on the closure of unregistered schools in the state, Shehu Lema, and made available to journalists in Sokoto.

The statement said the action followed the recommendations of the committee to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.

It added that “the axed schools were closed as they were operating illegally and in unconducive environment.

“They were also operating in rented apartments in contravention of the laid down rules and regulations of establishing such schools.

“These affected schools had also recruited unqualified teachers which is another flagrant violation of the regulations.”

The statement further urged parents in the state not to patronize the affected schools.

It also called on them to liaise with the ministry in seeking new schools for their children and wards.

(NAN)

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Page 29

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Health

Girl, 21, describes agony of rare polio-like illness which left her quadriplegic - amid fresh outbreak of the mysterious disease

Gabrielle is one of 100 patients who is sharing the story of her experience with the condition via the Transverse Myelitis Association

By Mia De Graaf

G

abrielle deFiebre was in the mall to buy hiking boots with her grandmother in 2009 when she felt a pain surge from her neck down her arms.

An active final-year student at New College of Florida, she thought it was strange but assumed nothing of it.

She carried on walking, sporadically stretching and bending in a bid to ease her muscles.

But it just got worse. Finally, lying in bed at home, she decided it was time to find a drop-in center online to get a professional opinion.

That was when her body displayed the first signs of a crippling polio-like illness known as transverse myelitis.

It is the same condition which has garnered attention this week, as the CDC reported there has been a surge in diagnoses this year.

Specifically, the ‘surge’ is in cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis, a sub-type of the illness, which starts as a fever and can lead to paralysis.

The term AFM was first coined in 2014 after a spate of pediatric cases - more than 100 of whom still haven’t recovered.

In light of the recent surge, doctors this week admitted we still know very little about the condition.

And Rebecca Whitney, program manager at the Transverse Myelitis Association, said they have seen an uptick in their membership - mainly bewildered parents seeking help after their children were diagnosed.

Gabrielle, now in her late 20s, is one of 100 patients who is sharing the story of

her experience with the condition via the Transverse Myelitis Association’s website in a bid to shed light on how it impacts one’s life.

‘When I was a kid I used to do gymnastics. I was really active, adventurous,’ she explains in a video for the site.

‘I miss that now, I miss jumping on the trampoline, running like I used to. Not feeling trapped.

‘My life with transverse myelitis changed everything.

‘I can’t get out of my chair and walk around, go for a hike.’

In a frank blog post, she describes the harrowing first hours when the disease took hold of her body.

‘I placed my right hand on my computer’s trackpad and realized I couldn’t move any of my fingers. I yelled to my grandmother “I can’t move my right hand!”,’ she writes.

‘I gathered my belongings and walked out of my grandmother’s condo and to the elevator. While waiting for the elevator I almost collapsed, and my legs continued to weaken as I walked from the elevator to the car. I dragged my legs into the car and we sped away to the Emergency Room.’

She couldn’t feel anything below her chest, and couldn’t move her triceps or her fingers on either side.

Scans revealed her spinal cord was inflamed.

Doctors tried everything.

They put her on a dose of steroids and gave her plasmapheresis, a therapy that separates blood plasma from cells to remove antibodies.

A mysterious polio-like illness is

sweeping the United States, sparking fears of a potential outbreak.

Acute flaccid myelitis, a fever which leads to paralysis in children, was first detected in 2014.

Scores of children were infected, and more than 100 of those hospitalized have yet to recover.

Now, the CDC has issued a report warning there has been a surge in the number of children struck down by AFM this year.

The way the figures are going, experts fear this outbreak could be worse than before.

But the medical community remains largely ignorant about what causes AFM and how to treat it.

‘You hate to be an alarmist, but there’s reason to have some concern,’ Dr Avindra Nath, chief of the section of infections of the nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told The Washington Post.

‘What we don’t know is where are these cases. Are they clustered? Do they all look alike? Getting more information on these cases would be helpful.’

What Is Transverse Myelitis And Afm? The term ‘myelitis’ means inflammation of the spinal cord.

Transverse myelitis is the broad name of the disease, and there are various sub-types.

It is a neurological disorder which inflames the spinal cord across its width (‘transverse’), destroying the fatty substance that protects nerve cells.

That can lead to paralysis.

AFM is an unusual sub-type of

transverse myelitis.

Patients starts with the same spinal inflammation, but their symptoms are different and the disease develops differently.

Primarily, AFM patients are weak and limp, while patients with general transverse myelitis tend to be rigid.

Most AFM patients start to struggle with movement of the limbs, face, tongue, and eyes.

They then begin to lose control of one limb or sometimes the whole body - though many maintain control of their sensory, bowel and bladder functions.

Unlike transverse myelitis, which has been around for years, doctors are still in the dark about why and how AFM manifests itself.

The technique is used to treat autoimmune conditions. But it does not combat transverse myelitis.

Over the next two weeks Gabrielle also required oxygen support and a pressure sore on her coccyx from constantly sitting upright.

She has continued to make progress since, regaining feeling and control in her triceps, left-hand fingers, and trunk.

However, she remains in a wheelchair.

‘Having hope is hard sometimes,’ Gabrielle says in the video.

‘Transverse myelitis, it has no cure, it can happen to anyone at any time. But I still do. I still have hope.

‘I hope that we can find a way to repair the damage that was done by transverse myelitis in the spinal cord so that I can do everything I used to, and get up out of my chair and walk around.’

DailyMail on Facebook

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Page 30

Healthy

From 4th left Managing Director, Troika Healthcare ABUJA, Mr. Sudhir Singh Rathore, Cardiac Surgeon, Dr.Manoj Luthra , Cancer surgeon, Dr Ntin Leekha and others at the 45th anniversary of Nigeria Cardiac Society conference in Abuja.

Hope rises for cancer, heart -disease patients

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

A

s part of effort to reduce the scourge of cancer and heart related disease in the country as well as give treatment to those affected, a world class multi specialty Hospital India in partnership with Troika Healthcare Abuja recently carried out a free medical excersie for patients battling with the ailment.

The two day event which took place at Life camp Abuja witnessed a large turnout of well

meaning Nigerians especially the poor who are dire in need of medical attention.

Among other things, Our correspondent gathered that the exercise would be a continuous one just as patients were given drugs and referrals were given where necessary.

Speaking with our correspondent, an Indian cardiac expert, Dr. Manoj Luthra, who has spent 38 years in the profession and has successfully carried out 25,000 cases, noted

that the rising profile of heart related disease and in the world today could be as a result of the unhealthy life styles of most people.

Luthra further explained that for the ugly trend to be checked people must learn to keep a healthy life style by way of avoiding smoking, ability to manage stress, eating quality food among others.

The expert while commending the organizers for a job well done, further stated that the Nigerian

government must take up the responsibility of creating more awareness on the dangers of cancer and how best it be checked even as he posited that early detection through the diagnostic centers will go long way in reducing the pandemic.

One of the beneficiaries of the free medical care, Mr. Alex Agugu, expressed satisfaction at the turn of the event, just as he beckoned well meaning Nigerians to emulate the humanitarian gesture of Troika Healthcare for

their selfless service to humanity.

On his part, the medical Director, Troika Healthcare Abuja, Mr. Sudhir Singh Rathore, told Our Correspondent that the event was informed on the need for Nigerians especially the less privileged to keep a healthy living.

He noted that the death rate as a result of cancer and heart related disease in the country is quite alarming which, according to him has led to medical tourism by most Nigerians.

Rotary club Ilorin set to commence digging of boreholes, Polio eradication From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin

T

he President of Rotary Club of Ilorin,Kwara State,Rotn Babatunde Olorunsola Julius has disclosed that the club would commence on rehabilitation,equipping of science labouratory of community basic schools and digging of boreholes across the state.

Julius who stated this at the weekend during his official investiture as the 13th President of the Club said water and sanitation

projects which will involve donation of six boreholes would be commissioned during his tenure.

He disclosed that the Club would also made provision for vocational centre communities with necessary needs and public toilets among other.

“Very soon,we shall be inviting you to commission some of this laudable projects in order to register again our clubs name in the annals of very vital and performing clubs in the world”.

Julius who commended

past leaders of the club for their spectacular achievements said the present board and team would work assiduously to maintain the present tempo.

Earlier, the Chairperson of the Investiture Planning Committee,Rotn Eniola Osungbade in her welcome address disclosed that the club are determined to work with Kwara State Governor,Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed to eradicate polio out of the state.

She said that the club had arranged free cleft and palate

surgeries stressing that the club appreciated Governor and Royal fathers who shared in Rotary vision and contribution to national and community development.

A Guest Speaker at the ceremony, Professor Bello Abdulgafar Raji, a Professor in the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin noted that Nigeria has been a country that fail to plan but plan to fail in all sectors.

The Don who stressed the need of eradicating polio and eliminating

corruption said corruption has been on existence even at the time of traditional father He noted that Lack of access to portable water was one of the causes of polio stressing that there was need for the provision of clean water and the fight to eradicate polio worldwide to curb the recent cases of wild polio virus identified within the borders of the nation.

“Where is the road leading to where we have polio, no pump water, you see structure no drugs, differences in culture.”

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Traders bemoan demolition of Wuse Canopy Market Stories by Stanley Onyekwere

T

he demolition of the controversial informal Wuse Zone 3 Market, otherwise known as Canopy Market, by the Development Control Department of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), have automatically thrown thousands of people into unimaginable deep state of despair, according to the dislodged traders.

Lamenting the demolition exercise that occurred at the weekend, precisely on Friday, leadership of the displaced traders while speaking to our correspondent, who visited the scene, described the action as unfair and wicked, as many were taken unawareness, resulting in the loss of properties worth millions of Naira, even in face of current harsh economic realities.

…No going back now-FCTA

Recall that in furtherance to its effort towards curbing the abuse of the Abuja Masterplan, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through AMMC recently upped the tempo on removal of illegal structures within the Territory, by issuing short final removal notices.

Accordingly, AMMC officials visited the market place last Wednesday, warning the affected traders to immediately vacate the site on or before Monday (today), as it had been earmarked for actual removal.

But, in what appeared to be an ambushed, early Friday morning, officials of Development Control, accompanied by some heavily armed policemen and soldiers stormed the site with their bulldozers and cleared structures

used for trading activities there, after allowing some traders salvage what they could from their shops.

As succinctly captured, the Chairman, Wuse Zone 3 Canopy Mark Association, Al-Mustapha Mohammed, the action came as a surprise to the traders executives of the market association were on their way to a scheduled meeting with the same authorities that carried out the exercise, only to receive phone calls, informing them that demolition has already started.

He added that many of them ran to the market and parked their goods to minimize loss, while some especially those who had traveled out to purchase goods were not able to do so, thereby leading to destruction properties

worth millions of Naira.

Asked whether they were in the past told to leave the place, he replies: “yes were told to do so, and based on the directive, we now went to the court, because when we were given temporary allocation for the market space, the agreement then was that if were leaving, they (government) shop provide us with another place to relocate to.

“As Nigerian citizens, we are entitled to be taken careful in terms of our business interest, as we are not criminals or stubborn set of people, whom should be dislodged and humiliated,” he expressed.

A legal practitioner and counsel to the market Association, Maxwell Opara, claimed that there is subsisting court injunction stopping such action against the market, as the place is under contention before the FCT High

• Orange and garbage sellers waiting for patronage, yesterday in Garki village Abuja

Court sitting in Maitama District.

He said on the 16th of July, 2016 when the court got information that Development Control department wants to demolish the market, it gave express injunction, restraining the department and AMMC as well as whoever that is involved from demolishing the place.

He adds; “they were represented in the court, and were duly served with the said court injunction. And a letter was written to Inspector General of Police and other heads of security agencies to ensure that the parties maintain the status quo.”

Meanwhile, explaining the rationale behind the removal of the Canopy Market, Acting Coordinator of AMMC, Safiya Umar, said the market is on transit corridor, and the FCT Transport Secretariat needs the place, “so they asked us to help clear the place, since it was us that gave the traders the place temporarily.

“The government was magnanimous enough to settle them temporarily for up to seven years in the place. They took us to court, but the court has through their matter out, so they don’t have any locus standi to create an informal market, whereas there are two formal markets there.”

In the same vein, Director, Development Control Department, Murktar Galadima, reiterated that as the government has commenced intensive demolition exercise, and there is no going back until it is done removing illegal structures in FCT. PeoplesDaily reports that during exercise the officials also cleared several structures serving as worship and event centres including drinking joints within designated green areas in Wuse District.

Taskforce reads riot act to illegal pharmaceutical outlets in Abuja

T

he FCT Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs (FCT-TFC&FD) has read riot act to all outlets that engage in sales and distribution of pharmaceutical products within the Territory to abide by the rules and regulations guiding their operations or face the full wrath of the law.

The Director Pharmaceutical Services and the Chairperson of the taskforce Pharm. Hauwakulu Ibrahim, gave this warning

during its enforcement outing in Durumi, Aleta and Jikwoyi areas of Abuja Municipal Area Council of the FCT. She reiterated that the FCT Administration will not relent on its effort to fish out all illegal pharmaceutical and patent medicine outlets within the territory.

The Director added that one of the patent medicine store in Durumi was operating without licence the committee visited

the place three month back and closed it down, only for the owner to recently reopen it without approval of the authority.

Ibrahim explained that seven of the facilities were sealed because they were not registered with Phamarcist Council of Nigeria (PCN) and operating outside their guidelines while three are selling drugs that are not on their approved list of drugs.

The Taskforce boss further

added that intending patent medicines vendors are required to apply for inspection and conclude the process of registration of patent medicine shops before commencement of business.

She pointed out that the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicines Dealers (NAPPMED) is not a regulatory agency, hence members of the association who are yet to register should do so

as a matter of urgency or face the consequences as prescribed by the law.

Stressing the need for members of the public to be vigilant and patronize only pharmaceutical or patent medicine stores that are registered and regulated, she said most illegal patent medicine stores are operated by quacks and unlicensed personnel who are in the habit of dispensing fake and expired drugs.

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Photo Splash

A woman selling boiled corn, yesterday in Durumi, Abuja

Females food vendor set out for business, yesterday at Apo, in Abuja

Physically challenged men seeking for alms from motorist, yesterday at Gwagwalada, in Abuja

A scavenger carrying a sack filled with used items, yesterday in Area 1, Abuja

Abuja Environmental Protection Board staff on duty, yesterday at Central Area, in Abuja Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

PAGE 33

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Metro

AMAC tackles environmental nuisances with exhaustive sensitization Stories by Stanley Onyekwere

T

he authorities of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have vowed to sustain rejuvenated battle against the menace of indiscriminate waste disposal and other environmental nuisances through exhaustive enlightenment and sensitization of people, to help them realize the importance of good sanitary habits and condition of their environment This, the Council said would ensure the sustainability of efforts toward curbing the lingering menace, leading to outburst of dirt on major roads especially in the in satellite towns and other remote communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking on the sidelines of a seven-day massive waste evacuation exercise in the Area Councils and Satellite Towns, AMAC Chairman, Adamu Abdullahi Candido, stressed that having good sanitary habits is the best, as it enables people to properly dispose waste they generate, instead of only waiting for the government to always come around to remove such dirt.

He noted that evacuation of dirt overrunning major streets in some parts of the FCT, results government wasting huge scare resources that could have been used for provision of other essential services to the people.

He therefore called on traditional leaders and other opinion leaders to live up to expectations, by ensuring that people within their domains desist from the menace of discriminatory waste disposal and other harmful practices.

“We will continue to promote the sustainability of the campaign

through further enlightenment and sensitization of the people, and once we are able to do that, it will be better for our health.

“The people should get sensitized that they shouldn’t wait until the government comes up with punitive measures against indiscriminate dumping of refuse, as it should be the last resort, but if they refused to change, then the government wouldn’t have any option than to do so,” Candido said.

Also, speaking, the HOD of Environment in AMAC, Hajiya Maimunatu Abubakar, explained that the sensitization campaign was in cognizance of the role of communal effort in the quest for sustainable environmental sanitation in FCT. She added that when the

communities are carried along in the ongoing campaign to improve the sanitary outlook of the area councils and FCT at large, then the desired goal will be achieved with much ease.

She however noted that aside from discouraging the people from seemingly unending menace of open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, through sustained sensitization programme, there will be serious engagement of mobile courts, where defaulters will be tried and sanctioned accordingly.

“For now, we have been given a mandate to scan through every AMAC communities and map out refuse collection points, in order to help the people abstain from indiscriminate dumping of refuse especially on the road median.

“Therefore if you generate your waste, instead of indiscriminately dumping them on the road median, you should go to the designated places and dump them there, so that when we are to evacuate we go to such places and do so with ease,” she stated.

Speaking earlier, while monitoring the evacuation of waste in Nyanya, Karu and Karshi axis, the Ag. Director of the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD), Mrs. Victoria Imande, said the intervention followed a directive by the FCT minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, who is aware of the poor sanitary conditions of people in these places.

She attributed the poor sanitary condition to increasing number

of informal markets generating a lot of waste, which the people are always in the habit of dumping on the streets, instead of at designated waste collection points, for proper evacuation.

She urged the residents to take personal interest in the exercise by owning the initiative and making personal hygiene part of their daily personal life.

PeoplesDaily reports that the many traditional rulers got actively involved in the sensitization programme held in two prominent Chief Palaces in Karu and Karshi Chiefdoms respectively, where hundreds of their subjects (people) engaged in an interactive session with officials of the council and FCTA.

• A man hawking cleaning tools, yesterday at Apo, in Abuja

Schools’ resumption: FCT records impressive turnout of students A

n impressive turnout of students and pupils was recorded on the first week of resumption of public schools across Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as school children in their thousands defied an early morning downpour to attend classes.

Recall that the FCT Administration had penultimate week extended the resumption date for the 2016/2017 academic calendar for all public primary and post primary schools in the FCT, from September 4th and 5th to Sunday, 18th September 2016 (for boarding schools) and Monday, 19th September 2016

(for day schools) respectively.

However, a visit to some public primary and secondary schools in the nation’s capital during the first week of resumption revealed that while many school children were seen moving around picking up dirt and sweeping their classrooms, in readiness for full learning session, some were seen learning in their respective classrooms.

Some of the schools visited include; Government Secondary School (GSS)-Wuse zone 3, Festival Road Primary School and two Government Secondary Schools, all in Area 10 and Area 11 of Garki District.

At the Senior Secondary School in GARKI, Area 10, the Principal of the School, Haruna Mohammed Nabayi, disclosed that a total of five hundred students were recorded on the first day of resumption, out of the eight hundred students on the school’s register, which is about 80% turnout.

And most of the students in their separate interviews expressed joy over the resumption of schools, saying they are very ready and eager to continue their learning process.

Speaking to newsmen during an inspection tour of FCT schools to assess the level of turnout

of students and pupils, Acting Secretary, Education Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Musa Maikasuwa Yakubu, expressed delight with the impressive turnout at the schools.

He observed that when the team visited some of the secondary schools, the classes were almost filled up, which he said shows that everybody is ready for full academic activities.

According to him, the school inspection will be a continuous exercise, as even at the zonal level across the six Area Councils; the inspection is also going on there.

“And I believe we should

be able to move with time, so if you do not change, of course the change will change you.

“The environment is also ready to absorb all manner of children from any part of the country.

“FCT is the centre of unity, and as such we are always ready to accept pupils and students at any time they come, we are aware of the exodus of school children from private.

He therefore advised pupils, students and teachers alike to not only maintain the momentum, but also ensure that up the tempo of academic activities, in order to improve learning and performance in the schools.

PAGE 25

Peoples Daily, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

PAGE 24

SPECIAL REPORTS

Louisiana struggles a month after devastating US floods

By Patrick Strickland

B

eyond an immense mound of destroyed belongings and rotting wood sitting in the yard across from her home, Mary Mercado puts out food and water for her neighbour’s cat.

It has been a month since this part of Louisiana was submerged by floods, and Mercado has been coming back daily to feed pets and check on her home.

Like most other houses on the block and throughout the Sherwood neighbourhood, hers was so badly damaged that it is still uninhabitable.

“Losing everything and stuff - it was just horrible,” Mercado told Al Jazeera, lifting up her mobile phone to show an image of her water-filled home after historic rainfall hit Baton Rouge on August 12.

Thirteen people died in the disaster and upwards of 100,000 homes were damaged.

Much like in other neighbourhoods across eastern Baton Rouge and in nearby towns, both sides of the streets are lined with damaged cars, immense piles of debris and moulding mountains of rubbish.

Mary Mercado, right, and her daughter Jackie come to their home each day to make sure nothing is stolen [Shaghayegh Tajvidi/Al Jazeera] At the height of the crisis, an estimated 11,000 people took refuge in shelters.

According to The Advocate, a local newspaper, at least 850 are still in such centres across the city and the nearby communities of Livingston, Ascension, East Feliciana and Tangipahoa, among others.

Inside her home, Mercado pointed to a line more than a metre and a half up on the doorsill showing how high the water reached in the living room. The home’s interior has been stripped of drywall, carpet and wooden floor panels.

“We are staying in a hotel because unfortunately we don’t have family members here in town,” Mercado, a mother of two, said.

“We have to pay [for the hotel] out of pocket,” she said, explaining that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided her family with a small amount of financial assistance.

“When you’re not prepared

financially … then it’s hard. FEMA gives you just a limited amount,” she continued.

“I’m just hoping it will take us about two or three months [to fix the home] because I can’t live in a hotel too long.”

US declares disaster for Louisiana floods EMA says federal assistance to Louisiana communities has surpassed $1bn, with more than 63,000 families receiving grants to help pay for temporary rent, home repairs or other disasterrelated needs.

In downtown Baton Rouge, the River Center was one of dozens of places turned into impromptu shelters for displaced people. The residents will be transferred from the convention centre to another shelter later this week.

Roberto Baltodano, a regional communications officer for the American Red Cross, said 236 people were still living in the River Centre as of Sunday.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Baltodano said the “vast majority” of people who are still in shelters are “low-

F

income families” who cannot afford to rent hotels or find alternative accommodation.

“You will find a wide range of emotions … we have a lot of uncertainty,” Baltodano said as he walked through the hall, with hundreds of cots covering the floor.

Some of the temporary residents slept while others organised their belongings before the move to another facility.

Immobile cars are parked in yards and on sidewalks throughout Baton Rouge neighbourhoods [Shaghayegh Tajvidi/Al Jazeera] After the floods hit Baton Rouge, US President Barack Obama toured some of the worst-hit parts of the city, pledging federal support to repair the damage.

But some flood victims and politicians have criticised the emergency response efforts of FEMA, as well as local and state authorities.

John Mica, a Republican congressman from Florida, called FEMA’s efforts “pitiful” after visiting some of the affected areas.

Several of Louisiana’s state legislators have also accused FEMA of dragging its feet.

Clay Schexnayder, a Republican who represents hard-hit neighbourhoods in East Baton Rouge, blasted federal authorities for setting up only one mobile home during the first three weeks after the floods.

“Having one trailer set up so far out of all of this, one trailer, where I’m from I don’t call that satisfactory at all,” he said late last month.

Rafael Lemaitre, a FEMA spokesperson, told Al Jazeera that the agency is “providing a wide array of federal support for the state of Louisiana,” adding that the recovery effort has received support from many Democrats and Republicans alike.

“We are under no illusions that this is going to be a quick recovery. We were there before the news cameras arrived and we will be there long after they leave,” he said.

In the Sherwood neighbourhood of the East Baton Rouge Parish, cars are left in the front yards. Scrawled in spray paint across the front windshield of an old, maroon Cadillac sedan is a message for the city’s clean-up teams: “Do not tow”.

Bernice Taylor dragged a pair of ruined dresser drawers out of her home and tossed them on to her lawn to be picked up.

“It has never flooded,” she said of her neighbourhood, where her family has lived for the past 37 years.

“

Louisiana residents hit hard by flooding have to gut their homes to prevent moulding [Shaghayegh Tajvidi/Al Jazeera]

Bernice Taylor and her husband John have been staying with a family friend for the past month [Shaghayegh Tajvidi/Al Jazeera]

“Ninety percent of our neighbours don’t have [flood] insurance. And it’s not because of negligence - it’s because they were never in a flood zone.”

Taylor and her husband John, a retired electrician who also lost his pick-up lorry during the floods, said they expect to stay at a friend’s home for another three months before they can finish repairing their house.

“The only thing I got from FEMA was living expenses,” John Taylor told Al Jazeera, sitting on a rocking chair in the hollowed-out frame of his home.

“It doesn’t make me happy, but I can live with my losses … I learned a lot from them.

“It’s sad to see a person who’s lost everything and he’s in a [financial situation] that he can’t get anything.”

“Having one trailer set up so far out of all of this, one trailer, where I’m from I don’t call that satisfactory at all,” he said late last month.

Rafael Lemaitre, a FEMA spokesperson, told Al Jazeera that the agency is “providing a wide array of federal support for the state of Louisiana,” adding that the recovery effort has received support from many Democrats and Republicans alike.

Source: Al Jazeera

Mary Mercado, right, and her daughter Jackie come to their home each day to make sure nothing is stolen [Shaghayegh Tajvidi/Al Jazeera]

Immobile cars are parked in yards and on sidewalks throughout Baton Rouge neighbourhoods [Shaghayegh Tajvidi/Al Jazeera]

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Money Sense

Tempted to stash money under the mattress in this era of rock-bottom interest rates? Our guide to securing the best home safe

By Toby Walne

F

alling interest rates on saving accounts – some plunging as low as 0.05 per cent – are creating an unexpected boom in demand for home safes as people take their money out of banks.

And although householders might spend £300 on a highly-rated safe to keep notes and a few valuables such as a jewellery and passports, there is also demand for cupboard-sized vaults that are not only almost as hard to break into as Fort Knox but are also fireproof. They come with a high price tag too – with some costing £10,000.

In recent years, major banks such as Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds Bank have stopped offering safe deposit boxes in a bid to save money – leaving challenger banks to plug the gap. Here is our guide to securing the best safe.

Buy Approved Products It is vital to seek expert advice before going out to buy a safe, says Steffan George, a director at the trade body Master Locksmiths Association.

He says: ‘Buying a safe is nowhere near as straightforward as you might imagine. It is important to work out what you are going to use the safe for before buying one that is built to professionally recognised standards.

Safe and sound: The South East-based challenger Metro Bank offers safe deposit box facilities from £200 a year Homeowners who feel safer storing valuables away from their property might consider renting a safe deposit box.

Unfortunately, most high street banks no longer offer a bank vault service, but there are still some specialist providers.

The South East-based challenger Metro Bank offers safe deposit box facilities from £200 a year for a 7.5cm by 12.5cm by 54.5cm locker – and up to £675 a year for a 25.5cm by 25.5cm by 54.5cm safe box.

Royal Bank of Scotland-owned Coutts operates a safe house for its customers in the Strand, Central London.

It charges from £35 a year for an ‘envelope- sized’ space up to £350 for large items, ‘perhaps a sculpture or painting’.

The State Bank of India typically charges between £150 and £200 a year to use its safe deposit boxes.

Specialists such as Metropolitan Safe Deposits offer security at two vaults in London – Knightsbridge and St John’s Wood.

These start at £95 a year for a 4.5cm by 11cm by 41cm security box and go up to £2,403 for a safe space measuring 64cm by 61cm by 46cm.

Valuables kept in bank vaults are not usually covered under home insurance but you may be able to pay extra – perhaps £50 a year – for your treasures to be covered outside the home as well.

The bank will offer top security but not insure your items.

Under Financial Conduct Authority rules that are designed to stamp out money laundering, safe deposit box users must provide a photo and proof of identity to rent a box.

It is also a good idea to tell family and inform a solicitor to ensure that any valuables are also mentioned in any will.

‘I have seen a shop-bought safe that looked the part right until it was dropped on the floor and the locked door flew open.’

The security of a safe can be measured using strict manufacturing standards that vary depending on the level of security required – and the value of cash and treasures that you want looking after.

These standards are given a stamp of approval by the Association of Insurance Surveyors – which is recognised by a purple ‘AiS approved’ logo stamp.

Toni Alder, a locksmith for British safe manufacturer Insafe, says: ‘Before buying a safe discuss the requirements of what you want to store in it with your insurance company – the amount of cash you might want to keep under lock and key as well as valuables, such as jewellery and personal documents. ‘Then go armed with this information to a reputable locksmith who should be able to find and fit the perfect safe for your needs.’

Safe security is not just measured on how tough the box is to crack open – it can also come with fire ratings for those concerned about how valuables such as paper documents or computer material might survive if engulfed in flames.

Quality safes are sold with ratings

meeting European standards – and you want one that at least has an EN 114450 benchmark as recognised by the Association of Insurance Surveyors.

With a basic ‘S1’ rating an insurer should cover for any theft of up to £2,000 in cash and £20,000 of valuables that has been locked up inside a safe. An ‘S2’ rating covers you for up to £4,000 cash.

Added security is offered with the European safe standard EN1143. These safes are separately graded from a lowest ‘0’ – cash rating £6,000 and jewellery up to £60,000 – right up to ‘13’ where you can sleep tight knowing up to £3.5million of cash and £35 million in valuables is covered by an insurer.

Choose Lock And Key How you keep the safe locked is another consideration. Decide whether you prefer a set of keys or an electronic lock with perhaps a four-digit PIN code that must be tapped in to open.

The downside of keys is that you might lose them or they get stolen – while, of course, a PIN has to be remembered.

A locksmith who sold you the safe may provide a backup code in case of emergencies.

“

Steffan George says: ‘Ensure a safe is professionally installed or you could be putting all your valuables in one place and making the job easier for burglars.

Steffan George says: ‘Ensure a safe is professionally installed or you could be putting all your valuables in one place and making the job easier for burglars. It is like putting all your precious items into a goldfish bowl.’ A locksmith might charge £150 to install and fix a safe to a solid wall or to the floor inside your home.

You can get a decent ‘S2’ starter safe for about £300 but a safety ‘1’ graded safe approved by the Association of Insurance Surveyors for protecting up to £10,000 worth of cash can set you back £800.

If you want to lock up a £1.5million collection of treasures – or £150,000 in wads of cash – then you can consider investing as much as £10,000 in a ‘6’ graded safe.

Check Insurance Valuables are listed on your home insurance policy under ‘personal possessions’ with items worth more than £2,000 often having to be individually listed.

Some insurance companies insist highvalue treasures are held in a safe deposit box to get cover.

Any security measures, such as an alarm, must be professionally installed and be up to the standard required by the insurer. You may also be required to carry the safe box keys as security with you when out of the house.

A spokesman for Direct Line says: ‘If a customer has jewellery and watches worth more than £20,000 then we would ask them to be kept in a safe at home – it does not reduce premiums but can be the difference between getting cover and not.’

Householders wanting to stash away large amounts of cash may find insurance hard to come by. The maximum cover on Direct Line’s specialist Select policy is £10,000.

Source: Dailymail.com

world news

Page 35

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

Kenya: Telling the story of Turkana, one film at a time analysis

By Winnie Byanyima

T

urkana, Kenya - Around Lodwar, a town in the arid Turkana region of northwestern Kenya, Carol Akai and Bedan Lomor are recognised by the video cameras they carry.

They are on a mission to put their birthplace on the map and their cameras are the tools with which they hope to make that happen.

The vast, barren area has recently become better known after the discovery of oil and large underground aquifers - but also because of widespread insecurity, including cattle raids and conflicts over resources.

But that’s not the image Akai and Lomor want to project of their region. Although they do not try to conceal the realities of life in Turkana, they feel that there are more important issues affecting their people - such as a shortage of healthcare centres, education facilities and even water - that the world should know about.

A story of challenges “Kenyan media has not done justice to the story of Turkana. What is coming out of the Kenyan media is not the truth of [all that] is happening,” Lomor told Al Jazeera.

“The truth has to be told by people who have been affected, like me.”

Lomor comes from Nakukulus village in the west of Lodwar, and spends much of his time documenting the stories of his people as a citizen journalist.

He strives to shine a light on the day-to-day problems his community faces, such as access to education and healthcare.

Education levels in the area are so low, he says, that only a handful of people carry higher degrees.

“Their children are not going to school,” says Lomor angrily. “When these people get bitten by a spider or a snake, they have no ambulance to take them to the hospital.”

“Those challenges are the story of the people of Turkana.”

Media access Aside from the poverty, Turkana is a difficult and dangerous place for journalists. Although most who go there are accompanied by police, there have been several cases of attacks on journalists and security personnel by bandits in the area, many of which go unreported.

Turkana women sit in a village near Baragoy. Turkana men herd cattle, sheep and goats. Livestock is at the centre of life in Turkana life [Goran Tomasevic/Reuters] But, as a local, this is the least of Lomor’s worries. “[Locals] feel OK with me, they take me in as their son,” he says.

“They will not feel cheated because I will always tell the truth and ask the honest questions. So they take my work in a positive way.”

He believes journalists from outside face a hostile reception because locals have an overwhelming sense of apartness from the rest of the country - not only in terms of distance, but also by the contrast in development.

“We refer to people in other parts of Kenya as ‘Kenyans’ [and not fellow citizens] because they are far ahead of us,” Lomor says, adding that those living in Turkana hear of the new roads, regeneration of the capital city Nairobi, water provision projects and other developments happening in Kenya. “[In Turkana] we have not experienced [these things] at all,” Lomor says. “So, when outside journalists come, the locals easily feel bitter.”

Lomor and his colleagues have

organised themselves into a group, gathering their stories in pairs. With the help of the nongovernmental development and aid agency, Cordaid, and the Content House production company, the journalists are now bringing those stories to life.

Cordaid has helped provide cameras, while Content House assists with training and finding platforms to publish their stories.

Through this project, Cordaid hopes to broaden channels of expression for marginalised communities in Turkana. They are using this project as a pilot with the aim of rolling out similar citizenfocused reporting in other areas of Kenya.

“Communities in Turkana have no access to media as other communities in Kenya do,” says Winston Omondi, a field officer with Cordaid. “There is no way media from other parts of Kenya will come here and express stories of diversity and richness that come from Turkana in the way that local people would in their own perspective.”

“

‘The camera tells the truth’ Carol Akai has chosen to concentrate her stories on issues she feels strongly about.

“I became a citizen journalist because I wanted to help most women of Turkana whose needs are often overlooked in the community.

Because of the traditional culture, a woman does everything from looking after the children, building the home and looking for food,” she said.

“All this work is not recognised, and as long as women don’t know their rights, this will continue.”

Akai s ay s h e r j o u rnal i s m was inspired by the story of her grandmother. After her had grandfather died, she says, her grandmother was left with nothing of the property that she and her husband had worked together to build for many years. There are no legally recognised inheritance laws to protect the interests of women.

“It is from that experience that I have decided to become a role model for the women of this community

She recently put the final touches on a story about a woman who walks several kilometres a day in search of wild fruit and water to feed her family and their livestock. The documentary aims to show the hardships of everyday life for women, as well as to encourage men to take their share of the workload.

and enlighten them about their rights,” she added. She is already imparting her skills to other young people interested in documenting local stories.

She recently put the final touches on a story about a woman who walks several kilometres a day in search of wild fruit and water to feed her family and their livestock.

The documentary aims to show the hardships of everyday life for women, as well as to encourage men to take their share of the workload.

Akai, like her colleagues, uses a video camera to record her stories.

“The camera shows reality. The voice can be manipulated, but the camera tells the truth,” she says.

Once the stories are recorded, they are taken to a video editor in Nairobi who puts them together into a documentary. After that, they are published on social media and distributed to international news outlets.

Peter Murimi, a Nairobi-based filmmaker, is in charge of training the citizen journalists to produce and direct their films. He is part of Content House productions and also helps them edit the stories.

“We thought training Turkana journalists will be most representative of issues that they are facing, rather than me travelling from Nairobi to go and tell [their] stories,” he says.

“They say information is power,” Murimi adds. “The more information that moves up and down, the more the Turkana community is empowered.”

Source: Al Jazeera

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

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News From Africa Mugabe: AU Will Africa’s Elephant Ivory: Sell or Destroy?

Form Splinter Group if Not Given Permanent UN Seat

Z

imbabwe’s president said Saturday that the African Union was planning to form a splinter group with countries such as Russia, China and India if the U.N. Security Council did not include members of his continent next year.

President Robert Mugabe said the African Union was still concerned that it had no permanent seats on the Security Council.

Upon arrival in Harare from New York and this year’s U.N. General Assembly late Saturday, the 92-yearold Zimbabwean leader told ZANUPF supporters that the African Union wanted to be on the Security Council if veto powers of the five permanent members — China, France, the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Russia — were not removed.

“It is not all permanent members being tough. It is Britain, France and [the United States of] America,” he said. “If they remain adamant, they must not cry foul when we agree to form our own organization with countries like China, India and other Asian countries.

H

uge orange flames and plumes of smoke filled the air at Nairobi National Park in April, a sobering image as 105 tons of elephant ivory and 1.35 tons of rhino horn were destroyed.

Kenya conducted the event to demonstrate that ivory has no value to anyone except elephants.

President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged his country’s support for a complete ban of the ivory trade at the conference for the global conservation body known as CITES, which opens Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa.

CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, is expected to make a determination on whether countries in Africa should destroy seized ivory or be allowed to sell it to fund conservation efforts. The question has sparked heated debate on the continent, with some arguing that the future of elephants is at stake.

“Our philosophy has been to burn the entire stockpile,” said Judy Wakhungu, Kenya’s Cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, “because this is one way of demonstrating to the world that if you offer trade in ivory, we give the misimpression that, actually, ivory is

available. And yet it’s this very ivory that’s endangering our species.”

Tens of thousands of elephants have been killed in recent years for their ivory, as a result of strong demand from Asian markets. The recent “Great Elephant Census” showed a 30 percent decline in African savanna elephants between 2007 and 2014.

About 30 African countries, including Kenya, want a comprehensive ban on all international trade in ivory.

“Nobody should buy ivory in the world,” said Paul Udoto, corporate communications manager for the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Namibia and Zimbabwe have officially requested through CITES the right to sell their ivory stockpiles.

Along with South Africa, these countries say they want to put the proceeds toward conservation efforts.

Zimbabwe’s finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, suggested to parliament in July that there could be other uses for the funds from ivory sales.

“We have $9.6 billion worth of ivory in the country, sufficient to write off our debt,” Chinamasa said.

“So this is the paradox of Africa. Rich Africa, poor Africans. Because the

Many conservationists and government officials are seeking to develop international trade regulations aimed at protecting different species [EPA] policies are coming from outside, and imposed on us. They don’t have elephants, but they become members of CITES to ban and stop us from disposing of our own assets.”

South Africa says destroying ivory makes it scarcer, upping the black market price and driving more poaching.

Kenya argues that previous “onetime” sales have demonstrated the opposite is true, and that opening

Making sense of the recent tension in Western Sahara T he tension between Morocco and the Polisario has reached a boiling point following Rabat’s decision to send armed security personnel to the Guerguerat region at the Morocco-Mauritania border.

On August 15, Moroccan authorities announced that they had sent 10 security forces to fight drug trafficking and smuggling of all kinds of goods.

Polisario reacted immediately by sending two letters to the United Nations secretary-general accusing Morocco of violating the 1991 ceasefire agreement, which ended the 16-year war between Morocco and the Algerian-backed movement.

The UN mission in the Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, said after a preliminary investigation that Rabat had not violated the ceasefire. Still, Polisario sent armed troops and posted them 200 metres from Morocco’s gendarmerie.

UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon issued a statement on August 28 expressing concern over the current tension “as a result of changes in the status quo and the introduction of armed units from Morocco and the Polisario in close proximity to each other”.

Ban’s statement was made on the assumption that Morocco had introduced its military into the region.

This assumption was reinforced when the Associated Press

Moroccan protesters wave national flags during a rally against the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Rabat, Morocco in March 2016 [EPA]

published a document submitted to the Security Council accusing both parties of violating the ceasefire.

The “confidential” document said the operation Morocco conducted “was initiated without prior notice to MINURSO, contrary to requirements specified in Military Agreement No 1 of the ceasefire, and with the support of armed security personnel from the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie.”

Following a government cabinet

meeting on August 30, Rabat refuted Polisario’s allegations.

Communication minister and government spokesperson, Mustapha Khalfi, said the operation “takes place because of the danger of insecurity in this region which is witnessing the prevalence of drug trafficking and trade and other illicit practices”. Khalfi added that the operation will continue “in coordination with MINURSO”.

The discrepancy between the

statement issued by the UN chief and Morocco’s announcement that it will continue the “cleanup” operation shows not only a clear gap in the definition of what constitutes the Moroccan army, but also that the UN may have been subjected to pressure and manipulation from the Polisario and its supporters.

Immediately after Morocco sent its armed security personnel to the region, the Polisario media accused it of violating the ceasefire.

up trade for some countries puts elephants across the continent at risk.

“It is very, very hard to distinguish between legal and illegal ivory,” said Philip Muruthi, vice president of species conservation at the African Wildlife Foundation.

“And that means that having a legal supply of ivory in the market perpetuates the killing. And so, the cycle continues.

Ugandan police block gay pride parade

U

gandan police have blocked gay pride celebrations from happening in two resorts outside the capital, Kampala.

Gay rights activist Frank Mugisha said more than 100 LGBTI people tried to participate in the celebrations in Entebbe near Lake Victoria.

But many were escorted by police back to Kampala in minibuses.

The minister for ethics and integrity had threatened to mobilise mobs to attack participants. Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda.

After being blocked from entering the Entebbe resort, several dozen participants moved on to another resort but were kicked out by officers.

This is the second time the LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex] community has tried to hold gay pride celebrations in Uganda this year. In August, the authorities broke up a beauty pageant and arrested activists.

The BBC’s Catherine Byaruhanga reports from Kampala that it is unclear why this event was targeted, as over the past four years celebrations have been held without much notice from the police.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

‘Gaziantep is as safe as Germany and the US’

G

aziantep, Turkey - Located just an hour’s drive from the Syrian border, the Turkish city of Gaziantep has become a massive intake point for refugees fleeing Syria’s civil war, now into its sixth year.

Its proximity to the conflict has also made Gaziantep a target for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), with the group blamed for an attack on a wedding party that killed more than 50 people last month. The city, meanwhile, has been under a heightened state of security for the past week, contributing to increased tensions on the streets.

Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Sahin spoke with Al Jazeera about the refugee influx and the challenges of maintaining security in a border city.

Al Jazeera: How have the past five years reshaped Gaziantep?

Fatma Sahin: When the revolution in Syria began, we tried to support the Syrian people, to protect their lands and their country from separation. As with every war, it affected the neighbouring countries and cities: Antakya, Gaziantep, Urfa and other cities and provinces. The population of Gaziantep increased by 20 percent very quickly. We weren’t aware it would happen so quickly, so we were not prepared, but we quickly started to prepare.

When I became mayor, there were just 3,000 Syrian children in Turkish schools here, and now there are 70,000. We are working very closely with the ministry to help get the 30,000 who have been left out, into the schools.

There are 350,000 Syrians living in Gaziantep, 50,000 inside the camps and the rest outside of the camps.

When we realised this crisis would not be over any time soon, we thought about long-term and middle-term projects. Half of the Syrians are children, and the biggest issue was education. We were aware that if we did not fix this problem, a generation would be lost.

Al Jazeera: Amid this influx, tensions have periodically flared up between Turkish and Syrian residents of Gaziantep, with disputes over issues such as the economic impacts of the refugee crisis. What is being done to address this?

Sahin: Some citizens may be worried about their jobs, the economic struggles, the financial situation, because it has affected some businesses. The Syrian community established 700 factories here in Gaziantep alone.

They have engineers and workers.

They are part of 40 industrial areas in Turkey in general.

Asia&Middle-east Flooding forces China’s colossal radio school closures in India’s telescope begins testing Hyderabad

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he world’s largest radio telescope, which has been built in China, is beginning an intensive testing phase.

Chinese scientists report that the giant dish, which measures 500m (1,640ft) across, is complete and has received its first signals from space.

It will now take three years to calibrate the instrument so it can become fully operational.

The facility, part of China’s drive to become a science powerhouse, was opened at a ceremony on Sunday.

“This is very exciting,” Prof Peng Bo, deputy project manager of the Five Hundred Metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (Fast), told the BBC. “For many years, we have had to go outside of China to make observations - and now we have the largest telescope. People can’t wait to use it.”

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionRebecca Morelle visited China’s telescope earlier this year and took a tour around the giant facility The radio telescope, located in a vast natural crater in Guizhou Province in southwest China, has

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China’s radio telescope measures 500m across

been an ambitious project for the National Astronomical Observatories of China.

With its 500m dish made up of thousands of triangular panels, it dwarfs the former record holder, the Aricebo Observatory in Puerto Rico with a diameter of 305m.

By comparison the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank in the north of England measures 76m across.

Yet despite the scale, construction took just five years and cost $180m (£140m).

Earlier this year, I visited China’s radio telescope to see the final stages of its construction.

It was truly mind-blowing in both its scale and its scientific ambition, and shows just how far China has come in its bid to become a global science powerhouse.

India’s PM Says Pakistan’s Support of Terror Is Destabilizing Asia

ormal life in Hyderabad has been brought to a grinding halt after torrential rain hit eastern India.

Some of the city streets have resembled rivers since the rain turned heavy on Wednesday.

Traffic has found some of the roads impassable and residents have had to wade through waistdeep floodwater in some areas.

The rain was triggered by an area of low pressure which developed within the monsoon rains covering eastern India.

Hyderabad is not the only place to be hit. Much of the neighbouring states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have seen excessive amounts of rain.

Normally this region of India avoids the heaviest of the summer monsoon rains.

It is sheltered by the Western Ghats, a mountain range that runs parallel to the west coast of India.

This ensures that Hyderabad normally receives 165mm of rain in September, far less than Mumbai’s average of 264mm.

However, this month has been far wetter than usual in Hyderabad. In just two days of this week, Wednesday and Thursday, Hyderabad was swamped by 160mm rain, almost the entire average expected in the month.

Sydney Opera House: How to fix an Australian icon

I Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pictured at an election rally of his party in Kolkata in April 2016, says Pakistanis should question why their nation “exports terrorists” to the rest of the world.

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lamming Pakistan as an exporter of terrorism, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused his country’s South Asian neighbor of trying to destabilize Asia and vowed to isolate it in the international community.

These were Modi’s first public comments since a terror attack on an Indian army base heightened tensions between the two countries. They were made at a rally of his Bharatiya Janata Party in the southern Indian city of Kozhikode.

“People of Pakistan should

question their leadership on why, when both countries gained freedom together, while India exports software to the world, Pakistan exports terrorists,” he said.

Alluding to Pakistan, he said that while all Asian countries were working to ensure that the 21st century belongs to Asia, there was one nation working to ensure that this would not happen.

Modi named Afghanistan and Bangladesh as other countries in the region that were also suffering because of terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

The hard-line leader has been under pressure to give a tough response to the attack that killed 18 soldiers at an army base close to the the border with Kashmir. India blamed the attack on the Pakistan-based Islamic militant Jaish-e-Mohammad group. Islamabad strongly denied any involvement and said India had not provided proof to back its accusations.

An Indian Border Security Force soldier patrols the India-Pakistan border area at Ranbir Singh Pura, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Jammu, India, Sept. 24, 2016.

t is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, a perfect synthesis of sculptural white sails that presides over the azure Sydney Harbour.

Opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has a “national identity value” estimated at A$4.6bn (£2.7bn; $3.5bn) by Deloitte, attracts 8.2 million visitors a year and is a World Heritage site listed as a “masterpiece of human creative genius”.

No other piece of architecture epitomises Australia so well.

Now plans have been unveiled for its largest renovations ever, begging the question: how do you upgrade one of the most iconic structures in the world?

As architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall were reported to have said, “so delicate are the nips and tucks at Bennelong Point [where the Opera House sits], it’s like doing cosmetic surgery on the Queen”.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

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Europe & Americas Miami Marlins baseball star Jose Fernandez dies in boat crash

Syria conflict: Russia ‘may have committed war crime’ - Johnson

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he US Coast Guard said Fernandez was one of three people killed in the crash on Sunday, off Miami Beach, Florida.

A scheduled Marlins home game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday has been cancelled.

The club said it was “devastated by the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time”.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Todd Garofalo told local news station WSVN: “They found a boat that was up against the jetties. They did do an initial search and they found three victims - two on top of the water, one underneath the boat and they had unfortunately passed away.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the 32-foot vessel had a “severe impact” with large rocks that form part of the jetty.

The names of the other two individuals are being withheld until their relatives can be informed, the Coast Guard said.

Fernandez shared a picture on Instagram five days ago which appears to show his girlfriend Carla Mendoza pregnant.

Cambridges touch down in Canada

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he Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived in Canada with their children, five years after they visited the country as newly-weds.

The couple, along with Prince George, three, and 16-month-old Princess Charlotte, were greeted by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire after landing in Victoria.

William said his children were starting a “lifetime of friendship” with Canada.

The trip is Charlotte’s first official royal visit.

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionPM Justin Trudeau wanted a high five, but Prince George wasn’t playing ball Later, in Victoria, the duke addressed a crowd of thousands outside the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, saying: “When we were here last time, we had been married only three months.

“The warm welcome that you gave us at that important moment in our lives meant a lot to us - and we have never forgotten it.

“That is why we are so pleased that George and Charlotte can be with us in Canada this time round, beginning their own lifetime of friendship with this wonderful country.”

Bosnia’s Serbs vote over disputed national holiday

Twenty people were killed and 18 lorries destroyed in last Monday’s attack

U

K Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has suggested Russia may have committed a war crime in Syria if it was behind an attack on an aid convoy near Aleppo.

He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that it was right to ask whether Russian forces had deliberately targeted civilians.

Eighteen lorries and a warehouse were destroyed and 20 people killed in last Monday’s attack.

Russia denied responsibility, blaming rebel shelling or a US drone.

Mr Johnson also said Russia was “guilty of protracting” the war

in Syria and of “making it far more hideous”.

His comments came as Aleppo sustained heavy bombing, with the Syrian government saying it had launched an offensive to retake rebel-held areas.

In the latest fighting, rebel forces in the city were reported to have retaken the Palestinian refugee camp of Handarat, on elevated ground north of the city.

The strategic area fell to government troops on Saturday.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Sunday morning in New York to discuss Aleppo.

The meeting was requested by

the US, the UK and France.

United Nations special envoy Staffan de Mistura described last week’s attack, on an aid convoy and Syrian Arab Red Crescent warehouse outside Aleppo, as an “outrage”. The US said two Russian warplanes were involved in the attack.

Mr Johnson appeared to go further, saying the convoy could have been deliberately targeted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was “not only... handing [Syrian President Bashar] Assad the revolver”, he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme. “He is in some instances actually firing the revolver himself.

Mexico: Thousands protest against samesex marriage proposal

Demonstrators want to meet President Pena Nieto to explain their opposition to the proposal

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housands of people in Mexico City have protested against a government proposal to legalise same-sex marriage, which they say would undermine traditional families.

Organisers said they were not opposed to gay or lesbian rights, but wanted to defend family values and the institution of marriage.

The demonstrators called for a meeting with President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Gay and lesbian activists staged rival protests.

Public opinion in Mexico, a

predominantly Roman Catholic nation, has been split since Mr Pena Nieto announced in May plans to change the constitution.

Same-sex marriages are legal in some Mexican states, but Mr Pena Nieto wants it to be allowed across the country.

Leaders of the National Front for the Family, which organised the march, say they are not opposed to LGBT rights.

But they argue that Mexico has fallen victim of an ideological battle that threatens family values and the institution of marriage.

“In a democratic society you cannot impose a single thought,” said Mario Alberto Romo, a spokesman for the group.

Demonstrators are calling for a meeting with Mr Pena Nieto to debate the issue.

LGBT rights supporters turned up at the march to show their backing for Mr Pena Nieto’s proposal to legalise same-sex marriage, but police said there were no clashes.

Some of them carried banners that read: “I’m gay and I’m a Catholic” and “We also have families”.

osnia’s ethnic Serbs have begun voting in a referendum over a disputed national holiday, defying a ban by the country’s highest court and Western pressure to call off a process that risks stoking ethnic tensions in the divided Balkan country.

The referendum, on whether to mark January 9 as “Statehood Day” in the Serb Republic part of Bosnia, on Sunday is the first since a 1992 vote on secession from thenYugoslavia that ignited three years of conflict in which 100,000 were killed.

Polling stations across the predominantly Serb region in Bosnia opened at 05:00 GMT and will close at 17:00 GMT. Organisers said the first preliminary results were expected within 48 hours after the vote.

“I came to vote because every nation and every state has its own national holiday. Accordingly, our Serbian people must have their holiday,” said Vojo Vujakovic, 60, at a polling station near the Bosnian Serb capital of Banja Luka.

Novak Kajkut, another voter in the city, said: “We don’t dispute the right of the Muslim Bosniaks to mark their holidays but they can neither dispute this right to us”.

The Sarajevo-based Constitutional Court has ruled that the holiday would be illegal because it coincides with a Serbian Orthodox Christian holiday and so discriminates against Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats living in the Serb Republic. The court also banned the referendum.

January 9 is the date when Bosnian Serbs declared independence from Bosnia in 1992, precipitating the country’s devastating war marked by mass killings and persecution of Bosniaks and Croats in Serbian territory. It was Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II. Many believe that by defying the court ruling, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodok is aiming to highlight the weakness of post-war Bosnia’s central authorities in Sarajevo and set the stage for a vote on secession.

“The Republic is going into a referendum. It’s a great day for our Republic and our people,” Dodik said on Friday after a trip to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We have to show our dignity, that we are a democratic people and that we have the right to make our own decisions,” he said.

The Serb region’s administration has said it would comply with the court’s ruling on the “Statehood Day” and make changes to its law on holidays to ensure it was not discriminating against other peoples - but only after the vote.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

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Strange

world

Are these the best Snapchats ever? Hilarious photos that should definitely NOT be erased forever sweep the web

By KATE SAMUELSON

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t’s a real shame that Snapchats don’t last longer than just a few seconds.

And looking at this brilliant list, curated by Bored Panda, it’s clear that many deserve to remain in existence for a long, long time.

From witty word play to creative use of the drawing tool, these silly snaps are guaranteed to brighten your day.

One funny image shows two snaps - a before and after. In the before, someone has taken a photo of a long, impressivelooking ice cream captioned ‘This is amazing’.

The second snap, captioned ‘I really want to kill myself now’ shows the same ice cream on the ground.

In another Snapchat, the fold of a girl’s yearbook photo directly covers her face, which is why she’s shared a picture of it with the caption ‘This literally explains my life’.

Someone shared a photo of their washing machine completely on fire, with the caption ‘Today was the first time I did my laundry. It did not go well’.

In another picture, the hedges next to a sign reading ‘Canal Museum’ are so long that they’ve covered up the A - making it look slightly rude.

A brilliant three-part Snapchat shows a ‘hot guy’ at the office then goes on to say ‘Oh God the flash was on’. The final snap reads ‘Abort Mission Abort Mission’ One sneaky Snapchatter took an amusing photo of an elderly man walking his dog - seemingly completely unaware that the cheeky pet had taken a dip in the river parallel to them.

They captioned their candid picture: ‘Should I tell him?’

And another Snapchat shows a woman with the name Sue Yu sitting in what looks like a lecture hall. The snap is captioned: ‘This girl better go to law school’.

One student Snapchatter compares her teacher wearing pink and black to her pink and black highlighter in this funny image.

And an American snap compares a tracksuit-wearing senior student to a freshman donning high heels, showing the huge difference in smartness between the two at frat parties.

The snap is captioned: ‘Senior vs freshmen girls at frat parties’.

One boy shows what happens when your mum adds you as a friend on Snapchat.

He sends her snaps of himself ‘ready to begin class and learn’, ‘singing to Jesus’ with friends and going to bed at the respectable time of 9.13pm.

However, it’s unlikely that these photos are entirely truthful...

One man has made full use of the Snapchats emojis by recreating the classic corridor scene from The Shining - with the twin girl emojis replacing the terrifying twin girls from the film.

Another Snapchat shows a ‘duck’ (although more likely a swan) hanging out with a group of pink flamingos, captioned ‘This duck thinks he’s a flamingo’.

‘I live in a pretty rough neighbourhood’, wrote one Snapchatter, who posted a photo of a red kid’s tricycle unnecessarily attached to a metal bar with a bicycle lock.

Another Snapchatter posted a photo of the windscreen of their car covered with multicoloured filth, with the caption: ‘OH DEAR GOD I JUST HIT A UNICORN’.

And a four-part Snapchat shows a balloon stuffed in a hoodie, resembling a student having a cheeky nap.

The captions on the photos explains that the Snapchatter tricked their teacher into thinking it was an actual student - who proceeded to give him a worksheet to do. The final snap reads: ‘What is wrong with this school?’. that body.’

Some were more direct with their puns, such as one Snapchatter, who posted a picture of Professor Snape, alongside the caption: ‘Snapechat’.

And another posted a picture of some money draped in their guitar, along with the message: ‘Found a dollar in my G-string.’

Others stuck with the musical theme - although they were a little more poetic with their work. stated: ‘He goeth down’.

To this they added some Pitbull magic, with the imput of ‘I yelleth timber’.

Meanwhile others where just happy to look at the funny side of life by turning everything from maths equations to salads into a witty display.

Some even tried to mask embarrassing or low points in their lives with funny photos.

Another documented how

Looking at this brilliant list of Snapchats, curated by Bored Panda , it’s clear that many deserve to remain in existence for a long, long time.

The fold of this girl’s yearbook photo directly covers her face, which is why she’s Snapchatted a picture of it with the caption ‘This literally explains my life’ themselves into Disney princesses. Aladin. he was named ‘Cark’ on a coffee Whereas another Snapchatter This was shown in one popular cup, after telling his barista that image where an unsuspecting man seized the opportunity to draw his name was spelled ‘Marc with himself as the Little Mermaid, had fallen asleep on the sofa. a “c”’. with the apt caption: ‘Unda da He then used his impressive And when all else failed, some sea’. DailyMail on Facebook art skills to give him a cuddle with snappers simply transformed

Page 40

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Digest How antibiotic-resistant superbugs could end up on YOUR dinner plate

Superbugs can easily reach freshwater ecosystems meaning they can easily reach our food

By Serena Caucci

W

e are heading into a postantibiotic era, where common infections could once again be deadly. A phenomenon known as antimicrobial resistance threatens the heart of modern medicine.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when an antibiotic cannot do its job: killing bacteria.

Bacteria become ‘resistant’ to the drugs and continue to reproduce even at high dosages.

This is already happening. We are failing to treat infections, and patients are forced to stay longer in care facilities to overcome them. By 2050, antimicrobial resistance will cause ten million human fatalities annually and lead to a US$100 trillion loss in GDP worldwide.

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in human medicine and animal husbandry to treat bacterial infections or to promote growth are placing our well-being at risk.

This is why global leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly this week to discuss the problem, and accepted an action plan to address it.

To date, the only other health topics discussed at this level are HIV, noncommunicable diseases and Ebola.

What’s the big deal?

Everywhere in the world, common infections are becoming resistant to the antimicrobial drugs used to treat them.

Urinary tract infections and sexually transmittable diseases such aschlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, once curable with antibiotics, are now highly resistant.

Few or none of the antibiotics are effective any more. Put simply, this means longer illnesses and more deaths.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are not showing enough interest in new drug discovery because often the time necessary for a strain of bacteria to develop resistance is shorter than the time needed to test and validate new drugs. What can the UN achieve?

Implementing change is not possible without concerted action from all states.

The meeting in New York is perfectly timed to escalate the issue to a level that befits the magnitude of the problem.

Action to change how antibiotics are used requires proper monitoring.

No single country will be able help without coordination from international organisations.

To help, the UN should ask for support from member states on data and awareness.

International regulations should

be adopted immediately by member states and legally binding global surveillance requested.

There is no time to wait – antibiotic resistance is a real threat and is fast reaching the point of no return.

Still missing from the picture While the conversation on antibiotic resistance has started, one part of the story has not been highlighted. The risks to human and ecosystem health are strongly connected to poor water quality.

After we take an antibiotic to treat bacterial infections, the resistant bacteria in our bodies are excreted, and eventually reach a wastewater treatment plant.

Sewers and treatment plants are the principal collectors of household and hospital waste, where mixtures of different types of bacteria create the optimal conditions for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. Treatment plants bridge the gap between human and natural environments, so both resistant and non-resistant bacteria are able to reach the freshwater ecosystem.

Studying wastewater represents a critical part of understanding the spread of antibiotic resistance, especially if treated wastewater is used as reclaimed water.

With treated wastewater increasingly being used in agriculture

to achieve sustainable water management in arid regions, resistant bacteria may find its way into our food as well.

What is required is a shift from a human health perspective to a systems perspective, taking into account these important environmental aspects.

Where do we go from here?

The action plan from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization declares that the health of all forms of life and the health of the environment are interconnected.

Taking it one step further, the strategy adopted for human and animal health should also include special regard to wastewater.

Water governs most of our activities, and only a comprehensive approach is capable of building an effective global resilience to this problem. By including wastewater to the global action plan, we might be able to slow down the process of developing and spread antibiotic resistance.

While we advocate for awareness, policy, and global standards, at the individual level, you can also take action. At your next doctor’s visit, be informed about antibiotics and take them only with prescription, and only if really necessary.

Source: Dailymail.com

PEOPLES DAILY

Sports

MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

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41

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

Siasia gives NFF 2-week ultimatum to pay five-month salary arrears

Samson Siasia and Mikel Obi

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ormer under-23 coach Samson Siasia has given the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) a two-week ultimatum to settle its debt to him.

Siasia says the NFF owes him five months’ salary arrears from the start of April to August 2016.

The 49-year-old led the country to a bronze medal finish at the Rio Olympics.

Barely five weeks after ending his two-year contract on a high, Siasia said his patience is fast running out.

“I have given them a two week ultimatum to pay me or I will sit inside the NFF office in Abuja until I get paid,” Siasia said.

“The national team is preparing for a World Cup qualifier and to be honest my unhealthy distractions are the last thing they need right now.

“I’ve made it clear in my letter that my assistants and I should be paid the backlog owed because it’s inhuman.

“As head of our families we sacrificed everything for the country but the NFF refused to pay us – it’s not only heartless but wicked,” he said.

A top NFF official acknowledged the debt but said

Siasia’s latest remarks are “unfortunate”.

The NFF attributed the delay to the latest financial procedures which must be adhered to by all.

“There’s a new financial procedure in place, which has not been concluded by the federation,” the NFF official said.

“His latest outburst is just unfortunate but the process (to pay him) is still ongoing. There is no attempt to deny Siasia or his assistants their dues.”

As a player Siasia won the 1994 Nations Cup and played for Nigeria at their maiden appearance at the 1994 World Cup. He was in charge when Nigeria finished as runners-up at the 2005 Fifa U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.

He led the country to the 2015 African U-23 championship and also coached them to silver and bronze medals at the 2008 and 2016 Olympics football event.

It is not the first time Nigerian coaches have been caught in the web of unpaid salaries.

Recently the likes of Christian Chukwu, Shuaibu Amodu, Eucharia Uche, John Obuh, Austin Eguavoen,

Nigerian athletes to reward American coach

>>Pg 42

Stephen Keshi and Sunday Oliseh have gone to the media after seeking payment for outstanding salaries.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Barrister Solomon Dalung has charged the Nigeria Football Federation to pay the U-23 National team’s Coach Samson Siasia.

Barrister Dalung directed the Secretary-General Dr Mohammed Sanusi who was also present to ensure that Siasia gets the arrears of his five month’s salaries.

“Please pay him his five months’ salaries. They said he has resigned but he just said that his contract expired after the Olympics.

His contract expired but you are owing him 5 months’ salaries and you have gone to employ a foreign coach and will pay him in dollars.

It means you don’t like yourselves and nobody will sympathize with you. Please spare me the stress of talking about this salary issue or going to war with you on it. Please pay him and other coaches their outstanding salaries” Dalung said.

Drogba pokes fun at Arsenal’s win against Chelsea >>Pg 43

PAGE 42

Sport National Youth Games: Team FCT will spring surprises - Onyindinma

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

By Albert Akota

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irector of Sports, Federal Capital Territory, Chief Dilichukwu Onyedinma has assured that her contingent to the games will not be a push-over at the 2016 National Youth Games in Ilorin.

Onyendinma, who spoke to sports journalists after the opening ceremony, said the team FCT are battle ready to challenge honours when various sporting event kicks off on Sunday.

“The kids are here, hale and hearty. They are ready to compete at the National Youth Games,” Onyendinma said.

“I’m very grateful to the Minister of FCT and permanent secretary of the ministry of sports for giving us good support to compete at the games. We are featuring one of the youngest athletes about seven years old in chess. We are here with athletes that are grown in the FCT and not because we want to catch them young.

“I urge everyone to watch out for athletes from the FCT as we will never be a push-over against other top teams.

She lamented the parade of over-age athletes at the expense of producing quality talents, urging participating states to put aside the win-at-all-cost mentality by investing in discovery and development of talents.

“The win-at-all-cost syndrome is not helping us to get it right at the grassroots. When you see kids older than U-17, there will not be balance in the competition. We ought to discover and harness these athletes at the grassroots so that they can become stars for the country in the future,” she said.

The FCT delegation are comprising of 80 athletes and 30 officials and will compete in 10 events, namely athletics, Table Tennis, Karate, Cricket, Tennis, Chess, Badminton, Wrestling and Taekwondo.

Nigerian athletes to reward American coach

A

merican track and field coach, Terry Franson, is to be honoured at the 2016 Nigerian International Athletes Association (NIAA) according to a statement signed by the association’s president, Grace Apiafi.

Apiafi, a California-based Professor of Health Sciences, said the NIAA recognizes the invaluable contributions of Coach Franson to Nigeria’s athletic prowess.

Coach Franson turned talented Nigerian athletes like Innocent Egbunike and Fatimat Yusuf into Olympics and IAAF World Championships medalists at the Azusa Pacific University, California.

Other talented Nigerians who became world beaters under Franson’s mentorship include Christian Okoye, a national champion discus thrower before advancing to a successful pro football career.

The Ezinwa twin brothers, Osmond and Davidson Ezinwa, both Olympics and World Championship medalists; as well as World University Games Champion and African Champion in discuss and shot-put, Ade Olukoju.

Other includes Airat Bakare, Blackman Ihem, Herbie Akpom, Patrick Nwanko, and Ike Mbadugha.

Apiafi said Franson’s life-changing impact extends beyond the world of athletics.

His top-tier coaching of Nigerian athletes came with a welcoming spirit that made the athletes feel at home and included an emphasis on spiritual development, she said.

“While developing their athletic abilities to compete at the highest levels, they benefited from Franson’s care and devotion to thrive in their education.

He mentored many of his former athletes all through college till graduation.

In 1984, Franson was an advisor for the Nigerian Olympic team during the Los Angeles Summer Games.

Nigerian Athletes

Team FCT

Royal father donate land Nigeria’s performance at Rio for Kesh’s training centre Osakhare Erese, Asaba

Olympics was not abysmal – Dalung

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M

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi

Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youth and Sports

he dream of Edo and the entire Nigerian football families to immortalized late football legend Stephen Okechukwu Keshi is already being realized as the Enogie of Obazuwa His Royal Highness Prince Edun Akenzua, MFR and his people have donated a parcel of land measuring 1000 x 1000 for the construction of the Stephen Keshi Football and Vocational Training Centre.

The Enogie announced the donation during the ground breaking ceremony at the weekend in Obazuwa Community Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. The parcel of land he said was given out free of charge.

In his welcome address, the royal father through his nephew HRH Prince Ewaenosefe Iyieweka who stood in for him, said he was delighted to contribute to plans immortalize a football Icon in the person of late Stephen Keshi who gave his all in his time. “Keshi started his football career in Benin City. The glorious career took him to Europe, America and all over Africa and he was a successful player and coach”. He emphasized.

Prince Akenzua said when the National Association of Nigeria Professional footballers (NANPF) approached him with a request to give them a parcel of land to establish the football and Vocational Training Centre, four considerations ran through his mind.

First, the request gave him the opportunity to do something good for our generation and the generation yet unborn. “Second, I was happy to hear that the centre would be named after our illustrious son Stephen Keshi who departed this world at a young age of 54 only recently after a successful football career”..

inister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Saturday in Ilorin said he was disappointed with those who said Nigeria performed abysmally at the Rio 2016 Olympics Games.

Dalung, while declaring open the second edition of the National Youth Games (NYG), said comments describing Team Nigeria’s performance at Rio 2016 Olympics as abysmal worried him.

He said he was in this state because Nigeria’s outing in Rio was better than that of the London 2012 Olympics where the country failed to win a single medal.

Team Nigeria to the Paralympics in Rio which ended about three weeks after the Olympics won eight gold two silver and two bronze medals.

In 2012 at London about three weeks after the Olympics, Team Nigeria to the Paralympics won six gold, five silver two bronze medals.

Dalung, in his argument, pointed out that Nigeria set a unique record at the Rio Olympics with Aruna Quadri being the first African to reach the quarter-finals in male table tennis.

“Chierika Ukogu was also the first black athlete to reach the semi-finals of the rowing event,’’ he said.

Returning to the NYG, the Minister said the Games have assumed a global status.

Dalung said the country must move with the trend of events in line with international best practices to develop sports from the grassroots.

“Sports in Nigeria has grown and have contributed immensely to national unity. It has equally brought about a stronger binding spirit as well as the detribalisation of Nigeria,’’ he said.

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Sport

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

pokes fun at Griezmann strikes 10-man Drogba Arsenal’s win against Chelsea Deportivo La Coruna T he Blues’ legend has congratulated the Gunners for their victory against his former club but Didier Drogba has congratulated Arsenal after their 3-0 victory over arch rivals Chelsea at the Emirates stadium on Saturday.

First half goals from Alex Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil gave the Gunners maximum points’ against the

Stamford Bridge giants.

The Montreal Impact forward who scored16 goals in 16 appearances against Arsene Wenger’s men believe that the result wouldn’t have been the same if he was on parade.

“Congrats on your win bro @ theowalcott but it is easy for the mouses to dance when the cats aren’t there” Drogba retweeted Walcott’s tweet.

Griezmann

A

tletico Madrid maintained their unbeaten start to the season as a second-half goal from Antoine Griezmann secured a deserved 1-0 victory over 10-man Deportivo La Coruna.

The visitors lost Moroccan midfielder Faycal Fajr who was sent off in first-half stoppage time and Atletico eventually took advantage of their numerical superiority with 20 minutes left.

Griezmann, who had been a threat throughout, rifled home his fifth goal in the last four games from close range after being picked out by substitute Kevin Gameiro.

Some of the gloss was taken off

the home side’s victory, however, by the loss of Augusto Fernandez and Jose Gimenez to knee and thigh injuries respectively during the first half. Both must be regarded as major doubts for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

A fourth win in five games in all competitions moved Diego Simeone’s men up to third in LaLiga, one point behind secondplaced Barcelona and a further point back from leaders Real Madrid.

Gaizka Garitano’s men never seriously threatened to secure what would have been their first

victory since the opening day of the league campaign, even before Fajr’s premature departure and they remain precariously positioned just one point above the relegation places.

A sluggish, disjointed opening to the game was notable only for Simeone being forced to introduce Gabi from the bench after just 19 minutes.

The club skipper had been named among the substitutes, presumably in a bid to keep him fresh for the Bayern Munich game, but he was forced into the fray after Fernandez was stretchered off.

TP Mazembe oust holders Etoile to reach Confed Cup final

T

P Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo drew 0-0 at home with holders Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia to squeeze into the African Confederation Cup final on the away-goals rule.

Mazembe and Etoile du Sahel, winners of the two major African club competitions last year, went into the second leg of the semi-final level at 1-1 on aggregate.

This was the third match between the two clubs this year, with hosts Mazembe notably lifting the

Drogba

Balogun doubts for Zambia clash after injury blow

African Super Cup last February by winning 2-1.

Mazembe, the 2015 African Champions League winners, went into their home leg of the Confederation Cup semi-final in Lubumbashi as favourites to achieve overall victory.

However, in a tight match, the hosts struggled to make home advantage count and could not break the defence of their Tunisian opponents.

Mazembe’s progress to the final came courtesy of their goal in the first leg in Sousse, when they came from behind to draw 1-1 with Etoile.

Leon Balogun

M TP Mazembe and Etoile du Sahel

ainz’s defender Leon Balogun could miss Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia having suffered a 3-2 defeat to Bayern Leverkusen on Saturday.

Balogun who was named in the Bundesliga team of the week last week, was replaced in the ninth minute of the encounter after a suspected hamstring

injury.

He is expected to undergo a scan in the coming days to determine the extent of the injury and how long he stay on the sidelines.

Coach Gernot Rohr could be forced to name a replacement for the defender against the crunch game against Chipolopolo in Ndola.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

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OBINAGU-UDI WOMEN ASSOCIATION ABUJA BRANCH

KUGBO MARKET INTERNATIONAL TRADERS ASSOCIATION FCT ABUJA

LIFE COMPASSIONATE HOME FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.OBI-ALIO CHEKWUBECHI VIVIAN (MRS) 2.EUPHEMIA CHIOMA EZE 3.ENEIGA ROSEMARY UCHE 4.ANEKE CECILIA NKEIRUKA 5.ONYIBA CHINYERE HENRIETTA 6.VIVIAN IFEYINWA AGU 7.CAROLINE NNEKA ANOSIKE 8.ENEH EDNA ANAYOCHUKWU 9.CHIBUZO ANGELA ENEH 10.FLORENCE NWAKAEGO CHIME THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.TO PROMOTE PEACE, UNITY AND PROGRESS AMONG MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.PRINCE EMEKA EGWUEKWE - CHAIRMAN 2.MR. VICTOR OGBOYE - MEMBER 3.MR. JOHN EKEMEZIE - MEMBER 4.MR. DAVID FASAE - MEMBER 5.DEACON CHARLES ANYANWU - MEMBER 6.MR. EUGENE ONYEAMA - MEMBER 7.MALLAM IBRAHIM GARBA MOHAMMED - MEMBER 8.MR. MICHAEL OJO LUCKY - MEMBER THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO PROMOTE MEMBERS AND THEIR TRADING ACTIVITIES. 2.TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARKET AND ASSIST IN SUPPORTING GOVERNMENT POLICY ON MARKET DEVELOPMENT. 3.TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS IN PROMOTING MEMBERS TRADES, CRAFTS AND BUSINESS WITHIN AND OUTSIDE NIGERIA. 4.TO ADVICE MEMBERS TO ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION IN THEIR CONDUCT, SECURITY AND WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

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PENTECOST APOSTOLIC INTERNATIONAL MISSION

SIGNED : SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.REV. DR. MAXWELL OGAZI CHIKA 2.MRS. CHIKA GOODNESS ADAKU THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO HELP THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THE SOCIETY. 2.TO ASSIST THE ORPHANS, WIDOWS AND ELDERLY IN THE SOCIETY. 3.TO HELP ACHIEVE FOCUSED DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO WOMEN AND YOUTH, ESPECIALLY THE RURAL AND URBAN POOR. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY

RHEMA SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD FOUNDATION

CHRIST CITADEL TABERNACLE III INTERNATIONAL THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

SIGNED : SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. AKHUEMOKHAN OMOKHODION CHARLES. CHAIRMAN 2.EMOHI AKHUEMOKHAN CECILIA 3. DOGO EMMANUEL akhigbe 3. OGEDEGBE ODUMALE UZEZI 4. AUSTIN GODWIN CHIAZOR ONUOHA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. TO PROMOTE AND PROVIDE TRAININGS AND CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING. 2.TO PROJECT PUBLIC POLICIES AND PROJECTS THAT PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

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PUBLIC NOTICE

THE WAY OF HOLINESS EVANGELICAL MINISTRY

TREASURE VINE POVERTY ALLEVIATION INITIATIVE

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REMOVAL AND APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE NEW TRUSTEES ARE: 1.MARTHA JOHN WILLIAMS 2.STEPHEN JOHN WILLIAMS 3.ALEX JOHN WILLIAMS 4.NANCY JOHN WILLIAMS 5.ELIZABETH JOHN WILLIAMS THE OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1.REV. DR. JOSEPH WILLIAMS - REMOVED 2.PASTOR SAMUEL UFOT - REMOVED 3.EVANGELIST GIDEON USMAN - REMOVED THE OLD TRUSTEES HAVE CEASED TO HOLD OFFICE BY REASON OF DEATH AND LACK OF INTEREST IN THE CHURCH. THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS CHANGES SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Rev. Prophet Dr. Gabriel Ajayi Akeju 2. Rev. Evang. Mary Oluwasefunmi Akeju 3. Emmanuel Temitope Akeju 4. Mrs Adedotun Oyegunle 5. Elder Vincent Dare Olowo THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE : 1.To propagate the gospel of jesus christ.

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

The general public is hereby notified that the above named initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap C20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The Trustees are: 1.DAMILOLA ESTHER ADIO - CHAIRMAN 2.AKINROPO SAMSON OYETADE - SECRETARY 3.RADHIAT GBEMISOLA GBADAMOSI 4.SUNDAY JIDE OYETADE 5.EMMANUEL OLUWAGBEMIBA AGORIOGE Aims and objectives: 1.To create long lasting self employment and work opportunities for less privileged people and those with low incomes; including women, thereby easing their self sufficiency.

2.To enable displaced people and those with low incomes including women, to depend less on humanitarian assistance and become self sufficient.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja – FCT, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: GBENGA ADEOSUN ESQ. 08133653318

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

GRAY’S LEGAL AID AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION INITIATIVE

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap C20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The Trustees are: 1.FOLARIN ADEMOLA OLAYINKA - CHAIRMAN 2.ILO ESTHER OLUFUNKE - TREASURER 3.FOLARIN OMOLOLA TOLULOPE - SECRETARY 4.OLUOMO OLAKUNLE TAIWO - MEMBER Aims and objectives: 1.To carry out human rights sensitization and advocacy projects.

2.To engage in humanitarian supports and empowerment for people at the grassroot.

3.To promote the ideals of democracy and good governance at the grassroot.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja – FCT, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: GBENGA ADEOSUN ESQ. 08133653318

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.CHINEDUM UGWUOWO EVERESTUS 2.PEREBOH SANAMI 3.SARAH BIMBOLA OLANREWAJU THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. TO PROVIDE LEGAL AID FOR PRISONERS WHO’S THEIR LEGAL AND HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATED. 2. TO PROVIDE LEGAL AIDS FOR LESS PRIVILEGED THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED AND THEIR HUMAN AND LEGAL RIGHTS VIOLATED FROM THE HANDS OF THE AUTHORITIES AND PEOPLE AT LARGE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) REV. GBENEAKPOBARI BARON NWIZIINEE (2) MRS. GBENEAKPOBARI EVELYN IYAYE. (3) MR. NWAGUA LETAM DAVID THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1.TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : BARR. PAUL ASIMIAKPEOKHA. 08032887523

DAVIS LIFE FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap C20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The Trustees are: 1.EFE EGBARIN-DAVIS 2.SIR. STEVEN OMOJAFOR 3.LAURENCE DAVIS 3.KENIM OBAIGBENA Aims and objectives: 1.To promote and support human capacity development.

2.To promote and support education in its entire ramifications.

3.To promote and support the welfare and well-being of vulnerable children, youths, women and elderly in the society.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja – FCT, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: MARSHALL CHUKWUEMEKA ONWUMERE ESQ. 08128163883

PUBLIC NOTICE HEALTH AID TRUST FUND

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.ONYEACHONAM NNEAMAKA ADAMMA 2. NNABUCHI CHIDI VALENTINE 3. DR. COLLINS A. KALU 4. ARCH. JULIUS IBECHEOLE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO PARTER AND COLLABORATE WITH NATIONAL, COMMUNITY STRUCTURES AND RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS TO PROMOTE AND FACILITATE ACCESS AND UPDATE OF QUALITY COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN LGAs ACROSS THE NIGERIAN STATES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

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SEIF EMPLOYED COMMERCIAL DRIVERS ASSOCIATION ABUJA ( SECDAA) CAC/ IT NO: 18344.

VALOUR EMPOWERMENT INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE

INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR POST CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND REHABILITATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR CHANGE OF TRUSTEES AND AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

(A) NAMES OF OLD TRUSTEES: 1.UGWU KENNETH EZEH 2. OSITA ADINGWU 3. ONOJA SUNDAY SOLOMON 4. RAPHEAL CHUKWUEMEKA UGODU 5. IGBOANUGO RAYMOND OLISAELOKA. (B)NAMES OF NEW TRUSTEES: 1.OKORIE UCHE VICTOR, 2. EMEKA ALEXANDER EGBO, 3.ANENE MARCEL ASOGUWA, 4. CHUKWUDI NWAMBU, 5. lKEDI NATHANIEL MBAH AND 6.CHIEF (DR) EUGENE EKE NZOM OJUKWU ( MON).

(C) CHANGING OF CONSTITUTION. THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS CHANGES SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. RUKAYAT AKANKE AYINLA - CHAIRMAN 2. OGAH JANET - SECRETARY 3. TANKO AHMED 4. MOHAMMED LAWAL ARGUNGU 5. ADO IBRAHIM UMAR 6. ABASHE SALISU 7. PETER MONDAY THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To empower the less privileged with special focus on women and children.

2. To enable women and children acquire better health services and educational opportunities.

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

JANET TEMITOPE

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS JANET FOLAYEMI FALUYI. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS JANET TEMITOPE OYELADE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE

THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR CHANGE OF TRUSTEES UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1.OKAFOR CHRISTIAN IZUCHUKWU - CHAIRMAN 2.OTAGHER BENJAMIN TERHEMBER - SECRETARY 3.OKOYE REMIGIUS CHINEDU - MEMBER 4.BEGHA CHRISTOPHER MSUGH 5.VIVIAN LEKWOT EZRA THE NEW TRUSTEES ARE: 1.OKAFOR CHRISTIAN IZUCHUKWU - CHAIRMAN 2.OTAGHER BENJAMIN TERHEMBER - SECRETARY 3.OKOYE REMIGIUS CHINEDU - MEMBER 4.BEGHA CHRISTOPHER MSUGH 5.VIVIAN LEKWOT EZRA 6.OGBOGU IGNATIUS THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO PROMOTE PEACE AND UNITY AMONG THE PEOPLE IN THE SOCIETY. 2.TO EMPOWER YOUTH IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH. 3.TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER INTERNAL DISPLACED PERSONS (DIPs) IN AFFECTED TROUBLE AND CRISES COMMUNITIES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS CHANGES SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: PIOUS I. EZEMA ESQ, 0806688192

PUBLIC NOTICE OLD NAME : EMSONO INITIATIVE FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT NEW NAME: FOUNDATION FOR THE MAROONED THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR CHANGE OF IT NAME AND APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEE UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1) Eng. John Okodi Iyah -Retained 2) Elder Emmanuel Umah JP - Retained 3) Emaeyak Egharevba - Retained THE NEW TRUSTEE 4) Solomon Egharevba - Appointed.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAINED THE SAME. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS CHANGES SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY

PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

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INTERVENTION STRATEGY FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALTH INITIATIVE

GOD‘S END TIME KINGDOM DOMINION MINISTRY FOR ALL NATIONS,HAND OF GOD

YADEL FOUNDATION FOR YOUTHS EMPOWERMENT

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. EJIGA PRISCILLA 2. MICHAEL ACHIMUGU 3. KENE DANLADI ASSUZU 4. ORTESE PHILIP

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1). Francis Effanga Edet.

(2). Cordelia Ogboko.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To Promote Nutritional Health Awareness ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : PETER ONUH 08065669570

PUBLIC NOTICE

SAM AMAGA FOUNDATION RC. 45358

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for change of trustees Under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

Change of trustees are: 1.Dr. Sam Amaga ........Retained 2. Dr. Love Sam Amaga ......Retained 3. Covenant Sam Amaga...... Retained 4. Ezekiel Sam Amaga ........Retained 5. Joyce Sam Amaga ........Retained 6. Chris Omeruo........ Appointed 7. Justice Steve Ada...... Retained 8. Faith Sam Amaga...... Retained 9. Isaiah Sam Amaga ......Retained 10. Ocholi James (San) appointed.

Aims & Objective Remain the same

The Aim & Objective: To preach the gospel of christ to all Nations.

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

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Olukayode PITAN 2. Oluwaseun Oluwafemi AKARAKIRI 3. Olusegun Olatunde LAWAL 4. Arit ADADEVOH 5. Ubong-Abasi INYANG 6. Mrs. Suoton ELIHAI The AIM And Objective: To help youths discover their real personal purpose for existence.

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

SIGNED : Ikpe Monday Esq

PUBLIC NOTICE HAVEN AID FOUNDATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Obukome Elaine Ibru 2. Elvina Baby Ibru 3. Elsie Uvie Oluku 4. Juliet Nkiruka Azodo Aim: TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF ITS MEMBERS.

PUBLIC NOTICE Sahel Development Initiative

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Musa muhammad zarami (Chairman).

2. Muhammad Abba Sanda 3. Ibrahim hamza Dikwa 4. Muhammad nura sani 5. Ali Audu Damasak (Secretary) Objectives: 1. To Mobilise youths & less privileges for development and empowerment, 2. To Connect less privileges with empowerment opportunities.

3. To assist the youth, women and the less privileged in activities that will bring development in the society. Etc. Signed Secretary.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja, within 28 days from the date of this publication.

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

Signed : Alisi Ijeoma ( Esq) Solicitor

SIGNED : SECRETARY

SIGNED : SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

Dream Crystallisers Developmental Organisation

God First International Worship Centre

Rural People’s Assembly

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for change of trustees Under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990. trustees are: 1. Stephen Kayama 2. Efegi Kemeabogha 3. Gabriel P. Ndoni 4. Fynman G. T. Fineman 5. George Eden 6. Davis Mieyegbolaborfa 7. Aniso Abraham 8. Oyarede Ayaperebo

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Ayaowei W. Elson 2. Lelei Joseph Irorodekemie

AIMS: 1. To promote sustainable development in rural areas through promoting best practices in project monitoring and evaluation in Nigeria 2. To promote good governance, equitable resource management and unity in Nigeria.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja, within 28 days from the date of this publication.

AIMS: 1. To promote love and unity amongst people in the society.

2. To promote viable developmental ideas.

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

Signed : Secretary.

SIGNED : SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

KING’S COURT ROYAL PRAISE ARENA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named, has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Change Of name from OLD NAME: KING’S COURT ROYAL PRAISE ARENA. To KING’S COURT ROYAL ASSEMBLY. under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES REMAIN THE SAME. THE AIM AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME. Any objection to this registration must reach the Registrar-General of Corporate Affairs Commission Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Ugwueze Ezekiel Obioma.

07030893608.

TAIWAN FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION IN NIGERIA

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

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Some Interesting Facts 24.) Mandela and 150 others were arrested on December 5, 1956 and charged with treason.

They were all acquitted in 1961.

25.) During his years of hiding, to evade arrest, Mandela adopted different forms of disguises that earned him the title of the “Black Pimpernel”.

26.) Although he started and wanted to achieve independence through non-violence approach he moved to armed struggle as a last resort.

27.) The MK guerrilla wars waged against the apartheid regime resulted in numerous civilian casualties.

28.) Mandela admitted that the ANC, in its struggle against apartheid, also violated human rights.

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29.) Nelson Mandela was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges in 1962.

30.) He was imprisoned for 27 years and was released in 1990, 18 years of which were spent in the Robben Island – that eventually came to be so-called “Mandela University”.

31.) In prison, Mandela never compromised his political principles and was always a source of strength for the other prisoners.

32.) Mandela was as a D-group prisoner, the lowest classification, where he was allowed one visitor and one letter (often made unreadable by the prison censors) every six months.

33.) Mandela was offered his freedom in 1985 by President Botha but turned it down and released a statement saying “What freedom am I being offered while the organization of the people remains banned?

Only free men can negotiate. A prisoner cannot enter into contracts.”

34.) It was President De Klerk who announced Mandela’s release in February 1990. This historic event was broadcast live all over the world.

35.) He was the very first South African president to be elected in a fully democratic election.

Say what?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Children encounter a polar bear at the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat in Ontario, Canada.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

QUOTABLE QUOTE “We have so far reunited 23 families from North Eastern Nigeria after they were separated and lost contact due to Boko Haram conflict”.

. . . putting the people first

MONday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

SPORTS latest

Eagles, Algeria clash: NFF rejects Port Harcourt for Uyo

By Albert Akota

T

he Nigeria Football Federation has stated that the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo will host the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying fixture between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Desert Foxes of Algeria as against the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt being mentioned in some section of the media.

The Rivers State government, it was reported on Saturday, were said to have accepted request from the NFF to host the match billed for November 7,2016.

But the spokesman of the Federation, Ademola Olajire informed Completesportsnigeria.com at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta on Sunday that there is no truth in the report.

“Our game against the Algerians will take place at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo,” Olajire disclosed, “I don’t know where the Port Harcourt story came from, but it’s important for media men to confirm story like this from the NFF before releasing it out for public consumption.

“The NFF didn’t write any letter to the River State government as we have already concluded on the choice of Uyo for the game.”

The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo hosted Nigeria’s last home fixture against Tanzania, a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier earlier this month.

Firstly, the Super Eagles will take on the Chipolopolo of Zambia in their opening fixture of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers on October 9 at the Levy Nwanawasa Stadium in Ndola before welcoming the North Africans.

Advert: business: news: lagos:

— Red Cross

Corruption: Who cheats?

Most of us, it turns out!

T

he above headline came from The FCPA Blog, one of the anti-corruption international blogs I subscribed for news and commentaries. I became curious to go through the write-up authored by Caveni Wong. He discussed something so intriguing that normally passes as part of our behavioural traits but never taken serious CHEATING- as an integral form of CORRUPTION. Here are a few excerpts from the article: “It is an uncomfortable thought, but given certain circumstances, most of us would cheat. Ron Carucci just wrote about how easily one can cross the line in Forbes article that featured a conversation with Richard Bistrong.

The cheating often involves people who don’t even realize that they are crossing the line. “Studies have repeatedly shown that most people cheat when asked to selfreport their own performance on a task if it means a higher payout. But they only cheat a little bit, enough to gain a little extra benefit, but not so much that they’d feel bad about themselves. “That’s consistent with what I observed early in my career. Lunch among a few colleagues would somehow become a “client” meal, in which actual client names would be scribbled on a receipt and submitted for reimbursement.

A colleague admitted he often embellished expenses. A $45; a $25 dinner into $40 -- a practice my colleague said he learnt from watching others. “These small transgressions tended to be committed by those I considered to be good work ethic.

Those employees didn’t know they had crossed the line.

Their actions were just part of the informal culture. And that’s the insidious nature of minor cheating that goes unchecked.

It slowly builds up a culture that can eventually set the stage for more serious violations. “ This is the crux of the matter. Corruption has so eaten deep into the fabric of everything in our lives- be it social, political and economic –a malaise that is presently driving Nigeria’s economy to its worst recession in history. Then, who is to blame? I draw strength from John 8, where Jesus Christ

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Monday Column

By Folu Olamiti exonerated and rescued a woman allegedly caught in adulterous act from accusers who were ready to stone her to death. Jesus simply stooped down, and scribbled something on the ground and asked a thunderbolt of a question: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”.

That question pricked their consciences. One by one, they moved away. What a timeless lesson for all. Today, many of us are shouting corruption at the rooftops. At most major fora, the thrust of discussion is corruption but in our subconscious minds, are we not guilty one way or another? Do we not cheat and cut corners in our inter-personal dealings- be it at home, at work and businesses? How many of us can vouch that if appointed into higher public office will not cheat? Just look around you, and tell me if corruption is not staring at you. Seriously, I believe that instead of mouthing corruption at every public discourse, let us start a serious re awakening of anticorruption crusade, starting from ourselves, home and neighbours.

Our children,today, have lost every value of integrity through the mind-boggling revelations of looters of the national treasury being hyped by the media on daily basis. These looters are not aliens. They are not ghosts.

They are people at our backyards and homes. It is not too late to start fighting the monster from

self. Man’s insatiable greed for primitive acquisition is so alarming that you keep wondering whether he will ever leave this Mother Earth. When you look at the crazy acquisitions, one discovers that most of them are products of cheating. Then, where do we draw the line between cheating and corruption?There is a very thin line between them.

In fact, they are birds of the same feather. In writing this article, I sought the perspectives of some of my friends and I got them talking. One of them, Mr. Femi Adefemiwa, said:“What a sound argument! There is no collective guilt but individual guilt. By nature, every human being is selfish and perhaps self-centred.

The deprived background which a significant number of us experienced, and the undue societal expectations from us, have created some primordial tendencies in us, e.g. primitive acquisition. To make matters worse, justice in our land is always to the higher bidder.

So, an innocuous combination of these ills has put us where we are today.

But we have to start somewhere. Cleaning the mess must not be by academic exercise.

Whether we are all guilty or not, we just have to draw a line and start from somewhere.

And perhaps we have started.”

Another contributor from the United States of America, who

It is rather tragic that the Buhari team never considered the fact that revenue from oil was dropping drastically due to prevailing circumstances on the international oil market at the time they took over; they similarly never prepared for a resumed war in the Niger Delta even though they were forewarned

identified himself simply as Tolu, wrote: “Your Food For Thought is direct and challenging indeed.

It is the type of introspection that will help us not to be hypocrites.

It is like admitting categorically that I have never sinned. I admit that I’m not pious enough to admit that I’m free from the taint of moral and character flaws. As human, I still need to recognize the society’s decadence and my personal contribution to such moral bankruptcy.

The challenge of the conundrum is knowing how to maintain a balance between transparency in my conducts and standing against blatant disregard for the rule of law and sense of decency by the people in power.” >> Similarly, another friend, Fisan Bankale, loved the Food For Thought “because it energized my thoughts in the direction of how to get people to own up to their contribution. Let me share a thought here. A man or family whose son or daughter was given a job at CBN or FIRS would go to church or mosque to thank God. But that job is a proceed from a corrupt act because the job was through an abuse of due process.

The late Yar’adua publicly acknowledged that the election that brought him to power was riddled with fraud. Such open acknowledgement of wrong doing is what everyone should subscribe to.”

Folu Olamiti (Media Consultant) lives in Abuja

DAN GAYE Journalists escape lynching in Zamfara -News

Where is press freedom?

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