Peoples Daily, Thursday, April 28, 2016. Edition.

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Thursday, April 28, 2016 / Rajab 20, 1437 AH

. . . putting the people first

<< pAGEs 6, 16, & 40 >> Chibok 745 Days4,Will the18abducted schoolgirls ever be rescued? after:

@pmlonline

peoplesdailyng

Vol. 22 No. 66 N150

Another fire razes Kurmi Market in Kano, 95 shops burnt pAGE 14

Go after killer - herdsmen, Buhari orders military, police pAGE 5

Saraki to CCT chair: Step down, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re corrupt

page 5 R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari welcoming the World Bank Managing Director, Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati to the Presidential Villa, yesterday In Abuja.

Oil climbs to 2016 highest of $46.77 pAGE 22

World Bank Bank endorses Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic policies pAGE 5

20 oil thieves bag 6 years jail term >> pg 3

pAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

PAGE 2

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

19-22 23

S/Report 24-25 Property 27

Violence not solution to religious differencesEgyptian scholars counsel Nigerians From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

In their effort to promote peaceful coexistence among Muslims and Christians in the world, a team of Islamic scholars from Egypt yesterday counseled Nigerians Muslims and Christians on the need to live in peace and harmony, saying violence will never be a solution to religious differences in the country and world in general.

According to them, there is the need for followers of both religions to say no to violence against each other.

The leader of the team of scholars from Egypt, Dr Rabie Jumua Muhammad told the gathering of Muslim and Christian scholars at an interaction

held in Jama’atul Nasril Islam Headquarters in Kaduna, to always embrace dialogue when faced with challenges.

“We need to say no to violence because violence is never a solution to problems. We must embrace tolerance; we must embrace peace and coexistence.

We have to say no to inhuman behavior against each other regardless of religion, tribal affiliations.

“This is what Islam teaches us. Islam is a religion of peace and it teaches us to show love towards all humanity. We must tolerate other religion because we are created by one God. No religion weather Christianity of Islam advocates violence. The two religions always advocate to

people to resolve crisis peacefully.

“Verses of the holy Quran tell us that Allah created us in different tribes and groups to understand each other and the most pious among you in the sight of Allah are the righteous.

Meaning those who behave well.

We must emulate the values of our Prophet peace be upon him who teaches us to spread love among humanity,” he said.

He also cautioned Muslims to avoid acting violently against others, saying Islam doesn’t teach bad behavior.

“We must learn to spread the value of peace and tolerance and to also help the needy and the poor among us. These are good values that we should emulate.

We are all brothers from one

Motoring 28 Arts 30

creator,” he said.

In his remarks, Secretary General of Jama’atul Nasril Islam, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu said the essence of the Egyptian scholar’s visit to Nigeria was to counsel both Muslim and Christian scholars on religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

He commended them for taking their time to visit Nigeria to spread gospel of peace.

Founder Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation of Nigeria, Pastor Yohana Buru who represented the Christian community at the interaction thanked the organizers and the visiting scholars for giving him the chance to listen and make his own contribution about peace from the Christian perspective.

He said Christians and Muslims have a long relationship, saying their relationship is unique.

He assured the visiting scholars of his commitment to spread the words of peace, so that Nigeria, particularly Kaduna state will move away from religious crisis in future.

Scholarship, book in memory of late Rufa’i soon –Ibrahim

By Usman Audu

A

6, 000 civil servants protest sack in Delta Page 10

Arts

30

Metro

31

S/World

39

Digest

40

Sports 41 Columnist 48

We want to hear from you The Peoples Daily wants to hear from you with any news and pictures you think we should publish.

You can send your news and pictures to: adverts@peoplesdailyng.com pictures@peoplesdailyng.com contact@peoplesdailyng.com

Phones for News: 08142929046 08024432099

L-R: Chairman, Bauchi State House of Assembly’s Committee on Information, Mr. Ibrahim Hassan with Editor-In-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Alhaji Lawal Ado, during the chairman’s visit to NAN headquarters, yesterday in Abuja

Nigeria-China relations will boost manufacturing — DG NIIA

T

he Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, has said that enhanced relations between Nigeria and China would “compel” manufacturing in Nigeria.

Akinterinwa said this on the side line of China-Africa Conference organised by Africa Today magazine in Abuja on Wednesday.

He added that this would enable stakeholders in the manufacturing sector to meet up with the demands of the growing relationship between both countries. ``The most important gain is that the relationship with China will compel Nigerian manufacturers, policy makers to sit-tight, rethink, work harder and live up to expectations. ``This is particularly with the challenges thrown by and in the various agreements signed in Beijing. ``President Muhammadu Buhari did commit himself and the people of Nigeria by saying he will ensure we respect all obligations in previous agreements reached

with his predecessors. ``For instance, under the Jonathan administration, the then President Goodluck Jonathan signed an agreement for a railway project covering Lagos to Calabar. ``The understanding was that the Chinese will provide 85 per cent of the funding while 15 per cent will be covered by the government of Nigeria. ``The Chinese respected their own side but the Nigerian side did not keep to the spirit and the letters of the agreement so there was a problem. ``Now, when President Buhari says he will revisit the agreements and respect all the obligations, it now means that Nigeria is prepared to find the 15 per cent missing.’’

He said that the move by the present administration would make Nigeria ``a country to reckon with on the basis of sanctity of agreements”.

Akinterinwa further explained that enhanced relations with China would bring about more advantages. ``These are advantages you cannot begin to quantify and

perhaps more significantly we are talking about world gains.’’

Akinterinwa further explained that the determination by the present administration to revisit existing agreements with China and build on new ones placed China as an important aspect of Nigeria’s foreign policy. ``The most important implication of Nigeria’s relationship with China is that of our foreign policy. ``Until now, we have been talking about four concentric circles as initially articulated by Prof Ibrahim Gambari. ``China, which currently is in the outermost concentric circle with all other countries of the world, has now been singled out either as the most important partner or will now be in the fourth outer circle while all countries will be in the fifth outermost circle. ``The implication is that China will continue to warrant more focused attention,” he said.

He added that the people-topeople relations would define the direction of relations between both countries in the future.

scholarship award has been instituted in memory of a late veteran journalist, Malam Rufa’i Ibrahim.

The award was instituted by Ibrahim Ibrahim, a philanthropist and politician in Nasarawa State.

The late Rufa’i, until his death at the age of 66, was the editorin-chief of the Peoples Daily newspapers.

He also served as the pioneer editor of the defunct Sunday Triumph, Sunday Guardian and The Analyst Magazine.

Rufa’i was also the general manager of the Nigerian Standard newspapers and the Consultant/ Chief Executive Officer of the Nasarawa State Governmentowned Nigerian Newsday newspapers.

Ibrahim, speaking in Abuja, recently, said the scholarship was instituted to assist indigent students and highlight the contributions of the late Rufa’i to the development of journalism profession and education in Nasarawa State.

The philanthropist also announced that work on a book composed of articles written

by Rufa’i, his biography and experience has commenced, saying that it was his intention to expose, especially the youth, to the life and struggles of the late journalist.

He urged students to dedicate themselves to their study, saying that the best secondary school graduating students in the subjects of government and English language, from the three senatorial districts of the state, would qualify for the scholarship

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

News News

Page 3

Reps urge Nigerians to adopt orphans in IDPs camps

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he House of Representatives has appealed to Nigerians to adopt orphanage children living at various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across the country.

The House also urged the federal government to locate and reunite orphanage children in IDPs camps with their relatives.

In a motion, moved by Rep

Asabe Vilita Bashir (APC Borno), noted that the gesture will save the future of the orphans whose fates remains hanging as they can neither identify their relatives nor their communities.

The House equally urged the federal government to send

orphan children who do not have relatives to orphanage homes and take up the expenses for their upkeep.

She said through a matter of urgent importance, these calls became necessary at this time when government is poised to

the return of IDPs back to their homes after the insurgency subsides.

“The orphan children especially those who don’t know the community they come from and don’t have relative to take care of them will have no place to

return when IDPs are resettled,” she said.

The lawmaker said the House was worried “about the fate of the orphan children in the IDP camps as they will not be able to fend for themselves if left on their own.”

NiMET attributes delayed rains to El Nino

T

he Nigeria Meteorology Agency (NiMET), on Wednesday attributed the delayed rains in the country to `El Nino.’

Mr Salami Tairu, Manager, Forecast Office, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NiMET, Ikeja, gave this explanation during interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN, in Lagos. ``What we are experiencing is the period called `El Nino’ which normally occurs in five to seven years circle all over the world. The El Nino circle started in 2015. ``We predicted that the onset of rain will be March 23, 2016 plus or minus and that there will be a delay in the onset of the rainy season. ``We are now experiencing the delay of the onset of the rain earlier predicted, and it is also associated with the El Nino circle. ``The dry season should be over in April, and in the next few weeks, we should expect the rains’’, he said.

NAN reports that El Nino is a climate circle in the Pacific Ocean with a global impact on weather pattern.

The cycle begins when warm water in the western tropical Pacific Ocean shifts eastward along the equator towards the coast of South America.

Normally, this warm water pools near Indonesia and the Philippines.

Tairu said the dryness will definitely have negative effect on humans and agriculture and advised that a proactive measure be taken to reduce the effect of the weather. ``There will be negative effect on humans and we just need to take some action against the excessive heat by avoiding exposure in the sun between noon and 4p.m. and use cooling systems’’, Tairu said.

He advised farmers to always get early maturing seed to avoid delay in growth of plants and crops in order to yield early.

(NAN)

L-R:: Chief of Staff to Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Bello Mandiya, Katsina State Governor, RT. Hon. Aminu Masari and Chairman, Katsina State Economic and Investment summit 2016, Alh. Ibrahim Tukur Jikamshi, during the media briefing on the Economic summit, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Police recruitment: We’ll arrest, prosecute swindlers of applicants-Commission

T

he Police Service Commission (PSC) has warned that anybody caught giving or receiving money to facilitate the recruitment of applicants into the Nigeria Police Force would be investigated, arrested and prosecuted.

This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja

by Mr Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission.

It said that some arrests have been made in some parts of the country and the Police are currently investigating the cases to establish the level of involvement of the culprits.

The statement said that the commission has continued to receive reports of fraudsters soliciting for payment to help candidates either to obtain the recruitment forms or to assist them secure employment. `The commission wishes to reiterate that the recruitment forms are free and filled online without any person to person contact.

It stated that Chairman of the commission, Mr Mike Okiro, said the commission would deal decisively with anybody who decides to extort money from applicants to get the forms or secure employment.

The statement called on the public to report to the commission any body found undermining the exercise through the illegal sale of the recruitment forms.

It noted that the commission was committed to discharging this constitutional obligation of recruiting 10,000 policemen as directed by President Buhari to the satisfaction of Nigerians.

The statement insisted that the hands of the commission are not tied by anybody and that it would be rigidly guided by the established criteria and qualifications.

It warned staff of the commission to resist the

temptation of receiving money from applicants or their sponsors.

It said that the commission would not disappoint Nigerians in the conduct of the exercise which was at the heart of the survival of the nation.

The statement said that as at 9:35a.m.,April 27, a total of 806,646 applicants had submitted their applications.

It said a break down shows that 232,857 are seeking for recruitment as ASPs, 190,415 as Inspectors and 383,374 as Constables.

NAN reports that the deadline for the submission of forms ends on May 13. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

PAGE 4

News Experts urge Nigerians to screen for Hepatitis

By Doyin Ojosipe

N

igerians have been advised to go for medical screening in order to ascertain their Hepatitis

status.

This is because the disease which affects the liver may be sometimes asymptomatic, causing huge damage before discovery.

Delivering a lecture at a seminar organised by a health organization known as the Firmcare Medical Diagonistics, Dr Agnes Egugie, a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at the National Hospital, said it was needful to check one’s status so as to start early treatment if need be adding that the disease is manageable.

She maintained that, not knowing one’s status was highly risky.

“Largely, Hepatitis c is asymptomatic and by the time it starts showing symptoms like: Jaundice, stomach and leg swelling, weight loss among others, a huge part of the liver would have been damaged.”

She also noted that it was the more reason why the group advocates medical screening in for the general Nigerian public.

In an interview, the company’s Medical Director, Dr Dolamu Jawando said the call to treat hepatitis became imperative as it was discovered that many cases either went unreported or denied adequate treatment.

He said, Nigeria may be sitting on a time bomb in the nearest future if concern, including positive steps to mitigate the spread is not taken.

The MD further said that the seminar which was its annual Maiden edition was meant to spur doctors and enlighten them on why treating the disease adequately was ideal.

“Nigerians only go for screening incidentally, maybe when there is a requirement for that, this is unfortunate; when they screen and are diagnosed to be positive, they are not able to get adequate care because some doctors think there is no point in treating hepatitis,” he added.

L-R: Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, and Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleimanu

Reps query FCT minister over breach of tax collection

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he House of Representatives committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has queried the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Musa Mohammed Bello over breach of the agreement with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to collect taxes for the FCT. The House had on Wednesday last week mandated the committee to interface with the minister after a motion by Rep Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas (APC, Adamawa).

Chairman of the committee

Rep Herman Hembe (APC, Benue) expressed displeasure over what he described as apparent “breach of the law” for the FCTA to relinquish such a role to the FIRS. The lawmakers who took turn to speak said the FIRS as presently constituted could not collect up to 50 percent of taxes across the country and wondered why it should be saddled with an additional responsibility by the FCTA. A member of the committee Rep Babangida Ibrahim Mahuta (APC, Katsina) advised the FCTA to ensure a smooth transition between the FCTA and the FIRS when the FCTIRS was eventually

established.

Responding, the FCT minister Mohammed said all that the ministry did was to continue with what it met on ground as FIRS had been collecting taxes for the FCTA long before he came to office.

He said if the administration jettisoned the FIRS, it would have been left with no option than to allow the taxes go uncollected during the period as they were still in the process of setting the FCTIRS, which would come to being in December this year.

He said between now and December, the staff of the FCTIRS would have been adequately trained to man the office, adding that “But if in the wisdom of this

committee and the House you feel that we should stop it, we can do that even today.”

The minister added that the FIRS only collects certain category of taxes for the FCTA such as Pay as You Earn (PAYE), direct assessment tax and stamp duty, while the administration collects other forms of taxes.

The committee chairman Hembe therefore demanded the minister to provide the full documents on the agreement with the FIRS and the taxes collections by the service before the agreement. The committee would set up a 5-man panel to further interface with the ministry on the matter.

…As group moves to alleviate poverty in Abuja

By Umar Muhammad Puma

A

non-governmental organisation, NALT Club International, has said they will soon introduce policies to alleviate poverty, promote social justice, cultural values, peace and unity among Nigerians especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as part of activities marking its yearly international convention.

In a statement signed yesterday in Abuja by NALT national

President and Secretary Dr. Felix Nweke and Cassidy Madueke, described the incoming convention as a very important event in the life and history of the association.

The statement said the association is made up of professionals, academia and outstanding business men and women, drawn across the globe with the aim of promoting social justice for all irrespective of race, nationality, status and religious affiliation as well as promotion of cultural values, peace and unity

among racial diversity.

It reads: “We will also embark on health/fitness road work along Karu road, do visitation and donation of food items, and money to Karu orphanage home, and carry out free Medicare on people as part of activities during the convention.

“The convention, tagged “ Harris International Convention” will focus on the need to promote social justice, cultural values, peace and unity among Nigerians and black race generally as well as

the need to lend a hand to the less privileged in the society.

“The association seek to reposition its self and do the needful for the betterment of its members and the society in general and therefore called their members, registered participants/ delegates and invited guests across the globe to endeavour to participate meaningfully in the convention, use the opportunity to interact among themselves and chat a common course in line with global realities.”

Drought kills 100 wild horses in Namibia

T

he Namibia Wild Horses Foundation has said over 100 wild horses roaming the Namibia Desert in the south of Namibia have so far died of a prolonged drought that began

in 2013.

It said that there were about 160 wild horses at the moment, but these, the foundation said, are in danger of being killed by spotted hyenas because they become easy

prey in their weakened state by day.

According to a statement by the foundation, the drought left little grass in the horses’ range while fences also restrict these

revered animals from moving further inland to areas that received scattered rainfall.

The foundation that was founded in 2012 is appealing for funds to buy lucern and provide

water before it gets too late. ``As much of Namibia is dry, grass will most likely have to be bought from South Africa, which is a costly affair,’’ the foundation said. (Xinhua/NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

PAGE 5

News

Go after killer - herdsmen, Buhari orders military, police

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja directed the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin and Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, to secure communities under suspected herdsmen attack.

Buhari gave the directive at the presentation of the book “Who will love my country: Ideas for building a Nigeria of our dreams” by Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu.

The president, who, was represented by the Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed, further directed Olonisakin and Arase to go after all groups terrorising innocent people across the country.

He expressed the present government’s determination to tackle the problem, adding that his administration would not allow such attacks to continue.

“Let me use this platform to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the attack perpetrated on the Ukpabu Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State on Monday.

“I deeply sympathise with all those who lost dear ones, as well as those who lost their properties in the attack.

“I have directed the Chief of Defence Staff and the InspectorGeneral of Police to secure all communities under attacks by herdsmen,” he said.

On the theme of the book, Buhari urged Nigerians to change their ways of live for a better society.

“The author struck the right notes when he enjoined leaders to carry out programmes that will enhance the prosperity, happiness and living conditions of citizens.

“He stressed the need for change in several areas, including attitudinal change, especially as it concerns corruption and impunity

and of course, the need for Nigerians to love their country.

“He demonstrated in the book that Nigerians can only build a Nigeria of their dreams if they make bold efforts to love her above their individual selves and narrow interests.

Let me say here that there is no controverting these critical issues raised by the author, and that indeed, for this government, these words amount to preaching to the converted.

“Our mantra is CHANGE, starting with individual attitudinal change.

“That explains why this administration will soon launch a major campaign, tagged CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME. “It is aimed at getting Nigerians to realise that the change they so much desire starts with them,” he said.

On the call by the author of the book for leaders to undertake programmes that will enhance the living standard of Nigerians, the president said the present government was already towing that path.

He stressed that the 2016 Budget was designed to bring millions of Nigerians out of poverty, enhance the living conditions of the citizens as well as put smiles to their faces.

“Our N500 billion Social Intervention Fund, which is unprecedented, will, among others, create jobs for 500,000 unemployed graduates and 370,000 unemployed non-graduates.

“It will provide loans for one million Nigerians, including market men and women as well as artisans, to start up small businesses.

“It will feed 4.5 million school children, ensure conditional cash transfers to the most vulnerable (not unemployed graduates) citizens and provide scholarships to students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“When the author also noted that Nigerians can only build a

Nigeria of their dreams if they make bold efforts to love her above their individual selves and narrow interests, he could not have said it better.

“Anyone who puts his or her country over and above other interests will not engage in unbridled corruption, divert money meant for public use to private purposes or divert money for the national treasury into private pockets.

“When we put the public interest above our personal interests, the society benefits, but when the reverse is the case, the society suffers,” he said.

He further said the remark by the author that challenges that came with multi-ethnic nations like Nigeria required patience, understanding and willingness to subordinate personal and sectional interests to the overriding interests of the nation was apt.

The author of the book, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, called on Nigerian leaders to govern effectively and use power wisely, saying that it was the only way to safeguard the citizens’ interest.

He challenged Nigerians to show more love for their fatherland by rising above tribe, ethnic, religious and political persuasions, to subdue personal interests to the overriding interest of the country.

According to him, to love Nigeria will entail Nigerians critically revising and re-examining their attitudes, values and how they treat one another, adding that “it demands of us some sacrifice”.

“Are we going to bequeath to them a banner stained by corruption, bad governance, ineffective leadership, ethnicity, slacking moral values, decadence, mediocrity and sloth? God forbid,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to return to the path of progress and unity charted by the founding fathers.

“If you are on a journey and you find out that you are travelling the wrong road, the right thing to do is

Saraki to CCT chair: Step down, you’re corrupt

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

T

he Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has filed a fresh application to stop Danladi Umar, the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, from continuing to preside over his trial. Counsel to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who is being tried for alleged false and anticipatory assets declaration, filed the application shortly after the trial resumed yesterday.

The counsel Ajibola Oluyede disclosed that; the tribunal chairman still had a serious corruption case against him with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and so cannot carry on with the trial of his client, Oluyede based his application on Section 36(1) of the constitution which addresses the issue of biases and the rules of natural justice.

It could be recalled that he moved a similar application last week and it was unsuccessful; this resulted in a heated exchange of words between him Umar. After reading his motion, Oluyede called the attention of the court to a letter written to the AttorneyGeneral by the EFCC chairman in February 2015, which was part of his exhibits against Mr. Umar.

Oluyede read out paragraph four of the letter: “There are indications that the tribunal chairman might have demanded and collected money from the complainant through his said personal assistant.

However, efforts made to recover the telephone handset used by Justice Umar proved abortive, as he claimed that he had lost the telephone in 2012.

“This has made it impossible to subject it to independent scientific analysis with a view to

corroborating the allegation. In the same vein the complainant could also not make available his telephone set for analysis on the grounds that he had lost it.

“Justice Umar also accepted that he met privately with the complainant in his chamber at the tribunal. This is a most unethical and highly suspicious conduct on his part.” Justice Umar, who had initially refused to entertain the motion, but prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, urged him to admit the application so that it can be argued.

The letter cited is a 2014 petition sent to the EFCC, in which Rasheed Taiwo, a retired Customs official claimed to have been pressured by Mr. Umar for a 10 million bribe.

The EFCC has constantly said that it has no evidence to prosecute Mr. Umar over the matter.

to turn back and take the right path.

“We must be ready to surrender our perceived narrow advantages to the general good.

“We must let go, for unless you release the man you are holding to the ground, you would not also be able to move an inch.

“Now is the time to offer one another a hand of comradeship

and together we can move to the Promised Land.”

Ekweremadu said he wrote the book, not as the Deputy President of the Senate, nor as a card carrying member of any political party, but as a patriotic Nigerian.

He added that “I lay no claims to having the solutions to Nigeria’s problems.

World Bank endorses Buhari’s economic policies

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the World Bank, Ms Sri Mulyani Indrawati, has endorsed the economic policies of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Indrawati who briefed State House Correspondents after meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa yesterday said her visit to Nigeria was productive as she met with some five state governors of the North eastern states with whom she discussed issues affecting the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

According to her, the World Bank also backed Buhari’s anti corruption efforts and his resolve to diversify the economy.

“We see that Nigeria and the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is now launching the objective of restoring stability and security, the second one is creating jobs and eradicating poverty, the third is fighting corruption. I think these are very commendable goals and we discussed with the government about how we can support the law in order for the government and its leadership to achieve the goals.

“We had the opportunity to meet with five governors of different states in order to discuss more on our programmes to support with the North-East region, especially dealing with Internally Displaced People and how to restore both the livelihood of the people with the development programme.

“So, we discussed both in terms of what is the area of priority, the mode of engagement and the operational details of how this is going to be used in the most effective way. We also discussed more in terms of the need to diversify the economy away from oil.

“We also discussed on how to improve the fiscal side with the minister of finance under her leadership and try to improve on the revenue side, whether to improve collection tax as well as to fight against inefficiency and corruption.

“That is one of the areas which is commendable. We would like to support all these objectives in order for Nigeria to have a healthy, stronger and transparent budget, which can be very useful and effective in addressing the issue of poverty and creating a healthier and inclusive growth.

“We had time to discuss with the President and the Vice President about the need of a wider economic agenda. We discussed about the agricultural sector, infrastructure, but also the need to pursue and continue doing a very difficult reform.

“We would like to know how we can help Nigeria to make the very important decisions, whether on micro economic policy and other sectoral policy that will make this economy to move forward to become a strong middle income country to have a much more inclusive growth, to have a vibrant economic activity and creating job and eradicating poverty.

Speaking President Buhari has urged the World Bank to do all within its powers to facilitate the speedy repatriation to Nigeria of stolen funds still being held by Swiss authorities.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Adviser in media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President made the request while speaking at a meeting with the visiting Managing Director of the World Bank, Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Buhari said that the repatriation of the additional $320 million US dollars in Switzerland, which has been identified as illegally taken from Nigeria under the Abacha administration, will help to ease the current economic hardship facing the country.

The President assured Indrawati that his administration was taking appropriate steps to ensure that public funds are no longer stolen or misappropriated by government officials. ‘‘We need the support of the World Bank for the repatriation of the funds. We are as concerned as the World Bank about accountability. If such repatriated funds have been misapplied in the past, I assure you that the same will not happen with us.

“Three hundred and twenty million dollars is a lot of money and we will not allow it to be misappropriated or diverted,’’ President Buhari told Ms. Indrawati.

One of the conditions given by the Swiss Authorities for the repatriation of the funds is that it should be expended on the implementation of social programmes for the benefit of the Nigerian people in an efficient and accountable way, guaranteed by the monitoring of the World Bank.

Buhari also assured the World Bank Managing Director that his administration will honour all agreements with the Bank that will help to stimulate Nigeria’s economy and reduce the level of poverty in the country.

He said that Nigeria will welcome greater international assistance for the rehabilitation of damaged homes, schools, health facilities and other infrastructure in the North Eastern states affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

News 20 oil thieves bag 6 years jail terms

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

J

ustice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos yesterday convicted 20 persons for illegal dealing and storage of petroleum products.

The convicts are Captain Daniel Lebile, Ala Ibanibo, Wole Ajayi, Adesunloye Fani-Kayode, Michael Mgbanwa, Segun Ekundemi, Johnson Mashebinu, Ndidi Benjamin, Bright Nwaezuoke, Blessing Omoviye and Kayode Ireti.

Others Chuks Isiwepkweni, FridayNchikpa, Peter Bayo, Ubom Amos, Zuopamo Embiowei, Olabamerun Owolemi, Adams Husseini, Ebisingha Timmy and Godwin Oputeh, MV Long Island and their companies Afa Global Impex Services Limited and GFL Marine Service Limited.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Head, Media & Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,Wilson Uwujaren who disclosed that , one of the charges read, “that you, MV Long Island , AFA Global Impex Services Limited, GFL Marine Services Limited, Ala Atubokiki Ibanibo, Wole Ajayi, Adesunloye Alexander, Fani Kayode, Captain Daniel Lebile, Micheal Mgbanwa, Segun Ekundemi, Joghnson Mashebinu, Ndidi Benjamin, Bright Nwaezuoke, Blessing Omoviye, Kayode Biboye Ireti, Chuks Isiwepkweni, Friday

Nchikpa, Peter Bayo, Ubom Amos , Zuopamo Embiowei, Olabamerun Owolemi, Adams Husseini, Ebisingha Timmy, Godwin Oputeh, Ebimie Norwigeh (Still at large) and Olabamerin Damilola Smart (now at large) on or about the 2nd day of December 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court conspired

amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing in petroleum products without lawful authority or appropriate license contrary to Section 19(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and punishable under the same Act”.

The statement stated that

convicts have pleaded not guilty, in the course of trial, the prosecution called four witnesses.

In his judgment, Justice Buba held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt. He therefore sentenced the convicts to two years imprisonment on each of the three counts, starting from

L-R: Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Author, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, Author’s wife, Lady Nwanneka and former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, at the launching of the book “Who Will Love My Country”, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Herders, farmers clash threatening national security - CDS From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

C

hief of Defense Staff, Major General Abayomi Olonishakin has raised alarm that if the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers are not properly handled, it may result into a national security issue.

Major-General Olonishakin explained that it is for this reason that the military has stepped in to nip the ugly situation in the bud.

The defense chief who spoke

through the chairman Defense Headquarters Committee on Persistent Crisis between Herders/Farmers, Major General Edward Nze to newsmen in Makurdi yesterday, regretted that criminality has entered into the crisis.

Nze stated that the crisis which occurs barely on daily basis is assuming national dimension which he said needed to be tackled urgently before it turns into act of terrorism.

He explained that the committee visited Nasarawa state on Tuesday and would be proceeding to Enugu on a fact finding mission to ascertain causes and analyze the crisis.

According to him, ‘the chief of defense staff has decided to set up the committee to go round those troubled areas with the herders, with the manner the crisis has gone, it is obvious that it is assuming national dimension’.

“So we are on facts finding

mission to see and analyze issues surrounding the crisis, we are trying to employ holistic approach that will coordinate the action along with other security agencies, this is very important before it degenerates into national security’.

While stating that the committee would visit all the areas affected by the invaders in the state, Nze noted that there was need to see things and know how to handle it properly so as to nip them in the bud.

confronting the state and proffering solutions to them.

Because of the economy down tune Nasarawa state is the least in terms of federal allocation which posed serious financial problem to the state.

A situation now that the state is unable to meet up with its set responsibilities”.

He continued, “the stakeholder’s forum is also aimed at tapping from your collective experiences and views of wisdom on how Nasarawa state with its endowed natural resources could be fully utilized”.

The governor who further used the forum commutated development some of his

laudable and magmatic development projects in the state to include: Road projects across 13 local government councils, health care delivery, digitalization of land to boost revenue, construction of Taal model schools, supply of power, water, repositioning of tertiary institutions and scholarship among others.

Contributing at the interactive forum, former majority leader of Nasarawa state house of assembly and Senator Suleman Adokwe ,former secretary to the state government Mr. Timothy Anjide dwelt extensively on the financial status of the state,

calling on the state government to set up a special committee to access and adopt measures to review the 2011 minimum wage for the sustainability of the state work force as according to them the financial meltdown is a global issue.

Also in his opening remarks the deputy governor Honorable Silas Agara commended the governor for organizing the epoch event, adding that the forum would further foster peace and stability.

His words “it is pertinent to state here that as stakeholders.

This forum will bring ideas that will foster unity devoid of tribal, religion or political affiliation.”

Nasarawa holds stakeholders forum on economic downturn, way forward

From Gambo Ahmed, lafia

N

asarawa state government yesterday held a stakeholders interactive forum with the Theme: The way Forward.

Addressing the participants at the Taal conference Hotel Lafia the state capital, Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura admonished the stakeholders at the meeting to fashion ways for the survival of the state viewed from the global economy down-tune.

According to him “my dear state men and women, today’s forum is aimed at providing a platform for heart to heart discussion on the challenges

December 2, 2014, when the convicts were arrested with an option of N200, 000.00k (Two hundred thousand naira) fine for each count.

The convicts are to forfeit all the seized vessels, cargoes and properties to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while the jail terms will run concurrently

Don’t post clips of our proceedings on social media, CCT warns public

T

he Code of Conduct of Tribunal has warned mischievous persons against posting video clips of the proceedings on social media with the aim of misinforming the public.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, gave the warning at the resumed proceedings on Wednesday.

Umar said that the tribunal would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against the culprits.

According to him, the perpetrators are doing it bias mind with the sole purpose of misleading the public about the actual happening in the tribunal.

He said the CCT would confer with both the prosecution and defence counsel on possibility of inviting NTA, AIT, and Channels for a live telecast to avoid misrepresentation.

Umar also directed that all security personnel carrying arms should vacate the courtroom.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was high presence of armed security personnel within and outside the CCT.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

PAGE 7

News

Kaduna NDLEA arrest 74 drug suspects

T

L-R: Guest Lecturer, Dr. Olufemi Soyemi, Nutritionist Dietitian, State House Medical Centre, Akuchie Nelly-Margaret, Managing Director, Firmcare Diagnostics and Medical Services, Dr. Dolamu Jawando, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, National Hospital Abuja, Dr. Agnes Eguagie and Mrs. Saidat Jawando, during the anniversary lecture of Firmcare Diagnostics and Medical Services, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Judge refers Lai Muhammed’s N500m libel suit against Metuh to mediation court

J

ustice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court on Wednesday ordered that the N500million libel suit filed by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, against Mr Olisa Metuh, the PDP’s spokesman, should go to mediation court. ``The file should be taken to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Prompt Administrator to set the ADR in motion. ``Now that pleadings have been closed, seven days from today

please head to ADR Centre for mediation of this dispute,” Ipaye ruled.

Earlier at the proceedings, Metuh’s lawyer Mr U.A. Otoahine, filed two applications dated April 25 which were granted by the court.

He said:``My Lord, the first application is requesting for an extension of time to file the statement of defence and originating processes. ``The second application is seeking an extension of time to file a counter-affidavit.”

The judge, however, refused to hear the application brought by counsel to the minister, Mr Wahab Shittu that the case should be set down for trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mohammed, a former spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had on Oct. 12, 2015 filed a suit against Metuh, accusing him of publishing libelous materials against him.

Mohammed alleged that Metuh had falsely accused him of embezzling funds meant to build

a fence at an airport in one of the South-west states under the control of APC. The publication also alleged that Mohammed had obtained funds to supply ambulances to the South-west state, but failed to do so.

The minister is demanding a compensation of N500 million on account of the alleged false publications against him.

Justice Ipaye adjourned the case to June 13 for a progress report from the ADR centre. (NAN)

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

arrested on a tip-off by the police and the help of vigilant group members in the areas.

While saying that the police detectives arrested one Sampson Elelegwu, a mastermind, Mrs. Kalu disclosed that the police also raided a brothel in Agbor where suspected miscreants assemble to carry out nefarious activities.

It was gathered that the six man kidnapped syndicate

have allegedly been terrorizing Agbor and Ozoro communities where in the past two months, three persons were kidnapped and subsequently released after parting with ransom.

Last week, the police arrested eight suspected cultists in Ogwashi-Uku community during their alleged initiation and are presently helping the police at the state CID for further investigation.

But the police image maker in the state, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, said the suspects upon interrogation confessed to be members of the Eiye confraternity, adding that they will be charged to court on completion cof investigation.

Sources said Ozoro, Agbor and Ogwashi-Uku communities have been under siege by kidnap gangs who allegedly demand ransom to release their victims.

Police arrest 6 kidnap syndicates in Delta

P

olice detectives at the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, yesterday arrested six kidnapped syndicate in Agbor and Ozoro community and recovered from them three locally made cut to sizes gun.

Mrs. Celestina Kalu, the police image maker in the state confirmed that the suspects were

he Kaduna State Command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday said it arrested 74 suspected drug traffickers and secured 10 convictions in the first quarter of 2016.

The State Commander, Mr Samuel Azige, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

Azige said that the command also confiscated 313.969 kilograms of Indian hemp, 15,028.171 tones of tramadole (equivalent to seven trailers) and 145.14 liters of cough syrup within the period.

He said that 0.005 kilograms of cocaine and 0.007 kilograms of heroin were also confiscated from the suspects within the period under review. ``We have equally filed charges against 16 suspects at the Federal High Court for various drug-related offences. ``Also within the period, 13 persons have been referred to us for drug rehabilitation and another 55 for counseling. ``Some of the referrals were from the Nigerian Army, Air Force, the Police and the Directorate of State Security Service, while others are among the suspect we arrested during our routine operations. ``So far, three females have been successfully rehabilitated from drug addiction and discharge from our rehabilitation centre,’’ he said.

Azige said that the command had a target for zero cannabis farm in 2016, adding that all measures were being taken to ensure that nobody cultivated Indian hemp this year.

The commander called on the youths to desist from cultivating Indian hemp, adding that the command in partnership with the state ministry of agriculture would fish out any farmer who cultivated the weed in his farm. ``We will continue to partner with all relevant stakeholders until we rid the state of all kind of drug-related crimes and make Kaduna a safe haven for all,.” He said. (NAN)

Forgery suit against Saraki, Ekweremadu, adjourned toJune 1

T

he case instituted against Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, challenging their election as principal officers of the Senate has again being adjourned to June 1.

The Federal High Court hearing the case in Abuja was forced to adjourn the case following the absence of four out of the six defendants in the matter.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Justice Stephen Chukwu adjourned the case following information that the four defendants were not served with

hearing notice by the court bailiff.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr Mamman Osuman (SAN) told Chukwu that counsel to Ekweremadu, Mr Patrick Ikweto, could not be located for the notice to be served on him.

Osuman further told the court that findings by his legal team and from the court bailiff indicated that Ikweto had relocated from his chambers in Wuse to an unknown destination.

He said that although the court required counsel relocating office to notify courts where he had cases, Ikweto had not done so.

Mamman, however, claimed that Ikweto might have been unable to inform the court due to an oversight.

He appealed to the judge for an adjournment to enable the defendants be served with fresh hearing notices.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to June 1 and ordered that fresh hearing notices be served on all parties.

Justice Chukwu warned that whether the defendants were in court or not on the adjourned date, the hearing would definitely go on.

Sen. Abu Ibrahim, and four

others had filed a suit claiming that the Senate standing orders used for the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu had been forged and so the election should be nullified.

They prayed the court for an order to stop them from parading themselves as leaders of the Senate and that senators should be barred from recognizing them as principal officers.

However, Saraki, in his defence said that he was returned unopposed as there was no election and no one contested the position with him.

He said that the five senators had no locus standi to come to

court because there were 109 senators and the decision of only five could not override the decision of 104 others.

He added that they brought the case to court in their individual capacity and not on behalf of the Senate.

The defence added that they had not told the court what they had lost by that election since they never claimed in their suit that they had aspired to any of the positions.

The defence prayed the court to dismiss the case for lack of merit as well as non disclosure of cause of action. (NAN)

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

News Soldiers fighting Boko Haram decry nonpayment of allowances From Dankano Umar, Yola

S

ome aggrieved soldiers attached to 158 Task Force Battalion have protested alleged nonpayment of their pending operational allowances by the Nigerian military authorities.

An impeccable source who spoke to journalists under condition of anonymity in Yola, yesterday, explained that over 200 personnel attached to the Battalion(158) who fought in the

AU Peace Keeping Operation in Guinea Bissau in 2015 have been denied six months allowances.

The source lamented that the failure by military to pay the allowances is already generating tension among the soldiers in the affected battalion noting that, the development is seriously dampening their morale in the ongoing national assignment.

The soldiers were further enraged when eight of the affected soldiers lost their lives in a recent

Boko Haram attack in Kareto when their allowances were still unpaid. ”The fact that men committed to fighting Boko Haram have been starved of their allowances despite their sacrifices.

“There is monumental corruption still going on in the system, we fought in Guinea Bissau between 2014 and 2015, they promised to pay our allowances immediately we arrived in Nigeria but when we returned they sent us to Jaji for training and promised to pay us

before the end of the training.

Soon after the training we were posted to fight in Yobe and Borno and nobody is talking about our allowances any more”, one of the soldiers said.

However, all efforts to get the military authority side of the story proved abortive as calls and SMS message put across to the mobile phone of the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col.Sani Usman Kuka Sheka were not replied as at the time of tilling in this report.

L-R: Director, Lagos International Jazz Festival 2016, Mr Ayoola Sadare; the director of Music, Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (Span), Mr Bright Gain; Brand Strategist, Runway Jazz, Mr Ajani Sandridge and Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos, during the visit of the jazz team to the governor, yesterday in Lagos state.

Photo: NAN

SON raids Yola markets, confiscate sub standard goods From Umar Dankano, Yola

I

n an effort to ensure best quality and genuine products ,the Adamawa Office of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) on Wednesday raided Yola tyres and electricity wires markets, confiscated substandard goods worth millions of naira.

Speaking shortly after the raid, Malam Adamu Abubakar, state coordinator of the organization, said that the exercise was a directive from the headquarters of the organization in Abuja.

“This is national assignment, it was declared for all states’ offices in the country to carry out this obligation on sub standard goods especially tyres, cables, electronics and Gas cylinders.”

Abubakar said.

He said the aim of the raid was to ensure that all sub standard products are flush out of the markets across Nigeria.

According to Abubakar, during the raid no fewer than 300 shops raided and that the exercise would be carried out periodically.

He called on the Nigerian marketers to always purchase standard and satisfied products and to avoid sub standard products.

Epileptic power: BEDC officials escape attack by angry consumers in Warri From Mathew Omonigho

S

ome officials of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC yesterday escaped being lynched by angry consumers in Warri.

The BEDC officials had stormed the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Warri Correspondents’ Chapel harassing the chairman of the Union , Comrade Michael Ikepgwu over a twenty thousand naira light bills owed the organization.

The attitude of the BEDC

officials to the NUJ chairman angered members of the union as BEDC seized the lights from their control office just exactly when the BEDC Officials allegedly cut and cart away the electric wire of the NUJ despite explanations of the union’s chairman.

The development also provoked other electricity consumers as they trooped out in their numbers looking for the BEDC officials who only left the premises of the NUJ before their (electricity consumers) arrival.

Chairman of the Nigeria

Union of Journalists, NUJ, Warri Correspondents Chapel, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu in a press conference accused the BEDC Officials of allegedly demanding for bribe as well as harassing him and members of the union over light bills.

Ikeogwu noted that the Union like other electricity consumers has enjoyed poor services from the BEDC despite of the huge amount it pays as light bills.

Ikeogwu said out of twenty four hours in day, the BEDC only give light to the Union for just one hour pointing out that,”

Sometimes, we don’t have light in a week and we still pay for the bills. Sometimes BEDC Officials come here to harass us asking for bribe so that they can leave the light but we said that we don’t even see the light let alone use it.

We are peaceful but the attitude of the BEDC people should be addressed.”

Ikeogwu claimed the Union had few weeks back paid twenty thousand naira out of the forty thousand naira it owed BEDC with the assurance of paying the balance before the officials came to harass him and its

members.

BEDC’s Public Relations Officer in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State who spoke to Our Correspondent via mobile phone noted that the BEDC has decided to place defaulters in perpetual darkness stressing that,” We are being paid by the target we are able hit monthly. You should have called me when the BEDC Officials were cutting your light so that I talk to them. As it is now, I cannot do anything about it. Besides, am not in town. You people should not be angry, “she apologized.

policy backing, after we have taken standard into consideration, that EU must accommodate our own products. ``So, the bilateral relations between Nigeria and EU consumers should be tightened well enough to accommodate us. ``With this, farmers will be happy that we (they) have produced products that can be sold outside the shores of the country.’’

He said that such

policies when instituted and implemented, would help streamline and tackle some challenges currently militating against bee keeping in the country.

Ojeleye lamented that bee hives products were not currently accepted in international markets especially the EU because they did not meet standards.

The president, who expressed regrets that bee keeping was not

accorded the needed priority, said the business could generate forex for the country.

Ojeleye listed some of the challenges being faced by the organisation as bush burning and vandalism of bee hives by herdsmen.

The national president regretted that the association was not adequately supported by the Bank of Agriculture (BOA). ``We are asking that some areas especially the support

zones of the National Park, games reserve and forest reserves can be given to bee keepers. ``This can be done with rules and regulations especially on pouching of the wildlife.’’

He, however, appealed to the government to assist in the training of members of the association to encourage good management practices to increase and improve the quality of hives. (NAN)

Beekeepers want FG to encourage export of hive products

T

he Federation of Bee Keepers Association of Nigeria has appealed to the Federal Government to introduce policies that will promote the export of hive products.

The National President of the association, Mr Bidemi Ojeleye, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Cue in audio ``We want the government

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

PAGE 9

News

Kwara House passes cultism prohibition bill From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

he Kwara State House of Assembly has passed the new Secret Cults and Secret Society Prohibition

Bill 2016.

The new law equally outlawed cultism establishment, commission, existence, membership and activities of secret cults and secret societies in both academic and non academic environments in the State.

It could be recalled that the

State Executive Council, SEC, had proposed ten years minimum jail term for whoever is found guilty of being a member of secret societies in the state, especially cultism before the lawmakers.

The House also passed the State Revenue Court Amendment Bill 2016 and the State Revenue Administration Amendment Bill.

Under the new law, the payee now has the right to appeal to revenue court for adjudication while the revenue court has criminal jurisdiction, and court proceedings must be concluded

within 30 days.

The Revenue Administration Amendment Law will equally ensure smooth administration of revenue laws in the state to make the state less dependent on the dwindling federation account.

It equally establish revenue court to ensure quick dispensation of cases relating to revenue collection in the State.

The Speaker of the House, Dr. Ali Ahmad along with other members had ensured clause by clause consideration of the three bills after the presentation of

reports by the chairmen House Committee on Finance and Appropriation and Public Petition, Ethics, Privileges and Judiciary Hon Mashood Bakare and Barrister Kamaldeen Fagbemi respectively at the floor of the House.

The Speaker who presided over the sitting, directed the Clerk of the House, Mr. Simon Okedare to read the bills for the third time and prepare clean copy for the Governor’s assent.

He cautioned anybody nursing the ambition of joining secret cults and secret societies in the

State to have a rethink or face the wrath of the laws saying that the new law now provide increased number of jail term Ahmad equally urged parents and guardians to monitor the activities of their children and wards against any anti social conduct adding that the law will always take its course.

While speaking on the new revenue law, the Speaker explained that the laws were enacted for the good of the people of the State and enjoined them to abide by the new laws.

Acting Managing Director, News Agency Of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Jones Afolabi, signing the condolence register for a former editor and Managing Director of NAN, Dr Nwabu Mgbemena, at the agency’s headquarters, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

We’ll rationalise, not reduce Nigeria’s foreign offices, says Minister

T

he Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, says the Federal Government will ``rationalise’’ and not reduce the country’s foreign missions and embassies.

Onyeama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that the rationalisation of the foreign offices would be with a view to maximising the use of resources.

President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the ministry

to come up with a comprehensive plan aimed at reducing the country’s foreign missions.

Onyeama said government was planning to establish a `one-stop shop’ for Nigerian businessmen in 119 countries where Nigeria has foreign missions. ``Reducing our foreign missions abroad it is not a total contradiction our ambitions outside, and foreign ambition and the number of missions we have.

``I think rather than reducing I will say rationalising. ``You know it is on how we use our resources to optimum level and targeted and that is really what we are going to be much more engage with rather than reduction in missions. ``And then you know we have one or two missions that are really not serving a great purpose at the moment, and they are very few those might be the ones that will be targeted.

``But there will not be any sort of large scale reduction of our missions and embassies abroad.”

The minister said that government was also planning to explore business opportunities in Africa by enhancing free movement within the continent.

He expressed concern that the level of trade within Africa was low and stressed the need for economic diversification to expand the country’s trade

relations.

“To promote our economic relations we are looking at strategies targeted at a number of countries in Africa. ``We want to have with those countries agreement either collectively or individually to have free movement of goods and people.

“That will enlarge economic space for Nigerian businessmen to visit those countries to explore business opportunities.’’ (NAN)

Page 10

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

News

6, 000 civil servants protest sack in Delta

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

A

ngry job seekers who were recruited in 2014 under Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan led administration, yesterday besieged the gate of the state Civil Service Commission Office in Asaba to protest the recent claim by the chairman of the commission, Mrs. Nkem Okwuofu published in the state owned Newspaper, “The Pointer” that Okowa led administration will not go back

on their sack.

The protesters numbering over 6,000 were recruited by the last administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Under the state civil service commission but on assumption of office as the Governor of the State May 29, 2015, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa sacked them for what he described as “recruitment without due process”.

Since then, the sacked workers have made frantic efforts to be reinstated, especially through peaceful

protests, but to no avail.

Only last week, the state chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Nkem Okwuofu in an interview granted to her by Pointer Newspaper said there was no going on Okowa’s stance on the sacked workers.

Expectedly, the protesters on the early hours described the publication as an embarrassment and ploy by the state government to keep them perpetual in hunger and terrible hardship.

Leader of the protesters,

Benjamin Akor told journalists that the publication worsened their condition, especially in the critical times of dwindling economic, and however appealed to the state government to resend her decision.

Addressing protesters, the chairman of the Commission, Mrs. Nkem Okwuofu, said that as much as she sympathizes with them as a mother, the truth cannot be distorted about their employment, insisting that their employment was cancelled for lack of transparency.

Women from Oto Awori, Ojo local government, weaving mat, at the 1st International Agriculture Fair, yesterday in Lagos state.

FG has lost N5.5trn to fire in 2yrs -Official

By Doyin Ojosipe Property estimated more than N5.3 trillion has been lost from fire outbreak in 2015 and 2016 respectively across the country.

This was disclosed by the Controller General, Federal Fire Service, Engr. Anebi Joseph Garba in a recent media chat.

Engr. Anebi who lamented the increasing fire increase in the country urged Nigerians to be mindful of the items stocked in the markets and their houses.

Engr. Anebi who was recently in Kano to commiserate with the Executive Governor of Kano State Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduji on the recent fire outbreak at Sabon Gari market called on the state government and the private sector to collaborate with Federal Fire Service to put an end to frequent fire disaster in the country.

He said there is need for functional firefighting equipment, water reservoir and uncompromised access in and around the market to enable easy access to the markets and site of fire.

While addressing the Trader Association in Kano, Engr.

Anebi stressed the importance of clearing all obstruction that would hinder fire fighters unhindered access to the market.

He also disclosed that the model fire post specification proposed by the Honourable Minister of Interior, General Danbazo if adopted would enhance emergency repose in our markets during disasters.

Earlier, the Executive Governor, Kano State Dr Ganduje commended the Controller General and his management team for creating time to visit the scene of the fire disaster in the state and then make necessary recommendation to the state as to avoid or reduce fire disaster in future.

He also stressed that effective collaboration with stakeholders at the market and the Federal Fire Service will go a long way in addressing the numerous fire disasters in the state.

Minimum wage: Workers want renegotiation with FG, govs T he Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to set up a tripartite committee to negotiate the N56,000 proposed as new minimum wage by Organised Labour.

The Secretary General of ASCSN, Mr Alade Lawal, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had harmonised their positions and presented N56,000 as its proposal to the Federal Government.

NAN recalls that the current minimum wage was passed into law in February 2011, which increased the then minimum

wage from N7,500 monthly to N18,000 monthly.

Lawal said that in 2015, government and labour had agreed in principle that the salaries of workers should be beefed up. ``At the meeting, it was agreed that the two major organised labour central unions should put up a concrete demand to the government, which we did. ``Also, the issue of a review of the minimum wage came up again since the last negotiation in 2011 and it is usually reviewed every five years. ``Unfortunately, the drop in the price of crude oil in the international market and the challenge of foreign exchange

affected everything and labour had to tarry a while,’’ he recalled.

The union scribe said that currently, the two labour central unions have harmonised their positions and are presenting a demand of N56, 000 to the federal government for negotiation.

Lawal said that the letter has been dropped with the federal government and that organised labour was now waiting for the government to set up a tripartite committee to meet, negotiate and agree on a new national minimum wage.

He said that it was time to upgrade the salaries of workers because the N18,000 could no longer meet the economic needs

of the people. ``Things are tight and the money cannot now buy enough food for the workers. We are also appealing to the state governments to be represented when the platform for negotiation is inaugurated. ``If all the states are represented and agreement is reached, we will be sure that the new national minimum wage would be binding on all,’’ he said.

On salary disparity, the union scribe said that if the minimum wage agreement was signed, the adjustment would be able to take care of the disparity.

He said that government should endeavour to retrieve a white paper which showed that a

committee on the harmonisation of salaries in the public sector had been set up, to enable all workers of equal value in the public service attract the same salary.

Lawal said that whatever amount would be arrived at as the new salary would help to address the issue of salary disparity in the public sector.

On May Day, Lawal advised the workers to be hopeful and believe that the current administration would accomplish their needs, especially since their welfare has been included in the budget.

He appealed to the government to address the issues earlier presented to it, to make the economy favourable to the people. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 11

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page

Opinion Making Abuja a symbol of Nigeria’s unity, greatness

By Abu Dan’azumi

F

ebruary 13, 2016, marked the 40th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed.

He is remembered for his exemplary leadership qualities and the legacy he bequeathed to the nation.

Murtala was assassinated not long after he announced that the Federal Capital would move to Abuja, a new city, to be built on a virgin land in the middle of the country, following the inability of Lagos to continue to perform the dual role of Federal Capital and state capital.

Abuja, one of the country’s few planned cities, and one of the fastest growing cosmopolitan cities in the world, which was created about 36 years ago, began to serve as the Federal Capital in 1991 when the then administration of President Ibrahim Babangida moved in from Lagos on December 12.

The city has come a long way from the beautiful idea conceived in 1976 to a bustling modern city but the main question is: Is Abuja living up to the expectations of its founding fathers, who conceived it as a symbol of Nigeria’s aspirations for unity and greatness?

According to Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), a number of things have not gone right with the development of the city, thus the legion of problems that today define the perception of the city in the eyes of its average resident or visitor.

Bello listed the challenges to include overstretched infrastructure due to rapid population growth, poor maintenance culture, poorly maintained roads, blocked water and sewer lines, poor waste management practices and poorly maintained

street and traffic light systems.

Others are transportation, inadequate water supply and a litany of uncompleted projects.

The minister also listed the presence of beggars and street hawkers as well as inadequate or poor condition of available education and health facilities as major problems in the FCT. When the construction of the 8000 sq. km-FCT started in the 1980s, the intention was to develop a 250 sq. km-Federal Capital City (FCC) out of it within a period of 25 years but 36 years after, the objective has yet to be achieved.

Due to paucity of funds, only about 11 of the 76 Districts of Abuja have been developed, some of them partially.

In his maiden media briefing, Bello said his overriding objective was to facilitate an administration that would promote a modern and sustainable city, one that was defined by a functional and integrated infrastructure, with viable self-funding mechanism and an economy capable of providing employment to the teeming youths.

Similarly, he stated that his overriding goal was to make the quality of life more meaningful for the residents of Abuja, in line with the social change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Bello hopes to achieve his objective through a secure, environmentally friendly and responsive service delivery by all agencies of the FCTA. Receiving his immediate attention is the acute problem of traffic congestion being faced by commuters in many locations via expedited completion and inauguration of more feeder roads. ``In particular, we would complete the Apo-Karshi-Ara road to provide alternative route into

the city and ease congestion at the Nyanya-Mararaba axis.’’

Similarly, ongoing roads under construction within the metropolis are to be completed and opened up to ease traffic flow within and into the city.

The minister also promised that he would pay particular attention to the re-invigoration of the Abuja Mass Transit and the completion and inauguration of the light rail system.

Due to scarce resources, Bello said that his administration would not embark on huge new projects ``that do not have any meaningful multiplier effect. ``Our priority in the short-run, therefore, will be the completion of ongoing projects as may be appropriately reviewed.’’

Also to be given immediate attention is the development of affordable mass housing schemes and infrastructure in partnership with the private sector to address the acute shortage of accommodation for low-income earners. This will have the added multiplier effect of re-invigorating the economy and creating employment opportunities in the satellite towns.

On the enforcement of the Abuja Master Plan, the minister has directed all agencies of the FCTA to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Plan, with a view to addressing violations and abuses such as building on green areas, water-lines and sewer-lines.

During his tenure as Minister of the FCTA, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai had accused the elite of constituting the biggest problem facing Abuja. He said the elite ruined the symmetry of the city’s original design, with the big men building their houses on sewage channels, waterlines and green areas.

But thanks to the planners of the city, the master plan has an inbuilt

review mechanism every five years, with a view to correcting any human errors while making projections.

It was in line with this provision that in 1999, the then Minister of FCT, Arc Ibraham Bunu organized a workshop on the review of the Master Plan but unfortunately, the recommendations were never implemented.

However, during his tenure, elRufai thought it wise to implement some of the recommendations, even when the Master Plan was already due for a review in 2004. The Plan was due for further review in 2009 and 2014 but nothing was done in that regard.

It is obvious that the cumulative effect of the failure to review the Master Plan every five years has resulted in the distortion of the plan and the springing up of squatter settlements.

Today, the government is in a dilemma about how to handle the squatter settlement in Mpape District in spite of the fact that an Abuja High Court has ruled in its favour regarding the demolition of the settlement.

Conscious of the negative impact of the failure to review the Abuja Master Plan in the past, Bello has warned that his administration would not allow the re-emergence of slums and squatter settlers in the city or the conversion of public lands into private use. ``We will not allow the rapid degeneration of the city into a disorderly urban market by conversion of residential neighbourhoods to commercial use,’’ he stressed.

The minister hinted that efforts would be made to develop urban renewal plans to sustain strict adherence to the Abuja Master plan.

This is in addition to undertaking a comprehensive review of the FCT

land management system, with a view to addressing cases of double allocations, allocations against public interest or those in complete disregard of the Master Plan. ``The review will also seek to ensure that due revenues accrue to government and identify failure of beneficiaries to develop allocated lands within legally required timeframe,’’ Bello said.

On infrastructure development, the administration aims at improving the provision of public water supply by fast-tracking the completion of the ongoing projects and the repair of broken-down water distribution facilities.

It will also focus on the delivery of ``affordable, better and functional schools and hospitals’’, which are central to the improvement and restoration of public confidence in the ability of government to meet the basic needs of the people.

Similarly, the minister said the enforcement of the relevant regulations guiding the practices of private schools and hospitals with a view to ensuring adequate standards are met and vigorously pursued to protect the public from unscrupulous operators.

On security, he said he would ensure active and constant engagement with all stakeholders, give adequate support to security agencies and conduct periodic assessment of relevant needs, while achieving a synergy with security agencies in neighbouring states.

Bello, however, said that the citizens and residents must contribute their own quota in efforts to keep FCT safe by volunteering information that could lead to the apprehension of criminals.

Abu Dan’azumi, an Abujabased journalist writes in from Abuja.

The visage of employment in Nigeria

By Salim Umar Ibrahim

T

he insipid hope for a better life in this day is usually associated with the kind of job or business one does for a living. But does it make any sense to be a reason why graduates and many of our job seekers satisfactorily blame the government and substantial employers? Unfortunately, it’s not that really! Employers mostly like candidates for their job openings with practical experience.

But sadly, to a very extensive limit, securing a government job now has become a thing of “Who you know” or “Who knows you”, not your qualification nor your eligibility. And at the same time, following the massive unemployed graduates and professionals who are just a step out of your office building waiting to be granted the opportunity to show up what they have to offer to their best. Low profile employee would likely produce the most outcomes expected because, they

don’t know the taste of money yet, and are always looking up to an opportunity.

“Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for the love of it” – Henry David Thoreau.

Thus it’s hard nowadays to find a trustworthy employee; it must also be a good point always considering his/her potentials.

“People will perform at their potential only when they know almost everyone around them” – Ricardo Sembler.

If only due process and eligibility would be considered when employing or promoting someone for a particular job, be it whatever type and its specifications, then there will surely come a very healthy and breeding of a competitive employee. And only when we take a glance at these prospects, then we will tread in the lane of sturdy and sound profiling personnel without contemplation and avoidance of mismatch.

Sequel to the above great

men quotations, it moves anxiety in the minds of fellow working class personage and at the same time creates a piece of egotistical feeling considering the hole process of employment and promotion is drowning into, which consequently is facing a great challenge today to an acute rising figure in the nation.

Promoting egotism is the main trail employment process and promotion is facing irrespective of the state of the nation in this day. When we look at our cosmic government parastatals/agencies, ministries and other government bodies, the issue of top ranking personnel mostly does not come from merit or eligibility. It’s only done in the way that; I, as a boss, I must satisfy my people, as well as my political godfathers with a fruitful appointments and contracts where they will go and get something before we all went out of the opportunity. Terrible!

It is there you will discern an employee who has gathered a vast experience in a particular

workplace for more than 20years of service but has not reached anywhere in his career, and retirement is on the corner. And these are the ones who train their superiors, show them round and how they will operate when someone is being appointed to that workplace, because, they knew nothing about the environment and the type of job they were sent to deliver. Why not the old employee who has known every single corner of the environment and the flows of the job? Just because the top ranks/ positions are reserved for certain individuals.

Only competitive companies and professional bodies like the media use this medium in their organizations. Promoting a staff on merit or based on his/ her commitment to the job.

SMEs and the NGOs keep this into consideration too. It’s really high time government agencies cultivate this habit and rub out venal attitude toward employees.

Just take a look at places like

the INEC and the likes; most of the top rankings at INEC are occupied with individuals who have no idea about what type of job is done there. When there are many there who have served the commission their entire lives and are yet to reach to those top positions. Some have been even retired while some are still there. Every now and then you will see someone being appointed to your station as your boss while he never worked with the commission. This is the main reason why we will never produce a quality staff and do the expected thing.

If only these types of appointments will stop, then a very reasonable part of corruption will be cut off in the nation, and our workplaces will be shaped in a manner by which Ricardo Sembler and Henry David Thoreau suggest.

Let and give power to everyone in his workplace to remain there and do his job!

Salim Umar Ibrahim is a freelance writer.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page

Comment Africa: ‘Decisive moment for democracy’

By John Kerry

L

ast May, I shared in an extraordinary moment. I had the privilege, together with many leaders from across Africa, of bearing witness to the first peaceful, democratic transition of power between two parties in Nigeria.

I traveled to Lagos earlier this year to emphasize that for the United States, Nigeria is an increasingly important strategic partner with a critical role to play in the security and prosperity of the region. I also said that it was imperative that these elections set a new standard for democracy across the continent.

There is no question that this is a decisive moment for democracy in Africa. Later this month, four countries – Guinea, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Central African Republic – are scheduled to hold presidential elections, and soon after we hope to see elections in Burkina Faso. People across Africa must seize this opportunity to make their voices heard; and leaders across the continent must

listen.

The challenges are real. For decades, poverty, famine, war, and authoritarian leadership have held back an era of African prosperity and stability.

These and other challenges should not be underestimated, but neither should we ignore the gains that are being made.

In Africa, as elsewhere, there is a deep hunger for governments that are legitimate, honest, and effective. We should have no doubt that progress in democratic governance will lead to gains in every other field about which we are concerned.

In Burkina Faso, brave and determined citizens twice asserted their will in successfully opposing efforts to curtail the democratic process: last year, when the former president sought to alter term limits and extend his 27 years in office; and again last month, when Burkinabes rallied against a failed attempt to seize power by elements of the Presidential Security Regiment.

In the Democratic Republic

of the Congo, we have seen citizens speak out, sometimes at great personal risk, to push for transparent, timely, and credible elections.

And we have seen that same hunger for democracy outside of Africa. Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Panama all recently held inclusive, well-organized elections that brought new leaders to power and strengthened democratic institutions.

The challenge in Africa’s upcoming elections is to meet this demand for democracy and live up to the standards that Africans expect and deserve. The countries scheduled to go to the polls vary widely in their history and circumstances, but each has an opportunity to enhance its democratic credentials and advance economic growth and shared prosperity.

Côte d’Ivoire can put a difficult and violent election in 2010 firmly in its past and resume its position as a regional leader.

Tanzania is preparing for its fourth transition of power

between elected Presidents since independence. By respecting the Tanzanian constitution’s twoterm limit and stepping down from office, President Jakaya Kikwete is creating a dynamic and healthy competition among potential successors.

Guinea is emerging from the scourge of Ebola, but its citizens are also calling for an electoral process that allows their voices to be heard.

Meanwhile, the transitional government in Burkina Faso is working towards cementing its commitment to democracy through timely and transparent elections.

Elections are vitally important, but make no mistake: elections cannot be the only moment for citizens to shape their future.

People must be able to engage with their government and with their fellow citizens in political discussion and debate not just on Election Day, but every day.

Just as important is respect for term limits. No democracy is served when its leaders alter

national constitutions for personal or political gain. Furthermore, a losing candidate owes it to his or her country to accept the outcome and play a constructive role in finding and implementing solutions to shared challenges.

A free, fair and peaceful presidential election does not guarantee a successful democracy, but it is one of the most important measuring sticks for progress in any developing nation. The countries soon holding elections have an opportunity to bolster their democratic credentials and to bring an entire continent closer to realizing the firmly held – and eminently justifiable – aspirations of its people to have their voices heard.

The United States remains committed to helping make those aspirations a reality.

John Kerry, a former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts who chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been the U.S. Secretary of State since 2013.

Oliseh’s self-delusions and uncouth talk-back at Nigerians

By Ahmed Oluwasanjo

F

rom the days of Moses in the Bible, those who take responsibility – as public servants – have always had to manage and cope with their fans and critics. And of course, criticisms – be it constructive or destructive – could come from traducers or fans who desire to see one fail or excel. Truth be told, tolerating criticism is very hard but it remains a good feedback for one to know how he/she is performing or not, and more importantly to keeps one focused on self-improvement and getting better in whatever one has signed up for. Of course, we all murmur about critics who are always finding faults in our very best efforts but not in the public, most especially when the critics are our employers. Always, the best response to give critics – be they haters or lovers – is good performance and nothing more.

All of these brings me to the outrageous outburst of Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, who said his critics are “insane”.

At first, after the team he led to the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda crashed out, he politely apologised. That was okay.

However, his follow up outburst in which he said his critics are “insane”, came to many Nigerians as a surprise. Does Oliseh mean Nigerians – ardent footballer lovers – who kept supporting a non-performing Super Eagles

unanimously, irrespective of their obvious differences of opinion, are all mad? Does Oliseh mean that those whose taxes pay his salaries have no right to vent their displeasure on his performance as a coach?

If the later is the case, then he should pitch his tent with those in the National Assembly who are on the move to gag Nigerian social media users. But, as long as he remains the Eagles coach, it is the right of his critics – lovers or haters – to objectively or otherwise have their say on his performance, while it’s incumbent on him to deliver.

In another way round, Oliseh’s outburst and false apologies simply mirror how irresponsible politicians and public servants who earn a living from the taxes of poor Nigerians treat the same tax payers with contempt and abject disrespect. And the manner they cunningly come back like the biblical prodigal son, putting up all sorts of explanations forward to seek the public’s face and make up for their obvious malfeasance whenever their actions attracts public outcry.

The story of Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomole and the streethawking widow he verbally abused; the case of the governor of Nasarawa State, “Hell-Makura” and Ms. Iorvihi; and that of Abdulraham Dambazau and his shoe shining state security aide are examples to support my point. Anyway, we cannot blame Oliseh for taking a swipe at his

critics, after all his appointment was due to cronyism and was not based on his track record as a soccer coach. This is brings me to his statement that “I didn’t want this job. I rejected it twice and I took the job after intense persuasion by an influential friend in government”, which reveals why he felt so arrogant and thought that exchanging words with his critics would be a good line of defence, when the best thing he could have done was to go back to the drawing board, get his team together and deliver in subsequent marches.

I’m sure Nigerians must be seeing the bad side of cronyism from Oliseh’s arrogance; but that’s a topic for another time. Let’s face it. If the better proven likes of Clemens Westerhof, Jo Bonfrere, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, Amodu Shaibu, Austin Eguavoen, Lars Largerback, Samson Siasia and even Stephen Keshi – who Oliseh criticised serially, and nastily – never had the guts to say their critics were “insane”, who is Oliseh to have said so?! As at the last time I checked, Oliseh is definitely in no way better than any of these coaches, but the way he’s kept harping on his record of having led the national team into 14 games, most of which they won, as if that could pass for a trophy – particularly, CHAN – baffles me. Well, since he wants to be commended, I clap for him for his much cherished record.

However, he needs to be reminded that yesterday’s record

in football does not guarantee a coach’s job tomorrow – only today’s success does. Let me drive home my point with two examples: Keshi won the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), qualified and took the Eagles to the World Cup in 2014, but was fired for not qualifying for the 2015 African Nations Cup. Similarly, Jose Mourinho who led Chelsea FC to win the 2014/2015 English Premier League (EPL) was sacked the very season after he won the EPL. Sunday Oliseh must be full of self-delusion and feelings that he is the “Special One”. He appears to be highly skilled in putting up flimsy excuses and blaming his failures on those he could simply put to silence by subsequent outstanding outings. His outrageous reaction to his so-called critics reminds many Nigerians of his extremely short fused temper – even though he was indisputably a fantastic defensive midfielder in his playing career.

But, it’s too bad that his short temper is really disappointing at this stage in his career. Oliseh should not live in self-deception that some of his “ex-colleagues” are scheming hard to occupy his seat because he also rode on the criticism of his predecessor to his present position. So, if it was right the, for Oliseh to criticise Keshi, how is it wrong today for another person to criticise him? Besides, are his critics not part of the 170 million Nigerians he came back to

pretentiously apologise to or how does he separate his critics from other football-loving Nigerians who have also censured him on the same issue? In the second part of the explosive YouTube video of his rant, he said, “a contract was made out, I signed a contract with the NFF; if you’re not happy about it, Ok we come out and shake hands”(sic).

By this, Oliseh might be feeling he would probably be invited

by Arsenal FC or Barcelona FC should he resign or get fired as the Eagles’ coach. But just before then, I would advise him to seek counsel from Jose Mourinho or better still, ask Keshi, how far?

And if by chance Oliseh loses this big opportunity to garner practical experience in coaching beyond cheap studio talk and prove his critics wrong by delivering, he should not be surprised if calls to coach teams like Agege Bombers or Felele United do not come his way subsequently. Of course, this piece might make me one of the “insane” critics of Oliseh, but then he would have to prove his own sanity first. If he takes my humble advice to heart, and works on his temper, puts his team on a better pedestal and starts delivering, he would be in a better position to truly earn his pay and position as the Eagles coach, while also winning the respect of Nigerians.

I wish him well.

Ahmed Oluwasanjo is a Public Affairs Analyst.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page

News

Fire razes Kurmi market in Kano

N

o fewer than 95 shops were razed by fire that gutted the famous Kurmi market in Kano metropolis on Tuesday night.

The Director of the State Fire Service, Alhaji Mustapha Rulwan, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency

of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Wednesday.

Rulwan said the fire which started around 10 p.m. was believed to have emanated from the section where empty plastic bottles were stocked.

“The fire was said to have started from the empty plastic bottles section. This is the

information we got based on our preliminary investigation,” he said.

He, however, explained that further investigation would reveal the actual cause of the inferno as his men were still trying to unearth the cause of the incident.

According to him, the agency

will soon come up with measures aimed at preventing future occurrence.

The director advised traders to always be vigilant while using fire so as to prevent fire outbreak.

NAN recalls that a mid-night fire on Tuesday gutted the Kurmi market, destroying property worth millions of Naira. (NAN).

Katsina state Governor, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari (middle), former Minister of State for Defence, Prince Kayode Adeyokumbo (left), Founder and Chairman, Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, Sir Emeka Offor (2nd left), former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Howard Jetta (2nd right), and Chief of Staff to Katsina state Governor, Malam Bello Mandiya (right), after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Katsina state government and Sir Emeka Offor Foundation on Tuesday at the Katsina Governor’s Lodge, in Asokoro, Abuja

Gov. Okowa raises c’ttee on Aladja, Ogbe - Ijoh, boundary dispute

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

D

elta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has disclosed that the state government would set up a peace committee to resolve the lingering boundary dispute between Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area and Ogbe-ijoh in Warri South West Local government Area of the state.

Speaking after a visit and a peace parley with both communities yesterday, Governor Okowa explained that the committee which would be inaugurated next one week would see to the amicable resolution of the perennial communal clash so as to allow peace to reign in the area.

“I just came here today to see for myself and have an understanding of what is happening here. I am going to set up a committee that will be inaugurated in the next one week with the State Surveyor General as a member.” he said stressing that “ whoever among you that has good information and documents regarding the boundary map should be nominated into the committee and both communities will send two representatives each.

“The state has its own map of the area and the committee will look into the documents made available to them, deliberate on them. The only person authorized to give the definite boundary of this place is the Surveyor General.

The Frank Nwulu’s report that you are holding unto has not given a definite boundary to this area that is why you still have this dispute.

I believe in justice and know that it is only the peace committee’s recommendations that can bring the needed peace but both communities will first make up their minds that they want peace, it is with this mind-set that you can support the committee to succeed.”

Earlier in his address, HRM Couple Orumoni, the Pere Of Ogbe Ijoh Kingdom, stated that they were the original owners of the land and accommodated the Aladja community but was been intimidated by the people of Aladja to pay fees for any building material been transported into

Ogbe-Ijoh.

He also noted that some of their land on the boundary plane has been confiscated by the Aladja community saying “ This dispute is beyond us to resolve because each time the two communities meet to talk we end up disrupting the meeting because we never agree, that is why we have invited government to come into the issue, whatever they agree on we will abide by it for peace to reign.”

The Ovie of Udu Kingdom, HRM Owuri 1 on his part, said that Ogbe Ijoh community has confiscated most of their farmlands and attacked their people whenever they go to farm because they claim that the Aladja farmland belong to them (Ogbeljoh).

Niger-Delta group chides Chevron over non recruitment of trainees

T

he Niger-Delta Youth Empowerment Forum (NYEF) yesterday, chided Chevron Nigeria Limited over its inability to recruit its VTP 5/OTP trainees who graduated over three years ago.

In a press statement by Mr. James Akpodonor, National President, and its secretary Mr. Monday Toritseju, the forum said that the trainees were allegedly ordered by Chevron Nigeria Limited to resign from their former places of employment before the commencement of the training after a successful one year training, they would be absorbed as staff of the company.

The forum noted with pain and regrets that Chevron Nigeria Limited after successful completion of the training programme for the operators and technicians, the only criterion for direct employment into the company, was without genuine reason, adding that the trainees hitherto suffer hazards concotment with the oil and gas industry.

The forum therefore considers the flimsy excuse of harsh economic times as untenable, stressing that over three years the trainees finished their training, nothing was done to employ them Part of the press statement reads: We believe that the company like Chevron Nigeria Limited which breaches integrity and trust as core values, the simple thing to do is to begin the employment of the VTP 5/OTP2 trainees which is long overdue” and appealed to Chevron Nigeria Limited. To extirpate itself of all the anti-labour tendencies and set into motion the recruitment process of the trainees without further delay.

But swift reaction, officials of the Chevron Nigeria Limited who did not put their names in the print, dismissed the forum allegations as untrue, stating that employment in Chevron has its procedures.

UNIBEN endorses training programme for journalists

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

A

uthorities of the University of Benin have endorsed the proposed plans by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), aimed at addressing the professional drifts, with a view to raising the standard of journalism in the country.

Vice-Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof.Faraday Orumwense dropped the hint when the management of the institution

played host to the Edo State Council of the NUJ, yesterday.

Orumwense’s assertion, was in response to the request by the union to assist Media practitioners haven difficulties in securing admission for advanced studies, without compromising standard.

He assured the university support to assist the union is setting up its Information Communication Technology (ICT) unit at the councils secretariat in Benin City, with a caution to journalists to be

more committed to developmental journalism.

“Be rest assured that I’m fully behind the NUJ. I want you to throw your weight behind me by projecting the University and the good things we are doing here.

“We have special programme for mass communication Department...We will give our support to reposition the ICT unit in NUJ. We will support you”, he said.

Earlier his remark, the state

chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Roland Osakue, pledged the unflinching support of the union to the Vice-Chancellors, under whose watch, the ivory tower “has witnessed tremendous progress”.

Osakue, stressed that the initiative to seek the University collaboration, especially in area of training and re-training programme , was targeted at developing employability skills for practicing journalists.

The chairman of the union

was accompanied on the trip by Comrade, Alemma Aliu Ozeruva (Secretary, NUJ, Mrs. Rose Imonikhe (VICE chairman), Fred Emokpae (Treasurer), Lucky Isibor (Finacial Secretary), Comrade, Walid Ogunseri (Auditor), Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Comrade Simon Ebegbulem, Comrade Ernest Iyamu (former official of the NUJ), Comrade and Sunny Ojieduma, Benin-based Veteran Journalist.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 15

Group moves to alleviate poverty in FCT

President Muhammadu Buhari accompanied by the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Chief of Staff Mallam Abba Kyari, Minister of National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, SSAP (SENATE) Sen. Ita Enang and SSAP (House) Hon Sulieman Kawu meeting with leadership of National Assembly among whom are President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki, Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and other Principal staff on Tuesday, at the Presidential Villa.

By Umar Muhammad Puma

A

Edo 2016: Oshiomhole’s deputy sets agenda for APC primary

From Osaigbovo Benin

Iguobaro,

E

do state deputy governor, Pius Odubu, yesterday gave conditions to either accept or reject the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party nomination ahead of the governorship election billed for 10th September this year.

However, he promised to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and the manifesto of the APC as a loyal party man who was cut-out to win the

polls having learnt the ropes of governance under the tutelage of Governor Adams Oshiomhole over the last seven years.

The deputy governor disclosed this when he declared his intention to contest the 2016 governorship election yesterday, in Benin City, the state capital, where he promised to abide by the party’s decision on the choice of the nomination, if the process of choosing the standard bearer is transparent and credible.

According to him, “I’m a loyal party man, if after a free and fair party primary, I will

gladly support the winner after a free, fair and transparent process”.

He stated that he has neither sign a pact with any group of persons nor enter any secret accord with anyone, barring him from contesting for the plump job of the governor of the state.

“My intention to contest has gone well with all.

“Nobody has called me to any meeting asking me to step down. Besides, stepping down is not in the contemplation of Okakwo (the warrior)”.

Asked whether he intends

to pay bursary allowance to Edo state indigent students or jettison the idea if elected, the deputy Governor, after an initial skepticism, said the payment of bursary allowance for indigent students of the state, may not be unconnected with the challenges in distinguishing “the children of the poor from the children of the poor who are more vulnerable to economic shocks”.

He stressed that “what is needed is the political will to know those who really need the scholarship scheme and we will be glad to assist them”.

INEC meets today to schedule outstanding polls - Ekweremadu

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday during plenary, disclosed that the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met yesterday to schedule the date for the conduct of the outstanding senatorial elections across the country.

Ekweremadu, who presided over the senate plenary yesterday due to absence of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, made this disclosure while responding to a point of order raised by senator Ben Murray Bruce over INEC’s failure to conclude senatorial elections in Rivers,

Anambra, Imo and Kogi states despite that thirty days provided by the 1999 Constitution has elapsed.

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce (PDP, Bayelsa East) had raised the point of Order to that effect at yesterday’s plenary, by stating that INEC owed the upper chamber explanations on why the pending re-run elections have not been conducted.

He noted that the nonrepresentation of some states in the Senate violates Section 48 of the 1999 Constitution which provides that: “The Senate shall consist of three senators from each state and one from the Federal capital Territory, Abuja”.

Senator Bruce who asked the

Senate to take up the issue with the INEC Chairman, said that the people of the affected areas which are, Kogi East, Anambra Central, Imo North, Rivers East, Rivers West and Rivers South East, have constitutional right to be represented in the Senate.

He said: “We have not had representation in this chamber from Rivers State, part of Anambra, Imo, Kogi and some other states.

INEC concluded elections in one week in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but in these states they had no representation here and it does not make any sense.

“It is a violation of the constitution; the people of these states have a right to have representation here. The INEC

Chairman owes us an explanation to explain why these elections have not been concluded.”

However, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, explained that he was aware that INEC will meet to fix dates for the elections today.

“It is clear in the constitution that INEC should quickly conduct within 30days bye-elections where vacancies occur and so it is far past 30 days when vacancies occurred in some places.

“It is important that we urge INEC to ensure that as soon as possible that these elections are conducted so that every part of the country, every states would have their full representation in the National Assembly”, he stated.

non-governmental organisation, NALT Club International, has said they will soon introduce policies to alleviate poverty, promote social justice, cultural values, peace and unity among Nigerians especially in the Federal Capitala Territory (FCT), as part of activities marking its yearly international convention.

In a statement signed yesterday in Abuja by NALT National President and Secretary, Dr. Felix Nweke and Cassidy Madueke respectively, described the incoming convention as a very important event in the life and history of the association.

The statement said the association is made up of professionals, academia and outstanding businessmen and women, drawn across the globe with the aim of promoting social justice for all irrespective of race, nationality, status and religious affiliation as well as promotion of cultural values, peace and unity among racial diversity.

It reads: “We will also embark on health/fitness road work along Karu road, do visitation and donation of food items, and money to Karu orphanage home, carry out free medicare on people as part of activities during the convention.

“The convention, tagged: “Harris International Convention” will focus on the need to promote social justice, cultural values, peace and unity among Nigerians and black race generally as well as the need to lend a hand to the less privileged in the society.

“The association seek to reposition its self and do the needful for the betterment of its members and the society in general and therefore called their members, registered participants/delegates and invited guests across the globe to endeavour to participate meaningfully in the convention, use the opportunity to interact among themselves and chat a common course in line with global realities.”

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 16

Politics

2019 will be walk over if APC delivers on change promise- Dogara

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara, has challenged All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that it delivers on its promises of change as this will make reelection in 2019 a walk over for the party.

The speaker said this when he received a delegation from Delta State APC under the umbrella of Delta APC Contact Committee in his office yesterday, according to a statement issued by his spokesman Turaki Hassan in Abuja.

Dogara noted that nothing could sell the party faster and

wider than providing tools of empowerment for Nigerians to thrive in their businesses and daily lives through provision of infrastructure and other needs as promised by the party.

While commenting on how Delta and other opposition states can be captured by the APC in 2019, the speaker explained, “a better way of getting there will be that in all the APC states, the APC controlled federal government is able to deliver on its promise. If we are able to do that, you may not even have to suffer, you may not even have to pool resources, you may not even have to campaign, it will just come automatically that these are crops of people serious, who will deliver on the

mandate and because it’s been done elsewhere, if we give them the opportunity in Delta State as well, they can replicate that.”

“We know that rebuilding infrastructure is key, because only free, empowered citizens can actually contribute in a democracy. That is what democracy is all about, freedom to pursue happiness and how do you pursue happiness when you do not have the tools to do that?

And so I believe that as soon as the budget gets underway, the kind of pains that we see right now will lessen and we should be able to deliver on the promise of change, which will lift Delta APC to a new pedestal.”

“If APC is able to surmount

these challenges, if we are able to find pathways through them and Nigerians can see that yes, not only the visions that we have articulated but we have been able to deliver on these, to be candid, we would have risen the status of this party to a level where we can take the centre stage and still take all the other states that we don’t have control over right now. We know the potentials that you hold within the boundaries of that state and to be candid, it is a state that every serious government at the centre will want to have.”

Commending the group for planning way ahead of the elections, he noted that “without vision the people perish and maybe if we’ve been in opposition for too long and

L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara with Prof.

Pat Utomi , during the delegation visit to speaker by members of Delta state APC Contact Committee, at the National Assembly , yesterday in Abuja.

South east APC condemns alleged herdsmen attack

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Budget palaver: Senate moves to establish NASS budget office

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Senate yesterday passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish the National Assembly Budget Research Office (NABRO), saying it will help to stop the incessant budget deadlock between the executive and the legislative arm of government.

Leading debate on the bill, the sponsor of the Bill, Babajide Omowurare, said that the Bill will also help the lawmakers to track the budget implementation, adding that it will serve as the clearing house for both the executive and the legislature.

He also expressed confidence that when the Bill, which he said still needs some works, has

not been able to wrestle power from the mainstream, it may be that the parts were not well articulated and that is why I love the fact that you are beginning to put your house in order well ahead of time.

“Because one thing with vision is that it gives you a destination and once you have a destination, you know the roads or the pathways that will take you to that destination. And so with this vision and a defined path, I’m a hundred percent sure that by the grace of God, we will get there.”

Dogara went further to add that the hardship and challenges currently being faced by Nigerians will soon be a thing of the past as the budget of change will be finally brought on stream next week following meetings held with the president on Tuesday and subsequent ones scheduled to put final touches to the document.

Earlier, chairman of the Delta State APC Contact Committee, Prof Pat Utomi, said they were on the visit to show that the APC in Delta State is ready to bring true, lasting change for the good of the people.

passed through the due legislative processes, it will be assented to by the President.

Speaking further, he said the office, when functional, will not have additional financial implication on the government, explaining that the budget for the office is already provided for in the National Assembly budget.

“If we are able to pass this bill, most of the issues that are still hanging on the budget will easily be resolved without much stress”, according to him.

Speaking after the contributions by the lawmakers, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, said the Bill has become very imperative given the recurrent executive and legislative

logjam on budget.

He urged the executive arm of government to always forward the Bill early to the National Assembly, adding that early presentation of the Bill before the lawmakers will being efficient budgeting system in Nigeria.

Contributing earlier on the Bill, Senator Barau Jubril, lamented the present situation in the budgeting process in which the legislature solely rely on the information provided by the executive.

He said the essence of the bill was to establish an office that will make the legislature independent of the executive in terms of monitoring and tracking of budget and project implementation. This he said will put them in a better

position to compare with the executive.

Speaking also, Senator Shehu Sani, said budget research office for the National Assembly is an idea whose time has come, especially given the unending dispute between the executive and legislature with regards to their roles in the budget preparation and implementation.

However, Dino Melaye, while speaking on the bill, said the NABRO office has become a conduit pipe for the diversion of public funds, just as he disclosed that two billion naira was budgeted for it in 2014 budget, while one billion, two hundred million was also budgeted for it in the 2015 budget, yet it is yet to take off effectively.

he South East leadership caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned in very strong terms the sporadic wanton killings of innocent Nigerians and destruction of villages and farmlands by the socalled Fulani Herdsmen and the reprisals.

A statement signed by the spokesman of the south east leadership caucus, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said it is painful that while the Federal Government of Nigeria is doing everything possible to contain the Boko Haram insurgency; another virus in the name of herdsmen is dislocating the security architecture of the country.

“Yesterday it was Agatu in Benue State, today it is Ukpabio Nimbo in Enugu State. It must stop”.

“May we use this opportunity to deeply commiserate with the families of the bereaved, in particular the people and government of Benue and Enugu states. God in his infinite mercy will surely heal the wounds.

“In sum, we appeal for calm and urge all to take solace on the truism that the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari is quietly working round the clock to stop the bloodletting, fish out the culprits and the masterminds who equip the Herdsmen with sophisticated weapons”.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 33 17

Politics

Metuh hospitalized after falling from swivel chair

By Ahmed Abubakar

P

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh was rushed to the national hospital, Abuja after falling from a swivel chair during the inauguration of Borno and Kebbi states caretaker committees.

Metuh was about to take his seat during the inauguration when he slipped off the chair reserved for him.

Resignation call: Saraki facing prosecution not persecution - group warns

By Stanley Onyekwere

...PDP to use new membership cards in Kebbi, Borno It took about 10 minutes before he could be assisted to his feet by two policemen attached to the office of the National Chairman.

Metuh, who could not walk properly after assisted from the floor, was virtually carried to his car through the back gate before he was immediately rushed to the hospital.

The PDP spokesmanhad earlier complained of backache.

A close friend of the party spokesman, who spoke with our correspondent, said he hit his back on the floor, which further compounded the backache.

The friend, who said his name should not be mentioned, said he could not help himself and could not walk even in the hospital.

He said: “As I am speaking

with you now he cannot walk, we don’t know the level of damage he sustained when he fell. He’s being battling with backache, we are praying he comes out of it.”

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff has said that new membership cards will be used for the forthcoming Kebbi and Borno states congresses.

Sheriff, who stated this while inaugurating a nine member caretaker committee each for Kebbi and Borno States, explained that this development became imperative because of the volatile nature of the states.

This comes as the national woman leader of the party, Dr. Kema Chikwe, disclosed that she will not seek reelection in

the forthcoming PDP national convention scheduled for May 21 in Portharcourt, Rivers State.

Speaking during the inauguration of the caretaker committees, Sheriff charged the committee members to be upright, steadfast and impartial in their assignments.

Sheriff, who warned against disenfranchising party members at the congresses, added “because of the volatility of the states, we will use new cards.”

Speaking chairman of the Borno caretaker committee, Alhaji Rilwan Dauda, assured that they will take charge of the responsibility assigned to them by conducting free, fair party congresses and ensure that party moves forward in the state.

On his part, chairman of caretaker committee, Hon. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau said, “We will ensure that at the end of the day the overall interest of the party is achieved in the state congresses.”

Other members of the Borno Caretaker Committee are Alhaji Mamman Sai Kerage; Hon. Alkali Mohammed; Hon. Idrissa Jidda; Hon. Ali Bolori Hon. Fali Wabulari Uba; Alhaji Bulama Kurama; Alhaji Bukar Gurdams; Alhaji Zannah Abba Gana.

Other members of the Kebbi State are Barr Garba Ibrahim (Secretary) Umar Isa Munggali, Garba Basse; Ruwa RK Arzika Salihu Boi; Alhaji Kabiru Abdullahi; Hon. Mohammed Usman Zuru; Alhaji Riskuwa Dakingari.

T

he Nigerians in Diaspora Group for Rule of Law has countered those asking for the resignation of Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, saying the issues are being deliberately confused to achieve the vindictive goals of some highly placed individuals.

Reacting to the several calls for Saraki’s resignation, the group said facts in the public domain clearly prove that the Senate President is the victim of persecution that is being made to look like prosecution for alleged corruption offences.

An electronic statement issued

by Collins Achaluda on the behalf of the umbrella body of Nigerians in the UK, United States, Asia and other parts of Europe, urged Nigerians to demand prosecution of public officers that are being accused of corruption as opposed to their being persecuted.

“The supposed trial of Senator Dr. Bukola Saraki was already concluded and a guilty verdict passed in the media and court of public opinion before the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting properly got underway.

“The conduct of the Tribunal Chairman, Mr. Danladi Umar, has clearly betrayed the secret trial that has been held with a verdict already agreed to going by the way he regularly suffers outbursts of rage whenever Saraki’s defence counsels table facts before him.

“Saraki would not have been dragged before the CCT if he had not dared to challenge the establishment’s attempt to impose another candidate as President of the Senate.”

“Politics should not be played like this. It should not be about abusing state institutions to score personal scores and to persecute those who out of consideration for what is best for nation refused to support anti-people concepts.

“The concept remains innocent until proven in Nigeria but this has not been the situation in Senator Saraki’s case as his accusers sustain a campaign to boot him out of office for allegations he has not been convicted for. How can one be innocent when his accuser is both the judge and the witness?” the statement said.

L-R: National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prince Solomon Soyebi, Chairman INEC, Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu, National Commissioner of INEC, Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari and National Commissioner INEC, Dr. Mahammed Lecky, during an interactive session with INEC press corps on rerun election, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kwankwaso’s supporters challenge Ganduje to remove red cap if...

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

S

upporters of former governor of Kano State, now senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have challenged the incumbent governor of the state, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to remove his red cap if he fail to recognise his predecessor as the leader of the All Progressives Congress in the state, even as they boasted to buy the cap at the cost of N1 million.

This came on the heels of the recent feud between the two long-time political allies and their respective supporters.

Speaking during a press conference organised to mark the 5th anniversary of Kwankwasiyya Day, held at the

secretariat of the Kano council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) yesterday, leader of the group, Sharu Garba Gwammaja, said that it was the red cap that took Ganduje to power, accusing the governor of sponsoring political thugs to pour abuse on his former boss.

According to him, Kwankwasiyya ideology does not stop at wearing red cap only but it is all about transparency, loyalty and good governance, alleging that the incumbent governor has diverted from the true teaching of the ideology.

He debunked the insinuations that Kwankwaso was frequently disrespecting Ganduje, saying that his leader has never uttered a bad word at his former deputy nor his supporters ever disrespected him.

“On the 15th March, 2016 the members of Kano Assembly removed their red caps to show solidarity to governor Ganduje and he did not stop their action.

Since he too refused to recognise Kwankwaso as his leader, he should remove his red cap and we will buy it at the cost of N1 million. It is the red cap that took him into power but he has constantly sponsored his supporters to abuse our leader” he said.

“They have been together for more than 16 years and up till now Kwankwaso has never abused Ganduje. He has also warned and restrained us against abusing Ganduje, but less than a year, Ganduje has started abusing Kwankwaso, everything has been collapsed” he added.

Gwammaja further said

that Kwankwasiyya Day was celebrated every 27th of April, as it was the day Kwankwaso was elected as the governor of the state for the second term.

He maintained that the day was celebrated not only in Kano but in many parts of Nigeria and some African countries.

He added that the celebration does not involve staging a rally on the streets, stressing that they hold a special prayer for the well being of the country and held same for President Muhammadu Buhari during this year’s celebration.

Gwammaja also disclosed that as part of the celebrations, they visited orphanage and prisons in the Kano metropolis, adding that they provided relief items for the orphans and prison inmates respectively.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 18

Politics

Zamfara PDP suspends Chairman over anti party-related offences

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

T

he Zamfara State Working Committee (SWC) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended its Chairman, Senator Hassan Muhammad Nasiha for a period of two months over alleged 7 anti party-related cases that led to the failure of the party to win the 2015 general

elections in the state, thereby replacing him with Kado Yahaya Gusau as Acting Chairman.

In a press conference yesterday in Gusau, the state capital, the state Zonal Vice Chairman, Ibrahim Maikano I.O announced that, the 44 members of the State Executive Council (SEC) of the PDP have met and voted two-third in support of the decision to suspend the embattled Senator Hassan Nasiha based on

the provision 21(1) of the party’s constitution.

The committee further decried his style of leadership in addition to gross official misconduct of the which made him ran the affairs of the party singlehandedly, which it said was the cause of serious misunderstanding amongst the party members during 2015 elections.

He said it was clear that, Hassan Nasiha had often

demonstrated open allegiance with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to have won the 2015 general elections, adding that he was virtually identified with the habit of soliciting for favour from the party in power which is politically a breach of party membership.

“The suspended Chairman had only called for a meeting twice at the state secretariat since assumption of office nearly three years ago, the situation which

Saraki commiserates with NMA over death of members

Senate President Bukola Saraki (middle), discussing with his counsel / Former Anthony General of the Federation, Mr. Kanu Agabi (SAN) (right), and Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje (left), at Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), during Saraki’s trial on false assets declaration, yesterday in Abuja.

By Ali Abare Abubakar

P

resident of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, yesterday condoled with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), over the death of six senior medical doctors in an auto crash along the Abuja/Kaduna expressway.

The doctors were said to be on their way to attend the 56th annual conference and general delegates meeting of NMA in Sokoto.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, commiserated with the government and people of Ekiti State, the national leadership of the NMA, the Ekiti State chapter of the body and the immediate families of the deceased over the sad incident.

He stated that the six doctors and the driver lost their lives in active service to humanity and noted that their contributions to the wellbeing of mankind and commitment towards a healthy society will not be forgotten.

Saraki said: “The tragic demise of these noble citizens is no doubt a big blow to the medical profession in the country and the world at large.

“As a medical doctor, I am particularly pained that six of my professional colleagues met their untimely death and others were injured in an accident on their way to a conference where they were meant to confer alongside their other colleagues, review the state of healthcare delivery in the country, exchange ideas, and possibly strategize on how to deploy their new knowledge to improve medical practice in the country. This is one mishap too many,” he said.

The Senate President prayed God to grant speedy recovery to the injured doctors to enable them resume their normal life and to continue to render immeasurable service to the country.

Saraki also prayed the Almighty God to give the bereaved families, relations and the entire members of the NMA the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

turned the state party secretariat into graveyard-like”, Maikano has challenged.

The committee has therefore, declared as null and void a claim made by the suspended Chairman in one of the national daily, not (Peoples Daily), in which he said was eventually endorsed by the majority votes of the State Working Committee (SWC) to remain as legitimate Chairman of the PDP in the state.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Removal of Uvwie LG Chair: Court joins Acting Chairman in suit …Baro’s removal allegedly by DSTG, DTHA is unlawful-Edun declares From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

A

Delta State High Court sitting in Effurun , Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State yesterday joined the Acting Chairman of the council as the sixth defendant in a suit instituted by the ousted Chairman of the Council, Mr. Henry Minabowanre Baro.

Our correspondent gathered that Mr. Henry Baro had instituted a suit against the Delta State governor and the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and three others challenging his purported removal from office.

Hon. Baro was allegedly sacked from office months back by the Delta State governor and the Delta State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Mr. Monday Owigho Igbuya over allegedly

misappropriation of funds and others.

It was gathered that the rejoinder was officially made by the presiding judge, Justice Brik Okolosi to enable the Uvwie Local Government Council Acting Chairman explain to the court if she was “lawfully “elected into office by people of Uvwie within a period of thirty days.

A Warri based legal practitioner, Mr. Kunle Edun Esq described the purported removal from office of the Uvwie Local Government Council, Mr. Henry Minabowanre Baro by the Delta State government as “unlawful” and “unconstitutional” stressing that, “The matter is subjudice and any act that is done by the Delta State government and the Speaker in relation to this matter is unlawful.

They should all wait until the court

determines its act.”

Addressing newsmen at the premises of High Court 1 , Effurun shortly after a court session, Edun said the allegedly act by the Delta State government amounts to “impunity” pointing out that, “ the government as well as the House of Assembly lacks the power to remove Hon. Henry Baro from Office.

Edun who confirmed the position of the court to newsmen said the , “The position of the court right now is that Hon. Stella Daboner has joined officially as the 6th defendant in this case for her to come and answer the questions that we have raised whether she was lawfully appointed as the elected chairman of the local government.

She cannot run away from it.”

Edun hinted that the essence of their being in court is to secure an

order compelling the Acting Uvwie Chairman, Hon. Stella Daboner whom he said her appointment is “illegal” and “unconstitutional” to vacate office with immediate effect.

Edun warned the Delta State government to stop spending monies belonging to the Uvwie Local Government Council until the matter is resolved by the court.

“I also expect members of the public and the Delta Sate government particularly also with relation to the revenues accruing to Uvwie Local Government That no money should be spent without this matter being resolved by the judiciary. “ Counsel to the Delta State Government, Mr. Henry Obafemi declined comments on the matter saying ,“I wouldn’t want to speak on the matter unless I have an approval from my boss.”

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 19

Officials of the standards organisation of Nigeria (Son), North-West Zone inspecting tyres during a raid of Tyres market, yesterday in Kaduna

World Bank pledges Technical Support for NNPC ...Lauds Kachikwu’s Transparency Governance Initiative

By Etuka Sunday

T

he World Bank has pledged to offer technical and funding support for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The Global Bank praised the reforms initiative of the Corporation, stressing that sound policy thrust was key in the areas of fiscal direction, gas flare out and Gas to Power.

The Managing Director of the Bank, Sri Mulyani Indrawati who made the pledge when she paid an official visit to the Minister in his office in Abuja said, the 20 fixes

introduced by Dr. Kachikwu to the NNPC business models have gone a long way to reform the Corporation for profitability.

She said the Bank is ready and available to offer the Ministry of Petroleum Resources technical support, advice and funding stressing that sound policy thrust is key in the areas of fiscal direction, gas flare out and Gas to Power.

In his response, Dr. Kachikwu said since assumption of duty in August last year, a lot of reforms ranging from the first phase of restructuring and the recent restructuring have served as

enablers for the introduction of new business models that have drastically reduced the losses recorded by the NNPC in the past.

“We first started with the softer issues which were transparency issues, governance, restructuring and that was going well when we went straight into the business model. For example when we came in, the NNPC was recording huge losses and we have been able to reverse that trend and if we continue with that sort of trajectory then we should be able to record profit in the near future,” Dr. Kachikwu noted.

According to him, a lot of

institutional framework such as restructuring is still ongoing in all the parastatals under his watch.

“Infrastructure is the toughest gap as a lot of depots and pipelines need urgent attention and you need infrastructure, be it in the upstream and downstream sector, for you to deliver results but we will continue to throw solutions at them and try to get private sector participation,” the Minister stated.

“The other tough gap is the funding. Just sheer funding of the upstream Joint Venture cash calls demands a lot of money and we

are not pretending about. Again, the President has travelled from point to point and a lot of people have offered to support,” the Minister asserted.

A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mallam Garba Deen Muhammad said, he urged the World Bank to offer support in the area of institutional framework and training for the Petroleum Ministry and the NNPC, adding that the training would provide the necessary skill sets that are required to grow the Oil and Gas Industry in the country.

Chamber partners FG to strengthen businesses, economy

By Etuka Sunday

T

he President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ltd (ACCIL), Mr Tony Ejinkeonye has disclosed the plan of the Chamber to partner the Federal Government to strengthen businesses and Nigerian economy.

Mr Ejinkeonye, stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah in

Abuja. ``One of the reasons we came here is to seek further way where we can partner with your ministry to strengthen businesses in Nigeria and proffer economic solutions to problems.’’

Ejinkeonye said the chamber would hold the 11th International Trade Fair in September to proffer solutions to challenges facing the nation’s economy and attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).

He said the chamber

was collaborating with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission to assist in promoting FDI. The president said the chamber intended to partner with the ministry to tackle the challenges facing industrialists in accessing the Federal Government’s intervention funds and loans.

He said that the chamber had set up a dispute resolution centre for its members to reduce the cost of litigations and attract more

investors.

Responding, Enelamah said the partnership between his ministry and chamber was imperative for businesses and economic development. ``We view our role, as a government, as an enabling role.

I’m sure you must have heard the visions and some of the objectives we have set for ourselves. ``Number one is really to play catalylistic role to be an enabler, creating enabling environment

for businesses and economic stakeholders to drive. ``We think when that happens we are all doing well but we need partners to do it. We need the chamber, organised private sector, businesses and so on,’’ the minister said.

He said the ministry needed the chamber’s partnership on how to locate made-in-Nigeria product and where they were made as the ministry was interested in the promotion of the product

Page 20

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Business Naira depreciates slightly at parallel market T

Economic Summit targeted to make Katsina self sufficient –Masari

By Ochiaka Ugwu

T

he planned 2016 Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit scheduled to hold from May 9 – 11 with the theme “Unlocking Investment Potentials for Sustainable Development” is targeted towards making the state self sufficient in all facet of development, the governor of Katsina State, Hon Aminu Bello Masari has said.

Masari made this known in Abuja yesterday while speaking with newsmen on the potentials and opportunities the summit will offer to participants and economic benefits to the state.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that the summit is being organized to showcase what Katsina has in the area of economic and investment potentials. He said the summit will dwell more on agricultural development given the fact that more than 90 percent of the people are farmers which need to be exposed to improved farming techniques that will maximize agricultural value chain. He revealed that Katsina has mineral resources in commercial quantity which needed to be tapped for the benefit of the people, adding that it is the second state in the nation with highest irrigation and water deposit.

While making case for every state to diversify its economy saying that no nation can survive on one commodity, he stated his resolve to make Katsina self dependent through development of the abundant mineral resources in the state.

His words, “There is no way any nation can depend on one commodity. There is need to invest on mineral resources which is abundant in Katsina. Investing on minerals will make Katsina self sufficient and a state that will not depend on allocation to survive but will support other states to grow.

“We have a population over seven million people. We have the population, land and water. We must harness it to prepare for the future. We did it before and will do it again” he said.

Also speaking, Chairman of Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit 2016, Mr. Ibrahim Tukur Jikamshi who went down memory lane, said the summit was inaugurated in 2015 to retool the state economy in line with Change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Jikamshi informed that the summit has the objective of revitalizing the private sector to enhance the much needed job creation that will employ the teaming youth.

He however, named agriculture and its value chain, Solid Mineral, Power, Property development and hospitality as the main priorities of the incoming summit.

he Naira on Wednesday depreciated slightly, exchanging at N320.5 to the dollar at the parallel market.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the naira lost 50 kobo on Wednesday afternoon, from N320 it traded on Monday.

However, the naira traded against the Pound Sterling and the Euro at N457 and N361 respectively, weakening further against the Pound.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian currency maintained N197 to the dollar at the official Central Bank of

Nigeria (CBN’s) rate.

Traders at the market complained of low activities but however, expressed delight at the efforts by the executive and the legislature to resolve issues surrounding the 2016 budget.

Industry watchers had also

said that with the appreciation of oil at the international market, the nation’s revenue would increase and the naira would he strengthened.

NAN reports that crude oil was sold at about 47 dollars per barrel at the close of trading on Wednesday.

(NAN)

Customs area controller of Oyo/Osun Area Command, Mr. Tolutope Ogunkua (right) presenting bale of cannabis sativa (indian hemp) to Oyo state and commander, Mrs. Omolade Faboyede, during a news conference, yesterday in Ibadan

Nigeria can generate 6,000 megawatts from renewable solutions - Expert

M

r Yusuf Suleiman, a renewable energy entrepreneur, has said that Nigeria can generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity from renewable solutions for domestic purposes.

Suleiman, a Chief Executive Officer of Blue Camel Energy, said this at the ``Seeing is Believing: Renewable Option at Work Exhibition” in Abuja on Wednesday.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after taking participants on inspection tour of an off-grid green building using solar and wind energy that renewables were better option for Nigeria. ``If we have one million of this kind of solution on people’s roof tops in Nigeria, that means we are generating 6,000 megawatts of electricity. ``The 6,000 megawatts of electricity will be freed from grid

generation, which can go into industries and other purposes,’’ he said.

The expert said the 10-flat green building, situated at Guzape District of Asokoro Extension, had solar-powered borehole system which could supply about 57,000 litres to over-head tank. ``All the water is generated from eight solar panels and it can work for the next 10 to 15 years. ``We have the solar-powered refrigerator system in the building. `So, you can see that all the items in the building are powered by renewable energy and are environment-friendly,’’ he said.

According to him, the company has the capacity to produce the renewable energy solutions in commercial quantity for Nigerians to take advantage of the technology. ``An average period to train a renewable energy installer is three

months and in a year, we can roll out four batches of trainees. ``There is a direct impact of this technology if we can scale it up because it will create employment. ``I have trained close to 100 trainees in the past six years and that is because our demand is limited. ``If I have bigger market and demand, I will multiply that by 20 folds over, so the potential is there to create jobs in the country.’’

Citing the example of the company’s driver, Sulaiman said that the driver now heads the engineering department. ``Nigerians are not lazy; they need somebody to be on the lead.

My Chief Engineer who joined the company as a driver now heads other engineers with formal education. ``He heads other engineers including those that have degrees because he knows the job on the

field. ``There is the need for the government to emphasise on the solar solutions, besides that it is cheaper in the long run than the power from the grid. ``All this put together, we look at how we can generate employment in the country and almost reduce dependence on energy from the grid,’’ the expert said.

He called on the Federal Government to support entrepreneurs and consumers so make renewables available to Nigerians.

NAN reports that the exhibition was organised by Blue Camel Energy in collaboration with the Heinrich Boll Foundation.

The items exhibited included solar water heater, energy efficient panel light, solar panels, wind turbines and solar-powered refrigerators, among others.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 21

Page 22

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Business Beekeepers want FG to encourage export of hive products

T

he Federation of Bee Keepers Association of Nigeria has appealed to the Federal Government to introduce policies that will promote the export of hive products.

The National President of the association, Mr Bidemi Ojeleye, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Cue in audio ``We want the government policy backing, after we have taken standard into consideration, that EU must accommodate our own products. ``So, the bilateral relations between Nigeria and EU consumers should be tightened well enough to accommodate us. ``With this, farmers will be happy that we (they) have produced products that can be sold outside the shores of the country.’’ Cue out audio He said that such policies when instituted and implemented, would help streamline and tackle some challenges currently militating against bee keeping in the country.

Ojeleye lamented that bee hives products were not currently accepted in international markets especially the EU because they did not meet standards. The president, who expressed regrets that bee keeping was not accorded the needed priority, said the business could generate forex for the country.

Ojeleye listed some of the challenges being faced by the organisation as bush burning and vandalism of bee hives by herdsmen.

The national president regretted that the association was not adequately supported by the Bank of Agriculture (BOA). ``We are asking that some areas especially the support zones of the National Park, games reserve and forest reserves can be given to bee keepers. ``This can be done with rules and regulations especially on pouching of the wildlife.’’

He, however, appealed to the government to assist in the training of members of the association to encourage good management practices to increase and improve the quality of hives. (NAN)

L-R: Managing Director, Abg communications limited, Dr. Musa Bawa-Garba; Director, ‘ask me health aid foundation’, Mr. Mathew Chukwu, and chairperson of the foundation, Mrs Angela Brown, during d news conference on the foundation’s activities, yesterday in Abuja

Oil climbs to 2016 highest of $46.77

O

il hit its highest level on Wednesday, driven by a falling dollar and evidence of declining U.S. supply, putting the price on course for its strongest monthly performance since last April.

Brent crude futures were up $1.03 at $46.77 a barrel in early trading, having risen nearly 20 per cent in April, their largest one-month gain in a year.

The international benchmark earlier hit a 2016 high of $46.81.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures also rose 86 cents to $44.90 a barrel.

Brent received extra support

from news that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait appear no closer to restarting their jointly operated Khafji oilfield, which produced 280,000 to 300,000 barrels per day The oilfield had been shut since October 2014 due to environmental problems.

The prospect of an agreement among the world’s largest exporters to limit production evaporated almost two weeks ago when a meeting between OPEC members and their non-OPEC counterparts ended in stalemate.

Since then, Brent has hit its highest since November and, aided

by further evidence of declining output anywhere from the U.S. shale basin to the North Sea, attracted fresh investment cash.

“There was definitely a bit of a turning point when we had the initial sell-off after the producer meeting,” CMC Markets strategist Jasper Lawler said.

“That got reversed and went on to show that (a production freeze) was a fairly small part of what had been supporting the price and really, it’s the supply outlook for the U.S. coupled with the dollar that is really driving returns.”

WTI was further bolstered after the American Petroleum

Institute reported a draw of nearly 1.1 million barrels in U.S. crude inventories last week.

Analysts had expected a 2.4-million-barrel build.

The dollar was down on the day, having fallen about 5 per cent against a basket of currencies since the start of the year, even as U.S. interest rates are expected to rise.

The Federal Reserve’s policysetting committee meets on Wednesday but is not expected to announce any change in rates, leaving traders to scour the postmeeting statement for any clues on the outlook. (Reuters/NAN)

Shareholders in Access Bank approve additional capital of N100bn

S

hareholders of Access Bank on Wednesday authorised the bank to raise additional N100 billion through the capital market for further investment and development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the shareholders gave the approval at the bank’s 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

They said that the date for the capital raising exercise should be determined by the board of directors after obtaining the requisite approvals of the regulatory authorities.

Mr Boniface Okezie, the President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), suggested that the new funds should

be raised through bonds to avoid over bloating of the bank’s share capital.

Okezie said that the bank should not consider rights issue or public offerings as the bank had floated a rights issue in 2015.

He, however, commended the bank for the improved results achieved in the financial year ended Dec. 31, 2015 and urged the bank to sustain the growth.

Okezie also urged the bank to adhere to good corporate governance in order to avoid payment of unnecessary sanctions from regulatory bodies.

Dr Farouk Umar, the President, Association of Advancement of Shareholders’ Rights, said the bank was one of the few that had positive

results in spite of the headwinds.

Umar also lauded the bank for a final dividend of 30k per share which brought the total dividend for the year to 55k per share.

Mr Herbert Wigwe, the bank’s Group Managing Director, said the result reaffirmed the bank’s resolve to add value to shareholders’ investments in spite of the harsh operating environment.

“We achieved strong financial progress in 2015 as the group recorded a 44 per cent growth in PBT to 75 billion from 52 billion in 2014, with significant contribution from our securities trading business,” he said.

Wigwe attributed the growth to the bank’s diversified business model and robust risk management

framework.

He said the capital raising exercise would be done at the appropriate time.

“We are not issuing anything now, we just want to get the shareholders’ approval, we will issue it at the appropriate time,” he stated.

Wigwe said that the bank would continue to take proactive steps to ensure optimisation of its capital structure in terms of both debt and equity to maintain a robust balance sheet.

Mrs Mosun Belo-Olusoga, the bank’s Chairman, said the capital raising would enable the bank maintain a robust Capital Adequacy Ratio and withstand regulatory headwinds.

Belo-Olusoga said that the bank

would continue to grow in spite of external forces due to its strategic growth prospects.

NAN reports that the bank’s profit after tax grew to N66 billion as against N30 billion achieved in the comparative period.

Its gross earnings stood at N337.4 billion in contrast to the N245.4 billion in 2014, indicating a growth of 38 per cent.

Also, interest income grew by 17 per cent to 207.8 billion from 176.9 billion in the previous year due to improved income from lending activities and increased yield on investment securities.

The bank’s non-interest income stood at 129.4 billion, an increase by 89 per cent from 68.4 billion in 2014. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 23

Stock Watch: Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Company Previous Closing Price

Opening Price High

Low

Close

Change Trades

Volume

Value

Company Previous Closing Price

Opening Price High

Low

Close

Change Trades

Volume

Value

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

MBENEFIT 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

ABBEYBDS 1.25 - - - - 0 - -

MCNICHOLS

ABCTRANS 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

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

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

1.18 1.21 1.21 1.21 0.03 2

270,464 327,261.44

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

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

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

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

NB 99.99 99.94 99.94 98.5 99.9

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

-0.09 68

293,234 29,196,308.21

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

518,000 357,600.00

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

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

NIGROPES 7.46 - - - - 0 - -

LOP 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

NNFM 6.65 - - - - 1 433 2,736.56

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

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

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

ETRANZACT 3.1 - - - - 0 - -

PHARMDEKO 2.14 - - - 0 - -

EVANSMED 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

PORTPAINT 3.36 - - - - 0 - -

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

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - - 0 - -

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

PREMPAINTS 10.93 - - - 0 - -

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

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

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

ROKANA 0.6 - - - - 0 - -

GLAXOSMITH

ROYALEX 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

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

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

RTBRISCOE 0.5 - - - - 1 941 470.50 SCOA 3.96 - - - - 0 - SEPLAT 302.48 317.6 318 318 318 15.52 30

388,650 123,626,470.56

SIMCAPVAL 103.24 - - - - 0 - -

GUINEAINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - -GUINSKYEBANK 1.08 1.12 1.08 1.07 1.07 -0.01 39 1,959,858 2,104,852.11 NESS 118 - - - - 10 15,500 1,818,000.00 SKYESHELT 100 - - - - 0 - HMARKINS 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0 2 5,004,000 2,502,000.00 SMURFIT 1.02 - - - - 0 - HONYFLOUR 1.37 - - - 4 20,000 27,916.00

SOVRENINS 0.5 - - - - 0 -

IAINSURE 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

-STACO 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

IKEJAHOTEL 2.89 - - - - 0 - INFINITY 1.42 - - - - 0 - INTBKPREF 13.5 - - - - 0 - INTBREW 20 20 - - - 6 14,700 284,197.00 INTENEGINS 0.5 - - - - 0 - INTERLINK 4.21 - - - - 0 - -

STANBIC 14.15 - - - - 5 37,001 523,343.90 STDINSURE 0.5 - - - - 0 - STERLNBANK

1.73 1.73 1.73 1.73

1.73

13

0

1,104,932 1,911,701.10

STUDPRESS 2.19 - - - - 0 - TANTALIZER 0.5 - - - 0 - THOMASWY 0.61 - - - 0 - -

IPWA 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

TIGERBRANDS 1.26 1.25 1.26 1.21 25 3,285,439,119 4,073,967,894.07

JAPAULOIL 0.5 - - - - 2 24,262 12,131.00

TOTAL 145 - - - - 3 3,296 480,630.96

3.51 - - - - 0 - JBERGER 41.5 42.73 - - - 12 31,470 1,386,784.78 TOURIST TRANSCOHOT 5.51 - - - 0 - JOHNHOLT 0.88 - - - - 0 - JOSBREW 1.51 - - - - 0 - JULI 1.75 - - - - 0 - LASACO 0.5 - - - - 0 - LAWUNION 0.67 - - - - 0 - LEARNAFRCA

0.81 0.85 0.89 0.85 0.08 12 610,400 526,304.00

LENNARDS 3 - - - - 0 - -

Top Gainers Company Previous Closing Price

Opening Price High

1.15 1.18 1.18 1.13 -0.02 57 6,563,730 7,435,456.87

TRIPPLEG 1.69 - - - - 1 500 805.00 UAC-PROP 5.2 - - - - 3 20,251 110,165.44 UACN 20.47 21.44 - - - 13 65,995 1,344,425.15 UBA 3 3 3 2.9 2.9 121 6,406,693 18,969,767.92 UBN 5.3 - - - - 8 24,412 126,491.00

Top Losers Low

Close

Change Trades

Volume

Value

SEPLAT 302.48 317.6 318 318 318 30 388,650 123,626,470.56 GLAXOSMITH

TRANSCORP

TRANSEXPR 1.21 - - - - 0 - -

24.17 25.37 25.37 24.99 29

501,798 12,648,111.26

FLOURMILL 18.4 18.99 18.99 18.99 18.99 0.59 207,732 3,926,887.78

Company Previous Closing Price

Opening Price High

Low

Close

Change Trades

Volume

Value

AFROMEDIA 0.5 - - - - 0 - LENNARDS 3 - - - - 0 - RTBRISCOE 0.5 - - - - 1 941 470.50

WAPCO 80 80.5 80.5 80.5 80.5 19 14,337,554 1,154,154,991.51

DUNLOP 0.5 - - - - 0 - -

DANGSUGAR

ETI 15.6 - - - - 14 177,450 2,635,288.67

5.44 5.36 5.6 5.36 44 2,017,332 11,033,075.32

ETERNA 1.76 1.84 1.84 1.84 1.84 0.08 97,300 177,432.00

INTBKPREF 13.5 - - - - 0 - -

LEARNAFRCA 0.81 0.85 0.89 0.85 0.08 610,400 526,304.00

UBN 5.3 - - - - 8 24,412 126,491.00

UNITYBNK 0.6 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.03 501,617 316,018.71

PREMBREW 2.95 - - - - 0 - -

PAGE 25

Peoples Daily, THURsday, April 28, 2016

PAGE 24

Special Report

The mother who abducted her own child

The number of British children abducted by their parents and taken abroad has risen dramatically. There’s a huge emotional cost for all involved.

O

ne day, Ami asked her parents to buy flights to India for her and her son, Anish. With that she became an international child abductor.

Ami doesn’t accept this title but says she was aware she was breaking the law. “I knew there would be consequences,” she says, hesitantly. “But what the consequences would be, I did not know.”

Ami is one of a growing number of parents who have abducted their own child by taking them overseas.

UK cases of international child abduction and custody battles have increased dramatically. According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, there were 477 recorded cases in 2014 - more than double the

2005 figure of 226.

The charity Reunite International thinks the actual figure is even higher - its helpline took 17,000 calls in 2014.

More problematic is the increase in abduction to countries not signed up to the Hague convention - an international agreement on the quick return of children. It means there is little UK authorities can do.

Pakistan and India were the most common non-Hague destinations, followed by Somalia, Nigeria and Egypt.

More relationship breakups, ease of travel and an increase in cross-border relationships are the main reasons cited for the rise.

Trying to get them back isn’t easy.

It’s been a long wait to

meet Ami, 32, and three-yearold Anish (their names have been changed because she doesn’t want her ex-husband to know she’s speaking to us).

Before we get to her house in the suburbs of Bangalore we’ve been speaking over email and the phone for more than a year, building trust so that Ami was willing to tell us why she abducted her own son two years ago.

We meet at the small house Ami and Anish now share with Ami’s parents. Her mother gets emotional as Ami recounts what happened to her. She had married a British Indian man, who she met on an online Asian matrimonial site. Ami says initially he seemed like a perfect match, she moved to the UK to live with him and got pregnant quicker than expected.

But Ami says her husband became controlling and would isolate her. He wouldn’t talk to her and wouldn’t let her talk to her family.

“I would call my parents and my mum would be crying.

She would be asking me, ‘How

are you? We haven’t heard from you. And we call your husband - he says you’re not available.’”

Their relationship fell apart. Ami’s husband said he wanted a divorce and she says she feared he would try and

take her child away. In the end Ami left the house leaving in a note saying she was going to stay with friends. But after a few weeks, far from home, she says she ran out of people who could help.

“I had nowhere else to go,” says Ami. She says all she could think about was finding a place for her and her son to live together.

“I thought, I cannot go back to my property with my husband. I would end up losing my child. The only place I could see was my parents’ home. I had nowhere else to go. I exhausted all my energy, all my willpower, my confidence. I was completely broken.”

Now Ami is stuck. She doesn’t want to come back to the UK and so is trying to get custody of Anish through the Indian courts. Her exhusband knows where she is - she has to report to court in Bangalore every two weeks and there is an order telling her to return to the UK. In cases like this it’s not always obvious who is to blame - many details are only known by the two people involved in the relationship but in the end, it’s the children who suffer the most.

Safraz Khan knows this only too well. His daughter

Aamina was kidnapped by her mother four years ago. He has travelled to Pakistan five times to look for his daughter because there are records of her and her mother entering the country. But he still has no idea where she is.

He says he feels totally helpless. All he has is a court order demanding Aamina’s mother and her family members bring her back or provide information. He says the courts and the police expect him as the parent to go to Pakistan, find his child and then let them know.”

When we meet him at his house in South London he takes us up to her bedroom where her school uniform is still laid out on the bed, alongside teddies and schoolwork - just as they were the day she went missing.

It’s something of a shrine to his daughter, awaiting the day she comes home that Safraz so desperately hopes will come. “When she does I want her to know I’ve never stopped thinking about her.”

The strain this is putting on Safraz is plain. “The loss that I’m facing is like a bereavement. I don’t have a grave - God forbid - but I don’t have anything. In four years I’ve heard nothing, nothing.”

Safraz is left waiting,

Aamina’s school uniform is still laid out on her bed

Mohammed Sheikh and his son Rameez

“

UK cases of international child abduction and custody battles have increased dramatically. According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, there were 477 recorded cases in 2014 more than double the 2005 figure of 226.

worried his daughter will forget who is. He has remarried and had two more children but says it’s harder to bond with them because of the loss of Aamina.

But he feels as a father he’s not got the sympathy a mum may have got in the same situation. There is a perception that it’s largely fathers who abduct their own children, but according to Reunite 70% of parents who carry out abductions are mothers.

In some cases these children do come home - but the experience leaves a mark.

We noticed the CCTV as soon as we arrived at the home of Mohammed Sheikh in Leicester, mostly because the same cameras were at Safraz’s house. Mohammed is another father whose child had been abducted.

Inside, his 11-year-old son Rameez plays on his computer and his dad delivers him a milkshake and breakfast as he competes with a friend on Call of Duty. Mohammad dotes on his son. He lives in constant fear of him being taken away again.

“The moment his mum arrives to pick him up or drop him off I’m watching on the cameras. Every time he’s with her I worry and I always will.”

Rameez was kidnapped by

Safraz Khan’s daughter Aamina was taken by her mother

his mother, Mohammed’s exwife, and taken to the United Arab Emirates when he was five.

Because the country has not signed up to the Hague convention there was no system in place to locate Rameez and get him back.

Sitting at the kitchen table, piles of court documents in front of him, Mohammad explains to how he started his own search.

“I used any means possible.

I sent an email to his mum

and there’s a way of tracing an email, it’s not illegal, so that’s what I did. I got an IP address for somewhere in Sharjah in the UAE so I contacted my cousin in Dubai. He went over, located them and followed them home.”

Mohammed now has full custody of his son, but the boy still sees his mother.

Mohammed says he doesn’t want Rameez to ever resent him for keeping him away from her so they have limited contact. But Rameez is scared

of going on trips with her in case she takes him away again - he takes a friend if they do “because she can’t take us both”.

And Ami knows she’ll have to explain where Anish’s father is one day. “Right now he doesn’t ask me anything about this,” she explains just before we leave. ‘But eventually he will and I have to be prepared to face it.”

Source: BBC

Mother Earth Campaigners demand urgent implementation of Ogoni UNEP report

P

lants are gone, and the aquatic environment is going off, the flora and fauna is actually going off too. The clean-up should start, not coming around to make announcement and make a minister to visit that is not a clean-up. We have anticipated, we have hoped, but it is long overdue. Let the clean-up start that is our prayer.”

These were the words Mr Dum Syl Amainikpo an Ogoni activist, last week in Port Harcourt, River State during a daylong session involving the civil society and community leaders tagged: Environmental Parliament on Non-Implementation of UNEP Report and organised by the Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/ FoEN).

Dr Uyi Ojo, executive director

of ERA/FoEN, said: “Based on the strong evidence contained in the 2011 UNEP report recommendations, there is monumental damage done to the environment this past 50 years. The plight of the Ogonis has worsened with monumental pollution of water sources with potentially carcinogenic substances and soil contamination up to the depth of five meters that has resulted in poor wealth conditions, lowering farm yields and fish catch depletion that have combined to make life more difficult for the Ogonis.

“The Ogoni environment has been ruined by the Shell Oil Company operations over the years and communities constitute sites of ecological crime against the people and their environment is no longer news.”

He faulted the Federal

Government for not putting in place “the much-needed institutional frame work to drive the process nor has the proposed governing board been inaugurated”. He expressed displeasure over the absence of “a realistic time table and dateline of commencement of Ogoni land.”

Another Ogoni activist Young Kigbara when asked what his expectations were, said: “I suffered a lot and am still suffering. We have it on record that people are dying all over Ogoni consequent upon the fact that they have been affected by the pollutant and no one is talking it seriously.” He expressed his doubt over the fact that the Federal Government has the political will to deliver the Ogoni clean-up project.

He added: “My understanding of political will means that if you say that you will do one thing, you will commit yourself completely to

it and have it done.”

Mr Kigbara said: “Almost a year now we have people in government who told us that we are going to do this in less than no time,” but he regretted that “there hasn’t been a match of that promise with action.

“So I want a situation where government will reason well and clean-up the environment so that I will live a better life,” he said resignedly.

Dr Koba, another prominent Ogoni son, warned “that reforming Ogoni environment would not succeed unless they start the restoration of the mangroves”.

An Ogoni woman Activist Martha Agbani, Executive Director of Lokiaka Development Centre, while speaking to EnviroNews, said: They are supposed to start with serious consultation with the people, it shouldn’t be the kind of

top of bottom approach.”

She advocated for an all inclusive broad consultation.

She also called for a review of the UNEP Report saying: “Review the report they have so released because it is about four years now that the report was released so there must be some gaps within what they already have from the species, from the ecosystem.

“They cannot do without working with people,” she continued, advising that youths should be a strong focus of whatever they are doing.

She also talked about the inclusion of women, saying: “We cannot talk about this without women. The Federal Government has not done anything.”

Source: Dandy Mgbenwa and EnviroNews

C/River Speaker advocates customary practices to check deforestation

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna with agency report

S

peaker of the Cross River House of Assembly, Mr. John Gaul-Lebo, has advocated the use of customary practices to check deforestation in the country.

Gaul-Lebo disclosed this when Dr. Alice Enwu, the state Commissioner for Climate Change and Forestry, paid him a courtesy visit in his office recently in Calabar state.

The Commissioner was accompanied on the visit by a team from the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD+).

The Speaker lamented the increasing rate of deforestation in the state due to excessive mining activities.

He urged the commissioner and the UN-REDD+ team to adopt forest preservation and restoration as a primary strategy to curb the excesses of climate change. ``I am calling for sustained customary practices to check deforestation in the state and country at large. `` I wish to assure you that the assembly would come up with legislation that would allow the use of customary practices to check deforestation. ``We will continue to liaise with the state ministry of Climate Change and Forestry to ensure that our forests are preserved accordingly,’’ he said.

Speaking earlier, Enwu said that their visit was to implore the assembly to enact a legislation that would further help save and restore the forest.

She observed that Cross River, which is the pilot state for the UNREDD+ programme due to its enormous virgin rain forest, must preserve its vast forest resources. ``Our visit today is to appeal to you and your assembly members to enact legislation that would preserve, save and restore our virgin forest,’’ she said.

Participants at the session

Environmentalists advocate preventive methods to curb malaria spread

By Ochiaka Ugwu

A

coalition of environmental professionals in Abuja, under the aegis of Association of Registered Pests Control Companies in Nigeria, have called on the Federal Government, to seek preventive solutions, through pest control, in its quest to mitigate the spread of

malaria and other avoidable diseases.

Speaking at a rally to commemorate the world malaria day, which held under the theme “End Malaria, for Good” The chairman of the group Prince Sam Gbadebo, said” To achieve it, there must be a paradigm shift, a change from the neglect of controlling the mosquitoes and other vectors. To actualize this goal, we must equally give attention

to vector management. Sanitation of our environment and vector control are more important than anything else in the solution to malaria.”

Gbadebo noted that, “For too long, millions of dollars have being spent on the purchase of malaria drugs, mosquito nets and disease control centres, there have been much effort on curative measures, government have neglected the pest

control industry. Now is the time to go back to the basics.”

Also speaking at the event Terungwa Abari, of Orkin an International brand in pest control said in line with this year’s theme.

It is time for us as a people to seek lasting solutions to these avoidable diseases, and pest control is the way to go towards achieving a friendly and disease free environment.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 27

Mother Earth

By Usman Aliyu

A

s a result of the recent slump in the price of crude oil in the global market, stakeholders have been underscoring the need to diversify Nigeria’s economy, which is hitherto oil-based.

Economists believe that Nigeria’s mono-product economy aptly explains why the negative development in global oil pricing has induced dwindling monthly allocations from the Federation Account to the three tiers of government.

As experts are battling to develop a panacea to the current economic challenge facing the country, analysts insist that pragmatic efforts should be made to develop the tourism sector of the economy.

They say that efforts should be made to develop cultural festivals and events with huge tourism potential into veritable tourist attractions which could appeal to local and international tourists, as part of designed revenuegeneration schemes.

Observers at the 2015 Gani Cultural Festival in Kaiama, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara, also share similar sentiments.

They urged the Federal Government and the Kwara State Government to exploit the vast economic and tourism potential of the annual fiesta.

Dignitaries, who witnessed the festival, particularly urged the government to repackage Gani Cultural Festival and develop it into an international tourist event that could generate revenue for the country.

Alhaji Issa Bawa Adamu, who was chairman of the occasion, underscored the need to develop the festival into a tourist attraction by facilitating its restructuring and sponsorship via the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

He said that the thrust of such venture should be how to make Gani Cultural Festival a popular cultural festival and tourism event like Calabar Carnival, Port Harcourt Carnival, Eyo Festival in Lagos and Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi, among other festivities.

Adamu, a former Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development in Kwara, moaned that tangible efforts were not being made to develop cultural tourism in the country.

“We have not been taking our culture and tourism industry very serious in this country; this is largely because our steady focus is on oil as the mainstay of the nation’s economy.

“But with what is happening today, we ought to start looking inwards and one of the best alternatives to oil is cultural tourism.

“With what we have seen here today, if we can get the support of international donors and sponsors, Gani Cultural Festival can be taken to an international height where tourists will come

How to best address population problems

The Gwape cultural troops entertaining the guest at the Gani Annual Cultural Festival in Lavun LGA, Niger State recently from all parts of the world to witness the annual event.

“This will boost the economy of the community, the state and the country at large,” he added.

Sharing similar sentiments, Alhaji Alhassan Yahaya-Bagudu, the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Council, said that he had been discussing with the state’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism about how to repackage the festival, among other cultural fiestas, for cultural tourism.

He said that the local government area had a lot of potential tourist attractions, pledging that he would continue to appeal to relevant authorities to develop the latent tourism sites

“

and cultural events in the area.

Yahaya-Bagudu underscored the need to enhance the tourist appeal of the sites and events so as to turn them into a preferred destination for local and international tourists.

On the significance of Gani Cultural Festival, Yahaya-Bagudu stressed that the annual event was particularly designed to serve as a tool of identification for the people and their community.

“People of the old Borgu region, which cuts across several parts of Nigeria, celebrate Gani Cultural Festival; our kith and kin in the Republic of Benin and beyond also celebrate the fiesta.

“Therefore, Gani Cultural

Festival is a unifying factor. It unites the whole Kaiama people because on occasions like this, our people from different parts of the country and those outside the country come home for the ceremony.

“Its importance also cut across the royal and individual families in Kaiama. It has been able to draw us together, enabling us to honour ourselves.

“You know the strength of the people is in their unity. So, Gani festival, by unifying us, further strengthens us as a community to be able to live together and work together in efforts to fast-track our community’s development.

“Therefore, it is not a thing

Nevertheless, the emir said that he did not subscribe to calls for government sponsorship of the festival, adding that the government should only play a supportive role by providing necessary facilities that would enhance the quality and tourism appeal of the festival.

we treat with levity. We consider Gani festival as one of our unifying factors, it unites us together as a family and everybody makes it a point of duty to come home to celebrate the fiesta,’’ he said.

Besides, the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Shehu Mua’azu Omar, said that the festival also served an avenue for young members of the royal family to be initiated into the privileged class of princes and princesses.

He expatiated that any member of the royal family, who was not initiated into the group of princes and princesses, could not ascend the throne to become the king.

The emir, who asserted that even European countries did not toy with their culture, warned that a society that failed to sustain its culture would continue to live on a borrowed culture.

Omar said that the three-day festival featured programmes like cultural dances, horse races, praise singing, acrobatic displays and speech making, among others.

Nevertheless, the emir said that he did not subscribe to calls for government sponsorship of the festival, adding that the government should only play a supportive role by providing necessary facilities that would enhance the quality and tourism appeal of the festival.

“Government’s input should be in certain areas such as provision of good roads and an environment that is conducive for those coming for the fiesta.

However, I don’t buy the idea of government financing the festival.

“The people should finance it themselves, either through individual contributions or private and corporate sponsorships.

“Government should provide an environment that is conducive for people to travel to Kaiama.

If the government can provide facilities like hotels, I’m sure that many people would like to come for the cultural carnival,’’ he said.

Speaking on the origin of the fiesta, Mr Usman Mora, the state Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, who hails from Kaiama, said that Gani festival was a way of celebrating the birthday of Prophet Mohammed in the neighbourhood.

He said that the festival, therefore, had some cultural and religious connotations, adding that the festival had become an enduring celebration which could not easily become extinct.

The commissioner, however, agreed with the viewpoints, calling for the development of the cultural festival into an international tourist attraction.

(NANFeatures)

Emergency Update

UN Asst.pledges humanitarian support for IDPs

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

T

he Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations Mr .Toby Lanzer has assured the unflinching commitment of the UN to assist the Nigerian government in addressing humanitarian challenges caused by insurgency in the north east.

He gave the assurances in Abuja during a visit to the headquarters on the National

Emergency Management Agency; he was accompanied by the Country Head of United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) Mr. Vincent Lelei.

Mr. Lanzer who is also the UN Regional Coordinator for Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Chad said his recent visit with the Governor of Borno State to Bama, a town that have been liberated from the insurgents gave him a picture of the enormous challenges that the

government was facing to restore normal life for the affected people and communities.

He said the visit was to enable him to appreciate the tremendous supports being given to the people as well as the various positive steps by the government.

Mr. Lanzer said the UN was seriously interested to support the government towards assisting the affected persons. In doing so, he said the UN system would work with and its agencies to

build synergy that are suitable for the benefit of the people and communities.

“I am here to assure you that the United Nations is solidly standing with the Nigerian government in the effort to address humanitarian challenges caused by insurgency.

We are interested to more in Maiduguri and other areas. We are here to work with the government and its agencies,” he said.

Also speaking, the Head of

UNOCHA in Nigeria Mr Lelei said his organ was still focus on its primary mission to assist Nigeria in area of addressing natural disasters in addition to the ongoing supports for IDPs. Responding on behalf of the Director General Muhammad Sani Sidi, the Deputy Director Planning Research and Forecasting Mr. Kayode Fagbemi appreciated the UN Chief and his team for the visit and assurances of supports to Nigeria.

Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Malam Muhammad Sani-Sidi (left), presenting some NEMA publications to Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire (2nd left), during the visit of the minister to NEMA headquarters, on Tuesday in Abuja. With them are, Director, Trauma Emergency Response, Ministry of Health, Dr Joseph Amedu (2nd right), and Senior Technical Assistant to the Minister of State, Dr Shuaibu Belgore (right).

Quarterly report: Fire destroys 2, 375 shops in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi - NEMA

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna with agency report

T

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said No fewer than 2,375 shops were razed by fire in various markets in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi States in the last four months.

This figure is contained in the quarterly report of fire incidents in the three states released by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sokoto recently.

The report was signed by Mr Thickman Tanimu, the Acting Head of the agency in Sokoto Operations Office.

The breakdown showed that four Local Government Areas in Sokoto state were affected by fire disasters during the period.

They are Sokoto North, Tangaza, Bodinga and Gwadabawa.

It said that 59 distress calls were recorded by the state fire service department within sokoto in January alone. ``Sokoto state is the most

vulnerable and the most widely affected in the three states,’’ it said.

The report added that the two worst cases were Kara market fire that razed down 536 shops and Kasuwan Daji market fire which burnt down 179 shops.

It said that one person was injured in the incident.

Similarly, the report said 49 shops were destroyed at Dangwandi and Dogon Hannu communities, as well as two shops in Gidan-Madi in Sokoto North and Tangaza Local Government

Areas, respectively.

It said scores of houses and silos were destroyed by the inferno in the state during the period but with no death recorded.

In Kebbi, the report said 1,594 shops were burnt at the Birnin Kebbi central market on March 3.

It said100 houses were destroyed in Kangiwa and Suru Local Government Areas, but no loss of life.

According to the report, 15 shops were razed at Yankatako

market in Gusau on February 19.

It also said that 15 houses destroyed by fire but there no death was recorded. ``There is need for sensitisation and enlightenment campaign on the menace of fire disaster and its mitigation in the three states. ``The reports on the fire incidents and recommendations for relief materials have been forwarded to the Director-General of the agency for consideration and approval,’’ the report said.

Feature M Why East Africa wants to ban second-hand clothes PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

any people in Africa buy second-hand clothes sent from Europe and the US. But East African countries could ban imports of used clothes and second-hand cars in the next three years, putting an end to a lucrative trade in the region.

Who wants to ban secondhand clothes and cars?

Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda could all ban second-hand clothes and leather.

They make up the East Africa Community (EAC).

The EAC directed member countries to buy their textiles and shoes from within the region with a view to phasing out imports by 2019.

Before the meeting on Wednesday, the EAC also proposed a reduction in imports of used cars.

When will the ban happen?

The EAC suggested phasing out imports in the next three years.

However, the newspaper The East African reports that it depends on the five countries’ heads of states all agreeing to a common industrialisation policy.

It adds that the proposal suggests a ban would only come in after an increase in local textile production.

Why do they want an import ban?

The idea is to give a boost to local manufacturing, and help the economy.

One argument is that the imported clothes are so cheap that the local textiles factories and selfemployed tailors can’t compete, so they either close down or don’t do as well as they could.

A release from a previous EAC manufacturing and business summit says the leather and textile industries are “crucial for employment creation, poverty

Page 29

These second-hand shoes are all carefully cleaned before being resold in Nairobi reduction and advancement in technological capability” in the region.

Are second-hand goods bad for your health?

Second-hand underwear has been called unhygienic.

The EAC urged governments to make sure that used-clothes imports complied with sanitary standards. instead urging East African governments to make sure that

East Africa’s biggest second-hand clothes market, Gikomba, in Nairobi sells used clothes coming from the US and South Korea

used-clothes imports complied with sanitary standards.

Used knickers were banned in Ghana in 2011 and a Ugandan bill also proposed a ban in the country last year.

Second-hand cars have also been blamed for causing accidents.

BBC Swahili analyst Alex Mureithi explains that, to avoid paying taxes, people pay bribes at ports to import cars.

“

In Uganda, second-hand garments account for 81% of all clothing purchases, Andrew Brooks says in his book Clothing Poverty.

According to UN figures from 2013, South Korea and Canada combined exported $59m worth of used clothes to Tanzania while the UK alone exported $42m worth of used clothes to Kenya.

Those cars then do not go through any safety checks.

To give some idea of the extent of smuggled imports, it emerged in December that over 2,700 shipping containers had disappeared at Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania.

How common are secondhand clothes?

In Uganda, second-hand garments account for 81% of all clothing purchases, Andrew Brooks says in his book Clothing Poverty.

According to UN figures from 2013, South Korea and Canada combined exported $59m worth of used clothes to Tanzania while the UK alone exported $42m

worth of used clothes to Kenya.

Where do used clothes come from?

People in countries like the UK donate used clothes to charity.

Mr Brooks’ research explains that demand for the clothes sold in charity shops is low compared to supply.

He estimates that more than 70% of all UK reused clothing goes overseas, where they are sold.

Mr Brooks says people believe that their clothes will be given to those in need or sold in High Street charity shops to raise funds and don’t realise that their donations will be traded abroad for profit.

Source: BBC

Feature Mystery of Madagascar’s stunted children Page 30

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

I

n a community nutrition centre in a suburb of Antsirabe - one of the main towns in the central highlands region of Madagascar - two little girls, just under three-and-a-half years old, have come for a check-up.

When Jiana and Rova stand near each other the difference between the two is shocking.

Rova is a full head shorter than Jiana. She weighs just 60% of Jiana’s weight and looks so much more fragile.

Rova and Jiana are the same age but Rova is much shorter The staff at the centre suspect Rova could be suffering from chronic malnutrition.

Like many developing countries, Madagascar has a problem with this form of malnutrition.

Almost half of children under five are affected. The

A malnourished child

central highlands region, however, presents a particular paradox when it comes to chronic malnutrition.

Rova and Jiana are the same age but Rova is much shorter

“

The area has fertile soils and produces masses of food. Poverty and sanitation indicators are not the worst in the country and the healthcare infrastructure is relatively good.

Yet the central highlands - the area of Madagascar which includes the capital Antananarivo - have the highest rates of child chronic malnutrition in the country.

How this can be is a question that experts like Simeon Nanama, head of nutrition at the UN children’s agency Unicef in Madagascar, are urgently trying to answer.

“We are here facing a dilemma that we all want to understand,” Mr Nanama said.

“In some of these regions 60% of the kids are affected.”

Chronic malnutrition is different to acute malnutrition.

A child suffers acute malnutrition when there is a severe lack of food. Children with acute malnutrition are very thin and sometimes have swollen abdomens and limbs.

The outward signs of chronic malnutrition are not as easy to spot and this type of malnutrition is mainly caused by a lack of essential nutrients.

Chronic malnutrition is different to acute malnutrition. A child suffers acute malnutrition when there is a severe lack of food. Children with acute malnutrition are very thin and sometimes have swollen abdomens and limbs.

The outward signs of chronic malnutrition are not as easy to spot and this type of malnutrition is mainly caused by a lack of essential nutrients.

Children with chronic malnutrition are of course smaller and thinner than other children the same age, but otherwise they can look quite healthy. The tragic thing about chronic malnutrition is that it has longterm effects on children’s brain development.

Children with chronic malnutrition are of course smaller and thinner than other children the same age, but otherwise they can look quite healthy.

The tragic thing about chronic malnutrition is that it has long-term effects on children’s brain development.

Miora Randriamamonjy, Jiana’s mother, knows children who have suffered from chronic malnutrition at a young age will not do as well at school and will not be as productive as adults, even if their living conditions improve later in life.

Her eyes well up with tears when she talks about how powerless she feels about the situation. She says she only has just enough resources to look after her own children.

“It’s so sad and I can’t do anything about it. They are just

People in Madagascar are puzzled why some children aren’t getting enough nutrients - so are shorter than their peers - in an area where there is plenty of food. kids,” she said.

Mr Nanama wants to understand more, so he can put money into the areas that would make the most impact.

But at the moment he says they need to continue investigating. He’s hoping a report due soon will shed some light on the issue.

In the meantime, there are all sorts of theories about what could be the main factors behind the high rates of chronic malnutrition in the central highlands.

They range from the type of meals families prepare, and lack of childcare, to the fact that so much food produced in the region is transported to the capital, Antananarivo, for sale there.

One theory that I heard from a few different people during my visit to the area was that too many people farm land owned by others, rather than having the resources to work their own plots.

Vololona Ranaivoson is the community nutrition agent for the village of Ambalapaiso about 20km (12 miles) outside Antsirabe.

“People don’t have the money to buy the things they need to farm themselves and the things they need to live at the same time,” she said.

On top of this, she said there the problem of access to farmland.

If this is the reason some children are shorter than others, then eradicating stumped growth will not be simple.

Source: BBC

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 31

1.

F u e l attendant dispensing kerosene into Jerry, yesterday at NNPC filling station, in Garki, Abuja.

FCTA to partner NTI on deliveryof qualitative education to residents

By Stanley Onyekwere

I

n order to deliver quality education to Abuja residents, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will partner with the National Teachers’Institute (NTI) to develop the capacity of teachers in Primary andSecondary schools.

The FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello made the disclosure while receiving a delegation of the National Teachers’Institute

led by its Director General, Dr. AminuLadanSharehu, whopaid him a courtesy visit in his office, on Tuesday.

He stressed that the partnership has become necessary toreverse the downward fall in the standard of education in the Territory.

Bello expressed disappointment with the performance of FCTstudents in the public examinations such as National ExaminationCouncil (NECO) and the West African

Examination Council (WAEC).

According to him, “A few weeks ago, we sat down and looked at our overalleducation system here and the statistics we saw in terms ofperformance of the students at the primary and secondary school levelwas really very disappointing in terms of successes in the two majorexaminations of WAEC and NECO.” The Minister emphasized that the partnership is necessary to improveon the capacity of teachers

in public schools to effectively deliverquality-teaching services in line with their professional callings.

He noted that the history of the NTI is a very positive one; sayingthat it is one of the government institutions in this country that isa success story.

Bello urged the management team of the Institute to continue tobuild on the legacy left behind by its founding fathers, which hasmade the Institute a success story.

Speaking earlier, the DirectorGeneral of NTI, commended the FCT Administration for making available to themfacilities in its public schools to be used as training centres forthe prospecting teachers in the zone.

He therefore solicited for more cooperation between the Administrationand the Institute in order to enable the organization to perform thefunctions for which the Federal Government established it.

NGO cautions against felling of trees for financial gain

G

hraizi and Partners, an International Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO), has appealed to the citizenry to desist from felling trees forfinancial gain as it is a crime against nature.

The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Mohammed Ghraizi,made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)recently in Abuja, while speaking on the 2016 World Earth Day. He said that because climate change was real, the government mustbegin to implement “policies that have been put in place to helppreserve the environment for our future generations.’’

He continued: “It is a crime to cut a tree because you want to use itfor financial gain; it is a crime against nature.“Before you even have to think about cutting down a tree why don’t youjust take a good look at it and ask why it is there?

“Because I have seen some trees maybe hundreds of years old and if Ihad that in my home land I would preserve it.

“So why would you cut such a tree down? Try not to cut the tree downin the first place.

“We hope it would not fall on deaf ears and someone in the rightauthority, government stand will actually try and implement thepolicies that have been put there to help preserve

the environment forour future generations.

“Global warming and climate change is real, so wake up people wake up.’’

He also urged home owners to make provision for gardens and tress intheir housing plans.

“It is really sad to see that land owners and home owners at the endof the day want to develop their land and they will maximise it, putthe whole structure without allocating part of it for a nice gardenand trees.

“The land is 700 square meters; they will build on 650 square meters,not even a parking lot, not even a flower. It’s such a sad thing.

“This is Africa; why don’t

you integrate Africa into your livingstyle; why can’t we be original in this, because what we have here inAfrica nobody in the world has,’’ he stressed.

According to Ghraizi, Nigeria has the capacity to become one of theworld’s best tourist destinations given the natural resources it has.

Also speaking to NAN, the Co-founder of the organization, RosalineAgiamoh, said that there were more sustainable and cost effective waysof producing furniture without having to log trees.

Agiamoh spoke of the need to sensitise the public to the need torecycle furniture.

According to her, the

recycling of furniture is better than cuttingdown trees and using the wood to produce furniture.

She said: ``If you really have to log a tree, it has to be for a veryunique job, not just let’s just log a tree to provide roofing.

“It is sad when you see such trees being cut down for very merepurpose and you could use other sustainable materials.

“The whole world is pushing for more sustainability. There are a lotof other materials that do not cost us as much in terms of ourenvironment and could be used in housing, construction and so on; sohaving policies that also support that, I think is important.’’

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 32

Photo Splash

An articulated vehicle carry goods and passengers, yesterday at Jikwoi road, in Abuja.

Local drummers entertaining party supporters, during party campaign rally, recently at Gwagwalada, in Abuja.

Women buying tomato, on Saturday at Mararaba market, in Abuja.

Children taking ride behind an open van, yesterday at Durumi village, in Abuja.

Young girl carrying load, yesterday at Utako, in Abuja.

Photos: Justin Imo-Owo

Metro My administration will take the youth along – Gwagwalada Chair-elect INTERVIEW Honourable Adamu Mustapha is the Chairman-elect of the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Hon. Mustapha, emerged winner of the just concluded 2016 FCT Area Councils Chairmanship and councillorship poll in the council, on the platform for the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in this interview with journalists in the area, said he would work with the youth in his quest to provide basic necessities of life for the teeming electorates. Usman Shuaibu was there for Peoples Daily. Excerpts:

H

ow would you assess the conduct of the election in Gwagwalada?

In fact, I was very excited with the conduct of the election in the area. I can say that the election was peaceful and orderly. I am using the medium to commend the security agencies for jobs well done during the poll in the area.

What was your reaction when the election was declared inconclusive?

I was not comfortable when the election was declared inconclusive, but by the grace of God I won the election. I thanked God for that and the masses that came out to vote for me.

What’s your message to the people of Gwagwalada, who gave you their mandate?

I thanked the people of Gwagwalada who gave me their mandate or voted me into power in the area during the concluded Area Council

election. In fact, I will do my best for the people in Gwagwalada and its environs.

In particular, what’s your agenda for the residents of Gwagwalada?

My agenda for the residents of Gwagwalada would be infrastructural development and human development. I will also provide basic necessities of life for the residents. In fact, my administration will give equal treatment to the electorate who came out en masse to cast their votes for me. My call to the entire Gwagwalada residents is that they should continue to support me, in order to actualize my dreams for the people.

As you might have known, the youth supported you massively during your electioneering campaign. What would you do for them if you assumed office?

My administration will take the youth along in all ramifications. The youth would be empowered to contribute to the development of the council,

Hon. Adamu Mustapha throughcomprehensive skills acquisition programme.

My administration will not neglect the youths in the scheme of things. Equally, my administration will give the necessary attention to the entire electorate who voted me

into power.

Now you are the Gwagwalada chairmanelect. What is your advice for other party candidates, who contested with you and lost an election?

My advice for politicians,

especially those who contested with me and lost in the election is that they should accept their defeat in good faith. In fact, they should join hands with me to move the Gwagwalada Area Council to the next level.

Car ‘washer’ jailed 2 months for stealing chewing gum

A

Kado Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has sentenced a 23-year-old car washer, Prosper Mofor to two months in prison for theft.

The judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, however gave Mofor an option to pay

N10, 000 fine and warned him to desist from committing crimes.

He also ordered the convict to pay N30, 000 to the nominal complainant.

The convict, of Jabi Village, Abuja, was convicted for one-count charge leveled against him.

Mofor prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, claiming that hunger pushed him into committing the crime.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Salisu Khaleel, told the court that one Mariam Ibrahim of same address with the convict

reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station, Abuja, on March 19.

Khaleel said the convict criminally entered the complainant shop on March 18 and stole eight pieces of Orbit chewing gum valued at N1, 600 and two cans of Titus sardine valued at N300,

He also told the court that Mofor stole a can of Malt drink valued at N120, and N80, 000 cash.

According to the prosecutor, the offence is punishable under Section 288 of the Penal Code.

(NAN)

Page 34

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Money Sense

Business idea center: Kitchen facelift service Overview

I

f you launch a kitchen facelift service, your most powerful sales argument could easily become, ‘Why spend N2,000,000 to replace your kitchen, when we can give you an entirely new look for a fraction of the cost?’ The average cost of a complete kitchen replacement now tops N2,000,000; out of the reach of many homeowners. Yet many of these same homeowners have the financial resources to part with a few thousand dollars to get the next best thing

‘a professional kitchen facelift.

Leaving the wall and floor cabinets in place, install new doors, countertops, hardware, tile backsplash, accent lighting and trim to make even the dullest kitchen look new and exciting for a fraction of the cost of a total kitchen replacement.

Exhibiting at homeand-garden shows with the aid of a before-andafter kitchen facelift display will enable you to generate sales leads from people interested in having their kitchens updated.

Traditional forms of advertising in

newspapers, on the radio, site signs and via direct mail will also get the telephone ringing.

The market Homeowners looking to revamp their kitchens without the cost associated with completely replacing their kitchen. You can also target apartment complexes who need to update kitchens in their units.

Needed equipment You will need carpentry skills, woodworking tools and equipment to successfully start and operate this service.

…You can also start a consignment furniture store

Business overview

A

furniture consignment shop can stock everything from a 100-year-old highboy to a 10year young sofa. Just as in clothing, the trend these days is toward recycling, finding delightful ways to make everything old seem new (or just beloved) again. Furniture is one of the fastest-growing segments of the resale industry, with more and more non furniture consignment stores either adding furniture to their inventories or opening a second, furnishings-only location.

So if you love interior design, you’ve got the nose for sniffing out both antiques and good quality, then a consignment furniture shop could be the business for you.

You’ll take clean, well-loved furniture and accessories, and display and merchandise them for

their owners, splitting the profits when you make a sale. You can take on more than sofas and tables-like any good home furnishings or antiques shop, you’ll also stock prints, paintings and decorative.

You’ll also spend a fair amount of time going out to people’s homes to appraise furniture pieces, then taking them back to your shop.

Because you’re taking the items on consignment, you don’t pay anything for your inventory until it’s sold, which makes this business ideal for the startup entrepreneur. Some consignment shops mark items at a set price, then have the owners pick them up if they don’t sell within a given period of time.

Others mark down merchandise 10 percent for every month it remains unsold. The advantages to this business are that it’s creative, your startup costs are small compared

to most retail operations, you get the satisfaction of helping your customers get great buys for little money, and you never know what fascinating piece is going to walk through your door at any moment.

The key to a successful consignment shop is an atmosphere that’s clean, fresh and stylish, so you’ll need a talent for display and merchandising. You should also have a good eye for quality as well as current fashion, and you’ll want to know something about antiques and collectibles. And you’ll need the savvy to properly price your merchandise so that shoppers get the discount they expect and you and your consignors make a profit. To complement all this, you’ll need people skills, and last but definitely not least, you’ll need the muscle--or the on-call assistance-to load heavy furniture onto your truck from consignees’ homes and

then from the truck into your shop, then back out to customers’ vehicles.

The market Your customers will be the same sorts of people who shop at antiques stores and other home furnishings outlets. The trick is to attract their attention and sell them on the benefits of shopping with you. Besides routine advertising methods like local radio and newspaper ads, you can host furniture and collectibles shows or talks for local women’s groups, give seminars or workshops on furniture design, antiques and collectibles for colleges and community centers, and hand out fliers in front of your shop. Shopper ads in your local Pennysaver-type publication are also a terrific advertising tool.

Needed equipment

You’ll need a shop and not a whole lot else as far as display furnishings--a few glass cases for small collectibles should do it because you’ll have plenty of tables and dressers on which to display larger items. You’ll also need sales tickets and tags, a supply of shopping bags and tissue paper for wrapping collectibles, and a cash register. A computer with an inkjet printer and retail operation software will be a big help but aren’t necessary for starters if you can’t afford these things. Stock up on antiques and collectibles reference books; you’ll also need a reliable pickup truck for collecting furniture from consignees’ homes and a few furniture dollies and carts.

In some states, it’s illegal to sell used mattresses, so be sure to check with local authorities before doing so. www.entrepreneur.com

news world What US elections should look PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 35

international_peoplesdailyng@yahoo.com

ANALYSIS

By Susan Abulhawa

T

he United States presidential primaries are unfolding an impossibly grim choice for citizens voting in the November general elections.

On one hand is Donald Trump, an egomaniac racist with an insatiable appetite for power, a fifth-grade vocabulary, and little or no experience in political or intellectual life.

On the other hand is Hillary Clinton, arguably a war criminal, destroyer of nations, from Honduras to Iraq to Libya, champion of environmental devastation, and holder of the title “America’s most corrupt politician in 2015”.

Having an understanding of Clinton, I find myself feeling that as a Palestinian American Muslim woman, I’d rather find myself in a Donald Trump internment camp rather than live in a world led by Clinton’s chauvinistic, neoliberal, faux-feminist warmongering.

A viable third option Bernie Sanders has already made it clear that he would not run as an Independent because, he said: “I do not want to be responsible for electing some right-wing Republican to be president of the United States.”

This not only seems like an ego-driven betrayal to the millions of his supporters, but it is based on an inconclusive prediction. It is entirely conceivable that Sanders, with the right strategy, could also split Trump’s supporter base and walk away with the presidency as a third party candidate.

Although Trump and Bernie hold opposing social, philosophical, economic and political views, their appeal to voters is based on the same principle.

Both candidates are viewed as political mavericks willing to challenge the status quo. Their support base is predominantly people who feel disenfranchised from a dual-party system.

Contrary to popular perceptions, Trump’s supporters are not particularly ideological.

Although his base spans to the right in the political landscape, at least 20 percent of his supporters describe themselves as “liberal” or “moderate”, with 65 percent ticking “conservative” and only 13 percent “very conservative”.

Lives of greater promise Approximately half of his supporters are 45-65 years in age, 34 percent are over 65 years, and slightly more than half are women. The majority have a high school education or less, with only

like in a real democracy

Real change can only ever come from popular mass movements.

The person we need in high office is not a saviour hero, writes Abulhawa [AP]

19 percent earning a college postgraduate degree. Over a third earn less than $50,000 a year.

In other words, Trump’s support comes from undereducated, economically disadvantaged, middle-aged to older Americans ostensibly seeking lives of greater promise and opportunity.

Ironically, this is precisely the demographic that would be most favourably served by Bernie Sanders’ proposed economic and social policies.

Trump’s only articulated plans include schemes to rid the nation of brown people, which will ultimately offer his supports nothing in the way of better lives.

It is entirely reasonable to believe

that making this truth apparent to voters could turn Trump fans into Bernie voters.

Such a scenario may be an uphill and risky battle, but real leaders should not shirk from a challenge when the public welfare is at stake.

Further to this point, it seems that Dr Jill Stein has reached out to Sanders to join forces, possibly offering the support Green Party voters.

Inching closer to truer democracy It is no secret that Republican party leaders are desperate to derailDonald Trump’s nomination and there have been suggestions to contest his nomination at in

“

It should be clear by now that Americans are acutely aware that our collective fate is being steered by a ruling elite whose principle pursuit is one of self-interest and consolidation of power as they simultaneously pay lip service to the very real human struggles in this country.

July at the Republican National Convention.

Although doing so could potentially weaken the Republican party, it remains a possibility that party leaders might take that risk rather than put Trump forth as their candidate.

Unlike Sanders, Trump did not rule out an independent run if he does not secure the nomination. If that happens, a new reality would be created that could assuage Bernie’s reticence to also run independently, thus creating a four-way presidential race, moving the US closer to what elections in a real democracy are supposed to look like.

It should be clear by now that Americans are acutely aware that our collective fate is being steered by a ruling elite whose principle pursuit is one of self-interest and consolidation of power as they simultaneously pay lip service to the very real human struggles in this country.

As the populace inches closer to the condition of irredeemable discontent - whether it is with rigged elections, sustained economic hardship or unrelenting social and environmental injustice - it would behove the political establishment to comprehend that the status quo is untenable.

Lastly, and this is the most

important point I can make: Real change can only ever come from popular mass movements.

The leaders we have allowed in office in my lifetime have largely acted to curtail, discredit, and/or disband popular opposition, from the Black Panthers to the Occupy Wall Street movements.

The person we need in high office is not a saviour hero.

We merely need a leader who will not actively block our efforts to organise as we work to expand labour unions, empower students, protect consumers, create activists, educate our young so that we might produce critical thinking, compassionate, and imaginative generations to steer us away from the current individualistic, rapacious capitalism setting our planet aflame.

Susan Abulhawa is an international bestselling novelist, poet, and essayist. Her latest novel, The Blue Between Sky and Water (2015), is translated into 26 languages.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.

Source: Al Jazeera

News From Africa

Western Sahara warning over UN staff expulsion

A

conflict in the disputed territory of Western Sahara in north-west Africa may flare up again if the UN’s peacekeeping mission is not fully restored, an African Union (AU) envoy has warned.

The UN brokered a truce between Morocco and the indigenous Saharawi people in 1991, ending a 16-year insurgency.

Last month, Morocco expelled 84 UN civilian staff after the UN chief used the term “occupation” about the region.

This has hampered the UN mission, whose mandate is up for renewal this month.

Morocco has threatened to pull out the soldiers it contributes to UN global peacekeeping missions, mainly in Africa, over the row.

“The Western Sahara problem may be seen as a small problem, but let us not forget that a spark may put a forest on fire,” the AU’s Western Sahara envoy Joaquim Chissano, a former president of Mozambique, told an informal meeting of the UN Security Council.

He said he was “dismayed” by the crisis that had erupted after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s visit to the region and criticised Morocco’s decision to cut UN staff, the AFP news agency reports.

The UN says their departure

A

The UN mission in Western Sahara was set up 25 years ago has made it impossible for the UN mission, known as Minurso, to carry out its mandate.

Mr Chissano is the latest official to warn that the expulsions are “dangerous precedent” as other countries with Security Councilmandated peacekeeping and

political missions could decide to expel UN troops and staff as well, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Mr Ban made his controversial comment while visiting refugee camps in southern Algeria, where more than 160,000 ethnic Sahrawis,

South Sudan’s Riek Machar sworn in as vice president

S

Equatorial Guinea’s Obiang poised to extend 37-year rule

wearing-in ceremony follows Machar’s return to the capital after UN peace deal aimed at ending twoyear war.

South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar has returned to the capital after two years of war in what is seen as a step towards ending a conflict that has killed tens of thousands.

After landing at Juba airport on Tuesday, Machar was inaugurated as vice president by President Salva Kiir ahead of forming a unity government.

“Our people are tired of war and they need peace, now,” Kiir said. “Together we can accomplish far more than when we are divided. Our strength lies only our unity.”

About 2.3 million South Sudanese have been driven from their homes since war erupted in December 2013, plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis.

Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in August, but fighting intensified in some areas afterwards.

“The war was vicious. We lost a lot of people in it, and we need to bring our people together so they can unite, reconcile, and heal the wounds,” Machar said. “As long as there is political will, we can overcome all of these challenges and all of these obstacles.”

Almost 200,000 live in camps for displaced people, protected by UN peacekeepers. In one camp in Juba, people ran through the streets celebrating after Machar’s arrival.

“The return of Dr Machar will change

many things,” Chotlith Jany, a youth leader, told Al Jazeera. “People believe that all the fighting that took place, all the suffering ... will end.”

Machar’s return had been expected last week, but a series of delays by the government and rebels prevented it.

If peace holds, the unity government will now have to set about repairing an economy near the point of collapse. Fuel prices have plunged on the global market, depriving the country of its main source of income.

South Sudan’s diplomatic relationships have also been strained by the conflict.

Last week, the government attempted to arrest an official from the body monitoring the peace deal, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC).

Diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera that security officers entered a meeting of foreign ambassadors and diplomats and tried to arrest Aly Verjee, the Deputy Chief of Staff at JMEC. “A national security officer was sent to arrest him and take him to the airport,” Michael Makuei, the information minister, said, adding that South Sudan was a sovereign country and had the right to arrest him.

The ambassadors prevented Verjee’s arrest, but he subsequently left the country.

Speaking at the presidential residence after Machar’s return, Kiir apologised to the people of South Sudan, and the international community.

the main indigenous group of Western Sahara, live after many fled violence there in the 1970s.

Minurso was established 25 years ago after a ceasefire ended a war that broke out when Morocco annexed the former Spanish colony in 1975.

frica’s longest serving president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, is widely expected to win another term in office. Results are expected this week from Sunday’s vote.

Three days after the poll, giant posters of president Theodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo are still plastered on buildings in the economic capital, Bata.

By law, campaign materials were supposed to be taken down the day before the vote.

The Obiang family has ruled the country since independence in 1968.

The current president overthrew his uncle in a coup in 1979.

Some voters are disappointed by the lack of alternatives.

24-year-old university student Essono Sylvestre said he does not understand why the opposition parties did not complain that president Obiang was abusing the electoral code by distributing campaign material even on the day of the election. He said the opposition is helpless and behaving as if the president is a super candidate.

But the president’s niece Prudencia Obiang, who worked on his campaign, said the population backs the president.

Cape Verde leader cancels trip

C

ape Verde’s President Jorge Carlos Fonseca has cancelled an official trip to one of the country’s 10 islands, following the killing of 11 people at a military barracks near the capital Praia yesterday, the Associated Press news agency quotes him as saying.

Mr Fonseca said the investigation into the killings

were moving at a “good and positive pace”.

The security forces are searching for a soldier who is suspected to have shot dead eight soldiers and three civilians, including two Spanish nationals, in the attack, AP reports.

It also quotes local media as saying there is a strong police presence in Praia on the biggest

People still leaving Burundi, one year on

N

early 260,000 people have fled Burundi since unrest erupted a year ago, with the number expected to rise to 330,000 by the end of the year “unless a political solution is found and a descent into civil war averted”, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has said.

Many of those who have crossed to neighbouring states have complained

of torture, sexual violence, arbitrary d e t e n t i o n , intimidation, forced recruitment by militia, killings and extortion, it said in a statement.

Tanzania had the biggest influx of refugees - an average of 30 Burundians entered the country every day and the Nyarugusu camp was now one of the largest refugee camps in the world with 140,540 refugees, the UNHCR added.

island, Santiago.

The security forces are searching for a soldier who is suspected to have shot dead eight soldiers and three civilians, including two Spanish nationals, in the attack, AP reports.

It also quotes local media as saying there is a strong police presence in Praia on the biggest island, Santiago.

CAR remains threat to ‘international peace’

T

he UN Security Council has extended the mandate of its peace force in Central African Republic (CAR) to the end of July after concluding that the country still poses a threat to international peace and security.

Minusca, as the force is known, recently oversaw largely peaceful elections which led to former Prime Faustin Touadera being voted

into office.

However, armed groups have not yet laid down their weapons in a country which descended into violence after rebels seized power in 2013, forcing more than one million people to flee their homes.

In August, the Senegalese head of the force, Babacar Gaye, resigned following allegations that some peacekeepers had raped girls and women.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 37

Asia & Middle East Afghan Taliban North Korea to stage first party confirms delegation visiting congress in nearly 40 years Pakistan N

orth Korea has said its ruling Workers Party will hold its first congress in nearly 40 years next month.

The gathering, which will take place in Pyongyang from 6 May, will be only the seventh in the party’s history and the first under leader Kim Jong-un.

It will be closely watched for signs of major policy shifts, movement among senior officials or comment on North Korea’s nuclear programme.

It comes as North Korea is believed to be preparing a fifth nuclear test.

North Korea has often timed its controversial tests to coincide with big political occasions.

Its fourth test, in January, was followed by the launch of a satellite.

Both were violations of existing sanctions and resulted in the UN imposing further measures limiting trade and contact with the North.

The last North Korean congress was in October 1980, before the current leader Mr Kim was born.

It lasted four days and among other issues saw Kim Jong-il formally named as the intended successor to then leader Kim Il-sung.

Expectation has been growing for months that the leadership was about to announce the seventh congress.

Burial protest over gender equality at Kumbh Mela festival

A

female Hindu religious leader has staged a “burial” protest at India’s Kumbh Mela festival after her allwoman group was denied permission to bathe in holy waters.

Trikal Bhawanta, founder of the Pari Akhara, wanted to take the waters at the world’s largest religious festival.

India has 13 widely recognised “akhara” groups, all led by men, many of whom dispute her group’s legitimacy.

Equality at Hindu religious sites is an increasingly contentious issue.

In Tuesday’s protest, Ms Bhwanta sat in a deep grave dug by her group’s female “sadhus”, or holy women, while followers threw petals and dirt onto her, until police and local officials ended the protest.

Ms Bhwanta formed her akhara - a group of wandering sadhus who renounce normal life and are respected for their holiness - in 2000. It is thought to be the first such all-female group.

A

A man walks past images of Saudi leaders on a building under construction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, April 19, 2016.

The statement from North Korea’s KCNA news agency on Wednesday gave no details of the event, and did not specify how long it would last.

But it is widely expected that Mr Kim will use the gathering to both reinforce his role as Supreme Leader and to push his agenda of economic

development coupled with nuclear progress.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Tuesday that the North had finished preparations for its fifth nuclear test and could carry it out it any time.

It would be the latest show of defiance to the international

community in recent weeks, which have seen a series of missile launches.

The North also claimed last week to have used “cold launch” technology to fire a missile from a submarine, while South Korean officials say it also appears to be preparing another test launch of its medium-range Musudan ballistic missile.

Hezbollah develops new skills in syria, posing challenges for Israel

W

hen Hezbollah first intervened on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Israeli defense analysts saw the foray as a blessing — better to have their Lebanese arch-enemy entangled in a war in Syria. But there is increasing concern that Hezbollah is getting valuable battlefield experience in Syria, especially when it comes to largescale, coordinated offensive operations, something the Shi’ite militia had little knowledge of before.

That practical experience could be of use in any subsequent conflict with Israel. Hezbollah commanders acknowledge the benefits.

“In some ways, Syria is a dress rehearsal for our next war with Israel,” a special forces Hezbollah commander admitted to VOA recently.

Peacetime training is no substitute for wartime experience, says John Capello, a former U.S. air attaché in Tel Aviv and now an analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington foreign policy think tank.

“NATO makes a big effort to make training as realistic as possible but it is still scripted and doesn’t teach how to deal with the unexpected. It just isn’t the same as the real thing.”

Hezbollah has been in the vanguard of large assaults on Syrian rebels and not just along the border in Qalamoun and Quneitra but also further afield around Aleppo in northern Syria.

Anti-Assad rebel commanders estimate that 80 percent of the ground forces the Assad regime has deployed

since the Russian bombing campaign was launched in September 2015 have not consisted of Syrians but are made up of Hezbollah and Iranian fighters along with Shi’ite volunteers from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“Hezbollah has become more proficient at mass force maneuvers and of tying together different battle groups — and leveraging all of that with the lessons it learned from the war with Israel in 2006, especially when it comes to defeating armor,” says Aram Nerguizian, a Mideast analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Iranian revolutionary guardsmen and Hezbollah militiamen have been fighting side-by-side for months now, honing their ability to work together.

First food truck rolls into Palestine

T

wo former prisoners have launched an environmentally friendly mobile kitchen in the occupied West Bank.

“Six shekels for a pound!” yells a sweaty man holding an aubergine, his voice drowned out by cries from other vendors at the fruit-and-vegetable market in downtown Ramallah.

It is an unseasonably hot day, and a peddler selling bubble blowers shields himself from the sun with a piece of discarded cardboard as a colourful truck pulls up.

The vehicle immediately attracts the attention of several children who make a living helping shoppers carry their purchases. “I’ll take a hot dog,” a boy says to the two men who just parked, noting that at first glance, he

mistook their van for an ice-cream truck.

Onlookers and elderly men sitting at a cafe across the street appear intrigued. “What is this?” someone yells. “It’s a food truck,” shouts back owner Khaldoun Barghouti, a 43-yearold from Kobar, a village near Ramallah.

This is the first mobile kitchen in the West Bank The truck is the brainchild of Barghouti and 35-year-old Abdel Rahman Bibi, both former political prisoners jailed by Israel for nine and eight years respectively. In the years leading up to their release, they mulled over the various ways they could make a living.

“We didn’t want to be a burden on society,” Barghouti, a married father of

six, told Al Jazeera. “We wanted people to benefit from our work, to develop as individuals, and to provide a service.

We didn’t want to subsist on welfare.”

Their vision of what the truck would look like was inspired by prison life: They hated stationary spaces, so they chose a mobile kitchen. They were so repelled by blue and brown, the Israel Prison Service’s colours of choice, that they had the truck painted in vibrant shades of red, orange and purple.

Having enjoyed a tuna-and-corn concoction for years behind bars, they developed this as one of their many specialties, along with traditional fast-food options such as shawarma, burgers, and sausage, turkey and schnitzel sandwiches loaded with fries and pickled vegetables.

fghanistan’s Taliban has confirmed it has sent a “highlevel’ delegation to Islamabad for talks with Pakistani officials, saying it hopes the visit will have “fruitful results” and “in the interest of both countries.”

A spokesman for the Islamist insurgency told VOA on Wednesday the Taliban delegation has traveled from its “Political Office” in Qatar to hold the discussions in the light of “close relations, long border and commercial transactions” between the two neighboring countries.

Pakistani officials have not yet commented on the presence and purpose of the Taliban’s visit.

Diplomatic sources have confirmed to VOA the Taliban delegation is on a mission for “exploratory discussions” with Pakistani interlocutors as part of Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

The Taliban’s political office in the Qatari capital of Doha is solely authorized to conduct political talks.

“The esteemed leader of Islamic Emirate [the Taliban] has instructed the delegation to discuss issues regarding Afghan refugees, some recent problems related to [Afghan] border provinces of Helmand, Nangarhar and Paktia,” Taliban’s Qatar-based spokesman Mohammad Naeem told VOA, without elaborating.

Afghan media reports have recently alleged that Pakistani border forces tried to establish outposts inside the Afghan territory in Helmand, Nangarhar and Paktia, charges Islamabad denies.

Naeem said Taliban negotiators will particularly discuss with Pakistani authorities the release of Mullah Bradar and some other prisoners.

“The delegation, which is gone (to Pakistan) from here (Qatar) is holding talks on the issues that I have stated above and has no other particular item on the agenda,” Naeem told VOA when asked whether reconciliation talks with the Afghan government would also be discussed.

A deputy leader of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, Mawlavi Abdul Khabeer, says Kabul is neither aware nor has it anything to do with the insurgency’s delegation visiting Pakistan. The council is tasked to promote peace and reconciliation with anti-government armed opposition.

“This is an attempt by Pakistan to ease international pressure it has come under after the Kabul attack,” Khabeer told VOA, referring to April 19 Taliban bomb-andgun attack in the Afghan capital that killed nearly 70 people and wounded about 350 others.

Mullah Bradar, former deputy chief of the Taliban leader, was detained by Pakistani intelligence officials in the southern city of Karachi in 2010 reportedly in a joint operation with American counterparts.

Page 38

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Europe & Americas

Hillsborough inquests: Families declare justice is done

F

amilies of the 96 fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster have declared justice has been done after an inquests jury found they were unlawfully killed.

Lawyers acting on their behalf said the conclusions had “completely vindicated” their 27year battle for the truth.

Jurors found police failures before and during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final led to the fatal crush.

Two criminal investigations into the disaster and its aftermath are ongoing and could finish by the end of 2016.

A police probe is looking at the lead-up to the crush on the day of the match, while a separate inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating the allegations of a cover-up afterwards.

Anne Burkett, the mother of Peter, 24, who had travelled to the match with friends, said the story of Hillsborough was one of “human tragedy”.

She added: “It is also a story of deceit and lies, of institutional defensiveness defeating truth and justice. It is evidence of a culture of denial within South Yorkshire Police.”

US election 2016: Donald Trump sweeps five US states

D

onald Trump has won presidential primaries in all five US states that voted on Tuesday, while Hillary Clinton triumphed in four out of five.

Mr Trump called himself the Republican “presumptive nominee” after victories in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

The results bring him closer to the number of delegates he needs before the party’s national convention in July.

For the Democrats, Mrs Clinton was denied a clean sweep by Bernie Sanders.

The Vermont senator won in Rhode Island and vowed to fight to the end of the primaries process.

Speaking at the Philadelphia Convention Center after securing the four other states, Mrs Clinton said her campaign was setting “bold, progressive goals” to improve lives in the US. “We believe in the goodness of our people and the greatness of our nation,” she said.

The jury concluded that mistakes by South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and South Yorkshire Ambulance Service on the day had “caused or contributed” to the disaster.

Fans had not contributed to the danger unfolding at the turnstiles at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesday’s ground on 15 April 1989, the inquests concluded earlier.

Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram, who was at Hillsborough on the day of the disaster, said: “Justice has been served by the verdicts and now it is about accountability.”

The focus of the families has now turned to whether criminal prosecutions will follow in light of the evidence that emerged.

Relatives of those who died as a result of the fatal crush at Liverpool’s match against Nottingham Forest accused SYP of “a culture of denial”.

Stephen Wright, whose brother Graham, 17, died in the tragedy, said: “The evidence over the past two years has been overwhelming, yet South Yorkshire Police and their senior officers have tried to look truth in the eye and deny responsibility and shift blame on

Joanna Hamilton, whose brother Roy died in the Hillsborough disaster, spoke during a press conference to others.”

Labour MP Andy Burnham, who has supported the campaign, said: “This has been the greatest miscarriage of justice of our times.

“But, finally, it is over.”

The names of all those who died will be read out at a commemoration service outside St George’s Hall in Liverpool on Wednesday.

There will be 96 lanterns and

Venezuela introduces two-day week to deal with energy crisis

V

enezuela’s government has imposed a two-day working week for public sector workers as a temporary measure to help it overcome a serious energy crisis.

Vice-President Aristobulo Isturiz announced that civil servants should turn up for work only on Mondays and Tuesdays until the crisis was over.

Venezuela is facing a major drought, which has dramatically reduced water levels at its main hydroelectric dam.

But the opposition has accused the government of mismanaging the crisis.

The measures announced on national television by Mr Isturiz affect two million public sector workers.

“There will be no work in the public sector on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, except for fundamental and necessary tasks,” he said.

President Nicolas Maduro had already given most of Venezuela’s 2.8 million state employees Fridays off during April and May, to cut down on electricity consumption.

He said Venezuela had been badly hit by the El Nino weather phenomenon and would return to normal when it started raining again.

“We are requesting international help, technical and financial aid to help revert the situation,” he said. “We are managing the situation in the best possible way while we wait for the rains to return.”

“Several countries in the region have been affected by the drought, caused by El Nino. But Venezuela has the highest domestic consumption of energy.”

The government has already adopted a number of other measures

to try to deal with the crisis. In February, shopping centres were told to reduce their opening hours and generate their own energy.

Earlier this week, the government put the clocks forward by half an hour to reduce demand for electricity in the early evening.

Last week, it announced it was introducing power cuts for four hours a day.

The power shortages have deepened the country’s serious economic crisis.

Many businessmen and opposition politicians blame the energy crisis and shortages of basic goods on government economic mismanagement.

They say tough currency controls introduced in 2003 by the late president, Hugo Chavez, have only made this worse.

Ukraine conflict: Four civilians killed in army shelling, say rebels

A

t least four civilians - including a pregnant woman - have been killed in shelling at a checkpoint crossing in east Ukraine, pro-Russian rebels say.

A spokesman for the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic said 15 people were also wounded, as they crossed between rebel- and government-held territory.

Ukraine’s army denied it carried out any shelling in the area at the time.

The region has seen a spike in violence in recent weeks, threatening a fragile ceasefire between the army

and rebels.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said it had been recording “a high number of ceasefire violations” in the Donetsk region alone, listing hundreds of explosions and gunfire heard in both rebel- and government-held areas in recent days.

Wednesday’s attack happened in the rebel-controlled village of Olenivka, just metres from a demarcation line separating the two sides.

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the body of the pregnant

96 red roses laid on the steps of the hall.

Home Secretary Theresa May is due to give the government’s response to the jury’s conclusions in the House of Commons later.

woman could be seen in the back of a badly damaged car, her mobile phone ringing constantly.

Another body could be seen in the front seat of another car, and two other bodies lay in the road.

The rebel group said at least six homes and a hospital were also damaged in the village as a result of army strikes overnight.

How ever, a spokesman f or Ukraine’s military said its army positions had been fired upon by light weapons, but there was no shelling in the area at the time.

Belgium extradites Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam

B

elgium has extradited Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam to face trial in France.

He was wounded and arrested in a dramatic raid in Brussels on 18 March after four months on the run.

The 26-year-old French national was born in Brussels and lived there before the Paris attacks.

Some 130 people were killed and dozens wounded in co-ordinated attacks carried out by so-called Islamic State in Paris on 13 November.

The federal prosecutor said Salah Abdeslam had been “surrendered to the French authorities this morning (in execution of the European Arrest Warrant issued by France on 19 March 2016)”.

It is not immediately clear where he has been taken, although it is known that he was transferred recently from prison in Bruges to the highsecurity jail at Beveren, near Antwerp.

Salah Abdeslam was indicted by Belgian authorities last week over a shoot-out in the Forest area of Brussels in which four police were wounded, three days before he was arrested.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 39

Strange

world

The littlest nomad: Stunning images of a young boy and his tribe who live in the Himalayas without technology or money

H

e is only young, but Jimmai has already endured more physical hardship than many will in a life-

time.

Born into a family of nomads who live high in the Himalayas on the Chang Tang plateau, he is part of a way of life that’s dying out.

His resilient tribe spend their days finding food for their goats in the snowy mountains and desperately trying to survive in a world that is leaving them behind.

Photographer Cat Vinton was welcomed among Jimmai’s tribe - the Chang Tang-Pa - and spent two months learning of their unwavering determination to preserve their nomadic lifestyle.

Devoid of technology, the Chang Tang-Pa live a simple existence centred around living off the earth, something Vinton described as a ‘true alternative to the ways of the west’.

The tribe were forced onto the remote Chang Tang Plateau, on the Tibetan-Indian border, after the Chinese invasion in 1959. They may live as refugees in the mountain, but are free to roam and go about their business.

Their lives are entwined with their goats and sheep. Vinton saw just how closely when he met a 12-year-old girl called Sonam. She would sing to her animals and venture across the mountains for days on her own looking for new pastures for them.

She is also responsible for ensuring the youngest members of the flock get milk and food - a tough mission when most grazing land is below a thick layer of snow.

Vinton discovered that 56 years ago, Sonam’s father, Gaysto, at the time a boy of seven, had journeyed for weeks on foot to flee

the Chinese invasion.

Having reached the mountains, his people were forced to embrace an ancient way of life, sleeping under yak skins in tents and living off the land.

‘What is truly remarkable in this long and tragic saga is the resilience of the people, the uncompromising power of their faith and the strength of their determination to survive,’ Vinton said.

While there, she lived and ate as the tribe did, sharing the tent with the family, baby goats and sheep.

‘We all shared the same space and skins - keeping warm as the fire slowly died out during the night hours,’ she told MailOnline Travel.

Meals consisted of goat meat, goat fat, momos (Tibetan dumplings), Tibetan tea and lots of tsampa (barley flower).

The Chang Tang-Pa don’t have need of money, and survive solely through trade and the exchange of goods, mainly yarn from their prized goats.

Vinton was told that the Indian government now has exclusivity for their produce.

‘Forbidden from selling their yarn to anyone else, the nomads are forced to sell only to the government, who pay an excruciatingly low price for what they produce,’ Vinton said.

The family live a devout Buddhist lifestyle and Vinton witnessed them chanting Tibetan prayers in the early morning sunlight.

An important part of their religious culture is heeding the wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who emphasises the importance of education, something Gaysto can’t afford to buy for his children.

Born into a family of nomads who live high in the Himalayas on the Chang Tang plateau, Jimmai is part of a way of life that’s dying out Vinton said: ‘Sadly their paltry income doesn’t enable parents like Gaysto to send their children to school in the Tibetan Children’s Village in Leh, the capital of Ladakh.’

The tribe’s most modern possession is a beautiful old USHA sewing-machine. They have little means of communicating with the outside world.

In fact, Vinton herself had only found the tribe after meeting a woman called Tashi, who had left the Chang Tang-Pa to attend school. She agreed to accompany the UK-based photographer during her two-month stay.

The Chang Tang-Pa rely on

Sonam (pictured) is responsible for ensuring her young family’s goats get milk and food - a tough mission when most grazing land is below a thick layer of snow

word of mouth for news and for the family Vinton stayed with, this mainly comes through their three daughters. The girls now live in or near the district of Leh, having married men from other nomad camps.

Vinton found that it is traditional that a Tibetan woman may have more than one husband, one around the home to help with daily life and another living in the wild with the herds.

‘They have a quiet acceptance of the inherent fragility of their way of life, set against an acute awareness of a fast-changing world and the irrevocable impact this change will have upon their traditional

culture,’ Vinton said.

Vinton said the future looks increasingly precarious for the Chang Tang-Pa, and stated that she hoped her photographic series serves as a visual record of their culture as it stands today.

She hopes that one day Sonam will share the images with her children, who may not get to experience the centuries-old heritage.

Vinton has lived among several nomadic tribes to capture their traditional lifestyles. For her other projects visit her website.

MAILONLINEW

When Gaysto’s family move on for the season they leave behind the foundations of their temporary settlement. The following year his family will return to the same spot

Page 40

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Digest

5 Things stress does and doesn’t cause

By Justin Caba

W

e all deal with it, but not all of us know exactly what it can mean for our health. Stress is as natural a human response as breathing or scratching at an itch.

There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding stress and what it can and can’t cause. What many people don’t understand is that not all stress is bad. It could be what saves your life in a dangerous situation.

To understand what stress causes, it’s best we understand what stress actually is. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, stress is the brain’s response to any demand.

It’s when the brain produces too much of that response that we run into problems.

1. Hair Loss Many a man has blamed his receding hairline or bold spot on his rambunctious children running amuck and not paying attention. Stress is often indicated as a possible explanation for hair loss, but how can the body’s response to stimuli result in our hair falling out? Alopecia areata (AA) is commonly referred to as stress-induced disease. However, stress’s effect on this condition is a little more complicated. Although stress does not directly lead to AA, stress’s effect on the immune system causes an autoimmune response that attacks hair follicles.

“It affects how your immune system functions, effectively making it go haywire,” Dr. Stacy Banerjee, co-founder and COO of the chronic disease remote monitoring company Salusity, told Medical Daily in an email.

“This, it affects your body’s ability to defend itself against infection. However, it can also cause autoimmune diseases to act up. This, stress can lead to exacerbations of diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. These changes in your immune system can also affect your body’s ability to repair changes in your cells that can be precursors to cancer.”

2. Acne Teenage years can be a very stressful time in any person’s life and most people experience one major problem during this time that tends to have a major impact on their appearance: acne. Now, is stress the chicken or the egg in this situation? Acne is the result of overactive oil glands that produce too much oil which plugs pores by combining with skin cells. As pores are plugged, the bacterium P. acnes multiplies, leading to lesions on the skin. What can trigger this immune response?

You guessed it: stress.

“Acne results when immune cells hone in on your skin or something in your skin,”

Banerjee explained.

“Stress can unnecessarily activate your immune system and they can go to your skin, depending on the cells that stress activates in you (it’s different for each person), where they can cause irritation and breakouts.”

3. Heart Attack and Stroke When faced with a dangerous situation, you may notice your pulse quickening, your breath getting faster, your muscles tensing up, and your brain using more oxygen to increase its activity.

These stress responses are aimed toward survival.

Unfortunately, as these responses continue under chronic stress they lead to the suppression of our body’s vital

systems, including the digestive system, reproductive system, and circulatory system.

“It can affect your heart by forcing it to work harder,” Banerjee added. “Just as physical stress causes your heart to work harder by increasing your muscles’ need for oxygen, so can emotional stress by increasing your brain’s need for oxygen. Thus, stress can be associated with heart disease.

In fact, emotional stress is known to trigger a syndrome called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.”

4. Gray Hair Yes, stress will lead to hair loss. No, stress will not turn your hair a different color directly, but it can lead to a man developing the silver fox look over time.

Marie Antoinette was said to be so stressed out over her impending doom that her entire head of hair turned white the night before her eventual decapitation. While dermatology and hair care experts agree that Antoinette’s hair most likely did not turn gray as she awaited the guillotine overnight, stress could’ve caused her new hair color if she was on death row for a number of years.

Research into stress’s effect on gray hair has revealed that normal aging is mainly to blame.

According to dermatologists’ 50-50-50 rule, 50 percent of the population has 50 percent gray hair by the time they reach the age of 50.

5. Ulcers

One out of every 10 Americans develops at least one ulcer during their lifetime. Although lifestyle factors, such as smoking, diet, and stress, have been attributed to ulcer development in the past, research has discovered no link between the two. In fact, 80 percent of all gastric ulcers and 90 percent of all duodenal ulcers develop as a result of being infected with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

Even though research has shown no relationship between stress and ulcer development, people with ulcers often claim that stress can worsen the pain.

Source: MSN.com

PEOPLES DAILY

Sports

thursday, april 28, 2016

Page

41

sports@peoplesdailyng.com, SMS- 08142929046

NFF, sports minister quarrel over N480m cash

Mikel in for Mali, Luxembourg friendlies

>>Pg 42

Dominic Iorfa not for sale – Wolves tell buyers >>Pg 43

Moses Simon in action against Egypt

T

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied putting the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung under pressure to approve the release of N480m to prosecute the last Super Eagles 2017 Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifying match against the Pharaohs of Egypt.

The Minister was reported to have told a section of the media that he was put under pressure by the NFF to approve the release of the sum for the matches which the Super Eagles lost 0 – 1 in Alexandria that led to the ouster of Nigeria from the race for the 2017 AFCON ticket.

Reacting to the statement, a member of the NFF executive board described the statement as baseless, insisting that the federation did not request for the release of such money from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to prosecute the back-toback matches.

The board member, who preferred not to be mentioned, stated that the money in question was earlier approved by the presidency for the previous engagements of the national teams and not for the Eagles versus Pharaohs matches.

He regretted that the minister painted a wrong impression of the NFF, noting that some board members of the federation raised their personal money as well as reached out to certain Nigerians who brought in money for the hiring of the chartered flight that took the Nigerian contingent to Egypt for the second leg of the AFCON qualifier.

“The statement credited to the minister is really unexpected, the minister himself is aware of the efforts of the members of the NFF executive to move the game forward. The NFF never asked the ministry for any money for the AFCON qualifier, even though it was not out place to do that because the national teams belong to the country.

“It is on record that the NFF did not ask for and did not receive any money from the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the Super Eagles matches against Egypt as claimed by the minister.

The NFF president and other members put down millions of naira to complement the efforts of other committed stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria did not travel to Egypt by regular flight.

They chartered a flight for the contingent at their own expense and the minister is aware of this selfless effort.

“The money which he claimed to have approved was actually the fund that was approved by the presidency for the prosecution of past matches which the national teams were involved in and not in any way connected with the Egypt matches because the federation handled the matches squarely through collective efforts”. The board member disclosed.

Sport

Rangers lead NPFL table after Giwa walkover

Mikel in for Mali, Luxembourg friendlies

By Albert Akota

S

uper Eagles head coach Salisu Yusuf has called up Captain John Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa, Odion Ighalo and 23 others for the upcoming international friendly ties against Mali and Luxembourg in Europe.

The three-time African champions are due to take on Les Aiglons of Mali in France on May 27 before flying to Luxembourg to take on that country’s national team on the first day of June.

Yusuf, installed as interim head coach by the NFF last week, has picked a relatively

young squad that also includes former under-20 captain Musa Muhammed, former under-20 defender Gbenga Arokoyo, former under-23 midfielder Raheem Lawal, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner Brown Ideye, one-cap left- back Kingsley Madu and unknown Portugalbased defender Chidozie Awaziem.

Defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Leon Balogun and William Troost Ekong return, while Ogenyi Onazi, Abdullahi Shehu, Elderson Echiejile, Moses Simon, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Samuel are back to familiar terrain.

Rangers vs Abia Warriors in Enugu

E

nugu Rangers yesterday consolidated their leadership of the Nigeria league after they walked over Giwa FC in a rescheduled game in Abuja.

With three points and three goals, Rangers now have 27 points from 23 matches, four points clear

of closest rivals Abia Warriors.

Both Rangers and match officials were at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja Wednesday evening, but Giwa did not turn up.

The original match between the two clubs was abandoned after irate fans disrupted it in Jos.

Rangers were leading the tie 1-0 before the game was abandoned in the 74th minute.

The game was to have been continued from the 74th minute yesterday.

Giwa have already been heavily fined for the crowd trouble at the first game.

Brown Ideye

Enyimba draw oriental Usman hits Olympics U-23 camp derby in Umuahia

K

H

eartland yesterday forced champions Enyimba to a 1-1 draw in an ‘Oriental Derby’ clash played in Umuahia.

Enyimba, who are still in contention for this year’s CAF Champions League, now have 13 points from nine matches, while Heartland is on 18 points from 13 matches.

Enyimba took the lead after 27 minutes of this rescheduled league match through striker Peter Onyekachi after the Heartland goalkeeper gifted him a chance.

However, Heartland drew level through former Enyimba star Ifeanyi Onuigbo in the 31st minute, when he headed home a free kick beyond goalkeeper Femi Thomas.

Both teams failed to get on the scoreboard again for the game to end in a draw.

Enyimba goalkeeper Femi Thomas

wara United FC of Ilorin goalkeeper, Jonah Usman, will today (Wednesday) join other players in the U-23 national team, the Dream Team VI, currently camping in Abuja.

Usman, who was part of the class of 2013 U-20 national team under coach John Sam Obuh will be the second player from Kwara United FC invited to the team preparing for the Rio Olympics in Brazil, after Taiwo Abdulrahman.

The AYC silver medallist expressed hope of making the final cut for the Olympics, banking on experience of big stage performance, especially with the Flying Eagles.

‘I know I will make it. I have the experience and am now in the best of form to be part of Samson Siasia’s team for the Olympics’, he said.

‘I have played in the U-20 national team, and also hope to make the final list of the U-23 team because my target is to play for the Super Eagles, to complete the circle of all the national teams’, the former Abubakar Bukola Saraki FC player said.

Jonah joined Kwara United FC at the beginning of this season and promised to use his experience to ensure the team wins a Premier League ticket at the end of the season.

Jonah Usman

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 43

Sport

Dominic Iorfa not for sale – Wolves tell buyers W

olverhampton Wanderers’ manager Kenny Jacketts has insisted defender Dominic Iorfa will not be sold by the club.

The 20-year-old who is a key member of England U21 squad has enjoyed a promising season in the Sky Bet Championship with 40 league appearances.

Crystal Palace, Arsenal, West Ham and Southampton re reportedly interested in the central defender ahead next season.

However, Jacketts insisted Wolves will not be letting Iorfa go anywhere.

“I personally wouldn’t want to see him go,” he told club website.

“I think we need players in to improve us, rather than letting players go. I’m sure everybody at Wolves feels the same way as I do.

“We haven’t had any bids and like everyone at Wolves we want to improve the team, and build the team around Dominic, rather than replacing him.

“Whenever you have players doing well, there’s always that type of speculation.

“I’ll be as determined as everybody at Wolves – we want to improve the team. Selling Dominic, we don’t think will help us.”

He added: “It’s difficult in football to predict exactly what’s happening and once you get into the realms of very, very big bids, it would be wrong to say it can’t happen, because we’ve seen it happen many times.

“It wouldn’t be my choice and for everyone at Wolves it is about wanting to build a team around Dominic.

“It has been very interesting over two of the last three games for him to play in the centre back position.

“Having had two years on the ball at right back will have helped him in that position and he can bring the ball out,” he concluded.

Iorfa who could feature for Nigeria at the 2016 Olympics recently signed a new long-term contract at Wolves last November, securing his future until the summer of 2019.

Dominic Iorfa

Chelsea agree deal for Roma midfielder, Nainggolan

C

helsea has agreed a deal to bring Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan to Stamford Bridge this summer.

The Blues will pay £28 million for the Belgium international, with the player set to sign a five-year deal with the Premier League champions.

He will become Antonio Conte’s first signing after the Italy boss agreed a deal to replace Guus Hiddink after Euro 2016.

Chelsea’s deal for the box-to-box midfielder has been thrashed out over the last 48 hours with Roma and the player’s representatives.

Roma’s director of sport Walter Sabatini was spotted outside Stamford Bridge on the 7th April and set up a meeting with Chelsea’s transfer bosses and it was understood that the Belgian midfielder was Conte’s number one target to strengthen his midfield.

I’m not in rush to sign new Arsenal contract —Ozil

M

esut Ozil insists he is in no rush to sign a new contract at Arsenal.

The Germany international has enjoyed a superb season at the Emirates Stadium, providing 18 assists and scoring six goals in 33 Premier League appearances.

There has been intense speculation over his future, however, with Ozil linked with a return to the Bundesliga and a move to Turkey.

However, he says he does not intend to hurry into negotiations with the north Londoners, as his current deal runs until 2018.

Ozil has also refused to rule out the possibility of a move away from the Emirates Stadium in the coming months, with Arsenal currently at risk of

losing their place in the Premier League’s top four.

“I’m not saying that I definitely must return to the Bundesliga or spend time in Turkey. But I’m not ruling it out either. Maybe I’ll finish my career in England,” he added.

The Gunners currently sit fourth in the table, five points clear of Manchester United, but Louis van Gaal’s men have a game in hand after competing in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend.

Arsenal fans have vented their anger towards Arsene Wenger over this season’s failure to challenge for the title, with only Leicester City and Tottenham still mathematically able to be crowned champions.

Ozil

Sammer nears return after brain disorder

B

Nainggolan

ayern Munich expect to have director of sport Matthias Sammer back on their bench within the next fortnight as the former Germany international recovers from a mild brain disorder.

The 48-year-old former Germany sweeper and 1996 Ballon d’or winner has been absent from the bench the last two games and will miss Wednesday’s Champions League game at Atletico Madrid as he continues to recover.

Sammer is convalescing at home

after suffering from what club doctor Roland Schmidt has described as “a miniscule circulatory disorder of the brain that will heal completely and without consequences”.

“He’s doing very well, he’s working out. He doesn’t need to worry about things. It’s a matter of weeks, not months,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on Tuesday before Bayern flew to Madrid.

Rummenigge says he expects Sammer will return to his Bayern duties on May 14, the final day of the

Bundesliga season, “once we get the (German league) trophy” with Bayern set to have a fourth consecutive league title confirmed this Saturday.

When the club put out a statement last Sunday, Sammer said “there is nothing” he is not allowed to do, but that he’d give himself the necessary time to recover.

He joined Bayern in his current role in July 2012, having previously been technical director of the German Football Association (DFB) from 2006.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Abuja chorale society

The General Public is hereby informed that the above named organisation has applied for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No.1 of 1990.

The Trustees are: 1. Ms. Amal Pepple 2. Prof. Jerry Gana 3. Mr. Wale Labiyi 4. Mr. Lekadi Feboke 5. Mr. Harrison Stephen 6. Mr. Bennett Dukoni

- Chairman

- Secretary

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To empower Gospel artistes in showcasing their God-given talent.

2. Identifying with the youth population by empowering them to seek a career in professional Gospel music.

3. Developing local talents and content for the global Gospel Music Industry through establishment of Gospel Musical schools.

4. Give scholarships and support to orphans, widows and the needy.

Any Objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission ,Plot 420,Tigris Crescent, Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B. 198, Garki, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

AUCTION! AUCTION!! AUCTION!!!

THIS IS TO INFOTM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT, THE ABANDONED UNCLEIMED VEHICLS AND MOTORCYCLS AT THE PREMISSES OF THE NIGERIA POLICE DIVISIONAL HEAD QUARTERS MARARABA “A” AND “A” DIVITION POLICE STATION LAFIA NASARAWA STATE WILL BE DISPOS E TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AFTER TWO WEEKS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. IF YOU HAVE ENY COMPLEIN WRITE TO THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE NASARAWA STATE COMMAND BEFOR THE EXPIRETION DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION THE ITEMS ARE LAFIA “A” DIVISION POLICE STATION. 1.ONE SCRAP OPEL VEHICLE WITH REG NO,DF 588ABC 2. 13 MOTORCYCLS DIFFRENT MAKE AND OTHER ITEMS. MARARABA “A” DIVISION POLICE STATION. 1. 20 MOTORCYCLS DIFFERENT MAKE AND OTHER ITEMSAN FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT POLICE AUCTIONEER IBRAHIM MOH’D GARUWA PHON NO, 08065561932.

PUBLIC NOTICE

REV. DR. FELIX OMOBUDE FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) FOR REGISTRATION UNDER THE PACT ‘C’ OF THE COMPANY AND ALLIED MATTER ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BARR. J. AGHIMIEN (SAN) 2. PASTOR (MRS.) A. T. OMOBUDE 3. REV. EBENEZER OMOBUDE 4. ELDER F. N. OKIGALA 5. REV. M. O. JIMOH-KADIRI 6. HON. (MRS.) IRENE IMILAR 7. REV. NNIMMO BASSEY

-CHAIRMAN/LEGAL ADVISER -VICE CHAIRMAN -SECRETARY -MEMBER -MEMBER -MEMBER -MEMBER

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO ELONGATE THE LEGACY OF GOOD WORKS INITIATED BY REV. DR. FELIX OMOBUDE. 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: REV. EBENEZER OMOBUDE SECRETARY

Mrs Nwoke

PUBLIC NOTICE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR PEACE AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION INITIATIVE

This is to inform the general public that the above named INITIATIVE has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission for Appointment and for registration of Trustees under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. IHERE OKO FRANCIS. 2. OKO CHINASA FLORENCE. 3. INYA EMMANUEL OGBONNA. THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : 1. TO PROMOTE PEACE IN THE SOCIETY. 2. TO ALLIVATE POVERTY IN THE SOCIETY. SIGNED: SECRETRY. Any objection thereto should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigirs Crescent ,off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama ,Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED : SECRETARY

MATATKO

I formerly known as miss Nsionu Nneka Dorathy now wishes to be known as Mrs Nwoke Nneka Dorathy. all former documents remain valid. general public take note.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MATATKO DEBORAH OYIDU. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS MATATKO DEBORAH MIMI OYIDU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Nwoke I formerly known as Nwoke Kelechi now wishes to be known as Nwoke Kelechi Malarkey, all former documents remain valid. general public take note.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS tijani yakubu.

NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS tijani liman.

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

CHARLES

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS CHARLES EMEKA ABIA. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS CHARLES IKENNA ABIA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

tijani

ibrahim

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ibrahim garba buhari.

NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS ibrahim garba. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. first bank and GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Sport

Page 45

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has received a touchline ban for the final three La Liga games of the season.

The former Super Eagles’ goalkeeper has been listed for the Marc-Vivien Foe award following his imposing performance in goal for Les Dogues

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini says he does not see Real Madrid as favourites after their 0-0 draw in the Champions League semi-final first leg.

The Paris Saint-Germain duo and the Nice forward have been nominated for the UNFP’s award along with Marseille midfielder Lassana Diarra

World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury says he could be “as fat as a pig” and still beat Wladimir Klitschko

Sport

U.S. confirm Nigeria for Basketball friendly

T

he United States Olympic men’s basketball team have confirmed that they will be playing a friendly game with the Nigeria’s D’Tigers as part of their preparations for the Rio 2016 Games.

Nigeria is listed in the schedule of countries that will be part of a fivegame playing tour of the star-studded American team.

The Americans will play two games against China their first opponent in Rio de Janeir before facing Venezuela and Nigeria.

“We’ll face some excellent and experienced international teams, which will be important in our preparations,” US coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement.

“Playing five exhibition games in the United States in front of home crowds will be memorable for our players and fans alike, and we look forward to

representing the United States in the best manner we can.”

The U.S. team will be starting out against Argentina on July 22 at a Las Vegas site to be determined.

The Americans will then move to California for games against the Chinese on July 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and July 26 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, home of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

That will be followed by a game on July 29 at the United Center in Chicago against Venezuela, which qualified for the Olympics by winning last summer’s FIBA Americas championship, before the tour wraps up in Houston on Aug. 1 against African champion, Nigeria.

The D’Tigers will hope to put a better performance up against the Americans this time having been

Hawkins set for Rio Olympics

T

he first six members of the athletics squad that will represent Team GB at this summer’s Rio Olympics have been named by UK Athletics.

In the men’s marathon Derek Hawkins is included alongside younger brother Callum and Tsegai Tewelde, both of whom qualified at the London Marathon.

Alyson Dixon and Sonia Samuels also guaranteed their marathon spots in Sunday’s race in London.

Dominic King has also been selected for the 50km men’s race walk.

Callum Hawkins and Tewelde, who claimed asylum in Britain after competing for

crushed by 83 points four years ago at the London Olympics.

The U.S. will then travel to Rio for the Aug. 6-21 tournament. The Americans will also play Venezuela again there during group play.

Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that the Nigeria women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, will be playing two friendly games against Turkey and Argentina to put them in shape for the 2016 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) in Nantes, France to be held from 13-19 June.

The friendly against Turkey comes up in Istanbul in May (27-28), while the Argentina game is billed for (8-9 June) in France.

The Nigeria women’s team are seeking qualification for the Olympics yet again after their last participation in the Athens 2004 edition.

Al-Farouq Aminu

Thomas in as Kittel wins stage at Tour de Romandie

Eritrea at the 2008 World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, qualified as the first two Britons to cross the line in Sunday’s marathon.

Hawkins clocked a personal best time of two hours 10 minutes 52 seconds to finish eighth, while Tewelde was 12th in a time of 2:12:57 - both within the 2:14:00 qualifying time.

His brother Derek ran within the qualifying mark by clocking 2:12:57 to finish 14th and has now been awarded a discretionary place.

Dixon and Samuels, who finished 13th and 14th respectively, had already run the qualifying time of 2:37:00 in Berlin last September.

Kittel beat Bonifazio by half a wheel length in a sprint finish

B

ritain’s Geraint Thomas moved into third overall as Marcel Kittel won the first stage of the six-day Tour de Romandie in Switzerland.

Germany’s Kittel won a sprint finish ahead of Niccolo Bonifazio of

Italy.

Tour de France winner Chris Froome, targeting a third Romandie victory, finished in the peloton.

Spaniard Jon Izagirre, who won Tuesday’s prologue, kept his overall

lead as Welshman Thomas moved up from fourth to third.

The stage was shortened to 100km because of overnight snow and slippery roads, and the threat of ice and hail.

I’m happy to lose heavyweight titles to Fury - Klitschko

W

Callum Hawkins set a new personal best in the London Marathon

ladimir Klitschko says he is glad he lost his world heavyweight titles to Tyson Fury last December.

The Ukrainian, who was champion for nine years, will meet Briton Fury in a rematch in Manchester on 9 July.

“Failure is not an option unless it

is the only way to get better - and I had to get better. I needed a push to get better and I got it. I feel it.”

Klitschko, then the WBA, IBF and WBO champion, lost on a unanimous points decision in Dusseldorf, with Fury’s victory considered a huge upset.

Klitschko, who has suffered four

defeats in 68 bouts, had not lost for more than 11 years until he met Fury.

Until Klitschko’s brother Vitali retired in 2013, the pair held all the major heavyweight titles.

Now Wladimir has been beaten, they are with Fury (WBA and WBO), American Deontay Wilder (WBC) and Britain’s Anthony Joshua (IBF).

PEOPLES DAILY, thursday, april 28, 2016

Page 47

Sport

Rebellious is an integral part of my team, says Chile coach

Jorge Sampaoli can vouch for that, having broken both bones in an injury that cut short his playing career before he had even had a chance to grace Argentina’s top flight.

He was 19 at time, full of rage but with many dreams to pursue, dreams he would look to fulfil from the dugout, in circumstances that were far from ordinary for a budding coach.

With no professional career behind him, the Casilda-born Sampaoli took a job as a bank teller and also worked in a civil registry to fund his passion as an amateur coach.

Learning his trade in the lower leagues, he battled against preconceptions and his lack of top-level experience, and came out a winner.

Now 56, the highly regarded Copa America-winning coach has established himself in the elite, having also gone up against Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola for the 2015 FIFA Men’s Football Coach of the Year award, and is currently pondering his future having brought to an end his tenure with Chile.

The one and only coach from South America to receive a Ballon d’Or Gala nomination for his work there, Sampaoli spoke exclusively to FIFA.com, telling us: “I never listened to the people who said to me that I couldn’t.”

W

hy is it so difficult for anyone working in South American football to gain international recognition?

It’s all to do with the number of voters in each region: Asia, Africa… there are so many other

Chileans

places that have much closer links to European football. The idea of analysing our football is all a bit remote for them.

Maybe if you beat Barcelona at the Club World Cup then you might get people in Europe, Asia or Africa to sit up and take notice of you. What we achieved with Chile was very important, including the

tours we went on and our good performances against England, Germany, Brazil and Spain. That helped raise our profile.

Where were you when you heard you’d been nominated?

I was in Chile at the time. It was quite a shock and I really couldn’t believe it. I felt very excited about it and it made me

Jorge Sampaoli think of the difficult and traumatic situations I’ve been through in my career, and of my coaching team and everything we’ve done together. I thought about that and the players, of course. I wouldn’t have got there without them.

Unlike other coaches who’ve earned recognition around the world, you haven’t had a career as a professional footballer. How did you manage to get your ideas across in environment where people tend to make snap judgements?

I came at it from another angle.

I knew what my chances were when I started working towards my goal of making a career in international football, but I also knew I didn’t have much of a reputation.

That’s why I made a point of trying to get in players’ minds a little, letting them know that I’m a football person 24 hours a day.

Though I wasn’t part of a dressing room in the first division, I was at amateur level.

I manage to transmit that whole essence of things, which has gone out of football a little today, and it helped me to climb my way up. And now I’m a coach grounded in nothing more than my knowledge of football.

You talk about handling the dressing room, but what is it like to share that space with players who are so young and successful and who come from such diverse backgrounds?

By learning to share every situation with every one of them, but without generalising, because, like I said, they’re all different. By trying to make them understand that quite apart from all the

temptations out there, there’s another parallel temptation, and that’s football: playing, having fun and enjoying yourself.

Given the comparisons, we try not to compete with the temptations on the outside, but to make the players understand that taking centre stage, not being scared of losing and giving as good as you get are also pretty tempting.

With Chile, they got the message quickly and though they might have felt differently off the pitch, they always played as if their lives depended on it.

And in footballing terms, what did you do to make Chile Copa America champions?

A few things I took from Marcelo Bielsa’s philosophy. When we took the job on, we tried to be as direct, aggressive and offensive as he was, though we had to try and bring in a bit of control.

We started to defend a lot more with the ball, and that eventually gave the team the confidence to dictate every game and get on top of the opposition. That’s how we nurtured a commitment to the cause and got the players to really buy into things, and it made us competitive against any side.

It’s been three months since you left the job. How do you occupy your time now?

I watch matches. It’s been hard to adjust actually because I’d spent a lot of time linked to the game, without a break.

But I’m watching a lot of football, speaking to people and analysing different leagues. We don’t have a team to compete with, but we’re keeping in the loop and waiting to see what the future brings.

www.peoplesdailyng.com

THURsday, april 28, 2016

SPORTS latest

Silva out of Manchester City’s Madrid trip

D

avid Silva will not play in the second leg of Manchester City’s Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid after injuring himself in Tuesday’s first leg, manager Manuel Pellegrini said.

Silva was obliged to leave the fray in the 40th minute at the Etihad Stadium after damaging his hamstring as he slid in to challenge Gareth Bale, for which he was booked.

City, appearing in their first Champions League semifinal, resume hostilities with Madrid at the Bernabeu next Wednesday and Pellegrini said that his Spanish playmaker will not be able to take part.

City was also missing Yaya Toure against Madrid due to a thigh problem.

Simeone bans for three La Liga games

A

tletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has received a touchline ban for the final three La Liga games of the season.

The Argentine, 45, appeared to instruct a ball boy to throw a ball on to the pitch to disrupt a Malaga attack during Atletico’s 1-0 win on Saturday.

Simeone, who was sent to the stands at half-time, said, “It is clear the referee took the correct decision.

He will not miss Atletico’s Champions League semi-final first-leg at home to Bayern Munich yesterday Simeone will miss the home game against Rayo Vallecano on 30 April, the trip to Levante on 8 May and the visit of Celta Vigo on 15 May, the final day of the season.

. . . putting the people first

. . There is something ugly, awkward, anomalous and morally reprehensible for the Senate President to walk out of a dock labelled “accused box” and a few minutes later walk into the coveted seat of the Senate President to make laws for the good governance of Nigeria.

— Ray Ekpu

The 8th Senate and Matters Arising

I

am really at a loss about how to respond to the column of my friend, Femi Orebe on the 8th Senate.

He correctly identified my exasperation with things as they are. But more than being exasperated, Orebe might never understand the magnitude of the harrowing sorrow I daily feel pertaining in general to the sordid affairs of my country and in particular to the nadir of disrepute to which the senate has been sunk.

So discouraged have I been of late that by last week, I had begun to see myself as a colossal failure in my foray into Nigerian politics.

I had seriously considered going back to Ilesa Grammar School, my alma mater, to teach science.

In my previous incarnations as an academic and as a businessman, failure or giving up had never been a considered option.

In these earlier enterprises, my success or lack of it was largely dependent on my efforts and determination. By contrast, as a politician, I have perennially found myself walking and dancing in paths littered with opalaba (pieces of broken glass bottles). My success now depends almost equally or perhaps even more on others than on myself!

I foresaw the current crisis in the eighth senate long before its inauguration on June 9, 2015. I pleaded endlessly with Senators Bukola Saraki and Ahmad Lawan for a consensus that would make one of them the Senate President and the other the Deputy Senate President. I requested to lock both of them in a room and to open the room only after they have reached a consensus or after one of them had killed the other!

Had my efforts succeeded, my party, the Senate and my country might have been spared the crisis of the last many months.

Thursday Column

By Prof Sola Adeyeye

Senator Bukola Saraki Muhammadu Buhari campaigned on a platform that included a determined assault on corruption; he was hailed and resoundingly elected because a majority of Nigerians believed he was preeminently qualified to wage and win that war. I have always felt that if such a war were to be diligently waged, there will not be enough rooms in Nigerian prisons to hold public office holders who would be found guilty. And if the truth be told, these might include most of those supporting Saraki as well as most of those opposed to him! And I am talking here of supporters and opponents either from within or outside the National Assembly.

The interview I granted to Tell magazine in 2009 revealed enough on crass legislooting.

Many have wondered why I have been less vocal as a senator than I was during my tenure as a member of the House of Reps. I feel great pain when insinuations

I am probably the only Senator in Nigeria who has only one phone number. It would have been easy to get a new phone number. These days, phones come with apps that can filter out calls from numbers that are not on the phone’s contact list.

Diego Simeone

Advert: business: news: lagos:

QUOTABLE QUOTE

0806 564 8620 0704 385 9705 0814 292 9046 08074420617

are made that I had been bought.

Those pains rose to he fore following the publication of the phone numbers of all senators by Sahara Reporters.

I am probably the only Senator in Nigeria who has only one phone number. It would have been easy to get a new phone number. These days, phones come with apps that can filter out calls from numbers that are not on the phone’s contact list. Perhaps my error was my refusal to take either of these easy options. Instead, I chose to answer as many calls and texts as possible. They came in a deluge!

I got calls from the UK, USA, Canada, Germany and far away Australia. A few of the messages included racy photographs from ladies who obviously had little interest in matters of public policy! About half of the calls from within Nigeria were solicitations for help in securing employment or in getting financial assistance.

Mercifully, some prayed for and encouraged me to keep faith. Some made legitimate enquiries and did so in quite civil language and tone. Others like Dokun Adedeji were unkind and needlessly rude.

I had taken a decision to respond to each call or text message in its own tone. I would match civility for civility, diligence with diligence, rudeness for rudeness, and curse for curse.

Contrary to the accusation of Dokun Adedeji, I did not partake of selling my party’s majority to reactionaries.

I have betrayed no one.

Rather, on many occasions, I have informed my party caucus, APC leaders, and my senate colleagues of my readiness to give up my office as Chief Whip for the sake of resolving the most embarrassing quagmire in the senate. I did so as recently as last Wednesday during the Executive session of the senate.

In decrying my choice of deprecatory epithets to respond to Dokun Adedeji, Femi Orebe obviously saw no wrong in my being unfairly portrayed as a sellout. Orebe also left out my latter response to Dokun Adedeji that included my reasons for not to speaking on some matters.

Back in High School, there was a Negro Spiritual we often sang “NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLE I SEE.” Two days ago (Friday, April 22), I was on my way to Osogbo so I could see my Governor and thereafter proceed to Ora Igbomina, my hometown, when I got a call summoning me to Abuja for a meeting with the President at 3:00 p.m. I made an immediate U-turn racing to the Ibadan Airport while praying for a miracle to catch a flight. I was panting and sweating by the time I boarded the plane which miraculously had waited for me.

The plane took off immediately I took my seat. However, as I switched on my phone after landing in Abuja, an sms message was delivered with a message that the meeting in the villa has been postponed! Despite the intense pain and sorrows that I have borne in the last many months, I remain grateful to God for the rare opportunity to serve as a senator of my country. I am particularly grateful to Femi Falana who counseled me last week not to resign as Senator.

Although every forest begins with a tree, I have found out that the adage that a tree does not make a tree is particularly most apt in the forest of politics.

Although Dokun Adedeji’s text did not say so, perhaps his vilification is not directed at me personally as Orebe alluded.

Perhaps! Hence, I apologize to Dokun, Femi Orebe and others whom I have disappointed for taking the issues so personal.

We live and learn.

Adeyeye is Chief Whip.

the

Senate

DAN GAYE

20 oil thieves bag 6 years jail term

...Only 6 years?

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234 814 292 9046. Cell: +234 802 443 2099; 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdailyng.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141