Saturday 30th November, 2013

SPECIAL REPORT

COVER

Plateau:

APC, nPDP merger

Hundreds displaced, many flee after deadly attacks >>Pages 4,5

The battles ahead, the permutations >>Pages 7,8,9,15

>>Page 6 weekend.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . Putti ng the p e o p l e fi rs t Vol. 3 No. 67

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 — SUNDAY DECEMBER 1, 2013

MUHARRAM 27 - 28, 1435 AH

N150

Atiku explodes...

How Obasanjo engineered PDP rot ‘ Exclusive interview

The third term ambition of former President NEWS Obasanjo was the Terrorism beginning of the destruction of internal Court jails Lebanese democracy in PDP. for life, frees two

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others

>>Page 10

News

ACF raises alarm over Jonathan’s plot to induce northern leaders >>Page11 News

Wamakko confirms defetion to >>Page13 APC

Oddity: How 22 year old housewife gave birth to tortoise in Nasarawa >>Pg 22

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Interview

Obasanjo engineered PDP rot —Atiku Abubakar When G38- a coalition of like-minded democrats founded the PDP in 1998, the aim of the founding fathers was to build a credible political party that guarantees internal and external democracy. That principle was sustained until President Olusegun Obasanjo-incidentally not one of the founding fathers-opted to impose his stooges in the National Executive Committee just to serve his third term ambition. Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in an explosive interview he granted Peoples Daily Weekend editors revealed this as well as the reason some key party members are against the Bamanga Tukur’s leadership. Excerpts….

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he struggle to liberate, reform and democratize the PDP must have been engaging for you as a key founding member of the party.

How would you describe the level of rot in the PDP? The level of rot in the PDP is incomprehensible and frustrating for those of us that invested our energies, resources and time to build a strong and credible political party in 1998, a party that would be a flagship of the democratic system in Africa.

Unfortunately, what is happening in the party today is at variance with the noble democratic ideals behind its formation in 1998 by G-38 – a coalition of like-minded democrats, which gave rise to what later, came to be known as the PDP. I think the PDP should not only boast of its sheer size, it must also bother about its credibility.

At what point did the PDP begin to digress from its formative core values and principles as to require radical changes in line with the current agitation?

If my memory serves me right, the death of internal democracy in the party manifested its ugly head from around 2005 and 2006. From then on, the culture of deviation from its original objectives continued.

The third term ambition of former President Obasanjo was the beginning of the destruction of internal democracy. The party illegally and unconstitutionally started the process of de-registration of members who, they believed, would not support the third term project.

Prior to this, the former President installed new national executive members of the party who would be conformable to the third term objectives. Free and fair elections died automatically with the President foisting his yes men as the leaders of the party. From that moment, every President that came after Obasanjo maintained the status quo of installing his own party executives.

And that is the same ugly reality we are dealing with under President Goodluck Jonathan. A situation where every President hijacks the

party and puts his own yes men as leaders of the party to bend the rules of fair play in the election of leaders is not acceptable. Many other founding fathers feel that way, although my own criticism might appear more open and vociferous than others.

There are some other party members who didn’t contribute to the founding of the party as you did, but they feel that your struggle is purely about your 2015 presidential ambition.

What is your reaction to this allegation?

I had forgone my personal ambition in 1993 for national unity, again in 2003, I also forsook my personal ambition for national unity, why are all these not considered in my favour? Instead, IT IS ALL about my personal ambition! Please, I am tired of this allegation with no proof. Those who ask these questions should tell me who has sacrificed so much for this country other than those who laid their lives for this country.

I believe the allegation is unfounded. The larger issue about the future of the PDP is more important than my personal ambition. The PDP leaders themselves had admitted mistakes were made. The appointment of the Alex Ekwueme and Ike Nwachukwu committees on reform and reconciliation is an admission by the party that things have gone wrong and must be corrected to restore the party to its original democratic ideals.

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Alh. Atiku Abubakar The need for reformation is a widely shared view by the founding fathers of the party. It is, therefore, wrong to reduce a fundamental issue of reforming PDP to my personal ambition. The benefits of these reforms, if sincerely carried out, will go beyond me, Obasanjo or President Jonathan. We are talking about the future of the party. hey refused to implement the recommendations of the Ekwueme and Nwachukwu reform committees, which would have restored the sanctity of the PDP Constitution and restored internal democratic process. They believe in manipulation of the process and they saw the reforms as standing in their way.

It amazes me why the media is not keen about analyzing the issues we

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We can’t solve problems by pretending that they don’t exist.

I don’t, however, support a dialogue where we come to pour out negative emotions of hate and bigotry rather than producing mutually agreeable formulas for peaceful co-existence.

are complaining about and instead they have joined the fray to accuse reform advocates of pursuing private motives. What is/are the motives of those opposed to reforms? Who doesn’t want reforms? Why is Atiku being vilified for voicing opposition to impunity while opponents of reforms are not being asked questions about their motives?

What is so bad about the Bamanga Tukur-led National Executive Committee that you want his removal as a precondition for peace?

I have nothing personal against Bamanga; he is my brother and I will always accord him the respect he deserves as my elder. However, when it comes to certain principles, even closest friends may disagree. Such disagreement does not suggest they are enemies.

Our problem with Bamanga is that he has abdicated his moral duty to uphold the party constitution.

He seems more interested in following the dictation of President Jonathan who installed him. I am not suggesting that Bamanga should not be loyal to the President. Loyalty to the President, however, should not stop Bamanga from performing his duties without fear or favour. Loyalty should not also stop him from protecting the party’s constitution.

When we formed the party, it was never out of intention to produce a constitution that would put the PDP in the pocket of the President

and reduce everybody to a yes man.

And those who resist are branded enemies.

The PDP needs a national chairman that is independent and courageous enough to treat everybody fairly. It needs a chairman that won’t hesitate to respect party constitution. Why is Bamanga reluctant to implement the recommendations of the Ekwueme and Nwachukwu reforms and reconciliation committees? These are the questions I would have expected the media to be asking Bamanga.

Instead, Atiku is being accused of motives over valid issues about lack of internal democracy. t every opportunity, since the collapse of his third term ambition, former President Obasanjo tends to make unpleasant comments about you. Why is it that both of you don’t see eyeto-eye?

Former President Obasanjo enjoys controversy and publicity, but I don’t. As my former boss and elder, I give him the respect he deserves.

As you must have noticed, I don’t make it a habit to attack the former President at public functions. He enjoys it but I don’t. Why he does so without tact I don’t know either.

I occasionally respond to his attacks, but now I am getting so used to them that it is no

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 3

Interview Obasanjo engineered PDP rot —Atiku

President Goodluck Jonathan

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

The late Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Rimi

Contd from Page 2 longer necessary to respond to him in kind. eep-rooted habits are difficult to tame and may be that is why, even if Obasanjo promises not to attack you, be on the lookout for his broadsides. Old habits die hard; you cannot easily change a man from his habits.

With the registration of the PDM as a political party, do you intend to use it as an alternative platform to realize your presidential ambition in 2015 since the party is mainly packed with your loyalists?

Yes, I have my friends and associates in the PDM. They are, however, free in their own right to form a party. But I am still a member of the PDP. It is too early in the day to be talking about platform for presidential ambition in 2015.

In your opinion, is the national dialogue recently initiated by President Jonathan necessary?

For me, there is nothing wrong for Nigerians to come together to constructively discuss issues that bind us and those that divide us. We can’t solve problems by pretending

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The late Chief Solomon Lar

that they don’t exist. I don’t, however, support a dialogue where we come to pour out negative emotions of hate and bigotry rather than producing mutually agreeable formulas for peaceful co-existence.

I am also opposed to the idea of breaking up Nigeria. The common interests that bind us together are greater than the smaller issues that divide us. A platform for honest and constructive discussion is better than violence.

Some argue that members of the G-7 are selfish and merely seeking relevance after their tenures expire. What is your position on this?

Before they staged a walkout, these G-7 members had done everything to draw the PDP national leadership to the anomalies in the party, but the party leadership ignored their concerns and instead chose to play the ostrich. They provided every opportunity to the party to resolve these issues, but the party has been pretending about these problems.

The walkout was not unexpected because the party leadership rejected all overtures to discuss their complaints. I am more concerned about the validity of their complaints than whatever motives anybody may attribute to them.

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Alh. Bamanga Tukur

The late Chief Sunday Awoniyi,

The PDP needs a national chairman that is independent and courageous enough to treat everybody fairly. It needs a chairman that won’t hesitate to respect party constitution.

ome people also allege that the clampdown on G-7 members amounts to highhandedness. What is your view on this?

The harassment and humiliation of G-7 members is reflection of intolerance and a rape of the constitutional guarantee on the freedom of speech, assembly and association. These governors are being treated like common criminals for expressing legitimate dissent. The oppression of anybody for expressing

contrary opinion is a breach of our constitution and democratic principles. It is unfortunate. Using fear and intimidation to rule people is inconsistent with democracy.

What is your reaction to the party’s refusal to reinstate Olagunsoye Oyinlola in compliance with a Court of Appeal ruling?

I was not surprised that the PDP leadership has refused to comply with the court ruling to reinstate Oyinlola.

It is a continuation of the impunity by

the party and government. government is preaching the rule of law and at the same time its conduct in practice contradicts this commitment to the rule of law. In fact, the suspension of Oyinlola was intended to make the compliance with the Court of Appeal judgment impossible.

Not a few of your followers are eager to see you become the flag bearer of the party in the 2015 presidential election.

Would you give them that satisfaction?

I am not seeking public office to make money. I am doing it because of the passion to serve and offer my experience at the service of the nation. In seeking my ambition, I want my party to allow a transparent process by which people can freely vote to produce a candidate.

As long as the process is transparent, I am confident that the party can produce the best candidate.

Nobody however rich can influence changes from outside government.

There are people who join politics out of genuine desire to serve and I can humbly say that I am one of them.

Only God knows the future, but when I have the opportunity, I will offer my best service to my country.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 4

Special Report

Latest Plateau attack: Hundreds displaced, many flee amid collateral damage From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

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he overwhelming attacks suspected to have been launched

by Tarok assailants from Bulgan Village of Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State which rocked Kuka Village of Shedan LGA of the State, last Saturday has left thousands of people in distress.

Five people were reportedly killed and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed while many houses, mosques, vehicles and other valuable properties were burnt down to ashes.

The Saturday assault has forced hundreds of people to flee to nearby towns to seek refuge. The displaced residents of Kuka are currently taking their shelter in towns of Yelwan Shedam and Kurgwi of Plateau State.

Peoples Daily Weekend also learnt that there are displaced persons who are presently taking their refuge in Sarkin Kudu and Ibbi towns of Taraba State.

Various sources from the area revealed that ahead of the attack, there were eleven (11) soldiers who were keeping peace in the area but could not repel the assailants, adding that other security operatives had to be deployed from the neighboring Taraba State to stop the attack. The media and Information Officer of the Special Task Force (STF) keeping peace in Plateau State, Captain Salisu Mustafa confirmed the attack but denied that soldiers were deployed from the neighbouring Taraba State. He said that the attack was repelled by their men who have been stationed Kuka.

Attahiru Muhammad Rangman is a resident of Kuka. He said “We were going about our normal activities when suddenly we began to hear shooting from various angles of the town. Everyone started running helter skelter for safety. The attackers numbering about 500 came around

Displaced persons in Yalwa

A destroyed mosque in Kuka 5:00pm and were equipped with sophisticated weapons”.

For the past eleven years, Plateau State has been characterized by crisis leading to the killing of many lives and destruction of properties, resulting from attack and counter attack. The Kuka crisis like many others, according to sources, could not be dissociated from religious and ethnic differences. ccording to Ibrahim Magunguyi who is the Village Head of Kuka and currently taking refuge in Bakin Chiyawa Village of Shendam L.G.A., the attack was allegedly religious and was deliberately launched to eliminate the Muslims of

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Kuka, loot and destroy their properties. When asked why to substantiate his claims, he narrated that, “soon after we had our Asri prayer, on my way to the house, all of a sudden I began to hear shooting and firing of gun from different directions. Then I was on my bicycle but threw it and fled to the bush to seek for refuge. Categorically, I was their first target but they could not get me. Later at night when the security operatives were deployed from a neighboring State and the situation was calm, I returned home and found that all my three houses were burnt Contd on Page 5

A victim of kuka attack

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

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Special Report Hundreds displaced, many flee amid collateral damage

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Contd from Page 4

own.

“Like I told you earlier, the attack was purely religious.

I’m saying this with evidence. For instance, all the mosques we had in Kuka have been burnt down to ashes while churches are standing on their feet. All the houses destroyed belong to the Muslims and no single Christian house was burnt. Apart from that, no Christian property was destroyed except that of Muslims.

“The people killed were all Muslims. So nobody should be deceived that the attacks are not religious. It is purely religious and this is not the first time. The attack and killing of Muslims in Kuka began since 27 day of June, 2013. We did not do anything to these people and the hatred has no basis” the Village Head added. ontinuing, he said “after the Saturday’s attack, the people that remained in Kuka now are

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all Christians. No Muslim is presently living in Kuka because our lives and properties are not safe. Their intention has been to eliminate us from the area and they do enjoy that through the support of some individuals.

Following the attack, the residents of Kuka including the Village Head have accused one Captain Shiwan who is the commanding officer of soldiers in the area of complicity in the attack in that he was allegedly informed about the attack but could not do anything to avert it, adding that he might have conspired with the attackers.

For example, the Village Head alleged that some hours before the attack, he went and reported the rumour himself to Captain Shiwan but the Captain according to the Village Head refused to take prompt action before the incidents.

“I advised him to ask for more redeployment of soldiers so that they would be able to counter any possible assault. Then he responded that ad-

Destroyed shops in Kuka

vising him on what to do was not my responsibility, adding that mine is just to report and nothing else. He even told me that “let the attackers come” he added.

But in a telephone interview with the alleged Captain that was informed about the attack, he denied the prior notice of the attack given to him by anybody.

The Captain said, “I was not informed about any possible attack. Nobody reported to me that suspected assailants would attack Kuka and my ears are always opened”. aptain Shiwan was also accused by the Muslim Community of Kuka of disappearing from the Village just few hours to the attack, adding that he was nowhere to be found even after the attack. This accusation was also denied by the Captain, saying that it was not true.

“I did not go anywhere, I was on the field when the attackers invaded the Village. I saw the assailants when they were shooting. So it is not true for one to say that I vanished from my station and I even tell you that I was part of those who looked for water and put down the fire of the houses set ablaze.

The Village Head also said that as a community leader, he had tried all he could to prevent the recurrence of the menace but was not successful.

He said, “Prior to the last Saturday’s assault, I personally went to the Head of Shendam Traditional Ruler, Huberd Shaldas and complained about the attacks being launch in my Village. I equally met the D.P.O of the Local Government, Jospeh Akpan over the insecurity in the area. By and large, I travelled all the way from Kuka to Jos, two times and reported to the Plateau State Commissioner of Police Chris Olakpe, about the killing and intimidation of the Muslims in the area.

All these were done to put a halt to the incessant attack and other criminal acts but all efforts went in vain”.

Before the Saturday’s attack, similar effort was made by the Muslim Forum of Kuka, Yamini, Lakuci, Sabongida and Ajikamai towns of Shendam Local Government of the State, in finding the solution to the problem.

The forum wrote a letter dated 21st November, 2013, addressing it to the Sector Commander of the Special Task Force (STF), keeping peace in Shendam LGA, calling his attention to the insecurity of lives and properties of the Muslims in their various towns.

Part of the letter reads: “We the Muslim Ummah of Kuka and other surrounding villages wish to forward to you this urgent letter in fear of the insecurity of lives and properties of all Muslims in our areas. The situation

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A victim of kuka attack on his sick bed

Another victim of kuka attack

More dead bodies

now has built fear and fright in the minds of all Muslims. Our farms are being looted, destroyed and became no go areas for us. From 27 June, 2013, when the attack started, over twenty four people were killed. “… A bigger and more devastating attack would be launched on us if adequate care is not quickly taken to protect our lives and properties. We hold on to this fear because of the conspiratorial silence of both Shendam and Langtang South Local Government Council’s over what is happening in the areas. Tarok bundist would always kill our people and steal our farms produce and nothing yet is being done to prevent such crimes in the areas.

“We therefore call the attention of both the security operatives and the Plateau State Government to please intervene and bring the incessant assault and intimidation to an end. The attacks have been recurring as if the presence of security in the area is not capable of tackling the problem.

“We have no doubt in our minds that the killing of Muslims in the said villages, particularly Kuka is a tactical way of eliminating Muslims in their

A destroyed house

Dead bodies

home lands”. The letter added. s usual, in every warfare, there is always a genesis or cause.

The Village Head, while tracing the genesis of the constant attack on Kuka said “The problem has been on mere hatred to the Muslims of the area. We did not do anything to them. The only thing I know has been that they dislike us just because we are Muslims. I have told you earlier.

Go and see the destruction in Kuka whether it affected any faithful other than Muslims.”

Asked whether the displaced persons of Kuka will return to their home, the Chairman of Muslim Forum in Kuka, Alh. Audu, said Kuka had been their ancestral home and it is the only place they knew in life.

“We were born and brought up in Kuka. We do not know any place different from Kuka. We are calling on the State Government, in a loud voice, to take security measures so that we can go back to our homes and we hope that the Government would try all possible means to get the perpetrators of the incessant attacks and bring them to book.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

News

Appeal court strikes out LASG application over discharge of Al Mustapha, Shofolahan

From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos

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Court of Appeal in Lagos, yesterday struck out an application by the Lagos State Government, seeking injunction to appeal its judgment, for acquitting Major Hamza AlMustapha and Lateef Shofolahan.

Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to late General Sani Abacha, and Shofolahan, former aide to late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, were sentenced to death on January 30, 2012, by the Lagos state High Court Judge, Justice Mojisola Dada.

It would be recalled that the appellate Court had however, on July 12, quashed the death sentence pronounced by the lower court for failure of the

prosecution to establish a charge of murder against the appellants.

When the case was mentioned yesterday, Counsel to the Lagos Ministry of Justice, Mr Femi Adamson, told the court of a pending application seeking the leave of court to appeal its judgment.

Adamson, in an oral submission, prayed the court to strike out the application, having been withdrawn by the respondents, due to effluxion of time.

He said that by the provisions of the rules of court, such application for leave to appeal, ought to have been filed before the expiration of 30 days after the judgment.

“My lord we have an application before this court, dated August 12 and filed on the

same date, for leave to appeal the order of this court delivered on July 12.

“This application has however been overtaken by time, and so, this court lacks jurisdiction to entertain same.

“We hereby withdraw this application before your lordship, and we shall ensure that we file all necessary processes before the Supreme Court” Adamson said.

This application for withdrawal was not objected to

by Counsels to the appellants, Mr Adedayo Adedeji and Mr Olalekan Ojo. The lead judge of the appellate court, Justice Shagbaor Ikyegh, in a short ruling, struck out the application.

The appellate court, in setting aside the judgment of the trial court, on July 12, held

that the prosecution in totality, failed to establish a charge of conspiracy and murder against the appellants.

The lead judge of the court, Justice Rita Pemu held that it was foolhardy and unreasonable for the trial court to have so swiftly convicted the appellants, when it was very evident that the prosecution had a bad case.

Pemu held that there existed a huge shadow of doubt in the case of the prosecution, which ought to be resolved in favour of the appellants.

She had therefore ordered the discharge and acquittal of the appellants, while the judgment of the trial court was quashed.

The convicts were arraigned in October 1999, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy in masterminding the murder of

Kudirat Abiola in 1996, along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

Justice Dada had found them guilty of the offence, and had accordingly convicted and sentenced them to death by hanging.

Counsel to appellants had however, appealed the judgment of the trial court, 24-hours after its delivery.

Al-Mustapha’s appeal was premised on four grounds, while that of Shofolahan is hinged on five grounds.

The appellate court however, discharged and acquitted the appellants on July 12, for failure of the prosecution to prove its case beyound reasonable doubt.

The judgment of the appellate court was accented to by Justice Amina Augie and Justice Fatima Akinbami.

Minister’s ultimatum to varsity lecturers hasty – NLC

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he Nigeria Labour Congress yesterday described the pronouncement of the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, ordering members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities back to work or risk being sacked as hasty.

The Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Mr. Chris Uyot, said in a telephone interview with our correspondent yesterday that Wike ought to have considered the circumstances that hindered the leadership of the ASUU from getting their resolutions to the government.

Uyot said ASUU was not able to get the resolutions of the NEC meeting to the Federal Government because of the death of a former President of the union, Prof. Festus Iyayi.

He noted that the minister would have shown understanding that there was the need to follow the process of discussions with ASUU since the resolutions were the products of discussions held by the NEC. He said, “Well, we believe strongly that the minister is hasty in his pronouncement (directing the lecturers to go back to work or be sacked) because he should have considered the circumstances that delayed ASUU from getting back to the government on the offer. “This was engendered by the death of Festus Iyayi.

“We are aware that the National Executive Committee has met and it was in the process of relaying its resolution to the Federal Government that the directive came. The minister should have allowed the process to be followed.

“The minister should understand that the offer made was as a result of discussions and that if there was a resolution from the NEC of ASUU, he should have allowed the process.”(NAN)

Gov. Wamakko of Sokoto state (r), presenting the 2014 budget proposal to speaker of State House of Assembly, Alhaji Lawali Zaiyana, yesterday in Sokoto.

2014: Sokoto proposes N125.8 bn budget

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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okoto State Government has proposed a budget of N125.8 billion for the 2014 fiscal year.

Peoples Daily reports that the estimate is 8.7 per cent higher than this year’s budget of N115.8 billion.

Gov. Aliyu Wamakko, who presented the budget to the state House of Assembly for approval, said N72.9 billion was for capital projects while N52.9 billion would be devoted to recurrent expenditure.

He also said N10.9 billion of the budget would be secured from SURE-P, MDGs and UBEC funds, as well as loans and grants. ``The sectoral allocation therefore, reveals that, the highest proportion goes to the economic sector, followed by the social sector and

general administration, in that order.’’

The governor said the budget’s main thrust would be the completion of all ongoing projects, assuring that no project started by the administration would be abandoned. ``This is to essentially improve the quality of life of our people by sustaining economic growth to ensure unhindered progress of the state.’’

He added that the budget would be devoted to reducing poverty and enhancing investments in physical infrastructure, education, agriculture and rural development.

Responding, the Speaker, Alhaji Lawalli Zayyana, pledged the commitment of the House to speedily consider the estimates.

Sanusi foresees 4 % inflation

rate in 2015 The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has said that the nation could achieve four per cent inflation rate in 2015.

Sanusi made the projection at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) 47th annual bankers’ dinner and 50th anniversary awards and gala night on Thursday in Lagos.

He said that the low single digit projection for 2015 was based on the progress recorded so far by the CBN in inflation manageme He said also that the CBN had since January maintained the inflation rate below 10 per cent, adding the rate stood at 7.8 per cent in October, 2013.

The governor reassured Nigerians that CBN remained committed to ensuring that the rate would not

go beyond 7.8 per cent in 2014 The inflation rate averaged 10.6 per cent between 2006 and 2012.

The inflation rate dropped to 8.5 per cent in January 2013 and dipped further to 7.8 per cent in October.

Sanusi said that the efforts in inflation rate management were to ensure sustainable appreciation of the naira and allow Nigerians to enjoy the value of their currency against other international currencies.

He also said that naira lost 2.3 per cent in value at the international market but had not performed badly as an emerging and frontier economy.

Sanusi said that the monetary policy was geared towards protecting Nigeria from financial shocks and ensuring stable and macro-economic policies. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 7

APC/nPDP merger:

Cover

The battles ahead, the permutations

President Goodluck Jonathan

Gen Muhammadu Buhari

The political gladiators within the PDP have just taken positions in the duel for the soul of the party towards 2015. This, without doubt, has its ramifications on the political landscape. In this piece, News Editor Abubakar Ibrahim looks at the possible sequence of events and concludes that issues hitherto less palpable in Nigeria historical political environment, promises to take root this time around.

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igerians thought that, like the boxing bout, the pugilists in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would go for the second, third, forth or knockout stage but just as it always surprise spectators expecting a long haul worth their tickets, a faction threw in the towel to the chagrin of everyone.

In this case, it is a political strategy, if you like, different from the open pummeling of raw skin in the boxing ring. On Tuesday this week, the seven ‘rebel’ state governors poised on a “rescue”

mission, announced what analysts may describe as a temporary departure from PDP following a merger of their faction with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), in a circumstance seen as the biggest threat yet to the ruling party.

The move sped up just after President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision not to meet with them when he returned from the United Kingdom last Sunday. The Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum Mr. Godswill Akpabio also dared them to leave the party barely 24 hours later. These acts must have

removed any hope of progress on reconciliation talks started with Jonathan.

Despite the prevarication by two governors—Jigawa’s Sule Lamido and his Niger State counterpart , Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu who broke ranks with the G-7 group and chose to remain with the mainstream PDP backed

by President Goodluck Jonathan,

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Atiku Abubakar the defection by Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), has significantly pruned the number of PDP governors down to 18. It is not clear at this point whether President Jonathan’s offer of further talks with the rebels tomorrow must have caused the

In this case, it is a political strategy, if you like, different from the open pummeling of raw skin in the boxing ring. On Tuesday this week, the seven ‘rebel’ state governors poised on a “rescue” mission, announced what analysts may describe as a temporary departure from PDP following a merger of their faction with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), in a circumstance seen as the biggest threat yet to the ruling party.

volte face by Lamido, Aliyu and Oyinlola. eanwhile, in sealing the bond with APC , national chairman of the New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, read a communiqué following a fourhour long meeting at the Kano Governor’s Lodge in Abuja in which “ the two parties agreed to merge in order to rescue our fledgling democracy and the nation”.

Among those at the meeting were the governors of Rivers, Kano, Kwara, Adamawa and Niger States.

The Niger state governor left midway for undisclosed reasons.

The Jigawa State governor did not attend but his Sokoto State counterpart Wamakko was represented at the meeting.

Other leaders at the merger meeting included factional secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola, deputy national chairman Sam Sam Jaja, former Bayelsa governor Timiprye Sylva, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Bukola Saraki.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

The battles ahead, the permutations Contd from Page 7

In what appears to be a lose, adhoc deal, Kwankwaso later on Tuesday, gave a hazy picture of the deal on BBC Hausa service radio programme, saying that the New PDP camp would hold further consultations with their supporters to decide where they belong. This, Chukwuemeka Eze, spokesman of the Baraje camp alluded to, when he (Thursday) discountenanced suggestion of incoherence in the group. The use of the word ‘merger’, he said, was the prerogative of APC chairman Chief Akande. However, he added, the deal was only a precursor to a permanent deal to be reached in the event of a total breakdown of reconciliation in the PDP. To political pundits, the decision to join APC was a pre-emptive move to escape the embarrassment coming from the planned expulsion of the rebel PDP leaders by the mainstream group led by Bamanga Tukur. The PDP had suspended Baraje,Oyinlola, Jaja and northwest zonal chairman Ibrahim Kazaure and asked them to appear before a disciplinary committee, but all declined to honour the invitation. eaders of the New PDP and their G-7 governors saw it fit to take decisive action before their leaders were disgraced which explained why Tuesday’s meeting was convened to enable majority of the governors shore up support for the embattled factional leaders.

As earlier suggested by Governor kwankwaso sometimes last week,the factional leaders weighed the options of joining APC, move into the newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) or register a new party.

Sources at the meeting said initially an alliance was considered when some of the G-7 governors insisted that talks were going on with President Jonathan, but the majority insisted that further delay would be dangerous on both fronts.

Speaking at the venue of the merger announcement, Tinubu said they were taking a step at a time to ensure the success of the merger.

Later the same day, Lamido said he would stay put in the PDP saying: “While I accept that my party the PDP is currently embroiled in serious crisis especially the Bamanga Tukur style of leadership with impunity, that does not necessitate me renouncing myself and relinquishing my historical authority to anybody”, adding that the money laundering accusations against his two sons would not harass him out of the PDP. “It is true that myself and

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family are currently under a huge political heat wave and campaign of misinformation and smear to the effect that my family and I are adjudged guilty in the public court by the gullible and the ill-informed.

“This will not intimidate nor harass me out of the party and I will not give anybody the pleasure of engaging me by his terms. For now, I wish to state that I remain the living father of the PDP. As for my political persecutors, I will engage them by my terms at the appropriate time. Nobody speaks for me but myself.”

On his part, the Niger State governor expressed shock at the announcement of the merger of New PDP and APC even before a final decision was taken on the matter. He said talks were still ongoing with President Jonathan and so, he will await the outcome of the negotiation before taking a final decision.

The Fallout Barring any positive outcome from tomorrow’s talks with the president, the decision to leave the PDP almost two years before the 2015 elections is considered by experts, as a gamble with the capacity to go either way in favour or against the interests of the decampee governors in particular, and the PDP in general.

Without doubt, this decision has far reaching implications for the fortunes of the ruling PDP especially in the North-West geopolitical zone where three out of the seven aggrieved governors hold enormous grip.

Governors Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano) who enjoy a considerable following, may join forces with opposition elements in Zamfara, Katsina and Kebbi states, to give the PDP a big fight for votes.

Statistics of the voting population released by the Independent National Electoral Commission after the voter registration exercise in 2011 show that a little over 73 million persons were registered. f this number, the NorthWest accounts for 18,900, 543 out of which Kano has 5,135, 415 and Jigawa has 1,852,698, Sokoto accounts for 2, 065,508 voters.

Kwara State accounts for 1,115,665 voters out of a total of 7,675,369 registered voters across the North-Central states.

Rivers State where Amaechi is governor accounts for 2,419,057 voters out of the 8,937,057 registered voters in the SouthSouth geo-political zone.

These figures are likely to rise or fall depending on the number of

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Bamanga Tukur, PDP national chairman

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Bisi Akande, APC chairman

As things stand, the majority enjoyed by the PDP in the Senate and House of Representatives will be substantially reduced if some of the legislators toe the line of their state governors.

Shortly after he broke the news of the defection of the group to the APC, 49 PDP members of the House of Representatives also announced that they were crossing over to the opposition party.

deaths and the number of persons who will attain the voting age of 18 by 2015.

Pundits are of the view that the trio of Kwankwaso, Wamakko and Lamido are critical to the survival of the PDP as a political force in the North-West.

Lamido and Kwakwanso for example, have been on the Nigerian political scene since the Second Republic.

During the aborted third republic for instance, Kwankwaso, who was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, was elected governor of Kano State in 1999 but lost re-election in 2003 only to regain the seat in 2011. He has since created a cult-like followership under the Kwankwasiya ideology.

On his part, Lamido was a pupil of the talakawa brand of politics championed by the late Mallam Aminu Kano, before emerging as National Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Alongside the likes of late Chief Solomon Lar and ex-Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, he founded the PDP. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s first tenure (1999-2003).

Wamako was for the most part, a civil servant before joining full time politics. It would be recalled

that a decision by the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP to suspend him backfired when the then NorthWest Vice-Chairman of the party, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure, led other zonal executives to dissociate themselves from the suspension.

The party was further rattled by the backing he got from the popular House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal who enjoys tremendous following in the lower chamber. Besides that, toying with the seat of the caliphate considered sensitive in contemporary Nigerian politics, is political suicide for a party which lusts for the required majority especially in a presidential poll.

The party was forced to swallow the humble pie by lifting the suspension but this singular act sent a message to some party supporters in the zone that some of their leaders were being victimized for holding opposing views. amakko’s supporters across the zone joined their counterparts in Sokoto to welcome him back to the state capital after a trip abroad perhaps to demonstrate the level of acceptance he enjoys.

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PDP threatened in the National Assembly Of note is that Wamakko’s

political calculations have always factored his political godson, Aminu Tambuwal who has remained faithful to his benefactor, both coming a long way from the then All Nigeria Peoples Party before defecting to the PDP. Besides that, new political realignments are expected to unfold within the coming days as members of the House of Representatives and senators are likely to rise up to be counted when push comes to shove.

As things stand, the majority enjoyed by the PDP in the Senate and House of Representatives will be substantially reduced if some of the legislators toe the line of their state governors. Shortly after he broke the news of the defection of the group to the APC, 49 PDP members of the House of Representatives also announced that they were crossing over to the opposition party.

By this arrangement, the principal officers of the House would be automatically affected when the nPDP members eventually joined the APC as PDP would become a minority.

A source however said Speaker Tambuwal would not be affected no matter which party he belongs to as majority of APC members support his leadership.

PDP has 208 members, while the opposition APC has 138 members. With the exception of Jigawa and Niger States whose governors said they are still part of the PDP, Kano, Kwara, Rivers, Adamawa and Sokoto states have a total of 48 lawmakers out of which about 40 are said to be with the nPDP. If the 40 PDP members in the five states join the APC, it’s lawmakers will be 178, while the PDP will be left with 168 thereby giving the APC a simple majority.

The situation is however different in the Senate where 22 senators earlier identified with the

Contd on Page 9

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 9

Cover

The battles ahead, the permutations

Group picture of Baraje and other nPDP members

Contd from Page 8 New PDP before the latest round of hostilities.

Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, said the defection of the governors had not affected the PDP caucus in the upper chamber, as no senator has formally informed the Senate of his defection.

He cited Section 68 subsection (1g) which stipulates the condition under which a lawmaker could defect and keep his seat.

It says: “A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if... being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected; provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or faction by one of which he was previously sponsored.”

Howbeit,the defection has also revealed a major crack in the ranks of New PDP in the Senate as some of them, notably Senator Simeon Ajibola (Kwara South), has distanced himself from the group.

Ndoma- Egba also disclosed that no fewer than 10 of the 22 senators in the New PDP had opted out.

According to him, two senators from Niger State and another one from Adamawa have not attended

any of their meetings since inception and therefore won’t go with them.

He listed such senators to include Senators Zainab Kure (Niger South), Awaisu Kuta (Niger East) Bello Tukur (Adamawa Central) Unless something dramatic happens, Senate President David Mark and other leaders of the Senate may keep their seats as members of the opposition political parties are not flexing muscles yet.

At the national level, the race for the occupation of the ultimate prize- Aso Rock- is likely to be fiercely contested. In the PDP, it is predictable from the body language of President Jonathan that he will contest for a second term.

Unless he surprisingly declines just like the U-turn he made on the National Dialogue from his initial disapproval, the battle royale for control of the ruling party is undoubtedly meant to tailor the party structures nationwide towards amassing the required delegates who would ensure the party’s ticket for him. f he is able to cross that rubicon, a lot again depends on existing issues and permutations. That is where the real strength of each of the governors is likely to unfold as 2014 wears on. A number of governors have been unable to conduct free, fair and credible polls in their states to provide a true test of their individual strengths.

Granted that the North-West with seven states will swing to the opposition if gladiators in the region get their acts together, other

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issues can influence the votes either for the president or the opposition in the three zones of NorthCentral, North-East and SouthWest consisting of six states each.

The South-East and South-South considered strongholds of the president, have five and six states respectively.

Since politics is a game of interest and numbers (if votes are left to count), there is no likelihood of the 2011 presidential elections scenario repeating itself much in 2015 if the grudge on marginalization of the Southwest persists.

Once upon a time, there was an electoral pattern that did not change since the Second Republic.

Then, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) held sway in the old Kano State, the Nigeria Peoples Party(NPP) took charge of the South-East while the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria dominated the South-West and the old Bendel State; but this did not stop the National Party of

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Nigeria (NPN) from clinching the Presidency.

This time around, the terrain promises a different character through issues like the economy, corruption, foreign affairs and security. However, irrespective of what individual interests exist, religious, regional or zonal interests may still play a key role in defining how the people vote. Depending on the presidential materials from both sides, personality will be the selling point than issues. Here, the APC is allegedly touting either a Buhari/Oshiomhole ticket or an Fashola candidacy. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is likely waiting in the wings to pounce at the appropriate time through the newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).

This is where the Northeast might also be a hard nut to crack for the PDP because of the Boko Haram insurgency. It also explains why the President is repositioning his cabinet through which he might scoop substantial votes from the

North central states especially Benue and Taraba States as well as Kaduna in the Northwest with huge hope for minority support to reach the 25 percent requirement.

Already, ecumenical backing is optimistically guaranteed for him in the Southeast and South-south. ensing the danger ahead, General Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states, Professor Daniel Babaye, this urged Nigerians to elect politicians on the premise of competence and not religious considerations as it is impossible to have a government completely rooted in a particular religion.

“There is nothing like a Christian government and there will never be. It’s a fallacy for someone to say we need a Christian government. It has never happened, and it will not happen because leadership comes from God and anyone that does not do well, God will bring him down,” Babaye said Babaye said at a conference organised by

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This time around, the terrain promises a different character through issues like the economy, corruption, foreign affairs and security. However, irrespective of what individual interests exist, religious, regional or zonal interests may still play a key role in defining how the people vote. Depending on the presidential materials from both sides, personality will be the selling point than issues.

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News

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Terrorism: Lebanese jailed for life, 2 others freed

By Abuibakar Ibrahim, Abuja

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Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a Lebanese, Tahal Roda, to life imprisonment on terrorism charges preferred against him by the Department of State Security Services, SSS. The court, however, freed two other Lebanese, Mustapha Fawaz and Abdullah Thani, of the charges.

Mr. Fawaz is a co-owner of one of Abuja’s largest supermarkets, Amigo Supermarket, and Wonderland Amusement Park, also in Abuja both sealed since the suspects were arrested by the military and the SSS. Justice Adeniyi Ademola had on October 21 failed to deliver judgment in the suit, reserving judgement it after the parties in the case separately adopted their written

addresses.

The accused, Mustapha Fawaz, Abdallah Thahani and Talal Ahmed Rodo, were dragged to court by the Federal Government over terrorist activities bordering on illegal importation of firearms following the Army’s discovery of heavy weaponry in a building in Kano allegedly owned by the Lebanese.

They were also accused of membership of Hezbollah, the

Lebanon-based group considered a terrorist organisation by the United States.

During the trial, prosecution counsel Simon Egede, , maintained that the accused persons were guilty of the charges, adding that Hezbollah was a terrorist group.

He described any organization involved in bombing and destruction, as a terrorist organization and therefore prayed the court to con-

vict the accused.

But defence counsel, Robert Clarke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, opposed the prosecution counsel’s belief, saying Hezbollah had not been pronounced a terrorist organization by the Nigerian Government.

He said Hezbollah was like any other group and therefore prayed the court to acquit and discharge the accused.

Don’t politicize 2014 budget —NACCIMA President cautions From Mike Etim, Uyo

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resident of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar has cautioned the Presidency and the National Assembly over politicization of the 2014 budget.

Fielding question from journalists at the opening of the 4th quarterly meeting of NACCIMA in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State yesterday, Abubakar said delay in the passage of the budget could jeopardized the business plans of companies and countries doing business with the country.

He said “what every nation does is to make sure that by the 1st of January, the budget is duly signed.

We as the private sector plan our budget based on the National budget. If the budget is not approved in January our plan for 2014 would be defective and would delay business and economic activities in the country”.

The NACCIMA boss commended the Federal Government’s privatization of the power sector stating, “I believe it is good business because business has been returned to business people. I am sure that those who won the bidding would develop it by investing their money and making sure they supply power so that they can get their money back. So it is good development”.

He expressed optimism that if the whole arrangement between the Federal Government and the companies who bought the power plants were followed to conclusion, the issue of power failure in the country would be a thing of the past.

Addressing participating at the conference, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, commended NACCIMA for the great work the body was doing in expanding the frontiers of the country’s economy.

Akpabio represented by the

State Deputy Governor, Lady Valerie Ebe, noted that Nigeria was in a hurry to bridge the gap between the developing and advanced world.

In the country’s quest to catch up with the developed world, the governor warned, the country should temper its haste with careful planning and embark on the right principles in order to catch up and bridge the technological gap.

“This may sound like a tall order but the Asian tiger of Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea are testimonies that it is entirely possible”, the governor stressed.

L-R: Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Sagir Saleh; Gov. Isa Yuguda; representative of the Country Director of the World Bank, Prof. Tunde Adekola and Bauchi State Commissioner Of Education, Alhaji Sani Burra, at the inauguration of Bauchi State Education Programme Investment Project (BSEPIP), yesterday in Bauchi.

Boko Haram: Detainees disappear from military custody, HRW alleges …Recruits children, abducts women, girls

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oko Haram has abducted scores of women and girls, used children as young as 12 in hostilities, and killed hundreds of people in recent attacks, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

In a issued yesterday, it also accused the Nigerian government of failing to account for hundreds of men and boys whom security forces have rounded up and forcibly disappeared during Boko Haram’s four-year insurgency.

HRW stated that the rise of an anti-Boko Haram group allied with Nigerian security forces, Civilian Joint Task Force, has added a worrisome new dimension to the violence.

It added that Civilian Joint Task Force members always inform security forces about presumed local Boko Haram activity and in retaliation the Islamist group attackst both the neighborhood vigilante group and the broader community.

“For a group that claims to be religious, Boko Haram’s tactics are the most profane acts we can imagine,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The killing and mutilation of ordinary Nigerians,

the abduction and rape of women and girls, and the use of children for fighting are horrifying human rights violations.”

In a nine-day November 2013 visit to Kano and Maiduguri, Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 60 victims and witnesses, as well as medical personnel, members of local rights groups, Civilian Joint Task Force commanders, and government officials.

Commanders of the Civilian Joint Task Force, working with security forces, said that they had rescued 26 abducted women and girls from a Boko Haram stronghold in Maiduguri and later in Sambisa Forest. Some of the women and girls were pregnant; others had babies. The commanders told Human Rights Watch that a number of the girls had been abducted while hawking wares on the street or working on farms in remote villages. Many girls who were rescued or had escaped were sent off by their families to distant cities like Abuja and Lagos to avoid the stigma of rape or pregnancy outside of marriage, activists said.

Witnesses told Human Rights

Watch that Boko Haram intensified its attacks on civilians following the state of emergency imposed by the federal government in May in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. President Goodluck Jonathan in November renewed the state of emergency in these states for another six months.

Witnesses described Boko Haram laying siege to towns, villages, and highways; looting and burning houses, shops, and vehicles; and executing and decapitating people, some of whom they accused of aiding the Civilian Joint Task Force. In July, the combined efforts of the security forces and Civilian Joint Task Force appear to have pushed Boko Haram out of Maiduguri. Since then, the group has carried out numerous attacks in the nearby towns of Damaturu, Benisheikh, and Gamboru.

Boko Haram’s September 17 attack on Benisheikh, 74 kilometers west of Maiduguri, killed at least 142 people and was the most lethal incident in Borno State since 2010.

Another witness described seeing about 20 women abducted during the September 17 Benisheikh attack. A health worker in Maiduguri told Hu-

man Rights Watch that he attended to a 15-year-old girl who had recently returned home pregnant several months after Boko Haram abducted her.

Security forces acting with enhanced powers, particularly during the state of emergency, established frequent screening routines for male youths in Maiduguri, detaining several hundred young men, according to residents. Witnesses described how soldiers pounded on doors in neighborhoods perceived as Boko Haram strongholds beginning at 5 a.m., ordered the young men out, demanded that they stand before a car with its headlights on, and then declared the men either free or under arrest. Scores of those arrested have disappeared, and their family members, despite great efforts, have been unable to locate them.

Two former detainees and three other witnesses provided detailed statements about the horrific conditions in the security forces’ notorious Giwa military barracks in Maiduguri.

They said that hundreds of detainees died as a result of dehydration, illness, and beatings, while many others were executed.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

2015: ACF raises alarm over plan to induce Northern Leaders to back Jonathan From Muhammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

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he Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF yesterday said its attention has been drawn to stories circulating in the media that some people said to be working for the Presidency are planning to induce some respectable northern leaders to support President Jonathan’s reelection in 2015.

The Socio-cultural group dis-

closed this in a statement signed by its Chairman Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, Dan Iyan Misau in Kaduna.

He said they have made inquiries within the government and also spoken to many people whose names appeared on the list and they confirmed to know nothing about it.

“Arewa Consultative Forum attention has been drawn to stories circulating in the media lately suggesting that some people said

to be working for the presidency are going about with a long list of names of Northern Leaders they wish to induce in order to support the president’s re-election in 2015.

“The so called list which we have seen does indeed contain names of some of the most respected people in Northern Nigeria. We have however made enquiries within the government and have spoken with many of the people whose names are on the list

and they confirmed to us that they know nothing whatsoever about it.

“No one has met them nor are they interested in meeting any one on the issue. Those seeking or advising the president to offer inducement in exchange for support are clearly taking the matter of the president’s re-election away from performance in office to something else. If that is the case, they will be well advised to leave Northern leaders out of it,” the statement reads.

News

Unemployed graduate forges Nasarawa govt letterhead to secure job From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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he Nigerian Army and their Airforce counterpart in a joint effort recently carried out an offensive operation in camps of insurgents in Bita village, Damboa LGA of Borno state and Gujba in Yobe state killing a lot of the insurgents and recovering large cache of arms and ammunition.

The Director of Army Public Relation (DAPR) Brig. Gen Ibrahim Attahiru stated this yesterday in Abuja during the army monthly press briefing aimed at intimating the public on the latest development in the army.

Attahiru said this operation was part of Federal Government resolve to return normalcy in the north eastern part of the country.

He further said that the insurgents have devised methods of circumventing the new security measures by resorting to attack soft targets and erecting snap road blocks on major highways in the north east.

He maintained that troops have responded appropriately through effective combat patrols Both n land and air in order to dominate the ares of operation.

he State Security Service (SSS) yesterday paraded one Abraham Embugus, 36, a graduate of Business Administration from the state u n i v ersi ty i n Kef f i , f or a l l egedl y f orgi n g a l etter-hea d b el on gi n g to the Na sa ra wa sta te gov ern men t.

Pa ra di n g th e su spect a t the hea dq u a rters of th e a gen cy i n La f i a , Ngob i owei Awoi k i ega , Assi sta n t Di rec tor, Secu ri ty a t the com ma n d, tol d jou rn a l i sts tha t Ab ra ha m wa s a rrested a f ter h e f orged the si gn a tu re of th e Secreta ry to the Na sa ra wa Sta te Gov ern men t, Ha ji ya Za i n a b Ab du l mu mi n i , u si n g th e f orged l etterhead, to secure employment for himself and one Danjuma Otso at the Keffi Federal Medical Centre.

Awoikiega disclosed that the suspect was arrested in Akwanga on November 16, by operatives of the agency following a tip off.

He added that Abraham was arrested because “the suspect used the letterhead paper of the Government House and subsequently forged the signature of the SSG, to introduce himself and one other, for the purpose of gaining employment at the FMC Keffi.”

Abraham added that one Abdulsalam Ibrahim, now late, gave him the letter-head paper he used in 2011, with the latter said to have worked closely with both Governors Abdullahi Adamu and Aliyu Doma.

On how he was arrested, Abraham said his accomplice who has gone to the FMC to retrieve his appointment letter, was apprehended by vigilant operatives who used him to get to his residence where he was subsequently arrested.

Oyinola, suspended from the PDP on November 11 by its National Working Committee (NWC), insists that he remained the party`s national secretary.

He was suspended from the party after an Appeal Court recently ordered that he be reinstated as national secretary.

Oyinlola was suspended along with Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, leader of the PDP splinter group, Dr Sam Jaja and Ibrahim Kazaure.

The statement added that since Oladipo emerged as PDP

scribe, he had deliberately refrained from joining issues with Oyinlola because of his respect for old relationship.

It said Oyinlola`s recent activities raised many questions about his understanding of politics and suggesting a political disorientation of sorts. ``We are constrained to issue this statement on the recent conduct and pronouncements of Oyinlola. ``His disloyal and theatrical betrayal of allies and party that made him, disrobe him of any

further claims to a party he has done so much to destroy. ``We affirm that Oyinlola has for long lost his political troops in Osun due to chronic betrayal and manifest self-centeredness.

According to the statement, the former governor is jumping from one platform to the other and window-shopping in the judiciary. ``Members rejoice at Oyinlola’s exit from the party and we thank well meaning Nigerians for their concern and inquiries’’,

the statement added.

It restated Oladapo`s loyalty to the party’s national leader, President Goodluck Jonathan and commitment to harmonious working relationship with National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and members of NWC. In a reaction, Oyinlola advised Jonathan to be wary of people who were out to pursue hidden agenda.

Such persons, he added, could disappoint him if they failed in their rabid ambition to get what they wanted. (NAN)

Senator Yarima docked over criminal conspiracy From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

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he Zamfara state High Court {1} presided over by the state Chief Justice, Hajiya Kulu Aliyu, yesterday granted an application in pursuant to section 185 subsection {B} and rule 3 of the criminal procedure against Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima and twenty nine others who were charged with criminal conspiracy.

The Prosecutor and counsel to the Police, Barrister Oloye Torogbene, told the court that, the application is equipped with all required evidences to listen to the case comprising affidavit, exhibits, addresses and names of the accused, so also the names and addresses of the witnesses.

Barrister Oloye further said, the application contained copies of written statements of both the accused and witnesses as another evidence for the court to consider and work upon against the accused that were granted bail through the Police Administrative Bail {PAB}.

The court ruled that it was competent to handle the case, and urged the Prosecutor to serve all the 30 accused persons with the copies of application for them to prepare for defence. It therefore adjourned the case till January 13, 2014 for hearing.

Reporting court rule on the application to Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima within the premises of the court, the counsel to the accused, Barrister Sani Katu, said the Prosecutor accused them of criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.

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Talal Ahmad Roda being escorted by men of the Nigeria Prison Service after being sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism by Federal High Court, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Nigerian Army, Airforce clear insurgent camps in Damboa, Gujba

By Joy Baba

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Oyinlola has no moral ground to claim PDP - Scribe

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he National Secretary of PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, said Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola had lost moral ground and political legitimacy to lay claim to the party.

The remark is contained in a statement issued by Mr Abiodun Ojo, his Special Assistant on Special Duties in Abuja on Friday.

In the statement, he also said Oyinlola, former National Secretary of the PDP and Governor of Osun, had lost political relevance in his state.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Photo Splash

Women protesting over Anambra governorship election, yesterday in Awka

An accident involving two commercial buses at the MTN junction, Oko Afo area of Badagry, yesterday in Lagos

Cross section of law students being called to the Bar, yesterday in Abuja

Chief Mike Owuda Ojo ,(right) receiving the Spill Magazine Award of National Patriot ,from Mother of the Day , Sen. Grace Bent , (right ) on behalf of the former Governor of Rivers State , Dr. PeterOdili, during the Spill Magazine Award 2013 National Patriotic Award , yesterday in Abuja. With them is Dr . Jhalil Tafawa Balewa.

Deputy Corps Commander, FRSC, Mr Bisi Kazeem (L), congratulating the new Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Capital Chapter (Abuja), Mr. Ohaeri Osondu after the NIPR Election, recently in Abuja with them is the Registrar of NIPR, Dr. Stephen Adebayo.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

AEPB sealsoff of Banex Plaza for nonpayment of N75m sanitation levy

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fficials of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and some security operatives have sealed-off Banex Plaza in Wuse 2, Abuja, for owing the board sanitation levies amounting to N75 million.

AEPB Director Aisha Adebayo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja that occupants of the plaza failed to heed several warnings the board gave the plaza to pay its arrears of sanitation levies.

She said the action was a last resort after the occupants ignored a court order which gave them two weeks to pay up their debts.

“The occupants in Banex Plaza have this attitude of harassing our staff when they go there for enforcement.

“We have given them several opportunities to pay their levies but they continue to default.

“They even ignored a court order which gave them a period of two weeks to pay up,’’ she said.

Some occupants of the plaza who spoke to NAN said the action had adversely affected their businesses.

Others condemned the action, describing it as ``too harsh’’.

Mr Samuel Chukwu, who owns mobile phone shop in the plaza, told NAN that the action had destabilised him.

“They prevented us from gaining entrance into our shops on the excuse that we owe AEPB arrears of sanitation levy,’’ he said.

Mr Innocent Joseph, who deals in fabric at the plaza, said he lost a `lucrative’ business deal due to the action.

“This is unfair, my customer was on his way to purchase a large quantity of my wares only for me to be denied access to my shop,’’ he said. (NAN)

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News

Wamakko confirms defection to APC

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overnor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State on Friday confirmed his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing journalists in Sokoto shortly on arrival from a foreign trip

in Dakar, Wamakko said that he was part and parcel of the decision by the G-7 governors to defect to the APC. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Wamakko was out of the country when his G-7 colleagues announced their decision to

fuse into the APC. “I was part and parcel of that decision and I was fully involved in taking it.

“The decision was taken before I travelled to Senegal. We held a meeting where the decision was

reached,” Wamakko said.

NAN reports that Wamakko was in Dakar, Senegal, where he delivered a paper at a forum on Good Governance and Leadership in Africa organised by the African Union Commission. (NAN)

L-R: Sen. Ayogu Eze; Gov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State; President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark, at the funeral mass for Ayogu Eze’s mother at Enugu-Ezike, yesterday Enugu state.

Bauchi govt to sack APC hails G7 governors computer illiterate staff move to dump PDP From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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he Accountant General in Bauchi state, Alhaji Adamu Umar Gokaru has warned finance staff in the state treasury to be computer literate by 2014 or be edged out from the system.

‘If you did not allow yourself to be trained, I’m telling you, you will be edged out by 2014, so it is better you concentrate, that is why we say the training is compulsory’, Gokaru said.

Gokaru was speaking in Bauchi at the flag-off of twoweek computer training for 228 directors of finance, accounts, accountants, cashiers, salary accountants and internal auditors

drawn from state ministries, departments and agencies.

Alhaji Adamu Gokaru, who noted that the E-payment of salary was the first category of payments introduced by the Central Bank, said all other payments in Bauchi state will by 2014 be on E-payment structure or system.

‘Very soon, particularly on selected MDGs, you will be in your Ministry and the Office of the Accountant General will be monitoring your transactions live, you don’t need to come to the treasury before you collect your check or remittance, you only sit in your office and do everything electronically’, he told the participants.

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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he National Auditor of the All Progressive Change Captain Bala Mohammed Jibril has described the decision of the five PDP Governors to leave the party was a courageous step and has boosted the strength of the opposition party.

The PDP Governors that defected to APC are Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Rotimi Ameachi (Rivers). The five governors form part of the G-7 governors, who engaged in open confrontation

with the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party and President Goodluck Jonathan over the way the party is being run and the plan to hand the president an automatic return ticket to vie for a second term in office come 2015.

Captain Bala who stated this yesterday during an interview with news men in Bauchi, said the governors have no business in a party that has no respect for internal democracy and democratic traditions.

He said its now doom for the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2015 election.

Alleged assault: Oshiomhole apologises to widow

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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overnor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has publicly apologised to the widow whose wares were confiscated at the Oba Ovonramwen Square, Benin City last week.

Speaking to a delegation of Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria

in Government House Benin City, yesterday, Oshiomhlole said “I regret my action”.

According to the Governor, “Last week, I had an encounter with a young lady at Oba Ovonramwen Square by Mission Road. She was trading on the road and too many people have been doing this.

They block the road with their wares. Part of the problem of

Benin before now is that it is so difficult to drive round the City.

“Just to say to our women that I regret having said what I said to her. But I am troubled by what I see sometimes.

We spend tax payers’ money to build roads so that people can walk and yet some of these things happen. I regretted that particular action but

help us to preach to our women to try and respect the right of way”, the governor urged the FOMWAN officials.

He further charged the women thus:”I would encourage you to propagate the virtues of Islam and as mothers you should preach peace and love which Islam represents.

By your actions you are helping people to recognize that

we are all brothers and sisters belonging to one large family.”

Oshiomhole admitted that this is a difficult time for Nigeria; the level of poverty is high, adding that a lot of women are challenged as single mothers and the challenge of modern societies have thrown most women to become breadwinners.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Crime Cycle

Stanley Onyekwere pmlcrimecycle@gmail.com 08138559513

Public nuisance: Fisherman bags 3 months’ imprisonment A n Abuja Senior Magistrates’ court has sentenced a fisherman, Aminu Musa, 43, to three months in prison without option of fine for constituting public nuisance.

The Senior Magistrate, Idayat Akanni, convicted Musa of no fixed address after he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge against him.

Akanni said: “I hereby sentence Musa without an option to pay a fine because he was arrested many times by the police on this kind of offence.

“It seems he has not desisted from such crimes. He will therefore be punished to serve as deterrent to the public and people of such character.”

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Audu Bitrus,

5 ex-Lagos trade fair employees remanded in EFCC custody over N274m theft

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n Ikeja High court, in Lagos state has ordered five former employees of Lagos International Trade Fair Complex to be remanded in EFCC custody for allegedly stealing N274 million from the company.

They are Bassey Eyamba, Francis Dajilak, Lazarus Okocha, Barnabas Kolo and Eunice Okafor.

Justice Kudirat Jose, who gave the order, said they were to remain in custody pending the ruling on their applications for bail fixed for Dec. 2.

20-year old bags 7 years in jail for stealing baby

had told the court that Insp. Rufai Sule, the Charge Room Officer attached to Life Camp Police Station, Abuja, arrested the convict on November 21, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that on the said date at about 4 p.m., the convict unlawfully packaged food with cigarettes and dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp in a food flask.

Bitrus said that the food was to be delivered to one Odu, a suspect in police cell, with an intention to aid his escape before Musa was arrested.

The prosecutor said the convict had been arrested many times in connection with the same offence but had refused to stop the unlaw.

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n Oredo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Benin, Edo state has sentenced a 20-year old woman, Chidima Eze, to seven years imprisonment for stealing a four-month-old baby.

The Chief Magistrate, Peter Asemota, convicted and sentenced Eze, following her guilty plea during arraignment on Sept. 30.

Asemota did not give the woman an option of fine.

CJN Mariam Aloma Mukhtar

“We had a case where a woman died while undergoing surgery for appendicitis,'' he said.

He said the ministry would not relent in its effort to rid the state of quackery among health practitioners. ``The activities of these quacks have claimed so many lives in the state, especially in the rural areas and we will do all we can to check them, to safeguard more lives,” Ali said.

He advised the people to desist from patronising illegal facilities in their interest.

Ali called on rural dwellers to always go to primary health care centres around them for medical attention.

Security: LG boss tasks PCRC on lasting peace in Plateau

he Interim Administrator of Pankshin Local Government in Plateau, Mrs. Huldah Fwangchi, has said that peace and security were critical to economic development of the State.

She said this while addressing a meeting of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) of Plateau Central and South zones in Pankshin.

Declaring the meeting open, the administrator said that the issue of security was paramount to the Gov. Jonah Jang’s administration.

“Peace and security are very key to the economic development and growth of any nation and so the need for peace in Plateau to attain the desired height.

“We hold PCRC so dear as an administration to help the state in attaining and maintaining peace and secu-

IGP M.D. Abubakar

Court adjourns hearing in N89.6m fraud case to Jan. 8

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Task force shuts down 6 Illegal clinics in Nasarawa task force set up by the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health has shut down six private clinics in Kadarko village, Obi Local Government Area of the state, for allegedly operating illegally.

Chairman of the task force, Dr. Damina Ali, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lafia that four proprietors of the clinics were handed over to the police.

He explained that all the clinics were operating without licence, equipment and trained health personnel. ``Most of the shut down clinics were situated in residential apartments where surgeries and other medical services are rendered.

Briefs:

rity in the state.

“It is my candid belief that at the end of your meeting, you will come up with new and good ideas that will help us move forward in our peace process in the state,” she said.

According to her, PCRC has demonstrated seriousness and serves as a useful partner to both the state and other security agencies in curbing crime in the community.

She extolled the philanthropy of the PCRC by solely building the fence of the police divisional office in Pankshin.

Fwangchi pledged the council’s support to the committee in its programmes on security matters and for the attainment of peace in the two zones and the entire state.

Earlier, the State Chairman of the PCRC, Joseph Dashe, said the meeting was to x-ray the security challenges within the two zones.

“We believe that having a joint meeting of the 11 councils in the two zones on regular basis will accord us the opportunity for positive appraisal of security challenges of the zones and the state at large.

“PCRC will not relent in its efforts via the communities in ensuring that lasting peace is obtained on the Plateau to give room for development and growth,” he said.

Dashe said that the fencing of the office cost the committee N1.5 million and would need the support of the council to complete the project.

While congratulating the administrator on her appointment, Dashe described her as a “security conscious woman, `` going by her pragmatic decisions on security and peace in Pankshin”.

n Abuja High ourt sitting in Gwagwalada has adjourned till Jan. 8, hearing in a N89.6 million fraud case involving a business woman, Hanana Abraham.

Abraham, 46, of Nyanya, Abuja, is charged with criminal breach of trust and obtaining money under false pretence.

The prosecution counsel, Mr Frank Longe, told the court that the accused ``defrauded one Lami Abubakar of the sum of N89.6 million under false pretence’’, which contravened the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006. When the case was first mentioned in 2011, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

How NSCDC recovers 22 cartons of hard drugs in Jigawa

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he Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa have arrested a 40-year old man for alleged drug peddling.

The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Muhammad Gidado, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recently, in Dutse that the suspect was arrested in Guri Local Government Area.

Gidado said the suspect was arrested on Wednesday at about 8:00 a.m. in Guri, with 22 cartons of Tramol and several other hard drugs.

He said the corps had trailed the suspect for 11 weeks after receiving intelligence reports on his activities in the area.

According to him, the suspect, who is getting his supplies from the eastern part of the country, will be handed over to the NDLEA for further action.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 15

Politics

PDP, APC merger: A threat to Senate leadership?

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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he decision to merge with the All Progressives Congress (APC), by the five out of the seven embattled governors of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), otherwise known as G7, who belong to a faction of PDP called New PDP, is expected to trigger off a process that may lead to leadership change in the Nigerian Senate.

Investigation has revealed that this singular merger is already threatening the present leadership structure in the Senate, as fears and apprehension over the possible leadership change appeared to have enveloped the Senate.

Even though no open comment or discussion has been heard in the Senate with regards to this development, but one can obviously sense a very uneasy calm, as the situation appeared tensed up to the level that any slightest provocation will kick off a massive declaration of defection.

Currently, the lawmakers have made up their minds with regards to the decision to take, but are only waiting for the appropriate time to move.

Apparently, this accounts for why the Senate leadership, unusually, decided to keep mum and tread with caution in this regard.

The defection by the five of the G7 governors did not happen alone, as about 24 senators believed to be loyal to him are already warming up to join their principals. This is particularly in the face of the enourmous influence which governors wield in Nigerian political scene.

Investigation reveals that these senators from these affected states are equally defecting with their governors, such to secure their political future, having learnt that the defecting governors would take over the APC structures in their respective states.

Even though there are some few senators who would prefer to remain in the mainstream PDP, and as such would not want to defect, the number is very insignificant. These include senators like Awaisu Kuta of Niger State, Wilson Ake of Rivers State, among others, who would be contesting with their incumbents to retain their positions.

As it is now, the only factor that may still be holding back the nPDP senators is the fear that the Senate leadership, under David Mark, may declare their seats vacant if they eventually defect.

This will mean that a fresh

David Mark, Senate President election would be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill their positions.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian constitution only provided that a parliamentarian is only allowed to defect when there is a crisis in his party, which results in the factionalism of the original party upon which he is elected.

Under this situation, the parliamentarian can choose to belong to any faction of the party, pending when the crisis is resolved by the party’s leadership.

Though many have argued that the same exemption would be applied in the case of merger of APC and nPDP, but there are more reason to believe that the constitution can only protect a defection to a faction of the same party.

In the current situation of

“

Ekweremadu, Dep Senate President merger of APC and nPDP, it is different, since the defection now will be to another party other than a faction of PDP. Even though this is a matter that would be determined by the court, it is this fear of the unknown that analysts believe, still keep the Senators of the nPDP silent.

Meanwhile, with this new development, the PDP which hitherto had 72 senators to its fold, is currently trailing behind APC with 50, that is if the nPDP senators eventually summon the courage to defect.

To this effect, the APC will currently be having 55 senators, outside the Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) with 3 and 1lawmakers to their sides respectively.

It is important to note that if there is leadership change, one of the principal officers

Meanwhile, with this new development, the PDP which hitherto had 72 senators to its fold, is currently trailing behind APC with 50, that is if the nPDP senators eventually summon the courage to defect.

Ndoma Egba Senate Leader

of the Senate, Bello Gwarzo (Kano North), who holds the position of Chief Whip of the Senate, may not be affected because he was among the 23 others in the defection.

However, other principal officers may not be lucky like him given that they are still in the PDP. These include the Senate leader, Victor Ndoma Egba, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Senate President, David Mark, Deputy Senate Leader, Abdul Ningi and Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate.

On the contrary, there appears to be crack among senators believed to be in the New PDP fold that decamped to APC, as some of them, including Senator Simeon Ajibola (PDP Kwara South) told the journalists in Abuja that Nigerians should count him out of the merger since he and some other senators believed to be with the G-7 governors have never been part of their plots.

He disclosed that , Senators Zainab Kure, PDP, Niger South,Awaisu Kuta,PDP,Niger East,Bello Tukur,PDP,Adamawa Central,etc, like him, have never attended any of the now defunct New PDP meetings.

“When they were banding figure 22 about as number of Senators including me, as being members of the New PDP in the Senate,10 out of the 22 were not with them and there is no way we can be said to be with them in the so called merger.

“Merger or no merger, by 2015,Nigerians will know the grassroots politicians and the

paper tigers”, he said.

It was gathered also that Senator Ehigie Uzamere,APC, Edo South was not in support of his party in the merger plan, as he had told journalists that he was for Jonathan, though in APC as a party.

Reacting to insinuation of a likely change in the leadership of the Senate, a highly placed principal officer from the South –South Geo- Political Zone, who does not want to be named, said even with the merger, the opposition does not have the required twothird majority to effect any leadership change.

According to him, it is not a matter of having simple majority of membership that can bring about leadership change in the present circumstance.

“It is not a matter of simple majority, to remove a presiding officer, you need two-third majority, “he said.

He added “They (New PDP) are using the list you people (the media) published before but some of them have dissociated themselves from the list and the mere fact that they appeared on television, they have to write formally to the Senate to say that they are leaving from one particular party to another.

“Some of the people you saw on television will write. Until we get that letter, we cannot say who is in the majority and who is in the minority.”

Meanwhile, as the game unfolds, Nigerians are still expecting surprises, given the fact that this kind of permutations usually spring surprises that is never anticipated by observers.

Politics

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Kwara: Dilemma as Saraki, APC slug it out

Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he coming of Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Bareje led aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) popularly known as the New PDP to All Progressive Congress (APC) has ushered in a new vista in Kwara state. With Dr Bukola Saraki, the immediate past governor of Kwara State in the new APC, the impression is that the late Dr Olusola Saraki’s structure has now fussed with the progressive party.

However, Senator Rukayyat Gbemisola Saraki, who was anointed by the late Waziri of Ilorin and some old members of PDP in Kwara state has challenged the claim of Dr Bukola Saraki that the older Saraki’s political structure has fussed with the APC. Gbemisola’s group is claiming to be in charge of the old PDP, including Alhaji L.A.K Jimoh, Hon Bio Ibrahim, who was former Speaker House of Assembly and Minister of Sports. Already, Saraki’s camp has removed the PDP flags from the secretariat along Nupe road where all previous State Chairmen of PDP were hanged on the wall. Saraki’s group which claimed to be the financier of the secretariat insisted that it was Dr Bukola Saraki who usually pays the rent for the secretariat and other logistics requirements.

Already, Saraki has installed all his men as Chairmen of 16 Local government areas of Kwara state as well as Councillors. Besides, the three merged opposition parties in the state, ACN, CPC, ANPP also had their Secretariats at different locations. They are also struggling to sustain their position as landlords of APC. Historically, the Late Dr Olusola Saraki, had worked against ruling party in Kwara State but always maintained good political relationship with whoever is President at the national level. When late Political icon defected from All Progressive Party (APP), to enthrone his son, Bukola Saraki as governor against late Muhammed Lawal, he didn’t fight Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and National leaders of APP and PDP. Briefing Journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday, the defected State Chairman of nPDP in Kwara State, Hon Ishola BalogunFulani assured that members of APC in the

Sen. Bukola Saraki

state would be carried along in the scheme of things in the state. “ As you might have heard, the new PDP has merged into APC. As you know, we in Kwara state have leaders. Our leader are Senator Bukola Saraki and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. They are our leaders. According to tradition, we don’t have any other party that could be forced on us. “ It is where our leaders go that we are going, we are Sarakites and we have our structure. Anywhere he moves to, we move there en-masse. All the executives of the wards, local governments and the state would move en-masse to the party that our leader said they have merged with.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I will want you to know that this secretariat where you see the logo of PDP and so on, is being paid for by our leaders. It is not being paid by the PDP. So nobody can come here and say they are taking over because this building does not belong to PDP. It belongs to our leaders and the rent paid on the property is in my name, not in the name of PDP. So this building will remain for the party we are about to join. Presently nobody can come and eject us out of this building because it does not belong to PDP. “After we have been briefed properly, we are going to change all the logos, the flag and everything would bear the APC that our leaders have merged with. You can see outside that all our members are here to pay solidarity visit to us. That is to say that they are happy with the development that our leaders have merged into APC. Those outside are from all the local governments of the state.

“They have given us encouragement that if we go to APC as it has been planned, we

“

Sen. Gbemisola Saraki

are not going to regret. We have spoken the mind of everybody in Kwara state especially those in PDP. Like I told you, we are Sarakites and if our leader says he is no more in PDP, that is the end of PDP in Kwara State and it is dead. I will tell you that we believe what our leaders have done and we are APC as at now. PDP is dead in Kwara state.”

But a faction of PDP, in a statement signed by Dr Abdulsalam A.K Abdulsalam, Kwara Central, Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim, Kwara North and Chief Lanre Ogundeji, Kwara South declared their support for Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National Chairman of PDP. he new group, which claimed to be loyalists of Tukur’s led PDP in the state, maintained that the exit of Saraki was a welcome development and blessing to people and the party.

In the statement, the trio of Abdulsalam, Ibrahim and Ogundeji said “it is on record that Sen. Bukola Saraki all along remained the single most destabilising factor in the crisis that eventually pushed them out of our great party, the PDP. “The entire state is today agog with exit of somebody who is regarded as enemy of the people and democracy.

“We therefore wish to assure our National Chairman, Alhaji(Dr) Bamanga Tukur and the entire Leadership of our great party of our unalloyed loyalty and support as he continues to pilot the affairs of the party, the Peoples Democratic Party. As we journey towards 2015, we wish to state categorically that the exit of the hypocrites will not affect the fortunes, progress and prosperity of our great party, PDP in Kwara State.”

In his reaction, a former governorship

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Already, Saraki has installed all his men as Chairmen of 16 Local government areas of Kwara state as well as Councillors. Besides, the three merged opposition parties in the state, ACN, CPC, ANPP also had their Secretariats at different locations. They are also struggling to sustain their position as landlords of APC.

aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Kwara State, Hon Basir Omolaja Bolarinwa who had served as members of House of Representatives under defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) in Lagos state, described the declaration of rebel group of PDP, led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje as a welcome development.

“It is welcome development. This is a new vista in political engineering in modern Nigeria. Those who have keenly followed our political evolution we know that some leaders of the time past have attempted a pan-Nigeria party which unfortunately never saw the light of day.

“The eventual merger of the nPDP with the APC is a result of several meetings and consultations with the leadership of our party. We are sure the party leadership will take care of the original members of the APC.” Similarly, a Chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kwara State,Alhaji Sulyman Buhari who was State Chairman of CPC, said that there would be no panic in the party if the aggrieved PDP governors including Dr Bukola Saraki join the party in the state. uhari in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Ilorin said G7 group members in the state would have to subject themselves to leadership of APC in the state. The APC chieftain said the party structure could not be handed over just like that to Saraki, stressing that”they have to come to the state and talk to the leadership of APC. “It is not going to be like we handed over the party to one man, no, that can’t happen. What they did now was at national level. They have to come to Kwara state and talk to us.”

Another reliable source who didn’t want his name in prints said in a telephone interview with our correspondent that the APC leaders in Kwara State are waiting for G7 members, adding that they can’t hijack the party. The source, who is close to one of the Chieftains of APC in the state Lagos State chapter noted that there should be no fear because the newcomers have to subject themselves to rules of APC in the state stressing that “we are expecting them”.

B

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE17

News Focus

Kwara schools: Of shattered dreams and broken promises From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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or the people of GiwaOlowo,Olowu-Romi and Alagbo communities in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, efforts to ensure that their children secure good primary education may be an unfulfilled dream. Beside, the Kwara State education programme of ‘Every-Child Counts” may be a mirage as some teachers posted to the communities have lobbied their redeployment to the cities while those that remain do not go to the classrooms.

Despite that these communities are in dire need of professional teachers to nurture their children, the bad roads, poor infrastructural facilities as well as poor accommodation, have been major complaints laid before the communities by the posted teachers as reasons to escape route from the areas.

When our correspondent visited the Olowo-Romi LGEA primary school at about 11am on 19 November, 2013, the school premises were empty. There were no pupils and teachers were not to be found. Investigation shows that four teachers were posted to the school but only the Headmaster visits the school irregularly. The community enrolled about 50 pupils but since there were no teachers to teach them, they were withdrawn from the school to help their parents on the farms while girls among them were engaged in makeshift restaurants to wash plates and run errands.

While speaking with our correspondent, the Chairman of School Based Management Committee(SBMC) in the community, Mallam Abdulwahab Akanbi said the quarters provided for the teachers was abandoned and only the Headmaster of the school lives at his office

Pupils without teachers at Giwa

Collapsed classroom at Olowo-Romi

any time he comes around. He disclosed that on the 25 of each Month, the teachers would come over to sign the register and collect their salary before they disappear again. esponding to dilapidated teachers quarters and bad road which may be the cause of absence of teachers from duty, Akanbi said the community is ready to rehabilitate their quarters if they are equally ready to stay, adding that about N10,000 had been contributed to buy more chairs and table for the pupils. He added that the community had reported the attitude of the teachers to the headquarters of Moro LGA but nothing has been done yet.

At Alagbo LGEA primary school, which our correspondent also visited , only a volunteer teacher, Muhammed Basir, an indigene of the community was found teaching pupils inside two

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classes. Basir in an interaction with our correspondent said he was appointed by the Community to teach the pupils within his ability because all their teachers have abandoned the community.

He disclosed that three teachers were posted to the school but none of them is to be found. He said one of the teachers came on 19 of November, 2013 but took an excuse that he was going to Igbeti, a town in Oyo state to do something and never returned.

Basir who had his ordinary level certificate (SSCE) said apart from Yoruba community who are sending their wards to the school, the Fulani and Bororos in the area are also doing same until the teachers refused to show up.

Corroborating Basir’s argument, the Chairman of School Based Managment Committee (SBMC)in the area, Mr Kelani Abdulwahab said 14 vil-

lages enrolled their children to the school when the teachers were regular. He named the villages as Olowo-Hanmo, Meri, Budo-Odo,Olowo-Eleko,OkeBode,Ponpola,Maigida-Iju, Onisuni,Alaba,Ga-Ijoro,GaAlagbo and Ga-Maigida-Iju all in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. bdulwahab disclosed that the school was established in 1976 with local blocks but later relocated to the present site built with modern blocks.

He said that the Headmaster, who is the secretary of SBMC, reports for work frequently and sleeps in the store provided in the school, perhaps because he was not comfortable sleeping in the old building constructed for the teachers.

He added that the community wants State government to employ their sons and daughters as teachers so that they could stay in the community to teach their children basic primary education.

However, at Giwa -Olowo LGEA Primary, at about 11am when our correspondent visited the place, the school was deserted. There were no teachers and pupils. Investigation shows that only the headmaster, whose name was given as James comes around but was ill for a few weeks and currently receiving treatment at a hospital in a nearby community. It was also gathered that about 15 years ago, an Arabic teacher who was posted to the community and an indigene of the area fell sick and died. Since then, no Arabic teacher was posted to the school.

The Alangua of Giwa-Olowo, the community leader, Alhaji Busari Alabi, an Octogenarian

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lamented over the neglect of the community by government saying his people could not send their wards to primary school again because teachers are not forthcoming. He said only James comes as Headmaster. Going down memorial lane, the Alangua of the Community revealed that before the advent of democracy, while Community leaders still have power over their areas, many parents forward their wards to the school but the politicians have empowered other villages to establish their schools which eventually affected the population of pupils and teachers.

Beside, the Octogenarian who expressed his displeasure over the inability of government and education board to employ their sons and daughters as teachers to teach in the community, said many of them are worried about the consequences of long absence of teachers in the area. He explained further that “we have two rooms in my apartment for them. We accommodate them but they didn’t stay.

We don’t want this school to close down;they should help us.

In those days when I was strong and healthy, I can move around these villages to motivate my people to bring their children to school. If we even did that now, where are the teachers to teach them? “ Our children are ready to go to school but there are no teachers. The Fulani, the Bororos in this area are willing to send their wards to school, but there are no teachers? Only God can help us,” he said.

In his reaction, the Chairman Contd on Page 18

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News Focus

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Kwara schools: Of shattered dreams and broken promises Contd from Page 17

of State Universal Basic Education Board(SUBEB), Barrister Lanre Daibu said the state government would penalize those teachers in the affected schools because when they took the employment, they promised to work anywhere they were posted to.

He noted that the Kwara State Government had done its best by employing over 2,000 teachers out of 5,000 he suggested to the government when he came on board as SUBEB Chairman. aibu who expressed his disappointment on the attitude of the teachers in the areas said it has been the practice in Nigeria where people migrate from rural areas to urban areas, stressing that his administration would ensure that the teachers that would be employed would be indigenes of the rural areas who can adapt to the environment and will be committed to serve their communities.

On the accommodation and transportation, SUBEB Chairman said the board will build more teachers quarters and classrooms to ensure that any teachers posted to rural areas would have conformable accommodation to stay.

“We are not happy about these cases you investigated. We are going to deal with the situation because that state government had done a lot on education. When I came on board as SUBEB chairman, I discovered that we needed about 5,000 teachers to cover up these lapses and state government approved employment of 2,000 teach-

D

ers. So, when they are taking the job, they told us they were ready to work anywhere. Whoever is caught defaulting, we use to discipline them by issuing them queries. And if they did ‘t t show remorse, we seized their salaries until they repented”.

He however promised to visit the community himself and assess the situation to correct any negative impact then absence of these teachers might have caused and other issues that may need attention.

A former Commissioner for Education, Science and Human Capital Development in Kwara State, Alhaji Saka Onimago in an interview with Journalists in Ilorin also noted that “our policy thrust is sustainable quality education for all in Kwara state, and that is why we say every child counts.

“The immediate past governor, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, now distinguished Senator representing Kwara Central, has laid a very firm foundation for education in Kwara state, and it was during his tenure that we had the Education reform agenda. The governor at that time saw there was something wrong with education in Kwara State and he got people on ground to access the situation, and we realized that what we needed is sustainable quality education. He started with Every Child Counts, and that is the policy thrust that the present government of Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has now taken to higher heights. We talk of quality in terms of the environment, in terms of teacher delivery and in terms of materials to

Alangwa of Giwa, Al Busari Alabi (left)

Giwa Olowo Teachers quarters

School without Teachers at Giwa Olowo LGED primary school

be used by students and teachers.

“This is being done with all sense of responsibility, and that is why we have the team of people that you see around me, selected people, proven people.

Because the state takes the issue of education very seriously.

They have brought this team together to ensure that the vision and the mission of the state in terms of quality and sustainable education is achieved.”

The former Commissioner and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) added that

Kwara State is the model that is being used in Nigeria today.

“When we had our education reform agenda of “Every Child Counts”, and since the British education support program ESSPIN came, Kwara has been the base and the reference point in Nigeria. So you can see the focus. We have laid the foundation that other states are coming to copy. See what has been done in the case of Colleges of Education Oro. Specifically, the intake in that institution has been streamed down with specific instructions

Olowo Romi primary school under lock

to produce quality teachers that will teach in primary and junior secondary schools, and we have not lost focus on that.

“And there is no time we go to attend meetings in Abuja that they don’t refer to Kwara state. The foundation was laid during the time of the former commissioner of education, now a minister, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi, and we are now building on it, so we are on course, and Kwara is the base, the standard, the reference point that all schools in Nigeria are now using.”

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Tourism

PAGE 19

The marvelous vanishing rainbow at Matsirga Waterfalls F or those who are looking for a great time when they visit Kaduna, there are quite some amazing places to have a relaxing time with friends or family members. Kaduna has a whole range of relaxation and natural spots which are a tourist’s delight any day.

But above them all, the Matsirga waterfalls is simply captivating, to say the least. Take some time out to explore Kaduna’s hidden treasures.

Matsirga Waterfalls is a tourist delight as well as a perfect spot for relaxation. The water fall empties itself into a gorge that is naturally enhanced by beautiful rocks. It is located on the outskirts of Kafanchan in Madakiya, Zangon Kataf Local Government area of Kaduna state. The gorgeous and alluring scenery of Matsirga Waterfall combines with a fresh atmosphere and cool breeze. This place is perfect for a picnic any time, any time and any day.

The Matsirga waterfalls take its source from springs on the Kagoro hills which cascades from four different natural funnels from off the sheer rock cliff from about 25 metres to form a large pool at the bottom.

With its location in Madakiya close to Kafanchan, at about 227 kilometers south of Kaduna, the water at Matsirga waterfalls drops at 30 meters into a gorge that has been supported by beautiful rocks. The fresh cool breeze around the area has a whole lot of refreshment

to offer the tourists.

At the point of impact with the river, the cascading showers of the fall create a beautiful rainbow-like mist which appears and disappears mysteriously. This is the waterfall’s most amazing feature which also a wonder to most first-time visitors.

The river formed by Matsirga Waterfalls increases and overflows its banks with the onset of the rainy season. A natural rock shelter at the river bank forms a cover and resting place for picnicking. Like a half umbrella, it provides shade for tourists amidst the wondrous continuous waterfall. heritage resort known as Madikiya Heritage Resort is being developed by a private investor within the vicinity of the fall area to serve the relaxation needs of tourists and visitors alike.

Also, the proximity of the very popular Kagoro Hills and Nok Museum provides an added advantage to tourists visiting the area.

The Matsirga Waterfalls is located around madakiya close to Kafanchan town.

The waterfalls exhibits an exuberant power of nature where it gushes, tumbles and drops about 30 meters into a still and deep gorge that has been supported by the area as well as the fresh cool breeze that blows around the waterfalls which has so much to offer tourists and ensure their time spent around there is well worth it.

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Kagoro hills

PAGE 20

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Homes

Stunning designer bathroom ideas T

he bathroom is a part of the house intended for private sanitation. It is also a place where we can loosen up our tired mind and body to isolate us away from stress. Immersing in a halffilled bathtub has been a custom for a few to relax after a long tiring day. People feel refreshed after taking a nice shower and feel comfortable after attending to their hygiene. Basically, there are lots of things a bathroom can offer that its definition does not only limit to us for personal cleanliness or a word used to euphemize as a room containing a toilet, but a room vital for people to meet relaxation at its best. So you might want to consider adding up an extra effort to beautify your bathroom to maximize comfort, space and aesthetics.

There are many style options to choose when setting up a design for your bathroom. You can pattern your design based on your personality or go with something that deviate the kind of plan you have in mind yet make it still visually attractive. But if you have the availability of space and budget then modern designs might just be for you.

Modern bathroom designs can set the room to a spa-like ambience with upscale amenities that includes granite countertops, modular storages, stylish lavatories, vanities and some lifestyle features. Elements of neutral color palette also bring out the modern appearance of the bathroom. It is marked with class and is undoubtedly elegant in terms of design feat. Modern designs escalate your experience to a more luxurious way of relaxing. To further give you more idea of what lavish living is, here are some stunning modern bathroom designs that are astonishing.

Another shot taken from a different angle of the area to showcase the elegant beauty of the countertop and the chrome finish steel cabinet. The color-coordinated and well picked material finishes make this modern design bathroom an outstanding creation.

There are a great variety of styles that you can incorporate when deciding for the kind of design you want for your bathroom. Home owners should opt for a design that is an extension of their taste.

Modern design bathroom is just one of the many options one can choose from. southernliving.com

The irregular shaped cabinet parallel to the large circular mirror serves as an aesthetic accent to the room while maintaining its functional purpose.

The combination of straight and curve edges makes this modern bathroom an interesting piece of art.

High ceiling interior makes a room look more spacious. The rich intensity of the colors used to accentuate the cabinets, fixtures and the ceiling from the wall creates an interesting subject.

The bright lights highlighting the shelf washes out the tone of the wall design generating a more stylish elevation.

The wall painting in earthly colours also serves as an artistic work.

e n i z a

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

d n e k e We

g a M ent

m Entertain

Fashion

ps Beauty Ti

n o i h

s a F

od Kannywo

d

Hollywoo

PAGE 21

d Bollywoo

Day Kannywood shone like a star; awarded Yero, others >>P36 Fati Abubakar: The precious jewel of honour and integrity >>P23

One-shoulder

dress for the chic look >>P29

Kiddies World B AE D C

Dinner of the Lion >>P25

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Oddity

How a 22 year old housewife gave birth to a tortoise in Nasarawa

By Ali Abare Abubakar

T

he story may have been reeled out of some medieval mystery novels or better still an addition to the seven wonders of the world.

For many though,the story of a human being giving birth to a tortoise, was so far fetched as near fiction,in fact bordering more on mystery than everyday occurrence.

But for Emmanuel Abari, 29 and his wife, Catherine, 22, the story was not only real, unbelievable but shockingly true. That his young wife, already mother to a young healthy chap of about 2 years, got pregnant for nine months but that when the moment came for the family to usher in a new addition, instead nature played a cruel blow to their expectations, when Catherine unbelievably gave birth to a life tortoise.

For members of Emmanuel’s immediate family,the development rather completely erased the accom-

panying joy characteristic of childbirth, especially in typical agrarian community like Agyaragu.

Explaining his initial reaction to our reporter when he first sighted the creature, ‘Mr Tortoise’ as he christened it, Emmanuel said he was taken aback, his breath seizing briefly before he let out a wild shout, possibly out of anguish.

“I shouted when I saw what my wife delivered. I was actually at a loss as to what step to take but then as always, I called my elder brother to come over”, he narrated.

Looking back to the beginning of the event leading to the mysterious incidence of his wife giving birth to a tortoise, Emmanuel disclosed that his wife got pregnant sometime in March early this year.

He said like similar happenings, “we welcomed the news with great joy, particularly that members of the extended family were always yearning for further addition to the family.”

He said that shortly after con-

firming that his wife has conceived, he took her to a nearby hospital for the regular checks, precisely at the Zhe Mighili Hospital in the same Agyaragu, where doctors conducted the normal checks, further confirming that indeed Catherine was pregnant.

All went well according to Emmanuel not until the fourth month of the pregnancy when they noticed something was amiss.

According to Catherin, who sat beside her husband under a tree in the late evening light, with the sun already disappearing from the horizon, straddling her first born male child across her knees, as if to console herself over her misfortune, she started sensing something was wrong because the normal growth of the pregnancy appeared to be disrupted getting to her fifth month.

“I noticed that the pregnancy has stopped growing and I therefore alerted my husband who then decided that we go back to the hospital”, she explained. atherine,who spoke a measure of impeccable English, so unexpected in an environment that is almost a metaphor for abject poverty and squalor, a descript mud bungalow, farm animals taking a share of the dingy livelihood, appeared to be more in control than Emmanuel her husband who appeared lost and therefore jittery.

Taking over the narration, he explained that he took his wife three times to the hospital in Agyaragu before they were referred to another hospital in Lafia, the Sauki Hospital, located along Abuja street.

In the quest to find a solution to their predicament, the couple were eventually advised to do a scan of the pregnancy.

Unknown to them,that was to mark the beginning of more trouble for the family, as according to Emmanuel, doctors at Sauki Hospital revealed to them, horrifyingly though, that Catherine was not carrying a human being.

“They told us that she was not carrying a human being, that through the scanning, it was clear that she was not going to give birth to a child.

But they refused to say what exactly she was carrying.”

He said they were left with no option than to return home to resort to time tested traditional methods of solving issues of life that was beyond the ordinary.

“At the extended family level, we were advised to go visit a herbalist, who after hearing our case, promised to do his best to cure my wife of her ailment”.

While recounting their ordeal, Emmanuel seemed distanced, far removed from the stark reality brought to his young family when his wife gave birth to a tortoise. To the onlooker, one would have mistaken his facade for the much taunted manli-

C

Catherine standing with her newborn, “Mr Tortoise” at her feet

Emmanuel, his wife Catherine and their son ness but a closer inspection would reveal a man so overwhelmed by his circumstance to the point of been so terrified as to seem equally unperturbed.

Continuing,the young farmer narrated that after the herbalist, a Tiv man also,agreed to treat his wife,he gave her some portions to take and after some days, there existed signs showing that Catherine was nearing childbirth.

“Within some days, I discovered she has started bleeding. But soon that also stopped and we have to go back again.”

He said the herbalist gave them more portions and that nearly a week after their visit to the oracle man,precisely on a Thursday, Catherine started bleeding in earnest and

by Friday morning,at around 12 to 1 am,she finally delivered.

However, the joy of the family was cut short by the shocking discovery that Catherine has not given birth

“

to a bouncing baby but a tortoise, confirming the revelation by doctors at the Sauki Hospital.

As if the creature knew he was not really welcomed,” Mr Tortoise” died shortly afterwards,precisely around 5 am same day. The family eventually buried it and have since accepted their fate. source however,who spoke on the condition of anonymity,told our reporter that even among the Tivs, giving birth to creatures other than human beings is diabolical.

“It is a sign of witchcraft, it is not normal. If they were true Christians, they should have gone to the Church for succor but they chose to visit the oracle man”,the source said.

Meanwhile, the residence of the Emmanuel’s have been turned into a mecca of some sort, with relations and curious onlookers trooping their to get firsthand information on the matter.

A

They told us that she was not carrying a human being,that through the scanning,it was clear that she was not going to give birth to a child. But they refused to say what exactly she was carrying.

PAGE 23

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Womanhood Justice Fati Abubakar: The precious jewel of honor and integrity

By Miriam Humbe

J

ustice Fati Abubakar is one First Lady many Nigerians will not forget in a hurry.

This is majorly to do with her finesse and simplicity. Most people would rather remember her as the First Lady who chose to be different. Coming at a time when most wives of our former military Heads of State blatantly displayed their husbands’ wealth and capitalized on their positions to achieve some level of unwarranted popularity for themselves, the legal luminary chose to lead a quiet and humble life devoid of the paparazzi that characterized the lifestyles of her predecessors.

This made her stand out tall in the minds of Nigerians.

The reason is because she decided to behave respectably by lying low when there was virtually nothing hindering her from establishing herself as a First Lady in the 11 months that her husband, General Abdulsalami Abubakar held sway as the nation’s Head of State.

Those who know her describe her as a woman of high integrity. Others still, believe she must have learnt a few things about credibility from her husband who kept his promise to Nigerians about stepping out of the Aso Villa ‘in the shortest possible time’ when he handed over power to a democratically elected government in 1999.

But in all of this time, no one can rightly accuse Justice Fati Abubakar of flagrant display or abuse of power. For this reason, she is well-respected and honored. As the jurist that she is, she made it explicitly clear that the position of First Lady was not enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. She basically didn’t have the time or interest for the so-called ‘Office of the First Lady’ that some others women would willingly give anything to have.

The precious jewel of honor and integrity squarely faced her legal profession, shunned those who wanted to write books on her during her ‘tenure’, like other First Ladies. She is the only First Lady in the country who had a book written about her after her husband had left the corridors of power.

Born on April 12, 1951 as the second child of the late Alhaji Umaru Audi who was the first Waziri of Minna and Hajia Nana Asmau (daughter of the late Sarkin Hausawa of Minna) in Minna, Niger State according to Hausa tradition, she was taken away from her parents and

brought up by her father’s elder sister, Hajia Hadiza. Her father was a highly-educated administrative officer who ensured she got the very best of modern education.

She attended a Christian missionary school, Our Lady’s High School in Kaduna. Recounting her first experience in the school as a little girl, she said, “It was in the evening that we reached the school. A white woman dressed in white, all over received me. After I dressed up, I was taken to join the others in the school hall.

I had never been to any hall that big before. The place was very big for me and there were white people everywhere, it was a prayer session. The children were all standing, clapping and singing ‘Hail Mary’. I wondered where I was. By the time I went back to the hostel, I lay on my bed and began to cry.” ooking back at life, Abubakar reminisces thus: “I think every aspect of my life is unforgettable. I have a very long working career and the experiences have been very wonderful I cannot stand up to tell you that this is the most unforgettable experience”. Her career has been very eventful from the beginning. In her early career life, she usually travelled with her husband, following him through his military career.

This afforded her the opportunity to work in different parts of the country.

After acting as Chief Judge of Niger State for over a month, Niger State House of Assembly recently, confirmed the appointment of Justice Abubakar as the substantive Chief Judge of the state.

Her confirmation followed a motion moved by the member representing Lavun Constituency, Jacob Majin Gana who described her as a distinguished Jurist and a woman who had devoted her time to the advancement of effective judicial system in Nigeria and Niger State in particular.

L

“

Speaking on her appointment, Justice Abubakar said, “My appointment as the Chief Judge has to do with my career.

It is a culmination, a climax of a career that I have pursued from being a state counsel, so it is a fulfillment of life and of course I am very happy about it. And I thank Almighty Allah for giving me this opportunity”.

But Justice Abubakar is also a firm and highly principled judicial officer. This is what she said concerning her stand on issues like corruption; “The judiciary is now poised not to tolerate any form of corruption. We will have zero tolerance for any form of deviation, corruption, abuse of office and any judicial officer who is found culpab l e will b e

your pocket because we do not intend to leave rogues in the Niger state judiciary.

They will certainly be shown the way out”.

Justice Fati Abubakar has never been found wanting in the discharge of her Judicial duties and is al-

dealt with ac-

cording to the law. We will not spare anybody. So it would be in their own interest, if you do not fear God, you should fear

But in all of this time, no one can rightly accuse Justice Fati Abubakar of flagrant display or abuse of power.

For this reason, she is wellrespected and honored.

ways attending to her judicial matters, as stressed by hon. Jacob Majin Gana who moved the motion for her appointment. bubakar moved by her milk of kindness, granted freedom to some 35 prison inmates in her maiden tour of prisons in the state since coming to office in March earlier in the year.

Justice Fati who started the prison tour through to the weekend when she ended the tour called for summarily trial of 29 inmates with their sentences commencing from the day of being incarcerated.

The chief judge after looking

A

at some of the case files freed those who were awaiting trials without being charged to court and those awaiting trial for a long time and whose term would have ended if convicted.

She urged the police to be meticulous in the process of prosecution, expressing displeasure over delay in prosecutions leading to many awaiting trials. She also urged the state Legal Aid Council to work along with the office of the state director of Public Prosecution as well as the police to ensure quick prosecution of some cases in the state.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 24

Kiddies World

With Nami Hassan Kadir namy.kadir@yahoo.com 08130693795.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

ABCDE

HIS AND HER’S CORNER

Bida Emirate in the 15th Century

Cartoon Locally fabricated couch used by the earlier Etsu Nupes

T

he Bida Emirate is a traditional state in Nigeria, a successor to the old Nupe Kingdom, with its headquarters in Bida, Niger State. The head of the state is the Etsu Nupe who is considered the leader of the Nupe people.

The old Nupe Kingdom was established in the middle of the 15th century in a basin between the Niger and Kaduna rivers in what is now known as central Nigeria. Early history is mostly based on verballytransmitted legends. King Jibiri, who reigned around 1770, was the first Nupe king to become Muslim.

Etsu Ma’azu brought the kingdom to its period of greatest power, dying in 1818. During that period the Fulani were gaining power across Northern Nigeria. After Ma’azu’s death and during the subsequent wars of succession, the Nupe Kingdom came under the control of the Gwandu

Emirate. Masaba, son of the Fulani leader Mallam Dendo and a Nupe mother, gained power in 1841.

Faced with revolt by one of his generals, Masaba allied with the former Etsu Nupe, Usman Zaki, to recover control. Usman Zaki was enthroned as Etsu Nupe at Bida, and after his death around 1859 Masaba again became ruler until 1873.

During his second period of rule, Masaba established the Bida Emirate as an important military power, steadily expanding its territory at the expense of its neighbours to the south and east. His successors retained control until 1897, when British Niger Company troops finally took Bida and established a puppet ruler. The Bida emirate became subject first to the British colonial regime, then to the independent state of Nigeria, with its rulers playing an increasingly ceremonial role.

Superman

Beauty and the Beast

Tom and Jerry

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Kiddies World

PAGE 25

With Nami Hassan Kadir namy.kadir@yahoo.com 08130693795.

ABCDE

AFRICAN TALES

Dinner of the Lion T

here was one place in the Seven Hills which the animals liked very much. There was good water and green grass. But a strong lion lived there.

He killed two or three animals every day.

One day, the animals came to the Lion and one of them began to speak, “Oh, dear Lion, it is not good for you to run and hunt all day long in the Seven Hills.

We’ll send you one animal for your dinner every day.”

“All right,” the Lion said, “but you must begin to send me my dinner now. I am hungry. I must have my dinner every day! If you don’t send an animal to me every day, I shall kill as many of you as I want!”

“Don’t kill us, dear Lion. We shall send you an animal every day.”

They cast lots and that day it was an antelope who became the Lion’s dinner. And every day they sent one animal to the Lion.

But the animals were not happy. Each of them thought, “Oh, tomorrow my turn will come!”

One day it was a Hare’s turn to be the Lion’s dinner. But the Hare was not unhappy. He smiled!

“That’s good, very good?” the hare said. “Don’t be afraid! The Lion will not eat me up!”

the Lion.

“Yes, there is. He is big and strong. I think he is stronger than you are.”

The Lion became angrier than before and said to the Hare, “Show me that lion!”

“All right!” said the Hare. “Let us go to him.”

And they went to a big well. The Hare looked into the well and said, “Look, he is there and the Hare is with him.”

The Lion looked into the well. He saw himself and the Hare in the water. He jumped into the well to catch them and never came back!

The animals were happy. They jumped and danced and thanked the clever Hare.

The Hare ran to the river, jumped into the water and then began to roll in the mud. He came to the Lion very dirty.

The Lion saw him and became angry. “But I don’t want that dirty animal for my dinner,” he cried. “Oh, dear Lion, I am not your dinner. I had to bring you a big hare. But on my way I met another lion and he took the hare for himself. “ “Is there another lion in the Seven Hills?” asked

CREATIVITY

How to make a toy camera

B

egin by making your camera with a box Photography enthusiasts often spend a great deal of money on equipment. However, a toy camera, otherwise known as a pinhole camera, can be easily assembled with items found around the house. Making a toy camera at home is a great rainy day activity to keep your kids amused while sparking their interest in photography.

Things you’ll need • Shoe box • Thin piece of flattened tin from a can or brass shim • Utility knife • Needle, sandpaper, black paint, paintbrush and photo developing paper Instructions for assembling the camera Poke a small hole through the piece of tin or shim with a needle. This hole acts as the lens of the camera. Sand the area around the hole with the sandpaper.

Trim the area around the pinhole with the utility knife so the pinhole is centered within a two-inch square area of tin or shim.

Examine your shoebox and ensure there are no holes or openings. The box must be completely dark when the lid is on and the shutter is closed. The only light that should come through is from the pinhole.

Cut an inch square in the lid of the box.

Reserve the piece of cardboard as this will act as your shutter.

Place the piece of tin or shim over the cut hole with the pinhole centered. Tape the tin or shim to the box using electrical tape.

To make sure no light will come through paint the entire inside of the box black.

Using the electrical tape attach the reserved piece of cardboard so it can be flapped open and closed.

Tape a piece of photo developing paper in the box across from the hole. Make sure the emulsion side is facing the pinhole. Developing paper is sensitive to light and changes color when exposed to the light.

You can purchase photo developing paper at your local camera store. Place the lid on and make sure the shutter is down and closed.

Samuel Ijir

ACTIVITIES Using the right colours, shade the image below. Describe the action and show your work to your teacher for correction. Cheers!

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

News Extra

An inspirational paralyzed doctor performs surgeries from stand-up wheelchair

A

successful Missouri surgeon has beaten unbelievable odds by returning to the OR after suffering sudden paralysis from the waist down.

Dr. Ted Rummel lost his ability to walk or stand when a bloodfilled cyst on his spine burst in 2010. A year of intense rehabilitation later, he was back in the game.

Rummel even overcame the hindrance of sitting as he worked by utilizing an ingenious stand-up wheel chair.

Now, the tenacious orthopedic surgeon can do virtually everything in the OR he previously could and maintains his physical strength with daily exercise and his emotional strength thanks to a deeply devoted family.

Rummel told the Enquirer that his freedom despite his disabilities have been a lifesaver.

‘When I’m able to do this, and I can get a piece of my life back, it’s huge,’ he said. ‘It’s so special.’

But the miraculous outcome wasn’t always a sure thing.

The surgeon’s troubles began in 2009 when he was diagnosed with a cavernous hemangioma, a type of blood-filled sac, on his spine.

Doctors fearful they might cause him immediate paralysis opted not to operate.

He lived with the cyst for 11 months until September 2010, when the sac ruptured and the necessary surgery he underwent thereafter left him numb from the waist down.

Suddenly Rummel, who practices in O’Fallon, Missouri, found himself going from performing 1,000 surgeries per year to not knowing if he’d ever work again.

‘One of my first thoughts was, “Oh my gosh, my life as I know it was erased,”’ he recalls. ‘Who you are out of the OR is gone and you have to redefine yourself.’

But the dedicated physician soon came to his senses and decided he’d be back in the OR no matter what it took.

A year later, that’s exactly what he did. The first surgery he undertook was watched over by another surgeon in case Rummel needed help. But he never did.

‘Very quickly it was apparent that his skills were still there,’ said Ann Abad, of Progress West Healthcare Center, where Rummel works.

Rummel began performing all the procedures he could from a sitting wheelchair: on hands, elbows, feet, ankles, and knees.

But he couldn’t perform he favorite surgery, on shoulders, because it required him to be standing up.

Undeterred, he beat that problem, too.

Now when the doctor performs shoulder surgery he does so strapped into a wheelchair that keeps him in an upright position.

So where does the doctor get his incredible strength? It’s not just from his rigorous workouts.

On the job: Dr. Rummel is able to repair knees, elbows and other joints while sitting in his wheelchair. He uses a special standup wheelchair to repair shoulders, which requires the patient to be sitting up

Inspiring: Here, Dr. Rummel is seen in his special chair. A year after he became paralyzed, Rummel was already back in the OR. But his sitting chair left him unable to perform shoulder procedures, his favorite surgery

Paging Doctor Rummel: Dr. Ted Rummel is a an orthopedic surgeon in Missouri and performs his operations on joints from a wheelchair Loving family: Here, Ted Rummel hugs his wife, Kathy, before going into the operating room. Rummel credits his wife for and family for helping him overcome his disability

Uplifting: Dr. Ted Rummel is seen working from his stand-up wheelchair.

The device allows him to perform soldier surgery, a procedure that requires the doctor be standing ‘I have found the key is to communicate with family and loved ones. I got to know my family again, and I regret the time I wasted,’ he says. ‘The entire thing has made me phenomenally better with my family. It’s just been a

very powerful experience.’

Specifically, he credits his wife Kathryn.

‘I wouldn’t have made it through any of this if it wasn’t for my wonderful wife,’ he says. ‘I am so grateful for her and my family,

Paging Doctor Rummel: Dr. Ted Rummel is a an orthopedic surgeon in Missouri and performs his operations on joints from a wheelchair

who I’ve gotten to know all over again.’

Rummel admits there are hard times, but he’s intent on looking toward the bright side and focus on doing good in the world.

‘When this happened to me,

I had a profession, was well-educated, had resources, family and colleagues to support me,’ he says.

‘I know so many don’t have any of this, and I wrestle with how I can help others. One day I will.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Kenyan slums from the lens of an American

PAGE 27

Lifestyle

By James Gordon *It’s probably hard to imagine what life must be like in the slums of Africa. *The Kibera slum in Nairobi is six hundred acres of mud and filth. It’s not on any map because it’s squatters camp - an illegal, forgotten city, yet at least one third of Nairobi lives here. *Over the years the illegal slum has grown amongst the filth. Little businesses thrive with the inhabitants building and renting wooden shacks. *The slum is can also be a dangerous and violent place. The Kenyan Government has done nothing for Kibera. No title deeds, no sewage pipes, no roads. There are no services of any kind. *One American photographer recently traveled to Kibera to document a development project (Power of Hope Kibera at POHK.org). *Maureen Ruddy Burkhart describes her experience in her blog as a ‘journey of discovery; a discovery of virtue.’ *‘With one eye I saw the ever-present poverty, lack of plumbing, and constant energy… and with the other eye I saw joy and love,’ she says.

Wire Jump Rope: Kelly found a wire and taught Evinta how to jump rope. She proceeded to practice the entire afternoon without resting. Burkhart said she gave Evinta a real jump rope at the end of her time there.

Balancing Act: Father Dan balances his 5-month-old son, Dylan, on his hand. This is the family compound where the Power of Hope Kibera office and storefront are located

Amenities: There’s a shop and even a water pipeline with half a mile of tubing connected up to the city mains. The tap in the courtyard is a lucrative business

Fitting in: Early in the process, Burkhart felt like a conspicuous foreigner, as many people honked their horns or stared at her,but once she was deep inside Kibera, many of the residents were accustomed to seeing outsiders

Not a drop to drink: Kibera’s water is piped in by private dealers, who lay their own hosepipes in the mud, and charge double what people pay for the same service outside the slum

Miss Helen: Helen is one of the POHK soap-sellers and was instrumental in getting the documentary photo project completed. Burkhart said she loves this picture of Helen because she appears to be the mistress of her environment

What’s in a name? Burkhart decided to call the project Neighborhood Watch: In Kibera, everyone watches out ‘Slice of Heaven’ because after the first day of shootfor everyone else, including children watching out for ing, all she could remember were the smiling, laughing faces of the people she had photographed other children

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

s p i T y t u a Be

Compiled by Patrick Andrew

The changing styles, colours of wedding gowns

By Patrick Andrew

W

White wedding gown complete with veil

wedding gown pick up style

estern wedding had a dress code for the bride. Traditionally, the dress or gown is the clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. So, the wedding dress is deeply rooted in tradition and like all traditions had begun somewhere.

Nowadays, wedding dress is piously associated with the colour white. That’s because white was once considered the symbol of purity, innocence, and for the lady largely a symbol of her virginity. Those were the good old days when pre-marital sex or blemish conjugal relationship was a taboo.

Not anymore.

The use of the white gown as wedding dress is more of fashion than a symbol of purity and virginity. If at all there is any rigidity still associated with the colour white at wedding it is merely indicative of a first-time bride.

From the beginning though, the bride was not confide to the colour white as the wedding itself was more than mere formalization of conjugal relationship between two love birds. It was much more than that.

Often, weddings were symbolic: a solidification of two prominent families, businesses, countries and therefore in some profound instances more a political union than marital ritual. It was even at sometimes a demonstration of nobility and social status.

Thus, brides were expected to dress at Pink wedding gown weddings to reflect their social status, showing off their nobility or graduation into a higher seen as practical because they could only be worn social cast. That means bright colours or gowns once, was a symbol of wealth, and only wealthy of esteem valuable of the day. Nothing really to brides could afford the extravagance. do with white which was more associated with However, with the innovations of the 1920s and mourning of the dead of a royalty by the French. 1930s, the wedding gowns were seen in different Therefore, bold colours and layers of furs, velvet lights. This tendency to follow current fashions and silk and other elegant fabrics were the common was sustained until the late 1940s, when it became features at weddings. popular to revert to long, full-skirted designs History shows that the white wedding dress reminiscent of the Victorian era. Although there was not rigidly held onto as the symbol of purity has always been a style that dominates the bridal and therefore far from being a tradition. In fact, market for a time, and then shifts with the changes according to the recorded history, Queen Victoria in fashion, a growing number of modern brides are of England it was that somewhat institutionalized not choosing to follow these trends. This is due in white wedding gown. Before her marriage to Prince large part to non-traditional and non-first-time Albert in 1840, royal’s wore Ermine-trimmed robes weddings, and women who are marrying later in adorned with gems. The white gown the Queen life. wore was made of silk and accented by orange This also meant loss of the symbols of the white blossoms and her veil was made of Honiton lace. wedding gown: virginity, purity, innocence and The Queen’s choice of white wedding gown was eternal bliss for bridal couples. anything but traditional: very unusual. Of course, Now, it is not unusual for live-in couples to monarchs set social standards including grooming approach the altar for “white wedding”, even and dressing. Brides commonly wore coloured ladies known to have given birth dressed in white dresses, including black. Therefore, royalties in the to tie the nuptial knot. The whiteness in wedding neighbouring empires as well as wealthy women therefore loses its essence and traditional symbol saw the Queen’s colour choice as a statement: some and significance. standard of some sort, and soon followed suit.

Apart from the loss of innocence, there are yet It became a trend, dominating the social additions to the white wedding gown. Many today discourse and eventually became the norm rather crave for a return to the initial concept: a reflection than the exception at weddings as every bride of opulence, social class and nobility. To these, identified with the new tradition. Though the white neither whiteness nor the symbols associated with wedding gown became the vogue, brides were not are of critical consideration. What is remains the confined to any pattern, instead, it reflected the trending fashion of the day, one’s social clout and styles of the day, especially the Victoria styles. But depth of pockets. like anything and everything human, it’s dynamic.

Little wonder, there is a craving to de-emphasise With dynamism came fashionable changes on the whiteness instead concentrate on the blend such as the shedding of the unnecessary excess of colours, trendy colours and all that reflects clothing and adoption of, an adaptation to dressing improvement in social ethos. Someday soon, the gowns that were typically short in the front with a seemingly inelegance in the use of innocuous longer train in the back and worn with cloche-style colours other than white by brides may hit the wedding veils. fashion gear and be accelerated with definite gusto.

These were remarkable changes because during So, will you use colours aside from white gown the Victorian era white wedding gowns weren’t at your wedding?

Compiled by MIRIAM HUMBE

Fashion

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

One-shoulder dress for the chic look S

imple accessories look great with one-shoulder dresses. Oneshoulder dresses are part of a popular trend that gives you a chic asymmetrical look. They also come in a variety of prints and styles to fit both formal and informal occasions. Wearing this style of dress requires a little thought as to what to pair it with in order to make your dress shine and showcase your fashion sense.

Try on a one-shoulder dress before you purchase it. These dresses have complicated collar lines that won’t fit every body type. Depending on the cut and if you have a large bust, it might not be concealing enough. Try it on and make sure you find it both flattering and comfortable.

Pair your dress with a strapless bra. Even if you have bras that have colorful or fashionable straps they will ruin the intended look of a one-shoulder style. If your one-shoulder dress has a low backline, consider using stick-on pasty bras, which you can find at most lingerie stores.

Avoid layering clothes when wearing a one-shoulder dress. The point of a one-shoulder dress is to show off that one side of your upper body, so avoid covering it with a pullover, shawl, jacket or cardigan. This is why one-shoulder dresses work best during warmer months.

Select a simple accessory. Skip necklaces that will make the neckline area look busy. Try earrings, a ring or bracelet and select only one, to avoid too many accessories. For example if you are doing a dressed-up look, pair your dress with a sparkling bangle bracelet; for a dressed-down look use simple silver earrings.

Put on your bra then dress and ensure your bra doesn’t show in the front or the back. If the dress is slightly sagging in an area and showing a piece of your bra, cut a small piece of double-sided fashion tape and tape it in place.

Style your hair to compliment your exposed shoulder. If you want to wear your hair down, have it lay behind your shoulders or pull it forward over the shoulder with the strap. Throw on accessories, shoes and go.

PAGE 29

Pots & Pans PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Coconut Candy T

here are other snacks or desserts referred to as coconut candy but the sweet chewy coconut candy here is the one made in northern Nigeria and called [kuakumeti]. Though some work goes to grating the fresh coconut meat into tiny pieces, the snack itself is easy to make.

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

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

Directions Pour the coconut juice into the pot.

Add the icing sugar (powdered sugar).

Stir.

Add the tiny coconut pieces and stir.

Add water to the same level as the

coconut pieces.

Cover the pot and set to boil at high heat.

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

Reduce to low heat and continue stirring.

At a time, you will notice that the contents have started sticking together.

That is the sugar caramelising.

Keep stirring till the coconut pieces start turning slightly brown.

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

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

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

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

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

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Orange juice concentrate

O

range juice concentrate is often frozen and later made into orange juice by adding water to the mixture. The juice must have the water removed to become a concentrate. The procedure for removing the water is a simple one, though time consuming.

Instructions Pour the orange juice into a plastic, thin-necked jug.

Allow extra room for the juice to expand. Place the jug in the freezer and allow it to freeze completely. The amount of time it takes to freeze will vary depending on the amount of juice.

Remove the jug and put it upside down over the widenecked container. Allow the juice to melt and drip into the second container. The water crystals melt slower than the juice, so the initial drips are concentrated orange juice.

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

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

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

Allow the ice to melt naturally. Adding heat will result in ice melting faster and more water in the end result.

Orange juice concentrate allows storage of the juice until a later date.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Music

PAGE 31

AMAs award: Rihanna dazzles in celebrity mother-daughter moment R

one photograph, the "Single Ladies" crooner is seen crouching over her daughter's stroller as a then 16-month-old Blue Ivy reaches out to touch the tip of Bey's nose.

Angelina Jolie & Marcheline Bertrand Angelina Jolie honored the memory of her late mother Marcheline Bertrand in an emotional acceptance speech at the 2013 Governor's Awards last week. Jolie received an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian efforts and cited her mother as the inspiration for her philanthropic spirit.

"My mother loved art," Jolie said of Bertrand, who died in 2007 following a battle with ovarian cancer. "She loved film. She supported any crazy thing I did but whenever it had meaning, she made a point of telling me, 'That is what film is for.'"

"I will do the best I can with this life to be of use," she added. "To stand here today means I did as she asked and if she were alive, she'd be very proud."

Kim Kardashian & North West Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are smitten with their 5-month-old daughter North West. The couple has been spotted spending some family time in New York City this week with baby North in tow. Kardashian took to Instagram Nov 21 to share a photo of mommy and daughter spending some quality time.

"Girls Day," she captioned the photo of North tightly clasping the fingers of her mother and fellow television personality Lala Vasquez.

Goldie Hawn & Kate Hudson In a hilarious mother-daughter moment, Goldie Haw challenged her daughter Kate Hudson to a tennis match at the Novak Djokic Goundation gala this past June.

According to People Magazine, Hawn, 67, hiked up her floor-length gown for the impromptu game, which she played in heels.

Hudson, also wearing an evening gown, tossed the stilettos, preferring to play barefoot.

Katie Holmes & Suri Cruise Katie Holmes and her 7-year-old daughter Suri are an inseparable duo. The pair have been spotted hand-in-hand sightseeing around the world. In this candid snapshot, mother and daughter are seen sharing a snack on a hot summer day during a visit to the Mush ri T m u ith m -w seum of Modern Art s ru y Miley-C in New York City.

ihanna , the self-acclaimed “bad gal”, made an emotional appearance with her mom at the AMA prestigious ceremony in a fashion similar to what seven other celebrities did with years back.

The "Diamonds" singer mmy d mo received the firstn a e c ever Icon Award Beyon at the 2013 Americ a n Music Awards on Sunday, presented to her by her mother Monica Braithwate.

"Rihanna, I am so proud of you tonight," Briathwate said, holding hands with her famous daughter. "I know the journey in your career has not always been an easy one, but tonight I applaud you and admire you for being so strong and so positive and so humble and so focused."

Rihanna and her mother, Monica Fenty at the AMA award "It's amazing how you always manage to take good from all your experiences," she continued. "I am so blessed to be a part of this historic moment."

The moving exchange was a departure from the norm for the daring starlet, but Rihanna isn't the first celebrity to reveal a softer, more vulnerable side in the presence of her mom. Take a look at some of Hollywood's most heartwarming motherdaughter moments.

Miley & Tish Cyrus Singer Miley Cyrus is no stranger to bad behavior. The 21-year-old singer has continued to make headlines months after her risqué performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Still, as Miley's popularity soars, she's a momma's girl at heart.

In a clip from the MTV Documentary "Miley: The Movement," momager Tish Cyrus defended her daughter against media critics. To fans who question where Miley's mom is at this critical time in her career, Tish had this to say, "Right beside her, through good, through bad, through arguments, through crying, I don't care what… right there."

In the scene, mother and daughter share an intimate moment, with Tish massaging Miley's back as she prepares for an upcoming performance. "My mom is my homie," Miley said. "If I win, she wins. Not because she's my manager, because she's my mom."

Beyonce & Blue Ivy There's no shortage of cute mommyand-me moments for Beyonce and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The toddler joined her mother on The Ms. Carter Show world tour earlier this year, resulting in a slew of adorable backstage snapshots. In kate Hudson and her famous mama Goldie Hawn Angelina Jolie with her late mother Marcheline Bertrand

PAGE 32

Fiction

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

...continued from last week

“Alright, I’ll give you a call.”

“But I don’t have a phone!”

Another secret revealedthe picture of Lily T

he next morning I woke up early due to all the mind-boggling questions that were roaming in my mind. As usual everyone was asleep except Mr. Woodson.

He was sitting quietly on the front porch with a calm expression on his face.

“Good morning.” I said.

He was startled at my voice and said, “Oh! Woke up early today?”

“I can ask you the same question I guess.”

He smiled at my answer and signalled me to sit next to him.

“So have you settled in?” He asked.

“Yes... very well. I feel very happy to be here now.” I said.

“Hmm... so now you’re not annoyed or confused anymore?”

“No... actually I have come to terms with my new life.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes... why do you doubt?”

“Because you have never been so easy... you have always been very stubborn...” He said with a small laugh.

“What do you mean?” I said.

“Um... nothing, Rose must be up by now, I should leave.” He quickly rushed into the house.

What did he mean by... I’ve always been stubborn?

In the evening I sat down on my bed to take a nap as I was feeling extremely tired.

And then I had a strange dream again.

“Lilly stop,” said the man.

The little girl kept running.

“Stop or you will fall.” The man said again.

“I want candy.” The girl said and she kept running.

“Lily stop,” the man said sternly while holding her hand, “Why are you so stubborn?”

I woke up with a shock. Why was I dreaming of Lily? Obviously, I couldn’t see her face in my dream, but today I saw the man who was calling her... it was Mr. Woodson, a younger version of him. But how can I see him in my dreams when in reality I have never seen him when he was young not even a photograph!

Then the headache started again... oh God! I was completely busy, not physically but mentally. I was busy jotting down all the clues and events on a piece of paper. And then I tried to connect all the dots but everything just seemed blank. I felt as if there was just few more pieces left to complete this puzzle, but the fact was without those few pieces I won’t even get a clue about anything.

“Felicia.” I heard Mrs. Rose knocking on my door.

I stood up and opened up the door.

“Um... do you need anything?” I asked.

“No. I am here to tell you that I am going to my friend’s house and I’ll be dropping Annabell to school on my way, so you better take care of the house.”

For a while I wondered whether this was information for me or an order, but then I just replied.

“Yes! I will.”

Then she turned back and left the house through the front door taking Annabell along with her.

‘Now, this is the time to talk to Alice I guess.’ I wondered.

I carefully stepped out of the house and reached at Alice’s door.

“Hi!” Alice opened up the door for me.

“Come on in.”

I accepted her invitation and got in her house. Then Alice took me to her bedroom and soon, I realized that I didn’t have much time and I should be getting back to business.

“Alice, did you find anything related to those medical reports,” I said “Yes, I tried to call that doctor but he just won’t pick up. But don’t worry I’ll let you know as soon as possible.”

“What about the internet?”

“Bad news… my server’s down for another week… you’ll have to wait.”

“Ok, but please let me know if you find something helpful.”

“

“Don’t worry,” said Alice. Then she stood up from her bed and took out a phone from the drawer and handed it to me.

“Now you do.” She said.

“But I can’t keep it.”

“You have to if you want me to help you.”

She tried to blackmail me.

“Lily,” said a lady.

“Yes mom,” said Lily.

“Would you come with me?”

“No... I’ll go with dad.”

“No... I’ll take you with me.”

I wake up to see the morning light, but now these lights were of no use for me when my entire world is in darkness. The only thing that’s disturbing me the most is why am I getting these dreams? Why is Lily coming in my dreams when I’ve never seen her?

Oh! I wonder when all these questions will come to an end?

In the evening we all left for dinner, Mr. Woodson took us to one of the finest restaurants in New York and ordered the most mouth-watering dishes for us. The food came in no time and believe me... the food looked and tasted great... it was just superlative but then I wondered why Mr. Woodson suddenly planned this evening and this time I got the answer without even asking.

“So did you like the food?” Asked Rose.

“Yes... it was just heavenly.” I replied.

“Hmm... you must be wondering about the sudden dinner plan?” Asked Mr. Woodson.

“Of course I am.”

“Well... you should know that today’s a very special day for us. Today you can ask for anything you want.”

“Why... what’s so special today?”

“Um... you’ll know.”

No, he didn’t tell me the exact answer as always but whatever it was must be very special because only a very big thing could have brought the shine in Mr. Woodson’s eyes as there is today.

At night when we were returning home, I saw Alice sitting in the front porch of her house with her head bowed down. I found it very unusual to see her in the middle of the night sitting all alone outside her secure home but I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even ask her what was wrong as the Woodsons were just next to me, but I waited... waited for the morning to come and break the news!

In the morning after having my breakfast the first thing I did was to call Alice.

“Hello,” said Alice.

I woke up with a shock. Why was I dreaming of Lily? Obviously, I couldn’t see her face in my dream, but today I saw the man who was calling her... it was Mr. Woodson, a younger version of him. But how can I see him in my dreams when in reality I have never seen him when he was young not even a photograph!

“Hey... Alice it’s me... Felicia.”

“Of course I know it’s my own number stupid.”

“Oh... sorry. I am so silly.”

“I know!”

“What?”

“Nothing. So what made you call?”

“Umm... actually I wanted to ask you something.”

“What?”

“Well, I need to meet you to ask that question.”

“Sure! Your place or mine?”

“Of course yours!”

“Ok, when?”

“When Annabell leaves for school with Rose.”

“Ok... I’ll be waiting.”

And then she hung up the phone and I waited for Rose to leave.

After Rose left I sneaked out of the house to meet Alice. Alice and I were sitting in her study room when I finally asked her about the previous day.

“Alice, I know it might sound a little annoying or maybe a bit too stupid but I saw you sitting in the front porch yesterday, late night and I just didn’t feel okay. I mean...” I sighed.

“I know what you want to ask me. Actually, yesterday was Lily’s birthday and every time on her birthday I just can’t sleep at night. It reminds that I lost my friend just a few days before her birthday. If I could have stopped her from going, she would have been celebrating her birthday with me till now,” she sighed.

“You mean yesterday was Lily’s birthday?”

“Yes!” “Oh!” If it was Lily’s birthday yesterday then why did Mr. Woodson call it a special day?

Maybe he’s just gone crazy after losing his daughter, maybe hasn’t come to terms with her death!

Suddenly I noticed Alice looking at a photograph; she held it tightly and swiped one of her hands over the frame.

“What’s it?” I asked.

“It’s Lily’s photograph... when she was 11 years old.” She said showing the photograph to me.

I looked at the photograph and suddenly felt like I’ve been hit by a meteor! The girl in the photograph... LILY seemed so familiar... it was... it was the same girl from my dreams... the girl whose voice I heard so clearly... the girl Mr. Woodson was chasing...

Mrs. Rose was blackmailing... it was no one else but Lily!

I pressed the photograph against my chest and said, “I gotta go... and I’m taking this photograph with me, if you find something about those reports do call me, ok?”

I quickly rushed out of the house. Suddenly I felt like the puzzle in my head had started to solve.

I rushed into my bedroom and took the phone that Alice had given me and dialed the only number I remembered so clearly. I heard the dial tone and then a lady picked up the phone and I recognized her voice immediately.

“Hello Ms. Fiona... it’s me Felicia!”

“Felicia... dear how are you?” She choked. I knew she would cry!

“I need your help!” to be continued… www.ibuzzle.com

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 33

Romance

He died loving me

J

ust imagine this scenario: One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walked into a lawyer’s office. Apparently, they were there to file a divorce.

The Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story and the story is that this couple had been quarrelling and disagreeing in all their over 40 years of marriage and nothing ever seemed to go right.

The reason they hanged on to each other was because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children were already grown up, all of them having their own families. At this point, there was nothing else the old couple had to worry about. All they wanted was to lead their own lives free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agreed on a divorce.

The Lawyer was having a hard time trying to get the papers done, because he felt that after 40 years of marriage at the age of 70, he couldn’t understand why the old couple would still want a divorce. ut while they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband; “I really love u, but I really can’t carry on anymore, I’m sorry.”

“Its alright, I understand, “said the husband. Having observed them, the lawyer suggested a dinner together, just the three of them. So the wife thought, why not, since they are still going to be friends.

At the dining table, there was an awkward silence.

The first dish was roasted chicken, immediately; the old man took the drumstick for the old lady. “Take this, it’s your favourite”, he said.

Having watched them keenly, the lawyer thought maybe there was still a chance, but the wife was frowning when she gave her answer.

“This is always the problem, you always think so highly of yourself, never thought about how I feel. Don’t you know that I hate drumsticks?”

Little did she know that, over the years, the husband had been trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks was the husband’s favourite. Little did he know that she never thought he understood her at all, little did he know that she hates drumsticks even though all he

B

wanted was the best for her.

That night, both of them couldn’t sleep. All they did was toss and turn, toss and turn. After a few hours, the old man couldn’t take it anymore. He knew that he still loved her, and he couldn’t carry on with life without her. He wanted her back. He wanted so much to tell her he was sorry. He wanted to tell her “I love you”.

He picked up the phone and starting dialling her number. The phone rang non- stop. However, he never stopped dialling.

On the other end, she was sad. She couldn’t understand how come after all these years; he still did seem not to understand her at all. She loved him a lot, but she just couldn’t take it anymore. Her phone kept ringing but she refused to answer knowing that it was him on the other end.

“What’s the point of talking now that it is obviously over?

I have asked for it and now, I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face,” she thought.

Her phone wouldn’t just stop still ringing because he decided not to give up so she then decided to pull out the cord. hat she failed to put into consideration was the fact that her husband had heart problems.

The following day, she received the news that he had passed away. She rushed down to his apartment and saw his body lying on the couch; still holding on to the phone. He had a heart attack when he was still trying to get through her phone line.

As sad as she could be, it was incumbent on her to clear his belongings. When she was looking through the drawers, she saw this insurance policy which dated back to the very day they got married, with the beneficiary being her. And contained in that file was this note...

“To my dearest wife; by the time you are reading this, I’m sure I’m no longer around. I bought this policy for you, though the amount is only a hundred thousand dollars, $100.00. I hope it will be able to help me continue my promise that I did make when we got married. I might not be around anymore, I want this amount of money to continue taking care of you just the way I would have loved to do if I could only live a little longer. I want you to know I

W

And the tears flowed

“

The reason they hanged on to each other was because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children were already grown up, all of them having their own families. At this point, there was nothing else the old couple had to worry about. All they wanted was to lead their own lives free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agreed on a divorce.

will always be around, by your side; and I love you.” t this, she became uncontrollable with regret. “He was far more loving than I imagined”, she muttered underneath her breath.

A

Tears flowed like a river and she let them pour freely.

Upon addressing her children on their father’s death and the way forward, she had this to say; “When you love someone, let them know. You can never know what will hap-

pen the next minute. Learn to build a life together. Learn to love each other. Above all, love people for who they are and not exactly what they are.” allnigeria.com

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Entertainment Xtra Why I warned Blogs off my songs - 9ice

Kanye West quits Nike and joins Adidas

R

ecently, 9ice has gradually been making efforts to get back into the minds of some lovers of good music in Nigeria. Even though his recent music career has not matched that of his 'Gongo Aso' days when he stole the shows and headlined big gigs across the world, some critics have given him a clean bill of health to bounce back.

Few years ago, he even got the rare privilege to perform for one of Africa's greatest legends, Nelson Mandela during his birthday. It was a great feat achieved by the estranged husband of Toni Payne.

The artiste has reportedly been struggling like a new born baby to gain his feet back in the industry he once ruled.

However, 9ice, recently, warned website and blogs owners to stop uploading his songs on their platforms without his consent.

He took to twitter to give out this warning, "please stop uploading my songs on your websites without my permission. Good intention wrong execution. Pls honour this," 9ice wrote.

However, speaking with Nigeriafilms.com in a phone chat, the singer's management, DicotyleDon Entertainment, explained that the reason was due to exclusive right given to Spinlet to upload the song for now.

Spirit Awards: Nominations heavy on Oscar frontrunners

T

he Film Independent Spirit Awards, which aim to celebrate the best work in American films that cost roughly $21 million or less, are usually good for a few surprises when they reveal their annual nominations. Their 29th set were announced recently and proved to be no exception: if you predicted a best actress nom for Gaby Hoffmann for her work opposite Michael Cera in Crystal Fairy and/or a best supporting actress nom for Yolanda Ross for her turn in indie icon John Sayles’ Go for Sisters, then you should probably catch the next plane to Vegas, because nobody else did. But, belying the handful of unlikely selections of that nature, Spirit Awards voters actually highlighted more of the presumptive frontrunners in more of the major Oscar categories this year than in any other that can be remembered.

Fox Searchlight’s 12 Years a Slave, the best picture Oscar frontrunner, continued its blaze through the season by racking up a fieldleading seven Spirit norms, including all of the biggies for which it was eligible: best feature, best director, best actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), best supporting actor (Michael Fassbender), best supporting actress (Lupita Nyong’o) and best screenplay (John Ridley). Perhaps, on Oscar weekend, it will become just the third film in 28 years -- after Platoon (1986) and The Artist (2011) -- to win the best feature Spirit Award and then win the best picture Oscar... or perhaps the rule will hold and Gravity will swoop in and claim the latter.

Paramount’s Nebraska had a pretty terrific day, as well, finishing close behind 12 Years with six noms of its own, including best feature, best director (Alexander Payne), best actor (Bruce Dern), best supporting actor (Will Forte) and best supporting actress (June Squibb) and best first screenplay (Bob Nelson). The black-and-white indie needed a big boost which they got.

Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions’ All Is Lost, meanwhile, got just about everything it wanted: in addition to best feature, it was nominated for best director (J.C. Chandor), best actor (Robert Redford) and best cinematography.

The category’s other two slots went to films that received bizarrely mixed messages: CBS Films’ Inside Llewyn Davis, which also scored a mention for best actor (Oscar Isaac), but oddly not for the Coen brothers in the best director and best original screenplay races; and IFC Films’ Frances Ha, which, like Nebraska, is also in black-andwhite, but which was snubbed in every other category except for best editing -- meaning that Greta Gerwig, who is essentially the face of independent film these days, scored neither a best actress nom nor a best screenplay nom (the latter of which she would have shared with the film’s director, Noah Baumbach.

The most noteworthy snub in the top category, was Sony Pictures Classics’ Blue Jasmine, a presumptive best picture Oscar contender -- certainly more so than Frances Ha -- which did earn a best actress nom for Cate Blanchett and a best screenplay nom for Woody Allen.

Dern, Ejiofor, Isaac and Redford are joined in the best actor race -- which was arbitrarily expanded to include six slots rather than five

-- by Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club (which also nabbed a best supporting actor nom for Jared Leto, Fassbender’s closest competition) and Michael B. Jordan for Fruitvale Station (which also bagged noms for best first feature, in recognition of writer/director Ryan Coogler, and best supporting actress -- surprisingly Melonie Diaz, not Oscar winner Octavia Spencer).

While it’s quite possible -- and maybe even likely -- that the five eventual best actor Oscar nominees will come from the pool of six best actor Spirit Award nominees, the same cannot be said for the best actress category (which was afforded five slots by both groups). The Oscar favorite, Blue Jasmine’s Blanchett, was nominated, but her presumptive chief competition at the big show, Gravity’s Sandra Bullock and Saving Mr. Banks’ Emma Thompson, were ineligible. The category was instead filled out by the aforementioned Hoffmann, as well as Before Midnight’s Julie Delpy and two eminently worthy up-and-comers, Short Term 12’s Brie Larson (who would have many votes) and The Spectacular Now’s Shailene Woodley. Oddly, Enough Said’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus was not afforded a slot, even though her late costar James Gandolfini was nominated for best

supporting actor and the film’s screenwriter Nicole Holofcener garnered a nom for best screenplay.

Speaking of the supporting categories, in the best supporting actor race Fassbender, Forte Gandolfini and Leto are joined by Short Term 12’s other big revelation, Keith Stanfield, and in the best supporting actress race Diaz, Nyong’o, Ross and Squibb are joined by Blanchett’s Blue Jasmine sparring partner Sally Hawkins.

As for the best director field, Chandor, McQueen and Payne are joined by two indie mavericks, Mud’s Jeff Nichols (whose film will also receive the annual Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast) and Shane Carruth, who directed the groundbreaking micro-budget hit Upstream Color.

In the best screenplay category, 12 Years’ Ridley and Enough Said’s Holofcener are joined by Blue Jasmine’s Woody Allen (who exclusion from the best director category is somewhat surprising), Before Midnight’s Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater (whose magnificently-reviewed film was inexplicably snubbed for best feature, just like the earlier two Before films) and Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for their touching The Spectacular Now.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 35

Bollywood/Hollywood

U2, filmmakers creating original song ‘Ordinary Love’ for Mandela

H

ollywood Reporter has said that movie promoter, Harvey Weinstein revealed that it was easy to get the superstar band to agree to compose music for the film and suggested the group’s a perfect fit, but Bono and The Edge said they worked hard to get it right.

U2 may be considered the biggest band in the world, but when it came to getting the superstar group to record a song for The Weinstein Company’s new film about Nelson Mandela, the negotiations weren’t that difficult.

“It was the easiest yes I’ve ever received in doing this,” Harvey Weinstein told a group of reporters at a special screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

Director Justin Chadwick shed more light on how U2 became involved with the film and what they connected with in the story.

“I wrote to Bono and asked him to see the movie,” Chadwick told The Hollywood Reporter. “I know obviously of his connection with Mandela’s family and the struggle -- and Northern Ireland went through a struggle as well and that band formulated out of that struggle -- and when he saw the movie, connected with it and saw actually what the heart of the movie was, which a film about love and forgiveness is. So, he and the band went back to their roots and it’s a very, very raw recording. “Ordinary Love” is a beautiful track that echoes the early U2.

Chadwick, who grew up as a U2 fan in Manchester, listening to their earlier albums like Boy, War and Unforgettable Fire, said it was an honor for him to have the band compose a song for his film.

“And to listen to them cut it in the recording studio was just a dream come true for me,” he added.

Weinstein suggested that U2 is the perfect fit for the film, given their antiapartheid background and friendship with Mandela.

“In the 1970s as Irish musicians, teenagers, they used to play gigs opposing apartheid,” Weinstein said. “[Mandela] knows them so well. They’ve been there 20, 25 years of his life. They organized the big shows to raise awareness to sanction South Africa. They’ve been right at the forefront. There’s nobody in the world that he would rather have or we would rather have.”

Both Bono and The Edge told a group of reporters during the screening that they worked hard to create a song worthy of Mandela, knowing they had to get it right.

“I went through a lot of drafts, just to get it right,” Bono said.

Miley Cyrus to star in a very expensive Super Bowl advert

A

fter making headlines with her outrageous on-stage acts and weird dresses, 21-yearold songstress Miley Cyrus will make her presence felt in what is only the biggest professional football event in America: Super Bowl The ‘We Can’t Stop’ singer will reportedly be signing on the dotted line for an expensive advert deal with Wonderful Pistachios - a company that manufactures pistachios (clearly) - and the ad will be aired during American (prime time) Super Bowl.

Given that Fox Sports is reportedly charging $4 million for 30 seconds, this is one juicy deal for lil’ Miley.

One Direction announces North American tour

O

ne Direction is headed west. The band announced that it’s officially bringing the “Where We Are” tour to North America in 2014, Hollywood Reporter has said.

“We are bringing it to North America,” the band’s Niall Horan told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America. “The tickets for the tour will be on sale early December this year. We’ll be playing our first show on the first of August in Toronto.”

So far, the tour’s North American leg is set to stop in New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanto and El Paso, among other major cities. The group will take over the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif, on 12th September, 2014.

Following a performance at the American Music Awards, One Direction also sang hits “Best Song Ever,” “Story of My Life” and “What Makes You Beautiful” in a cold and foggy Central Park in New York after making the tour announcement.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Kannywood

MTN/Kannywood award 2013: Enhancing the outlook of Kannywood From Mustapha Adamu Kano.

T

he Kano state movie industry, popularly known as Kannywood, was established in 1990, two years before Nollywood. It is usually cited as the best commercial Hausa film industry in northern Nigeria.

By 2012 over 2000 film companies across northern Nigeria registered with the Kano State Film Association (Kannywood).

The industry is a combination of actors, producers, directors, musicians, among others which are formed in guilds.

They also generate revenue for the government as each film going to the market has to pay nothing less than N20, 000 to the National Film and Video Censors Board. This also helps the economy to improve aside job creation.

Since its inception, the industry has participated in award ceremonies and many actors bagged awards in different categories in film making.

This event was the first ever to be organised and sponsored by the telecommunication mobile network MTN. Our reporter traced the history of this award where he visited Hamisu Lamido Iyan-Tama, one of the Kannywood elders and screen maestro at his office where he confirmed that the brain behind the award was his brother.

“The event was organised by a media firm called Klassic Sarari Merchandise, popularly known as Cems n Klasik, owned by Dr. Sarari, a brother to me and a media consultant of Kannywood North-West region, but the firm have only organised awards in Ghana and Lagos.”

“Considering the development of Kannywood industry in Northern region of Nigeria, especially the northwest region, Sarari had initiated the idea of holding the Kannywood award for the first time in the region which is slated to hold in Kano, the place where the film industry is based.

He contacted MTN Communication Company to sponsor the event. Seeing the benefit that might be derived from the event, MTN accepted and sponsored the event. After they signed the agreement with Sarari merchandise, they came to meet us on how we would make it happen.

He warned me not to fail him and

by God’s grace, everything was successful.” Iyan-Tama said.

He added that “the event was successful because it was coordinated in committees that discharged their duties well. We set up security committee, protocol and welfare committee as well as publicity committee. This is from my part and I don’t know the procedure the jurist followed to give the awards for the winners.”

Iyantama, was appointed the chairman of organising the

event. Although Iyantama gave out some “Iyan-Tama Multimedia Awards” in 2010, this year in Kano was the first edition of the “Kannywood Arewa Music and Movie Award (AMMA) and it was the largest gathering of Kannywood artistes, Technical crew, relevant individuals and groups.

The event was a must attend for anyone with responsibility in the entertainment industry. Attending the event was an excellent opportunity to promote Face of Kannywood.

The “Paradigm Uplift and Unity” refers to a movement which seeks not only to implement and achieve this Kannywood Award show, but to advance Arewa cultural heritage by introducing innovative methodology, new thinking and changing the perception of existing outlook of Kannywood image.

The event, which was held on 23rd November, 2013 at the afferent, Sultan road in the Kano metropolis, featured a gathering of Kannywood artistes, technical crew, yellow carpet, banquet, stage show and jamboree of special guests.

There was tight security at the event as a result of the presence of the important dignitaries that were invited to receive their respective awards and witness the event.

Security was beefed up to control the event. Others were security aides of Kaduna state governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, who received the peace icon award for the year 2013, as well as other dignitaries invited to the event as well as those for the Kano State governor.

More than 35 artistes from Kannywood received award for their great performance in their various role in film making.

These include Best Lead Actor, Best Actress, Best Comic Actor, Best Sounds, Costume, Best Picture, Cinematography, Best Actor in a Villain Role, Best Editor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Set Design, Soundtrack, Supporting Actress, New Coming Actress, New Coming Actor, Visual Effects, Best Kid Actor, Best Original Story, and finally Best Film. In the Music categories, they will be giving awards for Best Music, Best Lyrics, Best Background Singer Male, Best Background Singer Female.

Other awards were given to some politicians for their respective roles towards the development of Kannywood and the society as a whole.

The Kano state governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, received an award for establishing a film institution for Kannywood and the entire people of Kano.

Kaduna state governor received the “icon of peace” award for his effort to restore peace in the state which created enabling

and friendly environment for Kannywood to operate in the state.

Unfortunately, the Kannywood Scene list left off a few of the awards that were on the original nomination list which were later awarded due to time shortage.

The awards were given to the best Kannywood magazine, best Kannywood reporter and best Kannywood radio presenter.

Other award was given to the best Hausa hip hop rapper.

The awards are as follows: BEST ACTOR LEAD Matan Gida, Ali Nuhu BEST ACTRESS Ahlil Kitab, Nafisa Abdullahi BEST EDITOR Ta’addanci Saddam A Koli/ Adam A Zango BEST DIRECTOR Wata Hudu, Aminu Saira SUPPORTING ACTRESS Ahlal Kitab Nafisa Abdullahi Lamiraj Rahama Hassan Suwaga Ladidi Abdullahi (Tubless) Kicimilli Ladi Muhammed (Mutu Ka Raba) Upcoming Actress Matan Gida Aisha Aliyu (Tsamiya) BEST MUSIC Basaja. Adam A. Zango BEST LYRICS Sadi Sidi. Daga Allah ne BEST FILM Wani Gari Kano State governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who was represented by his deputy,

Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, received an honour award for establishing a film institute in Kano.

Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero who was at the event was honoured with the Peace Icon Award for the year 2013.

Hon. Aminu Suleman Goro, House of Representative, representing Fagge Local Government constituency, received the award of “friend of Kannywood”.

According to Iyan-Tama, “we deemed it fit to award Goro with such award because of his contribution towards the development of Kannywood and the teeming youth in his constituency and the entire state.”

Kannywood Scene also listed a few awards that were not on the original list: Zahraddeen Sani won the Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Fulani; Sani Danja recieved an Icon of Entertainment Award; Falalu Dorayi won the Golden Jury Award; and Alhaji Sani Zamfara and Rabi’u Haruna Al-Rahuz won an award for Best Marketers.

Kannywood Scene list left off a few of the awards that were on the original nomination list.

These awards are: Aminu Abba Umar, popularly known as Nomiis Gee, won the award for Best Hausa Hip Hop Rapper.

Sadiq Salihu Abubakar won Kannywood’s Best R&B Artiste.

Jos-based director and producer, Sani Mu’azu, won a life-

time achievement award, alongside Ibrahim Mandawari, Audu Kano Karkuzu, Samanja, and Hamisu Lamido Iyantama.

Iyan-Tama also stated that the awards and the nominations were based on merit as the jurists considered the performance of the artistes in their respective categories. “ Nomination and awards were based on merit because the jurists monitored the performance of each artiste in his/her respective category in the films.

The jurists watch every film and give marks according to performance. The nominees have to purchase application form for the award and the jurists score each applicant based on performance.” He added.

Meanwhile, as a result of large crowd which was believed to be supporters of the respective Kannywood artistes as well as invited politicians, there was some commotion which resulted to sporadic gunshots by the security operatives in order to calm the atmosphere.

To clear the air over this, Iyan-Tama said, “There was no crisis during the event. What happened was just a stampede at the entrance of the venue when Governor Ramalan Yero and Ganduje were trying to enter, then the security deemed it right to pave way for them to gain entry into the venue. So they shot sporadically to the air in order to clear the place,” he said.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Entertainment Flakes

Eith FUNSHO AKINWALE PHONE NO: 08051101191

No grudge against Don Jazzy, says Wande Coal

F

igeria top act, David Adeleke, otherwise known as Davido, turned 21, on Thursday, November, 20.

And to celebrate this, the singer feated with the pupils of Ikeja Government Primary School ,Lagos State, where he played with the children and gave them several gift items.

Adeleke, thereafter moved to the Heart of Gold Children Hospice as well as Heritage Orphanage Homes, all in Lagos state to share his joy.

The Ede, Osun State born celebrity not only gives out several gifts but also spent quality time with the special children.

BBA winner, Dillish Matthews exchanges marital vows

B

ig Brother Africa 2013 winner, Dillish Matthews, has tied the knot.

The Namabian born winner hooked her long standing lover in Namabia couple of days ago. Surprisingly, Nigeria’s Melvin Oduah was the only BBA house mate that honoured the invitation of the sexy and well-composed Namabian, who surpassed every house members in the house to win the big prize.

T

he first digital TV station in Nigeria, MultiChoice Nigeria, celebrated their 20th year anniversary in Nigeria last Sunday at the Eko Hotel, Convention Centre,VictoriaIsland,Lagos State.

That was the same day, Lola and Peter Okoye of PSquare fame, had their colorful traditional wedding ceremony on the island in Lagos. The event was tagged MultiChoice Nigeria at 20 and the Chairman’s Ball.

The Nigeria Chairman, Dewunmi Ogunsanya, represented the multimillionaire chairman at the occasion. It was a well attended event with the retinue of Nigeria international artistes and from other African countries.

Davido celebrates 21st birthday with primary school pupils in Lagos

N

ormer Mavin Records' artiste, Wande Coal, has disclosed that he doesn't have any grudges against his former boss, Don Jazzy.

He made the comment following the crisis that occurred between them some weeks back. Coal also added that he has put behind the disgrace they gave each other on Twitter, which generated a lot of concerns in the public.

Coal, in his said: "whenever I see Don Jazzy, I will embrace him, simply to show that the old things have passed away. I'm now a new creature and everything has become new".

Multichoice Nigeria celebrates at 20

PAGE 37

Fiberesima to speak at world property summit Dec 6

P

resident of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima, has been invited to speak at the World Intellectual Property Organization Summit, coming up on December 6,2013,in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast capital.

Sources disclosed the actress and ex-beauty queen had been invited for the summit following her decision to ensure Nigeria actors and actresses get their dues on their intellectual properties.

The first female national president is expected to join several individuals from the rest of the world in Abidjan to speak at the Ministerial Meeting of Economies on Creativity and Access to Knowledge: A Social and Economics Impetus For Africa.

When contacted, Fiberesima in her words said, “I’m glad that this is coming because it shows our efforts to bring the much desired change to AGN is getting noticed. I would be there with some of my administrative staff and you won’t be disappointed”

Zeb Ejiro, others get N80m

P

rolific producer cum director, Zeb Ejiro and 39 other Nollywood practitioners have been able to access part of the N3billion grant given to the Nigeria Movie industry by President Goodluck Jonathan, earlier this year.

A very dependable source disclosed to us that the practitioners recently got the funds under the capacity building initiative to help the practitioners to acquire more skills, training and upgrade of existing facilities.

While The Eagle Online's investigation couldn't ascertain other practitioners, who have been able to apply and access the fund close sources further said that top Nollywood producers and actors are currently working towards applying and securing the capacity building funds.

Even at 100 years I will wait for the right manKaren Igho

Enugu Day Festival

T

T

he Enugu Day festival is a day set aside to celebrate our rich cultures and traditions.

The celebration is a funfair which brings to the sons and daughters of Enugu state living outside the state together. It portrays the beauty and richness of our culture."

This statement was made by the Commissioner For Culture and Tourism, Enugu state, Ozo Joe Mmamel in his welcome address at the Enugu Day Festival, held at the National Stadium, Lagos last Saturday.

The Enugu day festival is an annual funfair put together by the indigenes of Enugu state living outside the state, particularly in Lagos, in a bid to promote the rich cultures of the state.

Among the activities of the day were; cultural dances by indigenes of various clans of the state, display of masquerades from various towns, eating etc.

In an interview, Mr Arinze Egbo of Nomeh clan in Enugu state, said that, the annual celebration of the Enugu Day festival has really

helped in promoting the culture, as it has helped in bringing the activities of the cultural festival from Enugu to the doorsteps of those indigenes of the state who cannot afford to travel down to their various hometowns in Enugu to enjoy the festivals there.

The highlights of the day's activities were dances and the display by various masquerades.

he 2011 Big Brother Africa Amplified winner, Karen Igho, recently disclosed in an interview that no matter how late it's for her to get the right man, she would rather wait.

Igho in her words said: "You know I can't go on Twitter and say I'm lonely or pick up phone and make calls and men will arrive.

"I can't do that". I want a connection, I want to be loved, I don't want to fall for someone because he is a star or for what he has.

"I want to fall in love with you because of who you are". Some men come and try to entice me with material things. You don't have to be rich to win my world.

"I will wait for the right man even if it takes a hundred years after all; they say God's time is the best".

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 38

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LETTERS How the elite underdevelop local councils in Tivland

By Nater Gbaa

E

ven though born in the 1980s, this writer has undergone a careful study and has come to the logical conclusion that the elite connive with the government at the centre, and instead of moving local councils forward, they grossly underdevelop them. The case may be applicable to all local councils in Nigeria nay Benue, but I wish to narrow the scope to the ancestral home of the Tiv Nation – Kwande.

According to historians, when the Tiv people left southern Africa, they passed through the Cameroonian hills and first settled in Binda Hills which is now in present day Kwande local council of Benue State.

There is no disputing the fact that Kwande has produced the highest number of Professors in Benue State so far. It is also undeniable that before anybody occupies any political office in the Benue North East Senatorial Zone (otherwise known as Zone ‘A’), he/she must be endorsed by Kwande.

Other observers even go to the extent of referring to Kwande indigenes as the “most intelligent” in Benue State.

Indeed, the Almighty has blessed Kwande with abundant human and material resources, cultural values as well as tourism potentials that only require operational attention. Apart from these, Kwande has suitable soil for any kind of agricultural investment. Indeed, the area has a climate that attracts not only

By Caleb Aliu

L

ast October, I had written to express my concern about the need for the national leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to work harder to rescue the party from possible disintegration at birth. But it seems that my concern has fallen on deaf ears because nothing drastic has been done to that effect.

This was evident in the list of Interim Committee members submitted by the leaders, which many believe were secretly inaugurated on 18th November,

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As a reminder, the first community bank in Tivland (Adashi) started in Adikpo, the headquarters of Kwande. Also, the first storey building in Tivland was built in Adikpo in 1961. Kwande also produced the first executive governor of Benue State in the person of late Mr. Aper Aku. Though Kwande has produced prominent sons and daughters who, in their individual capacities, did their best to develop the council, their efforts were not enough. These include: Akaakohol Ive, Aper Aku, Ako Dzungwe, Abaagu, Gbangban Kor, Ierkwagh Kajo, Pever Tseikpa, Botwev and a host of others.

There are so many questions that have,

for so long, been disturbing this writer about Kwande: Where is the “London” of Kwande that we used to hear about when we were growing up? Are prominent sons and daughters of Kwande aware of its underdevelopment status? When will the government turn to the rescue of Kwande?

What benefits have Kwande indigenes derived after voting en masse for this administration?

Can our youths ever be empowered? When will Kwande enjoy (stable) electricity supply?

Will they ever get quality medical attention at affordable charges? Can Kwande ever have a commercial bank?

Questions upon questions: How come majority of Kwande youths are jobless?

Despite our agricultural efforts, can we even

2013.

Here I state again that if this lackadaisical attitude is not stopped forthwith and imposition of persons is also not corrected the A.P.C. in Kogi would die at birth.

I wish to say finally that entrusting the new party into the hands of a neophyte in a non-politically conscious population like Kogi State is suicidal. Whatever efforts that will thereafter be made would amount to an exercise in futility.

The registration of A.P.C. was loudly welcome in Kogi state because it provided a viable option to the people who want change from the present bad governance.

But there will be no difference if the APC does not make its impact felt through credible leadership.

Failure could be staring the new party on its face if the national leadership allows some persons to impose themselves and their stooges on the people.

have a national produce market? When will Kwande have a higher institution on its soil? When shall we enjoy basic infrastructural amenities like good roads?

When will pupils in Kwande stop learning under trees or when will they stop sitting on the bare floor?

Again, is it not ironical that Kwande which has produced top bankers does not have a commercial bank on its soil? The only industry in Kwande is “sachet water production plant.”

It is regrettable that prominent sons and daughters of Kwande in high government positions of authority as well as those in the organized private sector are aware of these problems but have deliberately decided not to help. In other words, it has been discovered by this writer that the elite from Kwande prefer to receive “juicy positions” from government than witness the development of their land.

As Kwande’s prominent son and elder statesman, Wanteregh Paul Unongo asked in 1969, (a question that remains ever fresh 44 years after): “Where do we go from here?”

The solution is: the teeming youths of Kwande should take their destiny into their hands and individually use their votes wisely. Failing to do so may mean perpetually mortgaging their future. A word, they say, is enough for the wise.

Hon. Gbaa, Benue State House of Assembly (Nanev/Shangev) aspirant, contributed this piece from Abuja (0817.548.4591).

APC must avoid self-destruction in Kogi

Party leaders should be told in a clear language that an awaiting general does not berate or equate himself with already made general.

He who does that risks demotion or any form of disciplinary action.

I wish to restate here and clearly once more that a stitch in time saves nine.

Caleb Aliu Lokoja.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 39

Opinion

Public service delivery for the common good

By Austin Asadu

W

ithout doubt with the way things are going in this country, some may yearn for the pre-colonial days when the country was run by the British imperial crown officials and services and programs of government seemed to be running smoothly and public service was an exemplar of commitment, passion and dedication to the common good.

Then railway services were prompt and punctual, electricity was functional and those parts of the country that had pipe-borne water had their taps running with clean, drinkable water.

This planned, orderly and methodical style of governance was made possible by the superb quality of the civil service, which was largely incorruptible, highly trained, motivated and goal-oriented, that believed in transparent stewardship and selfless service devoid of pecuniary interests and fleeting rewards.

In fact, the civil service is the bedrock of any country’s economic and industrial development as it is responsible for policy formulation and implementation while the politicians are responsible for setting the general direction of governmental programs.

It is the civil servants that actually carry out the nitty-gritty of the developmental policies and objectives of a nation’s strategic rolling plans while the politiBy Sufuyan Ojeifo

A

nyone who has visited our country in the past weeks, who has been reading newspapers, visiting internet news sites and blogs, would naturally come to the conclusion that Stella Oduah, the aviation minister, is perhaps the greatest villain who ever lived.

This is so because the media, encouraged rather furiously by the opposition and civil society, have gone into overdrive in sensationalising and feasting on the alleged wrongdoing by the minister over the purchase of 2 BMW armoured vehicles by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Lurid pictures of overly corrupt transactions entered into between NCAA and motor vehicle dealer, Coscharis, have been painted just to taint, humiliate and have Oduah pushed out of office by her enemies and traducers. In many public circles, the minister has been verbally lynched, condemned and even put away before she had the chance to tell her own story.

The opposition, media, civil society and, of course, enemies of the minister who have sworn to see her back as the aviation minister have mounted unprecedented pressures on the government to have the minister sacked. She has been accused, abused and called names by people who even do not understand what the issues are so much so that one is forced to ask, what has Stella Oduah really done?

Indeed, the genesis of the minister’s current travails could be

cians grapple with translating the desires and aspirations of the people into a constitutional and legislative framework that the civil servants now build upon or add flesh to, as the case may be.

Even though Nigeria has been experiencing quite a lot of hiccups in the nation’s march towards economic and industrial apogee, many have posited that all hope is not lost, as there are still a lot of bright spots and dedicated talents that continue to perform exponentially in their various fields of responsibility and if their stellar performances could be replicated by their colleagues in the various sectors of our bureaucracy, it would not be farfetched to state that the promised land might not be too distant for us to attain as a nation.

Undoubtedly, the National Assembly has been in the public focus for quite some time as it remains the incubus of our political and economic development as a nation.

Even though it has had a chequered past having frequently come under the hammer of successive military regimes, fresh facts emerging from its administrative labyrinths point to a very bright future for the apex nation legislature as well as the nation in general as the political and administrative leadership have been seen to work in remarkable tandem and dynamic sync geared towards enthroning a refreshing corporate culture devoid of ethnic, religious or linguistic slant, bias, rancour, recrimination or acrimony.

The political leadership has been adeptly assisted by a dedicated core of civil servants led by Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, Clerk to the National Assembly, in fashioning out the constitutional and legislative blueprint in which the nation’s hopes for fast-track economic and industrial development rests on.

With the steady interaction between the National Assembly and the various MDAs that represent the nation’s bureaucracy, a steadfast Alhaji Maikasuwa has ensured that the federal legislators have all the tools and information needed to carry out their onerous oversight functions.

The Committee system has been drastically overhauled and refashioned to ensure that square pegs are placed firmly in square holes, with an emphasis on strict professionalism and exemplary performance in all its ramifica-

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tions.

Those who have sought to lobby for positions or appointments have met an unrelenting stone-wall, as a firm and principled Alhaji Maikasuwa has designed an elaborate and effective bureaucratic framework to promote excellence, commitment and dedication to duty while outrightly discouraging indolence, sloth, malingering, idle gossip, cronyism, nepotism, administrative back-scratching and influence-peddling.

A powerful cabal that was responsible for hijacking juicy contracts awards and procurements in the days of yore has been effectively defanged while the unholy mafia that determined strategic staff postings and deployments has been ingeniously neutralized by the irresistible raft of institutional and bureaucratic reforms effected by the foresight-

The Committee system has been drastically overhauled and refashioned to ensure that square pegs are placed firmly in square holes, with an emphasis on strict professionalism and exemplary performance in all its ramifications.

ed Chiroman Keffi.

In the highly-charged political atmosphere of our clime, it is almost impossible to satisfy all and sundry, but crucially, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa ascribes to the old age idiom that it is good to be loved, but better to be respected.

While some impatient litigants have grumbled that court orders in their favour have not been complied with, a closer scrutiny would unveil the fact that the course of litigation referred to has not been exhausted and is still pending at the apex courts. So, rather than raising untoward controversy, such litigants desirous of occupying legislative seats should await the outcome of their respective suits at the apex courts before jumping to rash and unsubstantiated conclusions.

To all intents and purposes, the length and breadth of reforms and creative policies effected by the Salisu Maikasuwa desiderata as well as the enthronement of probity, sanity, transparency, accountability, due process and the rule of law in the National Assembly’s entire administrative frame work can serve as a beacon and lodestar for others to condense and emulate in order to move the nation to the proverbial Promised land of El-Dorado, brimming with peace, progress, stability and prosperity.

Austin Asadu wrote from Maitama, Abuja and can be reached on braska730@ gmail.com.

Is Stella Oduah really guilty as charged? traced to the recent air crash involving a private airline, the Associated Airlines. The tragic plane took off from the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos en-route to Akure, the Ondo State capital; but unfortunately crashed within minutes of its take-off, killing fifteen persons or thereabout of the persons on board. The public anger, as always when such an event happens, was generally visited on the government and specifically on the aviation minister. Some of the players in the industry whose toes have been rightfully stepped on by the minister in the public interests as part of the ongoing reforms in the sector saw an opportunity to strike back at her.

And didn’t they grab the weapon with both hands and start firing dangerously at her direction? That ill-timed statement by the minister portrayed her before the public as an unsympathetic public servant, which in any case is a wrong picture of the soft-spoken woman. Yet, listening to many commentators after the Associated Airline’s plane crash, one fact that came out forcefully was that Stella Oduah has made enough enemies in the sector she supervises, especially among airline operators.

Who wouldn’t make enemies with the level of transformation and infrastructure renewal and development taking place in our airports all over the country? Those benefiting from the rot over the years in

the aviation sector, including past aviation minister(s) who now feel disgraced with what the current minister has achieved in the sector, especially the remodelling of the airports and the provision of safety equipment, in their embarrassment, are asking: how dare you?

It is also possible that the Stella Oduah has also hurt some people in the parliament, in her party and even among the cabinet she serves as a member. There have been mutterings about her alleged high-handedness and condescension when she served as director of finance in the Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign organisation.

She survived the cloak and dagger politics then. But the knives are out for her and there appears to be a few shoulders for her to cry on!

Yet, is it proper to condemn someone just on the basis of sentiments, unfounded public outrage and perhaps, inopportune statement about the Associated Airline plane crash being an act of God, which her publicist, Yakubu Datti, said was taken out of context? What exactly has the minister of aviation done that enemies seem to want her head on a platter even before she got the chance to defend herself?

Listening to the presentations made by the staff members of NCAA before the House of Representatives Committee that investigated the matter, and the minister’s reply to the

query from President Jonathan, there is no iota of doubt in my mind that the purchase of the two BMW armoured vehicles was captured in the 2013 Appropriation Act as provision was made for the procurement of specialised equipment (including operational vehicles) to complement, and in some cases, replace obsolete ones.

Moreover, a transparent bid process was observed both in the choice of responsive bank(s) to finance and in the award of the contract to Coscharis. It is rather unfortunate that the presidency bowed to pressures from the opposition and the media to set up a panel of inquiry over this matter, which is very open and clear. I pray that the panel will not pander to the whims and caprices of vested interests and ethnically-induced bias to recommend the resignation or dismissal of the minister or any harsh or near harsh sanction.

Although the presidential committee has turned in its findings and recommendations which are still kept under wraps, what has happened in the media and the legislature in which there seemed to be an obvious thirst for the blood of the aviation minister as a result of the pressures coming from the uninformed public gives little hope that the minister will get justice. My fear is that the misguided public bashing and politically-motivated harangue of the minister could strengthen the

hands of those who do not like her guts in the legislature and the presidential panel to put her on the spot in their recommendations.

I expect that the Senate intervention would be measured and mature when it eventually takes on the matter. Wise counsel and pacific gesture should flow from its bosom rather than puerile grandstanding because Stella Oduah, that seemingly powerful woman, is involved and she must be presented to the world as bad and programmed for public odium. Whatever is the case, President Jonathan must be firm and realise that the aviation minister is one of the few ministers that have renewed public confidence in his government and his transformation agenda through the reforms she initiated in the aviation sector. It is not proper to crucify Stella Oduah simply because a section of the public does not like her courage or perhaps her personal failings. She has done nothing against the law.

Those hounding her are doing so for selfish purposes and out of wrong public perception. It is politics of pull-her-down-and-out of Jonathan’s government, which feeds on the hedonism of her traducers.

President Jonathan should deflate their sense of self-gratification.

Ojeifo sent this piece from Abuja via ojwonderngr@ yahoo.com

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Comments

ASUU and FG’s Ultimatum

By Moshood Isah

T

he media calls it breaking news. The news is that the Federal Government has given the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, one week ultimatum to call off the ongoing strike.

The acting Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja. This may not be unconnected to the frustration the union has put the government through in a bid to end the niggling strike. I think to some extent the members of ASUU are not considerate of students’ plight as they fight the government. They are already losing sympathy of average Nigerians including this writer who believed they had genuine cause because their latest demands on salary.

The government has virtually met most of the union’s demand but the ASUU members are bent on the immediate payment of the four month wages in arrears. Simply put, ASUU wants to receive salary for the four months they refuse to work. I will allow my readers to judge that.

Before this development, Nigerians had been kept in suspense on the resumption day of the affected universities, thinking the union may call-

off the almost five month old industrial action.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on an indefinite strike on 1st July, following the failure of the federal government to implement part of the 2009 agreement reached by the two parties. The union’s demands include the upward review of the retirement age for professors from 65 to 70; adequate funding to revitalize the university system; progressive increase of budgetary allocations to the education sector by 26 per cent; transfer of federal government property to universities; setting up of research and development units by companies; payment of earned allowances; and renegotiation of the signed agreement. After couple of meetings with government delegations including President Goodluck Jonathan himself, it seems the niggling issue still haven’t gotten a head way.

As a matter of fact, in the course of negotiation and shuttling from locations for Executive meetings, the Union lost one of its stalwarts, Professor Festus Iyayi, former ASUU president and a lecturer in University of Benin. Despite dying on one of Nigerian death traps called road and due to the reckless driving of

government convoy, there was still no element of effort to end the strike in a bid to eulogize the innocent man who died in the cause. Instead both ASUU and government continue to dilly-dally with the future of innocent university students.

Both sides continue to accuse each other of insincerity. To be candid, both sides have not done enough to see to the long lasting end to strikes in the universities.

For example, among the demands of the union according to chairman of the University of Lagos branch of the union Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, is the payment of earned allowances which included excess workload, administrative responsibilities, and postgraduate supervisory allowances, among others. He further said that, a professor who super-

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vises postgraduate theses is supposed to be paid N15,000 per student, adding, “The federal government has not paid any lecturer the theses supervisory allowance. Logically, this demand is uncalled for. If the student who spend a lot of money on projects materials, researches and all that is not demanding for project grant, I don’t think a professor that only sits down in his office or anywhere convenient to supervise the same project should go on strike because he wants to be paid for supervision. As a matter of fact, many lecturers only lecture for few hours in a week and many atimes miss their classes. This does not affect their wages in anyway.

Thus I don’t think the same person should demand for extra allowances for perceived excess workload.

Instead both ASUU and government continue to dillydally with the future of innocent university students. Both sides continue to accuse each other of insincerity. To be candid, both sides have not done enough to see to the long lasting end to strikes in the universities.

The union is already divided as couples of Universities are already threatening to end its strike. As a matter of fact, Adekunle Ajasin University is already recruiting lecturers to replace the striking ones. This goes a long way in extrapolating the insincerity of the course itself. More so, it also goes a mile in telling us that even the union within itself know that its. Despite all the efforts and promises

by Government, the union remains adamant on its own outrageous demands. Thus the government which is being saddled with too much responsibilities have no choice than to coarse the union back to work.

With the new directive by the government the employers of ASUU to return to work or face the ax, only demonstrate how much the union has frustrated the effort of the government in order to settle the long running strike. There are more issues to duel on, than spending lifetime to settle the demands of the Academic Union. The union just has to shift grounds to accommodate the government and its incessant pleading.

Moshood Isah Sapele Street Garki II

A tribute to Governor Kwankwaso

By Hawwah Abdullahi Gambo “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” ……..Nelson Mandela

I

have a reason to be in Kano again lately, like at every other occasion, they are various enchanting and enticing development that can only gladden one’s heart.

The current administration in Kano is performing exceedingly well in all the areas and promises made to the people during the electioneering.

Looking back after his swearing for the second tenure few years ago, Governor Kwankwaso has this remarkable remarks to the people when he said: “We as the Government will continue to work with people of this State. I always tell my Commissioners, Advisers, and SSG, the Chief of Staff and everyone else that we are the servants of the people. We must serve their

interest, and not ours.”

So far for what everyone has seen on the ground, he will be long remembered in the history of Nigerian politics because of two important events. He is the first leader in the whole of Hausa land to be defeated at the polls and return a conqueror. He is the first governor to bring a radical approach to Educational development in the whole of Northern Nigeria.

He is a Governor who made it clear that his government is not one in which people will come and share the treasury amongst themselves in the name of ‘the people’s Governor’.

He instituted the policy of zero tolerance for corruption in the state civil service ensuring that no one has the temerity to divert public funds for his private use without risking arrest. He gave corruption the red card, abolishing the votes which give Governors the right to spend public funds without the approval of the state executive council. His ideology is

simple and built on the basis of trust and integrity.

According to several sources, he is an open minded person who doesn’t believe in deceiving masses through the fraudulent use of religion, culture and tradition in order to manipulate them. He is a very patient man who for 8 years remained silent despite all the fake allegations against him.

He is a disciplined man who believes every public servant and staff must be very committed to their work. He acknowledges and executes any initiative with urgency without delay e.g. feeding primary school

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students and free maternity services among others.

He is and remains a leader who sacrificed his pensions to pensioners and at one time donated part of his salary to Government account for the people. He refers to security funds, which some state executive corner as ‘corruption’.

He lived up to his campaign promises by not obtaining any loan to the state despite miniature grants received from the federation account during his first 4 year tenure. Even at the end of that tenure, together with former members of his cabinet went to congratulate

the man that defeated him at the polls without nursing grudges.

Back to the reality on the ground, all his current accomplishments ad achievements in turning Kano to another Eldorado would have been impossible without his philosophy of financial discipline and patriotic zeal to develop the state to modern reality. And thus, within two years of returning to office, he has returned his home state back to its former glory.

Hawwah Abdullahi Gambo

So far for what everyone has seen on the ground, he will be long remembered in the history of Nigerian politics because of two important events. He is the first leader in the whole of Hausa land to be defeated at the polls and return a conqueror. He is the first governor to bring a radical approach to Educational development in the whole of Northern Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Why Sule Lamido will not leave PDP Oga Says: A good one Adams. You are much very correct. Lamido is progressive. Let him stay in PDP. ogee232@gmail.com

PDP not meant for decent politicians, says Nyako Okon Says: Nyako discovered that PDP is not for decent people after 12 years. okon@yahoo.com

Who will rebuild NASENI? Augustine Shomolu says: Gov Lamido, Nigerians are not fooAdewoye incompetent ?, you are an idiot. Try spelling correctly for starters.

Augustinrshomolu@hotmail.co.uk

Boko Haram: Unanswered questions over SSS detention of university lecturer Ugbede Says: May God fight for him in JESUS NAME blessing1980s@yahoo.com

Online Comments franchise

outside of your consciousness awareness. This is one of the reasons for having an external procedural investing system. It provides feedback on what much of your system is (reducing the unconscious portions) and whether you are following it or not. Explaining your system to other people will get you even more effective feedback. johnwilliamsjw123@gmail.com

Angola bans Islam, Muslims, demolishes mosques Malcolm Says: This Angolan President action is criminal and he and his minister should be invited into International Criminal Court for questioning as they are infringing on other peoples rights. If a muslim majority country like Senegal does this,some disgruntled elements will start crucifying muslims. This is n intolerance of the highest order and should happen only in the 10th century and not 21st century we are now! malcolmx7291@gmail.com

The city of Zango had its only mosque completely destroyed after Angola government outlawed Islam.

seat, says Gaya Deborah Says: This made me almost weep with laughter; ”I single-handedly sponsored the establishment of 6000 irrigation farms…’

This guy really knows how to sell himself, doesn’t he? He really turned those numbers over single-hamdedly, did he? Me and my mother were almost crying with laughter. So funny. armanivegas2011@live.co.uk

Investing in stocks…your ignorance is some- Tukur, Oyinlola one’s gain embrace, Camila Weisblum Says: as PDP feud Thank you for another magnificent post. Where else could anyone continues get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information. deneen_hueber@t-online.de

Missing $5Bn Ease of proper- crude money: ty registration: SA Amaechi replies dwarfs Nigeria Okonjo-Iweala in private equity Muyiwa Says: Amaechi is only playing to the investment inter- gallery. He should inform Nigerians how much he collected from the so ests called savings for the rainy day and Ziad K Abdelnour Says: Maintaining a decision-making journal allows you to audit your decisions. The further the time away from a decision, the more memory will revise it in favor of preserving your self image. Writing things down right away reduces plausible deniability. Still, the practice presupposes you can consciously know how you made a decision, while the research shows most of the decision process will be

PAGE 41

how he was able to spend that much that came into the purse of Rivers State. mudday.ola@gmail.com

2015: I’m the most qualified for Kano governorship

Thomas Ayan Says: What a display of humility by Oyinlola to Tukur. ayanthomas@yahoo.com

EHOAN president promises healthier environment for Nigerians Sani Says: I am happy with this news. This is a total from what is obtainable before, we need a vibrant and active association. May Allah be your guide. karaye@gmail.com

It is high time for our security agencies to submit themselves to the knowledgeable people in different human endeavors before venturing into the area to make security checks. many innocent people continue to suffer in the hands of the SSS under the pretext of BOKO HARAM crackdown. The Government, Islamic Organization and Rights Group should fight this ugly trend. kabiruzarewa@yahoo.com

Jeff Lefler Says: When you say “This whole research takes about 2 months of time, so please be patient, it can be an arduous process.” I don’t think you should sound apologetic for stating that fact.

A franchise investor will, most of the time, invest their life savings to a 10+ year commitment. This easily justifies the 2+ month process. Potential Franchisees need to perform proper research and that takes time and energy on the part of the individual. Seeking advice from consultants, lawyers and other professionals in the franchise industry is good. Visiting franchise locations and speaking with as many current or past Franchisees is great.

A franchise investor needs to trust their intuition and the only way you can assess whether a particular franchise is the right fit is to do the research. Don’t be afraid to walk away and start the process over again if you run into challenges or uncover concerns that you do not like.

Jeff Lefler, CEO, FranchiseGrade.com jeff.lefler@franchisegrade.com

Jonathan’s Dr. Nazeef not minister took a Boko Haram $250m bribe, member, says Gov Lamido alfamily leges Gibreema A.M Says: The conspiracy of silence by our religious and traditional leaders in the north is gradually coming to hunt them one by one.So many of our youths are being held by the same SSS. under the guise of being BH. members, till date,no body was able to bring out any charges against these young innocents Nigerians, not even their whereabouts was known to their family members. Today Mal. Nazieefi who knows. tomorrow. zulmaarif@yahoo.com

Dr. Nazeef not a Boko Haram member, says family Dabo Says: Nigeria! Nigeria! Nigeria my beloved country. mosulexy@yahoo.com

Dr. Nazeef not a Boko Haram member, says Things to family watch out for when buying a Kabiru Zarewa Says:

Truth Power My argument here is that, if the PDP is not jonathan’s as alleged by Lamido which is correct, then, who will sack those the G7 want sacked?

Secondly, if they are sacked and they take the party to court, I thing there will be more trouble for PDP than what the G7 is doing now.

This having said, I want the arrogant and shameless gov to face the shame of his disciplined children.

What is going on in the family of Lamido is a clear indication that his children must have inherited the indiscipline virus from him. truthpower@rocketmail.com

Disqualify Obiano now, CDRP tells INEC Uyome Says: Acting National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Saka Waheed is a foolish man. INEC itself would have long disqualified W. Obiano if he’s found wanting. Saka waheed is a daft and will remain a daft! ag.martinz@yahoo.com

PAGE 42

Interview

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Abuja Carnival should not copy Brazilian, Caribbean Carnivals - Abubakar The 2013 Abuja Carnival may have come and gone but stakeholders believe the carnival needs a truly Nigerian identity. In this interview with Miriam Humbe, the Managing Director, Taraba State Tourism Development Board, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Gidado Abubakar speaks on the gray areas necessary to make it an indigenous carnival by Nigerians for Nigerians. Excerpts:

Alhaji Abdulrasaq Gidado Abubakar

Y

ou attended the just concluded Abuja Carnival. What is your general impression of the event?

We were able to showcase the rich cultural diversity of the people of Taraba . We brought a very large contingent comprising almost all the different tribes and languages of Taraba. We were able to showcase ourselves in terms of cultural heritage, attire and traditional dances. With that, we were able to show to the whole world what we are and how we are and what we are capable of doing.

Taraba is the only contingent that was able to show itself in its rich cultural heritage. We were able to show ourselves in the simple way that we live. The overall event is a welcome idea, but I think it is still at a developmental stage. This is because most of the states that participated in the carnival, instead of showcasing their true culture and tradition, tend to copy the western culture, dancing to western music and putting on western costumes.

But we from Taraba, made sure that we showcased ourselves in our local set-up. We went back to history, discovered ourselves and showcased ourselves. Our costumes are purely locally made costumes in terms of grasses, hides and skins and wood. Our drums are the local drums, our dance steps are the local inherited dance steps from our local people. We were able to showcase over 15 different groups of traditional dances.

What are the most interesting events you participated in?

We took part in the boat regatta because we have a lot of fishermen who are living along the River Benue and other small rivers in Taraba. We have the fishing festival we used to hold using the boat regatta. We have some children from the Mambilla Plateau that are very good in their traditional dances, they introduced some difficult manoeuvres. We brought the true Fulani’s in their real ‘shindondo’ attires. They are real Fulani’s. Some of them cannot speak another language apart from the Fulani language and I discovered that a lot of visitors, especially the Europeans, were fascinated by our people.

They were taking pictures with them all over the place. In Taraba, we are very lucky; with all these groups, we are able to live peacefully. There are a lot of intermarriages and so many other things that make us one.

In-spite of these displays and beautiful regalia, your state was neither the first nor second or even the third position. What will you say is responsible for that?

Well, it depends on the criteria or from which angle the judges used in giving out the positions, because, as far as we are concerned, if you go back and see the tapes of the various performances, if actually Nigeria is organising the carnival to showcase Nigeria’s rich heritage and not a Brazillian or Caribbean carnival, then I think Taraba is the first.

No doubt about it. If there was any state that displayed traditional dance steps, costumes and masquerades, using traditional costumes, then that was state, is Taraba. If you look at the clothes where in some cases some states designed a kind of fish, well decorated with materials that are not found here, that are not produced

A group displaying at the carnival

here using a truck and passing by and you think that is Nigerian; I don’t think that any foreigner will come and get fascinated with that.

I did not see them snapping pictures with that fish, I did not see them going around to see the fish. And if you think of those people that were dancing ‘azonto’ or other musical instruments that children were dancing to or some people using police uniform, or military uniforms to portray either war or what have you, if you call it displaying Nigerian tradition, then we don’t know what we are doing.

Looking at the attendance while the carnival lasted, will you say it was impressive?

The turn out, I will say, was average because it seems it lacked publicity. When we came into Abuja, a lot of people were not aware of the event because people kept on asking us what we were here for. When they see you and ask you and you say you are for the carnival, they say ‘eh is there anything like carnival taking place here?’ I think the publicity was not good enough, and so many things have to be considered if you want to make it a befitting one and if you want to sustain it as an annual event.

If you must convince Abuja residents

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and other Nigerians to leave their various places and come to Abuja mainly for the carnival, you need to bring out those traditions that make us unique in the whole world. I did not see this Benin mask that was used during the FESTAC 77. I remember during the FESTAC 77, if someone was coming from Benin, that was his trademark. We have not seen everything that each and every state stands for. I think we have to go back to our drawing board, know exactly where we are coming from and what we want to achieve from that. Is it showcasing our tradition or is it copying western tradition?

How have the recent political events in Taraba state affected its tourism?

You know, people are just talking. There is a Constitution in Nigeria and governance is being guided by the Constitution. The deputy governor was given the acting position because of what happened to Governor Danbaba Suntai and he has never said in any other place that he is the governor. He is acting for Suntai and he has said it several times that anytime SuntaI is ready, he will relinquish power to him.

Moreover, he is just helping the people of Taraba. They say governance is a continuing process and there shouldn’t be any vacuum.

So the tourism activities in Taraba have never been affected by all these things.

Only recently, we concluded our World Tourism Day celebration in Mambilla.

All the cultural troops and all the local governments participated. We were able to broadcast it live on national television and you need to see the attendance. There is no crisis or vacuum in governance in the state.

And if you think of those people that were dancing ‘azonto’ or other musical instruments that children were dancing to or some people using police uniform, or military uniforms to portray either war or what have you, if you call it displaying Nigerian tradition, then we don’t know what we are doing.

PAGE 43

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

News Extra

8 Super foods to enhance Prostate Health Pumpkin seeds diet that is good for your heart is also good for your prostate, which means an Asian or a Mediterranean approach to eating like lots of fruits and veggies, easy on the red meats and eating foods with good fats. To maintain your prostate health check some of the most useful foods below.

A

Brazil nuts Of all the different types of nuts, these South America’s natives are a rich source of selenium that is important for prostate health. In fact, just an ounce of Brazil nuts can contain as much as 10 times the RDA for selenium. Studies have shown that selenium intake is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. The Brazil nuts are also a very good source of zinc, one more mineral that plays an important role in maintaining a healthy prostate. The high saturated fat content of these nuts suggests limiting your consumption to just a few ounces per week, but as they are such a super food when it comes to selenium, that is all you need to help promote prostate health.

Broccoli It contains high amounts of the phytonutrients sulforaphane and the indoles, both having anticancer properties. One study published discovered that indole carbinol, which occurs naturally in broccoli suppressed the growth of prostate cancer cells and inhibited the production of prostate specific antigen. Investigators found that eating broccoli more than once a week can reduce the likelihood of developing stage III and IV prostate cancer by 40 percent. If the vegetable is cooked longer than five minutes, its anticancer abilities fade.

Before cooking cut the florets into pieces and let them sit for about 5 minutes. This allows cancer preventing elements to form before cooking, because heat denatures the enzyme which causes the process to occur.

To boost the healthful value of broccoli, add virgin olive oil, fresh garlic and cayenne.

Green tea The powers of green tea are attributed to antioxidant compounds called catechins, which has been shown to destroy certain viruses and bacteria, boost immunity and fight prostate cancer. Research has shown that green tea polyphenols can significantly lower the levels of biomarkers for prostate cancer. Green tea catechins also may help men who have pre cancerous prostate lesions, which alert a high risk of developing prostate cancer. Studies show that men who drink at least 3 cups of green tea a day have a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Experts have found that compounds of green tea interfere with the activity of an enzyme having a role in initiating prostate cancer.

These compounds also prompt prostate cancer cells to destroy. Catechins help to repair damaged DNA that can otherwise trigger cancer growth.

Mushrooms Asian mushrooms contain lentinan, a type of ß glucan that has demonstrated anticancer properties. Asian mushrooms also contain a potent antioxidant called ergothioneine. Its forte is exerting potent antioxidant properties to protect the cells throughout the body, including the prostate. One research recently found that ergothioneine provides protection to cells from damage associated with toxins and other substances.

Pomegranates In particular, pomegranates are rich in antioxidants and a phytonutrient called ellagitannin that is especially helpful in promoting prostate health. Studies show that pomegranate extracts can slow the production of prostate cancer cells and prompt the cells to destroy themselves. In other research, ellagitannins have shown that they can interfere with the growth of new blood vessels- important f for nourishing prostate tumors. Although pomegranate itself can be a challenge to eat, pomegranate juice is readily available as a popular choice.

Pumpkin Seeds Pumpkin seeds offer some unique health benefits for the prostate, especially for those who have benign hypertrophy of prostate. The pumpkin seeds’ oil help prevent the hormones from triggering multiplication of prostate cells. This oil also contains carotenoids and omega fatty acids. Studies show that men who have high levels of carotenoids in the diet have a reduced risk of prostate enlargement. Another nutrient found in pumpkin seeds is zinc, which is also associated with prostate health. A recent study suggests that zinc

protects against the development of prostate cancer.

Salmon Omega fatty acids are an important nutrient for supporting prostate health and a nutritious way to get these fatty acids is with salmon. Studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids in fish slow development of prostate tumor and progression in men who already have the issue. Study results reported that eating salmon at least once per week might reduce a risk of developing advanced prostate cancer even if it is genetically predisposed. One question about salmon is whether to buy farmed or wild fish. Research shows that wild salmon is a healthier choice.

Tomatoes Tomatoes are a source of lycopene. It is a potent antioxidant that has proven itself in studies to have properties that enhance prostate health. Tomatoes’ antioxidant potency increases when they are processed.

Thus tomato paste, soup, sauce or juice offers more antioxidant protection for the prostate than do fresh ones. The results of many studies show that processed tomato products really enhance prostate health. Researchers say that just a serving of tomato product every day can protect against the DNA damage that sets the stage for prostate cancer. Tomatoes are also helpful for managing benign prostatic hypertrophy.

(Dailymail.com)

PAGE 44

Archive

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Relics of the French Revolution (1789-1799) INTRODUCTION rench Revolution, major transformation of the society and political system of France, lasting from 1789 to 1799. During the course of the Revolution, France was temporarily transformed from an absolute monarchy, where the king monopolized power, to a republic of theoretically free and equal citizens. The effects of the French Revolution were widespread, both inside and outside of France, and the Revolution ranks as one of the most important events in the history of Europe.

During the ten years of the Revolution, France first transformed and then dismantled the Old Regime, the political and social system that existed in France before 1789, and replaced it with a series of different governments. Although none of these governments lasted more than four years, the many initiatives they enacted permanently altered France’s political system. These initiatives included the drafting of several bills of rights and constitutions, the establishment of legal equality among all citizens, experiments with representative democracy, the incorporation of the church into the state, and the reconstruction of state administration and the law code.

Many of these changes were adopted elsewhere in Europe as well. Change was a matter of choice in some places, but in others it was imposed by the French army during the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1797) and the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). To later generations of Europeans and non-Europeans who sought to overturn their political and social systems, the French Revolution provided the most influential model of popular insurrec-

F

tion until the Russian Revolutions of 1917.

CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION From the beginning of the 20th century until the 1970s, the French Revolution was most commonly described as the result of the growing economic and social importance of the bourgeoisie, or middle class. The bourgeoisie, it was believed, overthrew the Old Regime because that regime had given power and privilege to other classes—the nobility and the clergy—who prevented the bourgeoisie from advancing socially and politically.

Recently this interpretation has been replaced by one that relies less on social and economic factors and more on political ones. Economic recession in the 1770s may have frustrated some bourgeois in their rise to power and wealth, and rising bread prices just before the Revolution certainly increased discontent among workers and peasants. Yet it is now commonly believed that the revolutionary process started with a crisis in the French state. y 1789 many French people had become critical of the monarchy, even though it had been largely successful in militarily defending France and in quelling domestic religious and political violence. They resented the rising and unequal taxes, the persecution of religious minorities, and government interference in their private lives. These resentments, coupled with an inefficient government and an antiquated legal system, made the government seem increasingly illegitimate to the French people. The royal court at Versailles, which had been developed to impress the French people and Europe generally, came to symbolize the waste and corruption of the entire Old Regime.

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Battle of Valmy The Battle of Valmy in northeastern France on September 20, 1792, was a turning point in the French Revolutionary Wars. The French army defeated a combined force of Austrian and Prussian invaders, thus securing the success of the French Revolution.

Reunion des Musees nationaux, Paris/Art Resource

Napoleon Bonaparte: Napoleon Bonaparte was the greatest military genius of the 19th century. He conquered most of Western Europe and Egypt for France, while instituting reforms in these new territories aimed at guaranteeing civil liberties and improving the quality of life. He crowned himself emperor of France in 1804 and introduced reforms intended to unify the revolution-fractured nation. Many of Napoleon’s reforms are still in effect today. (p) 1992 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved./G. Tomsich/ Photo Researchers, Inc.

Louis XVI Louis XVI of France was the grandson of King Louis XV and was married to Marie-Antoinette. Louis was considered a well-intentioned but weak king. A heavy tax burden and court extravagances led eventually to a popular revolt against him and paved the way for the French Revolution. Louis was guillotined by the revolutionary regime in 1793.

Erich Lessing /Art Resource, NY

Napoleon Seizes Power In the coup d’etat of November 9-10, 1799, Napoleon and his colleagues seized power and established a new regime in France—the Consulate. Under its constitution Napoleon, as first consul, had almost dictatorial powers. The constitution was revised in 1802 to make Napoleon consul for life and in 1804 to make him emperor.

Giraudon/Art Resource, NY

Arrest of Louis XVI at Varennes On June 20, 1791, King Louis XVI attempted to escape revolutionary France and flee in disguise with his family to Austria. However, he was caught at Varennes and returned to Paris. A year later he was executed. This watercolor (Musée Carnavalet, Paris) by Pierre-Antoine and Jean-Baptiste Lesueur depicts Louis’s arrest at Varennes.

Giraudon/Art Resource, NY

Biographies

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 45

Ado Bayero A

lhaji Dr. Ado Abdullahi Bayero (CFR, LLD, JP) (born July 25, 1930) is the current Emir of Kano in Nigeria, a position he has held since 1963. He was a former ambassador to Senegal. He was the son of Abdullahi Bayero dan Muhammad Abbas. Ado Bayero is the 13th Fulani emir since the Fulani War of Usman dan Fodio, when the Fulani took over the Hausa city-states. He is renowned for his abundant wealth, maintained by means of stock market investments and large-scale agricultural entrepreneurship both at home and abroad.

History Ado Bayero is the Emir of Kano and the son of Abdullahi Bayero, the former emir, who reigned for 27 years.

Muhammadu Sanusi who was Ado Bayero’s half brother ruled after their father from 1953-1963. Following his dethronement in 1963, Muhammadu Inuwa ruled only for three months.

After his death, Ado Bayero ascended the throne in October 1963. Ado is one of the longest-serving emirs in the emirate’s history. During his tenure, the emirate has been transformed from a powerful native authority into a custodian of Hausa language and Islamic traditions. Bayero’s palace plays host to official visits by many government personnel and foreigners, but in 1981 Governor Abubakar Rimi restricted traditional homage paid by village heads to Ado Bayero and excised some domains from his emirate.

In 1984, a travel ban was placed on the emir and his friend Okunade Sijuwade. Although the military are sometimes seen as relying on traditional rulers for support, many military regimes in the past reduced the powers of traditional rulers such as Bayero.

Bayero is a former chancellor of the University of Nigeria and currently the chancellor of the University of Ibadan. He has served as the chief of the Kano police. He was installed the Emir of Kano on October 22, 1963, becoming the 13th Fulani emir of Kano and the 56th ruler of the Kano Kingdom.

Early life Bayero was born to the family of Hajiya Hasiya and Abdullahi Bayero and into the Fulani Sullubawa clan that has presided over the emirate of Kano since 1819. He was the eleventh child of his father and the second of his mother. At the age of seven, he was sent to live with Maikano Zagi.

He started his education in Kano studying Islam, after which he attended Kano Middle School. He graduated from the School of Arabic Studies in 1947. He then worked as a bank clerk for the Bank of British West Africa until 1949, when he joined the Kano Native Authority. He attended Zaria Clerical College in 1952. In 1954, he won a seat to the Northern regional House of Assembly.

He was head of the Kano Native Authority police division from 1957 until 1962, during which he tried to minimize the practice of briefly detaining individuals and political opponents on the orders of powerful individuals in Kano. He then became the Nigerian ambassador to Senegal. During this time he enrolled in a French language class. In 1963, he succeeded Muhammadu Inuwa as Emir of Kano.

Emir Bayero became emir during the first republic, at a time when Nigeria was going through rapid social and political changes and regional, sub-regional and ethnic discord was increasing. In his first few years, two pro-Kano political movements gained support among some Kano elites. The Kano People’s Party emerged during the reign of Muhammadu Inuwa and supported the deposed Emir Sanusi, but it soon evaporated. The Kano

Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero State Movement emerged towards the end of 1965 and favored more economic autonomy for the province.

The death in 1966 of many political agitators from northern Nigeria, and the subsequent establishment of a unitary state, consolidated a united front in the northern region but also resulted in a spate of violence there, including in Kano. Bayero’s admirers credit him with bringing calm and stability during this and later crises in Kano. s emir, he became a patron of Islamic scholarship and embraced Western education as a means to succeed in a modern Nigeria. The constitutional powers of the emir were whittled down by the military regimes between 1966 and 1979. The Native Authority Police and Prisons Department was abolished, the emir’s judicial council was supplanted by another body, and local government reforms in 1968, 1972, and 1976 reduced the powers of the emir. During the second republic, he witnessed hostilities from the People’s Redemption Party led government of Abubakar Rimi.

In 2002 he led a Kano elders forum in opposing the onshore and offshore abrogation bill.

On 19 January 2013, a failed assassination attempt left two of his sons injured and his driver and bodyguard dead, among others.

A

Gate to the Gidan Rumfa, the Emir’s palace

Inside the Emir’s reception room

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 46

International

Ukraine: To trade with the EU or Moscow

By Hassan Haruna Ginsau

E

U envoys have in the past weeks, years even been working tirelessly to reach a deal on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) between Kiev and Brussels.

But in a sudden turn, President Viktor Yanukovych’s government suspended preparations last week ahead of Thursday’s planned signing of the pact at the EU summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

The move has sparked widespread protests in the capital Kiev, in what has now become a two way battlebetween Russia and the EU for Yanukovych’s signature.

The DCFTA between the EU and Ukraine wouldhave marked a historic shift westwards from Russia for Kiev, more importantly it would remove customs duties on imports and exports. Overall, Ukraine and the EU would eliminate 99.1% and 98.1% of duties in trade value respectively.

The pact would cover all traderelated areas (including services, intellectual property rights, customs, public procurement, energy-related issues, competition, et cetera) and also tackle the so-called “beyond the border” obstacles and deepen Ukraine’s access to the European market and to encourage further European investment in Ukraine.

The Russian customs union on the other hand which has former Soviet states Khazakstan and Belarus as its only members, if joined by Ukrainewould see Kievenjoy a free trade space between the existing members, absent of all customs borders called the “Common Economic space” governed by the Eurasian Economic Commission. Russia even plans to set up the Eurasian Union (EuroAsian Union) by 2015. Other former soviet states; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have expressed interest in joining the Russiantrade Union.

As expected, Russia’s customs union has a minute GDP of $3.1 trillion when compared with the EU’s staggering $17.1 trillion.

Russia has threatened unspecified economic measures if Ukraine signs the deal with the EU. In the past, Moscow has suspended gas supplies in disputes over prices, and this year it blocked imports of Ukrainian chocolates.

Russia has also boycotted wine and mineral water from Georgia and Moldova - two other ex-Soviet states seeking favourable trade terms with the EU. The EU has criticised Moscow for putting pressure on Ukraine not to sign the trade pact. The EU’s top two officials sharply criticised

President Yanukovych Russia this week.

“It is up to Ukraine to freely decide what kind of engagement they seek with the European Union,” the EU said.

“We therefore strongly disapprove of the Russian position and actions.”

The statement was issued jointly

by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

They insisted that stronger ties with the EU would not undermine Ukraine’s existing relations with other neighbours, such as Russia.

Caught up in the middle, Ukraine has not only been getting pressure from Moscow but from Brussels as well, earlier this year the EU set a three-month deadline for Ukraine to carry out the required changes to its justice and electoral systems in order to enable the formal signing of the agreements. he EUhas told Ukraine it is risking its economic future by rejecting a free-trade deal in favour of closer ties with Russia.

Ukraine though, is worried that the EU has not described the sources of funds it plans to spend on Ukraine’s modernization or explained how it plans to compensate the losses that Ukraine’s producers will suffer when they lose free access to the Russian market.

Top Russian parliamentary officials have blasted as “old psychology” the attempts of certain European politicians to use

T

“

It is up to Ukraine to freely decide what kind of engagement they seek with the European Union. ...We therefore strongly disapprove of the Russian position and actions.

pressure and interference in order to influence Ukraine’s choice of future cooperation with the EU. Pro EU Ukrainians have been protesting the pull out by the government since Sunday.

Hundreds of thousands of them have flocked to Kiev’s Liberty Square to show their support for closer ties with their European neighbours.

Demonstrators, who have camped out for a week, have been protesting 24/7 against the government’s decision to abandon the pact with the EU. There have been several clashes, with the police having to fire tear gas at some of the protesters.

Despite Kiev’s below freezing temperatures, they say they have no intention of ending the protest unless President Yanukovych agrees to sign the planned trade deal.

What does Ukraine have to offer the EU one might wonder?Ukraine’s

primary exports to the EU are iron, steel, mining products, agricultural products, and machinery, while the EU exports to Ukraine are dominated by machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, and manufactured goods. kraine has always been the EU’s main target amongst the ex- soviet bloc. Considering it borders 4 EU countries, Ukraine could be a gateway for EU products to cross over to the ex-soviet markets, where thanks to Russia’s influence, trade for the EU hasn’t been voluminous.

Aside from the DCFTA drama, Ukraine’s government has also been embroiled in the ongoing saga of what many see as the politically motivated imprisonment of main opposition figure and bitter Yanukovych rival, former PM Yulia Tymoshenko, who was jailed in 2011 for alleged abuse of office.

U

In fact, the EU had stated her release as a precondition for signing the pact. Ukraine’s parliament last week failed to break a deadlock on whether to free Tymoshenko or not. Members of the ruling party and opposition then went on to accuse each other of undermining prospects for the trade agreement.

Playing her restricted role in all of this, the “peasant braided” one, who came to power with her Orange revolution protests, started a hunger strike on Monday in support of the tens of thousands of protesters in favour of the trade pact. She has said she will not eat until the deal is signed.

In a wise move on Yanukovychs’part, he has already accepted short-term support from Moscow, which supplies Ukraine half of its gas needs, without committing to Russia’s Customs Union with Kazakhstan and Belarus, all the while keeping the EU within reach.

It is said that Russia will give Ukraine a more favourable gassupply deal and better terms on repaying 1.3 billion euros of its debt. Also, with one eye on the 2015 elections, Yanukovych wouldn’t want to disappoint his billionaire oligarch supporters in Moscow.

Ukraine’s government now seems to hope it can balance Russian and European interests.

Kiev is proposing a three-way commission to regulate trade among Moscow, Brussels and Kiev.

Whether this is actually possible remains to be seen.

PAGE 47

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Weekend Recap

The weekend recap this week captures stories from various segments of the society as published by the national daillies.

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n Monday the 25th of November, the Leadership newspaper published its lead story under the headline: “FG, States may clash over fund”. “The headline had a preceding kicker; “13% oil derivation”. And the riders: “Money should go to communitiesRMAFC” and; “NO, we’ll administer fund-State”

On the front page of the Daily Trust Newspaper for that Monday, was the headline: “How State lawmakers collect Billions in Salaries” and the rider; “967 legislator received N12bn, passed 601 bills in 2 years On the front page of the Punch Newspaperfor the same day, the ASUU story made thelead headlines: “No salary arrears, no resumption-ASUU”and the rider; “Union demands Immediate implementation of FG’s offer” On the Daily Sun Newspaper for Monday was the headline: “Babangida Aliyu, chief traitor-Jang” and the rider: “ Plateau gov blast Niger State counterpart”.

Another headline also on the front page of the paper was: “Another twist in Anambra Guber”. The headline had a rider: “Uche Ekwunife, APGA aspirant drags party, INEC, Obiano to court, lays claim to ticket”.

On the front page of This Day Newspaper for that Monday was the caption: “ICC declares conflict in N’Eastern Nigeria civil war.”

Also on the front page of This Day Newspaper for that day was the Jos-Niger PDP governor’s crises story; taken with the headline: “Jang to Aliyu: you are number one betrayer of the North.”

The Vanguard Newspaperfor Monday 25th November also maintained the PDP crises story as its lead, taken under the headline: “Presidency, Jang Blast Niger gov, Aliyu.”

Gov. Kwankwaso

The headline was introduced with the kicker: “Alleged Betrayal of North:” Andtwo riders: “He is top on the list of North’s betrayal-Jang”; and “Aliyu should respect this office”; the statement was attributed to the officeof the Presidency.

On the front page of the Pilot Newspaper for the same day was the INEC story, taken with the headline: “Jega, under pressure to resign”. And the rider: “failed AnambraGuber poll, poor management style, fallout of internal rumbling trail embattledINECChair”

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n the front page of Blue prints Newspaper for that day was the headline: “Militry detains, tortures soldiers for being Boko haram” On the front page of This Day Newspaper was the banner headline: “Bullet proof car scandal: Police confirms attempt on Odua’s life.” And the rider; “Assassination attempt reported almost 48 hours after incident”. Also on the front page of the paper was a story from the Rivers crises, taken under the headline: “Rivers crises: court reinstates suspended Obio/Akpor officials”. The headline was followed with two riders: “Government to apply for stay of execution on judgement as PDP hails rulling.” And; “State received N257.6bn in 10 months says Okonjo-Iweala.”

On the front page of the Blueprint Newspaper for Tuesday the 26th of November, was the

“

headline: “G-7 in trouble, begs OBJ, Anenih to intervene.”

Also on the front page of the paper was the ASUU story, taken with the headline: “ASUU: FG rejects fresh conditions” On the Pilot Newspaper for Wednesday “6th November, the PDP story made headlines: “Why I can’t meet rebel govs nowJonathan.” The Rivers crises story was also taken on the front page of the paper, with the headline: “Rivers crises:Ameachi, loses, court reinstates Obio/ Apko LG boss” On the front pge of the Peoples Daily newspaper for that day was the headline: “2015: Sanusi warns FG against Financial indiscipline” still on the front page of the paper was another headline: “Angola bans Muslims, demolishes Mosques”. The story was enhanced with a picture of one of the demolished mosques.

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Daily Trust Newspaper for Tuesday the 26th of November made headlines from the aviation industry: “Law makers reject Aero as national carrier” And the rider: “Senate orders freeze of new aviation levies”.

Still on the front page of the paper was the headline: “Kolade quits as sure-P chairman Thursday.” Also on the front page of the paper was another aviation story published with the headline: “Aviation college plane crashes, 3 survive.”

On the front page of the Leadership Newspaper for that day was the Headline: “PDP faces real danger” in 15 years”. The headline had the kicker: “As 5 G7 governors, new PDP joins APC”; and the riders: “Electoral map may change in 2015.” And; “Jonathan recalls Tukur from China, Invites G-7”; “In Political Earthquake. 5 PDP govs defect to APC” was the caption on the front page of ThisDay Newspaper for that day. The story had three riders to go with: “Two others decline to go”, 49 house members crosscarpet”; “PDP: Finally agents of distraction have left”, and; “Jonathan meets aggrieved govs, Sunday” The Daily Sun Newspaper for that day alsomade the PDP story its lead and on the front page of the paper was another caption: “Pope Charges Catholics to brace up for changes” The Punch newspaper for that day also made its lead story from the PDP crisis.

On the Leadership Newspaper for that Tuesday, the G-7 story made headlines: “Finally, G-7 govs move to join APC”. Another story on the front page of

On the front page of the Daily Trust Newspaper for that Monday, was the headline: “How State lawmakers collect Billions in Salaries” and the rider; “967 legislator received N12bn, passed 601 bills in 2 years

Gov. Amaechi

the paper waspublished with the headline: “Bullet proof cars: Senate keeps mum on Oduah.”

The Daily Sun Newspaper for the same dayreeled out lead stories from the PDP crises with the headline: “Baraje group backs down” The headline was accompanied with three bullets: “Begs Obasanjo, Atiku, Anineh to intervene over feared expulsion”, “PDP disciplinary committee decides suspended members fate tomorrow” and; “Bauchi nPDP jopins Tukur”

Gov. Wamakko

n the front page of the Daily Trust Newspaper for Wednesday the 27th of November was the caption: “PDP loses 5 govs to APC”. And the riders: “Presidency, PDPn its good riddance” “Lamido, Aliyu stich with Jonathan”

On Thursday the 28th of November the Punch Newspaper made headlines also from the PDP

Gov. Nyako

crises: “Ex PDP govsAPC seal power-sharing Deal”; “fear grips house of reps Principal officers”; and “we won’t stop any one from leaving-Tukur” Still on the front page of the paper was Oduah’s story taken with the caption; “Oduah to appear before Senate committee December 5” The Leadership Newspaper for that day was not left out on the PDP crisis story which it published under the headline; “We will desidenext step - Tambuwal.”

The headline was introduced with the Kicker: “Fall out of G-7 defection to APC”; and the riders: “APC now holds balance of power-Tinubu” and; “Why I left PDPAmaechi.”

On the front page of the Guardian Newspaper for that day was the headline: “Reps probe alleged Misuse ofN634b kerosene subsidy” and the riders; “Target NNPC, PPPRA allege racketeering” and;“ How Policy reversal Impairs product distribution” Another story on the front page of the Guardian for that day was: “National conference: Viable federation zones (4)”

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n the front page of the Peoples Daily Newspaper for that day was the headline: “Apo 9 probe splits senate c’ttee”.

ThisDay newspaper, however maintained the focus on the PDP with the headline “Why we left PDP by Amaechi, Nyako” Still on the front page of the paper was the headline: “Okonjo-Iwaela: FG targets 295 trn non-oil Revenue in 2014”; “Appoints Mc Kinsey tax consultant” was the rider that accompanied the headline. On the front page of the Daily Sun Newspaper for that day the PDP story made lead headlines. Another headline on the front page of the paper was: “APO killings; Senate uncover Boko Haram’s base in Abuja” That wraps up weekend recap for this week.

Gov. Ahmed

Business PAGE 48

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

10 qualities employers want from their staff

Every employer wants to be sure that among the large number of candidates for the vacant post, he/ she will choose such an employee who will be able to ensure the successful work of the company.

That is why workers are primarily evaluated by not having a higher education, but the combination of personal and professional qualities. What skills need to be developed to speed up the process of job search and to feel more confident during the job interview?

Responsibility esponsibility is an important quality that must be possessed by any employee. The ability to make decisions to achieve the goals and take responsibility for actions is very highly valued in the professional environment. First of all, the leaders are seeking the employees who can perform the work efficiently in a strictly limited period of time to create a positive image and good reputation of the company.

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Communication skills Good communication skills can prove that the post is suitable for the employee and he/ she will be able to join the team favorably. Try to smile and answer the questions at the interview confidently. This will help identify you as a person with active life position who would be interested in acquiring new knowledge from the more experienced colleagues. es

Confidence of own forc-

Ability to defend the own point of view is an important skill for a new employee of the company. This quality will help the beginner to overcome stress, cope with conflict situations in the team and complete a probationary period successfully.

Confident and strong employee does not frighten off difficulties in the initial stage, which will certainly be positively evaluated by the management.

Knowledge of computer technology The sphere of IT-technology is continually evolving and helps to simplify and facilitate the process of work. Not surprisingly, the usage of computer software has become an integral part of many companies and organizations. Advanced PC user is a requirement of large number of vacancies for employment. In order to make your resume more attractive for the employers specify level of computer skills in the section “Additional Information”.

Foreign language skills Language proficiency is a quality that can give a huge advantage to other candidates, especially if you’re applying for management position. It is very difficult to build a successful career in large or international companies without this skill. Try to get or improve your knowledge through the variety of methods and recommendations - sign up for special courses or try self-education. Do not forget to indicate the degree of language proficiency in the resume - for example, you can specify «Beginner» for the entry level or «Advanced» for the highest level.

The ability to work in a team Possession of commanding qualities is important to the successful performance of work and achievement of the common team goals. The heads appreciate employees who can work in a team because of the stability, the ability to find a compromise and be useful for colleagues. If you have decided to specify this

“

The management values the employees who show an interest to the work…. take the initiative, because the employers notice those who are able to define goals independently and to perform the task.

quality in the resume, it is desirable to give a few examples that prove the possibility of effective work (for example, “the experience of building a successful team of journalists from the entry level” or “management of the project - creation and support of teams, the distribution of responsibilities”).

is an indicator not only of respect to the employer, but also a sign that the future worker will be able to follow the rules and regulations of the organization strictly. Try to come for an interview on 10-15 minutes before the appointed time. It is better ask to postpone the meeting in the case of delay.

Punctuality he first thing that draws the attention of the head before the interview is the punctuality of the employee. The ability to be on time for the appointed meetings

Initiative he management values the employees who show an interest to the work and ask questions of more experienced colleagues. Do not be afraid to take the initiative,

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because the employers notice those who are able to define goals independently and to perform the task. Try to develop this quality for future building a successful career.

Flexibility Ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time is a very important skill for the effective organization of work. The employees, who can play several duties, have greater stress resistance and get more practical experience. In the case of dismissal the resume can be supplemented by the skills and knowledge gained in the previous work.

Organizational skills Organizational skills determine the ability to plan the team work correctly and distribute the tasks. Employers appreciate employees who can manage the activity of other workers and find solutions in the difficult problems and unexpected situations. This skill is important not only for managers, but also for the employees who wish to gain promotion.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Side Talk

PAGE 49

By Jacinta David

This week’s side talk captures events unfolding within Nigeria’s Elite class. As has been the practice; a hand full of these people at the helm of the county’saffairs, continue to prove themselves unworthy of their offices. Worse still the trail of events the consequences of recklessness of these leaders makes it pertinent that side talk looks into these issues.

That fatal sex escapade T he first mater tabled before side talk this week is is the Groovy Gist of a famous Mr Groovy. A man of the lower chamber of the country’s law making arm whose sad end I also sympathise with. Yet still, as side talk is strictly concerned, the need to analyse the event that led to this law maker’s untimely demise captures our focus.

The story, as you may know, has it that Mr Groovy was grooving on with his agent of sweetness when the excitement suddenly changed gear. In a short while, the sweet scenario turned sour; the Angel of caution gave way for the demon of retribution. The centre could no longer hold as things within the romantic setting fell apart. Consequently, the agent of sweetness felt the Bitter taste of fear. As pour source aptly puts it: “When a visit was paid to the residence of the deceased within the areas of Gwarimpa Avenue, a neighbour of his said the banker who managed the Man’s account rushed down from the story building where the man was staying to tell the Police that; “Oga just fell down and is vomiting”.

Side talk tried to picture the look on this lady’s face at that moment and compare it with what it was during the just concluded act: you can feel in the blank space regarding the spectrum of difference from both looks The reports further available to side talk further revealed that on arrival, the Police found Mr law groovy lying down with a towel round his waste. Want to learn more? The woman denied having any thing intimate with him. But we all know that the Doctors’ reports cannot be easily denied; so she was forced to change her story after she was told that the examination done on the late Federal law maker proved that he had just slept with a woman before the sad event.

Consequently, the banker had no choice but to admit following interrogations from the Police that she had indeed slept with Mr groovy.

The law maker who is called groovy by close associates is re-

Oga at the top and the hangover syndrome

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he next; item on our agenda is a story about the oga at the top. It is not out of place to note that a leopard never sheds its curbs so when a person is a drunk, the normal expectation is that he will keep being such.

But when a person occupies a position in the country considered the giant of Africa and hides behind the guise of marking his birthday to make himself once more acquainted with the ocean of liquid Chemicals, then indeed a lot more is to be expected from his followers because it takes only a good head to have exemplary followers.

Media practitioners have reported based on credible findings that the number one man got himself stupefied with chemicalised water, such that when the chemical reaction began

the People’s leader could not face the challenges of the internal revolution going on within him.

The worst part was that his aide in the territorial Rocks started raining fire and brimstone when the story came to light. In the words of one of our sources, the media aide launched a visceral attack on purveyors of his boss.

Little did he know that his action will only propel further reactions from the actions people.

Our finding reveal that after lavishing in drinks the previous day, our leader’s medical team did not think it wise to advise him on the effect of hang over as the man leading our People quickly headed for a meeting in the United Kingdom only to return after spending days in a hospital in the area.

The governor and his two smart sons

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he last, but certainly not the least on this week’s Side talk is the story about the two sons of the leader of one of Nigeria’s Northern hemisphere who did their pockets proud at the detriment of the state’s purse. Reports by our source have it that the two sons cornered a whooping N10 Billion into their family treasury before the long arm of the country’s anti-graft agencies caught up with them.

As reported the revelation came following an investigation as to how one of the governor’s sons whose name begins with the alphabet “A” came about a said sum of $50, 000 at the Malam Aminu airport, enroute of cairo Egypt.

According to the reports: “Investigations as to how the youngman came by the money led investigations to uncover a web of money laundering in

portedly a married man whose family is not with him.

If the need for sympathy would cause side talk to reduce its comment about this man’s attitude, how do we address the attitude of the Banker? I really hate to admit this but this woman must be made to understand that in addition to creating an evergreen stigma for herself she has succeeded in further denting the Image of the her fellow

colleagues before the public.

Quite frankly, the question that comes to mind in all of these is whether or not these leaders of ours think it is impossible to fall prey to the saying in pigin English:“Awoof dey run Belle.”

Whatever be the case, Mr Groovy surely had limited fun grooving on earth. I hope for his sake that he doesn’t end up with an even shorter moment for grooving in eternity.

“

which Billions of Naira from the “J” State government account are funnelled into the accounts of companies run by the State leader and his two sons.”

An interesting part of the story is the fact that;“over N10 Billion has been transferred from the “J” state government account into the account which the State leader and his sons operate from 2007 till date”.

Did I hear you say like Father Like sons?” My question would seem a bit stiffer; why would these reports indict just the sons, the story clearly states that the father was the leader of the gang if he didn’t become State leader, perhaps none of this would have happened. It is more like the case of a student been as good as his teacher I would say. So if the student is considered a culprit, it is only natural that his teacher should also be indicted as well.

Our finding reveal that after lavishing in drinks the previous day, our leader’s medical team did not think it wise to advise him on the effect of hang over as the man leading our people quickly headed for a meeting in the United Kingdom only to return after spending days in a hospital in the area.

PAGE 50

News Extra

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Wada links Bassa LG with national power grid

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he Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada has broken the habitual blackout in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State for the past 36 years by providing them with electricity and linked it to national grid.

Speaking while commissioning of the project, Captain Idris Wada disclosed that the project was a fulfillment of the campaign

promises he made in December 2011, to provide electricity and road to the people of Bassa Local Government Area.

According to him, the project would be extended to other parts of the local government but warned the people not to vandalise the cables.

He called on the Local Government Chairman, Ibrahim Magida Umar to complement the

effort of the state government by providing social amenities to their people .

On the establishment of sugar factory in the area, Captain Wada disclosed that BUA GOLDEN SUGAR, a foreign investor would soon be in the state, saying that if established, the Bassa sugar factory would be the largest in Africa.

He also promised to provide a large rice processing plant in the

area to generate more employment and to provide rice seedlings in the Local Government Area.

Also speaking at the function, A House of representative member, Representing Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency, Hon Tom Zakari, said that Bassa Local Government remained underdeveloped as a result of poor attention from previous administrations,

saying that the electricity provided by the state government under captain Idris Wada would reduce poverty in the area.

In his remarks, Etsu Bassange, retired Brigadier Abu Ali thanked the Governor and appealed to him to influence the siting of faculty of agriculture of the federal University Lokoja in Bassa Local Government to tap the abandoned agricultural potential in the area.

NGO advocates sex education for North’s youth

L-R: Director of Fisheries, Lagos state Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mrs Funmi Bantefa; permanent secretary, Dr Yakubu Bashorun and Commissioner, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, at a news conference on 2013 seafood festival , yesterday in Lagos.

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

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arents in the country especially in the Northern Nigeria have been advised to pay more attention to their wards and proper sex education so as to enable them to grow up with better knowledge of sexual health reproductive system.

Acting director of finance administration Niger state primary Health Care Management Board Hajiya Jumai Idris Mohammed stated this at the launching of a two years old Non Governmental Organisation Learning About Living Extra (LALE) at Abdulsalami Youth Centre, Minna.

Hajiya Jummai added that youths as vanguard of peace should have sex education to be better people in the society.

Hajiya Jumai noted that lack on attention to our youths by some parents was responsible for social vices in the country, adding that if Nigerians ensure ideas and knowledge for youths on how to leave positively as well moulding character, Nigeria would be a better place.

She urged youths especially the girl child who is more vulnerable, to be given opportunity to asked questions, open up minds, vent out their emotional feelings in order to get out of ignorance and to grow up wise, reasonable and healthy for the development of the society.

The NGO project Manager, Maure Chitan in an interview with our reporter, explained that the organization was targeted at youths, marriage and vulnerable children especially in rural areas where most of NGOs do not operate.

She said there is always alternatives to violence in solving problems, adding youths must not be maginalised in access to information in order to limit their involvement in social vices.

When youths are properly informed on sexual health reproductive system, she said, the problems of abortion, tenage pregnacy, HIV/AIDS would be minimized in our society, adding that the target states for now were Nassarawa, Benue and Niger States and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Bauchi NUJ gets new exco From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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fter the several months of spirited campaigns by the contestants the Nigerian Union of Journalists [NUJ] Bauchi council, elected new leaders that will run the affairs of the union for three years The election according to working journalists in the state, was unique as it was well contested by the

candidates .

The immediate past chairman Alhaji Dahiru Garba Muhammed was re-elected with 145 votes, the first time in history of the council for an incumbent to win two times while his opponents Alhaji Isah Suleiman and Sunusi Prince scored 91 and 47 votes respectively.

Other elected officials include Musa Kobi as Vice- Chairman, Bashir Wunti secretary general, Mu-

hammed Kawu assistant secretary, Yakubu Babangida Treasurer, Ibrahim Bello financial secretary and Abdulhadi Musa kobi as auditor.

In his acceptance speech, the re-elected chairman applauded the members and all the candidates for the maturity shown during the election which made it free and fair and urged the INEC and all Nigerians to emulate the NUJ in the forthcoming 2015 polls.

Nigeria’s education system sick – NANS From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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arely two days after the Federal Government issued one week ultimatum to the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resume work or be sacked, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has declared the nation’s education sector critically ill and requires surgical operation, which must be carried out to save the nation from collapse.

Vice President Special Duties of NANS, apex body of the Nigerian students, Comrade Ayo Ayotade of the University of Lagos, gave this declaration in Kaduna yesterday

while giving NANS award to a Kaduna based business mogul, Alhaji Abdullahi Sani Muhammed.

According to the NANS leader, Federal Government must urgently allocate 26 per cent of the annual budget to education.

“It is disturbing to note that some African countries who are poorer than Nigeria allocate more than 26 per cent of their annual budget to education. But Nigerian government has failed to invest in the education sector.

“Government has failed to recognize education as the key driver of national growth. Education is the

most powerful tool to change the world, therefore, it requires urgent attention”, he said.

While noting that, illiteracy, poverty and unemployment were the major causes of insecurity bedeviling the country, Ayotade urged the award recipient to use his influence with powers that be, to accord education its pride of place.

Responding to the honour done to him, Alhaji Abdullahi Sani Muhammed said the NANS Epitome of Societal Transformation Award given to him was a challenge, and he would do all within his ability to live up to expectations.

Oshiomhole swears-in new HoS

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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erry E. Obazele has been appointed and sworn-in as the new Head of Service in Edo State by Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Speaking after the new Head of Service had subscribed to the relevant oath-of- office, and allegiance, the State governor urged him to reposition the service to meet modern challenges.

On Mr. Obazele’s choice as the new helmsman in the Edo State Civil Service, the Governor had this to say: “There would be many who are competent and eligible, but at any point in time it is only one person that God will choose to head a system. For the records, let me say that your appointment is based strictly on merit”.

Responding, Mr Obazele his loyalty and that of the service to the government and to put in his best to the confidence reposed in him.

PAGE 51

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Sports

Bayern treble improves Germany World Cup chances - Muller It is now five years since Thomas Muller made his professional debut for Bayern Munich, and in that time the 24-year-old has racked up his fair share of achievements. Awarded the adidas Golden Shoe for the tournament’s top scorer at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, he also helped Germany reach the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2012 and won an historic treble with Bayern in 2013.

Today Muller ranks as one of the world’s most technically adept footballers, but it is his elusive playing style that makes him so effective and crucial to his teams’ success. The popular Bavarian mischief-maker, a Bayern player since his youth days, is just as indispensable to the national team as he is to the star-studded cast of Germany’s most successful club.

Speaking to FIFA.com, he elaborated on his style of play, the brevity of life in football and his ambitions for the World Cup next summer. And, despite already having won a myriad of honours at club level, one trophy in particular still sits atop his silverware wish list: “I want to win the Club World Cup.” You have been a professional footballer since 2008. In that time, what has changed for you?

Thomas Muller: It’s hard to say, I’ve got older [laughs]. Everything is very intense now. Thankfully I’ve never been injured and have managed to play four and half years almost uninterrupted. The summer break is always only a short respite from the game, which means individual seasons tend to roll into one.

With the possible exception of winning the treble, what has been your best memory?

The World Cup in 2010 and my first [full] season [in the Bayern first team in 2009/10] were obviously amazing. Nobody could have predicted then how successful it would be for me. We reached the Champions League final and that was fantastic!

Do you prefer to play up front, on the wing or in a central position?

This year I’ve played in a few different positions, but it’s been like that for the last few seasons, so not that much has changed really.

I’ve always played where the coach has put me. It also depends on the game itself and the opposition; different teams always defend differently.

How would you describe your style of play?

I’m a player that works very hard and will do everything to win and I think I know how to do that in football, what roles are required for each position. So I just always try to do my bit for the team, and with me that means playing a lot of matches. If I want to feel I’ve played well in a game, I also need to have run around a lot. And I try to complement my team-mates so that the whole teams functions well. A lot of people say that I do a few crazy things, but I don’t see it that way. To me, it all makes sense [laughs].

What would the title of winners of the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2013 mean to you?

Again, that’s hard to say. It’s a trophy that’s coveted right across the world, possibly more so elsewhere than it is in Germany.

But if I’m competing in it – and getting there isn’t easy – then I absolutely want to win it as well. Lifting another trophy would crown our treble-winning season. The Club World Cup is the missing piece for us. We want this trophy too and I’m very motivated to win.

Have you already begun thinking about possible opposition?

We know there’ll be teams from every continent there, and the football might be different to what we’re used to in Europe. You also have top teams from all over the world.

We’re the favourites but we need to prove that first.

Might you be hoping for a final against Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro?

It’s always nice to speak of finals and playing against a Brazilian team would be good as well. We could use it as a trial run for next summer [laughs].

Would you dedicate any trophy you might win to Jupp Heynckes?

Of course, he contributed a lot to our recent success. We won the treble under him, completely deservingly, and it’s because of that that we now have a chance to win this cup. It just happens to take place in December; there’s not much he could have done about that.

Pep Guardiola has said he will give the players time off in Morocco to see the city. Will you take him up on that or will you stay remain in the hotel?

If there’s a chance to have a look around, then I will. We see enough of hotel rooms throughout the rest of the year.

At the end of a long and tiring year, is it hard to fight the fatigue and muster up all your strength again for another competition?

It’s certainly not easy, but if this were a DFB Cup game, we’d have to win that as well.

Goal-line technology will be used for the first time in Morocco. What is your opinion on the use of technology?

I think it’s a good idea and it won’t hurt anyone. Nobody’s authority is being undermined; in fact it’s the opposite. It’s a great way of helping the referees.

You just referred to the difficulties of qualifying for the Club World Cup – Bayern had to win the UEFA Champions League to do so. Do you think that this might be your only chance to win this trophy?

No, not really. It’s actually my ambition to be able to compete for this trophy again in the future. That’s how it has to be at FC Bayern.

How do you rate the team’s chances of reaching another Club World Cup? I think they look good. The treble doesn’t feel like a long time ago, but already there’s talk of the next set of trophies and sometimes that’s a bit too soon - the only thing that matters is what comes next. If you do that, there’s

Thomas Muller a risk you forget just how special an achievement it was when we won the treble. I do have that impression sometimes.

Do you regret that a footballer’s career now moves so quickly? You hardly have time to savour your successes...

Regret is the wrong word. If you’re constantly winning things, your achievements mean less and less. And if you win a lot of games, the expectation is that you not only win the next game but also dominate it. People don’t intend for that to happen, it’s just a completely normal reaction. More and more is expected of us now, even after we’ve won so many trophies. But as a player it’s certainly difficult. We could reach the quarter-final of the Champions League, but none of us would consider that a success because it’s expected of us. Apart from winning trophies, there isn’t much that we would actually celebrate.

Do you notice that FC Bayern are becoming a bigger and bigger club with a global reputation?

You do notice that Bayern are a name on everyone’s lips at the moment, and it’s a good, fun image that we have. Hardly anything negative is said about us. A few years ago it was different: it was FC Hollywood or arrogant Bayern. You just don’t find that view anymore and we have a positive image across the world.

Why is that the case?

We play in the right way and we play good, clean and attractive football?

Will Franck Ribery be producing yet more fireworks at the Club World Cup? Franck wants to impress in every game he plays and because he’s such a good player, he usually does. I think it will be the same in Morocco.

Who is your favourite for the FIFA Ballon d’Or? There’s a reason that six players from FC Bayern have been nominated: it means our performances from last season have been recognised and honoured. So there’s every chance that it could be one of us that wins it.

How do you rate Germany’s chances at the World Cup in 2014?

We’re one of the favourites, of which there are maybe three or four. But football always involves an element of luck and predicting how it will finish is always difficult.

Obviously we want to win the Trophy, but there’s no guarantee.

If you could play one team as late as possible at the tournament, who would it be?

We can beat any team on our day.

PAGE 52

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Sports

Gunners out to maintain Bilbao to pounce on grip at the top wounded Barcelona

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rsenal will be looking to cement their position at the summit of the Barclays Premier League when they travel to Wales to face Cardiff City.

Arsenal go into this game in a buoyant move having moved four points clear at the top of the table following last week's win over Southampton, and putting themselves within touching distance of getting out of a very difficult Champions League group after their 2-0 win over Marseille at the Emirates Stadium in midweek.

Arsenal's treatment room seems to be getting a little emptier, but there is a concern over left-back Kieran Gibbs, who is

currently struggling with an illness, whilst Lukas Podolski isn't expected to be available for selection until mid-December and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain won't return until the New Year.

Cardiff last weekend proved yet again that even the best sides in the division have difficulty leaving their manor with a victory after last week's late equaliser from Ki BoKyung denied Manchester United a win.

United, Manchester City and Everton are sides fighting towards the top of the table who failed to leave Cardiff with all three points.

Arsenal

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thletic Bilbao are hoping to capitalise on Barcelona’s weaknesses when the two sides meet in a La Liga clash at San Mames tomorrow.

The Catalans are unbeaten in La Liga and remain at the top of the table with 40 points from 14 matches following last weekend’s 4-0 win over Granada.

Lionel Messi, Barcelona However, they suffered their first defeat of the season on Tuesday night likely to make the trip to San Mames.

The Lions are currently in fifth place on the when they went down 2-1 to Ajax La liga table with 26 points from 14 matches Amsterdam in a Champions League and go into this clash having won their last two clash. matches, beating both Levante and Malaga 2-1.

Gerardo Martino’s side also have Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera says his some notable absentees in their side have to be pro-active on Sunday and avoid squad list with Lionel Messi, Victor defensive tactics that allow Barca to control Valdes, Jordi Alba, Dani Alves and possession in most of their matches.

Adriano Correia still sidelined by inLast season this fixture ended in an enjury. tertaining 2-2 draw with Herrera scoring the The latter three have started doequaliser in the 90th minute. ing some light training but are un-

Southampton eyeing Chelsea’s scalp

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outhampton will look to bounce back from defeat when they visit Chelsea at Stamford Bridge for a Premier League encounter tomorrow.

The Saints have enjoyed a great start to the season and are currently placed fifth on the league table with 22 points from 12 matches.

However, midfielder Victor Wanyama says his side are eager to redeem themselves following last weekend’s 2- loss to log-leaders Arsenal.

“Going to the Emirates was always going to be difficult, but I felt we deserved better,” said Wanyama.

“We could have taken something from the game because they didn’t create much they just hit us from our mistakes. Next time, we will

try to make less mistakes.”

The Kenya international is confident that his side are capable of responding to that defeat with a solid display against Chelsea away from home.

“Right now, I feel like we can play against anybody,” he added. “We have our own style, so we can face anyone.

“It’s very important that we work hard now because the next game is going to be another tough one, but we’ll just have to play our own way and try to get a result.”

Chelsea hammered West Ham United 3-0 in their last league encounter and are currently placed third with 24 points from 12 matches.

However, the Blues will also have a point to prove on Sunday after losing 1-0 to Basel in a midweek Champions League clash.

Chelsea

Valladolid hoping to stun Madrid R

eal Valladolid will look to pull off an upset in La Liga when they visit Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight.

Juan Ignacio Martinez side are winless in their last four league matches and go into this clash having lost 1-0 to Osasuna at home.

Valladolid are currently in 17th place with 12 points from 14 matches but Martinez is hopeful that they can do well against a Madrid Christiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid

side that will be under pressure to win at home.

“We have much to gain and little to lose,” he told reporters. “It's very complicated because they are very good and they know it, but we have to try to compete well and to take away the bitter taste of the loss to Osasuna.

“We’ve only won two games this season but anything can happen in football and hopefully we can create some history.”

“We must seize the few opportunities they grant us and be very solid defensively, play with confidence but have a thousand eyes on defence.”

Real Madrid have won four La Liga matches in a row since suffering losing against Barcelona in October and go into this game having demol-

ished Almeria 5-0 in their last league outing.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men are currently in third place on the log standings with 34 points from 14 matches.

However, they may be without star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who limped off the field during the game against Almeria and was unavailable for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Galatasaray.

Nonetheless, the likes of Gareth Bale, Angel Di Maria and Isco have been scoring freely and Madrid should still have enough firepower at their disposal should the Portuguese star be ruled out for Saturday’s clash.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 53

Weekend Digest

Family claims Guinness World Record for Christmas light display with 502,165 flickering bulbs …But some of the neighbours have stopped speaking to them •David Richards, from Canberra, first won the title in 2011 with 331,038 lights •But he was beaten by a family from New York who installed 15,000 more •His family have officially regained the record - and neighbours are not happy •Lights will raise money for charity and cost £1,400 to run for a month

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n Australian family who put more than half a million Christmas lights on their house have claimed a world record - for the second time.

Father-of-three David Richards from Canberra first won the title in 2011 with 331,038 lights, but was beaten by a family in New York who put up 346,283.

His family vowed to take regain the title this Christmas - so installed more than 31 miles of wire with 502,165 lights, glowing reindeer and loud music around their suburban home, to the irritation of some neighbours.

The sight has attracted neighbours from miles around - although not all of them are impressed. Some have not spoken to the family since 2011.

Mr Richards, who lives in the suburb of Forrest with his wife Janean, son Aidan, 13, and daughters Caitlin, ten, and Madelyn, six, insisted most neighbors supported the display.

He added: ‘I have always loved Christmas. Having the Christmas lights with the community coming in and sharing it is a time when you get to know people you probably should know better, I guess.’

Guinness World Records today confirmed the family’s charity feat has officially the most Christmas lights on a residential property.

The twinkling bulbs will cost about £1,400 to run for a month - but the sum has been donated by a local power company.

The stunt is open to the public, and hundreds of people have already visited and posted videos on Youtube. It will raise funds for children’s charities including to fight Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Up to 70,000 people visited the light show when he last put it on in 2011 and it raised £44,000 for charity. This year Mr Richards wants to raise £56,000.

He told the Canberra Times: ‘It actually helps a lot of families who have put up with an amazing amount of grief. That makes it all worthwhile to me.

‘It’s like a party in your driveway every night.’

The lights took a month to put up but Mr Richards did not have to count them all himself - instead delivery records and invoices were used to certify the total.

And they have had an extra use, illuminating the wedding of his wife’s cousin on Saturday.

Mr Richards vowed he had retired after setting his 2011 record, but regained the taste for Christmas lights. Now he will not rule out defending himself against further challenges.

However, he said he will need a generator if he puts up any more lights.

Blinding: Half a million Christmas lights have wowed and annoyed neighbours in equal measure in Canberra. Father-of-three David Richards, who claimed a world record for the second time, said: ‘I just love Christmas’

Record: The lights are attached to every possible surface - including trees, hedges, walls and the roof

Glittering: The display at the family’s home took more than a month to construct and will cost £1,400 to run

Everybody needs good neighbours: The 500,000 multi-coloured lights were not universally adored. Some neighbours have not been on speaking terms with the Richards family since their previous record in 2011

PAGE 54

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

Healthy Living

Wellness

Diabetes and sleep (II)

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hank you dear readers for keeping a date with me on Wellness Column this weekend also I will like to commend those who have been constantly keeping in touch via email and sms portals shown above, it has richly enriched the content of this column.

Last week we started a series on Diabetes and sleep and many people called in to express their surprise that Diabetes has something to do with sleep.

Research has shown us that Diabetes affects different aspects of life and if not controlled can make quality living compromised.

Last week, I was able to establish that depriving of sleep can lead to build up of cortisol an anti-inflammatory hormone which in excess can lead to insulin resistance, a precursor in type 2 Diabetes. This week, I shall look further at sleep disorders that could result when living with Diabetes.

The relationship between Diabetes and Sleep is indeed a complex one, while lack of sleep or deprivation of sleep can lead to type 2 Diabetes due to activity of insulin resistance, the presence of Diabetes itself especially when associated with poor blood glucose control, is often followed by sleep disorders. Research findings has indicated that both in people with type 1 and type 2 Diabetes , poor glucose control may favour the development of sleep disorders.

There are a wide variety of reasons for disrupted sleep in people with diabetes. Some of the causes of sleep problems can include:

With Isaac Yakubu Akogu

www.diabetesguidenigeria.blogspot.com, 08176179496, diabetesconcepts@gmail.com

caemia).

HEALTHY HABITS THAT CAN IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND QUANTITY IN PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES

Living with Diabetes can be really challenging when it comes to some useful daily decisions. The following healthy habits can help to ensure a person living with Diabetes enjoys good and

a feeling of impending doom, nightmares, night sweats or morning headaches. Sometimes the only symptom is high fasting blood glucose. omen going through menopause may also experience drenching night sweats, which can be confused with nighttime hypoglycemia. It is important to find out if the cause is menopause or a low blood glucose reaction (hypogly-

quality sleep.

-Exercise: Research evidence exists that shows those who exercise have better quality and quantity of sleep as long as the exercise is not done right before bedtime.

-Warm bath before retiring to bed.

-Blood glucose control within target range -Eating dinner earlier than 8pm at night to allow for digestion before going to bed.

Sleep is good for the Body’s metabolic system

Sleep Apnea leep apnea is increasingly common for everyone, but is more frequent among those with type 2 diabetes. Sleep apnea is also linked to obesity, a risk factor for diabetes.

Symptoms include daytime fatigue and exhaustion, and nighttime snoring or irregular breathing. Weight loss is by far the most effective treatment from research findings.

Neuropathy and Leg Pain Leg pain due to neuropathy is a very common reason people with diabetes have sleep problems. There are many medications to treat neuropathy, some of which can also have a beneficial sedative effect however care must be taken to avoid abuse and dependence on the drug. Also some non drug measures

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like feet washing and use of Diabetic socks has been of help to many people having this form of challenge.

Nighttime Lows (Hypoglycaemia) Another reason some with diabetes might have disrupted sleep is nighttime hypoglycaemia. People with type 1, and those with type 2 Diabetes, who are being treated with Insulin or sulfonylurea, are at risk. Symptoms include waking up suddenly with

“

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Sleep apnea is increasingly common for everyone, but is more frequent among those with type 2 diabetes. Sleep apnea is also linked to obesity, a risk factor for diabetes. Symptoms include daytime fatigue and exhaustion, and nighttime snoring or irregular breathing. Weight loss is by far the most effective treatment from research findings.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 30, NOVEMBER-SUNDAY 1, DECEMBER, 2013

PAGE 55

From the Pulpit

Twenty reasons you must GREEN give thanks to God (I) PASTURES Text: Psalm 124:1-8

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e’re just one month and some days to the end of the year 2013, and I can’t think of an appropriate message to bring to you other than this.

Giving thanks is a practice that does not come to many people easily because when they look at their lives, they believe there is nothing worth thanking God for. They convince themselves that thanking God may be right for those God has showered His blessings on but not right for them.

The reason that even God knows He’s yet to do anything for them so thanking Him will embarrass Him! But this is not correct if considered in-depth.

There is no one who does not have a reason to thank God. When we cannot think we cannot thank! A thoughtful person will be a thankful person. A man grumbling and complaining that he has no shoe will thank God when he sees a man without legs! Someone who thinks he does not have good clothes will thank God when he sees another insane person naked!

Often times, many of us are ungrateful for God’s kindness and manifold blessings in our lives.

We’re so concerned about what is yet to happen that we fail to see what has happened. We remember so constantly answers to prayers that are yet to manifest that we forget answers to prayers we’re already enjoying. Oh how ungrateful we often are! We regularly violate God’s instruction concerning giving thanks. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:1820 NIV) Matthew 5:27-30

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esus Christ is the Light of the world as well as the Light of the Word. Without His insight and interpretation, most people will think that they are free from the condemnation of sin.

Hearing the word, “Thou shalt not kill”, the majority of people in the world will claim to have kept this God’s Word. Hearing the true explanation, “Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment,” every mouth is stopped and all the world become guilty before God (Romans 3:19). Christ’s true interpretation makes everyone see the need for forgiveness and salvation.

Our Lord now explains and applies the next commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

Limited understanding, again, will lead most people to conclude that they are morally upright and righteous. That superficial righteousness is lost as we listen to Christ’s revelation on the commandment.

“Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery

1 Thess 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV) From this Scripture, you could see that there is no wrong time to thank God because it says to give thanks to God in all circumstances which include positive and negative, favourable and unfavourable, successful and unsuccessful, etc.

Also Col 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (NIV) I want to share with you 20 reasons from the Word of God you should give thanks to the Lord. I trust God that these will jumpstart you to thanksgiving as a way of life.

These are unusual reasons people often put forward for not thanking God. Thanking God is not just about what He has done for you that you can see. Even if you think God has not done anything for you (and that is not true) you still owe Him an obligation to thank Him. You should thank God for the following reasons: •Because of His name and His greatness. The Bible talks of all the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as the law requires of Israel (Ps 122:4 NLT) God also requires thanks from us too as the spiritual Israelites. We are also expected to thank Him because of His greatness – He’s a great God. “Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to Him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods” (Ps 95:23 NLT).

•Because of His holiness.

God deserves your thanks because of His holiness. Always remember this and give Him thanks even if

answers to your prayers are yet to manifest for which you’ll love to share testimony before the congregation in your church and among your friends. “Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name” (Ps 30:4 NLT) Both Ps 97:12 and Ps 106:47 speak of giving thanks to His holy name. God expects nothing less than this from us.

•Because He is good and his mercy (steadfast love) endures forever. God’s mercy, steadfast love do not exist for a season; they do not exist temporarily.

It exists forever, and we’re still alive today because of this mercy. But for His mercy, His love that fails not, where will you and I have been?

We need to appreciate Him for His mercy. “Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever” (Ps 106:1). Ps 107:1 and Ps 118:1 and 29 say a similar thing: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever” All the 26 verses of Ps 136 tell us His faithful love endures forever and for this He deserves our thanks.

•Because of the unspeakable gift. 2Cor 9:15 says, “Thanks be unto God for his “unspeakable” gift” (KJV) The word unspeakable is rendered as priceless, indescribable, too wonderful for words by other translations. The New Living Translation says, “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!”

This refers to the grace of God to man. When last did you thank God for His gift to you? The greatest gift He’s given us is His son. Gift unspeakable! Or don’t you think Jesus is a wonderful gift to the world?

•Because of your salvation and the salvation of others.

When last did you thank God for your salvation, the salvation of your loved ones and that of others? Don’t

By Pastor T. O. Banso

cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 we usually take that for granted; we don’t often thank Him for this except to complain about what He’s yet to do for us – that promotion you’ve been expecting, that top flight job you’ve been praying for, that house you have been believing God for money to buy etc. “As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2Thess 2:13).

Prior to this, Paul had, in his first letter, thanked God for the people receiving the Word of God and accepting it as God’s Word and not man’s word. “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe (1 Thess 2:13 NIV). This is a good lesson for preachers of the Word.

It’s a sin to take salvation for granted. Salvation may be free but somebody paid for it; he paid for it with his own life. He died like a criminal on the cross when in fact, he never sinned. When people open their hearts to hear and accept the Word of God, it’s something to thank God for. When they give their lives to Jesus, it’s worth thanking God for. And when these new be-

lievers keep standing in faith despite all trials and afflictions, we ought to give thanks to God. Paul said, “Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? (1 Thess 3:7-10 NIV).

I can’t finish this message today. I’ll continue this series next week. Give thanks to God. TAKE ACTION! If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today.

I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today.

I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God” I believe you’ve said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations!

You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you.

The sinfulness of acts and thoughts of impurity with her already in his heart.”

Christ effectively takes the veil of deception away to make everyone in the world see the need for salvation in Him. Christ makes the world see the need for divine mercy and He makes the church see the need for heart-cleansing.

1. COMMAND AGAINST AN IMMORAL DEED Matthew 5:27; Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 22:22-24; Proverbs 6:32-35; Romans 1:2932; 13:9,10;1 Corinthians 6:9,10; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 2:1923; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:2,3; Hebrews 13:4.

“Ye have heard ...” We have heard from the voice of conscience, from the voice of society, from the voice of selfinterest, from the voice of judgement and from the voice of priests and preachers. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery.” This moral law had been in effect before the dispensation of the law (Genesis 20:1-7; 38:24) and it

By Pastor W.F Kumuyi is still in effect today after the dispensation of the law; in this dispensation of grace (Matthew 19:16-18; Romans 13:9,10).

Christ has not come to excuse and conceal the sin of mankind; No! He came to expose and cleanse the sin of the world. He has not come to condemn and leave man under condemnation; No! He has come to reveal the guilt and condemnation of all men in order to make men seek God’s forgiveness, mercy and salvation through Christ. His

light searches us that His love may save us.

2. CONDEMNATION OF AN IMPURE DESIRE Matthew 5:28; Exodus 20:14,17; Mark 7:20-23; Romans 7:7; 2 Samuel 13:1-4; Colossians 3:5,6; James 1:14,15;1 John 2:16; Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 15:26; 24:9; Isaiah 55:7.

The Pharisees and scribes had reduced the commandment which prohibits adultery to the mere physical act of adultery. They imagined that as long as they were

not actually guilty of the act, they were perfectly innocent and free from guilt or condemnation. The great mistake of the Pharisees was that they never read the Ten commandments properly. If they had truly considered and thoroughly studied them, they would have seen the error of isolating each of the commandments. While the seventh commandment says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”, the tenth commandment says, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife.” This law forbids lust in the heart or improper desire of “inordinate affection” for any woman in the heart. Here again, we have Christ faithfully showing us the insufficiency of external righteousness. His inspired interpretation and faithful revelation of what is in man’s heart helps us to see our need of Christ as Saviour and Sanctifier.

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).

BIG PUNCH We are determined to fight for liberty; to liberate Nigeria and change the election thuggery and electoral fraud. Jega cannot manage his people.

Therefore, he should resign immediately. We have tolerated him enough. We are no longer taking it.”

—Bola Tinubu, APC chieftain to INEC on the party’s rejection of Anambra guber polls

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 — SUNDAY DECEMBER 1, 2013

The Sacred Geography ‘

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hand you over,’ said Sophronius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to his people, ‘to a better people!’ By that he means Muslims. The Patriarch had just witnessed the Caliph, and his fellow Muslims among whom were many prominent companions of Prophet Muhammad, conduct the Friday prayer, the first in the long history of the City. The atmosphere was indeed angelic, the rows perfect, the solemnity flawless, the unity of minds and souls palpable.

As they fell, in unison, on their faces in obeisance to the One Supreme God, as all Prophets of God, Adam and Abraham, David and Solomon, Moses and Jesus, had done, Jerusalem itself felt the convergence of Heaven and Earth, the renewal of the essential unity of the human race, the reaffirmation of the collective legacy the Prophets.

The Patriarch had also witnessed an extraordinary moment. The Caliph had prevailed on Bilal, the African companion of the Prophet, to call the Faithfuls to prayer, the first time since the Prophet died, six years ago. Allahu Akbar, sounded the unique stentorian Bilalian voice and, lo and behold, the great army before whom the world powers of Persia and Byzantium were trembling, melted into tears and ecstasy — overwhelmed the feeling of, the very presence of the Prophet Muhammad in their midst. Bilal had the singular honor of being the only person ever to be the first to call the Faithfuls to prayer in the Sacred Mosque in Medina, the Sacred Sanctuary in Mecca and the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem. The Caliph too was the first ruler ever to have under his care and authority all the three sanctuaries at one and the same time. ‘God has favored us with Islam. He sent to us His Messenger. He has chosen us for a mission. Let us fulfill that mission.

That mission is the promotion of Islam. In Islam lies our safety; if we err we are doomed,’ the Caliph told the congregation.

As he left Jerusalem ten days after its surrender, Umar footprints remained indelible.

First of all, he had swept away a policy which had been a fundamental factor in the downfall of the Roman Empire, one policy which could undermine any political power, however powerful, namely, the denial of religious freedoms enforced on a universal scale. Tom Holland states in The Battle For Global Empire And End Of The Ancient

World, that after regaining his empire from Persia, Heraclius resolved never again to allow the ‘Christian empire’ to be pushed to the edge of oblivion. ‘From Africa to distant Gaul, leaders across the Christian world received news of a startling imperial decision: all Jews and Samaritans were to be brought compulsorily to baptism,’ Tom Holland writes on the grand strategy to keep Roman Empire immortal. ‘From now on, the Roman Empire would be undilutedly, and therefore impregnably, Christian.’ But the policy, naturally, had only the opposite effect. The empire brimmed with believers who were not, deep in their innermost conscience, truly believers, and citizens who were not, genuinely and truly, citizens. So when the most critical moments came, in the face of imminent existential threat, the empire had very few defenders. Umar had freed Jerusalem, and made its citizens free in faith, conscience and thought. econdly Umar redefined the principle of Sacred Geography which was to guide the destiny of Jerusalem in the centuries to come. Karen Armstrong notes that for Jews separation, rather than integration, is engrained in the concept of holiness: for example, separation of milk from meat; the sabbath from the rest of the week; Jews from gentiles. The holiness of Jerusalem was experienced as a series of graded separations.

The Temple was designed as a series of courts, each more holy than the last, and each, therefore, banned to an increasing number of people. Gentiles, women, laity, clergy, were, as a category, each progressively excluded from holiness, until the holiest point of the temple was finally reached; it is a dark empty room which barred to all except the High Priest, who was himself only permitted entrance once a year on Yom Kippur. The Roman Empire, on its part, also cultivated similar, exclusive vision of Jerusalem – only, says Armstrong, more ‘murderous’. The general rule across the centuries, therefore, had been that whichever side prevailed exterminated the others, such that the history of the Holy City had been dominated by and large by a succession of pogroms and annihilations.

Islam had been the sole

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Dome of the Rock, where Prophet Abraham set out for his sacrifice, and where Prophet Muhammad ascended the seven heavens exception. The aim of the Muslim community, to paraphrase the views of Armstrong, is to achieve integration and balance, bring the whole of life into the ambit of holiness, as an expression of Oneness of God, and to invite the whole world to the mosque, not left outside. ‘When Caliph ̈Umar captured Jerusalem from the Byzantines,’ she says, ‘he was conscious of its sacred past, but he was faithful to the inclusive vision of Islam.’

Finally the Caliph left behind the 35 acre compound called Haram ash Shareef or the Noble Sanctuary. It houses Al Aqsa mosque mentioned in the Quran, and the Dome of the Rock, where Solomon’s Temple once stood. The Dome of the Rock encloses the rock from which Prophet Muhammad ascended. It is a timeless octagonal masterpiece, built according to perfect mathematical calculations, a wonder to behold, Islam’s most beautiful mosque. More still, it expresses in its eternal, inimitable

yet eloquent silence, the world view of Islam. This compound encapsulates the spiritual odyssey of the human race. And it is here, precisely, that the fate of world peace will ultimately be determined.

Roger Garaudy attempts an interpretation of the architecture of the Dome of the Rock, as rebuilt in 687, more than 13 centuries ago. It is a pleasure to read his words, below: t is another world of forms, wherein everything descends from above, like the Revelation itself. It is said that when the Prophet Muhammad arrived in the Seventh Heaven, he saw a celestial vault in the colors of light. That is what the roof of the Dome of the Rock endeavors to evoke with its foliated scrolls, interlacements, arabesques, and mosaics of purple and gold, enhanced by the black band with its cursive letters, inscribed in gold, recalling the Message.

Below are sixteen stained-glass

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windows through which God’s light enters. This iridescent light descends towards man, its reliefs and shadows filtering through the arches, pillars, and columns that articulate the space, outlining the arabesques that intertwine men and their universe, drawing them into the Wake of God, who is always living, always creating.

His written word reveals itself in the places to which one’s gaze is first directed, especially in the border of the cupola, in the niche of the mihrab, and in the frame of the doorway, but also in the friezes on the wall, under the capitals of the columns. Everywhere a form offers to the eye a springboard to infinity, reminding it, as it leaves the Earth, of God’s Challenge. It is said in the Qur’an that men of faith will know paradise as their eternal home. The atmosphere of beauty that prevails in a place like the Dome of the Rock is like a distant announcement of that destiny.

Caught in the mysterious network of the arabesque, of the cadence of the arches and columns, of all the forms and colors of beauty that spiritualizes what is material without concealing the lines of force of its construction, man finds himself in his finite state at the very heart of the Beauty and the Life of God, of which this mausoleum is the parable. Everything here - from the structure to the light, integrates man in a life that is higher than everyday life. This stone parable tells us that another world, a world different from this one, is possible. It frees him from the pressure of things and invites him to listen to a different appeal, to another promise than desire.

It teaches him the Oneness and Infinity of God. When he looks down earth-ward once more, he can contemplate the rock where, according to the Jewish and Christian tradition, Abraham set out to accomplish his sacrifice, and where according to the Muslims, the Prophet rose to Heaven. He can feel himself returning to the clay from which he was created, as though he were nothing more, in God’s hand, than a living particle of the honey-colored rock, gold and amber in the infinitely soft, penetrating light of the God Who created it, just as he created this mountain, these stars, the crystal of the world and its vault, and this temple, made by men’s hands at the call of God.

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