nigerian observer 23 07 2013

1 TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013THE NIGERIAN

VISIT: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (left) receiving Rev. Musa Asake, General Secretary,Christian Association of Nigeria and Rt. Rev. Peter Imasuen (right) during a courtesy visit of theNational Executive members of the Christian Association of Nigeria, to Government House in BeninCity yesterday. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE.

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 38 • NO.280 • TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 • N100.00

Resolving CrisisOf Fiscal

Federalism AndControl Of OilRevenue In

Nigeria

4

NUTRITIONALHEALTH AND

DIETETICS

Pages 16 - 17Perspective

CholesterolMadness

STOP OIL BUNKERINGPeople of Edo State,Government has discovered thatinspite of measures taken by se-curity agents in the State to stopillegal oil bunkering, perpetra-tors of this shady business havecontinued unabated.The State Government iswarning all those still involvedin oil bunkering in the State to,in their own interest, stop thisshady and dubious businessforthwith as stiffer penaltiesawait them.Any person or group of personscaught in the illegal businesswill be dealt with according tothe law.All vehicles and equipment usedwill be burnt.Be patriotic, report any personsuspected to be in the businessof oil bunkering to the authori-ties concerned.Join Government to rid the Stateof enemies of progress.Edo State must continue tomove forward.This message is from the Edo State

Ministry of Informationand Orientation

·

·

·····

The Nigerian

What Role ForSubsidiarityPrinciple?

Pray for Nigeria, Oshiomhole tells Xtian leaders

2015

Reversion Of Land To Govt

Continues on page 2

Commissioner urges community tomaintain peace

Capacity building

Continues on page 2

ANEEJ wants Rivers ProcurementLaw amended

FG gives N50bn

Human traf-fickers mayget 10-yr jail

term

BENIN CITY - CivilSociety organizationshave called onlawmakers in the RiversState House ofAssembly to amend the Continues on page 2

2010 Public Procurementlaw in order to ensureproper accountability andtransparency in all

procurement of goodsand services in the state.

The civil society groupis made up of Africa

Network forEnvironment andEconomic Justice(ANEEJ), Institute ofHuman Rights and

BENIN CITY – EdoState Commissioner,Ministry of Lands andSurvey, Barr. Osikhena-Boih Donald hasappealed to Oregbenicommunity to maintainpeace and be lawabiding to ensure

harmonious relationshipwith the Military authorityespecially with respect tothe former ArmyBarracks in the area. In a press statement

yesterday, Commissionersaid that the land onwhich former ArmyBarrack was located hadbeen formally released toEdo State Government.

He added that talkswere on to realize thephysical transfer of thesaid land, pointing outthat the Army authority inEdo State had been veryfriendly and co-operative

ABUJA - If theproposed anti humantrafficking lawsmaterializes, traffickerson conviction are in forten years minimumimprisonment in additionto fines.

This followed openingof a joint public hearingon the Bill For An Act toRepeal the Trafficking inPersons (Prohibition)Law EnforcementAdministration Act 2003.

Declaring open thepublic hearing yesterday,Senate President, DavidMark noted that modemslavery still exist at home,factories and evenbehind closed doors inthe cities.

He therefore noted thatthe public hearingrepresented anothermilestone in the nationalcampaign to take the fightagainst human traffickingto a higher level.

The government toughstance is informed by

By JOSES SEDE

Continues on page 2

ABUJA - TheMinister of Power, Prof.Chinedu Nebo, yesterday

said the FederalGovernment gave N50billion to the National

Power Training Instituteof Nigeria (NAPTIN) forits electrical engineering

training.This is contained in

a statement issued Continues on page 2

BENIN CITY - Governor Adams Oshiomholehas charged the Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN to speak out against the ills of the society,stand on the path of truth and pray for the nationas we approach 2015.

The Governor madethe appeal yesterdaywhen the NationalExecutive members ofthe Christian Associationof Nigeria (CAN), led byits General-Secretary,Rev Musa Asake,representing the CANPresident, Pastor AyoOritsejafor paid him acourtesy visit at the

Government House inBenin City

The Governor said,“for me, Nigeria istreading the ground thatmight threaten thefoundation of ourexistence. So I want CANhaving shown courage,having spoken out evenin the days of militarydictatorship, now in ademocracy, we needmore of that courage.

“Things happeningaround, for me, representvery dangerous signals.

There are people who donot wish the country welland unfortunately there

are men and womenwho cannot claim tohave a future and

messing up the future foreverybody else. It is thelot of the Christiancommunity to speak outwhere it matters, so thatthose who are deaf canlisten and those who areblind may have their sight


Commissionerurges commu-

nity to maintainpeace

News

Human traffickers may get 10-yr jail term

Continued from page 1


Kidnapping Bill scales2nd reading

Pray for Nigeria, Oshiomhole tells Xtianleaders

Oba Palace suspends Enogie

NDLEA arrests 41 drugsuspects

FG gives N50bn


BENIN CITY – The Enogieof Utekon community, ChiefEguagie Omoruyi Imasuenhas been suspended asEnogie of the communitywith immediate effect. This was made knownthrough a release signed bythe secretary, BeninTraditional Council, FrankIrabor on the authority of the

Benin Monarch, Omo N’ObaN’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo,Oba Erediauwa. The suspension is sequelto the Enogie’s disregard forBenin customs and traditionand undermining theauthority of the Oba.

in the process of the physicalhand over. The commissioner wasinformed by Oregbenicommunity during a recentcourtesy visit that they werebeing harassed by the Army.He however advised thecommunity to maintain peaceand live in harmony with themilitary. Earlier in their response, theythanked the ComradeGovernor for the giant strideof being able to revert the landfrom the Federal Governmentback to Edo StateGovernment and the goodpeople of Edo State.

ANEEJ wants Rivers Procurement Law amended

Humanitarian Law, ClimateChange Network, CommunityConciliation and DevelopmentInitiative, CommunityEnvironment DevelopmentNetwork and Universal PeerReview. In a communiquéjointly signed by the groupafter a Town Hall meetingorganized in Port Harcourtrecently by ANEEJ withsupport from EED Germanyand made available tonewsmen in Benin City, thegroup said the process withwhich the Public ProcurementLaw was passed into law isflawed with abnormalities.

It therefore called for anamendment of the law by theRivers State House ofAssembly for properaccountability and

transparency in theprocurement of goods andservices in the state.

Furthermore, the civilsociety group said theyobserved that lack of publicawareness has contributed tonon effective implementation

of the law adding that, thepeople of Rivers State havenot felt the presence of theBureau for PublicProcurement in the state.

The group however said

that it would invoke theFreedom of Information Act toenable enquires into the levelof compliance with the publicprocurement law and as wellput monitoring mechanism inplace to monitor theimplementation.

security and stability”.More so, Hon. Lar regretted

that Nigeria was currently asource, transit and destinationcountry for women andchildren subjected to forcedprostitution, adding thatNigerians boys were oftentrafficked for purpose of streetvending, domestic service,mining, stone quarries,agriculture and begging.

To this end, she assertedthat the time to redress theproblem was now, stressing,“this is the time to address it,for if not now, when? And if notus, who?”

Continued from page 1what the Sen. Umar Dahiru

led joint panel of the NationalAssembly described asserious threat to national

security and one thatdenigrates human dignity andour collective common valuesystem and norms.

In the proposed legislativepiece, definition of traffickinghas been broadened toinclude activities such asprocurement or recruitment ofany person for organharvesting.

It has also been worked toprovide for greater integrationof counter-traffickingstrategies by including a widerrange of state securityagencies and Civil SocietyOrganizations (CSOs).

Speaking at the occasion,House of RepresentativesChairman of Human RightsCommittee, Hon. Beni Lar,stressed the need to makeprovision for holding theparents and/or wards ofminors criminally liable whenthey fail to verify where theirchildren are being taken,when such failures arenegligent.

She stressed that theproblem of human traffickingin Nigeria is real andcompelling, adding, “it ismultifaceted and one thatviolates fundamental humanrights, increases global healthrisks, contributes totransnational organized crime,and undermines national,regional and international

restored so thattogether we will build anation that is God fearingand where the people willbenefit from the resourcesthat God so generouslyendowed us with,” he noted.

The Governor said “weneed a lot of activism as weapproach 2015, that a nationis not like a private

enterprise, that only thepeople are permanent,leaders will necessary comeand go and that is thepromise of democracy, weneed you to help all of us.Right now many of us areworried about the goings onin the country, I cannot carryprotest now because I will bemisunderstood and myheart is in the mood ofprotesting, so that my ownchildren will not inherit theiniquities of the evil we seeevery day.”

He urged Christians tocontinue to pray for thecontinued existence of thenation, saying “it is theprayers of our Christianbrothers and Muslimbrothers that keep Nigeriagoing”, noting that “we arein very challenging timesand we are buffeted with agood number of eliteentrusted with state powersat various levels privatisingthose powers and behaving

as if they are gods anddealing ruthlessly with thosewho are powerless andapplying the resources in amanner that is offensive tothe poor”, he added

Earlier, the GeneralSecretary of the ChristianAssociation of Nigeria, Rev.Asake representing thePresident, Pastor AyoOritsejafor expressed joy atthe achievements of thegovernor in the delivery tothe people of the state.

“We in the CAN arehappy with what you aredoing in Edo State, our menand women continue to giveus pleasant reports of yourgreat support for the churchand your delivery ofdemocracy dividends andpeople oriented projects inEducation, Health, youthempowerment andinfrastructural development.

“We have come tothank you and pray for youfor the good work you aredoing. God who broughtyou here will never let youdown,” he added.

Continued from page 1yesterday in Abuja by

Mrs. Kande Daniel, theminister’s Special Adviser onMedia and Communication.

The statement said thatthe minister made this knownduring a presentation onManpower Requirement, CostImplications and NAPTIN’sTraining Capacity at the 29thMeeting of the Board of NigerDelta Power HoldingCompany of Nigeria (NDPHC)and operators of NIPP at theState House, Abuja on July19.

According to him,NAPTIN currently has 500students who are about tograduate from the institute.

He stressed the need foradequate funding, adding thatN50 billion had already beendisbursed to the institute.

Nebo added that the sumwas capable of bridging thegap in electrical engineeringprogrammes in the educationsector of the country.

The statement quoted thevice president as earliersaying that the institute wasestablished to take care ofpersonnel training in thepower sector.

He said that NAPTINwould now be able to train themuch-needed manpower inthe power sector, stressingthat it would be operating thepower plants even after theirprivatisation.

Sambo, however, saidthe institution should beupgraded to attract thepatronage of other companieswithin and outside the country,adding that the private sector

should be involved.He expressed

dissatisfaction overinadequate funds from theMu l t i -Yea r -Ta r i f f -O rde r(MYTO) and inability ofgeneration companies to payfor gas.

He called for a meetingnext week to be attended byMrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, theCoordinating Minister of theEconomy and Minister ofFinance, Mr. Sam Amadi, theChairman of the NationalElectricity RegulatoryCommission (NERC) andother stakeholders.

He frowned at somecontractors who had notcompleted their work,especially the work at theGwagwalada sub-stationwhich he said was 90 per centcompleted.

Sambo said that althoughthe time table for theinauguration of the substationhad been drawn, adding, “Icannot take Mr President tocommission the power projectthat will fail immediately aftercommissioning.

“This administrationwants to deliver electricity toNigerians.’’

BENIN CITY – A bill for a lawto prohibit the act ofkidnapping and thecommitting of any act as anexplicit or implicit condition forthe release of a kidnappedperson in Edo State, wasyesterday given its secondreading on the floor ofparliament. Leading the debate infavour of the bill, the MinorityWhip and Chief sponsor ofthe bill, Hon. KingsleyEhigiamusor stated that thebill seeks to outlawkidnapping in the state,noting that the sanctity ofHuman Life’s is too sacredthat sterner measures mustbe put in place to preserve it. He noted that the bill woulderadicate insecurity in thestate as well as protect thesociety, saying kidnapping isinimical to the progress anddevelopment of any societyhence the death penaltiesadvocated for kidnappers. Contributing to the debateon the bill the Majority Leader,Hon. Philip Shaibu describedthe deliberations on the bill astimely as it would help solvethe security problem in thestate and the dehumanizingtorture victims are subjectedto when kidnapped. He further said that thereare no visible investments inany society plagued bychallenges of insecuritywhich the bill seeks toaddress and invariablymaking the state investor-friendly. On his part, the Chief Whip,Hon. Foly Ogedengbe notedthat the primary responsibilityof government is to protectlives and property in the state,hence parliament has astatutory duty to protect thepeople of the state fromcriminals who unleashmayhem, terror and torture ofunimaginable magnitude, bypassing the bill to checkkidnapping though. Other lawmakers who

contributed to the debateincluded Hon. Victor Edoror,Hon. Elizabeth Ativie, Hon.Patrick Osayimwen, Hon.Paul Ohonbamu and Hon.Abdulrazak Momoh whospoke in favour of the billcondemned the vicious act ofkidnapping, describing it asan unholy occupation whichyouths engage in for quickmoney. They noted that theinherent potentials of youthsthat would have beenchanneled towardsmeaningful development israther tailored towardskidnapping. The speaker of the HouseHon. Uyi Igbe while summingup deliberations on the bill,re-echoed the views of theother lawmakers andtherefore referred the bill tothe House StandingCommittee on Judiciary,Human Rights and LegalMatters for functioning. The committee’s report isexpected to be submitted tothe House within 24hrsahead of its passage into law. Also, during yesterday’splenary session, the receiptof a letter from the stateGovernor, Comrade AdamsOshiomhole requestingparliament to confirm thenomination of six nomineesas members of the Edo StateInformation Communicationand Technology Agency(ICTA). The speaker, Hon. Uyi Igbein his response, directed thenominees to forward 30copies of their CurriculumVitae (C.V’s) to the HouseCommittee on Rules,Business and GovernmentHouse within 24 hours. The committee is expectedto screen and forward itsreport to the House. The nominees includeMiss. Yemi Kerry – ManagingDirector; Donald Omorodion,Eni Anabor, Peace Onaiwu;Kenny Abioma andIgbinanmwan Abieyuwa asDirectors.

By KEN ABU/WINIFREDOSASOBO

LAGOS - No fewer than 41suspected drug traffickers wereapprehended with 253.390kilogrammes of narcotics withan estimated street value ofN2.3 billion by the National DrugLaw Enforcement Agency(NDLEA).

The NDLEA Head of PublicAffairs, Mitchell Ofoyeju whodisclosed this on Sunday saidthat the drugs were interceptedbetween January and June2013, with 39 males and twofemales arrested.

According to him, “Thecommand also won 53 casesmost of which were charged tocourt in 2012”.

Giving the breakdown of thedrug, NDLEA AirportCommander, Hamza Umar saidthe bulk of the drugs weremethamphetamine, saying “inthe first half of the year, theairport command successfullyseized 253.390kg of variousillegal drugs.Methamphetamine alone

By RAHEEM IBRAHIMweighed 169.290kg. This wasfollowed by cannabis with47.230kg. Cocaine is 31.475kgand heroin 5.395kg. In all, 41persons were arrestedcomprising 39 males and twofemales”.

Further analysis showed thatin the first quarter, 172.175kg ofdrugs were intercepted while81.215kg were seized in secondquarter.

Out of this total, 19.195kgwere detected during inwardscreening operations while234.195kg were seized duringoutward operations.

Seizures ofmethamphetamine andcannabis weighing 169.290kgand 47.230kg respectively weremeant for export.

“It is pertinent to note that theairport seizure is a reflection ofthe fact that bothmethamphetamine andcannabis are locally produced inthe country.

“The development has made

AAU gets newgoverning council

BENIN CITY – GovernorAdams Oshiomhole of EdoState has approved theconstitution of the GoverningCouncil of Ambrose AlliUniversity (AAU) Ekpoma. A relase signed by theSecretary to the StateGovernment (SSG), Prof.Julius Ihonvbere listed themembers to include Prof.

By MERCY IYAHEN Gregory Akenzua, Chairmanwhile members include Prof.T.O. K. Audu, Dr. AndrewIsegun, and Prof. Tom.Imobighe. Other members are Mr.Andrew Okwilagbe, Dr.Esohe Jacobs, Prince TonyOmoaghe and Dr. G.Ogboghodor. According to the release,their appointment takesimmediate effect.


Inside EdoSenators, Others PayLast Respect To Legogie

Residents Appeal For Govt InterventionOver Erosion Threatened Roads

Mrs. IfaluyiFor Burial

AGENEBODE (EDO)-Across section of residents ofAgenebode, Etsako East LocalGovernment Area, Edo hasappealed to the state governmentto fix the Fugar/Agenebode roadwhich is under threat from gullyerosion.

The residents made the appealin separate interviews withnewsmen on Monday.

When newsmen visited theAgenebode end of the road, itobserved that the road had almostbeen cut into two by the erosion.

The gully, which is about 20metres deep, over 100 metreslong and about 30 metres wide,started about a year ago. It hasworsened since thecommencement of this year’srainy season.

The residents and motorists

stressed that if urgent steps werenot taken to address the problem,Agenedobe could be cut off fromsome parts of the state.

Mr Gideon Akpata, a residentof the area, told newsmen thatsocial interaction betweenAgenebode residents and otherneighbouring communitieswould be hampered if nothingwas done to address the gully

By MORRISON HAYBLE

EKPERI (ETSAKOCENTRAL)- Political andbusiness associates friendsand well wishers of the lateformer Deputy SenatePresident Senator AlbertOsuma Legogie convergedweekend at Ugbekpe EkperiEtsako Central LocalGovernment Area of EdoState his home town to paytheir last respects to a mandescribed by many as afocused politician, epitome ofknowledge and of a selflesspersonality.

Amongst the front liners atthe funeral ceremony were adelegation from the NationalAssembly led by SenatorGeorge Akume whorepresented the senatepresident senator DavidMark, delegation front EdoState government,Traditional Rulers and a crosssection of the public whodemonstrated solidarity forthe Legogie family.

At a crowed thanksgivingservice that climaxed thethree day burial ceremony,held at the saints Peter andPaul Catholic Church,Azukhala /Ugbekpe-Ekperi,the parish Priest, Rev. fatherLawrence Adoralo whosehomily centred on the needfor hospital and heeding thewords of God lamented thatpeople were pre-occupiedwith materialism that they nolonger have time for God.

Rev. father Adoraloentreated the congregationand the family of thedeceased to strive hard, nomatter how busy to return toGod and realign with Him sothat He could direct theirways.

While admonishing thecongregation to be moreconcerned about spiritualexercise that would take themto God, the clergy remindedthem of how Abrahamentertained strangersunknown to him that theywere Gods angels. Hetherefore stressed the needfor hospitality to one anothersaying it remains the essenceof life.

In a remark, eldest son ofthe decease, Mr. VictorLegogie described his latefather as a humble, yet strongin character and a loving fairpolitician who said the needto encourage generational

change. Victor Legogie spoke of

his late father as a man whowished for a better Nigeriaand regretted that this dreamcould not be realized beforehe passed the expressedhope that with collectiveapproach, the country couldexperience development,noting however that thedesired change could bemade possible if all Nigerianscontributed their input to thebuilding of the Nigerianation.

Late Albert Legogiebelonged to severalprofessional bodies includingthe Nigerian Bar Association,NBA before he became asenator in 1992.

By ISEMHENBITA FAITH

BENIN CITY- The family ofObayewana of Iguotor Village inOvia North East LocalGovernment Area of Edo Statehave announced the death of theirmother, Grand mother, sister, In-Law and Aunty, late Mrs.Ariagbonse Ifaluti (Nee Iyogie).

Late Mrs. Ariagbonse Ifaluyiwho died on the of May 17, 2013,at the age of 85 would be buriedbe buried at N 4, EkmadoseStreet, Off 2nd Osaro Street,Okhohugbo Quarters Useh BeninCity on Thursday July 25, 2013.

On Friday July 26, 2013family rites will follow onSaturday 27, July 2013

The ceremony would climaxwith social dance at EvbuotubuSecondary School Compound atnoon.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Barr Festus Keyamo and Mr. SamAmuka, publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, during the governor’s visit to Barr. Keyamoat his Warri residence in Delta State. PHOTO: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE

OtaruUrges GovtOn Fin. Mgt

erosion.He said the present situation of

the road was beyond the abilityof the local government councilto contain, adding that only theEdo Government could fix it.

“We are calling on the stategovernment to come to our aidbefore we are cut off. This is amajor road and we can not affordto do without it,” he said.

Mr Peter Aidojie, a transporter,told newsmen that, if thecondition of the road becameworse than its present state, lotsof people would lose theirsources of livelihood.

“As a transporter, I ply thisroad on a daily basis and it is fromhere I take care of my family. Ifthis road is cut into two, I don’tknow what will happen to me andmy family,” he said.

Another resident, PatrickUhua, however, noted that apartfrom the road being cut into two,its present state still constituteda threat to lives.

“Only God knows what willhappen to anybody who is notconversant with this road,especially at night. Governmentshould please act fast to avert adisaster,” he told newsmen.

Accident: Emergency Cases HaveReduced At Central Hospital

By MORRISON HAYBLE

AUCHI- Government at alllevels in the country have beenadmonished to be proactive infinancial management byensuring provision for futureexigencies in the preparation oftheir budgets.

The Otaru of Auchi Kingdom,HRH Alhaji A.H. Momoh,Ikelebe 111 gave the adviceweekend in a remark as SpecialGuest at ceremony held in Auchi.

Alhaji A.H. Momoh whoexpressed worry that budgetswere often devoid of certainallocation for the future,emphasized that budgetarymanagement must be based onrealistic value and centred anavailable income and not just thefigures on paper.

A Chartered Accountant byprofession, the Royal Fathercautioned that Nigeria might bemanaging liabilities by the year2015 given her current financialrecklessness and its inability topay debts because expectation ofcontraction in oil production andprice were never put intoconsideration.

The Otaru of Auchi lamentedthat a situation where 75 percentof budgeted sum go outside thebudget was unhealthy andhopeless adding that it wasimpossible to liquidate debts ofmanagement of liabilitiescontinues to dominate.

By EMMANUELEGOBIAMBU/OYENMWENOMOROGBE

BENIN CITY- The MedicalDirector (CMD) CentralHospital Benin City, Dr. EdithKayode-Iyasere, said the rate ofemergencies due to accidents hasdropped since Edo StateGovernment ban on the use ofmotorcycle popularly known asOkada.

In an exclusive interviewwith The NIGERIANOBSERVER in Benin City theCMD said the number ofemergency victims brought to thehospital has reduced drastically.

According to her, most“Okada” riders could be havingpoor vision which may be hardfor passengers to identify whileboarding the motorcycle.

According to her, giving samepersons that have poor vision theduty of taking people from oneplace to the other, is another thingthat contributes to roadaccidents”,.

She noted that apart fromaccident the overexposure ofmotorcyclists to wind in is notgood.

When you enter bikes, the wayyour chest and your whole bodyis exposed to the excess wind that

blows, affects your cardio”, adevelopment, she added is evenworse for asthmatic patients.

Dr. Iyasere noted that the banwould help in checking crimerate as most crimes arecommitted using bike.

Speaking, an orthopedic withthe hospital Dr. B.O. Uwadiaenoted that since the ban onmotorcycle the hospital has notrecorded any case of amputation.Amputation victims/patienceweekly, before the ban on“Okada” last month.

Also, Dr. Alex Okon whocorroborated the observation of

the hospital noted that since theban cases of accidentemergencies have reduceddrastically.

He stated that most familybread winners have died untimelywhile others equally sustainedinjuries which eventuallydeformed and make themliabilities to their immediatefamily as well as limit theircontributions to the society.Corroborating Dr. Okon, Dr.Akhabue said the high incidenceof fracture recorded in thehospital has been on the downside since the ban took effect.

Late Mrs. AriagbonseIfaluyi

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (right), Barr. Festus Keyamu and Deputy SenatePresident, Senator Ike Ekweremadu at the funeral mass for the late Senator Pius Ewheridoin Warri at the weekend. PHOTO: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE


Inside Edo

Effects Of Motorcycle Ban: CommutersExpress Mixed Feelings

Varsity DonInstalled RotaryDistrict Governor

Ikpoba-Okha LG Presents Chairs,Desks To Schools

Commissioner Assures ProtectionOf Intellectual Property

EKPOMA - A universityDon, Dr. Charles Onianwahas been installed governorof District 9140 of theRotary International inEkpoma, Edo State.

District 9140 of RotaryInternational consists of 11south-south and SouthEastern States of Nigeria.

Rotary is an organizationof business andprofessional leaders unitedworldwide to providehumanitarian service, aswell as building goodwilland peace in the world, inaddition to encouraginghigh ethical standards in allvocations. The organizationwas founded by Paul Harrisof USA in 1905.

In his acceptance speech,the new District Governor,Oniawa, a lecturer at theAmbrose Alli University,

Ekpoma pledged to givecredible leadership to makethe district best in thecountry.

Disclosing the theme ofhis tenure as, “EngageRotary, Change Lives” DGOniawa promised to focusattention on rotary’s firstchoice priority project-“Polio Eradication”.

He equally pledged toexecute sustainable projectsthat would significantlyimpact the community andbuild a strong, vibrant andviable district.

Onianwa, a 2-star PaulHarris Fellow (PHF), and arecipient of the fouravenues of service citation,has been a member of theRotary Club of Ekpomasince 1994.

He is to serve as districtgovernor for one year.

BENIN CITY- The IkpobaOkha Local GovernmentCouncil has presented a 240sets of chairs and desks to fourprimary Schools in the locality.

The schools are OlogboserePrimary School, UgbekunPrimary School, IsohonPrimary School and OgoneriePrimary School.

Making the presentation thechairman of the council, Hon.(Mrs.) Itohan Osahon –Ogbeide said the gesture isaimed at creating a conducive

By ANUGOR BLESSINGIFEOMA/ISEMHENBITA FAITH

BENIN CITY- Barely amonth after the ban on use ofmotorcycle popularly called“Okada” in Benin Cityresidents of the locality haveexpressed mixed feeling overthe effects of the ban.

While some people see theban as a laudable one for whichEdo State Governmentdeserves applaud, othersbelieves that it was a unhealthydevelopment.

This is coming in the wakeof the authorities of CentralHospital, Benin Cityobservation that the hospital hasrecorded less casualty since thecommencement of the ban.

A respondent, Mr. Sunday,Edosa, welcoming the ban, said

it has reduced the highincidence of casualties besidecurbing incessant armedrobbery and kidnapping.

He also observed that themany people who haveabandoned artisanship forcommercial motorcycle risingwould now go back to learn orcontinue with their trade.

Another respondent, Kester,a staff of a new generation bankin Benin City noted that aslaudable as it is considering thehealth benefit it will occasion,the full benefits would manifestwith time.

On the contrary, oneOkogba Emmanuel said thenegative effects of the ban istelling much on the peopleespecially as the ban cameabout during the raining season.

He listed the negative effectsto include increase in cost oftransportation restriction in

movement especially at night andcommuters having to treck longdistances and increase in somegoods and services.

Besides, he said the ban has

BENIN CITY- EdoCommissioner for Arts, Cultureand Tourism, Miss JemitolaAanena, has promisedprofessional entertainers that theEdo Government would ensureprotection of their intellectualproperty.

She also said that thegovernment was planning topropose a bill which wouldmake mandatory thesponsorship of activities ofentertainers to safeguard localcontent in the tourism sector.

Aanena said this during aninterview with newsmen inBenin.

“We are already working on abill about sponsorship andincreasing local content of whatentertainers do here.

This government

acknowledges that there arechallenges encountered by ourlocal artistes, especially in thearea of sponsorship bymultinational companies.

“The interests of the Edoyouth and upcomingentertainers are in our heart as agovernment,“ she said.

Aanena, however, advisedentertainers to be determinedand have self confidence in theirchosen profession.

“A person can be blessed withintelligence and talent, butlacking self-confidence can bean obstacle to achievingsuccess,“ she said.

“There is need for entertainersin this state to be unique andstand out as heroes and pacesetters in the global industry.“

learning environment forpupils in the locality.

According to her, it wasin fulfillment of herelectioneering promise togive pupils in the localgovernment area, a greatersence of belonging,assuring that the act wouldbe extended to otherprimary schools in thelocality.

She also promised the

council’ readiness to providefans in all the classrooms aswell as sink water boreholefor the schools in order forthe pupils and staff makeoptimal use of the toiletfacilities in the schools.

Speaking on behalf ofbenefiting schools, theHeadmistress of UgbekunPrimary School, Mrs.Enabulele appreciated thecouncil’s gesture and thankedHon. (Mrs.) osahon-Ogbeide

for assisting them. Pulpils in their various

remarks noted that since Hon.(Mrs.) Osahon Ogbeide waselected, they have beenlooking forward to thepromise fulfilled andappealed for more of suchchairs with desks.

In her entourage were theVice Chairman, of thecouncil, Hon. Benson Osifoand the Secretary to the localgovernment, Pastor KennedyOsifo.

displace many employedpersons inability of labourwhile the states of manyworkers and businessmenhave been redefined.

L-R: Representative of the Senate President, Senator George Akume, Prince Malik Afegbua and Prince Usman ShagadiChieftains of Action Congness of Nigeria (ACN), Edo State during the funeral mass for Late Senator Albert Legogie,former Deputy Senate President, in Ugbekpu Ekperi, Etsako Central Local Government Area, Edo State at the weekendPHOTO: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE

The children of Late, Senator Albert Legogie, former Deputy Senate President at the funeral mass at SS Peter and PaulCatholic Church Ugbekpe Ekperi, Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State at the weekend PHOTO: CHARITYOZIGBO-ESERE


Across The NationHard Work: Navy Tasks Graduating

StudentsAD WantsImmunity

ClauseRetained

Kwara SIEC Says LGPoll Will Be Credible

CNPP Urges FG To RevitaliseEducation System

PORT HARCOURT-TheFlag Officer CommandingEastern Naval Command,Rear Admiral Joe Aikhomu,has called on graduatingstudents of Nigerian Navy

IIORIN- The KwaraIndependent ElectoralCommission said it hadstarted preparations toensure credible andacceptable local governmentelection on October 26.

The chairman of thecommission, DrAbdulRahman Ajidagba,stated this in an interviewwith newsmen in IIorin.

Ajidagba said the researchand documentation unit ofthe commission had takensteps to guide against anyflaws during the election.

The chairman said thecommission would worktirelessly to ensure timelyarrival of electoral materialsat the polling centres in the16 local government areas ofthe state.

He said all arrangementshad been perfected to useboats and other logistics totransport electoral materialsto riverine areas of the, andthat the commission wouldsoon start a sensitisationprogramme in the areas to

ABUJA- The Alliance forDemocracy (AD), has calledfor the retention of theimmunity clause for thepresident and the governorsin the ongoing constitutionreview.

Mr Rafiu Salau, NationalSecretary of the party, toldnewsmen in Abuja that themeasure would allow publicoffice holders do their jobwithout distractions.

He added that the retentionwould not give room forunnecessary challenges fromthe opposition pointing outthat it was the best way tomove democracy forward inthe country.

“The issue of immunity iscoming up now just becauseof the level of ourdemocracy,” he said.

administration.’’Okechukwu said that only

two out of the nineagreements reached in 2009between the FederalGovernment and ASUU hadbeen honoured.

According to him, the twoagreements are thereinstatement of governingcouncils and retirement ageof lecturers.

“We regard thereinstatement of governingcouncils as inconsequentialand self serving,” he said.

He said the important andcrucial items in the MoUlike the stimulation of theuniversity system withN100 billion andprogressive increase ofannual budget of educationamong others “wereconsigned to the dust bin”.

“We are concerned that noNigerian University is listedamong the 100 bestuniversities in the world.

ensure a hitch-free poll.“The commission will soon

begin a tour of the localgovernment areas to meetwith stakeholders, includingtraditional rulers in an effortto ensure credible, free andfair election,’’ he said.

The chairman said thecommission had identified 1,870 polling units across thestate where election wouldtake place.

Ajidagba also said thatcampaign by the variouspolitical parties would end onOctober 25.

“Aspirants from all politicalparties should guide againstcampaign of calumny and theuse of thugs,’’ the chairmanwarned.

The chairman, who said thestate government did notinterfere in the activities of thecommission, assured allparties of level-playing field.

He warned aspirants andsupporters againstindiscriminate pasting ofposters in unauthorisedplaces.

Secondary School, PortHarcourt, to be focused,diligent and determined.

Aikhomu, represented byNavy Captain AdetolaBamidele, made the call at thepassing out ceremony of thestudents in Port Harcourt.

He said that only diligenceand determination with hardwork would make them excelin the competitive globaleconomy.

“No one climbs the ladder ofsuccess with hands in thepocket; no durable success isachievable through indolenceand short-cuts.

“I advise you to be focused,determined and make self-discipline your watch-word,”he said.

He also urged them to betolerant while competing withothers, and humble when theybecame prominent leaders of

tomorrow.The commandant of the

school, Captain Elizabeth Okoh,advised other students to riseabove the challenges that wouldcome their way anywhere theygo.

She urged them not to relentuntil they inscribe their namesin the book of great achieversfor their benefits and that of theirparents and the society at large.

“I have no doubt that enough

ABUJA- The Conferenceof Nigerian Political Parties(CNPP) has urged theFederal Government to takesteps to revitalise thecountry’s education sector.

CNPP’s NationalPublicity Secretary, MrOsita Okechukwu, made thecall in Abuja in a statementmade available to newsmen.

According to thestatement, the call is comingagainst the backdrop of theongoing strike by theAcademic Staff Union ofUniversities (ASUU).

“CNPP is in solidaritywith ASUU in the legitimatedemand to revitalise oureducational system andpromote development ofour universities’ centres ofexcellence.

“The CNPP has carefullyreviewed the 2001 and 2009ASUU’s agreement with theFederal Government andhas doubt that education isin the TransformationAgenda of the present

“May we ask how willNigeria be listed among thefirst 20 world leading

investment in terms ofacademic competence and

character moulding havebeen injected into yourgrooming.

“To this end, the commandexpects you to explore allthese virtues in all that youchoose to do in future,” the

economies in 2020 withpoorly educated third rateuniversity graduates who areencumbered and braindrained,” he said.

commandant said.Okoh also advised parents to

always invest in the educationof their children to make thema worthy citizen of the country.

She further charged theparents to work hard in orderto benefit from their childrenwhen they get old.

The Executive Chairman,Edo State InternalRevenue Service, Chief SirOseni Elamah exchangingpleasantries with theCountry Headrepresentative of NIIT, Mr.Pankaj Meheswari duringthe franchise agreementceremony between theOseni Elamah ICT Instituteand the NIIT recently.

The SSG, Edo State, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere (right) presenting a copy of the signed secondphase additional licence agreement with Oracle corporation, on behalf of the Stategovernment to Mr. Osaze Ezekiel, Business Intelligence Manager and Sales Manager, Oraclecorporation (left), while the Managing Director, State Information CommunicationTechnology, Yemi Keri (middle) looks on. PHOTO: QUEENETH A. OROBEDO


Across The Nation

EFCC Advises Officers OnCore Values

NGO Secures InmatesRelease

Tambuwal Calls For InfrastructureIntegration

Training Of Children

DirectorTasksParents,Teachers

Only Voters Can RemoveElected Leaders -Jonathan

LAGOS - The Stephen andSolomon Foundation, a Lagos-based non-governmentalorganisation (NGO), hasfacilitated the release from theIkoyi Prisons of three inmates,including a woman, who areawaiting trial.

This is contained in a statementby a Lagos-based lawyer andhuman rights activist, ChiefGabriel Giwa-Amu, who is thehead of the foundation.

According to Giwa-Amu, theinmates who were releasedthrough the foundation had spentbetween three months and fouryears awaiting trial.

“The inability to provideevidence as well as lack ofcommitment on the part of theprosecutors helped in setting themfree,’’ he said in the statement.

The lawyer said the freedaccused persons included BukkyRazak who had been in custodysince April 16, 2013 for theoffence of stealing.

“There is also one JosephineJacob who has been standing trial

ZARIA (KADUNA) - Parentsand teachers have been urged tointensify proper training ofchildren to guarantee productivefuture generation.

Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed,the Director of Private Schools,Kaduna State Ministry ofEducation, made the call in Zaria,Kaduna state on Saturday.

Mohammed spoke at theGraduation and Prize-GivingDay of Madalla Nursery, Primaryand Secondary School, Tudun-Wada.

The director stressed thatdecent future generation wouldonly be realised when bothparents and teachers played theirnecessary complementary roles.

He enjoined the students to bepatient, obedient, disciplined andcommitted to their studies toensure success in life.

The proprietor of the school,Malam Garba Umar-Nyas,lauded the ministry’s effort atensuring adequate supervision ofprivate schools across the state.

Umar-Nyas appealed forsupport and cooperation ofparents to move the school togreater heights.

Reports say that the high pointsof the ceremony included thepresentation of awards and prizesto students who excelled invarious subjects.

ABUJA - President GoodluckJonathan has restated theopposition of Nigeria and theAfrican Union to theunconstitutional removal of anyd e m o c r a t i c a l l y - e l e c t e dgovernment.

A statement by the President’sSenior Adviser on Media andPublicity, Dr Reuben Abati, saidJonathan made this known duringan audience with Amb. RaoufSaad, Special Envoy of theInterim President of Egypt, Mr.Adly Mansour at the State House,Marina, Lagos.

According to the statement,Jonathan declared that theFederal Government maintainsits stand that only the electoratein any country have theconstitutional right to remove anelected leader.

‘‘Welcoming the assurance byAmb. Saad that the Egyptianmilitary were not currentlyinvolved in the day-to-dayadministration of the country,President Jonathan advised the

integrity and discipline must beyour watchwords at all times,’’he added.

According to Lamorde, thedetective assistant cadet coursemade up of 62 officers is the firstset of operatives employed bythe commission.

He added that by this exercise,the commission was makingeffort to tackle some potentialvulnerability inherent in thecommission’s current personnelstructure.

The chairman said EFCC wasattempting to fill a vacuum inthe guard and security detailspersonnel, which is presently

Parliamentary Assembly meetingin Abuja.

“The issue of regionalintegration broken intoinfrastructure linkages andEconomic Partnership Agreement(EPA) should also be accordedpriority at this meeting,” he said.

He said that the EconomicCommunity of West African stateshad been a pace-setter in regionalintegration since it was formedin1975.

The speaker stressed that therewas a need for the region toaddress the rising unemploymentrate .

interim government to do allwithin it powers to return Egyptto democratic rule as quickly aspossible.

‘‘The President told the SpecialEnvoy that Egypt was veryimportant to Africa and thatNigeria and the African Unionwill, therefore, give the countryall necessary support to ensurethat it returns to the path ofconstitutionalism and politicalstability as quickly as possible,”it further stated.

Jonathan condemned recentterrorist activities on Mount Sinaiand reaffirmed the FederalGovernment’s full commitmentto working with the rest of theworld to combat terrorism,saying that “no person or grouphas the right to intimidate otherswith acts of terror”.

Earlier, Amb. Saad, who was inLagos to brief President Jonathanon the current situation in Egyptagainst the background of theopposition of Nigeria and theAfrican Union to theunconstitutional change ofgovernment in Egypt and thecountry’s suspension from thecontinental body, praisedNigeria’s leadership role inAfrica.

The Egyptian Envoy soughtPresident Jonathan’s advice onhow Egypt could best overcomeits current difficulties.

ABUJA - The Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission(EFCC) has enjoined its recruitedofficers to uphold the ethics,tenets and core values of theorganisation.

Chairman of the commission,Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde gave thecharge at the passing outceremony of 62 officers of theDetective Assistant CadetCourse.

“The agency is not your regulargovernment agency. If you havenot gotten that in the past sixmonths, then you do not deserveto be here.

“We do not entertain or managesecond-bests here; if there is anybar set in the public service forprofessionalism, EFCC surpassesit and if there is any bar set forintegrity, EFCC easily scales it.

“Therefore, professionalism,

being filled by gallant men andwomen of the Nigeria MobilePolice Force.

Lamorde said with the intensivetraining, the officers would formthe resilient foundation of a corps

of EFCC guard and personnelsecurity that would do thecommission proud.

He commended thecommandant of the EFCCAcademy, Mr. Ayo Olowonihiand his team for leading theoperatives through the training.

He added that he was

since March 3, 2012 for theoffence of murder.

‘The other one is Tunde Adiowho has been standing trialsince Sept. 10, 2009 at theMagistrate Court 3, Yaba foralleged robbery,’’ he said.

Giwa-Amu then restated hiscommitment to the defence ofthe poor and the defenceless inthe society.

ABUJA - The Speaker of theHouse of Representatives,Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, onWednesday called for theinfrastructure integration of theWest African sub-region.

He called for infrastructurelinkages in the power sector, gassupply, road network andaviation to attain the integrationof the region.

Tambuwal made the call at the10th Regional African,Caribbean, Pacific andEuropean Union Joint

“As lawmakers, we need toproffer solutions to the risingunemployment in our region,which is a time-bomb if notaddressed with a sense ofurgency,” he said.

Tambuwal called forcollaborative efforts to tackle theproblems of oil theft, illegal oilbunkering and piracy in the Gulfof Guinea.

“The problems of oil theft,illegal oil bunkering and piracyin the region are mattersdeserving of collaborative andco-operative approaches of ourcountries and the internationalcommunity,” he said.

He said that the National

Assembly was considering alegislation to deal with theproblem of oil theft and revenueleakages.

“The National Assembly ofNigeria is considering alegislation to deal decisively withthis menace.

“We call for the cooperation ofall parliaments the world over tojoin in sanctioning oil companiesand other persons engaged in thisnefarious act,” he said.

The speaker noted that protestsin North Africa had impactednegatively on the region.

“As a region, we have beennegatively impacted by the Arabspring, and particularly the fall ofthe Gaddafi regime in Libya.

impressed with thetransformation of the officers.

Olowonihi thanked thechairman for making theprogramme successful.

“The journey which began onJanuary 3 with 67 young cadetshas come to an end with 62 ofthem completing the course.

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku (L), Discussing with former Minister of Power, Prof.Barth Nnaji, at Emeka Anyaoku lecture series on Good Governance and book presentation in Asaba, Delta, recently.

L-R: Chairman, Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi, Delta Commissioner for Housing,Chief Paulinus Akpeki, Commissioner for Education in Anambra, Mrs Uju Okeke, FormerMinister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, Former Secretary-General, Commonwealth, Chief EmekaAnyaoku and Managing Director, Anabel, Group of companies, Mr. Nicholas Okoye, at the3rd Emeka Anyaoku Lecture series on good Governance and book presentation in Asabarecently


Across The Nation

Pregnant Women: NutritionistInsists On Healthy Diets

Borno ToEstablish

Health CareAgency

Climate Change: FG Urged ToFocus On Mitigation

LawmakerCounsels

PoliticiansOn Values

LAGOS - Prof. TemiOlogunorisa, Director, Centre forClimate Change andEnvironmental Research, OsunState University, Oshogbo, hasurged the Federal Government tofocus more on climate changemitigation and adaptationmechanisms.

Ologunorisa said in a telephoneinterview with newsmen that theNational Assembly ought to havecommenced constructivediscussions on the ClimateChange Bill.

“Good governance in

contemporary times cannot bedivorced from institutingproductive public laws on climatechange mitigation andadaptation.

“And everybody knows thatclimate change could have gravesocial, economic and politicalimplications, if little attention isgiven to it by any government, “he said.

Ologunorisa, therefore, urged

the Federal Government toinaugurate a Climate ChangeCommission, to ensure thatadequate action was taken toaddress climate change.

“By now, most indigenousclimatologists expect thatdecisive actions to curb theeffects of climate change wouldhave reached phenomenal levels.

“ The position of SpecialAdviser on Climate Change

ought to be in place by now atboth the state and federal levels,“he said.

Ologunorisa said the cost ofadaptation was very high, thusrequiring that governmentsengage the private sector andother stakeholders for positivepolicy outcomes.

He added that expert opinionsshould drive government policiesrelating to the management of theenvironment.

LAGOS - A nutritionist, MissOlufunmilola Osinowo, hascharged pregnant women to eathealthy and nutritious diets, inorder to help their babies growand develop properly.

Osinowo, of the GbagadaGeneral Hospital in Lagos madethe plea during an interview withnewsmen in Lagos.

“A healthy and nutritious dietduring pregnancy is veryimportant for a woman, to enableher to cope adequately with thechanges occurring in her body.

“Eating a healthy diet alsoguarantees the baby’s health inpregnancy and after birth; it isvery crucial to the baby’s growth

and development.“Balanced, healthy diets during

pregnancy, limit the risk of pre-term delivery, stillbirth, tirednessand depression,’’ she said.

According to her, pregnancyincreases the woman’s need formany nutrients, adding that “it isnot difficult to meet these needsif you eat a variety of foods fromthe main food groups’’.

“You don’t need to go on aspecial diet, but it is important toeat a variety of different foodsevery day, to get the right balanceof nutrients that you and yourbaby need,” she said.

The nutritionist added thathealthy diets involved the right

balance of proteins,carbohydrates, minerals and fats,and consuming a wide variety ofvegetables and fruits.

“As a pregnant woman, youneed carbohydrates like rice,yams, sweet potatoes, pasta andbread which are also rich in fibre,iron and vitamins, to help fighttiredness.

“Proteins should also beincluded in meal planning.Among the rich sources ofproteins are meat, fish, egg andbeans.

“Calcium is also importantduring pregnancy, as well asbreast feeding, for the formationof the baby’s bones.

“During pregnancy, themother’s body absorbs calciumfrom food more efficiently, tohelp meet the needs of the baby.Dairy foods and okro are rich incalcium.

“A pregnant woman shouldalso remember to eat plenty offruits and vegetables, becausethese provide vitamins andminerals, as well as fibre, whichhelp digestion and preventconstipation,” she said.

Osinowo said that dark greenleafy vegetables like spinach and‘ugwu‘ were also rich in folicacid.

She noted that folic acid isessential for blood formation andfor the building of body cells.

Osinowo said that taking folicacid supplements too wasimportant around the time ofconception and in the first fewweeks of pregnancy, to helpprevent some types of birthdefects.

The nutritionist advised thatpregnant women should not eatmore than they normally eat.

“You will probably find thatyou are more hungry than usual;this does not mean you should eatmore during meals, even if youare expecting twins or triplets.

“You should also avoidsnacking on foods that are highin fat and sugar, so as not tobecome overweight andundermine your own and thebaby’s health,” she added.

MAIDUGURI - The BornoGovernment said it planned toestablish its Primary HealthCare Development Agency ina bid to fast-track theimplementation of its healthcare programmes.

Governor Kashim Shettimastated this shortly after he waspresented with an award as the2012 North-East BestPerforming Governor in PolioEradication.

Shettima said the objectivewas to prepare ground for theprovision of comprehensivehealth care services to thepeople, especially those at thegrass roots.

He said the state House ofAssembly had already passedthe bill for the setting up ofthe agency.

“I want to state, without fearof contradiction, that Borno iscommitted to improvinghealth care delivery to itspeople especially in the areaof improving maternal health

“The State House ofAssembly has just passed thebill for the establishment ofthe state Primary Health CareDevelopment Agency,”Shettima said.

He added that the stategovernment had put in placemachinery for the take-off ofthe agency.

“We are putting in placestructures for the take-off ofthe agency in a very shortwhile,’’ the governor said.

He said the target wasmainly to eradicate maternalmortality in the state by 2015.

Shettima however thankedthe Federal Ministry of Healthfor the award, and praised thestate’s Commissioner forHealth.

“I think the credit should goto the Commissioner forHealth, Dr Salma Kolo, forher hard work and dedicationto duty,’’ she said.

Presenting the award, DrMohammed Pate, theMinister of State for Health,said it was in recognition ofthe governor’s efforts in thecampaign against polio in thestate.

“We wish to commend yoursuccesses in polio eradicationin the last two years. Thiscommendation is moreessential when you considerthe security challenges facingthe state,” Pate said.

He urged other stategovernors to emulateShettima by striving hard toeradicate polio from Nigeria.

ILORIN - SenatorSimeon Ajibola, whorepresents Kwara SouthSenatorial District, hasadvised politicians toimbibe ethical values thatwould encourage speedydevelopment of theirconstituencies.

Ajibola gave the advicein a statement issued byhis personal assistant, Mr.Gani Ibrahim, after themonthly disbursement ofN1.3 millionempowerment stipends.

According to thestatement, thebeneficiaries were drawnfrom the seven localgovernment areas in thedistrict.

He said that electedpolitical office holderswould do more to betterthe lot of the electorate ifpoliticians shuncampaign of calumnyand unfoundedallegations of non-performance.

“There is a need for ourpoliticians to encouragethose of us who have theinterest of ourconstituents at heart to domore for our people; thepull him down syndromemust stop,’’ it said.

He said the exercisegulped N25 million in thelast 20 months, addingthat more than 64beneficiaries receivedamounts ranging fromN10, 000 to N20,000.

He said the gesture wasin addition to theequipment and toolsdistributed to artisans inthe district.

Chief SamuelOgunrinde, Chairman,Peoples DemocraticParty in Ekiti LocalGovernment Area,commended the senatorfor the gesture, urginghim not to relent on hisefforts.

L-R: Secretary to Lagos State Government, Dr Ranti Adebule, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr FemiOlugbile, Special Adviser to the Goveernor on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adesina, Gov Babatunde Fashola of Lagosand Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris at the inauguration of Lagos State Secretary Clinic in Alausa recently

The Lagos State Secretariat Clinic inaugurated by Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos inAlausa recently


Across The Nation Population Commission Establishes More

Registration Centres

Yobe Vacci-nates 5.2m

Animals

ICAN PlansCatch ThemYoung Pro-

gramme

INEC To Review Voters Register

PIB: Stakeholders Canvass 10Percent Host Community Fund

ABUJA - The NationalPopulation Commission (NPC)in the FCT says it has established106 registration centres forregistration of births and deathsin the territory.

The Head of the VitalRegistration Department of thecommission, Mr MatthewSunday, stated this in aninterview with newsmen inAbuja.

Sunday, who is in the FCT,stated that birth registration wasnecessary for national planning.

According to him, the data wasalso important for monitoring offertility and mortality rates in theFCT.

He said that the registrationcentres were located in public andprivate health facilities, includingsome palaces of traditional rulers

Sunday said that healthpersonnel includingimmunisation officials had beenengaged to assist the commissioncapture vital data that occurred intheir areas of activities.

“For national planning, throughthis birth registration we canmonitor even our fertility rate and

in doing this, we started in FCTin 1992, with only four centresand that was a pilot stage, butsince then a lot of efforts havebeen made and today we have106 centres spread across theterritory.

“Most of these centres arelocated in public health facilitiesthough we have a few in privatemedical facilities and some inpublic places like palace and allthe rest.“

Sunday said that thecommission had the mandate tocapture vital data that occurred inFCT including births, marriages,divorce and deaths.

He said statistics wereimportant as they were capableof changing individual’s status inlife.

“In vital registration, we try tocapture all vital events that takeplace in FCT and these include,birth itself, marriage, divorce,death. We record these events ona permanent and continuousbasis.

“Why are we registering birthsand deaths? Because of itstremendous use; it’s a double waything for the person that collectthe certificate and forgovernment.

“Like for the case of birth; thebirth registration of any child isthe first right of any child and isa fundamental human right; thisbirth registration gives the childan identity, gives the child a

nationality and there are so manyother uses for access toeducation, access to medicalfacility, for electoral purposesand for juvenile justice.“

Sunday stated that it was themandate of the NPC to record thedemographic data of children ineach locality for planningpurposes.

He said there would be noeffective planning in the nation

without adequate data, adding:“Even for death, the family of thedead cannot access theentitlement of the deceased ifthere is no evidence from thenational population commissionconfirming the death.

“The same goes for insurance,gratuity, planning and otherthings.’’

Sunday stated that diseaseoccurrences and their related

causes and deaths could bemonitored through registration,adding that stillbirths wereregistered to ascertain theirincidence rate in an area.

“We have also entered intopartnership with UNICEF andreligious leaders in the FCT tohelp in the campaign for birth anddeath registration.

“We have startedexperimenting to ensure that our

registers are present in churchesand mosques to capture childrenthat were not previouslyregistered.”

Sunday noted that most peoplewere yet to understand andappreciate the importance of birthand death certificates, adding thatthis had posed a challenge to thecommission.

“We also have logisticproblems; getting to hard-to-reach areas in the FCT. In somecommunities in the area councilslike Kwali, Abaji and Kuje,localities.”

ABUJA - The IndependentNational ElectoralCommission (INEC) says itwill review the voters’ registerfrom August 19 to August 25,for the forthcominggovernorship election inAnambra on November 16.

Prof. Attahiru Jega, INECChairman, who said this at astakeholders meeting in Abuja,said the review was toaccommodate all eligiblevoters.

“Our preparations for theelections include doingcontinuous voters’ registrationfrom August 19 to August 25in order to update the registeras required by law before theelections.

“Doing this will give anopportunity for all those whohave attained 18 years, sincethe last registration in 2011, toregister.

“It is also for all those who

have registered but have theirdetails in the manual register,not in the electronic register, tobe updated.

According to him, themeeting will offer opportunityfor wide ranging consultationswith all the parties involved inthe election.

Jega said that credibleelections were hinged oncredible voters’ register, addingthat INEC was conscious of thefact and placed premium on theexercise.

“In this regard, we areleaving no stone unturned inorder to clean up and have avery credible register forAnambra before theNovember16 governorshipelections.

Jega said that all politicalparties had revalidated theCode of Conduct for politicalparties which had reaffirmed

their commitment to thedeepening of democracythrough a credible electoralprocess.

According to him, theAnambra election will be thefirst test case of the reaffirmedcode of conduct which hingedon responsible conduct bypolitical parties and theirsupporters.

The code of conduct, headded, entailed; decorum,civility and mutual respect forone another, decent, lawful andpeaceful campaigns inaccordance with the bestpractices as well as democraticnorms.

Representatives of politicalparties that attended themeeting expressed optimism ofthe chances of their party toemerge victorious in theforthcoming election.

Chief Victor Umeh, theNational Chairman, All

Progressive Grand Alliance(APGA), promised that hisparty would retain thegovernorship position in thestate.

“We hold the flag in the stateand we are here to meet withthe people we are going to formalliances with after winning theelection,’’ Umeh said

Mr Peter Okala, the StateChairman, NationalConscience Party (NCP), saidthe party was optimistic ofwinning the election as it stoodfor justice and equity.

“The founder of the party,Chief Gani Fawehinmi, stoodfor justice and that remains ourfocus,’’ Okala said.

Mr Mathias Aneke, the stateChairman of APGA, said thatthe focus of the party was basedon integrity, adding that itlooked forward to a credibleelection.

“INEC Chairman is honestand we have faith in him, butthat does not mean that INECdoes not have fifth columnists;so we are watching out,’’ Anekesaid.

Reports say that 15 politicalparties attended the meeting.

LAGOS - Mr. SunnyOfehe, founder of Hope forNiger Delta Campaign(HNDC), on Saturday calledfor the inclusion of 10 per centHost Community Fund in thePetroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Ofehe, who made the call ina statement issued in Lagos,also urged the NationalAssembly to expedite actionon the passage of the bill aimedat reforming the oil sector.

“The inclusion of the 10 percent will help in the furtherdevelopment of the NigerDelta.

“It will also help to createmore entrepreneurs, boostemployment opportunities,help in the development ofinfrastructure and raise the percapita earning of people in theregion.

The statement added that thepassage of the bill wouldminimise youth restiveness.

OTA - (Ogun StateTheChairman, Institute of CharteredAccountants of Nigeria (ICAN),Ota District, Mr OmojolaAdebayo, has said that theinstitute’s ‘Catch Them Young’programme would bestrengthened, to capture moreyouths into the accountingprofession.

Adebayo said this at the officialinauguration and Investiture ofnew executives of ICAN, Ota andDistrict Society in Ogun State.

He also said that theprogramme was to provide careertalks for youths, particularlystudents in the secondary schoolsand tertiary institutions.

Adebayo said that the chapterwould operate within theframework of the primaryactivities of the district, as clearlyindicated in the ICAN bye law fordistrict societies.

The chairman added that hisadministration would uphold thetenets of the institute, as well assupport the members andstudents, within the district level.

Also, the immediate-pastPresident of the district, Prof.Enyi Patrick Enyi, said that thedistrict had been able to impacton numerous economic andindustrial establishments withinOta and environs.

Enyi said that the district alsoturned out more than 500accounting graduates annually,with the benefits of choosing theICAN brand.

He added that the district hadalso partnered with other bodiesin Ota, including ICAN/Accounting Technical SchemeWest Africa (ATSWA).

Enyi said that the location ofOta as a satellite town to Lagosimplied that businesses andindustrial concerns wereconstantly on the increase in the

DAMATURU - Dr MustaphaGaidam, Programme Manager,Yobe Livestock PilotDevelopment Programme, said5.2 million livestock had beenvaccinated against variousdiseases since 2009 in the State.

Mustapha told newsmen inDamaturu that the state was nowtargeting 1.7 million cattle,sheep, goats and dogs in the 2013mass vaccination.

He explained that 800,000herds of cattle were to bevaccinated against ContagiousBovine Pleuro Pneumonia(CBPP) and Black Quarter (BQ).

“Also, 900,000 sheep and goatswill be vaccinated against pest depetit ruminantes and 2,500 dogswill be vaccinated againstrabies”, he said.

The programme manager saidarrangement had been concludedto sensitise livestock farmers formass participation in thevaccination.

Gaidam noted that it wasnecessary to vaccinate theanimals because of crossboundary grazing.

“The cross boundary nomadiclivestock husbandry practicemakes the livestock vulnerable todiseases”, he stressed.

He held that to avoid farmerand grazer conflicts, theprogramme demarcated 945kilometers of cattle routes andbeaconed same to check againstencroachment.

“We have consistentlycultivated mucuna beans andstylosanthesis in Dilawa, Gumsi,Tarajem, Alagarno, Mashio,Gumsa, Nasari/Jakusko, Gujbaand Nguru grazing reserves topromote livestock foodsupplements”, he said.

The manager solicited thecooperation of livestock farmers,opinion leaders and veterinaryofficers to work for the successof the 2013 vaccination.

This, he added, was to ensureincreased meat and dairyproduction in the state.”

Gov Peter Obi of Anambra (2nd-R) and the Bishop of Anglican Diocese on the Niger,Bishop Owen Nwokolo (R), during inspection of buildings erected in Iyienu MissionHospital, Ogidi by Anambra Government recently.

Members of Staff of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), registeringsome people for the National Identity Card at the National Assembly in Abuja recently.


LagosPoverty: Cleric Tasks WealthyMuslims

Police Arrest 12 Robbery Suspects

Observe Democratic Ideals, NGETells Politicians

LAGOS- A good Muslimshould use his wealth to get hisfamily out of poverty, theChief Missioner, Ansar DeenSociety of Nigeria, Fadeyibranch, Alhaji Abdul-LateefEkundayo has said.

Speaking at the annualSalvador Ramadan lecture inLagos, Ekundayo noted that“there is no reward for a richman who neglects his familyand goes about giving zakat(alms).’’

According to him, it is notenough for a Muslim to givezakat when his family issuffering.

Muslims give a smallpercentage of their annualsavings as alms or charity,called zakat.

It is considered to be apersonal responsibility forMuslims to ease economichardship of others andeliminate inequality.

The missioner urgedMuslims to be morespiritually-inclined and beguided by Islamic injunctionsin their daily activities.

He advised wealthyMuslims to serve Goddiligently and to also assistthose in need by giving zakat.

Ekundayo said that a goodMuslim should endeavour tolive above board and give hisor her children goodeducation.

“What will it profit a manwho inherits the whole worldbut loses his soul.’’

He advised them to takegreat pains to investigate thewealth of donors, noting that“some make wealthrighteously, while the sourcesof some could be through evil

It also said it recoveredseveral arms, ammunitionand three stolen vehicles.

The Police/PublicRelations Officer for the

conduct themselves in amanner that will engender thehighest democratic ideals,’’ theguild said.

The communiqué, whichwas signed by NGE President,Femi Adesina, and itsSecretary, Isaac Ighure, was e-mailed to newsmen.

On the ongoing industrialactions by the Academic StaffUnion of Universities (ASUU)and the Academic Staff Unionof Polytechnics (ASUP), theeditors urged all partiesinvolved to return to thenegotiation table.

The statement added:“ Theyshould return to thenegotiation table to resolve alloutstanding issues in the

interest of the students, whoare future leaders of thenation.’’

The NGE also noted theefforts by certain groups torevive some provisions of theNigerian Press Council, whicha competent court of law hadvoided.

It urged that the judgment ofthe court on the matter shouldbe respected by all concerned,saying “such efforts may betantamount to an attempt togag the media.’’

The NGE recalled that theFederal Government had onMay 4, on the World PressFreedom Day, withdrawn acourt case against twojournalists of the Leadership

command, DSP NgoziBraide, disclosed this tonewsmen in Ikeja.

According to her, thesuspects were arrested invarious robbery operationsbetween July 6 and July 16,across the state, while someof their accomplices escapedwith bullet wounds.

Braide said that the caseswere being investigated atthe State CriminalInvestigation Department,Panti St., Yaba.

She said that a team ofpolicemen attached to theDopemu Division arrested asuspected armed robber withmultiple injuries all over hisbody on July 6.

According to her, thesuspect was in possession ofa fabricated metal in form ofa pistol.

Braide added that anotherteam of policemen attachedto the Onikan Division,posted to the MilitaryHospital, arrested onesuspected armed robber withone locally-made shot gun,two cartridges and an axe onthe same day.

She further told newsmenthat also on that date, a PolicePatrol team attached toElemoro Division arrestedtwo suspected armed robbersfor allegedly robbing apasserby at Ajebo Close,Lakowe, Ibeju-Lekki.

The police image makerdisclosed that other membersof the gang fled on sightingthe police and abandonedtwo Toyota Camry SaloonCars with Reg. Nos. LSD912 AT and LSR 389 AP.

She said that on July 8,

policemen attached toMakinde Division recoveredone locally made single barrelpistol, with one live cartridgeinside a commercialVolkswagen Golf Saloon Carwith Reg. No. XN 17 APP.

Braide explained that thesaid vehicle was abandonedat Oshodi Motor Park, butnobody was arrested inconnection with the case.

According to her, on July 8,policemen attached to IjedeDivision arrested foursuspected cult members,adding that the suspects hadearlier stabbed one MrAdeleke Dada, of OyamboSecurity Company with abroken bottle.

Braide disclosed that twolocally made pistols, threeaxes and a Honda Car withReg. No. LSR 417 BB werealso recovered from thesuspects.

She said that policemenattached to Dolphin EstateDivision responded to adistress call at No.119A,Etiosa Way, Dolphin Estate,where two suspected armedrobbers were arrested.

Braide said that the suspectshad earlier robbed one SeataUkpemo on July 16.

The spokesperson disclosedthat one double edged dagger,two locally made pistols andten live cartridges wererecovered from the suspects.

Braide added thatpolicemen attached to IgandoDivision, while on patrolalong Igando/Ikotun Road,also arrested two suspectedarmed robbers on July 16 andone locally made pistol wasrecovered from them.

deeds.’’The missioner also urged

Muslims to refrain from sinfulacts during Ramadan, notingthat some continued to indulgein sinful activities duringRamadan.

The sponsor of the lecture,Alhaji Moshood Salvador,said he had been sponsoringsuch lecture in the last 15years and giving zakat topeople.

“During Ramadan, there isa need to let people know whatis right and what is wrong andto be their brother’s keepers,’’Salvador told newsmen.

He said that it was necessaryto properly inform the peopleabout religious injunctions inorder to build a better society,

According to him people’sminds are easily accessibleduring Ramadan, and it isbetter to “load’’ their mindswith Godly activities duringthe period.

Salvador said he would give

Newspapers in Abuja.“The guild notes with

concern the recent re-arraignment of the twojournalists and is of theposition that theconsiderations that made theFederal Government towithdraw the case in the firstinstance should subsist,’’ itsaid.

It also expressed worry thatthe Nigerian media wereoperating under difficultconditions, as most of theirinputs were imported.

The editors, therefore,appealed to the government towaive import duties on allnews media inputs, especiallynewsprint and broadcastequipment.

LAGOS- Worried by someuntoward developments in thepolity, the Nigerian Guild ofEditors has urged politicalleaders to conduct themselvesin a manner that wouldengender the highestdemocratic ideals.

In a communiqué at the endof its Standing Committeemeeting in Lagos, the guildexpressed concern on therecent conduct of somepolitical leaders, saying itcould derail the country’sdemocracy.

“We note with dismay therecent conduct of somepolitical leaders, which has thetendency to derail thecountry’s hard-earneddemocracy.

“We urge political leaders to

zakat to 1,000 people a day upfrom 50 people he started with15 years ago.

“The significance is that isthat at the end of Ramadan, wehave the festival and no familywill be happy not to have whatto eat or wear on the festivalday.

“It happened to me beforeand I was not happy. To reducethe number of people that willnot be happy at that period,that is why I am giving zakat,’’Salvador said.

He said that the 2014 editionof the lecture would be heldat the National Stadiumbecause of the expected largeturnout of people.

IKEJA- The Lagos StatePolice Command hasannounced the arrest of 12suspected armed robbers inthe state in the last 10 days.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno (left), receiving donations for Boko Haram victimsfrom the Chairman, Gaiz Bank, Alhaji Umar Abdulmutalab in Maiduguri yesterday.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno with officials of Gaiz Bank that paid him a visitin Maiduguri yesterday

1 0 TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013THE NIGERIAN

Across The NationSanitation: Yenagoa Residents Allege

Intimidation

Water, Sanitation Programme ExcitesCross River

Zakkat: Commission Tasks Wealthy Muslims On Prompt Payment

NRC To Begin ContainerHaulage

YENAGOA- Residents ofYenagoa in Bayelsa have decriedwhat they described asharassment, intimidation andarbitrary arrest of innocentcitizens by workers of the stateEnvironmental SanitationAuthority.

Reports say that the Bayelsasanitation authority was recentlycharged by Gov. Seriake Dicksonto clean up Yenagoa, the capitalcity.

The charge came as refuseheaps continued to litter all partsof the state capital, and Dicksonsaid the poor sanitary conditionwas unacceptable to hisadministration.

However, some Yenagoaresidents told newsmen theywanted the government to takeurgent steps to call the officialsof the agency to order as “theyare going beyond their limits’’.

Reports also revealed thatmore than 100 Yenagoa residents,

CALABAR- The Cross RiverGovernment is glad that the stateis part of the Water and SanitationSector Reform Programme PhaseII (WSSSRP II) in Nigeria, anofficial has said.

The state’s Deputy Governor,Mr. Efiok Gobham, stated this onthe sidelines of the launching ofthe 94 million Euros-worthWSSSRP II.

Reports say that the launchingalso signaled the commencementof the 10th EuropeanDevelopment Fund (EDF)project in the state.

Cobham said the state

LAGOS- In a bid todecongest the roads ofcontainer-laden trailers, theNigerian Railway Corporation(NRC) says it will commencehaulage of containers fromLagos to Kaduna and KanoStates in August.

Similarly, the corporation saidits third weekly passenger trainservice from Lagos to Kanowould begin on Thursday.

Mr. David Ndakotsu, NRC’sHead of Public RelationsDepartment, told newsmen inLagos that arrangements hadbeen concluded to transportcontainers from APM Terminalsat Apapa Port to containerdepots in Kaduna and Kano.

“As from August, we will startthe haulage of containers fromAPM Terminals in Apapa Portto the container depots of InlandContainer Nigeria Ltd. inKaduna and Kano States.

“The initiative is infurtherance of the corporation’spublic-private partnership.’’

Ndakotsu also said anagreement had been signed witha company for the weeklyhaulage of its bran and wheatflour from Lagos to Kaduna—under the programme.

including children, were onFriday arrested between 8 p.mand 10 p.m by officials of theauthority’s Waste Disposal Unit.

According to a source, thosearrested were handed over to thepolice with the instruction thatthey should only be released afterthe payment of N5,000 each.

“Those who could not pay thesum slept at the police stationuntil their relatives or guardiansor friends located them and stillpaid the sum of N5,000 beforethey were released,’’ the sourcesaid.

Reports say that the authorityhad recently announced that allwaste materials should only betaken to the designated refusedumps on Mondays, Wednesdaysand Fridays.

This was to be between thehours of 7 p.m and 10 p.m, whilesuch waste materials should be

bagged with black polythenebags only sold by the authority .

While it appears the residentshave been obeying the policy, theinability to get the recommendedbags has however led them intousing their own bags to packagethe waste materials.

Mr. Jeff Yeigba, who claimedto be a victim of the harassment,said: “The manner with whichthese sanitation boys have beengoing about the work is verywrong.

“They will not listen toanything, their impunity isdespicable. It is ratherunfortunate that Gov. Dickson isallowing these touts toembarrass people.

“Some of them even boastedthat the job has been given tothem for their exploits inDickson’s election and that nopower in the state can stop them.

“I just came out to dump myrefuse bag and I was told that Ishould buy their bag to packagethe waste.

“I then told them that I had nomoney on me as I am not awareof the new policy, but they shouldlet me call my brother to bringmoney for me from the house sothat I can buy.

“I then called my brother, andwhile I was waiting for him, theboys came with a bus andordered me to go inside theirvehicle without allowing me toexplain anything.

government was happy as theprogramme would address thechallenges encountered in thefirst phase of the project.

“Some of the challengesinclude delay in the payment ofcounterpart contributions bysome partners in the programmeand the lack of sustainability.

“Issues of design concept,project sizes and power supply,running cost, human capacitygaps, financial contributions andsimilar factors in the last fiveyears should be regarded aslessons learnt.

“Such should also be used to

improve on subsequentprogrammes. I hope the 10thEDF will address this and otherrelated issues,’’ he said.

The state government alsocommended the European Union(EU) and UNICEF for selectingCross River among the states forthe project.

“The occasion affords us theopportunity to express ourresolve to continue to work inclose collaboration with ourdevelopment partners, the EUand UNICEF towards meetingthe Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs) in 2015,’’Cobham said.

The state Commissioner forWater Resources, Mr ElemiEtowa, also told journalists theproject would consolidate on thegains of WSSSRP I and addressthe weaknesses experienced inthe programme.

He said the first phase of theprogramme was implemented infive Local Government Areas ofthe state, including Boki, Etung,Obubra, Odukpani and Yakurr.

According to him, theprogramme included policy andinstitutional reforms, urban andsmall towns and rural watersupply, as well as sanitationworks.

“This second phase shallconsolidate on policy andinstitutional reforms, as well asestablish new water supply andsanitation infrastructure in 10small towns of the two self-selected local government areas(LGAs) of Boki and Yakurr.

“The towns are Borun/Njua/Okubushuyu, Orimekpang,Okundi, Wula and Katchan inBoki and Agoi Ibami, Ago Ekpo,Ekom Agoi, Okem and AssigaOld Town in Yakurr,’’ Etowa said.

The project’s Consultant, MrAdebayo Ajao, also toldnewsmen the total projectpackage was 94 million Euros(N1.94 billion) with EDF

contributing 80 million Euros(N1.65 billion).

“The six focal states, theparticipating local governmentareas and the benefitingcommunities will contribute 13million Euros (N269 million),while UNICEF contributes 1million Euros,’’ he said.

Ajao said the project wasbeing implemented in twophases, spanning two years.

KANO- The Kano StateZakkat and EndowmentCommission has called onwealthy individuals in the stateto ensure the prompt payment oftheir “zakkat’’.

The Director-General of thecommission, Alhaji SufiyanuGwagwarwa, made the call in aninterview with newsmen in Kano.

He said the call was necessaryin order to enable the commissiondisburse same to the poor, so asto discourage them from begging.

Newsmen reports that“zakkat’’ is a form of alms, which

is a percentage of a Muslim’swealth that is given out to theneedy.

Gwagwarwa added that the callwas also necessary in view of therefusal of many well-to-dopersons in the state to pay their“zakkat’’ as and when due.

“The whole idea behind giving`zakkat’ to the poor, accordingto the dictates of the HolyQur’an, is to enable them use themoney to establish some usefulventures which will make them

“About 436 tonnes of theproducts are expected to befreighted weekly from Apapa toKaduna.

“The service will commencebefore the end of July,’’ the NRCspokesman added.

On the third weekly Lagos-Kano passenger train service,Ndakotsu said the train woulddepart Lagos at 11.00 a.m. everyThursday with arrival time of5.00 p.m. in Kano the followingday.

He said with the additionalservice, the number ofpassengers to be moved on theroute would increase from 3,500to 5,500.

“It is anticipated that the thirdweekly train service will help todecongest existing services andavail passengers morecomfortable and pleasant trips,’’Ndakotsu told newsmen.

Newsmen reports that the firstweekly Lagos-Kano passengertrain service, which wasinaugurated on Dec. 21, 2012,departs Lagos at noon everyFriday.

The second weekly trainservice, which departs Lagos at9.00 a.m. on Tuesdays,terminates at Ilorin, Kwara, witha connecting train from Offa toKano.

to be self-reliant.“It is however unfortunate that

in spite of several reminders andappeals to wealthy persons in thestate, very few of them areresponding.

“You need to see the numberof needy persons that troop to ouroffice on daily basis inanticipation of collecting the‘zakkat’,’’ he said.

The director-general describedwhat was collected from the“zakkat’’ so far as “grossly

inadequate” to cater for thenumber of people who besiegedthe commission daily.

“What we collected is nothingto write home about, consideringthe number of the needy whobesiege the commission daily,’’he said.

Gwagwarwa said it wasimportant for wealthy individualsto pay “zakkat’’ withoutnecessarily being remindedbecause it was clear that Godwould also replenish their wealth.

Transition Chairman of Faskari Local Government, Alhaji Isiyaku Faskari-Ahmad (2ndright) and representative of the District Head of Faskari, Alhaji Lawal Garba (left),inspecting relief materials for displaced people in Faskari recently.

Some of the 677 people displaced by armed robbers and camped at Faskari ModelPrimary School in Faskari Local Government Area, Katsina State for fear of reprisalattack recently.


NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT YESTERDAY(22/07/13)Stocks Open Close Change Deals Units Value

7UP 65 69.5 4.5 15 88,927 6,140,226.70

ABCTRANS 1.29 1.21 -0.08 40 1,826,785 2,271,013.03

ACADEMY 1.8 1.8 0 3 8,830 15,894.00

ACCESS 11.19 11.06 -0.13 200 7,759,984 86,475,026.57

AFRIPRUD 1.85 1.9 0.05 73 1,823,313 3,461,557.91

AGLEVENT 1.45 1.45 0 9 97,799 142,638.27

AIICO 0.9 0.92 0.02 51 6,518,511 5,898,673.90

AIRSERVICE 4.46 4.51 0.05 11 264,910 1,208,332.10

ARBICO 5.6 5.6 0 1 1,056 5,385.60

ASHAKACEM 26.65 25.5 -1.15 54 593,225 15,474,962.11

ASOSAVINGS 0.5 0.5 0 2 3,600,000 1,800,000.00

BERGER 9.26 9.26 0 14 102,318 974,540.00

BETAGLAS 10 10.9 0.9 2 64,360 702,680.00

BOCGAS 6.77 6.77 0 7 20,000 140,563.90

CADBURY 53.05 52.4 -0.65 91 917,374 48,523,206.70

CAP 45.15 48.3 3.15 29 204,230 9,628,758.43

CCNN 9.9 9.65 -0.25 37 1,013,100 9,812,048.00

CHAMPION 8.54 8.54 0 1 30,000 281,700.00

CHAMS 0.5 0.5 0 3 1,101,000 550,500.00

CILEASING 0.5 0.5 0 1 3,499 1,749.50

CONOIL 25.3 27.83 2.53 33 334,345 9,207,818.23

CONTINSURE 1.26 1.37 0.11 11 229,186 291,955.20

CORNERST 0.54 0.58 0.04 18 1,068,617 558,313.50

COSTAIN 1.45 1.31 -0.14 53 2,569,191 3,400,985.21

COURTVILLE 0.64 0.64 0 6 170,100 109,064.00

CUSTODYINS 1.58 1.6 0.02 26 5,047,670 7,999,266.91

CUTIX 1.98 1.98 0 14 193,344 382,297.06

DAARCOMM 0.5 0.5 0 3 4,000 2,000.00

DANGCEM 190 189.97 -0.03 88 907,465 172,415,404.23

DANGFLOUR 9.5 9.5 0 46 321,189 3,067,841.42

DANGSUGAR 12.22 12.26 0.04 80 5,141,811 63,379,914.99

DIAMONDBNK 6.9 6.85 -0.05 91 5,717,057 38,985,831.06

DNMEYER 1.48 1.48 0 4 14,996 22,075.75

DUNLOP 0.5 0.5 0 1 250,000 125,000.00

ETERNA 3.2 3.3 0.1 18 207,965 675,958.00

ETI 14.75 14.6 -0.15 74 971,201 14,243,136.14

EVANSMED 4.44 4.44 0 21 858,258 3,810,665.52

FBNH 18.65 18.32 -0.33 581 13,175,868 243,203,946.45

FCMB 4.86 4.76 -0.1 52 764,639 3,682,346.69

FIDELITYBK 3.1 3.1 0 113 7,221,782 22,120,474.22

FIDSON 2.05 2.02 -0.03 45 3,137,470 6,392,506.10

FLOURMILL 90 86.3 -3.7 79 527,177 45,853,308.36

FO 29.76 32.73 2.97 54 588,742 19,266,299.90

FTNCOCOA 0.5 0.5 0 1 13,222 6,611.00

GLAXOSMITH 55 58.5 3.5 48 722,695 41,388,055.40

GUARANTY 26.42 26.34 -0.08 337 6,327,247 166,666,401.81

GUINNESS 260 260 0 51 64,630 16,386,059.47

HMARKINS 0.5 0.5 0 4 73,000 36,500.00

HONYFLOUR 3.36 3.2 -0.16 90 2,313,620 7,640,446.39

IHS 3.79 3.42 -0.37 10 675,000 2,364,910.00

IKEJAHOTEL 0.94 0.94 0 15 542,028 507,403.32

INTBREW 24.69 24.82 0.13 69 1,042,655 25,666,973.12

INTENEGINS 2.5 2.5 0 3 7,500 16,875.00

INTERLINK 4.9 4.9 0 1 1,000 4,410.00

IPWA 1.29 1.17 -0.12 29 6,995,452 8,267,088.36

JAPAULOIL 0.51 0.53 0.02 73 7,531,392 3,953,383.16

JBERGER 83.75 83.75 0 17 73,983 5,858,162.70

JOHNHOLT 1.42 1.4 -0.02 9 546,354 760,346.66

JOSBREW 0.99 0.99 0 3 61,400 55,260.00

LEARNAFRCA 1.8 1.8 0 3 20,000 35,610.00

LIVESTOCK 4.92 4.76 -0.16 29 1,217,282 5,811,406.72

MANSARD 2.14 2.2 0.06 29 1,660,662 3,601,197.13

MAYBAKER 2.7 2.9 0.2 21 321,900 928,708.20

TOP 10 GAINERS TOP 10 GAINERSStock Close LossNB 170.3 -6.2FLOURMILL 86.3 -3.7ASHAKACEM 25.5 -1.15OKOMUOIL 45.9 -1.1NESTLE 999 -1MOBIL 116.95 -0.86CADBURY 52.4 -0.65NAHCO 6.73 -0.52IHS 3.42 -0.37FBNH 18.32 -0.33

Stock Close Gain7UP 69.5 4.5GLAXOSMITH 58.5 3.5CAP 48.3 3.15FO 32.73 2.97CONOIL 27.83 2.53BETAGLAS 10.9 0.9OANDO 14 0.5UNILEVER 62.5 0.5PORTPAINT 6.2 0.42MAYBAKER 2.9 0.2

TOP 10 LOSERS

MBENEFIT 0.5 0.5 0 1 200 100

MCNICHOLS 1.57 1.57 0 3 109,700 156,574.00

MOBIL 117.81 116.95 -0.86 20 109,217 12,756,845.96

MRS 25.05 25.05 0 14 16,131 404,081.55

MULTITREX 0.5 0.5 0 2 55,000 27,500.00

NAHCO 7.25 6.73 -0.52 56 2,100,002 14,449,056.95

NASCON 12.99 12.95 -0.04 52 818,948 10,531,315.28

NB 176.5 170.3 -6.2 246 1,652,731 287,211,929.09

NEIMETH 1.38 1.48 0.1 41 1,574,436 2,241,501.49

NEM 0.72 0.72 0 43 6,684,731 4,856,099.22

NESTLE 1000 999 -1 31 56,401 56,051,687.19

NIG-GERMAN 7.36 7.36 0 2 1,291 8,559.33

NIGERINS 0.5 0.5 0 5 1,050,000 525,000.00

NNFM 26.5 26.5 0 1 99 2,624.49

NPFMCRFBK 0.96 0.96 0 9 398,000 382,080.00

OANDO 13.5 14 0.5 271 7,998,908 108,527,382.20

OKOMUOIL 47 45.9 -1.1 37 1,049,083 47,673,466.34

PAINTCOM 1.66 1.66 0 13 797,000 1,344,260.00

PHARMDEKO 1.87 1.87 0 2 306,342 572,860.54

PORTPAINT 5.78 6.2 0.42 10 161,567 956,123.00

PREMBREW 0.68 0.68 0 2 2,500 1,850.00

PRESCO 40 40 0 51 412,644 16,428,653.05

PRESTIGE 0.53 0.53 0 11 1,020,046 540,581.80

PZ 48.5 48.5 0 71 387,467 17,911,048.44

REDSTAREX 4.75 4.76 0.01 16 413,734 1,884,051.64

ROYALEX 0.62 0.62 0 8 63,860 40,013.40

RTBRISCOE 1.52 1.59 0.07 23 741,546 1,181,511.48

SKYEBANK 4.81 4.8 -0.01 102 4,319,657 20,691,194.21

SOVRENINS 0.5 0.5 0 1 52,750 26,375.00

STANBIC 15.45 15.43 -0.02 18 702,025 10,843,099.54

STDINSURE 0.5 0.5 0 1 577,300 288,650.00

STERLNBANK 2.73 2.6 -0.13 257 88,216,387 221,720,232.18

TANTALIZER 0.5 0.5 0 1 1,000 500

THOMASWY 0.98 0.98 0 1 1,155 1,027.95

TOTAL 159.99 159.99 0 14 12,318 2,019,241.76

TRANSCORP 1.43 1.4 -0.03 150 21,923,288 31,253,653.34

TRANSEXPR 1.99 1.8 -0.19 1 60,000 108,000.00

TRIPPLEG 2.29 2.29 0 3 25,191 52,145.37

UAC-PROP 15.99 15.99 0 18 98,222 1,507,069.48

UACN 63 63 0 57 465,572 29,130,744.85

UBA 8.34 8.31 -0.03 280 21,982,709 182,806,454.28

UBCAP 1.14 1.1 -0.04 144 13,694,187 15,178,102.29

UBN 12.35 12.46 0.11 74 1,166,502 14,460,012.01

UNIC 0.5 0.5 0 1 2,984 1,492.00

UNILEVER 62 62.5 0.5 110 2,009,430 125,600,410.89

UNITYBNK 0.6 0.59 -0.01 48 12,109,476 7,185,808.60

UNITYKAP 0.5 0.5 0 2 2,940 1,470.00

UPDCREIT 10.5 10.5 0 2 40,000 410,000.00

UPL 4.8 4.5 -0.3 11 340,368 1,538,798.00

UTC 0.79 0.8 0.01 34 1,768,665 1,418,734.97

VITAFOAM 4.41 4.41 0 7 37,400 168,237.00

VONO 1.54 1.54 0 1 1,000 1,390.00

WAPCO 99.75 99.5 -0.25 65 912,880 90,663,300.40

WAPIC 0.9 0.9 0 2 5,700 4,845.00

WEMABANK 1.16 1.16 0 20 548,956 635,483.34

ZENITHBANK 21.6 21.4 -0.2 300 9,391,831 201,574,873.77


THE NIGERIAN

Nigeria’s $50.9bnDebt Burden

NIGERIA currently owes a total debt of $50.9bn orN7.93tn to both local and international creditors.Information from the Debt Management Office(DMO) established during the Olusegun Obasanjoera showed that the nation’s external debt stood at$6.92bn about N1.08tn as at June this year, while thedomestic debt is a staggering $43.99bn or N6.85tn.

ACCORDING to reports, the external debtcomponent comprises debts owed by both Federaland the thirty-six (36) State Governments of thefederation and the Federal Capital Territory. Thedomestic debt, on the other hand is owed solely bythe Federal Government.

THE nation’s total debt stock increased by awhopping $13.91bn representing a negative growthrate of 37.59 per cent over a three year period (June2011-June 2013).

We are alarmed at the huge debt overhangparticularly, the local debt burden. World Bank andother yardsticks expects a 40% to 60% foreign to localdebt ratio for the nation’s economy to be on a stabletrack. But what we have today is 88 per cent localdebt with the external standing at 12.

GIVEN a relatively low Nigeria external debtprofile, Britton Wood Institution’s hawks are alreadyadvising government to borrow from external sourcesto stabilise the nation’s debt profile. This advice mustnot be heeded by the Federal Government because itrepresents a booby trap for the nation.

THE Director General of the Nigeria DebtManagement Office, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, hadrecently said compared to the level of foreign debt,the Federal Government had over- borrowed fromdomestic sources. This is condemnable. We expect ourgovernment at all levels to embark on responsibleborrowing and not mortgaging the future of unbornNigerians.

WE had also expected that with the assumption ofoffice of former Managing Director of World Bankas Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister ofthe Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the nationwould witness a reduction in the country’s local debt,instead the local debts has ballooned to unacceptablelevels, yet there are deft moves by the samegovernment to continue to borrow, even fromerstwhile co-third world nations-Japan and China.

WE are alarmed that Dr. Nngozi Okonjo Iweala whoduring her first coming as Finance Ministercelebrated the reduction of Nigeria’s external debt

from $32billion to $4billion vide the Paris Club debtdeal, as her major achievement in office is today as headof the nation’s economic team leading the country backto the road of indebtedness with its attendantconsequences.

WE re-assert that the Federal Government has notproved that it is responsible enough to manage bothexternal and local loans efficiently to the benefits of allNigerians. Securing debt forgiveness or debt relief tookNigeria almost three decades to achieve when loansborrowed were looted and stashed in private bankaccounts overseas by corrupt Nigerians who acted intandem with their foreign collaborators.

LESSONS from our debt relief since 2005 put at some$1billion or N160billion annually which governmentclaims it is spending on Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) for which a special office, Special Adviser (SA)to the President on MDGs was created is a completewrite off. With barely two years to 2015, Nigeria is offtrack in meeting any of the eight MDGs, which suggestspoor utilization of the debt relief funds. A typicalexample was in Edo State, where the PDP administrationsquandered over $7million dollars meant for urbanwater in Benin City during the 18 months interregnum.Several of such official corruption abound across thecountry, yet no suspect has been arraigned let alonejailed on account of the stealing debt relief funds acrossthe country.

WHILE we appreciate the need for any governmentto borrow from both internal and external sources tofinance development, we are worried that the a wholelot of institutional weakness in the area of systems thatwould guarantee transparent and accountableutilization of borrowed resources are not yet in place.This is evident in the controversy and corruption thatis associated with key Federal Government institutionsand agencies.

FOR instance, the sleaze in the disbursement and

utilization of subsidy on petrol, the corruption thathas hampered the development of the power sectorwhere billions of dollars have been sunk in the pastfive years with same status of epileptic supplies andthe corruption that have led to the ballooning ofrecurrent expenditure of the Federal Government putat over 74 per cent of the 2012 budget and over 72 percent in the 2013 budget leaves Nigerians with the beliefthat government has not demonstrated enoughcommitment to fight graft.

ALSO, it is a shame that some of the sources of fundsfor the nation’s development are from India and Chinawhich were classified as developing countries alongwith Nigeria in the 70s. Both countries have since leftNigeria in that classification and are now referred toas emerging economies and are members of the G20,this again is traceable to irresponsible leadership overthe years characterised by massive looting of publictreasury and official corruption by those who heldpublic offices.

NIGERIA must halt the crippling effects of localdebts to the nation’s economy.

Government needs to showcase its willingness to keepto its commitments and prudently utilize nationalresources by making the power sector work. This,Nigerians have severally told the Federal Governmentwould leapfrog the economy as the astronomic cost ofpower used by manufacturers and other industrialistsvide generators would drop drastically. This wouldalso reduce the price of made in Nigeria goods andlead to real economic growth.

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan should makeconscious efforts to diversify the nation’s economy. Heshould focus on the agricultural sector, manufacturingsector and ICT.

BUT more importantly, we believe government needsto plug all avenues of leakages of its InternallyGenerated Revenue. It equally need to fight graft andprosecute all those who have defrauded this nationirrespective of how highly placed. The major obstacleover the years against anti-graft war is that there areso many sacred cows and untouchables. Governmenthas left Nigerians with the conclusion that onlyperceived enemies of Government or politicalopponents are the ones sought after by anti-graftagencies. Unless, Government shows clearcommitments to fighting corruption, Nigerians wouldnot trust such government to mange huge external ordomestic loans.


WithObuseh Jude

GSM: 08033510173

Cutting EdgeAvoiding TheDeluge (1)

WHEN the Americancolonies united in 1776 tochallenge British imperialism,it was because they had growntired of being impoverished.When the French people rosein unison against Monarchicalabsolutism in 1789, it was tosay a resounding “no” tocenturies of despotism, and“yes” to a new order ofpopular rule. When thecitizens of the Philippinestoppled the dictatorship ofMarcus, it was an expressionof their yearnings for change.When the passive resistance ofblack South Africansultimately defeated theApartheid regime, there was areason for it. When the Arabworld exploded some fewyears ago, it was in responseto the prodding of thesmothering force of change.

This piece is dedicated toall the misruling scions of the“Federal Republic ofNigeria”; to those individualswho have at one time or theother been privileged to holdone political office or the otherat the different cadres ofgovernment, but abused theircall to serve; to the currentdefilers of the Nigerian Statewhose taboos against thepeople have continuedunabated; to the greedyMongrels who have turnedNigeria into a businessventure; to the mercilessmercenaries in mufti whohave been engaged in aninternecine class war withtheir less privilegedcountrymen since the onset ofthis comatose project. If youbelong to this clique ofBanditti, the following linesare for you. It becameexpedient in the wake of somevery frightening visions I hada couple of nights ago; visionsthat made me break out in acold sweat when I woke up inthe middle of the night;visions of blood, death, tears,waste and misery; visions ofthings to come if thingsremain the way they presentlyare. So, what exactly did I see?

The first scene of myvisions opened with a largemap of Nigeria sitting

majestically atop a highmountain. Next, I saw agroup of brightly appareledindividuals dragging amultitude dressed in ragsbehind them in chains. Thegroup in chains wasintermittently wiped, cursedand ordered to “keepmoving” by their drivers. Allpleas by these oppressedsouls were met with stifferpunishments from theirslavers. At this juncture, asilent voice pointed out to methat “the oppressedmultitudes you see are fellowNigerians” and “the well-attired ones maltreating themare the ruling political elites.This revelation was quitebaffling, but more was yet tocome.

Suddenly, I saw thewell-appareled groupbrandishing some crudeweapons - cutlasses, hoes,sledge-hammers, cudgels etal— with which they wereattempting to deface theNigerian map. While thecannibalization of the mapwas going on, a tiny factionseparated itself from thegroup and attempted pushingthe map off the mountain top.At this juncture, a raucoussound went up in the campof the slaves: sounds offetters breaking off, coupledwith shouts of “freedom”renting the air. Then, a newgroup of individuals mountedon green and white Stallionsbroke through the steelfortifications of the slavecamp, freed and armed thenow liberated slaves withmore sophisticated weapons— rifles, grenades,Bazookas, rocket launchersetal — than those of theirlords, and led a great Calvarycharge against the individualsdestroying the Nigerian map.The following scenes weremore horrifying.

I saw a lot of calamitybefalling the Nigerian rulingelite; saw the forcefultoppling of this apatheticsystem by the victims of itscruelties; saw a very angrymob confronting the security

forces with nothing but theirsheer will; saw the poorcasting of their fears andrising up against theiroppressors There waspandemonium everywhere aspeople ran helter-skater tryingto make the best of theunfolding drama. I watchedthese spectacles withtrepidation, as I wonderedwhat they all meant.

Next, I saw the purple-clad enemies of the state beingdragged out of their cozyigloos and burnt alive onstakes. I heard screams ofagony from the wounded;

hisses of self-pity and regretfrom the incarcerated; heartwrenching pleas from thecaptured. I saw mighty menreduced to nothing; saw thewealthy lose theirpossessions; saw the oncepowerful thrusting about indefeat; saw the rulers chasedout of their mansions by theruled; saw lots of dark smokeeverywhere, as everythingbelonging to the old brigadewas destroyed by a blazinginferno. Yes, I saw thesescenes... and even more.

The conditions of thepowerful were pitiable; morepitiable than those of the Jews

during the Holocaust. Theiregg-like castles could notwithstand the barrages of theirenemies. Their porousfortifications collapsed likepacks of cards. All their vaindefenses proved incapable ofprotecting them. Their eyesdarted around for help, butnone was forthcoming. Therewas palpable fear in theireyes; that emasculating kind

of fear that saps us of ourmanhood:

“Heard I known”, “Ishould have listened”, “thisshould not be happening tome”, “God please save us”, Iheard some of them mutteringunder labored breadths. Thesewere pitiable sights indeed;sights of the miserable depthsinto which the once powerfulhad sunk; graphic images ofthe emptiness of power whenit is lost; picturesquerepresentations of all that isvain and inglorious.

Another shocking sightwas that of the security forcesturning against their masters;

of the military, police, etalattacking their benefactors,mowing them down likeunwanted weeds; saw thearmed forces joining thepeople’s army — as happenedduring the French Revolution- as they matched on theBastilles of power, batteringthem down in a blaze ofpatriotic fury.

Finally, I saw the select

group of individuals, who hadearlier liberated the slavesfrom the concentration camps,at the head of a mighty crowdall dressed in Nigeria’snational colours, singingjoyful choruses in celebrationof the defeat of the oldbrigade. I heard shouts of“victory for the masses” and“peace in Nigeria”, from thecrowd. It was a moreheartwarming scenariocompared to the previousones; a pleasing relief fromthe bloody scenes that hadheld me spellbound whilethey lasted; a welcome escapefrom the symphonies of deathand destruction that had heldthe ruling elites in itstrancelike grip.

I woke up from mynightmarish slumber with aloud scream that woke upeverybody in my house.Sitting up on my bed, I askedmy startled wife for a cup ofcold water, as I tried to makemeaning out of all I had been

privy to in my sleep; reflectedon what the whole revelationswere about. Gradually, all themissing pieces started comingtogether. The visions wererevelations of events yet tounfold in Nigeria; projectedscenarios of the likelyoutcome of the no-love-lostrelationship between theNigerian ruling elites and thelargely exploited,

impoverished, and abusedmasses; a timely warning forthe

I woke up from mynightmarish slumber with aloud scream that woke upeverybody in my house.Sitting up on my bed, I askedmy startled wife for a cup ofcold water, as I tried to makemeaning out of all I had beenprivy to in my sleep; reflectedon what the whole revelationswere about. Gradually, all themissing pieces started comingtogether. The visions wererevelations of events yet tounfold in Nigeria; projectedscenarios of the likelyoutcome of the no-love-lostrelationship between theNigerian ruling elites and thelargely exploited,impoverished, and abusedmasses; a timely warning fortheanimals in human skin ruiningNigeria to change theirdepraved ways or face thewinnowing music of forcefulchange.

“I woke up from my nightmarish slumber with a loud scream thatwoke up everybody in my house. Sitting up on my bed, I asked my startledwife for a cup of cold water, as I tried to make meaning out of all I hadbeen privy to in my sleep; reflected on what the whole revelations wereabout. Gradually, all the missing pieces started coming together. Thevisions were revelations of events yet to unfold in Nigeria.”


Nutritional Health And Dietetics With

O.C.MaduGSM: 08056379608

Cholesterol Madness LIKE the Eskimos whohave in their languagetwenty-seven differentwords for snow, we havecome up with almost asmany to describecholesterol. We have HDLcholesterol which can befurther subdivided intoHDL2 and HDL3cholesterol. LDLcholesterol, VLDHcholesterol, ID2 cholesteroland a whole slew of othersif you start differentiatingby apoprotein structuresfound on the surface of thevarious cholesterolcomplexes. Not everybody isconversant with this alkanelanguage of cholesterolresearch but they arecertainly alert to the specterof high cholesterol and allits sinister ramifications.Cholesterol has become theultimate measure of healthand fitness to be braggedabout if low and confessedto if elevated. What exactly ischolesterol? Should you be concernedabout it? Where does itcome from. How do you getrid of it or how at the veryleast, do you control it? Cholesterol is absolutelyessential for life, cholesterolis not really a fat at all, it’sa pearly coloured waxy, slidalcohol, that is, soapy to thetouch. The bulk of thecholesterol is in your body,the other 93 percent islocated in every cell of thebody, where its uniquewaxy, soapy consistencyprovides the cellmembranes with theirstructural integrity andregulates the flow ofnutrients into wasteproducts out of the cells. In addition, among itsother diverse and essentialfunctions are thesecholesterol which is thebuilding block from whichyour body makes severalimportant hormones. Theadrenal hormones,aldosterone, which regulateblood pressure andhydrocortisone, the body’snatural steroid and the sexhormones-estragen andtestosterone. If you don’thave enough cholesterol,you won’t make enough sexhormones.

Cholesterol is the maincomponent of bile acids,which aid in the digestionof foods particularly, fattyfoods. Without cholesterol,we could not absorb theessential fat solublevitamins A,D,E and K fromthe food we eat. Cholesterol is necessaryfor normal growth anddevelopment of the brainand the nervous system.Cholesterol coats the nervesand makes the transmissionof nerve impulses possible.Cholesterol gives the skinits ability to shed water. Cholesterol is a precursorof vitamin D in the skin,when exposed to sunlight,this precursor molecules isconverted to its active formfor use in the body. Cholesterol is importantfor normal growth andrepair of tissues, since,every cell membrane andthe organelles, the tinystructures inside the cellsthat carry out specificfunctions within the cellsare rich in cholesterol playsa major role in thetransportation oftriglycerides, blood fats,throughout the circulatorysystem. Cholesterol plays a majorrole in the transportation, isabsolutely essential forgood health, without it, youdie, without cholesterol wewould lose the strength andstability of our cells,rendering them much lessresistant to invasion byinfection and malignancy. Infact, a grave sign ofillness, such as cancerdevelopment or cripplingarthritic, is a fallingcholesterol level. Where Does CholesterolCome From? Although, somecholesterol indeed doescome from food, the vastmajority (80 percent) isproduced by the body itself.Infact, every cell in thebody is capable of makingits own cholesterol. Mostdon’t have and rely insteadon that made in the liver,intestines and skin, with theliver responsible for thelion’s share of theproduction. Due to thebody’s need for largeamounts of cholesterol, afeedback loop exists so that,

whenever, dietary intakedecrease’s the liverssynthesis, increases and inan opposite fashion. When the diet is rich incholesterol, the liver’ssynthesis is reduced. Thisself regulation helps explainthe baffling researchfindings that bloodcholesterol levels vary onlyminimally in the face of

enormous variations in thedietary intake. As a matterof fact, most people,contrary to what peopleread or hear daily consumealmost unlimited amountsof cholesterol withoutsignificantly increasingtheir blood cholesterollevels. That being the case,people having excessiveblood cholesterol levels andmany do, must haveproblem with the ability oftheir bodies to regulatecholesterol levels internally. The Key To LoweringCholesterol Levels The key to loweringblood cholesterol levels is

not in the restriction ofdietary cholesterol or fatbut, in the dietarymanipulation of the internalcholesterol regulatorysystem. Unfortunately,there is a glitch in the worksthat causes all the problems. The Fly In The Ointment. Nature endowed orafflicted us with a minordesign flaw that creates

most of the problems wehave with excessivecholesterol. Cholesterollevels are regulated onlyinside the cell. Why is thisdesign flaw it, becauseproblems arise due toexcess cholesterol in theblood, yet the cholesterollevel in the blood isn’tregulated, there is nofeedback loop to signal theneed for the body to lowercholesterol levels in theblood when they get toohigh. The cells of the bodyrequire a steady supply ofcholesterol to build andrepair cell membranes andto carry out all the other

tasks required of them tomake life possible. Where does thecholesterol for all thisconstruction come from? Basically two sources, thecell either extracts

cholesterol from the bloodor makes its own or both. The important thing isthat the interior of the cellneeds plenty of cholesterol,so the interior is where thecholesterol sensors arelocated. Falling cholesterollevels within the cell triggerthese sensors to fire offmessage to the productionmachinery within the cell toincrease the supply, make itor get more from the blood.By these means, the level ofcholesterol inside the cell ismaintained tightly withinnarrow optimal range. The point to remember isthat the sensors that dictatecellular need for cholesterol

are inside the cells(primarily of the liver), notout in the blood stream.When cholesterol cause itsartery- clogging mischief,where does that occur? Inthe walls of the arteries

supplying the heart and themajor arteries supplying thebody and brain, not in thecells with cholesterolsensors. This system glitch isanalogous to having a bigpowerful air conditioner ina house and putting thethermostat that controls itinto a small, hot, airtight,closer. The coolingmachinery could becranking out enough coldair to form iciless on thewoodwork throughout thehouse, but the thermostat inthe closet would neverknow. To be concluded nextweek.

“The cells of the body require a steady supplyof cholesterol to build and repair cellmembranes and to carry out all the other tasksrequired of them to make life possible”


With

Fr. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

GSM: 08034006260

BOTTOMLINELevels Of TruthIn Dialogue

MY article, “THE VALUEOF TRUTH IN DIALOGUE”,published in the Sunday Trustand Pilot newspapers of June16, 2013 have attracted somequestions and reactions thatcall for the need to clarifysome concepts like naturaltruth, moral truth andreligious truth”. This isimportant given that themedia has given us a platformfor dialogue in addition to theusual seminars andworkshops.

Natural Truth: There aresome religions that are simplycalled “natural religion” or“religion of nature” becausethey believe that God, thesoul, spirits, and thesupernatural are not separatefrom nature. They do notbother much aboutextraordinary visions andrevelations like Frank LloydWright who said: “I believe inGod, only I spell it Nature.”The history of natural religioncan be traced to Aristotlehylomophism that reduced theworld to matter and form.Monotheism in the pastthought that heaven and hellwere physical places, locatingheaven in the sky and hell ineverlasting fire. The new ageand some ethnic religionstoday practise natural religionin the context of what is madeavailable to the senses. SomeAfrican Religions arrived atthe concept of “AlmightyGod” through observation ofnature and naturaloccurrences. The orientalreligions approach Godthrough nature. Althoughsome naturalist could end upin pantheism, wherein God isseen as part of every physicalthing, it should be recognisedthat some monotheisticreligions arrived at the unityof God through naturalevents.

Thomas Aquinas in the 13th

century relied heavily onnature to explain how God isperceived without referenceto special revelation orreligious experience. Fromnature he was able to proposethe five ways (Quinque viæ)to prove the existence of Godfrom the arguments of theunmoved mover, the first

cause, from contingency,from degree and theteleological argument. Thesearguments are expounded inSumma Theologica (ST, Ia, q.2 a. 3 co) and Summa ContraGentiles (SCG 1.13). Thisargument can also be true ofthe belief in the one God ofSikhism, Vedantic andBhaktic Hinduism. Naturaltruth enables people to holdconversations as naturalhuman beings in search oftruth without seekingconversion to a particularreligion but conversion to thesupreme good (SummumBonum).

Moral Truth: In Kant’s 1785Groundwork for theMetaphysics of Morals, (3rdedition, Hackett p. 30), hesays that human beingsoccupy a special place increation, and morality can besummed up in one ultimatecommandment of reason, orimperative, from which allduties and obligationsderive.” Hypotheticalimperatives define a certainend of an action. For example,“if I wish to quench my thirst,I must drink something; if Iwish to acquire knowledge, Imust learn. On the other hand,a categorical imperativejustifies an end in itself suchthat you “Act only accordingto that maxim whereby youcan, at the same time will thatit should become a universallaw”. That is to say, act in sucha way that every body wantto behave like you or be likeyou. Let no one encounter youand regrets meeting you. Kantviewed the individual as arationally self-consciousbeing with “impure” freedomof choice to “do or to refrainfrom doing as one pleases”.Naturally, a person shouldknow what is good and whatis evil in the quest forhappiness. For instance, noreligion accepts adultery,murder, violence, stealing asmorally right. Moral truth isacceptable to every rationalperson irrespective ofreligion. From a person’sactions it can be judgedwhether he or she loves Godwhose essence is “good”.

God identified Cornelius in

his natural life. His onlycredentials were the things hewas doing morally outsideany of the recognisedreligions. He was a centurionof the Italia cohort stationedin Caesarea. He had a unitedand happy household, devoutand God fearing. He wasgenerous and prayedconstantly to God (Acts 10, 1-2). Although Cornelius wasnot a Jew and an adherent ofJudaism, God noticed him andtold Peter about him. Hisrespect for human beings was

manifested in his reception ofPeter. “As Peter reached thehouse, Cornelius went out tomeet him, fell at his feet anddid him reverence. But Peterhelped him up. Stand up hesaid, I am only a man (Acts10, 25-26). Through theactions of Cornelius, Petercame to another awareness ofdivine truth. “I now reallyunderstand, he said, that Godhas no favourites, but thatanybody of any nationalitywho fears him and does whatis right is acceptable tohim“(Acts 10, 34-35). Thenatural law from where moraltruth is derived is infused inthe human person.Consequently, God can be

found in the good activities ofthe human person. The life ofCornelius was acceptable tothe Christian community.Peter only confirmed whatwas already evident throughbaptism. The Muslim canidentify with Corneliusbecause his almsgiving,prayer and fasting are part of

the pillars of Islam.The truth about a person

does not depend oncertificates and what theperson claims to be. Thecertificate ought to certify theactions, performance, skillsand capacity of a person. If aperson cannot perform theduties in accordance withwhat the certificate says thenthe person is not true tohimself or herself. The moraltruth about a person can becaptured in key performanceindicators. Jesus said, even ifyou do not believe in me;believe in the works that I do(John 10, 37-38). Moral truthmakes a person credible. It iswho you are and what you are

that makes others believewhat you say.

Religious Truth: A Muslimfriend told me recently thatthe only religion that will existin heaven is Islam. Critically,we can say that the truth ofthis statement is that inheaven, there may be noorganized religion except life

in peace and love with Godfor those who have naturallyand morally submitted to thewill of God. When theCatholics say, “Outside theChurch, there is no salvation”,the implication is that theChurch has all that is requiredto lead one to heaven. My lifeas a Catholic priest shoulddefend the truth of theCatholic faith. It is not enoughfor me to be a priest if myactions do not uphold naturaland moral truths. I should beseen to do the work of God. Itis those who do the will ofGod that share in the gift ofsalvation that is abundant inthe Church.

Nothing has divided theworld more than argumentson religious truths. This iswhy doctrinal issues aresometimes avoided in inter-religious dialogue. Indiscussing religious truths,concepts could mean differentthings to different people. Inthe middle ages, a term like“substance” almost rocked theChurch. For the Muslim,

“Trinity” means “ThreeGods” whereas, forChristians, God the fatherdoes not imply a biologicalfather as if God has a wife thatgave birth to Jesus. SomeMuslims have been askedwhy God talk in the plural“we” in the Qur’an. Why dowe still pray for the peace of

Allah to be upon the prophetswho are already enjoying thepeace of God in heaven?Religious truths makereligious issues sensitive anddelicate hence natural truthand moral actions explainreligious truth better than allphilosophical and theologicalarguments. The report in somenews papers and ttp://www.jackophite.com that a“man surrenders Boko Haramson to JTF in Maiduguri” isseen by so many people as apractical way of teaching thetrue tenets of Islam. If weaccept the dignity and valueof the human person, we shallforever live in peace here andhereafter.

Fr. Prof. Cornelius AfebuOmonokhua is the Directorof Mission and Dialogue ofthe Catholic Secretariat ofNigeria, Abuja andConsultor of the Commissionfor Religious Relations withMuslims (C.R.R.M), VaticanC i t y .([email protected])

“The truth about a person does not depend on certificates and what the person claimsto be. The certificate ought to certify the actions, performance, skills and capacity of aperson. If a person cannot perform the duties in accordance with what the certificatesays then the person is not true to himself or herself. The moral truth about a personcan be captured in key performance indicators. Jesus said, even if you do not believe inme; believe in the works that I do (John 10, 37-38). Moral truth makes a person credible.”


By DR EDO

INTRODUCTORY:It gives me tremendous

pleasure to be part of thismomentous occasion. I feelparticularly honoured to berequested by the distinguishedorganizers to make thispresentation. As a Nigerianand an indigene of the NigerDelta, I have spent aconsiderable portion of myadult life agonizing over theissues for which we are allgathered here today. Indeed,as proof of my deep concern Ihave devoted an enormouspart of my academic pursuittowards researching theproblems of fiscal federalismand the lingering question ofcontrol of oil revenueresources in Nigeria. Today, Ishall share my thoughts withyou on what I considered areasonable approach toarticulating and dealing withthe problem.

In my presentation, I shallbriefly state the conceptualbasis of my paper, particularlythe ideas of fiscal Federal andcontrol of oil revenue. I shallthen outline their historicalcontext in Nigeria. In the thirdsection, I shall discuss thesubsidiarity principle andwhat

role it could play to resolvethe crisis of fiscal federalismand control of oil revenue inthe country. In the fourthrubric, I outline strategies torealizing the objectives offiscal federalism and controlof oil revenue in Nigeria. Inthe final section, I conclude.

1. Fiscal Federalism andControl of Oil Revenue:Conceptual Framework

What is fiscal federalismand how does it connect withthe issue of oil revenue and itscontrol? Although themeaning of fiscal federalismcan by no means be simplystated, it is sufficient here tooffer a simple definition andwhat it generally implicates inthe federal system. By fiscalfederalism, we refer to thescheme of intergovernmentalrelations with regards topublic sector finances amongthe different tiers ofgovernment in the federalsystem. The public sector in afederation consists of at leastthree different levels, thefederal government, the statesand the local governments.The central concern of publicsector financial relations is toalign responsibilities andfiscal instruments with theproper level of government.The subject matter of fiscalfederalism therefore is how tofashion out which functions ofgovernment are bestcentralized and which are bestplaced in the sphere ofdecentralized levels ofgovernment. In essence, fiscalfederalism addresses thevertical structure of public

finance in a federation andexplores the roles of thedifferent levels of governmentas well as the ways they relateto one another.

The notion of fiscalfederalism is connected withthe issue of control ofrevenue, including oil revenuebecause the fiscalarrangement of a federationdetermines the share ofintergovernmental revenuewhich accrues vertically to thefederal government and thesubunits (states and localgovernments) on one hand;and horizontally between thesubunits. There is a continuingglobal debate about how bestto design an acceptable fiscalfederalism template in afederation; or to put itsuccinctly, there is an intenseargument in virtually allfederations about the bestintergovernmental fiscalarrangement that can meet theaspirations of the differentvertical and horizontalsegments of the federalsystem. What is however notin doubt is that finding apalatable solution whichmeets the aspiration of allsubnational governments(states and local governments,in this context) remains quitea difficult task.

Some reasons have beenproffered for this dilemma,one of which is that politicalinterests diverge widelyespecially when hugerevenues are involved. Thus,for instance, the more affluentstates which contribute topublic sector revenuemobilization are verysensitive about theirwellbeing, especially aboutwhat accrues to them. Thesestates are more inclined topush for reforms in theirfavour. On the other hand,states that have less capacityto derive or mobilize publicsector revenue and whichbenefit from redistribution orequalization inintergovernmental revenuetransfers tend to opposereforms that would eliminateredistribution or equalizationin place of subnational controlof public sector revenue.

The question then iswhether it is really possible torestructure fiscal federalism inthe light of these contrastingtendencies. The proper answerto this question will probablyresolve the current intenseagitation over fiscalfederalism and control of oilrevenue in Nigeria, which isthe central focus of thispresentation. But, beforediscussing our preferredsolution, it is necessary to setout the historical backgroundof the problem in Nigeria.

II. Background to crisis ofFiscal Federalism and Controlof Oil Revenue in Nigeria

The crisis of fiscalfederalism and agitation forcontrol of oil revenue havebecome serious issues thathave the potential ofdismembering Nigeria.Although these matters havebroad national implication, itappears that the tensionspawned by the issuesemanates more from the NigerDelta or oil-bearing part of thecountry. The impression

you get from this scenariois that there appears to be aconscious gang-up against theoil bearing or Niger Delta areamanifested by the desire tocontinue with theexpropriation of oil revenueaccruing from the area for theunconscionable benefits of therest of the country. Thus,whenever the issues of fiscalfederalism and control of oilrevenue are

raised, the non-oil bearingparts of Nigeria seem to rallytogether to resist any attemptat reform to reverse thecurrent obnoxiousconstitutional provisionswhereby the “Government ofthe Federation” takesownership of all revenuescoming from oil (vide:

section 44 (3) of the 1999Constitution) only tosuperintend theirdisbursement on the basis ofthe formula prescribed insection 162 of the 1999Constitution (as amended);regard being had to theminimum 13% derivationprinciple provided for in theproviso to section 162(2) ofthe Constitution.

Of course this gang upshould not surprise anyone ofus because we are talking ofmoney matters here. Anyonewho has become accustomedto stealing from his neighbourwould be hell bent onsustaining that evilmachination since itguarantees the thiefcontinuous easy access tocheap loot. The thief wouldcare less that as a result of hisevil act, the neighborcontinues to suffer privation.What is paramount in thethief’s mind is his own interestand nothing else.

Seriously speaking, how didwe arrive at this situation?Before independence in 1960the founding fathers such asChief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe, AihajiAhmadu Bello, the Saduanaof Sokoto and foremostminority leaders such as ChiefDappa Prieye agreed with thedeparting British colonial

administration on a templateof fiscal federalism. This wasafter years of intensenegotiations which if hadfailed to yield acceptableresult before independencewould have led the differentparts of the country to go theirseparate ways )just as ithappened to the greater Indiain 1948 when just beforeindependence it was brokeninto current day India andPakistan (including currentBangladesh) due to theinability of their foundingfathers to agree on a numberof fundamental issues of co-existence.

But Nigeria chose to remainone indivisible federation onthe basis of clearly articulatedfiscal federal arrangement.Many writers have set out thefine lines of this fiscalarrangement. Perhaps Prof.I.E. Sagay, himself adistinguished Niger Deltan,puts the point clearer when hemade the following remark onthe nature of fiscal federalismthat existed under the 1960/63 Constitutions. Accordingto him:

…although theConstitution(s) did notprovide for the ownership andcontrol of mineral resourcesby the producing state orcommunity, the entitlement ofthe producing state to 50% ofthe proceeds, and a share inanother 30% with the federalGovernment being entitled toonly 20% was a reflection ofthe derivative principle whichis the economic indication offederalism.

This fiscal arrangementremained in place until themilitary struck in January,1966. Since then, the table hasturned almost inexorably tothe point that from 50% shareof oil mineral resourcesclearly enshrined in theConstitutions of 1960/63, thestake plummeted to about 1%during the period of militaryrule and even during thecivilian government ofPresident Shehu Shagari(1979 — 83). Even thisminimal share of 1% or justover was only provided for inan Act of Parliament, theAppropriation Act and notconstitutionally guaranteedunlike the position in the firstrepublic. It was not until the1 994-1995 ill-fatedconstitutional conferenceorganized by the Late GeneralSani Abacha regime that theidea of restoring thederivation principle to the

constitution was muted andsubsequently enshrined in the1999 Constitution leaving thepercentage of calculation to amere 13% minimum, as if themajority non-oil bearing partof Nigeria would evervoluntarily agree to anincrease above 13%!

Yet, there seems to be a levelof veiled double standard insection 162 (2) of the 1999Constitution, the sectionwhich institutes the principleof derivation. It does notspecially mention what

derived which are entitled toup to 20%!

III. What Role for theSubsidiarily Principle?

As I begin to wind downthis presentation, I shall nowturn to proffering a solutionto the difficult challengesposed by the fiscal federalismdeficit in Nigeria’s currentfederal system especially asit affects control of oilrevenue. I shall proceed bymaking a few quickobservations. the country

of

prinsythplgoifinowwfrwin

percentage of derivationshould be adopted incalculating revenue accruableto the federation account fromnon-oil sources. Thus, it hasbeen reported that the currentpercentage for calculatingderivation from Value AddedTax (VAT) and a number ofsolid mineral resources are20% and 55%, respectively.The net implication of this isquite clear. Since most partsof the oil-bearing statesespecially the Niger Deltaarea lack vital solid mineralresources, non-oil bearingparts of Nigeria wherevirtually all of the country’ssolid mineral resources arebased gain up to 55% fromrevenue derived from theseminerals. Same can also besaid of states like Lagos,Kano, and Kaduna fromwhere more VAT revenues are

must stop pretending to be anisland unto itself or playingthe ostrich in regard to thecrisis and tension generatedby the problem of skewedfiscal arrangement. Second,there is no one-off solution tothe problem as many parts ofthe country have become soaccustomed to a clearlydysfunctional anddependency system ofintergovernmental revenuetransfer. Third, the solutionoffered by the subsidiarityprinciple which is discussedshortly presupposes thatdemocratic institutions at thesubunits (both states and localgovernments) are firmed-upin such a way as to have amore robust parliament at thestate level and a moreautonomous system of localgovernment administrationwhich at the minimumguarantees a smooth system

PerspectiveResolving Crisis Of Fiscal Federalism An

What Role For Subs

President Goodluck Jonathan

modto tin tAltheccCatpub193198Catovesubprinprogovonlexcindindshosmaindishomorbeiacti


OBA B. OMOREGIE

f regular succession.Now, by the subsidiarityrinciple we refer to that

ntrinsic fulcrum of the federalystem which postulates thathe central government shouldlay only a supporting role inovernance, acting if and onlyf the constituent units arencapable of acting on theirwn”. The etymology of the

word subsidiarity is said to berom the Latin “subsidium”

which refer to auxiliary troopsn the Roman military. The

justice exceed theircapacities.”

With this understanding, itis pertinent to emphasize thatmost established federationsof the world are generallydesigned according to thedictates of the subsidiarityprinciple. Indeed, establishedfederations such as the UnitedStates of America, Canada,Switzerland, Australia andGermany have clearlyfashioned their constitutionsalong the line of subsidiarity,with firm judicial

principled parameter ortemplate for the enormouspowers distributed to thefederal government. Thefederal government hasassumed the status of aleviathan with awesomepowers over all conceivablegovernment affairs. Incontrast, the subunits are meregeographical expression withseverely limited distributedpowers. Even concurrent listof powers for which thesubunits could have beenactive is more or less anexclusive federal domain.First, because of thefederalism principle ofCovering the Field which isconstitutionally enshrined insection 4 (5) of the 1999Constitution by which thestates are barred fromlegislating inconsistently onmatters on the concurrent listin the event of existing federallegislation on the particularmatter. Second, because of theintrinsic design of theconcurrent list itself. There,certain matters are named asexclusive federal matters,irrespective of the fact thatthere is no existing federallegislation. One such matteris electricity supply in areasdesignated as covered or to becovered by the

National Grid System.The resultant effect of this

enormous federal legislativepowers both in the 68 itemExclusive List and the 30 itemConcurrent List is the sheeravaricious thirst for funds bythe federal government andhence the total nationalizationof oil mineral resources andthe astonishing anti-federalintergovernmental fiscalarrangement in Nigeria bywhich the federal governmentallocates more than half offederation revenue to itself.

Yet, this does not tell thewhole story. In addition tofederal governmentappropriation of more fundsto itself to meet its unwieldylegislative powers, thereremains the serious problemof horizontal fiscal or revenueequalization arrangement insection 162 of the 1999Constitution which prescribesthat revenue accruing to theFederation Account includingthose from oil revenue shallbe distributed in accordancewith the dictates of populationof each state, equality ofstates, internal revenuegeneration, land mass, terrainand population density. Intruth, of these parameters only“internal revenue generation”

can lend itself to properempirical verification orascertainment. The rest aresubjective variables. Thus,while oil-bearing states(which are small in land massand population) are limited toearn only 13 % minimumfrom oil revenue (a verifiablederivative product) derivedfrom their domain, non-oilbearing state$,, especiallythose from the north withlarge land mass andpopulation (the latter stillquite a contentious statistics)take benefit of these otherparameters without thelimitation of percentage incalculating the revenueaccruing to them.Furthermore, although“terrain” is included as aparameter for calculatingrevenue allocation in section162, the meaning of the wordcannot be limited to theterrible environmentalcondition of the oil-bearingstates so as to give them anadvantage in revenueallocation from theFederation Account. OtherStates with difficult terrains,and they cut across thecountry, can also stakerevenue claims ( they havebeen doing) under the head of“terrain” even as theycontribute nothing tangible tothe revenue profile of theFederation Account which iscurrently funded up to 90%from oil revenue derivedfrom the oil-bearing states.

It has been argued that withthe 13% derivation revenueallocation and theintervention expected fromthe Niger Delta Ministry andthe Niger Delta DevelopmentCommission (NDDC)enough concessions appear tohave been made to the oil-bearing states. Even as Ibelieve that creating aMinistry for the Niger Deltaand establishment of a bodysuch as the NDDC areneedless anti-federalism,bureaucratic approaches todealing with a situation thatrequires the application of thesubsidiarity principle, I do notagree with the propositionthat 13% as derivativeminimum is acceptable,given the constitutionalhistory which I have recalledabove. The unfortunate resultof military intervention inreversing the pre-1960 fiscalfederalism agreement of thefounding fathers,notwithstanding, Nigeriacontinues to trace its legal

history as an independentsovereign nation to the year1960 and not the years ofmilitary rule. Why then shouldwe casually forget thishistorical agreement? In anyevent, with whom was theagreement to settle for 13%struck instead of 50% beforeit was enshrined in the 1999Constitution? How did themilitary government arrive atthe percentage? Myelementary Contract Lawteaches me that no one can theheld bound by an agreementto which he/she was neverprivy.

It could also be argued thatto concede further revenuebase to the oil-bearing stateswould create all the problemswhich the reversal of the pre-1966 constitutionalarrangement was meant toachieve, which as claimed bysome writers was to preservethe corporate existence of thecountry in the face ofincreasing threat posed bymore oil revenue accruals tothe oil bearing states.Concerning this claim,nothing could be further fromthe truth. On my part, I wouldsubmit that quite simply, themilitary juntas foisted thisuntoward situation ofcentralized intergovernmentaltransfer, with strong emphasison equalization, all in a bid tohave a firm grip of the entirecountry, perhaps to stave offcentrifugal tendencies whichresulted from theirunwarranted intervention ingovernment.

The events of the civil warand thereafter furtherexacerbated these tendencies.In fact, former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo is onrecord to have unequivocallydeclared that the civil warfought because of oil mineralresources. However, I wish tostress that greater danger liesahead if we sustain thisjourney to nowhere. If thefederal government continuesto expropriate oil revenue andtake a larger chunk of theaccruals while at the sametime superintending over whatgoes to the subunits as itcurrently does under a policyof equalization, the patienceof the oil-bearing states wouldsooner than later boil over.

IV. The Solution StrategiesHaving regard to the

foregoing, we proffer thefollowing strategies forresolving the crisis at hand:

a. Reaffirmation of the fiscalfederalism agreements in thepre-1966 constitutional textsin order to restore the 50%derivation and 30%distributable pool revenueallocation formula inintergovernmental fiscaltransfer.

c. As a matter of urgency

and in accordance with thesubsidiarity principle, thefederal government shouldshed weight and leave thestates to act as laboratories ofdevelopment.

d. Institution of a system offederal grant-in-aid, ratherthan equalization inintergovernmental fiscalarrangements.

e. Constitutional review/Constitutional Conference toinstitute subsidiarityprinciple and fiscalfederalism.

f. More political will andrigorous articulation of thecrisis from Niger Deltaintelligentsia, politicians andtechnocrats.

g. Political alignment withgroups (including politicalparties) outside the NigerDelta with strong belief infiscal federalism /subsidiarity principle.

h. More crusade in supportof federalism in general.

i. More media visibility ofvoices of Niger Delta withless and less of tacit or opensupport for militancy but forintellectual engagement.

V. ConclusionIn this presentation, I have

focused on a number ofissues in my quest to proffera solution to the lingeringproblems of fiscal federalismand oil revenue control inNigeria. I have argued thatthe crisis was brought aboutduring the military era. Insum, I believe that theproblem of dependencycreated by the years ofimplementation ofequalization inintergovernmental fiscalrelation as well as the needto meet the enormouslegislative responsibilities ofthe federal government havecreated difficulty in reversingthe current system of fiscalfederalism to the agreedposition prior to 1966.I haveopined that by adopting theprinciple of subsidiarity informulating distribution ofpowers in Nigeria, the federalgovernment couldconsiderably shed weight andleave the states to act as thelaboratory of development asthey are in other establishedfederations. To meet thespecial needs of nationalaspirations, a system offederal grant-in-aid could beinstituted to support lessfinancially endowed states.This way, the inordinatequest for funds from oilrevenue, both horizontally bynon-oil bearing states, andvertically by the federalgovernment would become athing of the past.

And Control Of Oil Revenue In Nigeria

sidiarity Principle?Perspective

dern notion of it is traceabletwo sources, one academicthe writings of Johanneshusius (1603) and the other

clesiastical in the Romantholic Quardragesimo Annoblished by the papacy in31. About 30 years ago in86, the United Statestholic Bishops articulated anerview of the principlebmitting that the “Thisnciple states that in order tootect basic justice,vernment should undertakey those initiatives which

ceeds the capacities ofdividuals or groups actingdependently. Governmentould not replace or destroyaller communities andividual initiative. Rather, it

ould help them contributere effectively to social well-ng and supplement theirivity when the demands of

endorsement by their apexcourts. Thus, in these

countries, the subunits areregarded as the laboratory ofdevelopment whereexperimentation andinnovations take place. In theevent that these experiments orinnovations pay off in one partof the federation, the federalgovernment may, as especiallyhappens in the United Statesand Germany, spread thebenefits to willing statesthrough mandates backed bygrants-in-aid. Hence, it is saidthat the subsidiarity principleis not only a justification forlocal action but in appropriatesituations could be ajustification for national orcentral governmentintervention.

However, what we find inNigeria seems to be totallydifferent. There is no clear

Dr Edoba B Omoregie is anAssociate Professor of Law &Head of Dept of Private &Property Law, UNIBEN


Leadership WithBAMIDELE MICHAEL

08064496136

The Toughest Choices ALeader Must Make

WHEN you achieve a positionof leadership for the first time,things change in your dailyworld. Maybe you notice thesize of your paycheck is bigger,or maybe you notice subtlechanges in personalrelationships—with your peersespecially. Or maybe your officeis bigger, it’s better appointed,and even has a window. Perhapsyour self-esteem goes up anotch or two. With all that (andmore) you may also get somenagging worries as you feel theweight of responsibility settlingin on your shoulders and a senseof aloneness creeps in. Theseare all things you likely noticedduring your early days in thenew position. While there ismuch focus on developing thecompetencies to take on thisnew role, there is less said aboutsomething that is moreimportant to your initial andlong-term effectiveness. Theyare the three toughest dailychoices a leader must make.Unavoidable ChoicesThey are choices that you mustmake because you cannot avoidany of these. They are choicesyou will make one way or theother anyway, and perhaps noteven consciously. Yet, if thereare right and good choices tomake consciously, choices thatmake a difference, why notmake them from the start? Itcould make all the differencenot only in your life but evenmore so in the mission and inthe lives of those you serve.And, when you look back onyour career and your time as aleader, you will better be ableto do so without regret. As SorenKierkegaard has rightlyobserved, “You live your lifeforward and understand itbackward.”Looking BackwardsAn interesting commentary onjust that perspective is providedby Richard Leider1 who spentnearly 20 years interviewingolder adults—people over 65—asking them deep questionsabout life. One question heconsistently asked was this: “Ifyou could live your life overagain, what would you dodifferently?” Strikingly, threethemes were repeated over andover:• I would be more reflective,take time to think because lifepasses so quickly and I was toobusy doing to think adequately;• I would be more courageous,take more risks; I played it too

close to the vest; and finally,• I would be clear, far earlier, onwhat my purpose was in life.Your First Toughest Choice This latter point he makes isyour first choice—what is yourpurpose in life and how will itguide you each day? Do youhave a clear life missionstatement? To paraphrase the words ofJim Collins, if this nation is

going to be built to last, you willhave to preserve the core valuesand beliefs and the core purposeon which we were founded. Thatis your choice to make. Perhaps the most importantchoice you will make as a leaderis what will be your telos, yourenduring purpose—who andwhat will you follow—what willbe at your core; what will youplace before the people you leadas the purpose that gets them outof bed each morning. It is thetask of a leader to connectpeople with purpose. There is no better place to gofor perspective on this than the

place both Lincoln and MartinLuther King went for the corebeliefs that drove them to keepthe Republic intact and to reachthe dream that all people livetogether as created equals. It wasnot the Constitution thatenergized their calling, but theDeclaration of Independence.We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men werecreated equal. That they were

endowed by their creator withcertain inalienable rights.…. that in order to secure theserights governments wereinstituted among men derivingtheir just powers from theconsent of the governed. Our power and authority asleaders is not of self or ofposition. It is conferred by thosewe serve. Our mission is to secure therights to life, liberty and thepursuit of happiness by servingothers. This is often a choice thatcomes at a cost—to keep thatfocus true in the face of self-

interest and conflicting visionsof others.The Second Choice The second choice that youwill be making as leaders is howyou will use your most preciousresource: time. If you are clearon your purpose, it makes itmuch easier to begin to focus theway you use your time.Sometimes we focus so much oncompetencies in leaders we

forget that the daily reality onthe ground is one of timepriority. Look at your calendarif you want to know where yourpriorities lie in reality—maybeit’s meetings or e-mail or phonecalls. These are all things thateat our lunch if we let them. How we spend our timedirectly impacts on what weultimately accomplish withothers; how we spend our timedepends on what we use as ourpurpose for living. If I couldsomewhat shift the balance ofhow you spend your time, I’dsuggest two things:1. Focus on definingreality. What do I mean? MaxDe Pree says the first task of aleader is to define reality—whatis true. Speak the truth to power,speak the truth to those whowork for you, and be transparentabout yourself. Don’t leave it toothers to tell you that you arenaked. I have yet to work withan organization that does nothave what Annette Simmonscalls “dangerous truths” thatneed to be spoken. Sometimesit requires what Thomas Moredid for Henry VIII-speak the

truth to power. Sometimes itrequires what we all hate to do,give someone honest feedbackabout their performance. Andsometimes it means openingourselves to honest feedbackfrom our folks or saying “Iscrewed up.” But these“dangerous truths” requirecourage and they require that wedevote time to talking honestlyand openly to people andencouraging the same forourselves. Truth helps in drivingfear out of the organization bymaking it a safe place for truth

telling. It is one of the mostproductive uses of your time youwill ever experience. And it’shard.As Solzhenitsyn said, “Oneword of truth outweighs thewhole world.”

2. Focus on developing yourmost valuable assets. Max DePree goes on to say that if thefirst task is to define reality, “thelast is to say thank you and inbetween a leader becomes aservant and a debtor—themeasure of your effectiveness isfound in the lives of those thatfollow you—are they growing,adapting, being creative?” Thecoin of the realm in today’sorganizations is resolutelyhuman capital (an awkwardterm)—people—because theassets of an organization resideprimarily between the ears andin the hearts of those who are inthe organization. That’s whyserving those who are in yourorganization, focusing on theirdevelopment and their careers issuch a good choice. It not onlyhelps in building the real assetsof an organization, it is

transformative—it changespeople and organizationshelping them become places ofgrace (and truth). Andparticularly I would addgrowing the next generation ofleaders behind you—leaders ofcompetence and character.Some call that servantleadership and it’s a soft skillthat pays hard dividends. Butthat’s your choice.The Third Choice The third choice you make iswhere your energies take you atthe end of each day. Considerthis poem for a minute:OzymandiusBy Percy Bysshe ShelleyI met a traveler from an antiquelandWho said: Two vast andtrunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them,on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visagelies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer ofcold command,Tell that its sculptor well thosepassions read,Which yet survive, stamped onthese lifeless things,The hand that mocked them, andthe heart that fed,And on the pedestal these wordsappear:“My name is Ozymandias, Kingof Kings:Look upon my works, yeMighty, and despair!”Nothing beside remains. Roundthe decayOf that colossal wreck,boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretchfar away. Are we building monumentsto ourselves or are we buildingsomething into the purpose andpeople of the organization thatwill endure? It’s a good questionfor reflection at the end of theweek.ChoosingIn closing, what I’d like toencourage you to do in thesetimes of such difficulty for ourNation is to be open-eyed aboutthe choices before you asleaders. Don’t simply stumblealong letting your in-box or yourtoo-full calendar guide you.

Choose the humble purpose ofpublic service over pragmatismand personal gain.

Choose courageous truth overself-deception and fear.

Choose to serve others ratherthan to be served.

Grow the next generation ofservant leaders behind you.Build a great and safe place forpeople to work and find theirpurpose and calling. Leave yourlegacy in the lives of others.

It is in such a life that you willmeet a true servant leader downthe road one day and that leaderwill be you: grown much largerin the ways that matter—perhaps forever.

“Perhaps the most important choice you willmake as a leader is what will be your telos, yourenduring purpose—who and what will youfollow—what will be at your core; what will youplace before the people you lead as the purposethat gets them out of bed each morning. It is thetask of a leader to connect people with purpose.”


How To Prepare For One’sDeath (6)

Drumbeats WithApostle Dr.Raphael O.Ayemere

08035459593VISIT the Poor, those in

Prison, Hospital andthe Less Privilege ones

in your society Some of the things that

glorify God, gladden hisheart, enhance Ourproductivity and longevityon earth is our ability tocare for the poor. Visitthose in prisons andhospitals and help the lessprivileged ones in ourmidst.

A man or woman whowants to die peacefully,joyfully and gracefullyshould see this as aresponsibility and a debt heowes God and humanityand then should constantlyvisit the poor, those inprison and in the hospitalin order to care for them,encourage them,Strengthen their faith inGod and give them hopefor a better future that awaitthem.

Each time I visit thosein hospital, prisoners andhelp the poor there isalways an increase of Godsanointing in my life,increase of financialblessings, peace of mindand a high sense offulfillment in my heart.

To be candid with you,my exposure, blessing andfame came into my life asa result of my constantprayers for the sick ones inthe hospital.

As I write this book, Ihave a strong urge in myspirit and heart to spendthis Christmas with the sickpeople in the hospital andvisit those in prison in otherto care for them, encouragethem and pray for them.

You might be saying inyour heart right now that itis of no use visiting peoplein the hospital, the poor andthose in prison when youhave nothing to give them

Friends, the truth is thatthere is nobody on earthwho has nothing to givefrom that little you claim tohave. Even if you havenothing to give as youclaim, then give the poor,

those in hospital and prisonyour time, your prayer,encouragement and yourcare.

We owe it aresponsibility to alwaysencourage the poor, theweak Ones and sick ones inour Society.

Make God happy by yourconduct and attitude youdisplay daily, weekly oryearly. Show your love tothe orphans, poor, sick onesand those in prison.

ASK GOD TOREVEAL ANYUNCONFESSED

SIN IN YOUR HEARTAND ACT UPON IT

Friends, it’s of no usepretending to be righteousand holy in the sight of Godand man when you knowdeep down in your heartthat your ways are not rightwith God. If I may ask, isthere any thing you arehiding from your wife,children, your husband,your lawyer and yourpastor? You may hide thatsecret or sin from people.But you can’t hide it fromGod.

In other to diepeacefully and joyfully youmust form the habit ofalways asking God toreveal any unconfessed sinin your heart and life andact on it. You act on it byrenouncing and forsakingthem.

“What shall we say the?Shall we continue in sin,that grace may abound?

Know ye not, that somany of us as werebaptized in to his death?

Therefore we are buriedwith him my baptism intodeath: that like Christ wasraised up from the dead bythe glory of the father, evenso we also should walk innewness of life.

For if we have beenplanted together in thelikeness of his death, weshall be also in the likeness

of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our

old man is crucified withhim, that the body of sinmight be destroyed, thathenceforth we should notserve sin. “Romans 6vs l -6.

“If any be in Christlie is a new creature oldthings are passed away,behold all things becamenew.”

I urge you in the nameof the Lord to shun anyunconfessed sin in your lifeand be dead to self, shunany act of unrighteousness.

Failure to confess oursin and forsake them hasthe capacity to hinder ourblissful death and enslaveour life and destiny toSatan in eternity. Godforbids

Of what use living in

affluence, influence.Wealth and fame and laterfinds yourself in hell fire ineternity with Satan and hisagents?

As for me and myhousehold 1 want us tospend our eternity inheaven with Jesus Christ,Moses and with the entiresaint who died in Christ.

D I S S O C I A T EYOURSELF FROMBAD COMPANY

The company you keep toa great extent has thecapacity to alter yourdestiny negatively orpositively.

‘Someone says, thecompany you keep tells thekind of person you are, thefood you eat, the clothesyou wear, the kind ofbusiness you do, the wifeor husband you marry andthe places you go to in life.”

Another wise man saysevi1 communicationcorrupts good manners.” inother to die peacefully,joyfully and gracefullythen you must dissociateyourself from badcompany.

Majority of hiredassassins, armed robbersand kidnappers you see orhear daily terrorizing anddestroying and killing

people across the globewere once lured into the actowing to bad company andwrong associations.

Our parents, elderly men

and women in our societyand our teachers in tertiaryand higher institution warnus constantly to dissociateourselves from badcompany because of thebad effects and influencesuch company could causeto our lives.

“Enter not into thepath of the wicked, andgo not in, the way of evilmen.

Avoid it, pass not by it,turn from it, and passaway.

For they sleep not,except they have donemischief and their sleep istaken away, unless theycause some to fall.

For they eat the breadof wickedness, and drinkthe wine of violence.

But the path of thejust is as he shining light,that shineth more andmore unto the perfectday.

The way of the wickedis as darkness, they not atwhat they stumble.“Proverbs 4v14-19

The above passage of

the scripture tells you theeffect of bad company.

Friends, I say to youagain that bad companycan ruin your life andprevent you fromachieving your goals anddreams in life.

Bad company couldaccelerate the purchase ofyour ticket to hell fire andhinder you from spendingeternity with GodAlmighty in heaven.

If you love your familyand value your life, thenrun away from badcompany before theydestroy your life anddestiny.

Were it not for Godsmercy, family, warningsfrom people, beatings andlaw enforcement agency,bad company would haveruined my life and mygeneration.

“A man or woman who wants to die peacefully, joyfullyand gracefully should see this as a responsibility and adebt he owes God and humanity and then shouldconstantly visit the poor, those in prison and in thehospital in order to care for them, encourage them,Strengthen their faith in God and give them hope for abetter future that await them.”


OpinionNeed For PTA To Support

Oshiomhole’s TransformationBy EKPEN BAZUAYE

Gov Adams Oshiomhole

Why ‘Immunity Clause’ ShouldBe Removed

By OZUNGWE T. GODWIN

David Mark, Senate President

THE present administrationin Edo State led by comradeAdams Oshiomhole hasredefined the act ofgovernance in the statethrough its massivetransformation agenda. This breath –takingtransformation agenda of thecomrade governor is beingfelt in every nook and carannyof Edo state, especially in theareas of road construction/rehabilitation, health caredelivery, water supply, youthempowerment and prudentmanagement of human andmaterial resources. For instance, when comradeOshiomhole came on board inlate 2008, most of the primaryand secondary schools in thestate were in shamble. Many parents and guardiansat that time, preferred to sendtheir wards to private schoolsdue to the pathetic state ofpublic schools across thestate. But story has changed to theadmiration of all. Most parents now prefer

public schools due to theastonishing infrastructuresturn-around, coupled withrejuvenated manpower. Under the first and secondphases of total schooltransformation programme,the state government hasconstructed and renovatedclassrooms, assemble halls,staff rooms, administrativeblocks, toilet and otherfacilities. This laudible effort of thestate government is to enableenvironment, among others. It is however important tostate at this point that the taskof taking the education sectorof Edo state to the promisedland, particularly as it affectspublic primary and secondaryschools, should not be left inthe hands of governmentalone. For example, in the area ofsports, Parent-TeacherAssociation (PTA) in thevarious public primary andsecondary schools can dosomething with a view to

promoting sports activities. In other words, parent-teacher associations in these

schools should genuinelycome together and provide

sports facilities, especially inthe areas of football,basketball, athletics, volleyball, table/ lawn tennis etc. In the western world, whichalso applies to us, there is awidely held belief that aproportion of delinquencyamong students stem frommisuse of leisure time. The point is that if pupils/students are engaged insporting activities duringleisure, it could reducecriminal tendencies amongprimary and secondary schoolstudents, hence parent –teacher associations in variouspublic schools should supportEdo state government byproviding sports facilities thatwill keep their wards busyduring leisure. In the past, Game masters

I begin to think of makingpreposition to Governmentto get rid of ‘immunityclause’ on the political sceneImmunity clause may behaving a dynamic rationalebehind which it wasconstitutinalized. Perhaps, toguide against redundantpetitions and distractions ofsome eminent public officeholders such as Presidentsand Governors. But it isevident in the recent time, theessence of which immunityclause was determined hasbeen altered by insensitiveand egocentric politicians. Ifthe word ‘immunity clause’can be detached from theEnglish Languagedictionary, may becorruption would have beenconsiderably minimized andif not totally eradicated. Youmay harmonize with me thatimmunity clause has aidedcorruption extremely in thispart of the country. It isagainst this background thathowever, I am stronglydriven by my impulse towrite exclusively on thesubject, and bring theattention of Government tothis precarious andheartbreaking situation. Butif you can keep your headwhen the predicament, thepublic is losing their sleep,then, it seems you probably

don’t comprehend theproblem. Bureaucracy hasdefended the status quo of theimmunity clause long afterthe quo has lost its status,misused, and mismanaged byconceited politicians. It is on this note that, theconstitution should beamended to remove theimmunity clause within themargins of Nigeria’sgeological entity and politics.Immunity clause has beenmisrepresented to accruedprosperity and createssupremacy to politicians. Theconcept has raised a publicexcruciation. Today,democracy is the recurrentsuspicion that more than halfthe people are right more thanhalf the time. I think thetrouble with the country isthat, it is all signposts and nodestination because of thedeplorable position of corruptpractices which has dentedthe image of this country. We should know that,politics is an art of drawingsufficient conclusion fromsufficient premises.Immunity clause should berestricted only to diplomatsin Diasporas, because theyare serving in foreign lands.

If sincerely we are to fight allvices of corruption,immunity clause should beremoved. Other countriesmay be corrupt, but Nigeria’scase is so upsetting andruthless that, Nigeria hasbeen ranked one of the mostcorruptible countries in theworld today. How does thatmake you feel as a Nigerian?Lets us be upright and bevertical in the course ofservices to the nation.Anyone found wanting ofcorruption should be made toface the law immediatelywithout any further delays.

No one should be givenanyone the option to stealmore and more until heleaves the office.It is in this country thatcorruption is encouraged soto speak, a country wherepeople steal billions andwould be asked to pay fineof a token and be free. Today,such people are flauntingtheir stolen wealth in thesociety. Even if some of themare sent to the prison, theymay just serve a small jailterm under house arrest, forfew months and be free.Whereas, people are inprisons today for stealing twothousand naira or even less.Any other thing can wait;politicians want to win

election by all means,because it is in politics thatyou make quick money.Every successful revolutionputs on in time robes tyrantsof their immoral inspirationor impetus. Revolution is thesolution to pollution.Reforms are less to bedreaded than revolutions, forthey causes less reactions. Imay not be a partisanpolitician,I may not know alot about politics you maysay, but I am sure to say that,I can recognize a good andhonest politician when I seeone. It is in politics that yourfamily history can be traced.Man is born perfect; it is thequest for politics and powerthat corrupts him extremely.If the immunity clauseformation protects presidentfor example, and thelegislatures by the virtue ofthe two third majorities havethe pivotal power to removehim from the office, then,that is to say that, immunityclause is less to the powersof the legislatures. When thenews of death penalty forcorruption hits the air wavesand made headlines in thenews papers, I was highlydelighted, and overwhelmed,I said to myself, Nigeria hasfounded the prescription toput an end to the saga ofcorruption in the country. Butlittle or less I am feeling theimpact of the implementation

of death penalty or, was itever implemented? When themoney for police pensionwas embezzled amounting tobillions of naira, I said thisman would be use to serve asdeterrent. But to my almostsurprise he was not. He wasreleased on bay, and evenasked to pay a fine of sevenhundred and fifty thousandnaira to be free. I don’t wantto see Nigeria’s politicalsystem or judicial law courtsas casinos and not cathedrals.Let’s call a spade a spade andnot as agricultural farm tool,the constitution does notprovide exceptions foranyone to be above the law.In china, corruption isdrastically minimized as aresult of the death sentenceconveyed with it. A countrywith out an effective law cannever achieve result in asituation like this. If we mustovercome corruption in thiscountry, we must worktogether to our desired goal.by working together, weshould adopt the chineseconstitutional law of deathpenalty or, sentence if youlike, and the law should beeffective. Immunity clause isproperly manage in othercountries like, Ghana, SouthAfrica, Liberia and others.And this is an issue thatGovernment should not overlook, if the people are to beled the desired direction theywould want to go.

played prominent roles inschools by promoting sports,ranging from athletics tofootball. But, from the look of things,it appears the activities ofgame masters have wanedover the years, hence parent-teacher associations shouldcome to the rescue bycontributing their quotatowards the reawakening ofsports activities in publicschools across the state. Apart from keeping pupils/students busy outside theiracademic work, therebyreducing the possibility ofbeing involved in cultism,rape, robbery, among others,talents will also be discovered(catching them young), and inthe process some of themcould become great sportsmen and women.


IssuesEducationCauses Of Examination

MalpracticeBy ISAAC IKHINAEDE

Prof Ruqayyatu Rufai, Minister for Education

EXAMINATIONmalpractice is one of theills plaguing oureducational system. It isa situation whereby acandidate wants to get aqualification orcertificate without reallyworking hard for it. The question now iswhat are the causes ofe x a m i n a t i o nmalpractices? One causeof examinationmalpractice is theemphasis place on paperqualifications in thiscountry. This has led toincrease in the forgeryand buying ofcertificates. We,therefore, have lots ofindividuals, in schools,industries, ministries andother place that cannotdefend their certificates.Many Nigerians havechains of certificates butthey cannot really showthat they earn suchcertificates. This is whypositive thinking say:“Do not say I wasbrilliant at school butshow it now” There was the story ofan expatriate whowanted a job as aforeman in a companyin Nigeria. When hecould not be appointedbecause he had nocertificate to produceeven though he hadbeen a foreman ofmany years experiencein a big company in hiscountry, he went backhome Three monthslater he came back witha certificate showingthat he has B.Sccertificate and he wasappointed immediatelyas an engineer in a

g o v e r n m e n testablishmentAlhaji Saisu buhari, aone-time speaker of theHouse ofRepresentatives wasfound to have a forgedcertificate of TORONTOU N I V E R S I T Y ,CANADA. for this hewas shown the way outof the house. From the above, youcan see placing muchemphasis on paperqualification ismisleading; we shouldtherefore desist from it. Another factor, whichhas contributed toe x a m i n a t i o nmalpractice, is the rushto acquire wealth. Thisrush has been encourageby the attitude of thesociety which does notcare how you acquireyour wealth Once youacquire wealth, whetherby hook or crook, thesociety regards you as asuccessful person. Youare lavished with honourin any gathering and atfund-raising ceremonies.You are given red-carpettreatment because youbelong to a class ofpeople who can donatemillions of naira. Auniversity professorwithin the limits of hisincome may not beinvited to such afunction. If at all he isinvited, he is given aback seat just because hecannot donate a fabulousamount of money. As aresult of this type ofattitude, there is lowpublic morality in thesociety. It is the type thatthose who acquirewealth or success by

corruption practices.Majority of students,therefore, see nothingwrong in passing theirexamination throughcheating and dishonestpractices. After all, otherlive in affluence onaccount of the wealththey acquired through

cheating and otherdishonest practices.Infact, people makemoney fromq u a l i f i c a t i o n s ,smuggling, hoarding ofscarce commodities,forgery, impersonation,bribery and corruption,stealing, armed robbery,diversion of public fundsand equipment to privateuse, to make name a fewof the thousand and oneways in which Nigeriansbecome wealthy orsuccessful.

Furthermore, the highcost of education isanother cause ofexamination malpracticein Nigeria. The money

involved in enrolmentfor examination as adoor-die affair. This isbecause he may not beable to get this fabulousamounts of money toenroll for theexamination if he missesthe opportunity ofpassing it at a firstattempt. This accountsfor why such darlingstudents bring dangerousweapons such as knives,daggers, cutlasses etc tothe examination hails.Besides, the high level of

indiscipline andcorruption in Nigeria isanother cause ofe x a m i n a t i o nmalpractice. The lawenforcement agents areallegedly. Atexamination centersinstead of preventinge x a m i n a t i o nmalpractices they collectmoney from the studentsand close their eyes toany malpractices in theexanimation hail. Theinvigilators andsupervisors are also inthe same categories.Most of them alwaysbought over by theprincipal or the students.On the other hand,school proprietors orschool heads promotee x a m i n a t i o nmalpractices. It is thephilosophy of privateschool proprietors orpublic school principals. The private schoolproprietor sees theperformances of hisstudents during the finalexaminations as a yardstick for getting morestudents, increasing thepopulation of the schooland earning more moneyfor the school. As a resultof this he engages ine x a m i n a t i o nmalpractices of thehighest order. The public school, onthe other hand, also seesperformance in the finalexamination in school ascriteria to raising theirstudent’s population andin gaining promotion.Sometimes thegovernment for instanceuses the percentage passin the final examinationin promoting the schoolheads. This is howexamination malpracticeis encouraged in publicschools today.

More so, overenrolment of externalcandidates by principalinto their schools forexamination is anotherfactor. Many of theseexternal candidates aredropouts from theirformer schools whosecharacter cannot beascertained by theunsuspecting principalsof such schools. Andbecause of greed and thequest for quick money byschool heads, exorbitantfees are collected fromthem regardless of theirpast conduct ofperformance asexamination cheats. As aresult, these studentsonly come to theexamination hall to cheatto the chagrin of honestcandidates who havespent their timepreparing for suchexamination. Immoral relationshipin schools is againanother cause ofe x a m i n a t i o nmalpractices. It makesthe teacher to write oremploys someone towrite examination for hisgirl friend an eventpronounced in secondaryand higher institutions. Conclusively, incombating Examinationmalpractice in Edo Statethe commissioner ofBasic Education HonPatrick Aguinede, andhis higher Education,counterpart, Barr. Osifoand all Directors in thevarious ministry ofEducation, the principalEducationists, principalsof senior & JuniorSecondary school shouldcollectively cometogether to form aformidable pillar to fightthe examinationmalpractices that isalmost a contagiousdisease that alwayswants to tear apart thestandard of Education inEdo state in particularand Nigeria in general.

“Many of these external candidates are dropouts from their former schoolswhose character cannot be ascertained by the unsuspecting principals ofsuch schools. And because of greed and the quest for quick money byschool heads, exorbitant fees are collected from them regardless of theirpast conduct of performance as examination cheats. As a result, thesestudents only come to the examination hall to cheat to the chagrin of honestcandidates who have spent their time preparing for such examination.”


IssuesAddressing Poor Telecommunication

Services In Nigeria By EMMANUEL EGOBIAMBU

IT was a cold day, asthe heavens had openedits mouth earlier. Thecoldness of the day, notwithstanding, wasbasking in the eupaoriaof her newly –purchasedphone. She had wontedto call her elder sister toknow how the plans forthe wedding (herwedding), was going. However, the situationturned into an annoyingone. What could that be?As she picked up herphone and dialed hersister’s number, shockwas written all over herface as the voice from thenetwork operator said‘Your account balance isnot sufficient for the call.Please, recharge youraccount and try againlater!” What surprisedher most was the fact thatshe had just finishedrecharging her phone.

Again, she dialed thenumber. The responsethat came was: “Thenumber you are calling isnot reachable at themoment, please try againlater”. To cap it all, the“network” on her phone,went out making itimpossible to reachanyone. She was cut-offfrom the world.

Similarly, a story wastold of a customer of oneof the big G.S.M serviceoperators in the countrywho had N1,500deducted from hisaccount balance. This,the G.S.M company, saidwas due to a service thecustomer entered into.According to the student,he had opted out of theservice a long while ago

but was shocked to themarrow when hechecked his balance anddiscovered it was on thered side (showing red).He called the serviceprovider, but they toldhim that there wasnothing can be done tochange the story. Thesescenanos above, havebecome part of the dailyroutine for most G.SMsubscribers in Nigeriasince its advent of in2001. Although, onecannot wish away thepositives that the comingof moble telephony hasbrought to the country, itis also pertiment to notethat the service renderedby G.SM serviceproviders, have beenridden with problems.

According to theN i g e r i a nC o m m u n i c a t i o n sCommission, thenumber of connectedlines as at January 2013is 154, 562, 024. Thisgrowing number ofsubscribers, have equallymade the quality ofservice provided byservice to remain poor

The poor qualityservice provided in then a t i o n ’ st e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o nsector, comes in variedshades and in patterns.According to reports,instances abound wherea customer who is tryingto call someone isdisappointed when thephone keeps saying:

“error, in connection” or“unable to connect”. Atother time, the customersare left to their fate withlost network.Connectivity” lost insome areas for days and

weeks. Again, there is the

issue of unsolicitedmessages and deduction. As if these textsmessages are signs ofimproved services,network providersbombard subscriberswith flirt of messages.These texts are mostlypromotional in nature.

It is either you arecalled to subscribe to aservice or to get one tipor the other. That does

not end it. If by mistake,the customer gets intoany of their tips/smsservices, be sure that suchperson is going to passthrough hell before thedeductions his account

are halted. However, experts

have identified variousfactors as propellants ofthe poor qualitytelecommunication in thecountry. According toCorporate ServiceExecutive, MTN, WaleGoodluck, “the sameinfrastructure challengesthat have bedeviled thepower industry alsoaffect thete lecommunicat ionsindustry.” He explained

that the infrastructure inthe sector cannot exist invacuum as there has tobe equal growth in othersectors.

Similarly, there is thenagging problem of

epileptic power supply.In a memorandumpresented by theAssociation ofTelecommunicationscompanies of Nigeria(ATON) to the senatecommittee onCommunication, thecost of installing a basestation and specialantennas with N24, 750,000. To The ManagingDirector, EricssonNigeria, Kamar Abass,the unstable powersupply experienced inNigeria, is not so in mostparts of the globe.

Furthermore,ALTON Chairman,Gbenga Adebayo notedthat insecurity oftelecoms facilities, isalso fuelling theperennial poor nature of

G.S.M services. Lastyear, nor less than 30base stations weredamaged throughbombing. Most of thesestations, are yet to berebuilt thereby leading to

low quality service.Reports also suggest thattelecommunication firmsrecord not less than 70cases of vandalism ofinfrastructure everymonth.

With a population ofabout 160 million andabout $5. 750 billioninvested into the sector,it is hoped that theperennial low-qualityservice will fizzle outsoon. Although, the NCCslammed N1. 17 billionon MTN, Airtel, Etisalatand Globacom for poorservices in 2012, there isneed for more stringentmeasures to curtail theunsatisfactory nature ofservices been rolled outby the telecommoperators. Subscribersdeserve better service.

“With a population of about 160 million and about $5. 750 billion investedinto the sector, it is hoped that the perennial low-quality service will fizzle outsoon. Although, the NCC slammed N1. 17 billion on MTN, Airtel, Etisalatand Globacom for poor services in 2012, there is need for more stringentmeasures to curtail the unsatisfactory nature of services been rolled out bythe telecomm operators. Subscribers deserve better service.”


Culture Osun Osogbo Festival: Another SeasonOf Reunion, Celebration

By YEMI IDRIS-ADULOJUTO most of thedevotees of Osungoddess – a Yoruba riverdeity – the Osun OsogboFestival is an annualevent that brings togetherpeople from far and wide,irrespective of theirsocio-cultural andreligious background, fora cultural reunion.

Celebrated everyAugust in Osogbo, thecapital of Osun State, thefiesta presents anopportunity for theindigenes of Osogbo,their friends and well-wishers as well as fun-loving tourists toconverge on the town forthe yearly celebration.

In spite of theirdifferent religiousbackgrounds, the peopleoften intermingle withthe worshipers of Osundeity in performing theceremonial rites,although thedevelopment has oftenelicited the resentment ofthe adherents of otherreligions, particularlyIslam and Christianity.

Such dissentsnotwithstanding, tourismexperts insist that thefestival remains averitable touristattraction, which couldalso be used to expandNigeria’s revenue baseand launder its image.

The experts note thatthe festival has gained aglobal recognition tosuch an extent that theOsun Grove was enlistedas a world heritage site inDurban, South Africa, on

July 15, 2005.They also commend

the efforts of an Austrianpriestess of Osun deity,the late Susanne Wenger,to popularise the festivaland enrich its appeal.

It is, therefore, notuncommon to seedifferent people fromdifferent countriesacross the world at theOsun Osogbo festival, asthe carnival has grown tobecome an internationalcultural carnival.

Speaking on thefestival, Mr BoyehAbodunrin, theSecretary of the BudgetI m p l e m e n t a t i o nCommittee of the 2012edition of the festival,noted that some peoplehad some erroneousperceptions of the OsunOsogbo celebration.

“Contrary to someviews in certain quarters,Osun Osogbo is notidolatry; the sustenanceof the festival up to thepresent time is a matterof history and the peopleof Osogbo cannot affordto lose their heritage tocivilisation just like that.

“One cannot, becauseof new developments,abandon what is good inhis or her own cultureand embracecivilisation, even whenthe festival could berealigned withmodernism,’’ he said.

Abodunrin said thatdue to Osun Osogbo,August had become aunique month among thecitizens of the state,

particularly the indigenesof Osogbo.

He expatiated thatAugust had been set asidefor the celebration and the

traditional cleansing ofOsogbo, as well as thecultural re-union of thepeople with theirancestors.

Sharing similarsentiments, a devotee, MrsBosede Taiwo, argued thatit was somewhat improperto think that Osun-Osogbowas idolatry.

“Osun goddess wascreated by God to helpadvance the cause ofhumanity; this is why the

goddess is known forgiving babies to barrenwomen and healing thosewho are afflicted byvarious diseases.

“In essence, the goddessis known for peace, loveand progress, which arethe virtues associatedwith God and the dreamsof a progressive society,”she said.

Besides, Taiwo said thatthe Osun deity was notassociated with any formof blood shedding,adding that there hadbeen no reports of anywrongdoing during thecelebration of Osun

Osogbo festival.Another devotee, Mrs

Mulikat Rasheed, saidthat people would alwaysidentify with the festivalsince many people hadbeen cured of their

various ailments via theOsun deity’s intervention.

“We have the belief thatGod is using Osungoddess to do good thingsand those who benefitfrom her benevolence atthe shrine usually havestrong faith, which is alsoa requirement for anyonewho wants favour fromGod.

“So, if people derivepleasure from celebratingOsun Osogbo for thepeace, love and progressthe goddess gives them;then, the festival is worthcelebrating,’’ saidRasheed, who is also theleader of all theprincesses in Ataoja’spalace

Commenting on thisyear ’s Osun Osogbofestival, Mr Sikiru

Ayedun, Osun State’sCommissioner for HomeAffairs, Culture andTourism, said that thefiesta, which would holdin August, would attracttourists and potentialinvestors to the state.

He reiterated that thefestival was expected toattract tourists, investorsand others who wereinterested in experiencingthe rich arts and cultureof the people of the state.

“There will be series ofside-attractions duringthe festival, and thetourists and visitors willbe entertained andexposed to the richcultural heritage of ourpeople,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, AlhajiAbdulRasaq Adejare, theAare Alasa of Osogbo hasannounced Aug. 23 as thedate for this year’s OsunOsogbo celebration.

The celebration, whichentails the worship of theOsun goddess, is usuallyaccompanied by somekind of thanksgiving andcommemoration of theancestors.

The festival, whichcustomarily begins withthe clearing of traditionalpaths to the Osun Grove,usually reaches acrescendo with thedeparture of the votarymaid — Arugba-Osun –from the shrine with acalabash, which containssome antiquities toworship the deity.

The votary maid withthe calabash goes forroyal blessing from theAtaoja of Osogbo, thetraditional ruler, and laterleads the procession tothe shrine at the grove.

The votary maid, avirgin picked from thefamily of the incumbenttraditional ruler, must,however, not stumblewhile going or comingfrom the grove.

All the same, analystsurge the government andthe organisers of OsunOsogbo Festival to makeconcerted efforts tojustify the highinternational rating of thefestival.

“Contrary to some views in certain quarters, OsunOsogbo is not idolatry; the sustenance of thefestival up to the present time is a matter of historyand the people of Osogbo cannot afford to losetheir heritage to civilisation just like that.”


International Compiled byFAITH OKHUELEIGBE

Asian Stocks Mixed After JapanElection

PopePrays For

WorldYouth Day

Pressure On Portugal Eases After CrisisDefused

Radical Myanmar Buddhist Monk Unhurt In Bomb Blast

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (centre) is seen between photographers as he posesfor a photograph

Portugal’s President Anibal Cavaco Silva addresses the country from the Belempresidential palace in Lisbon

LISBON, PORTUGAL -Portuguese stocks rose Mondayand the country’s borrowingcosts fell after a governing crisiswas defused by a decision toallow the fragile coalition toremain in charge, eliminating fornow the prospect of snapelections.

Shares on Lisbon’s PSI 20exchange were up 1.7 percent inafternoon trading while theinterest rate on the benchmark10-year bond fell 0.36percentage points to 6.37percent.

Investors got a boost ofconfidence after President AnibalCavaco Silva late Sunday saidthe best option for Portugal is forthe coalition to stay in power. Itnearly fractured on July 2 whenForeign Minister Paulo Portasoffered his resignation. PrimeMinister Pedro Passos Coelhosought to save the coalition byoffering Portas a position as hisdeputy.

Cavaco Silva did not saywhether he would accept Portas’nomination to the new post. Buthis decision to give the coalitionanother chance put on thebackburner the possibility ofholding early elections amidbroad public discontent over

harsh austerity measures thegovernment has pushed throughto abide by the terms of its 78billion euros ($102 billion)international bailout.

Analysts were divided onwhether the government willsurvive until elections scheduledfor 2015.

“A cabinet reshuffle as waspreviously expected beforeCavaco Silva’s interventionremains likely in the near future;while imminent elections arenow doubtful, this government isunlikely to last until 2015,” saidRahman Mujtaba, of the EurasiaGroup political risk consultancy,in a note to clients.

The two main parties that makeup the coalition have been at oddsover austerity and will have adifficult time implementingpainful economic policies thatare expected to make life evenmore difficult for Portugal’scitizens. A proposal outliningreforms that must beimplemented over the next twoyears will probably submitted toParliament sometime after thesummer, Mujtaba said.

“Both parties are expected tostagger on trying to implementthe bailout agreement as thePortuguese president decides onwhat steps to take next,” saidMichael Hewson, an analyst for

London-based CMC MarketsUK. “This failure to adoptconsensus is becoming all toofamiliar in the politics of southernEurope.”

Hewson said investors remain

YANGON- A bomb explodedmeters away from a radicalBuddhist monk as he delivered amass sermon in Myanmar, policesaid on Monday, the latest flare-up in tensions pitting Buddhistsagainst minority Muslims.

Wirathu, the prominent monkwho heads a movement accusedof stirring violence againstMuslims, said he believed theblast on Sunday evening inMyanmar’s second city,Mandalay, was intended tosilence him.

The home-made bomb went offinside a parked car, according topolice and witnesses. There wasno immediate claim ofresponsibility.

Tensions have been smolderingbetween radical elements ofMyanmar’s Buddhist majorityand Muslims. Bouts of religiousviolence have killed at least 237people and displaced 150,000 inthe past year, testing the resolveof a two-year-old quasi-civiliangovernment.

BEIJING - Chinese stocks fellbut other Asian markets edged upMonday after Japan’s ruling partywon a majority in parliament’supper house and a mandate topush ahead economic reforms.

Oil stayed above $108 a barrelamid signs of an improving U.S.economy.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was littlechanged at 14,587.26 followingSunday’s election. The outcome— a victory for Prime MinisterShinzo Abe, whose “Abenomics”program aimed at sparking aneconomic revival — was widelyexpected and already had beenfactored into trading strategies.

“The results of Sunday’s UpperHouse elections are probably thebest outcome for the equitymarkets, especially if, as seemslikely, the yen resumes its gradualdecline,” said Marcel Thieliant ofCapital Economics in a report.

Markets in Singapore, Seoul,Taipei and Sydney rose in lighttrading.

China was the region’sexception, with its benchmarkShanghai Composite Index off0.6 percent at 1,981.34 aftersentiment was dampened by lastweek’s data showing economicgrowth slowed for a secondquarter.

There was little impact fromBeijing’s lifting Friday ofcontrols on interest banks cancharge on loans.

The move, one element of long-promised financial reforms, couldlead to lower rates for healthyborrowers and might help toboost growth. But analysts say the

VATICAN CITY - PopeFrancis has thankedpilgrims in St. Peter ’sSquare for their goodwishes for his impendingjourney to Brazil forWorld Youth Day.

The pope departed fromhis prepared text duringthe traditional SundayAngelus blessing to pointto a large banner with“Buon Viaggio,” or “GoodTrip,” written across it.

“I ask you to join mespiritually through prayeron the journey I will bebegin tomorrow,” Francissaid.

More than a millionyoung Catholics areexpected to celebrate theirnew pope during WorldYouth Day in Rio.

The 76-year-oldArgentine became thechurch’s first pontiff fromthe Americas in March,and the trip to Brazil is hisfirst international journeysince becoming pope.

immediate impact will be limitedbecause a cap on interest paid ondeposits remains in place,suppressing returns to savers anddepressing consumer spending.

“Rate liberalization alone willnot be able to address all theproblems that China facestoday,” said Credit Suisseeconomists Dong Tao andWeishen Deng in a report. “Thecore issue today is that privateinvestment interest weakenedsignificantly.”

Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s HangSeng fell 0.1 percent to21,309.71 and Taiwan’s Taiexadded 0.8 percent to 8,125.16.Sydney’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7percent to 5,008.7. Benchmarksin Manila and New Zealand alsorose.

On Friday, U.S. stock priceswere hurt by a slump intechnology issues includingMicrosoft, Hewlett-Packard andIBM. The Standard & Poor’s 500gained 0.2 percent while the DowJones Industrial average wasalmost unchanged.

Japan’s stagnant economy isshowing signs of perking up,helped by the aggressivemonetary and fiscal stimulus thatAbe has implemented since hetook office in late December.Stocks have surged, businessconfidence is improving and theweaker yen has eased pressure onexporters.

Long-term growth requireschanges to boost competitivenessand cope with Japan’s rapidlygraying population and soaringnational debt.

Abe faces a decision this fallon whether to follow through onraising the sales tax next Aprilfrom 5 percent to 8 percent, amove needed to shore up Japan’spublic finances, but one thatmany worry will derail the

recovery.By contrast, China’s slowdown

is deepening, prompting someanalysts to say Beijing might needto launch a new stimulus toprevent a plunge in growth.

Economic growth fell to a two-decade low of 7.5 percent in thethree months ending in June from7.7 percent the previous quarter.Retail sales and investmentgrowth also weakened, whilesurveys showed Junemanufacturing activitycontracted.

New communist leaders whoare in their first year in power aretrying to shift the basis of China’sgrowth from exports andinvestment to more self-sustaining domesticconsumption. They say slowergrowth is acceptable but someanalysts warn an acceleratingdownturn might force them totemporarily reverse course andstep up government spending.

In currency markets, the dollardeclined to 99.91 yen from theprevious trading session’s 100.6yen. The euro rose to $1.3155from $1.3141.

Benchmark crude gained 34cents to $108.21 a barrel inelectronic trading on the NewYork Mercantile Exchange.

concerned that Portugal may notbe able issue new debt next year.The country could be forced toseek another bailout if it is unableto comply with a plan for it to exitits current rescue program in2014.

The device exploded during aceremony conducted by Wirathu,who once called himself “theBurmese bin Laden”. He is thechief proponent of a movementknown as 969, which reformistPresident Thein Sein’s office hasdescribed as a “symbol of peace”.

Wirathu was unharmed, despitebeing 40 feet from the blast,according to police. Five peoplewere slightly injured, includinga novice monk.

Sources close to Wirathu couldnot be immediately reached forcomment. However, the monktold Radio Free Asia’s Burmeseservice that he had previouslyreceived a sound recordingcontaining a threat to his life,which he believed was the voiceof a Muslim cleric.

The bomb, he said, wasintended to silence him.

“I’ve no idea who exactlycarried out this explosion. But itmust have been done by those

who usually carry out terroristacts,” he told Radio Free Asia.

“The motive could be to shutmy mouth.”

ile picture shows Buddhistmonk Wirathu speaking during…

Buddhist monk Wirathuspeaks to his fellow monksduring a monks assembly at amonastery in Hmawbi to …

Reuters investigations in twoof the hotspots of unrest -Rakhine state and the central cityof Meikhtila - have revealed theviolence was on both occasionsfanned by monks who ledBuddhist mobs.

“We can say it was a smallhand-made bomb that caused theexplosion. We are not in aposition to reveal any moreinformation at the moment sinceinvestigation is ongoing,” aMandalay police officer toldReuters by telephone, requestinganonymity because he was notauthorized to speak to the media.


International Compiled byFAITH OKHUELEIGBE

Japan’s Ruling Bloc Wins Upper HouseElection

Abbas Aide: Path To Mideast Talk Still Blocked

Togo Family Dynasty May BeTested In Polls

Afghan Parliament Dismisses InterimMinister Over Worsening Security

Japan’s Prime Minister and the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP),Shinzo Abe

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel meets with Afghanistan’s Interior Minister GhulamMujtaba Patang

KABUL - Afghanistan’sparliament voted on Monday todismiss one of the country’s chiefsecurity ministers, impeachingthe interior minister in a potentialblow to stability as NATO-ledinternational forces speed up theirwithdrawal.

The fractious parliament saidGhulam Mujtaba Patang, as headof a 157,000-strong police force,had presided over worseningsecurity, including along a majorhighway running from the capitalKabul to Kandahar that is acrucial economic lifeline targetedby Taliban insurgents.

“Afghanistan’s interiorminister, with 136 votes against

JERUSALEM - The path toformal negotiations with Israelis still blocked despite a U.S.suggestion that the sides areclose to returning to the table, asenior Palestinian official saidin another sign of skepticismthat peace talks will resume.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, aspokesman for PalestinianPresident Mahmoud Abbas,said in a statement late Sundaythat for actual peace talks toresume, Israel must first acceptits pre-1967 war frontier as a

baseline and halt settlementbuilding, demands Israel’sleader has rejected in the past.The Palestinians seek a state inthe lands Israel captured in1967.

He said that Abbas agreed tosend a delegate to Washingtonto continue lower-levelpreliminary talks with an Israelicounterpart about the terms fornegotiations. The Washingtontalks are meant to “overcomethe obstacles that still stand inthe way of launching

LOME, TOGO - PierreWarga is among the majority ofTogo’s 6 million citizens whohave spent their entire lives ruledby the Gnassingbe family.

Eyadema Gnassingbe was inpower for 38 years before dyingof a heart attack in 2005. His sonFaure Gnassingbe was theninstalled by the military beforewinning a highly flawed andviolent election later that year,and a re-election in 2010.

The small West Africancountry goes to the pollsThursday for legislative electionsthat will test whether recent signsof discontent might legitimatelythreaten Gnassingbe’s hold onpower. Some experts say theremay be, for the first time,vulnerabilities in a country thathas seen an increasingly daringpublic outcry against entrenchedpoverty, high youthunemployment and controversialcrackdowns by the securityforces.

“The regime is still strong butthe president is not as strong ashis father,” said Lydie Boka, aTogo expert and manager of theFrance-based risk analysis firmStrategico. “The population isyounger, they are interested ininformation technology and theyare following what’s going on inthe world. It’s going to be harderfor the regime to win outright.”

Development has lagged underGnassingbe. Despite newcampaign promises for bettereducation and more jobs, theliteracy rate remains stubbornlylow at 57 percent, according tothis year’s United NationsHuman Development Report.The African Development Bankhas voiced concern about youthunemployment andunderemployment, which it saystogether affect nearly 30 percentof Togo’s young workers.

“How can I have anyconfidence when the governmentmakes these promises?” asked

TOKYO - Japanese PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe’s rulingcoalition won a solid majority inthe upper house of parliament inelections, gaining control of bothchambers and a mandate to pressahead with difficult economicreforms.

The win is an endorsement ofthe Liberal Democratic Party’s“Abenomics” program, whichhas helped spark a tentativeeconomic recovery in Japan. It’salso a vindication for Abe, wholost upper house elections in 2007during his previous stint as primeminister.

“We’ve won the public’ssupport for decisive and stablepolitics so that we can pursue oureconomic policies, and we willmake sure to live up to theexpectations,” Abe told publicbroadcaster NHK late Sundayafter he was projected to winbased on exit polls and earlyresults. Official results wereexpected sometime Monday.

Warga, a 27-year-oldcommunications student. “Theyhaven’t been able to accomplishthese things for the last 40 years.”

In this year’s U.N.Development Program survey of“life satisfaction” in 159countries worldwide, Togoplaced dead last.

Togo’s citizens are increasinglyacting on their frustrations. InDecember 2011, students in thenorthern city of Kara stagedmassive demonstrations over adecision to cut financialassistance. The protests grewmore violent after themovement’s leader was arrested,prompting the police to respondwith beatings and tear gas.

The Open Society Institute forWest Africa, in an analysispublished last year, called theincident a “landmark” eventbecause it occurred outside thecontext of elections and becauseit was in the north, an area thathas traditionally been a bastionof support for the Gnassingbes,who hail from there.

More demonstrations eruptedlast year over controversialchanges to the country’s electionlaw ahead of the legislative vote,which was originally scheduledfor last October. Prime MinisterGilbert Fossoun Hounbgo

stepped down in July, but issuesover the election — including therole of the opposition in theelectoral commission —remained unresolved.

The following month, femaleactivists announced a weeklongsex strike to call for thepresident’s resignation.

This year, tension has beenexacerbated by mysterious firesin January at major markets inLome and Kara. The oppositionhas accused the government ofusing the fires as a pretext toarrest its activists, some of whomremain behind bars.

Marcel Magloire Kuakuvi, apolitical philosophy professor atthe University of Lome, said thetiming is ripe for oppositiongains, but that those leaders willneed to overcome the rulingparty’s financial advantage aswell as the support it enjoys fromthe military.

The opposition landscape is influx, however. The leader of theopposition party with the mostseats in parliament, GilchristOlympio, agreed to join a unitygovernment three years ago. Twomain opposition coalitions failedto coordinate going into talksabout how Thursday’s vote wouldbe run, and did not secure majorconcessions on the compositionof the electoral commission andother outstanding issues.

The victory also offers thehawkish Abe more leeway toadvance his conservative policygoals, including revising thecountry’s pacifist constitutionand bolstering Japan’s military,which could further strain tieswith key neighbors China andSouth Korea, who are embroiledin territorial disputes with Japan.

Controlling both houses ofparliament has been an elusivegoal in recent years. A dividedparliament has had difficultypassing legislation, and votersfed up with the gridlock and highleadership turnover appearedwilling to opt for the perceivedsafety of the LDP, which hasruled Japan for most of the post-World War II era.

Abe said voters supported theLDP to push his party’s economicpolicies and said it would be thegovernment’s top priority.

“Now that we got rid of the

twisted parliament, the LDP isgoing to face a test of whether wecan push forward the economicpolicies so that the people canreally feel the effect on theirlives,” Abe told NHK.

Japan’s stagnant economy isshowing signs of perking up,helped by the aggressivemonetary and fiscal stimuli thatAbe has implemented since hetook office in late December.Stocks have surged, businessconfidence is improving and theweaker yen has eased pressure onvital exporters.

“I want them to carry on doingtheir best as the economy seemsto be picking up,” NaohisaHayashi, a 35-year-old man whoruns his own business, said aftercasting his ballot in Tokyo.

But long-term growth willdepend on sweeping changes toboost competitiveness and helpcope with Japan’s rapidly grayingpopulation and soaring nationaldebt.

him, is disqualified from theministry and I ask the presidentof the Islamic republic ofAfghanistan to announce anotherperson for this position,” saidspeaker of parliament AbdulRauf Ibrahimi.

It was unclear whetherPresident Hamid Karzai wouldaccept the vote as hisadministration tries to strengthenstability ahead of presidentialelections and a pullout of NATOtroops next year. Karzai haspreviously opted to keepministers in their roles in actingcapacity after similar votes.

Lawmakers said Patang, aformer provincial police chief

liked by Karzai’s Westernbackers, had also failed to fightcorruption in the force andrefused a summons to parliament,which has increasingly flexed itsmuscle against Karzai’s power.

But Patang, in a startlingrevelation, said 2,748 policeofficers, or almost two percent ofthe force, had been killed byinsurgent gunmen in the fourmonths since March 21, andargued it was the job of the moreheavily-armed military to protectremote areas and highways.

“I’m on the threshold ofNATO’s withdrawal,” he said.

“There will be lots of problems,there will be lots of challenges.From March 21st up to now, Iswear to god, 2,748 police havebeen martyred. Imagine whateffect it has on my mind.”

The parliament last Augustvoted to remove former DefenceMinister Abdul Rahim Wardakand then Interior MinisterBismillah Mohammadi over aseries of insurgent assassinationsof top officials and incidents ofcross-border fire with Pakistan.

Foreign troops are increasinglyhanding security responsibility tothe 350,000-strong Afghansecurity forces as NATO-ledforces look to withdraw from theunpopular war by the end of2014.

negotiations,” he said.U.S. Secretary of State John

Kerry announced this weekendthat an agreement has beenreached that establishes thebasis for resuming peace talksthat collapsed about five yearsago.

Gaps remain on three issuesPalestinians say need to besettled before talks can begin —the baseline for border talks, theextent of a possible Israelisettlement slowdown and atimetable for releasing long-detained Palestinian prisoners.

The Palestinians want toestablish a state in the WestBank, Gaza Strip and eastJerusalem, territories Israelcaptured in the 1967 MideastWar. Abbas seeks acommitment from Netanyahuthat Israel’s pre-1967 borderwill serve as a baseline fornegotiations.

Israel has been insisting thatthat peace talks resume withoutpreconditions and that all issueslike settlements and securityshould be resolved throughdialogue.


Iraq: 25 Soldiers, Police Dead In Prison RaidInternational Compiled by

OKHUELEIGBE FAITH

Israelis, Palestinians Skeptical About Peace Talks

CHANTAY WEDS JULIUS

The Solemnization of marriage between former Miss Chantay Blazer (Based in New Jersey,USA) and Mr. Julius Osayande Osifo (An I.T. Support) took place on Monday 21st July, 2013at the Oredo Local Government Council Marriage Registry in Benin City. Amongst thosepresent were Mr. Sunday.O. Osifo, Mrs. Happy Abiona, Mr. & Mrs. Olaniyi Abiona, Rev.Patrick Rapu, family members, relations, friends and well wishers. Picture shows the coupleat the Registry. Congratulations. PHOTO: SONNIE .E.

This Press Release is issued on the authority ofOmo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba ofBenin, to inform members of the general publicthat the Enogie of Utekon, Chief EguagieOmoruyi Imasuen has been suspended frombeing the Enogie of that community withimmediate effect.

This is sequel to his total disregard for Benincustoms and tradition, and undermining theauthority of the Oba of Benin.

BENIN TRADITIONAL COUNCILBENIN TRADITIONAL COUNCILBENIN TRADITIONAL COUNCILBENIN TRADITIONAL COUNCILBENIN TRADITIONAL COUNCILOBA PALACE, BENIN CITYOBA PALACE, BENIN CITYOBA PALACE, BENIN CITYOBA PALACE, BENIN CITYOBA PALACE, BENIN CITY

Signed:FRANK IRABOR

SECRETARY,BENIN TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

Oba ghato ‘kpere, Ise.

CHANGE OF NAME

OKHIDEMEH - I, for-merly known and ad-dressed as Miss PreciousLere Okhidemeh now wishto be known and addressedas Mrs. Precious LereKingsley-Izzi. All formerdocuments remain valid.Concerned authorities andthe general public shouldplease take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

EHIARIMWIAN - I,formerly MissEhiarimwian Rose-mary Ogie now Mrs.Okoduwa RosemaryOgie. All former docu-ments remain valid.General public and allconcerned authoritiesshould please take note.

PALACE PRESS RELEASEPALACE PRESS RELEASEPALACE PRESS RELEASEPALACE PRESS RELEASEPALACE PRESS RELEASE

BAGHDAD - Jailbreakattempts at two major prisonsoutside Baghdad have claimedthe lives of at least 25 membersof Iraq’s security forces, while acar bombing targeting soldiersearly yesterday killed another12, according to officials.

There were conflicting reportson whether inmates had escaped.Local media and jihadist Internetforums reported some prisonershad managed to flee, butauthorities have not officiallyreported any break-outs. Manyof the thousands of inmates areinsurgents, including membersof al-Qaida’s Iraq branch, whohave been convicted onterrorism-related charges.

The prison attacks that beganlate Sunday at lock-ups in Tajiand Abu Ghraib, both in theoutskirts of the capital, are thelatest indication of deterioratingsecurity conditions across thecountry. Government forcescombed surrounding areas forattackers and guards at Taji

appeared on high alert withassault rifles at the ready earlyyesterday.

Attackers detonated bombs andlobbed mortar rounds at Tajiprison, 20 kilometers (12 miles)north of Baghdad. A suicide carbomber then attacked the maingate while another suicidebomber blew himself up nearby,sparking clashes betweenmilitants and the guards,according to police.

As the battle raged for abouttwo hours outside, riotinginmates set fire to blankets andfurniture, police said.

Fifteen soldiers were killed and13 others were wounded in theTaji attack, they said. At least sixamong the militants were alsoreported killed.

A similar raid unfolded at theprison in Abu Ghraib inBaghdad’s western suburbs.Insurgents there struck the prisonwalls with mortar rounds and acar bomb, and at least onemilitant blew himself up at the

main gate.Ten policemen were killed and

19 others were wounded, theyadded. Four militants werereported killed in that attack.

Security forces reportedfinding undetonated car bombsand explosive belts used bysuicide bombers near bothprisons after the attacks.

The U.S. military previouslyoperated the prisons in Taji andAbu Ghraib but handed controlof both facilities back to Iraqi

authorities before the lastAmerican troops departed inDecember 2011.

Abuse of prisoners at the handsof American guards inside AbuGhraib following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion sparked outragearound the world and helped fuelanti-American sentiment in Iraq.

In a separate incident earlyyesterday, a suicide bomberrammed his explosives-laded carinto an army patrol in northernIraq, killing at least 12 people,

police and medical officials said.The suicide bomber hit the

patrol while traveling in aresidential area in the city ofMosul, killing nine soldiers andthree civilians, a police officersaid. He added that 14 others,included four civilians, werewounded.

Mosul, 360 kilometers (220miles) northwest of Baghdad, isone of Iraq’s major flashpoints.

Three medical officialsconfirmed the casualty figures.

They spoke on condition ofanonymity as they were notauthorized to release information.

A surge of attacks has killedmore than 450 Iraqis since thestart of the Islamic holy monthof Ramadan on July 10. It comesamid a larger spike in bloodshedin recent months that is raisingfears of a return to the widespreadsectarian killing that pushed thecountry to the brink of civil warafter the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

JERUSALEM - Israeli andPalestinian officials voicedskepticism Sunday that they canmove toward a peace deal, as thesides inched toward what may bethe first round of significantnegotiations in five years.

U.S. Secretary of State JohnKerry announced late last weekthat an agreement has beenreached that establishes the basisfor resuming peace talks. Hecautioned that such an agreementstill needs to be formalized,suggesting that gaps remain.

In his first on-camera commentSunday, Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu appeared tolower expectations by saying thetalks will be tough and anyagreement would have to beratified by Israelis in a nationalreferendum.

Netanyahu pledged to insist onIsrael’s security needs above all —saying his main guiding principleswill be to maintain a Jewishmajority in Israel and avoid afuture Palestinian state in the WestBank becoming an Iranian-backed“terror state.”

A lifelong hawk, Netanyahuhas been a reluctant latecomer tothe idea of Palestinian statehood,and his critics say he uses thepretext of security to avoidengaging in good-faithnegotiations.

“I am committed to twoobjectives that must guide theresult — if there will be a result.And if there will be a result, itwill be put to a nationalreferendum,” he said at the startof his weekly Cabinet meeting.“It won’t be easy. But we areentering the talks with integrity,honesty, and hope that thisprocess is handled responsibly,seriously and to the point.”

Hardliners have floatedreferendum proposals before,usually as an attempt to add anadditional obstacle to any effortsto cede war-won territories aspart of a future peace agreement.

Palestinian officials were silentSunday.

Palestinian President

Mahmoud Abbas has not spokenabout the possible resumption ofnegotiations since Kerry’sannouncement Friday. In anattempt to restrict officialPalestinian comment, Abbas’office said only two top aides,Nabil Abu Rdeneh and YasserAbed Rabbo would be allowed tospeak to reporters. Neither wasavailable Sunday.

Abbas had previously refusedto negotiate with Israel so long assettlement construction continuedin part of his hoped-for state.Netanyahu countered by sayinghe would only enter talks withoutpreconditions.

The two sides are now set tohold more talks in Washington incoming days or weeks on theframework of negotiations,meaning a resumption of talks isnot yet assured.

Gaps remain on three issuesPalestinians say need to be settledbefore talks can begin — thebaseline for border talks, theextent of a possible Israeli

settlement slowdown and atimetable for releasing veteranPalestinian prisoners.

The Palestinians want toestablish a state in the West Bank,Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem,territories Israel captured in the1967 Mideast War. Abbas seeksa commitment from Netanyahuthat Israel’s pre-1967 border willserve as a baseline fornegotiations, but the Israeli leaderhas refused to do so. Previousrounds of negotiations wereconducted on those lines.

Two Palestinian officials saidSaturday that Abbas agreed toresume talks only after Kerrygave him a letter guaranteeingthat the pre-1967 borders wouldserve as a baseline. The officials,privy to internal discussions,spoke on condition of anonymitybecause they were not authorizedto brief the media.

A Western official denied the1967 borders would be thestarting point for negotiators.


HealthAttaining MDGs Via

Family PlanningBy JACINTA NWACHUKWU

Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister for Health

THE theme of the 2013World Population Day is“Universal Access toReproductive HealthServices’’.

It focuses on adolescentpregnancy and aims atincreasing the people’sawareness on populationissues such as familyplanning, gender equality,poverty, maternal healthand human rights.

The day is observed onevery July 11 to re-awakenthe people’s consciousnesson issues such as familyplanning, which observersdescribe as a cardinalelement in efforts to achievehealthy living.

Prof. Oladapo Ladipo, areproductive healthconsultant, stressed thateffective family planningcould aid the attainment ofthe MillenniumDevelopment Goals(MDGs).

“Family planning is allabout having children at theconvenient time and not bychance; the FederalGovernment has identifiedthe need for populationmanagement to ensurehealthy living.

“Without mainstreamingfamily planning in all ouractivities, we are unlikely tomeet any of the MDGs.

“The reason is that familyplanning reduces the familysize to a level that isacceptable, in line with thegoals of government policyon population anddevelopment for effectivenational planning,’’ he said.

Ladipo observed thatfamily planning would alsocreate spared resources toinvest in education,

housing, health, roads,agriculture and foodsecurity, while ensuringnational security.

He, however, said thatwomen should beempowered to participatemore meaningfully inproductive activities whichwould foster nationaldevelopment.

As logical as theprofessor’s argumentappears to be, the UnitedNations Population Fund(UNFPA) declares thatmore than 222 millionwomen worldwide lackaccess to effective familyplanning services.

Dr BabatundeOsotimehin, the UNFPA’sExecutive Director, alsoannounced recently at aforum in Abuja that nofewer than 800 women diedevery day in the process ofgiving birth to babies.

According to him,UNFPA’s vision is to ensurea world where everypregnancy is wanted, whileall child deliveries are safe.

But Mrs Gladys Uche, amother of five children,noted that even thoughthere was increased publicawareness on familyplanning, the quest ofcouples for a particular sexof children and their lovefor bearing many childrenhad continued to be adrawback to the campaign.

“I think the love for morechildren is still prevalent inour society; people want tohave as many children asGod can give them.

“Another trouble is thesex of the children; if a

woman continues to givebirth to female childrenalways, the tendency is forher to continue makingbabies until she is able tosatisfy her husband and thesociety by giving birth to amale child,’’ she added.

Another challenge facingfamily planning is the issue

of child spacing.Dr Mairo Mandara, the

Co-chair, Family PlanningAction Group, argued thatin efforts to foster a goods o c i o - e c o n o m i cdevelopment, womenshould space their childrenproperly in a way thatwould enable them toremain healthy.

“The essence of this is thatin the end, families will

have children and mothersthat are healthy; familiesthat can manage their affairswell and more importantly,the women and childrenwill be able to livemeaningful lives,’’ she said.

However, observers havebeen asking questions as tothe family size which isconsidered to be ideal.

Mr Charles Nwaokoma,the Federal Commissioner

for National PopulationCommission in Rivers,described a planned familyas “a small family size oftwo or three; as this willsupport better training ofchildren and bring lesspressure on parents.’’

He urged Nigerians toplan the size of theirfamilies so as to guardagainst future problems,insisting that small families

were now the vogue acrossthe world.

“Nigeria cannot afford tolag behind when othercountries have startedplanning for small families,based on logical economicconsiderations,’’ he added.

Nwaokoma noted that theuse of contraceptives as afamily planning method inNigeria was quiteinsignificant, adding thatlarge families and increasedpopulation had some socio-economic implications,particularly if thepopulation was not trained.

The commissionerattributed the upsurge of

militancy and other crimesin the society to largefamilies, stressing thatsome parents could not traintheir children.

Nwaokoma particularlywarned women against thetemptation of having manychildren, insisting thatgiving birth to manychildren could put theirlives at risk.

Nevertheless, MrsAdebukola Salako, the FCTCoordinator of NigerianUrban Reproductive HealthInitiative, a non-governmental organisation,stressed that there weresome factors limitingpeople’s access to familyplanning services.

“What we have is asituation where women are

afraid to visit the hospital;some of them are evenscared, thinking that familyplanning services areexpensive but this is not so.

“I advise women toalways go to hospital to findout whatever they are told;it is only when this is donethat they can access good ofeven free services,’’ shesaid.

Salako, however, stressedthat universal access tofamily planning serviceswas important in efforts toensure that women gotpregnant whenever theywanted to have babies.

She said that universalaccess to reproductivehealth by 2015 was also oneof the targets of the MDGs,insisting, however, thatwomen should leave a gapof between two and threeyears in childbearing.

All the same, Salakoemphasised that Nigeriacould only solve theproblems of massiveunemployment, childlabour and violent crises ifit paid more attention tofamily planningprogrammes.

All these argumentsnotwithstanding, Dr FredAchem, the President ofSociety of Gynaecologyand Obstetrics of Nigeria,stressed that the role of menin ensuring effective familyplanning practices inNigeria could not beoveremphasised.

He underscored the needfor men to have the interestsof their families at heart byplanning, whenever theywanted to raise a family,about the number ofchildren they intended tohave.

Achem urged couples toalways visit specialists forinformation and advice inorder to raise responsiblefamilies.

He argued that if familyunits failed to adopt anymethod of family planning,the outcome would beunbridled populationgrowth.

He stressed thatuncontrolled populationgrowth would definitelyaffect national planningprocesses, adding that thiswas not good for adeveloping country likeNigeria.

“Another trouble is the sex of the children; if awoman continues to give birth to female childrenalways, the tendency is for her to continue makingbabies until she is able to satisfy her husbandand the society by giving birth to a male child.’’


Diouf Unlikely To Leave Hannover

Rayo, Ma-drid Cash InOn Negredo

Deal

Jose Backs RonaldoTo Stay At Real

Cristiano Ronaldo

El Shaarawy Com-mits To Milan

Alvaro Negredo

Lyon InsistGourcuff Is Staying

Pep WinsFirst

BayernTrophy

Yoann Gourcuff

FORMER Real Madridmanager Jose Mourinho isconfident CristianoRonaldo will remain at theBernabeu this summerdespite interest fromManchester United.

Mourinho, now theChelsea boss for thesecond time in his career,believes the Portugueseforward will not follow hislead and return to a familiarold club, believing Unitedare destined to fall short intheir pursuit.

“I know Ronaldo lovesMan United and I know heloves the Premier League,but I think he is going tostay [at Real],” Mourinhosaid. “It’s just a feeling, nocontact, nothing just afeeling.”

Due to Real’s strongfinancial situation,Mourinho does not seehow United manager

David Moyes could enticethe Spanish club to sellarguably their mostimportant player, or offer asalary capable of temptingthe player himself.

He said: “What I know isthat Real Madrid is such arich club they don’t need tosell.

“It is such a rich club Ithink they can beat anyoffer a club can have onRonaldo.”

Ronaldo played in Real’sfriendly againstBournemouth at DeanCourt on Sunday evening.Afterwards, current Realboss Carlo Ancelottiunderlined his certaintythat Ronaldo will bestaying with the club.

Asked about Ronaldo’sfuture, the Italian said: “Hisfuture is at Real Madrid,there is no question aboutthis.”

LYON’S presidential advisor Bernard Lacombe has toldthe club’s TV channel Yoann Gourcuff will not leave theseven-time Ligue 1 champions this summer.

Gourcuff, 27, has provenunderwhelming since his +22million move from Bordeauxin summer 2010, and thoughhe featured regularly in thesecond half of last season afteran injury-blighted openingportion of the campaign, hisstatus as the club’s highestwage earner meant he couldleave the Stade de Gerland asOL seek to balance theirbooks.

However, though OLpresident Jean-Michel Aulashas spoken about thepossibility the Franceinternational could find a newemployer this summer, hisclosest confidante told OL TVthe ex-AC Milan midfielderwould still be part of RemiGarde’s squad for 2013-14.

He said: “Yoann Gourcuffwon’t leave during thistransfer window. Thepresident told me that therewere opportunities, but allthree parties need to be inagreement. The president hashad, it’s true, a lot ofapproaches, and that hasenabled him to have adifferent point of view otherthan OL’s and he’s talkedabout it with Yoann. But Idon’t think he’ll leave.”

Gourcuff has been stronglylinked to Atletico Madrid aswell as Valencia and Monaco

while Arsenal are alsoreportedly keeping an eye onhis situation. Only last week,however, did the Rennes youthacademy product tell OL’sofficial website he planned onhelping the club’s own youngtalents flourish in the first team.

He said: “When I was thesame age as these players, itwasn’t exactly the samesituation. There were moreexperienced players aroundme. But it’s good,” the formerAC Milan player stated, addinghis own passion for the gameremains intact after a difficult,injury-peppered last campaign.

“These youngsters are self-

disciplined, focused. They needto continue relying on thewhole squad. I don’t have aparticular role with regard tothem. I simply wish to transmitthem my desire to enjoyyourself and that they feel thatthey can count on me on thepitch. I’m here, available, readyto help them.

“I’m have a hunger to play, Iwant to play with the ball asmuch as possible to get myfeeling back, and then to re-find that technicalunderstanding with the otherswithout neglecting the physicalaspect of things. It’s importantat this time. You have to acquirea good technical and physicalbasis without wearing yourselfout.”

AC Milan vice-presidentAdriano Galliani hasrevealed Stephan ElShaarawy has turned downa lucrative offer from aPremier League club tostay with Milan.

El Shaarawy was thefocus of widespreadinterest until committinghimself to the Rossoneriafter talks with Galliani andhonorary president SilvioBerlusconi. Prior to thatmeeting, Galliani hadreceived an offer whichmatched the club’svaluation, but it did nottempt the 20-year-old intoa move.

The 20-year-old has beentargeted by ManchesterCity and Chelsea afterscoring 16 league goals forMilan last season, with abid of +30 million beingmade by an unnamed club.

Galliani is now lookingforward to seeing the Italyinternational spearheadingthe Rossoneri attack intandem with fellow AzzurriMario Balotelli this season.

“El Shaarawy andBalotelli are great friendsand if there’s any problem,then it is of a tactical natureand not because of theircharacter,” he said. “Wereceived a huge offer for

Stephan and he said themoney he earns at Milan isenough for him.

“He’s a fan of this cluband he is more than happyhere. I’m convinced he willplay a great season.”

By turning down such anoffer, El Shaarawydemonstrated that money isnot the only motivation infootball, although Gallianiadmits it is becomingincreasingly difficult tokeep hold of or attractsimilar players to Serie A.

“I think it is more thanimpossible for a player likeZlatan Ibrahimovic toreturn to Italy,” he said at acharity event. “He has asalary which is notcompatible with the Italianleague.”

HANNOVER 96 have noplans to sell Mame Diouf forunder +10 million after aproposed move back to thePremier League apparentlyfell through.

Diouf, who has moved intothe last year of his contractwith Hannover, had beenlinked with a switch to Stoke,German media reports.

At the weekend, severalGerman newspapers claimedthat Stoke had offered +7million plus bonuses for the

25-year-old. But Hannoverare holding out for +10million for a player who hasscored 18 goals in 38Bundesliga games since beingsigned in January 2012.

Diouf ’s agent, JimSolbakken, arrived atHannover’s summer trainingcamp in Austria late on Fridayand general manager DirkDufner raged: “He did notbring any Stoke offer withhim. I don’t know what hewants here.”

On Monday, however,kicker reported that Hannoverhad not accepted an officialStoke offer. But Dufneradmitted that plans to extendDiouf’s contract had been puton hold.

Solbakken then told kickerthat it was likely Diouf wouldnot leave during this window.“Mame will not extend hiscontract before August 31, Iam 1000% sure of that. ButMame will stay. He will play

for Hannover next season.”Kicker believes that this is

mostly down to no other clubbeing willing to meetHannover’s asking price for aplayer who will be availablefor a cut-price fee in Januarywith his contract runningdown.

“We will not start talkingabout a new deal before thefirst months of the upcomingyear,” Solbakken is quoted assaying.

RAYO Vallecano andReal Madrid will reportedlyreceive payment followingAlvaro Negredo’s move fromSevilla to Manchester City.

The 27-year-old hascompleted his move to theEnglish club for a fee that isestimated around 25 millioneuros and Rayo Heraldreports that his former clubsare set to benefit from thedeal.

The Spaniard joinedSevilla from Madrid in 2009and the Whites are set toreceive 4.4 million eurosfrom his transfer fee.

Meanwhile, Rayo, whodeveloped the player from2001 to 2005, are expected toreceive a fee of 500 000euros.

Negredo is the secondplayer to complete the movefrom the Ramon-SanchezPizjuan to the Etihad Stadiumfollowing the transfer of rightwinger Jesus Navas.

NEW Bayern Munichmanager Pep Guardiola won hisfirst trophy at the club after theGerman giants thumpedBorussia Monchengladbach 5-1in the final of the Telekom Cup.

The defending Bundesligachampions were quick to asserttheir dominance in the final withFranck Ribery and Philipp Lahmhitting the back of the net beforesummer signing ThiagoAlcantara scored his first goal ina Bayern shirt.

Monchengladbach managedto pull one back just before half-time through Luuk de Jong, butfurther strikes to Arjen Robbenand Thomas Muller completedthe rout.

Meanwhile, BorussiaDortmund claimed third place inthe competition after defeatingHamburg 1-0.

Last season’s ChampionsLeague finalists secured thevictory, and their fifth win of thispre-season, through JonasHofmann’s first-half strike.


Van Persie DemandsStronger United

Moyes Ready ForJose Mind Games

The Price At Which United WillSell Rooney

Villas-BoasChases More

Signings

Andre Villas-Boas

David Moyes Jose Mourinho

A fee of £30 millionwill clinch the ‘deal of thesummer’, according to theDaily Mirror, whichreports that ManchesterUnited will agree to sellWayne Rooney toChelsea. But, cruciallyperhaps (or not), the

sensational transfer willnot go through in time forthe forward to make whatwould have been adramatic return to OldTrafford in a blue shirt onAugust 26.

“The Stamford Bridge

club will table a second bidof £24 million this week andfeel they can get their manfor around the £30m mark –despite Manchester United’sinsistence the England manis not for sale,” the paperreports.

“While Chelsea feel thechampions have no optionbut to sell before the transferwindow shuts on September2, they are willing to have towait until the final days toget their man.

“The Blues are resigned tonot landing Rooney in timefor him to return to OldTrafford in a Blues shirt onAugust 26. If the Reds aresuccessful in their ongoingquest to land Cesc Fabregasfrom Barcelona, Chelseaexpect United will be able to‘sell’ his arrival as an‘upgrade’ to justify thedeparture of Rooney toChelsea.:

MANCHESTER United manager David Moyes says heis ready for any mind games with Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho.

There have beensuggestions that Mourinhohas been trying to get underMoyes’ skin over the last fewdays, particularly with hiscomments about WayneRooney.

Moyes has not been drawninto reacting to those remarksbut insists he will not shyaway from doing so in thefuture.

And, answering a questionfrom a fellow Scot in theaftermath of ManchesterUnited’s 5-1 win over the A-League All Stars in Sydney,Moyes showed no sign ofbeing overwhelmed byMourinho’s approach.

“It sounds like youraccent’s like mine and ifyou’re from Glasgow thenyou enjoy those sorts ofthings, so bring it on,” saidMoyes.

Moyes admitted there hadbeen no developments onattempts to bring inreinforcements, even thoughexecutive vice-chairman EdWoodward returned homethree days early on “urgent

transfer business”.“I’ve not had any more

news since we last spokeyesterday,” said Moyes. “Ihave no more updates so Icouldn’t give you anythingpositive or negative.”

Robin van Persie wouldlike to see Cesc Fabregascome to United though. Askedby host broadcaster ChannelSeven immediately after thegame whether it would be agood thing to be reunited withhis former captain at Arsenal,the Dutchman replied: “Ofcourse, he’s a great player.”

However, Van Persie thenadmitted he had not spoken toFabregas about the situation,which has become morecomplicated due to thedecision of Tito Vilanova tostand down as Barcelonamanager because of ongoingcancer treatment.

Introduced for the final halfhour of his first pre-seasonappearance, Van Persiewasted no time in showing thegoalscoring prowess thatbrought him back-to-back

Golden Boot trophies,wrapping up a comfortablevictory for Moyes’ men.

Goalscoring honours went toJesse Lingard and DannyWelbeck though. Lingard hadthe honour of scoring the firstgoal of Moyes’ reign and the 20-year-old from Warringtonadded another after half-time.

Welbeck matched his fellowacademy graduate, making ahandy contribution given heonly found the net on twooccasions last season.

“It was impressive thatDanny got a couple of goals,”said Moyes. “I said to himafterwards that on another nighthe might have got four or five.

“But you have to keep getting

in there to score. If hecontinues to work as hard asthat for the team he will get hisrewards. He showed a little bitof versatility tonight ineverything he did.”

Lingard impressed on lastsummer’s tour of South Africabut has still to make first-teambreakthrough and spent a shortperiod on loan at Leicester lastseason.

“Jesse played well tonight,”said Moyes. “I was hoping hewould get a hat-trick. For ayoung boy to get that atManchester United is a bigthing. He set up Robin for hisgoal with a nicely weightedpass, he worked really hardand showed a lot of maturity.It is good.”

MANCHESTER City’sSami Nasri has revealedthat he was ‘hurt’ by thecriticism directed his wayand feels most of it wasunjustified.

Former City coachRoberto Mancini voiced hisfrustration at theFrenchman’s inconsistentform and revealed back inMarch that he wanted to‘punch’ Nasri for onlyplaying at half mast.

Nasri, however, feels thata lot of the talk about himwas uncalled for and that he

Nasri ‘Hurt’ By Unfair Criticismwas portrayed poorly.

“I’m feeling morerelaxed, but the last fewmonths were very tryingfor me. Emotionally, I wentthrough several momentsof doubt andreassessment,” he toldFIFA.com.

“Some of the criticism Igot hurt me, and lots of badthings were said.

“I accept criticism aslong as it’s justified, butthere were lots of lies aboutme. I made mistakes, I

know, but I’m not the uglyduckling that some peopleseem to think.”

Nasri also describedCity’s whole season as a‘disappointment’ and anoutright ‘failure’ in havingwalked away without anysilverware.

“It was certainly a verydisappointing season andlosing our title of Englishchampions was a failurethat was difficult for thewhole squad to swallow,”he added.

“We didn’t manage towin a single trophy, andthat’s disappointing for aclub with the standing ofManchester City. We hada very testing year butwe’ll learn from ourmistakes to have anexcellent season nextyear.”

They were championsof England for the firsttime in 44 years in 2011-12 but finished 11 pointsbehind Manchester Unitedin the followingcampaign.

SPURS manager AndreVillas-Boas said on Mondaythat he wants to add morenew signings to his squad,after swooping for Belgiumfrontman Nacer Chadli.

A Tottenham squad thatincluded star man GarethBale landed in Hong Kongahead of their clash withSunderland in the BarclaysAsia Trophy on Wednesday.

There has been speculationlinking Welsh wing wizardBale with a big-money moveaway from White Hart Lane,but Villas-Boas said he waslooking at bolstering his side.

“We will continue to doour market and we have notstopped yet, for sure,” saidVillas-Boas, who isreportedly chasing at leastone more striker.

The Portuguese has so farbrought in the Brazilianforward Paulinho and theinternational Chadli is poisedto join from the Dutch sideFC Twente, subject topersonal terms and a medical.

“Chadli’s a player we’vebeen following for quitesome time and we managedto strike a deal in the last fewdays,” said Villas-Boas,whose side narrowly missedout to rivals Arsenal lastseason for a prized spot in theChampions League.

“He’s a player who isextremely versatile and canplay in several positions upfront. He played withtremendous success on theleft for Twente as a wingerand as an attacker forBelgium. We look forward tohaving him on board withus.”

The 23-year-old will notplay in Hong Kong, Villas-Boas said.

Tottenham start theirPremier League campaignaway at Crystal Palace onAugust 18.

ROBIN van Persie haswarned Manchester United theyhave to get better if they wantto retain their title.

The Dutchman was thePremier League’s top scorer lastyear as United becamechampions for the 20th time butbelieves their rivals will raisetheir game in a bid to deny thema 21st title.

Van Persie came off the benchto score his first goal under newmanager David Moyes inSaturday’s 5-1 win over an A-League All Star XI and then saidhe expects a stronger challengefrom teams such as ManchesterCity and Chelsea in theforthcoming campaign.

“We have to improve to stayahead of them because over thelast few years the English leaguehas become better and better,”he is quoted as saying in theGuardian. “Every single teamhas got harder to beat. Everyonewants to be successful. Moyeswants to be successful. He hasbeen working very hard and hehas spoken to every singleplayer individually.”

Van Persie ended his longwait to win the Premier Leaguein his debut season at OldTrafford but the former Arsenalcaptain insists his appetite forsuccess was not sated by that.

He added: “I still have moreyears left and it’s not like I amsaying: ‘Yeah, we won theleague so that’s me done’. I wantmore now. It makes me evenmore hungry. I was very hungrylast year but now I am morehungry.

“I want to win more this time.

The club wants to win more.Last year we won the leagueand that was great but thistime we want to win theleague and more as well.”


Heynckes,Koeman

Deny BarcaLink

Date SetFor Soldado

Bids Athletics

It Was Too Much - Celtic Coach

German FA Considers Red Card ‘Parole’

Hamburg Ponders Bid ForJelavic

VALENCIA have set adeadline of August 3rd forclubs to submit bids fortheir striker RobertoSoldado, with Tottenhamamong those stronglylinked with a move for theSpain striker.

Liverpool boss BrendanRodgers has also beenrumoured to be weighing upa bid for the Spaininternational as the future ofhis striker Luis Suarezcontinues to be shrouded inuncertainty, while Napoliboss Rafael Benitez is alsoreported to be interested inthe 28-year-old.

Valencia presidentAmadeo Salvo hassuggested he is ready to cuta deal with clubs chasingSoldado’s signature, but hewants the future of the hit-man, who is reported tohave an £18m release clausein his contract, resolved inthe next two weeks.

“If any club wants ourstriker they are obliged toaccept our conditions andthe price on the market hasa clause,” he is quoted in theDaily Mirror. “Until August3, we accept that a deal mayhappen and we cannegotiate, but after that date,he will not leave us.”

Soldado fired animpressive 24 La Liga goalslast season, as well as aChampions League hat-trick, and has been aconsistent performer forValencia since moving tothe Mestalla from Getafe in2009.

BLOEMFONTEIN Celticcoach Clinton Larsen saysplaying back-to-back gameagainst the University of Pretoriaand Kaizer Chiefs in the GautengCup was ‘too much’, but claimedit was more about gettingminutes in the legs.

The Phunya Sele Sele fell to astaggering 4-1 defeat to KaizerChiefs in the final of the GautengCup on Sunday afternoon, inwhich Willard Katsande andSimpiwhe Tshabalala scored‘freak goals’.

Katsande’s effort was a longranger just off the halfway line,while the Bafana Bafanamidfielder’s strike struck the turfand bounced over thegoalkeeper.

“I think it was a good first-half

performance. Two freak goals, anattempted cross from Katsandegoes into the top corner and avolley into the ground loops overthe goalkeeper,” he said after thegame.

“In the second-half we broughta lot more of the regulars backinto the team, but in the last 30minutes of the game the boyswere off their feet. Some had toplay 120 minutes, some 150minutes because we tried to sharethe workload. In the end it wastoo much for them.”

Larsen remained optimisticdespite the result, suggesting itwas more about getting gametime in his squad, and he believesall that is left is some ‘finetuning’.

“But the objective was to get

mileage on the legs and I thinkwe accomplished that,” hecontinued. “It was very difficultwhen you finish (the first game)at 12:30, finish eating at 13:30and get on the field at 15:00 - butwe won’t complain. We’ll keepsoldiering on.

“It’s fine tuning now-correcting a few of the errors thatwe have made. But I think withtwo-and-a-half weeks to go, froma fitness perspective, we areexactly where we want to be. Justa few tactical tweaks here andthere and I am sure we will befine.”

The coach went on to praiseseveral of the young trialists thattook part in the tournament, andconfirmed he will be meetingwith the technical board in theweek to discuss what shall bedone with them.

THE German Football Association (DFB) is to introducea system of “parole” for red cards in an attempt to makepunishments “more preventative than repressive”.

Hans Lorenz, the presidentof the DFB sports tribunal,revealed the plans in aninterview. They mean that,from October, longer banscould partially be on a parolesystem.

It would mean FA officialscould hand players a seven-match ban with three of thembeing on parole, he explained.

Lorenz told Welt AmSonntag: “With the beginningof the new term, we will shape

our sanctions to be morepreventative than repressive.

“It would come into effectwith shorter bans.”

But the proposal receivedmixed feedback fromBundesliga clubs and players.

Borussia Dortmund coachJurgen Klopp said: “What doyou have to do to get a four-match ban? That would beunsportsmanlike or violentconduct. I wouldn’t know

why that player than shouldbe allowed parole.”

But Klopp said it would be“cool” if players sent off andbanned despite it beingunclear whether the decisionwas right were allowed toplay on parole after a review.

But Hamburg’s Germanyinternational Marcell Jansensaid: “That would benonsense. The referee has todecide on the pitch, not somejudges in the courtroom.”

Jansen said he believed aplayer allowed to play onparole would “not playfreely” because they wouldhave that status in mind.

Bayern Munich sportingdirector Matthias Sammer.however, backed the move,saying: “I know Mr Lorenz

from my time at the GermanFA, and I think he is a veryhonourable and capable man.

“My first thought about thisis that it is a step back fromthe straight line towards moreflexibility which gives thoseresponsible more scope. Ihave to say that is a goodidea.”

Thirty-one players weresent off in straight red cardincidents last season.

One ban – that ofDortmund’s MarcelSchmelzer - was overturnedafter TV pictures showed thereferee had got it wrong.

FC Augsburg’s GiovanniSio received the season’s onlyfour-match ban after a foul intheir game against GreutherFurth.

FORMER BayernMunich coach Jupp Heynckesand Feyenoord coach RonaldKoeman have denied rumourslinking them with the vacantBarcelona job.

Heynckes led the Bavariansto a treble last season afterstepping down to be replacedby former Barcelona coachPep Guardiola.

However, the 68-year-oldsays he is enjoying hisretirement and notconsidering a move to theCamp Nou.

“Succeeding Vilanova?Impossible. I’m enjoyinglife,” he told Sky Sports.

“I do sports and take care

HAMBURG areconsidering a bid forEverton striker NikicaJelavic, sporting directorOliver Kreuzer has said.

Kreuzer said he hopedthe Merseysiders would bewilling to sell the Croatiainternational, but added thatHamburg had to work outwhether a deal would befinancially viable.

“Jelavic would be exactlythe right player for us. Heis a really dangerousstriker,” he said. “But wehave to scrutinise whetherit is financially possible.”

Jelavic, 27, who scoredseven goals last season,could be allowed to leaveGoodison Park by newToffees manager RobertoMartinez, Kreuzer said,adding: “I have heard thatEverton’s new managerwants to sell him.”

However, before makinga move for the striker –likely to cost around +7million - Hamburg wouldneed to offload some fringeplayers.

“Day in, day out, I talk toall the agents, but nothinghas come up yet,” Kreuzersaid. “If we manage that [tosell two or three players]we could work out if a loan

or a payment in instalmentswould be possible.”

Hamburg conceded fivegoals and failed to score anyduring a pre-seasontournament inMonchenglabach at theweekend, losing to Bayern

Munich and BorussiaDortmund.

Their strikers, Latviainternational ArtjomsRudnevs, 25, and summersigning Jacques Zoua, 21,played 60 minutes each, andHamburg coach ThorstenFink said: “They both havecertain strengths and certainweaknesses.”

OLYMPIC 800 metreschampion and world record-holder David Rudisha will missthe remainder of the season andis unlikely to race again until atleast March next year, theKenyan athlete’s coach has said.

Rudisha pulled out of nextmonth’s World Championshipsin Moscow after failing torecover from a knee injury thatwill prevent him from defendinghis 800m crown at the August10-18 event.

His coach, Colm O’Connellsaid the 2011 Daegu worldchampion contemplated racingat Diamond League events inZurich in late August or inBrussels in September but choseagainst rushing back from injury.

“We considered it but felt itwas better to give him enoughtime to recover,” O’Connell toldReuters from his base in Iten, asmall village in Kenya’s RiftValley area that is the home tomany of the country’s middleand long-distance champion

runners.“His knee is actually already

healing but Moscow came a bittoo soon.”

O’Connell said Rudishaplanned to start next season bydefending his title at Doha’sDiamond League event in May,though his competitive returncould take place in Australia twomonths earlier.

“There is a race in Melbourneand a race in Sydney. He willpossibly go there to run,” saidO’Connell, an Irish missionarywho has coached the 24-year-oldsince he was a teenager.

Rudisha became a globalathletics icon when he smashedthe 800m world record in the finalat the 2012 London Games,adding an Olympic gold to hisworld crown.

“Defending his (world) titlewould have been fantastic andon that side, it has been adisappointment,” O’Connelladded. “But he took it well,he’s in good spirits.”

of my animals and garden.”Meanwhile, Koeman, who

played for Barcelona from1985 and 1995 also gave asimilar response when e wasasked about the possibility ofreturning to the Camp Nou asa coach.

“Succeeding Vilanova? Idon’t think about that at all,”he told reporters.

“I don’t know who it shouldbe, I just care aboutVilanova.”

Barcelona have now beenlinked with Argentineancoach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino,who is the former coach ofNewell’s Old Boys.

Nikica Jelavic

David Rudisha

Injury EndsRudisha’s Season


3SC Held At Home Again

Emmanuel Emenike

Nigeria League

Eneramo DismissesHeart Surgery Report

Rangers Do DoubleOver Nembe City

Emenike ThrilledWith Full Recovery

Schools Football On The Rise

Weekk 22 Results

Heartland Pip Warri Wolves

SIX-time championsEnyimba forced hostsNasarawa United to a 1-1 draw in Lafia onSunday.

Enyimba are nowthird on the table with35 points, whileNasarawa United have29 points.

Victor Namo put thehome team ahead totake his goals’ haul toeight, before BishopOnyeudo equalised forEnyimba to take his

Enyimba Force DrawAt Nasarawa

tally to nine goals.Namo told

M T N F o o t b a l l . c o mEnyimba were lucky toget a point from thegame.

“We deserved to winbut we didn’t. Weoutplayed Enyimba butthey were just lucky toget a point from thematch. We won’t let itweigh us down as we arelooking forward to ournext game,” Namo said.

HOME team 3SCfailed to beat Dolphins ina Nigeria league Week 22game as the teams battledto a goalless draw.

The game was playedbehind closed door aftera recent crowd troubleafter the match againstKwara United.

3SC now have 27points, while Dolphins areon 33 points.

Dolphins midfielderHassan Hussein toldMTNFootball.com that itwas a good game for themwhich they ought to haveeven won.

“We played well anddeserved not to lose. Wewent for victory but wecouldn’t get it. An awaypoint is a good resultwhich we will build on,”he said.

Meanwhile, El KanemiWarriors recorded theonly away victory of theweek with a 1-0 win over

Wikki Tourists in Bauchi.El Kanemi now have 34

points, Wikki have recorded23 points.

Chadian striker HassanHissein scored the back-breaking goal in the 85thminute and that sparked thehome fans to invade thepitch.

“We played better and thevictory was a deserved one.The home team’s fansentered the field and causeda commotion. They beat ourplayers and the cameraman.We don’t deserve this.There must be a stop tothis,” lamented El Kanemivice-chairman ModuAdamu Bata.

Meanwhile, Nigeria FAexecutive committeemember Leye Adepoju wasbeaten up by fans soon 3SCwere held to a 0-0 draw byDolphins.

The angry thugs attackedthe Oyo FA chairman afterhe allegedly ordered the

security to lock all theentrances to the stadium,which caused them ofentering to surrounding ofthe stadium alongside withmedia officer of 3SC, JubrilArowolo and journalists.

Adepoju was rescue byhis friends after he alreadyreceived some punchesfrom the thugs.

In a telephoneconversation, Adepoju

confirmed the story that hewas attacked by thugs afterthe game, saying “they(thugs) were instigated”.

Adepoju’s disciplinaryand organising committeeordered Shooting Stars toplay three home matchesbehind closed doors aftercrowd trouble during thehome game against KwaraUnited

SOUTH African SchoolsFootball Association NationalCoordinator ThembaShabalala believes healthycompetition at school levelwill boost the development ofSouth African football.

Shabalala was speaking atthe Eastern Cape leg of theMcDonalds Under-14Schools League which tookplace at the Rotary Stadiumin Mthatha on Saturday.

“We need to build a systemof play as a country,” he said.“We need to create

opportunities and platforms toscout for talent and involvingschools increases the capacityof these various developmentprogrammes.

“We’ll be very happy ifsome of the players who haveparticipated in thistournament make it to thenational junior teams or evenplay professionally in the nextfive years.

“This is the fourth year ofMcDonalds’ involvement inschool football and we’rehappy because every year we

see different faces anddifferent schools and that is asign of growth.

“We are hoping to reachmore schools in differentareas with every tournamentand that will go a long way inunearthing talent from allcorners of the country.”

Vulamazibuko, a schoolfrom Aliwal North, will nowrepresent the Eastern Cape atthe national championshipswhich will take place at theSinaba Stadium in Daveytonon September 19-21.

MICHAEL Eneramo hastold MTNFootball.com heunderwent a knee surgeryand not a heart operation asreported by the media.

“I didn’t undergo a heart

surgery. What I did was aminor surgery on my (knee)meniscus. It was asuccessful one and I willrecover in two, three weeksto join my team Besiktas. Idon’t know where the storyof heart operation camefrom. It was not true,” theNigeria striker toldMTNFootball.com

Eneramo has signed atwo-year deal with theTurkish giants Besiktas andwill join the team’s trainingcamp in Austria soon aheadof the resumption of the newseason.

Last season, the big strikerfired 12 goals in the leaguefor another Turkish clubSivasspor.

He featured for Lobi Starsin the Nigeria league as wellas Esperance of Tunisia.

HOSTS Rangers defeated Nembe City 2-0 in aNigeria league Week 22 match on Sunday to completea double over the visitors.

Rangers also beat NembeCity 2-1 in Yenegoa in aweek 2 game and have nowrecorded 33 points.

Ugonna Uzochukwugave ‘The FlyingAntelopes’ the lead in thesecond half with a rocketshot from 30 metres afterOghogho Oduokpe misseda first half penalty.

M e n s h a kChukwubuikem scored thesecond goal on his homedebut to put the gamebeyond hard-fightingNembe City.

Oghogho Oduokpe toldMTNFootball.com that thegame was tough butRangers deserved theirvictory.

“It was a tough game, Ieven missed a penalty butI thank God we won. Wedeserved it,” he declared.

Bayelsa 1 Pillars 0Akwa 2 Lobi 13SC 0 Dolphins 0ABS 1 Gombe 0Sunshine 3 Kwara 1Sharks 2 Kaduna 1Heartland 1 Wolves 0Rangers 2 Nembe 0Nasarawa 1 Enyimba 1Wikki 0 El Kanemi 1

NIGERIA strikerEmmanuel Emenike hashailed his full recoveryfrom long-term injuriesafter he scored on his returnon Sunday.

Emenike scored forSpartak Moscow in a 2-0win at Ural. He scoredSpartak second goal in the90th minute after comingon as a 63rd minutesubstitute for YuraMovsisyan.

“I thank God for theprogress I have made. Myjob on the field as a strikeris to score goals, I will be

glad to get more goals andhelp my team get manyvictories in the subsequentgames.

I don’t just want to bescoring goals, I alwayswant to score goals thatwill give my team victory.”

The big striker was firstsidelined by a hamstringinjury he suffered againstMali at the 2013 AFCONin South Africa.

He then suffered a long-term knee injury in hiscomeback game for hisRussian club and neededsurgery in Italysubsequently.

Emenike said hisappreciation will go to hisfamily and fans. “From thebottom of my heart, Idedicate the goal to myfamily and fans all over theworld for standing by meduring the time I wasinjured,” Emenike toldMTNFootball.com

H E A R T L A N Dsubdued Warri Wolves1-0 at home incontinuation of theNigeria league onSunday.

Heartland now have31 points, while WarriWolves remain on 34points.

Ebere Odichiescored the only goal ofthe match in the firsthalf.

‘The Naze

Millionaires’ captainChinedu Efugh toldMTNFootball.com thatit was not an easy gamebut they kept calm toturn back their hard-fighting visitors.

“It was not an easymatch, but we foughthard to get the neededvictory. Wolves gave usgood match,” Efughsaid.


CMYK

Printed and published by Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, 24, Airport Road, P.M.B. 1334 Benin City. Telephone; Lagos: 01 4930929, Benin: 052 257492, 257531Editor: Barr. Solomon Imohiosen (07030699646), Marketing Manager (08023457566), Advertisement Manager (08023808856) Lagos Office: 3/4 Amode Close, Kudirat Abiola Way,

By Olushonsun Bus Stop, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. Abuja Office: Floor 1, Edo House, 75 Ralph Shodeinde Street, Central Business District, Abuja. Tel/Fax: 09-5237631.All correspondence to: 24 Airport Road, Benin City. E-mail: [email protected] (ISSN 0331-2674)

THERE have beensome African First Ladieswhose controversial holdon the reigns of powereither stifled or destroyedoutrightly the politicalfuture of their spouses, butI doubt if any of theirindiscretions wouldsupercede those of DamePatience Jonathan. Theurge to wield their selfimposed powers, theconsequence of aprevalent culture ofcondescension, seems tohave always been the onlyreason for their actions.With dame Patience, Ihave very little doubt thatthis, and a burning urge tofight a deep rooted feelingof low self esteem, hasbeen the inspiration.Whether we like it or not,she has succeeded inredefining the rules of theNigerian political game,albeit with a belligerentapproach.

Dame Patience is notthe only African First Ladyto have imposed herwhims on her husband’saides, political appointeesand other elected officials,but there is very little doubtthat her reputation as aforceful and intrusivecharacter who hardlybends to contrary opinionsis exaggerated. It is alsoobvious that she eitherhas not read much aboutthe consequences ofthose First Ladies’ actionson their spouses or shesimply does not care.

There is also hardlyanyone who can competewith the many gaffes forwhich she has gained aspecial reputation. Fromher usually rib crackingattempts at rewritingenglish syntax to herunabashed display of astrong preference for feralpolitics and avarice. Noone beats “the dame” ather game. There are quitea few that are worthmentioning here: duringPresident Jonathan’s visitto the United States inSeptember 2012, shebreached protocol bydisembarking from theaircraft before thePresident, and shakinghands with officials waitingon the tarmac while thepresident was still comingdown from the plane. Noone understands how thatcould have happenedwhen she must have beenbriefed by presidentialstaff about the necessaryprotocol. Obviously, in herusual character, she musthave told them off ordecided simply not tolisten. Because of this lack

of finesse, the damepresented the presidentialstaff as inexperienced andunprofessional.

Another example was ata press briefing shortlyafter being sworn-in asPermanent Secretary(PS) in Bayelsa State onJuly 20, 2012, damePatience made her desirefor constitutionalrecognition of the Office ofthe First Lady, and thefinancial trappings thatcould go with it, knownwhen, obviously self-absorbed, she saidrecognising the First Ladyin an official capacity will“enable the occupier ofthat position to enjoybenefits of the office liketheir husbands onretirement”. Her messagewas clear andunpretentious. Herappointment as a PS wasa bold political statementand a disingenious movethat exposed her avariceand queried the rationalebehind the government’santi-ghost workercampaign; considering hertight schedule as FirstLady, she would beregularly absent from herofficial functions as a stategovernment employee.

It was quite absurd ofdame Patience to becanvassing forconstitutional recognitionof her role as a spouse ofan elected official at thesame time as she wasaccepting a jobappointment that had asalary and several otherfinancial perks attached.Even worse is the fact thatshe had gone ahead tocreate a seal for the officeof the first lady, an officethat is not recognised bythe constitution, has noofficial responsibilities orsalary, and is onlyceremonial. In any sanesociety, that is nothingshort of seizing statepowers.

I doubt if anyone canrestrict dame Patience’snew found love of politics,not with the sense of selfworth she believes it hasgiven her. However, whileshe continues to bathe inthe murk that now definesher every utterance andaction and the trappings ofpresidential opulence, shehas either completelyignored theconsequences of heractions on the fate of herhusband or has becomeimmune to the very realdangers that her actions

portend for Nigeria’spolitical stability. If heraides had been doing agood job, she would haverealised by now that hersmartest move would havebeen to remain silent onpolitics and more vocal onthe myriad pressing socialissues that have stifleddevelopment in Nigeria.She chooses to do theopposite of this, and forreasons best known to hertoo.

Dame Patience is known

for her intrusive visits tostate capitals with her usualretinue of staff and friendsand a convoy that wouldusually stretch for severalblocks. Anyone who hasever been a victim of one ofthose visits is aware of theheavy-handedness of thepolice, closing almost allmunicipal access roads totraffic as her intimidatingconvoy drives past. We sawthis in Port Harcourt, theRivers State capital,recently. This is how onereport explains it: “Mrs.Jonathan’s securityarrangement paralysedactivities in the PortHarcourt GovernmentReservation Area for thefour days of her visit.Armoured personnelcarriers were deployed attwo points, while gun-wielding operatives mannedthe points leading to herprivate residence. Manypeople missed theirappointments because theywere prevented from

moving in and out of theirhouses.”

There was nothing newabout the securityformations around herresidence though, but whatmade this visit, with all itsmilitary trappings,interesting was the fact that

her arrangements had evencurtailed the movement ofthe constitutionallyrecognised head of the stategovernment, RotimiAmaechi. She obviously sawnothing wrong in this,breaking all knownconstitutional rules ongovernance structure. Sheprobably intended it that way,considering the immensepowers she has arrogated toherself as wife of thepresident and her angst overAmaechi’s rejection of herattempts at dictating thepolitical pace in the state. Tocrown her interference inRivers state politics, we sawrecently how her influenceon some members of thestate assembly fuelled anopen combat betweenmembers in the House asattempts were made toimpeach a “disloyal”Speaker, who chose to pitchhis tent with governorAmaechi even whenAmaechi was openlyopposed to Dame Patience’s

involvement in state affairs.One of those members,Evans Bipi, did not hide thefact that he and his cohortswere stirred by thedisrespect shown his“mummy” and “Jesus Christon earth” by governorAmaechi.

The excesses of damePatience have even beencriticised by members of thepresidential team. He maywant to distance himself nowfrom the scathing remarks hemade about her in 2010, butRueben Abati’s position wasclear and pertinent. In an op-ed he wrote about damePatience’s interference withgovernment functions inRivers state, and her attemptto impose her whims ongovernor Amaechi, Abatiquestioned her right tointerfere in matters that wereconstitutionally beyond herjurisdiction. For the sake ofposterity, it is necessary toquote from that lucid piece.In Abati’s words, “...DamePatience must have feltcompelled to be a partisanstakeholder and intercessor.She needed to put RotimiAmaechi, the state Governorin his place and that waswhat she did...” He says “Astate Governor is a dulyelected official; and in aFederal system, he is notanswerable to the President,and nowhere is the presidentgranted the powers of aHeadmaster over stategovernors. In Okrika, DamePatience behaved soimpatiently and spoke toGovernor Amaechi as if heis on the staff of thePresidency.”

Abati adds that “The wifeof the President of Nigeria,or a state Governor, or a localcouncil chairman, is not astate official. The sameapplies to husbands if thegender is reversed. He orshe is unknown to theconstitution or thegovernance structure.Recent history has howevermade it a convention to havethe spouses of persons insuch positions under theguise of providing support,play some ceremonial roles.This has been routinelyabused. Under the Jonathanpresidency, Dame PatienceJonathan even got a specialallocation in the originalbudget for the 2010 Golden

jubilee anniversarywhereas she has noofficial, financial reportingresponsibilities! Theinternational standard isthat spouses in thesecircumstances must notonly appear but be seento be above board likeCaesar’s wife. They mustnot misbehave like MarieAntoinette.” Abati may notbe bold enough toexpress such opinionsanymore but we thankhim for doing so then andvindicating many of us.

A spouse of an electedofficial is expected tohandle the position withgrace, humility, and besmart enough torecognise their role asmere appendages to theoffice. Where they fail torecognise this, they standthe risk of turning the tideof public opinion againsttheir elected spouses. Wehave seen this happenseveral times around theworld. No one wouldeasily forget theconsequences of LaurentGbagbo’s wife, Simone’sinsistence on holding onto power even after herhusband had clearly lostthe elections in Coted’Ivoire in 2010. In thewords of Raila Odinga,appointed by the AfricanUnion to broker a dealbetween

Gbagbo andpresidential challengerand election winnerAlassane Outtara; “He[Gbagbo] had agreed toleave,” Odinga reportedlytold a news reporter, “buthe went and talked to thewife, and she refused.Each time he talked to thewife, he came back adifferent person. She wasthe biggest stumblingblock...”

When they stormed thepalace and found Gbagboin a bunker, they asked ifhe wanted to be takenwith his wife. In MrOdinga’s words. “He said:‘No! Take her far awayfrom me. I don’t want tosee her.” For Gbagbo itwas too late to correct theindiscretions of hisspouse. It is not too lateyet for president Jonathanif he intends to maintainwhat little clout he has left.

Indiscretions Of A First Lady

Dame Patience Jonathan

nigerian observer 23 07 2013

Documents

state government iswarning

toedo state government

government house

army authority inedo

join government

stopillegal oil bunkering

involvedin oil bunkering

businessof oil bunkering