peoples daily newspaper, tuesday 25, december, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 9 No. 97 Tuesday, December 25, 2012 Safar 11, 1434 AH N150 . . . putting the people first

New sectclaims abduction

of Frenchman>> PAGE 2 >> PAGE 3

Al-Mizan Editor,reporter abductedin Kaduna>> PAGE 5

Dep Gov: Southern Kadunayouth threaten strike asYero nominates Bajoga

Jonathan fails toend fuel scarcity

CHRISTMAS

. . . Despite N161bn NASS approval

BUYING SELLING

$ 154.76 155.76£ 249.02 250.63EURO 201.11 202.41CFA 0.2894 0.3094RIYAL 41.24 41.53

BUYING SELLING

EURO 207 209£ 255 256RIYAL 42 44$ 157 158

CBN RATES

PD INDEX 24th Dec., 2012

PARALLEL RATES

Kwankwaso presents N235. 3bn 2013 budgetFrom Edwin Olofu, Kano

Contd on Page 2

Kano state governor, Rabi’uMusa Kwankwasoyesterday presented his

administration’s 2013Appropriation bill of N235,304,929,000 to the State House

of Assembly. Tagged “Budget ofEconomic Consolidation andFiscal Discipline”, it is made up ofcapital expenditure of N175, 510,102, 000, representing 75percent and a recurrentexpenditure of N59, 794, 827,000, representing 25 percent.

Governor Kwankwasoexplained that “the recurrentexpenditure proposal consists ofN2.2billion for consolidateRevenue Fund Charges (CRF),N35.839 billion for PersonnelCosts, and N21.706 billion forOverhead Costs while the Capital

expenditure programme ofN175.427 billion will be fundedfrom an expected surplus overrecurrent receipts of N89.071billion and an expected capitalreceipt of N67.139 billion”.

The governor described it as

Contd on Page 2

By Richard Ihediwa, AminuImam, Muhammad Nasir& Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

The acute fuel scarcitycrippling economicactivities in most cities in the

country has persisted despite theapproval of N161.617 billion bythe National Assembly forPresident Goodluck Jonathan tospecifically ensure the availabilityof the product during the yuletideand end of year festivities.

As at yesterday, many petrolstations in Abuja and other citiesacross the country had no fuelwhile thousands of Nigeriansintending to travel for Christmasand end-of-year festivities wereseen on long queues at the fewpetrol stations that had theproduct.

The situation has also left manytravellers and commuters in Abujastranded as most motorists stayed

Kano stateGovernor,RabiuMusaKwankwaso(right)presentingthe 2013budget totheSpeaker,Kano stateHouse ofAssembly,HonGamboSallau (left)at theAssembly’scomplex,yesterday.

CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSNews 2-10

Editorial 12

Op.Ed 13

Letters 14

Opinion 15

Metro 16-18

Business 19-22

S/Exchange 23

S/Report 25

Defence 26

Agriculture 28

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Niger state: Wherebillboards supplant

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Int’l 31-35

Politics 37-40

Sports 41-46

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Columnist 48

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2012PAGE 2

Jonathan fails to end fuel scarcityContd from Page 1

Dep Gov: Southern Kaduna youth threatenhunger strike as Yero nominates BajogaFrom Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

Kwankwaso presents N235. 3bn 2013 budgetContd from Page 1

The contentious issue of whobecomes the deputygovernor of Kaduna state

may have been laid to rest as thegovernment yesterday confirmedthe nomination of the state’sPeoples Democratic Party (PDP)Chairman, Ambassador NuhuAudu Bajoga, for the position.

The situation appears to havegone messier with a section ofBajoga’s kinsmen from southernKaduna threatening to embark onan indefinite hunger strike over thematter.

“Yes, His Excellency, AlhajiMuktar Ramalan Yero, hasnominated Nuhu Bajoga but we are

waiting for the House of Assemblyto screen him before we takefurther action,” the Commissionerfor Information, Saidu Adamu,said yesterday.

Protesting the development,leader of a youth group fromSaminaka, Maigari Abuja, saidthat: “we are going on a hungerstrike in order to register our protestover the imposition of AmbassadorBajoga on us as deputy governor.”

On its part, the youth wing ofthe Southern Kaduna People’sUnion (SOKAPU) at a pressconference yesterday, describedBajoga as an unpopular candidatefor the position noting that thegroup will not work with him.

According to the group’s

Secretary, Nasiru Jagaba, “we willcontinue to fight the cause of whatwe believe in and we wish to tell thewhole world that Bajoga’snomination is a grand design tofactionalize the state.

“Governor Muktar RamalanYero should reverse thenomination because the entirepeople of southern Kaduna stateare aggrieved.”

And, for the ConcernedSouthern Kaduna Professionals,the decision of Bajoga to accept hisnomination has revealed him as abetrayer of the people.

“He will eventually realize thathe has begun a journey into thewilderness of slavery, oppression,domination and political

emasculation,” a press statementfrom the group said.

According to the statementsigned by Dr. John Danfulani andPendo K. Yates, “we do not hesitateto remind Bajoga that as youngmen and women, if our lateGovernor Sir Patrick IbrahimYakowa is watching andreminiscing in the grave, thenBajoga has certainly betrayed himin death.”

Born in Kwoi 1949, Bajoga wasNigeria’s AmbassadorExtraordinary and Plenipotentiaryto Poland and ConcurrentlyAccredited to the Czech Republicbetween 2004 and 2007. He waselected Kaduna state PDPChairman in March 2012.

a balanced budget withexpenditure matching Revenueof the same size, adding that it ishigher than that of the Amended2012 estimates by N13,685,597,405, representing 6percent increase. Gov.Kwankwaso remarked withpleasure that the government istransiting into 2013 with ahealthy opening balance of aboutN20 billion.

Infrastructure got the lionshare of the budget, receivingN62. 4 billion, while Works andHousing was allocated N41. 8billion.

Projects to be executed underthese sectors include urban roadconstructions and dualizations,completion of some inheritedprojects, construction of twoflyovers, construction andChannelization of Kwarin Gogauto Jakara Road as well as take-offof Independent Power Plantsproject at Tiga and Challawa GojeDams.

According to GovernorKwankwaso, Education followed

on the priority list with anallocation of N24. 17 billion,highlighting that out of thisamount, N16 billion was set asidefor basic and secondaryeducation while N8.1 billion goesto commitments under highereducation.

Governor Kwankwasoasserted that N9. 68 billion wasearmarked for undertakingsunder the agriculture sector aspart of the administration’sresolve to make mass foodproduction the cornerstone of itsintervention in the real sector ofthe economy. Priority projects tobe undertaken under this sectorinclude production, provisionand distribution of fertilizer andgrains, construction of a new Zooat Bagauda and construction ofnew Kano Abattoir.

Under the health sector, thegovernment, he said, planned tospend N8.04 billion in the 2013fiscal year, explaining that themoney will be used in upgrading,expanding and rehabilitation ofhospitals and procurement ofspecialized equipment for them,

as well as the construction of twoschools of Nursing at Gaya andMadobi, and a School of Post BasicMidwifery at Gezawa, amongother projects.

He stated that N7.445 billionwas set aside for projects underthe Water Resources sector,N3.355 billion, Housing, N1.5billion for Information andCommunication Strategy, N1.2billion for Environment, andN1.005 billion, Commerce andIndustry.

Other sectoral allocations are:Rural and CommunityDevelopment, N605 million,Science and Technology, N615million; N1.189 billion forSecurity and Justice whileWomen Affairs is expected to getN345. 8 million.

“The 2013 budget will notonly consolidate ourdevelopment efforts but willensure frugal and efficiency inour expenditure programmes.We intend to use the limitedresources at our disposal toachieve maximum impact”,Governor Kwankwaso

maintained.The governor charged

Ministries and governmentagencies to ensure effectiveperformance, transparencyand accountability in thedischarge of their functions,adding that more attention willbe paid to project monitoringand audit of financialtransactions to achieve the setgoals of the Kwankwasiyyagovernment.

He then solicited continuedcooperation of the people of thestate to forge ahead andthanked the State Assembly,development partners andphilanthropists such asDepartment for InternationalDevelopment (DFID), theWorld Bank, Aliko Dangote, Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation aswell as the federalgovernment’s TertiaryEducation Trust Fund(TETFUND), and UniversalBasic Education Commission(UBEC) for matching grantsand for their proactive supportto the government’sdevelopment objectives.

off the road following theirinability to get fuel. Alreadytransport fares have increaseddrastically as motorists are now leftat the mercy of black marketerswho sell fuel as high as N200 perlitre in Abuja and other cities.

In some cities outside statecapitals, fuel now sells as high asN150 in filling stations as againstthe N97 per litre official pumpprice.

Jonathan had on December 11,requested for the approval ofadditional N161.617 billion to payfor fuel subsidy to ensureavailability of fuel during theperiod, a request which wasspeedily granted by the twochambers of the NationalAssembly in the public interest.

Jonathan had, in the requestletter to the National Assembly,told lawmakers that the provisionfor fuel subsidy in the 2012 wasunderestimated adding that in

addition to the N880.264 billionalready spent; he would needaddition N161.617 billion to addthe remaining N7.735 billion to“maintain a steady flow ofpetroleum products, especially inthe run-up to the festive season”.

However, since the approvalwhich came within the same weekthe request was made, the scarcityof the product has persisted withNigerians suffering untoldhardship following high prices offuel resulting in rising transportfares and high costs of consumergoods and services.

Our reporters who went roundthe FCT met many empty petrolfilling stations, while those sellingproduct had very long queues ofvehicles waiting for hours on endfor fuel. In some filing stations,operators were seen collectingbribes from motorists beforeserving them. Many motoristswere seen patronising blackmarketers who sell at exorbitantprices.

The acute fuel scarcity whichJonathan had promised to endespecially to enable Nigeriansenjoy their end of year festivitiesstarted a few months ago in Abujabut has spread to other parts of thecountry with spiral negative effecton the economy.

Efforts by Peoples Daily to getreactions from the Presidency didnot yield result as relevantofficials, including the Presidentialspokesperson, Reuben Abati couldnot be reached on phoneyesterday.

Also efforts to get the officials ofthe Nigeria National PetroleumCorporation (NNPC) and theMinistry of Finance to commenton the matter failed as the SpecialAssistant, Media and Publicity tothe Minister of Finance, PaulNwabiukwu and NNPCspokesman, Dr. Omar Farouk didnot pick their calls and did not replyto text messages on the matter asat press time last night.

However, a top official in one of

the filling stations visited in Abujacity centre said his station has notbeen encountering any problemwith the marketers, adding thathe receives petroleum productsevery day. According to him, “It’sjust panic-buying by motorists. Weare expecting one more truckstoday, about 33,000 litres”.

A fuel attendant at an Oandofilling station, Hauwa Uthman,said many Nigerians arepanicking that petrol price wouldbe increased to N150 per litre byJanuary, 2013 saying that couldbe responsible for the currentexperience.

However, a civil servant,Aminu Ibn Isa, who was seen atthe petrol station, said the majorproblem with the country is thatof leadership failure stressing that“with or without subsidy, fuelqueues will never disappear”. Hesaid “the major problem we arefacing in Nigeria is lack ofleadership; without leadership, wewill continue to suffer”.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2012 PAGE 3

Chopper crash: Jonathan visits Azazi's Lagos home

President GoodluckJonathan was in Ikoyi,Lagos home of former

National Security Adviser, GenAndrew Owoeye Azazi tocommiserate with his familymembers for the loss of theirpatriarch in the ill-fated navalchopper which crashed in thecreeks of Bayelsa on the 15th ofDecember, 2012.

General Azazi had served themilitary as Directorate of Military

Intelligence (DMI) boss, Chief ofArmy Staff and Chief of DefenceStaff in a glittering career wherehe also served President Jonathanas National Security Adviser(NSA).

Late Azazi's wife, children,grandchildren and other relativeswere at hand to receive thePresident who came in at exactly10:20 am.

Chief of Staff to the President,Mike Oghiadome who spoke on hisbehalf expressed the condolences ofMr. President to the family,hailing the departed general as a

patriot and diligent officer."Azazi was indeed a great man,

a diligent officer and patriot. ThePresident had already organised aspecial Federal Executive Council(FEC) meeting in his honour andvarious council members had theopportunity to speak glowinglyabout him.

“They all had good words forhim because he gave his best forthe country. He rose by merit tobecome a four-star general.Because the President hadconfidence in him, he was madethe NSA.

“He was a good communityman. He chaired the floodcommittee of his home state, themost affected state.

“He has played his role in hisfamily, community and countryeven internationally. We shouldtake solace in the fact that he liveda good life. He has laid a goodfoundation for the family…

Ogiahdome continued: "ThePresident has asked me to expresshis deepest sympathy to yourfamily."

On the Presidential train wereministers of Aviation, Princess

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem,in Lagos

Stella Oduah; Defence, OlusolaObada and Petroleum Resources,Diezani Alison- Madueke as well asother presidential aides. Formergovernor of Cross River state,Donald Duke also attended thecondolence visit.

It would be recalled that Azazi,former Kaduna governor,Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa andtheir respective aides as well astwo crew members had died onthe spot after a helicopter crashhaving attended the burial ofOronto Douglas' father in Bayelsastate.

Family going for Christmas celebration yesterday at Mararaba, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

New sect claims abductionof Frenchman in KatsinaA radical Muslim sect simply

known as Ansaru, hasclaimed responsibility for

the kidnapping of a Frenchmanin Katsina last week.

In a statement emailed tojournalists, Ansaru "announces tothe world, especially the Frenchgovernment, that it wasresponsible for the abduction of

engineer Francis Colump...63,working for the French companyVergnet."

Colump was kidnapped lastThursday when gunmenstormed a residence in the villageof Rimi in Katsina state. Asecurity guard and one otherperson were killed in a spateshootings and detonation ofexplosives. The attackers had alsobombed a nearby police post.

Ansaru says the kidnappingwas in response to France's role inpushing for an intervention forceto drive out Islamists who havetaken over northern Mali.

It also blamed "the stance of theFrench government and theFrench people on Islam andMuslims," in particular a lawbanning the use of headscarfs.

"We inform the Frenchgovernment that this group will

By Julius Ogar, with agencies continue launching attacks onthe French government andFrench citizens...as long as itdoes not change its stance onthese two issues," the statementcontinued.

Not much is known aboutAnsaru, which could be yetanother off-shoot of Boko Haram, amilitant group which has beenresponsible for series of deadlyattacks in Nigeria.

Seven soldiers died whilethree other persons werecritically injured around

1:30 pm in an accident involvingthree vehicles at Awawa on theAbaji-Abuja highway according toNigerian Road Safety officials.

The soldiers died as a truckconveying them collided head-onwith another truck coming from

the opposite direction. AnotherToyota 18-seater Hiace bus wasalso involved in the accident.

Another accident also occurredon the Lokoja-Abuja highway, thistime killing three passengers andinjuring three.

Road safety officials said theyrecovered N50,460 and a live goatfrom the crash scene.

Seven soldiers, three otherskilled in multiple crash

Christmas: Shettima chargesChristians to pray for peace

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru,Maiduguri

Governor KashimShettima of Borno stateyesterday charged

Christian faithful to use theChristmas spiritual period to offerextensive prayers for therestoration of peace in the state andthe country at large.

Governor Shettina made theplea in a Christmas message issuedby his special adviser oncommunications, Isa Umar Gusau.

The governor noted thatrestoration of peace is of greatbenefit to the citizens and thateveryone should regard it as anobligation to offer meaningfulcontributions in that direction.

The statement also quotedShettima as re-iterating governmentdetermination to assiduously adoptconcrete strategies to bring a lasting

solution to the security challengesfacing the state to make it regain itsformer status as the home of peace.

Government, the statementadded, has evolved solid measuresto tackle abject poverty andunemployment among youths,which are the underlying factorsresponsible for the currentinsecurity confronting the state.

The Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission (EFCC),yesterday, arrested

businessman, Wale Babalakinshortly after he left the LagosUniversity Teaching Hospital(LUTH) where he had soughtrefuge on the pretext of illness.

Babalakin is currently detainedat the Ikoyi offices of the agency wheresources said he might be grantedanother "administrative bail"pending his arraignment before aLagos judge on January 17, 2013.

The EFCC alleges thatBabalakin and his cohortstransferred various sums of moneyon behalf of jailed former governorof Delta state, Chief James Ibori,through third parties to some

foreign accounts under the guiseof purchasing a BombardierChallenger jet from Canada.

As at time of this reportBabalakin is still a guest at theEFCC office.

A Federal High Court judge onFriday tossed the application filedby embattled Babalakin, seekingto restrain EFCC from arrestingand prosecuting him for moneylaundering.

Justice Ibrahim Buba said hiscourt could not stop the EFCC fromarresting Babalakin to face crimesof money laundering.

In his ruling yesterday, JusticeBuba stated: “Nobody is above thelaw, no matter the person’s positionor status”. The judge subsequentlydismissed the application forlacking merit.

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

EFCC arrests Babalakin

Vice President MohammedNamadi Sambo yesterdaydescribed the controversy

surrounding the proposed new vicepresidential residence asunnecessary.

The VP argued that the projecthad nothing to do with him, addingthat the FCT administration wasonly carrying out its statutorymandate by constructing a newpermanent residence to serve anyoccupier of his present office.

A statement signed by the VicePresident's spokesman, Umar Sani,said: "Our attention has been drawnto unnecessary controversies thebuilding of the permanentresidence of the Vice-President isgenerating in the media.

“Having taken stock of issuesraised overtime, we find itnecessary to clarify and lay themto rest. Aguda House, the currenttemporary residence of the VicePresident was designated in theAbuja Master Plan as a PresidentialGuest House and the Federal CapitalTerritory Administration which issaddled with the responsibility ofproviding accommodation todeserving government officials,decided to ensure that it implementsits master plan by locating thepermanent residence of the VicePresident to its present position andbuilding a befitting accommodationfor any Nigerian Vice President”.

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

Sambo exonerates self fromnew residence controversy

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2012

Gurara waterfalls, the Kainjiwild life park and the rich socio-cultural heritage of the Nupe andGbagi people to make NigerNigeria’s centre for tourism.

Governor Babangida Aliyuneeds to use his billboards,numbering in the hundreds totell the world how he hasmaximised the National CerealResearch Institute in his state tofix agriculture, he also needs toexplain his alleged opting forN519 million as rent as againstresiding in the GovernmentHouse in Minna.

Unmatched is thisadministration’s use of themedia to announce projects, mostof which start and end just there;in the media.

It is amazing that the ChiefServant, who regularly uses theMinna-Suleja road to and froAbuja to mop the monthlyfederal allocation, never seemembarrassed by the grave-sizedpotholes that ‘decorate’ thelength of the road. The Minna-Suleja road is just one of themany infrastructures crying forthe Chief Servant to redefine hisidea of development.

He should build a synergybetween the Research Institutein Badeggi, Federal University ofTechnology Minna and the local

farmers for improved seedlingsand modern farming techniquesand revive the sugarcaneplantations to feed the BachitaSugar Company. There is alsothe need for him to urgentlydraft and implement a robustirrigation programme forcommunities along the RiverNiger and other waterwayswithin the state.

Niger state produces a chunkof the electricity needed for thewhole country, Mr Governorshould look at the OMPADECdocument as a whole and pursuea better policy on derivationformula not in finance-wise butthe product. Niger state isstrategically located to enjoy

Niger state: Where billboardssupplant dividends of democracyTrue leaders only smile

when majority of theirelectorates, particularly

at the grassroots, smile. To getthis smile, the people must be theraison d’être for and the cause ofany policies and projects, not theego of those who hold the reignsof leadership in the society.

Ideally, a leader’s emergence,success and credence should notbe tied to their verbalgymnastics or financial cavern,though they could facilitate tosome extent, but come rudelyshort when actions fail to matchwords. And here lays the beautyof democracy and the curse ofthe inactive leaders.

In democracies like ourswhere votes don’t count, leadersjust dance to the tune of theirrigging machines and indeception, implementprogrammes only in the mediato give the impression of aworking administration.

This perhaps explains whyelected leaders echo and re-echotheir so-called achievements topermeate the nook and cranniesunder their jurisdiction, therebybringing in the cranes of themass media in the melee.

Good education may be agood ingredient for leadership,but it does not necessarily makefor a better leader, and Nigerstate provides an excellent casestudy. If good education werethe entire requirement toproduce a good leader, the “thepower state” should be rubbingshoulders with the mostadvanced in terms of economicgrowth in the country.

An academic doctor andveteran civil servant to boot, theincumbent governor of Nigerstate or Chief Servant, as heprefers to be referred, Dr MuazuBabangida Aliyu (TalbanMinna) ought to be the pride ofNigerlites.

Sadly, anyone who journeyswithin the power state, the stateof the roads will only convincethem that the only servants inthe state are the poorly servedcitizens of the state.

The situation of Niger stateunder Babangida Aliyu explainswhy senior colleague HannatuMusawa, described him as a man“suffering from diarrhoea of themouth”.

Niger state stands as one ofthe best natural investor-friendly states – with boundlesspotentials for agriculture,industries and tourism, amongother economic activities.

It has abundant fertile soil,with the evergreen River Nigerto change the face of irrigationfarming for good, and the BabanaSeaport to facilitate foreigntrade. The state also has thelargest concentration of Sheabutter trees, Moringa plant andthousands of acres of swampyareas suitable for for rice andsugarcane cultivation as well asfish farming.

In tourism, there is the

electricity more than any otherstate, this will invite heavyinvestors.

Investors are financeconscious human beings whowork with facts on ground notassumptions and media talks.These are some of the facts Talbamust come to terms with.

As a concept, the “Talba YouthProgramme” in the state iswonderful, but after five yearsof implementation its successleaves much to be desired. Timeswithout number, the governorhas been on the media on self-appraisal for the numerouspackages his administration hasbrought to the state. This is all“French politics”. Words are like

drugs, its either they are usedor expire on the shelves.

Talba’s alleged dream for afuture national assignment isn’tgoing to be merry-go-round asusual. The paradigm haschanged and Nigerians(Nigerlites inclusive) have gonebeyond mere onlookers. Thecountry is embattled ofqualitative leadership, and thedoggedness of Nigerians tochange this is no news.

To be sure, sooner thanexpected the time is comingwhen crooked leaders are jailed;crooks dangling on hooksbecause the books are fullybooked. Mr Chief Servant shouldknow that development comesthrough the roads, thereforethey must be built, the peoplemust have access to portablewater and the youths should beon board to help drive theeconomy forward.

For now, Niger state isn’tgreen, so we just have to leavefor pasture. No thanks to theChief Servant’s media-drivenadministration.

But know that when yourimmunity is gone, you’ll be soporous with no iota of defenceand oration, media might orbillboards won’t be there toembellish you.

While citizens in other states count their dividend of democracy in improved infrastructure, in Nigerstate they count their own in physical structures of a different kind; billboards, writes Abdulkadir Isa.

“As a concept, the “Talba Youth Programme”in the state is wonderful, but after five years ofimplementation its success leaves much to bedesired. Times without number, the governor

has been on the media on self-appraisal for thenumerous packages his administration has

brought to the state. This is all “French politics”

One of the numerous billboards that litter Niger state.


Establishing a livestockministry at the federallevel would stop the

incessant Fulani and farmersclashes happening across thecountry, according to the Jigawastate chairman of Miyetti AllahFarmers Association.

The chairman, Alhaji Ya'uAbdullahi Haruna, who stated thisyesterday at the flag-off campaign

for cattle immunization, said itwould give adequate timing andplanning against the perennialoccurrences of feuds that areavoidable.

Alhaji Ya'u Haruna noted thatin many countries, such aministry has been in existence anddoing very well. "We are also inneed of such here in Nigeriabecause responsibilities are toomuch in the Ministry ofAgriculture in which livestock

Miyetti Allah calls for livestock ministryhave not been getting the deservedattention from governmentdespite its importance".

Meanwhile, the Jigawa stategovernment has expendedN847.9 million on livestockdevelopment in line withgovernment’s effort at achievingfood security for the nation.

This was disclosed by theCommissioner for Agriculture andNatural Resources, Alhaji Rabi'uIsah while delivering his address

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse at the flag-off of the annual animalimmunisation in Kiyawa localgovernment area in the state.

Alhaji Isah explained that theLamido-led administration hasspent over N539 million onconstruction of 50 wind powerpumps at 50 secluded grazingreserves across the state.

The commissioner explainedthat the government has alsocommitted N68.9 million on theprovision of three veterinary

As Nigerians celebrateChristmas today,President Goodluck

Jonathan has charged thecitizenry to continue to believe inthe Transformation Agenda of hisadministration which he said willbegin to yield results in the newyear.

This is just as the President’swife, Mrs. Patience Jonathanhas urged Nigerians,particularly Christians, to prayfor peace and development ofthe country.

In a Christmas message signedby his spokesman, Dr. ReubenAbati, the President urgedNigerians to emulate the virtuesof Jesus Christ and live a life ofhonesty and sacrifice.

“The virtues and ideals ofpeace, tolerance, faithfulness,honesty, justice, fairness, truewisdom, knowledge andunderstanding which He taughtand exemplified also remain veryrelevant to us in Nigeria as wecontinue to grapple with thechallenges of development andnation-building.

“My administration continuesto do its best to give our belovedcountry effective leadershiptowards rapidly overcomingpresent challenges...

The message continued: “Noone should doubt that we have thepolitical will and determination todeliver on our promise of positivechanges in the living conditions ofour people in the shortest possibletime.

“While we continue to deal

with the regrettable distractionsposed by threats to peace andsecurity in parts of the country,the Federal Government remainsvery focused on the primaryobjective of achieving significantimprovements in priority areassuch as public infrastructure,power supply, transportation,roads, health, education, jobcreation, agriculture andindustrialization as quickly aspossible.

It is my hope and expectationthat more of the efforts, actions andmeasures we are alreadyundertaking in these areas willsuccessfully come to fruition nextyear and make the results of thediligent project planning andexecution being done under thisadministration more apparent toall Nigerians”.

Jonathan, wife felicitate with Nigerians at ChristmasBy Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

clinics, and about N60 million onannual vaccination from 2007 todate and N87 million on surveyand demarcation of 50 grazingreserves at the sum of N36 millionon six wet salting shades.

According to him"government is making allnecessary efforts to establish a solidand excellent enablingenvironment for this occupation(livestock) to grow and prospersteadily and sustainably".

By Lambert Tyem

Following the securitychallenges bedeviling Bornostate, the state’s chapter of

the Christian Association ofNigeria (CAN), yesterday enjoinedChristians to dedicate themselvesto extensive prayers during theChristmas festivity.

According to CAN, Christians

should use the period as an avenuefor seeking divine intervention forthe restoration of peace to thetroubled state.

State chairman of theassociation, Rev. Titus Pona whomade this call in a Christmasmessage issued to newsmen, taskedresidents to dedicate themselves tothe Word so that peace can berestored.

"My consolation to you as our

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru,Maiduguri

generation faces difficult times dueto prevalent security challenges,is to call your attention to the Wordof God”, he said.

The cleric also advocatedprayers for the protection ofspiritual and political leaders.

The CAN chairman noted thatGovernor Kashim Shettimadeserved prayers from the entirepeople of the state to enable himsucceed in his efforts to restore peace.

Insecurity: Borno CAN calls for prayers

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

From Yusha’u Alhassan, Jalingo

R-L: President Goodluck Jonathan, wife of the late former National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi, Mrs AleroAzazi, and the children, during the president's condolence visit to Azazi's family residence, yesterday in Lagos.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Three shot, fiveinjured in Bauchivillage attack

A gunman attacked Bigivillage, a suburb of Bauchimetropolis, in Bauchi local

government area and shot threepersons while five others sustainedinjuries in the process.

Bauchi state police command’sPolice Public relations Officer DSPAbbas Abdullahi confirmed theincident. He said: “Yes ithappened, but all the people shotdid not die; they are in the hospital;I don’t know the number but I sawthe signal”

Narrating the incident, asource said the gunman entered ajoint where people eat and drink;he sat there and ate somethingbefore bringing out his gun andshooting three persons. Othercustomers at the joint attemptedto overpower and arrest him; buthe hit two persons with the gunwho also sustained injuries beforehe fled.

Meanwhile the injured victimshave been taken to the AbubakarTafawa Balewa University TeachingHospital for medical treatment.

In a similar development, thepolice and army formations inBauchi metropolis have beenbarricaded.

FCT police arrest11 robbers,12 car snatchers...recover 38stolen vehicles

Federal Capital Territory(FCT)) Commissioner ofPolice Mr. Adenrele Shinaba,

yesterday, disclosed that thecommand has from September toDecember 2012, arrested 11armed robbery suspects, 12 carsnatching suspects as well asrecovered 38 vehicles of differentkinds.

Addressing journalists on theperformance of the command inthe past three months, the CPnoted that they also recovered 18arms, 24 cartridges and 155 liveammunition during the period.

Also, the police said about threehandsets and laptop computerswere found in the possession of somesuspects which did not belong tothem.

“The command in its effort atenhancing religious tolerancewithin the FCT, has established aninter religious forum comprisingof Muslim and Christian religiousleaders who meet every month toreview, the security situation inthe FCT as regards the security ofplaces of worship”. He said thecommand gives them securitytips and encouraging them tocontinue maintaining the peacein FCT.

Taraba to spendN73bn in 2013

The acting governor ofTaraba state, Garba Umar,has presented a budget of

over N73 billion to the state’sHouse of Assembly for the 2013fiscal year.

Of the amount, over N30billion is for recurrent expenditurewhile capital expenditure isallocated over N34 billion.

Umar said the agriculturalsector will receive the lion share ofover N1billion followed by thehealth sector under social serviceswith over N400 million.

He informed the members thatover N8billion was expected fromlocally generated revenue; N42billion from federal allocation; N7billion from value added tax andN12 billion from capital receipts.According to him, N2 billion isexpected to come from othersources.


LCCI report scoresNigerian economy low

The Technical Committeeinspecting private healthcentres in Plateau state has

shut 50 private health facilitiesbecause of poor standards,according to chairman of thecommittee, Dr. Silas Bot.

Bot told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) in Jos,yesterday, that most of thefacilities were closed "due to grossanomalies and failure to adhere tostandards as required bygovernment.

"We closed the institutions withgross anomalies and gavedirectives for the improvement ofothers because most institutionshad equipment and facilities thatrequired corrections andimprovement.

"We also discovered newprivate health facilities that werefunctioning without the

Plateau shuts 50 private health centresnecessary due process andpermission and we stopped themfrom operating”,

Most of the institutions closedwere manned by all kinds ofpeople, including untrainedpeople, in some cases, those nottrained for clinical work were seenin the laboratory, some laboratorystaff were seen performing duties

Niger stateGovernor, DrMu'azuBabangidaAliyu (left),signing intolaw the 2013AppropriationBill, yesterdayatGovernmentHouse, inMinna. Withhim areSpeaker ofthe stateHouse ofAssembly,Hon. AdamuUsman(middle), andthe stateChief Judge,Justice JibrinNdajiwo(right).

Lagos Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (LCCI) in its BusinessEnvironment Report 2012,

disagrees with the FederalGovernment's claims of significantgrowth of the nation's economy.

The chamber said "the businessand economic environment wastypically characterised by upsidesand downsides, but the latter seem tohave outweighed the former. Theeconomy (as always) offeredtremendous opportunities during theyear, but the capacity of investors toharness the opportunities wasconstrained by the prevailingchallenges of the operatingenvironment. The limitations wereeven more profound for indigenousentrepreneurs".

The report signed by LCCI directorgeneral, Muda Yusuf, is an evidence-based assessment of the businessenvironment in 2012 with inputsfrom its members and stakeholders


in the Nigerian economy.The report says the operating

environment was generallyadjudged to be unsatisfactory bymany investors, insisting that thedownside was more overwhelmingfor investors.

"This had profound impact onreturns on investment and profitmargins. The broad issues andchallenges included weak consumerdemand, cost and access to credit,cargo clearing processes,transportation costs, especially thecollapse of the rail system;institutional problems, corruption,especially in relation to public sectortransactions. Other concerns were

the uncertainty and inconsistencyin the policy environment, growinginsecurity, manpower issues andthe relevance of educationalcurriculum to the needs of theeconomy; high level of receivablesacross sectors, power supplychallenges, poor sectoral linkagesand weak commitment to thedevelopment of indigenousenterprise".

The security challenges in thereport says the economies of theaffected states suffered setbacksfollowing the closure of companiesand relocation to other states. Theimpact on job losses was profoundas a result

"Many firms lost a sizeableportion of their sales as they couldno longer access most part of thenorthern market; manufacturingfirms sourcing raw materials from thenorth faced new challenges; projectsfunded by banks in the affected statesare at risk and many bank brancheshave been closed, while the workinghours for others have beendrastically reduced".

The report also identified thatfunding was a major problem forinvestors in 2012 and blamedgovernment for the high cost ofborrowing at between 14-16% (whichis one of the highest globally) as a majorsource of credit problems in 2012.

of medical doctors".The committee chairman

called on the state government todirect the ministries of Health andLocal Government to set upinspection teams to carry outroutine inspection exercises toensure that sealed hospitalsremained shut.

"Such teams must also ensure

Bauchi gov'swife distributesfood items forChristmas

Wife of the governor ofBauchi state, HajiaAisha Isa Yuguda, has

distributed food items worth N46million to women for Christmas inthe 20 local government areas ofBauchi state.

Mrs. Yuguda who wasrepresented by the commissioner,Ministry for Women Affairs, HajiaTalatu Barwa, disclosed this tonewsmen in Bauchi while givingout the food items to womenleaders from various churches.

According to her, about 150churches are to benefit from thegesture. She said the decision wasin line with the Yugudaadministration's desire toconsolidate on the gains ofdemocracy toward helping theneedy and eradicating poverty.

that new and old hospitals adhereto the required professionalstandards", he said.

Mr. Shedrack Best, Secretaryto the State Government, whospoke on the development, saidgovernment had received thereport of the committee andwould implement itsrecommendations.

Bauchi Magistrate ordersarrest of MP

A Chief Magistrate Court inDarazo, Bauchi state hasordered the arrest of Ishaq Kana

representing Keffi, Karu Kokona federalconstituency of Nasarawa state in theHouse of Representatives.

The presiding Magistrate, IsaMohammed ordered the arrest of thelawmaker when he failed to appearbefore the court over criminalallegations filed against him and oneother person by the plaintiffs -Abubakar Usman and AlhassanAdamu-through their counsel,Barrister Usman Baffah Darazo.

The complainants alleged that the


Marketer attributes queues atfilling stations to panic buyinglawmaker purchased bags of maize

worth N9.5 million out of which hepaid N530, 000, pledging to pay thebalance of N8.9m within two weekssince August 2011.

Barrister Darazo alleged that thelawmaker together with one AbubakarBello, distributed the grains among hissupporters and made promises to settlethe said indebtedness but instead theykept deceiving the complainants.

The plaintiffs' counsel alleged thatthe accused person has no intention ofpaying the complainants therebygrounding their business contrary tosection 96 and 320 of the penal codeand punishable under section 97 and322 of the Penal Code and urged thecourt to punish the accused persons andorder the payment of compensation.

Mr. Adewunmi Ilori, theManaging Director ofMetib Oil and Gas, yesterday

attributed the long queues at fillingstations to panic buying.

Ilori told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Lagos that some motorists wereapprehensive that there might bescarcity of the product during the festiveperiod.

He said that there was no cause tofear in view of the current supplysituation by the Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation (NNPC) to theApapa, Ejigbo and Mosinmi depots, therewas no cause to panic.

"When there is panic buying, somemotorists may decide to buy the product

and keep it at home."Some motorists want to buy more

and keep because they thinkgovernment may increase the price atthe beginning of the 2013", he said.

Ilori said that some marketers werealso hoarding the product in anticipationof an increase pump price by the FederalGovernment.

He urged the Department ofPetroleum Resources to send its officialsto filling stations to sanction thosehoarding the product.

"With the repair of damagedpipeline at Arepo in Ogun and thepumping of petrol to Ejigbo and Mosinmi,the queues at the filling stations areuncalled for", he said. (NAN)


Mangal, Izalasave 1,020persons fromblindness

A renowned business tycoon,Alhaji Dahiru Mangal andan Islamic group, Jama'atu

Izalatul Bid'a Wa'iqamatus Sunna,have begun the treatment of 1,020persons suffering from eye-relatedproblems.

Addressing newsmenyesterday at the General Hospital,Katsina, centre of the treatment,the chairman of Izalatul Bid'a EyeFoundation, Alhaji AhmadMuhammad Bawa Faskari notedthat Mangal had contributed N3.5million for the exercise.

Faskari added that thetreatment comprises 340 personswho would undergo eyeoperations, 340 would receivereading glasses while another setof 340 persons would receive sunglasses.

The chairman stated that thetreatment taking place in KatsinaGeneral Hospital has attractedpersons with eye problems fromacross the 34 local governments ofthe state, adding that a totalnumber of 10 persons were selectedin each of the local governments.

According to him, the exercisestarted in 1998 where a SaudiArabian Al-basar Foundationvisited Katsina and performeddifferent forms of correctivetreatment for various categories ofpersons in the state.

From Lawal Sa'idu Funtua,Katsina


A commercial bus overloaded with passengers and goods sets-off for Christmas trip, yesterday in Nyanya,Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Vigilante group arrests 6 robbers of Globacom mast

A private security outfit,Danga ProfessionalVigilante, based in Toro

LGA of Bauchi state hassuccessfully arrested about six

suspected armed robbers in twoseparate operations along Jos-Bauchi road.

This followed several hoursof gun battles between thesuspected robbers and thevigilante group who, on tip-off,

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi barricaded the ever-busy Josroad with a view to arrest thecriminals at Magama Gumaujunction.

Chairman of the vigilantegroup, Alhaji Shehu Musa toldnewsmen in Magama while

parading the suspects that theywere informed at 3.am thatrobbers have invaded aGLOBACOM mast and cartedaway generator sets for powersupply to communicationantenna and forced the guardto lie face down while othersoperated.

Shehu added that thesuspects used two vehiclesduring the operation: one forconveying arms which laterran out, and a second PeugeotJ5 van with plate numberPlateau XA 160 KWK used forcarrying the Globacomgenerator sets.

Unknown to them, one of theguards managed to contactDanga vigilante group throughhis cell phone. Residents latercame to their rescue while fourother suspected robbers werearrested in the same areafollowing reported cases of cowtheft.

Speaking to newsmen, two ofthe generator suspects revealedtheir names as Obina Ezugwu,26, and Uche Okor, 30, bothfrom Anambra state living in

Jos, Plateau state. Theyconfessed to have stolen thegenerator in Kastinawa villagenear Tashin Durumi with andintends to sell it in Jos throughtheir accomplices.

They also acceptedresponsibility of stealing severalgenerators belonging to GSMcompanies even in Kaduna,Plateau and Bauchi states.Mallam Wakala from Zamfarastate who is the leader of cowthieves confessed to terrorizingsettlements along the Jos-Bauchi road for three years.

Wakala confessed to havedoled out about N105, 000 toboth the police and ShariahJudges in Toro LGA to aid hisrelease from detention arrestedfor several cow theft alongsidehis cohorts.

According to him, he hadtrained several youths in armedrobbery in the area only to enjoythe proceeds, adding that oneMallam Modu who lives inRauta village supplies themwith guns and ammunitions tocarry out their dastardly actsbut is at large.

Deputy Senate President IkeEkweremadu has calledon Nigerians to see the

Christmas season as a time forsober reflections and return tothe path of love and forgivenesslaid by Christ. Ekweremadustated this in a Christmasmessage to Nigerians.

In a statement issued by hisSpecial Adviser on Media, UcheAnichukwu, Ekweremadu saidthe underdevelopment and spateof insecurity in the land wereclear manifestations of a

regrettable departure from thelife of love, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice exemplified by Christ.

He decried such as not only amockery of the whole essence ofthe nation’s religious faiths andthe coming of Christ, but also adisservice to the labours of thecountry’s founding fathers.

Ekweremadu observed thatthe nation’s diversities were noexcuses for the wantondestruction of human lives andproperty, violent crime, andcorruption in the country.

He said: “We should never losesight of the fact that our founding

fathers considered ourdiversities, but nevertheless sawin them strength andopportunity to build a virile,stable, and prosperous nationwhen they insisted that thoughtribe and tongue may differ, inbrotherhood we stand.

“We therefore owe it to thisseason of Christmas and thememories of our fathers toretrace our steps and rebuild thebulwarks of love, patriotism, andintegrity preached by ourreligious faiths and espoused inboth word and action by ourfounding fathers”.

Christmas: Ekweremadu urges love, unityBy Richard Ihediwa

Pension Managers in KogiState have called for thesustenance of the prompt

payment of pension andgratuity.

The plea was made whensome retires received paymentof the one-year arrears andgratuity owed them under theBureau of Local GovernmentPensions.

Acting Chairman of theBureau of Local Government,Musa Yahaya Omoyi, madethe appeal when handingover cheques to somepensioners under the Bureau.

The money paid thepensioners include a year’s

arrears of their gratuity,November and Decembermonthly pension for thisyear. It all came as a surpriseto the pensioners who laudedthe passion displayed by theState Governor in offsettingthe backlog.

Similarly, the Director,Administration and Finance,Mrs. Hannah Ujah said thepresent administration madethe welfare of the pensionersa priority and l istened totheir pleas for payment ofoutstanding gratuityarrears.

She solicited for morepatience as efforts is currentlyunderway to defray whatever isdue to those yet unpaid.

Pay us promptly, Kogi pensioners pleadFrom Sam Egwu, Lokoja

Governor Abiola Ajimobi ofOyo State has charged thepeople of the state,

particularly Christians, toimbibe the spirit of love,humility, peace and selflessservice which the birth of JesusChrist has brought to the world.

He gave the charge whilespeaking at the 2012 ChristmasCarol Service and Nine Lessonsheld on Sunday at theRemembrance Arcade,Government House, Ibadan.

The governor also stressed theneed for Christians to bebenevolent by giving to those inneed and by forgiving those whooffended them in any way.

“Let us try and forgive thosewho offended us ; for those of youwho I might have offendedknowingly or unknowingly,particularly those of you whohave had your kiosks on thestreets where you are notsupposed to trade removed, Ipray for forgiveness,’’ he said.

The governor called onleaders to always seek wisdomand courage to do what is rightfor the progress, unity anddevelopment of the country.

He commended the spiritualleaders in the state for theircontinued prayers which hesaid, had contributed to thesuccess of his administration sofar.

Governor Ajimobi notedthat the state had beenenjoying relative peace sincethe inception of hisadministration, adding thatdespite the fact that there werethree political parties ingovernment, there had beenpeaceful co-existence betweenthe executive and thelegislature.

In his sermon, theArchbishop of Ibadan Diocese ofAnglican Communion, Rev.Segun Okubadejo, called onleaders and political officeholders to seek the wisdom ofGod in directing the affairs ofthe people.

Imbibe Christ’s virtues,Ajimobi charges Christians

In its determination to providepotable drinking water for thecitizens, Borno state

government has expended overN1.8 billion for the execution ofvarious water related projectsacross the 27 local governmentareas.

The state Commissioner forWater Resources, Ahmed MaiSheriff, disclosed this yesterday,while briefing newsmen on theachievements of the ministry inthe past 17 months.

Sheriff explained that some ofthe projects were alreadycompleted, while others are on

various stages of completion.He stated that government

resolved to adopt aggressiveapproach in tackling the persistentwater scarcity, especially in thenorthern senatorial district,through investing heavily in thesector.

According to him, due to theimportance of water for bothhuman and animalconsumption, Governor KashimShettima has tasked the ministryto do everything within its powerto see to the end of the lingeringwater-related problems in allparts of the state.

The commissioner added thatin a bid to meet the set target, the

ministry has awarded contractsfor the execution of variousprojects and for the maintenanceof existing ones.

Sheriff noted that a N500million contract was awarded forthe construction of BulabulinNgarnam and Dala Alajeri watertreatment plants

He added that N80 million wasalso spent for the construction ofUba and Lasa water schemeprojects.

Others are: construction of 150boreholes in the rural areas at thecost of N500 million, while thesum of N70 million was expendedfor the renovation of boreholesacross the state.

Borno spends N1.8bn on water projectsFrom Mustapha Isah Kwaru,Maiduguri

From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan


NIWA flags off ferry servicesfrom Lokoja-Onitsha

Ife Development Association(IDA) in Omala localgovernment area of the Kogi

state has urged President GoodluckJonathan to intervene over anabandoned bridge project linkingthe state through Guto town inNasarawa state.

Construction of the bridge wasflagged-off by former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo on May 12,2007 under a pilot Public Private

Partnership (PPP) project.Addressing a press conference

in Kaduna at the weekend, the IDApresident, Gabriel Ibrahim, notedthat the Federal Government hadalready committed billions of nairato the project with additionalcounterpart funding from the Kogistate government.

According to him, the bridgewas conceived not only as analternative route to and from theFederal Capital Territory (FCT)but also the shortest and most

From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna viable route to the eastern andsouthern parts of the country.

Ibrahim said: “The need tocomplete the abandoned Bagana-Guto bridge has become a focalpoint of north and south-easttravelers as the most expedientremedial alternative.

“The Ife DevelopmentAssociation (IDA), a socio-culturaland development focusedorganisation has been followingPresident Goodluck Jonathan’sdevelopment programmes as

encapsulated in the NationalTransformation Agenda and hasall reasons to believe that theadministration will not indulge inwaste and abandonment of projectsof huge economic value to thenation.

“This is why we consider itimperative to draw the graciousattention of Mr. President on thisadvocacy for the completion ofBagana-Guto bridge.

“The Federal Government hasalready committed billions of naira

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

Gov Ahmedurges Christians topreach nationalrebirth, peace

National InlandWaterways Authority(NIWA) Sunday in Lokoja,

flagged off its maiden passengerferry services from Lokoja toOnitsha.

Speaking at the ceremony, theManaging Director of NIWA,Alhaji Ahmed Aminu Yar’adua,said the flag-off was in line withthe organisation’s earlier promiseto introduce passenger ferry

service on the dredged channel ofRiver Niger.

Yar’adua, who was addressingpassengers and other stakeholdersat the flag-off ceremony, said thatthe 42-passenger ferry wasprocured at cost of N45 million.

He said that the ferry servicewas introduced at this period toreduce traffic congestion on Lokoja-Enugu-Onitsha road.

While urging Nigerians to

cultivate the habit of watertransportation, the NIWA boss saidthat the mode of transportation wassafer and cheaper when comparedto land, train and the road.

He said NIWA was planning tocollaborate with the private sectorto revive the nation’s inlandwaterways through the provisionof additional goods and passengerferries in some parts of the countryin 2013.

“We will put one in Lagos, twoin Yenogoa-Brass, one in PortHarcourt, one in Calabar-Oron,we also hope to put one in Onitshadown to South-South to Bomadiand also we want to put anotherone from Lokoja to Makurdi,” hesaid.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) correspondent, whowitnessed the inaugural sailing ofthe ferry from Lokoja-Onitsha atabout 8:30 am quoted Yar’aduaas saying that the journey wouldlast five hours as against six andhalf hours it would take by road.(NAN)

Kogi community appeals to FG over abandoned bridge projectto the project and Kogi andNasarawa state governmentshave also committed billions ofnaira to the project.

“The project commenced anda good number of pillars arealready raised and at this stage, itis economically unwise andinappropriate to abandon it.

“Kogi state government hasbuilt new roads to Bagana, tofacilitate smooth movement acrossthe bridge when completed” IDAstated.

Minister of Youth Develop-ment, Inuwa Abdul-Kadir has advocated for

the mentoring of youths in Nigeriaand Africa on ecological safety inorder to secure future generationsand for sustainable development.

He said this in Bali, Indonesia,at the World EcologicalSafetyAssembly organized byInternational Ecological SafetyCollaborative Organization.

Kadir stated that the need toinvolve youths in tackling futureecological challenges has become

imperative because of theastronomical increase in thepopulation of youths as well as thenecessity to groom the youths forfuture challenges.

He emphasized the great roleof the youths in world affairsparticularly in present and futureinitiatives which border onecologically safe environment forsustainable socio-economic growthwhile tracing the drawbacks ofecological disasters such as flooddisaster, desertification, gullyerosion, drought and deforestationon the socio-economic and politicalenvironment.

By Albert AkotaIt was fanfare at the weekendin Osun state at the justconcluded annual Iwude Day

Festival which brought indigenesfrom all walks of life together tocreate a platform for the socio-economic development ofIjeshaland.

Cashing on the event, theGovernor of Osun state, RaufAregbesola thanked theparamount ruler of Ijeshaland,Oba Adekunle Aromolaran for hisencouragement and support andalso admonished the gatheringthat they must live as one, “talkmore on things that unite us not

the things that divided us.“One can only live in an

environment where there is peacefor the fact that we are happy inour region, we must not forget theregion that lack peace and alwaysremember to pray for them”, hesaid.

Aregbesola appealed to thecitizens of the state to takeagriculture very seriously andthanked the organizers for a wellpackaged event.

Earlier, Aromolaran extolledthe virtues Governor Aregbesolawhose tenure “is peaceful” andurged him to dualise the road fromIlesa roundabout to theInternational breweries. He also

From Bolaji Olasunkanmi, Osogbo told the governor that the towndeserves pipe borne water.

“It is not good that Ilesha wouldbe as big as this yet the people wouldbe drinking well water”,Aromolarin said.

He counseled the illustriousson’s and daughter’s fromIjeshaland to always remembertheir home and support activitiesthat would make Ijesha and Osunstate great.

Some of the dignitaries at theoccsion include the DeputyGovernor of the state, Mrs OlaoyeTomori; Speaker Osun State Houseof Assembly Hon. Najeem Salam,serving federal and statelawmakers.

L-R: Gombe stateGovernor, AlhajiIbrahim HassanDankwambo,receiving a memofrom therepresentative ofthe people ofMalleri ward,Alhaji Yaya Baka,during thegovernor's recentconstituency visitto Malleri ward,in Gombe state.

Minister advocates mentoringyouths on ecological safety

Gov Aregbesola urges unity at Iwude festival

Kwara state Governor,Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmedhas urged Christians in

the country to use the periods ofChristmas and the New Year topreach national rebirth andtransformation and pray for thepeace and unity of the country.

In a statement signed by theChief Press Secretary, Alhaji ObaAbdulwahab, he said the periodshould also be seen as a season forshowing love, especially to theneedy in the country.

Governor Ahmed saidNigerians must always project thevirtues of humility, self denial andbrotherhood, which are thehallmarks of the teachings ofChristianity and other religions.

“I do believe that at this period,more than any other time in ournational history, Nigeria needsGod’s favour which we can getthrough fervent prayers, show ofcompassion for others and unityagainst hatred and avarice. Theseare the lessons we should take awayfrom this festive season”.

The governor commendedChristian religious leaders in thestate for promoting harmonythrough their preaching andurged them not to relent even afterthe celebration of the birth of JesusChrist now and beyond.

He assured the people of Kwarastate that his administrationwould continue to be fair and justto all religious adherents and alsocommitted to the realisation of theobjectives of the Shared ProsperityProgramme designed to transformthe State into the most industrialand economically virile state inthe country.


The first rule of anytechnology used in abusiness is that automationapplied to an efficientoperation will magnify theefficiency. The second isthat automation applied toan inefficient operation willmagnify the inefficiency.— Bill Gates

Quote

Good financial habits are notautomatic but must beinstilled. The greatest gift

you can give your children is toteach them to be financiallyindependent.

In this regard, experts say thereis need for you as parents to sharestories with your children aboutyour own financial mistakes, sothey do not make the same in theirtime.

They say part of our job, asparents, is to teach your childrenfiscal responsibility. You have toteach them the basics of finance.

Adewale Adeleke, managingpartner, WA Professionals, Lagos,says it is wise to teach childrenabout money at early age, as earlyas when they can count. Thechildren at that stage learn fast byobservation therefore consciouseffort must be made to teach themthe right attitude early.

He says children can beintroduced to money through thefollowing means: communicatewith children as they grow aboutyour value concerning money,introduce children to value ofsaving versus spending, whenchildren are giving an allowance,give them the money indenomination that encouragesaving, take children to bank toopen their own savings accounts,keep good records of money saved,invested or spent is anotherimportant skill young people mustlearn, use regular shopping tripsas opportunities to teach childrenthe value of money, allow youngpeople to make spending decisions,and alert children to dangers ofborrowing and paying interest.

Experts suggest that once yourchildren have figured outbudgeting, assuming they havefinished college and are living ontheir own, you slowly wean themoff your expense account.

A number of parents stop payingfor their children's expenses oncethey have finished college, especiallysince many parents struggle withtheir own expenses and retirementprospects. But if parents can affordto help their children financially atthe start, they say, it will be betterin the long run.

You also need to get yourchildren into the habit of savingmoney. Encourage them to save20 percent of their paycheck eachmonth.

Financial planners suggestthat parents take one to two yearsto get their children on their owntwo feet financially, starting byremoving support for smallerexpenses first. For instance, youcould tell them that for the first sixmonths, you will pay for their cellphone plan, but after that, it is upto them to continue. You can dothe same for their car insurance,allowing them 12 months beforethey take over payments.

Furthermore, you may wantto tackle the largest financialstrain for your children, which willlikely be student loans. Theysuggest that you help them paythe loans for the first 18 months.

Helpingchildren tobe financiallyindependent

Scammers are getting smarter,guard your ATM cardsAs the awareness on cashless

policy is on going across thecountry, it is also important

to equip yourself with theknowledge on how to protect yourfinancial information while usingATM, Credit and Debit cards.

In recent times, the rate of thecrime called skimming has beenon the increase. As the use of debitcards has risen, the number ofscam and fraud artists targetingconsumers' hard-earned cash hasalso risen. This is as a result of thelarge return that the scam artistcan receive with little effort.

Experts advised that to protectyour financial information whenyou shop on-line, you must becareful of the information you giveout. Their advice is against thebackdrop that Scammers can stealyour ATM or credit cardinformation without your evennoticing, and the technologybehind their tricks is getting moreand more advanced.

According to David Dow, anexpert, skimmers are a serioussecurity threat. Credit cardskimmers are essentially devicesthat thieves place over the actualcard readers on an ATM or creditcard terminal to collect yourfinancial in-formation forfraudulent use. As your card passesthrough it, that skimmer readsyour card's magnetic strip, therebycollecting your card's information.Beyond that, though a surprisingamount of variation exists in thehardware and exact methodologybehind these scams.

The hardware itself can rangefrom small, cheap skimmers thatcan be spotted fairly easily to

elaborate 3D-printed rigs that arealmost indistinguishable from anactual ATM.

Skimmers also vary wildly inexactly how they collect yourinformation. Just collecting yourcard number is not enough, so mostskimmers also include some wayto capture and store your PIN andyour card's security code (typicallya three-digit code that is found onthe back of your card). Someskimmers include a false keypadthat is placed atop the actualkeypad that collects your PIN, butnewer devices utilize harder-to-detect pinhole cameras mounted

above the keypad--cameras thatcollect images of you entering yourpersonal information.

The skimming devices canstore the information locally andbe physically picked up bycriminals, but more and more ofthese devices transmitinformation to their owners. Someskimmers simply connect to aphone line, but skimmers that sendinformation wirelessly arebecoming more common. Somewill even transmit datainformation to the scammer's cellphone via Bluetooth.

Dow said with all these tools at

criminals' disposal, it may seemimpossible to protect yourself froma skimming operation.Fortunately, you can take a fewsimple steps to avoid falling preyto skimmer scams. The first andmost ob-vious is to take a carefullook at an ATM before you use it. Ittakes an expert to spot the mostsophisticated skimmers, but thoseare the exception and not the rule.

Be suspicious if something lookslike it's sticking out too far or if itdoesn't match with the rest of themachine's design. Many skimmersare fairly shoddy pieces ofequipment that are weakly tackedonto to the card reader.

The conventional courts andother established organs do notpossess absolute rights to deal withcases of loan defaults. Besides, theconventional courts are over-congested and by the timejudgments are passed, the loanswould have gone bad.

According to the regulatoryguideline for microfinance banks bythe CBN; A microfinance loan is afacility granted to an individual ora group of borrowers whose principalsource of income is derived frombusiness activities involving theproduction or sale of goods andservices. The maximum principalamount shall not exceed N500, 000or and as may be reviewed fromtime to time by the CBN.

Generally, a microfinance loanis granted to the operators of micro-enterprises, such as peasantfarmers, artisans, fishermen,women, senior citizens and non-salaried workers in the formal andinformal sectors. The said loans areusually unsecured, but typicallygranted on the basis of theapplicant's character and thecombined cash flow of the businessand household.

Debt is a burden, and itsrepayment must be givena lot of priority if you want

to move on in life. The biggestmistake you can make in yourway to success is allowing yourcreditors to lose confidence in youbecause you do not pay debt.

Once somebody's reputation isin question, then the person'sdownfall has begun, because youmust depend on others to moveforward.

One factor which has madepeople lose access to credit is beingunable to pay debts after due date,creating doubt about theircredibility. It's only those who paydebts that can be able to get freshfacility no matter thecircumstance, having proved that

he or she can be relied upon whenit comes to keeping promise.

Investment experts say thesurest way to survive in businessis making sure those you meetalong your business chain havepositive experience about you,because through them you can getto your desired destination.

For these experts nothing cancreate negative experience inbusiness partnership than defaultin redemption of debt.

Unfortunately, it is in the habitof some persons to owe debt evenwhen they can afford to pay it.These people according to analyststhink only the short term,forgetting they may need to fallback on others to get up again.

Uchenna was doing well in hisbusiness and started importationof Children Toys from China,which made him popular amonghis colleagues.

With his poor attitude topayment of debt despite his cashflow, his friends and colleaguesdealt with him with a lot of caution.

Unfortunately for him, his lasttrip in September 2009 wasdisastrous as his Container of goodswhere laden with contrabandgoods and it was ceased at theboarder.

All efforts to get the goods outfailed after a lot of money were

spent, leaving Uchenna with nomoney to continue his business.

Ordinarily, Uchenna couldhave fallen back on his goodwill toclimb back again if he had any,but having been known by hisfriends and associates as a baddebtor, it was not possible for himto get assistance.

For Uchenna, good reputationis better than riches because youcan fall back on your networkwhen the chips are down. He notedthat, had he known he would havebuilt good relationship withfriends.

Sabina Alabadan, manager,HomeFinanace Consult saidordinarily no one would want topay debt particularly when thereis no pressure from the creditor, butmust have to be paid because it isburden on any one that has it.

Alabadan said a debtor cannothave freedom or concentrate on hisbusiness when his creditors will notallow him or her rest.

Lucy Lazarony, a financeexpert with Bank rate said the bestway to get rid of debt, is to attackthe balance with the highestannual percentage rate first andwhen that one is paid off, moveonto the debt with the next-highestinterest rate.

She said the amount you owedoesn't really matter when you're

paying an enormous amount ofinterest, but try to pay the highestinterest rate ones first. Muster allthe funds available and get thedebt out of your life.

Again experts say if knockingoff some low-balance bills first andeliminating a bill or two from thatthick monthly pile will give youthe boost you need to stick with apay-down plan, go ahead.

Others advice that you shouldbreak the habit of paying only theminimum required each month.Paying the minimum, usually 2percent to 3 percent of theoutstanding balance only prolongsthe agony and that's preciselywhat the banks want you to dobecause the longer you take torepay the charges, the moreinterest they make, and the lesscash you have in your pocket.Don't play their selfish game,experts say.

Pay up your debts to access fresh facility


This Christmas can bemerrier, alas!

To wish a fellow Nigerian aMerry Christmas now is, nodoubt, the hardest thing to

do. Precisely because 2012 hasleft him economically weakenedand physically insecure. It maybe just as difficult to wish yournext door neighbour aProsperous New Year given theforeboding of the outgoing year.

Yet, this is exactly whatChristmas, being celebratedtoday, December 25, in allChristendom to commemoratethe birth of Jesus Christ, thefounder of the Christian faith,calls for. As the Holy Scripturesays, just when the Earth seemedheaded for destruction becauseof Man's rebelliousness, God, hisCreator, showed himimmeasurable love by comingdown to earth in a human form(Jesus Christ) to save him.Christ would go on to show thatit was possible for man to live agodly life; more importantly, hewould demonstrate the greatestact of love by giving his life tosave Man from death-the pricehe would have had to pay for hissins.

The message of Christmas,therefore, is that people of thefaith, particularly Christians inthis context, must never give into despair, no matter howprecarious their situation.

“Regrettably, Nigerianleaders have not acquittedthemselves, individually or

collectively, well before Godand fellow Nigerians. Thereis nauseating corruption inhigh places and immorality

is eating up the land

However, this is not a call to sitback and do nothing because Godhas supplied salvation.Christians, at this time, should becontented with just drinking totheir fill from the cup of graceoffered by the divine birth ofJesus Christ but be challenged byhis exemplary life on earth,

marked by holiness, humility, andmore significantly, love which ledhim to take the place of the sinneron the Cross at Golgotha.

We at Peoples Daily share thejoy of our Christian brethren asthey celebrate Christmas, but webeg to advise against boisterousfestivities that would dull oursenses against the critical politicaland socio-economic challenges

that assail our nation today, andeven as we move into the Newyear. We should spare a thoughtfor lives already lost in theongoing Boko Haram insurgencyand other violent crimes; let usbe vigilant and give whatassistance we can offer to theauthorities. Above all, our faithin God must not waver, for, withGod on our side who can beagainst us?

However, God will not comedown from his place on high tofight our earthly battles. This iswhy He has given us leaders ashis eyes and ears. They aretherefore expected to be god-fearing, caring and strong.Regrettably, Nigerian leadershave not acquitted themselves,individually or collectively, wellbefore God and fellow Nigerians.There is nauseating corruptionin high places and immorality iseating up the land. Toparaphrase the Holy Scripture,Nigerians today are like sheepwithout a shepherd; ours is anation adrift. This occasion ofChristmas, therefore, offers anopportunity to all Nigerians torenew our faith in our God and,in particular, our leaders torecommit to the service of themotherland as never before.

This is Christmas; let's makemerry, but be also watchful.

OUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONOUR MISSION OUR PEOPLEOUR PEOPLEOUR PEOPLEOUR PEOPLEOUR PEOPLECHAIRMAN

MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

ALI M. ALI

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION

HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

EDITOR, DAILY

ABDULAZEEZ ABDULLAHI

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND

JAMILA NUHU MUSA

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING

HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU

ADESOJI OYINLOLA

“To be the marketplace of ideas and theleading player in the

industry by putting thepeople first, upholdingthe truth, maintaining

the highestprofessional andethical standards

while delivering valueto our stakeholders”

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innovative andtechnologically

reliant mediacompany offering

world classservices and

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OUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISION

DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRUFA’I IBRAHIM

EDITEDITEDITEDITEDITORIALORIALORIALORIALORIAL


As long as the world orderrests on a system of nations,some nations will aggregate

and project more powers thansome others. What explains thishierarchy of ordination andsubordination? Answers used toinclude population, geography,military capability, naturalresources profile and land mass.Today, that is ancientInternational Relations. Militarycapability is still the fulcrum andultimate guarantor of state powerbut it is not superior to leadership,knowledge power and amanufacturing or a productiveeconomy in that order. That’s thenew International Relations.

Let’s take an example. In spite ofher current socio-economicturbulence, the United States ofAmerica is still the greatest militarypower around. But its leadership ofthe post Cold War did not roar on thewings of its military capability buton its knowledge power.

Nothing can subtract fromFrancis Fukuyama’s brilliance butnobody can also deny that there iselement of empire intellectualismin his ‘End of History’ as theparadigmatic edifice upon whichGeorge Bush’s “New World Order”was erected. And when it wasdiscovered that something wasmissing from the Fukuyamaedifice, Samuel Huntingtonentered the story. He took onFukuyama in an essay titled, “TheErrors of Endism”. Subsequently,

there was a paradigm shift fromendism to the “Clash ofCivilisations”.

The point here is that, withthese two gentlemen, the US wonthe paradigmatic warfare as allsubsequent framing of the post ColdWar were either agreements ordisagreements with theirs. That ishow a super power settled theparadigm tussle by deploying theintellectual authority of two of theirbest minds who though retained thescholar’s autonomy even whileserving the system, consciously orotherwise.

This US example was how wealso started here in Nigeria.Remember the greatmethodological and theoreticalrevolt at Ibadan against Europeanethnocentrism, culminating in theIbadan School of History, tomention an example. Then bringin the ABU, Zaria School of Historywhich added value to Ibadan’s inthe radical, if not revolutionary,direction. The leaders of the Ibadanrevolt and most of the big names inthat generation in the Humanitiescomplex were, with few exceptionslike Eskor Toyo and, later, MahmudModdibo Tukur, Festus Iyayi, etc,those referred to as bourgeoisscholars. But even then, they alllocated their scholarship in themission of the Nigerian State,deploying the academic’s toolkit tovery patriotic ends.

By age and knowledge, I standnowhere to produce any credible orexhaustive list of that generationfrom the late 1970s to early 1990s

Decapitated Academia, Diminished NigeriaBy Adagbo Onoja Okello Oculi, Alfred Opubor,

Biodun Jeyifos, Jerry Ganas, OmoOmoruyis, Humphrey Nwosus,Nur Alkalis, Asisi Asobies, MunzaliJubrils. I take liberty to include onthis list the following names eventhough they were not formallyacademics/did not remain inacademia. They are LimanCiroma, Adebayo Adedeji, AlisonAyida, Patrick Dele Cole and TunjiOlagunju.

Then, suddenly, we startedvandalizing ourselves,humiliating our own world classacademics, making the disgracefulstatement that they were teachingwhat they were not paid to teach.Imagine a military commanderentering a campus in the Westernworld to suggest that there werecertain things academics theremust teach and others they mustnot? You can say that for a militaryacademy or a seminary becausethey have been set up for specificpurposes but not a university evenas the universe of knowledge is nota license for madness. At the end ofthe day, very many of our best and

“Suddenly, we started vandalizingourselves, humiliating our own world

class academics, making the disgracefulstatement that they were teaching what

they were not paid to teach

brightest sought ‘greener’ pasturesoutside our own shores.

Of course, there are still manyscholars with internationalcompetitiveness in the system, fromthe Tanimu Abubakars, AbubakarSiddiques, Paul Izas and Toure KazahToures in ABU, Zaria to OkeyIbeanus at UNN, Iyayis at UNIBEN,Alemikas, W. O Allis, Sam Egwusand Pam Shas at UNIJOS,Mohammed Barkindos atUNIABUJA, Sunday Ochoches atthe Nigerian Defence Academy tothe Sola Olorunyomis, Oka Obonos,Adigun Agbajes and EghosaOsaghaes at the University ofIbadan, the Ayo Olukotuns andRalph Akinfeles at Lead CityUniversity, Ibadan and then theAbubakar Momoh and OdionAkhaines at LASU, Ochinya Ojijisat Nassarawa State University, SuleKanos and T. M Babas at UDU,Sokoto, Umar Pates and AbubakarMuazus at UNIMAID, YakubuOchefus at Kwararafa Universityand the Ibrahim Bello-Kanos,Ibrahim Muazams and MuazuYusifs at BUK. I take liberty toinclude Eddy Madunagu, MathewHassan Kukah and the late StanleyMacebuh on this list.

Needless to say my listing is notexhaustive. Not only is it restrictedto the humanities complex, it is alsomainly those I can recallimmediately as I write. There aremany more brilliant minds outthere even as hopeless anddepressing as the overall universitysituation is.Onoja is a public affairs analyst

but their first sub-set would include,among others, S.G Ikoku, KennethOnwuka Dike, Ade Ajayi, TakenaTamuno, Bolanle Awe, SaburiBiobaku, Emmanuel Ayandele,Adiele Afigbo, Ojetunji Aboyade,Pius Okigbo, Sam Aluko, ChukwukaOkonjo, Eskor Toyo, Billy Dudley,Eyo Ndom, Nkenna Nzimiro,Anthony Asiwaju, Wole Soyinka,Chinua Achebe (and the whole lotfrom the arts), Mahdi Adamu, AkinMabogunje, Obaro Ikime, SaadAbubakar, Okon Uya, MahmudTukur and Eme Awa whom Iunderstand to be the grandfather ofNigerian Political Science.

Then the second sub-set wouldinclude the Peter Ekehs, OmafumeOnoges, Claude Akes, JustinTseayos, Fred Omus, IsawaElaigwus, Bolaji Akinyemis,Ibrahim Tahirs, IbrahimGambaris, Ahmadu Jalingos, KyariTijanis, Bayo Adekanyes, AlexGboyegas, Mahmud ModdiboTukurs, Bala Usmans, OkwudibaNnolis, Oye Oyedirans, AdieleJunaidus, Alaba Ogunsanwo,Aaron Gana, Sam Oyovbaire,

In the late 80s, Nigerianfootball authorities mountedpressure on a Nigerian-born

English Premier League player,John Fashanu, to play for thecountry. The lanky striker wasthen plying his professional tradewith Wimbledon FC, a Londonsuburb club with which he wonthe English FA Cup in 1988. Aswith other footballers in similarcircumstances, he also reservedthe eligibility and opportunity toplay for England.

Media reports at a time whenthe pressure was intense, quotedFashanu as saying that he wouldrather play for the Three Lionsbecause that would serve his“business interests” better.Curiously, this did not stop theauthorities from organizing a red-carpet reception for him rightfrom the airport when he came tothe country on a private visit. Asapparent to discerning minds, theNigerian, who was later to betrothhimself to the country after hissoccer career, ultimately playedfor England.

Meanwhile, fatherland-conscious players, risking theirlimbs voluntarily for the country,like current and immediate pastSuper Eagles chief coaches,Stephen Keshi and Samson Siasia,were being subjected to sometreatment that was less thanflattering. Many wondered thenwhy the one who had his heartelsewhere and had yet to kick aball for his fatherland deservedsuch honour and glory of royaltywhile Earnest Okonkwo’s “elastic”Henry Nwosu and “gangling”

Rashidi Yekini, the epitome ofhumility and patriotism, weretaken for granted and treated assuch. Issues such as these moreoften than not got “Big Boss” Keshifuming.

One Nigerian professionalwho, during his brief spell with thenational team, genuinelydeserved royal treatment wasSamuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji.He imported into the country thegracious spirit of steamingpatriotism which he, like Yekini,unambiguously caused his foreignclubs to appreciate andaccommodate.

A qualified lawyer and holderof a master’s degree inInternational Law from theUniversity of Rome, Okwarajiwould arrive for nationalassignments well ahead ofschedule. Sochukwuma,unfortunately taken for grantedand in an instance, actuallysubjected to an inordinateinfliction of official scorn, wouldmake his own travelarrangements and pay his billswithout formally asking forrefunds. On the pitch, despitebeing deployed most often, in rolesat conflict with anything close tohis best, Sam would discharge hisduties, without complaints, withthe spirit of the German Machinethat he was accustomed to. TheStuttgart and Ulm FC power-house died on active service at theNational Stadium, Lagos onAugust 12, 1989, perhaps toregister the cruel fact that hiscountry was not ready for men of

his level of zealotry in patriotism.Only a few months ago, the

country’s 1994 Africa NationsCup-winning goal-keeper, PeterRufai, at a sports/media forum,lamented the non-fulfillment, uptill date, of the official promise ofgoodies, including housing units,made by government to that greatteam which also did the countryproud at USA ’94. A patrioticmember of the team whoultimately did not make it to thatyear’s continental and globalshows, Rueben Agboola, paid aheavy price for donning what, inour clime, would pass for an over-sized garment of patriotic zeal. Thefair-skinned intelligent cooloperator lost his limbs, flair andplace in his club, Swansea City,and by implication his means oflivelihood, on account of hisunalloyed commitment toNigeria. Keshi, over a long time,shouted himself hoarse onAgboola’s predicament to no avail.

Sunday Oliseh, another formercaptain of the Super Eagles, undertwice-humiliated world recordholder of sort, Shuaibu Amodu, ledthe team to qualify for the 2002World Cup in dramatic fashion.What a raw deal he got for hisunrepentant insistence on comingclean on patriotism! Osaze PeterOdemwingie (I wrote a tribute ofthat title to him in January 2010),over the past one decade, labouredto give commitment anddedication refreshing definitionand reassuring meaning, askingnot what his country could do forhim but what he could do for his

country. Unfortunately for him,his country has, in hercharacter, a legendary penchantfor stage-managing therubbishing of her most committedpatriots!

As a diversionary tactichowever, as exemplified in theFashanu drama, patriotism-inspiring official obligations, toooften, are shoved aside for comicjamborees, hip-hop theatricalsand owambe showmanship inhigh places. Some members of theHouse of Reps, before their lastrecess, were reported to haveamused themselves with the“dance, dance, dance and forgetyour sorrow” idea of hostingMikel Obi to a reception for his“excellence” in winning theEuropean Champions Leaguewith Chelsea FC of England. Onewould naturally expect that sucha revered national institutionwould busy itself with feats ofexcellence that bring directhonour and glory to the Nigerianflag. The green-white-greensymbol of Nigeria was not hoistedwhen Mikel got his medal for his“excellence” with his foreignclub.

The consequence has been theprogressive growth, in the psycheof the people, of an imagerydepicting theirs as a country notworth dying for. The fearsomemonster generates massivepsychological disillusionment invirtually all national institutionsand sectors, including sports andfootball in particular.

But hear the verdict of the

How Nigeria undermines patriotism“Chief Justice” of Nigerianfootball, Adokiye Amiesimaka:“Don’t be fooled! Patriotism isn’tsynonymous with stupidity.Knowing that your country trulycares is what facilitatespatriotism.” Little wonder theSuper Eagles, nation’s pride thatshould have been, are stillfumbling and wobbling,especially when it matters most,even after decades of treating anailment with the wrongmedication. As I submitted in mySuper Eagles and spirit of a failedstate of June, 2010 and SuperEagles: The fallacy of ‘New Team’of March, 2011, the core problemis dearth of commitment.Fortunately, coach Keshi as wellrealized this and has made muchfuss about it in recent times.

But who and who areinspiringly enthusiastic aboutboarding the ‘total commitmentand loyalty’ train? The GermanMachine describes an assembly ofsuicide players who would ratherblow themselves up than watchthe German flag humbled. Let’sactivate our search engine for thatcitizen who would beat his chestand claim, with the minutest iotaof sincerity, that he encourageshis footballer son, nephew,brother or friend to go forth andburn himself out for Nigeria. I willtrek from Lagos to Maiduguri withZuma Rock on my head if thesearch returns as many as onesuch Nigerian in a million. I amwaiting.Dele Akinola can be followedon www. Facebook.com

By Dele Akinola


By Kabir Tsakuwa

That Igbos are part andparcel of the Kanocommunity is never in

doubt. And that theirunquantifiable contributions invarious spheres of the economyof Kano, which has made it whatit is today, simply restates theobvious. In fact only God knowswhat Kano in particular andNorthern Nigeria in generalwould have been by now, had theadventurous Igbos remainedrooted in their ancestral abode.

This write-up stems out of thestrong desire to acknowledge thehard sacrifices and positive rolesbeing played by the Kano-Igbovis-a-vis the unfortunateinsecurity of lives and propertieswhich ravages part of the north,and their resolve to continue tolive and contribute to theeconomic development of theregion against all odd and despiterelentless calls and negativepropaganda to do the contrary.

Definitely, it takes strong-will, courage, determination andability to survive a very harshand hostile environment, to beable to stay in Kano, despite manyreasons that are so glaring andunpalatable; especially theperiod which immediatelyfollowed the unfortunate BokoHaram attack way back inFebruary 2012.

It is no gainsaying that theKano-Igbo, like their Hausa/Fulani host, recorded massiveand unprecedented loss bothhuman and material. Theysuffered psychological traumaand trepidations which causeincalculable damages to theireconomic and social well-being.Many have lost their life savings

and love ones and were left withvirtually nothing other than theirwretched and traumatized lives.I’m sure at that instance,enlighten option was to leave thecommercial city all together byanyone desirous of peace andtranquility. Because the urge forself-preservationwas all the moretempting; but alas,they chose toremain. Bravo!

In spite of therelentless mediam i s i n f o r m a t i o nand the sensationalheadlines that arenothing but tissuesof lies againstnorthern Nigeria,in addition to thecacophony of callsby the likes of‘Movement for theEmancipations ofBiafra’ (MOSSOB),and other like- minded devilishand secessionist tendencies callingfor the Igbos to relocate to theirancestral homes; it takes a heartmade of stone, imbued withadventurous spirit to disobey thatcall!

Indeed, given the precarioussecurity situation of Kano at thatmaterial time, and the palpablefear and terror which engulfeverybody, and the wishes of manythat wanted to see Kano goneforever, it remains a miracle whythe kano-Igbo chose to stay againstall odds! These exceptional andselfless sacrifices are worthacknowledging by all patrioticNigerians desirous of progress and

The advent of the currentdemocratic dispensationwhich started in 1999 has

produced many leaders of differentcharacter, attitude, and devotiontowards serving theirrepresentatives.

There were some among thepast political leaders that leftpositive footprints in their localgovernment areas and states, somuch so that their people stillremember them in view of thegood legacies bequeathed to them.

This brings us to the issue ofone state in the North-West ofNigeria, one considered by manyas rural in setting and in outlook.That is Jigawa State, createdduring the military junta ofPresident Ibrahim BadamasiBabangida, who at then deployedretired Colonel AbubakarZakariya Maimalari as its pioneermilitary administrator.

Since then the state witnessedas leaders such as the likes ofRashidi Shekoni, Ali Sa’ad BirninKudu, Alhaji Saminu Turakiamong others who attempted tolay the foundation for thedevelopment of this young statethat has produced so manydistinguished personalities whoexcelled in various fields of humanendeavours in their chosencarrier.

However, on May 29, 2007,Jigawa State saw the emergenceof the kind leader it never hadsince its creation in 1991, a man

with little resources the state isreceiving tried to lay a concreteand solid foundation of thedevelopment of the state. Thatman is no other than Alhaji SuleLamido, one person from day onebelieved in serving people,improving their economic statusensured enhanced security andexpansion of infrastructure in allspheres.

As a matter of fact any visit toJigawa State especially one whospent more than five years awayfrom the state would certainlyobserve that governor Lamido issurely remaking and recreatingthe state for so many reasons.Indeed, like it or not the Bamainaand BOBA trained politician hadcurved a niche for himself invarious ways.

Similarly, construction of theofficial residences of the Speakerand Deputy Speaker of the StateHouse of Assembly in Dutsecommissioned by Rt. Hon. DimejiBankole the former Speaker Houseof Representatives, construction ofthe office and official residence ofthe Deputy Governor, that of theChief Judge and Grand Khadiswere commissioned by VicePresident Mohammed NamadiSambo.

In the education too, theadministration of Governor SuleLamido has got serious boost as anumber of primary schools wererenovated and upgraded as well as

‘Remaking’ of Jigawa by LamidoBy Umar Maiwada

providing health care services tothe people of Jigawa State. Thehospital was abandoned for manyyears before it was completed bythe present administration.

The state Ministry of Health incollaboration with vision 2020support programme and AlbasirInternational Foundation haveprovided free cataract surgery toabout 45,000 people in the last fiveyears in the state.

Also the administrationpursued the construction of 75 newBasic Health Clinics and newSchool of Nursing and Midwiferyat Birnin Kudu and theestablishment of Gunduma healthsystem board for effective healthcare delivery across the state. Inthe same vein, free health care forstudents in boarding schools at alllevels and for prison inmates wereintroduced in the state.

Similarly, other healthinstitutions like the School of HealthTechnology, JahunComprehensive health Centres andGeneral Hospitals at Dutse, Hadejia,Ringim and Jahun were renovated,new buildings constructed andequipped with facilities in terms ofHuman Resources, Doctors,Nurses, Midwives, Pharmacistswere recruited and train within andoutside the country in order toimprove Health care services in thestate.Umar Maiwada writes fromKatsina

the establishment of special schoolfor the gifted and talented atBamaina, the third in the countryand the first by any stategovernment in Nigeria. Theconstruction of new Dutse ModelInternational Secondary School atFatara, Dutse commissioned byformer President IbrahimBabangida during the 21st

Anniversary of creation of the statein August, 2012 is worthy ofmention.

Similarly, governmentenacted and implemented policy onfree education for female and thephysically challenged at all levels,Progressive increase in thebudgetary allocation to educationfrom 7% in 2007 to almost 30% in2012 thereby exceeding theminimum benchmark of 26%recommenced by UNESCO.

Another area that got theattention of Governor Lamido is thetraining and re-training ofteachers and the introduction ofwelfare packages such as housingloans, vehicle loans and scholarshipschemes for teachers among others.Improved funding, renovation andequipping of the five tertiaryinstitutions in the state andprovision of free text books forprimary and secondary schoolstudents in the state.

Equally, there were theintroduction of foreign scholarshipscheme for the best one hundredstudents of Jigawa origin in the

Senior School CertificateExamination for their tertiaryeducation, enactment of a policyon information andcommunication technology ineducation, the first of its kind inNigeria and formation of a ten yeareducation plan for the state.

Interestingly too, constructionof new permanent site for theCollege of Agriculture, Hadejiaand Establishment of State Collegeof Remedial and Advanced Studiesat Kafin Hausa and rehabilitationof damaged school buildingincluding classrooms and Hostels,in primary, secondary andtertiary institutions wereaccorded priority.

In the same vein, constructionof 1,426 new classrooms in allinstitutions of learning in the state,provided 84,821 sets of furnitureto schools at all level, provided3,933 sets of Laboratory equipmentto senior secondary schools andprovided 744,383 instructionalmaterials for primary andsecondary education.

In the area of health care, thesector received a great upliftmentas there were renovations,modernization and equipping ofRasheed Shekoni SpecialistHospital in Dutse which wascommissioned by PresidentGoodluck Jonathan in March,2011 is one of the giant strides ofGovernor Sule Lamido’sadministration in terms of

Boko-Haram: Salute to Kano Igbos!many have become landlord intheir own right courtesy of theirhuge investment in propertybusiness as well as many otherviable economic ventures.

A visit to Sabon-Gari, no-man’s-land and Fanisau will bearwitness to the new rising tide in

r a d i c a ltransformationof those areaslately. Sot h e r e f o r e ,those thatwish to seeIgbos out ofKano shouldknow that theIgbos of Kanoand northernN i g e r i ahaving seenthe writingsof the enemiesof Nigeriac l e a r l ywritten on the

wall, have collectively resolvedto stay put, till ‘kingdom come!’

It is on this note that mentionmust be made of the visit by theindefatigable Owelle RochasOkorocha-the current actiongovernor of Imo State to Kanosome time ago, where he wentround the ancient commercialcity and commiserate with thehighly revered Emir, Alhaji AdoBayero and assured his Igbokinsmen at home and in thediaspora that what was reportedin the media with regard to thesecurity situation and purportedmassacre of Kano-based Igbos andconfiscation of their propertieswas all figment of the

imaginations of some divisive anddevilish junk journalists and theirfaceless sponsors!

I think rare dexterity such asthis and the never-say-die-spiritof the Kano-Igbos was partlyresponsible for the conclusiondrawn by one of our mostrespected senior columnist-Dr.Tilde, where he stated in one ofhis write-up that “Kano hasBounced Back”. And truly, Kanohas indeed bounced back partlydue to the Igbos who refused toleave the ancient commercialnerve center for other climes tothe chagrin of its traducers, andpartly due to the contribution ofkano stakeholders whichcomprises of the Emirate council,the Ulamas, the businesscommunities and theindefatigable action governor,Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who seemto be determine more than everbefore, to join the league of Kanostate Governors that have leftindelible mark and lastinglegacies in the history of positivegovernance of the state!

It’s also gratifying that thetension and palpable fear whichhad hitherto engulfed Kano at theonset of that unfortunate attackhave all mercifully gone for good;prompting many of those thathave earlier relocated to changetheir mind and begin to come backin drove, into the warm embraceof their highly accommodatinghost community. For these andmany other reasons, I salute theKano-Igbos and wish them manymore happy returnsKabiru is reachable [email protected]

continue existence of Nigeria asone unified and indissoluble entity!

In addition, despite the ongoing‘silent killing’ and destruction ofIgbo properties in many part of thenorth under the guise of Boko-haram, which was nothing otherthan another subtle way designed

to intimidate them by other meansto leave the north; the Igbos haveremain adamant. But thesediabolical scheming, and others,like the ongoing mediamisinformation, and sustainonline campaign of hatred by thosethat have never set their foot onNorthern soil too, shall fail inshaAllah.

Today, instead of relocatingfrom the commercial hub, thekano-Igbos are investing andreinvesting massively in manypart of Kano. And instead of rentinghouses at exorbitant prices to live,the business-like people havemetamorphosed into outrightowners of landed properties. Now

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“The responsibility of ABUhas been changing. Fromproducing trained manpowerfor government, universitiesare now required to producelearned and skilful people forthe open market and self-employment” - ProfessorAbdullahi Mustapha, Vice -Chancellor of Ahmadu BelloUniversity, Zaria at its GoldenJubilee convocation on 24November, 2012

The above quotationbasically highlighted theshift in academic

orientation and focus that one ofAfrica’s most famous, successfuland largest universities -Ahmadu Bello University(ABU), Zaria has undergone, oris undergoing, in the last fewyears. This is aimed at keepingthe academic programmes andgraduates both dynamic and intune with all developmenttrends in today’s fast-changingworld while not completelydeviating from its originalmission of 50 years ago.

At inception in 1962, ABUwas essentially meant to serve asa feeder institution to theNorthern Nigeria region’s civilservice by running degree,diploma and certificate coursesgermane to the needs of the Northas envisaged by the foundingfathers of the university,particularly the premier of theregion, Sir Ahmadu Bello, theSardauna of Sokoto, the first andonly prime minister of Nigeria,

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewaand the then governor of theregion, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, andas academically designed by thepioneering management underthe guidance of the first vice-chancellor, Dr Norman S.Alexander and faithfullyimplemented in the lecture hallsand tutorial classes by the firstset of lecturers. Highly educatedand well-trained personnel ofNorthern Nigerian extractionwere in short supply anddesperately needed at thatcrucial time when the realities ofindependence and associatednecessities have begun to starethe region in the face vis-a-vis itscomparative disadvantage in thisregard to the two other regions(Western and Eastern Nigeria)that already had the UniversityCollege, Ibadan and University ofNigeria, Nsukka, respectively.

In a way, the establishmentof ABU was the region’s answerto the development trends ofthose peculiar years just as itspurported shift in academicorientation and focus is theanswer of the university’spresent management team todevelopment trends of today andany evaluation of ABU’sachievements or failures in thelast 50 years must be donewithin these two contexts.

Considering the gaping holeor public offices that weresuddenly rendered vacant oroccupied by unqualified

A brief evaluation of ABU @ 50By Sa’ad Abubakar Zongre

personnel in Northern Nigeriafollowing the exodus of mainlyBritish expatriate officers thattrailed the attainment ofindependence in 1960, ABU hadperformed exceptionally well inproviding the much requiredhighly educated and well-trainedpersonnel who, overtime, madeit possible for the top echelon ofthe region’s civil service to be runby skilful, competent andeffective manpower that laid thefoundation for the accelerateddevelopment of the region,especially in the first decade ofindependence.

Sardauna’s or Gamji’s (inreference to Ahmadu Bello’slaudable legacy) model ofadministration is todayacclaimed worldwide as one of themost successful and result-oriented in post-colonial Africaand part of the credit ofSardauna’s unparalleledachievements should go to thoseadministrative officers -Provincial Secretaries (PSs),Divisional Officers (DOs) Directorsand their subordinating staff whodiligently, intelligently,correctly, tirelessly andpatriotically provided theSardauna administration withthe pre-requisite technical know-how and general operationalguidance which led to itsoverwhelming success. Asignificant number of theseindigenous administrativeofficers were ABU products even

though most of them were notdegree holders.

Aside from the civil service,ABU also contributed excellentlyto the rapid educationaldevelopment and expansion ofthe North through thesecondment of its relevantacademic staff to set up or overseethe take-off and subsequentoperation of several tertiaryinstitutions in the region most ofwhich have since been upgradedto full-fledged universities suchas Bayero University, Kano(BUK), University of Maiduguri(UniMaid), Abubakar Tatari AliUniversity (ATAU), Bauchi, etc.

The ABU intellectualmachinery also saw to theproduction of scholars,politicians, administrators,diplomats and professionals ofinternational repute who wenton to cast their indelible mark inthe footprints of history such asthe legendary and eloquenthistorian, the late Dr Yusuf BalaUsman, the great sociologist/orator, the late Dr Ibrahim Tahir(Talban Bauchi), thedistinguished historian/diplomat, Prof. (Amb.) Sa’adAbubakar, OFR (UbandomanMuri), the political scientist/skilled diplomat, Prof. IbrahimGambari, the fiery politician/geographer, Prof. Jerry Ganaand the current Director ofArewa House, Dr Kabiru Tsafe.

This revered list also includesimmediate past and first

graduate president of Nigeria, thelate Alh. Umaru Musa Yar’adua,GCFR (Matawallen Katsina), theformer Vice-President, Alh. AtikuAbubakar, GCON (TurakinAdamawa), the present Vice-President, Arch. MohammedNamadi Sambo (GCON), theformer Chairman of ArewaConsultative Forum (ACF), thelate Chief Sunday Owoniyi, thecurrent governor of Central Bankof Nigeria (CBN), Alh. SanusiLamido Sanusi, CON (Dan MajenKano), and former Chief Justicesof the Federation, Justice IdrisLegbo Kutigi. Others are DahiruMustapher, current Chairman ofthe Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC),Prof. Attahiru Jega, formerChairman of the Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,former Seretary-General of theOrganization of PetroleumExporting Countries (OPEC),Alh. Rilwanu Lukman, thefearless politician/social criticand first female president of ABUStudents’ Union Government(SUG), Haj. Naja’atu BalaMuhammad, in addition tomany former and servingmembers of the NationalAssembly, ministers andgovernors.Zongre, a public affairsanalyst, wrote from YerimaBappa Sanda Road, Turaki ‘A’Ward, Jalingo, [email protected]

These who claim thatgovernance has gone AWOL(Away Without Official

Leave) in Benue State, should hidetheir heads in shame. Reason? The“food basket of the nation” has neverhad it so good in terms ofprogressive, dynamic andvisionary rulership.

Check this out. The other day,His Excellency, Governor GabrielSuswam, gallivanted to the UnitedStates. His mission: “to inspectmedical equipment worth millionsof naira being donated by Atlanta– based NGO, MedhsareInternational”. A photograph onpage 49 of LEADERSHIP newspaperof 17/12/12 shows the Lt. Governorof Georgia, U S A, Casey Cagle,receiving her August visitor fromBenue.

Millions of long – sufferingBenue citizens must be beamingwith smiles over thisunprecedented feat. A less proactivestate governor would obviously nothave made such a selfless, life –changing trip. Not Suswam. Everfaithful to his “policy” of flyingabroad every other day in theinterest of Benue State, HisExcellency promptly hit USAreportedly with a retinue of his aidesand hangers–on.

For the avoidance of doubt, itmust be noted that the said medicalequipment donated by an Atlanta– based NGO is worth “millions ofnaira”. Hence uncountablemillions of naira must be squeezedfrom Benue’s seemingly bottomlesstreasury in order to go and “inspect”the medical stuff. A lawyer bytraining, Suswam’s adventure inpolitics is believed to have equippedhim to the extent that he is capable

of inspecting medical equipmenteven better than his Commissionerfor Health (some say much betterthan the finest physicians in ‘God’sown country’).

Is frequent foreign trip Suswan’sonly obsession? By no means! Takehis sweetheart -contract proclivity.Not a few multi –billion nairacontracts areawarded every nowand then - and paidfor – by theEmperor of Benue.Then the story ends.The contractorswould simplypocket theirmobilisation fees and, as Fela wouldput it, “chop and clean mouth”.

Witness, for example, thegigantic contract forked out bySuswan to a certain Dr DoyinOkupe’s company. What of theelephant – size contract for thereconstruction of the football pitchof Aper Aku stadium? Typically, thecontract has been abandoned forabout two years now.Consequently, the state - ownedfootball club, Lobi Stars, have hadto be playing their home matchesin neigbouring states since last year,with football – crazy Benue citizensdenied the pleasure of watchingtheir beloved team in action.

From the foregoing, it is evidentthat truly, Benue State has, for thefirst time since its creation, beenblessed with the most proactive,progressive and purposefulGovernor in its history. Mind you,

this “award” is not based onGovernor Suswam’s obsession withforeign trips and sweetheartcontracts alone, as shall be evidentin the next part of this article.

• To be continued next week.

CAN MTN TRYTHIS IN S/AFRICA?

The answer, fellow long –suffering users of MTN’s lousynnetwork, is a capital NO. MTNcannot dream of, let aloneattempt, to indulge in the sort ofcriminally inefficient serviceswhich its subscribers in Nigeriahave been enduring over theyears, in its home country. TheSouth African authorities wouldsimply axe the company.

Not even “small” Africancountries such as Togo, Ghanaand Liberia would tolerate the sortof corporate arrogance andineptitude which hallmark MTNservices here.

Interestingly, Northern statesin general and the FCT inparticular are the worst affected

by MTN’s poor services. Yet all theauthorities concerned aresnoring. Aso Rock, the NCC andgovernors of the Northern statesare blissfully unaware of thenightmare MTN has beensubjecting millions of us to. Our

federal and statelegislators are alsocarrying on as ifnothing is amiss.

The difference isclear. In South Africa,Ghana, and elsewhere,the authoritiesconcerned would nothesitate to take decisiveactions against the sortof corporatewaywardness MTN

indulges in here. But here inNigeria, conspiratorial silenceand even executive connivancehold sway. Little wonder, MTN isall too happy to treat us with thekind of unbridled contempt onparade.

As for me, like many otherMTN subscribers who I know, theimminent arrival of numberportability is a welcomedevelopment. No sooner will theprogramme commence than Iwould have ditched MTN for amore responsible network.

NOW THATTUKUR MAMU IS‘ARMED’…

He who laughs last, they say,laughs best. Ask Mallam Tukur

Suswam goes to Atlanta … again!Mamu. Barely had he startedpublishing his firebrand weeklypaper, D/HERALD, about eightyears ago than his traducerswent haywire. Among otherthings, they accused the YobeState-born accountant – turned– publisher of not possessing the“relevant qualification”.

Mamu, according to histraducers, had no universitydegree nor any previousexperience in journalism andshould, therefore, not venturenear the media terrain.Derision, taunts, and mockerywere hauled at him likeconfetti.

Now see who is laughing.Rather than buckle under theweight of his critics’ arrows,Mamu opted to further hiseducation. The fruit of hisacademic endeavour manifesteda few weeks ago. Before our veryeyes the much – malignedMamu bagged a Masters degreein International Affairs andDiplomacy from the prestigiousAhmad Bello University, Zaria.

No less impressive is the factthat the DESERT HERALDpublisher conjured this featwhile juggling his demandingjob with his academiccommitments, shuttlingbetween Kaduna and Zaria everyweek. “It wasn’t easy o, mybrother, but I thank Allah formaking the whole thing possiblefor me,” he told this writer inKaduna the other day.Congratulations, MallamTukur Mamu.

SONDE’SSONDE’SSONDE’SSONDE’SSONDE’SDIARDIARDIARDIARDIARYYYYY

By Sonde [email protected]

0803-2159-249 (SMS only, pls)


A non-governmentalorganisation (NGO),Helpline Foundation for

the Needy has staged a Christmasparty for widows and childrenorphan by HIV/AIDS in theFederal Capital City, Abuja.

For the less privileged, it wascelebrations galore as thefoundation handed food andclothing items to the more than150 beneficiaries widows and

children orphaned by HIV/AIDSas part of its activities to climax2012 end of year reach out tovulnerable in the society.

Speaking at the party the,President, Mrs. Jumai Ahmadusaid the 2012 Christmas reachout to vulnerable widows andorphans is the seventh in the seriesof activities the Foundation wasorganizing as a demonstration oflove to the less privileged in thesociety.

She disclosed that the

organization was currentlyresponsible for the education ofover 150 children both in primaryand secondary school levels.

The president charged thebeneficiaries to utilize the itemsand see them not as a means to anend, but a resonance that Godremains the God of love, even asshe thanked the media for whatshe described as "continuedprojection of all activities" with theaim of creating the neededawareness of the foundation.

Helpline Foundation treat 150widows, orphans to Xmas party

In a remark earlier, Secretaryof Social Development Secretariatof FCT administration, Mrs.Blessing Onuh assured that thesecretariat would partner withthe foundation to achieve itsobjectives.

Onuh, who was representedby the Director of Finance andAdministration, Mallam SalisuKalamu, commended thefoundation for assisting thegovernment to address somechallenges in the society.

Barely two weeks after anew case of Type-Onepolio virus infection and a

suspected case was discovered in Jahi1 village, Abuja Municipal AreaCouncil, exactly two years after thelast case was recorded, a suspectedcase has been discovered in GidaFadama, Gaube ward in Kuje AreaCouncil.

The Executive Secretary, FederalCapital Territory(FCT), PrimaryHealth Care Board, Dr. RilwanMohammed disclosed whilemonitoring a 5-day mop upimmunisation campaign in Abuja.

He said the parents of the malechild with the suspected case, FrancisAnanayas, aged one year and 11months claimed that the child hashad four doses of oral polio vaccinebut they could not present animmunisation card to prove this.

Dr. Mohammed, who disclosedthat 117 new cases of polio have beenrecorded presently across thecountry, pointed out that the fightagainst the virus should be allinclusive.

Hence, he appealed to the Sa'Peyiof Garki, to whom's palace he led adelegate on a courtesy visit duringthe exercise, to partner with theboard in the fight.

"We have to move fast tointerrupt transmission into the FCTand other states. We want thecommunity to take owner of thisimmunisation to tell their people totake immunisation serious. Talk toyour Muslim communities to knowthat immunisation is veryimportant.

We will want you to also talk toreligious leaders to inform them totalk to their followers aboutimmunisation," he said.

Lamenting that 24 people inGwarimpa ward rejected theimmunisation during the lastexercise, he appealed to the FederalGovernment(FG) to come up with alaw such that any parent who refusesto present their children for polioimmunisation would be punished.

In his remark, the Sa'Peyi ofGarki, Dr. Usman Nga Kupicommended the board for the visit.

The monarch promised to playhis part to make sure the message onthe importance of immunisation ispassed across his domain.

"We have been telling our peopleto disabuse their minds thatimmunisation is targeted towardscontrolling child birth to reduce thepopulation. We have been tellingthem that government is out toensure that all is well with the citizen,"he said.

He harped on the need for the FGto organise workshops and seminarsto sensitise religious leaders on theneed to encourage their followers onthe need to present their wards forimmunisation.

Board calls forlaw againstimmunisationdefaulters

The Chairman, Federal CapitalTerritory(FCT) PoliceCommunity Relation

Committee (PCRC), Professor Nick C.Ezeh has pledged to partner withsome communities in Abaji Areacouncil towards ensuring safety oflives and property.

Ezeh gave this assurance duringa familiarization tour to theExecutive Chairman of Abaji AreaCouncil, Hon Yahaya MusaMuhammad.

He assured that there werelined up programs and activitiestowards ensuring efficient, safe andsecure Federal Capital City for all,in collaboration with other agencieslike area council.

"It is for this reason that we findit expedient to meet with the Hon.Chairman and the officials of yourcouncil, firstly for familiarizationpurposes and secondly forpartnership in provision of securityfor our communities," he said,commending the chairman for hiscommitment toward goodgovernance and securing citizen

and visitors under peacefulenvironment and for thecontinuous dividends of democracy.

Responding, the Chairman ofAbaji Area Council, Hon YahayaMusa Muhammad lauded the teamand assured them of support theFCT executive members of PCRC.

He said the good relationship ofAbaji council with the PCRC hasbeing in existence for long, and wouldcontinue for betterment anddevelopment in FCT.

Muhammad said the councilhas donated two Jetta cars to theAbaji police command and presently

Security: FCT police community pledges to partner with AbajiBy Adeola Tukuru

Organisation partners FCTA to train youths in basket ballpartnership with relevant localauthorities to enable Nigerian kidsaccess the $50bn college basket ballsystem.

According to him, kids to beentered for the programme musthave demonstrable skill in the gameas well have maintained a high gradein their academics such that the gamedoes not undermine their scholarlyintelligence.

"College basketball is worth over$50 billion annually in the UnitedState, these schools offer scholarship

to students, you go to theses school freeof charge if you have talent and brain.Take don't just take slashes you mustbe good," he stressed.

He said that the worst thing anysociety could do, would be to waste thehuman mind as is replete across thecountry given the developmentchallenges that faces the country butnoted that the Odumu Basket ballprogramme would give some of thechildren a profitable outlet.

He said that 12 kids have alreadybeen accepted into the programme and

another two are undergoing screeningfor admittance, adding that themeasure was his way of giving back tothe society in which he was trainedbefore he went to the United States toget further training academically andbuilt his basket ball talent.

"I started the Odumu basket ballprogramme three years ago, byproviding the kids between the age 14and 18 to offer them careeropportunity in college Basket ballsystem in the United States OfAmerica," he added.

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

A childbeingadministeredoral poliovaccine

By Josephine Ella .....As another newsuspected poliocase emergesBy Josephine Ella

embarking on the refurbishing ofpolice Toyota Hilux for smoothrunning of their day to day activities.

"My administration is alsocommitted to engage youths andwomen in skill acquisition program,so that the insecurity level will bereduced to zero level. We shallcontinue to demonstrate goodleadership, infrastructuredevelopment for peace to reign," headded.

He assured the team of his totalsupport and promised to address someof their requests as soon as theresources are available.

The initiator of Odumu Basket BallProgramme, Ogbo Odumu ispartnering with the Federal

Capital Territory Administration in abid take talented kids off the streets ofAbuja and engage them inmeaningful ventures like basket ball.

Odumu, who spoke withjournalists said the organisation wouldexpand opportunities for youngNigerian basketball talents through


The Federal Road SafetyCommission (FRSC) hasdisclosed its mobile court

has convicted 93 trafficoffenders in two days inGwagwalada.

Mr Austin Aipoh, the ZonalCommanding Officer In-chargeof RS7 consisting of FederalCapital Territory(FCT) andNiger state told the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) inGwagwalada in an interview that the mobile court wasconstituted, especially to trytraffic offenders during theChristmas period.

“The mobile court is not newin FCT but what we did this time

is to move it to Gwagwalada axisbecause of the heavy trafficoften experienced duringyuletide season.

As a matter of fact, the courtstarted sitting last Wednesdayin Gwagwalada and on thatsame day, 45 offenders wereapprehended and prosecuted for48 offences.

On Thursday, 48 offenderswere apprehended andprosecuted for 54 offences andas I speak to you the court hasbeen move to Zuba axis,” he toldNAN.

He said that the 93offenders, who pleaded guilty tothe charges brought against

Mobile court convicts 93 trafficoffenders in Gwagwalada

them were given options of finesranging from N2, 000 to N20,000 depending on the offence.

Aipoh said that the offenderswere convicted for offences ofover speeding, dangerousovertaking, non-functional rearand head lights.

The zonal commander saidthat the movement of the courtto different points on the Abuja-Lokoja road was to ensure thatvehicular movement was notobstructed

He attributed the currentfree flow of traffic inGwagwalada to the opening ofthe newly constructed secondlane.

Young boyshawkingchicken forChristmas,yesterday inArea 1,Abuja.

Photo:Justin Imo-owo

He commended the FederalGovernment for making fundsavailable for the road project.

“Because of the busy natureof this road, heavy traffic isalways envisaged duringfestive season like this so, whatwe did was to work closely withthe Federal Ministry of Works.

During Christmas periodlast year, the ministryconstituted a committee basedon our request and thecommittee was very successful.

So, this year, we decided todevelop on the achievements ofthe committee and that is whyyou can see that the road is veryfree,’’ he said. (NAN)

A 25-year-old man,Vincent Legar, 25, ofUtoriko, Wamikade, North

Ukelle, Cross River is presentlycooling off his heels in prison for over the theft of 2,000 PoundsSterling, 10,000 dollars, N3,000and a set of jewelry valued as N10million.

The Police had arraigned Legar, before a Karu Upper AreaCourt, Abuja, for alleged criminalconspiracy and theft.

Police prosecutor SanniYakubu told the court that MrsLadipo Oyeyemi, wife of Brig.-Gen. Ladipo of the NationalDefence College, Abuja, reportedthe case to the Commissioner ofPolice in the Federal CapitalTerritory(FCT) on October 19,2012.

He said that the complainantleft her niece, Omotayo Akabo, inher house with the accused onOctober 18 only for her to later

received a distress call from thehouse, and when she got home, “Legar had tied Omotayo andforcefully collected the keys to thecomplainant’s room’’.

“The accused stole 2,000Pounds Sterling, 10,000 dollars,N3,000, a set of jewelry valued asN10 million and many wristwatches’’.

Yakubu also told the court thatLegar escaped to an unknowndestination and was eventuallyarrested at Oju in Benue, while twoother accomplices are now at large.

He said the offence contravenesthe provisions of Sections 97 and289 of the Penal Code, but theaccused pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Judge, AlhajiUmar Kagarko, ordered that theaccused be remanded in prisoncustody, and adjourned the case toMarch 6, 2013 for hearing, and toenable the accused to get legalrepresentation. (NAN)

25-year-old in prison over theft of dollars, pounds, N10m jewelry

A Chief Magistrates Courtin Mararaba, Nasarawahas ordered that a 26-year-

old motorcyclist, Friday Yunusa,be remanded in prison for allegedcriminal breach of trust andcheating.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr JacobJohn, told the court that SilasIdokwoji of Kabayi, Mararaba,reported the matter at the ‘A’Division Police Station onDecember 14, 2012.

“In October, Idokwoji entrustedhis motorcycle, valued atN108,000, to the accused person”,he said, adding that the accused,of the same address with thecomplainant, was to use themotorcycle for commercialpurpose.

According to him, “this wasdone under the hire-purchaseagreement. The accused agreed tobe remitting an agreed sumweekly, but failed to do so even forone week’’.

The prosecutor added that theaccused packed out of his house andrelocated to an unknown address.

He said that when the accusedwas found, he had already sold thesaid motorcycle and converted themoney to his personal use.

When the charge was read tohim in English, the accused couldnot respond in English.

In the absence of an interpreter,Chief Magistrate H. A. Abundaga,ordered the accused to beremanded in prison, andadjourned the case to January 31,2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

Motorcyclistremanded foralleged criminalbreach of trust,cheating

INSIDE FCTCOURTS

Court releases suspect from prisonfor lack of diligent prosecution

An Upper Area Court inKubwa, Abuja has discharged an accused

person, Mustapha Abdullahi, forlack of diligent prosecution.

The presiding Judge, MalamMunir Lawal, said the prosecutorwas not ready for the case, hencethere was no need to continue tokeep the accused in custody.

The Police Prosecutor, Corporal Igonor Ocholi, had applied for anindefinite adjournment to enablehim to conclude investigationinto the matter.

“The matter is slated forhearing but our witnesses are notin court. Since August when themater first came up, the nominalcomplainant has refused to showup in court.

Even the investigating policeofficer has been posted to Sudanfor peace-keeping.

We apply that this matter beadjourned sine die to enable us toput our house in order,’’ he said.

The Defence Counsel, MrAzubike Moneke, said that peopleshould not be made to suffer whenprosecutors were not ready.

“The nominal complainant’srefusal to appear in court is anindication that he has no caseagainst the accused,’’ he said.

The Judge ruled that the courtwas not ready to grant furtheradjournment.

“It is clear that the prosecutoris not ready to prosecute thismatter. I hereby strike out thiscase and discharge the accused forlack of diligent prosecution’’.

The accused, a security guard,had been arraigned on Aug. 14 ona two-count charge of joint act andtheft.

He was accused of stealing anunregistered Bajaj Boxermotorcycle, belonging to oneSahabi Abdullahi of Arab Road,Kubwa.

He had been in prison sincethen. (NAN)


The Chairman of Kuje Areacouncil, Hon Danladi EtsuZhin has advised

residents of the council to bevigilant and cautious of anysuspicious person within theirvarious community or

neighbourhood during thefestive season.

Zhin gave the warningduring a chat with newsmenin the council, adding that anysuspicious movement of personsshould be immediatelyreported to any security agencyin the council.

The Chairman urged the

Kuje chair cautions residents against strangers

No fewer than onehundred and thirtyfamilies, yesterday in

Gwarimpa estate benefited fromthe Harvest HouseInternational Church’s MercyProject Foodstuffs for families atChristmas.

The project, which was puttogether by members of thechurch for the less privilegeones including non-Christiansin the community, saw thebeneficiaries go home withfoodstuffs like Vegetable oil,Rice, tomatoes, beef salt, spices,beef, and chicken to make theChristmas worthwhile forthem.

At least, foodstuffs that willtake care of family minimumfour persons throughout theChristmas and New Yearfestivities period weredistributed to over threehundred and thirty families,who trouped into the churchpremises at 7th Avenue,Gwarimpa, in a hitch –freemanner.

Speaking at event, the SeniorPastor of the church, Sam Oye,said the gesture, which is part ofthe annual reach outprogramme of the church atChristmas, to feed less privilegefamilies in the community, wasconceived two months ago, indemonstration of God’s love forhumanity irrespective of theirdenomination, religion or tribe.

“As a church, we are a

community church, driven byour passion to from time to timereach out and identify with thehost community especially atthis time of the year; to putsmiles on peoples face anddemonstrate that we care withthe little things we have to offer”,he said.

On what to expect next year,the cleric said: “Already we havedecided to reach out to not lessthan 500 families in two batchesby April and December next

year”.Distributing the items, the

Coordinating Pastor, EmmanuelIsaiah, stressed the need for therich in the society, to always loveand remember the poor with aportion of their wealth as thegreatest gift that the birth ofJesus brought to humanity isLove.

One of the beneficiaries,Esther Njoku, resident at Kuje,who was full of smiles said thefoodstuff she got exceeded her

Christmas: Church doles out foodstuffto over 130 families in GwarimpaBy Stanley Onyekwere

The Chairman of AbujaMunicipal Area Council(AMAC), Hon Micah Jiba

yesterday gave out two ToyotaCamry cars to grade Chief of Jiwacommunity, Alhaji SuleimanIdris and Garki community,Alhaji Usman Ngakupi for theircommitment and responsibilitiestowards their variouscommunities and subjects.

Jiba said the grade Chiefs ofthese communities have beenvery committed in the affairs oftheir subjects and they deserveto be awarded because theystand as “our loyal fathers whoshould be honoured”.

He further assured that othergrade Chiefs of Karu and Kashicommunity will be dulyawarded very soon.

”We are starting fromsomewhere, we will make twocars available for the other gradeChiefs”, Jiba said.

The grade Chief of Garkicommunity, Alhaji Usman NgaKupi lauded the Chairman for thegood gesture and also for thework he has been doing in thecouncil.

He assured the council oftheir support towards ensuringthat AMAC remains a betterplace.

AMAC chair givesout cars to twotraditional rulers

expectation when she got theinvitation for the event; thankedthe organizers for the kindgesture.

A total of fifty bags of rice,fifteen cartons of Vegetable oil,five bags of salt, five cartons ofMaggi cubes, Curry thyme, tintomatoes, Frozen Chicken,hundred cartons of Indomienoodles and one cow, includingtwo cartons of bathing andwashing soap were distributed tothe beneficiaries.

people of Kuje Area Council tobe law abiding as they celebrateChristmas .

In his words: “We shouldn’tbe found wanting, we shouldn’tbe doing what Christians arenot suppose to do”.

He said in Kuje area councilboth the Christian and Muslimall do the festive celebration

together as a sign of unity,saying ”it’s a matter of choicethat if you have decided to beChristian and others areMuslim, we should be tolerantwith one another”.

He further tasked theresidents on peaceful co-existence as he wishes them apeaceful celebration.

The Minister of the FederalCapital Territory( FCT) ,Senator Bala Mohammed

has congratulated Christianfaithful across the country on theoccasion Christmas/New Yearfestivity and admonished them topray for peace and continuedunity of Nigeria.

This was contained in a pressstatement signed by the ChiefPress Secretary tothe minister,Muhammad Hazat Sule.

Senator Mohammed, whomade this admonition in hisChristmas/New Year Messageurged Christians to use theoccasion to reflect on the life ofJesus Christ and imbibe histeachings, which are primarily

premised on selflessness, sacrifice,patience, modesty andspirituality.

He said the two festivals callfor sober reflection and spiritualrejuvenation as Jesus Christ lived

FCT minister urges Christians to pray for Nigeriahis life for the entire mankind.

The Minister urged Christiansto imbibe the spirit of Christmasespecially the lessons from the lifeand times of Jesus Christ andthus, be reflected in our daily lives

in order to move the country tothe next level.

He further enjoined residentsto be their brothers’ keeper inconformity with the Africantradition of brotherliness.

Traditiona rulers of Garki, Jiwa, Karu and Karshi community inspecting the cars given to themby the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Micah Y. Jiba, yesterday.

Photo: Adeola Tukuru

By Adeola Tukuru

As Christians celebratesthe birth of Jesus Christtoday, the Minister of

State for Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT), OloyeOlajumoke Akinjide, has calledon Nigerians to remainsteadfast in their prayers forpeace and unity in the country.

Akinjide, in her yuletidemessage signed by her SpecialAssistant on Media & Publicity,Mr. Oluyinka Akintunde, said the country could only realiseits full potentials in anambiance of peace and unity.

She enjoined the citizens toreflect the virtues of love, peaceand tolerance as exemplified byJesus Christ in order to build anew Nigeria.

Reflect on virtues of love,peace, tolerance,says Akinjide tellsBy Josephine Ella Ejeh

By Adeola Tukuru

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

Hair dressers in theFederal CapitalTerritory (FCT) have

expressed satisfaction with the highlevel of patronage during this yuletideseason.

A cross-section of hair dressers,who spoke with the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) said that theChristmas period was a time whentheir business experienced a boom.

This is, however, not without the

Hair stylists record high patronagenumerous complain of the lack ofmoney by the customers.

The owner of ‘Amazing GraceBeauty Saloon‘ in Zone 6, Abuja, MissDupe Akintola, said that since thebeginning of December, the leastmoney she recorded daily wasN12,000.

Akintola said that the inflow ofcustomers had seriously increased,adding that she had to employ morehands to keep up with the challenge.

According to her, the cost of hairdressing materials like hair wig,attachments, relaxer and so on, haveincreased and customers still buy a lotin spite of their complain about thelack of money.

“I always use my generator towork, which reduces my profit andslows down work as some of myequipment cannot be powered by mygenerator,’’ Akintola said.

A street hair dresser Madam Grace

Oliver, also attested to having highpatronage this Christmas period,adding that she did braids for 10 to 12persons daily.

Chris Idowu, a Manicurist andPedicurist said that the cost of artificialnails had increased and his customersalways complained about high costs.

“The acrylic and gel nails that soldfor N2,000 are now going for N2,500,so, it is hard for me to add too muchgain to my services,’’ he said. (NAN)


Management Tip of the DayStart persuading your audience before the presentation

INSIDE

Your presentation doesn’t startwhen you enter the room; itstarts the moment you’ve

committed to speak. If you takeadvantage of opportunities toreinforce your message before youtake the stage, you’re much morelikely to change people’s thinkingand behavior.

Total Upstreamdenies contracting

Egina project

- Pg 20BBBBBUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSEmail: [email protected] Mob: 08033644990

Explain to your audience aheadof time how they will benefit fromyour talk. If you’re presenting tocolleagues, you might e-mail thema summary of your message and arough list of points you plan tocover, for example, or send ameeting request with a detailedagenda.

If you’re going to speak topeople from outside yourorganization — conferenceattendees, for instance—post yourbiography and talking pointsonline and provide links to anypre-reading material.Source: Harvard BusinessReview

Women buying vegetables, yesterday at the Abubakar Gumi Central Market, in Kaduna. Photo: NAN

The Federal Government hasspent more than N24.3billion on the rehabilitation

of railway track from Lagos toKano.

The Managing Director of theNigeria Railway Corporation(NRC), Mr Adeseyi Sijuwademade this known in Kano at theweekend.

He said that 488 km Lagos-Kano was rehabilitated atN12.1billion, while the 638 kmJebba-Kano cost N12.2 billion.

He said that the projects werecompleted within the 2012budget and commended PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, forapproving the request of thecorporation.

Sijuwade told newsmen thatthe corporation was planning tointroduce air-conditioned trainsystem in 2013.

“By 2013 plan, there will bemodern air-conditioned coaches

FG spends N24.3bn onrehabilitation of Lagos- Kanorailway track, says MD

NBC threatens to sanction home videoproducers over indecent languageThe National Broadcasting

Commission (NBC)yesterday threatened to

sanction Nigerian home videoproducers over any indecentlanguage in their movies. Thiswas contained in a statement

made available to ourcorrespondent.

According to the statement,the Commission called on broadcast station who featuresuch movies to stop henceforthor face the consequences.

The commission also saidthat sub-titling in a movie or

programme should be accurateand that any indecent language,inciting, discriminatory andoffensive words should not bebroadcast. It also said that thetranslation of the contentbroadcast should be a truereflection of the language spokenand encompass the full message

or idea expressed in the drama.The NBC also stated that

programmes which encourage orpromote ethnicity, tribalism,sectionalism and other divisivetendencies should not bebroadcast.

”Any station which breachesthe provision of paragraph 3

above shall be liable to Class Bsanction of the NigeriaBroadcasting Code and any stationwhich breaches the provisions ofparagraphs 1 and 2 above shall beliable to Class C sanction of theNigeria Broadcasting Code.

The terms and expressionsused in these regulations which aredefined in the NationalBroadcasting Commission Act andNigeria Broadcasting Code shallhave the same meaning as in theAct and the Code unless thecontent otherwise requires”, theNBC stated.

Ashaka Cement to increase capacity to 3m tonnes

Ashaka Cement Plc, asubsidiary of LafargeGroup, has approved a

development programme forthe coming years that wouldtake its production capacityfrom existing 900,000 to 3million tonnes.

The country chief executiveofficer, Lafarge Nigeria andBenin Republic, Jean-Christophe Barbant said theapproval came at the company’sboard meeting held recently inAbuja.

Barbant said the technicalstudies on raw materialreserves, power and

infrastructure undertaken bythe company were progressingwell, particularly with regardto additional limestone andcoal reserves.

The board noted theimportance of financial andoperational reviews of theproject to enable the companybenefit from Lafarge’stechnical, operational andfinancial resources to ensurethe success of thisunprecedented development.Lafarge, as a majorityshareholder of Ashaka, accordsgreat importance to Nigeria inits emerging markets portfolioand is committed tostrengthening its existing

businesses and developing newactivities in this country, the CEOsaid.

He further said the boardrecognised the contributions ofLafarge towards enhancingAshaka Cement performance andcurrent production capacity, inparticular the company’sinitiatives in the usage of coal fromGombe State to substituteexpensive imported fuel oil andthe increase of clinker andcement production.

“AshakaCem’s vision is toremain the most preferredsupplier to its customers and itswillingness to make additionalefforts to create more local businessopportunities, in partnershipwith its surroundingcommunities,” he said.

He said the board of directorswas confident to accelerateAshaka Cement developmentplans and assured that there hadbeen significant progress onimplementing phase one of theexpansions. Such a plan isfounded on the strong supportthat the company has receivedfrom neighbouring communitiesand from the government ofGombe State, the board alsomentioned.

By Chris Alu

on the track.“There will be no cause for

alarm security wise because thecorporation will ensure thesafety of lives and property of thepassengers.

“We have just completed 30-hours journey from Lagos by raildown to Kano, passing all themajor cities and state capitalsbetween Lagos and Kano,’’ hesaid.

He called on Nigeriansto patronise the rail system tomove their goods from Apapa toothers parts of the country.

NAN recalled that on Dec 21,the NRC commenced the inter-city train service from Lagos-Kano.

The train service, whichstarted on weekly basis, fromLagos to Kano, would depart IddoTerminal from 9 am everyFriday, and Kano station from 9am every Monday. (NAN)

By Ibrahim Kabir Sule

As part of the presentaviation master plan ofthe aviation minister,

the Mallam Aminu KanoInternational Airport, Kano(MAKIA) has been designated toserve as a major cargo terminalin the country.

The master plan is fashionedto achieve an “upgrade anddevelopment of dilapidatedinfrastructures, reformation ofinstitutions, as well as thetransformation of key airportsinto a network of domestic andinternational hubs,” ascontained in a statement by theGeneral Manager, CorporateCommunications of the FederalAirports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN), Yakubu Dati.

According to him, “thedesignation of MAKIA into acargo airport would help raisethe bar, by developing it into amajor cargo export hub, itwould also help the growth ofthe nation’s cargo exportpotentials, since a lot ofperishable agriculturalproducts emanate from the

Kano axis.”The move would also help to

diversify Nigeria’s economicdrive to a multi-pronged one, asagainst an oil and gas driven asMAKIA has been one of 11 newlyremodeled terminals under thetransformation agenda of theFG, Dati added.

Aviation ministry, hedisclosed, was working withother agencies such as theMinistry of Agriculture,Nigerian Export PromotionCouncil, Nigerian Export andImport Bank to ensure theworkability of the cargo exportdevelopment project.

Kano airport to serve asexport cargo terminalBy Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

PEOPLES DAILY,TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2012

COMPANYNEWS

NationalAutomotiveCouncil

The Director-General,National AutomotiveCouncil, Aminu Jalal,

has said that policyinconsistency, lack ofadequate engineeringinfrastructure, amongother challenges have putthe country auto industryin a parlous state.

The Nigerian autoindustry performed wellwith increasing localcontent up to 1985 butdeclined from 1986 due tothese challenges.

Airtel Nigeria

Airtel Nigeria hasannounced the roll-out of High

Definition (HD) VoiceService, a networkinnovation that allowscustomers to experienceexceptional voice qualityacross 3.75G locations inthe country.

With the deployment,Airtel becomes the firstmobile operator in Nigeriato launch HD Voice servicein the country. The HDvoice service willcomplement the operator’sHD data service, enablingtelecoms consumers toenjoy a rich telephonyexperience.

HD Voice enablesmobile operators to clearlydifferentiate their serviceoffering with high qualityvoice calls on mobilenetworks. With HD,customers can talknormally and be heardclearly, without having toraise their voice, even innoisy environments.

NAFDAC

A fire on Fridayevening destroyedcounterfeit products

in the warehouse ofNational Agency for Food,Drug Administration andControl (NAFDAC), Lagos.Abubakar Jimoh, theDeputy Director, PublicRelations, confirmed theincident.

He said that the firestarted around 7p.m. atthe warehouse where fakeand counterfeit productsare kept. “It happened inthe warehouse where wekeep fake and counterfeitproducts,’’ Jimoh said.

He said the fire mighthave been caused by anelectrical fault as was thecase in an earlier incident.“As I speak with you weare trying to overhaul theentire electrical system inthe office,’’ Jimoh furthersaid.

Oando EnergyResources (OER)has entered into an

agreement withConocoPhillips to acquireits Nigerian businesses forabout $1.79bn (N284.6billion).

As per the agreement,OER will acquireConocoPhillips’ Phillips OilCompany Nigeria(POCNL), which holds 20%non-operating interest inOil Mining Leases (OMLs)60, 61, 62, and 63.

In addition, thecompany will also buy outall the relatedinfrastructure andfacilities in the NigerianAgip Oil Company JointVenture (NAOC JV).

The 20% interest inNAOC JV will include 40discovered oil and gasfields, 40 identifiedprospects, 12 productionstations, about 950kmcrude oil, and natural gasliquids and gas pipelines.

It also covers two gasprocessing facilities, BrassRiver Oil Terminal,Kwale-Okpai 480MWcombined cycle gas-firedpower plant and associatedinfrastructure.

Under the agreement,ConocoPhillips will also sellits Phillips Brass (PBL) to

OER.PBL owns 17% interest

in Brass LNG company,which is developing agreenfield project calledthe Brass LNG project, toset up a liquefied naturalgas facility in BayelsaState, Nigeria.

The offshore business ofConocoPhillips includesConoco Exploration and

Production Nigeria (CEPN)with 95% interest in OML131, and the company’sPhillips DeepwaterExploration Nigeria(PDENL) with 20% non-operating interest in oilprospecting licenses (OPL)2 1 4 .

As per the agreement,Oando will purchase allthe issued share capital of

POCNL, PBL, CEPN, andPDENL.

Oando EnergyResources CEO PadeDurotoye said, “Thispotential transactionrepresents atransformational stepforward for our Companyand is in keeping with ouroverall strategy to growour portfolio of Nigerian-

Oando Energy to acquireConocoPhillips’ Nigerian unit for N284.6bnStories by MuhammadNasir with agency report

based assets by focusing onthose opportunities thatdeliver high qualitygrowth in reserves andproduction.”

In connection with theproposed acquisition, OERhas retained thePetroleum and RenewableEnergy Company(Petrenel), the company’sindependent reservesevaluator, so as to preparea report on the reservesand resources of the OMLs60, 61, 62, 63, 131 andOPL 214. (Source: EnergyBusiness Review)

A typical oil rig

Total, Oando, Sahara Energyline up for new rail servicesaccidents and contributedin no small measure to thedestruction of highwaysacross the country.

The formal flag-off ofthe Lagos-Kano Inter Citypassenger train andhaulage of petroleumproducts services tookplace in Lagos on Friday.

Flagging-off of theservice was conducted bytransport minister, IdrisUmar, who stated that

the move was infulfillment of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan’s administration’s desire tobring back the trainservice to its strategicimportance of providingcheap and efficientservice to the citizenry.

It is also expected to takepressure of overstressedroads, thereby reducingthe frequency of roadaccidents. It will likewise

TotalUpstreamdeniescontractingEgina project

Total UpstreamNigeria Limited hasdenied media

reports that it hascontracted the Eginaproject, saying “we do notcomment on contractingprocesses in the pages ofnewspapers.”

According to CharlesEbereonwu, manager,external communicationsof Total, “our attentionhas been drawn to recentpublications in the pressattributing certainstatements to TotalUpstream NigeriaLimited in respect of thecontracting processes onthe Egina Project.

“Total UpstreamNigeria Limited wouldlike to state for the recordthat, as a responsibleoperator, we do notcomment on contractingprocesses in the pages ofnewspapers. We thereforecompletely dissociateourselves from thepublications.”

Seven firms includingOando , Total,Sahara Energy and

A-Z Oil have lined up tosubscribe to the services ofthe Nigerian RailwayCorporation (NRC) on theLagos – Kano corridor,commissioned at theweekend.

Other firms angling forthe services of the NRC onthe route are Flour Mills,Lafarge Wapco Cement ,Dangote Cement andInland Container Limited.

Over the years, roadhaulage tankers bearingpetroleum products havecaused avoidable

strengthen socialintegration and inter-cultural ties, as well asstimulate inflow of foreigninvestment into Nigeria inthe transport sector.

Regarding passengerservices, the NRC hasrestored the much awaitedLagos-Kano intercitytrains, to complement thecurrent Lagos to Ilorin,and Minna to Kadunaintercity trains, and in notime, the frequency,carriage capacity andspeed, as well as serviceswould be stepped up.

Apart from thecommencement of thehaulage of petroleumproducts by rail, startingwith the movement of450,000 liters of AGO fromLagos to Offa, it is hopedthat the return of freightservices on the route willgive ample opportunity tonumerous companies suchas Flour Mills, LafarageWapco Cement, DangoteCement, Oando, Total,Sahara Energy, A-Z Oiland Inland ContainerLimited and others, tomove their goodsefficiently, safely and ataffordable cost.

Power sector is expected to be moreprivate-sector driven in 2013, says Minster

Minister of State forPower, ZanaibKuchi, has assured

that the power sector isexpected to be more private-sector driven in 2013.

Kuchi made this knownat the 4th Quarterly PowerSummit in Lagos themed“Strategies TowardsConsolidating SustainablePower Supply in a PrivatisedIndustry’’.

She said that the sector isalso going to witness morecommissioning ofIndependent Power Projects(NIPP).

The minister saidanother sector that is goingto witness restructuring in2013 is the Federal Ministryof Power to deal with new andinevitable challenges in amanner that will place theministry on a better focusedand better defined direction.

“In this regards, I willcontinue to seek thecooperation of ourdevelopment partners,weather international orlocal, in ensuringsustainability of supply alongthe electricity value chain.

“We should be seen as

working togetherharmoniously in order toattain a common goal ofmaking electricity availableto the Nigerian consumerson sustainable basis,’’ shesaid.

The minister said thatthe summit is aimed ataccelerating servicedelivery in the power sectorby bringing together bothinternal and other relevantstakeholders within thevalue chain to brainstormon how to effectively ensuresustainable power supply tothe consumers.


As the year 2012 fizzles out,stakeholders in theInformation and

Communication Technology(ICT) have unanimously agreedthat not much have been recordedin terms of growth andperformance in the industry.

According to some of them thesector did not achieved its desireobjectives even with the creationof the Ministry, as they saidneither the regulatory body noroperators and subscribers gotsatisfaction in the quality ofservice throughout year 2012.

Speaking at a round tableconference on Monday in Abuja,Mr. Michael Adewale of New AgeTechnology told Peoples Dailythat the Nigeria CommunicationsCommission (NCC), which is theregulatory body tried toimproved quality of service fromthe telecom operators by way ofimposing huge fines on them,confiscating unregistered SIMcards and as well counterfeitphones in the market, yet thecountry continues to experiencepoor service, break in calls, trafficjam on network, disruption andhigh call costs day in-day out.

He lamented over thecontinued sales of unregisteredSIM cards in public places andphones that are not registered bythe commission. According tohim, unregistered phones arebeing sold in the market every daywithout proper check; Heexplained that he has not seen orheard of anybody beingprosecuted for any of these offencesby the NCC.

Peoples Daily also gatheredthat none of the telecom operatorshave been sentenced or chargedto court or even had their licensesrevoked for some of these offences,which he said has casted doubtson the mind of consumers as towhether things will still go on wellin this direction.

Operators on their part havefailed to collaborate with therelevant bodies in order to provideenough bandwidth to improve ontheir quality of service; they evenlock up broadband service forsmall players in the market thatare struggling to provide internetaccess to users thereby creating ahuge communication gap.

Subscribers has continued tosuffer lost in one way or the otheras a result of poor servicers andshabby customer care treatment.This took the centre stage at theFirst National TelecomsSubscribers Summit organised bythe National Association ofTelecoms Subscribers(NATCOMS) recently in Lagoswhere

subscribers who attended thesummit had all the opportunityto question telecoms operators, theregulator and governmentagencies responsible for theprotection of consumer rights in

ICT in 2012: Stakeholdersblame govt on service quality

the country, on issues botheringon poor service quality, shabbytreatments received whileengaging customer care lines, andindiscriminate tariff chargesacross networks.

They frowned on the servicesof network service providers inseveral areas of their operations.And they also blamedgovernment for not prosecutingthe operators for poor servicequality, which they said, wasalready affecting business in thecountry. They called on operatorsto come up with lasting solutionto the continuous drop in servicequality across networks.

Responding to consumers'

reactions, Director, Public Affairsof the NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo saidhe was pleased with the variousreactions that emanated fromthe summit, explaining theplanned take-off of numberportability by December thisyear, will address over 70 per centof subscribers' challenges.

Ojobo, who represented theExecutive Vice-Chairman of NCC,Dr. Eugene Juwah, said thecommission had concluded plansto launch number portability byDecember this year.

He explained that it wouldafford consumers the choice ofmigrating from one network toanother if dissatisfied with the

service of one operator. He added thatnumber portability would bringabout healthy competition in thesystem and address severalchallenges currently being faced byconsumers.

The Director-General,Consumer Protection Council (CPC),who was represented by Mr.Abiodun Obimuyiwa, assuredconsumers of adequate protection oftheir interests in matters relatingto consumers.

The National President ofNATCOMS, Mr. Deolu Ogunbanjosaid the essence of the summit wasto bring together consumers,operators and the regulatory bodyto address various challengesaffecting the rights of consumers inthe telecoms industry.

Responding to consumers'complaints, General Manager,Regulatory Affairs for MTN, Mrs.Oyeronke Oyetunde said MTN hasinvested heavily in networkexpansion and that the companywas still investing, in order toprovide best service quality toconsumers. She explained that MTNhad reduced tariffs through itsvarious value-added services thatare on-going.

Explaining some of thechallenges of MTN, Oyetunde saidMTN suffers over 70 fibre cutsevery month with some of their basestations destroyed in some northernparts of the country, which she said,affects smooth network operations.

Representative of Airtel, Mr.Ademola Folarin, said the operatorspends over N400 million on itscustomer care monthly, andpromised that it would continue toinvest in customer care in order toprovide the best of service.Globacom and Etisalat also pledgedto improve on their service offeringsto customers.

Some GSM subscribers enjoinedthe NCC to sanction mobile networkoperators who fail to improve ontheir services and lower their tariffson weekly basis.

Also, in a telephone survey of 758phones users aged between 18 andabove conducted by NOI/GallupPoll, subscribers said NCC shouldmandate network operators toimprove on their service or elsesanction them.

The summit was purely basedon Perception of Quality of Service(QoS)and what measures to betaken to deter mobile networkoperators from rendering poorquality service, revealed that 45percent of respondents are usingdual lines, while another 19 percentuse three lines in order tocircumvent the network failure thatusually cripples Nigeria's networks.

They further revealed thatmobile network operators makeconcerted efforts to improve theirservice quality than the promo offersthey make to their subscribers.

Mr. Amstrong Tekena, a

stakeholder in the industry toldPeoples Daily that, "TheICT sectorneeds to be enabled to make thecontribution it should be making tothe economic growth, job creationand deepening of democracy".

"For too long the sector has beenstifled by policy that has resulted inpoor access to the full range ofservices and information requiredfor effective participation by all inthe economy and polity andsuboptimal use of them as a resultof high prices and poor quality,where there is access to them", hestated.

On the gains, the Executivevice-chairman of NCC, Dr EugeneJuwah had earlier noted that froma private sector investment ofabout US$50 million , thetelecommunications industry,attracted more than US$18 billionin private sector investments,including Foreign DirectInvestments (FDIs).

He also revealed that more thanN300 billion was contributed to thecoffers of the Federal Governmentthrough frequency spectrum sales,enabling government to ploughback revenues earned from thesector for provision of developmentinfrastructure at the various levelsof government.

Despite the pains highlightedabove, the impact of ICT on theeconomic growth has becomeimpressive. Telecommunicationssector now contributes significantlyto the Gross Domestic Product(GDP), which was hithertodominated by the oil sector.According to Juwah, thepercentage share of GDP from thesector rose from 0.06 percent in1999 to 2.39 percent by 2007.However, it moved up to 2.90percent in 2008, and 3.66 in 2009.By 2010, 2011 and 2012respectively, ICT hadcontributed 8.2 percent to thenation's GDP.

Growth in the ICT sector hashad significant impact in theother sectors of the economy.The financial sector is perhaps,the one which activities of ICThave impacted positively muchmore than any other sector inrecent times. In commercialbanking services, the quantumof transactions is catalysed byICT, mainly throughtelecommunications services. Itis doubtful if any bank inNigeria is not a majorbeneficiary of thet e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n srevolution.

In facilitating bankingtransactional services, thetelecommunications industryhas provided the bedrock for theNigerian finance industry.Electronic banking facilitiessuch as ATM services, onlinefinancial transactions,international credit and debitcard facilities, airline ticketingand reservations, are some ofthe numerous ways that theindustry has aided the growth.

…. count end of year gain and lossBy Chris Alu

President Goodluck Jonathan

Minister of Communications, Mrs Mobolaji Johnson


Report of the Petroleum RevenueSpecial Task Force, Nov 2012 (XV)4.12.2. Findings4.12.2.1. I n c o m p l e t erecords of volumes of GasFlared

The volumes of gas flaredwere obtained from both theRevenue and Production Unitsof the DPR. The situation inrespect of gas flare penalties issimilar to that of gas productionmentioned previously. The DPRis currently unable toindependently track andmeasure gas volumes producedand flared. It depends largely onthe information provided by theoperators.

There were no availablerecords or information inrespect of gas flare volumes forthe years 2005 and 2011. Thisimplies that the current recordsas they exist are incomplete.

4.12.2.2.Inconsistencies noted in gasflared information

Differences were notedbetween the gas flared dataprovided by DPR’s two units.These differences are yet to beresolved as at the time ofreporting.

4.12.2.3. Delayed gasflare volumereconciliations

The DPR carries out periodicreconciliation meetings withthe operators. It was noted thatof the 36 operators in theirlisting, reconciliations havebeen completed for only 6 ofthem. This implies that theNation may have made lossesdue to the delay in confirmingthe amounts due and enforcingpayments in line with the laiddown statutes.

4.12.2.4. OutstandingGas Flare penalties due tothe government

CBN statements and reportsof inflows were also obtained inorder to corroborate thepayment information received.Per the information obtainedfrom DPR, total revenue fromgas flaring during the reviewperiod was $175million.

The balance outstanding asunpaid was approximately$58million. This indicates that$115million had been receivedin respect of gas flare penaltyby the DPR. The Task Forcehowever reviewed CBNstatements and noted that$137million was receivedbetween 1 January 2005 and31 December 2011. The DPRwas not able to reconcile the$115 million to the $137million.

4.12.2.5. Non –compliance with the new gasflare penalty regime

The Minister issued adirective which was signed on

15 August 2011 increasing thegas penalty fee from N10.00 to$3.50. However, the oilcompanies have failed tocomply with the directive andhave continued to flare gaswithout compliance with thenew rate as communicated inthe Minister’s directive. Usingthe DPR gas flare information(irrespective of the inherenterrors arising per the factorsearlier

stated) to compute thepotential revenues for therelevant years at the rate of$3.50 per scf is $4.1billionversus the $177millioncomputed by the DPR using theN10 per scf.

The records at the DPRreveal that none of thecompanies have paid any gaspenalty fee in 2012.

4.12.2.6. T h edetrimental effect of gasflaring

Although there has been asteady decline in the amountsof gas flared, the numerousdeadlines to implement theZero gas flaring policies andfine for oil companies have beenrepeatedly postponed, with themost recent deadline, beingDecember 2012. In 2009, thegovernment developed a GasMaster Plan that shouldpromote new gas-fired powerplants to help reduce gasflaring and provide a source forthe much- needed electricitygeneration. However, progressis slow largely due to the lackof infrastructure to produceand market gas.

Gas flaring has bothenvironmental and economicimpacts. The value of gas flaredover the 10 year period isestimated at about US$44billion. Environmental

impacts resulting from gasflaring include:

• E n v i r o n m e n t a lpollution

• Adverse climatechanges

• Food insecurity• Diseases• Unemployment• Deforestation

4.13. Miscellaneous OilRevenues4.13.1. Overview

Miscellaneous Oil Revenuesare all other revenues due toNigeria through the DPRwhich do not fall into any ofthe other major types ofrevenue classes documentedabove. Examples include

drilling permits/licenses, fuelstation permits, renewal oflicenses etc.

4.13.2. Findings4.13.2.1. N oc o m p r e h e n s i v emiscellaneous oil revenueschedule

The Task Force was unableto obtain a comprehensivemiscellaneous oil revenueschedule from the officials ofDPR.

Our reference point for thepurpose of determining theamounts earned in respect ofmiscellaneous oil revenues wasthe schedule of revenuespresented by the DPR to themembers of the Special Task

NNPC Towels, Abuja

Force on 13 April 2012. Thepresentation indicated totalmiscellaneous oil revenues forthe period 1 January 2005 to31 December 2011 to beapproximately N102.5billion.

Receipts issued for thevarious licences and permitswere initially provided by theDPR as a basis for determiningthe total revenues received andonly N640million worth ofreceipts were made available.

Subsequently, CBNstatements (Miscellaneous OilRevenue Account statements)for the period were providedN102.3billion was traceable.Upon conclusion of the reviewthere was an unexplainedreconciliation difference ofN151million.

Lack of transparency oflicense-level earnings and costsinhibits oversight and enablesmanipulation. The recordkeeping of the DPR calls toquestion the completeness andaccuracy of reports generatedas there was no way todetermine if there weremiscellaneous oil revenues dueto the Federation which wereyet to be collected.

Also, the DPR has notprovided an analysis of themiscellaneous revenues bytype and amounts due.

4.13.2.2. Outdated oillicensing fee regimes

The amounts due in respectof the various fees relating tothe miscellaneous oil revenuesare not reflective of the currenteconomic realities. Forexample, the fee to apply forthe operation of a petrol stationranges from N5,000 toN250,000 and the license tooperate a drilling rig costsbetween N20,000 toN100,000.

Committee member, Steve Oronsaye

PAGE 25PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2012

For singles in the FCT,succour amidst oddsA rendezvous of sorts

held sway at theT w i n p a l m

Rendezvous in Garki ,Abuja on October 5,2008. In attendance weregroups of young men andwomen from dif ferentbackground. They all hadone thing in common:they were s ingle andsearching for their“missing ribs.”

‘ ’I was curious when If irst heard of theprogramme,’’ said YemisiOluwole, referring to theevent organised by ani n t e r d e n o m i n a t i o n a l

Adrift like sheep without shepherd, life could be daunting for the typical single menand women. The intervention of some NGOs, civil society, and religious groups inthe Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is however making significant differences inthe lives of this otherwise vulnerable group. Sonde Abbah reports...

Ministry cal ledSinglesConnect . ‘ ’Aprogramme for s ingleguys and gals? I thought,

and said to myself: ‘Waao,I have got to be there andsee what the fuss was allabout, ’ and so I went

there. ’ ’The fuss that day at

Twinpalm Rendezvouswas inspired by Pastor

Faithful Ohiani, a nativeof Okehi LGA of KogiState . “This ministry isdevoted to all single men

and women, ’ ’ heannounced to the handfulof youths present . ‘ ’Ourprimary purpose is toprepare s ingles formarriage; to counselsingles; to pray for themand offer them guidancein their respective careersand, above al l to providethem succour vis-à-vis thechallenges of life.’’

Some four year s agowhen that ‘ ’ rendezvous’ ’was held in the capitalc i ty , this humanitarianendeavour was at i tsinfancy, at least here inthe Federal CapitalTerri tory. But notanymore. Over the years,Non GovernmentalOrganisat ions (NGOs),religious outfits and civilsociety organisat ionsalike have keyed into thisventure with gusto.

So much so, in fact, thatover the years somemembers of the outf i tsdevoted to the interest ofyouths in general andsingles in particular, havemushroomed across theland. Their mission, in anutshel l , is ‘ ’ to g ive theyouth and young -at-heartal ike a helping hand; toserve as a veri tablementor to them,’’ to quoteMrs. Glory Anebi, founderof Youth Al iveFoundation, Abuja.

Giving an insight intohow they operate, PastorOhiani said: ‘’It’s all aboutthe interests of theyouths, part icular ly thesingles . We started thisministry (SinglesConnect)way back in 2008 andsince then we haveimpacted a lot of singles inthe area of career andmarriage both here inAbuja and Nigeria in

general and far beyond.‘ ’ For instance, many

singles with l itt le or noknowledge aboutmarriage have beentrained to make betterspouses in marriage. Lotsof s ingles have gottenmarried under thisministry. This yearalone, we have recordedlots of weddings. So manyother s ingle men andwomen that came hereconfused, dejected andfeel ing that t ime ispassing them by, are nowengaged on their way tothe altar.’ ’

Truly so. Ourcorrespondent who wasat the Centre for Arts andCulture(opposite UTC) inGarki , Abuja whereSingles Connect holds itsweekly programmes, wasinformed by not a fewyouths that their l iveshad never been the samesince they enrolled at theministry . ‘ ’The sort of

mentoring I have beenreceiving from PastorFaithful and Mrs. EhiOhiani in the past fewmonths have impacted onmy l i fe beyond words, ’ ’testified one of them whogave her name simply asAngel ina.

Godswill Enejo, a civilservant, said: “Though Ihave not met my dreambride yet, I must say thatwhat I have witnessedhere at SinglesConnect inrecent t imes is l i fe-changing. The way theprogramme is held, thespirit of oneness and thefree counseling availablefor al l and sundry, makethe whole thinginteresting. ’ ’

Another attract ivefeature of this ministry isthat the s ingles are notcharged for any of thearray of services theyenjoy at SinglesConnect .Explaining the reasons forthis , Pastor Ohiani said:

‘’This ministry is a divinemandate, so it is free foreverybody. We don’tcharge anything. We onlyhave f inancial partnersboth within and outsidethe ministry . They helpsettle our bills with theirv o l u n t a r ycontributions. ’ ’

Interest ingly , thelight-skinned man of Godand his wife had also metat a s imilar programme,some years ago. Hear him:‘’I met my wife at anothersingles ministry, which Iwas a member of , someyears back (before thecommencement ofSinglesConnect) . Andbecause we had both beentrained on how to makebetter spouses, we arenow having the best ofmarriage on earth.’ ’

Using their ownexperiences as anexample, Ohiani added: “I

want to advice singles outthere to come and beadequately trained onhow to love responsibly.And we wil l prayerful lyconnect you to a spouseof your dream. No matterwho you are, where youare, we sincerely believethat there is hope for youin terms of career andrelationship. ’ ’

One person who maynot hesitate to agree withthat vision is Prophetess(Mrs.) Nweru who, alongwith her husband, ProphetNweru, holds sway atChrist Revival Ministry.Recently at Grand IbroHotel, Wuse, the miracle-working woman of Godheld a well-attended ‘ ’Revival For Married AndSingles.’’

Among those whothronged the programmewas Dr. GidanoM o h a m m e d .

“Singles out there should comeand be adequately trained on

how to love responsibly. And wewill prayerfully connect you to a

spouse of your dream. No matterwho you are, where you are, we

sincerely believe that there ishope for you in terms of career

and relationship

Accompanied by his wifeand their teenagedaughter, Raliat, he said:‘’What I have seen here isencouraging. Our youth inparticular, they needguidance and counseling -but not just any guidancenor counseling - and that’swhy one appreciates thissort of programme by theNweru’s . We need more ofsuch programmes in theinterest of our youngergeneration.’’

Christopher Akowa, ayouth corper who said hemet his future wiferecently at such a singles’event at Karu, probablyspoke the minds ofhundreds of otherintending couples whenshe stated that “theservices being rendered topeople like me by theseh u m a n i t a r i a norganisations are trulyunquantifiable.’’

Prophetess (Mrs.) Nweru: Organised a “Married and Singles” show recently.

Pastor Faithful and Mrs. Ehi Ohiani: One of the couples who pioneered the “revolution” in FCT


Nigeria troops vital inAfrica peace keeping

The Commandant of theUnited States AfricaCommand (AFRICOM),

General Carter Ham has saidNigeria is needed to continueto lead in the support for peacekeeping within African region.

Ham stated this recentlywhile delivering lecture on‘curtailing insurgency inNigeria’to participant of Course21 at the National DefenceCollege (NDC) Nigeria.

According to him, Nigeria isa regional power whose trackhas consequences for Africa,the United States and the entireinternational community.

Ham’s visit is sequel to thatof the Commandant of NDCRear Admiral Thomas Lokosonto headquarter of AFRICOM atKelly Barracks, Stuttgart,

Germany to discuss issues ofmutual benefit to both NDC andAFRICOM.

Other critical issues ofnational importance discussedduring Lokoson’s visit include;countering improvisedexplosive devices, bordersecurity and counterinsurgency seminar as bothparties agreed that “terrorismis a network and it takes astronger network to defeat it”.

Security forces according toHam have prominent role inaddressing insurgency inNigeria, an effective lastingsolution he said requires abroad –based strategy that willaddress underlying social,economic issues and the use ofjudicial tools to prosecuteperpetrators of violence.

into national service from allparts of Nigeria and they servedgallantly regardless ofdifferences of religion andethnicity.

According to him “they wereunited by the same purpose, tokeep Nigeria secured. Theironeness of purpose and spiritreminds us of the significance ofnational cohesion, together wecan achieve a lot.

“Whatever may be ourdifferences; religious, ethnic orpersonal, Nigeria is moreimportant. We must be united inrising above our differences andpromoting values that binds ustogether.

“We must refuse to be dividedby those who impose ethnic andreligious meaning on every

President Goodluck Jonathanhas charged men of theArmed Force to champion

the cause of unity of the nationand national cohesion notingthat despite the challenges facingthe nation, Nigeria is moreimportant and our nationalvalues should be what bind ustogether.

Jonathan stated this at the2013 Armed ForcesRemembrance Day emblemappeal launch at Aso Villa,Abuja.

The president said thestrongest message to be preachedat this moment is unity since thefallen heroes being rememberedtoday stood for unity, were drawn

Jonathan launches 2013 ArmedForces emblem, charges them on unity

2013, Armed Forces emblem

Stories by Joy Baba Federal Governmentcommitment to addressing thechallenges of these senior citizensparticularly issues associatedwith their pension and gratuityfurther calling on all StateGovernors, being the Patrons ofthe Legion in their respectiveStates, to continue to provideadequate support, concessionsand facilities for the benefit of theveterans.

He further called on Nigeriansto reciprocate the efforts andsacrifice made by the fallenheroes by donating generously tothe cause. I call on ourcountrymen, wherever theymay be, never to forget ourheroes.

“I urge all citizens toreciprocate the sacrifices madeby our veterans and heroes todonate generously to the NigerianLegion. We remember thesacrifices that they have madeand are still making, and to allfamilies that have had to make asacrifice so that this country canbe where it is today”, he said.

Why theofficers had to goThe Nigerian Army has said

it retired 48 of its officersbecause they have already

attained the approvedretirement age. It also dispelledreports that the exercise was tovictimize certain officers to paveway for some politicalspeculations ahead of the 2015general elections.

The Director of Army PublicRelations (DAPR) BrigadierGeneral Mobalaji Koleoso whospoke to Peoples Daily yesterdaysaid some of those effected in theretirement exercise alreadyknow they were on their wayout as they know they rules.

The Army recently retired11 Major Generals, 25Brigadier Generals and 12Colonels, a development that

sparked off speculations ofmoves to reposition to forcesahead of 2015. This isespecially against the backdropof criticisms from interestgroups that the exercise waslopsided and favoured somegeo-political zone at the expenseof others.

However debunking thespeculations, Koleoso saidmany of the retired officers hadeven exceeded the terms andconditions of service approvedage ceiling on various ranks.

According to him, “everyofficers being retired knows whythey are going home, while somehave attained their retirementage others have exhausted theirchances of promotion to the nextlevel”.

national issue”President Jonathan noted

that Armed Forces RemembranceDay affords the nationopportunity to celebrate thegallantry of men of the armed

forces both living and those whohad paid the supreme sacrificeduring the second world war,civil war and various peacekeeping missions.

The president reiterated

Mrs ModupeIbrahim,PresidentDefence &Police OfficersWivesAssociation(DEPOWA)presenting fooditems to wivesand familymember ofjunior officers

Deputy Commandant, National Defence College, Nigeria, Maj. Gen. Muhammed Idris, presentinggift to the Commandant of United State Africa Command, Gen. Carter Ham


Curbing oil theft: The journey so farThe military Joint

Task Force (JTF)previously known as

Operation Restore Hopetransmuted to Operation PuloShield on January 9, 2012 witha mandate to curb illegal oilbunkering, crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other actsof criminality that debilitatesocio-economic life in the NigerDelta area.

The transmutationoccasioned the expansion of thearea of responsibility to coverthe nine oil producing states aswell as the inclusion of otherparamilitary security and civilagencies. The outfit was alsoreconfigured to encompass fivesectors.

The transmutation and re-conceptualisation was informedby the realisation of the multi-disciplinary and multi-facetednature of the campaign againstillegal oil bunkering and theneed for synergy of effortsamong stakeholders at alllevels. Despite few step-backs,this has so far been reasonablyachieved as operations arejointly carried out by theseagencies and major successeshave been recorded.

Twelve months into thetransmutation, TheCommander JTF Operation,Pulo Shield, Maj. Gen. JaoOchoga, in a media brief said theTask Force has recordedimpressive achievements in thearea of securing landenvironment and water ways,eradicating illegal oilbunkering, protecting oil andgas facilities as well as lives andproperty of the populace in theNiger Delta.

Some of the major activitiescarried out, according toOchoga, include protection of oiland gas infrastructures, anti-illegal oil bunkering patrols,destruction of militant camps,as well as recovery of arms andammunition in wrong hands.

He further said that thoughthe number of illegal refineriesdestroyed within the periodunder review may seemalarming, the fact remains thatcrudeness, simplicity of thedesign and cheapness ofconstruction apparatus of theseillegal refineries account for itsproliferation.

According to theCommander, "In our strive toactualize our mandate, wecarefully studied the situationin the Niger Delta and foundthat one of the criticalchallenges that undermineefforts at eradicating oil theft inthe Niger Delta is the use ofunregistered vessels, barges andpowered boats to perpetrateillegal oil bunkering. This isbecause it undermines diligentprosecution of those behind theillicit business by concealingtheir identities.

"Towards addressing thischallenge and as part of theoverall efforts of the

By Joy Baba government to tackle oil theftand other acts of economicsabotage; the JTF carried outsecurity documentation andregistration of vessels, bargesand motorised boats operatingin the Niger Delta area fromJune 26 .

A total of 85 vessels, 64barges and 217 powered boatswere duly registered. This haslargely facilitated our operationand our ability to track downthe illegal oil bunkerers bytracing arrested vessels to theirowners".

In the area of protecting Oiland Gas facilities, Ochoga saidthe JTF conductedreconnaissance of ShellPetroleum DevelopmentCompany (SPDC) and NNPCpipeline networks while air andground patrols were regularlycarried out to deter vandalsfrom sabotaging the pipelines.This, he also said facilitated theregular pumping of products bythe NNPC from Port Harcourtin Rivers state to Aba depot inAbia state.

The commander furthersaid that troops were deployed24 hours daily on most criticaloil platforms to enhance theirprotection and have partneredwith stakeholders in the oil andgas industry to checkmate oilrelated crimes. Though thiseffort is yielding result, heencouraged oil firms to adoptinternational best practices byinstalling ICT based sensorswithin their pipe lines toprovide early warning of acts ofsabotage.

Destruction of MilitantCamps. Ochoga said the taskforce maintained zero tolerancefor the existence of militantcamps in the Niger Delta allthrough 2012. Since thetransmutation, the force wasable to identify and clamp downoccupied militant camps inOron, Akwa Ibom state andIkang in Cross River state, aswell as abandoned militantcamps at Foropa in BayelsaState, Ojoma Creek andFerupakama Community inRivers state he said.

In the afore mentioned cases,the commander noted thatsuspects were arrested whileassorted arms and ammunition,including RPG 9 bombs, RPG 7bombs and 40 mm grenadewere recovered. Also on April25, 2012 a suspected militantcamps was raided and closed atAmamba, around Duteb Islandnear Okrika in Rivers state. Themost recent being campsoperated by Bakassi FreedomMovement (BFM) led by oneLapto Igbo. The camps whichare located at Edik Idim, nearIkang and Esighe Creek both inCross River state and served aslogistics and operational basesrespectively were clampeddown after all efforts to convincethe group to surrender theirarms voluntarily wererebuffed. During the operation,28 oil workers held hostage bythe group were rescued while

assorted arms and ammunitionwere equally recovered.

All these achievements wasnot without it challenges as theForce is regularly confronted bydaring illegal oil bunkerers andpirates who, most times, engagethe troops in armed combat.These encounters, in someinstances have resulted in lossof lives of some of personnel aswas the case on 1 March 2012when five JTF personnel werekilled in the water ways of Brassby vandals.

According to thecommander, "on 14th May,2012, a soldier was also shotdead when armed banditsopened fire at our operativeswhile on patrol at Chioba inRivers state. Three other JTFoperatives were also killed and

three wounded on 30 May2012, while escorting an oil-servicing company's vesselalong Santa Barbara River inBayelsa.

Ochoga also said the Forcehas not allowed theseunfortunate incidents dampenits morale and resolve to pursuetheir mandate to a logicalconclusion.

Aside the afore-mentioned,the JTF OPPS was also facedwith a handful of challengesmilitating against its efforts tocombat oil theft in the NigerDelta, Ochoga further noted.

One of the major challengesin this aspect was that mostcommunities in the areabacked oil bunkering. In thecourse of the efforts to eradicateoil theft in the region, it was

discovered that severalindividuals in the communitieswere either actively involvedin the illegal business or arecollaborators with oil thieves.This discovery prompted theoutfit to organise advocacyprogram in which involvedsensitization visits to severalcommunities.

Another challenge Ochogaenumerated was foreigninvolvement in the illegalbusiness. The arrest of 21Ghanaians and their fiveNigerian collaborators as wellas the destruction of two vesselscontaining 1300 tons of crudeas earlier mentioned wereindicators in this direction.Another instance, he said, wasthe recent arrest of 10 suspectsof Indian nationality and fourNigerians on board MTASHKAY. This has brought tothe fore the need to monitorforeigners more closely in theregion which is a primaryresponsibility of the NigerianImmigration Service andfurther underscores theimportance of the multi agencynature of the JTF.

Ineptitude of oil companies'surveillance contractors isanother challenge the JTF isfacing. According to him, mostoil companies havesurveillance contractorsresponsible for monitoringtheir network of pipelines inthe Niger Delta. It is thereforeof major concern that illegal oilbunkering has continueddespite the deployment of thesesurveillance contractors. Onereason for their apparentineptitude is the manner ofemployment by the oilcompanies who out-source theemployment of surveillanceteams to contractors. Somecontractors are not dedicated.Recently, some surveillancecontractors were arrestedtrying to vandalize a pipelineat Kporgho in Gokana area. Itis therefore necessary for oilcompanies to overhaul theemployment pattern of theirsurveillance contractors andtheir manner of deployment.

Prosecution and quickdispensation of justice alsomilitates against the completevictory over the menace of oiltheft. By law the JTF has nolegal powers to prosecutesuspects. Therefore, all suspectsarrested are handed over to thepolice or the Civil DefenceCorps. These cases, whencarried to the courts follow thenormal court bureaucracy ofgranting bails and severaladjournments. This seriouslydelays the quick dispensation ofjustice. To overcome thischallenge, it has been suggestedseverally by the JTF that aspecial court for the prosecutionof oil thieves be instituted.

On the final note, Ochogasaid actualising the mandate ofthe JTF will require thecooperation of all stake holders,opinion and community leadersand all law-abiding Nigerians.

Chief of Naval, Dele Ezeoba

Lt General Ihejirika Azubuike


Agric Research: ABU releases 37varieties of improved maize, other cropsThe expedition of the

Nigerian government andfarmers towards achieving

self sufficiency in food production,as well as food security in the countryhas received a major boost asresearchers at the Institute forAgricultural Research (IAR), AmaduBello University, Zaria, Kaduna statehave developed and released copiousimproved crop varieties.

This followed the globalprominence which is currentlydirected to the genetically modifiedcrops that are bred from some highlysophisticated laboratory procedures,making them high disease resistant,high yield potential with the qualityto mature early.

Some of the important varietiesthat have been developed andreleased to farmers, according to theinstitute’s Deputy Director, Prof.Ezra Amans stated, include “9varieties of cowpea for differentecologies, 13 cotton varieties, 23varieties of groundnut, 14 maizevarieties and 45 sorghum varietiessuitable for Sahel, Sudan and Guineaecologies.”

Amans therefore informed agroup of journalist who visited theinstitute that, IAR had an aged-longreputation of partnering otherresearch organization in thedevelopment of a few crops in thepast.

He said: “IAR has developedsome crops in collaboration with theInternational Crop ResearchInstitute for the Semi-Arid Tropics(ICRISAT)’ seven varietiesincluding millet, eight varieties ofwheat in collaboration with theInternational Centre for Maize andWheat (CIMMYT), tomato (7 freshmarket, nine processing and fourheat tolerant varieties), onions,pepper, grape vine and kenafvarieties.”

Similarly, information obtainedfrom the institute’s brochure statesthat, “Nine varieties of cowpea fordifferent ecologies have beendeveloped and released forproduction. The most popular areSAMPEA 6 and SAMPEA 7 withyield potential of 2.5t per hectare andresistant to many stress factors.”

“SAMPEA 6 is one of the parentsof the American black eye beans.SAMPEA 8 is extra-early in maturitywhile SAMPEA 9 is dual purpose(high grain and fodder yield). Manyof the cowpea in most Nigerianhouseholds is our products.SAMPEA 8 and SAMPEA 9 havebeen developed in collaboration withthe International Institute ofTropical Agriculture, IITA.

“The institute had released about14 varieties of maize to farmers indifferent ecological zones across thecountry. Of the newly releasedvarieties, SAMMAZ 11 is Strigahermonthica resistant, whileSAMMAZ 12 and SAMMAZ 13 areextra-early white and yellow grainsrespectively.

SAMMAZ 14 is equally proteinmaize, which has higher levels oflysine and tryptophan, the twolimiting essential amino acids inmaize. A lot of the maize consumedin every house in Nigeria in one form

or the other is a product of IAR incollaboration with IITA and othernational research institutes,” it said.

On sorghum, the report said,researchers at the institute, incollaboration with ICRISAT, havedeveloped at least 45 sorghumvarieties, which are suitable forSahel, Sudan and Guinea savannaecologies. The crops have also beenreleased to farmers across thecountry.

“Among the most prominentones are SAMSORG 17 and

SAMSORG 40 which are suitable formalt production. Nigerian Brewerieshave since been using these varietiesas substitute to barley from whichthe bulk of foreign exchange neededto import barley is conserved.

On the release of cotton varieties,the report states: “Thirteen cottonvarieties have been developed andreleased to cotton farmers in Nigeria.SAMCOT 11, SAMCOTT 12, andSAMCOTT 13 are the latest varietiesreleased. They are long staple andresistant to alternaria leaf spots and

bacterial blight.“Our cotton varieties supply raw

materials to the numerous textileindustries and oil mills across thecountry. The new long staplevarieties can be used as substitute toimported long staple fibres therebyconserving our foreign exchange,” itexplained.

In the latest study on groundnut,according to the catalog, twenty-three varieties have been developedin collaboration with the ICRISATand released to farmers in different

By Mohammed Kandi

ecologies. The most popular ones arethe rosette and drought resistantvarieties. The latest released are theextra-early and the dual purposetype.

“Our groundnut supply most ofthe cooking oil used in Nigerianhouseholds and most of the cake tolivestock feed industries,” the reportstressed.

Apparently, this outstandingeffort by the various researchinstitutes in the country became areality with the support of someinternational research organizationsthat have found the need for Nigeriain particular and Africa at large tokey-in and contribute towards theattainment of global food securityhighly important.

A plant breeder at the institute,Usman Alhassan, stressed the needfor the Nigerian government to scaleup its budgetary allocation theagriculture sector in line with theMaputo declaration on agricultureand food security, which advocatesat least 10 percent national budgetallocation to agriculturedevelopment.

The plant breeder said untilgovernments stop playing politicswith agriculture by financing thesector properly, Nigeria and Africamight miss out of the gigantic effortdirected at achieving global foodsecurity as in the green revolution.

Alhassan also informed thatNigerian farmers have since adoptedthe use of the genetic modified (GM)crops hence, urging the governmentto ensure the speedy passage into lawthe bill that would facilitate theprocess of agriculturaltransformation in Nigeria.

One of the participants at the recent media tour organised by Bio Sciences for Farming in Africa to the Institute for AgriculturalResearch, at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria

A laboratory at the Institute for Agricultural Research, at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria


President, Nutrition Society ofNigeria (NSN), Dr IgnatiusOnimawo, has called for the

establishment of a NationalNutrition Council to check theimportation of frozen poultryproducts into the country.

Onimawo, who made the call inan interview with the News Agencyof Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday,said that the council, whenestablished, would help tocoordinate, analyse, assess andapprove such imports wherenecessary.

According to him, it is high timewe stop the dumping of someharmful foods in Nigeria to protectthe health of the citizens. He warnedthat ‘’eating such products can beharmful to human health”.

Onimawo said that most of theimported frozen poultry productshad been defrosted and re-frozenand in the process thawing theycould be re-frozen along with somebacteria such as “Salmonella”.

“The only thing we can do toprotect Nigerians is to have a centralcoordinating unit for nutrition in thecountry. The National NutritionCouncil will help to streamline somany things; it will even help toregulate the profession,” he said.

“From there, we can have aninstitute; that institute will be aresearch centre where anythingabout nutrition will be analysed andassessed.

“When people want us toendorse their products, we take thisproduct outside Nigeria, we payheavily to get them analysed and allthat. That is not helpful to Nigeria.The time we need a nationalnutrition coordinating council isnow.”

Onimawo said that it was notadvisable for Nigerians to consumeany frozen poultry product becauseof its health hazard since suchproduct was prone to bacterialinfection.

“It depends on the method inwhich they were processed and howlong they were frozen. The problemwith frozen chicken, if they weredefrosted and re-frozen, in theprocess of thawing, because of thehigh nutritional value of chicken,bacteria such as “Salmonella” andother types of bacteria that arepathogenic are likely to be part of it.

“They will be frozen along withit and when you now bring themdown here, you are likely to have aproblem.

“Generally, it is not advisable tobuy frozen chicken, nobody knowshow long, whether they were frozenfor the past one year up to two-years.

“We don’t even know where theyare coming from, how long they wereprocessed, whether they weredefrosted before they were re-frozen.

“All these will affect the meatquality of the food and nutrition ishealth. There is a lot of non-communicable diseases now inNigeria, because there is nocoordination.

“Economically, it is not advisablefor a nation to be importing frozenchicken just to come and destroy thelocal market,” he warned.

Nutritionistseeks ban onimportation offrozen poultryproducts

Minister of Agriculture andRural Development, Dr.Akinwunmi Adesina, has

advocated for a multi-facetedapproach to unlock financing towardsthe growth agricultural sector in thecountry.

The minister stated this at theCapital Markets’ Workshop,organised by his ministry incollaboration with the Securities andExchange Commission (SEC)recently.

“The government must create anenabling environment by working

with the private sector to developprograms and services that reduce theperceived and real risk associatedwith agricultural lending in order toencourage the financial sector tolend,” he said.

“The financial sector needs to bemore innovative and proactive. Banksand other private lending institutionshave a responsibility to develop creditinstruments and services that aretailored to the risks and cash flowpatterns in the agricultural sector,”Adesina said.

“We must draw lessons from ourexperiences to date, and progress inNigeria’s agricultural

Transformation, to drive greaterperformance of the finance industryand capital markets in expandingaccess to finance for the agriculturalsector,” the minister advised.

Adesina recalled that Nigeria’sagricultural sector was a biginvestment opportunity for investorsto delve into saying “the Nigerianpopulation is approximately 167million, and the agricultural sectorcontributes over 40% of GDP.”

He said: “This large marketrepresents a high and fast growingdemand for agricultural goods andservices. Although not fullyharnessed, Nigeria also has the

capacity to meet, and potentiallyexceed, this domestic demand.”

“Our nation is abundant with thelabor and natural resources necessaryto improve productivity. Arable land,perhaps the most critical naturalresource, is abundant in Nigeria; wehave a total of 84million hectares ofarable land of which only 40% isunder cultivation,” Adesina stressed.

Adesina therefore assure thatthere was huge potential foragricultural lending in Nigeriafollowing the pledge made by banksto increase their lending tocommercial farmers by about ThreeTrillion Naira.

Minister advocates multi-facetedapproach to agric financingBy Mohammed Kandi

Three indigenes of DanmusaLocal Government Area ofKatsina state have assisted

irrigation farmers with equipmentworth more than N1 million toboost irrigation farming in theSafana-Danmusa-Batsari Federalconstituency of the state.

They are the former Speaker ofthe old Kaduna State, AlhajiMamman Danmusa, AlhajiGambo Musa, representing theconstituency in the House ofRepresentatives, and AlhajiJamilu Mamam, the state’sCommissioner for WaterResources.

The equipment donated to thefarmers include 16 water pumps,471 hoses, 580 pipes, 29 sprayersand chemicals, among others.

The former speaker, whodistributed the equipment onbehalf of other donors inDanmusa town on Monday, saidthe assistance was aimed atempowering dry season farmers toenable them to become self-reliant.

‘’It is also an effort that willprevent them from migrating tourban centres after the rainyseason,’’ he said.

According to him, 11 irrigationfarmers’ associations from each ofthe three local government areascovering the constituency werebeneficiaries of the gesture.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the trio haddrilled 150 tube wells for thefarmers to facilitate theiragricultural activities.

Danmusa, therefore, urged thebeneficiaries to ensure effectiveutilisation of the equipment toenhance irrigation farming in theareas.

Responding on behalf of thefarmers, Malam Haruna Na’aya,thanked the donors for theirsupport and assured them thatevery farmer who benefitted fromthe gesture would make the bestuse of the facilities.

‘’This is not the first time youare assisting us and we have beenmaking use of what you providedto us to improve our dry seasonfarming; we are greatful, ‘’ he said.(NAN)

Politiciansassist irrigationfarmers inKatsina

Following the regularassessment of the GrossEnhancement Support

Scheme (GES) across the country,the Federal Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development, said theprogramme has achieved about 97per cent success in implementationand 100 per cent participation rateby states that have adopted thescheme.

A document issued by one of theaides of the Minister of Agriculturein Abuja, Dr. Oyeleye Olukayode,said: “35 states and FCT areimplementing GES. Adamawa Statewas the last state to sign up to GESand implementation has notstarted. This is an implementationrate at state level of 97% and aparticipation rate at state level of100%”

On the participating of LocalGovernment Area (LGA) in the GESacross the country, the documentrevealed, “754 LGAs areimplementing GES; this is animplementation rate of 97% at LGAlevel.”

“One of the major fulcrums ofthe GES scheme is to use Agro-dealers to directly deliver inputs tofarmers. A lot of success wasrecorded in this regard as 1081Agro-dealers are participating inGES; this is an agro-dealer to LGAratio of 1.4:1 or 14 agro-dealers forevery 10 LGAs,” it said.

“Over 783 agro-dealers have sofar participated actively in theprogram so far out of the 1083registered agro-dealers, therebygiving us an absolute participationrate of 72%,” it explained.

It stated on famer’sparticipation: “Approximately

1,585,980 million farmers showedup at operational redemption sitesin the 35 States and FCT that areimplementing GES. Approximately1,113,685 million farmers havereceived their farm input so far.”

“As a proportion of the3.9million registered farmers in theparticipating locations whichexclude Adamawa state that did notparticipate and most of ZamfaraState, where the actual figures werenot available; this is a turnout rateof 41% and a redemption rate of70%,” it sated.

On the inputs distributed tofarmer so far, “As at October 30th,2012, a total of 138,898MT ofFertilizer; 4216MT of maize seedsand 6816MT of rice seeds have beenredeemed so far. This is a supplyeffectiveness rate of 27% forfertilizer and 130% for seedscompanies.”

GES records 97 percentsuccess in Nigeria – MinistryBy Mohammed Kandi

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (centre), chatting with Chairman, Famag Jal Farms,Jikwoyi, Abuja, Tafida Mafindi; during the minister's visit recently to the farm. With them is theministry's Director of Federal Livestock Department, Dr. Joseph Nyager.


Combating Corruption:Challenge Before NigeriansEconomists rate corruption as

one of the factors thatimpede the accelerated

socio-economic transformation ofdeveloping countries such asNigeria.

The government’s perceptionthat the country’s wealth haswithered with little to show inliving conditions of the averagehuman being, has informed itsdetermination to fight corruptionthrough various weapons.

According to observers, theslow pace of court process in theattainment of judgment is givingthe accused the opportunity toview offences bordering on corruptpractices as insignificant.

The observers say that evenwith good instruments for fightingthe vice, there are variousimpediments to total eliminationof corruption in the country.

On April 17, 2012, a CrownCourt in London sentenced aformer governor of Delta State,James Ibori, to 13 years’imprisonment after he pleadedguilty to corruption and moneylaundering.

However, the same Ibori hadon Dec. 18, 2009, been dischargedof a 170-count charge by JusticeMarcel Awokulehin of a FederalHigh Court sitting in Asaba.

The former governor wasconvicted by the UK court on thestrength of the same criminalcharges which were dismissed bythe Nigerian court.

Thus, Ibori’s conviction andsubsequent sentencing by theLondon court was an indictmenton Nigeria’s judiciary.

As the third tier of governmentand often referred to as the lasthope of the common man, thejudiciary is supposed to guaranteeequal access to justice and equityfor all citizens.

It should ensure that the rightsof citizens are adequatelyaccommodated, and judgmentshanded down without fear orfavour, but in accordance with thelaw.

The global corruptionwatchdog, TransparencyInternational, in its 2012corruption perception index,ranked Nigeria as the 35th mostcorrupt country in the world.

Analysts believe that this is thetime for the judiciary to rise totackle corruption headlongthrough adequate interpretation ofthe law.

They are of the opinion that therule of law must be upheld stronglyand the judiciary impartial, beforeNigeria will win the fight againstcorruption.

According to the immediate-past Chief Justice of Nigeria,Justice Dahiru Musdapher, whenthe rule of law is weak, corruptionwill remain a nagging problem.

“Corruption in the justicesector is a keystone to corruptionthroughout society.

“Without an honest criminaljustice system, the wealthy,especially the corrupt, can escapethe consequences of their crimes.

“Such impunity reduces theperceived cost of corruption.

“The gains from corruption are,therefore, not discounted andthere is, thus, little reason beyondpersonal integrity not to engage in

corrupt acts, the chief justice says.He believes that independence

of the judiciary is a sine qua nonto achieving an effective justicesystem.

Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) alsobelieves the judiciary must purgeitself of all forms of corruption anddischarge its duties without fear orfavour.

He says: “The court which is afinal arbiter in our criminal justicesystem, must be well-positionedand prepared both intellectuallyand otherwise to handle the greatchallenge posed by the ever-changing dynamics in the face ofcorruption’’.

A professor of Law, Itse Sagay(SAN), blames thriving corruptionin Nigeria on lack of political willto prosecute high-profilecorruption cases.

He is convinced thatcorruption has permeated everysector of the Nigerian economy.

He expresses regrets that evenarraigned suspected corruptpersons file frivolous applicationsto delay their trials.

“The problems associated withinterlocutory applications havebecome a major source of concernin this country.

“Indeed, we are currently facedwith a grave crisis in our justicedelivery system because of thischeap vehicle for adjourningjustice permanently,” he says.

Commenting, a human rightsactivist and lawyer, Mr FemiFalana, says lawyers, especiallythose in the inner bar, have a shareof blame for the thrivingcorruption.

He alleges that these

lawyers manipulate the criminaljustice system to protect theirhigh-profile clients fromconviction.

“All those cases that havebrought the judiciary to shamehave been handled by SeniorAdvocates of Nigeria (SANs), thesupposed leaders of the legalprofession.

“Legal practitioners must riseup to challenge their actionsbecause they are ruining the legalsystem. They are exposing Nigeriato ridicule,’’ he remarks.

Mr Akpan Udofia, an Abuja-based human rights layer, claimsthe war against corruption isineffective because theIndependent Corrupt PracticesCommission (ICPC) and theEconomic and Financial CrimesCommission (EFCC), have notdone enough in the areas ofinvestigating financial crimes andprosecution of offenders.

According to him, for effectivefight against corruption, politicaloffices holders at all levels,especially the governors, must beheld accountable for all allocations

collected for their respective states.Mr Kuyik Usoro, a lawyer, says

ethnicity and tribal sentiments aresome of the impediments tofighting corruption.

“This is evident in a situationwhere people from the sameethnicity find it difficult toprosecute his fellow man in thelaw court,’’ he notes.

According to him, anotherconcern is in the area where thejudiciary gets direct funds fromthe executive, noting that such may affect the independence ofthe judiciary.

Mr Dambisa Moyo, aneconomist, calls for proactivemeasures at checking the excessesof some public officials who havethe penchant to compromise.

It is in the light of this that MrIbrahim Lamorde, the Chairmanof EFCC, highlights thecommission’s constraints to scorehigh at prosecuting high-profilecases, noting that the ‘plea bargain’is a setback for the commission.

He blames the overwhelmingwealth of suspects as well as thealleged compromise of the

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde

judiciary for the commission’sfailure in securing convictions inhigh-profile cases.

“The commission has been ableto establish a very strong assetsforfeiture unit to recover andconfiscate the assets of individualsthat were involved in corruption.

“It is only when you deprivethem of their resources that youwill be able to force them to standtrial,’’ Lamorde says.

Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni,Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights andAccountability Project (SERAP),urges the judiciary to use theopportunity of the ongoing trials ofsome high profile individuals foralleged complicity in fuel subsidyfraud to redeem its image.

“It is not enough to bring thesepeople to court. The EFCC mustensure that these cases areprosecuted and concluded in atimely manner,” he advises.

In evolving a virile process ofeliminating corrupt practices in thecountry, analysts believe that theanti-graft agencies should beautonomous in their functions.

They also suggest theestablishment of independentspecial courts which will be freefrom interference of other arms ofgovernment.

Analysts are also convincedthat a bold, courageous, impartialand independent judiciary willhelp Nigeria to win the battleagainst corruption and put thecountry on the path of greatness.

Most of all, every Nigerianmust be involved in the fight, theyadd.

Source: NAN

By Solomon Asowata &Aderogba George

“All those cases that have brought the judiciary toshame have been handled by Senior Advocatesof Nigeria (SANs), the supposed leaders of the

legal profession. Legal practitioners must rise upto challenge their actions because they areruining the legal system. They are exposing

Nigeria to ridicule

ICPC Chairman, Ekpo Nta


Can we (please) spreadentrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is perhaps the unwavering commitment to live or die by your own persistence and abilities

Entrepreneurship hasbecome one of the mostrecognisable words in the

world over the last ten to twenty years,and with good reason.

It has become a symbol for thepremier achievement in our capitalistsociety; that of owning, creating andrunning your own business. Almosteverybody would like to do it, yet itstill remains an elusive goal for thevast majority of the world'spopulation.

When you hear the real life storiesof people like Sir Richard Branson, BillGates, or Mark Zuckerberg, you realiseentrepreneurship is not justsomething you can claim on a resumeto describe the time you sold T-shirtson your college campus.

True entrepreneurs would neverthink of putting the E word on aresume, because it would beanathema to the very idea ofentrepreneurship in the first place.True entrepreneurs would neverthink of using the title as a statussymbol, because they don't have to.

So what does an entrepreneur dothat sets them apart from a baker,mechanic or graphic designer?

Entrepreneurship, in its purestsense, is perhaps the unwaveringcommitment to live or die by yourown persistence and abilities.

It is the fire to wake up everymorning and be excited about doingwhat you truly want to create; it isthe ability to bypass drama andwasted energy, and instead focus allof your intention on your true purposeand career goals. It is the fearlessnessto trust in your own ability, your owncreativity, and your ownresourcefulness when others wouldask a superior for help, or consult theclosest manual for direction. It is theentrepreneurs who are not afraid towrite their own manuals, and whoare not worried about whether or notit will be accepted by the majority ofthe population.

Magazine publisher Jim Warrenwas the pioneering entrepreneurbehind legendary publications likeFamous Movie Monsters of HollywoodandVampirella.

In his heyday, Warren was ableto take an unpopular product - horrorcomics - and transform them intosomething marketable and lucrativethrough a simple repackaging effort.Warren's strategy involved sellingcomics in magazine form and sellinghis own stock of novelty items throughads in the back of the book as opposedto pursuing advertisers reluctant tojump into bed with a horror publisher.

He hired the best artists andwriters he could afford and, along witheditor Forrest J Ackerman, usheredin a new era of fandom that made itokay to call yourself a geek. In his officeyou'd find a framed plaque reading"Somebody has to make it happen".

At an entrepreneur's core, that'swhat they do: They make it happen.Bakers might become entrepreneursif nobody's hiring, but only to servetheir passion for baking. In some casesthe entrepreneur will hire the baker,rent out the storefront and buy theovens. In other cases the entrepreneurmight never even see the bakery inperson. They might simply puttogether the funding and hire a goodbusiness manager.

What an entrepreneur also shinesin is ideas. Every business they launchmight not be based on an idea of their

own and they might not be just anidea-man working behind the scenes.

There are entrepreneurs who putsomeone else's idea into practice beforeputting more sweat into the businessthan any of the people they hire, butat the core of the entrepreneurial spiritis the drive to take a good idea andbring it to life.

When we think ofentrepreneurship in this way, then itbecomes clear that the unmistakableethos of entrepreneurship usuallybecomes visible at an early age. Wecan all imagine mid-level managersin a company, who, although theymay be good at their jobs, lacksomething that can sometimes bevisible in children as young as 13 or14. Yet that spark, that spirit thatdrives you to start your firstlemonade stand, is in all of us.

The problem is we're taught todo what's safe, what's guaranteedto work, rather than risk our time,effort and money on ideas thatmight fail.

So often entrepreneurship canbe the difference between oneperson who follows the rules, goesto school, gets good grades, gets agood job, and gets a decent salary,and the person who shuns schoolaltogether, listens to no one and

ends up creating a brand newproduct that goes on to change theworld.

Public schools, colleges andyour first job teaches you to keepyour head down and do your work.Much of our society is built aroundan outdated industrial modelwhere anyone can be taught to doyour job, where you essentiallyserve as a cog in a machine, andwhere showing up on time is moreimportant than any of the insightsor creativity that you can bring tothe table. The difference today isthat unlike generations past whereyou could get by quite well just bydoing what you were told, theworld's top companies areconstantly looking for people thatdo just the opposite; they break therules and innovate beyondconventional training.

So can we teachentrepreneurship? And moreimportantly, how?

In an interview with adocumentary maker, Sir RichardBranson's mother reveals thatBranson was actually incrediblyshy in his early childhood. In an effortto push him to be more outgoing, shecame up with an entrepreneurial ideaof her own: Dropping her son off three

Unquestionably there seems to be an un-teachable element in the spirit of entrepreneurshipthat has driven many great success stories. Some

may argue that schooling can, at best, only bedescribed as prepping the canvas for the painter.

“

ANALYSIS

miles from home and telling him thathe would have to talk to people and askdirections to find his way back.Extreme?

Sure, but this sink or swimapproach to child rearing turned a shychild who literally hid behind hismother's skirt into one of the mostdaring entrepreneurs of our time.

The habits of a successfulentrepreneur are also being taught inMBA programmes across the country.As Dean Hubbard of ColumbiaBusiness School puts forth in his speechabout the 21st century MBA, "the goalis not to have a data dump of functionalskills, but to create a process thatteaches people how to recogniseopportunity - and capture it" (fulldisclosure: Columbia Business Schoolis my alma mater).

Unquestionably there seems to bean un-teachable element in the spiritof entrepreneurship that has drivenmany great success stories. Some mayargue that schooling can, at best, onlybe described as prepping the canvasfor the painter.

You can tell the artist where to buythe paints, give them some tips onfundamental art principles, and thenprovide examples of what people havedone in the past. But the actual act oflaunching the initiative and coming

up with the idea that will live onbeyond even the creators life itself, issomething that just cannot be taughtby any stretch of the imagination.

Perhaps you can call it creativity,imagination, or pure passion, but thefact remains that, although you canhave the largest canvas and paintcollection on earth, it still takes an artistto create something beautiful.

Those exceptions aside, manypeople are left with no choice but tolearn how to be entrepreneurial. Thepace at which the number of doors areopening, and that are continuing toopen throughout the world, isstaggering. As the economy and theidea of a career evolve over the nextdecade or two, "entrepreneur" may bethe only job title left.

As pointed out by entrepreneurScott Gerber, according to a 2011survey, some 23 percent of youngpeople who have started a businesshave done so simply because ofdifficulty in finding a job. We'realready in a sink or swim scenario withyouth employment at a sixty yearlow.

Parents may get the ball rolling;high school may get the aspiringentrepreneurs feet wet; universitiesmay lay golden fields of opportunity,connections, and resources at onesfingertips; but the most important partof the journey will always remain withthe entrepreneur.

We may build the bridges, pavethe roads, and open the doors for you,but it is you, the entrepreneur, thatwill always have to be the one to walkthrough.

Post-war education was designedto place people in large companieswhere they would find a secure salary.Sadly, that's still what school is largelyfor, even as these companies downsize,collapse and disappear from theeconomic landscape, causing layoffsto be at record highs. Not only can weteach people to thinkentrepreneurially, we need to.

Source: Al Jazeera

By Goutham Bhadri


Swaziland: Police in mini-skirt arrest threat

Women in Swaziland riskarrest if they wearmini-skirts or tops which

expose part of their stomach, a policespokeswoman has said.

Wendy Hleta said police wouldenforce an 1889 law which bans"immoral" dressing if they receive a

Traditional mini-skirt dancers in Manzini.

Faced with brutal elephant poachers, Cameroon calls in the army

Egypt awaitsconstitutionalreferendumresultEgypt is awaiting the official

results of a referendum ona controversial draft

constitution.Early unofficial results suggested

more than 60% of voters said "yes"to the document, which is endorsedby Islamist President MohammedMorsi.

But the electoral commissionmust first investigate oppositionallegations of voting fraud.

Egypt has seen large andoccasionally violent demonstrationsby the opposing sides in the past fewweeks.

If the constitution passes,elections must take place within twomonths and the deep polarisation inthe country is likely to continue, theBBC's Bethany Bell in Cairo reports.

In the meantime, legislativepowers will pass to parliament'supper chamber, the Islamist-controlled Shura Council.

State media reports of the resultsfollowing Saturday's second andfinal round of the referendumsuggested that some 63% of votershad backed the charter. Turnoutwas low, estimated at 30%.

The electoral commission said itwas compiling results from bothrounds and that no time had beenset for a confirmation of theoutcome.

One member of the commission,Mohamed el-Tanobly, told AgenceFrance-Presse it was examining allthe allegations of irregularities sothat the referendum "really reflectsthe will of the Egyptian people".

The opposition NationalSalvation Front said on Sunday thevote had been marred by "fraudand violations".

It said these included pollingstations opening late, Islamistsseeking to influence voters and alack of judges to supervise.

Spokesman Amr Hamzawytold a news conference theNational Salvation Front hadurged the commission toinvestigate the irregularities buthe also appeared to anticipate a "yes"vote.

He said: "We do not consider thisconstitution legitimate. We willcontinue to attempt to bring downthe constitution peacefully anddemocratically."

The opposition says the draftconstitution fails to protect thefreedoms and human rights thatwere sought in the uprising thatended Hosni Mubarak's rule lastyear.

It accuses the president of pushingthrough a text that favours Islamistsand does not sufficiently protect therights of women or Christians.

The welcome committee forCameroon's Bouba NdjidaNational Park, a former

safari tourism destination,would not look out of place on abattlefield.

Faced with the threat ofhorse-mounted Sudaneseelephant poachers armed withmachine guns, the centralAfrican nation has deployedmilitary helicopters and 600soldiers to try to protect the parkand its animals.

Its decision to call in thearmy follows a bloody incursioninto the park last winter duringwhich poachers from Sudankilled some 300 elephants, or 80percent of the park's elephantpopulation, within a few weeks.

Armed only with World WarOne-era rifles, the park's eco-guards were defenceless in the

face of the Sudanese 'jandjaweed'poachers who had travelledthousands of miles on horsebackto seize the tusks.

The raid left hundreds ofelephant corpses in its wake.

Many of the animals' faceshad been hacked off and thebodies lay decomposing in a parkthat used to attract safaritourists in large numbers.

Cameroon says it isdetermined to make sure such ascene is never repeated.

"With the kind of deploymentwe have in the park here today,the message is very clear,"Brigadier General MartinTumenta told Reuters during avisit to the park. "Any poacherwho finds himself here willsimply be destroyed."

Equipped with helicopters,night vision gear, and scores of

jeeps, Cameroon's military hasset up two garrisons in the parkand several camps along

Cameroon's border with Chadand the Central AfricanRepublic, Tumenta said.

Nelson Mandela to spend Christmas in S/Africa hospitalSouth Africa about his health.

Mr Mandela was jailed for27 years for leading thestruggle against white-minority rule.

He is regarded by mostSouth Africans as the father ofthe nation, having inspiredthem to fight for democracy.

"Former President NelsonMandela will spend ChristmasDay in hospital, his doctorshave confirmed," agovernment statement said.

Karen Allen inJohannesburg reports that withevery passing day there isgrowing public anxiety about MrMandela's health.

There was hope that he wouldbe allowed to spend Christmas athome, but his doctors are still not

comfortable about discharginghim, she says.

Although President JacobZuma has described MrMandela's condition as "serious",he has tempered this by sayingthat he has been "responding" totreatment, our correspondentadds.

The government says he isbeing treated for a recurringlung infection at a hospital in thecapital, Pretoria.

He has also had an operationto remove gallstones.

Mr Mandela first contractedtuberculosis in the 1980s whiledetained on windswept RobbenIsland prison.

He has been admitted tohospital on three occasions in thepast two years.

complaint.She also said women in the

deeply conservative kingdom makeit easier for rapists by wearing mini-skirts.

Last month, police reportedlyblocked women in mini-skirtsmarching against rape in the second

city, Manzini.However, the colonial-era law

does not apply to traditional costumesworn by women during ceremonieslike the annual reed dance, wherethe monarch may choose a new wife.

In 2000, the governmentintroduced a law requiring school

girls aged 10 years old and above towear knee-length skirts to curbpromiscuity as part of attempts tohalt the spread of Aids.

The country has a population ofmore than 1.2 million and one ofthe highest HIV/Aids rates in theworld.

Ms Hleta said the 1889 law hadnot been enforced recently, but policewanted to alert women about itsexistence after receiving complaintsfrom some men in Manzini aboutwomen wearing mini-skirts.

Anyone arrested and guilty of"immorality" under the Crimes Actof 1889 could receive a fine of up to$10 (£6) or a jail-term of up to sixmonths if they failed to pay the fine,she said.

Women should be careful aboutwearing revealing clothes, the policespokeswoman said.

"We do not encourage thatwomen should be harmed, but atthe same time people should noteacceptable conduct of behaviour," MsHleta is quoted by the privatelyowned Times of Swazilandnewspaper as saying.

"The act of the rapist is made easybecause it would be easy to removethe half-cloth worn by the women,"she said.

Women who wear "skimpyclothes" also draw unnecessaryattention to themselves, Ms Hletasaid.

The carcasses of some of the 22 elephant slaughtered in a heli-copter-bourne attack lie on the ground in Garamba NationalPark.

Madiba

South Africa's first blackPresident Nelson Mandelawill spend Christmas in

hospital, a governmentstatement has said.

Mr Mandela, 94, wasadmitted to hospital two weeksago and has been treated for alung infection and gallstones.

There is growing concern in


Jerusalem Catholicbacks Palestinian state

Journalists gathered to condemn the killing of Thangjam Dijamani.

Patriach Fouad Twal is due to lead midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity.

The head of the RomanCatholic Church inJerusalem has voiced his

support for a Palestinian state during aprocession to Bethlehem, the birthplaceof Jesus.

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal saidthis Christmas would be a celebrationof "the birth of Christ our lord and thebirth of the state of Palestine".

In November the United Nationsupgraded the status of the Palestiniansto that of a "non-member observer state".

Patriarch Twal is due to leadmidnight mass at the Church of theNativity.

The church is seen by Christians asthe traditional birthplace of Jesus, andis in an area of the West Bank governedby the Palestinian Authority.

In June the church was formallynamed a Unesco World Heritage Site -

Asia andMiddle East

the first to be nominated by thePalestinians, who were made fullmembers of Unesco earlier this year.

The Patriarch, who was born inJordan, led a symbolic processionfrom Jerusalem's Old City to

Bethlehem, passing through theseparation barrier and checkpointbuilt by the Israelis.

He was met at the church inManger Square by thousands oftourists, pilgrims and clergy.

Lakhdar Brahimi (L) walks with Syrian deputy foreign minister.

Protest: India's PM calls forcalm as police kill journalist

Manmohan Singh, India'sPrime Minister, has vowedto protect women in the

wake of violent demonstrationsagainst the "national epidemic" of sexcrimes.

He spoke after police clashed withhundreds of protesters a day earlierin the Indian capital New Delhi overthe gang rape of a medical studentin the capital last weekend.

"There is genuine and justifiedanger and anguish at this ghastlyincident," Singh said in a televisedstatement on Monday, appealing for"peace and calm" as officials shutdown roads in the centre of New Delhi- a city home to nearly 14 millionpeople - in a bid to prevent furtherprotests.

"I assure you that we will makeall possible efforts to ensure securityand safety to all women in thiscountry," said Singh.

Police on Sunday had shot teargas and water cannon, and usedbatons to disperse demonstrators, asthe crowd at Delhi's landmark IndiaGate monument defied ordersbanning the protests and swelled intothe thousands.

Scuffles occurred betweenprotesters and police neargovernment buildings, withdemonstrators shouting slogansagainst the authorities andthrowing stones and bottles at theirbarricades. Angry protesters lateroverturned a vehicle and seized policevans.

At least 30 people, includingseveral policemen, have beentreated for injuries at a nearbyhospital, officials said.

"Security has been tightened inthe heart of New Delhi, with policein riot gear in every area of possibledemonstration. Section 144, acriminal code that prohibitsassembly of more than five people,has been imposed," reported AlJazeera's Subina Shrestha in NewDelhi.

A delegation of protesters metSonia Gandhi, the leader of the rulingCongress party, to convey theirdemands.

Syrian peaceenvoy LakhdarBrahimi in talkswith Assad

International peace envoy forSyria Lakhdar Brahimi has heldtalks with President Bashar al-

Assad in Damascus, in a fresh bid toend the conflict.

Mr Brahimi said they discussed"many steps to be taken in thefuture", but he did not elaborate.

On Sunday, opposition activistssaid dozens of people had been killedin a government air strike in therebel-held town of Halfaya in Hamaprovince.

Syrian state media blamed a"terrorist group" for the attack.

Mr Brahimi drove into Syriafrom Beirut on Sunday, afterfighting closed Damascus airport.

"I had the honour to meet thepresident and as usual weexchanged views on the many stepsto be taken in the future," he saidafter meeting President Bashar al-Assad on Monday.

"We hope that all the parties willgo toward the solution that theSyrian people are hoping for," headded.

It is the third visit to Damascusby Mr Brahimi since he wasappointed joint UN-Arab Leagueenvoy to Syria in August.

However, he has made littleprogress on a peace process so far andit is unclear what new ideas he maybe bringing.

Rebels have been fighting MrAssad's government for 21 months.Opposition groups say more than44,000 people have been killed.

Taiwancondemnedover executions

Taiwan has executed six deathrow inmates, the first use of thedeath penalty this year.

The deputy justice minister saidthe brutality of the men's crimesmeant there was no reason to showmercy.

Campaigning human rightsgroup Amnesty International hascondemned the move as "cold-bloodedkilling".

The executions - by shooting -"made a mockery of the authorities'stated commitment to abolish thedeath penalty", Amnesty said in astatement.

"It is abhorrent to justify takingsomeone's life because prisons areovercrowded or the public's allegedsupport for the death penalty," thestatement said.

The executions were carried out inthree separate prisons in different partsof the country - two in the capital, Taipei,two in the central city of Taichung andtwo in the south of the island.

All six of the men had been convictedof murder.

The BBC's Cindy Sui, in Taipei, saysthe executions come at a time of inflamedpublic debate about the death penaltyfollowing the death of a boy in a videoarcade.


Europe andAmericas

Mexicoclashes leaveseven policeofficers deadGunmen have ambushed

and shot dead sevenpolicemen in two

separate clashes in westernMexico, officials have said.

Attackers opened fire aspolice responded to reports of atraffic accident in a rural areaof Michoacan state, killing fourofficers.

Three officers and a civilianwere killed in another attack inthe neighbouring state ofJalisco.

It was not clear who wasbehind the killings but theregion has been plagued bydrug-related violence.

The Knights Templar andNew Generation drug cartels viefor control of the illegal drugstrade in Michoacan.

The first attack happened inBrisenas, a small town on theborder with Jalisco, whereearlier this month the policechief and three other officialswere kidnapped by unidentifiedattackers and are still missing.

According to officials,gunmen ambushed officers onSunday as they drove to areported road accident. Fourofficers were killed and fiveothers injured.

A short while later, attackersopened fire on police in Ayotlanin Jalisco state, killing threeofficers and a civilian.

Some 60,000 people havedied across Mexico since 2006when the previous governmentunder Felipe Calderon deployedthe military against the drugsgangs.

Earlier this month, PresidentEnrique Pena Nieto announcedthe creation of a new nationalforce as part of continuing effortsto tackle crime and violence.

Mr Pena Nieto, who tookoffice on 1 December, said thenew militarised force wouldinitially be 10,000 strong.

US gun lobby standsfirm against regulationThe most powerful pro-gun

lobby group in the UnitedStates has ruled out any

support for greater regulation offirearms or ammunition magazinesin the wake of the Sandy Hook schoolmassacre in Newtown, Connecticutthat left 26 people dead - including20 children.

Wayne LaPierre, the executivevice-president of the National RifleAssociation (NRA), said on Mondaythat planned legislation to outlawmilitary-style assault weapons andlarge-capacity magazines was"phony" and would not work.

Barack Obama, the US president,has said he would support a new billto ban assault rifles and put Vice-President Joe Biden in charge of apanel looking at a wide range of othermeasures, from school security tomental health.

Democratic Senator DianeFeinstein has pledged to table a billon January 3 that would ban at least100 types of military-style semi-automatic assault weapons, andwould curb the transfer, import andpossession of such arms.

"I think that is a phony piece oflegislation, and I do not believe it willpass for this reason," LaPierre told

Wayne LaPierre, the executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association.

India, Russia sign new defence dealsRussia and India have

signed new defence dealsworth $2.9bn (£1.8bn)

during President Vladimir Putin's

day-long trip to India.Under the accords, India will

buy 42 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jetsand 71 Mil Mi-17 helicopters.

Mr Putin held talks with IndianPM Manmohan Singh during hisvisit.

Moscow has long been Delhi'smain weapons supplier but haslost out on several major deals toWestern companies in recentyears.

Trade between Russia andIndia is currently worth about$10bn (£6bn) a year, but hasbeen growing more slowlyrecently.

Ahead of the visit, Mr Putinsaid that he wanted to increasebilateral trade to $20bn by2015.

Monday's talks between MrPutin and Mr Singh alsoincluded the security situation

Fear, finger-pointing mount over "fiscal cliff"to hurt our economy,"Republican Senator Bob Corkerof Tennessee said on CBS "CapitolGains."

The Democratic presidentand Republican House ofRepresentatives Speaker JohnBoehner, the two keynegotiators, are not talking andare out of town for the Christmasholidays. Congress is in recess,and will have only a few daysnext week to act before January1 .

On the Sunday TV talkshows, no one signaled a changeof position that could form thebasis for a short-term fix, despitea suggestion from Obama onFriday that he would favor one.

The focus was shifting insteadto the days following January 1when the lowered tax rates

dating back to President GeorgeW. Bush's administration willhave expired, presentingCongress with a redefined andmore welcome task that involvesonly cutting taxes, not raisingthem.

"I believe we are," going overthe cliff, Republican SenatorJohn Barrasso of Wyoming saidon Fox News Sunday. "I think thepresident is eager to go over thecliff for political purposes. I thinkhe sees a political victory at thebottom of the cliff."

Some Republicans have saidObama would welcome the fiscalcliff's tax increases and defensecuts, as well as the chance toblame Republicans for rejectingdeal. Obama has rejected thatassertion.

Democrats have charged US House speaker John Boehner

that Boehner has his own self-interested reasons for avoidinga deal before January 3, whenthe House elected on November6, is sworn in and casts votes fora new speaker.

Democratic Senator CharlesSchumer of New York said onNBC's "Meet the Press" thatBoehner has been reluctant toreach across the political aisle forfear it could cost him thespeakership when he runs for re-election. "I know he's worried,"said Schumer.

in the region, includingAfghanistan.

"India and Russia share theobjective of a stable, united,democratic and prosperousAfghanistan, free fromextremism," Mr Singh wasquoted as telling Reuters newsagency after the talks.

In an article in India'sHindu newspaper, Mr Putindescribed as a "historic step"the declaration of strategicpartnership between the twocounties signed in 2000.

The Russian leader alsosaid that the military co-operation between the twonations has reached an"unprecedented level".

NBC's "Meet the Press" programme."It is all built on lies that have

been found out .... We don't think itworks and we're not going to supportit," he said.

"A gun is a tool, the problem isthe criminal."

He repeated the NRA's call toplace an armed guard in everyschool and argued that prosecutingcriminals and fixing the mentalhealth system, rather than guncontrol, were the solutions toAmerica's mass shooting epidemic.

The NRA points to the fact thatthe 1999 shooting at ColumbineHigh School, when 12 kids and ateacher were gunned down by twosenior students, occurred despitesimilar legislation being in force atthe time.

Mr Putin (L) with Indian PM Manmohan Singh

Some lawmakers voicedconcern on Sunday that thecountry would go over "the

fiscal cliff" in nine days,triggering harsh spending cutsand tax hikes, and someRepublicans charged that wasPresident Barack Obama's goal.

"It's the first time that I feelit's more likely that we will goover the cliff than not," SenatorJoe Lieberman, an independentfrom Connecticut, said on CNN's"State of the Union."

"If we allow that to happen itwill be the most colossalconsequential act ofcongressional irresponsibility ina long time, maybe ever inAmerican history."

"It looks like to me thatobviously this is going to dragon into next year, which is going


Texas scientistsin bird count

Armed with flashlights,recordings of bird calls, asmall notebook and a stash of

candy bars, scientist Rich Kosteckeembarked on an annual 24-hourChristmastime count of birds alongthe Texas Gulf Coast. Yellow rail. Barnowl. Bittern. Crested Cara-Cara.Kostecke rattled off the names andscribbled them in his notebook.

His data, along with that frommore than 50 other volunteers spreadout into six groups across the 7,000-acre Mad Island preserve, will beanalyzed regionally and then addedto a database with the results of morethan 2,200 other bird counts goingon from mid-December to Jan. 5across the Western Hemisphere.

The count began in 1900 as aNational Audubon Society protest ofholiday hunts that left piles of birdand animal carcasses littered acrossthe country. It now helps scientistsunderstand how birds react to short-term weather events and mayprovide clues as to how they will adapt

Bird counters ride through wetlands during an annual 24-hour Christmastime ritual to count birdsalong the Texas Gulf Coast in Mad Island, Texas.

as temperatures rise and climatechanges.

"Learning the changes of habitin drought could help us know whatwill happen as it gets warmer anddrier," said Kostecke, a bird expert andassociate director of conservation,research and planning at the NatureConservancy in Texas.

Scientists saw birds change theirhabits during last year's historicdrought that parched most of Texas.Some birds that normally winter onthe coast - such as endangeredwhooping cranes - arrived andimmediately turned back whenthey couldn't find enough food. Otherbirds didn't even bother flying to thecoast. Snowy owls, who sometimesmigrate from the Arctic to Montana,suddenly showed up as far south asTexas.

There has been some rain thisyear, but Texas still hasn't fullyrecovered from the drought andmany areas remain unusually dry.Wetlands, a crucial bird habitat,

have been damaged. Trees and brushare dead or brown. There are fewerflooded rice fields, prime foraginggrounds for birds. And sandhillcranes, for the second winter in a row,are staying in Nebraska.

An initial report on the 24-hourcount that began midnight Mondayand ended midnight Tuesdayincluded 233 different species - a dropof 11 from last year when 244 werecounted on Mad Island. While the arealikely still has one of the United States'most diverse bird populations, thespecies that were missing raisequestions.

Where are the wild turkeys? Whywere no black rails found? What aboutfox sparrows and the 13 other speciesthat are commonly counted on thepreserve? Where have they gone?

"There are several possibilities,"Kostecke surmised. "Conditions maybe better in the east, like Louisiana.Some may still be north, because it'sbeen mild, and they tend to follow thefreeze line."

Woman wants to marry manconvicted of murdering her twin sisterA woman in Argentina

wants to marry the manwho was convicted of

murdering her twin sister.Edith Casas, 22, believes that her

fiance, Victor Cingolani, "would not

hurt a fly" and is innocent in hersister's death, the BBC reported.

Cingolani is currently serving a13-year sentence for the murder ofJohana Casas, a model whose bodywas found in a field with two bullet

wounds in 2010. Cingolani had datedJohana, but the two were not in arelationship when she was killed.

"[Edith Casas] isn't jealous,"Cingolani told Argentine newspaperClarin, according to the BBC. "Wealways talk about Johana, about howshe was."

The convict also noted that whilehis relationship with Johana Casaswas "casual," he is "in love" with Edith.

The wedding was supposed to takeplace Saturday, El Patagonicoreported. However, a civil judge haspostponed the event after Casas'mother, Marcelina del CarmenOrellana, submitted a request for acourt-ordered psychiatric evaluationof her daughter.

Orellana, believes the would-bebride is clearly "psychologically ill."Casas' family has stated they feel sheis guilty of "a terrible betrayal."

Cingolani's attorney, LucasChacon says that while he cansympathize with the family'sconcerns, "Edith is not marrying akiller."

Edith Casas, 22, wants to marry Victor Cingolani, who wasconvicted of murdering her twin sister, Johana.

‘Kitten Juggler’caught on CamThe Philadelphia man

caught on surveillancecamera juggling kittens

inside a Logan Chineserestaurant pleaded guilty tocruelty to four counts of animalcruelty.

YuZhen Chen, 26, receivedtwo years of probation,according to court records.

Chen was arrested in Julyafter Philadelphia Police sawvideo that showed him throwingkittens in the air, rolling themon the ground, and swingingthem in circles.

Police investigating ashooting at the Red Star Chinese

take-out restaurant say theyfound video of Chen, who ownedthe restaurant at the time,abusing the cats. Cops thencontacted the SPCA.

"This is not neglect. It'smalicious and he was intendingon purposely hurting andtorturing these kittens it's verydisturbing," said Richard Loos,PSPCA.

Investigators say they wereonly able to rescue the mothercat and two of her kittens.

Besides probation, Chen mustalso pay about $44 a month inpenalties, according to courtrecords.

Chen was caught on surveillance video abusing the animals.

Joe Salter, a 31-year-oldpublic school counselorfrom Pensacola, Fla., pulled off

the incredible achievement onApril 21 when he swam a quarter-mile while juggling three balls, thenbiked 16.2 miles while juggling twoballs in one hand and ran four miles,also juggling.

Even more amazing: He did thisall in 1 hour and 57 minutes,according to The Huffington Post.

The ballsy record earned Saltera certain amount of fame and nowthe honor of being the person whoset the weirdest world record of2012, according toRecordSetter.com, an adjudicatingagency that has found a niche inthe competitive world recordrecording business by allowingpeople to submit their own wackyworld records for consideration.

Salter's amazing stunt is stillgarnering praise and admirationaround the world, but especiallyfrom fellow "jogglers" like PerryRomanowski, who

runsJustYourAverageJoggler.com,a website dedicated to the sport.

"Before him, no one was able tofigure out the swimming part of thetriathlon," Romanowski told TheHuffington Post. "He was the first one.He's like Roger Bannister breakingthe four-minute mile. Now that he'sdone it, other people will do it too."

However, it wasn't easy pickingthe weirdest record of the year,according to RecordSetter.com co-founder Dan Rollman.

"Selecting the Record of the Yearwas an extremely difficult decision,"he told The Huffington Post by email."There was heated debate in our officeabout which feat deserved therecognition. That said, a jugglingtriathlon is a landmark humanachievement, right up there withputting a man on the moon. Wewere proud to bestow it with the topspot honor."

Salter's achievement was worthcelebrating, but his record was justone of many weird ones, Rollmansaid.

Weirdest Juggling triathlonin 13-hour freestyle rap

An athlete made history with his balls this year by setting one ofthe strangest world records imaginable: Completing a triathlonwhile juggling the whole time.


Parents should leave squabblingteens to it to avoid further damageSibling rivalries lead to

anxiety, depression andlow-self esteem later in life

but parents should let childrenfight it out to avoid causingfurther psychological damage.

Tired parents may welcomethis warning ahead of ChristmasDay, when rows over presentsand the remote control can heapmore stress on those finding theextra washing up and difficultin-laws too much to bear.

A new study has claimedintervention by mothers andfathers can cause long-termemotional damage and foundthe best thing they can do is setclear household ground rules fortheir youngsters.

Nicole Campione-Barr,assistant professor ofpsychological science, at theUniversity of Missouri, said:‘Although parents may beinclined to step in as arbiters,previous research has found thatparents’ interventions intoadolescent sibling conflict can bedetrimental.

‘In concert with those priorfindings, we believe our researchsuggests that setting householdrules such as ‘knock beforeentering a sibling’s room’, can bethe best means for parents toresolve disputes and avoidappearing to play favourites.

‘A calendar of chores anddefined time limits for turnswith a video game can helpreduce conflicts. However, if aparent notes that one childconsistently gets the short endof the stick, action should betaken to ensure one child isn’tbeing too subordinate.’

A team at the U.S. universitystudied 145 pairs of Europeanand American, middle-classsiblings in their early teens overa year. The participants wereasked about the frequency andintensity of their disputes.

They found quarrels could be

grouped into two categories -equality and fairness, such aswhose turn it is to do the washingup, or invasion of personal space,borrowing clothes withoutasking being a prime example.

The psychologists, whosefindings are published in theChild Development journal, thenlooked at correlations betweenthe teens’ reported feelings ofdepression, anxiety and low selfesteem a year later.

Ms Campione-Barr said: ‘Ourresults show that conflicts aboutviolations of personal space andproperty are associated withgreater anxiety and lower self-esteem one year later.

‘Conflicts over issues ofequality and fairness arecorrelated to greater depressionone year later.’

The results related to anxietyand self-esteem appeared to bemore detrimental for some

siblings than others.Younger brothers with older

brothers, and girls with brothershad more anxiety, while teensin mixed-gender sibling pairshad lower self-esteem.

The study also warns parentsto respect teenagers’ need forprivacy.

Ms Ciamone-Barr said:‘Although adolescents in somehouseholds may not have theirown rooms, they still need somedegree of respect for personalspace from both parents andsiblings.

‘For example, parents andsiblings should respect theprivate nature of children’sdiaries.’

But the psychologist addedthat sometimes it is necessary forparents to step in, and said: ‘Ifmost sibling interactions becomeintense conflicts, a family shouldseek professional help, especiallyif violence is involved.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Eating meals as a familyimproves children’s eatinghabits - even if it only

happens once or twice a week, UKresearchers suggest.

It is recommended children eatfive portions of fruit and vegetablesper day - about 400g.

The Journal of Epidemiology &Community Health study foundthose who always ate togetherachieved this - but those who onlydid sometimes came close.

Watching parents and siblingseat teaches good habits, experts said.

Parental exampleThis study looked at just under

2,400 children at 52 primaryschools in south London.

Parents and fieldworkerscompiled food diaries at school andat home, ticking off all the foods anddrinks a child had in one 24-hourperiod.

Parents were also askedquestions about their attitudes tofruit and vegetables, such as “Onaverage, how many nights a week

does your family eat at a table?”and “Do you cut up fruit andvegetables for your child to eat?”

The study found 656 familiessaid they always ate meals togetherat a table, 768 sometimes did, while92 families never did so.

Children in the “always” groupate five portions of fruit andvegetables, compared with 4.6 inthe “sometimes” group and 3.3 inthe “never”.

That equates to the alwaysgroup eating 125g more fruit andveg, and the sometimes groupeating 95g more a day than thenever group.

Seeing parents eat fruit andvegetables - and cutting up portionsfor children both boosted theirintake.

‘Future habits’The researchers say that, while

this study gives a picture of eatinghabits on one day, it was able toinvestigate the diets of a large,diverse population.

Meaghan Christian, who

conducted the study as part of herPhD, said: “Modern life oftenprevents the whole family fromsitting round the dinner table, butthis research shows that even justSunday lunch round the table canhelp improve the diets of ourfamilies.”

She added: “We spend a lot oftime looking at interventions atschool. But this is showing howimportant parents are in terms of

fruit and vegetable consumption.”And Prof Janet Cade, of the

University of Leeds’ school of foodscience and nutrition, whosupervised the study, said:“Watching the way their parentsor siblings eat and the differenttypes of food they eat is pivotal increating children’s own food habitsand preferences.”

She added: “Since dietary habitsare established in childhood, the

Family meals ‘boost child fruit and vegetable intake’importance of promoting thefamily meal needs to be moreprominent in public healthcampaigns.”

Azmina Govindji, of the BritishDietetic Association, said: “Eatinghabits developed in childhood diehard, and eating at a table with thefamily instead of in front of the TVhelps reduce chances of mindlesseating, which can increase thelikelihood of obesity.

“This study reinforces the viewthat children learn more from whatwe do than what we say, so it’s therole modelling that helps shape theirfuture habits.”

Ms Govindji, a practisingdietitian, added: “If children areeating better in childhood, theyare more likely to make healthierchoices in adult life - and since fooddirectly impacts risks of conditionslike heart disease and type 2diabetes, eating together as afamily seems like a small price topay.”

Source: BBCNews.com

Rivalry: A study has found sibling squabbles can cause long-term damage

Conflict: The remote control is often the spark for a row among siblings

Children learn eating habits from family meals, say researchers


The Conference of NigerianPolitical Parties (CNPP) atthe weekend condemned

the appointment of former WorksMinister, Tony Anenih, as thechairman of the board of theNigeria Ports Authority (NPA).

The conference in astatement signed by itsspokesman, Osita Okechukwu,stated that Anenih’sappointment was “an insult toNigerians and endorsement ofcorruption.”

The statement also said“whereas, President GoodluckJonathan GCFR, has the powersby the virtue of the powersconferred on him by the 1999Constitution of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria to delegateor appointment anybody tooffice; however we view theappointment of Chief AnthonyAnenih to chair the Board ofDirectors of the Nigeria PortsAuthority {NPA} as an insult toNigerians and utterendorsement of corruption.”

The CNPP said the PortsAuthority had been infested in“endemic corruption,” since thedays of two PDP leaders- BamagaTukur and Bode George- as itshead.

“Recently the House ofRepresentatives accused theNPA of diverting N160 billion ofrevenue supposed to be remittedto the Federation Account, inaccordance with Section 162 ofthe Constitution,” the CNPPsaid.

“For the endemic corruptionin NPA, we are alarmed thatPresident Jonathan instead ofnominating a credible,transparent and maritimeprofessional to clean the AugeanStable in the rotten Nigeria PortAuthority; has wittinglyinsulted the intelligence ofNigerians by appointing ChiefAnenih whose notoriety inpublic office is legendary,” MrOkechukwu said.

The CNPP said Mr Anenih

CNPP kicks against Anenih’sappointment as NPA Chairman

failed woefully as Minister ofWorks.

“We are yet to locate any ofthe federal roads awarded withbillions by Chief Anenih asMinister of Works from 1999which was completed in the morethan three years he held sway inthe ministry.

“In fact, Agege-Ota-Abeokuta, Owerri-Onitsha,Ilorin-Ibadan, Gombe-Maiduguri, Kano-Maiduguri,

…says its Jonathan endorsement of corruptionFrom Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Lagos-Ibadan, Lagos-Benin etc,are still uncompleted, despite theunprecedented oil revenuewhich governed the budgetprocess, an unfortunatefoundation laid by the Chief,” thegroup stated.

The groups cast aspersions onPresident Jonathan’s credibilitysaying, “We had thought thatPresident Jonathan will bemaking strenuous efforts to erasethe epitaph of graduating into

the most corrupt regime in theannals of Nigerian history bydistancing himself from less thantransparent characters like ChiefAnenih”.

“In sum, it is our candid viewthat a true TransformationAgenda must be anchored on thebeacon of transparency,accountability and public good;not on self – preservation andendorsement of corruption,” MrOkechukwu said

The Kaduna state ActionCongress of Nigeria(ACN) governorship

candidate in the 2011elections, Alhaji SaniMohammed Shaaban hascounseled Governor MuktarRamalan Yero to emulate thepeaceful dispositions of his latepredecessor, Patrick IbrahimYakowa in the course ofgoverning the state.

Speaking with newsmen atthe weekend, when hecommiserated with thegovernor, family and peopleof the state over the suddendeath of Yakowa, Shaabandescribed late governor ashumble and peaceful man,whose actions and dispositionsendeared him to the people ofKaduna state irrespective ofpolitical or religiousaffiliations.

He described the death ofYakowa as a great tragedyand monumental loss to thepeople of Kaduna state andthe country at large, addingthat Yakowa was adetribalized politician whoused his position as the stategovernor to bring about peaceand even development to thestate.

He added that: “Yakowahad great respect for people,irrespective of the ethno-religious difference; Iimplored Gov. Yero to befocused and continue with thework started by hispredecessor, especially in thearea of sustenance of thesecurity, peace and harmonythat Yakowa initiated.”

Shaaban who describedKaduna state as a complex onesaid that Yakowa was able tomanage the state in spite ofits heterogeneous nature andreligious diversity. He saidthat the late governor took thewhole state as hisconstituency and did the besthe could for the entire statenot minding sectionalinterest.

The former ACNgovernorship candidatepleaded with the diversepeople of Kaduna state toinculcate the spirit ofharmonious peaceful co-existence for the state todevelop, stating that “nosociety progresses underviolence and mutual distrust;we must instill a peacefulnature in relating with oneanother, because, it is Godwishes by creating us invarious race and creed, andHe implored us to be just andfair in all our dealings.”

ACN gubercandidatecounsels newKaduna gov.on fairness

L-R: Kaduna state ACN governorship candidate in the 2011 elections, Alhaji Sani Mohammed Shaaban,in a handshake with Kaduna state Governor, Alhaji Muktar Ramalan Yero, during the former condolencevisit to the latter over the death of former state Governor, Sir Patrick Yakowa, recently in Kaduna.

By Mohammed Umar-Puma

A solidarity group knownas Babushakka 2013 yesterday endorsed the

candidature of the ExecutiveChairman of Abuja MunicipalArea Council, Hon. Micah .Y Jibato re-run for the next yearchairmanship election.

The group at the weekendspoke through its Chairman,Alh. Musa Mohammed Dala atthe Forum organized in honourof the Executive Chairman ofAMACto declare openly its plans

to vote him come 2013 to finishthe good work he has started.

Musa said that the HouseCommittee on Area Councilsscored him 80% when it lastvisited but that the group scoredhim 100% because no successivechairman was able to performthe way he did, adding that therecord was there for everybodyto see.

He said that the decisiontaken by the group to endorsehim was not based onpropaganda but on the realityon ground therefore called on

well meaning Nigerians,particularly those residing inAMAC to come out and vote forhim so that he can continue thegood work.

Also speaking, the PDPChairman, Abuja MunicipalArea Council, Hon. Mamudthanked the group forsupporting the PDP because thechairman was elected on theplatform of the PDP and urgedhim to do more if he is giventhe opportunity to continue.

Meanwhile in his response,the Executive Chairman

Group endorses AMAC Chairman for 2013 pollsBy Etuka Sunday AMAC, Jiba said that the move

by the people to persuade him tocontest again was ademonstration that he hadgotten pass mark in his firstadministration. He thereforethanked them for theirconfidence. According to him,there is no community in AbujaMunicipal Area Council that hisadministration has notinstituted a project. He thereforeaccepted the offer to contest atthe 2013 polls, promising not todisappoint the people if given theopportunity through their votes.


The Sokoto StateGovernment has deniedmedia report that it is

using the machinery of theEconomic and Financial CrimesCommission (EFCC) to harassand intimidate former Governorof the State, Alhaji AttahiruBafarawa.

Bafarawa is currentlystanding trial before a HighCourt of Sokoto State on a 144-count charge bordering onm i s a p p r o p r i a t i o n ,embezzlement and stealing ofseveral millions of nairabelonging to Sokoto State

government while he wasthe State Governor.

The Prosecuting counsel in

Sokoto denies harassing,intimidating BafarawaBy Sunday Ejike Benjamin the on-going of the former

Governor, Chief J. E. Ochidi in aletter dated December 17, 2012and addressed to the Chairman,Senate Committee on Drugs,Narcotics, Financial Crimes andAnti-Corruption said, whatBafarawa stated in his petitionto the Committee that waspublished on December 14, 2012was not true.

“Ordinarily, we would notlike to respond or join issues withthe former Governor as thismatter is before the court, butseeing the manner, the formerGovernor leaked his petition tothe press, we believe that thereis a clear intention to bringpolitics into what is purely alegal matter in order to wincheap public sympathy and

mislead your committee”,Ochidi stated.

According to him, it wasBafarawa that wrote to EFCC toinvestigate his activities whenhe was Governor of Sokoto Statefrom 1999 to 200, pointing outthat the anti-graft agency, in thecourse of its investigationdiscovered several acts ofcorrupt practices andembezzlement of public funds byBafarawa and 18 other persons.

He said: “In the course of thetrial, Bafarawa and the 18others have urged the trial courtto quash the charge againstthem, an application the courtrefused holding that there is aprima facie case against

them and they appealed tothe Court of Appeal; which is

still pending. “That the trial ofthe case has now commenced inearnest, as the first prosecutionwitness, the Auditor General ofSokoto State has testified

as the last hearing of the caseon 26th November, 2012 andmany documents have beentendered through him”, headded.

Ochidi said it is a knownestablished practice that theUpper Chamber of the NationalAssembly does not delve intoissue that is a subject matter oflitigation before the court of lawand urged the Senate

Committee on Drugs,Narcotics, Financial Crimes andAnti-Corruption not to departfrom the practice in the instantcase

The Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) yesterdayurged the people to

celebrate this year’s Christmaswith love and peacefulcoexistence while equallyurging Christians worldwide topray for the country.

The party in a goodwillmessage signed by its NationalPublicity Secretary, ChiefOlisa Metuh, also enjoined itsmembers in various positionsof authority to emulate thehumble life of Christ.

The party stated “It is ourfervent prayer that Christians,indeed, all Nigerians learnfrom the abundant and perfectexamples of Christ in love,kindness and peaceful co-existence. It is our wish thatbeyond the jingle bells andfestivities, that moments ofsober reflection be spared toilluminate and re-kindlenational fervour againstcorruption, religiousintolerance, ethnic suspicionand other ills that have keptthe nation down for decades.

“The Peoples DemocraticParty is irrevocably committedto this cause as we make steadyprogress in actualising ourvision for a country wherethings work better than theydo at present. The lessons ofChristmas, of Christ, thoughthe Messiah but was bornhumble and humbly servedand saved mankind will guideand further fire our zeal toplace the people first. We shallcommit more effort s inensuring that all our members,elected and appointed intopositions of authority shall likeChrist, be servants and notmasters. We must warnhowever that he that decidesotherwise shall be forced bythis new resolve, intended as norespecter of persons, to ship out.

The statement further saidthat the National Chairman ofthe PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur on behalf of the NationalWorking Committee of theParty wished that “ as the birthof Christ brought joy to theShepherds of Bethlehem, itshall bring warm spirit to ourcountry men and women .”

PDP sues forlove andpeace atXmas

Speaker of the House ofRepresentatves, HonAminu Waziri Tambuwal,

has enjoined Nigerians to renewtheir faith in their country and worktowards building a nation of theirdreams.

In a message signed by his SpecialAdviser on Media and Public Affairs,

Malam Imam Imam, tocommemorate this year’sChristmas celebration, Tambuwalsaid with renewed faith,commitment and hardwork, thecountry will soon realise its fullpotentials.

He said the Christmas period is atime for deep reflection to theteachings of Christianity and whatJesus Christ stands for, and urged

2015: Oyo ACN endorses Ajimobi as party standard bearer

By Lawrence Olaoye

Participants at the INEC stakeholder validation of the Commission's Strategic Plan, recently in Abuja. Photo: NAN

By Lawrence Olaoye

Nigerians, especially Christians, topray for the peaceful coexistence andunity of the nation.

Tambuwal urged leaders at alllevels of governance to make theinterest of the people their priorityat all times, adding that despite thechallenges of developmentconfronting the country, progress isbeing made in some critical sectors.

He said the House of

Representatives would continue toplay its role in efforts to providequality representation to the peopleof Nigeria.

“I therefore congratulateNigerian Christians who joined theircolleagues the world over incelebrating this important occasion.May the blessing of the seasonshower on our homes and ournation,” the Speaker added.

Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) in Oyo Stateyesterday endorsed the

state governor, Abiola Ajimobias the standard bearer for2015 general election.

The State DeputyChairman of the party, AlhajiIsiaka Alimi, stated this while

reading a communiqué at theend of the meetings of 11 localgovernments in Ibadanland,held at the South-West officeof the party, Alakia, Ibadan.

Alimi said that members ofthe party in the 11 localgovernment in Ibadanland,after series of meeting,passed vote of confidence ongovernor Abiola Ajimobi

From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan following his goodperformance in the last oneand half year.

He further explained thatthe party decided to give thegovernor opportunity forcontinuity.

The party also endorsedAjimobi as the leader of theparty after the demise of lateformer governor, Alhaji Lam

Adesina just as it maintainedthat there was no other personthat could replace his positiontherefore members of theparty decided to endorse thegovernor.

Speaking on behalf of 11local government caretakerchairmen in Ibadanland,Alhaji Abass Najimdeen fromIbadan South East local

Xmas: Pray for peaceful coexistence, Tambuwal urges Xtians

government said the partydecision was approved by allcouncil chairmen and partymembers.

He debunked the notionthat such decision would raisetension within the partysaying the earlier the betterfor the party to adopt itscandidate for 2015 generalelection.


2015: Aliero denies plot to stop JonathanFormer Minister of the

Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Senator Adamu Aliero,

yesterday denied the reports that agroup of former cabinet membersunder the late President UmaruYar'Adua had regrouped to stopPresident Goodluck Jonathan fromcontesting the Presidency in 2015.

Aliero in a statement hepersonally signed and madeavailable to newsmen in Abujastated " Our attention has beendrawn to a report alleging that somecabinet members and associates ofthe late President Umaru Yar'Aduahave regrouped to stop PresidentGoodluck Jonathan from securing asecond term ticket or winning thepresidency back for the North in2015.

"There was no any iota of truthin the story, it must have been amere imagination of the reporter inquestion. All those mentioned in thereport were shocked by the extent towhich their integrity wasimpugned. The story was grossly

deficient, unfounded, and in badfaith.

"In the last three years, those ofus referred to in the story have notheld any meeting over any nationalissue not to talk of 2015. Instead, wehave been going about our activitiesquietly with utmost decorum. Wedid not meet in Abuja , Katsina orKaduna as insinuated in the report.We have no reason to conspire orplot against President GoodluckJonathan who was Vice-Presidentto the late President Yar'Adua. SinceYar'Adua's death, we have done ourbest to support the administrationof President Goodluck Jonathan andour party, the Peoples DemocraticParty(PDP) which went ahead towin a re-run poll in Kebbi State.

"None of us has lived in trenches,we have no basis to go back to politicaltrenches. We are not guerilla orsubterranean politicians. We are notinvolved in political conspiracy orinsurgency. To confer thisderogatory status on us is to assumethat we are at war with the state orPresident Goodluck Jonathan. Wehave no cause to engage in any

L-R: Former member of House of Representatives, Hon. George Ozodinobi, National President,Igbo Women Assembly, Mrs Marie Okwo, National Chairman, United Progressive Party, ChiefChekwas Okorie, and the Party's National Treasurer, Mr Ogochukwu Akaniegbu, during theIgbo political forum, recently in Enugu. Photo: NAN

political conspiracy."As for 2015, we remain

committed to PDP and we willsupport whoever emerges as thePresidential candidate of the party.If the PDP gives President Jonathanor any party member its mandatein 2015, we will work for the successof the party. We do not have anyagenda outside that of the PDP. Wehave not held any secret meetingwith the former presidentialcandidate of the Congress forProgressive Change (CPC), ex-Headof State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

By Lawrence Olaoye

Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) National ViceChairman (South-West),

Chief Segun Oni has urgedNigerians, especially membersand supporters of the PDP in theSouth-West to use the Christmasperiod to rededicate themselvesafresh to the service of theAlmighty God.

Speaking through his ChiefPress Secretary, Mr. LereOlayinka, the PDP NationalVice-Chairman, in his goodwillmessage on the occasion of thecelebration of the birth of JesusChrist said "More than merry-making, Nigerians shouldreflect deeper on the humilitythat characterised the birth ofJesus Christ and the fulfillmentof God's promises concerning Hisbirth."

Dedicate yourselves to God,Oni urges Nigerians at Xmas

The former Ekiti governorsaid "As the birth of our LordJesus Christ also symbolises loveand fulfilment of God's promises,it has become more than evernecessary that, not mindingwhat anyone must have done tous, we must not stop being kindand dedicated to God."

He congratulatedNigerians, especially membersand supporters of the PDP forwitnessing another Christmas.

Speaking further, Oni said;"I want to use the occasion of thisChristmas to urge all Nigeriansirrespective of their torededicate themselves afresh tothe service of the AlmightyGod.

"Let us continue to show loveto people around us bearing inmind that the Christmas heartis a giving heart, a wide openheart that thinks of others first."


Security operatives havearrested one JibrinMagaji in Gamawa Local

Government area of Bauchi Stateover threat to kill Babayo GarbaGamawa and his daughter if theydid not give him money on facebook

The 20 year old boy who is fromthe same town with the Senatorrepresenting Bauchi NorthSenatorial District sent a friendrequest to the Senator on his face-book page after his acceptance, healleged to requested for moneyfailure which he threatened to killGamawa and his daughter throughthe same medium.

Confirming the incident,Departmanet of state security SSSpersonnel in Bauchi, said "thesuspect was arrested over weekendafter we received the report thatthe man sent a friend request toSenator Gamawa who was a onetime Bauchi state DeputyGovernor, and Gamawa acceptedhis friend request and the boy alsoprocured a sim card he used the simcard to send threat message to thedaughter of Senator BabayoGamawa threatening to kill her ifshe did not give him money.

According to him, SenatorGamawa reported the matter toSSS who investigated it andarrested the suspect inside a toilet

in Gamawa. The suspect, accordingto the security agency, hadconfessed that it was poverty thatled him into that, and that he hadbeen handed over to the police forfurther investigation.

He advised people to stopaccepting friend request from thepeople they don't know on the pagesof face book and other social pages.

All efforts to get SenatorGamawa to respond on the incidentfailed because he had travelled outof the country. A close friend andassociate of the Senator who did notwant his name on print confirmedthe incident saying "since wehanded the matter to security wedon't want to comment on that."

Police arrest one over threatto kill Sen. Gamawa, daughterFrom Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

on 2015."Again, why is it difficult for the

reporter to hear from either the CPCor Gen. Buhari on the said secretmeeting? The CPC has not hiddenfrom the public those it is involvedwith in merger or realignmenttalks. The allusion to drivingNorthern agenda in 2015 byYar'Adua Group was merelydesigned to whip up sentimentsand create a crisis of confidencebetween some of us and thePresident," he added.

Aliero continued, "We are not

being pressurized, as alleged, byeminent Northern leaders, togroup together for any politicalcause. The entire story was afabrication concocted by ouradversaries aimed at causingdisaffection. We advise membersof the Fourth Estate of the Realmto avoid being gullible to the anticsof spin doctors, who sell "dummy"to them in order to use them tocause disaffection. We are in atechnological age where clarifyingany issue could be done withoutmuch sweat.

Governor EmmanuelUduaghan of Delta statehas charged Nigerians to

embrace peace, love andtolerance of one another asChristians all over the worldcelebrate Christmas.

The Governor, who gave thecharge in his goodwill message tomark this year's Christmascelebrations, said that was theonly way the country and indeedthe world can be a better place tolive.

"I, therefore, call onChristians in the country toemulate Jesus Christ in wordsand deeds by imbibing the corelessons of love, tolerance,sacrifice, generosity and peacefulco-existence which Christ stoodfor", he stated.

In particular, Uduaghan

…as Uduaghan urges peaceand tolerance enjoined Christians in Delta to

remember the whole essence ofthe birth of Jesus Christ notingthat despite the fact that Jesuswas the son of God, he remainsthe classical example of humilityand self denial.

"Let us promote peace, loveand unity, while exhibiting thespirit of tolerance in theaccomplishment of our vision ofbuilding a new Delta State", headded.

The Governor assuredDeltans that he was committedto the pursuit of policies andprogrammes that have directbearing on their lives saying thatthe coming year would usher inmore progress, prosperity andfulfillment for all Deltans.

He urged the Christiancommunity in the State not torelent in their prayers for theState and country.

Bishop Hassan Kukah, theCatholic Bishop of SokotoDiocese, yesterday tasked

Nigerians to work towardsbuilding a united nation devoid ofreligious, ethnic and politicalsentiments.

He made the appeal in hisChristmas and New Year message,a copy of which was made availableto the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Sokoto yesterday.

He said that Nigeria wouldcontinue to remain one entity, andstressed the need for all and sundry

to work towards the promotion ofpeace and unity.

Bishop Kukah commended theFederal Government forresuscitating the rail haulage fromLagos to Kano, adding that thegesture would fast-track the socio-economic and political growth ofthe country.

He commended the NationalAssembly for early passage of the2013 budget, adding that ''it is agood omen for the nation's nascentdemocracy".

The bishop, however, called on

President Goodluck Jonathan,Governors and local governmentchairmen to "rethink the issues ofthe massive and unacceptablehemorrhage of the state funds toservice lifestyles.

"This has become clearlyunacceptable and untenable withthe principles of good governancein the country," the clergy stressed.

He also called on the FederalGovernment to evolve concretemeasures at addressing theinsecurity situation in thecountry. (NAN)

Kukah tasks Nigerians on peaceful co-existence


Tijjani Babangida

Osaze Odemwingie

Kaduna United coach, SalehTanko-Lato is an unhappyman over the uncertainty

surrounding the start of the 2012/2013 Nigeria Premier League(NPL) season.

The NFF at its Annual GeneralAssembly in Port Harcourt added anew twist to the confused state byposting an indefinite January kick-off date.

Tanko-Lato said the fluidity of theleague take off date has madenonsense of their well tailored pre-season programmes.

“Psychologically, it has impactednegatively on us. We thought theleague will start in December as aresult of which we drew a compactpre-season programmes that willculminate in the start of the league.

“Now the league is yet to startand more confusing is no definitedate in sight at the moment.

“The whole scenario has left us ina confused state and is taking a hugetoll on us. It’s giving us a deep causefor concern.

“The gains of our pre-seasonactivities including the elaborateeight-team invitationaltournament which we won arebeing wasted.

“However, we’ve refused to bedistracted but keep focus believingone day the new league season willstart.

“I’m sure we’re on course towardsexperiencing our best season in thehistory of the side,” he said tosupersport.com.

The Kaduna-based sideembarked on break on Friday tomark the Yuletide and is expectedto resume on January 2.

Tankobemoans NPLkicks-off date

Former Nigeria World Cupstar Tijjani Babangida hasstated the country will miss

the goals and experience ofObafemi Martins at the AFCON.

Martins, Osaze Odemwingieand Taye Taiwo were the notablenames not on the Eaglespreliminary 32-man squad for atraining camp in Portugal aheadof next month’s Nations Cup.

The Atlanta 1996 Olympic

gold medallist said that eventhough Stephen Keshi is in chargeof the team and has the final sayon his team, he still believesLevante striker Martins shouldhave been considered for theNations Cup.

“Obafemi Martins should havebeen included in the team becausehe has been scoring goals in Spainalmost every weekend,”Babangida argued.

“Though Keshi should beallowed to pick his team, Martins’experience and goals would have

Stephen Keshi

The Super Eagles chief coachStephen Keshi says there is“nothing personal” about

his decision to leave PeterOdemwingie from his Africa Cupof Nations squad.

The West Brom striker reactedangrily to being omitted fromthe provisional 32-man squadannounced on Saturday.

Odemwingie last played for theSuper Eagles in February’sgoalless draw with Rwanda in aCup of Nations qualifier.

In angry outburst on Twitter,the 31-year-old claimed he wasdropped because he often speakshis mind.

But Keshi said yesterday thathe is not bothered byOdemwingie’s reaction.

“I don’t even have a Facebookor Twitter account so it doesn’tbother me at all, said the formerNigeria international.

”Nigeria is blessed with a lotof good players and we cannotinvite every player”

Stephen Keshi Nigeria coach“There’s nothing personal

about this stuff. Odemwingie isa very good player but right nowI don’t need him.

“He’s a professional and heshould be able to accept that.

“Nigeria is blessed with a lot ofgood players and we cannotinvite every player. “We’re notin a war with anybody; we’re

just trying to do our job.”Odemwingie, who played at

the 2004, 2006, 2008 and2010 Nations Cups, had accusedKeshi of disrespect by notinforming him personally of hisdecision.

“Every manager has got hisown plans and tactics if I don’tfigure in your plans, please behonest to tell me directly.

“For 10 years I gave my all tothe country as a player on thepitch, played for the nation andfans, not individuals.

Odemwingie, who was born inUzbekistan where his Nigerianfather was based, said that he wasa marked man in Keshi and thefederation’s eyes because he wastoo blunt in what he said aboutthe state of Nigerian football.

“Because I speak out whenthings are not right, I guess somepeople are not just comfortablewith that openness.

But he added that he will notcompletely shut the door on hisinternational career.

“If the chance to play for mycountry presents itself, then Iwill speak to my dad and thoseclose to me - then we’ll see.

The Super Eagles begin theirCup of Nations campaignagainst Burkina Faso on 21January and before facingZambia and Ethiopia in GroupC.

Chibuzor Okonkwo

September.Nigeria U20 Kenneth

Omeruo, rookie SolomonKwambe as well as versatileFegor Ogude and Efe Ambroseare now being considered forthat position.

Heartland fullbackChibuzor Okonkwo willjoin the Eagles in

Portugal next month as coachStephen Keshi wants to look athim again.

Okonkwo was a surprise lateinvitee to the Eagles trainingcamp in Abuja but was notpicked on the 32-manprovisional list for Faro.

Report had it that the rightback will join the squad in theNew Year for Keshi to again runthe rule on him.

“Chibuzor will join the teamin Portugal next month as Keshiwants to see more of him as hehas impressed so far in trainingfor the team,” an officialrevealed.

The Eagles right backposition has proved to be aproblematic one since GodfreyOboabona failed to cope there in

Eagles will miss Martins, says Babangidahelped the team in South Africa.

“At the 1998 World Cup inFrance, the late Rashidi Yekiniwas included in the team becauseof his wealth of experience if thingsdidn’t go well with Victor (Ikpeba)and the others.”

Babangida also made a case forthe inclusion of Sivasspor ofTurkey striker Michael Eneramoon the provisional squad.

“I was equally surprisedEneramo was not considered at allsince Keshi took over despite hisexploits in Turkey,” he said.

Nwosu cautions Odemwingie over omissionI’m not the coach and the coach hasspoken.

“And that’s why I feel Osazeshould retrace his step, shut up hismouth and live on his life.

“There is always another day; ifhe is not called today he could beinvited tomorrow. It’s not the bestfor a player to dress down his coachon certain decision the way he’sdoing. He should be a role model tothe younger players, it’s bad and

Former Golden Eaglets’coach, Henry Nwosu hasadvised Super Eagles’

forward, Osaze Odemwingie to keephis cool over his omission from the32-man provisional Afcon 2013list.

Outraged at his exclusion fromthe Afcon provisional squad madepublic last Friday by managerStephen Keshi the West BromwichAlbion striker has taken to the socialnetwork, Twitter to castigate thecoach and the NFF.

Nwosu said as much as he is notcomfortable with Osaze’s exclusionthe player should follow the path ofmaturity and professionalism inexpressing his views.

“I’m not happy with Osaze’sTwitter comments on his exclusionfrom the Afcon list especially on theperson of the coach, Stephen Keshi.

“It’s the least conduct expectedfrom a player of his calibre, he hasevery right to feel bad at hisexclusion but decorum should bethe appropriate channel to gethimself heard.

“I don’t know what transpiredbetween him and Keshi prior to therelease of the list, I personally feltthat Osaze should be on the list but

shouldn’t be encouraged,” said theformer Nigerian captain tosupersport.com.

Although Nwosu said he is yet tofully study the Afcon list he said thenames listed are good except Osaze’somission.

“I’ve not sat down to analyse thelist but feelers I got so far I think I’mimpressed with the list except ofcourse I felt Osaze should have beenon the list,” he said.

Okonkwo joinsEagles in Portugal

Keshi not ‘bothered’ byOdemwingie outburst

Stories by Albert Akota


Mikel Obi has said he cannot wait to return for Chelseaagainst Norwich City on Boxing Day tomorrow after athree-match ban.

The Nigeria midfielder was handed a three-match ban and a fine of£60,000 after a race row involving him and referee Mark Clattenburgin October.

Mikel has missed two league games including Sunday’s 8-0 maulingof Aston villa as well as the Capital One quarterfinal at Leeds United.

“I am happy that the ban is over. It is my past now, so I have to lookahead. I am ready for the game against Norwich City on December26,” Mikel said.

“I missed football while I was banned because I always want to bepart of the action.

“We are on the high now and I can’t wait to return and be part of theaction as it was before my ban.”

Mikel is also expected to be involved in the EPL fixture on Sunday atEverton and the London derby against QPR on January 2 before hejoins up with the Nigeria training camp in Portugal for next month’sAfrica Cup of Nations.Mikel Obi

Blessing Okagbare

The Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardewhas ruled out striker, Shola Ameobi from the2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Pardew claims that the head coach of theNigerian national team, Stephen Keshi knows thereasons he has asked the player to stay away fromthe competition.

Ameobi has been in impressive form forNewcastle this season and scored the winner asNewcastle beat Queens Parks Rangers 1-0 in theBarclays English Premier League at the weekend.

The forward was included in Nigeria’sprovisional 32-man squad for the 2013 Afcon by Shola Ameobi

Alhaji Aminu Maigari

The President, Nigeria FootballFedration (NFF), AlhajiAminu Maigari, said that the

fedration could not have achievedthe much it did without thecommitment of its personnel andstakeholders.

The NFF boss, who disclosed thisin Abuja, said that the dedicationand commitment of its stafffostered a cordial relationship.

Maigari stressed that thepatience and understandingexuded by the game’s stakeholdershad impacted the system withviable tips to move the sportforward.

“What you are witnessing is asymbiotic relationship that is builton patience, commitment anddedication. “The staff of thesecretariat and the stakeholders isall bent on the meaningful growthof football in the country.

“So you cannot achieve thiswithout having this kind of peoplearound you; you can hardlyachieve what you want to achievewithout having committed peoplearound,’’ he said.

The president added that thecountry’s qualification for the2013 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) in South Africa wasachieved through painstakingpreparations.

Maigari further said thatadequate measures were being putin place to ensure a good outing forthe team at the Jan.19 to Feb. 10AFCON.

‘This will enable them to workas a team and give them theopportunity to know themselvesbetter. It will also help them possesand have the required trainingtechnically and otherwise.

‘This is also done so that theycan become friendly with eachother; we are putting everythingin place to ensure success, to ensurewe achieve what we want toachieve,’’the president said.

Maigari also spoke glowinglyabout the body’s overall plans for2013 and disclosed that planswere afoot to ensure a methodicalapproach to its proposedprogrammes.

‘We will be doing a lot in 2013and I believe it’s going to be a goodyear; already the things to be donein 2013 are around the corner.

“There are areas of interest likethe U-17 team, which we believeare one team to watch and youcan see the future in the team,’’ headded.

You cannotachieveanythingwithoutcommitment,’says NFF

Keshi on December 21.The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has

reacted to the development stating that Newcastlecannot hold on to the player if he is eventuallylisted in the final 23-man squad of Nigeria for theNations Cup.

“Keshi never told us that Ameobi will not beavailable for the Cup of Nations when he wasincluded in the 32-man provisional list. The Cupof Nations is a competition sanctioned by Fifa andI am sure Newcastle knows that. We will do allwithin our power to secure the release of all ourplayers for the competition,” Olajire said.

Pardew blocks Amoeobi’s AFCON quest

AFN denies neglectingfield events

Andre Ayew

Ghana winger Andre Ayewkept Marseille in step withParis Saint Germain and

Lyon atop the French Ligue 1table as the two-week winterbreak kicks in.

The 23-year-old grabbed hisfifth goal of the season when heheaded home in first halfstoppage time to give Marseille a1:0 win over visitors SaintEtienne on Sunday night.

The win sees all three sides tiedon 38 points with PSG ahead ongoal difference. Andre was one ofsix Africans on target in France thisweekend, including three Malians.

Experienced defender FousseniDiawara, 32, netted aconsolation goal for Ajaccio wholost 4-2 at home to Rennes onSaturday. Younger fellowMalian, Cheick Diarra, 20, scoredthe third of Rennes’ four goals.

Also Saturday, Malim i d f i e l d e r S a m b o uYattabare scored for Bastia asthey spanked visitors Nancy 4-2. Cameroonian strikerBenjamin Bile scored one ofNancy’s two consolation goals.

There was yet anotherconsolation goal from Tunisiastriker Saber Khelifa who scoredfor Evian TG in a 2-1 loss to hostsValenciennes on Sunday.

Ayew shoots Marseille to the top

Mikel relishesBoxing Day return

The Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has denied focusingon the development of track events to the detriment of fieldevents.

The Technical Director of the AFN Neisiama Omatseye, madethe denial in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

He was reacting to claims by some field athletes who accusedthe federation of focusing on track events more than the fieldevents.

Omatseye said that what was really affecting the growth offield events in the country was lack of equipment.

“It is not true that the federation is focusing on the developmentof track events more than field events.

“In most of our national tournaments, field events are included,for we know that athletic is both track and field. “What is reallyaffecting field event is lack of facilities,” Omatseye said.

He then promised that the federation would focus on equipmentupgrade next year for athletes to perform better.

The director, however, pointed out that what was required ofathletes was for them to be the best in their various events.

“We know that the availability of standard equipment goes along way in assisting athlete performance better than withinferior gadgets.

“However, we expect athletes in whatever event to ensure theyare the best in spite of inadequate facilities. It is only the waythey can excel in competitions.’’

He said the federation was aware of the problems confrontingthe athletes and was ready to solve them based on availableresources.


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Goldie Sayers

Keith Ottesen

The Welsh Nationalmeeting at Chepstowon 27 December has

been abandoned due to awaterlogged track.

Clerk of the course KeithOttesen called forinspection on ChristmasEve following recentheavy rain.

And with further rainforecast he was left withlittle option but to call offthe meeting.

The card, which wasdue to feature the WelshNational, will now be runon Saturday 5 January.

“We needed someperiods of dry weatherbetween the rains. It didn’train yesterday, but we stillwouldn’t have been fit torace,” Ottesen said.

“The Welsh National isone of the most testingraces of the year and wehave to make sure it is fairand safe to the horses,which it wouldn’t havebeen.”

“We have rescheduledfor January 5 and theFinale Hurdle will now beworth an extra £5,500 asthe value was due to move

up from 2012 to 2013.“All the details about

entries for the WelshNational will be availableas soon as possible.

It is not the first time theweather has affected theWelsh National meeting.

In 2010 the WelshNational was postponed bysnow and was eventuallyrun 12 days later and in1994 the race was moved toNewbury on New Year’s Day.

Last year’s race went offwithout a hitch, with 10-1shot Le Beau Baiwinning by seven lengths.

Welsh National meeting at Chepstow postponedHolleh Nowrouz

Sale Sharks havesacked their socialmedia executive for

posting derogatory commentsabout the club’s supporters onher Facebook page.

Holleh Nowrouz wasdismissed by Sale’s chiefexecutive Steve Diamondfollowing a “stringentdisciplinary review”.

Sale lost 25-18 to Waspson Sunday and is bottom ofthe Premiership table with

one victory from 11matches.

Sale has only won onePremiership game allseason - beating LondonIrish 21-9 in November

She wrote: “Oh, the joysof managing a sport club’ssocial media when we’velost the last sevenPremiership home games.

“To the Sale Sharks fanswho comment about theclub needing to spend less

time blogging and tweetingand more time coaching,the staff who createcontent for the website andsocial media platforms arenot the same members ofstaff who coach the team.

Sale, who plays at theSalford City Stadium inBarton, issued a statementlast Friday which said thatinternal disciplinaryaction had been taken andthat Nowrouz.

Sale sack club official forFacebook comments

The Sunday Times is suing Lance Armstrong for upto £1m after he was given a life ban and stripped ofhis seven Tour de France titles for doping.

Armstrong, 41, was paid £300,000 to settle a libelcase in 2004 after the newspaper alleged he had cheated.

The US Anti-Doping Agency found he had ledthe ”most sophisticated” drug-taking programme insport. The newspaper is demanding the return of the£300,000 settlement payment along with interest andlegal costs.

Its letter to Armstrong’s lawyers read: “It is clear thatthe proceedings were baseless and fraudulent. Yourrepresentations that you had never taken performance-

enhancing drugs were deliberately false.”David Walsh, the chief sports writer of the Sunday

Times, first raised questions about Armstrong in 1999,when he won the Tour de France for the first time.

In 2004, the newspaper published an article saying itwas right for questions about Armstrong’s performanceto be both “posed an answered”.

The American cyclist’s lawyers issued a writ and itwas later ruled that the meaning of the article was thatArmstrong was “a fraud, a cheat and a liar”.

The American has always denied taking performance-enhancing drugs but chose not to fight Usada’s chargesagainst him.

Sunday Times sues cyclist for £1m

Three-time Olympicjavelin throwerGoldie Sayers has

said she does not want anelbow injury to put an endto her career and will bepursuing a place at Rio2016.

Sayers, 30, fromCambridge, competed atLondon 2012 with a tornelbow ligament.

The summer was amixed one for Sayers, whofinished fourth in theEuropean Championshipsbefore breaking her ownBritish record with athrow of 66.17m at theLondon Diamond LeagueMeeting in July, a monthbefore the Olympics.

But she ruptured anelbow ligament at theevent and, despite beingcleared to compete at theGames, exacerbated the

injury and failed to qualifyfor the final.

Sayers has since hadsurgery and will use the2013 season to reacquaintherself with competitiveaction.

N e w m a r k e t - b o r nSayers has competed at thelast three Olympic Games,with her best performancea fourth-place finish atBeijing 2008.

Injury setback Sayers’s return

Luke Charteris

E x - i n t e r n a t i o n a lDafydd Jones saysthe loss of Luke

Charteris is a further blowto Wales ahead of the SixNations.

Lock Charteris will missthe Six Nations after heruptured medial kneeligaments duringPerpignan’s clash againstMontpellier.

With doubts over fellowlocks Ian Evans and AlunWyn Jones, Jones saysWales face a selectionheadache.

Alun Wyn Jones iscurrently sidelined withshoulder trouble whileOspreys team-mate IanEvans has a knee injury.

Interim coach RobHowley will also bewithout fly-half RhysPriestland and prop Aaron

Jarvis for Wales’ SixNations defence whichstarts Ireland in Cardiff on2 February.

Injuries hamperedWales during the recentautumn series and propAdam Jones and flankerDan Lydiate were ruledout of games againstArgentina, Samoa, NewZealand and Australia.

Jones has recentlystarted his comeback withthe Ospreys but Cardiff

Blues backs Jamie Robertsand Leigh Halfpenny areboth currently out.

There are also fitnessdoubts over hooker KenOwens, flanker AaronShingler and props CraigMitchell and Rhodri Jones.

Ex-Scarlets back-rowDafydd Jones says Waleswill have a point to provefollowing a disappointingautumn series which sawthem lose all four Testmatches.

Charteris injury worry Wales, says JonesZaheer Khan

India has left veteranleft-arm seamerZaheer Khan out of

their forth-coming twenty20 andone-day internationalseries against Pakistan.

Sachin Tendulkar hasretired from the 50-overformat, but fellowbatsman Virender

Sehwag retains his ODIplace.

The Twenty20 squad islargely unchangedfrom the recent seriesagainst England.

The first bilateral seriesbetween the two countriessince 2007, comprisingtwo T20 matches andthree ODIs, begins with a

T20 game on ChristmasDay, Zaheer was droppedmidway through therecent Test series againstEngland, whiledestructive openerSehwag’s place had alsobeen under threat after heonly averaged 23.66 fromnine ODIs in 2012.

A l l - r o u n d e rBhuvneshwar Kumar,who is in both squads,seamer Shami Ahmed,who is in the 50-overparty, and batsmanAmbati Rayudu who is inthe T20 squad, areuncapped in anyinternational format.

Pakistan named theirsquads a fortnight ago,with former captainsShahid Afridi and ShoaibMalik left out of the ODIsquad, though they remainin the Twenty20 party,and there were recalls forpace bowlers Umar Gul andJunaid Khan.

India drops Zaheer against Pakistan


2013 Nations Cup finals 2013 Nations Cup finals

Christian Chukwu

Taribo West

Some notable footballstakeholders in thecountry yesterday stressed

the need for Super Eagleshandlers to present a formidableteam at the forthcoming 2013Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)in South Africa.

Christian Chukwu, a formerSuper Eagles Head Coach,stressed that Stephen Keshishould be given a free hand topick a team of his choice torepresent the country at thetournament.

He added that the countryabounds with talented playersand as such, could not be held toransom by anyone for not beingselected to represent the countryat the continentalchampionship.

The former coach alsocommended the Nigeria FootballFederation (NFF) for itsproactive stance in thearrangements of logistics for the

team.“Keshi knows these players

better than anyone else and heknows their abilities, so it will bewrong for anybody to imposeany player on him, irrespectiveof the name.

“The only thing I know is thatNigeria can do with or withoutany player. He believes in theones he has called up because hebelieves they can give himresults.

“The federation has done wellby sticking to Keshi’s proposalsfor AFCON and they have doneeverything possible to ensurethat they do not derail,’’ he said.

In the same vein, WahidAkanni, a former Green Eaglesmidfielder, hailed the NFA forthe pivotal role it had played ingetting the team qualified for thecontinent’s foremost footballtournament.

“The NFF is acting in the waythat it should act and the result

is there for all to see.“I think Keshi is doing very

well by bringing together home-based and foreign-based playersto build a formidable team.

“Early preparation is the keyto achieving our goals and theFaro camp is the ideal place toprepare our team for a bigtournament like the NationsCup,’’ Akanni said.

Meanwhile, Henry Nwosu, amember of the victorious GreenEagles squad that won theAFCON in Lagos in 1980, harpedon a painstaking preparation forthe tournament.

“With early preparation, Ibelieve Keshi will have moretime on his hands to properlyassess the performance of hisplayers.

“That way, he can properlyaddress all the problem areas inthe team before the kick-off of thetournament in January,’’ Nwosusaid.

The Super Eagles are inGroup C, alongside the defendingchampions, the Chipolopolo ofZambia, Walya Antelopes ofEthiopia and the Stallions ofBurkina Faso.

The Group C matches wouldbe played at Mbombela in theMpumalanga province of SouthAfrica.

Chukwu, Nwosu, Akanni speak on Keshi’s AFCON preparation

Former Nigerianinternational, Taribo Westhas voiced out his sentiments

that the Super Eagles of Nigeriawould not emerge Champions atthe 2013 Nations cup in SouthAfrica.

Taribo who was part of theNigerian Olympic football teamthat won gold at the Atlanta 1996disclosed that a lot of rationalewould prevent Keshi and his menfrom lifting the championship nextYear.

The Clergyman had earlierrevealed on December 16 whilecelebrating with the Nigeria’sSuper Sand Eagles on their 8-7victory over Portugal at the secondedition of the Copa Lagos BeachSoccer championship, and the bigdefender has now reiterated hisopinion.

“I am saying this because theSuper Eagles would need anothertwo years to become a better teamas they are at present under re-rebuilding process which will bedifficult for them to win any majortrophy.

“I have watched them at closequarters and noticed that they area bunch that wants to succeed atall times, but sincerely speaking, Idon’t see them as champions at the2013 Africa cup of Nations.

“They will do their best in thetournament and they will createenough upsets, but they will notwin the Trophy.

“Not because they are not good,but it will take them another twoyears of consistent hard work and Iam looking forward to see the superEagles getting their hands on thetrophy in the next edition of thetournament,” West explained.

The Super Eagles are in group Cand they will face title holders,Zambia, Ethiopia and BurkinaFaso.

The Chief Coach of the Super Eagles Stephen Keshi hassaid he would wish to stay out of a proposed meeting tofinalize the win bonus of his team at the AFCON.

Keshi told the technical committee of the Nigeria FootballFederation (NFF) that he would rather the players represent theteam at such a meeting.

This meeting is expected to take place when the team gets together inFaro, Portugal, by early January to finalize their build-up to the AFCON.

The NFF have drawn out a bonus scheme for the team at theNations Cup and would now wish the Eagles buy into it.

The scheme will see a player earn $10,000 for a win in the firstround and as much as $30,000 for victory in the tournament finalon February 10.

The NFF have been assured that the 1.4 billion Naira (about $9million) budgets, which have been approved by the government,will soon be released.

Keshi opts out of AFCON bonus talk

Jacob Mulenga

Striker Jacob Mulenga hasbeen named in Zambia’spreliminary squad for next

month’s Africa Cup of Nationsfinals.

Injury forced him to MissChipolopolo’s epic win at this year’stournament in Gabon andEquatorial Guinea.

The 28 year-old, currently topscorer for Utrecht in the Dutch topflight, is part of a 26-man partyannounced by Coach HerveRenard yesterday.

Israel-based midfielder WilliamNjobvu, who also missed out on the2012 finals because of injury, hasbeen called up.

Winger Clifford Mulenga anddefender Nyambe Mulenga arethe only players missing from theteam that beat Ivory Coast to winZambia’s first ever Nations Cuptitle.

Exciting midfielder MukukaMulenga, recently crownedZambian Footballer of the Year, isthe most high-profile home-based

player.Renard will drop three players

at the end of the team’s preparationsfor the tournament which kicks offin Johannesburg on 19 January.

The reigning Africanchampions have lined up threewarm-up matches againstMorocco, Norway and Namibiabefore starting the defence of theirtrophy.

Zambia is in Group C along withNigeria, Burkina Faso andEthiopia.

Mulenga named for Zambia’s AFCON squad

West givesEagles littlechance atAFCON

Most of the major leaguesin Europe are on break,but some of the players on

the Eagles preliminary squad forAFCON were in action at theweekend and MTNFootball.comrates them.

7 Shola Ameobi: He was on songfor Newcastle United in the 81stminute to give them 1-0 win overQPR. His manager describes himas the man for the big occasion andthat means he should also shineat the AFCON.

7 Danny Shittu: Millwall centraldefender was on parade for theentire duration as they lost 2-1 athome to Barnsley. But thequestion now is will he accept orreject his surprise recall by Keshi.

8 Efe Ambrose: He was everpresent in the defence of Celtic asthey beat Ross County 4-0. He hasbooked his place on the final squadeven though he will arrive thetraining camp in Portugal lessthan four days to the deadline forthe submission of the final squadlist to CAF.

8 Joseph Yobo: Eagles captainwas on from start to finish forFenerbahce as they lost 3-1 at

Super Eagles AFCON Watch

Shola Ameobi

home to Karabukspor. The goodthing is that he is playingregularly for his club.

7 Raheem Lawal: The midfielderreturned to full-game action forAdana Demirspor as they drew 0-0 at home to Samsunspor. He wasbooked in the 77th minute.

6 Juwon Oshaniwa: FormerSharks left back played full gamefor Ashdod when they lost 2-1 toBnei Sakhnin. He now has to provehimself at the training camp inFaro.

8 Victor Moses: He was againoutstanding as Chelsea drubbedAston Villa 8-0. He played the fullgame. He is already regarded asone of the top stars for the AFCON.

4 Nosa Igiebor: He was not listedby Real Betis as they lost 2-1 athome to Mallorca. His patchy clubform must be a cause for concernleading up to the Nations Cup.

4 Ogenyi Onazi: The Lazioyoungster was missing as his clubwon 1-0 at Sampdoria. He wouldcertainly need to do more to be inSouth Africa.

3 Rabiu Ibrahim: This surpriseinclusion on AFCON provisionalsquad was again not picked byCeltic as they won 4-0 against RossCounty. It will be a bigger shock if

he makes the final cut to SouthAfrica.

3 Mikel Obi: Stays banned andso missed out on the goals’ feastagainst Aston Villa.


FIFA, Oscar, can you tell us your expectations ahead of Uruguay’s first everappearance at the FIFA Confederations Cup?

Our objective, first and foremost, is to enjoy it. Every time an internationalcompetition featuring such important teams comes around, you hold out hopes ofgoing as far as possible.

A continental or global tournament, like the Confederations Cup, certainly fallsinto that category. It also shows how far we’ve come when you look back at what wewent through when we first started this project (at theUruguay helm).

It was so difficult for us to arrange an international game against top-class teams!It was a very long time, 17 years, since we’d last won the Copa America (Editors’ note:it was a 16-year gap between La Celeste’s victories atUruguay 1995 and Argentina 2011).

That’s why, now we’ve earned the right to take part in this Cup, the first thing weneed to say is how pleased we are to be involved. After that, with professionalism anda sense of responsibility, we’ll prepare to do as well as we possibly can.

You’ve been drawn in Group B alongside Spain, Tahiti and the yet-to-be-crowned 2013 African champions. What’s your verdict on this section?

We’re well aware that we’re going to face some great teams. Spain is currentlysetting the standard: they’re winning the biggest tournaments of them all; the waythey play is the envy of everyone else and they’re having a big influence on the gameat the moment.

Whichever African team makes it will be a powerful side. And Tahiti deserve plentyof respect and will provoke a lot of curiosity too let’s see what role they’ll play. It’llcome down to being well-prepared, but of course we’ll only know how well we’ve doneafter each match is over.

And we’ve got a bit of experience of working like that: we mustn’t either get toocarried away or be too negative before the competition has even started. I know that

and so do this group ofplayers.

Footballing issuesaside, how else couldthis competitionproves useful?

We’ll be going into atournament withtradition that, evenabove its ownimportance, is also aprecursor to the WorldCup. And it’s not justabout being able to seesome of the teams thatmight be at [Brazil]2014, but also gettingan idea of theinfrastructure in placefor the World Cup. Thisis about logistics:

We’ve alreadycollected info about thework that’s being done,the training pitches andthe various stadiums.We’ve already got acertain idea [of howthings will be], but wecan’t get ahead ofourselves. We’re hopingto reach the World Cupbut it’s not certain yet.

The qualifying phase

Football is becoming moreglobal, says Uruguay coach

is very tough and,after a good start, ourrecent bad resultshave made thingseven trickier. If ourchances of qualifyingare looking clearerby then (at theConfederations Cup),then yes, it will be thetime to think aboutwhere we’re going tostay and train comethe following year.

You can’t win allthe time, what’smore Brazil havewon more globalcompetitions thananyone else!

Being drawn in adifferent groupto A Seleção shouldat least delaymedia questions about El Maracanazo, when Uruguay clinched the 1950 FIFAWorld Cup by beating Brazil in the Maracana. Does the constant talk ofrepeating that feat bother you?

It doesn’t bother me, but I’m well aware how much football has evolved since then.There are things that happened at certain moments because, particularly duringthat era, the teams were on a par, strength-wise.

What makes the Uruguay side of 1950 so special are the circumstances they wonin, not because they weren’t as good a football team as Brazil. It’s not like that anymore,things have changed.

Could you explain a bit further? Uruguay always seems to up their gameagainst Brazil, don’t they?

Brazil is a superpower in terms of player numbers, infrastructure and sportingorganisation. We don’t have the same quantity of elite footballers, though we do havesome, and that means we’re always that much more up for it when we play againstBrazil.

It doesn’t mean we’re any more certain of getting a result, but our motivationlevels are always high against such powerful opponents.

And that’ll keep being the case. But we’ve also proven and shown at both the(2010) World Cup and the (2011) Copa America that, with the qualities we have, wecan give any opponent a tough time providing we’re well-organised and well-prepared.

Prior to the draw, we saw you enjoying a very friendly chat with newlyappointed Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. What do you think his return canbring to A Seleção?

Essentially, he brings the coaching ability he’s already proven on many occasions.And what’s more, he offers both wide-ranging experience and specific knowledge ofthe national team, which is a very unusual environment.

It’s a difficult enough job as it is, but Brazil is where I think it’s hardest. I’ll give youan example: in the press conference, the local journalists were asking me questionsabout how “Brazilian football was going nowhere”.

And inside I was shocked, though out of respect I didn’t show it, but I thought “no,your expectations are just too high”. You can’t win all the time, what’s more Brazilhave won more global competitions than anyone else! Of course that level of supremacycan’t be maintained indefinitely, but that’s not the same as going nowhere.

Turning to the prevailing trends in the modern game, what do they dependon?

Football is becoming more global all the time, which is why other influences emergethat are linked to organisational factors.

These could be economic reasons, youth-development systems or lengthy projectswhose roots go back many years. Barcelona is a clear example of that.

We’re all spellbound by how expressive their football is, which the best I’ve everseen is. But it didn’t come about in two or three years, did it? Playing football likeBarcelona isn’t as simple as seeing a suit you like in a shop window, going inside andbuying it.

Football’s not like that. In football you have to find the right material, the buttonsand the right tailor, then you have the suit made and it still might not look the same(as in the shop window). That process takes a lot of time, knowledge and preparation.I don’t know what Scolari is going to do, but I think he’ll try and get the team playingin a way that stays true to the historical roots of Brazilian football.

Do you think it’s possible to get a national team playing the same wayas Barça?

Every coach has his own style and every federation their own strategy, which allstem from their own views on the game.

I even think its good we don’t all try and copy Barcelona because, if it could be done,it’d make football boring. The fact there are different ways of playing and differentschools of thought is a good thing, so we can take advantage of major tournamentslike this to pit them against each other in the sporting arena and see what happens.

It’s not about establishing who’s the best in the world or the best of all time, whichis more of a media obsession than real life. It’s about having great footballing fiestasonce in a while, such as the Confederations Cup and, it goes without saying, the WorldCup.

There is no doubt that Uruguay boss Oscar WashingtonTabarez has played a major role in the revival of his country’sfootballing fortunes. The results he has achieved attest to that,even taking into account La Celeste’srecent setbacks in 2014FIFA World Cup qualifying.The man known as El Maestro has also won innumerableawards over his career the latest handed to him by theUruguayan Football Coaches Association (AUDEF) in December.Having also held the reins at clubs of the calibre of Penarol,Boca Juniors and AC Milan, the respected coach is nowpreparing for a new challenge: Uruguay’s first ever FIFAConfederations Cup campaign.In the first part of an exclusive interview with FIFA.com,Tabarez discussed the task ahead at the 2013 showpiece,changing trends in modern football and Uruguay’s long-standing footballing rivalry with Brazil.

Uruguay boss OscarWashington TabarezUruguay boss OscarWashington Tabarez

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Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako,Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office:No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 805 727 9862.e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] ISSN: 2141– 6141

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2012

QQQQQUOUOUOUOUOTTTTTABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QUOUOUOUOUOTETETETETELet me assure all of you and indeed all Nigerians

that 2013 will be better for us than 2012 in allaspects of the nation’s history. The new year

shall be better for us in terms of job creation,wealth creation and improved security...

— President Goodluck Jonathan

Since the aim of democracyis the installation of goodgovernance, what then do we

mean by good government?According to Thomas Jefferson, inhis address eons ago to MarylandRepublicans in the United States,he emphasized that goodgovernment was the one that mosteffectively secures the rights of thepeople and rewards of their labour.He argued that a goodgovernment promotes the people'shappiness and also does their will;these are the legitimate objectivesof a good government. Othertheorists went further to describethe attributes of a goodgovernment as possessing eightmajor characteristics -participatory, consensus oriented,accountable, transparent,responsive, effective and efficient,equitable and inclusive and followsthe rule of law. A goodgovernment ensures that theviews of minorities are taken intoaccount and that the voices of themost vulnerable in society areheard in decision-making.

This is not a thesis on power buta comment on the antics of theLagos state government in itsunyielding disdain for the people'sagitation.

While power supposedly flowsfrom the people in a democraticsetting, yet in Lagos state, there isa conflicting dichotomy. We havethe people and the government. Ina battle of two opposing forces,where one has the arsenal of powerand yet remains inflexible, theweaker opponent has no choice inits ultimate subjugation andhumiliation. Such is the on-goingbattle over the continuous toilingplan for roads in the state.

The battle over tolling on theLekki-Epe Expressway started wayback in 2011. It was exactly on the17th December 2011 when thepeaceful protest by affected Lekkiresidents under the auspices ofLekki-Etiosa-Epe Estates Indigenesturned awry at the first tollcollection point known as theAdmiralty Circle Toll Plaza. Theinfamous role of the Lagos stategovernment in sponsoring thugsto attack peaceful protesters is welldocumented in public eye. Thesethugs were ably assisted by thenational disgrace known asNigerian Police Force. Manyresidents were brutalized andinjured and unconfirmed reportseven relate to possible loss of life.This is in a democraticdispensation. Twenty-four hoursafter this show of shame, the everrecalcitrant and inflexible Lagosstate government commenced itsplanned toll collection. We are allliving witnesses to this sad facttoday. In its legendaryinsensitivity to the people's plight,the all-powerful Lagosgovernment actually planned tocommence operation of the secondtoll point (labelled Conservation

proprietary or otherwise ofmortgaging residents and otherroad users to a ludicrous agreementof 30 years of toll collection in thesuspicious contract between LCCand Lagos state government.Finally, the dogged pursuit of thisunpopular programme by the RajiFashola's government brings tolight an aspect of governmentirresponsibility endemic in ourcountry today.

An aspect of the agreementbetween LCC and Lagos stategovernment is the creation ofalternate axes to ease the burdenon residents who cannot afford tosubmit to the exploitative regime.To date, if a corridor has beencompleted, it is probably one andeven then, the government is inhaste to continue its unpopularpolicy. It baffles one that it takes aPublic-Private Partnership (PPP)for a government to be responsiveto its primary commitment ofbuilding and maintaining roadsin the onerous task of developingthe state. While the stupendoushold of LCC on Lagos Stategovernment has set tongueswagging, to date the governmenthas refused to accept the bait toquench the unpalatable rumour,if indeed it was unfounded. Arecent example in memory is theeffort of Dr Ademola Dominic tocompel Governor Raji Fashola torender public accounts of itsfinances to the citizens. Using theinstrument of the Freedom ofInformation Act that was lawfullypassed by the National Assemblyand ably signed to law byPresident Jonathan, Dr Dominic,on the 24th October 2012,petitioned the Lagos Stategovernment to disclose publicaccounts as relate to monthly taxrevenue consultancy earned by aprivate company known as AlphaBeta Consulting Limited (ABC).However, in a disgraceful replythat smirks of public disdain andutter arrogance, Lagos Stategovernment in a statement signedby one Olanrewaju Akinsola (aSpecial Senior Assistant on JusticeSector Reforms in the Office of theAttorney-General), thegovernment maintained that itwould never release the stateexpenditure to public domain.Thus an obligatory responsibilityof government was spectacularlyrejected by nervous governmentwith loads of skeleton in itscupboard. For curious Lagosians,ABC may well be a brother orsister of LCC as Bola Tinubu hasbeen fingered in the formation of

Rafa Benitez says he ishopeful that Chelsea willbe back in the race for the

Premier League at the turn of theyear.

The Blues are currently 11points behind Premier Leagueleaders Manchester United,although they have a game inhand due to their recent trip toJapan for the FIFA World ClubCup.

After Sunday's 8-0 maulingof Aston Villa, Chelsea will playNorwich, Everton and QueensPark Rangers between now andJanuary 2, by which timeBenitez hopes his team will becloser to the Manchester clubs atthe top of the table.

Benitez's appointment asinterim manager in the wake ofRoberto Di Matteo's sacking inNovember was met withopposition by many of the club'sfans, but Benitez has praised theefforts of the players since hisarrival.

Chelsea's defeat toCorinthians in the Club WorldCup final has not helped Benitezwin over his detractors, but onepositive in his short tenure thusfar appears to be theredeployment of centraldefender David Luiz in midfield.

The Brazilian scored a finefree-kick in the win over Villawhich capped off an eye-catching display, and Benitez hasnot ruled out the prospect of the25-year-old playing further upthe field on a more regular basis.

Chelsea defender Gary Cahillalso believes Benitez is startingto 'win people over' after the Villaperformance, which added totheir five-goal haul in the CapitalOne Cup against Leeds a few daysbefore.

It added up to the perfectresponse from the much-maligned Benitez, with Cahillclaiming the influence of the newChelsea manager is starting toreap rewards.

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

. . . putting the people first

Chelsea canwin EPL title,says Benitez

Lagos and its emperor-governor

Plaza) on the 16th December2012.This second toll point islocated about 10km away from thefirst (Admiralty Plaza) on a stretchof road measuring just 49.36 km.Of course, there would still be athird plaza, probably a year afterthe second!

That the Conservation Plazahas not come to life is due to thecontinued agitation and peacefulprotest staged by aggrievedresidents. Even then, the unruffledgovernment has only postponed itslaunch date, apparently to gear upits unlimited armoury in tamingthe aggrieved. It would be nothingunusual or surprising if thiscurrent struggle leads the agilegovernor again to armyformations in requesting militaryassistance in taming the "demons".The Guardian on Sunday (of 16thDecember 2012) reported asfollows:

"Despite promises made byLagos State government and theconstruction firm in a PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) schemeto provide a coastal route as analternative to the toll-point atAdmiralty Circle Plaza for roadusers, as contained in the contractdocuments for the project, it stillremains an intention on paper.Instead, the goalpost is being shiftedin the middle of the game with thecreation of a single-lane route alongOniru Estate"

The salient issues that beg foranswers remain same ever sincethe idea of this obnoxiouspartnership between Lagos stateand the ubiquitous LekkiConcession Company (LCC) cameto light. The issues include therelevance of charging money forthe addition of a single lane to anexisting road, a road built years agoby another civilian government.The other question is the

both.Thus the alternative road axis

created by the government is seenas a pacifier to stop the everindebted government from beingdistracted in its dogged pursuit ofgratification for its benefactor. Itwas not a road created out ofaltruistic necessity. It is indeed awonder how one man can exert somuch control over a state, nay ageographical region. And it isequally painful, how as a peoplewe have used our votes tosubjugate our future, createdhardship for ourselves andenthrone mediocrity ingovernance. This is perhaps alesson for future elections.

The democratic credentials ofthis government beg for analysis.Here is a government that hasbrought so much hardship to thecitizens in its obsession with a mega-city status. Here is a governmentthat finds it convenient to rollickand frolic with a segment of thecitizenry, only to turn around at aconvenient time to seek for theannihilation of same. Here is agovernment that will use one sideof its mouth to condemn a militarysuppression of the legitimateprotest of the people, only to turnaround at a convenient time anduse another side of same mouth toinvite the military to brutallysuppress citizens that dare tochallenge its over-lordship andsupreme authority.Inadvertently, Lagosians haveentrenched an Emperor-Governor; one who knows so muchabout the laws yet takes extremepleasure in breaking same withimpunity; An Emperor-Governorwho is steadfastly insensitive to thepeople's suffering, yearnings anddesires. A mistake was indeedmade in Lagos.

Before Joe Igbokwe shoutshimself hoarse, may I declare thatI belong to no political persuasion.If anything, I treat the poison calledpolitics in Lagos, and in Nigeria asa whole, with nothing but a verylong stick. My sanity is too preciousfor the conundrum of disconsolatenoises and shenanigans calledpolitics in Nigeria. It may be rightto describe me as a child of anger(many thanks to opportunisticReuben Abati). Yes, I am a pestle-welding critic and an unrelenting,self-appointed activist. But unlikethe misguided Abati stated, I amnot idling and neither am Itwittering for fun. I have vowed touse my talent in the extremelydifficult task of sanitizing themalodorous Nigerianenvironment. An environmentpolluted by the stinks from the likesof Reuben and all those who arehell bent on making us a joke inthe eyes of the world. Herein laysmy anger, especially at thequestionable policies and projectsin Lagos state. Yes, Lagos is mystate and I have a stake in itswellbeing and progress.

Gov. Raji Fashola

Dr. Olusegun Fakoya

GUEST COLUMNIST

Rafa Benitez

peoples daily newspaper, tuesday 25, december, 2012

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