Presidency Probes N2BillionRenovation Fund For Police Colleges

January 22 — 29, 2013 Vol. 1. No. 9. Nigeria’s first free newspaper

Place Advert HereReach

The Masses

>> Page 3

Okenwa: The man whosesuicidal mission would havestarted the Nigerian spring>> Page 24

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

South-Southmay boycott2015 election,if… – Ekamon

Kogi elders at war withGov. Wada …vow to disrupthis administration, if…

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4President Goodluck Jonathan

Comrade Mike NewgentEkamon, is theDirector-General of the

Supreme Niger Delta YouthCouncil Worldwide(SNDYCW). In an exclusiveinterview with our man UDEEJIKEME in Abuja, the ChiefExecutive Officer (CEO) ofthe pressure groupthreatened that the South-South geo-political zone wouldboycott the 2015 and controlits own resources if PresidentJonathan is denied ofcontesting. Excerpts.

Sir, can you shed morelight on this?

Nigerians have beenurged to support PresidentGoodluck Ebele Jonathanshould he choose to run forthe Presidency in 2015 touplift the countryeconomically and politically.Although, Nigeria operatesthe American type ofPresidential democracy, ithas unfortunately failed toadopt the values andpractices that havestrengthened and sustainedthe American democracy.The assassination of JohnKennedy in 1963 broughtabout the emergence of hisdeputy – Lyndon B. Johnson,as President of America hadsimilarities with the death oflate President Umaru MusaYar’adua in Nigeria.

The Democratic Party ofthe United States of America(USA) fielded Johnson as itsstandard bearer in thefollowing year’s presidentialelection in which Johnsondefeated Barry Goldwater of

…Police May Back-Off Channels Forum.......Heads may roll.

The Presidency hasordered an immediateprobe into how over N2

Billion (Two Billion Naira) budgeted and released in the lastfour years for the renovation ofPolice Colleges in the countrywas spent.The probe became verynecessary following the level ofdecay of infrastructure aswitnessed by PresidentGoodluck Jonathan on hisunscheduled visit to the PoliceCollege, Lagos.Investigationsshow that in the annual budgets

of of 2009, 2010, 2011 and2012, over N2 Billion wasapproved for the renovation ofall Police Colleges and TrainingCenters but the funds whenreleased, ended up in the privatepockets.

Meanwhile, unconfirmedreports indicate that heads ofsome police Chiefs and topofficials of the Ministry of PoliceAffairs may roll following thedeplorable condition of thePolice Colleges despite monies released for renovationbetween 2009 and 2012.

Orubebe/Amaechi War: Amaechi Must Prove He Did Not Divert State Funds — ACN

The Action Congress ofNigeria, ACN, haschallenged Governor

Rotimi Amaechi of RiversState to prove that he has notdiverted state resources inhis alleged quest to be Vice-Presidential candidate to a Presidential Candidate aheadof the 2015 Presidentialelections.

The opposition party in astatement said the

allegations made by Ministerfor Niger Delta, ElderGodsday Orubebe, accusingthe Governor of using statefunds to oil his quest tobecome a vice president in 2015 are weighty andrequires a probe by the StateAssembly and a proof ofinnocence by Amaechi.

The publicity secretary of

Orubebe Amaechi

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 2

Mission

The mission of reporters dispatchis to place in the hands of everyNigerian the power of

information and knowledge.To promote spontaneous reading

in a conscious effort to increase thedeclining reading culture in Nigeria.

To empower Nigerians throughthe provision of facts in aninformative and entertainingmanner with a view to enabling thepopulace take decisions and makechoices based on facts rather thanrumors and propaganda from spindoctors.

To contribute our quota towardsthe making of a street-wise populacecapable of holding their ownanywhere in the world.

This newspaper shall be providedfree in order to reach the masses whoform the most important segment ofour society.

reporters dispatch is a massesnewspaper for the Nigerian masses.

Statement

Uneasy Times Are Here Again

Every nation under the heavenfaces daunting challenges butgenuine leadership strives in

the face of these problems to find abetter life for the citizens. Growingup as a younger man, I had alwaysthought that the future would fastbe better for us as Nigerians but asevents appear today, this is a meredream. Fourteen years ofuninterrupted democracy inNigeria has yielded nocommensurate dividend. What weare served today by our leaders isa salad of pain, agony and penury.

Nigeria’s greatest challenge isleadership and this is clearly man-made and avoidable. Some alsoargue and I agree with them, thateven the followers hip, that is tosay, the people, those who are ledare not better than those who sit atthe helm of affairs. How doesleadership become a problem? Theanswer rests in the fact thatNigerians are not allowed thosewho should lead them. What wehave as leaders are those who haveforced themselves on the peopleeither through rigged electionprocesses or those who areimposed by god fathers on thepeople.

The relevance of free and fairelection cannot never beunderestimated. If “one man onevote” is allowed to reign across thelength and breadth of Nigeria, thetendency is that Nigerians willvoluntarily choose those who willrepresent them at various levels ofgovernment. Such exercise offreedom to vote for a preferredleader will breed competition andsubmission to the principles ofaccountability. Leaders willsubsume themselves to theauthority of the people becausethey hold the key.

Those who have contestedelections in an opposing partyplatform in Nigeria clearlyunderstand the evil inherent inrobbing Nigerians of their right tofreely chose their leaders. So thedifficult times that we haveperennially faced as a nation arepredictable, avoidable and selfinflicted.

Those who blame PresidentGoodluck Jonathan for all the illsof Nigeria miss the point. Much as Iexpect that a man, fully educatedand who has held high profileoffices in Nigeria should be able tonavigate away from some of themajor challenges of governance, hecannot run faster than his shadow.So whatever is Jonathan’sshortcomings were foreseeable andif Nigerians had been allowed tofreely choose their President, theyprobably would vote differently.They will go for the best in their

own selfish estimation. They couldalso have voted for Jonathan. Once aman finds himself in executive officeby any means, the incumbency factorand all its trappings are activated. Hecorners public funds and presidesover abuse of coercive institutionsand resources using his uncheckedpowers as a sitting governor orPresident sto the detriment of hisopponents in an election. This clearlymakes a mockery of our democracybecause ab initio, the opposingcandidates face a disadvantage fromthe on set. This is what has aided theJonathan 2011 election victory.

The recent altercation betweenObasanjo and Jonathan is good for thepolity although it is diversionary. Wecannot accept that Obasanjo is abetter person in contemporaryassessment of patriotic leadership.Obasanjo blew the chances of makingNigeria great in all ramifications. Hedeserves the disrespect that thepresidency is forcing down his throat.

the one who dug the pit from wherethe mug was excavated.

The act of nationhood is likescience. What you input is what youget. Many Nigerian leaders, past andpresent do not have the interest ofthe nation at heart. They enter intooffice and feed fat on public funds.They act like saboteurs on matterswhich they can genuinely help tofairly resolve. Rather than berateJonathan on the pages of newspapersand in public functions, Obasanjoshould discuss the way forward onany national issue with Jonathan inprivate. He cannot distance himselffrom the strength and weakness of thepresident. If he expected thatJonathan will be a jelly fish liveredpresident who will dance to his tunesat all times, then he has missed targetand sadly too. As he plotted toperpetuate himself in power; as heused the EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu tosilence perceived opponents; as heused his office to enrich himself; as

Perspectives

Today he is speaking from both sidesof his mouth, scheming to findrelevance in mischief. In one breathhe is criticizing Jonathan for notapplying maximum force to destroyinnocent Nigerians in the name ofhunting Boko Haram. And in another,he is canvassing a carrot and stickapproach which is what Jonathan hasbeen doing all this while.Notwithstanding the stinkingattrocities of Boko Haram, why wouldany same person recommend the Oditreatment to the same people whohave become the victims of themenace. At all material times, we canvouch for the fact that the FGN hasalways accepted the option ofamicable resolution of the BH crisis.So what new is Obasanjo righteouslylecturing Jonathan?

Nigerian leaders should learnfrom America. A new president takescharge and the former one givessupport from the background,avoiding competition. Here the storyis stinks. As a president, he did notallow Gen. Ibrahim Babangida anyoption of dignity as a former head ofstate. He derided IBB, denied himoption to exercise his electoralrights, hunted his family members,hounded Chief Mike Adenuga who isbelieved to be IBB’s friend andbusiness ally. Therefore if Jonathanhas thrown muds at him, Obasanjo is

he used his position to decide whoruled the nation after him and thestates; as he chose who to empoweror impoverish while he was in power,unfortunately so has it been and shallbe under Jonathan. Nothing, wemean, nothing has changed.

If Jonathan desires a good placein history, the ball is in his court andtime is not on his side. He may not atall times, be as lucky as he had beenin the past.

As we speak, INEC Chairman Prof.Attahiru Jega keeps deluding himselfthat he conducted a free and fairelection in 2011. He did not. Nigeriansand members of the internationalcommunity who did not disagree withhim simply do not want further cracksin the national wall. Rather thaninvest more in rigorous preparationstowards ensuring credible polls in2015 by building

on the advantages and milestonesof 2011, INEC appears to be inslumber and may only wake up a fewmonths to the elections, bemusedand confused, running from pillar topost. This is the way of our people andcountry.

INEC gives itself thumbs up for thererun or repeat elections in somestates. If the isolated elections in Edo,Bayelsa, Cross River etc aresemblances of free polls that INECrelies upon, then Nigerians must

Nigerian leaders should learn from America. A newpresident takes charge and the former one gives supportfrom the background, avoiding competition. Here the storyis stinks. As a president (OBJ), he did not allow Gen.Ibrahim Babangida any option of dignity as a former headof state. He derided IBB, denied him option to exercisehis electoral rights, hunted his family members, houndedChief Mike Adenuga who is believed to be IBB’s friendand business ally.

brace up for the sham that awaits thenation in 2015 elections. Thoseelections took place on separatedays, thousands of soldiers, policeofficers, security men and civildefense officers as well asinnumerable independentobservers participated to ensure asemblance of fairness. INECchairman, Resident ElectoralCommissioners and top notch INECoperatives all relocated to the stateswhere the election took place. If thisis what it takes to guarantee a freeand fair election that INEC andJonathan are boasting about, thenthe template for the 2015 electionwill either change to allow staggeredelections or the story will be thesame rigging and dashed hopes.

When preparations remainshoddy, more money is lost,mistakes are justified andvulnerable Nigerians are asked toaccept the predetermined results asthe will of Allah so that the nationcan move on. That way we startanother cycle of evil as a way of life.

Fourteen years down the road,the plight of an ordinary Nigerian isnot improving. People are gettingpoorer while citizens’ capacity todevelop their potentials in a freemarket economy has beenthoroughly diminished. Thisaccounts for why every Nigerianlooks up to the government andstruggles to hold public offices as ameans of reaching the top. In such acrooked environment, politics willcontinue to be a do or die affair.

- emmaokah@yahoo.com,08033211999.

By Emma Okah

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 3

News Around Nigeria

Contd. from Front Page

Kogi elders at war with Gov. Wada

Slow progress on fake drug war in northern Nigeria

Pharmaceutical drug-sellers in the northerncity of Kano are fighting

moves by the National Agency forFood and Drug Administrationand Control (NAFDAC) to closetheir businesses as it tries to clampdown on counterfeit drug sales inNigeria.

Most of northern Nigeria’scounterfeit drugs are sold in Kano- the commercial hub of the north- and most of those in Sabon Garimarket, where drug tradersoperate without regulation,according to NAFDAC. Kano’spopulation of 9.2 million alsoprovides a huge market forpharmaceutical drugs.

“Anyone can go and buy anykind of drug without control or aprescription, with most of themfake drugs sold like vegetables,”said Ibrahim Musa, a doctor atAminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

NAFDAC and Kano Statehealth officials have long accusedSabon Gari traders of running athriving counterfeit drugbusiness, complete with fake drugwarehouses. The most commoncounterfeit drugs are antibioticsand anti-malarials.

The World HealthOrganization (WHO) has ratedthe market Africa’s largest sourceof fake anti-malarial drugs,according to Ahmed Gana, headof the Pharmaceutical Society ofNigeria (PSN) in Kano, and amember of the Kano Taskforce onFake and Sub-standard Drugs. A

2008 WHO study put theincidence of fake anti-malarialsin sub-Saharan Africa at 64percent.

On 31 December 2012,following months of evictionthreats, NAFDAC raided themarket to force out 650 drugtraders they claimed were sellingfake drugs, calling on them toregister with a regulation agencyand set up shop outside themarket.

Traders fought back. On 10December 2012 the NationalAssociation of Patent andPropriety Medicines (NAPPMED),which represents 5,000 traders,took out a one-week restrainingorder from the Federal High Courtstopping the government from

forcing them out. Though thisexpired on 18 December,NAPPMED claims the judge didnot turn up to the hearing so therestraining order still stands.

On 8 January 2013 “weresolved to reopen our shopsbecause of advice from ourlawyers,” Hussein LabaranZakari, Kano State chairman ofNAPPMED, told IRIN.”Althoughthere are unscrupulous tradersthat engage in the sale of fakedrugs… you cannot punish anentire group over the fault of afew bad apples,” Zakari said.

Stronger penaltiesNigerian law stipulates 5-15

years imprisonment and a fine ofup to 500,000 naira (US$3,125)for selling counterfeit drugs.

But NAFDAC Director-General Paul Orhii said in June2012 that the organization wassending a bill to the NationalAssembly prescribing lifesentences for counterfeiters,saying the current penalties werenot a strong enough deterrent.

In the last three years 52counterfeiters have beenconvicted, and 108 cases are stillin court, according to AbubakarJimoh, spokesperson forNAFDAC. However, none of the52 prisoners have served morethan a five-year term.

InnovationThe government is gradually

making progress against thetrade, says Jimoh. In 2001 inNigeria, the proportion of drugs

for sale that were fake was over40 percent, shrinking to 16.7percent in 2005 following arelentless push by NAFDAC. Sincethen, the proportion hasincrementally declined,according to Jimoh.

The Kano task force was re-invigorated by the stategovernment in January 2012and since then has confiscatedfake drugs worth $6.25 million.

In 2010 NAFDAC introducedTruScan technology at airportsand border posts that can analysethe chemical composition of drugsthrough the interaction of lightand molecular bonds, andconducts unscheduled inspectionsacross markets such as SabonGari.A “Mobile AuthenticationSystem” was also recentlyintroduced, whereby consumerscan authenticate drugs bysending a text message toNAFDAC, using the code on thepacket.

ToxicMusa said a recent sharp rise

in kidney and liver-relateddiseases could be linked to fakedrug consumption, though therehas been no study on thecorrelation. “Drugs aregenerally toxic and can dodamage to vital body organs ifmisapplied or abused, even ifthey are genuine... Taking moreof less than the recommendeddose can have adverse effects. Thesituation is worse with fakedrugs,” he added.

to work closely together tochallenge the unjust situation inthe state. The report reveals thatKogi East represents only 45% ofthe 3.3 million Kogi statepopulation census with Kogi Westand Kogi Central accounting for55% of the population.

Successive governments fromGovernors Abubakar Audu,through Ibrahim Idris to IdrisWada have always used a sharingformula that varies between70.30 to 80.20 ratio of stateresources and political officesbetween the East and theremaining two senatorial districts.

Yet, Kogi East contributes theleast internally generatedrevenue of 7% compared to 72%from Kogi Central and 21% fromKogi West. As much as 80% of allcapital projects go to Kogi Eastwhile Kogi West gets 15% and KogiCentral gets a paltry 5% of the28,000 strong state civil service,Kogi East alone has 24,621 as atNovember 2012 while Kogi Westhas 6,519 and Kogi Central has4,069, respectively.

What effort has the IdrisWada administration put inplace in order to redress thesituation?

The Idris Wadaadministration has been totallyunapologetic about sustaining theinternal colonialism in the statewith political appointees thus farskewed against Kogi West andCentral. Of his 19 commissioners,Kogi East has 10, Kogi West has 5and Kogi Central has 4. Wada has

also appointed 57 Special Advisersin addition to the commissionerswith Kogi West getting 33 whileKogi East has 16 and Kogi Centralhas 8.

Of the governor’s 74 SeniorSpecial Assitants, Kogi East has astaggering 60 while Kogi West has10 and Kogi Central has 4. Thereare 32 Permanent Secretaries outof which Kogi East has 24 whileKogi West and Kogi Central have4 each. Of the 25 Board Chairmenrecently appointed by the Wadaadministration, Kogi East has 14while Kogi West has 8 and KogiCentral has only 3. In addition,there are over 300 boards ofdirectors with Kogi East gettingmore than 200 and Kogi West andKoig Central have less than 100.

Now, what is the resolve ofthese elders?

The elders of Kogi CentralSenatorial zone have resolved thatthis matter must be redress if therewill be peace in Kogi land as well asto support the effort being made inthe on-going amendment of the1999 constitution for the rotationof key political offices in the stateamong the three Senatorial zones.We have also pledged our supportfor the efforts being made to reviveAjaokuta Steel Company andNational Iron Ore Milling companyin Itakpe to boost local economy andcreate jobs. This meeting as you cansee was attended by formerSenators. House of Representativesmembers, commissioners,community leaders and elders andothers.

At its inaugural meeting inAbuja, leaders and elders of KogiCentral Senatorial zone stronglycondemned what they called“wicked and ungodly” economicand political marginalization ofthe zone since the creation of thestate 21 years ago. Alhaji SalawuMohammed, spokesman of theelders told Ude Ejikeme in aninterview that the five localgovernment councils in the zonehave vowed to disrupt theadministration of Governor IdrisWada if he fail to redress thesituation. Excerpts.

Sir, may we know the boneof contention on why leadersand elders of this zone areangry with Governor IdrisWada?

The 25 leaders and elders yousee here, some of who are formerSenators, House ofRepresentatives members,Commissioners, communityleaders and others from the fivelocal government councils in thezone met and vowed to use peacefulmeans to enthrone equity,fairness, and justice in Kogi state.We also vowed to disrupt theadministration of Governor IdrisWada, should he fail to redress theimbalance in the distribution ofthings commonly owned by theKogians.

The marginalization of KogiCentral Senatorial zone by the pastand present governors which thereport that was unveiled at themeeting gave full account of theimbalance, the elders has agreed

…vow to disrupt his administration, if…the Republican party to remain inthe White House. But four yearslater (1968), it became obvious tothe Democrats that Johnson hadbecome unsellable electorally andthe incumbent, President Johnsonwho saw the handwriting on thewall, pulled out of the presidentialprimaries to save his own face.

So what are you implyingnow?

As I said, a sitting President whois eligible to contest election is avirtual automatic party candidate,unless it has been established thathe is a bad electoral material ongrounds of performance orintegrity. The status of Jonathanas President of Nigeria takesprecedence over his position as amember and leader of the rulingPeoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ifbetween now and the next election,Jonathan records an impressiveperformance that launchesNigeria on the path of raiddevelopment, it would amount topolitical suicide for the PDP to dumphim for another person.

On the former joint ticketof late Yaradua andJonathan?

The death of former PresidentUmaru Musa Yar’adua shouldserve as an object lesson that thezoning arrangement cannotguarantee equal access to politicalpower among the six geo-politicalzones. Circumstances beyond thecontrol of man may alwaysintervene at one point in time orthe other. Political partiesanywhere can only deependemocracy by leaving the politicalspaces open so that the best and themost acceptable can alwaysemerge.

Since the government is acontinuum, the former joint ticketof Yar’adua and Jonathan whichmade it easier for GoodluckJonathan to unquestionablycontinue from where Yar’aduastopped, should be sustained andrespected as nothing will be strangeor unknown to Jonathan in theseven point development agendaof late President Yar’adua. For now,nobody can say that Jonathan doesnot have the experience or what ittakes to lead, as he has been in thesystem as a deputy-governor,governor, vice-president, acting-president, and President,Commander-in-chief till date. Heis the only Nigerian President witha PhD in office.

On those who kickedagainst Jonathan re-contestfor 2015 Presidency?

I want to use this medium ,reporters dispatch, to express mydisappointment over moves bysome self-seeking individuals whoare embarking on “Operation StopJonathan” Campaign that suchmoves clearly is not in the bestinterest of Nigeria and Nigerians.That the move is provocative andcapable of undermining the peaceand unity of the country. Whatshould be the interest of all is to urgethe President to address those areasthat will enhance the conduct of afree and credible election in 2015,fight against terrorism, corruption,

poverty, among others, ratherthan dissipating energy on how tostop him from exercising hisfranchise as a Nigeria.

What is the position ofNiger Delta youth for 2015?

Let me tell you, the supremeNiger Delta Youth Councilworldwide has unanimouslyresolved that the South-South zonemust have her 8-year slot at thePresidency come 2015, saying thedecision is not negotiable. Leadersand Governors of the region havebeen told to stand their feet onground for the actualization of theproject. At the end of our NationalExecutive Council (NEC) meetingin Port-Harcourt recently, wepledged our loyalty to the leader ofSouth-South Peoples Assembly,Union of Niger Delta, and thegovernment of PresidentJonathan, and threatening thatthe South-south would boycott the2015 election and control its ownresources if President Jonathan isdenied of his continuation in office.

South-Southmay boycott

One of these anti-malarialmedicine packets is a fakePhoto: David Hecht/IRIN

Comrade Mike Newgent Ekamon

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 4

News Around Nigeria

Nigerian Legionnaires dyingslowly - Col. Audu rtd.

What is the essence of ArmedForces Remembrance Day?

It was meant to remind ourselvesthat what led to the death of theseNigerians should not reoccur. . The

aim of this celebration is to constantlyremind ourselves that they lost theirlives, to remember their families, whichthey had left behind and constantly toremind ourselves of history.

What is your mood today beingthe Remembrance day?

I am fine, but, remembering a daylike this calls for sober reflection and theneed for caution. Unfortunately war isnot a picnic. That is why as much aspossible, war should be avoided.

Why do you say, members of theNigerian Legionnaires are dyingslowly?

I want to use this medium,Reporters dispatch, to tell Nigeriansthat members of the Nigerian legionare crying over neglect by the FederalGovernment and we are calling forassistance. We also accusing thegovernment of abandoning us to ourfate.

You can see 20 of us (Legionnaires)at the National Arcade, Eagles Square,Abuja, we are now private guards. Andwe are not treated well. Anyorgnaisation that we work, aftersometimes, we are asked to leave. Theorgnaisation will tell us to go back tothe Legion. The Federal governmentsupposed to honour us and commissionus as they commissioned other people,like Nigerian Security and civilDefence Corps (NSCDC). They knowthat we serve this country. We foughtto keep Nigeria one. But the FederalGovernment has now decided toabandon us to our faith. We are dyingslowly. I mean installmental death.

Sir, may we know you well. Andwhat do you want from FederalGovernment as a body?

I am a retired Colonel Audu Asimiof the Infantry Brigade of the NigerianArmy. I retired in 1999, after servingfor21 years and 172 days. I want theFederal Government to establish, as amatter of urgency, a ministry forLegionnaires that will cater for theneed of Veterans and their families.

For over decades, every year, wegather in the Federal Capital and otherState capitals to remember our fallenheroes. This gathering has not reflectedin the lives of the Legionnaires andtheir families. And the ministrieswhere the Legionnaires serve asecurity pay as they wish. I am veryangry with the veterans foundationthat has failed to fight on our behalf.

You are aware that PresidentGoodluck Jonathan has ordered theimmediate deployment of 1200Nigerian troops to Mali. A battalion is

776 Soldiers and Nigeria is deploying1200 which means it is a battalion plus.The Nigerian troops are expected towork along with troops from WestAfrican countries and France. Thedeployment is at the instances of theMalian government, the United NationSecurity Council Resolution 2085 ofDecember 2012 approved thedeployment of EOWAS Security forcesto assist Mali in reclaiming its Northfrom militants.

As I told you (in tears), it is this typeof national call that we Legionnairespassed through, but today, FederalGovernment have decided toabandoned us to our fate. Maybe, thistime next year, I may not be in thissinful earth. I and my fellowLegionnaires are dying slowly. Somany of us have lost faith in this

Retired Col. Asimi Audu, is a member of Nigerian Legion who retired in 1999, afterserving 21 years and 172 days. He told UDE EJIKEME in Abuja that NigerianLegionnaires were dying slowly over neglect by the Federal government. Excerpts.

CROSS SECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE NIGERIAN LEGION AT THE LAUNCH OF EMBLEMAPPEAL FOR THE 2012 ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY CELEBRATION IN ABUJA.

Fishermen attribute highcost of fish to incessantoil spills in Akwa Ibom

Fishermen operating along theAtlantic coastline in Akwa Ibom saythe rising cost of fish is caused by

frequent spills from the Qua Ibo oil spillsoperated by Mobil Producing Nigeria(MPN).

Mobil Producing, an affiliate of US oilfirm, ExxonMobil, had on Aug. 13, Aug.24, Nov. 9 and Dec. 19, 2012, respectivelyrecorded various incidences of oil spills atthe fields.

Rev. Samuel Ayadi, Chairman,Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria(ARFAN) in the state, told News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) in an interview that thespills had negatively affected fishingactivities in the area.

Ayadi said that more than 7,000fishermen withdrew from the sea to paveway for the planned clean-up of thecontaminated area.

“Before the oil spill, a basin of crayfishsold for N8, 000 but the same basin nowgoes for between N12, 000 and N13,000per basin following the spills.

‘’Like the fish of this Bonga, a portion ofbetween N20,000 and N30,000, nowcosts N50,000 per portion.

“Even at the market, sometimes youcannot see enough to buy because of itsscarcity and that is why most of thefishermen are now opting for frozen fish;and now the price of frozen fish is alsoincreasing in this area.

“And we want the government toreally come to the aid of the fishermen byassisting us and telling the oil company toreally renovate their pipes so thatfishermen can really go back to enjoy theirfishing occupation.”

Ayadi said that the plight of thefishermen was further worsened due to theinability of the company to complete theclean up exercise as promised.

He said that most of the fishermen wereanxious to return to the sea but regrettedthat the spills had remained unabated.

It will be recalled that MPN had on Dec.19, promised to clean up the polluted site

Kaduna State agovernment saidmore than 4,000 persons, whosehouses were damaged in the April

2011 post-election violence in the state,would receive N150,000 each ascompensation.

The money is part of the relief packageprovided to the victims by thegovernment.

The Dep. Gov., Amb. Nuhu Bajoga,announced this while inaugurating theprogramme in Zaria, Kaduna State, onMonday.

Bajoga, represented by AlhajiJa’afaru Makarfi, Chairman of theJama’atul Nasir Islam in the state, saidthe victims included 180 and 3,000people in northern and southern parts ofthe state respectively.

“Owners of the houses verified andfound to be authentic will receive acheque of N150,000 each, while affectedmosques and churches will be givenN100,000 each.

“Victims from Northern KadunaSenatorial District are to converge inZaria, those from Southern Kaduna areto receive their money in Kafanchan andKaduna central in Kaduna,” he said.

According to him, the stategovernment will spend N401 million inthe three senatorial districts.

Post-election violence: 4,000victims to get N150,000 eachin Kaduna State

the ACN in Rivers State, JerryNeedam in a statement said ratherthan join issues with the minister,Amaechi should have a rethinkover the grave allegations of usingthe state resources on misplacedpriorities and redirect his energiesin developing the state with thehuge resources at his disposal.

Jerry Needam said it ’s apolitical miscalculation if GovAmaechi should begin now tobother himself about thepresidential election at the expenseof developing the state.

Rather than indulge in a verbalwar, Jerry Needam wants Gov

country. Federal Government havethrough the Pension Fund commissionled by one Abdulrasheed Maina refusedto pay us our entitled pension stipends,praying that we should die for him andhis team to enjoy the funds we workedand suffered for years.

Now, who can come to our rescue?You said the Legionnaires want

their separate Ministry?Yes. We are tired of being driven

around like fouls. We want a separateMinistry that will cater for our welfare.We are trained soldiers and we shouldbe treated as such.

We have the capacity to serveanywhere. For over decades, ArmedForces Remembrance Day has becomea yearly ritual which has nottranslated to improvement of the livesof veterans and their families.

Orubebe/Amaechi War:Amaechi Must Prove

He Did Not Divert State Funds — ACNAmaechi to begin to come closer tothe people with a view to attendingto their problems.

“These are not mere idle talks inview of the personality and officialposition of the person making therevelations. We are convinced thatfor a Minister of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria to make publicsuch political moves by a sittinggovernor. They are not spuriousand the facts must be there.

In as much as one may not becrucified for being ambitious, it’snonetheless criminal for one toabandon the people’s mandate anddivert the resources entrusted tohim for a personal purpose”.

Contd. from Front Page

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 5

Features Business

Setting up your own consulting businessBy Steve Akadiri

The dictionary defines a consultantas “an expert in a particular fieldwho works as an advisor either to a

company or to another individual.”Sounds pretty vague, doesn’t it? Butunless you’ve been in a coma for the pastdecade, you probably have a good ideawhat a consultant is.

Businesses certainly understand whatconsultants are. In 1997 U.S. businessesspent just over $12 billion on consulting.According to Anna Flowers, spokespersonfor the Association of ProfessionalConsultants in Irvine, California, theassociation has recently noticed anincrease in calls for information frompeople who want to get into the business.“The market is opening up for [theconsulting-for-businesses] arena,”Flowers says.

Melinda P., an independent consultantin Arlington, Virginia, thinks more peopleare getting into the consulting fieldbecause technology has made it easier todo so. “The same technology that hashelped me to be successful as a consultanthas made it easier for others to do thesame,” she says.

A consultant’s job is to consult.Nothing more, nothing less. It’s thatsimple. There’s no magic formula or secretthat makes one consultant more successfulthan another one.

But what separates a good consultantfrom a bad consultant is a passion anddrive for excellence. And—oh yes—a goodconsultant should be knowledgeable aboutthe subject he or she is consulting in. Thatdoes make a difference.

You see, in this day and age, anyonecan be a consultant. All you need todiscover is what your particular gift is.For example, are you very comfortableworking around computers? Do you keepup with the latest software and hardwareinformation, which seems to be changingalmost daily? And are you able to takethat knowledge you have gained and turnit into a resource that someone would bewilling to pay money for? Then you wouldhave no trouble working as a computerconsultant.

Or are you an expert in the fund-raising field? Maybe you have worked fornonprofit agencies in the field of fund-raising, marketing, public relations orsales, and over the years you havediscovered how to raise money. Assomeone who has turned a decade of fund-raising successes into a lucrativeconsulting business, I can tell you thatfund-raising consulting is indeed agrowing industry.

Things to Consider Before You Becomea Consultant

What certifications and speciallicensing will I need? Depending uponyour profession, you may need specialcertification or a special license before youcan begin operating as a consultant. Forexample, fund-raising consultants don’tneed special certification, although youcan become certified through theNational Society of Fund RaisingExecutives. And in some states, you mayneed to register as a professional fund-raising consultant before starting yourbusiness.

Am I qualified to become a consultant?

Before you hang out your shingle andhope that clients begin beating your doordown to hire you, make sure you havethe qualifications necessary to get the jobdone. If you want to be a computerconsultant, for example, make sure youare up to date in the knowledgedepartment with all the trends andchanges in the computer industry.

Am I organized enough to become aconsultant? Do I like to plan my day? AmI an expert when it comes to timemanagement? You should have answered“yes” to all three of those questions!

Do I like to network? Networking iscritical to the success of any type ofconsultant today. Begin building yournetwork of contacts immediately.

Have I set long-term and short-termgoals? And do they allow for me to becomea consultant?

If your goals do not match up with thetime and energy it takes to open andsuccessfully build a consulting business,then reconsider before making any movein this direction!

Top 20 Consulting BusinessesThriving Today

Although you can be a consultant injust about any field these days, thecurrent top 20 consulting businessesinclude:

1. Accounting: Accounting issomething that every business needs,no matter how large or small.Accounting consultants can help abusiness with all of its financial needs.

2. Advertising: This type ofconsultant is normally hired by abusiness to develop a good strategicadvertising campaign.

3. Auditing: From consultants whoaudit utility bills for small businessesto consultants who handle major workfor telecommunications firms, auditingconsultants are enjoying the fruits oftheir labor.

4. Business: Know how to help abusiness turn a profit? If you have a goodbusiness sense, then you’ll do well as abusiness consultant. After computerconsulting, people in this field are thenext most sought after.

5. Business writing: Everyone knowsthat most businesspeople have troublewhen it comes to writing a report—oreven a simple memo. Enter the businesswriting consultant, and everyone ishappy!

6. Career counseling: With more andmore people finding themselves victimsof a corporate downsizing, careercounselors will always be in demand.Career counselors guide their clientsinto a profession or job that will helpthem be both happy and productive asan employee.

7. Communications:Communications consultants specializein helping employees in both large andsmall businesses better communicatewith each other, which ultimatelymakes the business more efficient andoperate smoothly.

8. Computer consulting: Fromsoftware to hardware, and everythingin between, if you know computers,your biggest problem will be not havingenough hours in the day to meet yourclients’ demands!

9. Editorial services: Fromproducing newsletters to corporate

annual reports, consultants who areexperts in the editorial field will alwaysbe appreciated.

10. Executive search/headhunterfirms: While this is not for everyone,there are people who enjoy findingtalent for employers.

11. Gardening: In the past decade thedemand for gardening consultants hasblossomed (pun intended) into a $1million-a-year business. Not only arebusinesses hiring gardeningconsultants; so are people who are toobusy to take care of their gardens athome.

12. Grantsmanship: Once you learnhow to write a grant proposal, you canname your price.

13. Human resources: As long asbusinesses have people problems (andthey always will), consultants in thisfield will enjoy a never-ending supplyof corporate clients, both large andsmall. (People-problem preventionprograms could include teachingemployees to get along with others,respect and even violence prevention inthe workplace.)

14. Insurance: Everyone needsinsurance, and everyone needs aninsurance consultant to help them findthe best plan and pricing for them.

15. Marketing: Can you help abusiness write a marketing plan? Or do

you have ideas that you feel will helppromote a business? If so, why not tryyour hand as a marketing consultant?

16. Payroll management: Everyoneneeds to get paid. By using yourknowledge and expertise in payrollmanagement, you can provide thisservice to many businesses, both largeand small.

17. Public relations: Getting goodpress coverage for any organization is areal art. When an organization finds agood PR consultant, they hang on tothem for life!

18. Publishing: If you’re interestedin the publishing field, then learneverything you can and you, too, canbe a publishing consultant. A publishingconsultant usually helps new ventureswhen they are ready to launch a newnewspaper, magazine, newsletter—andeven websites and electronicnewsletters.

19. Taxes: With the right marketingand business plan (and a sincere interestin taxes), your career as a tax consultantcan be very lucrative. A tax consultantadvises businesses on the legal methodsto pay the least amount of tax possible.

20. Writing services: Anythingrelated to the written word will alwaysbe in demand. Find your specialty inthe writing field, and the sky will bethe limit!

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 6

ADVERTISEMENT RATES(All Rates Attract 5% VAT)

Advert Hotlines:08068573814, 08076007253

BLACK & WHITE

SIZE

Full Page

Half Page

Quarter Page

10" x 5 Cols

10" x 4 Cols

10" x 3 Cols

9" x 5 Cols

9" x 4 Cols

9" x 3 Cols

8” x 5 Cols

8" x 4 Cols

8" x 3 Cols

8" x 2 Cols

7" x 5 Cols

7" x 4 Cols

7" x 3 Cols

7" x 2 Cols

6" x 5 Cols

6” x 4 Cols

6” x 3 Cols

6” x 2 Cols

5” x 5 Cols

5 x 4 Cols

5" x 3 Cols

5" x 2 Cols

4" x 5 Cols

4" x 4 cols

4" x 3 cols

4" x 2 Cols

3 x 5 Cols

3" x 4 Cols

3" x 3 Cols

3" x 2 Cols

2" x 2 Cols

1" x 1 Col

Change of Name

Product

290,000.00

172,000.00

98,000.00

140,000.00

137,000.00

135,000.00

132,000.00

130,000.00

128,500.00

124,750.00

120,000.00

118,000.00

116,000.00

115,000.00

110,000.00

105,000.00

102,000.00

103,500.00

100,250.00

98,700.00

96,500.00

95,850.00

90,150.00

85,000.00

82,100.00

80,000.00

75,000.00

50,2500.00

48,000.00

40,250.00

37,500.00

35,000

20,000

15,000

Public Notice

305,500.00

195,000.00

110,000.00

145,000.00

152,000.00

150,000.00

148,000.00

141,000.00

140,000.00

138,500.00

135,000.00

132,500.00

131,000.00

130,700.00

128,550.00

123,000.00

121,000.00

120,250.00

117,500.00

102,700.00

100,000.00

98,580.00

107,500.00

105,000.00

86,950.00

85,000.00

79,250.00

56,100.00

53,000.00

45,700.00

42,600.00

38,000.00

25,000.00

20,000.00

5,000.00

3,000.00

Political

342,000.00

206,000.00

122,500.00

200,000.00

175,000.00

170,250.00

163,500.00

158,450.00

152,500.00

147,950.00

142,500.00

139,250.00

135,000.00

133,500.00

128,750.00

122,500.00

120,000.00

118,750.00

115,000.00

95,250.00

90,000.00

88,500.00

109,1000.00

115,000.00

95,000.00

92,000.00

83,000.00

59,150.00

55,000.00

52,300.00

48,950.00

43,000.00

30,000.00

25,000.00

5,000.00

3,000.00

Colour

425,000.00

251,000.00

138,500.00

215,000.00

205,000.00

198,000.00

192,750.00

188,000.00

180,500.00

174,800.00

168,950.00

163,000.00

160,000.00

159,300.00

150,850.00

145,000.00

142,000.00

129,700.00

135,600.00

129,700.00

125,000.00

124,500.00

130,000.00

123,000.00

110,000.00

103,800.00

88,750.00

65,000.00

60,000.00

58,850.00

51,450.00

48,000.00

35,000.00

30,000.00

WEBSITE ADVERT RATESSize Duration Price(N)Banner (480x64) (one month) 400,000.00Square (250x250) (one month) 400,000.00Leader Board (780x90) (one month) 455,000.00Skys Craper (120x600) (one month) 455,000.00Supplements 475,000.00AGM/Product Launch/Award Coverage 475,000.00Social events (Birthday/Wedding/Anniversary 385,000.00

TERMS OF ADVERT PLACEMENT1. All adverts to be prepaid in cash ordraft in favour of reporters365.com.2. Series discount is subject to thestipulated number of insertion and it ispayable ONLY at the end of the campaign.3. Cancellation of advert placement inless than 24 hours to publication datewould attract 25% surcharge.4. Advertisers/ Agencies are to supplytheir camera ready at works in electroniccopies and JPEG.5. Adverts may not be published if thevisuals given are considered to be poor

and likely to affect production.6. Alteration to the original order shouldbe conveyed in writing at least 24 hoursto desired alteration date.7.The management of the reporters365.com reserves the right to reject anadvert or any publication in any of its titleswhere such materials are considereddistasteful to public consumption orlibelous.

SPECIAL PositionFront page strip (2"x 5 Cols)Back page strip (2"x5 Cols)Front page solus (6"x 2 Cols)Wrap Around (Front only)Wrap Around (F&B)Botton strip FP (2"x5 Cols)F. P. Earpiece (2"x2 Cols)Back page Earpiece (2"x2 Cols)Centre SpreadEarpiece (F/P)

Black and white (N)350,000.00265,000.00200,000.006,615,000.0010,840,500.00170,000.0067,000.00125,000.001,055,000.0067,000.00

Color (N)402,000.00305,000.00275,000.00

8,250,000.0014,450,000235,000.00105,250.00180,250.00

1,350,000.00105,250.00

Around Africa

By seizing hundreds of hostages at agas plant in the Algerian desert,al Qaeda-linked militants angry at

French intervention in Mali sent a clearmessage: they could strike anywhere in theSahara.

Many experts now believe the sight of aformer colonial power leading unpreparedWest African armies into war againstIslamists in Mali could spark similar attacksacross a swathe of smaller, more vulnerablenations to the south.

Islamist fighters who escape the Frenchonslaught are likely to scatter, with someremaining in Mali to fight a guerilla-stylewar while others trickle across its porousborders into countries where pockets ofradicalism already exist.

“This could lead to frustration amongstMuslims towards the French,” said youngSenegalese man Adama Sall, leavingafternoon prayers at a mosque in theSenegalese capital Dakar.

“In any intervention there is collateraldamage, there are innocent people whocould die. This could radicalize people.”

Security experts have traditionallyplayed down the threat of radical Islamacross West Africa apart from Nigeria,where Boko Haram militants operate.

They cite the moderate form of Sufi Islamwhich predominates across the region, itslargely open if ineffectual governments, andthe limited number of past attacks byfundamentalist groups.

But the crisis in Mali has radicallychanged the dynamics in a region where agrowing number of international firmsoperate, ranging from mining andpetroleum to transport and construction.

Al Qaeda-linked groups which seizedcontrol of Mali’s north had time to organize,recruit and rearm last year as regionalgovernments wasted time trying to priseapart their alliance by offering talks toAnsar Dine, one of its main factions.

African nations now face the challengeof tracking groups of mobile Islamists acrossvirtually meaningless borders whilemonitoring threats from radical Islam athome.

Paris had long pledged to back an Africanintervention in Mali but was determined toavoid French boots on the ground for fear ofbeing painted as a crusading force. Butimages of French troops and armor in Maliare being beamed across the world,inflaming sentiment among some Muslims.

Aaron Zellin, a fellow at the WashingtonInstitute for Near East Policy who monitorsjihadi forums, said Mali had overtaken Syriaas the top subject of online discussion.

“A lot of these people are more like onlinecheerleaders,” he said. “But this could leadindividuals to put away the keyboard andpick up an AK47 instead.”

MALI’S JITTERY NEIGHBOURSIslamists have repeatedly warned they

will strike regional powers or Westerninterests if attacked. With the Algerian gasplant drama still unfolding, the groupclaiming responsibility threatened foreigncompanies with fresh attacks.

Experts warn that if the Islamists canhit Algerian interests, protected by securityforces hardened by a bloody conflict againstIslamists in the 1990s, West African nationswith ill-equipped and inexperienced troopslook vulnerable to a militant threat thathas become increasingly international.

Among the militants killed in theAlgeria hostage siege, Algerian securitysources reported there were Egyptians,Tunisians, Libyans, a Frenchman and a

ANALYSIS

After Algerian incident, WestAfrica fears Mali spillover

Malian.During the months they occupied

northern Mali, West African securitysources say Islamists in Mali lured a rangeof foreign recruits, including significantnumbers from sub-Saharan Africa,previously under-represented withinregional al Qaeda factions.

In Senegal, a neighboring Muslim nationproud of its religious tolerance, ForeignMinister Mankeur Ndiaye warned this weekthat al Qaeda had set up sleeper cells in thecountry.

President Macky Sall called on allSenegalese to report suspicious activities byMuslims coming from abroad. “We mustremain vigilant in our towns and villagesas infiltrations exist,” said Sall, who issending 500 troops to Mali.

In Mauritania, bordering Mali to thewest, both secular and Islamist parties acrossa deeply divided political spectrum haveinsisted the Islamic republic must stay outof Mali.

Before Islamists seized northern Mali,Mauritania was the country of the regionmost exposed to al Qaeda’s activities. It haslaunched raids on Islamist camps across theborder in Mali after attacks on its army andWestern interests in the country.

“Mauritania will not get involved in theconflict,” said Mohamed Yahya OuldHorma, vice president of the ruling UPRparty. “We have already paid too high aprice for acting alone against terroristgroups over the years.”

Underlining the presence of radicalthinking in a nation straddling Black andArab Africa, a group of 30 Mauritanianreligious scholars have called on Muslimsacross the region to protect jihadists fromMali.

“France wants to drive out extremists.But to where? Mauritania and Niger couldbe in trouble. Burkina Faso will face threats,”said Kwesi Aning, an expert at the Ghana-based Kofi Annan InternationalPeacekeeping Training Centre.

NIGERIA THREATENEDBut it is Nigeria which could be the

greatest concern. With the region’s biggestoil reserves and economy, its security forcesare already bogged down in on-off fightingwith Boko Haram militants in the north.

Abuja has wavered between notwanting to overstretch its army byintervening in Mali and hoping the missioncould stamp out links between homegrownand global militants.

By dispatching the first of 1,200 soldiersthis week, President Goodluck Jonathanopted for the latter.

“They want to cut off the Islamistproblem at the root,” said Bismarck Rewane,CEO of Lagos-based consultancy FinancialDerivatives. “Not only could it inflamethings here, but in the long run it won’tsolve the problem of Boko Haram’sinsurgency, which is to do with inequalityand poor governance.”

Most West Africans, including theMalians themselves, have been largelysupportive of French intervention whileregretting the inaction of regional powersto come to Bamako’s rescue.

However, the failure of democracy toimprove daily life in some of the world’spoorest countries has opened the door toIslamic organizations to play a bigger role.

Ultra-conservative Wahhabism, spreadby preachers coming from the Gulf, hasmade inroads.

“This intervention (in Mali) makes thewhole sub-region considerably morevulnerable,” Aning added.

“We are going to see the spread of thefronts from Mali.” — Reuters

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 7

News Around Africa

The desert warriors caughtin the middle of Mali conflict

?????

Fearful of being caught inthe middle of the conflictengulfing Mali, the

country’s Tuaregs have offeredto put their renowned fightingprowess at the disposal of aFrench-led campaign to driveIslamic radicals out of thecountry.

The Tuaregs, a Berberpeople who have lived anomadic lifestyle in the regionfor two thousand years, wereinstrumental in helpinggroups such as Al Qaeda in theIslamic Maghreb (AQIM) seizecontrol of huge swathes ofnorthern Mali last year.

A rebellion launched inJanuary 2012 by a Tuaregseparatist movement, theAzawad National LiberationMovement (MNLA), inflictedsuch humiliation on theMalian army that it triggereda military coup in Bamako. Inthe ensuing political vacuum,the central government lostcontrol of the north to theinsurgents.

The Tuaregs’ alliance ofconvenience with the Islamistsquickly disintegrated. AQIMand other Islamists, such as theMovement for Oneness andJihad in West Africa (MUJAO)began to run territories undertheir control like a particularlybrutal medieval emirate.

Greatly weakened, theMNLA in December soughtpeace talks with thegovernment, dropping itsdemand for the creation ofAzawad, an independentTuareg homeland. Instead,they sought sufficient

autonomy to guarantee thattheir traditional way of life cancontinue.

Now, with AQIM, MUJAOand a third Islamist group,Ansar Dine, under attack fromFrench warplanes, the MNLAhas seen its chance. They aretrying to broker theirreputation as ferocious fightersto reposition themselves inMali’s rapidly shifting politicallandscape.

“We can play a decisiverole,” MNLA representativeMoussa Ag Assarid told AFP ina telephone interview fromnorthern Mali. Their fighterswould be far better suited tochasing down Islamists in thearid north of Mali than troopsfrom Nigeria, Senegal or other

West African states, he argued.“We know the ground, we

know the people. We can be alot more effective that the WestAfrican force will be,” Assaridadded.

“We can do the job on theground. We’ve got men, armsand, above all, the desire to ridAzawad of terrorism.”

The Tuaregs are willing tofight alongside French or WestAfrican troops. But they do notwant to see the Malian armyreturn to what they regard astheir territory. They aremindful of atrocities carriedout in the past and thepossibility of score settling overlast year’s clashes.

“We don’t want to see theMalian army in Azawad

without a prior accord betweenthe two parties, but we’reready to discuss a solution,” hesaid.

— “They are afraid: andright to be” —

The fighting prowess of theTuaregs is not in doubt. Manyof them were involved, on bothsides, in the 2011 conflict inLibya. And one legacy of theweapons free-for-all thatfollowed the collapse of MoamerKadhafi’s regime is that theyremain well-armed.

But Alain Antil, aresearcher at the FrenchInstitute for InternationalRelations, was sceptical aboutwhat the MNLA could bring tothe table.

“Currently their profile is

more media than military,” hetold AFP. “They were verypopular at the start of 2012 butthe way they acted in therebellion has not helped theircause.”

Accused of raping andpillaging during theiroffensive at the start of lastyear, the MNLA made the fatalmistake of selling weapons totheir Islamist allies — armsthat were soon turned againstthem.

“Obviously they know theground well, but any help theygive will have a price attached,”Antil said.

Currently retrenched in thefar north of Mali, near theAlgerian border, the MNLAclaims to have several thousandbattle-hardened fighters in thesmall zone it controls, whichincludes the small towns ofTinzawatane and Achibriche.

Another Tuareg specialist,Pierre Boilley, agreed that theMNLA would expect a significantreward if they helped take on theIslamists.

“Their services will be offeredon condition that the French offerthem a real prospect of meetingtheir political demands,” he said.

The have the means, themen, the equipment, includingheavy arms. But they are shortof petrol and ammunition.

“I wouldn’t completely ruleout them working alongside anAfrican force but I’d say there iszero chance of themparticipating in anythinginvolving the Malian army.

“They’re afraid and probablyright to be so.”

Moussa Ag Assarid, a Malian-Tuareg spokesman for the National Movement for the Liberation ofAzawad (MNLA), speaks during a demonstration asking for the independence of the Malian northernregion of Azawad, in Paris, in this April 7, 2012 file photo. Observers believe that in exchange forthe recent offer by ethnic Tuareg separatists to support the French military intervention in Mali, thenorthern Tuareg community will expect a significant political reward such as self-autonomy in thenorth of the country. AFP

Hunger, shrinking supplies fueled Islamist push in MaliHunger, dwindling

resources and adetermination to sow

chaos across Mali were drivingforces behind the suddeninsurgent push south thattriggered an ongoing French-ledmilitary response, experts say.

The triad of Al-Qaeda-linkedIslamist groups who havecontrolled Mali’s vast desert northsince April know their fewthousand fighters and pick-uptrucks are insufficient to controlthe sprawling country or itscapital Bamako, they say.

But a growing desperationand shrinking reserves forced theIslamists to advance deeper intothe government-controlledsouth, said an expert on Mali who,like many people discussingsecurity in West Africa, asked foranonymity.

“The bearded men are notadministrators. There is nothingmore left in the north, no moreflocks of cattle, not enough cereal.The ransoms from hostages held

by them are not coming through,”he said.

“It’s the logic of the predators ofthe desert: they hope to steal cattle,Toyotas, pillage towns, banks andeven gold at the central bank ifthey are not stopped beforeBamako.”

The crisis began when theTuaregs, a Berber people who havelived a nomadic lifestyle in theregion for 2,000 years, launcheda rebellion a year ago andhumiliated the Malian army,triggering a military coup inBamako.

In the ensuing politicalvacuum, the central governmentlost control of the north to theinsurgents, and the Tuaregs wereinstrumental in helping groupssuch as Al Qaeda in the IslamicMaghreb (AQIM) seize control ofhuge swathes of territory.

But the Tuaregs’ alliance ofconvenience with the Islamistsquickly disintegrated. AQIM andother Islamists began to runterritories under their control like

a particularly brutal medievalemirate and imposed sharia law.

Mali’s northern and southernneighbours Algeria and BurkinaFaso have led efforts to try tolaunch peace talks between rivalTuareg groups to get them to cutall ties with radical Islamists suchas AQIM.

“The aim of this offensive is tothwart on the ground thepossibility of such negotiations,”an informed observer said inBamako, speaking on condition ofanonymity.

Adding further chaos to thecomplex situation is Algeria’srefusal to contribute troops to anAfrican force, pegged at some6,000 in all.

But Algiers subsequentlydecided to open its airspace toFrench fighter jets battling theIslamists.

An expert said Algiers had nowrealised its folly in believing thatit had the Ansar Dine (Defendersof the Faith) movement, led by aformer Tuareg rebel, under

control.“The Algerians who thought

they had the Ansar Dine on a tightleash saw them break the chainsand bite them. They were furious.They said: ‘They will pay dearly,’”he said, adding that this explainedthe move to open the airspace.

Ansar Dine had explained itsshock January 10 seizure of thecentral town of Konna, whichsparked French militaryintervention, after months ofstatus quo on the frontline as amove to pre-empt the deploymentof an offensive led by Paris.

“We decided to attack townslike Konna to torpedo Frenchplans to occupy strategic pointsin preparation of war,” it said ina statement.

A Western diplomat inBamako, speaking on conditionof anonymity, said the Islamists’knew they could never reallycontrol the sprawling westAfrican country or its capitalwith just a few thousandfighters.

“Even if they cannotproceed as far as Bamako andif they are stopped in Mopti (acentral town), the shockwaveswould be of such amplitudethat with the dispersal of thearmy” the interimgovernment could be broughtto its knees, the diplomat said.

“What is certain is that thepressure would have been sogreat that another regimemore favourable to themwould have been installed,” headded.

Jean-Pierre Filiu, an expertin radical Islamists at theprestigious Sciences-Pouniversity in Paris, said theyhad “underestimated therapidness and the brutality ofthe French reaction.

“But that said, they willwait for us on a terrain overwhich they have perfectmastery over where theycould dramatise theconfrontation with an ‘infidel’France,” he added.

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 8

News Around The WorldSecond time even sweeter, Obama fans say

Forget about deja vu or old hat as BarackObama, America’s first blackpresident, was sworn in again. For

some in the sea of humanity watching,cheering and shivering, the repeat waseven sweeter.

Yes, the crowd was smaller and thenumber of inaugural celebratory balls wasslashed. Obama will be a lameduckpresident, barred from seeking a third term.Compared to 2009, even the January coldthat tested the mettle of Obama fans wasless intense.

Still, for the crowd that roared whenObama stepped onto the VIP podium on thesteps of Congress Monday under overcastskies, one message was clear: his first winback in 2008 was not just some fleeting blipor anomaly amid a long stream of whitepresidents.

“I am very excited. I feel like the secondtime around is better,” said Jessica Austinof Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who traveled toWashington for the inauguration.

“It is worth even more, that he did itagain,” said Austin, an African-American,like a clear majority of the crowd.

Indeed, said 25-year-old Washington, DClaw student Max Etin, who is white, thistime may be less frenzied in terms ofenthusiasm but the deeper significance ofObama’s win last November speaksvolumes.

“I think is it still exciting for some peopleto show it wasn’t like a fluke, you know?That really America is behind him andAmerica is a changing country and he kindof embodies that,” said Etin.

A festive atmosphere engulfed the city,one often given to snotty political bickeringbut owned utterly for a day by the Obamabuzz.

From the steps of the Capitol, atop of

which the majestic white dome stood outagainst the gray, low-hanging sky, a vastcrowd resembling a speckled, colorful carpetof hundreds of thousands spilled out alongthe huge green lawn known as the Mall.

Nearby, a lone saxophone player playedDave Brubeck music. Picnics were eaten.Boys scouts squatted on the grass to munchon box lunches. One woman, wrapped in ared plaid blanket and leaning against a tree,hugged a concealed bump that was almostcertainly a child.

After the inauguration, Obama hadlunch in the Capitol with congressionalleaders and was later to take a slow ride downPennsylvania Avenue, home to the WhiteHouse, before viewing the official inauguralparade from VIP stands.

Earlier arrivals at nearby LafayetteSquare were bundled up in puffy jackets orwool coats. Some of the crowd shouted “Wewill rock you!”

Back at Capitol Hill, people ran in placeto keep warm as they watched large screen

TVs showing the arrival of politicians to theVIP podium on high, cheering ones theyliked and booing some others.

Etching their taste of history in digitalmemory, people posed for photos holdingtheir inaugural admission ticket — green,yellow, orange or other colors depending onwhere they were assigned to stand — withthe Capitol as the backdrop.

The wardrobe protecting against thedamp cold was as varied as the crowd, fromfull-length fur coats to clusters of collegestudents wearing bright yellow inauguralhoodies to goofy panda-head hats.

At one point, as a motorcade sped by onits way up Capitol Hill, people whooped,believing it was Obama, the man himself.Nobody knew for sure.

Still, one lady shouted out, and drewlaughter: “There he is, there is my baby.”

Justin Mausel, a 35-year-oldgovernment employee, agreed that even ifthe electricity that was in the air four yearsago — he attended — wasn’t there this time,or at least not as patently crackling, thiswas huge stuff: America’s first African-American president, re-elected, wipingaway any question of legitimacy.

“I think it is just as historic,” he said, his16-month son Mijan squirming in a harnesson his chest. “It is still very exciting.”

Austin, the Alabama advertisingemployee, said there was also a sort ofbittersweet element to it all, as if it were thestart of a farewell. She and others wonderedaloud when there might ever be anotherAfrican-American president.

But at the same time, she said, it is achance for Obama — his plate full with asputtering economic recovery and loominginternational crises — to get things done,and better.

“It is the beginning of a goodbye, andhopefully we can do better the second timearound. It is the second chance to start over.”

US President, Barack Obama

Televangelist sentenced to hang for Bangladesh war crimes

A controversial Bangladeshi warcrimes court probing the nation'sbloody independence struggle

sentenced a fugitive Islamic televangelistto death Monday as it handed down its firstjudgement.

Maolana Abul Kalam Azad, who hasbeen on the run for about a year, "is foundguilty... to be hanged by the neck until he isdead" for genocide and murder during the1971 liberation war against Pakistan, JudgeObaidul Hasan announced.

The International Crimes Tribunal,which is a domestic tribunal with nointernational oversight, was created by thegovernment in 2010 and has been taintedby allegations it is politically motivated.

But its first verdict was warmlywelcome by the government and itssupporters.

"It's a victory for humanity.Bangladeshi people have been waiting forthis day since 1971. They can now heave asigh of relief," said Attorney GeneralMahbubey Alam.

Supporters of the ruling Awami Leagueparty held instant processions in the capitaland across the country as the verdict wasannounced. There were also marches byformer freedom fighters, some of whommade V-signs.

Azad, 63, who for years presented awidely watched show on Islam on privateand state-run television channels, is aformer leading light of Bangladesh's largestopposition Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami.

In total, 11 top opposition figures -- ninefrom Jamaat and two from the mainopposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party

and found loopholes in the war crime laws.Abdus Shukur Khan, a tribunal-

appointed defence lawyer for Azad, said thecase was "false".

"He was not involved in any of thesecrimes and was never named a Pakistanicollaborator," he told AFP.

Prosecutor Shahidur Rahman told AFPthat Azad became known as "Bachchu thecollaborator" during the war in his hometown in the southwestern Faridpur district,where he was accused of murdering at leasta dozen Hindus.

"I am happy that Bachchu thecollaborator is sentenced to death. Thegovernment should now find him andexecute him," a Hindu who said Azad hadkilled his father during the war told privateATN news television.

Azad, who also heads an Islamic charity,is believed to have fled the countryimmediately after the tribunal opened thecase against him.

Bangladesh, which was called EastPakistan until 1971, has struggled to cometo terms with its violent birth.

The current government says up tothree million people were killed in the war,many murdered by locals who collaboratedwith Pakistani forces.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's regimeestablished the tribunal in March 2010 totry the collaborators, but it has been hit bya series of controversies.

Last month a presiding judge resignedafter his leaked Internet calls showed he wasunder pressure from the government todeliver a quick judgement, raising furtherquestions about the fairness of the trials.

"There is no doubt that atrocities werecommitted in 1971, and the Jamaatleaders, now before the tribunals, certainlyhave very legitimate questions to answerabout their alleged involvement," warcrimes researcher David Bergman told AFP.

"But a number of the trials havesignificant due process shortcomings, havebecome highly politicised, and morerecently evidence of collusion between theprosecution, government and a tribunaljudge has emerged."

The government says the trials are fairand meet international standards.

Judge Hasan in his verdict blamedJamaat for creating pro-Pakistan militiasduring the war and said the impunity thatwar criminals enjoyed had "held backpolitical stability, saw the ascent ofmilitancy and destroyed the constitution".

The 1971 war began after tens ofthousands of people were killed in Dhakawhen then-West Pakistan launchedOperation Searchlight, a campaignintended to deter Bangladeshis from seekingindependence.

(BNP) -- standaccused of warcrimes.

Both Jamaatand the BNP havecalled the cases" p o l i t i c a l l ymotivated andfarcical" andi n t e r n a t i o n a lrights groupshave questionedthe proceedings

A case officer investigating acorruption scandal involvingPrime Minister Raja Pervez

Ashraf was found dead on Friday inIslamabad, officials said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesdaydemanded Ashraf's arrest in the long-running case, but anti-corruptionwatchdog the NationalAccountability Bureau (NAB) toldthe chief justice on Thursday that itdid not yet have enough evidence.

Pakistaninvestigator onPM case founddead

A 53-year-old man has beenarrested on suspicion of bitinghis adult son to death to get

rid of a “snake haunting him”,Japanese media have reported.

TV Asahi said Katsumi Nagayaseriously injured his son, Takuya, onFriday at the younger man’sapartment in Anjo, central Japan, byhead-butting and biting him after the23-year-old began writhing aroundand claiming to be a serpent.

Takuya was taken to hospital butdeclared dead a short time later, thebroadcaster said.

The suspect reportedly told policehe had attacked his son in order toremove the snake from his mind.

Japan man ‘bitsnake-possessedson to death’

Officials said the officer, KamranFaisal, was found dead in thegovernment hostel where he livedwith other colleagues from NAB.

"He was found dead in his room.He is suspected to have committedsuicide. Police have taken the body.A post-mortem is being carried out,"a NAB spokesman told AFP.

"He was a case officer, aninvestigations officer in the primeminister's case. We will share furtherdetails when we get them," thespokesman added.

Islamabad police chief Bani Aminconfirmed that the body had beenfound.

"We are investigating fromdifferent angles... We will establishan opinion after the autopsy," he said.

A Pakistani investigator was founddead in a government-run hostel

By Daniel Woolls

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 9

News Around The World

Middle East: Digging for Water, But Striking Oil

Children like this boy in Gaza face the worst of water scarcity. Credit: Eva Bartlett/IPS

The volatile politics of the MiddleEast have long been dominatedby the fluctuating fortunes of a

single commodity: oil.But when the oil-blessed region runs

out of water, there could be a change in thepolitical landscape, triggering potentialconflicts. The world’s future wars, expertspredict, will be over water, not oil.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonwarned last year that water shortagescontribute not only to poverty but also causesocial hardships and impede development.

More importantly, he warned “theycreate tensions in conflict-prone regions”(Read: Middle East). “And too often, wherewe need water, we find guns.” (Read: Gulfnations, whose arms purchases, mostlyfunded by oil earnings, keep skyrocketing).

The lingering economic paradox wasperhaps best described by an unnamedKuwaiti official who once remarked,“Whenever we dig for water, we strike oil.”

At the first International Water Summit(IWS) in Abu Dhabi Wednesday, over30,000 participants, including political andbusiness leaders, met to formulate a strategyto underscore the importance of water forthe political and economic stability of theregion.

As Crown Prince, General SheikhMohammed bi Zayed Al Nahyan said . “Forthe United Arab Emirates (UAE), water is(now) more important than oil.”

Munqeth Meyhar, chairman/Eco Peace,at Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME),told IPS the region has experienced manyenvironmental concerns lately, includingclimate change. Water resources arebecoming increasingly scarce, especially forthe millions there who already lack accessto fresh water.

He pointed out that some of thesecountries, including Yemen, Saudi Arabia,and Iraq, are facing unique problems thatrequire immediate attention.

“One shared factor of all the countries inthe Middle East is their lack of waterresources and poor water management,”said Meyhar, who closely monitors thegrowing water crisis in the region

The Middle East has some of the world’slargest oil reserves, which produces most ofthe area’s wealth. Even so, the region’sclimate and environment make livingharsh, he said.

The Middle East requires water resourcesand suitable land for agriculture. But muchof the land available for producing food isdestroyed by increasing desertification.

Desertification is a sweepingenvironmental problem, with vast effectsin countries such as Syria, Jordan, and Iraq,said Meyhar.

Universal causes for a spread of aridenvironment are unsustainable agriculturepractices and overgrazing. Agriculture uses70 percent of water in this region.

It is common to misuse land by heavyirrigation in the Middle East. Droughts aremore frequent, and contribute to thechanging landscape, he noted.

The overuse of water in agriculture isaffecting the countries’ already undersizedwater resources.

As the world faces possible waterscarcities in the next two to three decades,the U.S. intelligence community hasportrayed a grim scenario for theforeseeable future: ethnic conflicts, regionaltensions, political instability and even masskillings.

During the next 10 years, “manycountries important to the United States willalmost certainly experience water problems

– shortages, poor water quality, or floods –that will contribute to the risk of instabilityand state failure, and increased regionaltensions,” stated a National IntelligenceEstimate released in March 2011.

And in July of the same year, Chris Kojm,chairman of the National IntelligenceCouncil, predicted that by 2030, nearly halfof the world’s population – currently at morethan seven billion – will live in areas of severewater stress, increasing the likelihood of masskillings.

Meyhar of the Friends of the Earth MiddleEast said the mostly arid Jordan, enduressevere water scarcity.

The cost of water in Jordan increased 30percent in 10 years, due to a shortage ofgroundwater, he said. And in recent years,Jordan has not been able to produce enoughfood to sustain its populations.

Meyhar said water scarcity has damagedthe standard of living for inhabitants of thecountryside, causing a big flux of movementtowards major cities. This is a problem facingall Middle Eastern countries.

Asked where desalination was an answer,he said desalination plants are an overuse ofwater resources in the Middle East. Seventypercent of desalination plants in the worldare located in this area, found mostly in SaudiArabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Israelis joining this club on a fast track, he noted.

While the plants produce water neededfor the arid region, they can cause problemsfor health and the environment.

The seawater used most in desalinationplants has high amounts of boron andbromide, and the process can also removeessential minerals like calcium.

Also, the concentrated salt is oftendumped back into oceans where theincreased salinity affects the ocean’senvironment. The plants harm local wildlifeand add pollutants to the region’s climate. Inaddition, desalination is the most energy-costing water resource, said Meyhar.

The high use of energy results in raisedenergy prices and higher prices on waterproduced, hurting the consumer. The waterproduced can be beneficial in easing a lack offreshwater, but these areas have tendenciesto overuse their natural resources.

Concerns with the large amount ofdesalination plants in the Middle East focuson the improper dependency they will cause,instead of encouraging alternate forms ofwater and energy and conservingfreshwater.

The Middle East has numerous struggleswith its current water resources, and theregion needs more than one solution togenerate an optimistic environmentalposition for the future.

“In our view, water sector reform in

domestic, agricultural, touristic andindustrial usage is the first step to be takentowards solving the Middle East waterchallenges,” he declared.

Meanwhile, ‘Project Stream’, launchedduring the three day International WaterSummit ending Jan. 17, is meant to connectproject developers with the world’s foremostsolution providers.

The countries that comprise the GulfCooperation Council (GCC)- includingBahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar. SaudiArabia and the UAE – are expected to investover 100 billion dollars in investments inthe region.

“GCC countries have been investingheavily on water sustainability over the lastfew years”, says Peter McConnell, ShowDirector for the IWS, “and the Project Streamwill in essence become a networking platformthat will connect solution providers fromaround the world to project developers fromthe region.”

These projects range from multi-billiondollar government infrastructureventures to high-tech innovations in areassuch as low-energy desalination, waterleakage prevention and water efficiencywhich will all contribute in a significantway to addressing the worldwidechallenges surrounding clean watersupply, he added.

By Thalif Deen [IPS]

Anger and Pride: Executed Sri Lankan maid’s mother refuses Saudi money

The mother of a Sri Lankan maidbeheaded in Saudi Arabia formurder has rejected offers of cash

from Saudi well-wishers following anoutcry over the execution, a localnewspaper said Friday.

“I will not accept any gifts from theSaudis or the Saudi government whichmurdered my daughter,” RizanaNafeek’s mother, Saiyadu Farina, toldthe Lankadeepa newspaper according toan excerpt of an interview on its websiteFriday.

Sri Lankan newspapers say she hasreceived cash offers exceeding twomillion rupees ($16,000) following the

execution which was carried out onJanuary 9 in the Saudi capital Riyadhdespite repeated appeals for clemency.

The local Daily Mirror said earlier thisweek that an advisor to the Saudi royalfamily had offered 1.0 million dollars tothe family out of his own pocket during avisit to Sri Lanka last week.

The impoverished family lives in amake-shift home in the eastern village ofMuttur.

Nafeek had falsified her age and goneto Saudi Arabia as a maid to earn moneyto build a proper house for her family,according to family associates.

President Mahinda Rajapakse who had

pleaded on behalf of the maid denouncedthe execution and recalled Sri Lanka’sambassador to Riyadh in protest.

Nafeek was found guilty ofsmothering an infant in her care afteran argument with the child’s motherin 2005 when she was 17 years old, theSaudi interior ministry has said.

Human Rights Watch said Nafeekhad retracted “a confession” that shesaid was made under duress. She saidthe baby died in a choking accidentwhile drinking from a bottle.

The US and the United nations ledinternational condemnation of theSaudi authorities over the execution.

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 10

Politics

Help, Bamanga needs helpBy Ude Ejikeme

The trend in the home ofthe ruling Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP] NationalSecretariat, WADATA PLAZA,Abuja point towards anunfavorable situation whichappears like a tsunami in the horizon, threatning to eitherconsume the entire membersof the party’s NationalWorking Committee (NWC) orjust Alhaji Bamanga Tukur,the National Chairman.TheChairman’s troubles emanatefrom the crisis that engulfedthe Adamawa State Chapter ofthe party, which led to thesack of its executive committeebelieved to be loyal only toGovernor Murtala Nyako.

Sensing the dimension andthe direction of the crisis, thegovernors on the platform ofthe PDP rallied round one oftheir own to maintain theirhold on the party. Thegovernors, this writergathered, believe that if theydo not defend Nyako byfighting the nationalleadership of the party, theymay not know the nextagenda of the Tukur led NWC,since in their opinion, the boneof contention between Tukurand Nyako is based on whosucceeds Nyako at the end ofhis tenure.

To actualize their desire,the governors quickly movedand enlisted the support of 10members of the NWC throughsubtle blackmail and financialinducement and a well-craftedscript with the sole purpose toget Tukur out of the way.

The governors initial planwas to use their strength in theNational ExecutiveCommittee (NEC) to sweep outthe entire members of theNWC, but the arrow of thegovernors in the NWCmobilized his colleagues torally support for the StateChief Executive.

They hurriedly metwithout taking intoconsideration the provisions ofthe constitution of the partywith regards to the meeting ofthe NWC and resolved torescind their earlier decisionwhich sacked MijinyawaKugama led executive inAdamawa State.

The 2009 constitution ofthe party as amended statedthat the number one functionof the party’s nationalchairman shall be to “summonand preside over meetings ofthe national workingcommittee of the party”. Buton the day the decision wastaken to reinstate the sackedAdamawa state executive, thiswriter learnt that Tukur wasnot even informed of the

meeting.Apart from the fear that

their positions as members ofthe NWC may be jeopardizedif they remain with Tukur, the10 NWC members believed tohave been reached by one ofthe governors, equallydumped the party’sconstitution and earlierstance to ensure strictadherence to party disciplineand supremacy.

Sensing the governorsinfluence on majority of theparty’s NWC members couldeventually lead to his sack,Tukur vowed that almost allthe members of the NWCwould go with him.Documents that later

emanated from the NationalSecretariat of the rulingparty, justified Tukur’sposition to the effect that theparty approved the time tablefor the congresses in the state.

At the end of the meetinglast Wednesday, the governorscalled for the immediateconvention of the NationalExecutive Committee (NEC)meeting of the party just asthey endorsed the decision ofthe 10 members of the NWCrescinding the dissolution ofthe PDP Adamawa StateExecutive. The governors alsoendorsed the decision of the 10members of the NWCdissociating themselves fromthe purported ward, local

government and statecongresses in Adamawa stateand declared same null, voidand of no effect whatsoever.

The governors, accordinglyre-affirmed their recognitionof the Kugama-led executivelawfully elected in March2012 and endorsed by theNational Convention (NC) andcalled for NEC meeting of theparty to be held as and whendue as provided for in the PDPconstitution.

It was gathered that thegovernors, who are in controlof majority of NEC members,would want to use theopportunity to remove theNational Chairman by passinga vote of no confidence in him.

President GoodluckJonathan’s meeting withmembers of the NWC and thegovernors last week, welearnt, in an effort to reunitethe party, proved to thegovernors that the meeting ofthe 10 members of the NWC of

the party was illegal as it didnot follow laid downconstitutional provisions.Jonathan’s intervention failedto pacify the PDP governors,who were adamant in theirresolve to remove Tukur overhis unilateral dissolution ofthe executive council in theState Chapter of the party.

It was gathered that thegovernors pointedly toldJonathan to start shopping forTukur’s replacement fromAdamawa State being thehome of Tukur. Nyako, who isbelieved not to be comfortablewith having Tukur asNational Chairman, did notobject to the decision that areplacement should comefrom his state.

A source at WADATAPLAZA revealed thatstakeholders from the Northare taking proactive measuresfor quick replacement ofTukur to forestall a situationwhere his deputy, Dr. SamSam Jaja will take over asnational chairman. A sourcealso closed to the NWC toldreporters dispatch inconfidence that, “we areexpecting Tukur’s resignationanytime from now and inorder not to shortchangeAdamawa State, there is aconsensus that Tukur’ssuccessor should come fromthe State. It may interest youto know that our leaders arealready looking in thedirection of Wakili Adamawa,Dr. Hassan Adamu, as likelyreplacement to BamangaTukur”.

We also learnt that thechoice of Adamu, who wasMinister of Agriculture, Steel,and Environment is notunconnected to the fact thatthe governors are looking for acandidate who is at home withthe various interest groupswithin the PDP, including thePresidency, the governor’sForum and the Boar d ofTrustees (BoT)

The source said, “we knowof Adamu’s fatherlyrelationship with thegovernors and his influence inthe BoT. All these are factorsthat were looking into before

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

Adamawa State governor Murtala Nyako

the choice of HassanAdamu as possiblesuccessor toTukur”.

With the ragingfire from all fronts,Can AlhajiBamanga Tukurescape theonslaught of thePeoples DemocraticParty (PDP)governors and somemembers of theNational WorkingCommittee (NWC),whom he hadearlier described asbackstabbers? Timeshall tell.Dr. Hassan Adamu, (Wakili of Adamawa)

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 11

PoliticsOkenwa: The man whose suicidal missionwould have started the Nigerian spring

poverty, hopelessness and graveinsecurity”. “Hypocrites, equivocators andthieves”. While roaring, I continueddropping the 26-pages theses to the ground.Nigerians were reading the documents,some covering me with their cell phonevideos.

Meanwhile security agents of the Headof Service block came and met me on thetop, ascending through their conventionalarrangement. One of them, a fair average-height, slim young man waved me to come.I said I was delivering my anti-corruptioncampaign to the Nigerian people, and it isfor them I am here. I continued droppingthe document until only one remained outof 20. One of the security men in yellowishbrown khaki started coming toward me ina bid to force me to follow them. I said, “Ifyou touch me, I go over.

If you come close to me here, I will jumpover and that will be the end of it. The restwill be left to Nigerians”. His senior, the fairman, instructed him to retreat. I continuedwith my campaign, shouting to the people,about 100 meters below. My guests on top,asked me to come down so that they willorgnaise a press interview where I wouldtell Nigerians about my reason for climbingup there. I asked them if their pressmanagement would include independentpress men? They said yes. Then I followedthem down through their normal structuralroute, while at the same time shouting sameanti-corruption slogan. Unfortunately,they cheated me by inviting only the presscrew of the Head of Service – no externalmedia men in the arrangement. They gaveme one bottle of cold water and said I shouldcalm down. They started wondering how Iwas able to reach the top of that building. Itold them it was by grace of God and love forcountry, society and humanity. It was nota big effort in the service of my country.

After keeping me for about 45 minutes,the press crew of the Hos arrived, about 20people and they gave came a seat facingthem. They came with their pressparaphernalia-video recorders, camerasand handsets, taking photo shots of me. Iwas asked to introduce myself. I did as I toldyou earlier. Then their leader came withhis question of my mission there and I toldthem, I climbed to the roof top of one of theseat of corruption and deceit in Nigeriawhere pension officers pack public moneyinto their pockets leaving the masses inwretchedness, poverty and insecurity. Oldmen and women who have diligently servedtheir country cannot get their money tobuy food or have medicare. Some collapseand die at the pension offices.

At that juncture, I was asked about thelevel of corruption in the petroleumministry. I said it is N2.6 trillion stolen,funding cars under the shade of fuelsubsidy. Then they asked me about thelevel in the Head of Service. I told them itwas over N150 billion in the first instanceas announced by Mr. AbdulrasheedMaina, Chairman of the Pension ReformTask Force. They asked, “which one isbigger”? I asked them, “do you mean thevolume of corruption in the petroleumministry and the one in the Head ofService”? their leader said no. I said thequantum in the petroleum ministry isgreater. Then, their leader said he wouldrelay my message to the Head of Serviceand they wished me well, in my anti-corruption campaign, advising me to be

cautious. I apologized for embarrassingthem but told them it was in the service oftheir country, society and humanity.Corruption is leading Nigeria to doom.Outside the Hos block, a car was waiting,two people (a man and a woman) flankedme at the back seat. We headed towardsthe road which has bushes on both side.Then I called my lawyer at Festus KeyamoChambers that I had been discharged fromthe Head of Service and where we weregoing then I didn’t know. My receiver –Barrister Ugochukwu at the chamberurged me to report further developmentto them.

At that point, you can’t say exactlywhere you were?

Then we reached a gate guarded byarmed men with big guns. At the gatereception, I was screened and searched,my belongings were removed and put intomy ant corruption bag.

When we faced the main building, Isaw a marble inscription “State SecurityService” in the lawn. Then I realized whereI was. At the second reception, I signed andI was ushered to the office of the headsurveillance. I heard my lady captor sayso. We shook hands and I asked him aboutwork. He said, fine. Meanwhile anotherwoman operative had already come closeby to unarguably put down mystatements. My host, the head ofsurveillance after taking my bio-data said,they would like to give me contract or jobsto help me in my work. I knew he wasconducting a security investigation. I saidI didn’t want any contract or job. He said,what of giving me money to continue withmy anti-corruption campaign. Is aid Ineeded no money. What I want from themis to organise a forum or avenue where Iwould address Nigerians about corruptionwhich is trying to destroy the country. Isaid he should tell the President that heproblem with Nigeria is not Boko Haram,religion, tribe or geographical location butdubiousness, corruption, treasury lootingand official recklessness. That it is deceitand fraud in the Nigerian polity thatinvolves restiveness, violence andinsecurity.

He stood up and said he would like togive me transport money back home. Isaid, he could do that but if they gave memy bag I would use the money (N8,000)there as transport fare. He said they wereready to take me anywhere in Abuja Iwould get a taxi down to my station. I toldthem that was okay I was going to NiconJunction. He gave me escort - a man, awoman and a driver. Oncoming down, oneof the escorts – the man said that was whatthey (SSS) were discussing this morning,that corruption is running Nigeria.

After signing out they said “oga makeyou sit down for owner’s seat”. They tookme to Nicon junction. I dropped and wesaid bye.

You said there is going to be war inNigeria What type of war are youtalking about?

We the masses of Nigeria are going torise and start another war. And it is goingto be bigger than the Boko Haram. The waris going to be against the squander maniaand the treasury looters. It is going to thewar of the amalgidom. The war betweenthe good and bad, and the dubious elements.And after fighting this war, Nigeria willknow peace. Our own revolution is going tobe revolution of intellects. We are going touse the constitution to back us.

Contd. from Back Page

Sir Celestine Omohia is former Governorof Rivers State and gubernatorial candidate ofthe Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) IN THEApril 2011 elections. A lawyer and a formercommissioner for education in the state,Omeha in this exclusive interview with UDEEJIKEME, speaks on the supreme courtjudgement that removed him as governor,the fortunes of his party, and other issues.Excerpts.

As a member of the All ProgressiveGrand Alliance (APGA), do you fearthat the death of Chief Ojukwu willaffect its survival?

Chief Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu’s death, may his soul rest inpeace, is a great loss to the nation. He

was a very courageous and brilliant man.He will be remembered in several ways

depending on where you stand. He protestedthe perceived injustice against his people(Igbos) and went to war. As the war ended,he went on exile and later came back to jointhe process of nation building throughparticipation in partisan politics.

My removal as Gov. was political – Omehiahandling our medical needs just take a lookat the number of prominent Nigerianstravelling abroad to seek medical attention.Take the education sub-section, it is totallydown and needs urgent attention.

You launched two books somemonths back. Give us insights intothem?

Well, the first book, “dismissal in NigeriaLabour Law”, was written first when I wasCommissioner for Education in RiversState. I left it at a point and then concludedit after I left office in 1994 or 1995. And after I left office again as Governor of RiversState, I had to revise and update it because alot of things have changed and it is now morevoluminous and far reaching than the firstone. I have to do so much research both inthe United Kingdom, Australia and inNigeria, using some cases that have beendecided and all that. The forward is writtenby former Chief Justice of Nigeria, JusticeMuhammed Uwais.

The other one, which I think everybodywant to know, is “the Right To Be Wrong”. It

His last effort is that he ledothers to form the APGA. Thatshows how much he wantedto move the politics of Nigeriaforward. At a time, APGA wasthe party to watch in theSouth East. Essentially, thehistory of Nigeria will not becomplete without the robustmention of Chief OdumegwuOjukwu.

And to APGA, as thefounding father of the party,he had his direction,objectives and goals, he knew what hewanted to achieve. It will not be the sameagain with his death. Like Professor WoleSoyinka would say, the view of the road isdifferent when you move from thepassenger’s seat to the drivers seat.

Is it not ironic that the papers havebeen awash with people singing thepraise of Ojukwu yet did not join orshare his political vision by joiningAPGA?

In Nigeria, it is politics of the stomachand people are in politics for what they willget. Politics based on principles is alien to us.They liked Chief Ojukwu as a person. Theylike his politics and principles but because ofwhat they will gain, they wouldn’t like tobe in the same boat with him, I can’t tellyou that were Ojukwu to be President ofNigeria before he died, many people whoare in other parties today would have joinedAPGA by all means. Their actions aredictated by pecuniary interests and notbelief.

Therefore, you see a lot of pretences inNigerien politics. That is exactly theproblem of Nigerian politics. People who arein certain parties now are not there becausethey like the polices and principles of theleaders, but because all things considered,that is where their bread can easilybuttered.

It has to be emphasized that, this state ofmind cannot move Nigeria forward. Weshould be principled, we should bedisciplined enough to act according to ourbelief based on what is right. That way, therewould be aggregation of opinions that willpush us forward otherwise we will continueto dance in circle.

Are you comfortable with the stateof our infrastructure?

When you look at the state of ourinfrastructure, it becomes clear that thegovernment has a lot to do. Our roads areperhaps the worst in sub-saharan Africa.And you probably know the number of livesthat are lost daily in accidents or crashed onthese roads.

Look at our hospitals, if you want to knowif our hospitals are adequate, and capable of

is a chronicle of a sort of mynomination and election asGovernor of Rivers State andeventual removal fromoffice by the Supreme Court.It is a book that talks aboutpolitics as we play it in thiscountry.

Why the title, A RightTo Be Wrong?

Well, as far as I amconcerned, I have my strongobjection to the wholejudgment of October 25,

2007 with all respect to the Supreme court.And I have decided to put it all in a book,because history not recorded is easilydistorted or forgotten. Somebody will tellyou a different version of the history youknow. But if it is recorded, it becomes a pointof reference for all generations so that itcannot be easily distorted by anyone.

The decision, like Professor BenNwabueze has noted, is an obnoxiousdecision in Nigerian history. If you don’t putthis down in writing, this decision will beeasily forgotten. For instance, one of therespected justices said I was not qualified tobe governor of Rivers State and that waswhy I did not pick a form. I have to correctthat impression because the constitutionspells out the qualification one must haveto be a governor.

There are many issues for publicinterest. Professor Nwabueze is saying againthat the Supreme Court must immediatelymake it clear that this case is not meant tobe cited from time to time and that it wasdictated by special circumstances like theShehu Shagari case of 12 2/3. Many peoplehave come to agree that it was more ofpolitical consideration that resulted in thatdecision. And so the whole idea is to correctthe wrong impression the decision hascreated.

And it was coming six years after?The decision was in 2007 and in 2009,

I went back to the Supreme Court to reviewtheir decision and that was when one of theJustices said they can’t review the case againand even if they were wrong in theirdecision, “they have a right to be wrong”.And another said if I don’t like the decision Ishould go and “appeal to God”.

It was not that materials were not beinggathered for the book from day one, but asthings unfold we ensure that we give roomto accommodate everything. As I startedwriting in 2011, I had to abandon it forpolitics again. But here it is, you know if itwere to be in many developed countries likethe United States of America (USA), manybooks would have been written on it buthere we hardly invest much in reading andwriting.

SirCelestineOmohia

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 20

dispatch special

Oil andthe DeltaBushBy Akintunde Akinleye [for Reuters]

I never wanted to be aphotojournalist. I lovedbroadcasting and had nurtured

dreams since childhood of being aradio or TV correspondent. Almostby accident, I picked a camera at age11 instead and started shootingpictures. Well, here I am.

My first degree was in socialstudies at Ondo State University, inNigeria’s southwest. It didn’t do muchto advance my photojournalismcareer, but I learned about society –both theory and practice! Years later,I did two post graduate diplomas — injournalism and masscommunications.

million — a vibrant populationhousing something like one fifth of theworld’s black people. It is blessed –or should I say cursed? — with hugenatural resources that for decadeshave attracted foreign visitors to

trade with it, and eventually, in thecase of Britain, to conquer andcolonize it..

The people are its best resource,more important than oil or gas —though politicians seem to forget this

sometimes. Some of the best brains inmathematics, engineering,economics, literature, medicine,photography, and music haveemerged from its shore. Economistsfrequently say it has the potential to

In a country like Nigeria, academicqualifications don’t take you far,though, unless you also learn how toadapt to the rough and tumble of lifehere. Be sure, Nigeria is a school!

My birthplace is a country of 160

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 21

dispatch special

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

join the world superpowers.Unfortunately, history has yet to

realize that potential. Civil warfollowed independence from the UKin 1960, one of the bloodiest inAfrica’s bloody history, killing over amillion people in two years. Sincethen, decades of military rule andflowing petrodollars have conspiredto entrench a culture of corruptionthat Nigeria still hasn’t managed toshake off – even after more than adecade of democracy.

Oil bubbling out of the ground hasswollen this beast of corruption tomonstrous proportions. Elites fromevery corner of the country struggleto get a piece of the ‘national cake’,neglecting education, employment,health care and infrastructure towallow in disrepair as they chase theoil dollars. State funds get funneledinto private pockets, while more thanthree quarters of the population livesin extreme poverty.

In the Niger Delta, residents havewatched for decades as black goo getspumped out of their ancestral lands,making billions for foreign oilcompanies and Nigerian elites, whilethey stay poor. Small wonder, then,

that some of them decided to stealsome of it back.

Crude oil theft, locally known as“bunkering” became a phenomenon

during the years of militancy againstthe oil industry in the early 2000s.Thieves hack into or blow up pipelinesto steal the crude oil, then sell it on

international markets or refine itlocally. When they’re done, thepipeline spews oil for miles around.

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 22

dispatch special

An official amnesty was granted in2009 to the delta militants, officiallyending the conflict, but that hasn’tstopped the oil theft. In fact, it’sgotten worse.

Beginning in 2010, I had flownacross the delta many times, criss-crossing some of the creeks wherethe oil thieves had gone to set up miniillegal refineries — burning off about150,000 barrels of crude oil daily,according to an estimate from theministry of finance. This latest trip,last monthtook 14 days.

Was it safe? Steve Crisp, my boss,asked me before I set off. I thoughtabout this. Well, they had guns, so itall depended on whether theyminded me turning up with a cameraand snapping shots of them. But Iknew from experience that many ofthe militants see what they’re doingas claiming what’s rightfully theirs,so they don’t mind beingphotographed.

Crossing the four states of thedelta in speedboats was an up-hilltask but also a worthwhile venture.

In Bayelsa –the home state ofNigeria’s president GoodluckJonathan, the outer part of river Nunis an exhibit of military check pointswith men armed to teeth. Theconnecting creeks pump thick smokefrom the locally built crude oilburners. From the Ogoni riverine,further east, the sites of illegal oilrefineries are dotted throughout..

In the recent days, a militarycampaign has been intensified toreduce the activities of the vandalsinvolved in this illegal andenvironmentally damaging business.There is also a campaign to sensitizethem to the harm they are doing. Butuntil Nigeria’s elites stop thievingthe country’s oil wealth, I can’t seehow they will persuade theunemployed youths of the delta tostop it.

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 14

Metro City, Crime & Justice

Okah’s conviction: NBA calls for overhauling of Nigeria’s justice systemThe Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)

called for theoverhauling of Nigeria’s justice

system in order to speedy the dispensationof criminal cases in the country.

Mr Onyekachi Ubani, Chairman, NBA,Ikeja Branch, made the call while reactingto the conviction of Nigerian militant leader,Henry Okah, by a South African Court, foracts of terrorism.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that Okah was on Monday foundguilty by the court of masterminding the2010 Independent Day car bombing whichkilled 12 people in Abuja.

He was convicted by a JohannesburgHigh Court Judge, Neels Claassen, on a 13-count charge of acts relating to terrorism.

Man, 49, lands incourt for attemptedhomicide

The Federal Capital TerritoryAdministration (FCTA) has begun amassive sanitization of the popular

Wuse market, its surroundings and adjournroads, dislodging street operators in theprocess. No fewer than 1,000 hawkers, streettraders and others alleged unlawfuloperators were ejected.

The exercise, which was coordinated bythe Abuja Environmental Protection Board(AEPB) covered other flashpoints in the citymetropolis such as Area one axis in Garki.

The sanitization exercise resulted inpartial closure of all the entry roads to themarket. Interestingly, the exercise did notresult to the closure of the market as lawfultraders and buyers were allowed free access

Abuja is not for common man — Angry residentsand prosecution.

Scores of hawkers who were arrested byAEPB and their wares confiscated lamentedthat Abuja is not for common man anylonger.

Meanwhile, the FCTA have suspendedtill three weeks the outright ban on mini-buses popular called “Araba” operating inthe city centre of Abuja.

The forceful suspension, reportersdispatch learnt, came as a result of hardshipcaused by the authority to residentsthrough trekking for long distances as aresult of ban. For instance, commercial busdrivers then charges between N100 toN150 from Masaka to Mararaba, all inNasarawa state, against the previous N50,while from Masaka to Nyanya goes to N200as against N80 and N100 respectively.

Ubani told NAN that the major lessonNigeria should learn from Okah’s convictionwas how to fast track the dispensation ofjustice in its legal system.

He said the Nigeria justice system wasslow, ineffective and inefficient to meet thewishes and aspirations of the Nigerianpeople.

“Former Delta State governor, JamesIbori, was jailed by a UK Court, whereas thecrime was committed in Nigeria.

“Now, Okah has been convicted by aSouth African Court for an offence alsocommitted in Nigeria. “This shows thatthere is something fundamentally wrongwith our criminal justice system and it needsto be overhauled”, Ubani said.

He said had Okah been charged for the

offence in Nigeria, the matter would nothave gotten to conviction stage as at now.

“His brother and some other personswere arrested and arraigned for the sameoffence in Nigeria but the matter is stillproceeding at a very slow pace”, Ubani said.

He, however, said Okah, who is theleader of the militant group, Movement forthe Emancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND), has the right to appeal thejudgement.

The NBA chairman also condemned therecent attack on the Emir of Kano, AlhajiAdo Bayero, by some suspected terrorists.

He said: “We have a lot of agenciesresponsible for combating terrorism inNigeria, but these agencies need to brace upto their duties.

The police on Monday arraigned a49-year old man, PeterOmagbami, before a Makurdi

Magistrates’ Court for an allegedattempt to commit culpable homicide.

The prosecutor, Mike Eweh, told thecourt that one Patricia Kalu of Idyevillage, Makurdi, reported the case.

The complainant stated that theaccused came to her house with someunidentified persons where theyallegedly attacked and beat her withher fiance, one Alhaji Mohammed Sani.

“They pulled off his clothes and usedcutlass to inflict injuries on him, on hishead, back and stomach in order to killhim,’’ he said.

Eweh stated that the attackers stoleN30,000 belonging to the complainant,adding that the accused confessed to theoffence during police investigation.

When the case came up for mention,no plea was taken for want ofjurisdiction.

The prosecution said investigationinto the matter was still in progress andurged the court to adjourn it.

According to Eweh, the offencecontravened Section 97 and 330 (B) ofthe Penal Code.

Magistrate Franca Yuwa orderedthat the accused should be remandedin prison custody pending the outcomeof investigations and adjourned the caseto Feb. 11 for mention.

The police in Abuja on Mondayarrested a shoe maker, HarunaIbrahim, 35, of Ajata, Jikwoyi in

the FCT for allegedly, indulging insodomy with six male minors whose agesrange from eight to 14 years.

A source at the Jikwoyi PoliceStation told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) that all the affected

Police arrest cobbler, 35, for defiling 6 kidsboys had confessed to the act to theirparents.

‘ ‘Their parents then alerted thepolice who arrested the suspect,” thesource said.

The source said the suspect lured theboys into the act at different occasions,paying them N300 each.

‘ ‘Sometimes, he will repair their

shoes free of charge before perpetratingthe act,” he said.

The source who pleaded foranonymity because he was notauthorised to speak on the matter saidthat Ibrahim had denied the allegationbut “investigation is still on to gatherevidence after which the matter willbe charge to court”.

Henry Okah convicted of 13 acts of ‘terrorism’..... to be sentenced Jan.30

A South African court on Mondayconvicted Nigerian national HenryOkah of 13 terrorism charges,

including twin bombings that killed 12people in the Nigerian capital Abuja on thecountry’s independence day in 2010.

“I have come to the conclusion that thestate proved beyond reasonable doubt theguilt of the accused,” said Judge NeelsClaassen, handing down the verdict in theSouth Gauteng High Court.

Okah was found guilty ofmasterminding attacks including twin carbombings in Abuja on October 1, 2010, andtwo explosions in March 2010 in thesouthern Nigerian city of Warri, a majorhub of the oil-rich Delta region.

He faces a minimum term of life in prisonwhen the court sentences him by February1 .

The Movement for the Emancipation ofthe Niger Delta (MEND), which in 2010was a well-equipped armed group fightingfor a greater share of the Delta oil wealth,claimed responsibility for the attacks thattook place as Nigeria celebrated the 50-yearanniversary of its independence.

MEND has a history of staging fierceattacks on oil facilities and kidnapping

expatriate workers in the Delta region.Okah denied involvement in the Abuja

blasts and said the charges were politicallymotivated.

But the judge said evidence“overwhelmingly established that theaccused was the planner, funder, supplier,instructor, expert and leader in theexecution of the bombings in Warri andAbuja.”

Okah has denied leading MEND but hasadmitted sympathising with their goals.

The court saw documentary evidenceof his role in the group, includinghandwritten notes by his wife.

Okah, 46, is thought to be the firstforeign national to be tried for terrorism inSouth Africa.

South Africa said it arrested and triedhim as a signatory to international laws onterrorism as well as on the back of a UNresolution urging nations to prevent andsuppress acts of terrorism.

Okah holds permanent residence inSouth Africa, but is known to have travelledback and forth between the two countries.

“An international terrorist wassuccessfully prosecuted in South Africa,”said prosecutor Shaun Abrahams.

“We feel vindicated that justice has beendone. We simultaneously feel this is a testcase in the history of our law.”

Legal sources said Okah is unlikely to beextradited to his native Nigeria wherechances are high he would face a deathsentence.

A marine engineer by training, Okahwas granted permanent residence in SouthAfrica in 2007 based on his ability to runhis own business here.

In 2007, he was arrested in Angola forarms and explosives trafficking.

A year later, he was extradited toNigeria to face treason and gun-runningcharges.

In 2009, Okah was freed from a jail inthe central Nigerian city of Jos where heclaimed poisonous snakes had been releasedinto his cell.

His release came in the wake of anamnesty deal offered by the government tothousands of Delta militants.

The court said he then left for SouthAfrica, but returned to Nigeria in early2010, sponsoring the purchase of carswhich were modified to allow the fitting ofexplosive devices.

Months later the cars were used to bombindependence day festivities that wereattended by several foreign heads of state,including South African President JacobZuma.

Okah was convicted of threatening todisrupt South African businesses inNigeria, including kidnapping its workers.He was also accused of being a spokesmanfor MEND.

Nigerian police have described him as“an international gun-runner and a majoroil bunkerer (thief) in the Niger Delta.”

Around 30 witnesses were flown infrom Nigeria to testify in the case,including the Minister of Niger DeltaAffairs Godsday Orubebe.

to the market for normal business activities.As early as 4:00 a.m. officials of the

AEPB enforcement Squad, Sure-P personnel,Nigerian police and Nigerian Security andCivil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had takenpositions at the strategic places within thevicinity along the roads leading to Wusemarket for the exercise.

Director of AEPB, Isa Shuaibu, toldreporters dispatch that throughout theexercise, over 1,000 hawkers, street tradersand illegal elements operating in Wusemarket, Berger Junction, Zone 2 junctionand other adjourning streets to the marketwere dislodged.

He assured that the operation would besustained and warned hawkers, streettraders and other illegal operators to steeroff the market and its precincts or face arrest

Mr. Henry Okah, allegedly mastermindedthe October 1, 2010 bomb blast in Abuja

By Ude Ejikeme

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 15

Living & StyleEat your way to a radiant you this year

Steps

Radiant skin, shiny hair, healthy skin and beautiful appearance suggests health and self-nurture, and gives youa sense of confidence when stepping out. And the beauty and skin care market doesn’t hesitate to play on ourinsecurities in the looks department, selling its wide range of products with a promise of eternal beauty. Yet,nothing makes you as beautiful on the outside as feeding your inside with a healthy diet. Being the largestorgan of your body, your skin deserves to be nourished with the right nutrients to sustain optimal health. Anincreasing number of studies have shown the benefits of eating certain foods to enhance a healthy looking skinand overall well being. And the best of all this? Looking good need not cost a fortune, tastes great, doesn’trequire painstaking effort or involve too much

1. Rehydrate your skin andbody and preserve yourhealth with green tea.

Rehydrate your skin andbody and preserve your healthwith green tea. Even caffeinatedgreen tea hydrates you, whichhelps keep your skin hydratedtoo. It is loaded withantioxidants (catechins), andthese naturally protect yourskin from the sun’s damage (butyou should still takeappropriate protective sunprecautions as well) and theantioxidants are a basic bodilydefense against free radicalsthat age your skin and body.Active ingredients thatstimulate the metabolism canalso be found in green tea; agood metabolism will in turnburn away the excess fats,helping to keep you slim andtrim. And green tea can helppreserve your mind and slow itsaging process, which in turncan help you to feel morebeautiful because you’re notstruggling to remember thingsor fretting about dementia.Many different forms of greentea are available in the marketsand a great selection of differenttypes is available for you tochoose from, included flavoredand seasonal green teas.

2. Slow down the agingprocess with vitamin E.

Slow down the aging processwith vitamin E. Vitamin E isan important anti-agingantioxidant and can help slowdown skin aging.It can be foundin foods such as pumpkin seeds,dry roasted almonds, othernuts and seeds, and smallamounts of quality vegetable

oils.3. Keep in top form withomega-3.

Keep in top form withomega-3. Omega-3-fatty acidshelp to keep your face smoothwith their anti-inflammatoryproperties and your hair shinyand in good condition. Omega-3 can be found in a range offoods such as: cold-water fish(tuna, salmon, mackerel,trout, herring, sardines),

flaxseeds, and walnuts.4. Enjoy omega-6 asanother source of skinreplenishment.

Enjoy omega-6 as anothersource of skin replenishment.Have a peanut butter and jellysandwich—just make sure thebread is whole wheat and thejelly is added sparingly. Peanutbutter is a rich source ofomega-6 fatty acids, whichcome in a close second to omega-3s when it comes to protectingskin from aging. Avocados are

good source of omega-6, too.5. Rejuvenate your skincells and keep your body in

A, which can assist thedevelopment of skin cells, whilea vitamin A deficiency can leadto dry skin. Tomatoes are alsofull of fiber, which also helpskeep your body in great shape.Cooked tomatoes can provideaccess to more nutrients thanhaving them raw but eitherway, cooked or raw, these fruitswill do you a world of good.

6. Strive for skin that ismore elastic

Strive for skin that is moreelastic. Oranges containvitamin C, a powerfulantioxidant that mops up freeradicals, such as those causedby overexposure to the sun, orthose coming from the carbonmonoxide released by movingvehicles etc. Free radicaldamage leads to prematureaging of the skin and vitaminC is a great way to give yourskin and body a boost. As wellas oranges, other citrus fruitsare a great source of vitamin Cor vegetables such as bellpeppers.

Choose bioflavonoid-richfood for the stimulation ofcollagen production. Collagenhelps the skin look younger andplumper, and keeps your gumstough for good teeth health. Aswell as oranges, foods high inbioflavonoids include broccoli,cantaloupe, and black tea.7. Stay hydrated and keepyour skin smooth

Stay hydrated and keepyour skin smooth. Drink lots ofwater and regulateconsumption of dehydratingbeverages that containcaffeine and alcohol. Aim to

top form with tomatoes.Rejuvenate your skin cells

and keep your body in top formwith tomatoes. Tomatoes arefull of a red pigment known aslycopene, which appears to actas an antioxidant. Thisantioxidant helps to neutralizefree radicals before they cancause damage and this canbenefit good skin health; it canalso protect the skin from ultra-violet (UV) stress. Tomatoesalso contain fiber and vitamin

drink half your body weight ofwater in ounces every day.

Alcohol may seeminnocuous enough whenyou’re looking to unwind butits effects on your skin areanything but. Alcohol dries outskin, and leaves it irritatedand sallow-toned. It reduces thesparkle from your eyes, leavingthem duller and with too muchalcohol consumption over time,the white areas of your eyescan appear yellow and tired.8. Reduce your sugarconsumption. Also known as“white death”, sugar isn’treally what our bodies have inmind when it comes to goodnutrition. Sugar plays an

unfortunate role in causingskin to sag and wrinkle; it doesthis by attaching itself to thecollagen and elastin in the skin,causing it to become brittle andto break. Another beauty slamfrom sugar is the creation ofdark, under-eye circles.

Want a beautiful smile?Avoid eating too much sugar!Keep your pearly whites inperfect shape by keeping sugarto a minimum; sugarencourages the cavity-causingbacteria to hang around yourteeth and drill away causingdecay. And be very careful ofjuice; it is just a veryconcentrated source of sugarand some juices have even beenshown to cause more damagethan cola! However, drinkingor rinsing with black tea is goodfor your teeth, as thepolyphenols in black tea seemto reduce plaque build-up.

Balanced blood sugar keepsyou healthy and looking great.9. Reduce skin inflammationwith cucumbers.

Reduce skin inflammationwith cucumbers. Cucumbersare often used as the base inboth commercial and home-prepared beauty products suchas face masks, gels, and toners.Cucumbers have soothing andcooling properties as well, andtheir high water contentprovides a great source ofhydration for skin that leavesskin looking softer andplumped.Papaya can alsoreduce skin inflammation, aswell as slough off dead tissue,and improve scar formation,when applied to the skin; it alsohas a gentle exfoliating effectwhen added to skin beautyproduct10. Reduce your sources ofstress with good nutrition.

Reduce your sources ofstress with good nutrition. Astressed lifestyle can impacthow you look, causing you toappear rundown, tired, and

unrefreshed. As well astackling sources of stress andgetting adequate sleep, youcan increase your stressresistance by increasing yourvitamin C intake, cutting outjunk food, sugary treats, andfatty fast food; instead, eat anutritious diet.11. Boost your immunesystem.

Boost your immune system.Foods like fresh fruit and halfcooked vegetables (steamed,etc.) boosts your immunesystem. In turn, this creates ahealthy body and aids overallhealing. Foods high in vitaminC are essential to help theimmune system growstronger.

Blueberries, goji berries,and other berries are alsoloaded with vitamin C andimmune-boosting antioxidantsthat stimulate collagenproduction that keeps skinsmooth and supple.

Blueberries, goji berries,and other berries are alsoloaded with vitamin C andimmune-boosting antioxidantsthat stimulate collagenproduction that keeps skinsmooth and supple.Be sure toget adequate vitamin K andzinc. These nutrients help yourskin to repair itself, and zinc isknown for its ability to preventacne and improve the immunesystem. Oysters are one highsource of zinc.12. Eat a rainbow-hueddiet.

Eat a rainbow-hued diet. Nodietary supplement ornutrient alone can provide youwith beautifying benefits. Toget the benefits in theirentirety, you need to consumea rainbow-hued diet that picksup on the many fruits,vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains,and other healthy foods in avariety of ways.The benefitsare a variety of great tastes, aninteresting diet, and abeautiful you.

Courtesy: wikihow

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 17

DRIVE Urself

withRandolph Finecountry

inspirationaldispatch

DRIVE yourself: FIVE

Simplify your life. It’s hard to beaggressive when you’reconfused. One of the benefits of

creatively planning your life is that itallows you to simplify. You can weedout, delegate, and eliminate allactivities that don’t contribute toyour projected goals.

An aggressive orientation to theday- making each day simpler andstronger than the day before- allowsyou to look at all of these tasks andsmall goals and ask yourself, “Whatcan I combine?” learn to doeverything right on the spot- don’tput anything unnecessarily into yourfuture. Do it now, so that the future isalways wide open.

Most people are reluctant to seethemselves as being creative becausethey associate creativity withcomplexity. Michelangelo said thathe could actually see his masterpiece,“The David,” in the huge, rough rockhe discovered in a marble quarry. Hisonly job, he said, was to carve awaywhat wasn’t necessary and he wouldhave his statue. Achieving simplicityin our cluttered and hectic lives isalso an ongoing process of carvingaway what’s not necessary.

It’s hard to stay motivated whenyou’re confused. When you simplifyyour life, it gathers focus. The moreyou can focus your life, the moremotivated it gets

DRIVE yourself: SIXWhen I’m full of energy and hope,

I see opportunities all around me.When I am weary, I see the world asboring and unattractive. Who I am iswhat I see!

Our self-motivation suffers mostfrom how we choose to see thecircumstances in our lives. That’sbecause we don’t see things as theyare, we see things as we are. In everycircumstance, we can look for thegold, or look for the filth. And whatwe look for, WE FIND!

The best starting point for self-motivation is in what we choose tolook for in what we see around us. Dowe see the opportunity everywhere?It is always our choice. Which worlddo we want to see today? Opportunityis life’s gold. It’s all you need to behappy. It’s the fertile field in whichyou grow as a person. Andopportunities are like thosesubatomic quantum particles thatcome into existence only where theyare seen by an observer. Youropportunities will multiply when youchoose to see them. Have a fun filledweekend!

P.S: Success leaves clues. Find outin this Sunday’s digest what theseclues are; but most importantly howwe can benefit from them.

DRIVE yourself: SEVENMake it a personal commitment to

notice everything that pushes yourbuttons. Make a note of everythingthat inspires you. That’s your control

panel. Those buttonsoperate your wholesystem of personalmotivation.

Motivation doesn’thave to be accidental. Forexample, you don’t haveto wait for hours until acertain song comes on theradio that picks up yourspirits. You can controlwhat songs you hear. Ifthere are certain songsthat always lift you up,make a tape or CD of thosesongs and have it ready toplay in your car. Gothrough all of your music

you know about how you operate, theeasier it will be to motivate yourself.

DRIVE yourself:EIGHTOscar- winning actress Reese

Witherspoon says, “Many people worryso much about managing their careersbut rarely spend half that much energymanaging their lives. The problem isthat most people don’t spend verymuch time planning their careerseither. They spend more time planningfor Christmas or their vacation. Why?

and create a “greatest motivationalhits” tape for yourself. The same isapplicable to movies. Most moviesthat inspire us are even better thesecond time around.

You have much more control overyour environment than you realize.You can begin programming yourselfconsciously to be more and morefocused and motivated. Get to knowyour control panel and learn how topush your own buttons. The more

Because people focus on what theythink will give them the greatest return.If you don’t believe you can succeed inyour life in the long term, you’re notvery likely to give it the planning andattention it deserves.

Planning your life is about findingyourself, knowing who you are, andthen customizing a design for yourgrowth. Once you draw the blueprintfor your life, then you can apply it toyour career.

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 18

Your HealthFruits that Can Change Your LifeMany people love the flavor of tropical

fruits like coconut and mangoes.But did you know that, aside from

tasting good, they also have healthy benefitsthat in some instances could be lifesaving?

For example, five of the most outstandingfruits that can change your life are•Coconut, •Mangosteen, •Avocado,•Mango, and •Longan berries.

Scientists believe an anti-oxidant inmangosteens can cause cell death in cancer;and avocadoes, mangoes, and longan berriesare rich with vitamins and nutrients thatcan help prevent common birth defects aswell as cancer.

With coconuts, the juice – or water inside– not only is sterile, but has the sameelectrolytic balance as human blood, whichenabled medics in the Pacific Theater inWorld War II to use it as an emergencysubstitute for plasma. And not too manyyears ago, coconut oil’s bad reputation causeda panic at the concession stands, when a studyclaimed that a large movie-theater popcorn,cooked in the oil, delivered as much saturatedfat as six Big Macs.

But coconut oil has recently become thedarling of the natural-foods world.

Scientists are backtracking on the worstaccusations against coconut oil. It turns outthat most of the studies involving coconut oilwere done with partially hydrogenatedcoconut oil. Virgin coconut oil, which has notbeen chemically treated, is an entirelydifferent thing from a health risk perspective— partial hydrogenation creates trans fatsand destroys the essential fatty acids,antioxidants and other positive componentspresent in virgin coconut oil.

According to the New York Times:“And while it’s true that most of the fats

in virgin coconut oil are saturated, opinionsare changing on whether saturated fats arethe arterial villains they were made out tobe ... The main saturated fat in coconut oil islauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid.Lauric acid increases levels of good HDL, orhigh-density lipoprotein”.

Whole fruit, especially organically grownfruits that are naturally low in fructose, arepart of a healthy diet and when eaten inmoderation offer your body a laundry list ofbenefits from all the vitamins, enzymes andminerals contained in them. Lost sometimesin the debate and confusion about fructose,high fructose corn syrup, and fruit juices isthe fact that whole, organic fruit is a greatsource of nutrients and has been a naturalpart of our diet on this planet since, well,forever.

But the devil is in the details, as usual.Is Fruit—which is a Source of Fructose—

Good or Bad?Today the threat of added sugars,

especially fructose and high fructose cornsyrup (and ALL added sugars, really) hasbecome one of the greatest pitfalls to goodhealth in our food chain. Study after studylinks high sugar consumption to a long list ofhealth problems, and the main offenders inthis category are not whole, natural organicfruits, but added sugars that Americans areconsuming in an “alarming number” on adaily basis.

Keep in mind that fruits also containfructose, although an ameliorating factor isthat whole fruits also contain vitamins andother antioxidants that reduce the hazardouseffects of fructose. Juices, on the other hand,are nearly as detrimental as soda, because aglass of juice is loaded with fructose, and a lotof the antioxidants are lost. It is important toremember that fructose alone isn’t evil, as

some fruit can certainly be beneficial. Butwhen you consume high levels of fructose itwill absolutely devastate your biochemistryand physiology. Remember the AVERAGEfructose dose is 70 grams per day whichexceeds the recommend limit by 300percent.

So please BE CAREFUL with your fruitconsumption. You simply MUST understandthat because HFCS is so darn cheap, it is addedto virtually every processed food. Even if youconsumed no soda or fruit, it is very easy toexceed 25 grams of hidden fructose in yourdiet.

If you are a raw food advocate, have apristine diet, and exercise very well, thenyou could be the exception that could exceedthis limit and stay healthy as you likely donot have insulin resistance. But if you areoverweight, have high blood pressure,diabetes or high cholesterol than it is best tolimit your fructose, even from fruits.

It would also be wise to avoid fruit juicesand sugary fruit drink concoctions broughtto you by the processed food industry thatseparate the natural fruit sugars from thepectin and fiber they are bound to in nature,creating more or less a sugar grenade thathits your stomach and spikes your bloodsugar and insulin.

Then you have the issue of dissociatedmethanol from any processed fruit drinks

recently vilified in the US in 1994 when itwas linked to movie theater popcorn andcalled an artery clogger. It has also beenvilified for about the last 60 years by thevegetable seed oil industry. But the problemis the health threat is related to partiallyhydrogenated coconut oil, which researchershave in fact linked to health problems for along time.

Virgin unrefined coconut oil has none ofthe problems associated with hydrogenatedoils; in fact, unrefined coconut oil is nowlinked to a number of impressive healthbenefits and according to the article above:

“Virgin coconut oil, which has not beenchemically treated, is a different thing interms of a health risk perspective. And maybeit isn’t so bad for you after all.”

Actually, virgin unrefined coconut oil isincredibly good for you!

What the New York Times is justdiscovering now has been known all along toanyone who has studied the health of thosewho live in native tropical cultures, wherecoconut has been a primary dietary staplefor thousands of years.

Back in the 1930s, Dr. Weston Price foundSouth Pacific Islanders whose diets were highin coconut to be healthy and trim, despitehigh dietary fat, and heart disease wasvirtually non-existent. Similarly, in 1981,researchers studying two Polynesian

plasma.Doesn’t drinking a beverage with the

same electrolyte balance as human bloodsound like a good idea? It does to me. It’s alsobetter to get your coconut water straight outof a young, green coconut and avoid thecommercially available products on themarket, which I consider to be a processed food.

Coconut oil also has an immune boostingfat called lauric acid and has been shown to behelpful in improving metabolic rates tofacilitate weight loss. Personally I believe thatunless you are allergic to coconuts you shouldfind ways to regularly use it in your diet. Itypically use one to two teaspoons a day inmy morning breakfast Miracle Wheybreakfast shake.

Avacado – the Low Fructose FruitAvocados are a very low fructose fruit andonly have two grams of carbohydrates peravocado. According to www.whfoods.com:

“Avocados are native to Central and SouthAmerica and have been cultivated in theseregions since 8,000 B.C. In the mid-17thcentury, they were introduced to Jamaicaand spread through the Asian tropical regionsin the mid-1800s. Cultivation in UnitedStates, specifically in Florida and California,began in the early 20th century. Whileavocados are now grown in most tropical andsubtropical countries, the major commercialproducers include the United States (Floridaand California), Mexico, the DominicanRepublic, Brazil and Colombia.”

The avocado has many health benefitsassociated with it, and may even help toprotect the liver from damage, according toresearch from Japan:

Researchers fed avocado and 22 otherfruits to laboratory rats. Have more thantwice as much potassium than a banana.

The rats were then given D-galactosamine,a substance that causes liver damage byinterfering with cell synthesis and results in celldeath. — Promote heart health

The rats fed the avocado obtained the leastamount of liver damage. — Have anti-inflammatory properties

Are rich in monounsaturated fat, which iseasily burned for energy. — Are a good sourceof “healhy” fat in your diet

My recommendation, as with all foods ingeneral is not to eat avocados every day, asthis may lead to food allergies. But avocadosas part of your balanced, natural foods dietare a great source of healthy fat.

Also, avocados are one of the safest fruits tobuy conventionally grown because its thickshell protects the inner fruit from building uppesticides, and it has been rated as one of thebest commercial crops in terms of pesticideexposure.Mangoes – A Great Source of Vitamins A andC. According to the article above, a singlemango: “…will contain half of yourrecommended daily allowance of bothVitamin A and Vitamin C, as well as some B-Vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols,beta-carotene.”And according to http://www.lifemojo.com

“About 4000 BC ago, the wild mangooriginated in the foothills of the Himalayas ofIndia and Burma, and about 40 to 60% ofthese trees still grow in India and SoutheastAsia. Also known as Mangifera Indica, thisexotic fruit belongs to the family ofAnacardiaceae. Though native to Southernand Southeast Asia, the fruit is now alsogrown in Central and South America, Africaand the Arabian Peninsula also. Today thereare over 1,000 different varieties of mangosthroughout the world.

One thing to watch out for with mangos,however, is they pack a caloric wallop. Forevery 100 grams of mango, you’re going toget 75 calories. Courtesy: Dr. Mercola

that I have written about previously as itcan serve as a catalyst for autoimmunediseases like multiple sclerosis.

Tropical Fruits: The featured articlecorrectly points out that the five tropicalfruits discussed have some ratherremarkably great qualities, especially theonce vilified coconut, which I will go intomuch more detail about below.

One thing to keep in mind about theseamazing fruits — you want to always eatthem unprocessed (or minimally processedin the case of coconut oil), and without anyadded sugars!

So, for instance, a mangosteen/coconutfruit drink that’s marketed as an anti-oxidantrich sports recovery beverage is notsomething you want to ever consider using.Please stick to the whole, natural, organicfruit itself and always properly wash yourfruits to remove any residual pesticides theymay have come from the growing fields.Buying organic fruits will cut down onpesticide levels, but they can still harborharmful bacteria.

Coconut – The Tree of LifeReferred to asthe tree of life in the Philippines, because theyuse literally every part of the plant, thecoconut (specifically coconut oil) was

communities for whom coconut wasthe primary caloric energy sourcefound them to have excellentcardiovascular health and fitness.

Where were all the clogged arteriesand heart attacks from eating all ofthis “evil” saturated fat? Obviously,coconut oil was doing nothing to harmthe heart health of these islanders.Isn’t it about time that Americadiscovers the heart health benefits ofcoconut oil? Heart disease has been onthe rise for the last 60 years inAmerica, the same 60 years thatcoconut oil has been vilified!

Coincidence? I don’t think so.Also cooking with coconut oils is farbetter than using polyunsaturatedfats, which include commonvegetable oils such as corn, soy,safflower, sunflower and canola.

Why? 1. Cooking your food in omega-6vegetable oils produces a variety of verytoxic chemicals, as well as forming trans-fats.Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil,actually oxidizing the oil, which causes evenworse problems for your body than trans-fats. 2. Most vegetable oils are GM(genetically modified), including more than90 percent of soy, corn and canola oils.3. Vegetable oils contribute to theoverabundance of damaged omega-6 fats inyour diet, throwing offyour omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Nearly everyone in Western societyconsumes far too many omega-6 fats — about100 times more than a century ago — andinsufficient omega 3 fats, which contributesto numerous chronic degenerative diseases.

There’s actually just one oil that is stableenough to withstand the heat of cooking, andthat’s coconut oil.

Coconut water, on the other hand,according to the article above, is a better sportshydration drink than ANY of thecommercially available sugary sports drinks,and is both sterile and an isotonic beverage,meaning it has the same electrolyteconsistency of human blood, which enabledmedics in the Pacific Theater in World War IIto use it as an emergency substitute for blood

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 16

Science & EnvironmentAstronomers discover largest known structure in the universe

Astronomers havediscovered the largestknown structure in the

universe - a group of quasars solarge it would take 4 billionyears to cross it while travelingat speed of light.

The immense scale alsochallenges Albert Einstein’sCosmological Principle, theassumption that the universelooks the same from every pointof view, researchers said.

The findings by academics

from Britain’s University ofCentral Lancashire werepublished in the journalMonthly Notices of the RoyalAstronomical Society andreported on the society’s websiteon Friday.

Quasars are believed to bethe brightest objects in theuniverse, with light emanatingfrom the nuclei of galaxies fromthe early days of the universeand visible billions of light-years away.

“Since 1982 it has beenknown that quasars tend togroup together in clumps or‘structures’ of surprisinglylarge sizes, forming largequasar groups or LQGs,” thesociety said.

This newly discovered largequasar group has a dimensionof 500 megaparsecs, eachmegaparsec measuring 3.3million light-years.

Because the LQG iselongated, its longest dimension

is 1,200 megaparsecs, or 4billion light-years, the societysaid.

That size is 1,600 timeslarger than the distance fromEarth’s Milky Way to thenearest galaxy, theAndromeda.

“While it is difficult tofathom the scale of this LQG,we can say quite definitely it isthe largest structure ever seenin the entire universe,” RogerClowes, leader of the research

team, said in a statement. “Thisis hugely exciting - not leastbecause it runs counter to ourcurrent understanding of thescale of the universe.”

Clowes said the team wouldcontinue to investigate thephenomenon with particularinterest in the challenge to theCosmological Principle, whichhas been widely accepted sinceEinstein, whose work still formsthe basis for much of moderncosmology.

Scientists Friday warned ofan alarming increase inthe death rates of the

largest living organisms on theplanet, the giant, old trees thatharbour and sustain countlessbirds and wildlife.

Research by universities inAustralia and the United States,published in Science, saidecosystems worldwide were indanger of losing forever theirlargest and oldest trees unlessthere were policy changes tobetter protect them.

“It’s a worldwide problemand appears to be happening inmost types of forest,” said DavidLindenmayer from theAustralian NationalUniversity, the lead author of astudy into the problem.

“Just as large-bodiedanimals such as elephants,tigers, and cetaceans havedeclined drastically in manyparts of the world, a growingbody of evidence suggests thatlarge old trees could be equallyimperilled.”

Lindenmayer, along withcolleagues from the James CookUniversity in Australia andWashington University inAmerica, undertook their studyafter examining Swedishforestry records going back tothe 1860s.

They found alarming lossesof big trees, ranging from 100to 300 years old, at all latitudesin Europe, North America,Africa, Asia, South America,Latin America and Australia.

The trees at risk includedmountain ash in Australia, pinetrees in America, Californiaredwoods, and baobabs inTanzania.

The study showed that treeswere not only dying en masse

in forest fires, but were alsoperishing at 10 times thenormal rate in non-fire years.

The study said it appearedto be down to a combination ofrapid climate change causingdrought and hightemperatures, as well asrampant logging andagricultural land clearing.

“It is a very, very disturbingtrend,” said Bill Laurance ofJames Cook University.

“We are talking about theloss of the biggest livingorganisms on the planet, of thelargest flowering plants on theplanet, of organisms that playa key role in regulating andenriching our world.”

Large old trees play criticalecological roles, providingnesting or sheltering cavitiesfor up to 30 percent of all birdsand animals in someecosystems.

They also store hugeamounts of carbon, recycle soilnutrients, create rich patches

for other life to thrive in, andinfluence the flow of waterwithin landscapes.

“Big trees supply abundantfood for numerous animals inthe form of fruits, flowers,foliage and nectar,” saidLaurance.

“Their hollows offer nestsand shelter for birds andanimals... and their loss couldmean extinction for suchcreatures.” The scientists saidpolicies and managementpractices must be put in placethat intentionally grow suchtrees and reduce theirmortality rates.

“Targeted research isurgently needed to betterunderstand the key threats totheir existence and to devisestrategies to counter them,”they added.

“Without such initiatives,these iconic organisms and themany species dependent onthem could be greatlydiminished or lost altogether.”

Ancestor: Experts reckon this baobab near Modjadjiskloof is about6 000 years old. The tree is nearly 22 m tall and has a girth of 47 m.

World’s biggest, oldest trees are dying

Tens of millions of peoplemay be spared droughtsand floods by 2050 if

Earth-warming carbonemissions peak in 2016 ratherthan 2030, scientists said onSunday.

Climate researchers inBritain and Germany saidemission cuts now would delaysome crippling impacts bydecades and prevent somealtogether.

By 2050, an Earthheading for warming of 2-2.5degrees Celsius (3.6-4.5degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100could have two very differentfaces, depending on the routetaken to get there, said theirstudy published in the journalNature Climate Change

Policies that cap Earth-warming carbon emissions in2016 and then reduce themby five percent per year couldsee between 39 and 68 millionpeople spared exposure to ahigher risk of water shortagesby 2050, Nigel Arnell of theUniversity of Reading toldAFP.

This is the best-casescenario, though.

In contrast, if emissionspeak in 2030 and fall by fivepercent annually, thenumber who escape this riskdrops to between 17 and 48million.

Similarly, about 100-161million people would avoid ahigher risk of river flooding onthe 2016-peak scenario.

This compares to 52-120million people if emissionspeak 14 years later, saidArnell, director of theuniversity’s Walker Instituteon climate change.

Urgent CO2 cuts may sparemillions hardship: report

“Basically in 2050, the2030-peaking policy hasabout half to two-thirds of thebenefit than the best (2016)policy,” even though both leadto a similar temperature peakof about 2-2.5 deg C by 2100,he said.

“You may hit the same(temperature) point at the endof the century but... themayhem that’s been causedon the way to that point isdifferent under the differentpathways.”

Under a scenario withoutany emissions curbs,temperatures could rise asmuch as 4-5.5 deg C, said thenew paper which claimed tobe the broadest assessment yetof the benefits of avoidingclimate change impacts.

Global average warming of4 deg C would see almost abillion people have less waterin 2100 than they have now,and 330 million will be atgreater risk of river flooding,Arnell told a pre-release pressconference.

A peak in 2016 seemsunlikely, with the world’snations aiming to adopt a newglobal climate pact by 2015for entry into force only fiveyears later.

The latest round of UNclimate talks that concludedin Doha, Qatar in Decemberfailed to set pre-2020emissions cuts for countriesthat have not signed up to theKyoto Protocol that seeks tocurb warming, even asscientists warned theconcentration of carbon in theatmosphere continues to rise.

Three of the world’s fourbiggest polluters — China, theUnited States and India — areamong those with no bindingemission limits, which covercountries responsible for onlyabout 15 percent of the world’scarbon pollution.

Many scientists believethat Earth is set for warmingthat will be far above theUnited Nations’ 2 deg C targeton pre-industrial levels.

“Reducing greenhouse gasemissions won’t avoid theimpacts of climate changealtogether of course, but ourresearch shows it will buy timeto make things like buildings,transport systems andagriculture more resilient toclimate change,” said Arnell.

Delegations from some140 countries haveagreed to adopt a

ground-breaking treatylimiting the use of health-hazardous mercury, the Swissforeign ministry saidSaturday.

The world’s first legallybinding treaty on mercury,reached after a week of thornytalks, will aim to reduce globalemission levels of the toxicheavy metal also known asquicksilver, which poses risksto human health and the

Mercury treaty adopted in Geneva by 140 countriesenvironment.

“The new treaty aims toreduce the production and theuse of mercury, especially inthe production of products andin industrial processes,” theSwiss foreign ministry said ina statement.

Countries will be asked tosign the treaty next October inMinamata, Japan, in honourof the town’s inhabitants whofor decades have suffered theconsequences of seriousmercury contamination, thestatement said.

“The adoption of themercury treaty shows thevitality of internationalenvironmental politics and thewill of states to together findsolutions to world problems,”head of the Swiss delegation tothe talks, Franz Perrez, said inthe statement.

Mercury is found inproducts ranging fromelectrical switches tothermometers to light-bulbs, toamalgam dental fillings andeven facial creams, and largeamounts of the heavy metal are

released from small-scale goldmining, coal-burning powerplants, metal smelters andcement production.

Serious mercury poisoningaffects the body’s immunesystem and can lead toproblems includingpsychological disorders, loss ofteeth and problems with thedigestive, cardiovascular andrespiratory tracts.

It also affects developmentof the brain and nervoussystem and poses the greatestrisk to foetuses and infants.

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013Page 19

Potpourri Gists, Events, Parties, Entertainment, Tourism and Relationship

Oba of Benin honour Nigeria Got Talentwinner Amarachi, Sam Loco Efe, Irabor, othersWinner of the just

c o n c l u d e dNigeria’s Got

Talent reality TV showAmarachi Uyanne, hasbeen honored with anAward of Excellence by theOba of Benin, Omo No’baN’edo Uku AkpolokpoloErediauwa.

8-year-old was

Chairman of NigerianPremier League and the Oheof Benin kingdom ChiefOyuki Obaseki, Soni Iraborand the late Nollywoodveteran, Sam Loco Efe for hisimmense contribution tothe entertainmentindustry.

The Vice Chancellor ofthe University of Benin

honoured alongside tenother outstanding persons atthis year’s edition of theannual Benin AchieversRecognition Awards, whichheld recently at the RoyalPalace, Benin, Edo Statecapital.

Among those honouredare: Justice EfeIkponmwosa, Former

(UNIBEN), ProfessorOsayuki Godwin Oshodinand Professor Osato FrankGiwa-Osagie of the Collegeof Medicine, University ofLagos, were also awarded fortheir academic excellence.

Sir David Osunde and PaJoseph Alufa Igbinovia ofthe Idia Mask fame werealso honoured .

Osaze announcesbirth of Baby Noah

Osaze Odemwingie take to twitter to announcebirth of his son- Noah.

Osaze and his wife, Sarah, welcomed a baby boyinto the world on Sunday morning at about 5.30amand a delighted Odemwingie took to Twitter to makethe announcement. He twitted-

“Baby Noah was born 5’30 this morning and hesays hi to everyone! Couldn’t wait any longer coswanted to celebrate his daddy’s goal!”

Dr Felix Igwe, theChairman of theRivers State

University of Science andTechnology (RSUST)chapter of ASUU, onMonday denied theallegation that he hadresigned his appointmentwith the university.

The News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) reports thatASUU and the UniversityAdministration have beenin disagreement over there-appointment of Prof.Barineme Fakae as theinstitution’s Vice-Chancellor.

The union had onAugust, 2012 embarked ona strike action to demandthat Gov. ChibuikeAmaechi follow due-processin the re-appointment ofFakae.

Amaechi had, inreturn, told the union thatthe law gave him asgovernor of the state, theright to appoint a vice-chancellor for theuniversity. The governorsaid that the union could

Rivers varsity ASUU boss denies resignation claimstake the government tocourt if it felt that thegovernment did not followdue-process in theappointment exercise.

Igwe told NAN in aninterview in Port Harcourton Monday that theresignation claim was nottrue.

“This is absolutelyuntrue; that is probably apropaganda that isdesigned to weaken othermembers of the union intheir resolve for the properthing to be done in RSUST.

“I and the Secretary ofthe union had not resigned;we will not resign; we willbe together to ensure thatthe proper thing is done inthe Rivers State Universityof Science and Technology.

“No member of theunion had tended anyresignation letter since wehave been on strike and wechallenge the university toproduce the letters ofresignation that we hadwritten.

“ASUU had placedsanction on any member of

the union that attends anyacademic activity in thatuniversity.’’

On the university’sclaims that 70 per cent ofstriking lecturers hadresumed academicactivities, Igwe describedthe claims as false anduntrue.

Igwe said that theuniversity administrationhad currently embarkedon propaganda tomisinform the public tobelieve that academicactivities were on in theuniversity.

The unionist claimedthat a recent assessmentreport showed that theuniversity was heavilyunder-staffed.

According to him, theindividuals that work hereas lecturers are either oncontract or adjoined stafffrom other neighboringuniversities.

“It is wrong to famenormalcy when you areonly trying to deceive thepublic; the universityadministration is

presenting false picture tothe public to indicate thatactivities were going onnormally and divertingattention from the issue atstake.

“The issue is that theappointment of the Vice-Chancellor did not followdue-process and that is adangerous precedence thatis been set there.

“We are saying that theappointment of Vice-Chancellor must be suchthat you must respect theuniversity autonomy andrespect academic freedom.

“Let the anomaly becorrected and that’s whywe are on strike; we are stillon strike and we will be onstrike until the anomaly iscorrected.”

Mr Desmond Nwosu, theUniversity Spokesman,however, insisted that theChairman and Secretary ofthe union had formallywrote to the universitymanagement, informingthem of their decision towithdraw their servicesfrom the university.

The Karu SeniorM a g i s t r a t e s ’Court, Abuja, has

convicted one AutaYako, 50, of KugboMarket, for being awizard and incitingpublic disturbance.

Prosecutor FrancisUdofia, a policecorporal, had told thecourt that Yakoconfessed openly tohave the power ofwitchcraft on Jan. 12.

‘ ‘With the power, hewas able to kill oneEmma Danjuma atKugbo. He said otherpeople will also die.”

Udofia said theclaims causeddisturbance and abreak down of peace inthe area.

He said the offence

Man, 50, convicted for witchcraftwhen I heard that thesome people wereplanning to kill me.

‘ ‘I then ran to thepolice station forsafety. I confessed allthat happened. I havewitchcraft. It was oneFulani woman whogave me the powers.

‘ ‘I was able to killone Danjuma. I wasplanning to killanother person whenthe news of my initialdeed came to thenotice of the people.”

He, however,pleaded for leniency.

The magistrate, MrBashiru Alkali,convicted Yako andordered him to beremanded in KeffiPrison until Jan. 28 forsentencing.

Attorney General of the Federation,Mohammed Adoke

contravened Section114 of the Penal Code.

The accused pleaded

guilty to the charge,saying: ‘ ‘I was comingback from the farm

Patience Ozokwor a.k.aMama G at crossroads

with Ibinabo Fiberisimaover AGN presidency

Nollywood star actressPatience Ozokwora.k.a Mama G,

according to report, hasformed a parallel actors Guilddue to an alleged rigging inthe last election thatproduced IbinaboFiberesima.

The story is that MamaG may be working incompany of prominentstakeholders in the movieindustry who are supposedsupporters of the defeatedAGN Presidential candidate,Emeka Rollas.

According to sources, thepopular actress is not happyover the outcome of therecent AGN election thatproduced the Guild‘s firstfemale president and AGN‘s7th President, IbinaboFiberisima. She is said tohave started solicitingmembership for her newGuild.

“I don’t want to say

anything about thatelection. Elections that I andothers were not carriedalong. What election wasthat?” When the issue of thenewly formed Guild waspushed further, she angrilyreplied, “Do not ask me sucha question. I do not talk withjournalists on phone. I do notknow what you are talkingabout. If you want myanswer you must look for meto question,” intimatedMama G.

Meanwhile the ViceChairman of the AGN Boardof Trustees, Emma Oguguahas called Mama G‘s action abluff that would be dealt withat the appropriate time;

“Madam, am shockedyour name was mentionedamong those forming a newAGN guild in Asaba. Howpeople forget history veryquick. I still remember whenI came to screen you formembership of AGN and howyou told me ‘dem no dey giveus role’. To you AGN has failedyou, let me ask, when did youpay your dues last or send ina memo to help leaders ofAGN.

We have repeatedlyintervened in your issues andproblem to save your name.You are collecting signaturebecause a non-Ibo won AGNpresidency. My honestadvice, do not let them ruinyour name. AGN will protectitself from internal andexternal tribalism attempt.

reporters dispatch, January 22 — 29, 2013 Page 23

SportsUPDATES: AFCON: Fans describe broadcast

rights dispute as “annoying”Super sub Alain Traorebagged the equaliser deepin injury time to earn BurkinaFaso a 1-1 draw against10-man Nigeria Monday

Nigerian men qualify for World Wheelchair Tennis Team Cup

By Sunday Itodo with Agency reports

The Lorient midfieldercame on late in thesecond half and

worked his magic to earnthe Stallions anunexpected point.

Emmanuel Emenikehad put Nigeria into thelead before the break, butthe wasteful Super Eagleswere reduced to 10 menwhen Celtic defender EfeAmbrose picked up asecond yellow.

The result left Group Cevenly balanced aftertitle-holders Zambia andEthiopia drew 1-1 earlier.

Chelsea winger VictorMoses was left on thebench, with coach StephenKeshi, who won theNations Cup as a player in1994, fielding a three-pronged attackcomprising Emenike,

Brown Ideye and AhmedMusa.

Traore, who had faceda race to be fit after anankle problem, started onthe bench with veterancaptain MoumouniDagano leading from thefront.

Before a modest crowdat the Mbombela Stadium,Ideye’s appeal for an earlypenalty after hitting thedeck in a challenge fromBakary Kone wasdismissed by Algerianreferee Mohamed Benouza.

A short time later themohican-haired DynamoKyiv midfielder blastedover Abdoulaye Soulama’scrossbar after good work byMusa down the right.

Burkina were enjoyingplenty of the action butNigeria’s defence,marshalled by skipperJoseph Yobo, who wasequalling NwankwoKanu’s record of playing insix Nations Cups,comfortably absorbed the

pressure.Nigeria took the lead in

the 23rd minute as Ideyeartfully flicked the ball toEmenike in the box and theSpartak Moscow starfought off two defenders topoke it past Soulama.

John Obi Mikel, aChelsea teammate of themissing Moses, wasmaking his presence felt asNigeria, back at the finalsafter failing to make it lastyear, held Burkina at bay.

On 48 minutes, a firealarm sounded in thestadium, with instructionsover the tannoy to vacatethe stadium.

No one told the players,however, who played onoblivious, and the fansstayed put.

Keshi replacedEmenike with Villarreal

striker Ikechukwu Ucheapproaching the hourmark in a ploy to kill offthe game

One of Burkina’s bestchances came whenDagano unleashed a lowangled shot from the rightof the area, rufflinggoalkeeper VincentEnyeama’s feathers.

At the other end, Ucheshould have done better,his close-range shot badlyoff target. Burkina coachPut then brought on hisace, Traore, for AristideBance.

Nigeria were down aman on 74 minutes whenAmbrose picked up hissecond yellow, butBurkina were unable tomake their numericalsuperiority count.

Nigeria will facesterner opposition Fridaywhen they take onchampions Zambia, theside they beat to claimtheir second title 19 yearsago.

Fans have continuedto react over theinability of the

Broadcasting Organisationof Nigeria (BON) to beam liveAFCON matches to theirhomes, following itsunresolved broadcast rightsdispute with LC2.

The anxious fans whoaired their views to the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) onMonday in Lagos in separateinterviews, described thedevelopment as “annoying’’.

NAN reports that theongoing impasse may denyfans the opportunity towatch live transmission ofmatches from South Africa,if it was not amicablyresolved.

Alhaji Abubakar Jijiwa,the Chairman of BON, hadrecently said that noamicable resolution hadbeen arrived at, on theamount of money theorganisation should pay toLC2.

With the

commencement of thetournament on Jan. 19, thepossibility of having livebroadcasts beamed fromSouth Africa is gettingslimmer by the day.

Chiadika Chiedu, abanker, who lamented overthe development, told NANthat he found it difficult tobelieve that the dispute hadnot been resolved.

“When I was growing upas a kid, every time, Iwatched every AFCONtournament in my home.

“And it made some peoplewho were not interested infootball to get converted sincethey could watch it right intheir homes,” Chiedu said.

In expressing hisdisappointment, EmmanuelEmeghele, a Lecturer, saidthat the impasse was areflection of government’slukewarm attitude to thesport.

“The developmentspeaks volumes about thegovernment’s interest in thesport,” he added.

In the same vein,Kolawole Badmus, a student,

described the unsavourydevelopment as “unfair’’.

“They should haverealised that not everyfamily in Nigeria can afforda satellite dish, whereAFCON matches will beshown live.

“It is absolute nonsenseand I am not happy aboutit,” Badmus said.

Sola Akinkuolie, acomputer systems analyst,told NAN that he was highlyannoyed and could notunderstand why BON couldnot pay for the broadcastrights.

“It is crazy, annoying,and totally unimaginablethat we will not be watchingthe games in our homesbecause BON did not pay forbroadcast rights,” he said.

Amaka Eke, a student,told NAN that it was adeliberate act by thegovernment to “force peopleto patronise’’ viewingcentres.

“They want us to go toviewing centres, but it is noteverybody that likes goingthere,’’ she added.

Meanwhile, NwakaegoChukwu, a teacher, toldNAN that she was in supportof BON.

“I don’t see why weshould pay such a huge sumof money, when it can beused for some otherimportant issues pertainingto the growth of sports in thecountry.

NAN reports that theongoing 2013 AFCONcommenced on Jan. 19 andwould end on Feb. 10.

Ghana coach KwesiAppiah has said‘tactical indiscipline’

caused his team to give up atwo-goal lead over DR Congoin their group B match.

DR Congo forced Ghanato a 2-2 draw on Jan. 20 atthe 2013 Africa Cup ofNations in South Africa.

Ghana was already twogoals up by the 50th minute,thanks to goals fromEmmanuel Agyeman Baduand Kwadwo Asamoah.

However, DRCrebounded to score in the53rd and 68th minutes -through Tresor Mputu andDieudonne Mbokani Bezua,respectively — to denyGhana a win in the match.

“I knew it was not goingto be an easy game. Usually,it is expected that you winyour first game, but it wasnot the case here. They (DRCongo) were a very goodside.

“We have learnt a lotfrom this game in which wegave up a two-goal lead. Itwas due to some tacticalindiscipline and we hope tocorrect them before the nextgame,’’ Coach Appiah said.

Ghana captain AsamoahGyan gave no excuses for histeam’s failure to hold on toits two-goal lead.

“DR Congo showed greatcharacter and came backstrongly. We have to go backand come back strongly forour remaining games,” hesaid.

For his part, DRC headcoach Claude Le Roy, who ismaking his seventhappearance in the final of thetwo-yearly African footballextravaganza, expressedsatisfaction with his team’sperformance.

“I’m proud of my players.I told them before the gamethat they have huge quality.It is a fantastic experienceand they deserve the result,’’he told a post-match newsconference.

Ghana next takes onMali, while DRC will battleNiger on Jan. 24.

Ghana coachblames ‘tacticalindiscipline’for giving uplead over DRC

Nigeria have qualifiedfor the 2013 BNPParibas World Team

Cup in Antalya, Turkey,after winning the men’sevent of the AfricaWheelchair TennisQualification tournament.

They qualified for theMay 2013 event for thesecond time in a row inNairobi, Kenya, on Sunday,alongside South Africa,which won the women’sevent.

Nigeria qualified for themen’s World Group 2 afterending the event in Kenyawithout dropping a singlesrubber.

They won both of theirround-robin ties againstGhana and Mauritius andSunday’s final againstEgypt 3-0.

Jude Uwazie got Nigeriaoff to a perfect start in thefinal, beating Egypt’sHassan Mohamed 6-0 6-2.

The competition’s most-ranked player, WasiuYusuf, met a stifferresistance against AlyMohamed in the secondsingles rubber.

But he went on to securea 6-4, 6-1 victory over AlyMohamed, to ensureNigeria’s victory.

The News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) reports thatUwazie and Yusuf then wenton to beat their respectivesingles opponents 6-2 6-0 inthe doubles rubber.

Tanzania finished thirdin the men’s event, afterbeating Ghana 3-0, whileGambia claimed fifth placeafter defeating Mauritius 3-0.

Nigeria’s women’s team,who made their debut in thetournament, could notmatch their male colleaguesas they fell in thepreliminary stage.

On the Nigerian team’s

participation, SaniNdanusa, President of theNigeria Tennis Federation(NTF), said he was highlyimpressed with thecontingent’s performance.

“Our two teams left lastweek for Kenya,unheralded, but right nowthey are the toast of all asthey did not disappoint us.

“In spite of all odds, theyhave qualified to make ushappy and I am veryimpressed,’’ he said.

Ndanusa, who is also thePresident of the NigeriaOlympic Committee (NOC),then assured that the NTFwould ensure the men’steam was well prepared forthe World Cup.

“We will do our utmostbest with the assistance of allrelevant stakeholders toensure the team is wellprepared for utmostperformance in Turkey inMay,’’ he added.

Herbalist offers South Africa sweet smell of success

As South Africa coachGordon Igesund seeks to reinvigorate his

team after a dismal AfricaCup of Nations curtain-raiser, he has received anoffer of help from anunlikely source — aherbalist.

Reuben Matewu, fromthe Eastern Cape province,is confident he can come tothe rescue of Bafana Bafana(The Boys) after Saturday’slacklustre goalless drawagainst Cape Verde inSoweto.

That has left the 2013

hosts facing a stiff task toextricate themselves fromGroup A with matchesagainst Angola and formerchampions Morocco comingup. “I can help BafanaBafana for free if they wantand I will do that for the firstthree matches,” Matewutold a regional radio station,The Star newspaperreported Monday.

“I’m not like those peoplewho use bad muti(traditional medicine), I willonly use herbs which areeasily available here inSouth Africa.”

Matewu says he willstart charging for hisservices only “when” SouthAfrica qualify for theknockout stages.

“Thereafter, I willcharge them as they wouldhave started winning,” heexplained confidently.

His offer is being takenseriously by misfiringSouth Africa. “Let the manspeak to me and we’ll seewhat we can do after that,”Mwelo Nonkonyana, vice-president of the SouthAfrican Football Association(Safa), told The Star.

John Mikel Obi

ADADADADADVERVERVERVERVERTTTTTSPSPSPSPSPAAAAACECECECECE

reporters dispatch is published by reporters365 (www.reporters365.com) as a free service.Head Office: No. 3, Cotonou Crescent, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja. Editor-in-Chief: Linda Somiari Stewart

Chairman of Board: Sina Sabur Aroyeun Hotlines: 08068573814, 08076007253

Reach the Masses:Place your adverPlace your adverPlace your adverPlace your adverPlace your advert heret heret heret heret here

January 22 — 29, 2013 Vol. 1. No. 9. Nigeria’s first free newspaper

Okenwa: The man whose suicidal missionwould have started the Nigerian spring

Eze Okenwa Enyeribe, afather of three, who hails fromOgwu Nguru, Mbaise Imo stateis a graduate of PharmaceuticalSciences of the University ofNigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and at present, head of anti-corruption revolution inNigeria.His death on a missionon the roof top of the Federalsecretariat in Abuja would havebeen the begining of the oftforetold “Nigerian spring” Inthis exclusive interview withUDE EJIKEME in Abuja, Hegave a full account of a verydangerous and riskyadventure. Excerpts.

May we know you sir?

I am Eze Okenwa Enyeribe.I come from Ogwu Nguru,Mbaise, in Imo State. I read

Pharmaceutical Sciences at theUniversity of Nigeria, Nsukka(UNN). I am a humanitarianauthor of “win the war insideBiafra and married with threechildren. I am presently the headof anti-corruption revolution inNigeria.

Did you say, you are thehead of anti-corruptionrevolution in Nigeria?

Let me tell you, in theNigerian situation today, we havefound that treasury looting hasreached an un-presented level ofN2.6 trillion, half of the annualbudget of the Federal Republic ofNigeria stolen in fueling cars underthe dubious claims of petroleumsubsidy. In that respect, we foundout that we Nigerians cannotcontinue to keep silent again. Wecannot be emperorous in gettinground the world while Rome wasboiling. So the new ways of anti-corruption in Nigeria is no longera board room. It is no longer aworkshop or seminar, rather, itrequires massive and publicoutcry against corruption anddeceit in the Nigerian state.

No structure to sustain theFederal Republic of Nigeria isworking. Agriculture is rotten.

Health care decaden. Nigeria hasno electric power. Education hastotally collapse, because, themoney meant in the educationsystem has been squandered.Agriculture is in shamble. So, weall Nigerian have to come out tofight corruption tooth and nail forthis country to survive from thepresent decadend and rots. And weshall channel the country to self-reliance and economic growth,advancement, wealth, joy andhappiness to every Nigerian.

What are those issues yousaid Nigerian people wants theGovernment to clarify withsections 14(2b), 14(2c), 24b, 39and 40 of the 1999Constitution as it relates withcorrupt and fraudulentpractices?1. I have 14 posers as answer toyour questions. Why 2.6 trillionhalf of the annual budget of thiscountry is under the dubious

shade of petroleum subsidy, stolen,fueling cars. What is the impact ofthis deceit and treasury plunderon the masses?2. Why should the Senate demandN2 billion bribe from the PensionReform Task Force to give it a passmark?3. Why should the House ofRepresentatives demand another$3 million dollars bribe?4. Why should the presidencyembezzled N701.5 billion NaturalResources Fund from year 2009to 2012?5. How N300 billion AviationIntervention Funds has beenembezzled by industry operatives6. Why N2 billion was embezzledin the Environmental ministrywithout planting ecological treesin 36 states of the federation in2010.7. Why the Petroleum ProductsPricing and Regulatory Agency(PPPRA), is paying annual

allowance and salaries of just 249workers with N5.72 billion, anaverage of N23 million peremployee.8. Why a N4 billion is lootedmonthly at the pensiondepartment of Head of Servicewhich also runs a payroll of 73,000ghost pensioners.

9. Why a banquet hall is tobe built at State House at awhopping cost of N2.2 billion andvice president’s official residencegulps N16 billion when 80 percentof Nigerians live on less than onedollar (N160) a day – a habitationof misery, poverty, wretchednesssqualor and insecurity.10. Why Federal Governmentassets – Transcorp Hilton,Sheraton, Nicon Luxury,Ajaokuta Steel, Volkswagen ofNigeria, Daily Times of Nigeriaand others were sold at a paltryN300 billion and this proceedsunaccounted for.11. Where is the $400 milliondollars grant from World Bank forprovision of portable water?12. Why the Federal Governmentis running a vacuous, decadent,banal, fraudulent and money-based education system which isproviding empty heads, and theseempty heads being the futureleaders of the country and (13)why Federal Governmentworkers are depositing publicfunds in their personal bankaccounts and homes.

At my age, with myexperiences in accordance with theinspirations and revolutions I havereceived, it is my belief thatmonstrous corruption, which hasconsumed half of the nationalbudget, is going to destroy theFederal Republic of Nigeria.Therefore as a constitutional duty,I must continuously mobilize thepeople of Nigeria to wage ferociouswar against corruption andsquander mania in governmentand society through non violentmeans of public outcry and massdissent. It is in this fight againstdeceit banality, vacuity andemptiness in the Nigerian state

that I am prepared. If need be, dietoo.

Why did you climb the rooftop of 9-storey building of theHead of Service block. Whatwere your mission?

It was not a suicidal missionanyway. But it was in the serviceof the country, society andhumanity. What happenedactually is that in continuation ofmy fight against corruption inNigerian polity, on Monday July16, 2012, between 11:00 and12:00 hours, I climbed to the rooftop of the 9-storey office of the Headof Civil Service of the Federation(OHCSF), at Eagles Square Abujato deliver to Nigerians my anti-corruption thesis.

I had about three months agorelease my first anti-corruptiondocument, the new book titled“win the war… inside Biafra”,which is a hand book for survivalof the Federal Republic of Nigeria.I ascended to the roof top of thatedifice undected using unconventional means. It was a verydangerous and risky adventure,but I thank the almighty God forguiding me through. No sacrificeis too big or great in the service ofthe country, society or humanity.

Immediately I reached to thePinnacle of the building, I startedreleasing my anti-corruptionthesis – the Eagle Squaredocument wrapped with rubberbands to on lookers on the ground– the Nigerian people. I startedshouting anti-corruption slogans:“Hypocrites, cheats, chameleons,treasury looters, you want todestroy the Federal Republic ofNigeria.” “One Nigeria, nocorruption”. “Freedom, Libertyfrom corrupt, deceit, dubiousness,recklessness, squandermania andprofligacy”. “You pack public fundto your pockets, dig graves in yourhouses to hide loots or siphongovernment money in yourprivate bank accounts. You lootthe treasury thereby leaving themasses in wretchedness, abject

Okenwa Enyeribe, head of anti-corruption revolution in Nigeria

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11