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Vol. 8 No. 42 Tuesday, May 22, 2012 Rajab 1, 1433 AH N150. . . putting the people first

Boko Haram: FG not relenting, says TambuwalBy Lawrence Olaoye

>> PAGE 2 >> PAGE 3 >> PAGE 5 >> PAGE 41

Boko Haram: Policearrest Akwa Ibomman in Kano

10 killed as suspectedFulani attack Tivcommunities

Pupils boo BenueSpeaker overminimum wage

Super Eaglesstranded atairport in Spain

Bombattackfoiledat RadioHouse

Suspected terrorist, John Akpabu, who was arrested bysecurity operatives with arms and explosive materials(grenades), at the Radio House, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa & Justin Imo-owo

Suspect found with3 grenades – PoliceNo, they were teargascanisters – SSS

>>> PAGE 2

Contd on Page 2

Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, AlhajiAminu Waziri Tambuwal,

has assured that the Federalgovernment was not relenting in

its efforts to tackle the Boko Haraminsurgency in the country.Speaking in Johannesburgyesterday at the opening of theseventh session of the Pan AfricanParliament, Tambuwal said thatthe recent security breaches inthe country had brought

Nigerians together andstrengthened their resolve tobuild a united country.

He commended the efforts ofsister African countries and otherfriends of Nigeria to help inachieving lasting peace in thecountry, emphasizing that

everything was being done toresolve the issues amicably.

“May I use this opportunity tothank our brother Africancountries and other friends ofNigeria for the support beingextended to our dear country inaddressing the new security

challenges we are facing.“The government of Nigeria

under the leadership of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan is doingeverything possible to address thesituation. Be rest assured that thepeople of Nigeria believe in the

CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSNews 2-11

Editorial 12

Op.Ed 13

Letters 14

Opinion 15

Metro 16-17

Business 19-22

S/Exchange 23

S/Report 24

Discourse 26

Newsxtra 28

Agriculture 30

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Lawyer demand N50mfor STF over assaults,

Page 3

WE WANTTO HEAR

FROM YOU

International 31-34

Strange World 35

Digest 36

Politics 37-40

Sports 41-47

Columnist 48

PAGE 2 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Contd from Page 1

Boko Haram: FG not relenting, says Tambuwal

Bomb attack foiled at Radio House

Boko Haram: Police arrestAkwa Ibom man in KanoFrom Edwin Olofu, Kano

The Kano state police command said it had arresteda suspected terrorist who is

behind the killing of scores of per-sons in Kano state recently.

Augustine Effiong, otherwiseknown as Abubakar Garba, wasarrested at Warawa council areaof Kano for allegedly attempting

to kill a civilian.A statement from the state

police command signed by theCommissioner of Police, Mr.Ibrahim Idris said the suspect,who is an indigene of Akwa Ibomstate, was arrested last Friday atDanlasan village in Warawa localgovernment area of the state.

“The 25 year old man is an in-digene of Akwa Ibom state who was

volved in the attack at BUK.”He also confessed to being part

of a “20-man killer squad” chargedwith targeting the security ser-vices around Kano. “I killed manypeople, including five soldiers atcheckpoints in Kano”, he furtherboasted.

The statement said the suspecthad since been transferred toAbuja for discreet investigation.

born and brought up at Maiduguri.He was later converted to Islam”,the statement said.

According to the statement,the suspect had during interroga-tion confessed to have relocated toKano from Bulunkutu Abuja quar-ters in Maiduguri, Borno state inApril this year.

He confessed to reporters inHausa language that he was “in-

Lamido is a respectable, decent rascal - Maitama SuleFrom Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

Elder statesman and formerUnited Nationsrepresentative, Alhaji

Yusuf Maitama Sule, hasdescribed Jigawa state governor,Alhaji Sule Lamido, as “arespectable and decent rascal”.

Alhaji Maitama Sule said thisyesterday at a symposium on‘Security, Governance andLeadership’ organised by theJigawa state government tocommemorate the 5th yearanniversary of Sule Lamido as

governor of the state.He said Lamido may have

been called all sorts of names butthe application of certain aspectsof rascality may have been partof the revolutionisedtransformation of Jigawa state forwhich no other governor hadrecorded.

Maitama Sule, who had earliersaid he had had disagreementswith some of former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo’s policies,however, agreed that any leaderwho could rule Nigeria for eightyears deserves commendation.

Speaking on the topic,“governance, ethics andmorality” he decried the lack ofvisionary leaders as bane of thecountry’s progress.

He said the leaders of today aremerchants of disunity amongstthe people because of their lack ofcompassion for the common manunlike what obtained during thetimes of the late Sardauna ofSokoto, Chief Obafemi Awolowoand Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe.

In his speech earlier, formerPresident Olusegun Obasanjo,who lectured on security,

governance and leadership, saidthe security tended to be state-centric implying that its focuswas to ensure the survival andsustainability of the sovereignstate before anything else.

Obasanjo said: “Until recently,the greatest source of anxiety interms of personal security wasviolent crime. Today bombing oftargets in occupied public buildingsor in the open areas where peoplecongregate has become thegreatest anxiety of personalsecurity for almost all Nigeriansand non Nigerians living inNigeria”.

By Lambert Tyem

A suspected terrorist wasyesterday arrested bysecurity operatives attached

to the National Press Centre, venueof the ongoing Ministerial Platformwhen he tried to force himself intothe12-storey Radio House, whichalso houses the Federal Ministry ofInformation.

At the time of the arrest, thevenue of the Ministerial pressbriefing was filled with guestsattending the programme toherald the first anniversary of theJonathan administration and thecommemoration of DemocracyDay.

Confirming the incident to alocal television station on telephone,the FPPRO said the suspect wasarrested with hand grenades and37 rounds of AK-47 ammunition.

However, in a conflictingstatement, the spokesperson of theState Security Service (SSS), Mrs.Marilyn Ogar, told another TVstation that the suspect was arrestedwith teargas canisters and not handgrenades as claimed by the police.

Speaking to newsmen shortlyafter his arrest, the suspect claimedthat the grenades andammunitions belonged to his

military elder brother namedAliyu Clement, who died awayfrom his duty post, and that he wasreturning the items to theauthorities so as to prove hisrelationship with the deceased witha view to getting his “brother’s”service benefit.

“They transferred him toBayelsa. When he died, I went toBayelsa. He was living in Isepe inone local government in Bayelsa.My late elder brother’s name isAliyu Clement.

“He was serving in BayelsaState. He came to see his family inAbuja but when he was returninghe followed village [sic]. When hegot there he fell sick and he died.

“We now send signal to Bayelsawhich when we reach there theycouldn’t get it. The signal stoppedon the way. They now gave usanother paper. I went there withthe wife to bring his properties.

“My mission here? I’m bringingthis thing here because I found it inhis property. When I went to go andpack the property down to Abuja,when we reach Abuja, as we werechecking the property, we now sawthese grenade and the bullets.

“Since I’m a man and anytimeI feel like, I should take them to thepolice.”

“I’m bringing it here so that wecan get his benefit for him. If I hadtaken it to the police, I might notget it. I am here because of thebenefit I have not been paid”, hestated.

Meanwhile, at about the sametime, the Police authorities in Abujaconfirmed the arrest of oneAbdulsalam Salihu, wandering infront of the Force Headquartersbuilding, otherwise known as``Louis Edet House''.

The Deputy Force PublicRelations Officer, Mr Frank Mba,however said that nothingcriminating was found on thesuspect to suggest that he was asuicide bomber.

``When we searched him, noexplosive was found on him butthere were pieces of broken bottle,bottled water, five AutomatedTeller Machine cards and a vehiclenumber plate in the bag he wascarrying.

“We have commencedinvestigations into the arrest but sofar, there is nothing to suggest thathe (suspect) is a suicide bomber,’’Mba said.

Mba urged Nigerians to goabout their businesses without fear,assuring them that the police hadenough personnel to guarantee

their security.An eye witness told this reporter

that the suspect was detected by apolice sensory vehicle parked at theentrance which was said to havesignalled that he was bearingexplosive devices.

According to police sources, thevehicle operator on reading thealert immediately informed othercolleagues at the gate who alsodetected same with their hand-helddetectors as the suspect tried to forcehis way into the premises of thepolice headquarters, causing panicamong the men at the gate.

Scared Mobile policemen, whowere at the gate, were said to havetaken to their heels on hearing thata a suspected terrorist might haveforced himself into the premises.

The sensory vehicle operator,Sgt. Daniel Pam on seeing thedanger in the suspect being leftalone, rushed and wrestled him tothe ground before other policemensummoned courage and joined himto disarm the man, the eyewitness,who declined identificationclaimed.

The source further disclosed thatwhen the suspect was searched, asmall Ghana-must-go bagcontaining some substances, twovehicle plate numbers, amongothers were recovered from him.

continued peaceful coexistence ofone individual and indissolubleFederal Republic of Nigeria,”Tambuwal added.

While urging the Pan AfricanParliament to come up withsolutions to end the myriad ofproblems facing the Africancontinent, Tambuwal asked theparliamentarians to pass clear

resolutions denouncing militaryrule on the continent, assuringthat democratic principles areupheld to protect the continent’scitizens from impunity.

He said, “In order to achieverelative peace and security inAfrica, Heads of Governmentsmust endeavour to fightinstitutionalised corruption,create jobs to stem risingunemployment, and institute

policies on poverty eradicationand food security in Africa.Moreover, we must continue toimprove the security situationin Africa and enhance theability of law-enforcementagencies at various levels todischarge their duties.

“As a responsible andpeople-centred parliament, wemust continue to abide by theRule of Law and promote

transparency in our elections.We should note that the visionestablishing the Pan-AfricanParliament is to provide acommon platform for Africanpeople and their grass-rootorganisations to get moreinvolved in discussions and thedecision-making process on theproblems and challenges facingthe continent.”

PAGE 3PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

10 killed, houses destroyed as suspectedFulani attack Benue community

Persons suspected to beFulani marauders at theweekend attacked Gwer

West local government area ofBenue state killing over 10 personsand destroying 46 houses.

The attack is the second thisyear after 46 persons weremurdered on March 4th.

The Ter Nagi of the

community, Chief DanielAbomtse who spoke tojournalists in Makurdiyesterday, lamented theincessant attacks on his domainand decried the lip serviceusually paid by the state andFederal governments towardsthe security of the area.

Chief Abomtse said he hadalerted the state government aswell as security agencies in a letter

dated 15th May, 2012, entitled‘Grand Plan to Annihilate GwerWest People By Fulani Herdsmenand their Mercenaries’, andfrowned at the nonchalantattitude shown by the stategovernment and securityoperatives.

“Information had it that theFulani herdsmen intend toinvade Gwer West crossing fromthe Obendo, Ijiwo axis from

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi Akpanaja in Nasarawa stateinto Tyoughatee and Gbaange/Tongovdistrict of Gwer WestLGA at a location betweenMbaku communities of Makurdiand invade the whole of thedistrict which stretches 16 kmof Makurdi-Naka road and thenadvance to Naka town,headquarters of Gwer WestLGA. They also plan to attackand burn down my palace and

residence with explosives andsophisticated fire arms”, part ofletter read.

He said in the wee hours ofSaturday, May 19th, 2012, themarauders invaded Tyoughateevillage, in an attack that lasted tilldawn leaving 10 persons deadwhile many corpses are litteredaround yet to be identified andseveral properties includingfarmlands destroyed.

Attempts to get thecomments of the policespokesman, Ejike Alaribe failedas his cell phone was switched off.

Indications have emergedthat the feuding PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP)

chieftains in Edo state includingformer chairman of the party’sBoard of Trustees (BoT), Chief TonyAnenih, former governor, Dr.Samuel Ogbemudia and ChiefGabriel Igbinedion have chosen tobury the hatchet in preparationfor the forthcoming gubernatorialpolls in the state.

The three men were amongthe party elders from the state whomet behind closed doors withPresident Goodluck Jonathan atPresidential Villa in Abuja onSunday night, where he hadrequested them to state the causesof their differences.

An impeccable source close tothe meeting disclosed yesterdaythat the three key stakeholdersfailed to state their cases havingalready decided to put theirdifferences behind them before the

meeting.According to the source, the

trio agreed among themselves toforget the past and work for PDP'svictory in view of the perceivedwrongdoing of Governor AdamsOshiomhole, especially his allegedlack of respect for elders.

President Jonathan, who wasrelieved to learn that the crisis hadbeen resolved, was said to haveproceeded to voice his concern overthe growing insecurity in Edo stateand stressed the need to tackle the

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem problem.The source traced the

disagreement in the party toformer Governor OserhiemenOsunbor's alleged unwillingness towork with the party men whichcaused them to throw their supportbehind Oshiomhole.

According to the source, theparty’s strongmen have nowdecided to work againstOshiomhole's second termambition as they now see him as "acomplete deceit."

Edo PDP elders meet Jonathan ahead of polls

Unknown gunmenyesterday carried out twoseparate attacks in Borno

state killing five persons.It was gathered that the first

attack was launched in Silimantiward of Maiduguri, the statecapital at about 3.30pm, whenfive gunmen invaded the area,opened fire on the crowd, leavingfour people dead.

The gunmen also raided apolice outpost in Benisheik town,headquarters of Kaga localgovernment area where theykilled one civilian.

All the victims died on the spotfollowing the injuries sustainedfrom the gunshots, whilecommotion pervaded the area.

The state police commissioner,who confirmed the attack on policestation, however said he was notaware of the earlier incident.

The commissioner said, “all Ican tell you is that I did not receiveany information on the Silimantikillings but, it was true that theBenisheik police station was partlydestroyed after some gunmenstormed it and threw explosives.”

Hassan added that thecriminals also destroyed thewindscreen of the armoured tankstationed at the police outpost, afterthrowing explosives at the vehicle.

“Our personnel repelled theattacks after engaging the invadersand at the end of the confrontation,a civilian was killed by stray bullet,while the hoodlums escaped to anearby bush. No casualty wasrecorded on their side and there wasno arrest”, the commissionerfurther declared.

Gunmen kill5 in BornoFrom Mustapha Isah Kwaru,Maiduguri

A Federal High Court in Abujayesterday adjourned tillJune 11 and 12 for

continuation of trial in the 16-count charge bordering oncontract fraud preferred againstformer Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, Dimeji Bankoleby the Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission (EFCC).

The court will also rule onobjection raised by Bankole'sCounsel, Samuel Ologunorisa,against some documents which theprosecution counsel, Mr. FestusKeyamo sought to tender when thematter came up yesterday.

But Ologunorisa, Bankole’slawyer urged the court to reject theminutes of meetings attached to thedocuments, saying that thedocuments sought to be tenderedwas to prove the competence ofcharges but with severalparagraphs of the minutes missing,they have been rendered irrelevant.

Keyamo, however, said thedocuments were received in thatmanner from the Finance Directorof the National Assembly and havesatisfied the conditions ofadmissibility, having been certified.

Bankole is facing a 16-countcharge of contract inflation andawards without following dueprocess.

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

Bankole trial resumes June 11

Former Secretary ofShendam local governmentarea of Plateau state,

Barrister Longpoe Henry, haspetitioned the Commander of theSpecial Task Force (STF) in Jos,demanding N50million ascompensation for assault on himby members of the STF.

Besides, the monetarycompensation, Longpoe furtherdemanded for the soldiers to beidentified and courtmarshalled soas to serve as deterrent to others.

Henry, in a petition dated 17thMay 2012, which was copied to thestate Commissioner of Police,alleged that the soldiers descended

on him like a common criminalfor refusing to drop his clothing onthe ground at a checkpoint afterhe had been searched by thesoldiers without anyincriminating thing found on him.

According to him, “I met amilitary checkpoint at Total Bridgein Shendam LGA and stoppedaccordingly and switched on myinner light. The soldier asked me toopen the trunk of my car which Idid, he asked about the travellingbag in the trunk and I told him itcontained my clothing. To mysurprise, he ordered that I shoulddrop my clothing on the ground".

He said: "I respectfully told himthat I could not do that and heangrily retorted that I’m stubborn

and I should sit down on the road.Again I told him, I couldn’t and thatif he felt that I had done somethingwrong, he should arrest me andtake me to the appropriate place".

Henry said “The soldier thenbeckoned on two other soldiers onduty who insisted that I must siton the ground and when I refused,the three of them descended on mewith horse whips, the butts of theirguns and their fists".

"After I was discharged from thehospital, I could not attend to mybusiness thereby incurring hugefinancial losses. The inhumantreatment metted out to me hasseriously affected me psychologicallyas I could hardly sleep without wakingup with nightmares”.

From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

Lawyer demands N50m from STF for assault

L-R: Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Prof. DibuOjerinde and Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during JAMB Admission Committee meeting, yesterdayin Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012PAGE 4

An Oredo Magistrate Courtin Benin City, yesterday,sentenced a middle-aged

woman, Helen Odemwingie, tofive years in prison on a 4-countcharge including stealing andremoval of bank tellers anddestruction of propertybelonging to the business firm ofMessrs J. I. Aisoweren and Sonsin Benin City.

The prosecuting stateCounsel in the charge No. MOR/54c/2010, said Odemwingieadmitted before theCommissioner of Police and thecourt that between January andAugust 2009, she stole the sumof N5.2million entrusted to herto pay into a commercial bankaccount while working as acashier.

The counsel also said that

Woman bags 5 years jail for stealing

The proposed out-of-courtsettlement in the suitinstituted against the

Federal Government by the 36states of the federationchallenging the legality of theExcess Crude Account and thedecision to transfer $1 billion fromthe account to the SovereignWealth Fund yesterday, hit abrick wall at the Supreme Court.

The states accused the FederalGovernment of insincerity in itspromise to settle the case out ofcourt.

The apex court had fixedyesterday to receive the reportsof the out-of-court settlement fromparties in the matter, but that wasnot done because the FederalGovernment is yet to meet withthe 36 state governments.

Earlier, the FederalGovernment had asked the court

FG, states’ out-of-courtsettlement over excesscrude account fails

Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (middle), with Senate Leader,Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (left), and Senator Nuruddeen Abatemi Usman (right), during theopening session of the 7th Ordinary Session of the Pan African Parliament, yesterday in Midrand,Johannesburg, South Africa.

for an adjournment to enable itsettle out of court with the stategovernments.

But when the matter came upyesterday for the parties to givereport of their settlement, counselto the 36 state governors, ChiefAdegboyega Awomolo, told thecourt that it was unfortunate thatsettlement could not be reachedeven though he observed that theAGF has been busy.

He consequently asked theapex court panel headed by theChief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),Justice Dahiru Musdapher to goahead and hear the preliminaryobjection and the substantivesuit together and decide thematter.

He told the court that theFederal Government hadthreatened to withdraw moremoney from the fund thereby

A Lagos based non-government outfit, Socio-Economic Rights and

Accountability Project (SERAP),yesterday, sent a request to theChief Justice of Nigeria, JusticeDahiru Musdapher, urging him toappoint an independent counsel toinvestigate allegations ofcorruption in the abandoned roadand other projects by the FederalGovernment.

According to SERAP, therequest is made pursuant to Section52 of the Independent CorruptPractices and Other RelatedOffences Act 2000, the letter andspirit of the Act, and the object andpurpose of the 1999 Constitution.

The group in a letter signed byits Executive Director,Adetokunbo Mumuni, said,“Between 2010 and 2012, theFederal Executive Council (FEC)approved about 100 projectsapparently to improve thedevelopment of the country andenhance the living conditions of itscitizens.

“However, virtually all theprojects have either beenabandoned or not completed onschedule, despite the huge sums of

SERAP wants CJN to appoint independentcounsel to probe abandoned projects

money allocated for the projects.“We believe your urgent

intervention will contribute toimproving the integrity ofgovernment and public confidenceand trust in their government.

“It would also serve as a vehicleto further the public’s perception offairness and thoroughness, and toavert even the most subtle ofinfluences that may appear in aninvestigation of highly-placedexecutive officials.

“Section 52 of the ICPC Actrequires the Chief Justice of Nigeriato authorise an independentcounsel to investigate anyallegation of corruption againsthigh level public officials—at thefederal or state level—and to reporthis findings to the NationalAssembly or appropriate House ofAssembly.

“We believe that thehighlighted projects havesufficiently demonstrated goodcause invariably justifying yourintervention in the matter.

“We therefore urge you tointerpret this provision robustlyand flexibly in the light of theunique role of the judiciary in theefforts to prevent and combatgrand corruption and itsdestructive effects on the society…”

From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin during the same period,Odemwingie falsified the books ofthe firm’s accounts. She alsoremoved the sum of N25, 000out of N451, 930.00 entrustedto her to pay into same bankaccount on August 26, 2009.

In addition, the counsel said,she had between January andAugust 2009, willfully removedand destroyed tellers she used todeposit money into the firm’sbank account knowing that theymay be required as evidence.

The Oredo Magistrates’ Court2 presided over by ChiefMagistrate Frank Oamen Idiakeruled that Odemwingie wasguilty on all the four countspunishable under the relevantsections of the criminal code andsentenced her to a five-year jailterm or in the alternative to paya fine of N50,000. The term, hesaid, is to run currently.

The Minister of YouthDevelopment, MalamBolaji Abdulahi has said

that the ministry had receivedN1.2 billion from the FederalGovernment for the YouthsEmployment Programme, (YEP)in order to tackle youthrestiveness in the country.

The minister who disclosedthis yesterday during MinisterialPlatform in commemoration ofthe national democracy day andfirst anniversary of PresidentGoodluck Jonathanadministration in Abuja, notedthat the ministry had alsoreceived N200million fromMillennium Development Goal,

FG approves N1.2bn for YEP, says minister(MDG) to enhance youth’scapacity in agriculture.

He pointed out that theministry has engaged 36, 000youths across the countryincluding FCT on vocationaltraining, business plan as well asbusiness support fund.

Abdullahi noted that theministry is repositioning data forplanning, youth development inagriculture, sports, informationtechnology, character,competence, confidence,culture, connection andcontributing to society throughthe multi-lingual and multi-platform project.

“We have engaged over36,000 youths in manyvocational sectors because the

By Albert Akota transformation agenda of thepresent administration will notbe completed without properfoundation for our youths just asthe president has directed myministry to do.

“We rewarded 52outstanding youth corpsmember who did excellently wellin carrying out theirassignments and scholarship tostudy to PhD level. The ministryhas also initiated youth’semployment programme as ashort- term, quick interventionin providing skill andentrepreneurial training, jobplacement, businessdevelopment, services andconcessionary credit to ouryouths”, he said.

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

The governing council ofUsmanu DanfodiyoUniversity, Sokoto, has

approved the appointment of 10professors including ProfessorLydia Audu Airede of theObstetrics and GynecologyDepartment, who became the firstfemale to attain such academicstatus in the university since itsestablishment in 1976.

A statement signed by thepublic relations officer of theuniversity, Ismaila MohammedYauri, also said six non academicstaff were promoted to the rank ofdeputy registrars.

Those appointed to theprofessorial positions are Professor

H.M Bello of AgriculturalEconomics and Extension,Professor A.A Ibrahim(Mathematics), Professor SanusiMohammed (Botany), ProfessorMalami Buba (Modern EuropeanLanguages and Linguistics) andProfessor M.U Bunza (History).

Others are Professor A.M Gada(Islamic Studies), Professor A.USanda (Economics), Professor S.Kalid (Sociology) and Professor E.UEtuk (Pharmacology).

The six newly promoteddeputy registrars are Malam BelloIbrahim, Malam NuraddenAbubakar Bello, Malam IbrahimBawa Kaura, Hajiya KuluAbdullahi, Umar Faruk AbubakarYabo and Mr. StephenNwagwugwu.

UDUS appoints first femaleprof, 6 deputy registrarsFrom Sadeeq Aliyu, Sokoto

further depleting the bulk sumand that expeditiousdetermination of the suit wasnecessary for both parties.

He demanded the court to callcounsel to the FederalGovernment, Mr. Austine Alegehenter an undertaking that hisclient would not withdraw moremonies from the said account.

Meanwhile, Alegeh on behalfof the Federal Government madea similar request asking thatAwomolo should make anundertaking that stategovernments would not be seekingmore monies from the account indispute.

Chief Awomolo said that theyare still ready to settle the matterout of court with the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF)and the Minister of Justiceanytime they are approached.

From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

…as S/Court slates Sept 25 to hear suit

PAGE 5PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Pupils boo Benue Speakerover minimum wageFrom Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

The Speaker of the Benuestate House of Assembly, Mr.David Iorhemba, was

yesterday booed by primary schoolpupils over nonpayment ofteachers’ minimum wage in thestate.

Primary schools in the statehave been shut down for more

than five months following therefusal of the state government topay the new minimum wage toteachers insisting that averification exercise must be donebefore implementing the newwage.

At the Governor GabrielSuswam’s All Primary SchoolSport Festival in Otukpo, whichwas declared open by the Speaker

on behalf of the governor, pupils ofSt. Francis UBE Primary School,host of the event, expresseddissatisfaction at the lingeringstrike by their teachers andnonchalant attitude shown by thestate government on the issue.

A reliable source told ourreporter that the Speaker reactedrashly by directly accusing theEducation Secretary of the local

government, one Mr. AgboAulegbe of inciting the students toembarrass the government andthreatened to sanction him if hedid not produce the pupils whomade such comments.

Mr. Iorhemba later appealedfor calm, assuring the pupils thathe would take their complaintsto the necessary quarters foraction.

KadunauncoversghostworkersFrom Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

The embattled formermanaging director of thedefunct Intercontinental

Bank Plc, Dr. Erastus Akingbola,yesterday failed to open his defencein the case instituted against himby the Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission (EFCC).

Akingbola and associate, Mr.Bayo Dada, the General Managerof Tropics Securities Limited, arefacing a 21-count charge of theft ofN47.1 billion belonging to thebank.

The prosecution, led by Mr.Ayodeji Arowolo told JusticeHabeeb Abiru of a Lagos HighCourt sitting in Ikeja, that a letterwas received from the lead defence

counsel, Chief Felix Fagboungbeasking for a vacation of the datesfixed for commencement of theirdefence.

The letter was also said to haveasked the court for anadjournment as the defence wasinvolved in a civil suit today inanother court and suggested somedates for consideration as newadjourned dates forcommencement of defence in thetrial.

The prosecution also told thecourt that he has no objection tothe request of the defence for anadjournment.

Justice Abiru then adjournedthe matter to May 28, 2012.

The EFCC had preferred a 29-count charge against Akingbola

and Mr. Dada but which was lateramended and reduced to 21 whenhis wife’s name was struck out fromthe charge.

In about 10 months that thecase lasted, the EFCC called onlytwo witnesses, the Chief Inspectorof Access Bank, Mr. AbdulraheemJimoh and one of the team of EFCCoperatives who investigated thealleged fraud in the bank, Mrs.Nkechi Ibekaku.

In her testimony, Ibekaku hadtold the court that Bayo Dada, whowas charged alongside Akingboladid not produce any document toback all the transfers of moneyallegedly made by Akingbola,which went into Tropics SecuritiesLimited account and some othercompanies in which Akingbola

and wife, Anthonia, had interest.Ibekaku, under cross

examination by counsel to thedefence, Mr. Deji Sasegbon told thecourt that as at the time thetransactions were made, there wasno money in the account of Dr.Akingbola.

She had told the court thenthat their investigation revealedthat three Skye Bank chequeswhich totaled N2.5 billion issuedby Chartwell Securities Limited,was an illegal transaction, addingthat the account of Chartwell wascredited from the account ofIntercontinental Bank with CBNand that the beneficiary wasAkingbola.

Ibekaku also told the court thatthere was no simultaneousexchange of cheques to the tune ofN2.5 billion that was paid into theAccess Bank account of ChartwellSecurities, arguing that thedifference between the total sumof $11,797,063.75 mentioned byprosecution and that of the bureaude change put at $11,840,427which was converted to poundsterling and transferred to theLondon account of FurghersSolicitors was not an attempt tomislead the court on thetransaction.

N47.1bn theft: Akingbola fails to open defence

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

The Bauchi state policecommand has commencedinvestigation into an alleged

death threat on the caretakerchairman of Dambam localgovernment area, Ahmed AliyuJalam by a middle aged man.

The state Commissioner of

Police, Mohammed Ladan, statedthis while answering questionsfrom newsmen in Bauchiyesterday, saying, “a middle agedman was arrested in Dagaudavillage in Dambam localgovernment area for sending textmessages which threaten toassassinate the chairman.”

He added, “the arrested

suspect threatened the chairmanthat he was a member of the BokoHaram sect, and the chairmanreported the matter to us, we havearrested the man, and we areinvestigating the matter.”

Ladan said the suspect, whoclaimed to be a Christian, gave fakenames as Jibrin Abare.

According to the CP, the suspect

had sent the text message to instillfear in the chairman’s mind.

“When we complete ourinvestigation, he will be chargedto court,” he said.

The chairman confirmed thatthe suspect sent the text messagetwice and he reported the matterto police and the State SecurityService (SSS).

Police to investigate death threat on Bauchi LGA boss

The Edo state Director of theState Security Service(SSS), Alhaji Bello-Tukur

Bakori, has admonished mediapractitioners to pay adequateattention to their safety in thedischarge of their duties.

The admonition is coming onthe heels of recent tragedies thathave happened to pressmen in thestate.

He said this yesterday duringan interactive session withnewsmen at the SSS headquartersin Benin City, urging the pressmento avoid taking sides on politicalissues that concern the state.

SSS chief counselsjournalistson safetyFrom Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

Kaduna state governmenthas uncovered anunspecified number of

ghost workers in its civil serviceThe Head of Service, Mrs.

Hannatu Ugah, who disclosed thisyesterday at a press briefing,explained that the discovery wasmade following a state-wide staffverification exercise conducted toidentify authentic nominal roll ofworkers.

According to her, “onassumption of office soon after thelast general elections, the stategovernor, Mr. Patrick IbrahimYakowa, ordered a verificationexercise of civil servants in thestate.

“The exercise was successful asthe names of many staff who hadleft the service were found on thepay roll.

“A committee is currentlyimplementing the far reachingrecommendations made by thestaff verification committee.

“There was decongestion ofsome 364 staff of Kaduna Northand Kaduna South localgovernments to facilitate promptpayment of salaries to staff of thetwo local governments andprovide manpower to areas ofneed.”

In order to eliminate what shedescribed as social and economicwastages, Ugah said thatgovernment had to merge some ofthe ministries with similaroperations.

L-R: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Minister Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, National President, All Farmers Associationof Nigeria and former governor of Nasarawa state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, during the African Human Development Report 2012on food security, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

PAGE 7PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Undergraduate hangs self in AbakalikiA 400-level Medical

Laboratory studentof Ebonyi State

University (EBSU),Abakaliki, has been founddead, after apparentlyhanging himself in hisroom.

The undergraduate,who was identified asMichel Onwe, was founddead in his room at No 16Ibe Street, Abakaliki, onSunday.

The News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) reports

that his neighboursbecame apprehensive ofhis whereabouts afterthey had not seen him forsometime.

They subsequentlyalerted the police, whocame and forced his roomopen, only to discover hisbody dangling from theroof.

A neighbour, whospoke to NAN on thecondition of anonymity,said that the late Onwehad spent over 6 years in

The Senatorr e p r e s e n t i n gBauchi North

senatorial district BabayoGarba Gamawa has donateditems worth over N33million to people in the 118wards of seven localgovernment areas of Bauchistate.

Senator Gamawa whorounded of presentation ofsome items to the councils inhis senatorial districtyesterday, stated that theitems were meant toalleviate the suffering ofpeople.

According to him, “it’sour responsibility to

Senator Babayo donates N33m items to constituentsencourage our people in therural areas to be self-employed through our effortas leaders and those electedto serve them”.

The items distributedinclude 160 motorcycles,

the university.“He was first offered

admission as a medicalstudent, but was offeredan alternative course inmedical laboratory in thesame institution after hefailed his medicalexaminations twice.’’

The witness describedthe late Onwe as a nativeof Umuogodoshe in Mgbotown, Ohaukwu localgovernment area ofEbonyi state, who hadrecently alleged a threat

to his life by a cult group.The Police Public

Relations Officer, Ebonyicommand, ASP JohnEluu, confirmed the

The Minister of Tourism,Culture and NationalOrientation, Chief

Edem Duke, has called fordialogue among diversepeoples to address currentsecurity challengesconfronting the country.

This is coming amidstrising disinvestmentcaused by attacks by theBoko Haram sect spreadingall over the north.

Duke said this at the2012 World Culture Daycelebration organised bythe ministry incollaboration with UnitedNations EducationScientific and CulturalOrganisation (UNESCO)yesterday in Abuja.

He said that it was onlythrough dialogue thatpains of aggrieved personscould be assuaged.

Minister advocates dialogue with Boko Haram

From Ahmed Kaigama,Bauchi

136 sewing machines, 136bicycles, 320 spaghettimachines, 75 irrigationpumps and 35 sets ofjerseys.

He said, “this is my ownway of appreciating the

local government whichwould present it to thestate government forformal approval.

In a swift reaction, amember of the rulinghouse who cravedanonymity, said thefamily decision hadalready sparked off achieftaincy tussle in theancient town as thepurported nomination ofIsakoto runs contrary tothe traditions and customsof Koton-Karfe which hasproduced 22 Ohimeges, over a period of 262years.

According to him “ by tradition, Alhaji AkawuSalihu, the Galadima ofKoton-Karfe who is also thesecond in- command in thetraditional titleshierarchy, is supposed toascend the throne as thenew Ohimege and notIsakoto .”

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

Row over vacant traditional stool in Kogi ruling houses who are poised for a showdown, ifthe decision is notrescinded.

The Odaki ruling houseof Koton-Karfe, in Kogistate had within the week nominated AlhajiAbdulrazak Isakoto to fillthe vacant stool left by thedeath of Alhaji MammanLafia on March 3, 2012.

Addressing newsmenat the weekend in Lokoja,spokesman of the rulinghouse, Alhaji AbdullahiMohamnmed-Koto, said the choice of Isakoto was acollective decision by themajority of members fromthe seven out of the eightrecognised compoundsthat make up the rulinghouse.

He noted that theruling houses hadforwarded AbdulrazakIsakoto to the kingmakersfor ratification andtransmission to the Kogi

According to him, “letthose who espouse hate,promote destruction andconflicts realise that it isonly through dialogue anddialogue alone that theirpains and grievances canbe assuaged’’.

“They shouldtherefore engagegovernment inmeaningful dialogue andrapprochement forsustainable peace in ournation,’’ Duke added.

He stressed the need topromote the country’scultural diversity, sayingthat it promotesinterdependence andserves as a platform fortolerance and in-depthunderstanding of otherpeople’s values. (NAN)

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

The Kogi stategovernor, CaptainIdris Wada has

described the marriage institution as a love-basedunion that could only besustained throughtolerance, forgiveness and the fear of Allah

The governor gave thisadvice over the weekendduring the weddingceremony of the daughterof the Speaker of the stateHouse of Assembly, AlhajiAbdullahi Bello, whilecalling on the couple to beunited in all theirundertakings.

He advised the newcouple, Miss Salamatu Belloand Mr. Abdullahi Enesi toavoid a third party in theiraffairs.

He said it is the duty ofthe two people who arejoined in marriage to workhard to build a relationshipthat could stand the test oftime.

mandate given to me assenator representing BauchiNorth senatorial district bymy people in one year afterthe legal battle, I feel I shouldcome home and thank themfor their support”.

incident and said that thebody has been depositedat the Federal TeachingHospital, Abakaliki.

“The Police has

c o m m e n c e dinvestigation into thematter with a view tounraveling the cause ofhis death. (NAN)

The tentative choicefor the next Ohimegeof Kotonkarfe in Kogi

state by the Odaki rulinghouse has started brewingbad blood among other

Kogi AssemblySpeaker’sdaughter marries

By Lawrence Olaoye

1999 constitution not a peoplesconstitution, Reps affirm

The House ofR e p r e s e n t a t i v e syesterday affirmed

that the 1999 constitutionwas not a peoplesconstitution because thedocument was midwifed bythe military.

Deputy Speaker of theHouse and chairman,House Ad hoc Committeeon Constitution Review,Hon. Emeka Ihedioha,made the assertionyesterday while briefingnewsmen on thememoranda received bythe committee so far.

He said "The 1999Constitution is a militaryconstitution. It is not apeople's constitution, so weare trying to make apeople's constitution."

According to him, hiscommittee had received 75memoranda from the civilsociety, academia andother segments of thesociety on different areas.

Some of the areas thathave attracted the peoplesresponses include theconcept of federalism;Nigeria's politicalstructure, devolution ofpowers, indigeneship,citizenship, justiciability ofchapter 2 of the 1999Constitution, localgovernment reforms,among other areas.

On whether the Houseand the Senate mayconsider whittling thepowers of state governors

by awarding State Housesof Assembly and localcouncils autonomy, he saidthat would depend on thewishes of the majority.

"We don't expect or setout to whittle down thepowers of the stategovernments. State Housesof Assembly, stakeholdersand majority of Nigerianswill decide on that", he said.

He assured Nigeriansthat the committee wouldgive them a "people-friendly and modern-day"compliant constitutionthat would address a lot ofconcerns holding thecountry down.

On state creation, theDeputy Speaker said hiscommittee was "receivingsubmissions in trickles".

He added that thecommittee might list somenew states in theconstitution if the majorityof Nigerian demanded forthem.

On whether thecommittee will consider aproposal on part-timelegislation, he said that alsowould "depend on what themajority of Nigerianswant".

He however added that"the bulk of the work thatthe House and the Senatehave done within a shorttime may not have beenachieved with a part-timelegislature". The House is tobegin its retreat on theconstitution on May 24,2012 in Port Harcourt,Rivers state.

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1Mobile Soft drinks shop at GSMVillage, in Abuja. Photos: Joe Oroye

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Seller roasting corn yesterday atGSM Village, in Abuja.

A disabled roadside fuel hawkernear NNPC Mega Station, in Abuja.

Fruits hawker waiting for customers,at the GSM Village, in Abuja.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012 PAGE 17

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 21, 2012PAGE 8

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Some areas washed away by flood,yesterday at Dula-Falam, Kwami lgaof Gombe state. Photos: NAN

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Young men milking a cow, yesterdayat Njoboliyo village of Yola southlocal government area of Adamawa.

CPL. Hudu Isah, a conscientioustraffic warden at work on OlusegunObasanjo way, zone 7, Wuse inAbuja, yesterday.

L-R: Acting Inspector General ofPolice Mohammed Abubakar, withLagos state Governor, Mr BabatundeFashola, during the IGP’s visit to thegovernor, yesterday in Lagos.

PAGE 9PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

L-R: Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uche Chukwumerije,and Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETF) Professor Mahmood Yakub, during an oversight visit by the committee toTETF office, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Lagos lawmakers summon commissioner over illegal fundingKuye and his counterpart at theMinistry of Youth, Sports andSocial Development, EnitanOshodi, to appear before themtoday in order to make someclarifications.

They both were invited overissues concerning the illegalfunding of the Lagos State JuniorLeague Board. They wereinvited alongside the chairmanof Conference 57, AkeemSulaiman.

Chairman, House Committeeon Youth, Sports and Social

Development, Babatunde Ayenihad complained to his colleaguesover an alleged illegal collectionof money from the 57 localgovernment councils in the state.

However, at yesterday’s(Monday) plenary session, Kuyesent a letter to the lawmakersinforming them that he wouldnot be available, as he has aministerial briefing scheduled fortoday.

Following the directive by thestate governor, BabatundeFashola to his cabinet members

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos to always honour the lawmakers’call no matter what, Kuye urgedthe House to choose another datefor him and his colleagues toappear.

The Deputy Speaker of theHouse, Taiwo Kolawole whopresided over the day’s sitting,however expressed the belief thatthere was no reason to overstressthe issue; adding that “The Clerkshould write to them again andinform them that the House willbe sitting by 10am on Tuesdayand we will be expecting them”.

ACN faults Jonathan’s delayin reinstating Justice SalamiThe Action Congress of

Nigeria (ACN), has saidPresident Goodluck

Jonathan was sending out wrongsignals on his administration’scommitment to the rule of law andhis status as the President of thecountry, rather than being amere PDP apparatchik, bydelaying the reinstatement ofJustice Ayo Salami as President

of the Court of Appeal, asrecommended by the NationalJudicial Council (NJC).

In a statement issued in Lagosyesterday by its NationalPublicity Secretary, Alhaji LaiMohammed, the party said everysingle day that the reinstatementof Justice Salami is delayeddeepens the widely-held beliefthat President Jonathan has morethan a statutory interest in thecontroversial suspension of Justice

Salami.‘’The jet speed with which the

President accepted therecommendation of the same NJCto suspend Justice Salami hasplaced a huge moral burden onhim to stop pandering to thenaysayers in his party andapprove the NJC’srecommendation reversing itsearlier decision.

‘’The courageous act of the NJCis a reflection of the determination

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Members of Lagos stateHouse of Assembly havemandated the

Commissioner for LocalGovernments and ChieftaincyAffairs, Ademorin Kuye, to appearbefore them unfailingly, in spiteof his scheduled ministerialbriefing for today (Tuesday).

The lawmakers had at one oftheir plenary sessions last week,directed the Acting Clerk of theHouse, Segun Abiru to write

of the judiciary to put an end to acrisis that has dented its image inthe eyes of the world. Therefore, itwill be most unfortunate if theexecutive arm of governmentwill be the one fomenting a freshcrisis in the judiciary. This is whyPresident Jonathan must acttoday, over a week after the NJCmade its recommendation,’’ itsaid.

ACN said the President mustknow that his delay in approvingthe NJC recommendation hasemboldened all sorts of characters,including those without locusstandi, to institute frivolouslawsuits seeking to stop thereinstatement of Justice Salami.

“If this is true, it may very wellsignal the death knell of thejudiciary, which will not augurwell for the country. A countrywhere the rule of law is tied topolitical expediency cannot expectto attract foreign investments orearn any respect in the comity ofnations. We therefore hopePresident Jonathan is listening,’’the party said.

The Minister of Aviation, Mrs.Stella Oduah has disclosedthat plans are underway to

establish an aviation trainingcenter to specifically improvecapability and manpowerdevelopment to ensure thatcustomers are paid their duerights.

Oduah, who was speaking ata ministerial briefing at the PressCenter of the Radio House, Abuja,

to mark President Jonathan’s oneyear in governance, lamentedhow she met a very sad anddeplorable aviation sector whenshe assumed office.

She pointed out that majorefforts were put in place totransform the aviation sector,as it has been effectively carriedout by the stakeholders in thesector.

According to her, the sectorhas put the interest of thecitizens of the country as its

primary interest and had triedits best to ensure the protectionof the rights of its customers; andin boosting the economy of thenation, to which the sectorcontributes only about 3%, anda lot people depended on it fortheir economic activities.

She also assured that theissue of delays, cancellation andrecurring technical problems inflights would be a thing of thepast adding, “the provision ofaviation fuel is in progress”.

Aviation training centre underway, says ministerBy Muhammad Sada

VC condoles withWukari peopleover PrimeMinister’s death

The Vice Chancellor ofJubilee University,Wukari, Prof. Geoffrey

Okogbaa has paid a condolencevisit to Aku-Uka of Wukari, Dr.Shekarau Angyu Masa-Ibi, overthe death of traditional primeminister of Wukari, Manu IdiAgbu (Abo-Acio).

Okogbaa, speaking on behalfof the university community,expressed his heartfeltcondolences to His Majesty andthe Wukari community on thedemise of the prime minister,whose contributions to theuniversity he described assignificant. He therefore prayedfor them to have the fortitude tobear the loss.

Dr. Shekarau, whileresponding, thanked the vicechancellor and members of theuniversity for their show ofconcern on the demise of theprime minister, late Manu IdiAgbu (Abo-Acio) who playedsignificant roles in harmonisingthe culture and traditions of thepeople.

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Bauchi polytechnicstudents protestshut down

Students of Abubakar TatariAli Polytechnic, Bauchi,have protested the

indefinite shutdown of thethree campuses of thepolytechnic by the Bauchi stategovernment.

The protesting studentsblocked the busy Bauchi-Josroad with bonfires, rainingabuses on the Bauchi stategovernor, Malam Isa Yugudaand the state government overthe decision to close the threecampuses indefinitely.

The Bauchi stategovernment ordered the closureof the three campuses of thepolytechnic on Sunday throughthe Chief Press Secretary (CPS),Mr. Ishola Michael, who saidgovernment was forced to closedown the school because thestudents were planning to go ondemonstration over relocationof the school to the maincampus.

Speaking to ourcorrespondent, the President ofthe students union governmentof the school, ComradeAbubakar Sadiq Garba, said:“We have to go on protestbecause no notice was given tous, and some of us have startedwriting our exams, so sendingus home until further notice isvery unfair, we were only givenone hour to pack our luggageand leave the campuses.

The SUG president appealedto the Bauchi state governmentto rescind its decision andconsider the plight of thestudents.

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

PAGE 10 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

20 million nomads under threatof crises – NGOThe Pastoral Resolve (PARE),

a registered charityorganisation, said yesterday

that about 20 million nomads inthe country were beingthreatened by frequent attacksover grazing land.

Malam Umar Hassan, theExecutive Director of PARE, toldthe News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)in Kaduna that the victims were

under constant attacks by variouscommunities because of their(nomads) search for greenerpastures.

“Today, there are about 20million people who are nomadswandering around the countrywith their livestock.

“They have no permanenthomes; they are forever on the movefrom one place to the next in search

of grass and water for their animals”.Hassan explained that during

the dry season, the nomads movegenerally southwards, followinggreener pastures and wateringpoints.

According to him, they also movenorthwards at the onset of the rainyseason to escape the “dreaded tsetsefly” which causes Trypanosomiasis(a livestock killer disease).

“We are estimating 170million people in Nigeria. With thislarge and ever increasing humanpopulation, access to land and itsresources will continue to be moreand more restricted”.

Hassan lamented that thenomads were becoming endanderedspecie because of frequent attacks onthem and their livestock by somehostile communities in their searchfor greener pastures.

To stem the tide of violentattacks between farmers andpastoralists as well as growing

national insecurity, he disclosedthat PARE would organise a twinnational conference in Kaduna andAbuja on June 14 and July 9,respectively.

PARE, a Kaduna based NGO,registered in April 1999 as a charityorganisation by the CorporateAffairs Commission, is set toinfluence, encourage and assist inpromoting the interest and welfareof all nomadic pastoralists.

It also works to preserve theirtradition and cultural valuesystems. (NAN)

Peoples Daily Katsina statecorrespondent, MalamLawal Sa’idu Funtua, has

lost his younger brother, MalamMurtala Gambo.

Malam Murtala, 29, died atthe Federal Medical Centre,Katsina after a brief illness.

The deceased was a staff ofFuntua local government, Katsinastate. He left behind his father, awife and a daughter. His was buriedyesterday in Funtua in accordancewith Islamic rites.

Peoples Dailycorrespondentloses brother

The Association ofProfessional Bodies ofNigeria (APBN), based in

Lagos, yesterday, called upon theFederal Government not to raiseelectricity tariff now.

The call was made by thepresident of the association, Mr.Segun Ajanlekoko in an appeal tothe Federal Government in Lagosduring an interview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) on thenew electricity tariff regime billedto kick off on June 1, 2012.According to him, the decision wasnot good enough as the citizenrydo not have access to standardelectricity supply for two hours ata stretch per day.

“I wonder how many people inNigeria are there that can boast ofhaving power for two hours in aday”, he said. He also added that theFederal Government should put onhold the proposed upward review ofelectricity charges until when powergeneration and distribution in thecountry improves.

He said Nigerians were notcomplaining about the charges ofGSM operators because they weregetting their services and thatNigerians were ready to pay forstable power supply.

“Let us have stable power first,then the government can chargewhatever it likes”, he said.

It has been widely reported thatthe Federal Government hasapproved a hike in electricity tariffwhich it announced will kick off onJune 1st this year.

Group calls onFG not to raiseelectricity tariff

Governor Rabiu MusaKwankwaso of Kano statehas launched the state’s

official website and social mediapages, promising to take adviceand constructive criticisms.

The governor made this knownat the Government House during thelunching of the website yesterday,which was one of the occasions linedup to mark his one year anniversary.

He warned that while the

government will accept suggestionsand constructive criticisms on theway to develop Kano to an enviableposition, he will not condoneirresponsibility.

“People especially those fromopposition camps should thereforemind their language as we will notallow such things to thrive in thisstate any longer.”

On the social media pages,Kwankwaso stated that it willenable people of the state andbeyond, the opportunity to follow

From Bala Nasir, Kano events and developments in thestate and to also post theircomments and suggestions as well.

“Our government is people-oriented and has nothing to hide.That is why we post all ourexecutive council extracts onlineto elicit ideas, opinions and adviceon how to improve things.”

He explained that the newwebsite will project the state’scultural identity, history, business,tourism and human resourcespotentials among other things.

The website, www.kano.gov.ngand its twin social networking IDs,Facebook – Kano state government,Twitter - @Kano state govt. and theYouTube channel, www.youtube.com/myKNSG were essentiallycreated with a view to project thestate and events as they are to all itssons and daughters in Diaspora.

Meanwhile, GovernorKwankwaso also signed the state’sRoad Traffic Agency (KAROTA)2012 bill which was passed by thestate’s House of Assembly into law.

Kano commissions official website

Tozali magazine is hostingits 2nd edition of theHENNA BALL and award

night for this year to support girlchild education in the country andto showcase Nigeria’s strong pointas a nation, with the theme:“Celebrating the African Women”.

A statement issued by themanagement of the magazine andthe initiators of the event, said theevent was organised in recognitionof the challenge of deprivation ofthe girl child in education,identified as one of the major

setbacks for women especially inthe northern part of the country.

The statement further said thatthis year’s HENNA BALL was gearedtowards expanding a framework ofan event which has a socialundertone aimed at addressingsociety’s ills as it affects the mostvulnerable group in the society suchas women and children.

The event, which is slated for26th May, 2012, at theInternational Conference Centre,Abuja, will also showcase glitz andglamour at its peak, runway andNigeria’s culture and fashionamong others.

By Maryam Garba Hassan

Tozali hosts HENNA BALL tosupport girl child education

Ogun state government hasconcluded arrangementsfor the distribution of 500

transformers to 500 communitiesin the state, which will be the firstphase of the distribution as part ofthe government’s resolve to put anend to the non-availability ofelectricity supply to the affectedcommunities.

The Commissioner for SpecialDuties, Dr. Lanre Tejuoso, madethis known at the ministerial

briefing in preparation for the firstyear anniversary of theadministration, disclosing that thedistribution will take place onFriday at Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan in Abeokuta.

It could be recalled that OlokutaCommunity in Idi-Aba area ofAbeokuta, has been at the forefrontfor agitation for the transformers,hence, government resolved toaddress the plight of thecommunity and others throughthe acquisition of 500transformers which is the first setof the proposed 2,000.

From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji,Abeokuta

Ogun to distribute 500transformers to communities

Chairman, Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, going through an exhibition, during a ministerialplatform, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012 PAGE 11

and Defence. According to the statement,

the decision is one of the outcomesof the meeting, convened to ensurethe restoration of constitutionalrule in the country threatened bythe military junta.

Capt. Amadou Sanogo, theleader of the junta, was advised torefrain from making publicpronouncements that implied thathe was still in control.

The council noted that failureto comply with these decisions

ECOWAS sends joint AU-UN delegation to MaliMinisters of the ECOWAS

Mediation and SecurityCouncil have sent a joint

ECOWAS, African Union and UNdelegation to Mali to “deliver astrong message to the junta againstmeddling in the country's politicalprocess”.

A statement by the ECOWASCommission on Sunday in Abuja,said that the decision was taken ata one day extraordinary session ofthe council attended by theregion's Ministers of Foreign Affairs

would result in the reinstatementof targeted sanctions againstmembers of the junta and theirassociates.

Accordingly, the decision alsocame amidst reports that the juntawas threatening to disrupt the interimpolitical arrangement expected tobring about the election of a presidentafter a 12-month transition.

The statement recalled thatthe Framework Agreement signedon April 6, by the junta andECOWAS led to the handover of

power to the former Speaker ofParliament as Interim President.

It also recalled that theagreement led to the appointmentof a Prime Minister and a 12-monthtransition programme that wouldend with the the election of apresident for the country.

The sanctions were originallyimposed by the Authority of Headsof State and Government at itsextraordinary summit in March,in response to the coup but werelifted after the agreement. (NAN)

Four international studentsare participating in theongoing four months junior

course of the Armed ForcesCommand and Staff College(AFCSC), Jaji, near Kaduna, RearAdmiral Duke Osuafa, the DeputyCommandant of the college, has said.

Osuafa made this known to theNews Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

shortly after inspecting a five-dayfield exercise tagged “ExerciseUBIAK-ISIN” at Afaka, nearKaduna on Sunday.

He said it was the final part ofthe four-month training for the 69students who are in the rank ofcaptains.

The deputy commandant saidthat students from Liberia,

Cameroun, Benin Republic andThe Gambia as well as personnel ofFederal Road Safety Corps (FRSC),Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA)and Department of State SecurityService (DSSS) were taking partin the programme.

He said that the junior course73 of the Land Warfare was part ofthe AFCSC programme meant to

expose the students on all phases ofwar from classroom to field workdepicting a real war situation.

“The field training exercise ismeant to expose the students on allphases of war, which weretheoretically taught in thesyndicate room.

“These include advance andquick attack, night attack, raids,

ambushes, patrol and withdrawalsunder a fictitious dispute between twocountries of Delkari and Tyrania”.

NAN reports that the studentsare undergoing training inarmoured tank handling, trenchtactics, emergency medicalservices, information services andother war theatre intrigues as inreal situation. (NAN)

Four foreign students participate in junior AFCSC junior course

As part of activities markingthe one year anniversary ofhis administration,

Governor Ibikunle Amosun and topofficials of the Ogun stategovernment will today begin aseries of town hall meetings withopinion leaders and thecommissioning of projects in thestate's three senatorial districts.

The senatorial town hallmeetings will commence in OgunWest and will hold at the EmpireHall, Ilaro. Before the town hallmeeting, the governor willcommission the Oju-Ore-IlogboRoad in Ota and lay the foundationstone for one of the 26 ModelSecondary Schools to beconstructed by theadministration.

The foundation layingceremony will hold on a site locatedon Ilaro-Owode Road.

The Ogun Central town hallmeeting scheduled to hold onTuesday at the Abeokuta SportsClub Complex, Oke Ilewo inAbeokuta will be preceded by thelaying of the foundation stone ofthe Model Secondary School inOnijanganjangan as well as thecommissioning of the access roadconstructed to link the IndustrialPark in the same area and theArinlese-Saje Road in Abeokuta.

On Wednesday May 23, thetown hall meeting will move toOgun East Senatorial District andwill hold at the Itoro Hall, IjebuOde.

In Ogun East, GovernorAmosun and his team willcommission the flood and erosioncontrol project at MolipaCommunity and will turn the sodfor the construction of the ModelSecondary School at Yemoji inIjebu Ode.

Amosunbegins townhall meetingsFrom Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

The General Manager of Plateau Radio/Telivision Corporation, Mr. BulusDabit, says that the city of Jos in

Plateau state is gradually witnessing a hugeinflux of people.

Dabit attributed the development to thegood prevailing weather of Jos and theimprovement in the security situation inthe town.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Jos on Sunday that the stategovernment had been executing people-oriented projects and programmes, therebyencouraging people to return to the town.

“The city of Jos in recent times has beenconverted into almost a huge constructionsite, wherever you go, you will see thatgovernment is working.

“There are greater efforts towards

expanding the infrastructure within thecity in anticipation of its evolution into amega city and government is consciousabout the movement of people into Jos fromevery part of the country.

“I wish it were possible for the FederalGovernment to give intervention fund tothe Plateau government to host this massivemovement of people.

“People are moving into Jos massivelyand the kind of resources the Plateaugovernment gets from the federal allocationis too meager; it cannot cope with the type ofexpansion to accommodate the influx.

“However, the government as you cansee, is doing its best to expand the provisionof potable water, roads, ensure stable powersupply and other social infrastructure,”Dabit said. (NAN)

Jos witnesses influx of people – Dabit

An aged man was on Saturday arrestedfor stealing a journalist’s iPad at a booklaunch held at the Yar’adua Centre,

Abuja.Anyi Emmanuel, an acclaimed pastor

and the coordinator of Christ TreasuredRoyal Orphanage Home, opposite LEAPrimary School, Bako-Kwali, Abuja,presented himself as part of the organisers ofthe book launch and offered to renderassistance to the reporter due to certainreasons not disclosed, to record the on-goingbook launch with the reporters’ iPad lastFriday.

According to the reporter, all eyes werefocused on him until when he sent for me toask if he could take the photograph of a

guest. As soon as I turned my back, hedisappeared.

Our reporter said although peoplearound confirmed seeing him going out withthe iPad asking for where to print, when shecalled the SIM number in the iPad,“Emmanuel gave a warning that I shouldnever in my life call this line again”.

On Saturday morning however, thesaying ‘many days for the thief one day forthe owner’ caught up with Emmanuel as hewas said to have returned to the venue tolook for the jacket of ‘his’ iPad which he saidhe forgot on Friday. Unknown to him, allsecuritymen at the venue were alerted onFriday. Therefore, he was arrested and takento Wuse Zone 3 Police Station. Mr.Emmanuel is awaiting trial in Wuse Zone 6court on charge of theft.

Man arrested for stealing iPadBy Joan Okolie-Iginla

L-R: Commadant, Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Major-General Kenneth Osuji, and Director, Counter-Terrorism, Counter-Insurgency Centre, Brigadier-General Tijani Golau, during the graduation ceremony of Quick Response Groups, Batch 6, on Sundayin Jaji, Kaduna state. Photo: NAN

PAGE 12 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Needless furore overBuhari’s comment

Former Head of State, GeneralMuhammadu Buhari [Rtd],stirred the hornet's nest last

week when he declared that thecoming general elections may turnbloody if the Independent NationalElectoral Commission [INEC] fails toorganize free and fair polls. TheCongress for Progressive Change [CPC]presidential candidate in the 2011election specifically said: "God willingby 2015, something will happen. Theyeither conduct free and fair electionsor they go a very disgraceful way. Ifwhat happened in 2011 should happenagain in 2015, by the grace of God, thedog and the baboon would be soaked inblood".

As expected, the Presidency and theruling Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]wasted no time in descending on thethree- time presidential candidate invitriolic attacks describing him as ablood thirsty politician who has turnedhimself into a sectional leader. In astatement signed by PresidentialSpokesman, Reuben Abati, said, “wefind it very sad that an elder statesmanwho once presided over the entirety ofNigeria can reduce himself to aregional leader who speaks for only apart of Nigeria.”

The PDP also put the boot in whenits spokesman, Olisah Metuh, said: "Itis very clear that the CPC presidentialcandidate in the 2011 elections isalready setting the stage for anotherround of bloodletting akin to whathappened in after the 2011 generalelections. …the PDP finds it verydisturbing that in spite of the serioussecurity challenges facing the country,

“President Jonathan didpromise to ensure the

conduct of credibleelections at his

inauguration but we areafraid that many Nigeriansare not convinced yet thathe is keen on delivering

that promise

Buhari, a former Head of State, is onceagain inciting people to take the law intotheir hands".

In his defence however, his party,the CPC and the Action Congress ofNigeria [ACN], said the former Generalhas done nothing but issue a timelywarning of the consequences thatawait in the event that the 2015 pollsare rigged. ACN said "Buhari's

statement was nothing but a warningagainst those who may be planning torig the 2015 general elections, hence, itshould not have rankled anyone whobelieves in free, fair and transparentpolls".

Peoples Daily concurs with thestance of the ACN on this matter. Whileno well meaning Nigeria will like arepeat of the sad aftermath of the 2011elections, the federal government must

take note of the fact that the eventswere principally sparked as a result ofthe massive rigging that occurred -never mind what so called observerssaid. The president after all admittedas much when he declared that thepolls that ushered him into office wereimperfect. The federal governmentmust also realize that ordinaryNigerians have become moreenlightened and therefore interestedin the electoral process andgovernance to sit idly by and watchthose in power do as they please withtheir votes.This much was evidentduring the fuel subsidy protests earlyin the year where Nigerians across thenation protested en-masse theobnoxious removal. It is this twinrealization that may have informedBuhari's statement and we feel theauthorities will do well to heed hiswarning and allow the choice of thepeople as expressed via the ballot boxto prevail, come 2015.

We are surprised that in theirresponses, both the Presidency and thePDP failed to address the criticalstrand of Buhari's comment aboutelection rigging. Instead theydissipated so much energy on hisrecord as a former military ruler. Weare worried that such attitude may notpush the government to take the rightsteps in ensuring the elections areindeed free and fair. PresidentJonathan did promise to ensure theconduct of credible elections at hisinauguration but we are afraid thatmany Nigerians are not convinced yetthat he is keen on delivering thatpromise.

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

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CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

ALI M. ALI

GM PUBLICATIONS

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MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION

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HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING

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industry by putting thepeople first, upholdingthe truth, maintaining

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012 PAGE 13

Her second coming asNigeria’s finance ministerwith the curious

(dubious) title of coordinatingminister for the economyprovided her wide latitude. Shornof the dream team that gave hermuch support, she is the defactoprime minister and is heavilyrelied on by the president who isawe struck by her brilliance somuch so that he was at a loss whenAngola and South Africanominated her for the world bankpresidency. She has done nothingdifferent from her debutappearance. On the contrary,while been given a blank cheque ;she is bent on implementing thosesame failed policies that havetaken us nowhere. This wasmanifestly seen in the issue of fuelsubsidy removal. She has insistedthat the only way to rescueNigeria was through the removalof the subsidy.

As a student of the neoclassicalschool, her narrative hasconsistently been focused purelyon fiscal issues to the detriment ofissues pertaining to social justice.She failed woefully to convinceNigerians of the benefits of theremoval of the subsidy. Theruckus from that ill-timed andpoorly conceived policy revealsthat she was insincere, and her

image has been badly damaged.She constantly moaned at everygiven time that she is here to saveus; but how many Nigeriansbelieved her? On the contrary sheis here to destroy us.Implementing such an obnoxiouspolicy without a thoroughcleanup of the oil and gas sectorwhere sweet heart deals wererampant shows that she has beencompromised. She was alsoculpable in the deaths of protestersand the authoritarian way inwhich she handled the situation.The world took notice, so too didObama.

While she grumbles that thesystem for choosing the WorldBank president is unfair, she andher principal forget that what goesaround comes around; the bestcandidate doesn’t always win.

Her economic policy suffersfrom three major deficits: ofrelevance, credibility and trust.Relevance, because her approachis too outdated to be relevant in acountry where the vast majorityare poor and need creativesolutions to their predicaments. Itsuffers from relevance becausethere is also the emergence of anupwardly mobile class who arewielding significant economicclout and demanding reform ofnational institutions and saneeconomic policies and understandbetter the issues that affect their

lives.Credibility, because of her

continuing reliance onW a s h i n g t o n - c o n s e n s u sarguments that should have beenditched long ago because of theirpoor results.

Most Nigerians simply do nottrust her or the World Bank (orthe IMF) to protect their interests– in fact; these Breton woodsinstitutions are seen as workingagainst such interests.

Since leadership is cut off fromthe society, they assume that therising number of cars, cell phonesand other paraphernalia of lifesuggest that more people areenjoying higher living standards.What they fail to know is thatNigeria has regressed relative toits neighbors and relative to itselfin the past few years as measuredby vaccinations, infant mortalityand access to health care. It iscommon knowledge that almostseventy percent of the populationlive on not more than two dollarsper day, findings also indicatethat less than thirty percent of thepopulation improved its livingstandard during the last fiveyears while the lot of theremainder has worsened. Moreover, about 40 percent ofchildren under five remain underheight or underweight for theirage.

The economic policies pursued

by Nigeria do not seem to haveany effect in reversing thegenerally negative trendmentioned above. Many ofNigeria’s policy decisions seem tobe modelled on other countries’very different experiences. It wasrevealed that the then CentralBank Governor Charles Soludoapparently got the idea ofincreasing the capitalizationrequirement for banks to 25billion naira (about USD 190million) while attending aseminar in Southeast Asia on theexperiences of Indonesia andMalaysia. They adopt thesepolicies piecemeal from variouscountries and hail it as “bestpractices” with great discomfortand disaster to Nigerians.

Another example of this waswitnessed recently at the house ofRepresentatives probe into the nearcollapse of the capital market, NdiOkereke-Onyuike the formerDirector General of the NigerianStock Exchange revealed that thatmisguided idea called Transcorpwas an initiative of Obasanjo afterhe had read the book written byLee Kuan Yew ’From Third worldto First world: The SingaporeStory, 1965-2000’. It was more orless a delusional attempt atgrandeur which was bound to falllike a pack of cards.

For her economic policies to beeffective, she must jettison her

haughtiness. She needs to be morehumble, and this humility shouldmake her listen more andprescribe less. If she listens, shewill discover that there is a largegroup of very poor who still needsocial and state protection; thatmarket solutions can only workwhen the playing field becomeslevel for such groups, who havebeen left behind by the economicgrowth; rather than chasing thelatest development fads.

What is needed is the provisionof a sane and plausible strategyfor growing out of poverty ratherthan killing the patient with moredestructive austerity measures.

Development must thereforebe conceived of as amultidimensional processinvolving major changes in socialstructures, popular attitudes, andnational institutions as well as theacceleration of economic growth,the reduction of inequality andthe eradication of poverty.

For any economic policy tomake sense, we (Nigerians) mustseize control of the disruptivepolitics and ruinous corruptionthat is set to dismember us, createand strengthen institutions, andchange the mentality of theleaders and followers alike and setup genuine social services to assistthe poor and the needy in thesociety.

Concluded

Okonjo-Iweala: The best Presidentthe World Bank never had (II)By Jude Egbas

Uniting to produce 2015 President:Ethical deficit of Northern GovernorsBy Salihu Mohammed Lukman

Media reports on Friday,May 18, 2012highlighted that the

nineteen (19) NorthernGovernors are uniting to producethe 2015 – 2019 President of theFederal Republic of Nigeria. Theannouncement was said to bemade by the then, now former,Chairman of Northern GovernorsForum, Governor MuazuBabagida Aliyu of Niger Stateafter the meeting of the Governorsin Kaduna on Thursday, May 17,2012. According to the report,Governor Aliyu remarked “wemust be united more than ever togo into the 2015 elections as oneentity with the aim of producingthe president”. He advised all thegovernors and politicians in theNorth to remain focused andpursue issues of developmentrather than trivial issues thathave led to the retrogression of theregion in recent years.

Hausa people have a saying:Jumma’a mai kyau, daga Larabaake gane ta, meaning the sign of aGood Friday is noticed onWednesday. If our current realityin the North is anything to go by,it amounts to trivilising mattersand indulging in shadow boxingfor our Northern Governors to betalking of producing 2015

President. There are far moreurgent priorities facing our‘illustrious’ Governors ofNorthern Nigeria than the task ofproducing 2015 President of theFederal Republic of Nigeria.

Just take a look at the gorystatistics produced by the NationalBureau of Statistics (NBS) andother agencies and the challengesfacing our Governors in the 19Northern states is well defined. Forinstance, average unemploymentrate for the 19 states of NorthernNigeria is 27.9%, which is higherthan the national average of23.9%. What this means is thatabout one out of every three adultemployable citizen in the North isunemployed. With estimatedpopulation of 83 million, about 27million qualified workingpopulation of the region isunemployed. The reality will bemore appreciate if we take intoaccount that the workingpopulation may not be more than50% of the total population of theregion. The working population ofthe region therefore would beabout 40 million, out of which 27million are unemployed.

Problem of highunemployment in the region hassignificantly contributed to highpoverty rate, which the NBSestimate at 73.8% for the threezones that comprise the 19 states

in 2011. This is higher than thenational incidence of 69%, whichmeans that more than seven outof every ten citizens in the Northare poor. In other words anestimated 61 million citizensresident in the North are poor.

High unemployment andpoverty rates are partly areflection of low economicactivities. This, in many respects,has translated into low internallygenerated revenue (IGR) for allthe state governments in theregion, on account of which thetotal IGR for the 19 states for 2010,according to Central Bank ofNigeria Annual Report releasedin March 2011 was N92.1 billion.Compared to total personnel costof N245.7 billion, internalrevenue generation capacity forour 19 state governments canonly meet 37% of personnel costcommitment. Taking intoaccount the new minimum wageof N18,000, which came intoeffect in March 2011, the IGR ofour 19 Northern states may notbe able to meet more than 15% ofthe personnel cost commitmentof our state governments.

In addition to these problems,our 19 states are also highlyindebted, which according toinformation from the DebtManagement Office (DMO), as atDecember 31, 2011, was

US$834,600,888.72 orN129,363,137,751.60 at theexchange rate of N155 to US$.This represents 39.2% of the totaldebt of our 36 states.

Our 19 states are protectedfrom the negative impact of lowIGR and high debt profile withsoaring revenue from thefederation account, whichaccording to RevenueMobilisation Allocation and FiscalCommission (RMAFC) stood atN1,502,551,340,400.06 for theperiod January 2009 – December2011. This represents 56.53% ofthe total allocations to all the 36states of the federation. Theavailability of high revenue fromthe federation account enables our19 Northern states to meet upwith personnel and recurrentcommitments, which is madepossible because of high oil pricesin the international market thathas remained at more thanUS$100 per barrel for almost 10years now, if not more.

With prudent management ofthe high revenue from thefederation account, capacity ofour state governments togenerate employment and reducepoverty would have beenenhanced. Economic activities inthe region would have beenstimulated through strategicinvestment in the productive

sectors of the economy, as a resultof which the meager IGR wouldhave been boosted and economicviability of our statesguaranteed.

Unfortunately, all we have inreturn for high revenue from thefederation account is highunemployment, rising poverty,illiteracy, mortality rates, etc.This has produced high crimerates, insecurity and reign ofterror with the attendant colossalloss of lives and property. As thingsare, we are faced with a situationof anarchy, the magnitude ofwhich made Gen. (Rtd) T. Y.Danjuma, some few weeks back,in early May 2012, to declare thatthe country is on fire and queriedthe attitude of NorthernGovernors in handling thesecurity situation, which hascrippled some states in the region.

Gen. Danjuma’s alarm bellmay have generated political andpropaganda responses. However,the reality is very clear. Justattempt to visit Kano, Kaduna,Jos, Potiskum, Damaturu,Maiduguri, to mention few. Issuesof freedom, liberty, respect for lawand order have been lost. Citizens’lives in most Northern states areendangered and life has virtuallyreturned to the Hobesian state ofnature – nasty, brutish and short.

Continued on page 15

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012PAGE 14

An open letter to Dr. SamAmadi, NERC Chairman

Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, textmessages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written

contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name anda valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed

to:

The Editor,Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza,

35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com

SMS: 07037756364

WRITE TO US

We are Solicitors to theNational ConscienceParty (hereinafter

referred to as “our client”) on whosebehalf we write this letter to theFederal Government throughyour Commission.

Our client has instructed us tochallenge the decision of theFederal Government to increaseelectricity tariff with effect fromJune 1, 2012 at a time that theNigerian people are witnessing thenear collapse of electricity supplyin the country. In justifying thedecision you were reported to havesaid that it is designed to attractinvestors who would not ventureinto the business “unless there is aprofitable and sustainable tariffregime”.

With respect, your reliance onthe provisions of the Electric PowerSector Reform Act 2005 to justifythe proposed increase is totallymisleading as the NigerianElectricity RegulatoryCommission is only empowered bySection 76(2) of the Act to regulatethe prices of tariff to allow “alicensee that operates efficiently torecover the full costs of its businessactivities, including a reasonablereturn on the capital invested inthe business”. In other words, thereis no provision in the law thatempowers the Commission toincrease electricity tariff inanticipation of investment in theelectricity sector.

To that extent, the proposedincrease in electricity tariff isillegal in every materialparticular. However, in order tocushion the adverse effect of thenew tariff regime on the poorsegment of the population theFederal Government was reported

to have earmarked a subsidy ofN50 billion in the 2012Appropriation Act. Although theSenate has expressed concern overthe new tariff regime, it ought tobe pointed out thatit is legallyuntenable in asmuch as no bill forthe increase hasbeen submitted tothe NationalAssembly forpassage into lawas stipulated bySection 59(1)(b)of the Constitutionwhich providesthat there shall bea money bill “forthe imposition ofor increase in anytax, duty or fee orany reduction,withdrawal or cancellationthereof”.

In the case of Attorney-Generalof Bendel State v. Attorney-General of the Federation (1982)3 NCLR 1 at 64, ChukwuneikeIdigbe JSC of blessed memory heldinter alia: “In my view, a bill forthe payment, issue or withdrawalfrom the Consolidated RevenueFund or any other public fund ofthe federation such as theFederation Account under section149 of this Constitution of anymoney thereon, or any alteration

in the account of such payment,issue or withdrawal is money bill;and so also is a bill for theimposition of or increase in anytax, duty or fee or any reduction,

withdrawal or cancellation thereof(see section 55(1)(a); and therevenue allocation bill is a money-bill”.) Since Section 55(1) of the1979 Constitution is in parimateria with Section 59(1) of the1999 Constitution, you will agreewith us that the proposed increasein electricity tariff which has notbeen passed into law by theNational Assembly isunconstitutional and illegal.

We are therefore compelled tourge the Federal Government todrop the proposed tariff increase and

recover the bulk of the $16 billionalleged to have been wasted on thecomatose energy sector by theFederal Government under theOlusegun Obasanjo

Administration.In your

book onPrivatization& Public Good:The rule ofL a wC h a l l e n g epublished in2008 you hadf o r c e f u l l yargued that“the failure ofprivatizationin Nigeria inthe context ofrule of lawrelates to lackof adequate

institutional preparation beforebeginning with privatization.Again, privatization should beimplemented in a manner thatpromotes the rights of the peopleand strengthen social andeconomic institutions so that thegreatest public value can beproduced at the least cost.Nigerian privatization exercisedid not proceed in such orderlyand right respecting manner.This failure has producednegative result for the economyand the welfare and rights of the

people.”No doubt, the gross

mismanagement of the economyby the neo-colonial ruling class hassince aggravated poverty in thecountry to the extent that not lessthan 112 million people out of apopulation of 167 million peoplenow live on less than $2 a day.

In the circumstances, you willagree with us that the proposedincrease in electricity tariff is goingto further pauperize the masses ofour people. Convinced that theNigerian people are going to revoltagainst the immoral and illegalpolicy President GoodluckJonathan has directed yourCommission to embark on anationwide consultation on thematter. For reasons best known toyour Commission no step has beentaken to carry out the presidentialdirective.

TAKE NOTICE that if you failto announce the cancellation of theproposed increase in electricitytariff within seven days of thereceipt of this letter we shall nothesitate to initiate legalproceedings at the Federal HighCourt with a view to preventingyour Commission from engagingin the brazen violation of theprovisions of Section 59(1) of theConstitution and Section 76(2) ofthe Power Sector Reform Act2005.

Yours sincerely, Femi Falana.

A major sign that Nigeria hasreached virtually theborderline of a failing state

is the precarious situation of theNigeria Police Forceconstitutionally assigned withthe duty to maintain law andorder.

Just few hours after thereported bus explosion in theRivers State capital PortHarcourt on Thursday May 17th2012, the Rivers StateCommissioner of Police Mr.Mohammed Indabawa gatheredjournalists to refute thewidespread speculation that theincident which happened atRumuokoro Roundabout atabout 11am in the morning wasnot after all caused by theterrorism activities of thedreaded Maiduguri, Borno state-based armed Islamicfundametalist Boko haram groupbut was gas explosion during thecause of a planned robberyoperation by some four armedrobbers.

But several persons includingthis writer took the statement ofthe Police chief with a pinch ofsalt because of the low evel of trustfor the Nigeria Police force whoseoperatives have on severaloccasions disappointed Nigeriansby their spectacular failure tocarry out their assignedconstitutional duty of

maintaining law and order.To demonstrate how bad the

image of the Nigeria police hasbecome, Nigerians even still havesome elements of trust for thepolitical office holders whoobviously has the notoriety forbeing responsible for theeconomic devastation of Nigeriamuch more than the policeoperatives who routinely demandand obtain bribes from thecitizens before doing their jobs forwhich the tax payers’ money areused to service their salaries.

Most Nigerians will ratherbelieve the highly disreputablemembers of the political classthan trust the Nigeria police. Inmost developed societies, thecordial relationship between thepeople and the police is responsiblefor the low crime rate in thosecivilized democracies like theUnited Kingdom and Norway.

But in my fatherlandNigeria, soon after the Riversstate police commissioner soughtto douse the tension generated bythe widespread rumor that thePort Harcourt bus explosion wasbomb blasts by the Boko haramIslamic terrorist, sensing that nottoo many Nigerians took thepolice version of the story of thecircumstances surrounding theincident as true and credible, theState Governor, Rotimi Amaechiwent on the airwaves to debunkthe speculated involvement ofthe armed Islamic militants in

the bus explosion and offered anexplanation that the explosionwas caused by gas cylinderspacked by some armed robberswhile on their way to robsomewhere within the city andthe moment this story was aired,the tension that was building allacross the state significantlyreduced.

One thought that flashedthrough my mind soon after theRivers state Governor made theclarification and the peopleresponded positively was to asksome persons around me in Abujawhether this was not the sameGovernor Rotimi Amaechi thatnot too long ago was severelycriticized for allegedlyochestrating the passage of adubious bill in the Rivers stateHouse of Assembly whichawarded generous post-retirement benefits and largese toall previous holders of the office ofthe state Governor and deputygovernor?

Besides, the most frustratingaspect of these obscene post-retirement benefits is that the so-called law-makers of Rivers Statenever envisaged the fluideconomic circumstances thatNgeria is facing and how buoyantor otherwise the purse of theRivers State Government wouldlook like in the coming yearswhen they proceeded to legislatepayment of these huge post-retirement benefits to all previous

holders of the offices of governorand deputy governor. The totalpackage meant to be delivered tothis category of persons coveredby this generous post retiremntpayments as recently passed bythe Rivers State House ofAssembly include but not limitedto two houses in Port Harcourtand Abuja for each of thebeneficiaries, chaffeur- drivenspecial utility vehiclesmaintained by the Rivers statetreasury and other sundryfinancial allowances which willcost the Rivers state people hugeamount of money from theirlean resources even when severalthousands of Rivers Stateindigenes are homeless, joblessand are economically deprivedbecause of the large scalecorruption that goes on at everylevel of government in that stateas well as other states and thefederal Government.

Those who heard me askedthe question why the people ofRivers State as well as otherNigerians are prepared to trustinformation emanating fromthese much villified politiciansthan officers of the Nigeria Police,what I got as a collective responsewas that no Nigerian wasprepared to gamble with his/herprecious lives by trusting theNigeria Police Force. One of myrespondents whose father retiredas a police commissionerpointedly asked me why anyone

should trust the Nigeria PoliceForce after most of its operativeshave perpetrated series ofheinous crimes againsthumanity inclding extra-judicialexecution of suspects in the policecustody, and even innocentcitizens.

Another person simply lookedat me in shock and stated that heis prepared to trust the seeminglycorrupt and inept Nigerianpoliticians than the grosslyincompetent operatives of theNigeria Police Force becauseaccording to him, the politicianrobs the citizens with biro[pen]but the operatives of the Nigeriapolice force kill, maim and harassinnocent citizens with guns andammunitions purchased withtax payers’ money. He furtherinformed me as if I am unaware,that most of these indicted policeoperatives never get punishedbecause of the fact that the policeas an institution has rightly orwrongly assumed the duty ofpresuming to be the prosecutorin all cases and once a matteraffects any police officer, otherhigh profile police officers in themood of the so-called espirit decorp will conspire to kill suchcases. One is left to wonderwhether Nigeria is still aconstitutional democracy somuch so that the officers andoperatives of the Nigeria PoliceForce are allowed to pick and

Why should anyone trust Nigeria Police?By Emmanuel Onwubiko

Continued on page 15

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012 PAGE 15

chose which of the criminal casesit should diligently prosecute ornot. Why is the office of theFederal Attorney General andMinister of Justice and the officesof the 36 state attorneys generaland commissioners of justice notalive to their constitutional dutyby making sure that operativesof the Nigerian Police are notallowed to play the role of the soleprosecutors of criminal cases asdamaging and extensive asmurder involving servingoperatives of the Nigerian PoliceForce as suspects/accusedpersons? Why has the FederalGovernment and the respectivestate administrations in thefederation and other federatingunits including the FederalCapital Territory looked on andallowed this regime of impunityto continue whereby thehierarchy of the Nigeria Policeundermine the prosecution ofpolice operatives or officersindicted for murder of unarmedcivilians? Why does Nigeria notyet have independent institutionto monitor the use to which policeoperatives and other armedsecurity operatives put theirweapons to and why is the so-called Police Service Commissionso compromised that it has failedto discipline most of these grosslyindisciplined police operatives?So I ask just like my previousrespondent aforementioned, whyshould anyone trust the NigeriaPolice?

This week alone, there havebeen reported cases of nearly tencases of extra-legal killings of

innocent Nigerians involvingtrigger happy rogue policeoperatives and the ActingInspector General of PoliceMohammed Abubakar does notseem to have any effectiveinternal mechanism to check thenefarious activities of these badeggs in the Nigerian Police Forcewho have made it their pastimesto engage in extra-judicialkillings of Nigerians. Theserogue police operatives andofficers indicted in these killingsnever really get punished.Bassey Jimi, a senior RoadMarshal, was full of life onTuesday morning 15th of May2012 when he left his family andproceeded to work at the BayelsaState Road Safety Commissionoffice in Yenagoa but later thatday some men from the specialanti-robbery squad [SARS]stormed his office and one thingled to the other before theyinvading police operatives beatthe man to his untimely deathand this incident in Bayelsacame barely a month after apoliceman allegedly shot to deada Prison Warden in the samestate. The police operatives whobeat the officer of the Road safetycommission in Bayelsa statewere said to have invaded theoffice to avenge what they calledthe malhandling of one of theirofficers by the officials of the RoadSafety commission. In Abuja, aneight month pregant femalebanker was Mrs. Doris Okere wasgruesomely and bruttalymurdered by a trigger happypolice operative in Mpape lastyear but it took the vigilant

proactive activities of some goodNigerians and the NationalHuman Rights Commssionbefore a case that was filedagainst the Nigerian Police Forcefor the dastardly act of one of itsoperative was determinedwhereupon the Abuja High Courtordered the Nigeria Police Forceto pay the immediate amilymembers of the late Mrs. Okereincluding her two year old babyboy the paltry sum of N100million Naira damages. Sadly,the office of the Inspector Generalof Police said it will proceed tochallenge the verdict at theAppelate Court even withouttelling Nigerians why theindicted police operative whocarried out the criminal act ofmurder has not yet been chargedto court for this crime againsthumanity. Only this week, alady Princes Zainab ChinasaUwakwe who was killed allegedlyby the then Divisional Policeofficer in Aba Mr. Kabbir A. Ishaqwas buried and the police officerwho allegedly committed thisgrave offence of murder has notyet being dragged to thecompetent court of law to becharged for murder but what theoffice of the Inspector General ofpolice did was to transfer theaccused Police Officer to theKatsina Police command faraway from the scene f the crimein Abia State and the familymembers of this young womankilled in her prime arepersistently facing threats ofattack by some senior policefficers at the Force Headquarterswho vowed never to charge the

said police officer to court. Theother police operatives who wereprivy to the alleged killing ofMiss. Uwakwe by the DivisionalPolice Officer Mr. Kabir Ishaqwere also mass transfered out ofAba, Abia state to muddle upany evidence that could sustaina charge of murder against this‘sacred cow’ in the NigerianPolice Force. Just a few daysback, in a night club in Lagos,three well armed policeopeatives wo excorted aclubpatron to a disco at the night clubgot soaked in heavy drinkingand became drunk so much sothat they released several shotsof live bullets in the air whichunfrtunately hit and killed twopersonsaround the vicinty andthe Police Inspector General hasnot uttered a word to tellNigerians what he intends to doto end this vicious circle of extra-legal killings of Nigerians byarmed police operatives andtheir imncompetent and grosslyindisciplined senior officers. Whothen can trust this Policinginstitution in Nigeria? This is aworrying signal of a failed state?

Mohammed Abubakar orwhosoever is in charge of theNigerian Police Force should betold in black and white that it isdangerous for them to allowtrust in the Nigerian PoliceForce to decline to zero-levelbecause of the apocalyticconsequences that this total lossof trust of the Nigerian PoliceForce by the Nigerian People. Ifthis catasthropic loss of faith andtrust in the operatives of theNigerian Police Force is

sustained progressively, it willget to a time that ordinary policeoperatives who in any case liveamong the people because ofdearth of barracks could becometargets of popular lynch mobs asways of avenging the high rateof extra-legal killings by theNigerian police operatives ofinnocent citizens and persons inconflict with the law. For nowonly armed Islamic group in thefar North have openly statedtheir intention to attack and killany police operative as arevenge for the killing of thefounder of Boko Haram in 2009Sheik Mohammed Yusuf, by thepolice in Maiduguri, Borno state.If care is not taken to bring allperpetrators of extra-legalkillings in the Nigerian PoliceForce to effective trials, then thevictims’ friends could take uparms against the Nigerian PoliceForce as an institution becauseimpunity breeds anarchy andanarchy in a nation- state breedsfailure of state apparatus andfailure of state apparatus breedsinstability and distabilization ofthe sovereign nation- state.Nigeria as a constitutionaldemocracy must effectively andquickly round up all knownmurderers in police uniform andquickly and efficiently bringthem to justice in the competentcourts of law to save Nigeriafrom imminent failure of itsstatehood.Emmanuel Onwubiko, Head,Human Rights Writers’Association of Nigeria,writes fromwww.huriwa.com.

Bomb attacks are almost dailyoccurrences, claiming the lives ofinnocent citizens, includingpupils, students and theirteachers in our educationalinstitutions.

If this is the barometer to gaugethe competence of our 19Northern Governors in terms oftheir leadership capabilities,apologies, resignations andimpeachments may be moreappropriate. Certainly not anyinterest, remote or immediate,directly or indirectly, about whois the 2015 President of Nigeria.Given our current realities, it willbe a dereliction of responsibilityand lavish for our 19 Governors,individually or collectively to atthis hard time express any formof interest regarding who becomethe President of Nigeria in 2015.

With our prevailing situation,the primary responsibility of ourNorthern governors should be toaddress problems of high rates ofunemployment, poverty,illiteracy, mortality, crime andinsecurity in the region. So far,the only thing that stands out forour governors is the scale ofmismanagement of the resourcesof our states. With more than N1.5trillion coming to our 19 Northern

states and almost nothing to showfor it, our 19 Governors should beindividually and collectivelyashamed of themselves.Regrettably, this is not the casebecause we live in times when itis a big achievement to squanderand steal public resources.

These are times whenqualification for leadership isequated with public office.Performance and achievement ishardly a reference point,especially if measured based onpositive impact on the livingconditions of citizens. With zero ornegative impact, a sittingGovernor is already an automaticcandidate for re-election forsecond four-year tenure or evenemerging as presidentialcandidate. Serving Ministers,Senators, Members of the Houseof Representatives, StateCommissioners, etc. are potentialcandidates for re-appointment, re-election or becominggubernatorial candidates, etc.

This is in fact the motivatingfactor behind the clamour fromour Northern Governors for theso-called unity to produce the2015 President of Nigeria. It islargely driven by self-interestbased on a high probability that,if united, one of them would be the

President. Given our experience inthe North under their reign asGovernors, it will be disastrous forthe nation to have any of ourcurrent serving Governors toemerge as the 2015 President ofNigeria. Their competence or lackof it has only successfully producedsocial upheaval in the region.

To the extent of thiscompetence or lack of it, ourGovernors are therefore ethicallydeficient to attempt to influencethe emergence of a President in

2015 that can serve the interestof the people in North. If the 2015President of the Federal Republicof Nigeria is to emerge based onthe influence of the 19 NorthernGovernors, resourcemismanagement, resulting inhigh unemployment, poverty,illiteracy and mortality rates, loweconomic activities and low IGRmay only be re-enforced.

In the circumstance, ourGovernors should be morechallenged to ensure that at the

minimum they are able to returnthe North to some levels of sanitybetween now and 2015. The taskof producing 2015 President ofNigeria, who can serve the interestof the North, cannot be addressedin a situation of anarchy. It shouldnot also be reduced to the usualconspiratorial and high-levelregional political scheming, whichhas since 1999 undermined thegrowth of our democracy.Conspiratorial and high-levelregional political scheming haveonly succeeded in installingincompetent and mediocre publicofficials in the country.

This needs to be changedthrough the institution ofdemocratic processes that wouldenable citizens to sort interests andaspirations based on capacity andcompetence to provide selflessservices. Our 19 NorthernGovernors, with hardly anyexception, have no moral basis ofseeking to influence the process ofdetermining the 2015 President ofNigeria, especially if the objectiveis to serve the interest of the peopleof the region. Like it is said in law;“He who comes to equity, mustcome with clean hands”.Salihu Mohammed Lukmancan be reached atslukman45@gmail.com

Continued from page 13

Continued from page 14

Uniting to produce 2015 President:Ethical deficit of Northern Governors

Why should anyone trust Nigeria Police?

“If this is the barometer togauge the competence of our

19 Northern Governors in termsof their leadership capabilities,

apologies, resignations andimpeachments may be more

appropriate

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012PAGE 16

1,247 companies apply forAbuja mass housing plots

No fewer than 1,247companies haveobtained documents for

the Abuja Mass Housingprojects, the Minister of theFederal Capital Territory (FCT),Senator Bala Mohammeddisclosed at the weekend.

The minister, who wasexamining the sector and theattempts made so far to blockthe gaps of housing deficits in

the territory, said all thecompanies’ who are prospectivedevelopers’ have been issuedwith mass housing guidelinesand other documents onpayment of the non-refundablefees.

He further revealed that thecompanies also paid non-refundable processing fees toascertain their level ofseriousness.

He said out of thesecompanies, 475 have submitted

Where are the subsidy Buses? as the workers waiting to go back home after a working day, at the Federal Secretariat, yesterday, inAbuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

By Josephine Ella their documents for evaluation,while 416 of them are newapplicants.

According to him, a batch of63 companies that havesubmitted documents forevaluation have been forwardedto the FCT Legal ServicesSecretariat for due diligence atthe Corporate AffairsCommission (CAC), adding that“this brings to a total of 416companies that are undergoingthe mandatory legal search”.

The minister also revealedthat the In-House Ad-HocCommittee constituted to auditmass housing sites had completedits job and submitted its report tothe FCT Administration.

“Based on this report as wellas previous report of theArchitect Reuben Okoya’sCommittee on Mass HousingScheme, a comprehensive briefwill soon be sent to the FederalGovernment,” SenatorMohammed added.

Hotel Owners Forum(HOFA) on Sunday inAbuja called on the

National Assembly to enact a lawto back the “identification ofguests’’ project embarked uponby the forum.

Mr Onofiok Ekong, theChairman of the Abuja chapterof HOFA, said that giving legalbacking to the guest projectwould go a long way to reduceact of terrorism and ensuresecurity of lives and property inthe country.

Ekong, who made the call inan interview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN), saidthat members of the Forum hadbeen directed to ensure that

their guests identify themselvesproperly before being allowed tocheck into their hotels.

He said the project known as‘know Your Guest’ had suffereda setback because not all hotelowners in Abuja were membersof HOFA.

Ekong said that members ofHOFA were losing theircustomers because most guestswere not too willing to identifythemselves properly.

“When we insist on properidentification such guests goaway in annoyance and they aregladly accepted by hoteliers whoare not members HOFA and whodo not insist on properidentification.’’

Ekong said that no guestscould enter any of “our hotelsnow without properlyidentifying themselves bypresenting either a driver’slicence, voter’s card,international passport or anyother form of identification.

“You must have one of theseforms of identification. This iswhat we call ‘know-your-guest’.’’

He said that Nigeria was theonly country in the world“where guests are not properlyidentified before being checkedinto a hotel’’.

“The problem is that not allthe hotels are members of HOFA.Our members always insist onthe identification of guests,

while non-members acceptguests without properidentification.’’

“When I insist on properidentification, a prospectiveguest will go to another hotel; soif project ‘Know Your Guest’ is notbacked by law, there is nothingmuch that we can do.

“A project like this should bebacked by legislation because weare the only country in theworld that allows guests into ourhotels without properidentification,’’ he stressed.

Ekong said that if an enablinglaw was passed by the NationalAssembly, it would go a longway in ensuring security in thecountry. (NAN)

Hotel owners call for legislation to enhance security

FCTA intensifiesefforts to provideinfrastructure insatellite towns

The FCT Administration isintensifying efforts toprovide infrastructure in

satellite towns to decongest thecity centre, FCT Minister BalaMohammed has said.

The minister stated this in astatement issued by his ChiefPress Secretary, MalamMuhammed Sule, in Abuja onSunday.

According to the statement,efforts to decongest the 250square kilometres of the FederalCapital City are deliberate tostimulate parallel developmentin the city centre and thesatellite towns across the 8,000square kilometres of the FCT asconceived in the Abuja MasterPlan.

The statement recalled thatrecently, the Presidentapproved the re-establishmentof the FCT satellite TownsDevelopment Agency to spreadtransformation to all the nooksand crannies of the territory.

It said the provision ofengineering infrastructure inKubwa satellite town districtsfour and five was 41 per centcompleted, adding that that ofKarashi satellite town districtone and two was 40.3 per centcompleted.

The statement added that theprovision of engineeringinfrastructure at Bwari satellitetown district one and two was 53per cent completed.

According to the statement,the FCT administration hasembarked on construction,upgrading and rehabilitation oftownship roads in Karu, Abaji,Kuje, Gwagwalada, NyanyaBwari and Kwali. (NAN)

An Upper Area Court inGwagwalada in the FCTyesterday, remanded one

Kabiru Ibrahim in prison forallegedly stabbing another man.

The police arraignedIbrahim, a resident of One WayRoad in Gwagwalada, on May 13,on a one count charge of causinggrievous hurt to Tasiyu Ali.

Police prosecutor MarthaPaul said Ibrahim stabled thevictim with a knife on his forehead and hand, and that Ali wastaken to Alheri Hospital fortreatment.

Paul said the case wasreported at the GwagwaladaPolice Station by the victim, butIbrahim pleaded not guilty tothe charge.

The presiding judge, MrBabaginda Hassan, therefore,ordered that Ibrahim beremanded in prison custody andadjourned the case to July 4 forhearing. (NAN)

Man remandedin prison custodyon allegation ofcausing hurt

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012PAGE 18

Kwali council to assist orphans, vulnerable childrenand other vulnerable groups inthe council.

Gabi, who made this knownduring an interview withPeoples Daily, said the unit wasexpanding the scope of itsactivities from awarenesscreation on the HIV spread,

counselling and testing,material and financialassistance to people living withHIV/AIDS to include sponsorshipfor children whose parents aredown with the infection andthose who have lost their parentsto the disease.

“Just last week we discussedon how to reach the orphans andvulnerable children, whoseparents are living with thedisease. We were able to get onlytwo. Sometimes when those thatare infected know what you arelooking for, because of stigmathey run away. They don’t wantto present their children.

“But what we are trying todo now, is to find out wherethose vulnerable children andorphans are and after we haveknown their numbers, then wewill now table their issue to thecouncil so that we can getassistance to see what we can doto assist them”, she said.

The coordinator explainedthat the unit intended to explorethe means of ensuring thatthese orphans and vulnerablechildren are given freeeducation, provided all theirbasic need to enable them live a

The Covenant MinisterialChaplaincy, FCT at theweekend honoured twelve

distinguished individuals fromdifferent walks of life, forcontributing positively to theservice of humanity in theirvarious communities.

The Founder of the CMC,Reverend Bob Alonge, told newsmen at the event that there wasno better time in the history ofNigeria than these perilous timeswhen violence and harbingers ofannihilation hold sway, addingthat these individuals who hecalled heroes have dedicatedtheir lives to serve in theirvarious communities.

In his words: “They are ourunsung heroes. We want to usethis medium to celebrate them.

We want to showcase their

CMC awards 12 unsung heroes in Abuja

The Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT)administration has

pledged to support the proposedAmerican Hospital in Abuja.

The FCT Minister, SenatorMohammed, who made thecommitment while receivingthe board members of theproposed American Hospital andUniversity of Medical Services inhis office, however, said that theentire project needed to be re-conceptualized to achieve thedesired goal.

He said the re-conceptualization andrepackaging of the whole projectwould ensure viability andsustainability as due diligencewould have been exploited by theAbuja Infrastructure

Investment Centre (AIIC) forperfect Public-Private-Partnership.

He described the project asvery important but urged theBoard to open new frontiers to getthe needed huge capital inflowto execute it and not rely ongovernment funds that is notavailable.

Earlier, the Chairman/Promoter of the proposedAmerican Hospital andUniversity of Medical Sciences,Dr. Ifeanyi Obiakor revealedthat the project commenced in2005 to bring up a 5-StarHospital in Abuja for which 102hectares of land had beenallocated by the FCTAdministration as its equity

FCTA earmarks 16 districtsfor mass housing projectsBy Josephine Ella

The Coordinator, HIV/AIDSUnit of Kwali Area Council,Mrs. Elizabeth Maji Gabi

has disclosed that arrangementwas in progress to assistchildren orphan by HIV/AIDS

By Josephine Ella

share.Dr. Obiakor said that his

group initially was able to get$32 million from foreigninvestors to execute the projectbut due to the delay in itsimplementation, the money wasdiverted to Ghana for anotherjob.

In a related development, inorder to reduce housing deficitin the minister said theadministration has earmarkedabout 16 districts in the FederalCapital City for mass housingprojects.

He reiterated that these MassHousing sites when developedwould go a long way in providingrelief for the housing needs ofresidents.

useful life.Her words: “If we know their

ages we can support them withmilk and other complimentaryfood. We can give them cash andshare food items to them and ifwe have strong financialbacking which would bedependent on the response of thechairman of the area council,we plan to sponsor theireducation. If there is fund, thechairman is someone who isever ready to assist these kindsof children”.

She commended the effort ofthe council chairman, Hon.Joseph Shazhin in supportingthe fight against HIV/AIDS.

She also expressed confidencethat the proposed project wouldbe realised as she disclosed thatan organisation, HajaFoundation has promised topartner with the council towardsachieving the goal.

achievements and extol theirvirtues”, he said.

Rev Alonge explained thatthese people were randomlynominated and chosen from theircommunities, adding that thesekind of meaningful contributionwill awaken the consciousness ofother unsung heroes in thecountry.

He further explained thatnext year’s 2013 Heroes AwardProject, would reach out toMuslims across the country incollaboration with the MuslimPilgrim Welfare Board.

The awardees include aVehicle Inspector Officer (VIO),Mr. Gbenga Oladimeji, a NigeriaPolice Officer , Mr. Sunday Edoh,a corps Commander of the FederalRoad Safety Commission (FRSC),Mr. Kingsley Agomoh, membersof the National Youth ServiceCorps (NYSC) Miss Ime Anwana,

......Pledges support for American Hospital

By Adeola Tukuru

An Abuja SeniorMagistrates' Court onWednesday remanded a

28-year-old man, Abu David ofKpana Village, Jabi, Abuja, inpolice custody, after he pleadedguilty to a charge of theft.

The police prosecutor, Sgt.Philips Apolos, told the courtthat one David Osu of Daki Biuvillage, Jabi, complained at theLife Camp Police Station, Abujaon May 15, that David stole hismotorcycle.

Apolos said, “In Nov. 2011,the complainant and theaccused met in a bar. Whilethey were drinking, the accusedpretended to go and urinate.

Man remanded in police custodyafter he pleaded guilty to theft

“In the process, he madeaway with the complainant’smotorcycle valued at N40,000and sold it for N8,000 at JabiPantaker Village.’’

The accused pleaded guiltyto the charge.

Apolos, however, asked thecourt for a summary trial andto suspend the sentence, as thepolice were yet to recover themotorcycle from the accusedperson.

Senior Magistrate AbdullahiIlelah ordered that the accusedperson be remanded in policecustody and adjourned the caseto May 25, for sentencing.(NAN)

Chimezirin Charlse Young, CosyEvelyn Otekpen,.

Others are Dotun Oloko, Drlami lombin,UdoOnoriobe,Owoiche Odeh Adeka ,Ayuba Ogar, and ChineduChima.

Speaking on behalf of theawardees, Miss Cosy EvelynOtekpen, commended theCovenant MinisterialChaplaincy for honouring them,and urged them to continue withthe programme.

A woman sited (left), narrowly escaped death when her corolla car with registration no. CX966-RBC, surmasoulted, along shehu shagari way, yesterday, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

The Police yesterday,arraigned Odinaka Eze ofSauka Kauta village,

Airport Road, Abuja, before anAbuja Senior Magistrates’ Courtfor causing grievous hurt to MrsNkechi Sunday.

Police prosecutor JeremiahElijah told the court that the casewas reported at the Lugbe PoliceStation on May 16.

Elijah said the accused had amisunderstanding with thecomplainant which resulted ina fight.

“As a result of the fight, theaccused hit the complainant onthe head with a plank andinflicted serious injury on her.’’

Elijah also said thecomplainant lost her phone

Man in court forcausing grievous hurt

valued at N7,000 and N9,500cash during the fight.

He added that thecomplainant was rushed to theAMAC Hospital, Lugbe, fortreatment which cost herN12,000.

The prosecutor said thatwhen the accused wasquestioned he was unable to givea satisfactory account of himself.

The accused, however,denied the allegation, sayingthat there was no truth in it.

Senior Magistrate BashirAlikali granted the accused bailin the sum of N50,000 with twosureties, who must be residentwithin the court’s jurisdiction.

He adjourned the case toJune 19 for hearing. (NAN)

PAGE 19PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Management Tip of the DayIncrease profits by streamlining your company

disparit ies among l ines ofbusiness, brands, products,and customers. Knowingexactly where you’remaking money and how isthe first step to making moreof it.·Make sure eachbrand and SKU is pullingits weight. Most complexcompanies have many

brands or SKUs thatcontribute little to the bottomline. By targeting profitableones and cutting the restloose, you can free upsignificant capacity withnegligible loss in revenue andvolume.Source: Harvard BusinessReview

INSIDE

As a business becomesmore complex, it getsdifficult to trace costs.

If you aren’t sure where yourcompany is making money —or losing it — follow these twosteps to simplify:·Analyze profitability byoffering or market. Thereare often large profit

BUYING SELLING

CFA 0.2814 0.3014• 196.2524 197.521£ 245.184 246.7689RIYAL 41.2489 41.5156$ 154.7 155.7

CBN 17th May, 2012

EXCHANGE RATES

PARALLEL RATES BUYING SELLING

• 210 212£ 250 252RIYAL 40 42$ 156 158

FG to powerelectricity with

coal

- Pg 20

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk Mob: 08033644990

BBBBBUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSUSINESS

Flight schedule

LOS-ABJ: 07.15, 11.40, 14.00,16.30, 17.00, 17.20, 18.30

ABJ-LOS: 07.00, 09.30, 10.30,11.15, 16.15, 19.15, 19.35

ABJ-KANO: 18.40

KANO-ABJ: 08.35

ABJ-SOK (MON): 09.35

SOK-ABJ (MON): 11.35

LOS-ABJ: 06.50, 13.30, 19.45

ABU-LOS: 07.30, 13.00, 14.00, 19.00

LOS-ABJ: 07.02, 08.10, 12.06,15.30, 17.10

ABJ-LOS: 07.20, 09.36, 13.05, 14.40

LOS-ABJ: 9.45, 11.45, 2.45

IRS AIRLINES

AIR NIGERIA (MONDAY - SUNDAY)

DANA AIRLINES (MON - SUN)

AEROCONTRACTORS (MON - SUN)

ABJ-SOK (FRI): 10.10

ABJ-SOK (WED/SUN): 11.20

SOK-ABJ (FRI): 12.00

SOK-ABJ (WED/SUN): 13.20

LOS-ABJ (SUN): 12.30

LOS-ABJ (SAT): 16.45

ABU-LOS (SUN): 10.30, 14.30, 19.30

ABU-LOS (SAT): 18.30

ABJ-LOS (SAT/SUN): 13.05, 18.00

LOS-KANO: 08.10

KANO-LOS: 11.25KANO-ABUJA: 11.25

ABUJA-KANO: 10.08

ABJ-LOS: 11.30, 3.45, 4.45

LOS-KANO: 6.15LOS-KANO (SAT/SUN): 16.30KANO-LOS: 07.30KANO-LOS (SUN/SUN): 10.30

NCC fines MTN, othersN1.17bn for bad service

Nigeria’s telecomsregulator, the NigerianC o m m u n i c a t i o n s

Commission (NCC) has finedthe country’s four main mobileoperators, including MTN andBharti Airtel, a total of N1.17billion ($7.38 million) for poor-quality service.

The telecoms industry ishugely profitable in Nigeria,Africa’s second-biggesteconomy and home to some160 million people, but userscomplain that the service ispoor, with frequent droppedcalls and networkinterruptions.

“The penalties are as a

result of the contravention ofthe provisions of the quality ofservice regulations by theNigerian CommunicationsCommission (NCC) as theoperators failed to meet withthe minimum standard ofquality of service” during Mayand April, an NCC statementsaid.

There was no immediatereaction from the operators,although MTN has complainedthat sabotage of its equipmentand shutdowns by stateagencies over tax disputes insome parts of Nigeria areimpeding improvements to itsservice. (Reuters)

sector when she came in.However, the minister

notified the public on how heradministration strived to putthings in place by making indepth and extensiveconsultations with experts,stakeholders as well as itscustomers.

According to her, the sectorhas put the interest of thecitizens of the country as one ofits first-class interest and hasbeen doing its best to ensure theprotection of the rights of itscustomers and also aid inboosting the economy of thenation, to which she said the

sector contributes about 3% andin which a lot depend on thesector in the economic activitiesof any nation.

She added that plans are inthe offing to establish anaviation training center sectorto specifically improve thecapability of manpowerdevelopment so as to ensure thatcustomers are paid their duerights and the issues of delays,cancellation and recurringtechnical problems in flightsare eradicated and also theimprovement of the provision ofaviation fuel is in progress.

Also, the minister noted that

the sector is makingconsultations with bothnational and internationalexperts and stakeholders toensure proper dispensation of itsobligations and cited security asone of the focal points and alsothe improvement of the impactof the sector on the nation’seconomy.

Mrs. Stella Oduah assuredNigerians that heradministration is always readyto pay full pledged commitmentto the Nigerian public and alsonoted that the totaltransformation of the sector willbe concluded very soon.

Transformation effective inaviation sector, says Minister

Major efforts put in toensure thetransformation of the

aviation sector have paid off asit has been effectively carriedout by the stakeholders in thesector, the Aviation minister,Mrs. Stella Oduah has said.

The minister, who wasspeaking yesterday at aministerial briefing held at theRadio House in Abuja to markPresident Jonathan’stransformational agendalamented on how she met a verysad and deplorable aviation

By Muhammad Sada

L-R: Akwa-Ibom state Governor, Godswill Akpabio; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu;Kebbi State Governor, Usman Dakingari and Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi during the Inaugurationof Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council held in Abuja recently.

The Over-The-Counter(OTC) market for FGNbonds, last week, attained

a turnover of 131.543 millionunits worth N121.239 billion in935 deals, compared to 144.020million units worth N132.605billion in 803 deals, recorded inthe week ended May 11, 2012.

Also within the period, theequities sector, lifted byactivities in the financial sector,recorded a turnover of 1.848billion shares, worth N13.863billion in 20,435 deals, against

a total of 2.243 billion sharesvalued at N19.359 billionexchanged last week in 23,053deals.

Though there were notransactions in the FederalGovernment’s developmentstocks, state/local governmentbonds and corporate bonds/debentures stocks sectors, thefinancial services sector of theequities market accounted for1.113 billion shares valued atN8.868 billion traded in 11,489deals.

Investors stake N121.2bn onFGN bonds in five days

The Naira weakenedagainst the U.S dollar onthe interbank market

yesterday, on strong demand forthe dollar by fuel importers andforeign investors selling downlocal debt, traders said onMonday.

The Naira closed at 158.90to the dollar on the interbankmarket, compared with 158.60per dollar last Friday.

Traders said the Naira depreciated and crossed the 159to the dollar mark in early trade— the same level it had been aton Wednesday — before thecentral bank intervened byselling dollars to some lenders tocalm the market.

The bank’s target band isbetween 155 and 160 Naira tothe dollar.

“The volatility in the marketcontinued today due to unabateddemand from importers with the

Naira falls, CBN intervenes to supportNaira falling further. But theintervention by the central bankprovided some dollar liquidity inthe market to reduce the loses,”one dealer said.

The Naira , which hadconsistently stabilised around the157 to the dollar level for morethan three months this year,came under pressure two weeksago on the back of strong dollardemand by fuel importers andinvestors repatriating dividends.(Reuters)

PAGE 20 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

NIRSAL sets asideN75 bn to boostagric production

The Nigerian Incentive-basedRisk Sharing system forAgricultural Lending

(NIRSAL) has set aside N75 billionto boost agricultural productionand processing in the country,its Head of ProjectImplementation, JudeUzonwanne has said.

MAN lists woes,wants productiontools duty-free

To revamp the real sector,the ManufacturersAssociation of Nigeria

(MAN) has called for fiscalpolicies, which will favour theimportation of industrialmachinery and otherequipment.

CIBN tasks MFBson financialinclusion

To facilitate financialinclusion and alleviatepoverty in the country,

Nigerian financial institutionsmay need to review lendingprocedures in order to enhancesustainable development.

Stakeholders seekdialogue overCBN’s autonomy

The clamour forindependence of theCentral Bank of Nigeria

(CBN), took another dimensionat the weekend, as the retiringdirectors of the apex bankcanvassed dialogue over theissue with the NationalAssembly (NASS).

Diageo to commitN560 m intoagriculturedevelopment inAfrica

Diageo, one of the world’sleading premium drinkscompany, recently

announced that it has signedletters of intent to fosterpartnerships and projects thatwill aid in the agriculturaldevelopment of Ethiopia andTanzania.

Nigeria PensionExcellenceAwardspostponed toJune 2012

The first edition of NigeriaPension ExcellenceAwards has been

postponed to a new date thatwill be announced very soon.

COMPANYNEWS

NEITI to collaborate with EFCC against corruption in oil industry organisations, pointing outthat the reports of the variousaudits so far conducted on theextractive industries appearineffective tools againstcorruption because the agencyhas no powers to enforcesanctions imposed on erringoperators.

However, Mrs. Ahmed notedthat while the NEITI Act of 2007empowers it to impose sanctionson erring entities, she lamentedthat NEITI does not have thecapacity to

investigate and prosecuteoffenders. Adding that, it is thereason why a strongercollaboration with anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC

becomes necessary” .Mrs. Ahmed maintained that

a dedicated NEITI Desk in EFCCto facilitate seamless synergybetween the two agencies willserve as a good first step. “Withsuch a desk, it would becomeeasier for the EFCC to enforce theNEITI Act and investigatecomplaints arising from NEITIaudit reports”, she stated.

Corroborating on the issue,the EFCC Chairman, IbrahimLamorde, described the visit asthe beginning of a robustworking relationship between thetwo organisations. He lamentedthe inability of Nigeria todetermine the revenues realisedfrom the oil and gas sector

The Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission (EFCC)and the Nigeria Extractive

Industries TransparencyInitiative (NEITI) have resolvedto work together to strengthentheir capacities against corruptpractices as well as to promotegreater transparency andaccountability in the oil, gas andmining sectors.

The resolution was reachedby NEITI Executive Secretary,Zainab Ahmed, and EFCCExecutive Chairman, IbrahimLamorde on Friday in Abuja.

Mrs. Ahmed, who spokeduring her visit to EFCC,identified areas of possiblecollaboration between the two

operations, particularly thequantity of crude oil exported.

“Figures being reeled out fromone agency to the other arealways at variance andcontradictory,” he noted, adding:“There should be a wayof determining how muchrevenue is being generated andwhat quantity of crude oil isbeing taken out to theinternational market.

Mr. Lamorde said if the auditreport generated by NEITI wasreligiously followed, the countrywould not have been where it istoday, particularly as it relatesto the fuel subsidy probe by theHouse of Representatives and theSenate.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Sabre Travel Network, Mr. Gabriel Olowo, Director, Consumer Protection, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA), Mrs Fatima Garbati, and NCAA Director of Finance and Admin, Mr. Remi Adekola, during a stakeholders' forum on Air Traveler'sRights and Privileges, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Gas to Power: FG ralliesIOCs, indigenous operators

work with the International oilCompanies(IOCS) to meet thenations gas to power aspirations,adding that such goal could onlybe attained if the oil majors workin concert with local serviceproviders.

She maintained that a reliableoil and gas sector can only be buildthrough the effective participationof competent Nigerian serviceproviders and operators. Addingthat IOC’s and the indigenouscompanies and some Nigerianprofessionals are already keyinginto the deal made possible bythe Nigerian Content Act.

It was noted that the visit tothe shell Utorogu gas plantmarked the commencement of

the weeklong tour of all gasinstallations and projects listedfor the production of additionalgas under the Gas SupplyEmergency Programme.

Corroborating on gas supply,Managing Director, ShellPetroleum DevelopmentCompany (SPDC), Mutiu Sunmonusaid that the company has takenadequate steps to improve gassupply to the nation’s powerplants to boost powergeneration, adding that thecurrent average production ofthe plant is 250 million metricstandard cubic feet (mmscf), whilework was on-going at the new plantdesigned to increase capacity toabout 510mmscuf per day.

The Minister of PetroleumResources, Mrs. DiezaniAlison–Madueke has pledged

to intensify to facilitate the supplyof gas in the country through theimplementation of the 12-monthgas emergency supply time lineaimed at the speedy expansionof the country’s gas to powercapacity.

Alison-Madueke made thedisclosure at the weekend whenshe led a team of experts andother stakeholders in the oil andgas industry on a tour to Utorogugas plant in Delta state.

She also pledge the FederalGovernment’s commitment to

Stories by Muhammad Nasir

‘FG to power electricity with coal by 2015’

Oil growth tobe 0.9m bpdin 2012-OPEC

The Organisation ofPetroleum ExportingCountries (OPEC) in its

latest report, forecast that thegrowth in world demandduring 2012 will be 0.9mnbarrels per day (bpd).

Given a forecast of 0.6mnbpd growth in non-Opec supply,it expects the average call onOPEC crude this year to be30mn bpd, a slight decline from2 0 1 1 .

However, there are signs ofa potential weakening on thedemand front, not only becauseof the turbulence in Europe butalso of signs of slower growth inChina, noting that Chineseexports and imports in Aprilcame in well below expectations.

In a statement by theInternational Energy Agencyon May 11, noted that despiteall the supply and demandfactors, it still expects prices toremain high. The futuresmarkets see oil averagingaround $113 this year, fallingto $106 in 2013.

It was also noted that themedian of economists’ forecastsis higher, at $115 in both years.This compares to an averageprice of $90 since 2008.

The minister of Mines andSteel Development, MusaSada, has said that 30

percent of electricity will bepowered by coal.

He said this at the opening Zuma Coal Mines in Okobo, Kogistate.

Sada said that the plan wasto make sure that the countrydid not rely on one source toprovide electricity, he said this

became necessary to preventdisappointment when shortageof gas and water occurs.

The chairman of ZumaGroup, Innocent Ezuma saidthat the company had areserve of of about 380 milliontonnes of coal.

He added that in next 18months, the company would beable to establish a reserve of twobillion tonnes.

“Today, we are experiencinga lot of scarcity in water andgas. Our water levels havedrastically reduced,” he said.“There are challenges withgetting enough gas for the gasplants.We need to introducecoal to the energy mix so thatif there is a problem with gasor hydro, the other two canwork. It is a matter of energysecurity.”

PAGE 21PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Alison-Madueke inaugurates Africa’s largest oil vessel in DeltaThe Minister of Petroleum

Resources, Mrs.DiezaniAlison-Madueke at the

weekend, inaugurated thelargest Africa’s oil vessel inWarri, Delta State.

Alison-Madueke at theceremony, witnessed by theExecutive Director, NigerianNational PetroleumCorporation, NNPC, Mr.AndyYakubu and his Gas ResourcesCounterpart, Mr.David Ige, as

well as Executive Secretary /chief Executive Officer, NigerianContent Development andMonitoring Board, Engr.EarnestNwapa, assured that the federalgovernment would continue tosupport and encourageindigenous companies operatingin the oil with its local contentpolicy.

Alison-Madueke expressedoptimism by the giant stridesachieved by FENOG especially

with the company’s acquisitionof the HDD Technology and theAkpevweoghene barge, assuredthat the local content policy wasnot a lip service and mereslogan.

She noted that the policywould entrench indigenousoperators in the nation’s oilindustry. The minister, who wasconducted round the uniquefeatures of the equipment by thecompany’s Executive Director,

Mr. Mathew Tonlagha; GroupGeneral Manager, Mr. Bello andGeneral Manager, Engr.Chukwudi Uwakwe, praisedFENOG’s management for itssteadfastness and commitmentto the growth of the local contentpolicy.

Alison-Madueke chargedother operators in the oilindustry to emulate FENOGNigeria. She said: “I amextremely impressed with what

I have seen here today atFENOG Nigeria. This is 100 percent indigenous Nigeriancompany that has got to thestage that it can actuallyprocure and manage a vessel ofthis size that can carry over 300people. With the kind of facilitieswe have seen here that canactually lay pipes offshore from4” to 363 , I believe it issomething that is mostcommendable.”

Shell, Eni paid N176bn forNigerian oil block–US court

A controversial $1.1bn(about N176 bn) oil dealinvolving Shell and

I t a l i a n multinational oil and gas company, Eniin Nigeria has renewed concernsabout transparency in thecountry’s lucrative energysector and President GoodluckJ o n a t h a n g o v e r n m e n t ’ scommitment to cleaning up theindustry.

The multinationals paidNigeria’s government last Aprilfor control of a deepwaterconcession that could contain upto 9 billion barrels of oil. Thismoney was later passed on to acompany run by Dan Etete, aNigerian former oil ministerwho was convicted of moneylaundering in France in 2007.

Details of the deal have onlyjust emerged.

Recently published courtdocuments show that thegovernment agreed to transferthe exact proceeds from Shelland Eni – $1,092,040,000 –to Malabu Oil and Gas, a localcompany widely reported to becontrolled by Dan Etete, whichhas claimed ownership of blockOPL 245, the deepwaterconcession.

The campaign group,Global Witness, which hasinvestigated the transactions,does not allege illegality on thepart of Shell or ENI, but said“the whole business begs billion-dollar questions” about Shelland ENI’S commitment totransparency. The twocompanies have acknowledgedbuying the block, but say theydealt with the government, not

Malabu.The deal with Malabu also

renews doubts over PresidentGoodluck Jonathan’s pledge toreform the oil sector, coming sosoon after a parliamentaryreport in April whichestimated that $7bn wasmisappropriated from a fuelsubsidy programme between2009 and 2011.

The government did notrespond to requests forcomment, and neither Malabunor Mr Etete could be reached.

The agreementssurrounding OPL 245 came tolight during a court case inNew York in February, inwhich a Russian lawyer whoclaimed to have helped Malabunegotiate its deal with theNigerian government isseeking a $66m commission.

According to the contractbetween Malabu and Nigeria’sgovernment, which was signedby its attorney-general andminister of petroleum resourcesin April last year, Malabu wasfirst granted prospecting rightsin OPL 245 in 1998.

Mr. Etete, who is named inthe New York case as “Malabu’sprincipal”, was at that time oilminister under the dictatorSani Abacha. In 2001 thegovernment took awayMalabu’s licence, and Shellsuccessfully bid to operate theblock, sparking a long disputebetween the companies. Malabuwas re-awarded the block in2006, and again in 2010. The$1.1bn sum payable by thegovernment to Malabu was in“full and final settlement” ofany claims it had to the block.

In their separate contract,

also signed last April, Shell andENI agreed to pay a signaturebonus of $208m on top of the$1.1bn, which was deposited inan account with JPMorgan inLondon.

The judgment in the NewYork case concluded that theNigerian government was“the proverbial ‘straw man’holding $1.1bn for ultimate

payment to Malabu”.ENI denied knowledge of

the terms of “any possibleagreements” between Malabuand the government related toOPL 245. “No agreementswere entered into by ENI withany other third party entityin respect of such acquisition,including Malabu”.

Shell said payments weremade to the government only.“In line with Shell’sinformation policy, we cannotreveal commercially sensitiveinformation, and hencecannot comment further onthe papers filed in the New

York court proceedings.”But Global Witness said

both companies needed todetail what they did to tryensure that the $1.1bn did notgo to Malabu, and accusedShell of trying to blockproposed laws to force greateropenness.

“Shell are lobbying hard onboth sides of the Atlantic to stopthe kind of project-by-projectdisclosure that would makethese sorts of payments visible– whilst claiming to supportglobal transparency. We findthis utterly unacceptable.”(Source: Financial Times)

Stories by Muhammad Nasir

The Federal Government hasapproved the constitution ofa task force on crude oil

theft.The disclosure was revealed to

newsmen by the Chief of DefenceStaff, Air Marshall OluseyiPetinrin, on Friday in Lagos,during a stakeholders’ meeting onsecurity in the oil and gasindustry.

Petinrin noted that theessence of the task force was tocheck-mate incessant oil theft inthe country.

He said that most senior armypersonnel and other securityagencies would be included in the

team to bring sanity.‘’I quite agree with the

collective decision of thestakeholders on ways to addressoil theft in the country.

“All the security agencies willensure adequate monitoring ofthe country’s oil thefts to logicalconclusion,’’ he said.

Petinrin assured that thesecurity agencies that would beinvolved in the assignment of thetask force would nevercompromise.

Also speaking was the Ministerof Petroleum Resources, DiezaniAlison-Madueke, who said thatover 180 million barrels of crude

oil were lost on daily basis in thecountry.

Allison-Madueke said that thetask force would include bothindigenous and international oilchiefs.

She noted that in the last sixmonths, it had been observed thatthe number of oil theft onNigerian water was high.

“This crude oil theft affectsboth our environment andeconomic values in Nigeria,” shesaid.

Also in attendance were theservice chiefs and managingdirectors of both internationaland indigenous oil companies.

FG to set up task force on oil theft

French oil major, Total hasplugged a gas leak insouthern Nigeria’s Niger

Delta region and no longer needsto drill an additional relief well tocurb its flow, a spokesmanrevealed on Friday.

It was noted that the startedin March on a block that alsocontains crude oil in Rivers state,one of the three main states thatmake up the Niger Delta, a vastwetlands region in the southeastwhere Africa’s biggest energyindustry is based.

In a statement revealed by thecompany, Block OML 58 alsoproduced around 76,000 barrelsper day of oil in 2004 and thisincreased in 2008, adding thatno oil was spilling from the leak.

“This operation has done thejob. As a result, the relief well isno longer necessary. The gas leakhas been plugged, said spokesmanFred Ohwawa by telephone.

The cement seal for the wellwas in the process of beingfinalized, but the leak hadstopped, he noted.

Total plugs Nigeria gas leak,no further well needed

Grinding machines for distribution to community-based organisations, yesterday in Adamawa byAfrican Development Bank assisted-project in Nigeria. Photo: NAN

PAGE 22 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

How autonomous is CentralBank of Nigeria?

Central Banks the worldover perform similar corefunctions which centre

on price stability, checkinginflation, exchange rate stabilityand financial stability.

In carrying outthese inherent select goals ofprice and financial stability fornations, Central Banks enjoymaximum operationali ndependence. However,they are not entirely immuneof monopoly, as theya r e a c c o u n t a b l eto the legislative and theexecutive arms of government.

For Nigeria’s Central Bank,(CBN), one of the provisions ofthe 2007 CBN Act requires theGovernor to appear before theNational Assembly periodically topresent a report on itsactivities.

The seemingindependence enjoyed by the

CBN courtesy of 2007 amendedAct was necessitated byexperience of failed bank crisesof early 90s.

The legal framework duringmilitary era unconsciouslyallowed unprecedented bankfailures. This was apparently dueto weak internal controls andcorporate governance in banks,as CBN at that time was meantto seek approval from a militarypresident before taking anyaction.

Financial experts havecontinued to refer to that eraas the darkest period of CBN dueto high numbers of bankfailures. The CBN not onlylacked independent decisionneeded to take pro-activemeasures to save the sector,individual interests at the tophierarchy of government furtherincapacitated it.

The return to democracy in

1999 in effect set the stage forreforms and overhauling of thebanking sector. The yearningfor a refocused, autonomousCBN strengthened to perform itsregulatory capacity for effectiveservice delivery gainedmomentum.

However, five years downthe lane, the 2007 CBN Act,which insulates the apex

bank from political manipulationsof the political office holders’ isfacing a major test.

A bill for an Act to amend theCentral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Actof 2007 passed the secondreading at the Senate and islikely crossing the bar to publichearing any moment soon.

The bill seeks to amend theAct to compel the bank tosubmit its budget to the NationalAssembly for approval everyfinancial year as expected bylaw.

The sponsor of the bill, Sen.Ita Enang (PDP- Akwa Ibom), saidthat the Fiscal Responsibility Actof July 2007, mandating CBN tosubmit its budget to the NationalAssembly, superseded the CBNAct.

“The Fiscal Responsibility Actis later in time and thereforesupersedes any provision of theCBN Act.

“But the CBN has relied onthe provision in its Act to refuseto submit her budget to theNational Assembly forconsideration and approval,hence this bill,’’ Enang said.

He said the CBN Act of May2007 gave the CBN Board thepower to consider and approvethe annual budget of the bank.

He said that it was “anaffront’’ for the CBN to claimthat the National Assembly haddonated its authorisation to thebank by virtue of the provisionof the CBN Act.’’

Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia) said the Senate musttake appropriate measures

to ensure that the existing lawswere obeyed by governmentagencies.

“We have powers to make lawsfor the CBN. The CBN cannot onits own choose which law toobey.” Abaribe said.

The National Assembly saysthe subsisting CBN Act allows theBoard Chairman, who is the CBNGovernor, unfettered powersto approve its budget withoutreferring to the NationalAssembly. The legislatures arekeen on removing him aschairman of the board, and in hisplace, bring in a politician aschairman. The inclusion ofDeputy Governors of CBN asmembers of the board is also oneprovision they are out to strikeout from the Act.

Since the current move bythe National Assemblygathered momentum,

diverse opinions have been airedon the desirability or otherwiseof the current effort bymembers of the NationalAssembly to whittle down whatit considered a CBN that is tooindependent.

However, some schools ofthought have said the currentmove was predicated on avendetta mission. They say theaction is targeted at MalamSanusi Lamido Sanusi, the CBNgovernor for his unrepentantscathing criticism of financialprofligacy of elected Assemblymembers.

Sanusi had repeated decried

the inefficiency in budgetaryallocation with over 75 percentallocated to recurrent and thelarge chunk of it devoted toservice National Assembly. Tothis school of thought, the pushfor CBN amendment is a sureway of cutting Sanusi to size.

But Sanusi is just an era inthe life of CBN. If he goes, thenwhat happens?

Financial experts, includingthe former CBN Governor,Professor Chukwuma Soludohave cautioned on the need forrestraint as any action takencould jeopardize monetarypolicy thus affecting thenation’s financial stability.

He feared that such anunfortunate development couldhamper the effectiveness ofmonetary policy and themanagement of themacroeconomic framework ofNigeria, declaring that “thesurvival of that institution is atthe heart of the survival of theNigerian economy”.

Soludo, who spoke at a sent-forth dinner in his honour,warned that any attempt to

remove the autonomy of theapex bank could lead to“ominous” consequences. Hedecried a situation in which adisagreement with an individualcould lead to the destructionof the entire institution.

He therefore, joined in theplea to the National Assemblymembers to have a“constructive dialogue” overthe matter “in order to avoidgoing to the other extreme asthe institution of the CBN mustbe preserved no matter thelevel of disagreement”.

Of course, the final arbiterremains the Nigerian public anda public hearing is likely to comeup soon to gauge their mood.

Senate President David Mark

“

CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

However, someschools of thought

have said the currentmove is predicated

on a vendettamission. They say

the action istargeted at Malam

Sanusi LamidoSanusi, the CBNgovernor for his

unrepentant scathingcriticism of financialprofligacy of elected

Assemblymembers.

Five years after CBN Act was amendedto shield it from political manoeuvrings,the stage is set for another amendment,ostensibly to make it accountable topolitical structures. However, the cur-rent move to whittle the autonomy ofCBN, which experts saymay engender stakeholders’ confi-dence, prompted Abdulwahab Isa toask: How autonomous is CBN?

PAGE 24 PAGE 25PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Of flowers andthorns: Wherehas ‘public’ gonein public service?

It wasn’t that long ago, justafter the 1994 elections tobe precise, when it seemed

almost every other SouthAfrican wanted to become apublic servant. For the vastmajority, this was not simplybecause there was a job on offerbut because there was a veryreal sense that becoming partof the newly democratic publicservice, in whatever capacitywas the right thing to do. Itwas not about the self-interested or political party-centred occupation of positionsof power or about using thosepositions to accumulatepersonal and family wealth.

Rather, there was thechance to replace anillegitimate andunrepresentative public sectorby practically re-casting whatit means to be a public servant:

to place the common good overand above private interest inboth collective work andindividual action; to serve withthe kind of humility andpurpose that comes by beingentrusted with working forand/or representing the publicinterest; and, to imbibe, thefoundational ethical principlesand work values of thedemocratic mandate thatgives the public sector itslegitimacy.

Cumulatively, to be one ofthose metaphorical flowersthat would sprout up onhistorically stony ground andoverwhelm the existing andpotential thorns of selfishness,arrogance, indolence, greedand corruption.

For a brief period it lookedlike those flowers were growing.Thousands of committed, South African President, Jacob Zuma

honest and hard-workingpeople flooded into the publicsector, willingly embracingthe Herculean task ofrevolutionising theinstitutional character andpractical work-face of thepublic service. But just as hadbeen the case with so manydemocratic revolutions before,there was the simultaneousgrowth of big and powerfulthorns, whose old and newroots were quickly sunk intothe body politic.

Even if most of us did notrecognise or simply did notwant to believe it washappening, it was publicservants at the highest levelsthat incubated and thencovered over South Africa’sbiggest and most expensive‘public’ project at the time,the arms deal. As it turnedout, the arms deal was a thornlover’s paradise, characterisedby an attitude and approachthat militated againsteverything that the newpublic sector and its servicingof the people was supposed tobe about. No matter all thepost-hoc rationalisations andexcuses or over wrought slapson the wrist, a green light hadbeen given. In directproportion, a bed of thornsbegan to grow across the depthand breadth of the publicsector while the flowersgradually wilted, batho pelerhetoric notwithstanding.

Two ‘early’ examples arerepresentative. In an attemptto defend rising corruptionwithin Mpumalanga, newlyappointed (in 1999) Premierof Mpumalanga, Ndaweni

Mahlangu unashamedlystated that it was okay forpoliticians to lie. While this setoff a justified firestorm ofoutrage, the fact is thatMahlangu and associates gotaway with it precisely because,like one of those guests at adinner party who upsetseveryone by telling the hostthat the food is horrible, he wassimply giving verbalaffirmation to the reality.Similarly, in 2006 when theANC’s Head of the PresidencySmuts Ngonyama declared, inresponse to rising criticism ofhis own enrichment from thepartial (BEE) privatisation ofTelkom, that “we did notstruggle to be poor”, he wasmerely confirming that it wasnow acceptable for publicservants (or those closelyconnected) to sell off publicsector property for personalgain.

By the late 2000s, the bedhad turned into a fully fledgedforest. Not content with whatwere already very decent wagepackages financed by the publicpurse, high-ranking politiciansand public sector officialdom atevery level were awardingthemselves with super-salariesand a huge range of benefitsweeteners. Indeed, SouthAfrica has to be one of thecountries in the world wherethe majority of this publicsector ‘cadre’ are mademillionaires every year andthat’s not counting what manyof them make on the side. Evenin small towns like Knysna, theannual salary of the municipalmanager now comes in at a coolR1,3 million while his

counterpart in theneighbouring Bitoumunicipality has to make dowith a measly R1,2 million.Meanwhile, the topmanagement of parastatals –yes, the ones that are nowdriving the ‘people-centred’infrastructural programme -are making in one year whatit would take an ordinarypublic sector worker a lifetimeto earn.

Things are now so bad indepartments like Public Works

that its Minister feels itnecessary to inform the publicthat, “we have people lootingand even saying ‘it’s our timeto eat’ … they act as if they ownthe department”. Even in themilitary, as the South AfricanSecurity Forces Union pointsout, some commanders, “spendmore time running theirpersonal businesses” than theyspend on the job while “criticalhealth services have beenoutsourced to private hospitalswhich are run by current and

former Generals …”When the public asks too

many questions about whattheir public servants are up to,the arrogance surfaces with avengeance. We are thus told bythe likes of Defence Ministerialspokesman Ndivhuwo Mabyathat, “we do not have to explainto anyone the decisions whichwe take … we don’t owe anyoneanswers.” Throw in security-intelligence officials runningamok behind the smokescreensof ‘national interest’ and‘classified information’,transport authorities givingthe middle finger to actualpublic transport or the policebrass making a mockery oftheir own code of conduct to“act with integrity inrendering an effective serviceof a high standard which isaccessible to everybody”, andit isn’t hard to figure out thatthere is precious little of the‘public’ left in most of our publicservice.

At the end of his recentFreedom Day address PresidentZuma implored South Africansto, “put the country first ineverything we do …” Besidesthe fact that he should havesaid ‘the people’, who after allare the ones that make up ‘thecountry’, our public sectornumero uno would do well tolisten to his own advice. Betteryet, the President and all thosewho are supposed to serve thepublic should ask themselvesthe questions posed in PeteSeeger’s famous 1960s anti-war song:

Where have all the flowersgone?

Long time passingWhere have all the flowers

gone?Long time ago

…When will we ever learn?

McKinley is anindependent writer,researcher and lecturer aswell as political activist.

By the late 2000s, the bed had turnedinto a fully fledged forest. Not contentwith what were already very decentwage packages financed by the publicpurse, high-ranking politicians and publicsector officialdom at every level wereawarding themselves with super-salariesand a huge range of benefit sweeteners.Indeed, South Africa has to be one ofthe countries in the world where themajority of this public sector ‘cadre’ aremade millionaires every year and that’snot counting what many of them makeon the side, writes Dale T. McKinley.

South African Labour Minister, Mildred Oliphant

Premier of Mpumalanga, David Mabuza

PAGE 26 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2011

A fight between the dog andthe baboon must be one ofthose very rare encounters

in the Animal Kingdom. Animalsfight over territory, food, mates,and in defence of their lives, or ofthe young. It is very hard to foreseethe two animals fighting over anyof the above because on most ofitems, the paths of the two animalshardly cross.

In Africa and particularly inHausaland where this nearimpossible idea was contrived as aproverb, such a fight can onlyhappen under the influence ofman when in hunting he sets thedog to catch the baboon or its baby.In that case, that fight would surelybe one to witness.

The dog uses its power of speedand strong canine teeth, the baboonhis powerful shoulders, limbs,claws, hands, and under extremeconditions, his teeth. And thiscondition is extreme - a fight forhis life or that of his baby. So webetter assume that the baboon willdeploy his entire arsenal.

The camera of kare jini biri jiniHausa proverb often pictures avery fierce and inconclusive fightbetween two contenders. We canpicture the dog first barkingincessantly, with its jaws wide openhoping to scare the baboon intosubmission. The well-built baboon,on the other hand, is not a coward.He would not jump up the trees toescape the attacking dog; he wouldnot fly. He turns wild too, flexinghis muscles, beating his wide chestand destroying the surroundingshrubs to intimidate the dog. Hejumps at a branch, breaks it andhurls it at the dog, but thecarnivore remains recalcitrantunder the command of his master,barking, barking … and now readyto charge.

And the fight ensues andcontinues for several minutes and,perhaps, hours…

As the proverb depicts, thefierce fight ends inconclusivelywith both parties sustaining deepscuts and innumerable browses.Each contender was lucky tosurvive it and returns to its shelterlicking its wounds. The dog givesup hunting for that day, returnshome and is granted a sick leaveby its master. The baboon keepshis life and his baby and remainsin his territory or migrates to asafer one. The only conclusionreached was that the dog learnedto avoid the baboon henceforth,while the baboon learned toinclude the dog among itsdangerous enemies in theKingdom.

In the above, I have tried tocapture the proper context andscenario of the proverb. It simplyconnotes a situation where the fightfor something is fierce, where yougive your challenger a good runfor his money, but where despitethe ferocity of the contest, itsoutcome was not conclusive. Inshort, when you tell yourcontender that za a yi kare jini birijinni, it simply means the battlewill be fierce. In the case of Buhari,he was promising his supportersfrom Niger State that 2015elections will be fierce; or put inanother way, the PDP wIll nothave it easy. Simple.

How this simple statementtranslated into a political missile

Buhari vs. PDP: The dogand the baboon parable

President Goodluck Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari

that says Buhari is promising abloodbath come 2015 remains oneof those sad stories in our practiceof journalism.

Let us have a re-read of themistranslation:

"If what happened in 2011(alleged rigging) should againhappen in 2015, by the grace ofGod, the dog and the baboon wouldall be soaked in blood."

Does this reflect the propercontext and meaning of the Hausaproverb kare jini biri jinni that weexplained above? No. That isbecause, among other things, if bythe time both the dog and thebaboon are soaked in blood, bothwould have been dead, a picturewhich the proverb neverenvisaged. It would have beenbetter for the reporter to say, "Come2015, I promise you, the fight willbe fierce."

Here, I must say that the wordsof Buhari were misinterpreted,perhaps deliberately, to entertainthe Nigerian public with asensational story that will keep thepresently near-static mill of publicopinion running once more, or toinvent a weapon to knock himdown again in the ring of 2015presidential contest.

But, to be fair to the reporteralso, it was a mistranslation that Ithink was informed by the historyof the General's consistent call formass action since 2003, of CPC'sunguarded campaign utterancesin 2011 and how they were widelybelieved to have inspired the postelection violence that year, and ofthe strategy of the General'ssupporters of the ANPP especiallyin Bauchi state in 2007, a la hisdoctrine of protect your votes, akasa, a tsare, a raka.

These were the elements in thebackground that also informed thesupporting and opposingcomments which trailed thepublication of that mistranslatedproverb. Nigerians becamedivided overnight into threecamps.

The first group - Buhari's

opponents - jumped at it saying,"Aha. There we go again. Thisnotorious and bloodthirsty coupplotter is still dreaming of abloodbath." If Buhari, by hisstatement, was serving suchopponents with a notice of animpending doom, they did not heedto it. They did not show any sign ofrepentance from the sin he isaccusing them of. Instead, theycontinue to direct their accusingfingers at him.

On the other hand, hissupporters, the second group, tome, showed the mostdisheartening response. They didnot take the pain to verify andanalyse his statement. Not a singleone of them came over to say thathe was misrepresented. Have theydone so, it would have cooled theatmosphere and reassured us. Theyadopted the mistranslation, in situ,as if it were right, and presentedan alibi, saying, "Only electionriggers are be afraid of Buhari'sstatement. Would there be abloodbath in 2015 as a result ofrigging, it is the PDP that shouldbe held responsible."

The third group, we theonlookers, are terrified that we willbe disastrously caught in thecrossfire, once more, as it happenedto hundreds of Nigerians duringthe 2011 elections, when,especially in Southern Kaduna andBauchi state, the lives of theinnocent were lost and thousandsof people displaced to date acrossNorthern Nigeria.

Here was a corper medic, forexample, riding an ambulance inToro, stopped and hacked to deathby the very people he came all theway from the East to serve afterhis long and tedious training as adoctor, at a place where he hadnobody to protect him except themores of civilization. His sin wassimply that he did not belong tothe ethnic group or religion ofBuhari, the opposition presidentialcandidate. The mob on that fatefulday was found wanting in thosemores, defective in conscience.

That is how many like him paidthe ultimate price across the state.

And there was a primaryschool girl in southern Kaduna,witnessing her primary schoolteacher hacking her father todeath in Zonkwa, SouthernKaduna, for no crime but that thefather belonged to the religionother than that of the incumbentPresident, Goodluck Jonathan. Shenever thought that the savagegene of the teacher wouldovercome the etiquette of civilitythat her familiarity with himwould engender. On that fatefulday, humanity was lost, the feelingof civilization was gone, and noguarantees were kept. Monthsafter that massacre, the girl wouldtell her story to the ears of a deafand dumb nation that allows theassassin teacher to walk the streetsfreely, earning his salary. That ishow hundreds of the like of herfather died and thousands of hertype continue to suffer as thepoliticians behind the crimesremain unscathed.

To date, nobody is man enoughto directly or remotely claim evena vicarious responsibility for thoseatrocities. The PDP that is accusedof rigging the election refused toadmit that it rigged it in the firstplace. Instead, it shifted the blameto Buhari, citing what it called his"inciting statements" at hiscampaign rallies. Buhari and hissupporters, on the other hand,returned the blame to PDP, withthree reasons: he was a victim nota partaker in the violence; thedastardly acts were carried out notby his supporters but by hoodlumswho did not spare him either; andthat it was in fact the ruling partythat instigated the violence in thefirst place by rigging the elections.So did the trading in blamecontinued until our father, JusticeAhmed Lemu, inconclusivelyclosed the chapter.

His panel came up with aningeniously ambivalent verdict,saying both Buhari and the PDPare right. It said it is true that

Buhari inspired the violence but itis also true that PDP's riggingmachine provoked it. In effect, thereport claimed, there is anegalitarian share of the blame. Caseclosed. Court!!!

With that we return to ourchurches and mosques to pray thatmay God have mercy on thosedeparted souls! And may heprotect us, the living, theonlookers, the ordinary citizens,from the evils of power - of itskeepers and seekers alike.

I was caught by the same feverwhen I read the mistranslation inEnglish. I wondered how Buharicould make such a statement afterhis widely condemned "lynchthem" directive of 2011. But whenI heard his actual words in Hausatwo days ago, I quickly understoodthat he said nothing unusual, forit is proper for politicians to injecthope in their supporters. Telling adelegation of such supporters thathis party will put up a fierce fightnext time is just one of thoseconfidence preserving measures.

With this, I hope our journalistswill in future show a better sense ofresponsibility in their reportage.They should use their brains nottheir minds. We are tired ofhearing Buhari mistranslated bya section of the media. Moreimportantly, however, ourpoliticians on both sides of thedivide, should refrain from anycontemplation of violence orcheating, or asking their followersto take the law into their ownhands, whatever the situationwould be. If they think thatwinning an election is a religiousduty, then they must not forgetthat none of our two dominantreligions call to violence as a meansof winning power or as a reactionto defeat. In Islamic tradition, theinjustice of forty years is preferredto the fitna (unrest) of a day.

The government and INECmust do their best to ensure freeand fair elections in 2015. Theelectoral body has two years aheadto fully prepare for it and get rid ofimperfections. Let there be a cleanfight that ends in a clean winnerand a clean loser. If thegovernment is not ready for this,my dear friend, ProfessorAttahiru Jega, should throw inthe towel. The defeated in this case- whether baboon or dog - mustaccept defeat and allow us live inpeace.

If our advice is not accepted,we shall then pray that may ourcompassionate God deliver us fromthe evil of that day, when the dogand the baboon fiercely slug it outin the court of Nigerian election.We pray that He restricts theirevil to them. And on that day,neither the dog nor the baboonshould not return home clean. Weare tired.

Oh Lord, answer our prayer.Let all peace-loving Nigerians

say Amen.Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde is a

renowned columnist based inJos

By Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde

PAGE 31PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Without trust, Facebookisn’t worth $100 billion

Mark Zuckerberg hastrust issues, big ones,and they could sink his

extraordinary company. We allknow his successes, includingcommanding an astonishing$104 billion for the company hebuilt on the backs of an equallyastonishing 900 millionFacebook users.

But Zuckerberg has alsomade several missteps that raisefundamental questions about hisreliability and ultimate intent.The miscalculations are seriousenough that they threatenpermanent damage toFacebook's relationships withusers - and, ultimately, to itsadvertisers, investors andbrand.

Once-latent concerns overprivacy, power and profit havenow led both domestic andinternational regulatory bodiesto scrutinise the company moreclosely, while Zuckerberg argueswe are living in a new era,beyond privacy. Although heonce believed privacy control tobe "the vector around whichFacebook operates" (as he toldMarshall Kirkpatrick in a March2008 interview), Zuckerbergnow says the network reflects asociety moving away from itsearlier emphasis on privacy -and adds that, were he to createFacebook again, userinformation would be public bydefault.

Could this new philosophyhave been created, not becauseour "social norm" has shifted, butfor more crass and convenientreasons: commerce and controlover the future of the web? It'scertainly working so far, to thetune of billions of dollars, but inthe process of empire building,Zuckerberg has ignored thegrowing population of users whosuspect Facebook simply cannotbe trusted.

Losing the trust of youraudience is the first step in losingyour audience itself - andeventually the power of yourbrand. Facebook executives haverepeatedly made sudden, ill

Facebook's Chairman & CEO Mark Zuckerberg

ANALYSIS

conceived and poorlycommunicated policy changesthat made our once-privatepersonal information instantlyand publicly accessible. Thispattern has now led bothdomestic and internationalregulatory agencies to examinethe company's practices andpolicies more closely - and to findthem wanting.

A recent settlement with theFederal Trade Commission, forexample, led to a stipulation thatFacebook would stop making anyfurther deceptive claims, obtainconsumers' approval beforechanging the way it shares theirdata and undergo independentthird-party auditing for decades.

But shortly after the uproarsubsided, renewed blunders overprivacy and trust began againto shake the brand. The latestcentred on Facebook's admissionthat it continues to track the web

pages members visit after theyhave logged out of the Facebooksite. Executives said the privacybreach was simply a mistake,that software automaticallydownloaded to users' computerswhen they logged in to Facebookinadvertently sent trackinginformation back to thecompany.

"Does the owner of thenetwork own our data as well? Ifhe and his investors profitmightily from selling it,shouldn't we at least be askedpolitely for permission first?"

True, Facebook's growth hasyet to be slowed by such episodes.But so far neither Zuckerbergnor the markets seem overlyconcerned. Considering the lownumber of Facebook defectorsversus the onrush of new users,such confidence may not bemisplaced. But the terms of theunspoken deal we make with

social media - the exchange of ourpersonal information for freetools and platforms to share it on- have yet to be agreed upon.

It's very early days. If wechoose to share data on anetwork with our friends andfollowers, must we necessarilycease to control it? Does theowner of the network own ourdata as well? If they and theirinvestors profit mightily fromselling it, shouldn't we at leastbe asked politely for permissionfirst? Maybe we would shareeven more if we were paid asmall commission.

Trust is "the new black", asCraiglist's founder CraigNewmark noted in a 2010 blogpost: "By the end of this decade,power and influence will shiftlargely to those people with thebest reputations and trustnetworks, from people withmoney and nominal power."

ManyFacebook usersare unaware ofhow theirpersonalinformation isshared andused for

Trust is also essential for thesuccess of any brand - in fact, itdefines a brand. As our Facebookprofile pages begin to morph intoour overall online identities, theinherent tension between ourindividual desire to protectpersonal information and thecompany's need for thatinformation to prosper will comeinto ever-sharper focus. We willneed to trust more, not less.

Despite Zuckerberg's loudlytrumpeted beliefs, Facebook'stremendous success to date doesnot signify that the companyhas earned any right to own ordefine our very identities. And,in seizing that right, Facebookrisks losing everything - itscredibility, the trust of its evenits most ardent users, its valueto advertisers and ultimately itsbrand.

Even as it battles for controlof the web, Facebook issimultaneously set to stumbleover the question of trust andreliability. Unless altered, MarkZuckerberg's blind ambition andinability to listen to his manyfriends and followers may leadnot to dominance, but todownfall.

Culled from Aljazeera.Rory O'Connor is the

author of Friends, Followersand The Future: How SocialMedia are Changing Politics,Threatening Big Brands andKilling Traditional Media.

“It's very early days. If we choose to share data on a networkwith our friends and followers, must we necessarily cease tocontrol it? Does the owner of the network own our data aswell? If they and their investors profit mightily from selling it,shouldn't we at least be asked politely for permission first?Maybe we would share even more if we were paid a small

commission.

PAGE 32 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

S.Africa demand for changein import labels angers Israel

South Africa's trade with Israelis modest, but there is concern inIsrael about broader economic andpolitical damage.

A labelling change wouldbolster an international campaignby pro-Palestinian activists for aboycott of products made by Israelifactories in the West Bank,territory Israel captured in the1967 war and which Palestinianswant as part of a future state.

"If this will move to other placesin the world, we will be in bigtrouble," Israeli Industry andTrade Minister Shalom Simhontold reporters before Davies's newsconference.

The demand for a change in

labelling was published in thegovernment gazette earlier thismonth in a statement that saidtraders must not "incorrectlylabel products that originatefrom the Occupied PalestinianTerritory" as products made inIsrael.

It did not say when the changemust be made, but added that "theburden of proving where theproducts originate will lie withtraders."

Israel's Foreign Ministry hasblasted the plan.

"This is a decision that's taintedwith what seems to be racistmotivation," Israeli ForeignMinistry spokesman Yigal Palmor

South African President Jacob Zuma (L) and South African Trade Minister Rob Davies during the China-South Africa Business Forum in Beijing, August 24, 2010.

Mbeki hopefulfor re start ofSudans talks

A date to re-start talksbetween feudingneighbours Sudan and

South Sudan could be agreed thisweek, an African Unionmediator said yesterday, but asenior South Sudanese officialsaid he did not believe Khartoumwas ready to negotiate.

Former South AfricanPresident Thabo Mbeki is tryingto bring the two Sudans back tothe negotiating table at the AU'sheadquarters in Addis Ababa totry to resolve oil, security andborder disputes that triggered anoutbreak of border fightingbetween the two countries'armies last month.

South Sudan becameindependent in July 2011 undera 2005 peace agreement withKhartoum that ended decades ofcivil war. But the neighboursfailed to mark their sharedborder and agree how much thelandlocked South should pay toexport its oil through Sudan.

The April clashes over anborder oil zone raised fears thetwo states might plunge backinto all-out war and promptedthe United Nations SecurityCouncil to warn Juba andKhartoum earlier this month tonegotiate peacefully or facesanctions.

Mbeki, who met SudanesePresident Omar Hassan al-Bashir in Khartoum at theweekend, held talks on Mondayin the South Sudanese capitalJuba with South Sudan'sPresident Salva Kiir and withchief South Sudanese negotiatorPagan Amum.

Mbeki said he was confidentthe two sides would heed U.N.and AU demands that theyrestart talks soon. "I am quitesure we can agree a date thisweek," he told reporters.

Sudan's Bashir said at theweekend he wanted a lastingpeace with his southernneighbour but insistedsecurity issues should beresolved first, specifically thatSouth Sudan should endsupport for rebels in Sudan'sborderlands.

El-Obeid Morawah,spokesman of the Sudaneseforeign ministry, said Sudanwanted to wait for Mbeki toreturn to Khartoum onTuesday for new talks withBashir before deciding whennegotiations could resume.

"We told Mbeki when hemet President Bashir that weare ready to sit down for talksbut security is a priority. This isalso a priority for the AfricanUnion," he said. "If ourneighbours in South Sudan agreeon this then talks will resume assoon as possible."

Israeli goods produced in theoccupied Palestinianterritories and sold in South

Africa may no longer be labelled"Made in Israel," the South Africantrade minister said yesterday,causing concern in Israel thatother countries may follow suit.

"We are, through this notice,requiring that they be correctlylabelled and it will then be up toconsumers in South Africawhether they want to purchasethose products or not," Trade andIndustry Minister Rob Davies toldreporters.

"We are not seeking to preventthe entry of such products intoSouth Africa," he said.

Hundreds of protestersentered Mali'spresidential palace

unopposed yesterday and said theywould remain there until interimcivilian president Dioncounda Traoreresigned, a Reuters witness said.

Protesters occupy Malianpresidential palace

Mali"s interim President Dioncounda Traore during a news confer-ence at the presidential palace in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, May 16,2012

told Reuters. He said the ministryintended to convey its displeasurein a "tough talk" with South Africa'sambassador.

Israel was one of the fewcountries that maintained strongties with South Africa's apartheidgovernment, putting it in anawkward position when whiteminority rule ended in 1994 andthe liberation movement, theAfrican National Congress,became the ruling party.

Under an EU-Israel AssociationAgreement already in force, goodsmade in Israeli settlements in theWest Bank, and those from EastJerusalem and the Golan Heights,areas also captured in 1967, arenot entitled to preferential tarifftreatment that Israeli productsenjoy and are subject to thepayment of duties.

In 2005, the EU and Israelnegotiated a "technicalarrangement" under whichcustoms authorities of memberstates may identify settlementexports to the EU. This isimplemented homogeneously inthe whole EU territory, an EUofficial said.

In 2009, Israel criticisedBritain for advising supermarketsto label produce from Jewishsettlements clearly, to distinguishthem from goods produced byPalestinians.

About 500,000 Israeli settlersand 2.5 million Palestinians livein the West Bank and EastJerusalem.

The International Court ofJustice, the highest U.N. legalbody for disputes, has ruled thatthe settlements are illegal. Israelrejects that position and citeshistorical and biblical links to theWest Bank and Jerusalem.

way tug-of-war between theICC, Paris and Tripoli for theright to try him.

Senussi is suspected ofplaying a central role in thekilling of more than 1,200inmates at Tripoli's Abu Salimprison in 1996. It was thearrest of a lawyer acting forrelatives of the victims thatsparked Libya's revolt inFebruary last year.

France wants Senussi inconnection with a 1989airliner bombing over Nigerin which 54 of its nationalsdied.

Senussi has also beenlinked to the 1988 bombingover Lockerbie, Scotland of aPanAm jet that killed 270people. Diplomatic sourceshave said the United States waskeen to question him about thatattack.

Mauritania revealed lastmonth that Senussi was ill,suffering from unspecifiedhealth problems that werealready present when hearrived in Noakchott.

Gaddafi ex-spy chief to facecharges in Mauritania

Muammar Gaddafi'sformer intelligencechief Abdullah al-

Senussi, arrested inMauritania in March andsought by Libya, France andthe International CriminalCourt (ICC), is to face localcharges in Mauritania, ajudicial source said yesterday.

"Abdullah al-Senussi hasbeen interviewed for the firsttime by the state prosecutor.He should face trial soon forillegal entry into Mauritanianterritory," said the source, whorequested anonymity.

The decision to proceedwith the charges comes afterthe expiry of his 45-day custodyperiod and could mean anyextradition of Senussi to facejustice outside Mauritania isdelayed, especially if he isfound guilty.

Senussi was arrested as heflew in to the Mauritaniancapital Nouakchott fromCasablanca, Morocco on afalsified Malian passport. Hisdetention triggered a three-

The protesters tore up images ofTraore and called for him to be replacedby Captain Amadou Sanogo, the officerwho led the March 22 military coup,the witness said. Soldiers positioned atthe palace stood by as the civiliansentered the buildings.

PAGE 33PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Al-Qaeda claims deadly Yemen suicide blaststrewn across the 10-lane roadwhere the rehearsal was held onMonday morning not far from thepresidential palace.

"We had just finished theparade. We were saluting ourcommander when a huge explosionwent off," said soldier Amr Habib."It was a gruesome attack. Manysoldiers were killed and others hadtheir arms and legs blown off."

Yemeni President Abd-RabbuMansour Hadi is scheduled to attendTuesday's parade marking the22nd anniversary of theunification of north and southYemen.

A man claiming to speak formilitant group Ansar al-Sharia saidin a telephone call to the Reutersnews agency that it was behind theattack.

An Ansar al-Sharia spokesmansubsequently confirmed the claim,saying it was in response to the

"crimes" of the security forces whoare fighting to dislodge militantsfrom their strongholds in the southof the country.

But one of the investigators saidpreliminary findings suggested thesuicide bomber was a rogue soldierrather than a man in a disguise.

"The suicide bomber was dressed

Central Security Forces, Military Police, Republican Guard soldiers, and crime scene investiga-tors crowded around the site of Monday's suicide bomb blast in Sanaa.

Convicted Lockerbie bomberburied in low key funeral

The only man convicted inthe 1988 Lockerbiebombing has been buried

with little fanfare near theLibyan capital with just under100 family members andpassers-by in attendance.

The quiet funeral in Tripolion Monday stands in starkcontrast to the hero's welcomeAbdel Baset al-Megrahi receivedthree years ago from his patron,dictator Muammar Gaddafi,upon his return to Libya afterserving eight years of a lifesentence in Scotland.

Al Jazeera's Omar al-Saleh,reporting from Tripoli, said thatover 100 people attendedMegrahi's funeral, describing itas "low profile".

"There were no governmentofficials, there were norepresentatives from theNational Transitional Council,"

in a military uniform. He had a beltof explosives underneath," said aman who identified himself asColonel Amin al-Alghabati, hishands and uniform flecked withblood.

A US military instructor wasshot and seriously wounded onSunday in an attack also claimed

Al-Qaeda has claimedresponsibility for a suicidebombing in the centre of the

Yemeni capital that has left nearly100 people dead.

Officials have said a bomberdressed in military uniformtargeted soldiers rehearsing for aparade in Sanaa to mark Yemen'sNational Day.

Yemen's defence minister andchief of staff were both present atthe event but neither was hurt.

Al Jazeera's Jane Ferguson,reporting from Sanaa, said that thedeath toll was still climbing by lateMonday afternoon.

"We are hearing reports that 96people were killed and many moreinjured," our correspondent said."There have been requests for blooddonations and the death toll couldgo even higher."

The huge explosion left scenesof carnage, with bloodied victims

Megrahi died at home in Tripoli after a long battle with cancer

by Ansar al-Sharia, which isaffiliated with Al Qaeda in theArabian Peninsula (AQAP).

Yemeni government soldiersare waging a fierce campaign in thecountry's south against al-Qaeda inthe Arabian Peninsula fighters whohave taken advantage of politicalinstability to gain territory.

said Saleh. "You will get the sense that

the new Libyan authorities aretrying to distance themselvesfrom the whole event."

Megrahi died eleven yearsafter being convicted of plantinga bomb on Pan Am Flight 103,which exploded over the Scottishtown of Lockerbie on December21, 1988.

He was found guilty ofkilling all 259 people on boardthe flight, along with 11 othervictims on the ground, by aspecial court set up in TheNetherlands in 2001.

Megrahi served eight yearsof a 27-year-prison sentence, butwas released on compassionategrounds in 2009, and allowed toreturn to Libya after doctors saidthat he had terminal cancer andonly, at the time, three monthsleft to live.

Erbil is Iraqi Kurdistan's capital, an autonomous region within the federal Iraqi republic

Kurdish oil deal stirs Iraqi tensions

The oil minister for Iraq'sKurdish region hasoutlined bold plans to export

oil and gas directly to Turkey,escalating tensions in a battle withBaghdad for control of the country'sfuel exports.

Ashti Hawrami, Kurdish oilminister, told an industryconference on Sunday that a onemillion barrel per day pipeline fromKurdish fields to an oil facility just afew kilometres from the Turkishborder was expected to be completedby the end of next year.

He said a second phase wouldextend that pipeline across theborder to deliver crude oil to theTurkish port of Cihan.

Turkey is also currentlyextending pipelines from the Cihanport on the Mediterranean to theborder with Iraq's Kurdish region.

"We envisage the building of anew pipeline taking Kurdistan's oil,particularly the heaviercomponent part to Cihan,"Hawrami said in his first publicannouncement of the plannedproject.

Hawrami made the commentswhile speaking at a conference withTaner Yildez, Turkish energy

minister, on Turkish-Kurdishenergy co-operation.

Kurdish officials had beenreluctant to publicly talk about theproposed pipeline until Turkey gavea clear sign that it was committedto the project.

He said another pipeline beingplanned would carry natural gasto Cihan and then on tointernational markets.

Yildez reiterated to journaliststhat any investment in the Kurdishoil industry would benefit all of Iraq.

Talk of the project threatens toworsen already strained relationsbetween Ankara and Baghdad,which has accused Turkey ofinterfering in Iraq's internal affairs.

Baghdad's central governmentmaintains that it has the sole rightto negotiate contracts and exportoil and gas.

Turkish oil officials say theKurdish region's large andvirtually untapped oil and gasreserves and Turkey's hugedemand for fuel, make pipelineslinking the two almost inevitable.

Iraq has now become Turkey'ssecond biggest trading partner, themajority of the trade with theKurdish region.

PAGE 34 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb dies

Robin Gibb and his brothers Barry, centre, and Maurice, left, were part of the singing trio the BeeGees

Robin Gibb, a performer whoenjoyed decades of successas part of all-brother singing

trio the Bee Gees, has died aged62 after a battle against cancer.

"The family of Robin Gibb, ofthe Bee Gees, announce with greatsadness that Robin passed awaytoday following his long battlewith cancer and intestinalsurgery," his family said in astatement on Sunday.

Gibb and his brothers, Barryand Maurice, formed one of themost successful vocal groups inrock and roll history, selling morethan 200 million albums in acareer which began in the 1960sbut peaked with the success of astring of hits from the moviesoundtrack to the era-defining"Saturday Night Fever" in the late1970s.

Their most famous songsincluded "How Deep Is Your Love","Stayin' Alive", and "Night Fever"and in 1977, the year the moviewas released, they became thefirst and only songwriters to placefive songs in the US top 10bestselling singles at the sametime.

The Bee Gees, famed for theirfalsetto harmonies, also gainedrecognition for their body of workwith induction into theSongwriters Hall of Fame and theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Gibbs were born inEngland on the Isle of Man, anisland in the Irish Sea, but moved

Russia’s Putintightens gripwith newgovernment

Russian President VladimirPutin unveiled agovernment dominated by

loyalists yesterday, tightening his gripon the economy and national securityafter protests, and limiting PrimeMinister Dmitry Medvedev's ability topursue market reforms.

Putin, 59, opted for continuity byretaining his ally Igor Shuvalov as firstdeputy prime minister in charge ofeconomic policy, while Igor Sechin willremain his energy chief in a role outsidethe government.

The former KGB spy consolidatedhis hold over the "power" ministries bynaming Moscow police chief VladimirKolokoltsev as interior minister, in asign of trust in a man who has at timesused heavy force against protestersdemanding Putin quit.

Putin also signalled continuity onforeign policy and military affairs byleaving Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovand Defence Minister AnatolySerdyukov in place.

"Work will be difficult, given theconcrete situation in the worldeconomy," Putin told a meeting in theKremlin, where he sat at the head ofthe cabinet table with Medvedev to hisright.

An important test of thegovernment will be the speed at whichit implements a privatisationprogramme and a drive to reduce thedependence of the $1.7 trillion economyon oil and gas exports.

Putin has also faced the biggestprotests since he was first electedpresident in 2000, caused initially byallegations of electoral fraud but fuelledby anger and frustration that his 12-year domination of Russia has beenextended by six years.

The opposition, representing a civilsociety that is finally emerging morethan two decades after the collapse ofthe Soviet Union, says its views arebeing ignored and Putin is stiflingeconomic and political reforms in theworld's largest country.

to Australia with their parents in1958 when they were still quiteyoung and began their musicalcareer there.

After several hits in Australia,their career started to really takeoff when they returned to Englandin 1967. Robin temporarily left thegroup in 1969. He released somesuccessful solo material beforerejoining his brothers in 1970.

The Gibbs then suffered someslack years, and were at a low point

when they went into a Frenchstudio to try to come up withsome songs for the "SaturdayNight Fever" soundtrack which,together with the power of thedisco movement, changed theirlives forever, giving them astring of number one hits.

After several years of chartsuccess, the Gibbs spent much ofthe 1980s writing songs andproducing records for otherartists, working closely with top

Afghan security handover ‘by mid-2013’Leaders of the North

Atlantic TreatyOrganisation have endorsed

plans to hand Afghan forces the leadfor security across their country bymid-2013 while foreign troops willgradually switch their focus fromcombat to support mode.

In a Chicago summitdeclaration on Monday, USPresident Barack Obama and his27 military allies confirmed plansto withdraw their combat troops bythe end of 2014 and leave behind atraining mission.

"The irreversible transition offull security responsibility from theInternational Security AssistanceForce [ISAF] to the Afghan NationalSecurity Forces [ANSF] is on trackfor completion by the end of 2014,"they said.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen,NATO's secretary-general, said thatthe international allies remained

committed to a secure anddemocratic Afghanistan. To that end,he said, there would be a NATO-ledpresence in Afghanistan beyond 2014to advise, train and assist Afghanforces.

Hamid Karzai, the Afghanpresident, announced last week thathis forces were ready to take oversecurity in several new provinces,putting them in charge of protecting75 per cent of Afghanistan'spopulation.

"By mid-2013, when the fifth andfinal tranche of provinces startstransition, we will have reached animportant milestone in our Lisbonroadmap, and the ANSF will be in thelead for security nationwide," thedeclaration said, referring to a 2010NATO summit in Lisbon.

"At that milestone, as ISAF shiftsfrom focusing primarily on combatincreasingly to the provision oftraining, advice and assistance to the

ANSF, ISAF will be able to ensurethat the Afghans have the supportthey need as they adjust to theirnew increased responsibility,"they said.

"We are gradually andresponsibly drawing down ourforces to complete the ISAF mission

by 31 December 2014."The 28 allies, who discussed

Afghanistan over dinner atChicago's Soldier Field lateSunday, were to meet with their22 partners in the Afghan missionas well as Asif Ali Zardari, thePakistani president, on Monday.

Demonstrators rallied at Grant Park in Chicago on the first day ofthe two-day NATO summit

talents such as Barbra Streisand,Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross andDolly Parton. They alsocontinued touring and releasingtheir own records.

The band continued toperform in the 1990s, until thedeath of Maurice, Robin's twin,in 2003, from a cardiac arrestduring surgery. Following hisdeath, Robin and Barry decidedto cease performing as the BeeGees.

Egypt’s first free presidentialvote looks wide open

After six decades under thethumb of men from themilitary, Egyptians

savour the novel experiencethis week of a presidentialelection whose outcome no oneknows in advance.

They vote on Wednesdayand Thursday for a leader toreplace Hosni Mubarak, whowas swept away 15 months agoby a popular revolt thatushered in a turbulentmilitary-led transition andelections for a parliament nowdominated by Islamists.

No real power has yetchanged hands. An armycouncil led by the man whoserved as Mubarak's defenceminister for 20 years still holdsthe reins, promising to handover by July 1 after a newpresident is elected, probablyin a run-off vote in June.

Opinion polls are untested.Previous post-Mubarak votes -the parliamentary poll won bythe Muslim Brotherhoodtrailed by its hardline Salafirivals, and an earlierreferendum that

Protesters chant pro-Egypt and anti-government slogans in Tahrirsquare in Cairo, July 9, 2011.

overwhelmingly approvedarmy-proposed interimconstitutional changes opposedby liberals - may be no guidethis time round.

Like other Arab stateswhere pent-up rage frompolitical and economicfrustrations erupted last year,Egypt is struggling to define itsfuture after its dazzlingmoment of promise.

Russian President Vladimir Putin(C) uses a security device duringa visit to the Interior MinistryAcademy in Moscow May 17,2012.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012 PAGE 35

Parents ‘murdered their Westernised teenagedaughter in front of her sister because theythought she was bringing shame on the family’Shafilea Ahmed's

decomposed remains werefound in February 2004

Her parents Iftikhar andFarzana Ahmed are accused ofkilling her in September 2003.Their daughter Alesha is said tohave witnessed the killing andwill give evidence against herparents Police placed listeningdevice in the family's home inNovember 2003 and heardthem telling their children 'notto say anything' at school.

A teenage girl was murderedby her parents because she hadbecome 'Westernised' and nolonger obeyed their strict rules,a jury heard today.

The parents of ShafileaAhmed are accused of attackingher in a killing allegedlywitnessed by their otherdaughter, before dumping herbody by a river.

The decomposed remains 17-year-old Shafilea werediscovered in Cumbria inFebruary 2004.

Today, as her parentsIftikhar and Farzana Ahmedwent on trial for murder,prosecutor Andrew Edis QC toldChester Crown Court they hadkilled her because she refused toobey them.

Opening the case against theAhmeds, Mr Edis told the jury ofseven men and five women: 'Thedefendants, having spent thebest part of 12 months trying toreally crush her, realised theywere never going to be able to

old wife, deny murderingShafilea at their home inWarrington in September 2003.

Mr Edis said: 'The prosecutionalleges that she (Shafilea) wasmurdered by the two defendants,her parents, at the family homeon the night of September 11/12,September 2003. She was 17-years-old.'

He said the case had taken a'very long time' to be brought totrial because it was not untilAugust 2010 that a witness tothe crime came forward.

'This witness is AleshaAhmed, Shafilea's youngersister.'

The court heard that Aleshakept silent for seven years andonly told police after she wasarrested for taking part in arobbery at her parents' home inLiverpool Road, Warrington.

Mr Edis said Alesha witnessedthe killing of her sister by theirparents 'acting together'.

'This evidence was the finalpiece of the puzzle which thepolice had been trying to solvefor many years.'

'Until that moment they hadno direct evidence of murder,' headded.

Mr Edis said that, afterwitnessing the murder, Aleshalived in a family 'under greatstrain' and that as she grew upshe suffered from 'dividedloyalties'.

The court heard that Shafileahad suffered domestic abuse atthe hands of her parents in the12 months leading up to herdisappearance in 2003.

Mr Edis said: 'The prosecution

'Murdered': The parents of Shafilea Ahmed, pictured, are on trialfor her killing

say during that year her parentsembarked upon a campaign ofdomestic violence and abusedesigned to force her to conformso that she would behave in theway that was expected of her.

'She was a thoroughlyWesternised young British girlof Pakistani origin. Her parentshad standards which she wasreluctant to follow.'

The court heard that thedefendants put their daughterunder 'intense pressure' andwere seeking to control her.

'She was unwilling to do thisand she resisted,' Mr Edis said.

The court heard that policeplaced a covert listening devicein the home of the Ahmeds inNovember 2003 when Shafileawas still believed to be missing.

Mr Edis said theconversations which wererecorded were 'surprising' asthey were discussing whetherthe police would have themunder surveillance.

He said: 'They are discussingwhat sort of surveillance tacticsthe police could be using inorder to investigate them andthey are talking in verycautious terms.'

Mr Edis said they were'rather odd conversations' forpeople to be having if they arecompletely innocent.

In conversations with herother children, Mrs Ahmed canbe heard warning them not to

Accused of murder: Shafelia's mother Farzana Ahmed, left, andIftikhar Ahmed, right, arriving at Chester Crown Court today

'Domestic abuse': The victimsuffered at the hands of herparents in the year before shedied, it was claimed

Accused: Iftikhar Ahmed, left, and Farzana Ahmed, right, are saidto have killed their 17-year-old daughter because she refused toobey them

succeed and finally killed herbecause her conductdishonoured the family,bringing shame on them.'

Ahmed, 52, and his 49-year-

say anything at school.The defendants refer to one

of their children as a 'good boy'but then say if he talked hecould 'have us put inside'.

Mrs Ahmed was alsorecorded saying to her sonJunyade: 'If the slightest thingcomes out of your mouth, wewill be stuck in real trouble.Remember that.'

The trial continues.

PAGE 36 PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Why having an overweight mother couldlead to you being obese as an adult

The researchers weighed andmeasured 1,400 men andwomen aged 32 years and did aseries of blood tests.

The results were thencompared with data collectedabout their mothers when theygave birth to them.

The analysis, published inthe journal Circulation, showeda clear links between the two.

The adults whose motherswere the most overweight beforebecoming pregnant wereheavier than the sons anddaughters of the lightestwomen.

Waistlines were on averagemore than three inches bigger,blood pressure was higher, levelsof dangerous blood fats werehigher and readings for ‘good’cholesterol lower.

Men and women whosemothers put on lots of weightwhile carrying them were alsomore likely to be too heavy fortheir height as adults.

Lead researcher Dr HagitHochner, of the HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem, said:‘We know now that eventsoccurring early in life to foetuseshave long-lasting consequencesfor the health of the adult.’

Study co-author, ProfessorOrly Manor, said: ‘In an age ofan “overweight epidemic” in theworld, it is important to know

Overweight mothers-to-becould be condemningtheir unborn children to

decades of ill-health.Research has shown that

men and women whose motherswere carrying extra poundswhen pregnant are more likelyto be fat and unhealthythemselves – even when in their30s.

While it is well-known thatoverweight mothers-to-be riskhaving big babies, who grow intooverweight children, this studyis one of the first to show that thelegacy can still be felt years later.

And not only does it affectweight but overall health,including blood pressure,cholesterol and blood sugarlevels.

Taken together, suchchanges could raise the risk of ahost of ills, from strokes, todiabetes and heart attacks.

The findings, from a study ofwomen who give birth inJerusalem in the mid-1970s andtheir children – come amid fearsthat obesity among pregnantBritish women is reachingepidemic proportions.

Almost half of women ofchild-bearing age areoverweight or obese and morethan 15 per cent of pregnantwomen are dangerouslyoverweight.

Simple blood test could show whichwomen are at risk of postnatal depression

Post nataldepressionaffects onein sevenwomen andis far moresevere than'babyblues.'Mothersmaystruggle tobond withtheir babiesandtreatmentand supportare vital

eating habits to her child.But conditions in the womb

are also thought to beimportant.

For instance, exposure tohigh amounts of sugar and fatmay lead to long-lasting changesin appetite control or the storageof fat.

Obesity also cuts the chancesof pregnancy and obese mothers-to-be are more likely to need aCaesarean section and are atgreater risk of losing blood whilegiving birth.

Their children are morelikely to be stillborn or die in thefirst weeks or months of life andto suffer other birth defects suchas club foot or cleft lip.

Concern about the numerousharms is so high that Britishdoctors have started to medicatebabies in the womb, in adesperate attempt to stop themfrom being born obese.

If the NHS trial is a success,the treatment could be inwidespread use in as little as fiveyears, with tens of thousands ofobese mothers-to-be druggedeach year.

Tam Fry, of the NationalObesity Forum, said the Israelistudy underlines how‘desperately important’ it is forwomen to get in shape beforethey conceive.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

hormones triggered in response tostress.

The finding appears to showthat postnatal depression is aspecific subgroup of depressionwith a distinct genetic elementwhich means that some womenare genetically more reactive tothe environmental factors whichtrigger depression.

Professor Grammatopoulossaid their study was the first toshow a link between thefunctioning of the HPA axis and

post natal depression.‘We think that we have made

an important step forward incharacterising the prospectiverisks and are therefore paving theway for timely, appropriatemedical treatment for womenwho are likely to develop PND,’ hesaid.

The team now intend toconduct further research on othergenetic variants of the HPA axisin a larger, multi-centre studyinvolving women from

Coventry, Birmingham, andLondon.

PND is a serious condition andquite different from the ‘babyblues’, which is milder andshorter-lived. Symptoms includesadness, changes in eating andsleeping patterns, crying episodes,reduced libido, anxiety andirritability.

Effects on children can besignificant; for example,depressed mothers are less likelyto be affectionate towards and toplay with their children and theymay use less ‘baby talk’ which isdesigned to engage the child’sattention. This may lead tolearning and emotionaldifficulties for the children in laterlife.

Although it may seem evidentthat PND is caused by some kindof hormonal upheaval the role ofthe HPA axis in this form ofdepression has not been proveduntil now.

‘We believe that we havemade a discovery with importantclinical and social implications.

‘If we can identify womenlikely to suffer from PND inadvance so that they can betreated appropriately and at anearly stage, we will haveimproved the lives not just of theparents, but also of their children,’Professor Grammatopoulosconcluded.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

One in seven women willexperience postnataldepression after the birth

of their baby - now scientists thinkthey could spot those most at riskwith a simple, accurate blood test.

Researchers at WarwickMedical School found women whodeveloped the condition weremore likely to have variants of tworeceptor genes involved in thebody’s stress response.

The discovery could lead toearlier treatment for women whoare likely to suffer from post nataldepression.

At present women are oftendiagnosed by chance if a midwifeor relative notices the symptoms,which usually appear a fortnightafter birth. However, many newmothers are unwilling to admitthey are suffering in the mistakenbelief the condition means theyare a ‘bad mother.’

Presenting the teams researchto the International Congress ofEndocrinology, Professor DimitrisGrammatopoulos: ‘Currentscreening policies rely on theopportunistic finding of PND casesusing screening tools such as theEdinburgh Postnatal DepressionScore (EPDS), but such testscannot identify women at risk,ahead of them developing thecondition.’

The scientists assessed a groupof 200 pregnant women for PNDusing the EPDS, once during their

first visit to the ante-natal clinic,and again two to eight weeks afterthey had given birth.

They found that the womenwho developed PND were morelikely to have a DNA sequencevariation in two receptor genes(the glucocorticoid receptor andthe corticotrophin-releasinghormone receptor-1).

These receptors control theactivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis,which control the activity of

Children whose mothers put on lots of weight while carrying themwere likely to become overweight adults (posed picture)

that factors that are involvedin leading to overweight andother health risks.

‘This understanding makesit essential that we identifythese early windows ofopportunity in which we can

intervene in order to reduce therisks of chronic illness later inlife.’

Various factors are thoughtto be behind the phenomenon. For instance, the mother maypass on ‘fat’ genes and unhealthy

PAGE 37PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Women Affairs Commissioner urges Nigerians to embrace maintenance cultureIndustry, Mr. ChukwumaChienye, to assist nursing mothersin the ministry to concentrate ontheir jobs.

"One problem we have inNigeria and with all of us, even inour houses is maintenanceculture.

"So, I want us to imbibe thismaintenance culture; we shouldtreat it like our own so that it willcontinue.

"And whatever little effort,either financially or whatever youare putting in it, you know that

you are putting it to sustain thatproject."·

West commended Chienye forthe gesture and urged her tocontinue to initiate projects thatwould better the lot of women inthe country.

She advised working classwomen in the ministry to ensurethey maintained the crèche, whichis equipped with state-of-the-artfacilities.

"We entered there today theplace was open; we were seeing thethings, they are all new, but come,

Don’t abandon your homes for politics -Tukur counsels female Ministers, lawmakers

The National Chairman ofthe Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) Dr. Bamanga

Tukur yesterday admonishedfemale ministers, lawmakers andpresidential aides not to abandontheir home-fronts while pursuingtheir political ambitions.

Tukur while addressing thewomen political office holdersduring the inaugural meeting of

By Lawrence Olaoye

Senior Special Adviser to Katsina state Governor on Diplomatic and Society Relations, Alhaji Sada Salisu Rumah (2nd left) registeringopposition members who decamped to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently in Katsina. Witnessing are Senator Ibrahim Tsauri, andother party officials.

PDP National Woman Leader andthe female politicians, Tukurlamented that that the role ofwomen in building better societywas not really appreciated and thisis responsible for some thechallenges confronting thecountry.

"The home is the beginning tomould the character of thechildren. Please don't forget yourhomes in spite of your beingministers and lawmakers so that

we can build better society". The PDP chairman assured

the female ministers, federallawmakers and presidentialadvisers of the support of thenational leadership of the partyand encouraged them continue tomeet to forge ways of ensuringwomen take their rightful place onthe political turf.

Earlier in her welcome address,the PDP national woman leader,Ambassador Kema Chikwe chided

opposition political parties for goinginto elections with mainlyaspirants that lost out in PDPprimaries.

"If you go through the historyof the new generation parties orwhat you could referred to as thefourth republic political parties,only our party, the PDP, hasstructured a transparent processfor conventions, congresses andprimaries.

"As a matter of fact, otherparties wait for PDP to holdprimaries in order to give ticketsto the vulnerable PDP casualties.They in turn amplify thepropagation against PDP in thedesperation for victory".

Anbassador Chikwemaintained that PDP remainedthe best platform for women toactualized their politicalaspirations.

"It is only the PDP platformthat can bring true unity ofpurpose, assurances,communality of political culture,hope and vision for theactualization of the womenquestion in Nigeria ,” she added.

Some of the female politicianspresent at the inaugural meetingwith the national leadership ofPDP are the minister of Finance,Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala;Minister of Environment, HadizaIbrahim Mailafia; Minister ofstate for Defense, Olusola Obada;Minister of state, FCT, JumokeAkinjide; and Minister of state forForeign Affairs, Prof. ViolaOnwuuliri.

The female senators andmembers of the House ofRepresntatives led by Senator AishaJummai Alhassan are SenatorNenadi Usman, Senator HelenEsuene and Hon. Christina Alaaga.

Lagos lawmakerssummonCommissionerover illegalfunding

The Lagos stateCommissioner for LocalGovernment and

Chieftaincy Affairs, AdemorinKuye, has been summoned toappear before the House ofAssembly to clear the air on thealleged illegal funding of thestate Junior League Board.

The Assembly hadsummoned Kuye and hiscounterpart in the Youth, Sportand Social Developmentministry, Enitan Oshodi on thesame matter. They were invitedalongside the Chairman ofConference 57, AkeemSulaiman.

Chairman, AssemblyCommittee on Youth, Sport andSocial Development, BabatundeAyeni had complained to hiscolleagues over an alleged illegalcollection of money from the 57Local Government Councils inthe state by the League Board.

Ayeni complained of thenon-challant attitude of theBoard to his Committee's earlierinvitation over theunconstitutional way by whichfunds were raised.

Contributions from themembers over this issue pointedto the fact that the collection ofmoney from Local Governmentwas without due process whileasserting that spending ofpublic funds coupled with therefusal of the leadership of theJunior League Board to appearbefore the committee wasunacceptable.

However, at yesterday'splenary session, Kuye sent aletter to the lawmakersinforming them that he wouldnot be available to appear beforethem, on the claim that he hasa ministerial briefing scheduledfor today.

Despite the directive givenby the state governor,Babatunde Fashola to hiscabinet members, to alwayshonour the lawmakers' call nomatter what, Kuye also urgedthe House to choose another datefor him and his colleagues toappear before the House.

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

The Rivers Commissioner forWomen Affairs, Mrs JoebaWest, has called on Nigerians

to imbibe the culture ofmaintenance as it can prolong thelifespan of any establishment.

West made the call in aninterview with the News Agencyof Nigeria (NAN) on Monday inPort Harcourt while inauguratinga crèche donated to the Ministry ofCommerce and industry.

The creche was donated by MrsOke Chienye, the wife of theCommissioner for Commerce and

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

Fair governance will stem the tide of Boko Haram, says CPC

The growing trend ofinsecurity coupled withsocial vices that have

dominated the nation's landscapein recent times is directly a responseto corrupt nature of the society, theKogi Congress for ProgressiveChange (CPC), has said.

The media consultant to CPCgovernorship aspirant in Kogi state,Alhaji Idris Meyanga, MallamAbdul Mohammed noted thatprogressive personalities comingtogether to present General

Muhammadu Buhari as thePresidential candidate on theplatform of CPC, in the last generalelection was not a fluke.

Mallam Abdul furtherstressed that General Buharihad not lost any element of theleadership traits that could steerthe nation aright, adding "wehave seen other leaders, theirtrack record, comportment,collaboration, level ofsycophancy and level ofcorruption that broughtNigeria to where it is today".

According to him Nigeria is

groaning under the weight ofmonumental corruption, abuse ofpeople's right and lack of politicalwill to match words with action,stating that "it is only Buhari,after considering all variables,that can bring the succourwhich the nation needed

The present level ofinsecurity posed by a religioussect called Boko Haram,which has made life brutishand short, only CPC governmentwith its level of network andresponsibility would have been theanswer.

may be, in a few months' time, youwill not believe that this is what wehave come to commission today.

"It's your own; don't let it just godown the drain because you don'texpect government to doeverything; you don't really rely onthe government to provide all thethings you need."

West, however, said herministry had set up a bigger crèchethat would carry at least 100children and cover the entiresecretariat with same objective ofassisting mothers.

PAGE 38 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, addressing journalists, after a meeting of stakeholderson Edo state governorship elections, recently in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Shema’s aide charges religious, ethnicgroups on peaceful coexistence

Hon. Nkoyo Toyo,representing Odukpani/Calabar Federal

Constituency of Cross River in theHouse of Representatives, hasearmarked N5million annuallyto support indigent students in theconstituency.

Nkoyo made this known inCalabar on Sunday while givingaccount of her stewardship to thepeople of the constituency afterone year in the house.

She said that the `StudentsSupport Scheme' was aimed ataddressing financial challengebeing faced by some indigentstudents in the constituency.

“It is also aimed at atencouraging students inparticular fields of study everyyear; the target of the scheme is100 students annually.

According to her, N50,000will be given to each beneficiarystudent of tertiary institutions asagainst N20,000 and N10,000to each student in secondaryschools and primary school pupilsrespectively.

Nkoyo also said that themaiden beneficiaries of 97

Rep. Toyo earmarks N5m annually to support indigent students

committee, adding that but it wasunfortunate that in Kwara state,instead of spreading and sharing thesepositions equitably among the 3senatorial districts in the state, theoffices were concentrated andmanipulated.

According to Alhaji Alhassan inthe petition,3 state officers came fromIlorin West local government,namely the Youth Leader, the statePublicity Secretary and the Womenleader, stressing that the Youth leaderand the Women leader are even fromthe same Magajin Geri ward.

He stressed further in the petitionthat out of the 7 state caucus principalofficers of the state Central WorkingCommittee, three of them are fromKwara central, [that is theChairman, Youth leader andWomen leader] thereby leavingKwara North with only one office,Deputy Chairman, whereas theposts are expected to be evenlydistributed.

He asserted that thesecompositions were not only aflagrant violation of theconstitution of the PDP, but also itoffended the spirit and letters of theconstitution of the Federal Republicof Nigeria.

''As the ruling party, he pointedout that,'' it is incumbent on us tolead by example. This great partyshould not be willingly orunwillingly seen to be promotingdiscrimination or outright denialof the rights of any segment asglaringly reflected above.

Alhaji .Alhassan chargedNational leadership of the party on''observed lapses will be properly andpromptly addressed by takingappropriate steps to enforce the trueposition of our constitution and stopthis culture of impunity''

The youth wing of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) inKwara state has petitioned the

national leadership of the party andother stakeholders over the allegedlopsidedness in the composition of PDPexecutives in the state.

The youths in a petition signedby former PDP Youth Leader, AlhajiMohammed Al-Hassan, which wasmade available to newsmen in Ibadantitled, 'Constitutional violation'',alleged lopsidedness, discriminationand unfairness in the distribution ofexecutive positions especially as itaffects the Kwara north senatorialdistrict.

He faulted present compositionof PDP executives in Kwara state goingby the provision of Article 7.2 of theconstitution of the party as amendedin 2009, promotion of mutual respectfor and understanding of the religiousand cultural diversities, principles ofrotation and zoning.

The immediate past Kwara statePDP Youth Leader maintained thatas far as the PDP constitution wasconcerned, there are 11 principalofficers of the state working

NULGE faults Plateau Govt. on audit of LG accounts

students had been chosen for the2012/13 academic session aftera thorough screening.

A breakdown of thebeneficiaries showed that CalabarMunicipality had 41 studentsmade up of 21 from tertiaryinstitutions and 10 each fromsecondary and primary schools.

Odukpani had 56studentscomprising 28 studentsof tertiary institutions and 14each from secondary andprimary schools.

She said that an Internshipand Learning Programme wasalso instituted to link thebeneficiaries to some communityservices in addition to the supportscheme.

In a speech, the DeputyGovernor of Cross River, Mr EffiokCobham, commended thelawmaker for the students supportscheme and for coming out to giveaccount of her stewardship.

Cobham, who was representedby the Special Adviser to the

Senior Special Assistant tothe governor of Katsinastate on Diplomacy and Social

Relations, Alhaji Sada SalisuRumah, has charged theBatagarawa people of the state onthe need to live peacefully in spiteof their ethnic and religiousdifferences.

Rumah, who visited the localgovernment in order to enhancecordial relationship among the

people in the area said no societycould develop without unity, peaceand stability just as he added thatin order to foster unity, GovernorIbrahim Shehu Shema hasaccorded equal treatment to themembers of the non-indegenesassociation and people of the statein the areas of healthcare servicesand education.

Shema's spoke extensively onthe developmental projectsexecuted by Governor Shemaespecially on roads construction,

healthcare services, education andagriculture. He noted that people ofBatagarawa had mutualunderstanding with indigenousNigerians in the area for over theyears.

Batagarawa TransitionCommittee Chairman, Alhaji Tasi'uDahiru Dandagoro, who noted thatpeaceful co-existence was vitaltowards achieving societaldevelopment, said the people of thearea had been living togetherpeacefully for as long period of time.

Dandagoro further added thatmembers of the association wereplaying significant role inimproving the economic activitiesof the area and the state at large.He therefore called on the people ofthe area to support the effort of thepresent state administrationtowards bringing peace andstability in the state.

The Transition Chairmanexpressed gratitude to GovernorIbrahim Shehu Shema for hisefforts in uniting people irrespective

of religion and ethnic background.According to him, his transitioncommittee is making effort towardsexecuting projects that will impactpositively on the lives of ruraldwellers.

Also speaking, a memberrepresenting Batagarawa localgovernment in Katsina State Houseof Assembly, Alhaji Tukur IliyasuShagumba said the visit of the seniorSpecial Assistant would foster unityamong the members of theassociation and people of

Governor on Religious Affairs,Pastor Eyo Okpueme said that hewas ready to partner with her inany way possible.

The Chairman of the occasion,Ntufan Ekpo Okon said that theprogrammes initiated by theToyo were in line with themandate of the party to deliverdividends of democracy to thepeople.

Toyo was elected into theHouse of Representative on theplatform of the PDP.

From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

Youths protest lopsidednessin Kwara PDP Excos

The National Union of LocalGovernment Employees(NULGE) in Plateau says

the accounts of the 17 localgovernments in the state arebeing audited on quarterly,contrary to claim by officials ofthe state government.

Mr Samson Mafuyai, thePresident of the association, toldthe News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Sunday in Jos that thegovernment's claims did notagree with available evidencesat the disposal of NULGE.

Mafuyai said that the stategovernment's claim that theaccounts of the 17 localgovernments had remainedunaudited for the past 10 yearswas wrong and could be adeliberate falsehood.

He said: "The councils havewhat they call the quarterlyaudit, the staff of the Office of theAuditor-General for LocalGovernments, usually visit thelocal governments every threemonths for audit purpose.

“This had always been done

over the years without a break,he said.

"So, if they are saying thatthe accounts have not beenaudited for the past 10 years, Idon't know what they mean; Idon't know until I getclarification; for now I don't knowwhat they mean.

"And I am very sure if you goto the Office of the Auditor-General to check your facts, youwill be able to corroborate whatI am saying and what they aresaying."

Officials of the stategovernment had earlier said ata news conference that the rotin its local government'sadministration was due to thelack of auditing in the accountof the third tier of governmentin the past 10 years.

The Head of Civil Service, MrMoses Gwom, told journalist,after the State ExecutiveCouncil meeting last week thatthe situation had led to an``unimaginable level ofcorruption'' in the local

By Lawrence Olaoye

PAGE 39PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

PAGE 40 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

L-R: Members of the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review, Hon. Kawu Sumaila, Hon. LeoOgor, Chairman of the Committee, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihediohaand Hon. Ishaka Bawa, during a press conference on the review of the constitution, yesterday at theNational Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

The Southern Kaduna zoneof the PDP is to set up acommittee to address

grievances arising from its localgovernment and ward partycongresses.

Mr Joseph Gumbari, theZonal Vice Chairman, told theNews Agency of Nigeria (NAN)in Kaduna on Sunday that therewere many complaints frommany groups and individualswho believed that they were notfairly treated.

“We have received many ofsuch complaints from Kagarko,

Sanga, Kauru and Zango-KatafLocal Governments from peoplethat claimed that they werecheated and sidelined. We will sitand iron out the differences.

“The differences have evenled to factions in some localgovernments, especially amongstakeholders who believed theywere schemed out in theformation of party structures.

“Others allege that they werenot well represented, while somealso allege lopsidedness in thedistribution of key party posts.We shall pay attention to such

complaints because we believethat nothing should beunderrated.

“The zone has produced thegovernor and state partychairman and we believe it is achallenge for us to keep ourhouse in order so that we shallcontinue to vote together.''

“Over time, the PDP hadoperated as one family and whatwe want to do is to heal all thewounds by allowing theaggrieved parties to even parleywith the supposed favouredteams to forgive and forget

Southern Kaduna PDP to set up committee to reconcile aggrieved members

CPC urges INEC to uphold sovereigntyof Nigerians in 2015 elections

Opposition parties task AKISIECon free, fair council pollsOpposition parties in Akwa

Ibom have appealed to theState Independent Electoral

Commission (AKISIEC) to act as anunbiased umpire during theforthcoming council electionsscheduled for June 9.

Mr Linus Udofia, theChairman, Conference of NigerianPolitical Parties (CNPP), made theappeal on Sunday in an interviewwith the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Uyo.

Udofia said that oppositionparties would win seats, if theelectoral body provided the levelplaying ground for all the parties.

"Very frankly, if the electionsare free and fair, opposition partieswill win not only one localgovernment area, but so manylocal government areas of AkwaIbom.

``The chances are there thatmembers of other political partiesare going to win in some local

government councils, if onlyAKISIEC will act as an unbiasedumpire.''

Udofia appealed to theCommissioner of Police in AkwaIbom, Mr Umar Gwadebe, towithdraw police orderlies frompolitical office holders on theelection day.

He urged the commissioner toissue a directive for the withdrawalof the orderlies as they could be usedto intimidate opponents.

The Arewa ConsultativeForum (ACF) on Mondayin Abuja called on the

Federal Government(FG) tosteer the nation's economytowards the path of sustainablegrowth and development.

Mr Anthony Sani, theNational Publicity Secretary ofthe ACF, made the call in aninterview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said: "there is a linkbetween economic diversityand sustainability; economicdiversification will bring abouta growth of the nationaleconomy."

“A strong, growing andsustainable economy is the goalof every nation across theglobe.

“A sustainable economywill also enhance a nation'sstandard of living by creatingwealth, jobs and will equallyencourage the development ofnew knowledge and technologyas well as ensuring a stablepolitical climate.''

Sani said the nation shouldavoid over dependence onpetroleum resources, pointingout that it had becomenecessary to explore othernatural resources outsidepetroleum.

“We so much rely on oil atthe expense of other valuableresources in agriculture andsolid minerals that can helpthe nation's economy growvery fast.' '

The publicity scribe urgedthe northern governors tocommence the process ofdiversifying the economywithin their domain byexploring the abundanthuman and naturalresources in the North.

Sani said that as a nation,“we should emphasise on howwe can unite our differences.”

Sani also said the nationshould intensify the search forsolution to the securitychallenges in the country in allits manifestations.

The publicity secretarycalled on people of the Northernto improve on inter-faith andinter-ethnic relations.

ACF tasksFG onsustainablegrowth,development

The Congress for ProgressiveChange (CPC) on Mondayin Abuja urged INEC to

put in place structures thatwould ensure the sovereignty ofthe Nigerian people was upheldin the 2015 elections.

The National Chairman ofthe party, Prince Tony Momohgave the advice in an interviewwith the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He also urged INEC to upholdthe "one man one vote" postureas was generally agreed at astakeholders meeting organised

by INEC on Friday."If for instance you say "one

man one vote" would not count,then you are asking forresistance; Nigerians will resistany attempt to deprive them ordeny them their mandate.

"If that sovereignty is deniedthrough stealing of theirmandate, then you are askingfor resistance; you are askingfor unrest and that is whatevery political leader haspointed out.

"You cannot denydemocracy and social justice

without crushing Nigeria, andwe are saying we would notallow Nigeria to be crushed byallowing injustice instead ofjustice to prevail.

"President GoodluckJonathan has said that he hasnot asked anyone to rigelections for him. So, if anybodywants to rig elections to put thepresident there, that person ison his own."

Momoh called on Nigeriansto ensure that their votescounted in the 2015 elections,saying that the party was

against any attempt tomanipulate the elections.

He has this to say on GeneralMuhammadu Buhari's positionon electioneering in thecountry.

"So, the area of people voting,counting votes, and ensuringthat votes count has been theonly area of disagreementbetween the party and the PDP-ruling Federal Government,and also between GeneralBuhari, as a statesman, as apatriot and as a participant inthe political process and theFederal Government.

"So, there is nothing strangeabout the relationship betweenhim and the FederalGovernment. He is not inopposition to the government;he is articulating his views as apolitical activist; as a partyman; as someone who isinterested in growingdemocracy.

"He is articulating his viewswhich everybody in the politywho means well for the polityarticulates."

Momoh explained that afterthe 2011 Presidential Electionin the country, GeneralMuhammadu Buhari's decidedhe would not go to court, sayingthe decision to go to court wasthe party's.

"We accepted the finaldecision of the Supreme Courtto confirm President GoodluckJonathan as the president ofNigeria.

"So, all of us are in support ofa Nigeria that is anchored onjustice and democracy."

These services, he added, wereavailable for the independentpower producers and PEEMADIwould be ready for collaborationsin building and improving theKogi State Ministry of Science andTechnology through its expertise.

“The Okene Institute isstrategic because, therecannot be stable power inNigeria except she meetrequirements for components,spare parts and machines thatare produced locally.

The governor later directedthe engagement of thepermanent secretaries thestate ministries of health,science and technology andeducation with NASENI toworkout areas of technicalcooperation between NASENIand Kogi.

every wrong so as to worktogether.''

On the fate of hisconstituency, Gumbari said:``Most of the local governmentsstill do not basic social amenitiessuch as roads, water and healthcentres.

“Some other areas stillcomplain that they had not beengiven any fair share inappointments. We have tabledthese issues before Gov PatrickYakowa and we are happy thatthe issues are being addressed.''

To ensure that each local

government had arepresentative in the executivecouncil, he said that the zonalheadquarters of the party wasbeing reconstituted.

Gumbari decried what hecalled ``unfair distribution'' offederal appointments accruingto Kaduna State, saying thatonly two of the 20 appointmentsso far made at the federal levelwere from the south of the state.

He, however, called on peoplefrom the area currently holdingpolitical offices to shore up thefortunes of the people.

PAGE 41PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Patrick Ekeji, DG NSC

The supervising Minister of Sportsand Chairman of the NationalSports Commission, (NSC) Mallam

Bolaji Abdullahi, yesterday admittedthat the commission does not havethe authority to question the NigeriaFootball Federation, (NFF) over itsspending of grants received fromFIFA, including $8 million 2010 WorldCup earnings.

The minister, who disclosed thisyesterday during MinisterialPlatform held in commemoration ofthe National Democracy Day and the

first anniversary of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan administration inAbuja, said that the funds weremeant for specific FIFA approvedprojects stressing that so long asthe world football governing bodywas satisfied with the use of suchfunds, the commission would beunable to question the footballfederation on how the funds wereexpended.

Abdullahi, who was responding toquestions on the vexed allegedmisused of such funds pointed outthat the commission does not havethe power to question the footballhouse because the funds were not

appropriated to the NFF by thefederation government, adding thatit was only FIFA that could query theNFF over the use of the funds and theNSC.

According to him, the commissioncould only request for accountabilityfrom the NFF for monies appropriatedfor and released to the footballfederation for the running of thegame in Nigeria, bonuses for playersand officials and other such crucialneeds.

He recalled that it was in thisrespect that both the House, SenateCommittee on Sports few weeks agoconducted a public hearing which

demanded the NSC and its affiliatesto render accounts on its used offunds released to them. He added thatsuch defense was a pre-condition forapproval for 2012 appropriation.

“We don’t have power to requestaccountability of funds given to NFFby FIFA because is not the federalgovernment that gave them themoney.

“We can only seek for account ifthe FIFA complain to us, we have notreceive any complain from the worldfootball governing body beside thegrant was given to them to preparedour team before the World Cup inSouth Africa,” he said.

Nigerians should look forwardto a minimum of 10 goldmedals from both London

Olympic Games and the ParalympicsGames that would follow few weekslate also in London.

The Director General of theNational Sports Commission (NSC),Chief Patrick Ekeji, gave theassurances yesterday at theMinisterial Press briefing wherehe declared that Nigerian athleteshave the capability to win about

number of gold medals.Sounding optimistic after

analysing the efforts of thecommission to get Team Nigeria ongear for the Games, Ekeji saidgoing by the level of preparationsand the responses of the athletesthat the commission was optimistic

of a successful outing.“Our objective now is to have

about 10 gold medals, and we arepositive that we can get them atboth games in view of ourpreparations in both categories ofGames,” he said adding that hehad before been reluctant to bespecific because the coast wasnot quite clear on Team Nigeria’sarea of comparative advantage.

Nonetheless, he reiterated thatthe projected 10 gold medals wasjust a dream based on scientificcalculations but was quick to addthat injury or other unexpectedevents could alter suchprojections.

“No country can tell you at thismoment the number of medals itsathletes will win in London; it isonly China, perhaps, who are thedefending champions.

“But what we are doing is toensure we perform better thanwe did at the 2008 Olympics inBeijing, and I am sure we are oncourse to do that,” he said.

The former Green Eaglesdefender said that he would onlybe able to speak specifically onNigeria’s participation at the twoGames in the coming weeks.

“Before we go for the Games,

it will be possible to saysomething about the specifics ofwhat we can win at the Games.But right now, I can only say ourpreparations are on course andwe are pleased with what we havepresently,” Ekeji said.

Nigeria have entered for sevengames in the Summer Gamesscheduled to hold in London fromJuly 27 to August 12, and so farno fewer than 70 athletes havemet the qualifying standard forparticipation.

A total of 70 athletes bothmales and females have sofar qualified for the Olympic

and Paralympics Games, accordingto the supervising Minister ofSports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

The minister, who gave thebreakdown yesterday, said theathletes are to feature in sevensports events including athletics,canoeing, table tennis,taekwondo, wrestling,weightlifting, boxing, para-athletics, para-table tennis andpowerlifting.

The minister said Nigeriadeliberately selected to competein the seven sports because shecommands a measure ofcomparative advantage over othercompetitors and hopes to impressin these events.

70 athletesbookOlympictickets

Ikhana tounveilSuperFalcons forZimbabwe

Eagles miss flight, stranded in Madrid

Following Sunday’s drug incidentat the Murtala MohammedAirport in Lagos, which forced

the cancellation of the Iberia Airlineflight that was to convey the SuperEagles to Madrid enroute Lima fortomorrow’s international friendly

against Peru, the Eagles missed theconnecting flight from Madrid to Lima,when they eventually arrived in Spain.

Though the team eventuallydeparted Lagos at about 10:30 amNigerian time after 24 hours delay andgot into Madrid at 4:30 Nigerian time,

the Eagles were told by officials ofIberia Airways that their flight to Limahad left a day earlier.

The team could neither left the airportnor checked into any hotel because theyonly have transit visas and therefore hadto spend the night in the airport.

However, officials of the IberiaAirline provided the team’s meal andlater in the night players and officialswere moved to an arranged loungewhere they put up for the night afterhaving light refreshments.

Meanwhile, the NFF President AminuMaigari, has urged the players not tobe deterred by events that almosttruncated the international friendlyadding that these were meant to testtheir resolve.

Team Psychologist, RobinsonOkuson, who spoke with Maigari, laterrelayed the message to Head CoachStephen Keshi, that in turnedinformed the players and otherofficials.

“My only worry is that the playerswould not have had enough rest whenwe get to Lima, which is over 11 hoursfrom Madrid, but I trust my playersto give it the best shot on match day”,Keshi said.

NSC can’t question NFF’s spending of FIFA grants, says MinisterBy Albert Akota

By Patrick Andrew

Gabriel Reuben Ekigho Ehiosun Dan Akpeyi

Drogba announceshis Chelsea exitIvory Coast great Didier Drogba has told his Chelsea teammates he is leaving

the newly-crowned Champions League winners because he doesn’t fancyspending time on the substitutes bench, France Football said Monday.The 34-year-old - who scored the late equaliser and then the decisive

penalty in the shootout win over German side Bayern Munich on Saturday -isquoted by the magazine as saying he burst into tears when he told the rest ofthe squad during their open top bus parade with the trophy on Sunday.

“We (he and his teammates) will not be together next season. As I havedecided to leave, I wanted to tell them to their faces,” the magazine citedDrogba as saying. “Only that I couldn’t do it. They made me break down. Evenif it has been three years that I have said I wanted to leave, I found it hard toadmit that it was finished with me and the club. “Especially that I had no greatdesire for this end. But I don’t envisage sitting on the bench watching othersplay at a time when the club is looking at putting together a new team.

“So there we go, I am readying myself for a great leap into the unknown. Itwill be another adventure,” added Drogba, who is out of contract havingbeen at the club since 2004 after joining from Marseille.

English media have linked the Ivorian target man - scorer of 55 goals in his84 international appearances - with Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua, wherehis former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka is player-coach.

2012 Olympic: Ekeji assuresNigerians of 10 gold medals2012 Olympic: Ekeji assuresNigerians of 10 gold medals Super Falcons’ Head Coach,

Mr. Kadiri Ikhana will todayunveil his team for the 2012

African Women Championshipqualifying fixture againstZimbabwe.

The ceremony, which will holdat the FIFA Technical Centre,National Stadium, Abuja, is thefirst of its kind for the SuperFalcons.

Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee of the NigeriaFootball Federation, BarristerChris Green explained: “As aFederation, we have taken adecision that there should nolonger be any dichotomy ordifferentiation. The women’steams are as important as themen’s teams.

Ikhana is expected to name a22-player list for the AfricanWomen Championship qualifieragainst Zimbabwe in Harare onSunday, May 27, and the returnleg in Lagos on June 16.

The same team will also play atwo-leg friendly against SouthAfrica’s Banyana Banyana, withthe first leg in Rustenburg onJune 3. The return leg is alsoset for the Teslim BalogunStadium, Lagos on Saturday,June 23.

The Super Falcons areexpected to fly out of Abuja toHarare tomorrow.

PAGE 42 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Gege Soriola, one ofthree players HeadCoach Stephen Keshi

as likely cover for injuredJoseph Yobo, signed off hisSouth African league debutwith a red card at theweekend.

The former Heartland andJUTH FC star defender wasgiven the marching order inthe 79th minute for stampingon the knee of Mozambiqueinternational winger EliasPelembe as his South Africanclub Free State Stars lost the1-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Keshi has penciled theuncompromising Soriola as alikely replacement for theinjured skipper Yobo, who willmiss next month’s World Cupand Nations Cup qualifiers. Theother possibles are GodfreyOboabana and Papa Idris.

He will stake his claim for astarting shirt in the qualifierswith a less dramatic showingin tomorrow’s friendly againstPeru in Lima.

Meanwhile, the number ofNigeria players in the SouthAfrican PSL has swelled withthe promotion of Universityof Pretoria FC, who haveNigerian striker ChibukorNwogbo on their books.

The former Mighty Jets ofJos star was an importantpart of the Tuks FC successfulcampaign and he is already onthe radar of a Turkish club.

Azubuike Egwueke, Warri Wolves’ defender

Gombe Utd played its third home match on Sundayagainst Dolphins of Port-Harcourt “behind closed doors”,and the fans and supporters were kept out of the venue.The sanction had been imposed following unpleasantincidences during the game against Sunshine Stars.

One of the supporters, Munir Musa, told the NewsAgency ofNigeria (NAN)on Sunday atthe gate of thestadium thathe felt badbeing deprivedof theopportunity towatch andcheer his club.

“We spendm o n e ytransport ingourselves tocheer theteam in awaymatches. Yet Icannot dosame in gamesbeing played atmy backyard.It is painful”,he said.

Another fan,

Murtala Aliyu, who arrived at the gate of the stadium at 2p.m., told NAN that he and his colleagues were treatedlike criminals for entering the stadium ‘by chance’.

“The back gate was opened for journalists and otherofficials, so we seized the opportunity to rush in, butwere fished and sent out by gun and baton wieldingpolicemen ‘’he complained.

Aliyu state that without spectators, the league hadbeen stripped off of its entertainment value.

“You can imagine a Premier league match withoutdrumming, whistling, dancing and occasional release ofverbal missiles. It is simply just flat, as flat as tea withoutsugar. Even those watching it over the television willnot find the empty seats pleasing to their eyes”, heanalysed.

Other spectators, who spoke to NAN, called on thefootball authorities to find other ways of punishing clubs,noting that barring spectators also affected gate-takings.

In his remarks on the issue, the Assistant Secretaryof Gombe FA, Musa Sule, said although they weremanaging the situation, Gombe Utd would have beenbetter off with cheering supporters at the stadium.

The Chief Coach of the club, Benard Ogbe, told NANthat nothing had changed from the performance of hisboys.

“The barring of spectators did not affect ourperformance because we prepare well for every game.We are managing the situation since we cannot helpit”, he said.

The match between Gombe Utd and visiting Dolphins FCof Port-Harcourt ended 1-0 in favour of the home team.

Struggling NigeriaPremier League (NPL)newcomers, Jigawa

Golden Stars are optimisticof remaining in top flightfootball next season.

Jigawa Stars defied allodds on Sunday by holding

Nigeria’s Caf ChampionsLeague representatives,Sunshine Stars to a 3-3 drawat the Dipo Dina Stadium.

Nobel Ansor openedscore on five minutes for theGolden Stars before DeleOlorundare drew level from

the spot on the stroke ofhalf time.

Experienced BalaMohammed shot JigawaStars again in front via apenalty, but the impressiveOlorundare again restoredparity for the Akure

Gunners on 53 minutes.Sunshine Stars’ returnee

attacking midfielder, CletusItodo netted the third goal,but a gaffe from keeper ofthe home side, SegunOluwaniyi allowed Ado Ali’sown goal end the tiestalemate.

The 3-3 away draw hasboosted the morale of theGolden Stars, and the club’stechnical adviser, Evans Ogenyibelieves the Hadejia-basedside would protect theirPremier League status whenthis term reach a climax.

“Yes I am happy we forcedSunshine Stars to a draw at

their home ground, and Ihave told my boys toconsolidate on that for usto achieve our aim. Myutmost task is to maintainour campaign in the PremierLeague at the end of theseason and I believe wewould escape relegation,”Ogenyi toldSuperSport.com.

Jigawa Golden Stars havetaken 28 points from apossible 75 but have twooutstanding games againstAkwa United and WarriWolves at home.Edema Fuludu, the Head

Coach of Warri WolvesFC, has said that the

clubs recent ouster fromthe ongoing CAFConfederation Cupcompetition as a temporarysetback

Fuludu, who regrettedtheir exit, however said thatthe club’s main task at themoment is to plot a returnto continental football nextseason.

He stressed that the clubintended to achieve itsobjective of playingcontinental football nextseason through an improvedperformance in the ongoing

Nigeria Premier League(NPL).

“It is imperative that wehave to work very hard toimprove our position on theleague table and ensurethat we end up in the topthree positions at the endof the season.

“We will have to bank onour experience to stage acomeback next season toplay continental football.We have to bounce back tocontinental football nextseason; we will turn thenegative issues that befellus this season to positives,”Fuludu said.

He added that since after

the ouster from the CAFcompetition, the playershave all set their minds andefforts to the task ofleading the club to successin the NPL.

“The confederation cupwas a distraction of sort tous; now that we are totallyon ground we will do ourbest. We will sustain ourcurrent winning streak topropel our push to the topof the league table.

“To this effect we had tosign on some new players tofortify the team, and so weare battle ready for thetitle,” the coach said.

Fuludu, a member of theSuper Eagles squad that wonthe 1994 edition of theAFCON in Tunisia, alsodebunked rumours thatWarri Wolves owed itsplayers salary arrears.

“The club’s managementhad ensured that players’salaries and allowances havebeen paid up to date, inorder to boost the moraleof the players for betterperformance, ” Fuludu said.

Warri Wolves arecurrently eight on the NPLtable with 36 points fromthe 24 matches it hadplayed; with twooutstanding matches to beplayed.

NAN reports that Fuludu,whose former portfolio wasthe Director of Football forthe club, was elevated tothe position of a headcoach.

Jigawa allay fear over relegation from top flight

Gege Soriolasees red onfinal day

Ouster from Confederation Cup atemporary setback, says Fuludu

Gateway FC inauto crashCoach Philip Boamah and four other officials of Gateway

Football Club, sustained injuries yesterday followingan auto crash while returning with the team from a

national league game in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State Capital.Peoples Daily Sports learnt that the coach Philip

Boamah and the others were being attained to in ateaching hospital, even as the Ogun State governmentwas said to be making arrangement to transfer them backhome for further treatment.

The accident was said to have occurred when the tyreof a Mitsubushi wagon car carrying a family member burst,and the driver lost control, which led to an head oncollision with the car that was conveying the club’smanagement staff.

But the bus that was conveying the players behind theofficials car, narrowly escaped the crash, even asunconfirmed report said the mother of the owner of thespace wagon car died on the spot.

The injured Gateway Football Club officials are: ChiefCoach, Welfare Officer, Curator, Driver and one official ofthe Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta. They were rushedto Ekiti University Teaching Hospital alongside withoccupants of the Mitsubushi Wagon

When contacted on phone, Media Officer of GatewayFootball Club, Biodun Alabi confirmed the incident, addingthat the victims were receiving treatment at the TeachingHospital, in the town as at the time of this report.

‘It was a head on collision between an official Peugeot505 station wagon car of Gateway United and a privateMitsubushi car as we were about leaving Ado-Ekiti around9am. One of the tyres of the Mitsubushi car burst makingit swerve out its lane to face our own car’ Alabi explained.

Gateway FC had on Sunday defeated Ila Football Club 1-0 at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium.

Gege Soriola

Gombe Utdfans beg NPLto reviewclosed-doorgamesGombe United fans, who have been barred from

entering the stadium in the team’s past three homematches, have appealed to the Nigeria Premier

League (NPL) to reconsider the decision.The fans, who admitted that they were missing Gombe

United’s games, pleaded that they would be of goodbehaviour if the NPL lift the ban on closed-door gamesimposed on them following allegation of their unrulyconduct. Victor Baribote

PAGE 43PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

The season is over. Clubs are counting their blessing as well as losses and would like to makeamends and even beef up their squads where noticeable lapses exist. And the transfer marketis agog barely 24 hours after major European leagues dropped the curtain.And so to keep abreast with latest rumours, we begin daily doses of movements within themarket both for players and coaches like.

Transfer

Drogba

Kieron DyerDimitar Berbatov

Joe Cole

Manchester City hasformally opened talkswith Roberto Mancini

over a new £15million contract.Speculation has been rife for

the last six months that themanager of the Barclays PremierLeague champions would beoffered a new deal at the Etihad

The Croatian playmaker will consider his future after the EuropeanChampionships, which could lead to a second successive transferrequest

Luka Modric is prepared to hand in a transfer request after Spurswere denied a place in the -Champions League.

Chelsea’s dramatic victory over Bayern Munich on Saturday nightmeans they go straight into next season’s group stages and Tottenhamfall into the Europa League.

Real Madrid is the latest big club to show an interest in Modric,who is already in the sights of Manchester United, Manchester Cityand Chelsea.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy insisted last week that the clubwould fight to keep its best players this summer.

He said: “I will decide about my future after the Euros. I will makethe decision where to continue my career. I’m ready for the bigtests.”

A transfer request from the midfield star would make it the secondsuccessive summer in which has declared his intention to leave for abigger club.

Last year Levy came out on top after insisting Spurs were no longera selling club and rejected a £40million offer from Chelsea. Luka Modric

Stadium this summer.City chairman Khaldoon Al

Mubarak finally sat down withMancini for talks in Abu Dhabi onFriday afternoon and thosediscussions continuedthroughout the weekend.

City wants to reward theItalian with a new three-year

deal worth £5m a year. Thatrepresents a significantimprovement on the £3.5mcontract Mancini signed when hearrived at the club two-and-a-half years ago.

Mancini flew to the MiddleEast last Tuesday morning withhis assistant David Platt and

football administrator BrianMarwood.

Mancini and Platt werecongratulated on winning theleague title by City owner SheikMansour before the manager wasinvited to stay on for contracttalks as the others flew back toManchester last Thursday.

Dimitar Berbatov believes hemust leave ManchesterUnited this summer to get his

career back on track.Berbatov has seen his number of

appearances per season decreasedramatically since joining Unitedfrom Tottenham in 2008, with the31-year-old featuring in just 21 gamesin all competitions last campaign.Berbatov, though, claims he is moredisappointed that Sir AlexFergusondid not make good onpromises to give him moreopportunities.

“My time at Manchester Unitedis running out. I no longer feel like avaluable part of this team. I think Idid well in the few opportunities thatI received.

“I am a little frustrated by the waythis happened, I do not think Ideserved it. But I have dignity and Istopped going to such meetings, itis clear that I’m leaving United. It’sobvious that I have to leave.

United’s rivals Liverpool arereported to be interested inBerbatov, but Serie A outfit Lazio maybe favourites to snare the Bulgarianafter his agent stated his desire toleave England earlier this month.

City offer Mancini three-year £15m contract

Modric set to leave Spurs

Berbatovwant to leaveMan UtdQueens Park Rangers

midfielder Kieron Dyer hassigned a new one-year deal

with the Loftus Road club -despite playing just three minutesthis season.

Dyer, 33, broke his foot duringQPR’s opening day defeat toBolton at Loftus Road last Augustand did not feature again in theentire campaign.

QPR boss Mark Hughes hasdecided to give the Englandinternational another chance,whilst Clint Hill, Akos Buzsaky andgoalkeeper Radek Cerny have allbeen offered new deals.

Amongst those released fromthe club are the likes of DannyGabbidon, Danny Shittu, Fitz Hall,Gary Borrowdale, Peter Ramage,Lee Cook, Rowan Vine and PatrickAgyemang. The released playersshould go some way to loweringRangers’ inflated wage-bill beforethe new season.

West Ham will explore thepossibility of bringing JoeCole back to Upton Park

after securing their top-flightreturn.

Cole is not the only formerHammer who could be on his wayback to east London as the clubtarget Nigel Reo-Coker and KieranRichardson.

Manager Sam Allardyce isalready turning his attention tostrengthening his squad as helooks to give West Ham a fightingchance of staying up next season.

The former Upton Park favouriteCole is understood to be on a listof names Allardyce and hisbackroom team have identified aspotential targets.

However, the manager’s toppriority is addressing uncertaintyover the club’s goalkeepingposition.

Dyer signsnew QPR deal

Cole topsAllardyce list

Didier Drogba has almostcertainly kicked his last ballfor Chelsea, with the club

expecting him to confirm his freetransfer to Chinese club ShanghaiShenhua.

Drogba’s last touch in a Chelseashirt was to score the winningpenalty in the shoot-out thatdefeated Bayern Munich. He willlink up with former team-mateNicolas Anelka in China in acontract worth around £250,000-a-week net.

Owner Abramovich addressedhis European Champions bydeclaring that ‘this is just thebeginning’ for Chelsea. TheRussian oligarch has pumped a£1billion into his football club andmarched into the dressing roomafter seeing his side clinch adramatic Champions League finalto make it clear there would befurther investment.

This week he will meet DiMatteo to discuss his future andSportsmail understands there is agood chance the Italian could beoffered another contract perhapsone that enables Abramovich towait for Pep Guardiola while theformer Barcelona manager takesa sabbatical.

Didier close toChina deal

PAGE 44 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Sekinat Adenegha, an official of the LagosState Sports Medicine Association, onMonday advised athletes with open

wound to go for tetanus treatment.Adenegha, a chief matron, said at the

ongoing Lagos State Sports Festival, tagged“Ibile Games”, that athletes with open woundshould take to all medical advice.

“Minor injuries like bruises and woundscan be dressed accordingly by medicalofficials. Yet, we still recommend that

Asafa Powell thinks he has pinpointed why he has so often failed to produce on thebig occasion and believes that if he is at his best he will win the 100 metres at theLondon Olympics.

The Jamaican former world record holder has run under 10 seconds more times thananyone else in the history of sprinting but has struggled at major championships andbeen eclipsed by compatriot Usain Bolt and more recently by Yohane Blake.

The 29-year-old runs in the Shanghai Diamond League meeting on Saturday as hecontinues his preparations for the Games and is convinced if he stays relaxed he canfinally snare gold in the blue riband sprint after finishing fifth in 2004 and 2008.

“I know for sure, if I go out there, and I do what I’m supposed to do, it will be veryhard for anyone to catch me to the finish line because there’s no doubt that I’m thebest starter out there,” he told reporters on Friday.

“Many track and field people know that if I stay relaxed and run my race like I’msupposed to, I will be the winner at the Olympic Games. That is what I’m trying to do,and I know what I have to do.”

Powell said that, unlike most sprinters, he raced best when he was “relaxed andsmiling all the way” and admitted that the mere presence of Olympic champion Bolt orAmerican Tyson Gay in a race affected his performance.

“When you are out there with Usain or Tyson Gay, or any of those other guys who arerunning sub 9.90, you know that it’s going to be close and you know it’s not going to bean easy race and you have to pull out all your stops to win,” he said.

“It takes a lot more focus, you have to remain a lot more relaxed and calm to win thatrace. It’s pretty much the names, when you are out there with the bigger names, youfeel a lot more pressure.” In order to neutralise the pressure, Powell has been workinghard this year on maintaining his composure and putting on the mental blinkers when heis on the track.

“I just want to give my best in London, I want to cross that line and see a personalbest on the clock then I will see what position I am in,” he said.

“Not focusing on anyone else, just concentrating on what I’m doing in my lane.”Powell said his versatility led to problems when he raced the other top sprinters. “I

am a bit different from the other sprinters because, I would say, I can run many differentways while the other guys they just came on and they can only run one way,” he said.

“While I’m out there, I can maybe change my technique three times in one race,while they’re just running all out so they can be a lot more consistent in their raceswhile I’m always trying something new.

“I should just stay composed and run to the finish line.”Powell dismissed defeat to American Justin Gatlin in his first outing of the year in Doha

last week as “getting rid of the cobwebs” and was excited to see how he would race inShanghai after working on a few “flaws”.

“It’s a process, it takes time, it takes competition to correct things,” said Powell, whowon easing down in 9.95 seconds in Shanghai last year.

“You know you really want to make sure everything is right going into London. Youdon’t want any doubts in your head. Just want to crack everything, set a good time,going to London with a 9.7 seconds in my legs is even better.”

Despite turning 30 later this year, Powell said he had no plans to retire and had notruled out racing on until the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

“I wouldn’t say this is my last Olympic Games although that is the approach I’m taking,I’m going all out as if it’s my last Olympics,” he said.

“I think I have another one in me after this Games, and if the next Games comes andI’m still running 9.7s or even 9.6s then I’ll still be out there.

L-R: Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt, Yohane Blake, the leading lights in 100m whoPowell will be compete against at the London 2012 Games

athletes with open injuries should go fortetanus treatment because of the likelihoodof contacting the tetanus infection.

“Once athletes are being treated at theMobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Yaba, theyare equally advised take to medical adviceto keep them physically fit,” she said.

Adenegha expressed the preparedness ofthe medical team for emergency in any sportat the fiesta.

“We are fully prepared medically. We have

well-trained personnel for the job andenough facilities like drugs, ambulances andso on,” she said.

The medical offficial advised participantsin the Games to promptly report cases ofinjuries for urgent attention.

“Medically, I am giving everyone 100 percent assurance that all athletes and officialsare covered as the medical team, drugs andequipment are on ground for any case,” shesaid.

Commonwealth Games champion,improved his professional record to 13-0,including 11 knockouts.

The 27-year-old Sexton, who had losttwice to disgraced Dereck Chisora,dropped to 15-3, with 6 knockouts.

Price, who is 2.03 metres tall and 28years old, stopped former SA heavyweightchampion Osborne Machimana in the thirdround in Brentwood, England, in Februarylast year.

He will have to look for betteropposition now, but could first faceanother Briton, Tyson Fury, who isunbeaten at 18-0; 13.

On the same card, Kevin Satchell (8-0;1) stopped Paul Edwards (9-2; 3) in thetenth round of a clash for the vacantCommonwealth flyweight title.

Darren Hamilton (12-2; 3) caused anupset when he outpointed AshleyTheophane (31-5-1; 9) over twelve roundsto win the British light-welterweight title.The scores were 117-112, 118-113 and 115-

Wounded athletes should go fortetanus treatment, says medics

Price KOsSexton towin twotitles

The Youth Sport Federation of Nigeria(YSFON) has promised to checkattempts to by athletes and officials

to falsify their ages or lend support toefforts to do so during cadet competitions.

YSFON’s National President NasiruGawuna made the pledge in Uyo over theweekend at the end of 2012 YSFON soccertournament, which was sponsored by theChief of Naval Staff in collaboration withthe Naval Officers’ Wives Association(NOWA).

Gawuna, who said that YSFON actuallystarted as far back as 1965, lauded theChief of Naval Staff for supporting thetournament from 1999 to date.

“YSFON will make sure that no issue ofage cheating occurs in our tournament.The issue here is not who wins or losesbut identifying the talents and developingthem for the future of this country.”

He said that the U-14 boys for the Chiefof Naval Staff Cup were sourced from thegrassroots and their records could easilybe verified. “What matters to us is to bringout the talent and develop them for ourfuture use.”

He appealed to all tiers of governmentsand agencies involved in sporting activitiesto invest in the development talentsspotted during the YSFON competitions.

Powell upbeat about100m win in London

David Price

YSFON vowsto check agefalsification inyouth sports

David Price knocked out Sam Sextonin the fourth round to claim theBritish and Commonwealth

heavyweight titles in Liverpool onSaturday night.

Fighting in front of his hometownsupporters, Price outclassed hisopponent. He used his left jab to keepSexton at a distance and set him up foran impressive right. The former OlympicGames bronze medallist and former and

113. Light-welterweight Adil Anwar (16-1;7) won by unanimous decision over tenrounds against Dave Ryan (13-5; 3).

PAGE 45 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

A

D

E

F

G

B C

Pictorial

A. Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits he isflattered to be considered the front-runner for the

vacant Aston Villa manager's job.

B. GreatCity Games organisers apologise to Jessica Ennisfor a mix-up that invalidated her 100m hurdles personal

best.

C. Luke Donald will return to the top of the worldrankings if he retains the BMW PGA Championship, which

starts on Thursday.

D. Richard Jolly rates the individuals in the Man United

squad who came agonisingly short of title glory.

E. Ireland and Leinster full-back Rob Kearney is named

as the ERC player of the year for the 2011/12 season.

F. Chelsea striker Fernando Torres wants talks withthe club about his future after suffering the 'worst

moments' of his career.

G. Rafael Nadal beats world number one Novak Djokovicin straight sets to win a record sixth Italian Open title.

PAGE 46 PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

The Badminton Federation of Nigeria has urged parentsagainst encouraging their children and wards fromparticipating in any sport of their choice either as hobby

or profession.The federation’s secretary, Amechi Akawo, made the plea

in Lagos over the weekend stressing that sport is not just aviable profession but a veritable social weapon for corporateexistence.

According to him, sports is not as bad as people have madeit to look as other spheres of endeavour also have theirdrawbacks in terms of competence.

“Sport is not as bad as people are portraying it, sportsmenand women worldwide are amongst the top salary earners inthe world,” he said. He noted that most sportsmen and women“are highly disciplined and intelligent and often excel in theirchosen fields”. “Sportsmen and women are very disciplinedand intelligent because of the various trainings they undergo.“They are also healthy; all these benefits are enough toconvince parents to allow their children to participate insporting events,” Akawo said. He advised athletes to be seriouswith their academicpursuits as they would bebeneficial to them duringand after their sportingcareer.

“My earnest advice toany aspiring sportsmanand woman is for themto take their educationalpursuits seriouslyalongside their career insports.

“In doing so, they willturn out to be well-rounded individuals whocan always fall back ontheir educationalqualifications long afterthey might have retiredfrom active sports.”

Chief Patrick Ekeji, DG, NSC

Ferguson Oluigbo, thePresident of theNigeria Taekwondo

Referees Association(NTRA), on Mondayadvised the NigeriaTaekwondo Federation(NTF) to update coacheson the latest rules of thesport.

Oluigbo disclosedyesterday that the NTFshould send its coaches toWorld TaekwondoFederation (WTF)-organised seminar toenhance the developmentof the sport.

“The NTF should ensureits coaches are part ofinternationally-organisedseminars, because theyare the mechanismthrough which theathletes build up theirtalents,” he said.

Oluigbo said only fewcoaches could affordoverseas training, to equipthemselves with the latestrules of the sport, thuslimiting the level ofawareness of theregulations to theathletes.

The NTRA Presidentcondemned the idea ofbringing experts fromforeign countries asresource persons atnational seminars in thecountry, even when theywere on the samepedestal with the localcoaches.

“The fact is that someof those resource personsfrom foreign countries arenot better than ournational coaches, all theyneed is being part of WTFseminars.”

The NTRA official alsourged the National SportsCommission (NSC) toemploy officials who werefamiliar with athletes’conduct as nationalcoaches, instead ofcontracting foreigner whoknew nothing about them.

Oluigbo said a foreigncoach would spend abetter part of his contractyears studying athletesbecause he had nobackground knowledge ofthe athletes, and probablycould not speak English.

“This is unlike the localcoaches who haveunderstudied athletes fromthe grassroots and knowstheir body language at agiven time, he knows thelanguage to use,” he said.

Oluigbo said such a stepwould encourage the localcoaches to be committed,thus improving thestandard of the sport inthe country.

Torgah Vincent of Tema Golf Club in Ghana on Fridayemerged winner of the first Abuja International GolfChampionship. He went home with 13,500 dollars while

the first runner up, Andrew Dotegbodo of Nigeria collected8,100 dollars as prize money. Vincent said after the competitionthat he was happy to come first in the tournament andattributed his success to hard work and constant practice.

“It is a great honour for me. Hard work and keeping to mygame plans every week worked for me. Nigerian guys are good,so I needed to work extra hard.”

The Tournament’s Director, Martins Odoh of the ProfessionalGolfers Association of Nigeria, said it was a successful event.Odoh commended the management of IBB Golf Club for puttingthe tournament together, saying, it was a wonderfulexperience.

No fewer than 87 professional golfers within Africa attendedthe four day competition held at the IBB Golf Club.

The Kebbi State Football Association has called onthe authorities to provide financial and technicalsupport to Sakaba links FC to enable the club to perform

well at zonal play off of the Federation’s Cup competition.NAN reports that the Sakaba Links won the Kebbi

federation’s Cup competition.The Vice-Chairman of Kebbi FA, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed,

told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi onSunday that the Sakaba Local Government provided aboutN580, 000 to enable the team to perform well at the zonalpreliminaries.

“The team encouraged the FA after they defeated JigawaUtd., 3-1 in the zonal competition. With additional support,the team will perform beyond previous teams that competedat the federation’s Cup competition.”

Mohammed, the sole administrator of Sakaba council, saidhe had supported the team for about 10 years, stressing:“The team has the potential to compete in the professionalor premier leagues with adequate funding’.”

He said he would strive to encourage sporting activities inrural areas by sponsoring competitions among schools andcommunities.

The chairman called on individuals and organisations tosponsor competitions to enable the youths to shun indolenceand anti- social activities.

Kebbi FA seeks financialsupport for Sakaba Links

Ghanaian wins Abuja InternationalGolf Championship

Scribe urges parents to backchildren interests in sports

Taekwondoofficialcanvassestrainingprogrammesfor coaches

Rafael Nadal enjoyed the perfect fillipahead of his French Open defencewith a commanding 7-5 6-3 victory over

world No 1 Novak Djokovic in the delayedRome Masters final yesterday.

And it was his second consecutive victoryover his last year’s conqueror and now worldnumber one, Djokovic that defeated himat six times in major trophy finals.

Nadal had his first joy over Djokovic atthe controversial Madrid’s blue clay earlierthis month, when he showed his fang toclaim the title then and yesterday hecli9nched the Italian Open for the sixthtime. Nadal thus improve his career head-to-head record over the Serb to 18-14.

In doing so, he will rise back to secondin the world rankings after being overtakenby Roger Federer last week.

In the yesterday’s match, the duoswapped breaks midway through the firstset before Nadal made the decisivebreakthrough in the 11th game.

Nadal broke in the opening game of thesecond set and won the match whenDjokovic double-faulted at match point.

The Serbian had enjoyed a run of sevensuccessive victories over Nadal prior to lastmonth’s Monte Carlo Masters final but theSpaniard has now won their last two

meetings.The victory is Rafael Nadal’s 21st Masters

win, putting him ahead of Roger Federerwho has won 20

Nadal opened strongly but wasted twobreak points in Djokovic’s opening servicegame.

However, he made amends in the fifthgame, punishing a poor drop shot to takethe initiative but a lacklustre service gameallowed the defending champion to restoreparity.

The turning point came in the 10th gamewhen a Djokovic shot, that would havegiven him a set point, was called out bythe line-judge, only for the umpire to over-rule the decision.

Nadal won the replayed point - andDjokovic received a warning from theumpire for smashing his racquet at thechange of ends after the Spaniard broketo go 6-5 up.

Nadal served out the set before breakingagain in the opening game of the secondset and the Spaniard then saved six breakpoints in his next two service games.

A wide backhand from Djokovic, whomade 41 unforced errors, set up matchpoint and he handed Nadal the title with adouble fault.

Nadal regains edgeover Federer, beatsDjokovic to winItalian Open

Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic

PAGE 47PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

QQQQQUOUOUOUOUOTTTTTABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QUOUOUOUOUOTETETETETEPPPPPolitics is the arolitics is the arolitics is the arolitics is the arolitics is the art oft oft oft oft of looking f looking f looking f looking f looking fororororor

trouble, finding it whether ittrouble, finding it whether ittrouble, finding it whether ittrouble, finding it whether ittrouble, finding it whether itexists or not, diagnosing itexists or not, diagnosing itexists or not, diagnosing itexists or not, diagnosing itexists or not, diagnosing it

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Kaduna tosend 300athletes toEko 2012

For quite some time before theKaduna meeting with hissupporters from Niger state

during which he issued hiswarning that crisis will follow anyattempt to rig the 2015 elections,General Buhari has been droppinghints that he may be reconsideringhis earlier decision not to contestelections again.

His political visibility hasincreased many folds in recentweeks. He has visited and held talkswith Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, theleader of the ACN, Nigeria’s leadingopposition party. A committee hasbeen working to renew theGeneral's party - the Congress forProgressive Change (CPC). Andthere's talk in the air about effortsto get the ACN and CPC merge intoa party formidable enough to oustthe PDP from power.

These hints must have beenunruffling feathers in manyquarters. And the warning andtalk of a bloody confrontationbetween dogs and baboons providedboth the weapon and excuse for thevicious attack on the General fromthese quarters.

There is, of course, hardly anydoubt that there was, perhaps adeliberate, over-dramatisation ofwhat the General actually said inKaduna. He spoke in Hausa. Andtranslation from one language toanother, especially for the non-Hausa speaking journalists in ahurry to meet deadlines, aresometimes fraught with problems.The sense and real import of whatis said can be lost, for instance.

I for one certainly did not get,from reading the Englishtranslation of what Buhari said-done by and carried in Daily Trust(17-05-2012) - the sense of acataclysmic confrontation inwhich blood will flood the streets inNigeria.

But it is hardly a surprise thatthe media presented it so. For one,the mainstream media here arebusiness organisations that mustmake profit, or sink. And one of theways to stay afloat and be ahead ofthe competition is to pay moreattention and give more space andtime to reckless actions and verbalmis-steps or contretemps than tothoughtful action and reasonedarguments.

For another, there has neverbeen love lost between the Generaland the dominant media inNigeria. And this for reasons thatare too well known to warrantmention here.

For yet another, there are theusual prejudices and biases, whichcorrespond with the fault-lines inour country, which our media arenot immune from, and which oftenreflect in their coverage andreportage of events andpersonalities.

Given all this, a politician must,in his own best interest, learn thecapacity for manoevre in what hedoes, what he says and how he says

hint or intimation of a fight thatwill be bloody, can hardly fail to beseized upon by the media and theGeneral's opponents. And both did,with relish.

The PDP and the presidencywere particularly viscious andunsparing in their attack. Bothcould have taken some time toascertain whether or not Buhariactually said what was reported inthe media. They did not.

They saw it as a God-sentopportunity and used itmaximally to demonise theGeneral. The mere mention ofcrisis or blood in the speech wasseized upon to make associationswith past events like the post-election violence in parts of theNorth, the General's low-keyedcampaign in the southern states in2011.

The aim, obviously, is to try toreinforce in the public's mind thePDP and Presidency's picture of theGeneral as an irresponsible, blood-thirsty and sectional leader whoshouldn’t be trusted with power.

This is all part of the 2015campaign. And it may play wellin some sections of the countrywhere there are long ingrainedprejudices against the General.

But, as we have seen, theGeneral's warning or view thatrigging will beget serious crisis inthe country is not friendless: theACN has been quick to jump to hisdefence and to issue its own sternwarning; the CPC, the General'sown party, has also fallen in linebehind him; the chairman of theNorthern State Governors' Forum,Governor Babangida Aliyu of Nigerstate, is also in a way one with theGeneral about the dangers ofrigging in any future elections.

What, it is clear, the PDP andthe Presidency want to do is,firstly, to exploit the fears andamorphous anxieties of Nigeriansas they try to cope with aheightened sense of insecurity inthe land, and, secondly, todistract the nation's attention fromthe government's countlessfailures with the horrific threat ofviolence, blood and attacks onsections of the country if Buhari isto have his way.

The PDP and the Presidencymust be hoping that, this way,public attention will be focused onBuhari, and the threat they say heposes, and not on the fact of electionrigging. What in effect they aretrying to do is to deny the

Lessons Buhari needs to learn

Kaduna state govern-ment says it will sendabout 300 of athletes to

participate in 20 events at the18th National Sports Festivaltagged, “Eko 2012”, inNovember.

Commissioner for Sportsand Youth Development, NazifMohammed, who disclosed thisyesterday, noted that theprogramme might gulp asmuch as N143 million.

According to him, as part ofefforts at improving sportsdevelopment in the state,government has completedthree mini stadia in Kafanchan,Zaria and Kaduna.

Mohammed also spoke onthe management of the multi-million Naira state-of-the artfacilities used during the 16thNational Sports Festival notingthat the facilities are beingmanaged by facility managers.

As he put it, “Kaduna stateis expected to participate in 20events at the forthcomingNational Sports Festival inLagos.After screening of theathletes during and after closedcamp, 300 highly determinedathletes were picked for thegames.

“A budget of about N143million has been presented tothe state executive council forapproval. If approved we shallspend that amount at the fiesta.The Governor also set up a highpowered committee to retrieveboth financial and technicalreports of the 17th NationalSports Festival from mypredecessor. We are yet to getthat report and as you know,we have to study the report toknow where we are coming fromand where we are going.”

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

. . . putting the people first

existence of rigging. which is adefining feature of our politicalprocess.

But rigging is the definingfeature of our political process.Infact, nothing shouts back to uslouder from across the decades ofour political history than the factthat our elections have always beenrigged and stolen by the rich andpowerful.

And, notwithstanding all theendorsements and verdict of theforeign observers and monitors, the2011 elections were hardly anydifferent. They too were heavilyrigged.

In fact, whatever other causesor factors may be cited, theperception by millions of voters of ahuge gap between the expectedoutcome of their voting labours andwhat was offered as the result, waslargely the cause of the 2011 post-election violent protests in somenorthern states.

Rigging has become a featureof our political process largelybecause of the subsisting socio-economic system which rendersthe masses of our people too poor,too powerless and too unorganizedto stop the thwarting of their wishesin elections by the rich andpowerful. Poverty leads to politicalpassivity by diverting people'senergies toward mere survival.

But, as we saw in 2011, evenwith the extreme conditions ofpoverty in the North, politicalpassivity among the people, to aconsiderable extent, gave way toa new wave of awareness thatfound expression in protests. Andthis is a trend that is bound tocontinue.

This is what makes Buhari'swarning most appropriate andrelevant, and the PDP and itsgovernment's attempt to brush itaside dangerous for all of us.

We should read the signalsflashed by those protests correctly.And we should face the facts of theirsignificance and implicationssquarely.

It is very clear from the PDPand Presidency's response that theywant the 2015 contests to be runalong the same lines as the 2011contests: exploitation andmanipulation of what divides usand inflamation of passions andsentiments to build coalitions

What Buhari, as the leadingopposition figure, should do, buthasn't been doing so far, is to dragthe war to a much healthier frontwhere ideas and visions willmatter, the battles will be foughtand won along ideological linesand attention will become lessfocussed on his person.

Buhari has always beenmissing opportunities to do so, oreven to properly articulate theopposition's vision for a newNigeria. What is being sold to us ishis integrity, the fact of his beingMr. Clean. This is not nearlyenough.

what he says - in order to avoidmany of the landmines that litterthe political terrain. The politicianmust constantly keep in mind thefact that how a thing is said is justas important, sometimes evenmore so, than what is said.

General Buhari, much morethan any other leading politicianin the country today, needs toacquire this capacity. The reasonis obvious: the public perception ofhim as a stern, unbending andunbendable, bloodthirsty leaderwho must have his way or therewill be trouble, is taking hold in thepublic mind, through constantrepetition by his opponents and themedia that is largely responsiblefor creating that perception in thefirst place.

General Buhari, no doubt, hascultivated, and maintains acommon touch with the

people, which he now and thenexpresses in both small and biggestures.

But it can hardly be said thathe has learnt the capacity forcircumspection, for weighingcarefully every word beforeuttering it.

And because he is lacking inthat ability, he finds himself nowand then playing into the hands ofboth the media, which is notenamoured of him, and his manyenemies, most of whom hate himwith a passion. It is in fact easy tosee the General wreathed in thesmoky plots of his many enemies -those he ousted from power, thosehe detained and jailed, those whoare uncomfortable with hisunmatched moral stature andthose who fear that he could sendthem parking from the Villa.

Some years ago, it may berecalled, the Nigerian mediaflashed across the globe thatGeneral Buhari, while addressinga gathering in Sokoto, had calledon and urged his listeners, andthrough them other Northernmoslems, to vote only for moslemsin elections. Then too, Buhari spokein Hausa. But what the mediareported could only be blamed onmischief, not wrong translation,because there was nothing in whathe said that could even remotelybe related to what the media toldthe world he said. Nothing could bemore uncharitable and unkind.

But the analogy he drew in hiscontroversial Kaduna speech,between dogs and baboons, with the

From Agaju Madugba

Gov. Patrick Yakowa

FOR THEFOR THEFOR THEFOR THEFOR THEMASSESMASSESMASSESMASSESMASSES

ruf585@hotmail.com

By Rufa’i Ibrahim