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Vol. 10 No. 66 Monday, April 1, 2013 Jimadal Ula 21, 1434 AH N150 . . . putting the people first

Passengers stranded on Abuja-Lokoja road >> 16

>> 10

JNI, othersmeet over poliovaccines>> 2

Jonathan diverts subsidy funds for2015 campaigns, ACN alleges

Contd on Page 2

PDP shops for BamangaTukur’s replacement

The Action Congress ofNigeria (ACN) hasa c c u s e d P r e s i d e n t

Goodluck Jonathan of divertingthe Subsidy Re-investmentProgramme (SURE-P) funds for

his 2015 presidential campaign.The Federal Government

floated SURE-P in 2012 claimingto use the fund to cushion theeffects of removal of fuel subsidy.

The ACN in a press statementin Lagos yesterday said thatcontrary to the provisions of the

constitution, Jonathan appointedState Implementation Committee(SIC) to distribute the SURE-Plargesse to PDP members in thestates.

The statement signed by theparty’s National PublicitySecretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,

noted that all state coordinatorsfor President Jonathan’scampaign in 2011 are also thecurrent state coordinators forSURE-P.

“This is not a mere coincidencebut a well-orchestrated attempt

Contd on Page 2

Indications emergedyesterday that topstakeholders in the ruling

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)may have resolved to bow topressure from some governors onthe platform of the party toremove the National Chairman,Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

Sources close to the partyleadership disclosed that PresidentGoodluck Jonathan who has beenshielding Tukur may have cavedin to pressures from severalstakeholders to relieve the party’schairman of his job.

The source disclosed thatTukur would have been orderedto resign had there been consensuson his immediate replacement.He said “Baring last minutechange, Tukur would be asked toturn in his resignation letter anymoment from now.”

While a clearer picture of whoshould succeed Tukur has notemerged, some names earliertouted as possible replacementswere Adamu Maina Waziri andformer Bauchi state governor,Adamu Muazu who was aloyalist of former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo.

Tukur drew the ire of thePresident and the governorsrecently when he wrote to theChairman of the IndependentNational Electoral Commission(INEC) asking him to recognize theAdamawa PDP faction led by JoelMadaki even when efforts wereongoing to resolve the impasse.

Jonathan had earlier set up aPresidential Committee headedby the Jigawa state governor,Alhaji Sule Lamido, to resolve thelogjam and reconcile the feuding

By Lawrence Olaoye

L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, his wife Victoria, and Senator EmmanuelPaulker during Easter church service, yesterday at Our Saviour's Anglican Church, Tafawa Belewa Square, Lagos.

JTF kills 14insurgents in Kanogun battle

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSNews 2-10

Editorial 12

Op.Ed 13

Letters 14

Opinion 15

Metro 16-18

Business 19-22

Stockwatch 23

S/Report 24-25

Law 26

Education 27-28

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013PAGE 2

Contd from Page 1

PDP shops for Bamanga Tukur’s replacementfactions in the state. Tukur’saction was viewed as furtherdeepening the crisis in Adamawaeven when the Lamido’scommittee has yet to submit itsreports on the Presidential task ofreconciliation in the state.

Prior to his latest action onAdamawa PDP, Tukur hasconsistently incurred the wrath ofthe PDP governors who haverefused to fund the party. Part ofhis sins is his refusal to call thep0arty’s National ExecutiveCouncil (NEC)’s meeting whereimportant issues concerning theparty are expected to be resolved.

Again, Tukur’s insistence onparty supremacy over all itselected and appointed membershas been fingered as the reasonwhy some governors on theplatform of the party are insistingthat he be removed as the NationalChairman.

A source close to the party’sleadership who craved anonymitysaid “Tukur is carrying on like aSchool Headmaster who issuesorder to his pupils withoutconsidering their sensibilities.

Tukur’s determination to modelthe running of the PDP after theSouth African National Congress(ANC), where the party issupreme, has become the genesisof his trouble with the PDPgovernors who are used to issuingdirectives to the party leadership.”

He continued: “Remember,immediately after Tukur emergedthe PDP National Chairman at thecontroversial Congress, he led hisNational Working Committee(NWC) on a working visit to SouthAfrican’s ANC where heunderstudied the system in orderto place the party above its electiveofficers in the country.

“But, the practice in the PDP, asyou know, is that most members ofthe NWC are nominees of theirstate governors and are thereforeaccountable to them. So, his talkingtough on party supremacy is aliento some of these state governors whohave literarily become tin gods intheir states. They also see this as aploy to exclude them from takingimportant party decisions,” headded.

The source pointed out that theclash Tukur had with theAdamawa state governor,

generated.“The nation can now see that

the Jonathan administration haswillfully converted the moneyaccruing from SURE-P tocampaign funds.

“This is a very serious violationof the constitution, because themoney being spent on fuel subsidieswas in the past taken out of theFederation Account.

“This is money that shouldhave been divided among the threetiers of government in accordancewith the revenue allocationformula.

“But by virtue of the SURE-Parrangement, part of the funds arenow available for the FederalGovernment to share freely byapproving contracts, programmesand activities in accordance withits whims and caprices.

“The PDP-controlled FederalGovernment has now seen the

to give the Jonathan campaign anunfair head-start ahead of 2015,with public funds, “the statementsaid.

According to the party, thecrisis currently rocking the LagosPDP over the sharing of SURE-Pfunds among its members hasvindicated the ACN position thatthe funds meant to cushion theeffects of fuel subsidy removal havenow become a 2015 campaign warchest for Jonathan.

The statement said that,“today, the truth has prevailed asthe PDP members themselveshave confirmed that the SURE-Pfunds are being shared amongthem across the federation.

“Thanks to the allegedhijacking of the SURE-P fundsmeant for the PDP members inLagos state by the Bode Georgefaction and the crisis that it has

Contd from Page 1

‘Jonathan diverts subsidy funds for 2025 campaign’accruing huge funds as moneywhich may well be spent withspecial favour for its cronies andparty affiliates without regard tothe Constitution.

“For President Jonathan, thisis an impeachable offence.”

The statement listed some ofthe coordinators as Alhaji BodeOyedele (Lagos), Mr. JosephIshekpa (Nasarawa), Alhaji GarbaA. Kurfi (Katsina), Alhaji AliyuMamman (Niger), Alhaji AdamuYaro Gombe (Gombe), Hon. FemiAkinyemi (Ekiti), Jarigbe AgbomJarigbe (Cross River), ChiefAbdullahi Ohioma (Kogi), DareAdeleke (Oyo), Alhaji Al-KasimMadoka (Kano) and Alhaji KoloBukar (Borno).

On the crisis in Lagos PDP overthe SURE-P largesse, ACN said thata faction of the PDP in Lagos let thecat out of the bag.

“In Eti-Osa there are names

Murtala Nyako, over his attemptto yank the control of the PDP statechapter from the governor.According to him, Tukur’sinsistence on recognizing the newJoel Madaki’s faction instead of thereinstated Alhaji Umar MinjiyawaKugama’s faction in the state is oneof the reasons the governors areaverse to his style of leadershipwhich they term dictatorial.

The source also pointed at theway 10 NWC members upturnedTukur’s decision to conduct theAdamawa state congress thatproduced Madaki by reinstatingthe Kugama led state Exco. Hedisclosed that the action taken bythe NWC members excluding onlyTukur and the Deputy NationalSecretary, Onwe S. Onwe, wasinstigated by the governors.

It was gathered that some of thePDP governors have perfected plotsto move a vote of no confidence inTukur’s leadership whenever hechooses to convene the PDPNational Executive Council(NEC)’s meeting. Again, thesource disclosed that the governorsrefused to fund the party in orderto put Tukur in constant check.

It was learnt that the PDP

National Chairman awareness ofgross discontentment among thegovernors over his leadership stylepartly informed his currentreconciliation efforts.

Apart from the discontentmentarising from Tukur’s leadershipstyle, some governors are equallysuspicious of the way Tukur ishandling the party ahead of 2015.Although the PDP Chairman isinsisting that the party bereturned to the people, many ofthem still believe that he is doingthe bidding of President GoodluckJonathan who installed him as theChairman of the party.

But, Tukur has dismissed hispurported removal’s plot by thegovernors as a mere figment of theimagination of the opposition. He said“All the governors believe in me;even they came out to correct thestories written in the papers. Wework very cordially. They are ourcommanders. Mind you theChairman heads PDP but a governoris his own commander in the state.The only thing the Chairman andthe NWC do is to strengthen hisfollowership to support the governorso that in the next election we willstill have the PDP winning.”

Some 14 suspectedterrorists met theirwaterloo in Kano, Kano

State, yesterday followingseveral hours of gun battle withoperatives of the Joint Task Force(JTF).

As at 3 pm yesterday, thesoldiers who lost one of their menin the battle with the insurgents,cordoned off Yan AwakiUnguwan Uku, the area wherethe tragic battle raged, even asthey conducted house-to-housesearches for the insurgents.

The JTF averted what wouldhave been a bloody Easter in the

restive city of Kano following therecovery of a primed car ladenwith explosive for suicide attackand assorted weapons.

The bloody operation almostmarred the Easter celebration asresidents of the area and otherparts of the Kano metropolis whowere scared by the defeaningsounds of guns and artilleryshelling, remained indoors.

Brigade Commander of the 3Motorized Brigade, BukavuBarrack, Kano, Brigadier GeneralIliyasu Isa Abba, subsequentlyconducted reporters round thetroubled area. He confirmed theincident stating: "My men wereon cordon-and-search operations

From Edwin Olofu, Kano in the wee hours of this morningat Layin Yan'awaki, Ungwa-Ukugeneral area, when suddenlythey came under fire fromterrorists that triggered a gunduel".

General Iliyasu Abba said thatthe ensuing firefight left 14insurgents dead, while undisclosednumbers of others were arrested."It was an opportunity todemonstrate our superior firepower, and the gallants officers andmen gave a good account ofthemselves, but unfortunately welost one of our gallant soldiers andone was injured".

The JTF recovered from thescene a Golf car primed with

JTF kills 14 insurgentsin Kano gun battle

explosives which was reportedlyready for a "suicide mission in thecity."

Gen. Abba further stated that14 AK 47 assault rifles wererecovered during the operationagainst the insurgents.

Also recovered from the scenethat comprises two adjourninghouses in the dark spot, wereseveral fabricated anti-aircraftmachine guns, a pump-actiongun, large quantities ofImprovised Explosive Devices,and chemicalsfor making IED's.

Vehicular and humanmovements were restrictedalong the strategic portion ofZaria road and Eastern Bye passduring the operation that lastedfor six hours.

In line with its long-standingpolicy, the JTF demolished twohouses suspected to be theterrorists' haven, even asinvestigation was ongoing totrack down the property owners,for them to face the law asaccomplices.

of criminals as beneficiaries,especially Ward HI. This is awaste of Subsidy money anddefeating the objective of theprogramme.

“There are responsibleeminent citizens who should becontacted to verify and screen thesubmission of names forbeneficiaries but Bode George’sloyalists are putting names oftouts and miscreants for his ownpersonal agenda.

“On the basis of this, we arenow calling for an independentinvestigation into how the moneyaccruing to SURE-P has beendisbursed since the inception of theprogramme with a view toestablishing to what extent thefunds have been abused, and inorder to prescribe the appropriatesanctions for those foundculpable.”

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013 PAGE 3

Terrorist activities won’t breakNigeria, says JonathanPresident Goodluck

Jonathan has said Nigeriawill remain united in spite

of efforts by terrorists to divide thecountry.

According to him, terroristattacks would have been moredevastating but for fervent

prayers of Nigerians for peace andstability.

The President spoke in lagosyesterday during an EasterSunday Service at Our Saviour’sChurch, Anglican Communion,Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

President Goodluck Jonathanyesterday said he was workingvery hard to ensure that

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Sambo, Sultan want Ulamato preach peace, unity

terrorism does not divide thecountry, saying the resultanteffects of the spate of terroristattacks in the country could havebeen more devastating if not forthe fervent prayers of Nigeriansfor peace and stability.

He said that Nigeria wouldbegin to enjoy a more stableelectricity power supply from next

year, as, according to him, “effortsare on top gear to stem out theembarrassing trend.”

In his sermon, the Vicar, IgeinIsemede, urged Christians topurge their hearts of any wrongdoing as the death andresurrection of Jesus Christ hadatoned for their sins andafflictions.

Vice President MohammedNamadi Sambo and theSultan of Sokoto, Alhaji

Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakaryesterday urged the Ulama in thecountry to continue to promoteunity, peace and security of thenation in their preaching.

Sambo and the Sultan bothspoke at the closing ceremony ofthe 27th Qur'anic RecitationCompetition in Gusau, Zamfarastate.

According to Sambo, “we mustcommend the Ulama who havealways provided spiritualguidance to Muslims.

“While we note with delight theirefforts at ensuring the proper andaccurate interpretation of the Holybook to guide Muslims in their day today conduct, we urge them to placethe unity, peace and security of thenation as an important element intheir daily preaching.”

Sambo said that the FederalGovernment was committedtowards the provision of qualitybasic education to all children ofschool age adding that, “theFederal Government hasdeveloped a model whichintegrates Western education andIslamic education.

“Contracts have been awardedfor some schools for out-of-schoolchildren and Almajirai some ofwhich have been completed andcommissioned.

“Accordingly, government hasplanned to build more of suchschools up 100 across the countrywith more emphasis andconcentration in the northernpart of the country.”

The Sultan urged the Ummahto uphold the tenets of the religionof Islam and assured governmentsat all levels of their readiness toassist in bringing solutions toproblems affecting the country.

Also speaking at theprogramme, Governor Abdul AzizYari said the event provided anavenue for strengthening unityof the Ummah.

Unknown gunmenyesterday afternoon killeda senior lecturer with the

Department of Mass Communi-cation in the University ofMaiduguri, (UNIMAID), MalamMurtala Mohammed.

Malam Mohammed who alsodoubled as a Doctorate Degreestudent, (PHD) in the university,was reportedly shot dead by threegunmen, who raided his house atthe 202 Housing Estate inMaiduguri, the Borno state capital.

Both the state Police Commandand the Joint, Military Task Force,(JTF), declined comments on theincident.

However, there wereconflicting reports over theincident which reportedlyoccurred at about 2.15pm in thedeceased’s home, few meters fromthe institution, along Bama road.

Late Mohammed wasreportedly ambushed by theassailants, while driving out of theinstitution and was forced out ofhis car, before being whisked awayin a waiting vehicle, according tosources at the university.

The gunmen have reportedlyheld the lecturer at gun point,before taking him to scene toslaughter him.

Chief information officer of theuniversity, Malam AhmedMohammed, who confirmed theincident to newsmen last night,said the man was murdered bysome gunmen in front of his houseoutside the institution, shortlyafter observing Zuhr prayers.

According to him, the lecturerdied on the spot and that somesoldiers, who arrived the spot later,have taken away the body anddeposited same at the morgue ofthe university’s teaching hospital.

Gunmenkill UnimaidlecturerFrom Mustapha Isah Kwaru,Maiduguri

It was shock and disbelief forresidents of Kakuri, a suburbof Kaduna metropolis when a

dead body of a four year old boywas discovered inside a 50-litreplastic water container in aneighbor’s room at Mani Street inthe area

Neighbours say nobody knowshow little Johnson Michael got intothe water container andapparently got drowned.

Our correspondent learnt thatthe neighbor, one MangaMohammed and his wife were notat home when the boy entered theroom. Only Manga’s niece, 18 yearold Jamilu was at home.

According to Johnson’s parentsthe boy was in good health whenthey left him with his 8 year oldsister Happiness to play while theMother went to Market.

It was while the boy and hissister were playing that it wasalleged Jamilu sent Happiness tobuy him a recharge card andwhen she came back the boy wasmissing.

“My father, mother and eldersister were not at home, so, Jamilusent me to buy him MTN rechargecard.

“When I returned my brother

was not at home. So, I asked Jamiluabout my brother and he said hedidn’t know.

“I started looking for mybrother but I didn’t see him. Whenmy elder sister came back I toldher that I cannot find Johnson so Ibegged her to help me so that myfather will not kill me.

“It was when we were stilllooking for him that Jamilu’s uncleand wife came back. When theyopened their door the wife said isthis not the Johnson you arelooking for inside rubber?

“So his uncle brought him outof the plastic rubber and took himto our room. Later I saw my sister

From Mohammad Ibrahim,Kaduna

crying that my brother is dead,”the girl explained.

It was alleged that after Jamilucollected the recharge card helocked his uncle’s room and left thecompound without assisting themto look for the deceased.

However, Johnson’s corpse hasbeen deposited at the Saint GeraldHospital Kaduna mortuary wherean autopsy is expected to be carriedout.

Father of the deceased, MichelJohnson Agada, a security manwith a private firm, said he was atwork when the sad incidentoccurred.

“It was after I came back fromwork in the evening that I sawpeople in my compound crying

including my younger brother.“I asked them what happened

and they told me that my neigbourhas killed my son. So, I invited thepolice to arrest him.

“They pleaded with me butsince I am not Federal GovernmentI told them I will not accept anypleading.

“I want my child alive. I will bevery much happy if the case istransferred to court because I willgo to any length to seek justice formy child.”

Command Public RelationsOfficer at the Kaduna Policeheadquarters, DSP Aminu Lawanconfirmed the incident. He saidthat investigations would revealthe cause of death.

Kaduna police probe death of four-year-oldboy in water container

The World Muslim Leaguehas urged religious leadersto preach justice and fairness

in order to promote peaceful co-existence among Nigeriansirrespective of religious leanings.

In a communiqué issued at theend of the internationalconference, on “Islam and theFundamentals of Peaceful Co-existence in Nigeria,” organized by

the Sokoto state government, theMuslim World League noted that,justice, fairness and equity areuniversal values that engenderpeace, progress and patriotism.

The communiqué read in part:“there is the need for continuousdialogue among various ethno-religious and tribal groups toenhance the spirit of cooperationand understanding among them.

“Nigeria should preach andlive by the noble moral teaching oftheir religions.”

From Mahmoud Muhammad,Sokoto

“Lame excuses of the freedomof opinion that justify insultingsacred symbols of any religionwhich engineer crisis should beabandoned.

“And there is the need to revivethe sound peaceful historicalrelations that existed betweenMuslims and other Nigerians fromtime immemorial.”

“Mutual dialogue should beencouraged to provide an enablingenvironment and using the bestavailable means.”

Teach your followers tolerance, World MuslimLeague tells Nigeria’s religious leaders

House suspected to be the hideout of insurgents raided by JTF, yesterday in Kano. Insetare items recovered.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

As the Lagos-Kano passenger train returns…As the train meandered its

way into Agege andcrawled to a stop in front of

the overcrowded Lagos station,Bashir Yusuf disembarked fromthe Second Class Coach where adearth of seats had forced him tostand for five hours.

Mr. Yusuf boarded the Kano-Lagos train at Kaduna, where hepaid N2, 000 and extracted apromise from the railway staffthat he would get a comfortablespace.

"When I searched the entiretrain for a seat and couldn't findany, I was very disappointed. Iwas lucky to get a place to stand,"said Mr. Yusuf, 20, traveling in atrain for the first time.

After decades in the doldrums,the Nigerian RailwayCorporation, NRC, revived theLagos-Kano train route lastDecember to complement theexisting Lagos -Ilorin and Minna-Kano intercity train services.

The over 30 hour journeyfrom Nigeria's commercialcapital to the major industrialhub in the north has witnessedan impressive patronage since itsreturn.

"As far as I'm concerned, beingin the First Class coach, thejourney is not so bad comparedwith the journey on the road,"said Tanko Garba, 58, apassenger.

"It is cheap, and there is nofear of attack by armed robbers,"he added.

There are about 20 stationsscattered between the 1,126kilometre distance between Lagosand Kano. And the train, with atleast 16 coaches, is designed forthree categories of passengers:the First Class Sleeper, with bedand air-condition; the First ClassSeater, an air-conditioned coachthat accommodates 60passengers; and the SecondStandard, with 90 passengers.

While the First Class coachesare relatively comfortable for thelong distant trip, the Second Classcoaches are like an overcrowdedslum with loud verbal exchangesbetween passengers sometimesdegenerating into fisticuffs.

"This place is like a war zone.At least five people have tried tofight this night over space," saidMr. Yusuf.

During a recent journey fromKano to Lagos, the railwaysecurity arrested a young manwho attacked a fellow passenger,handcuffed and locked him awayinside one of the rooms in thecoach.

"At the next station, we wouldrelease him and let him take histhings off the train," said asecurity officer.

But such incidents are notrare in the Second Classcompartments, designed toaccommodate 630 passengers (inseven coaches) but end upcarrying almost twice thatfigure.

In contrast, the passengers inthe First Class coaches are muchmore concerned about things likeleg room at their seats and thesanitary condition of the toilet.

In a train journey lastFebruary, the stench of the toiletin the First Class compartmentspilled into the coach such thatall the passengers had to bebarred from using it.

"The railway is still on the oldsystem and even most of the oldsystem is now getting worse. You

transformation.""There is ongoing

rehabilitation and modernizationprogramme which is allembracing," Mr. Ndakotsu said inan interview with PREMIUMTIMES.

"That is, rehabilitation of theentire 3,500km track network,acquisition of new locomotiveengines from General Electric,refurbishment of about 600coaches and about 200 wagonsfor both passenger and freighttransport, modernization oftelecommunication programs,training of entire staff.

"This is the vision of the newrailway. Extending rail lines tovirgin areas," he added.

A poll of passengers during atrain journey from Lagos to Kanoand Kano to Lagos showed thatalmost all the passengers werehappy with the revival of theLagos-Kano route.

Most passengers interviewedsaid that they were optimistic ofan improvement in services,though they expressed worries atthe train's snail speed - it takes anaverage of 33 hours to completethe Lagos-Kano journey. At 200kilometres per hour, a Chinesecommercial train wouldcomplete the same journey in less

than six hours.Bode Richards boarded the

train from Lagos and arrived atKaduna, a distance of 903kilometres, 24 hours later.

"When we got to Minna, wesaw a change. The movementwas so rapid that somebody musthave talked to somebody thatthis train was slowing down.Along the line we got here at agood time," said Bode Richards, aconsultant.

"We all need to give and take.These guys working on the railhere, they have challenges, so weneed to help them to grow. That'sthe way I see it," he added.

But Mr. Ndakotsu said thatthe corporation has alreadyattained its maximum height interms of services and operations.

"At the level of our economy,we are already there," he said.

Some of the passengers,however, stated that they were"misled and misinformed" afterthey watched on television theflagging off of the rail transportby Labaran Maku, theInformation Minister.

"They showed us a very finecoach on AIT (Africa IndependentTelevision), last two weeks, onGood Governance Tour," said BolaOjo, 35, a nursing mother on herway to Zaria.

"They entered a verybeautiful coach. I told myhusband that my next trip is byrail. That coach on the telly hasvery big plasma TV. To makematters worse, they eveninterviewed passengers and theywere happy. That was when Iknew there was A/C from Lagosto Kano. But this is an old train,"Mrs. Ojo said.

Another passenger,Abubakar, who sat on the flooralmost throughout his entire 243kilometre journey from Zaria toMinna, said that he was shockedat the deception.

"They didn't tell us that peoplecan also sit on the floor, or evenstand throughout a journey.They lied to the wholeNigerians," a furious Mr.Abubakar said.

Despite such misgivings,patronage for the trains hascontinued to soar. The Lagos-Kano route moves twice weekly,with all the 11 passenger coachesswarming with people.

Also, train routes in the Lagosarea alone record between16,000 and 20,000 passengersdaily, according to the NRC.

"There have been massiverush, massive demand, in fact wecan't cope now," Mr. Ndakotsusaid.

"All the major road transportpassengers, most of them if theyare going to Kano, Kaduna,Minna and so on, they are nowtaking the train. We are evenlooking forward, in the nearestfuture, to make it a dailyoperation (to the north) becauseit's always congested."

After 35 hours, the journeyfrom Kano to Lagos, which beganon March 18, got to itsdestination.

Mr. Yusuf, tired andexhausted, said that he wouldreturn to Kaduna, after his threeweek stay in Lagos, in a bus.

"I will follow Marco Polo (bus).I'll pay for attachment, N2, 000,"he said. (Premium Times)

can see the toilet we have here,although it's a good toilet, thereis no person that is mandatedfor the cleaning of the toilet,"Mr. Garba said.

"During the time Iexperienced the something inthe 1970s, every station therewere coach attendants that theygo to the toilets and wash themand sanitize them. Here thereis no water, you have to buywater to clean yourself in thetoilet," he added.

The NRC has been inexistence for over a century. Itcommenced rail businessactivities between 1898 and1901 with the construction ofthe first rail line, the 193kilometre Lagos-Ibadan route.

With the completion of the640 kilometre Kano-Maidugurirail line in 1964, the presentcore of the railway network wasput in place.

However, neglect bysuccessive governmentscoupled with monumentalcorruption left railtransportation in the countrygasping for survival, with thecorporation running intobankruptcy more than once inthe last two decades.

While no new wagons had

been purchased since 1993, somewagons date as far back as 1948,Jetson Nwankwo, a formerManaging Director of the NRC,stated in his critique on Nigeria'srail transportation, in 2008.

Also, the old trackscontributes in limiting thetrains to a speed of 35 kilometreper hour, a sharp contrast tothat of modern trains - China'scommercial trains move with anaverage speed of 200 kilometreper hour or more.

The President OlusegunObasanjo administration, in2006, signed a contract with theChina Civil Engineering andConstruction Company, CCECC,to modernize the Lagos-Kano railline. Two years later, the projectwas suspended following adispute.

In 2009, the FederalMinistry of Transport re-awarded the contract for therehabilitation to the CCECC, andCostain West Africa.

While the CCECC got the 488kilometre Lagos-Jebba rail,Costain won the 638 kilometreJebba-Kano end.

David Ndakotsu, NRC'sAssistant Director, PublicRelations, said that the Nigerianrailway is undergoing a "massive

Passengers have varying experiences on the Lagos-Kano train.

PAGE 5PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Kwara Legislature urges FG toextend river Niger dredgingThe Kwara state House of

Assembly has urgedt h e F e d e r a l

Government to extend itsdredging of the River Niger toJebba, in Kwara, state toreduce the occurrence offlooding in the state.

After a debate on a motionby Oke Ogun constituency,Kamalden Fagbemi, the

legislators described theproposal as fundamental toreduction of flooding in Kogistate.

While reading the resolutionof the House, the Speaker RazakAtunwa, noted that floodinghad done devastating damageto property and farm land in thearea.

The House equally called onthe government to as a matterof urgency resettle all the

From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin communities residing on theriver banks and waterways andprovide assistance to theaffected farm communities.

The legislature equallyurged the state government toas a matter of deliberate policyensure routine monitoring ofwaterways and preventdumping of refuse on same.

The House also enjoined thestate government to embark onadvocacy for farmers, rural and

L-R: Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar, overall winner of the competition, Malam Kabiru Abubakar, Vice-PresidentMohammed Namadi Sambo, Zamfara state governor, Alhaji Abdul-Aziz Yari Abubakar, Zamfara state Deputy Governor, Alhaji IbrahimWakkala Muhammad, during the closing ceremony of the 27th Qur'anic recitation competition, yesterday in Gusau, Zamfara state.

urban settlers alongwaterways, river banks on thehazards of flooding, globalwarming and the need torelocate and keep off from flood-prone areas.

The law makers equallyadvised the state governmentto ensure that no building isapproved by its Town PlanningDevelopment Agency in flood-prone areas of the state to savethe state further damage.

Doubts have started to riseover the willingness ofthe Federal Government

to implement its new NationalHousing Policy and UrbanDevelopment Policy approvedby the Federal ExecutiveCouncil in June last year.

The two policies are expectedto usher a housing revolution inNigeria, in the words of Housingand Urban DevelopmentMinister, Ms. Ama Pepple.

But apart from the regularreminders by the HousingMinister at various public forathat the policies willrevolutionize housing, notmuch has been done in concreteterms to commence theexecution of the policies.

A visit to the offices of theReal Estate DevelopersAssociation of Nigeria (REDAN)could not yield fruit as thedevelopers’ association claimedignorant of any activities oractions by the FederalGovernment to give teeth to thepolicies.

REDAN as a criticalstakeholder is expected to becarried along in the executionof the two policies but

government is yet to mobilizethe association although itmaintains that theactualization of the policies willbe a collaborative effort betweenthe government and theprivate sector under the PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP).

Executive Director, U.DBond Shelter Services Limited,Mrs. Nkechi Ugochukwu, toldour correspondent that, ”intruth, the Minister of Housinghas introduced a lot ofinnovations in the housingsector and has showntremendous passion in hercommitment to reducingNigeria’s housing deficit said tobe in the region of over 16million housing units.

“It was her doggedness thatmobilized housing professionalstogether to formulate the newpolicies.

“Having used herdoggedness to get the FederalExecutive Council to approvethe documents, stakeholdersare appealing that she shouldcontinue with the high tempoand doggedness for which she isknown.

“The Federal Governmenthas always been good atapproving policies or making

good regulations andpronouncements but theproblem has always been lackof political will to executivenoble policies.

“Industry operators arehoping that now that thepolicies have been approved,they should not be dumped inthe archives as has been theway and manner ofgovernment. The twodocuments hold the potential toactually revolutionise thehousing sector with theattendant creation of thousandsor probably, millions ofemployment opportunities.

“The implementation of thetwo policies will not be well donein the absence of necessary legalbacking.

“Take for instance, thereview of the Land Use Act of1976, a piece of legislationagreed by the majority ofNigerians as the single greatestobstacle to housingdevelopment in Nigeria. “Thereluctance of the legislators towork or complete work on thisimportant Act hasdumbfounded not a fewNigerians. There is also theforeclosure bill which isgathering dust at the NationalAssembly.”

Stakeholders worry over implementation ofnew housing, urban development policiesBy Udenna Orji

The Nigerian MuslimsNetwork (NMM), anonline forum for Nigerian

Muslims at home and in theDiaspora, has decried what thegroup describes as victimizationand harassment of Muslimstudents in Nigeria.

The group in a statementyesterday signed by its Amir,AbdulKadir, Ibrahim Taiwo,cited the recent cases of assaulton Muslim students in Lagos.

According to the statement,“few weeks ago, one Mrs. E.C.Ukpaka, Principal of KadaraJunior Grammar School, EbuteMeta, was reported to havecaned a (JSS 2) Muslim student,Aisha Alabi, 43 strokes of canejust because she wore hijab.

“Another case was reportedin Mafoluku Senior GrammarSchool, Oshodi, Lagos where afemale student’s hijab wasforcefully removed andtrampled upon by a fellowstudent.

“And, as if that was notenough injustice, the femalestudent was later reportedlysuspended by the schoolauthorities.

Muslim group warnson harassment ofMuslimstudents over hijabBy Zainab Yahaya Kandi

Governor AdamsOshiomhole of Edo statesays Nigeria will attain

her full potentials whencitizens resolve to live a life ofsacrifice and righteousness.

In his Easter message signedby his Chief Press Secretary,Mr. Peter Okhiria, Oshiomholesaid: “as we commemorate thedeath and resurrection of JesusChrist, who gave his life as asacrifice for mankind, I enjointhe Christian faithful to toe thefootsteps of their progenitorand emulate his spirit of peace,love, sacrifice andrighteousness.

”The Bible teaches thatrighteousness exalts a nation,we must therefore be ready towear the garment ofrighteousness in our dealingswith one another.

“We must imbibe the spiritof love for one another andforgiveness to heal the woundsof the nation.

“I urge the faithful to forgetthe past, forge ahead and livein peace, love and harmonywith their neighbours, in linewith Christ’s teaching on thegreatest commandment, lovethy neighbour as thyself.

In our dear state, Edo, Ienjoin the faithful to continueto maintain the religious peace,harmony and respect for peopleof other faiths which is neededin our quest to further propelour state to an enviable levelin the country.

Meanwhile, the MuslimRights Concern (MURIC), anNGO, on Sunday congratulatedChristians in the country on thecelebration of the death andresurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is contained in astatement by MURIC’sDirector, Prof. Is-haq Akintola,made available to the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) inIbadan.

It said that in conformitywith the lessons embedded inthe Easter celebrations,Christians must endeavour tobe tolerant and forgiving of oneanother, especially withadherents of other religions.

“MURIC greets NigerianChristians on this memorableoccasion.

“We urge all Nigerians todemonstrate genuine respectfor the manner of worship aswell as the culture of otherreligions.

“There is an urgent need forthe adherents of the variousfaiths in the country,particularly Christians andMuslims, to forge unity ofpurpose in nation-building.

“We therefore call forsoberness and patience in theface of the challenges facing usas a people,” the statement said.

Easter:Oshiomholepreachessacrifice,righteousnessFrom Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013PAGE 6

Funding structure delaying power projects, says NSEcurrently battling to completeseveral National Integrated PowerProjects (NIPPs) in different parts ofthe country while also pursuing thepower sector privatization andreforms.

But recently, power generationdropped from a little above 4,000Mega Watts (MW) to its current levelof a little above 3000 MW. The NIPPsare needed to come on stream to boost

power generation.The NSE therefore called on

government to take intoconsideration the life cycle of powerprojects and adopt a five to ten-yearfunding structure to ensure thatprojects are completed on time forNigerians to begin to enjoy regularpower for economic development.

According to the NSE President,Rahman Shehu, who led his

By Udenna Orji

The Nigerian Society ofEngineers (NSE) saysNigeria's pattern of funding

electric power projects throughannual provisions in the budget isthe major cause of the delay incompletion of power projects andpower sector reforms.

The federal government is

Delta Steel pensionersdecry FG's negligence

R-L:Administrator,MethodistCathedral ofUnity, Wuse,Abuja, VeryReverend DennisMark; MethodistArchbishop ofAbuja,ArchbishopChimarokeIweha, and VeryReverendIfeanyichukwuNwade; duringthe churchservice to markEaster Sunday,yesterday inAbuja.

Photo: JustinImo-Owo

The Nigeria Union ofPensioners (NUP) hasdecried the Federal

Government’s negligence in thepayment of pension arrears todisengaged staff of Delta SteelCompany Limited (DSCL).

The NUP also said over 500 oftheir members who were disengagedby the Delta Steel Company Limited(DSCL) since 2005 died whileawaiting their entitlement.

President of NUP, comrade AliAbatcha who gave the indication ina statement said over 1,983pensioners of the DSCL were laid offand later retired officially, addingthat the death toll does not representtheir wives and children.

The union noted that in June 4,

2012, it addressed a letter to PresidentGoodluck Jonathan on the matter butregretted that there was no responsefrom the President.

It added that out of the total sumof N11,709,797, 517, owed thepensioners, only 45 percent of thetotal money was paid to them.

The letter which was also copiedthe joint Senate Committee on PublicEstablishment and States and LocalGovernment on Pensionadministration and management,Minister of Iron and Steel, Director-General of BPE, and the secretaryNUP Delta Steel Company Limitedalso said 55 percent of the money isyet to be paid.

Comrade Abatcha alleged thatthe decision to stop pension payment

to the existing pensioners and the non-placement of the disengaged staff onmonthly pension was taken by thejoint Managing Director of DSCL incollaboration with some BPE andGovernment officials to the detrimentof the pensioners and disengaged staff.

Comrade Abatcha described assad the way authorities arehandling pensioners in Nigeria,because "since June 2012 that wewrote a letter to the President forintervention into the situation ofDSCL pensioners, nothing was donetill now while our members die daily.

"Another pathetic story of the DSCLpensioners is that the houses sold tothem by Federal Governmentthrough BPE as part payment of theirentitlements, we are constrained to

Gunmen attackpolice station, killfour in Gombe

Unknown gunmen at theweekend attacked a policestation at Kumo, in Akko

local government area of Gombestate killing four persons.

The gunmen reportedlystormed the area at 11pm lastFriday, started shootingindiscriminately and overpowered the policemen.

Confirming the incident, thePolice Public Relation Officer,DSP Fwaje Atajiri, however saidthat the police repelled theattack.

From David Hassan, Gombe

MDGs,stakeholders tobrainstorm onnational report

The office of Senior SpecialAssistant to the Presidenton Millennium

Development Goals (OSSAP-MDGS) will hold a nationalworkshop for the preparation ofa report to be presented by theNigerian Country team led byDr. Precious Gbeneol, SeniorSpecial Assistant to thePresident on MDGs as Nigeria'sNational VoluntaryPresentation, NVP, at the HighLevel Substantive Session of theEconomic and Social Council(ECOSOC) during the AnnualMinisterial Review (AMR) inGeneva in July 2013.

The OSSAP-MDGs DeputyDirector, Communications,Mrs. Kene Offie, said in astatement that the workshopwould hold between April 4 and5, in Abuja.

According to the statement,critical inputs fromstakeholders from cross-cuttingsectors locally and from therelevant United Nationsentities will form the corecontents of the NVP to bedelivered at the ECOSOCforum.

The workshop which is beingorganized in collaboration withthe Ministry of Science andTechnology and the Ministry ofCulture and Tourism, will have akeynote address delivered by theMinister of National Planning, DrShamsuddeen Usman. Accordingto the statement, "while emphasiswill be placed on theaccomplishments and challengesencountered in theimplementation of NationalDevelopment Strategies andPolicies as stated in the guidelinesfor the preparation of the NationalReport, we intend to highlight theutility of the Nigerian MDGsInformation System in both theReport and the NationalVoluntary Presentation as acrucial tool that has had impacton the implementation ofInternationally AgreedDevelopment Goals (IADGs),including the MillenniumDevelopment Goals in Nigeria."

By Adeola Tukuru

inform you that out of about 4500units houses that were sold to thepensioners, about 600 units yet to beaccessed by the pensioners as thehouses are being occupied by illegaloccupants who have vowed notto vacate the houses.

"Ironically, while thisinjustice to our members isgoing on unchallenged, ourmembers are dying dailywithout enjoying the fruits oftheir labour. Sadly, as at today,the death toll of our members atDSCL has risen to over 500. Thisfigure does not represent thenumber of wives, children anddependants they lost while hopelesslywaiting for payments of theirbenefits".

members on a visit to theTransmission Company of Nigeria(TCN), "the nature of power projectsis such that designs and constructionstages normally exceed two to threeyears and the whole project cycle canbe up to five years conservatively fromfeasibility to detailed design andconstruction.

"The annual budget for projects inNigeria comes with a great deal ofuncertainty in the allocation andamount thereby resulting indelayed payment to contractorsand consultants, frequent projectaugmentation, delayedcompletion and utilisation of theproject."

He lamented that thedevelopment comes on the heels ofa creeping lull in power projectactivities as industry operators worryover an avalanche of problemsincluding delay by the World Bank insigning the Partial Risk GuaranteeAgreement with the FederalGovernment that will assure gasproducers and suppliers that theywould be paid for gas they supply toNigerian power generationcompanies.

Wole Awolowo: Magajin Gari Sokoto condoles family

The Magajin Gari Sokoto,Alhaji Hassan DanbabaMarafara, has commiserated

with the Awolowo family on thedeath of Wole Awolowo.

Marafa who is a grandson of thelate Premier of defunct NorthernRegion, Sir Ahmadu Bello, in astatement in Abuja yesterdaydescribed the late Wole as vanguardof patriotism.

According to the statement, "onbehalf of myself and the entirefamily of late premier of the defunctNorthern Region, I offer my heartfelt

gives life and takes it, will give thefamily of the deceased the fortitudeto bear the loss.

"My heartfelt condolence goes toHID Awolowo, the mother of thedeceased.

"The finality of death shouldserve as a lesson for Nigerians to loveeach other.

"It is not by mistake thatAlmighty Allah made us to livetogether under one umbrella calledNigeria.

"The challenge of nation buildingis a task that involves all Nigeriansirrespective of ethnic or religiousbackground."

condolence to the family of late ChiefObafemi Awolowo over the death ofEvangelist Oluwole Awolwo,Publisher of Tribune Newspapers.

"It is quite regrettable that hepassed on at a time Nigerian needsthe patriarch of late Awolowofamily to serve as an example ofvanguard of patriotism, and shininglight of service delivery to commonman.

"It is more gratifying to note thatdespite his privileged background,Oluwole lived a quiet life withoutcourting public attentionwhatsoever.

"It is my prayer that God who

By Stanley Onyekwere

PAGE 7PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

1. The Federal Government of Nigeria has received a credit from the InternationalDevelopment Association (IDA) towards the implementation of the Public SectorGovernance Reform and Development Project in selected states. Kebbi state is a beneficiaryof this credit and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consultancy services to benchmarkthe Procurement of Construction, Goods and Services (Guidelines) Law No. 5 of 2008 aswell mainstream through a civil service sector wide approach (SWAP) implementationaction of the procurement processes through issuance of bidding documents etc.2. The broad objective of the project is to improve transparency, accountability and qualityin the public finance and procurement systems with a view to strengthen governance inparticipating states. Specifically it seeks to ensure good governance by way of promotingaccountability and transparency in the utilization of public financial and human resources.Progress towards the achievement of these objectives will be measured bya) Adoption of more transparent and modern economic and financial management systemand processes that are less prone to corruption andb) Implementation of restructuring plans in pilot Ministries, Department and Agencies(MDAs) of government of Kebbi State and initiation of reforms in other MDAs.COMPONENTS:The implementation of the Project in Kebbi State is designed around two main areas:I. Public financial Management reforms andII. Public procurement reformsPUBLIC PROCCUREMENT REFORMSIII. Institutional and legal frameworks similar to that at the Federal level aimed at achieving(i) increased value for money in the use of public resources (i.e. establishing due process inpublic procurement of goods, works and consulting services; (ii) broader participation ofthe private sector and transparency in the procurement process. The component willsignificantly enhance the achievement of the project development objective by establishinga well functioning procurement system which will provide information to support the processof budget development and execution and will benefit from the public financial managementsystem with regard to timely appropriations and availability of funds to support the awardand payments of contracts.IV. Activities under this sub-component will include among others -V. (i) The preparation and adoption of procurement reform strategy and implementation ofprocurement law by the Kebbi State Government.VI. (i) Preparation of procurement regulations and procurement manual for the StateProcurement Law and wide dissemination including in local languages;VII. (iii) Preparation and use of the state standard bidding documents for contract awardsusing open competition;VIII. (iv) Establishment of an effective, efficient and transparent independent complaintsmechanism within the State Procurement System; and establishment of a reliable andregularly updated procurement databank in the state procurement agency.IX. (v) Provide technical assistance for the setting-up of a functional State Public ProcurementAgency (SPPA) including strengthening their capacity for post procurement reviews andvalue for money audits;X. (vi) Undertake training needs assessment and financing of the training of the SPPA andMDAs staff;XI. (vii) Procurement awareness and capacity building of Non-Government actors to helpbuild demand for good procurement behaviour from public officials, non-state actors needto understand better the important role of procurement in the fight against corruption andalso build their capacity to understand procurement processes and practice good procurementthemselves. The specific actions will include:XII. Vigorous state-wide campaigns on role of good public procurement system in the fightagainst corruption. This will include seminars, conferences, printing and circulation of thenew laws and regulations and preparation of Procurement Journals.XIII. Demand-driven technical assistance to oversight and watchdog institutions and civilsociety groups to develop, build and strengthen their capacity to monitor procurement.XIV. Implementation: In each State, the Due Process/Public Procurement Agency will haveprimary responsibility for the implementation of the subcomponent.OBJECTIVESThe public procurement initiative will support reform of procurement policies and processes,in parallel with institutional strengthening of the key public management and procurementagencies. The component will help;

KEBBI STATE OF NIGERIA

i. Modernized financial management and accountability arrangement;ii. Streamline and modernized public sector procurement procedures.SCOPE OF WORKSpecifically, the consultant will be required to perform the following tasks:i. Drafting of procurement regulations and discussion with key stakeholders for revision;ii. Preparation of implementing regulations for the new procurement lawiii. Wide spread of dissemination of the new procurement law and regulations; the consultantis expected to organize training and sensitization workshop and seminars including stateand local government officials and civil society groups on the new procurement law andregulations and the importance of efficient procurement for the effectiveness of publicspending in giving value for moneyiv. Establishment of reliable and regularly updated procurement data base;v. Procurement training and capacity building in the public sector including strengthenedoversight capacity and public enlightenment and Preparation of state standard biddingdocument.SCOPE OF WORK:SKILLS REQUIREMENTSTeam leader:i. Advance degree in economics, law, public administration, management, sociology or anyof the social sciences;ii. Experience in governance and institutional reforms strategies;iii. 10 years post qualification experience in reform programmes;Other key staff:i. The team should compose of legal expert with not less than 8 years post qualificationexperience and implementation of reform programmes;ii. A social scientist/ public administrator with experience in reform programmesiii. Knowledge of world bank funded programmes would be an added advantageDURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENTThe assignment shall last for period of ninety days (90)DELIVERABLESi. Inception report within two (2) weeks from the date of contract signing; an of assignment;ii. Interim report within four (4) weeks after receipt of inception report;iii. Draft final report within the next three (3) weeks;iv. Final report within four (4) weeks from the date of submission of draft report.REPORTING SCHEDULEThe Consultant shall report to the Chairman, State Steering Committee on the project.SELECTION METHODQuality-Cost Based Selection (QCBS)COST ESTIMATE300,000 USD (or less)PAYMENT SCHEDULE(i) 20% of the contract sum upon receipt of an inception report;(ii) 40% upon receipt of draft report and(iii) 40% upon receipt of final reportInterested consulting firms are to submit proposals addressed to:Chairman, State Steering Committee, Public Sector Governance Reform & DevelopmentProject, Ministry of Finance, Gwadangwaji Secretariat,BIRNIN KEBBI. KEBBI STATE.The proposal should reach the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance on orbefore the 30th April 2013.RESERVATIONS, REJECTION OF RESPONSEThe Government of Kebbi State reserves the right to reject any proposal submitted in responseto this advertisement without assigning any reasons thereto.

ALHAJI UMAR F. BAKOPermanent Secretary Finance, for and on behalf of

Chairman,Kebbi State Steering Committee,

Public Sector Governance Reform & Development Project.Birnin Kebbi.

KEBBI STATE PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNANCE REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTIDA FINANCING 4667-NG

STATE STEERING COMMITTEE, MINISTRY OF FINANCEGWADANGWAJI SECRETARIAT

BIRNIN KEBBI

Request For Proposal (Rfp) For A Consultant To Prepare Draft ProcurementRegulations, Training Needs Assessment And Standard Bidding Documents

Background

91st KANO STATEEXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

ENGR. RABI`U MUSA KWANKWASOExecutive Governor, Kano State

On Wednesday 27th March, 2013 (14th Jumada Awwal, 1434 AH), the Kano StateExecutive Council held its 91stSitting under the Chairmanship of Governor Engr.Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE. Fifty-nine (59) memoranda were submitted by ten(10) MDAs for deliberation by Council among which thirty-eight (38) were approvedfor execution with ten (10) of them being on policy issues while twenty-eight (28) havefinancial implications to the aggregate sum of Nine Hundred and Twenty Eight Million,Eighty Four Thousand, One Hundred Seventy Six Naira Ninety Kobo (N928,084,176.90). Thus:1. MINISTRY OF EDUCATIONTwo (2) memoranda were submitted for deliberation by the Council from the Ministryof Education. Both were approved for execution as follows:a) Presentation on Progress Report (November, 2012 to March, 2013) from KanoState Agency for Mass Education:-This administration realizes the significance of investing in human capital through theprovision of education. Investing in human capital is in political-economic sense verymuch the same as investing in nonhuman capital, such as machines, structures, equipmentand other material capital. Just as investment in nonhuman capital is expected to generateefficient and profitable outcome in business circles, so is the huge investment in humancapital expected to augment the capacity of the State labor resources.This clearlyexplained the huge investment being made by the present administration in the educationsector. In addition, to the support given to the formal education sector through theprovision of more classes, equipment and instructional materials, the informal sector isnot left unattended. This brings us to the purpose of this memorandum submitted by theAgency for Mass Education.The Kano State Agency for Mass Education is among the commendably productiveParastatalsof the Ministry of Education known to champion adult education deliveryof desired quality. Contents of this memorandum presented details of the activities/performance of the Agency in the period November, 2012 to March, 2013.Essentially, the Agency for Mass Education has a total of 638 Staff of which 271 arepermanent and pensionable while the majority of 367 are on part-time engagements.The main activities were highlighted in the report to include the following:· Mass Literacy Classes· Conventional Literacy and Vocational Programs.· Monitoring· Public Enlightenment· Mass Literacy CampaignProgress and achievements were presented along with problems and future plans in thereport. The Agency indicated that thousands of prospective students were registeredand admitted while hundreds of classes were established and those in existence wererenovated throughout the lengthand breadth of the State with the support of the LocalGovernment Councils.Briefly, this administration has awarded the renovation anddrilling of boreholes in Albasu, Bagwai, G/Dutse, Fagge, Garko and Gaya, Gwarzo,Kiru, Kwankwaso, Kano City, G/Albasa, Minjibir, Bichi, Dambatta, Gezawa, R/Gado,Rano and Wudil Women Centers worth million of Naira.The Agency expressed its gratitude to the Government for the support andencouragement granted to it at all times. Council assured that more moral and financialsupport would be given to the Agency to tackle the problem of mass literacy in fulfillmentof this administration’s commitment towards educating the citizenry to put an end toignorance. It is in this realization that the administration made available the sum of overN500 million since inception to the Agency to double its efforts in educating those notopportune to attend formal schools. This is beside the more than N100 million expendedin the procurement of vehicles and renovation of the Agency Headquarters and otherCenters to facilitate the admission of students in the 44 Local Government Areas.Council is therefore, calling the attention of the citizenry to join the program for thetremendous benefits they can derive.In fact, the knowledge to be acquired through thisprogram would be beneficial not only to the attendee, but to the State in particular andthe nation in general. Through mass literacy, one is expected to improve his capacity tobe productive to the society, thereby improving the quality of the State’s labor resources.The Agency is directed to facilitate the absorption of the graduatesinto the formal post-primary institutions. The Agency should provide necessary facilities for theiradvancement by assisting them toeither sit for the West African Examination Council(WAEC) or National Examination Council (NECO) examinations, or join somevocational training institutes.This administration has set up machinery to assist Mass Education graduates whoqualify for admission into tertiary institutions in and out of the State to be given anautomatic scholarship.b) Report on Constituency Projects, 2009 under the State Universal Basic EducationBoard (SUBEB):-This administration has inherited numerous abandoned and uncompleted projectsmost of which were awarded at the tails-end of the immediate past administration. Majorroad constructions were awarded, for example, after the release of the 2011 electionresults with a new Government coming in. This kind of action was meant to tie theincoming administration’s hands by committing it to a contractual agreement it wasnot privy to. This is in addition to over N70 billion unpaid bills left by the sameadministration for contracts awarded, workers and pensioners’ benefits. However, withprudence this administration has almost completed the abandoned major road contracts,such as Murtala Muhammed Way by Daula Hotel, Abdullahi Wase Road, Bank Road,Darmanawa- Yan tsaki Road, Independence Road, Mandawari-Aminu Kano Way,Mandawari- Kwanar Goda Way, etc.In fact, in the process of renegotiation with thecontractors a saving of over N700 million was made from the initial contract sum agreedupon by the past administration. However, it was not on road construction alone thatthis Government met abandoned projects. Even in the education sector, numerousprojects were left unattended by the immediate past administration in spite of the factthat the leading figures of the regime werebeing seen as educationists.The State Universal Basic Education Board(SUBEB)submitted a memorandum to theCouncil in response to its directivesto verify Constituency projects approved forexecution in 2009 under the Board.Reportedly, SUBEB Officials visited/inspected all the 24 Constituency projects contractsites in six (6) LGCAs comprising Gwarzo, Gezawa, Fagge, Municipal, Tarauni andBunkure. Specifically, the visits revealed that:· Twenty (20) projects were satisfactorily completed to 100% level but were not settledby the immediate past administration.· Three (3) projects are still uncompleted (abandoned at various stages).· Work did not commence at one (1) project site though changed from the original.· Only 30% mobilization fee was paid to respective contractors.· The twenty (20) Contractors that completed their work are still owed 70% balancepayment to the tune of N52, 353,394.17.As such, SUBEB requested Council to approve the release of the sum of N52, 353,394.17to enable settlement of outstanding payments to twenty (20) Contractors that haverespectively completed their work.Approval was granted by Council for the release of the requested sum of N52, 353,394.17to enable payment of 70% balance for Constituency projects (2009) under SUBEBexecuted by twenty (20) Contractors while directing the remaining Contractors to goback to site within the next two weeks.2. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE STATE GOVERNMENTOffice of the Secretary to the State Government submitted thirty two (32) memoranda fordeliberation by the Council on behalf of some MDAs. Twenty-two (22) of them wereapproved for execution as follows:a) Presentation of the Status of Amana Taxi Empowerment Scheme as at February,2013:-Contents of this memorandum reminded Council of the establishment of the Amana TaxiEmpowerment Scheme in June, 2012 with the aims of alleviating poverty and providingefficient and convenient means of carriage/movement of people within the Metropolis.Part of the requirement was to acquire and organize a fleet of vehicles to float the Scheme,which was done as follows:S/N Make of Vehicle Number Sourcei. Golf, Vectra and Buses 766 Purchased directly by Governmentii. Opel Vectra 526 Allocated by the Ministry of Works,

Housing and Transportiii. Buses 155 Allocated by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportiv. Cars and Buses 731 Collected and allocated

www.kn.gov.ng/new/

v. Taxis (Painted) 35 Not allocated

The whole essence is to squarely address the problems of commuting in the State andcreate employment / jobs for the teeming citizenry by leasing out these vehicles toKanoStateindigenous youths who are required to repay within a period of two (2) yearsthrough two recommended selected banks, which include FCMB and GT Banksrespectively.Council was presented with eight (8) salient issues on the Scheme for consideration asfollows:· That the Scheme took off with 1,500vehicles comprising 1,000 Volkswagen (Golf) and500 Toyota Hiace Buses.· That the total number of vehicles leased out to KanoStateindigenous beneficiaries isestimated at 776.· That the Unit Cost per Taxi to the Scheme is N750, 000.00 while that of a Hiace Bus isN1,420,000.00.· That the beneficiaries hardly keep to the obligation of making the usual weekly payments/deposits ofN8, 000.00 and N16, 000.00 respectively.· That the total recovery made since inception of the Scheme in June, 2012 as submittedby the two (2) banks (FCMB and GTB) were put at the total sum of N15,942,000.00 only.· That at the rate the recovery efforts are carried out without the effective supervision andcontrol of an established structure/authority it will be difficult for the Scheme to sustainitself.· That an established structure/authority should be put in place to monitor the recoveryefforts as well as ascertain the exact number of vehicles converted to personal use andproffer appropriate measures/actions to be instituted to bring to book those found wanting.· That the structure to be put in place should devise an effective means of regulating theoperations of the Scheme in line with standard procedure. Emphasis must be placed on therecovery of those vehicles diverted as well as obtaining Insurance Cover for all the vehiclesin the fleet.So, Council was solicited to approve the following;i. Establishment of a Structure/authority that would organize the operations of the Schemealong Standard procedures.ii. Additional banks with a network of branches spread all over the 44 LGCAs shouldbe involved so as to ease the burden encountered in making deposits/repayments.iii. Establishment of a Technical Committee with membership drawn from the Ministry ofWorks, Housing and Transport to proffer modalities for better management of the Scheme. Council appreciated the presentation.b) Request for funds to facilitate effective regulation of the activities of TraditionalMedicine Practitioners in the State:-The Ministry of Health submitted a request for the release of the sum of N3, 017,120.00to undertake a Statewide Registration Exercise of Traditional Medicine Practitioners.Credence for the request emanate from the need to identify this category of Health providersput at the estimated figure of over 20,000. Advantages abound in executing the registrationexercise, which include the following among others:i. The exercise provides forum of communication and sharing of knowledge and ideas inthe field of medicine generally.ii. Government’s understanding of the extent of patronage enjoyed by the TraditionalMedicine Institution.iii. The exercise opens up an additional source of revenue to the State through taxation puton the activities of the Traditional Medicine Practitioners.The request was endorsed and recommended for positive response by Council so as toeffectively regulate the activities of Traditional Medicine Practitioners as was done togeneral practitioners in general orthodox medicine/drug handler.Council considered and approved the release of the requested sum of N3,017,120.00 tothe Ministry of Health to undertake the registration of Traditional Medicine Practitionersexercise.c) Submission of the list of admitted Kano State indigenous Students into the NorthwestUniversity, Kano Seeking for Government Scholarship/Sponsorship to Enable themRegister for Various Academic Programs:-Authorities at the NorthwestUniversity, Kano submitted the list of admitted Kano StateIndigenous Students into the Institution seeking for a Government Scholarship /Sponsorship to enable them to register for various Academic Programs. The ChairmanImplementation Committee of the NorthwestUniversity, Kano, endorsed the list.Contents of this memorandum reminded Council of the policy pronouncement of the sumof N75, 000.00 as the approved School/registration fee for NorthwestUniversity, Kano.People complained due to their financial status and difficulty in affording the approvedsum in respect of their wards. Typical of the present administration under the Leadershipof Governor Engr.Rabi’u Kwankwaso, FNSE, Government declared its willingness toassist Students/Parents adjudged by objective criteria to be genuinely in a situation ofinability. As such, the Implementation Committee of the University defined criteria forcollating information on/from the affected segment of the society with a view to facilitatingfurther scrutiny and verification by the Government.Accordingly, a public announcement was aired and the affected Students were invited fordocumentation between Monday 4th-Friday 8th March, 2013 using the defined criteriainwhich the Candidates’ Primary and Secondary Schools Certificates were screened and allrelevant information gathered.Among the total number of 178 that turned up for the screening exercise, 158 satisfied thefirst stage of the screening which was only based on nature of Primary and SecondarySchools attended. The second stage requires verification of the candidates’ respectivefamily income/background for which the Implementation Committee of theNorthwestUniversity, Kano requested for assistance/scholarship to the 158 Studentsthat satisfied the first stage of the screening (as presented) upon further verification bytheir respective LGCAs of Origin.Council noted, considered and directed the Ministries for Special Duties and HigherEducation (Scholarship Board) to interview the applicants.d) Request for funds to facilitate the purchase and allocation of two (2) Toyota HiluxDouble Cabin Pick-Up for the Office of the Auditor General for the LocalGovernments:-The requested sum of N13, 900,000.00 was approved for release by Council to the Office

of the Secretary to the State Government to enablethe purchase and allocation of two(2) Toyota Hilux Double Cabin Pick-up to the Office of the Auditor General for theLocal Governments.The request was considered in line with the mandate conferred by relevant regulationson the Office of the Auditor General. More so now, as Council was intimated of needfor means of transportation by the said Office so as to ease movement in conducting theannual review of financial transactions of the 44 Local Government Councils/LocalEducation Authorities as well as the validation of accounts submitted by the LocalGovernment Councils.e) Request for funds to enable the conduct of Quality Assurance Step-DownTraining and Carry out External Evaluation of Basic Education Schools in theState:-The State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) submitted a request for therelease of the aggregate sum ofN40, 040,550.00by Council to enable the conductingof Quality Assurance Step-Down Training and carry out External Evaluation of allBasic Education Schools in the State.The decision by the Board to carry out the proposed endeavor resulted from the needto actualize resolutions of the 54thNational Council on Education (NEC) meetingheld at KatsinaState in 2007. Recommendation and approval for change was profferedfrom the old system of inspection to a new one called “Quality Assurance”.So, the Board proposed to conduct the Quality Assurance Step-Down Training for7,248 Staff covering all the State and Zonal Inspectors, all supervisors across the 44Local Government Education Authorities as well as Head Teachers of Basic EducationSchools in the State. The sum of N28, 771,550.00was estimated/projected to cover theCost for the purpose.On the other hand, after the training exercise, all the State and Zonal Inspectors (ExternalEvaluation) will carry out external evaluation visitations to all Basic EducationSchools in the entire State. This exercise was estimated/projected to require financialcommitment to the tune of N11, 269,000.00.Approval was granted for the release of the sum of N28, 771,550.00to enable theconducting of Quality Assurance Training by SUBEB as the project is in line withthe policy of the present administration to ensure good and effective Service deliveryespecially in the Education Sector.f) Presentation of the need to convene a Development Donor Conference inKanoState:-The Honorable Commissioner for Planning and Budget advised Government, throughthe contents of this memorandum on the need to commence preparation for theDevelopment Donor Conference in KanoState. In fact, since inception thisadministration has an open door policy on the issue of collaborating withGovernmental and Non-Governmental Agencies towards the development of theState.Staging the Conference would open up opportunities for the State to solicit foradditional donor support through the ‘Donor Development Basket’. Thus, Councilapproved the proposal submitted for the staging of Development Donor Conferencefor the State to achieve its development agenda as envisioned under this administration.Council appreciatedthe open support of DFID for its readiness to provide experts toassist in the preparation of the Conference.g) Request for funds to enable the procurement of Uniforms for VIOs and thetraining of 150 newly employed ones:-Contents of this memorandum submitted by the Ministry of Works, Housing andTransport notified Council of the need to provide Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs)with new sets of uniforms after eight (8) years without such good gesture from theprevious administration.Specifically, the State has only 65 serving VIOs but employment of additional 150 wassuccessfully conducted by the Civil Service Commission as mandated by ExecutiveExtract NO. SSCA/CA/EX/4/1/568 for the enhancement of safety on our roads andmeet the challenges of the present-day traffic situation.The Ministry requested Council to approve the release of the sum of N4, 957,000.00to enable the provision of two (2) new Sets of Uniforms to 215 VIOs (65 old + 150 new)and facilitate the training/induction of the newly employed into the service. Theexpenditure was segmented as follows:· Uniforms (2 sets) for 215 Officers N3, 827,000.00· Training of150 Officers N1, 130,000.00· Total N4, 957,000.00Council noted, considered and approved the release of the sum of N4,957,000.00 tothe Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to facilitate the stated purposes.h) Request for funds to facilitate Turn-Around-Maintenance of 15/18 TonsBlenders at KASCO Fertilizer Blending Plant Complex, Dakata:- The KASCO Blending Plants at Dakata require turnaround maintenance for whichthe sum of N4, 491,900.00 was requested for release by Council to the Ministry ofWorks, Housing and Transport to undertake.Such blending plants are the productionfacilities used in the blending of fertilizer continuously distributedto farmers foragricultural production.Council noted, considered and approved the release of the sum of N4,491,900.00 tothe Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to enable the conduct of the turnaroundmaintenance.i) Request for funds to facilitate payment of furniture allowance to 78 Magistratesof the State:-Office of the Secretary to the State Government submitted the endorsed request from theHon. Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice, through the contents of thismemorandum, that sought for approval by Council for the release of the sum of N9,750,000.00 to enable the payment of furniture allowances to 78 Magistrates of theState as was recently done to their counterparts (Shari’a Court Judges).This gestureis repeated every four years to this category of Staff.Council approved the release of therequested sum of N9,750,000.00 to the Ministry of Justice to enable the payment of afurniture allowance to theMagistrates.j) Request for funds to enable the repairs of TukuntawaEntranceBridge:- The State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport tabled to Council a letter receivedfrom the Tukuntawa Focus Association of Sharada Ward in Kano Municipal LGCArequesting for Government assistance/intervention in repairing theTukuntawaEntranceBridge.Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport reported having dispatched a team ofEngineers to assess the affected bridge/area with a view to proffering a proposal for therepair works. The team reported that, the hydraulic structure was not a bridge butrather a “block work drain” that crossed the road covered with reinforced concreteacross slabs provided to enable access. The slabfailed and a metal plate was providedas temporary measure perhaps by the communitiesto enable crossing/passage.The Engineers recommended the removal of the affected section of the drain that crossesthe road and replaced it with a single cell ring culvert, repairs of the existing earth roadfrom the main road (Gidan Zoo to Sharada) and reconstructing the block side drainalong the road. A provisional BEME on the scope of works was prepared to the tuneof N4, 430,463.29.Council approved the execution of the project at the sum ofN4,280,037.30.k) Request for funds to enable the continuation ofthe publicity, sensitization andmobilization activities for the 1st Quarter of the Year 2013:- Office of the Secretary to the State Government submitted a request, on behalf of theOffice of the Special Adviser Community Reorientation Council (CRC), through thecontents of this memorandum, for the release of the sum of N10,613,437.80 to enablethe continuation ofthe publicity, sensitization and mobilization activities of the CRCfor the first quarter of the 2013. The programs/activities are planned/proposed to beaired on Radio Kano, ARTV, Radio Freedom, Pyramid and Rahama Radio Stations aswell as Arewa Studio, Al-Sadeq Productions and A4 Communications Ltd.The request was considered relevant and Council approved the release sum of N10,613,437.80 to the Office of the Special Adviser CRC to enable the continuation of thesensitization program (CRC).l) Request for funds for the Justice Sector Reform (Code 32000 Justice SectorReform):-Office of the Attorney Government/Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Justice submitteda request for the release of the sum of N15, 000,000.00 to facilitate the activities ofJustice Sector Reform Team. The team was constituted as a forum where Justice Sectorissues are jointly discussed by representatives of Justice Sector related Institutions.

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The forum identifies challenges that impede administration of Justice, consider andproffer solutions thereto. Activities of the Justice Sector Reform team are supported byDFID.Essentially, seven (7) strategic objectives have been identified by the team in its actionplan for which the requestedN15, 000,000.00 will be utilized. Details were presentedto Council which substantiated credibility of the request.So, approval was granted for the release of the requested sum of N15, 000,000.00 to theMinistry of Justice to enable the Justice Sector Reform Team conduct their activities.m) Presentation of third (3rd) Progress Report by the Committee on HouseNumbering/Street Naming:-The Committee on House Numbering/Street Numbering politely reminded Council ofits approval for the release of the sum of N356, 874,563.34 to the eight (8) metropolitanLGCAs to cater for the printing of data forms, folders, embossed plate numbers forhouses and street name stand, etc. for the second phase of the entire exercise. Only 1/3 of the approved sum of money was released, which warranted printing of only 1/3 ofthe total forms and folders needed.The Committee presented highlights of its activities, via the contents of thismemorandum, indicating its constraints and challenges especially on finance for whichit solicited for approval of the release of the aggregate sum of N319, 028,097.14 toenable the continuation of the house numbering/street naming at the eight (8)metropolitan LGCAs.Council noted and considered the presentation and approved the release of the requestedsum of N319, 510,083.00 to the eight (8) metropolitan LGCAs to enable the housenumbering/street naming Committee continue with its activities.n) Appointment of Key Management Officials for the recently established KanoRoads Maintenance Agency (KARMA):-Kano Roads Maintenance Agency (KARMA) has been established by the presentadministration under the Leadership of the second incumbency of Governor Engr.Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE with the aim of proper coordination of roadmaintenance in the State. What remains is the appointment of key management officials.Four (4) positions were recommended by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport,which include the posts of the Managing Director, Director Operation, Director Researchand Planning and Secretary/Legal Adviser.Council approved the appointment of the following seasoned and accomplishedpersonalities on merit to assume the recommended managerial positions. Thus;· Managing Director – Engr. Abubakar Muhammad Jibrin· Director Operations – Engr. Idris Wada Saleh· Director Research and Planning – Engr. Yahaya Yussuf· Secretary/Legal Adviser – Ma’aruf Mohammed Yakasaio) Request for funds to enable the procurement of working materials to evacuatedebris dumped which blocked major drainage/walkways along Kofar Nassarawato Kasuwar Rimi Road:-The Senior Special Assistant on Drainage/Chairman Drainage Committee submitteda request, through contents of this memorandum for the release of funds or workingmaterials for the committee to perform its function. This is in order to enable evacuation/clearing of debris dumped on drainages/water ways leading to blockages along KofarNassarawa to Kasuwar Rimi Road in Kano Municipal LGCA. Genesis of the requestwas in response to a series of complaints received by the Committee on the issue.Council approved the requested sum of N595, 800.00 to cater for provision of workingmaterials (N197, 000.00), Food/other items (N118, 800.00), Labor (N280, 000.00).

3. MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATIONTwo (2) memoranda were submitted for deliberation by the Council from the Ministryof Higher Education. Both of them were approved for execution as follows:a) Report of the payment of Students Allowances for 2009/2010 and 2010/2011Academic Sessions:-The Honorable Commissioner for Higher Education submitted the report of paymentof Students’ Scholarship allowances for 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 Academic Sessionsto Students studying in various Higher Institutions in the Country.Council was reminded, by the contents of this memorandum, of its approval granted forthe release of the sum of N397, 398,760.00to enable the payment of Scholarshipallowances by the State Scholarship Board. The payment exercise was successfullyconducted by the Executive Committee set up for the purpose.During the payment the sum of N1, 499,800.00 was returned as unclaimed from thetotal sum released for the settlement of the allowances. Nevertheless, a shortfall of N5,619,604.00 arose due to the inadvertent omission of some students by the Board. TheBoard utilized other sources to settle the allowances of those omitted and applied forrefund from the Government. Council approved the following:i. The return of N1, 499,800.00 to the Government Treasury by the State ScholarshipBoard.ii. Release of the sum of N5, 619,604.00 to refund the sum utilized to settle the allowancesof those omitted.b) Request for funds to enable the conduct of the 3rd Convocation Ceremony ofKanoUniversity of Science and Technology, (KUST), Wudil:-This memorandum informed Council on the need for the release of N25 million for theupcoming third convocation of the Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil.This institution was established under the guidance of the informed foresight ofGovernor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE during his first tenure.The request was considered credible by Council, which did not flinch in grantingapproval for the release of the sum of N25, 000,000.00 to the Ministry of Higher Educationto enable the authorities at KUST, Wudil conduct the 3rdConvocation Ceremony of theUniversity on Friday 19ththrough to Saturday 20th April, 2013.

4. MINISTRY OF WORKS, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTThis Ministry submitted eight (8) memoranda for deliberation by the Council. Five (5)of them were approved for execution as follows:a) Request for funds to facilitate the continuation of Demountable AluminumPartitioning at the 6th Floor, Relocation of Libraries and General Readjustmentsat the Temporary Site (Gidan Ado Bayero) of Northwest University, Kano:-Establishment of the NorthwestUniversity, Kano is a foregone issue with the admissionof 1000 students and the beginning of academic courses. What obtains now is to makethe endeavor work. So, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport reminded Council,through contents of this memorandum, of what informed the award of the Contract onthe ongoing Aluminum Partition works at the temporary site of theNorthwestUniversity, Kano. Other works became necessary/essential which calls foradditional partitioning of the 6thfloor, relocation of Electronic and ConventionalLibraries as well as general adjustments of all floors for suitable conversion into facultiesand signage within the building.The Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport evaluated and assessed the extent ofworks required and prepared Bill of Quantities to the tune of N58, 423,155.00,whichwas requested for release by Council to enable the execution of the stated requiredadditional works at the temporary site (Gidan Ado Bayero) of NorthwestUniversity,Kano.Approval was granted by the Council as requested for the release of the sum of N58,423,155.00 to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to enable execution ofthe purposes mentioned above.b) Request for the continuation of enforcing banon illegal Motor Parks/Streetcongestion and removal of barriers Along Gateways into Kano:-The Honorable Commissioner Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport informedCouncil of the significant success achieved during the most recent six months (October,2012 to March, 2013) period of implementation of the Government initiative on theban of illegal motor parks, street decongestion and removal of illegal barriers/speedbreakers that cause accidents along the gate ways into Kano. This was in order to easeand sustain undisturbed flow of traffic. The effort faces the problems of resistance fromroadside hawkers/traders, springing up of new structures and attacks by hoodlums,etc.Nevertheless, five (5) strategies were employed in executing activities that ensured thehigh level of success recorded as presented to Council. Continuation of the exercise istherefore recommended but with an increase in the number of personnel/officers ofwhich only 250 were used before. Increasing the number of Officers/personnel to 300will serve the purpose better and ensure higher level of success. Formerly, Officers/personnel from KAROTA, MOPOL, FRCN and Vigilante were used but supplementingthe number of the workforce with Officers from the Joint Task Force will serve thepurpose better. The entire exercise was recommended for extension for another threemonths (April-June, 2013). The financial projection of the exercise involving 300Officers/personnel will be N12, 245,880.00.Approval was granted by Council for the release of the sum of N12, 245,880.00 toenable the continuation of the exercise to ease traffic congestion, obedience to trafficrules and banning of illegal motor parks.c) Request for funds to sensitize the public on the duties and activities of Kano roadTraffic Agency (KAROTA) through the Media:-“Awareness is the mother of Caution”, as the saying goes. And, contents of thismemorandum maintain that KAROTA was established with the multi-focused aim ofreviewing, enforcing and accessing dynamic vehicular and otherwise trafficmanagement and control strategies to improve the free flow of traffic, improve drivingconditions and enforce rules and regulations on all road networks across the State.Essentially, the public need to be aware of the fact that the establishment of KAROTA

by the present administration under the 2ndincumbency of Governor Engr. Rabi’u MusaKwankwaso, FNSE, is for their own good.So, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport intends to vehemently publicizeeverything about KAROTA through radio programs and jingles at the cost of N5,369,652.00, which was approved.d) Presentation on the registration and regulation of Tricycle Operation in Kano andrequest for funds to facilitate for logistics in the implementation of the proposal:-Identifying, harnessing, accessing and strategizing for legal and orthodox ways/meansof tapping all categories and sources of revenue are among the cardinal resolutions of thepresent administration under the 2ndtenure of the astute Leadership of Governor Engr.Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE. The whole aim is to generate and accumulate therequired revenue for use in the general development and transformation process envisagedfor the State.Many such sources of revenue have already been identified, harnessed and are beingtapped internationally, nationally and locally while the generated/accrued revenue isvividly and continuously utilized in the execution of development projects in varioussectors. Accessed international sources of fund/revenue include Donor Countries/Organizations and Development Partners such as USAID, EU etc. while a reliable nationalexample of sources of revenue to the State is the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programunder the Office of the Senior Special Assistant OSSAP-MDGs to the President. Still,funds from the National coffers as determined by the National revenue sharing formularemain the main fuel that energizes the phase of development process in most States ofNigeria. This administration says no.Local or Internal sources of revenue have to beharnessed and tapped.As such, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport presented to Council that theissue of registration and regulation of Commercial Tricycles operation in the State shouldbe extended as to include revenue collection. So far, the Committee on the issue reportedhaving registered a total number 183,220 owners/operators of twoand three wheeler(Machines) across the State and generated the sum of N18, 322,000.00 as revenue from theexercise.Meanwhile, the Committee reported the commencement of side numbering of Tricycles foreasy identification and issuance of identification cards (ID) to the operators at the cost ofN700.00 per tricycle across nine (9) LGCAs comprising the eight (8) metropolitan LGCAsand Dawakin Kudu LGCA.Categorically, the Honorable Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport declaredto Council that Commercial operation of Tricycles is a lucrative taxable venture in whichabout 6,000 estimated units of Tricycles are in operation. Most of the operators areresponsible indigenous citizens of KanoState capable of contributing to the developmentand positive transformation of the State through prompt and regular payment of any formof tax or levy placed on them. And,this would dignify and upgrade the status of theoperators in the society. Government may decide to use the services of a reputableConsultant in designing and collecting the tax/levy.Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requested sum of N1, 800,000.00to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to enable the purchase of paints, paymentofLabor Charges, etc.e) Distribution of retrieved furniture items from Abuja and Kano to some EducationalInstitutions of the State:-The Honorable Commissioner Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport politely notifiedCouncil, through the contents of this memorandum that, in the course of executing somerenovation works currently in progress within and outside the State some items removedwere found to be in useable condition for utilization by some Government Organizationsin the State.The Entrepreneurship Institute, Horticulture Institute, Fisheries Institute, DrivingInstitute and Livestock Institute benefitted from the furniture removed from the DeputyGovernor’s Lodge at Mississipi Street Maitama District, Abuja, Government Blocks offlats at Gwarimpa, Abuja, and Africa House (Government House),Kano.A Committee Co-opted by the Hon. Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transportjudiciously/unanimously allocated all the removed Office and Home furniture items toeither the identified Institutes or the Headquarters of the Ministry of Works, Housing andTransport. Details on the removed/allocated items were presented for Council’sConsideration, approval and endorsement.Council appreciatively noted, considered and endorsed the presentation as approvedbut directed for the presentation of the final report from the Ministry.

5. MINISTRY OF RURAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTPresentation of Report on the Rehabilitation of Vandalized Electricity Networks (PhaseI) and Notification of Retirement of Unused Funds:-Contents of this memorandum, from the Office of the Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Ruraland Community Development, reminded Council of its approval granted via ExecutiveExtract NO. SSCA/CA/EX/18/1/54 dated 19th December, 2012 for the release of the sumof N70, 000,000.00 instead of the requested N146, 000,000.00 to the Rural ElectricityBoard for the rehabilitation of twenty five (25) shortlisted projects at 14 LGCAs.Reportedly, the Rural Electricity Board prudently utilized the released N70, 000,000.00to provide ITC maintenance to well over twenty five (25) communities across nine (9)LGCAs. A situation report on the affected areas pre and post the rehabilitation exercisewas presented to Council on Video Compact Disc that showcases the pictorial situations.Notably, the project was executed on the direct labor mode by which 100% completionwas achieved with a Cash Saving of N3,201,441.98.The presentation was acknowledged appreciatively by Council, which directed retirement/remitting of the Cash Savings of N3, 201,441.98 to the Government treasury through theOffice of the Accountant General. However, due to series of requests by some Communitiesdemanding for rehabilitation of other vandalized electricity networks in their midst,Council directed the Rural Electricity Board to prepare and submit second phase of 2013vandalized electricity networks for rehabilitation for consideration in order to consolidateGovernment’s strive towards restoring electricity supply to areas with problems in theState.

6. MINISTRY OF HEALTHThe Ministry of Health submitted two (2) memoranda for consideration by Council. Bothof them were approved for execution as follows:a) Request for the release of KanoState Counterpart Funds for the Kano-Gates-Dangote Routine Immunization Strengthening Program:-The Hon. Commissioner for Health reminded Council, through contents of this memorandumthat, Kano State Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) withGates and Dangote Foundations for the Strengthening of Routine Immunization Servicesin KanoState. This was based on expressed commitment of Governor Engr. Rabi’u MusaKwankwaso, FNSE to improve lives of the citizenry especially children and women. Thegiant stride taken was in order to address challenges facing Routine ImmunizationandPrimary Healthcare (PHC) Services, which include issues related to Leadership andGovernance, financing and its oversight, Capital Investment/Maintenance, Supply Chain,human resource capacity/management and monitoring/evaluation.So, the trio (Kano State Government, Dangote and Gates Foundations) signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MOU) Implementation of which, so far, entails theUndertaking of preliminary activities, which include among others:· Development of Routine Immunization Operational Plan.· Setting up of Program Implementation Unit (PIU).· Opening of Basket Fund Account under the State Primary Health Care ManagementBoard (SPHCMB).· Transfer of Services and Primary Health Care Personnel to the SPHCMB.Details were presented for Council’s Consideration/Perusal. Accordingly, the parties tothe MOU will contribute funding annually from 2013 to 2015 to the SPHCMB BasketFund for Immunization based on the agreed formula in the MOU as follows:Partner Year (2013) Year (2014) Year (2015) Year (2016)KanoState 30% —— 50% 65% 100%Dangote 35% PIU and 25% 17.5% ———foundationBill and 35% Technical Support 25% 17.5% ———-MelindaGatesFoundation Essentially, the total amount of money budgeted for the year 2013 tag-named “RI” workplan is N457, 647,808.00 for which each party will contribute the following:· Kano State 30% = N137, 294,342.40· Dangote Foundation 35% = N160, 176,732.80· Gates foundation 35% =N160, 176,732.80Total = N457, 647,808.00Importantly, provision of the MOU stipulates that release of the contributory funds by theGates and Dangote Foundations is contingent upon the State’s contribution being inplace in the Basket Funds Account. As such, the Ministry of Health requested for approvalby the Council for the release of the sum of N137, 294,342.40 as the State’s/44LGCAsCounterpart Funding Contribution to the Routine Immunization Services based on thesharing formula contained in the MOU signed by the State Government and the twoFoundations involved.Council approved as requested for the release of the sum of N137, 294,342.40 into theSPHCMB Basket Fund Account in satisfaction of the signed provisions of the referredMOU.b) Request for funds to facilitate the installation of Mortuary Chilling Units (Body

PAGE 9PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Cooler) at MurtalaMuhammadSpecialistHospital:-Council was abundantly informed, by the contents of this memorandum, of the existingpathetic situation of the Mortuary at the premierMurtalaMuhammadSpecialistHospital. The Ministry of Health confided to Councilthat the existing Mortuary Chilling Units (Body Coolers) at the Mortuary of MurtalaMuhammad Specialist Hospital were replaced more than eight (8) years ago duringthe first tenure of Governor Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE to a capacity of36 bodies at a time. These Chilling Units are presently obsolete and tend to defy allattempts at repairs which seriously affect smooth conduct of effective Mortuary Servicesat the premier Hospital. The situation has reached the unfortunate stage of rejectingstorage of any dead bodies due to inadequate space to accommodate as well as toavoid the outbreak of diseases that could result to epidemics spreading to neighboringCommunities.As such, the Honorable Commissioner Ministry of Health proposed to the Councilfor the urgent replacement of the existing Chilling Units (Body Coolers) with five (5)Mortuary Cold Room (6-bodies drawers) (2480 x 2040 x 2260) and five (5)Semihemetric Refrigeration system to avert further deterioration of the situation. Itwill cost the State the sum of N95, 665,179.38.Approval was granted by Council as requested for the release of the sum ofN95,665,179.38 to the Ministry of Health to expedite action in the execution of thereferred purpose so as to forestall any unforeseen developments at theMurtalaMuhammadSpecialistHospital and its surroundings.

7. MINISTRY OF LAND AND PHYSICAL PLANNINGThis Ministry submitted three (3) memoranda for deliberation by the Council. All ofthem were approved for execution as follows;a) Request for funds to facilitate the resettlement of people affected by the locatingof the School of Information Technology, Kura:-Contents of this memorandum submitted details on the issue mentioned above forCouncil’s consideration. The crux of the whole matter is that the newly establishedSchool of Information Technology permanent site will be established on land ownedby the Kura Local Government and some private individuals who must be relocatedand compensated. This led to the proposal for the engagement of a Consultant toexecute the project. Others properties affected include the defunct SDP Secretariatand its surroundings composing of residential/commercial layout, some structuresincluding two (2) rural housing units built by Kano State Housing Corporation(KSHC).Essentially, KSHC was directed to relocate its housing units elsewhere, the LocalGovernment was also directed to relocate its layout while other structures wereassessed and accordingly paid for by the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning.The Ministry of Land and Physical Planning requested Council for the permissionto outsource the service from a competent and suitable Consultant of which SuleimanSurvey and Company was presented as most qualified. The sum of N21, 698,250.00was the negotiated sum of money asked by the Company to plan and design the newlayouts for plots to be given as compensation to those whose properties were affected.As such, the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning requested for the release of thesum of N21, 698,250.00 by Council to enable the execution of the resettlement ofpeople affected by the location of the School of Information Technology at its presentsite.Approval was granted as requested due to the credibility of the request.b) Request for funds to enable the payment of compensation for Site (Land/Economic Trees) acquired for the construction of Bus Terminus by SHAANXIAUTO LOGISTICS and SOLUTIONS LTD:-Council was politely reminded of its decision contained in Executive Extract NO.SSCA/CA/EX/4/1/326 of 2nd May, 2012 for the quick Win-Bus-Mass Transit (BMT)intervention at some selected corridors in Kano Metropolis by SHAANXI AUTOLOGISTICS and SOLUTIONS LTD. Approval was granted for the allocation of two(2) plots/pieces of land along the proposed corridors for the construction of their BusTermini.The Ministry of Land and Physical Planning has assessed an average of 5 hectares atKwanar Dawakin Kudu and Jido respectively whose compensations are valued atN10, 986,250.00.Approval was granted by Council as requested for the release of the sum of N10,986,250.00 to the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to enable the payment ofthe stated compensation so as to ensure commencement of the Win-Bus-Mass Transit(BMT) project/program.c) Request for funds to enable the payment of compensation for Air force-BasePerimeter Wall Fence on Ashton Road:-KNUPDA submitted to Council, as endorsed by the Honorable Commissioner forLand and Physical Planning that, the perimeter wall fence at the Airforce base needto be relocated in order to allow for smooth construction/dual carriage way of AirportRoad through Air force base Clinic to Ashton Road. This project is among thoseinitiated by the present administration under the second incumbency of GovernorEngr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE. Details were presented of the extent of workrequired in relocating the perimeter wall fence submitted for Council’s consideration.Council was requested to approve the release of the sum of N9, 276,794.65 to facilitaterelocating the perimeter wall fence at Air force base Ashton Road.Approval was granted by Council, due to the relevance of the request, for the releaseof the sum of N9, 276,794.65 to Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to enableKNUPDA execute the project of relocating the perimeter wall fence at Air force baseby Ashton Road to enable smooth execution of the Construction/Dual carriage wayof Airport Road through Air force base Clinic to Ashton Road.d) List of identified routes banned for the use of trucks/long vehiclesCouncil deliberated on the need to control and curtail the unnecessary plying ofmetropolitan routes by tracks and long vehicles. These heavy-duty vehicles areleading to the destruction of these roads, congestionand are hazardous to the localpopulation when parked within residential areas. Council noted with displeasurethe behavior of some of these drivers of driving and parking their heavy-duty vehicles,such as tankers and trailers into residential areas. Council approved an additional(inadditional to the ones earlier approved for years) ten routes banned for the use ofheavy-duty vehicles, viz:a) Ahmadu Bello Road (b) Audu Bako Way (c) Abdullahi Bayero Road(d) Lawan Dambazau Road (e) Bawo Road (f) Sharada- Gidan Buhari (g) Sheka AciLafia (h) Gandun Albasa (i) Tukuntawa Sherada (j) Gidan Buhari- KERD Road-Kundila Estate Roads

8. MINISTRY OF STATE AFFAIRSThe Hon. Commissioner for State Affairs/Chairman Committee on Compensationrespectfully reminded Council of its directive to the Committee on Compensation tolook into the issue of payment for compensation submitted by the Ministry of Landand Physical Planning in respect of the acquired site for the extension ofBandirawoCity.Council was informed thatthe Committee on Compensation studied the detailssubmitted and invited involved Staff of the Ministry of Land and Physical Planningfor further explanations. Visitations to the site were undertaken by the Committeewhose findings satisfied and fulfilled requirements/qualification for payment ofcompensation for the site to the tune of the sum of N56, 497,670.00 as authenticatedfor the request submitted by the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning on theissue.So, approval was granted by Council for the release of the authenticated/requestedsum of N56, 497,670.00 to the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to facilitatefor payment of compensation for the site acquired for the extension of BandirawoCity.

UPDATE ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE 91STKANOSTATE EXECUTIVECOUNCIL SITTINGAPPOINTMENT OF TWO PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS TO CHAIRBUSINESS ORGANIZATIONSCouncil acknowledged the election of Alhaji Umar Faruk Rabi’u Dan Silaika as theChairman of the Kano State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agricultureand that of Badaru Abubakar as Chairman of NASIMA. The Sitting congratulates thebeneficiaries and wishes them success in their future endeavors.

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS ON ANY EMERGENCYCouncil endorsed the useful phone numbers submitted by the security agents for easyaccess in case of any emergency on the metropolitan roads. Accordingly, the generalpublic may easily contact KAROTA for breakdown of vehicle(s), traffic congestion,accidents, illegal/wrong parking on–08091626747. Similarly, the State PoliceCommand could be contacted on – 08032419754, 08123821575. In addition, theState Fire Service can also be contacted on – 07051246833, 08191778888.For update on the activities of Kano State Government click to www.kano.gov.ng/new

Signed:Honourable Commissioner, Informatio, Internal Affairs, Youth, Sports &

Culture

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013PAGE 10

The Kaduna branch of theJama'tul Nasril Islam(JNI) met in Kaduna at the

weekend with the Ulama fromacross the 23 local governmentareas of Kaduna state,Journalists Against Polio (JAP)and officials from the FederalMinistry of Health after whichthe stakeholders re-affirmedtheir resolve to intensify for thetotal eradication of the crippling

JNI, Ulama, JAP, others meet over polio virus

Minister of Science andTechnology, Ita Ewa, hasdescribed space

technology as key to achieving theMillennium Development Goals(MDGs) in Africa.

Speaking at the just concluded2013 National Space Dialogueand Media Conference organisedby the National Space Researchand Development Agency(NASRDA) in Abuja, Ewa saidthat the goals were achievable,particularly in countries wheresatellite solutions and productsare effective and efficient.

"I wish to state here that almostevery aspect of human problemscan be tackled with relevantsatellite and sensor platforms andapplications.

"There is need for Nigeria toleverage on the spin-offs of theadvances in space technology forsustainable management of itsresources and wealth creation.

"This vision and resolution forspace technology by Nigeria'sleadership has played afundamental role in supportingand enhancing the know-howtraining and transfer (KHTT)among Nigerian engineers andscientists.''

He added that Nigerianengineers and scientists trainedduring the 14 years of the spaceprogramme in Nigeria arecurrently not ranked among thebest in Africa.

Ewa urged participants at theconference to come up withknowledge that will help thegeneral public to locate and applyavailable spin-offs of spacetechnology for corporate andindividual empowerment.

In his presentation, theNASRDA Director-General, DrSeidu Mohammed, said theagency was committed to the useof satellite applications fornational development.

Seidu said the development ofFlood Plain GeospatialInformation System for Nigeriawas one of the targets of theagency for 2013.

He added that NASRDA andNEMA would also develop FloodVulnerability GeospatialInformation System for Nigeria in2013 using Nigeria Sat-2 satellite.

Seidu identified inadequatefunding as a major challenge inthe implementation of the spaceprogramme in Nigeria andchallenged the private sector toinvest in the space sector of theeconomy, saying NASRDA hadbuilt sufficient capacity to be ableto manage any demand placed onit.

"NASRDA is currentlyinvolved in aggressive marketingof satellite imagery in Africa andother parts of the world.''

"There is the need for theestablishment and maintenanceof a space-based integratednatural and artificial resourceinformation system for rapid andsustainable resource mapping,planning, monitoring andmanagement," he said.

He said it was important forthe agency to meet the needs ofmulti-thematic decision makingfor sustainable countrywideresource inventory.

Minister hingesattainment ofMDGs on spacetechnology

Ulama under the umbrella of Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI) in a group photograph with experts from the Federal Ministry ofHealth, after a meeting on polio, on Saturday at the JNI national headquarters, in Kaduna.

By Agaju Madugba

By Adeola Tukuru

AFLPM reiterates commitment to peace in Africa

The National EmergencyManagement Agency(NEMA) has donated relief

materials to victims of therecent gun attack at Ganye localgovernment area of Adamawastate.

Presenting the items to thebeneficiaries at the weekend,Director Operations in charge ofBauchi, Gombe and Tarabastates, Mr. Apollos Jediel, saidthe gesture was to cushion theeffect of the attack.

He explained that NEMA andthe Adamawa State EmergencyManagement Agency (SEMA )carried out an assessment inorder to determine the kind ofassistance to give the victims.

Some of the items donatedincluded, building materials,food items, mattresses andrubber mats, among others.

The director urged thecouncil to ensure that the itemsreached those meant for.

Receiving the items on behalfof the victims, the Ganye localgovernment council Chairman,Alhaji Muhammed Farouq,thanked NEMA for the donationsnoting that there was acommittee in place for thedistribution of the materials.

Labour leaders have advisedthe Federal Government toemploy competent people intostrategic positions, to enhancethe social and economic growth

of Nigeria.The unionists expressed the

viewpoint in interviews withthe News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Lagos, while reactingto the advice that governmentshould encourage itsprofessionals abroad to returnhome.

NAN recalls that a formerU.S. President, Bill Clinton, hadurged the government toencourage its professionalsabroad to return and develop thecountry.

Mr. Peter Esele, President,Trade Union Congress (TUC),said that professionals should be

encouraged to return and occupystrategic positions in the nation.

"Nigerians are everywhereand in strategic positions but itis sad that we respectmediocrity. We do not put roundpegs in round holes.

"It is a matter of whom youknow and this has affecteddevelopment of the economy."

He advised the governmentto bring back the professionalsand employ them in theirspecialised areas, irrespective oftheir tribe or region.

Mr Philip Agbonkonkon, theGeneral Secretary,Amalgamated Union of Public,

NEMA donates materials to gun attack victims in Taraba

The African First Ladies PeaceMission (AFLPM) has taken itspeace advocacy to Mali, the

West African country where severalinsurgent groups have been fightingthe Malian government.

The AFLPM President is also theFirst Lady of Nigeria, Dame PatienceGoodluck Jonathan, facilitated thedelivery of relief items to he Maliancounterpart, Madame MintouTraore, for onward distribution tovictims of the violent conflict in thatcountry.

The 16 plane load materialswhich include food items, clothing,drugs, beddings and other essentialitems were received at a briefceremony in the Malian capital,

By Ibrahim Kabir Sule Bamako.Dame Patience Jonathan

reiterated her appeal for peacefulmeans of resolving differences andwork more to prevent violence andwar.

She stressed the urgent need tochange the image of wars andviolence given to Africa to that of apeaceful, stable and developingcontinent.

She expressed the commitmentof African first ladies to contribute topeace efforts in the areas of advocacy,capacity building, negotiation,reconciliation, provision of reliefmaterials and involvement in therehabilitation of victims of conflicts.

She was emphatic that Africanwomen will continue to make theirpresence felt in troubled regions of

wild polio virus.Describing polio as threat to

the wellbeing of children, theUlama pledged to return totheir communities and spreadthe message of polioimmunization to the people.

Speaking on behalf of theUlama, the Kaduna branchChairman of JNI, Alhaji ShuibuMakarfi, admonished parentson the need to make theirchildren and wards availablefor administration of oral polio

vaccine.In his presentation an expert

from the Federal Ministry ofHealth, Dr. Nasir Sani Gwarzo,said that Nigeria might be ridof polio soon, if the campaign forparents to accept the vaccine issustained.

According to him, there hasbeen rapid decline in thenumber of fresh cases of thedisease especially withintervention of Muslim leadersand Islamic scholars.

Executive SecretaryKaduna State Primary

Healthcare Agency, Dr.Sufayan Baballe Muawiyya,noted that the state has notrecorded fresh cases of the virussince December 2012

According to him, "this is aclear testimony that Kadunastate is on the right tracktowards eradicating thedisease," he said and urged theUlama to sustain the campaign.

From Umar Dankano,Yola Civil Service, Technical andRecreational Employees(AUCPTRE), also urged thegovernment to encourageprofessionals to return toNigeria and give them theopportunity to help develop thenation.

Agbonkonkon said that theeconomy would remainundeveloped if the countryallowed its competent citizens toremain abroad.

The AUCPTRE official saidthat professionals should be putin their area of specialisationrather than corrupt andunqualified people. (NAN)

Africa to support the victims ofconflicts with relief materials.

Receiving the items, MadameMintou Doucoure Traore expressedthe sincere gratitude and heartfeltappreciation of the people of Mali totheAFLPM for the Mission'smagnanimous gesture andexemplary support to the people ofMali.

She promised equitabledistribution of the items to victims ofthe conflict, especially in Timbuktuand Gao towns.

The delegation from Nigeriaincluded the Minister of State, ForeignAffairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, SpecialAdviser to the President on Gender,Dr. Asmau Abdulkadir, and formerMinister of Women Affairs, Mrs.Becky Igwe.

PAGE 11PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Simple guides on how to avoid running out of money in retirement

Business, more than anyother occupation, is acontinual dealing with thefuture; it is a continualcalculation, an instinctiveexercise in foresight. - Henry R. Luce.

Quote

Here's a checklist of the keystrategies to maintainyour spending power for

as long as you live.The first item is only for

people who are not yet retired,but the rest apply to everyone. Save more before you retire

This is where most people falldown. It seems like every weekthere's a new report about howpeople aren't saving enough. Ifyou're going to have money tospend beyond what you get fromSocial Security (and maybe apension - if you're one of thelucky few who can still expectone), that money will have tocome from your savings.

The two obvious ways to dothis are to either spend less beforeyou retire (thereby freeing upmoney to save) or work longerbefore you retire. I recommendthe former; anyone can spend

less, but a plan to work longercan go awry in many differentways (your job could go away,you could get too sick to do it well,etc.).

Useful as it is, though, "justsave more" is by no means acomplete retirement plan. Acomplete plan lets you start fromwhere you are and make do withwhat you've got. Read on. Spend less after you retire

Spending less before youretire may be even moreimportant, but that was coveredin point #1.

Even though it's not asimportant, spending less afterretirement has the advantage ofbeing very easy - your taxes arelower (because you're earningless), and you're able to be moreefficient about your spending

(because you're not spending athird of your time at work). Find a way to earn money inretirement

When you think about it,retirement is a funny idea. Itused to be that everyone workedas long as they could. When theycouldn't hold up to a full day ofheavy labor, they workedshorter hours and switched tolighter tasks.

With the way work isorganized (at least in the UnitedStates), it's pretty hard to scaleback moderately. You rarelyhave the choice to work half asmany hours for half the money.But you probably don't need toearn anywhere near that muchmoney. Just earning a fewthousand dollars a year willstretch your retirement savings

Many entrepreneursthink that the world istheir customer base.

"We all start with a solution,and we think that if we build thisthing that it's going to be the bestthing since sliced bread," saysAsh. "And often we say, 'I wantto serve everyone, so I'mbuilding a cloud-sharing app, ora photo-sharing app, and anyonethat has large files or anyonewho has lots of photos could be apotential segment.'"

The problem is that whenyou try to speak to every kind ofpotential customer, no one feelslike you understand theirspecific problems.

So which customers shouldyou try to reach?

Get to know your earlyadopters:

Figure out who your earlyadopters will be.

Then, anticipate theirproblems and write them downin your business plan.

"If you can identify withthem, and fulfill your promiseto them, it may not be your fulladdressable market, but it getsyou noticed," says Ash. "If youlook at that pattern, evencompanies likeFacebook…started with a veryspecific customer segment of theearly adopter, which happenedto be a college student, but notjust any college student, but oneon the Harvard campus.They…start with a cleardefinition of who their earlyadopters are, and then they growit from there."

Money Tip:Don't ServeMultipleCustomers

Use your smart phone for better healthThe advancement of

technology has mademany amazing things

possible. People across theglobe can communicate overthe internet without a hitch,allowing news to travel fasterthan it ever has. Smart phonesare a big part of our worldbecoming "smaller." Theyperform numerous tasks, sousers can accomplish a greatdeal with only one device.

Smart phone applicationsare available in many differentcategories, with one of the mostbeneficial being health.

In a number of differentways, these apps strive toimprove our well-being. Hereare some ways that apps canhelp you live a healthier life:Sleep

Getting the right amount ofsleep is vital. The quality of yoursleep also has a huge impact onhow you feel throughout theday. I recently downloaded afree trial of Sleep as Android andhave been pleasantly surprisedby its functionality. It recordsthe amount you sleep, theamount of deep sleep you get(using built-in phonecapabilities), and evennighttime noises. It's beeninteresting to experiment withwhat causes changes in my deep

sleep. My trial has run up, andI'm considering spending somemore money to continue usingit. There are also sleep appsavailable for the iPhone.Food

Tracking what you eat andfinding new things to cook areexcellent ways to stay healthy.There are apps that countcalories and help formulate a

diet that works for you, as wellas apps that help you find theright recipes to fit your diet.

I use an app calledEpicurious on my iPad. It notonly finds good recipes, but willalso display meal options basedon what you have leftover in thefridge. There are many similarapps; be sure to check thereviews, as some are rated

Share your Money Tip: do you have a business/money idea, and you want to share it with our dear readers? Then, send it to: ikabirsule@gmail.com or (text it to 08091904890)

much further than you mightexpect.

You can do that a lot ofdifferent ways, even somethingas small as finding a way to makeyour hobbies pay their way.Wise Bread is full of ideas forearning a little more.Invest for income

Early in your career, youprobably want to invest formaximum growth. But wellbefore you actually plan toretire, you should start shiftingsome of your investments towardincome - because income can bespent without depleting yourcapital.

That isn't the fashion thesedays. The modern wisdom ofretirement planning is to figurethat you can spend some of yourcapital every year, on the theory

that your money only has to lastthe rest of your life, and you'renot going to live forever.

But investing for income,and then holding the line onspending beyond that is muchsafer. Monitor your assets inretirement

Since you can't know thefuture, there's no way to be surethat your portfolio will notachieve any particularinvestment return, nor that itwill support any particularspending level. But you canknow the recent past.

Your portfolio will decline ifthe assets you've invested in godown. It will also decline if you'respending capital faster than it'sgrowing.

If you've got a diversifiedportfolio with a strong incomecomponent, you don't need toworry about day-to-day portfoliofluctuations. But year-to-yearportfolio fluctuations need tohave your attention. Respond to changes

When you see a decline inyour assets (either because yourspending is outstripping yourincome or because the marketshave moved against you), findadditional ways to economize.

This is really the key actionfor avoiding running out ofmoney in retirement - if yourcapital is declining at anunsustainable rate, spends less.

There are a lot of ways tospend less, both on anemergency basis and over thelonger term.

better than others.FitnessWorking out is another great

way to improve overall health.There are many new apps onAndroid and the iPhone thatperform fitness functions.Looking for new yoga poses?Need to find a good tricepsworkout? There's an app thatcan help you. Many apps willuse GPS to map your runs andcan even tell you how manycalories you're burning.

Whether you're a runner,weightlifter, or just someonewho enjoys getting a goodworkout, there are apps to suityour needs. Newer Nike shoeseven have an app for Appleproducts that will sync yourshoes with your device. Thisallows very accurate recordingsof a few different parameters.

Other apps will track weightlifting activity or set up yogaroutines. These can be veryhelpful for beginners andexperts alike.

Use apps to betteryourself

Do some research on thesmart phone apps available toyou. What could you do toimprove your lifestyle? If youwant to improve your sleep,eating habits, or fitness, there'sa plethora of apps available.

PAGE 12 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Jonathan, PDP's deceit strategyThe ultimate measure of a

man, not just a leader, it issaid, is not where he stands

in times of comfort andconvenience, but where he standsin times of crisis. Recently, therehad been a disturbinginconsistency in the statements bythe President and the ruling party,PDP, which creates a credibilitybaggage for it.

President Goodluck Jonathan,on March 19, had announcedcategorically at the NigerianSummit 2013, organised by TheEconomist Conferences in Lagosthat his government wouldcertainly remove fuel subsidyeventually. His argument was thatsubsidy constituted a waste ofresources that should be channeledelsewhere. The presidentialannouncement, expectedly,triggered off spontaneous reactionsacross the land, with organizedlabour all riled up.

The Executive Chairman,Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders(CACOL), Debo Adeniran, advisedthe federal government not to heatup be the polity and did warn ofdire consequences. "We all sawwhat the nation witnessed inJanuary 2012 when the FG firsttook this step. The loss of lives andproperty was enough to teach anyreasonable government a lessonthat Nigerians would resist anyhike in the price of petrolvehemently..." The Nigeria LabourCongress (NLC) and Trade UnionCongress (TUC) also warned the FG

“We know thatOkupe's statementwas an afterthoughtintended to managethe President's gaffe

not to play with fire. Apparentlythinking that the FederalGovernment may remove the subsidytoday, the NLC and the TUC havescheduled a protest for April 10.

The flurry of angrycondemnations forced thepresidency to make a u-turn lastweek. It said the government was notcontemplating any removal of thesubsidy. Presidential spokesman, Dr.Doyin Okupe, in a statement, said

the administration had no plans toremove fuel subsidy becausesufficient allocation for fuel subsidyhas already been made in the 2013budget. "We wish to statecategorically that the removal of oilsubsidy is not on the table of theTransformation Agenda of thePresident…this administration isnot considering the removal of fuelsubsidy in the nearest future andcertainly will not embark on anysuch programme without extensiveconsultations and engagements

across the various segments,interests and stakeholders in theNigerian polity."

This official contradictioncertainly has dealt a huge blow onthe government's own integrity.Who are we to believe, thePresident or his spokesman? Weknow that Okupe's statement wasan afterthought intended tomanage the President's gaffe. Twothings flow from this scenario. It iseither that the president was notproperly advised, or that thequality of advice at his disposalwas suspect. The bottom line,however, is that the reputation ofthe presidency is being destroyedby eating its cake and trying tohave it.

Similarly, the PDP nationalchairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukurand the national women leader,Ambassador Kema Chikwe, had atdifferent times said PresidentJonathan would certainly re-contest his office in 2015.Curiously, Tukur, in what was avolte face, recanted last week,saying the President was undecidedon the matter. Clearly, the bodylanguage of the PDP, the Presidentand party members tells usotherwise - that the President,definitely, will run.

Our stand is that the presidentand his party should not be seen tobe deceiving Nigerians on mattersof life and death such as oilsubsidy. If they are not sure of whatto say in public, they had bettershut up.

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

MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

ALI M. ALI

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION

HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

ACTING EDITOR, DAILY

HAMEED M. BELLO

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND

JAMILA NUHU MUSA

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING

HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU

ADESOJI OYINLOLA

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

industry by putting thepeople first, upholdingthe truth, maintaining

the highestprofessional andethical standards

while delivering valueto our stakeholders”

“To be a reputable,profitable,

innovative andtechnologically

reliant mediacompany offering

world classservices and

products”

OUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISION

DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRUFA’I IBRAHIM

EDITEDITEDITEDITEDITORIALORIALORIALORIALORIAL

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013 PAGE 13

Nigeria is a in shambles.This calls for itsreinvention based on

abandoned values. It is onlythen, that many will lease toworry about her future andpuzzling story.

"Kano, tumbin giwa" is apopular Hausa saying that isused in describing theintimidating existence of ahistoric cosmopolitan city withits commercial vitality. This cityhas a tradition of assimilationwhose vivid impact contributesvastly towards positioning itamong the opportune-fewcommercialized andindustrialized cities in sub-Saharan Africa. History had itthat in the 60s, whencommercial activities were asrare as an oasis in a desert, Kano'seconomy alone is equivalent to2/3 sub-Saharan Africa nation'seconomy combines altogether.What an economical feat!

The fact that this ancient cityhas produced a sizeable numberof likes business- oriented AlikoDangote, the Dantatas, theIshaku Rabius and late NababaBadamasi, just to mention a few,calls for a genuine reflection and

Rice importation: How Customsunderdeveloped Kano

study of the causes and orrational behind its speedyeconomic degradation caused byNigerian Customs Service inKano.

Conjure up an image of what abuoyant economy or rather astrong economic base is suppose tobe vis-vis a state that once tookpride in raising and parading amonumental groundnutpyramid, export-friendly hide andskin, profits churning markets thelikes of ancient Kurmi market,Wambai market, Kanti KwariMarket Dawanau Grain Marketand now Sabon Gari market andthe list goes on and on, but all thisare in high stage of collapsingbecause of illegal activist of men of

the Nigerian Customs Servicefrom the Federal Operations Unit,Kaduna.

In the intelligence circle,"economic sabotage" is asscandalously destructive as it isgraciously important inweakening an enemy state,which I believe the customs sawKano Market as an enemy ofstate by forcing most of pettytraders to increase the price ofRice because Customs arecollecting unofficial duties fromthem.

Just suspend all sentimentsand bias and just study themanner at which NigerianCustoms Service is operating inKano Market and highways,

while they have left our bordersopen to the executive smugglers.This is self-induced economicsabotage by our customs men.

A lot have been said about theNigerian Customs Service, howmost them enrich themselvesthrough illegal ways of collectingand arresting innocent 'YanKasuwan" Kano inhabitants,treating them as smugglerswhen they come to buy rice atKano Market. The customsoperative usually responds thatthe Federal Government hasbanned the importation of rice orthese goods are contraband andit's illegal to them in Kano, whilethey have allowed the samegoods into the Nigerian market

By Jibrin Usaman Bichi

free of charge.This rice that Nigeria

Customs marked as contrabandis local rice processed withinKano, because of the increased ofrice millers in the state, and soldat Singer market, but theywould block our highway untilyou pay certain amount of dutybefore they being allowed to passwith this so-called contraband.Investigations have shown that asmall car loaded with rice has topay N20, 000 before he wouldallow to pass.

With all the illegal activitiesof the Operations Unit of theNigerian Customs Service, theKano market is facing aneconomic downturn. People fromother states are boycotting themarket due to the harassmentthey face from this governmentagency. The popular Singermarket now has only emptystalls as most business peoplehave relocated their to Abuja andLagos. In Kano Custom officersmake them to pay very highlevies on goods they consider to becontraband, by their owndefinition. Under-developingKano is another form of economicsabotage by Nigerian Customs. Iwish the new Comptroller-General would look into this issueand call all his men and officersto order.Jibrin Usaman Bichi isreachable onarewa09@aol.com

Nigeria: Re-writing the BRICSDeep in the hinterlands ofEdo, one of Nigeria'ssprawling metropolis, the

Nigeria customs service layambush for oncoming truckscarrying contraband goodsbrought from the nearby WestAfrican state, Benin republic.

In the fleet of trucksapprehended were hordes offrozen poultry products, bales ofsecond hand clothes, shoes,furniture and used tyres - allestimated at a cost of around $1.5million. The customs service saysit has confiscated thousands ofgoods worth billions within itsthree months of recentcrackdown in the Edo smugglingroute. The service estimates thatNigeria has over 1400 illegaltrade routes which smugglersuse to move goods in and out ofthe country. While there is noclear official figure, someestimates put Nigeria'scontraband trade at over $2billion per year. Combine thatwith $7 billion lost each year tooil theft in the creeks of NigerDelta according to estimates byShell petroleum - and that's notall.

The majority of Nigeria's foodproduction, services, trade andlight goods manufacturing areoperating within the informalsector and are mostlyunaccounted for in the country'sannual GDP calculations. Arecent data by the IMF suggeststhat Nigeria is a country thatthrives on its shadow economywhich is around 68% of its total

GDP. The wrong calculation ofthe country's GDP should notmatter if not that the GDP is atool used to estimate a country'saggregate consumption and it isthe tool used to calculateeconomic performance andgrowth when identifying thestrength of a country and thewelfare of its citizens.

Based on the country'slargely black economy, Nigeria isone that is overlyunderestimated in officialestimates, economic forecasts andstatistics. The country's GDPcalculation is also based on 1990prices meaning that whenrebased sometime in 2013 toreflect current prices; Nigeria'sGDP could see a rise of up to 40%which would mean that it wouldtrail that of South Africa whichstands at around $420 andNigeria when readjusted $390billion. Still, when Nigeria's GDPis rebased, a significant part ofthe informal economy wouldremain largely unaccounted forin the official calculation.

If Nigeria's GDP displacesthat of South Africa whichwould likely be the case by 2016Nigeria could cause a rewrite ofthe BRICS acronym to BRINCS,the club of emerging marketsconsisting of (Brazil, Russia,India, China and South Africa).Displacing South Africa as theeconomic power house of Africaas early as 2016 may be seen as

a mere wishful thinking but fewpointers would say otherwise.First, South Africa's economyhas been hurt in the last fewyears and it has barely seen agrowth of 2.5% annually yetNigeria inspite of all its problemshas seen an average of 5%growth. Second, if those whogovern Nigeria simply renewtheir commitment to reforms byformalising part of the blackeconomy, the country could seeyet another rise in its GDP levelas the shadow market alreadyaccounts for major part of theNigerian market. Third,Nigeria's annual growth in thenext coming years will continueto triple that of South Africawith current GDP growth rates.This implies that in 3-4 yearsNigeria will match South Africaby GDP.

Nigeria's possible ascendancyinto the BRICS would not onlydefy litany of negative estimatesand statistics concocted byeconomists and institutions alike.The country's case would be oneof an underdog long underrated.Ascending to the comity of BRICswould not end the deep seatedcorruption in the country;neither will it be the end topoverty. What the ascension willsurely do is open up the countryto a better atmosphere ofeconomic opportunism, growthand a better and brighter future.Few days back, the BRICS

By Ola Onikoyi, Jr

finalised the launching of its ownbank to rival the World Bankwith a $50 billion capital in whatis called a new banking systemthat would offer a new way ofdealing with developingcountries from around the world.The bank will offer emergencycurrency funds and other trademechanisms that will allowflexibility and other advantagesto developing countries withfewer strings attached. It is thisform of banking system that adeveloping country like Nigeriawould need in an era ofcommodity price fluctuation andfalling value of the dollar andeuro. Nigeria may also be able totrade with other BRIC membersin lighter terms than thedeveloped west - and that is abetter path to growth.

Provided that Nigeria gets itright politically this decade, thecountry's story could be one ofprosperity and many successesdespite the current high tensionand gloomy pictures of povertyand corruption. In a GoldmanSachs paper: N11 more than anacronym, Nigeria along othernext emerging markets areestimated to grow at 4%annually but a politically stableNigeria if we account for currentinfrastructural, transportationand food production deficit cansee a growth of over 10%annually in coming years.

As of 2012, Nigeria recorded

a growth of 6.7%, yet suchgrowth was audacious in themidst of slow global economicgrowth, home grown terrorismand falling oil trade. Many criticswould argue that in an economywhere 60% of the population areimpoverished with everythingin the negative 10% growth isinconceivable. Critics may beright looking at the key picturesof horror and negativities thathas characterised the country inrecent years, but the positivegrowth can be accounted for withthe fact that Nigeria has one ofthe fastest growing constructionindustry in the world, a thrivingoil and gas market, rising serviceindustry and a financialindustry that is emerging.Theneed to meet current deficits ininfrastructure, food production,housing, education as well asenergy will drive huge growth incoming years and if the politicaleconomy becomes stable. It is acountry with endless possibilities.A 10% annual growth rate forinstance would mean thatNigeria would emerge fasterthan several G-7 nationscombined. Such growth couldalso put Nigeria ahead of growthof other BRICS members.

The ball is in Nigeria's court;it should play it and let the worldsee. I am on twitter #olaonikoyijr orolaonikoyijr@yahoo.com

With all the illegal activities of the Operations Unit of theNigerian Customs Service, the Kano market is facing an

economic downturn. People from other states are boycotting themarket due to the harassment they face from this government

agency. The popular Singer market now has only empty stalls asmost business people have relocated their to Abuja and Lagos

“

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013PAGE 14

Kubwa YouthEmpowermentInitiative (KYEI) is

writing to express its sinceregratitude towards the FCTAdministration for theprovision of infrastructure inKubwa Satellite Town.Residents and other that plythe Outer Northern Express(Kubwa Express-way), dailywill live to remember thisadministration. Two yearsback, motorists spent hours intraffic hold-up on this road.Now it is a happier story. Itgoes without mention nowthat, one could afford to delayones departure from theFederal Capital City (FCC) tillafter six o'clock (6.00pm);have a safe and smooth ridethrough the Kubwa

Expressway.In addition,the beautifulscenery (atnight) of awellilluminatedroad thatcould easily becompared toone of thedevelopedcities in theworld.

However,this NGO isdrawing theattention ofthis administration to otherareas that need urgentconsideration. These areas:

*The Kubwa bye-pass,from Dutse-Alhaji round-about, through Gado Naskofarms - Byazhin - Arab road-

We commend infrastructural devt in KubwaBy Idris Rabiu

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: opinion@peoplesdaily-online.com

SMS: 07037756364

WRITE TO US

O.N.E.X. This bye-pass hasattained a high completionstage, but for the portionthrough Gado Nasko Farms.When completed, it wouldease flow of traffic and serveas an alternate route in to

Kubwa, asintended.

*Rehabilitationof the localroad that linksthe above bye-pass toGeneralHospitalKubwa alongIITA and G.S.SKubwa fence.This link,whencompleted,would serve asthe onlysecond link to

Byazhin/Chikakore layout.*A speedy completion of

the Chikakore-Bwari road.*Construction of about

200m of road behind INEC inFHA area of Kubwa, linkingRoad 31.

IGP, your promise on police schoolsMohammed Dahiru

Abubakar, afterbeing appointed by

President Jonathan asInspector General of Police inJanuary 2012, made an opendeclaration about policetraining institutions. Hepromised that he was going todeclare a state of emergencyon the Nigerian Policetraining institutions as theyare in need of seriousreformation in terms of basicnecessities like healthyfacilities for sleeping, eatingand lectures.

More than one year laterafter the new police headmade his assertion, and askedthe public media to be a directwitness to his plans, andrequested for "prayers" is nowfaced with an open question.

The declaration of theemergency was apparentlynever realized as evidencedwith the recent events, butthe IG may very well have aset of good reasons for the non-realization of the emergencyplans.

His leadership andadministrations havedemonstrated the leastevidence of backing up hispromise, as the trainingcenters and colleges, at leastfrom the point of thehistorical Police College inIkeja, Lagos, which remains aspot and site of nationalhumiliation, shame andoutrage.

As we all know, PresidentJonathan made a surprisevisit to the Ikeja Police Collegeand reportedly found thewhole place unbelievable! ThePresident's visit was inresponse to the good and bold

work of the media. TheNigerian people were toldthat the President found theentire place especially theboardinghouses, collegekitchen, dining hall and otherplaces almost beyond humanliving.

This was certainly a goodmove by the president but heshowed unfortunately, theusual signs of NigerianEmotional Democracy (NED)when he expressed a peculiarconcern about when and howthe Channels TV was able tofilm the rot and deteriorationin the college. Mr. Jonathanreportedly showed anger andviewed the documentary bythe TV station as a smearcampaign, no, Mr. President,you are totally wrong! Whatdoes it matter? It is true thatthe police college in Ikeja isnot the only training groundin Nigeria. But one thing isclear, the Ikeja police school isa place where current andfuture officials of nationalsecurity are supposed to learnthe science and profession of

police work.But how can this be done

in the face of being punishedwith an environment that isnegative for healthy mentalprocessing, a place withoverflowing space for physicaldisease, and anenvironmental ground withconstant exposure to burdenof invisible ailments,resulting in possibledisability, or likelypremature death.

Mr. President, as you mayknow, training groundsgenerally have significantimpact on the human bodyand mind as well as on one'sfuture behaviours. A trainee'sready access to necessities likehealthy food,accommodation, and evenrestrooms could affect how heor she behave months andyears to come; particularly,when the time comes for himor her to become active aspolice man or woman on thestreets and in the public.

Mr. President, now thatthe Nigerian Army

Engineering Corps is giving ahelping hand inrehabilitating the policecollege which is the essencepartnership in a democracy,a healthy smell from the newor updated lavatories,classrooms and hostels, willno doubt enhance the mentaland physical wellbeing ofthese trainees. Your opennessin allowing the Army to givea helping hand as we haveseen in other democratic orpresidential societies likeAmerica, where the Armycorps of engineers alwayscome to rescue in time ofurgency is fully noticeable.

This move of yours shouldbe commended, and beexpanded to otherinstitutions, especially, whenthe expending of funds is notthe only way to engage in themaintenance of institutionsin Nigeria.

As we all know, manyprojects in Nigeria are beinghandled sometimes in an eviland selfish manner,especially by those filled with

As we all know, many projects in Nigeria are being handledsometimes in an evil and selfish manner, especially by those filledwith the spirit of psychopathy which has eaten so deep into theminds of many powerful persons. And it matters not whether the

Ministry of Police Affairs or the Nigeria Police is in control ofpolice funds in regards to the annual budgetary allocations for

sectors like the training colleges. Especially, when some of theseso-called leaders appear to suffer from what could be called thementality of schizonaira or perceptual craving for corrupt money

which remains prevalent in the society?

“

*Completion of FRSC-NYSC-Market road.

*Help resolve the roadconflict created as a result ofconstruction of the inter-change at the FHA junction,cutting off Ibrahim Dasukiroad in FHA from the owneroccupier. This has madeaccess to owner occupierdifficult for the FHAresidents.

Finally, the completion ofthe above listed works wouldgo a long way in easingvehicular movement withinand out of Kubwa, byreducing accidents and un-necessary hold-ups. The on-going Re-habilitation roadworks along the Aso Bank Plcroad in Kubwa is alsocommended.

Idris Rabiu, President,KYEI

the spirit of psychopathywhich has eaten so deep intothe minds of many powerfulpersons. And it matters notwhether the Ministry of PoliceAffairs or the Nigeria Police isin control of police funds inregards to the annualbudgetary allocations forsectors like the trainingcolleges. Especially, whensome of these so-called leadersappear to suffer from whatcould be called the mentalityof schizonaira or perceptualcraving for corrupt moneywhich remains prevalent inthe society?

If it is true that the IG ispartnering with the privatesector to work on improvingthe police force that is a goodthing as that is what isexpected in our new globalcommunity where the spirit ofcorporate social responsibilityis valued. Many Nigerians willagree that this is not the timeto blame each other as itrelates to who should takecharge of funding or whetherit is the function of theMinistry of Police Affairs, theNigeria Police or even thePolice service commission toclean the current mess; aseach of these sections did notscream out publicly until theGod-sent documentary wasaired by Channels televisionstation.

This type of mediaexposure in regards to theaccumulated and ongoingconsequences of schizonairabehaviors, conducts, anddeeds in Nigeria is just whatthe people need at this time.Thank God for thiscourageous form of the media,it is about time!John Egbeazien Oshodi,Ph.D.Jos5930458@aol.com

By John Egbeazien Oshodi

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013 PAGE 15

De-legitimising deregulationThe judgement, a fortnightago, of a federal high court,in which it found

government's deregulation of thedownstream sector of the oil andgas industry "unlawful, illegal,null, void and of no effectwhatsoever, being in flagrantviolation of the mandatoryprovision of section 4 of the PriceControl Act, cap P28, Laws of theFederation of Nigeria, 2004? wasas intriguing as enforcement ofthe ruling will proveproblematic. I am not learnedenough to enter an unqualifiedopinion in this matter (I mustadmit), but I believe thatarguing against market-determined prices for petrol onthe strength of the Constitution'sfreedom of movement guaranteeis similar to arguing againstmarket determined prices forphone calls (and newspapers) onthe back of the Constitution'sfreedom of expression guarantee.

It is no surprise that there arepeople in the country who wouldrather not pay for the servicesthey enjoy. These folks arepresent everywhere, and theyare not all freeloaders. Amongsttheir ranks are to be encounteredideologues of "government asnanny". Irrespective of thethought patterns that instruct itbehoves a responsiblegovernment create structures forthe enforcement of all properlyentered contracts. The resistanceearly last year to government's

increase in the pump price ofpetrol was essentially a responseto the federal government failingto carry out another suchimportant duty. My sense of theball, which government droppedthen, was not so much thedecision to raise prices, but thefear that the accounting behindgovernment's decision was (andstill is) fatally flawed.

That said, it is a big scandalto find that the Price Control Actis still in place, after 27 years oftrying to make the structure ofour economy more effective.There is, arguably, a sequencingfailure here. And nowhere is thisfailure more obvious now, afterthis high court ruling, than inthe fact that the NigeriaRailways (NRC) Act 1955 has notbeen amended (or repealed,either). Yet since the act vests allrail tracks in Nigeria in the NRC,technically, it is either that theproposed Lagos State Metroline isillegal in the same degree, or thatLagos State plans at the end of theline's construction to hand it overto an NRC-appointed generalmanager.

Clearly, there is a strong caseto be made for thoroughgoinglegal reforms as conditionprecedent to further reforms ofthe economy. And I am hopinghere that we agree on the need toreform the economy and how it is

managed. Still, just as crucial,there is a compelling need to lookat how we think of the reformprocess, and the goals that westrive for. Ludwig Von Misesprovides the central argumentfor me in this regard: "every stepthat takes us away from privateownership…and from the use ofmoney also takes us away fromrational economics".

There are few signals moreefficient in an economy, thanwhen the price of a good capturesboth the cost to the supplier ofbringing it to the market, andthe value to the buyer of usingthe good. The other alternative is

to have a munificent polymathagree one price for such goods/services that approximates boththe production cost andconsumption utilities. Since thisgodsend must exercise thisfunction across the economy, it isevidently a well nigh impossiblegoal, as all failed previouscollectivist economies amplydemonstrate.

Markets do fail. Becausetemporary imperfections in thestructure of particular industriesrender monopoly supply themost effective means. Or, sinceno supplier can capture all thegains from providing the service

(education and health, forexample) strong, non-marketincentives are required to drivethe price mechanism in affectedsectors of the economy. Inprinciple, I am all for a transitionfrom state-provision of any good/service, to provision of same bythe private sector. The state doesnot vanish in this process.Instead, it emerges as a strongregulator of the space in whichprivate operators play.

On this reasoning, what thisruling does is muddy the waters.Besides, it draws attention to anumber of questions. First, whathappens to private sectorinvestment in the downstreamsector of the oil and gasindustry? Two levels to thisquestion. There are thoseinvestments that have beencommitted in the hope ofleveraging the liberalised priceregime: tank firms, privatejetties, tankers, pump stations,and staff. Then we must alsomull over the outlook forplanned investments. One thingfor sure: until the outlook isclearer, bank lending to the sub-sector will slow to a trickle. Alltold, I consider this judgment anet negative. Ifeanyi Uddin, aneconomic historian, andcolumnist for PremiumTimes, writes from Lagos

By Ifeanyi Uddin

Change and how to be part of itBenjamin Franklin once

said "when you're finishedchanging, you're finished".

I'd like to take that a step furtherby saying "we must be a part ofthe change we seek, or risk beingchanged ourselves".The questionis no longer "will Nigeriachange"… but rather, it's "will itchange for the better or worse"and "who will lead that change".

History is rife with instancesof regimes, institutions andsocieties seeming stable andunshakeable… but young peoplebeing fed up with the status quo,became the catalysts of Changein their societies. In recent timeswe've seen young people all overthe world clothe themselves withthe "change" mantle and becomea part of the movement. We'veseen that no matter the society,and no matter the circumstancesof oppression and corruption,change is possible if the peopledecide that enough is enough.From Tunisia, to America, toEgypt… young people arechanging the world every day.Nigeria should be no different.

They say "insanity" is doingthe same thing over and overand expecting a different result.We cannot continue the samebehaviours, year in, year outand expect better results. Exceptfor prayer, you can't do the samething over and over again andexpect things to be better. Andeven with prayer, you actuallyhave to get up and do something

after all they say heaven helpsthose who help themselves.

Things young people can do:Be involved in the politicalprocess: Register to vote; actuallyvote for the right candidates; orsit back and let someone else stealyour voice. Peacefully protest:Media, old & new; Twitter,Facebook etc. I believe that eventhough internet accessibility inNigeria is still low, we cannotignore the importance of suchplatforms. They serve as toolsthat can help in the movement.And things are changingeveryday… many phones todayhave some internet capability orthe other. Efforts likeOccupyNigeria, Light UpNigeria, Enough is Enough, etc.Newspapers, blogs, etc.

Become fully involved in thepolitical process. It's easier to talkabout and/or criticize people thatare working than to do the work

yourself. Join a party and try tohelp influence policy. We canlevel the playing field if we all getinvolved in this Movement forChange. And it's not just at thefederal level. Young people needto start getting involved evenfrom the local and state levels inorder to properly influence policyand society.

Use whatever voice orplatform you have…constructively. I'm a musicianand so you've seen me singingand speaking publicly about theneed for the change in ourcountry… but you can usewhatever sphere of influence youhave… be it with family, friends,school, neighborhood, church ormosque. Everyone has a voiceand a role to play.

I'm here because I'm adreamer. Everything I havenow, that God blessed me with,was born out of my dreams. I

dreamt of becoming a singer;dreamt of owning my ownRecord Label company, and otherbusinesses. I dreamt of being ableto influence my surroundings,my city, my state and mycountry through my work. ButSome people stop at dreamingwhile others actually wake upand set about trying to makethose dreams come true.

I dream of a changed Nigeriawhere each child, no matter thebackground has a dream of his/her own, and is given access toeducation, healthcare, and basicamenities in life to make thosedreams come true. I dream of achanged Nigeria where theopportunities abound for anyonewilling to work for them; whereevery man, woman and child isgiven a fair shot to avoid povertyand become a success atwhatever they set their minds todo. I dream of the day in Nigeria

where we finally live up to ourpotential - as citizens, leaders,countries, and as a continent.

If our children and futuregenerations witness Nigeria inthe same conditions we have hertoday, then we would have failedthem. That's why I'd rather behere, speaking with like mindsand putting my hands to theplow, than sitting at home beingan arm chair critic.

We're all here because wewant to be a part of changingNigeria for the better. That'swhy we are getting involved.Whether or not each person'sintentions are pure… only Godwould know… only Time will telland only History will judge.

However I'd rather be a partof the movement for change,than be one of those that arecontent to sit back and criticize.I'd rather be a player on the field,or a coach, or a worker on theteam, than be a fan in thestands, or home watching on TV.

One of my favorite sayings is"the best way to predict yourfuture is to create it". We canextend that to say that we mustcreate the Nigeria that we wantto live in. We must all speak up.We must all work for it. We mustall stand up and be counted, if ourdreams are to become reality.

I'm Banky W, and I stand forchange. Do you? Banky W, a leading R&Bartiste and occasional socialcommentator, spoke at thejust concluded Bola TinubuColloqium in Lagos.

Markets do fail. Because temporaryimperfections in the structure of particular

industries render monopoly supply the mosteffective means. Or, since no supplier can

capture all the gains from providing theservice (education and health, for example)strong, non-market incentives are requiredto drive the price mechanism in affected

sectors of the economy

“

By Banky W

I dream of a changed Nigeria where each child, no matter thebackground has a dream of his/her own, and is given access toeducation, healthcare, and basic amenities in life to make those

dreams come true. I dream of a changed Nigeria where theopportunities abound for anyone willing to work for them; whereevery man, woman and child is given a fair shot to avoid povertyand become a success at whatever they set their minds to do

“

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013PAGE 16

The National Board forTechnology Incubation(NBTI) has constructed

a standard incubation centrefor the development of AdultEducation in the FederalCapital Territory (FCT).

A Director in the NBTI, DrAbdumalik Ndagi revealed thisduring a just concludedorientation programme fornewly admitted incubates ofFCT Agency for Science &Technology’s IncubationCentre located in Karu,Abuja.

Ndagi said the centre willallow commercialisation ofinnovations; creation of jobsand enhancement of economicgrowth when fully operational.

He advised the newincubates to be responsible byobeying rules and regulations;keep their units clean; keepdaily records; be focused,adding that there would bemonitoring, mentorng andtraining in addition to strictadmission and strict exitprocess.

The Director General ofNBTI, Prof Gambo LarabaAbdullahi, who wasrepresented by one of theboard’s directors, Alhaji AbdulShittu said the board hadcooperated with other agenciesto build capacities of incubateesin different equipmentfabrications and had helped thesame to access funds totallingmore than N200 million.

The FCT sectretary foreducation, Alhaji Kabir Usmanwho was represented at theoccasion Dr Aina Emmanuelsaid there were plans to openother centres in different areacouncils so as to boost the socio-economic activities of theterritory, urging theincubatees to take theincubation process with allseriousness so that they can beself-employed.

The Director of FCT Agencyfor Science & Technology, MrsRosemary Umanah said theincubation centre project tookthree years to materialiseadding that the idea was to helppeople with ideas actualisetheir ideas.

Over 20 incubatees wereinaugurated at the ceremony.

FCT getsstandardincubationcentre for adulteducation

The North to South boundpassengers, travelling forthe Easter break on the

Abuja-Lokoja road,were on Friday stranded forhours because of heavy gridlock onthe expressway.

Some passengers who spoke tothe News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)expressed frustration for waitingfor many hours on the same spot.

Mr Okon John, one of thepassengers coming from OndoState, said he left home at 6.a.m.,only to be trapped at Koton Karfefor three hours.

“ Imagine, I left home veryearly thinking that I will beat thistraffic, only to be held up here forthree hours.”

Easter: Passengers heldup on Abuja-Lokoja road

John appealed to the FederalGovernment to see to the completionof the road project to avoid futureoccurrence of the gridlock.

Mrs Grace Darby, described thetraffic situation as horrible, allegingthat government saw it coming butdid nothing to avert the situation.

“ I am appealing to the FederalGovernment to consider the plightof Nigerians plying this road.

Darby said that the Abuja-Lokoja road project was long overdue for completion.

Mr Okocha Nwafor, a driver,said the situation was not strange

Over two hundred andfifty youths drawnfrom twelve political wards

are to benefit from the AbujaMunicipal Area Council (AMAC),Sure-P skill acquisition programm.

The Chairman of the council,

Sure- P: 2500 youths to benefit in AMACHon Micah Jiba noted that theprogram is part of his agenda linedup to take unemployed youths outof streets of Abuja.

In his words: “ This is the thirdbatch of Sure-p programm and thefirst 150 batch was trained in sellingrecharge cards and while otherbatches are undergoing various

training such as driving, tailoring,sanitation and others””.

According to him the agenda ofeducation and youthempowerment is his first prioritysince the beginning of hisadministration.

Micah further urged the youthsto be law abiding and disciplined

during the period of their training.Jiba also called on the AMAC

residents not to engage act oflawlessness during the Eastercelebration.

According to him, the Easterseason is a time to show love to oneand another without minding thereligious differences.

to him because he experienced thegridlock every year.

“ This is not new to me, in fact,this is even better compared to whatwe suffered the previous year.

“ It is a regular occurrence andwe drivers are accustomed to it.”

He advised drivers who plied theAbuja-Lokoja road to exercisepatience and respect traffic rulesand road signals, including drivingagainst traffic and complicatingthe traffic situation.

NAN observed thatsecurity operatives were at thescene trying to salvage the

situation.Meanwhile, The Federal Road

Safety Corps (FRSC) has blamedmotorists for the current heavytraffic jam on the Koton- Karfe -Abaji road.

The Sector Commander of theFRSC in Nasarawa State, MrFrancis Udoma, told newsmen onFriday that motorists had turnedthe two-lane road into six lanes,thereby making it difficult forvehicles coming from both ends tomove easily.

Udoma said the situationhad considerably slowed downtraffic flow into and out of theFederal Capital Territory but saidFRSC officials had been deployed tofree the road of the gridlock.

Udoma who was deployed toKogi State for the Easter specialoperation, said his men had alsobeen able to open the River Nigerbridge to traffic after several hoursof disruption caused by an accidentinvolving a traileron Thursdaynight.

He said that the trailer loadedwith 700 bags of beniseeds fell on itsside at the middle of the bridge,thereby making it difficult forvehicles from Abuja to passthrough.

Udoma, however, said that hismen with the assistance of somegood “Samaritans” had removedthe bags of beniseeds and the vehicleand successfully re-opened the roadto traffic.

He said the Abuja-Lokoja-Okeneand Lokoja-AJaokuta-Ayangba-Ankpa roads had been witnessingheavy traffic since Thursdayafternoon.

He said officials had beendeployed to ensure free flow of trafficduring and after the holidays.(NAN)

By Adeola Tukuru

By Adeola Tukuru

•••FRSC blames drivers’ recklessness

Jesus Christ’s love for mankind.Udoinyany said that the

significant of Good Friday was inwhat Christ did on the Cross ofCalvary for the love of humanity.

“Easter is all about sacrifice,hope, love and peace. Jesus Christgave his life as a ransom for us.

“Love goes beyond telling

someone how much love you havefor the person, Love is sacrificingsomething for another.

“Christ’s love for man isincomparable since He gave hislife for us. Christ’s love for manmakes Him take our place and diefor us.’’

Udoinyany urged Christians

to demonstrate love and genuinecare for one another in the truespirit of Easter and imbibe thelessons of peace, selflessness andsacrifice for the good of thecountry.

“Let the spirit of selflessnessthat is in Christ spur us to greaterlove for one another and renew

The Area Superintendent ofthe Apostolic Church,Nyanya, FCT, Pastor Ime

Udoinyany, has advisedChristians to celebrateEaster with love.

He said at the “Good Friday’service that the essence of Easterwas sacrifice which came out of

L-R: First Lady of Mali, Madame Mintou Doucoure Traore, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister ofState FCT presenting relief materials donated by the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) tovictims of conflict in Mali.

Celebrate Easter with love, Clergyman advises Christiansour faith in our nation.”

He urged Christians inparticular and Nigerians ingeneral to use the season to prayfor peace and unity in Nigeria,while urging the faithful torededicate themselves to theservice of God and mankind.(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013PAGE 18

Residents of Tunga Maje call for solution to lingering blackoutAbdulrauf, an Islamic scholar,attributed the situation to thedeplorable state of thetransformer serving thecommunity.

He appealed to the relevantauthorities to assist thecommunity by replacing the oldtransformer with a new one.

“This community has nothad regular power supply in thelast three months, in spite ofFederal Government’s efforts inensuring stable power supply in

the country.’’Another resident, Mr

Innocent Okechukwu, said thesituation “has forced many of usto spend more money to fuel ourgenerators on daily basis’’.

Okechukwu noted that theblackout had paralysed businessactivities in the community.

“We call on the FCTadministration, particularlythe Gwagwalada Area Council,to come to our aid by finding alasting solution to this problem.’’

Mrs Marry Patrick, who

The police have arraignedVictor Gabriel, 25, of ApoVillage, Abuja, in an

Abuja Chief Magistrates Court,charged with trespass and theft.

The prosecutor, Sgt. PhillipAkowgu, told the court that TonyUba of Asokoro District, Abuja,reported the matterat the Asokoro Police Station onMarch 21,2013.

He said that the accusedtrespassed into Uba’s room and stolehis DVD player and a camera.

The prosecutor added that theaccused was nowhere to be found untilhe was deceived on phone to comeand collect a message sent to him byhis uncle in the U.S.

Akogwu said the accused wasarrested when he showed up at theAsokoro General Hospital, where hewas told to come and collect themessage.

The prosecutor said the accusedis charged with trespass and theft inline with sections 348 and 288 of thePenal Code.

However, the accused pleadednot guilty to the charge, insisting thathe did not trespass into thecomplainant’s room.

“I did not pick anything from hisroom. I don’t even know how his roomlook like because I have neverentered,’’ the accused said.

The Chief Magistrate, MrMusa Jobbo, granted the accused bailin the sum of N50,000 and a suretyin like sum.

Jobbo ordered that the suretymust be a civil servant, residentwithin the jurisdiction of the courtand adjourned the case to April 15 forfurther hearing. (NAN)

Police arraignman, 25, overtrespass, theft

The Department ofDevelopment Control ofthe FCTA has been

commended for tackling theissue of noise pollution thathas been a great source ofworry to the residents.

They also commended thedepartment on the stoppage ofillegal development in thearea.

Development ControlDirector, Yahaya Yusuf,Director said he was happythat the hard work theDepartment is putting in toensure a clean and planned cityis being appreciated.

He said the department’shardwork has pitched illegaldevelopers against theDevelopment ControlDepartment in its bid to sanitizethe environment and ensurethat developers build in line

with the master plan.Yusuff said it was quite

encouraging when theDepartment received a letter ofappreciation from the residentsof 3rd Avenue, GwarimpaEstate recently.

According to the Director “This is not the first time thatwe are being appreciated, butthe way the encomium ispouring in now, it shows thepublic now have a betterawareness of what we do andhow it is to their ownadvantage in the long run”.

In the appreciation letter,the neighbors thanked theDepartment for its swiftresponse in handling the issueof noise pollution by theGrundies Night club.

The residents said they aregrateful that the Departmentbrought the illegal activities ofthe Night club located at theheart of Gwarimpa residential

Estate to a halt.According to the letter, the

activities of the Night club,which includes activities ofprostitutes, music and fightinggreatly disturb their sleep atnight.

According to the letter; ‘wereally appreciate thedemonstration of yourleadership quality which hasonce more come to bear asevident in the way the FCTdevelopment is being controlled’

Yusuf said “it is quite atestimony that will propel theDepartment to do more, as wecannot afford to rest on our oarsnow.

He said, “ we shall continueto work until the Abuja Masterplan is restored”

“The Department ofDevelopment Control was set upto Control development in theFederal Capital Territory in linewith the Abuja Master Plan”

“The Department approvesdesigns that are in conformitywith laid down standards, andissues Building Plan Approval todeserving developers,monitoring and ensuring strictcompliance.

“These regulations have notgone down well with developerswho do not have approvaleither because they submitsub-standard designs, or justchoose to erect structureswithout recourse to theDepartment.

There are also developersthat commence developmentwithout all the necessary landdocuments, in which caseapproval cannot be given.Before Building Plan approvalcan be granted, a developermust possess Right of Occupancy(R.of.O) or Certificate ofOccupancy (C.of.O) from landsDepartment and duly signed bythe FCT minister” he added

Gwarimpa residents hail devtcontrol for ending night club noise

operates a salon in the area, saidthe state of power supply in thecommunity was threateningher job.

“I spend over N10,000 to fuelmy generator every week justto satisfy my customers becauseat the end of the day, I hardlymake profit,’’ she said.

She also appealed to therelevant authorities to providethe community with a newtransformer, saying that theresidents could not afford to buyone. (NAN)

A Gbagi woman carrying firewood on her back yesterday in Kwali, Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

By Adeola Tukuru

Residents of Tunga Majevillage near Zuba in theFCT, has appealed to the

FCT Administration to find alasting solution to the lingeringblackout in the community.

In separate interviews withthe News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Tunga Maje theresidents said they had yet tobenefit from the relativelystable electricity supply beingexperienced in some parts of theFCT.

Malam Abdulrahman

A Grade 2 Area Court inKado, Abuja hassentenced one Ehiobu

Chukwuka, 26, of BergerJunction, Abuja, to eight monthsimprisonment for joint act andextortion.

The Presiding Judge, Ahmed Ado,sentenced the accused to two monthsimprisonment for the joint act withan option of N2,000 fine.

On the second charge, hesentenced Chukwuka to six monthsimprisonment without an option offine because of the toy gun he used.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr SimonIbrahim, had told the court that MissGift Isreal of Dawaki village, Abuja,reported the matter to the Utako policestation on March 22.

Ibrahim said the accused, withtwo others, now at-large, threatenedthe complainant with a toy gun andforcefully collected her purse and thesum of N400.

The prosecutor said the offencecontravened the provisions of sections79 and 292 of the Penal Code.

Section 79 stipulates that: “ whena criminal act is done by severalpersons in furtherance of the commonintention of all, each of such persons isliable for that act in the same manneras if it were done by him alone. (NAN)

Man, 26, bags 8monthsimprisonment forjoint act, extortion

PAGE 17PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

PAGE 19PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Management Tip of the DayMake your mission meaningful

INSIDE

When work has personalmeaning, people feel asense of ownership in

their jobs. But few employersdo what it takes to make this acore part of their organization.This is apparent in the oftenbland, tone-deaf, and hollowmission statements companiesadopt, which regularly turnout to be empty lip service to

CBN begins gradualphase-out of COT

charges today

- Pg 20

values that aren’t lived everyday.

To engage employees,develop an inspiringmission that people can getbehind. It should be specific,relevant, and motivating. Ofcourse, it’s not enough to havegood words down on paper (oron your website).

Your organization’s

leaders need to live thevalues implied in yourmission statement andexpect others to as well. Bymaking sure all people inpower walk the talk, you canbegin to give employees themeaning they crave.

Source: Harvard BusinessReview

L-R: Council Member, Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), Mr Bamikole Olalekan, President, Mr Dimeji Fowowe, Vice-Chairman,Corporate Affairs Committee, Mr Segun Bolaji, and Deputy President, Mrs Margaret Amusan-Ogunmade, during the ICCIMA annual general meeting, yesterday in Ibadan.

Photo: NAN

NDIC begins liquidation of failed mortgage institutionsCommission (CAC) to determinethe ownership structure of some“invisible PMIs’’.

“A couple of months ago, theCBN had cause to revoke thelicences of 25 PMIs and naturallyasked us to liquidate whateverremains of them,” he said.“Interestingly, we were able totrace only seven of them.

“The rest, I believe, were paperinstitutions; we are carrying outa lot of search at the CAC todetermine the management,board, shareholders and otherdetails of those invisibleinstitutions. Having identified the

seven of them, we are in theprocess of commencing liquidationsuch that the establisheddepositors would be compensated.That, again, has proved to be avery difficult exercise becausemost of them were not renderingreturns to the CBN or NIDC;therefore, determining thedeposit liabilities of thoseidentified institutions is aHerculean task.”

As part of efforts to reposition

BBBBBUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSUSINESSEmail: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk Mob: 08033644990

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)was on 25 PMIs, thecorporation could only identifyseven at the moment. He,however, did not list thecompanies liquidated.

In 2012, the CBN directedthe NDIC to liquidate the assetsof 25 PMIs considered notviable.

The managing director saidthe corporation had begun theliquidation process of those itcould trace.

He stressed that thecorporation had to do a lot ofsearch at the Corporate Affairs

period used to be in the past.On their part, Peoples

Daily asked some customers,who agreed with some sellersthat the prices of some food stuffitems have remained withoutany change.

A woman found to bebargaining on a 50 Kg rice bagconfirmed that there has been“a little increase in the pricecompared to how I bought it lasttime”, attributing thedevelopment to the Eastercelebration period.

Easter: Foodstuff prices record sharp increase By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

By Aminu Imam

The Nigeria DepositInsurance Corporation(NDIC) said on Thursday

it had liquidated the assets ofseven Primary MortgageInstitutions (PMI) considered notviable.

Its Managing Director,Umaru Ibrahim, announced thisat a meeting with the board andmanagement staff of the FederalMortgage Bank of Nigeria(FMBN), led by Mr BisiOgunjobi in Abuja.

According to him, thoughthe liquidation directive by the

the sector, Ibrahim stated thatthe corporation had mapped outa framework for possiblegranting of financial assistanceto deserving PMIs and micro-finance banks.

Chairman of the Board ofFMBN, Ogunjobi, underscoredthe significance of inter-agencies collaboration inaddressing the myriad ofchallenges confronting theNigerian mortgage sector.

As Federal Governmentdeclared Friday andMonday public holiday for

the celebration of Easter byChristians, prices of foodstuffhave traditionally beenincreased, even as the marketerscomplain of low market sales.

Although some food stuff’sprices have relatively remainedunchanged, as the celebrationapproached, a cursoryinvestigation by PeoplesDaily however found out thatthere has been an increase in theprices in most of the commodities.

The change in price of most ofthe foodstuff was attributed bymarketers to the Easter festiveseason.

A 50 Kg bag of Sarauniya ricethat was sold at N8, 000 before isnow being sold at N8, 500representing a slight increase ofN500, as 25 Kg of the same brandupped from the previous N4, 000to 4, 300.

Similarly, the price of a basketof tomatoes also increases fromN3, 000 before this period to N3,

500 even as the small basketprice remained at N500, whichis the same with a small basket ofonion. A small basket of pepperpreviously sold at N600 hassharply increased to N700 as theEaster celebration approached.

However, a check at thesection of meat sellers revealedthat the price of a Kilo of meathas remained at N1, 000despite of which the sellerssurprised at the limitedcustomer patronage in themarket as against how the

Mobile phone makerBlackberry has said ithas sold one million of

its new Z10 smartphones.In better than expected

results the company said itmade profits of $98m (£65m)in the quarter, after posting abig loss for the same period lastyear.

The Z10 handset is seen ascrucial to the future ofBlackberry, which hasstruggled to keep up with newApple and Android phones.

It has been on sale for a

month in the UK, Canada andother markets.

It went on sale with littlefanfare a week ago in theUnited States, Blackberry’smost importantmarket.Blackberry reports 1mZ10 sales The figures do notinclude US sales.

Blackberry was previouslycalled Research In Motion, butchanged its name last year.

Analysts greeted the resultscautiously, saying that it wastoo early to judge the success ofthe Z10 and its sister device theQ10.

Earlier in the week,Blackberry shares were hitwhen two major US brokeragesexpressed disappointment withthe US launch of the Z10.

In a note to its clientsCitigroup described the launchas “a big disappointment”.

The Blackberry results alsoshowed the company lost threemillion users over the year. Itshandsets are now used by 76million people, down from 79million 12 months ago.

In total, Blackberry said itshipped a total of around sixmillion handsets in the threemonths to early March.

Blackberry reports 1million Z10 salesBy Chris Alu with agencyreport

PAGE 20 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

CBN begins gradualphase-out of COT charges The Central Bank of

Nigeria (CBN), via ac i r c u l a r o n

Thursday announced the‘Revised guide to bank charges’,wherein it clarified for customersthe appropriate tariffs andcharges allowable.

Specifically, the CBNcancelled the N100 monthlyAutomatic Teller Machine(ATM) card maintenance feeintroduced by some banksrecently, pegging themaintenance fee at N100annually.

It also pegged the mandatorycost of Short Message Service(SMS) alert at N4, subject to theNigerian CommunicationCommission directives

The circular, which takeseffect from today, April 1, read:“In order to reflect currentdevelopments in the market andprovide clarity on bankingterms, the CBN recentlyconducted a review of the guidein consultation with all thebanks and discount houses,Bankers’ Committee, financialexperts and also consideredinputs received from otherstakeholders to produce therevised guide to bank charges.

On electronic transfers, theCBN guide stipulates N70charge on transactions belowN500,000; N100 charge ontransactions between N500,000

COMPANYNEWS

and N1million; for transactionsabove N1million, a charge ofN500 will be applicable.

Other customer charges,issuing fees for a debit cardshould not be more than N1,000;International withdrawals pertransaction on debit cards to becharged at N240 rather thanN1,000 being currently chargedby virtually all the banks.

The CBN pegged the intereston savings deposit accounts at aminimum of 30 percent of theMonetary Policy Rate per

Inflation rates from Mar, 2012 to Feb, 2013Max = 12.9 %, Min = 9 % for period in display.Current Inflation rate = 9.5% Source:CBN

Earnings Report for Banks Source:Pro-share Nigeria

annum.The Bankers’ Committee, had

during a meeting in November2012, scrapped the N100interbank charge on the use ofATM cards. The Governor, CBN,Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,had said customers would nolonger pay N100 on ATMwithdrawals whenever they usebanks other than theirs fromDecember 17, 2012.

Following the scrapping of theN100 withdrawal charges onATM by the Bankers’ Committee,

Naira strengthens as CBN boosts dollar sales

Delta Air

Delta Air istransforming thecustomer experience

on flights between Nigeriaand the United States (U.S.)with more than $3 billioninvestment through 2013 inairport facilities and globalproducts, services andtechnology.

Speaking at the yearlyBusiness Traveller AfricaExpo and Conference BobbyBryan, Delta’s commercialmanager East and WestAfrica highlighted a range ofin-flight and on the groundbenefits to improve theproduct offering forcustomers flying on Delta’sdaily non-stop servicebetween Lagos and the U.S.

In June, Delta’sBusinessElite passengers willsee the introduction of theWestin Heavenly in-flightbedding transforming the

sleep experience in the air.

BoeingAircraft giant, Boeing

Company hassubmitted a proposal to

the Ministry of Aviation toconduct an “airworthinessassessment” of all itsNigerian registered aircraftin the fleet of domesticairlines in the country.

Spokesman for theMinister of Aviation, Joe Obiconfirmed the developmentin a statement rcently.

Obi disclosed thatcorrespondences between theManaging Director of BoeingProfessional Services (BPS),Ken Sain, Director for Africaand Middle East (AviationSafety), Chamson Andjorin,and the Federal Ministry ofAviation bear testimony tothis.

FIIRODirctor-General,

Federal Institute ofIndustrial Research,

Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr GloriaElemo, has appealed to theNational Assembly to pass alegislation on compulsoryuse of cassava in breadmaking.

In her paper on prospectsand challenges of cassavabread, at a seminar inIbadan, Elemo observed thatthe absence of a legalframework to drive thecassava bread policyconstituted a big challengeto the implementation of thepolicy

She stressed the need toform strong advocacy andlobbying groups towardsrealising the objective of thepolicy. The seminar wasorganised by the NigerianInstitute of Social andEconomic Research (NISER).

some banks had recentlyintroduced the N100 monthlymaintenance fee on ATM cards.

The development had drawnthe ire of bank customers, whocomplained bitterly that thebanks were exploiting them andindirectly taking back thesuspended third-party ATM cardwithdrawal fee.

Also, “some banks charge ashigh as N50 for SMS to alert theircustomers of transactions ontheir accounts, far above the N4that all Global System of Mobile(GSM) communicationproviders charge for each textmessage.

depreciated to 158.40 perdollar.

The Central Bank ofNigeria (CBN) said it sold $300million to lenders at an auctionon Thursday, compared with$276.6 million at the previoussale on March 25.

The regulator uses the salesto stabilize the naira as thecost of importing goodsincluding refined fuel, whichaccounts for 70 percent of thelocal gasoline market,increases dollar demand andputs pressure on the currency.

“CBN’s increasedintervention through theauction has ensured nairastays within the targeted bandamid increased dollardemand,” Sewa Wusu, ananalyst at Lagos-based SterlingCapital Ltd. said.

The CBN aims to keep the

Economic growth in Nigeriais likely to rise above sevenpercent this year with

inflation slowing below doubledigits, the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF) has said.

It also emerged late onThursday that British Barclayswill add approximately $16billion of Nigerian debt to itsemerging markets governmentbond index from April 1.

In its 2012 review of Africa’ssecond largest economy, the IMFprojected that the pace ofeconomic growth in Nigeriawould pick up to 7.2 percent thisyear from 6.3 percent in 2012.

It said Nigeria’s tightening ofmonetary policy was in line withthe authorities’ efforts to containinflation below 10 percent. TheIMF also estimated thatNigeria’s currency, the naira,was “broadly in line withfundamentals.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) held rates at 12 percentlast week for the ninthconsecutive time, citingconcerns about ongoing externalprice pressures. Nigeria’sconsumer inflation rose to 9.5percent in February from 9percent in January, stayingwithin the central bank’s singledigit target. Food prices rose to11 percent.

By Abdulwahab Isa

•cancels ATM maintenance fee

The Naira erased its lossand gained for the firsttime in three days after

the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) raised the amount ofU.S. currency sold at anauction on Friday.

The currency strengthened0.1 percent to 158.20 perdollar by 3 p.m. in Lagos, thecommercial capital, accordingto data compiled byBloomberg. It earlier

currency within a band of 3percent above or below 155naira per dollar.

In the week ahead, thenaira may gain to 158.10 perdollar, “with bias for moderateappreciation due to monetarypolicy support,” Kunle Ezu, ananalyst at EcobankTransnational Inc. have said.

The yield on the country’s16.39 percent domesticbonds due January2022 dropped one basis pointto 11.20 percent in thesecondary market, accordingto yesterday’s data compiledon the Financial MarketsDealers Association website.

Yields on Nigeria’s $500million of Eurobonds dueJanuary 2021 rose one basispoint to 4.323 percent onFriday. (Bloomberg)

By Abdulwahab IsaIMF predicts 7%growth forNigeria’seconomy in2013

PAGE 21PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

INVESTORSNEWS BITS

NSE: 0.051bn shares gained on investment

Investment gains in the stocksof some quoted companies onthe floor of the Nigeria Stock

Exchange (NSE) last week hasresulted in the market gaining0.051 billion shares on listedequities.

Turnover of 1.612 billionshares worth of N13.542 billionin 23,021 deals were transacted,in contrast to a total of 1.561billion shares valued at N16.636billion that exchanged hands in25,255 deals the previous week.

Specifically, the NSE All-Share Index (ASI) appreciated by29.37 points or 0.09% to closeon Thursday at 33,536.25,while the market capitalizationof the listed equities on themainboard increased by 0.11%to close at N10.733 trillion.

Also, the Bloomberg NSE 30Index appreciated by 5.53 pointsor 0.35% to close at 1,602.88.

However, the stock marketopened for four days during weekas the Federal Government declared Friday 29th March2013 a public holiday to markGood Friday.

During the week, theFinancial Services sectoraccounted for 1.347 billionshares valued at N8.138 billionexchanged hands by investors in15,076 deals.

The Consumer Goods sector(measured by turnovervolume) followed in the activitychart with 76.335 million sharesvalued at N3.518 billion tradedin 3,337 deals.

The Banking sub-sector of theFinancial Services sector wasthe most active during the week(measured by turnovervolume) with 945.036 millionshares worth N6.661 billionexchanged by investors in11,558 deals.

Volume in the Banking sub-

IOSCOThe Nigerian Stock

Exchange hasbecome an affiliate

member of theInternationalOrganisation for SecuritiesCommissions.

This was announced onWednesday by theDirector-General,Securities and ExchangeCommission, Ms. ArunmeOteh, at the end of thequarterly meeting of theCapital Market Committeein Lagos.

By this, the NSE is onthe way to becoming amember of the World

Federation of Exchanges.

NSE

The Nigerian StockExchange (NSE)confirmed on

Thursday that it willgrant all listed entities anextension of time of thirty(30) days from the duedate of the requiredperiodic financialsubmissions.

The extension offersfresh assurance tobusinesses and advisorschallenged with theadoption of InternationalFinancial ReportingStandards (IFRS) as well asincreased levels ofregulatory approvals,including from theFinancial ReportingCouncil of Nigeria (FRC).

The General Manager,Legal and RegulationDivision of the NSE, Ms.Tinu Awe, stated thatduring this period, theNSE will not apply the tagBelow Listings Standard(BLS) beside the names ofentities on the X-Compliance Report, whichis published on its website.

AMCON

The AssetManagementCorporation of

Nigeria ( AMCON) is tomake some of its shares inbanks available for theNigerian Stock Exchangesecurities lending, as partof its effort to enhanceliquidity in the stockmarket.

AMCON has 4 percent equity interest in AccessBank, 17 percent in EcoTransnational Incorporated , 4 percentin First City MonumentBank, 13 percent inSterling Bank, 25 percentin Union Bank and 99.9 percent in EnterpriseBank, Keystone andMainstreet Bank,respectively.

Security lending is the act of loaning a stock,derivative, or othersecurity to an investor orfirm.

sector was largely driven byactivities in the shares of UnityBank Plc, Wema Bank Plc, andSkye Bank Plc.

Trading in the shares of thethree banks accounted for450.287 million shares,representing 47.65% of theturnover volume recorded bythe subsector for the week.

During the week were also234 units of NewGold ExchangeTraded Funds (ETFs), valued atN575.812 executed in 5 dealscompared with a total of 192units valued at N476.541million transacted last week in4 deals.

Also, 3,500 units of FGNbonds valued at N4.009 millionwere traded during the week in11 deals in contrast to 700 unitsvalued at N1.992 milliontransacted last week in 18 deals.

All the NSE sectoral indicesappreciated during the week;Bloomberg NSE Consumer

Source:Pro-share Nigeria

Arunma Oteh told themonthly Capital MarketCommittee meeting in Lagosthat the two platforms wouldbroaden the capital marketcoverage and al lowtransactions and securit iestraded on the Over-the-Counter to become moretransparent, and provide amedium for long termfinancing for infrastructuredevelopment and Small and

SEC to launch two platforms, revampAbuja Commodity ExchangeThe Securities and

Exchange Commission(SEC) has announced

plans to launch the NationalAssociation of SecuritiesDealers and Financial MarketDealers Association platformsin May this year, as part ofefforts to attract and retainthe value of retailinvestment in the capitalm a r k e t .

Director-General of SEC,

Goods, Bloomberg NSE Banking,Bloomberg NSE Insurance,Bloomberg NSE Oil and Gas andNSE-Lotus II advanced by1.98%, 1.58%, 0.63%, 1.18%and 1.69% respectively.Thirty-four (34) equities appreciated inprices during the week higherthan twenty-two (22) equities ofthe preceding week.

Thirty-seven (37) equitiesdepreciated in price lower thanforty-five (45) equities of thepreceding week, while onehundred and twenty-six (126)equities remained constantduring the week in contrast toone hundred and thirty (130)equities of the preceding week.

Nestle Nigeria Plc. topped thegainers table gaining N90.00kobo followed by Okomu Oil PalmPlc gaining N11.50 kobo whileDangote Nigeria Plc. led thelosers chart to shed N6.50 kobo,followed by PZ Cussons NigeriaPlc. losing N2.79 kobo.

Royal Exchange poise to drive MDRI

Medium Enterprise growth.According to her, the

Alternative SecuritiesExchange, which would belaunched in April this yearwould attract morecompanies to the market, asthe listing requirements hadbeen made less stringentthan those of the main board.

She explained that thesecompanies would later belisted on the f loor of the

penetration. This is because ifpeople have personal policy, it iseasier to get them involved incorporate type when it gets totheir businesses”, she stated.

She assured that thecompany has developed microinsurance products that wouldassist in protecting individualsto mitigate risk.

”On micro-insurance, we arefirmly established on that and Ican tell you that our companyhas policies designed to protectthe people who are applying forloans and this is making surethat there is continuity in thateconomic stream.

“Also, we want to pay value

From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

Nigerian Stock Exchange.She also disclosed that the

Commission would revampthe Abuja CommoditiesExchange Market this yearsuch that 70 per cent of thecommodities under theprivatization agenda wouldbe sold to the private sectorwhile 30 per cent would beretained by the government.

The SEC boss added thatthe process is currently on-going, adding that a stirringcommittee had been set up toguide the process. She notedthat when approved by theprivatization committee, i twould strengthen the marketin terms of liquidity as wellas enhance market stability.

In the area of pension,Oteh said that Pension assetcurrently stood at $20bil l ion, representing N3.2tri l l ion, adding that 13percent N416 bil l ion wasinvested in the NCM.

She further said that thevalue of retail investors inthe equity market, as atFebruary hit 61 per centwhile foreign portfoliodropped to 39 per cent from70 per cent last year.

Royal Exchange Plc. hasaffirmed the company’scommitment to drive the

Market Development andRestructuring Initiative MDRI ofthe National InsuranceCommission (NAICOM) in orderto deepen penetration.

Head, Retail Business, RoyalExchange, Mrs TemiTope, whodisclosed this stated that thecompany is making strategicmove to set up the retail end ofits business to actually focus onencouraging individuals to havepolicies that are personal tothem.

“We believe that this is morepure way to drive insurance

to products so that at the end ofthe day, people can be assuredthere are products to take careof their needs”, she said. MrsTobe equally stated that thecompany is developing customerfriendly insurance productstailored to care for people’shealth.

“We are also looking at theHealth area. We have currentlyfine-tuned products that cantake care of people’s health. Webelieve that a healthy nationwould be productive. Therefore,we are hoping that all these andmany more can drive MDRI andallow insurance to reach everyNigerian.

PAGE 22 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Fund re-sounds end to manualpayment of petroleum marketersThe Petroleum Equalisation

Fund Management Board(PEFMB) said the Federal

Government has stopped themanual payment oftransportation claims to petroleumproducts marketers in thecountry.

The General Manager(Corporate Services) of the board,Mr Goddy Nnadi, speaking tonewsmen in Lagos said the boardstopped the manual payment ofmarketers’ claims after it launchedan electronic claims management

solution, nicknamed “ProjectAquila”.

“It is part of the original plan toensure payment of claims within72 hours. Project Aquila is an e-loading and payment system thatwill ease the process of marketers getting their entitlements,” heexplained.

Nnadi said that over 200members of PEFMB staff and morethan 1,500 marketers had beentrained on the application of theProject Aquila software.

He also said that more than15,000 petroleum productsconveying trucks nationwidehave been captured in the Project

The Managing Director,Metib Oil and Gas, MrAdewumi Ilori, at the

weekend attributed the lack offund and technical capacities asconstraints confrontingmarginal field operators.

Ilori told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) in Lagos thatsuch limitations were some ofthe reasons several fields had notcommenced production decadesafter they were allocated.

He said the programme,which was meant to boost localparticipation in oil exploration,had not contributed significantvalue to the sector because only11 out of the many allocated fieldwere producing.

“The most threateningproblem facing small companiesis bad wells. You are gone onceyou drill a well in a wrong place.

“Hence, it is critical to getcorrect data. The more qualityyour data, the more confidentyou are. And you need to startproducing before you can getfunding from banks.

“That is the most criticalchallenge; Before you bid, it isimportant you have somemoney to do some basic things.This is because partners will ripyou off if you don’t have somedegree of financial backing,” hesaid.

Ilori warned marginal fieldoperators to be more sensitive totheir host communities’,aspirations and dynamics.

He said that the relationshipbetween operators and host

Expert identifies fund, technical hitch asproblems facing oil, gas field operators

communities was crucial toproduction process.

He also said that hostcommunities, especially those inDelta state, were properly andfairly engaged by operators.

According to him, five

percent returns are given to oilproducing communities evenbefore government’spronouncement on the issue.

The question, he said, shouldborder on how the funds wouldbe equitably administered so

By Etuka Sunday with agencyreport

Aquila website platform.“The new electronic solution

has brought more transparencyin petroleum productsdistribution.

One major advantage of this e-loading system is that it will enablethe industry to generate accuratedata on the petroleumconsumption patterns across thecountry.

“It is a phenomenon that willgreatly enhance distribution andmarketing trends for thedownstream sector”, he stated.

Nnadi said that the e-paymentsystem would enhance monitoringof distribution of petroleum

products across the country.He noted that distribution of

petroleum products was notproperly monitored in the past,thereby making it difficult to eitherconfirm or certify deliveries atdesignated depots or “drop points”.

The general manager urgedpetroleum product marketers toensure that their trucks weretagged with the necessary flyersand gadgets to be able to becaptured in the project’s softwaredatabase.

“Any truck not properlytagged will not be allowed to loadproducts in any depot,” Nnadisaid.

Dana Motorslaunches all-new KiaQuorisDana Motors Limited, the sole

distributors of Kia Motors inNigeria, has launched the

all-new flagship sedan – Kia Quoris– into the Nigerian auto market.

The car was introduced to theNigerian public in a glitteringceremony held at the grand ballroom, Oriental Palace Hotel,Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event was graced by veryimportant personalities anddignitaries including the SlovakRepublic Ambassador to Nigeria,Miroslav Hacek, the KoreanAmbassador to Nigeria Choi Jong-Hyun, and President, Middle East& Africa, Kia Motors Corporation,Alex Chung.

In his welcome address,President, Middle East & Africa, KiaMotors Corporation, Alex Chung,said, “Over the years, Kia hasestablished itself as a leadingautomotive brand globally andalso in Nigeria, with innovativedesigns and performance-orientedvehicles that meet the needs andlifestyle of our esteemedcustomers.

The Managing Director, DanaMotors Limited, JackyHathiramani, said, “Stylish,elegant and commanding, theseare the qualities that set the KiaQuoris apart from the rest.

FG urged toinvest more indevelopmentof libraries

The Federal Government hasbeen urged to invest more inthe development of libraries

for the country to excel in theeducation sector.

Dr Moses Ibeun, a lecturer withthe Department of Library andInformation Science, Kwara stateUniversity, Malete, gave theadvice in a lecture in Malete,Kwara on Friday.

Ibeun said in the lecture,organised by the Students ofLibrary Science of the university,that the development of librariesas an integral part of educationaldevelopment in the country hadbeen neglected in favour of socialmedia.

He described the existence ofsocial media as detrimental to thereading culture in the society andreduced the rate at which peoplepatronised the library.

Ibeun, who said thatinformation remained central tothe development of any nation,stressed the need for the three tiersof government to invest more oninformation gathering,acquisition and dissemination.

The lecturer described libraryas the memory of the society,which supplied adequateinformation to users.

“Libraries are repository ofknowledge, cultural heritage andliteracy which needs to beprotected,” he said. (NAN)

Some host communities in the Niger-Delta during a public protest over working condi-tions recently

that it does not end up in fewhands.

He said it would be better toeducate host communities thatbusiness ventures have to makemoney before they can engagein charity activities. (NAN)

The Nigerian Export-Import(NEXIM) Bank has disclosedplans to execute a $60

million ( N 9.6 billion) RegionalSealink Project connecting Westand Central Africa.

The NEXIM Bank ManagingDirector, Mr. Robert Orya, madethe disclosure at a stakeholderforum in Lagos, adding that theFederation of West AfricanChambers of Commerce andIndustry (FEWACCI) wouldpartner on the project.

The project is expected tocommence within the next threeyears of complete operation.

“The purpose of the SealinkProject is to foster indigenous

participation in the maritimesector through minimising offreight rate payment capitalflight of the average of $5 billionannually.

The project will cut acrossWest and Central Africa,providing immediate impact tothe amelioration of basic roadinfrastructure which has slowedAfrican and ECOWAS trade levelsby 20 percent.

“The total project cost isestimated at 60 million dollars,with 36 million dollars to procurevessels, equipment, office spaceand other infrastructure.

$24 million will be theworking capital to cover thegeneral and administrative

expenses, summarised as equityof 36 million dollars and debtfinancing of 24 million dollars,”Orya added.

NEXIM’s MD also disclosedthat the project would makeNigeria a maritime hub for Westand Central Africa and enableNEXIM achieve its plannedrevenue growth by improvingintra-regional trade levels toabout 15 per cent annually.

Commenting on thedevelopment, the NationalPresident of Nigerian Associationof Chambers of Commerce, Minesand Agriculture (NACCIMA),Mr. Ademola Ajayi said theRegional Sealink project wouldsignificantly reduce the

premium freight chargeswitnessed due to theunavailability of direct shippingline plying the West Africancorridor.

Established in 1991, NEXIM provides short and medium-term loans to Nigerian exporters.It also provides short termguarantees for loans granted byNigerian banks to exporters aswell as credit insurance againstpolitical and commercial risks inthe event of non-payment byforeign buyers.

The Bank is also thegovernment’s NationalGuarantor under the ECOWASInter-state Road Transitprogramme.

NEXIM Bank to execute N9.6bn Regional Sealink ProjectBy Abdulwahab Isa

PEOSPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013 PAGE 23

Report as at Thursday, March 28, 2013

PAGE 24 PAGE 25PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Self-employm ent as path to self-independence

Self employmentinvolves the ability tobe independent. That

is, working for one’s self.Self employed people workfor themselves instead ofbeing employees, drawingincome from the trade orbusiness they operate.

This makes individualsto be their own boss. Infact, self employed peopleare employers instead ofemployees. They givecommands rather than becommanded; deciding theamount of salary to be paidemployees - irrespective oftheir qualifications - ratherthan vice versa if workingfor another organization.

According to a recentresearch, tens of thousands

of graduates are out thereseeking for jobs daily, withtheir efforts generallyproving abortive.

This is even as manyuniversities, polytechnics,and colleges of education(private, and government-owned alike) graduate a lotof students every year.

Due to the relatively fewnumbers ofindustries available in thecountry, and with thepopulation of youths inparticular and graduates ingeneral snowballing, thehandful of available jobsare, needless to say, unableto match the intimidatingpopulation of those that arewilling to work.

“A lot of graduates and

opportunity throughtraditional employment,so to say.

“ S e l f - e m p l o y m e n tAssistance Program (SEAP)is a unique opportunity foryou to enter into self-entrepreneur training andreceive businesscounseling while youcollect unemploymententrepreneurial trainingand receive businesscounseling. In the processyou also collectunemployment benefits.

“If you qualify andenroll in an approvedtraining programme, youdo not have to look forother work whileundergoing thisprogramme.”.

Becoming self-employed, he added, doesnot require millions ofnaira before one can startsomething. “It onlyrequires initiatives,knowledge, determinationand a little capital to set upa goal”, Adigun concluded.

One can, in the view ofsome experts, become selfemployed right fromsecondary school, becauseby then one candifferentiate between goodand bad. That is the timeyou set a goal for yourselfon what you really want to

become in future.“The great people we are

making reference to thesedays, they were not richover night, they startedwith something small andtoday they aremultibillionaires to whommany people are runningfor help, “ one of thebusiness experts whoasked not to be named,said. “In other words, theyare collecting fish fromthem without thinking ofhow they can also be afisher”.

There are so manybusinesses one can engagein. “Pure water” is one ofthem. So profitable is thisventure that many sachetwater sellers are said to besuper wealthy. From themoney made from “purewater” a legion of investorsand vendors alike havebuilt houses, bought cars,and trained their childrenin schools.

With as little as N5000,one can start selling pettythings even right fromsecondary school. Thingslike earrings, powder,biscuits, sweet, bounce,donut, chin-chin, chips(either plantain, potato orother types) are also bigmoney earners.

According to a lecturer

non-graduates sit at home,complaining that securing ajob in the country hasbecome a family affair inmost public organizations,”said a concerned companyexecutive who asked not tobe named. “Some even saidthat the few jobs availabledo not befit theirqualification - that is, thesalary to be paid is not whatthey expected due to thecertificate they are holding(ND, HND, BSC, etc). “Theyforget the fact that one canbe an entrepreneur.”

He added: “If the ownersof those industries inNigeria, apart from thegovernment- owned ones,are also waiting to beemployed, it means thepercentages ofunemployment wouldincrease alarmingly. Theway out, therefore, is selfemployment.”

This may explain whythe efforts of someentrepreneur like the ownerof Dangote Group,Alhaji Aliko Dangote, thechairman of Hilton Hotel,Abuja, Mr.Otedola, Alhassan Dantata,Adenike Ogunlesi, a founderof Ruff ‘n’ Tumble; themedia tycoon, RaymondDokpesi, and others, areappreciated by many.

No less noteworthy is theefforts of the SelfEmployments AssistanceProgram (SEAP), an outfitwhich offers a valuableoption to eligible peoplewho wish to run their ownbusiness.

According to one of thebeneficiaries of SEAP,Morgan Ajigun, theprogramme help createjobs in an occupation thatinterests individuals andstimulate the localeconomy.

Hear Ajigun: “ From myexperience, I can say thatthe programme gives one aflexible income

“Due to the relatively few numbers ofindustries available in the country,and with the population of youths inparticular and graduates in generalsnowballing, the handful of availablejobs are, needless to say, unable tomatch the intimidating population of

those that are willing to work

Gaining employment in Nigeria is, like in other parts of theworld at large, a herculean chore. Amidst the sorrow, pains andsuffering that is the lot ofjob seekers, a non-governmental outfit,Self Employment Assistance Programme, has stepped in with aunique solution: Training individuals to be their ownboss rather than searching for someone to workunder. Popoola Christiana Dayo reports…

“There are lot of them inthe institution which Itaught how to be an

entrepreneur, some nowhave salons of their own;some have barbing salons

and the like. Some areriding the motor cyclesgiven to them: they will

be riding and makedelivery of the agreedamount of money daily

in the Department of MassCommunication, FederalPolytechnic, Bida, Mr.Taiwo, a student of theinstitution went into“okrika cloth” trade withthe sum of N2000. Withthis she made so much gainin the business, and alsohelped in payment of herschool fees for that session.

“There are lot of them inthe institution which Itaught how to be anentrepreneur, some nowhave salons of their own;some have barbing salonsand the like. Some areriding the motor cyclesgiven to them: they will beriding and make delivery ofthe agreed amount ofmoney daily.

“Some are into rechargecards, some are sellingpetty things in their hostelslike kerosene, ‘Indomie’,eggs, pen, ‘“pure water”,bread and other things theyknow that people are inneed of,” he added.

The sort of peoplementioned above are self-employed; they derive joyfrom this, making coolmoney in what they engagethemselves in. They arestudents and at the sametime their own boss; someof them even employ othersto work under them! Askthem and they will maintainthe fact that “selfemployment is the best wayto be oneself”.

President Goodluck Jonathan: His government has promised tocreat jobs

Minister of Labour, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar

Applicants search of jobs

PAGE 26 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Alamieyeseigha’s pardon: Falana threatenscourt action against criminal impunityA Human rights lawyer, Femi

Falana (SAN) has said thatthe controversial presidential

pardon recently granted to formerGovernor of Bayelsa State, DiepreyeAlamieyeseigha by PresidentGoodluck Jonathan was likely toopen a dangerous floodgate forcriminal impunity.

Falana told newsmen at theweekend that President GoodluckJonathan’s extension of clemencyto Alamieyeseigha wouldjeopardize the prosecution ofother corrupt former governorswhose cases are currently in court.

He disclosed that progressivelawyers in the country wereplanning a new convention andthat the group would help tocombat injustices in the countryand arrest the march to anarchy.

Falana said, in order to ensurethat the power is not exercisedcapriciously or arbitrarily, thePresident is required to consultthe Council of State, which isexpected to take the interests ofthe country into consideration inadvising the President inexercising the prerogative ofmercy.

He said: “Sentiments apart,the power to grant pardon orclemency or even amnesty can beexercised by the President or

08028402920sbejike@gmail.com

‘I did not flee the country’– Maina

arrest as unconstitutional, nulland void.

Justice Bello said: “From thereliefs sought by the applicant, theapplication is challenging thepowers of the Senate to issue awarrant of arrest; a careful perusalof Section 35(1) shows clearly theright of liberty guaranteed theapplicant by the Constitution, buthowever the right is absolute.

“Section 88(2) of the 1999Constitution gives the NationalAssembly the power to invite orsummon an individual forquestioning in order to exposecorruption and inefficiencyamong others.

“However, the power of theSenate is subjected to theprovision of Section 88 of the 1999Constitution, which highlightedthe conditions to follow before anindividual will be summoned.

“This power of the Senate

Contrary to speculations thatthe former Chairman of thePension Reform Task Force,

Abdulrasheed Maina fled thecountry following the warrant ofarrest issued against him by theSenate, Maina said he has beingin the country.

Speaking through his counsel,Mahmud Abubakar Magaji(SAN), Maina said he did nottravel out of the country and thathe only went undergroundbecause of the threat to his life.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeriasaid he was ready to produceMaina’s international passport toprove that he never left thecountry.

It would be recalled that afederal High Court in Abuja, lastweek restrained security agenciesfrom arresting the former boss ofthe Pension Reform Task Forceand also vacated an earlierwarrant of arrest issued againsthim by the Senate.

The trial Judge, JusticeAdamu Bello, who delivered thejudgment in the enforcement of afundamental human right suitinstituted by Maina, hinged hisverdict on the ground that theSenate did not follow due processin issuing the warrant.

The judge noted that the upperchamber of the National Assemblyfailed to annex all necessarydocuments to aid the dismissal ofMaina’s request before his court.

Bello, however, cautionedagainst misreading his judgmentas an affirmation that the Senatelacks the powers to investigate orsummon any person to give

evidence regarding any subjectmatter under investigation,stressing that the injunction isabout the warrant of arrest beingset aside.

Maina sued the SenatePresident, the Clerk of the Senatebefore the court alongside theSenate Committee onEstablishment and Public Service;Senate Committee on State andLocal GovernmentAdministration; the Inspector-General of Police; SenatorAlloysius

Etuk, Chairman, SenateCommittee on Establishment andPublic Service; Senator KabiruGaya, Chairman, SenateCommittee on State and LocalGovernment Administration.

He urged the court to quashthe purported report of the SenateCommittee’s resolutions anddeclare the warrant issued for his

Sunday Ejike Benjamin should be free from abuse and theterm of reference should be clear.Any invitation by the Senateoutside the purpose highlighted inSection 88(2) is illegal andunconstitutional.

“The Senate ought not to haveinvited the applicant in the firstplace. A proper investigativecommittee must have beenconstituted in accordance withconstitution”, he held.

The Judge said, the power tocall for investigation by the Senateunder Section 88(2) is predicatedon a published resolution, sayingthat the respondents have failedto produce or annex vitaldocuments to their counteraffidavit; they only exhibited thewarrant of arrest signed by theSenate President.

“The implication of notproducing such vital documentsmeans there is no evidence beforeme to show that investigation isgoing on the subject matter.

“The warrant of arrest was notvalidly issued. It is, therefore, setaside. The respondents areperpetually restrained fromarresting the applicant on accountof the warrant arrest being setaside. I will only advise theapplicant to submit himself to theSenate”, Justice Bello said.

Reacting to the judgment,Magaji said: “We are not in anyway challenging the powers of theSenate; neither are weencouraging anyone to bedisrespectful to them. All we aresaying is that, in the course ofexercising their powers, the ruleof law must be allowed to prevail.We are only saying that the rightthing should be done rightly”.

Some Lagos-based legalpractitioners have called forthe review of bail process in

the country, especially surety foraccused persons.

Mr. Tunde Braimoh told theNews Agency of Nigeria (NAN) ateth weekend that it wasinappropriate that someone whodid not really know an accusedperson should surety an accused.

“I don’t know who a‘professional surety‘ is, but it is adefect, an impediment or a clog tothe course of justice if such a‘professional’ is allowed to suretyan accused,’’ he said.

Braimoh stressed the need forproper verification of the addressof any surety in court, adding that,if an accused person jumps bail,it will not be easy to hold a suretyresponsible when his or heraddress is not known.

Another lawyer, Mr. OgediOgu said that prosecutors werenot thorough in the verification ofaddresses of sureties.

Ogu alleged that someprosecutors were in the habit ofcollecting money from hiredpeople who intend to surety anaccused person.

He said that the attitude ofsome prosecutors undermined thenation’s bail process, thusencouraging the abuse of bailconditions.

“One way of sanitising our bailprocess is to thoroughly confirmthe information a surety providesand documents he or she tendersbefore the court,’’ he said.

Mr. Spurgeon Ataene, anotherlawyer based in Lagos, on his part,decried the involvement of toutsin the bail process, saying: “ourbail system is in a state of crises’’.

According to him, a judicialsystem with a flawed bail processis bound to be unjust.

Ataene urged magistrates andjudges to “temper justice withmercy ‘‘ when it comes to settingbail conditions so as to facilitatequick satisfaction of bail terms.

“People with no dignity andworthy name and persons that arereckless and jobless should not beallowed to surety any accused,’’Ataene said.

Lawyersseek reviewof bailprocess

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha

charges in the UK where he wasconvicted and jailed. Instead ofdissipating energies on the pardonwe need to strengthen the EFCCand ICPC [Independent CorruptPractices Commission] and build anew legal system which willinstitutionalize the rule of law.Right now, we have the rule of man.

“Hence, only the poor are jailedwhile the rich and powerful citizensare above the law. In such asituation the rich who may be jailedfor one reason or another arepardoned by the President”, Falanastated.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Abdulrasheed Maina

governor depending on thecircumstances of each case. In 1976,President Gerald Ford lost theelection to Mr. Jimmy Carterbecause of the pardon granted hispredecessor, Mr. Richard Nixon.Mr. Bill Clinton got away with thecontroversial pardon granted byhim because he did it on his lastday in office. So, if the power isexercised recklessly, the Presidentcan be called to order”.

According to Falana, the

statement credited to theAdamawa state governor, AlhajiMurtala Nyako, that the pardon forthose who were jailed forcorruption was not tabled beforethe Council has not been denied,adding that the other people whowere at the meeting have resolvedto keep quiet so as not to embarrassthe President.

“But the last has not heard onthe matter as one of the NGOs hasdemanded for the minutes of the

meeting of the Council of Stateunder the FOI Act’, he noted.

“Frankly speaking, the pardonof Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha hasto be viewed in the context of thegeneral atmosphere of impunity.

“This has aided other ex-governors to stall their cases; oneof them got a perpetual injunctionagainst the EFCC. Another one hada 171-count charge dismissed by acourt in Nigeria only for the samefellow to plead guilty to similar

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013PAGE 28

Educationist proffers solutionto scarcity of teachers

An educationist and director ofthe FCT Secondary EducationBoard, Hajiya Yelwa Fatima

Baba Ari, has said that one of the waysto address the issue of scarcity ofteachers in trade subjects andentrepreneur skills for secondaryschools, is by employing the techersfulltime and by giving them incentivesuch as accommodation, especially inthe FCT where accommodation is abig challenge.

Hajiya Yelwa gave therecommendation during an exclusiveinterview with Peoples Daily,Wednesday in Abuja.

According to her, the governmentis in the right direction byintroducing the trade subjects insecondary schools in the nation.

She said teachers in the field areprofessionals and therefore can earnmore than a salary earner in a monthif they are to be on their own.

"What I will suggest thegovernment to do is to give themsome incentives to woo them. Sincewe cannot give them salarycommiserate with what they wouldhave earned if we allow them to be on

By Zainab Yahaya Kandi their own, we should arrange somekind of leverage where by the teachersand students can work and thestudents who will work as apprenticewill be earning stipend.

“Another way to address thisproblem is by giving the teachers smallcontracts such as sewing of schoolcardigans or making of furniture forthe schools to earn some extra money.With such arrangement the teacherswill give the best to the students andat the end of the day only the bestamong them will be retained,” sheadded .

It would be recalled that theFederal Government through theNational Council of Education (NCE)in March, 2012 launched the newlyrestructured curriculum for all seniorsecondary schools in the country,known as Senior Secondary EducationCurriculum (SSEC) which stated thatstudents must offer one trade orentrepreneurship subject from the 34approved entrepreneur subjects.

The new curriculum however aimat producing secondary schoolgraduates with relevant functionaltrade and entrepreneurship skills toeradicate poverty, job creation andwealth generation in the country.

Fire destroys education equipmentin Jigawa Ministry of Education

Fire has razed the main store ofthe Jigawa state Ministry ofEducation, Science and Technology

located at the government CommercialSecondary School, Dutse and destroyedthousands of computers, laboratoryequipment and other teaching andlearning materials worth millions ofNaira.

Reports from the state indicated thatthe fire started from inside the storewhich was locked and contained sciencelaboratory equipment, computers ofschool's ICT centres around 7.30pm.

The state Commissioner forEducation, Science and Technology,Professor Haruna Wakili confirmed thefire incident describing it as "terrible andshocking".

Prof. Wakili explained that manyimportant equipment worth hundredmillions of Naira were burnt to ashes in thestore as a result of the fire outbreak.

According to him the fire lasted for aboutthree hours before it was controlled andcommended men of the state fire service for

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse their prompt and timely intervention andtheir commitment in ensuring that the firedid not spread to other buildings in theschool.

The Commissioner announced theformation of a ministerial committee underthe chairmanship of the PermanentSecretary of the ministry Malam AbdullahiHudu, to investigate cause of the fire,ascertain the damage and to advisegovernment on how best to tackle thematter.

Members of the committee includesdirectors of works, schools services, planning,research and statistics of the ministry,representatives of police and fire servicedirectorate and Alhaji Sani Ya'u Baburawhile zonal education director of Dutse zonewill serve as secretary of the committee.

The state head of service AlhajiMustapha Aminu, Chairman Dutse LocalGovernment Council, Alhaji SanusiAbdul'aziz Dankofa and the district head ofDutse, Alhaji Jamilu Basiru Sanusi wereamong the people that visited the scene.

The committee is expected to summit itsreport on or before Wednesday 3rd march,2013.

KEBBI STATE GOVERNMENTMINISTRY OF FINANCE

BIRNIN KEBBIREQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR AUDIT SERVICES

Kebbi State Government (KBSG) has enacted the Pensions Reform Law 2008 forwhich purpose it has appointed a Pensions Board to see to the implementation of acontributory pension scheme.The KBSG is searching for an accounting consulting firm to help the Pensions Boardand pension system to:• Audit the existing pension system;• Identify persons illegally collecting pension;• Quantify the amounts (if any) of improper payments from the pension fund toindividuals;• Identify pensioners who are re-employed and may not continue to collect pensionbenefits unless in accordance with Pensions Reform Law 2008;• Prepare a due diligence and monitoring procedures for the Pensions Board;• Conduct actuarial valuation of pension benefits and prepare cash flow projectionsof pension responsibility for both (a) existing 100 percent government funded scheme,and (b) contributory pension scheme (recognizing the commencement cut – off datefor the contributory system stipulated by the Pensions Reform Law 2008);• Benchmark existing and ongoing due diligence procedures and monitoring efforts;• Develop a risk matrix for implementation by the Pensions Board; and• Generally identify systems and best practices that will ensure and guaranty thesustainability of a contributory pension system in Kebbi State.The Kebbi State Government (KBSG) has authorized the search for an independentaccounting firm to perform the audit of the pension fund financial statements for thefiscal years beginning June 2007 (6 months) and ending December 31st, 2012.This is an advertisement requesting for proposal (RFP) from audit or accountingfirms in the business of auditing pensions and retirement investment plans or accountingfirms that offer financial planning and managing pension administration and audits.The Proposal should be presented in 2 envelopes. One (1) envelope on the TechnicalProposal and the second (2) envelope on the cost for carrying out the audit. Eachenvelope should be clearly marked “Technical Proposal Pension Audit” and “CostProposal Pension Audit”. The Proposal should be addressed to:The Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Finance,Gwadangwaji Secretariat,BIRNIN KEBBI.KEBBI STATE.The Proposal should be submitted on or before the 30th of April 2013.The Ministry of Finance of KBSG will conduct a preliminary review of the proposalsto determine a firm’s compliance with the mandatory requirements and to evaluatethe firm’s proposal on the following technical qualifications:(i) Expertise and experience which includes: • Firm’s start date;• Size of firm, particularly the governmental audit staff;• The quality of audit personnel and quality of management support available fortechnical consultation; and• Recent past experience on similar or comparable government audit engagementswith over N5.0 billion in assets. (ii) Audit approach includes:• Adequacy of proposed segmentation of audit engagement;• Appropriateness of staffing (hours and level) for each audit segment;(iii) Adequacy of sampling techniques; and(iv) Adequacy of analytical procedures in evaluating internal control and auditinginvestments.The firms submitting proposals will be scored on the above technical qualificationsand evaluated before the appraisal and evaluation of the second envelope on costproposal. However, firms will be eliminated due to any inconsistencies in their proposaland their proposed fees. In addition to the mandatory and technical qualifications, the Ministry of Finance willalso evaluate the fees and determine if the proposed fees are reasonable andcommensurate to the audit scope and services proposed by the firm. Before final selection each firm will be invited to a scheduled meeting to make a ten-minute presentation, followed by a brief period for questions.BUDGETAudit fees are included in the Appropriation Law 2013.POLICYUnder the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 allMinistries, Departments and Agencies of Kebbi State Government are required tofurnish audited financial statements to the Auditor General of Kebbi State annually. RESERVATIONS, REJECTION OF RESPONSEThe Kebbi State Government reserves the right to reject any proposal submitted inresponse to this advertisement without assigning any reasons thereto.

Alhaji Umar F. Bako,Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Finance,

Kebbi State.

KEBBI STATE GOVERNMENT

This is to inform the General Public that the above named Ministry has applied to theCorporate Affairs Commission,Abuja for registration under Part C of the Company andAllied Matters Act 1990.THE TRUSTEES ARE;1.Pastor Abiodun Emmanuel2.engr. Oluyemi Emmanuel Akinola3.mr. James Olu Ajayi4.olaode Titilola Adunni5.dr. Sunday Popoola6. Mr. James Kolawole Ajose7. Mr. Abayomi OshikanmiTHE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE;1.To propagate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ2.To engage in out-reaches and to help the widows, orphans and less privilege.3.To serve as a place of worship for believers in Christ Jesus4.To win souls for the kingdom of GodAny objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General,CorporateAffairs Commission,Plot 420 Tigris Crescent,Aguiyi Ironsi Street,Maitama,Abuja within 28days of this publication.

Signed; SECRETARY

JESUS THE MEDIATOR MINISTRY

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013 PAGE 27

Primary School pupils playing violin, during the Rivers State Education summit, recently in Port Harcourt. Photo: NAN

Education minister applauds coy’s partnership with UniLagBy Christiana Popoola

Omatek's flexible heartand hands ofpartnership has been

applauded by the Minister ofEducation, Prof. RuqayyatuAhmed Rufa'I when shecommissioned the 24-hour

Hybrid Solar Power Solution thecompany built for theUniversity of Lagos (Unilag) andthe community.

The 24-hour inverter whichpresently is powered by solar isexpected to be in use wheneverthere is power outage. By thenew installation, conventional60watt bulbs are replaced by4watt bulbs in the hostels; theAuditorium and the classroomsare presently using 90wattbulbs.

The Minister said the energysaving installation would savethe University a lot of money,helps in protecting theenvironment and save moneyexpended on purchase of diesel.

The Minister also said that

Omatek, a Nigerian outfit,must be encouraged adding thatthe Ministry of Education isready to partner with it in thearea of provision of solar systemto power computers, study andpractical training in theassembling of computers byundergraduates of tertiaryinstitutions.

Commending the ManagingDirector, the Minister who saidshe has made the womenfolkproud and has proved thatwomen have great managerialability added that theresponsibility of moving theeducation sector forward lieswith TVET (Technical andVocation Education) and thatOmatek has a role to play in the

practical sector.The Managing Director of

the company Mrs. FlorenceSeriki, said her organisationseeks to extend the solar projectto all other hostels of theUniversity and that withresearch and development,solar energy will become auseful tool in Nigerian homes.

She however revealed thatin the 26 years of its existence,Omatek had been producingsolar inverters for 15yearsadding that solar energy is nowa must because ICT would soonpenetrate rural communitiesthat are not on the nationalgrid.

Executive Secretary of theNational Universities'

Journalist, civilrights Icon,Gault to speakat AUNceremonies

Journalist, author and civil rightsicon, Charlayne Hunter-Gault,will serve as the keynote speaker

at the May 11 commencementceremonies of the AmericanUniversity of Nigeria, Yola.

A statement from the Universitystated that Ms. Hunter-Gault willbe conferred with the University'shonorary doctorate at the occasion.

According to the statement,Gault has worked for the The NewYorker magazine, The New YorkTimes, both of which are Americanpublic broadcasting networks, PBSand NPR, and has served as bureauchief for CNN in South Africa.

"She has received two NationalNews and Documentary EmmyAwards and two Peabody Awards,one for "Apartheid's People," a PBSNewsHour series about SouthAfrican life during apartheid", itadded.

Hunter-Gault is the author of InMy Place, a memoir of the UnitedStates civil rights movement thatrecounts her experience as the firstblack woman to attend theUniversity of Georgia. Her otherbooks are News Out of Africa:Uncovering the African Renaissanceand To the Mountaintop: MyJourney Through the Civil RightsMovement.

The statement further explainedthat Hunter-Gault also received the1986 Journalist of the Year Awardfrom the National Association ofBlack Journalists, the 1990 SidneyHillman Award, the AmericanWomen in Radio and Televisionaward, the Good HousekeepingBroadcast Personality of the YearAward, and a 2004 NationalAssociation of Black JournalistsAward for her CNN series onZimbabwe. She has also receivedawards from AmnestyInternational for her human rightsreporting.

"We are very proud to have herserve as our keynote speaker. She isone of the most highly regardedjournalists on the continent and inthe United States. I believe her life ofstruggle, dedication to civil rights,integrity and professional successwill resonate with our AUNcommunity", said AUN PresidentMargee Ensign.

The statement further said thatthis year's ceremonies will bepreceded by the Seniors Week (May6-9), Honors Society Awards Dinner(May 9) and the Senior AwardsCeremony (May 10) adding that theUniversity will graduate more than250 students with degrees in science,arts, and humanities for the 2013academic session.

No room for cultism, exam malpratice, says rectorPolytechnic) since inception in1989 has been progressivelydeveloping; running academicprogrammes leading to theaward of certificates, professionaldiploma, National and HigherNational diploma in 25 differentdepartments with student'senrolment of about 12,000.

"The warning followed themanagement's commitment tocontinue to maintain zero

tolerance for examinationmalpractice, cultism, indecentdressing and other social vices soas to continue to maintain thestatus and good image of thepolytechnic," he said.

Earlier in his remarks, thechairman of the ceremony andformer Kaduna StateCommissioner for Education,Alhaji Suleiman Lawal Kauru,urged the state government to

Commission (NUC), Prof. JuliusOkojie who was present at theoccasion, said that there mustbe a vital link between theGovernment, industries anduniversities, in order to movethe education sector and thenation forward.

"The Nigerian educationsystem is incomplete withoutpublic private partnership andthe tertiary institutions are tobe busy in research anddevelopment while industriesare to produce practical samplesof the finding of such researchand the public are to invest inmass production if the nationmust realise benefits frominvestment in the educationsector", he said.

As the Nuhu BamalliPolytechnic, Zariamatriculates 7,000

students for 2012- 2013 session,the Rector, Alhaji Adamu AliyuShika, categorically said theinstitution maintained zerotolerance for cultism,examination malpractice andother social vices.

According to him, thewarning followed management'scommitment and readiness tomaintain standard of learning inthe polytechnic.

The rector while speaking atthe 2012/2013 studentsmatriculation held atconvocation square, maincampus Zaria, called on the7,000 students matriculatedstudents to desist from indulgingin any act capable of distractingthem from their primary goal ofbeen in the institution.

"Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic(formerly Kaduna State

provide more funding for thepolytechnic to compliment theeffort of Tertiary EducationTrust Fund (TETfund) thatprovided infrastructuralfacilities in the institution.

He also called on the studentsto take their studies seriouslyand avoid any form of badbehaviours that will tarnish thegood name of the state andinstitution.

By Maryam Garba Hassan

From Mohammad Ibrahim,Kaduna

Alumni association sets up committee ondeplorable state of school

Nagari Old Boys AssociationBirnin Kebbi, has setup a 7-man committee to look into

the deplorable condition of theschool.

In a communiqué issued at theend of the two day generalmeeting held by the associationand headed by the Kebbi statedeputy governor Alhaji Ibrahim

Aliyu, and signed by theChairman local organisingcommittee Abubakari BawaBagudo, expressed dismay overthe bad condition of the school.

The communiqué stated thatthe infrastructure in the schoolhas decayed all the facilities inhostels, classes and conveniencesare not only grossly inadequatebut also in sad state ofdilapidation".

He said with the caliber of peoplethat finished from the school, thereis the need for the people to come

together and ensure that theschool is put in place, whileappealing to the stategovernment to assist in providingthe school with facilities oflearning.

The association also concludedthat its executive council will bedissolved while new one will be re-constituted in order to improvethe condition of the school.

The school which wasestablished in 1914 was amongthe oldest schools in North eastzone.

From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

PAGE 29PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

A fibroma is a benign, tumor-like growth made upmostly of fibrous or

connective tissue. Tumor-likegrowths such as fibroma developwhen uncontrolled cell growthoccurs for an unknown reason, oras a result of injury or localirritation. Fibromas can formanywhere in the body andusually do not require treatmentor removal.

Fibromas can occur in peopleof any age and either sex, but theyare most often seen in adults. Themost common types of fibromainclude angiofibromas (smallpapules across the nose andcheeks that contain fibroustissue), dermatofibromas (benignskin growths), oral fibromas, andplantar fibromas (in the arch ofthe foot, especially in children).Focus on bothdermatofibromas (skinfibromas) and plantar (foot)fibromas.

Dermatofibromas are roundgrowths, commonly found on the

All you need to know about fibroma,surgery might not be required after all

legs that can range in color fromflesh-colored to red-purple. Theyfeel like hard lumps under theskin. Dermatofibromas areharmless and only rarelymalignant, so they are best leftalone.

A plantar fibroma is a nodule,or fibrous knot, embedded in theplantar fascia in the arch of thefoot. The plantar fascia is a bandof tissue that supports muscleand extends along the bottom ofthe foot from the heel to toes.

Like dermatofibromas,plantar fibromas are typicallybenign, or nonmalignant.Primary treatment options arenonsurgical and are aimed atrelieving pain while walking.Treatment options includesteroid injections, orthoticdevices, and physical therapy.If you continue to experiencepain after trying theseapproaches, if the mass increasesin size, or if your pain increases,surgical treatment is an option.

Neither dermatofibroma nor

Barr. Ishak Bello

plantar fibroma is serious or lifethreatening. Seek promptmedical care for a fibroma thatis persistent or causes youconcern.

A plantar fibroma is a nodule,or fibrous knot, embedded in theplantar fascia in the arch of thefoot. The plantar fascia is a bandof tissue that supports muscleand extends along the bottom ofthe foot from the heel to toes.

Like dermatofibromas,plantar fibromas are typicallybenign, or nonmalignant.Primary treatment options arenonsurgical and are aimed atrelieving pain while walking.Treatment options includesteroid injections, orthoticdevices, and physical therapy.If you continue to experiencepain after trying theseapproaches, if the mass increasesin size, or if your pain increases,surgical treatment is an option.

Neither dermatofibroma norplantar fibroma is serious or lifethreatening. Seek prompt

medical care for a fibroma thatis persistent or causes youconcern.Symptoms of a fibroma

The main symptom of adermatofibroma is the presenceof a small growth that may ormay not be tender. It may beitchy or sensitive to the touch,and the color may change overtime. Because it has a raisedsurface, it can be irritated byclothing or shaving and maybleed if it is damaged.

The main symptom ofplantar fibroma is a lump in thearch of the foot that is firm tothe touch and may or may notbe painful. Pain is usuallycaused by pressure from shoes,although walking and standingwhile barefoot can also causepain, depending on the size andlocation of the mass.Common symptoms of adermatofibroma

Symptoms related todiscomfort from adermatofibroma may come andgo. Dermatofibroma symptomsare not severe and include:

" Color that may changeover time

" Itchiness" Occasional tenderness" Possible bleeding with

injury" Sensitivity of the

dermatofibroma to touch" Small lump with a raised

surfaceCommon symptoms of a

plantar fibromaPlantar fibroma symptomsare not severe and include:

" Enlargement over time" Firm lump in the arch of

the foot" Pain with pressure,

standing or walking" Spread of additional

fibromas over timeSymptoms that mightindicate a serious condition

Neither dermatofibroma norplantar fibroma is serious.However, in some cases, aplantar fibroma can becomedebilitating and require surgicalintervention. It is important tokeep in mind, however, thatcomplications of surgery forplantar fibroma are often worsethan the symptoms. Seekimmediate medical care if you,or someone you are with, haveany of these serious symptomsincluding:

" Difficulty walking" Increased pain despite

nonsurgical interventions" Increased size of fibroma

Treatment of fibromaDermatofibromas are

harmless, andtreatment is not

required unless there aredisturbing symptoms orcosmetic concerns. Surgicaltreatment is an option if youwish to have yourdermatofibroma removed.

For plantar fibroma,nonsurgical options arepreferred because the surgicalprocedure requires a longrecovery period and may leadto complications that can beworse than the plantar fibromaitself.

Noninvasive treatments forplantar fibroma

Noninvasive treatments forplantar fibroma include:

" Extreme cold, orcryoanalgesia, to shrink thefibroma

" Padding or orthotics toease discomfort when wearing

shoes" StretchingInvasive treatments for

plantar fibromaMost physicians agree that

it is wisest to reserve invasivetreatments and surgeries forsevere cases of plantar fibromabecause the complications ofsurgery may be worse than thesymptoms of plantar fibromaitself. Invasive treatments forplantar fibroma include:

" Corticosteroid injectionsinto the fibroma

" Surgical removal of theentire plantar fascia (which isassociated with a long recoverytime and high risk of developingother foot problems)

" Surgical removal of thefibroma (which has a highrecurrence rate)

Treatments for an injureddermatofibroma

Treatment may be

considered whendermatofibromas get in theway of shaving or arecontinually irritated. In thesecases, surgical removal can beperformed.

Treatments for damaged,intrusive or injureddermatofibromas include:

" Liquid nitrogen freeze" Surgical removal

Potential complicationsof a fibroma

Dermatofibroma has noserious complications.Complications from plantarfibroma are usually the resultof surgical interventions.Although complications ofinvasive surgery for plantarfibroma are not usuallyserious, they can sometimes bemore debilitating than theoriginal fibroma. You can helpminimize your risk of seriouscomplications by following thepostsurgical treatment planyou and your health careprofessional design specifically

for you.Complications of surgery

for plantar fibroma include:" Flattening of the arch of

the foot" Postsurgical plantar

nerve entrapment" Postsurgical regrowth of

larger and recurrent fibromas

PAGE 30 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Aiding people with DownSyndrome to cope with lifeIt is estimated that up to seven

million persons worldwideare affected with the Down

syndrome.Down syndrome is a natural

chromosomal arrangementthat has always been a part ofthe human conditions, as it cutsacross racial, gender or socio-economic lines, while affectingapproximately one in 800 livebirths.

Down syndrome is acondition in which an extragenetic material causes delaysin the way a child develops, bothmentally and physically.

It is a congenital disorder inwhich a person is born with threesets of chromosome 21 and it ischaracterised by mild to severemental impairment and weakmuscle tone, among others.

Global consciousness on theDown syndrome started aboutseven years ago when theinaugural World DownSyndrome Day (WDSD) wascelebrated on March 21, 2006in Singapore.

On March 21, 2012,however, the United Nations(UN) officially declared it aglobal event.

The theme of this year'scelebration of WDSD is ``I wantto work''.

Speaking on the event, UNSecretary-General Ban Ki-mooncondemned the perceptiblediscrimination against personswith Down syndrome across theglobe.

Ban stressed that thesepersons are entitled to the fullenjoyment of all human rightsand fundamental freedoms.

"In many countries, theycontinue to face stigma anddiscrimination as well as legal,attitudinal and environmentalbarriers that hinder theirparticipation in theircommunities," he said.

The UN scribe noted that thediscrimination could be asinvidious as forced sterilisationand as subtle as segregation andisolation through both physicaland social barriers.

Ban expatiated thatprejudice against children withDown syndrome had obstructedtheir education, as this hadcompelled some parents of thechildren with intellectualdisabilities to put their childrenin special schools or keep themat home.

"Yet, research shows andmore people are coming tounderstand that diversity in theclassroom leads to learning andunderstanding that benefit allchildren," he stressed.

He pointed out that fordecades; the UN had beenstriving to promote thewellbeing and human rights ofall people, adding that thoseefforts were strengthened viathe adoption of the Conventionon the Rights of Persons with

By Franca Ofili

DisabilitiesMrs.IfyNwosu, the

Coordinator of Down SyndromeSupport Initiative, a non-governmental organisation,stressed that the notion thatpeople with Down syndromewere imbeciles was false becauseit had no medical justification.

She noted that uneducatedpersons often confused peoplewith the Down syndromecondition with imbeciles, sayingthat they simply judged themby their looks.Nwosu also notedthat due to the fact that therewas no cure for the Downsyndrome condition, manyparents often decide toterminate such pregnancies atthe early stage.

"Down syndrome is notpreventable as long as you arestill in your reproductive age.

"It's a chance you take in life,it is an error of cell division andthe mother does not know howthe child will look until the childis born, unless she goes for acheck,'' she said.

However, Dr.IretiBabaniyi,a paediatrician, called ongovernment at all levels toprovide support for people withDown syndrome in thecountry.She also urgedgovernment to provide theenabling environment forchildren living with thecondition to interact with othermembers of the society even iftheir parents were reluctant inthat regard.

She added that due to theircondition, some of the childrenwith Down syndrome are

always locked up at home bytheir parents.

The paediatrician,nonetheless, advised people notto take undue advantage of thecondition of persons with Downsyndrome, adding that suchpersons are loving andtrustworthy.

Babaniyi, however,bemoaned a situation in whichpersons with Down syndrome arenot taken into account whileformulating government policy.

She particularly solicited theestablishment of special careunits for people with Downsyndrome, just like what wasobtainable in advancedcountries.The consultant alsourged the Federal Governmentto include persons with Downsyndrome in the treatmentschedule of the National HealthInsurance Scheme (NHIS).

Medical experts, however,warn that the age of a mothermight increase the chances ofhaving babies suffering from theDown syndrome.

Dr. Fred Achem, a physician,said that women within the age

bracket of 35 years and abovehad a greater risk of giving birthto children with Downsyndrome.

He said that the conditionhad a combination of mental andphysical symptoms due to thepresence of an extra copy ofchromosome 21, which affectedthe normal development of thebody and brain.

"Down syndrome cannot becured but early interventionwill enable persons with thecondition to live productive liveswell into adulthood, '' hesaid.Besides, Achem said thatsome defects which could lead tosome of these deformities couldbe detected in pregnancy.

"They are what we callcongenital abnormalities andthey are detectable duringpregnancy.

"These are areas where we dogenetic counselling, so thatmothers who have abnormalbabies are advised on how bestto avoid a repetition in their nextpregnancy,'' he added.Achemsaid that the new trends inmedical practice had given

doctors the opportunity to lookat a baby to ascertain if it was atrisk of one kind of disease or theother in infancy.

Mrs. Rose Mordi, theNational President, DownSyndrome Foundation of Nigeria(DSFN), called for the socialintegration of children withDown syndrome, so as to makethem feel as normal as theirpeers.

She noted that it was alsoimportant for their peers to seethem engage in normal things,just like them, in order to reducethe stigma associated with thecondition.Mordi stressed thatowing to their disabilities,children with Down syndromecould only attend special schools,reiterating the need to allowsuch children to partake inactivities that would foster theirpragmatic integration into thesociety.

According to her, the threemajor aspects of caring forpeople living with Downsyndrome are early medicalintervention, early educationalintervention and vocationaltraining as well as early socialintegration.

She underscored the need toencourage children with Downsyndrome to live normal lives,adding that such efforts wouldgo a long way in changing thegeneral public perception ofpersons living with thecondition.

Mordi said that even thoughher Foundation wanted to domore for children with Downsyndrome, paucity of funds hadbeen a limiting factor, as it wasquite expensive to provide carefor such children.

She said that even wheregovernment had been verysupportive, more still needed tobe done in efforts to adequatelycater for the physical,educational, emotional andmedical needs of children withDown syndrome.

Mordi, who claimed that herFoundation was caring for notless than 60 children with Downsyndrome, stressed that it cost aminimum of N500, 000 to takecare of a child living with thesyndrome annually.

She stressed that due to theirpeculiarities, the children arepredisposed to ailments such aseye problems, speech defects,respiratory tract infections andthyroid malfunction.

Mordi added that suchchildren need to undergo regularmedical check-ups which cost alot, while a lot of efforts arerequired to give themeducation.She, nonetheless,urged the government tocollaborate with agencies such asher Foundation in efforts toenhance the wellbeing ofchildren with Down syndromeand promote their integrationinto the society.Source: NAN

Down syndrome cannot be cured but early inter-vention will enable persons with the condition to live

productive lives well into adulthood, '' hesaid.Besides, Achem said that some defects whichcould lead to some of these deformities could be

detected in pregnancy.

“

PAGE 31PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Syria is not IraqSometimes, a hypothesis

that is posited first as oneof several potential results is

accepted over time as an inevitableoutcome. Like a snowball effect, onetheory gets adopted by a few talkingheads and evolves until it is a generallyaccepted fact. This is proving true todayin conversations about the Syrian civilwar.

Journalists covering the Middle Easttoday must be having a hard timefinding new language to say the samethings. Common mantras employ avariety of well-worn catchphrases abouttwo regional issues that are too oftenconflated: the sectarian problemsresulting from the US invasion of Iraqten years ago and the civil war in Syria.These two distinct topics are frequentlyparalleled, leading to commonconclusions that Syria is likely todegenerate into a sectarian civil war assoon as the Assad regime is toppled. Theseassociations of Iraq and Syria are madealmost without explanation, as if theongoing struggle perpetuated bysectarian rhetoric in one country is aninevitability in the other.

But Syria is not Iraq. Even if it was,the way the Iraqi population fell at eachother's throats was not a necessaryoutcome of that country's history or theUS invasion and subsequent blunders.Iraq's plunge into chaos resulted from aspecific set of circumstances that are inno way inevitable. Sectarian infightingand intra-communal terrorisation isnot the only possible outcome of conflictin the ethnically and religiously pluralBaath states of the Middle East.

My analysis here does not seek toexplain how Iraq's outcome may havebeen altered if the butterfly had battedits wings differently; rather, it brieflyoutlines the variations between Iraqand Syria in an effort to remind theworld that comparisons of the twonations demonstrate inaccurate andshallow understandings of both.

Demographics are important if youare going to get into sectarian finger-pointing. Iraq's population is 30 million:their largest sect, the Shia Arabs, is 60percent of the population and wassidelined from government since beforethe inception of the state in 1932. Themarginalisation of the majority helpsexplain the level of animosity andsuspicion that was borne out betweenSunni and Shia communities in thepost-Saddam battle for power. But eventhose historical tensions are not the solecause for the Iraqis' new reliance onsectarian identification: let us not forgetthat it was the American-derived CPA(Coalition Provisional Authority) thatdictated a confessional system ofgovernment, allotting certainministerial and government posts basedon sect and religion rather thandemocratic selection by the people.

Syria's 23 million person population,on the other hand, is dominated by arobust 75 percent Sunni population thathas enjoyed strong business ties to theruling elite and was by no meansexcluded from the accumulation ofwealth that took place for those in favourunder the Assad family's rule.Furthermore, there are many morenon-Muslim Syrians than non-MuslimIraqis. Only 3 percent of Iraq's populationis Christian; this number was definitelymuch higher prior to the 2003 invasion,but it never compared to the 13 percentor more non-Muslims in Syria.

Whereas Shia militias in Iraq mayhave targeted their Sunni co-religionists

out of anger towards the previous regime- and Sunnis then retaliated - Christiansin Iraq were targeted because they werean affluent but small community, ieeasy prey for ransom-seekers andanybody who wanted to institutionaliseviolence in order to dominate throughforce. The same could certainly becometrue in Syria, if the same absence ofsecurity is allowed to emerge. But this isunlikely.

Syrians have cell phones. This wasnot true in Iraq, which had beencordoned off from technology for 13 yearsunder international sanctions duringthe 1990s. All of the major Syrian citieswere connected to the internet and mostsizeable villages had one or two internetcafes, so that most of Syria was onlinebetween 2003 and the start of theconflict. High Commissioner AntonioGuterres recently told a Senate ForeignRelations Subcommittee that Syriansare the most technologically advancedsociety he has ever seen fall victim to ahumanitarian crisis.

This means they saw whathappened in Iraq. Contrary to thedirection of some rhetoric coming out ofWestern mouths, this educatedpopulation can easily make thecomparison between their own situationand that of their unfortunate

The media is controlling the navrative by insinuating an inevitable Post-Assad Iraq-style sectarian clash when such a scenario is farfrom certain.

neighbours.Much has been made of the Arab

Spring's "contagion effect", referring tothe phenomenon of revolutionarydemands spreading from Tunisia toEgypt to Libya, Bahrain, Syria, andeven Jordan. This tangibledemonstration of intra-nationalinfluence across Arab borders speaks tothe power of a more-than-imaginedArab community. The logicalconclusion, then, is not that all Arabsare destined to act exactly the same waybut rather that the news coverage ofone place has serious reach acrossborders and into living rooms of otherArabs. Peace-loving people the world-over have seen on television and theinternet what Iraqis went through, andnobody has dealt more directly withthe implications and causes of that crisisthan neighbouring Syria. Even the mosttangential exposure to Iraq would serveas a lesson in the horrible fallout ofsectarianism; to suggest that Syrianscould witness that conflict (not tomention Lebanon's 15 year civil war)and not do everything in their power toprotect against it is to seriouslyundermine their intelligence.

What will the outcome look like? Inthe end, the people who dominatemilitarily on the ground will be the ones

in control. Whoever that is - and whoevercame to their aid during the war - willhave a significant role to play for years tocome. But here is the critical departurefrom what happened in Iraq: regardlessof who that control falls to, security willbe maintained. The departure of theregime will not look at all like the USoccupation of Iraq. Chaos will not ensuein the same protracted way that it did inBaghdad because law and order will beenforced by the opposition fighters whoare responsible for Assad's defeat (andwho, having witnessed Iraq, willsomehow manage to resist the "urge" totake sectarian revenge on their"enemies"). Without Paul Bremer todisband the entire security mechanism,the indispensable ingredient for chaos - apower vacuum - will not materialise.

Toby Dodge has written extensivelyabout this key ingredient being the onlyabsolute determinant to a slide into chaoslike Iraq in 2003. As Dodge and otherspoint out, the reversion to "tribal" andfamily identities in Iraq was predicatedon the absence of an alternativelegitimate and capable power. It is thelack of security - not even the absence offood or oil - that necessarily resulted inghettoisation of Baghdad and theresultant institutionalisation of sectarianhatred in the memories of Iraqis. As long

ANALYSIS

as Syrian fighters continue to enforceorder (really just as long as they preventmass looting and lawlessness), civilianswill not have to rely on clannish alliancesor sectarian identification for safety.

Finally, though, the issue ofmemory should not be overlooked. It isactually this point that is both mostdifficult to measure and mostappropriate to compare with Iraq. Thatis, the way this conflict plays out inthememories of Syrians will determinehow they behave for years and evengenerations to come. That is why themedia's constant refrain about sectariannumbers - this Christian group vs theSalafi opposition forces vs the Alawitesvsthe Kurds - is not only false butdangerous. The more we talk in sectarianterms, the more it becomes a reality.Groups inside the country and in thediaspora who are organising marches,publications, online manifestos andwebsites against sectarian rhetoric arecritical in this regard. They arefighting for control of the narrative,but they are not fighting Bashar al-Assad: they are fighting the media andthe uncritical "analyst" who continuesto use these inaccurate descriptions.Their battle is critical because of itsability to influence the Syrianmemory of the conflict - now and,much more powerfully, in the future.The current regime has clearlyrecognised that sectarian fear-mongering is its greatest chance fordriving a wedge between the Syrianpeople. The least we could do - the absoluteleast - is not assist him with his campaignof sectarian rhetoric.

Syria is not Iraq, and 2013 is not2003. Analysts and politicians,journalists and students have a moralimperative to reject the suggestion thatSyria's day of sectarian infighting iscoming.

Source: Aljazeera

Much has been made of the ArabSpring's "contagion effect", referring to the

phenomenon of revolutionary demandsspreading from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya,

Bahrain, Syria, and even Jordan.

“

By Sarah Harvey

PAGE 32 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Rebels clash with army in Timbuktu

Kenya deploysforces to checkviolence

The Malian army has beenfighting Islamist rebels inthe northern city of

Timbuktu after a suicide bomber

A file photo of Malian soldiers entering Timbuktu

South Africa's Mandela spends fourth day in hospitalSouth Africa's anti-apartheid

hero and former presidentNelson Mandela spent his

fourth day in hospital on Sundayafter doctors reported he wasmaking progress and respondingto treatment for pneumonia.

Kenyan police have deployedforces in the capital, Nairobi,and in the lakeside city of

Kisumu to contain the continuingthreat of violence after deadly protestson Saturday against a court decisionthat validated March 4 presidentialpolls.

Moses Ombati, the deputy policechief for Nairobi, said on Sunday thatrowdy youths in Nairobi's slums werestill trying to protest the court's rulingthat upheld the election of UhuruKenyatta as the country's nextpresident.

"There is tension obviously, butwith the deployment of officers wehave done we don't anticipateanything," he said.

Ombati said he hoped thepresence of armed police would deterillegal protests like those that eruptedon Saturday immediately after thecourt's ruling.

Kenyans said the calmeratmosphere this time was in partbecause of far greater trust in thereformed judiciary that ruled on thedisputed vote, and also becauseformer prime ministerRailaOdingawas swift to fully accept the verdictdespite his disappointment.

"Our leader has conceded defeat,who are we to take to the streets?"said Elijah Onyango, 27, deliveryman in Kisumu.

However, some Odingasupporters reacted angrily to his loss,taking to the streets and engagingthe police in running battles.

Two people were killed and fiveseriously injured in riots in Kisumu,a city in the west of Kenya wherethere is strong backing for Odinga,said Ole Metito, police chief forNyanza province.

At least seven rioters are now inpolice custody for their alleged rolesin the Kisumu violence, he said.

"There was chaos in places wherepeople were throwing stones. Now wehave officers monitoring the generalsituation," Metito said.

Kenyatta, who is to be sworn inon April 9, said late on Saturday thathe would be a president for allKenyans and urged them to movepast the election and build a nation"at peace with itself".

In a televised address to the nation,Kenyatta thanked Odinga forwishing him well.

"I want to assure all Kenyans ...that my government will work withand serve all Kenyans without anydiscrimination whatsoever,"Kenyatta said.

Odinga said he accepted theverdict even though he regretted thatsome of the evidence produced by hislawyers had been disregarded.

"The court has now spoken. I wishthe president-elect, honourableUhuru Kenyatta, and his team well,"he said.

Visitors walk past a statue of former South African president NelsonMandela outside the Victor Verster Prison near Paarl in the Capewinelands, March 29, 2013.

Presidency spokesman MacMaharaj said he had no freshupdate from those treating the 94-year-old Mandela and it was fair toassume the situation wasunchanged from Saturday, whendoctors reported he was comfortable

and breathing without problems."In the absence of an update

today, the update of yesterdaystands," Maharaj said. Bulletinsissued since the Nobel Peace Prizelaureate was taken to hospital lateon Wednesday have reported himresponding well and in "good spirits".

Mandela, who became SouthAfrica's first black president in 1994,is revered at home and abroad forleading the struggle against whiteminority rule, then promoting thecause of racial reconciliation whenin power.

He has been away from thepolitical scene for at least a decadeand has become increasingly frail inhis old age.

In the Regina Mundi CatholicChurch in the sprawling blacktownship of Soweto that Mandelaonce called home, worshippersattending Easter service prayed forthe man seen by many as the fatherof their nation.

"We hear that the government

tells us that he's okay, that he's stillundergoing treatment for his lungcondition, and as I say, we pray thatGod's healing hand may be uponhim," Father Sebastian Russouw saidduring the service.

On Saturday, in their firstdetailed report of his condition,doctors said Mandela had "developeda pleural effusion which was tapped",meaning they had drained excessfluid from around his lungs.

It is his third visit to hospital infour months.

Mandela was in hospital brieflyearlier this month for a check-upand spent nearly three weeks inhospital in December with a lunginfection and after surgery toremove gallstones.

He has a history of lungproblems dating back to when hecontracted tuberculosis as a politicalprisoner. He spent 27 years in prisonon Robben Island and other jails forhis attempts to overthrowapartheid rule.

Egypt satirist Bassem Youssef released on bailThe popular Egyptian satirist

Bassem Youssef has beenreleased on bail, after

questioning by prosecutors overallegations he insulted Islam andPresident Mohammed Morsi.

He was ordered to pay 15,000Egyptian pounds ($2,190;£1,440).

Mr Youssef had spent five hoursat the public prosecutor's office, aday after a warrant was issued forhis arrest.

He has faced severalcomplaints over his show ElBernameg (The Programme),which satirises many publicfigures.

On his Twitter feed, Mr Youssefsaid the bail conditions were relatedto three lawsuits, while a fourthwas still being investigated.

The case has highlightedworries about press freedoms inEgypt.

At one point during his arrival

at the prosecutor's office Mr Youssefdonned an oversized academic hat,mocking one which Mr Morsi worerecently when he received anhonorary doctorate in Pakistan.

In a statement sent out on hisTwitter account as he arrived, hesaid that lawyers and policemenat the office wanted their picturetaken with him, and joked that thiswas perhaps the real reason for hissummons.

However, the al-Misri al-Yawm news portal reported thatthe judge asked him to removethis and other tweets writtenduring the questioning.

Bassem Youssef is a doctor whoshot to fame after winning a largenumber of followers with his wittylampooning of public figures inamateur videos posted on theinternet following the uprisingthat ended Hosni Mubarak's rulein February 2011.

He became a household name

when his satirical show - likenedto Jon Stewart's The Daily Showin the US - began to be broadcastthree times a week on one ofEgypt's independent satellitestations.

But sketches in which heportrayed Mr Morsi as a pharaoh,

calling him "Super Morsi" forholding on to executive andlegislative powers, and, separately,putting the president's image on apillow and parodying his speechesangered one Islamist lawyer,whose formal complaint resultedin the investigation.

attempted to attack an armycheckpoint.

The bomber was killed beforehe could detonate his bomb. This

was followed by militantattempts to infiltrate the city.

The army, backed by Frenchair power, then moved against

the Islamists.Earlier this year French

troops pushed Islamists out ofmuch of northern Mali butsporadic fighting has continued.

"The fighting is heavy and itis ongoing," Malian armyCaptModiboNamanTraore toldthe Reuters news agency, addingthat the army was in the processof "encircling" the militants.

At least one Malian soldier andtwo civilians were wounded inSaturday's fighting according tothe city's mayor.

But the number of casualtiesfollowing Sunday's fightingremains unknown.

The situation in Timbukturemains tense, reports the BBC'sThomas Fessy from Bamako.

The people of Timbuktu hadbarricaded themselves in theirhomes after a group of Islamistsinfiltrated a westernneighbourhood of the cityovernight, our correspondent says.

The French left the Malianarmy on the front line for hoursbefore they intervened andfinished the job, he adds.

Bassem Youssef

PAGE 33PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Karzai meets emir of Qatar for peace talks

Taliban disarmament has been the most pressing issue.

Hamid Karzai, the Afghanpresident, has met with theemir of Qatar to discuss

plans for the Taliban to open anoffice in the Gulf state.

He discussed "issues of mutualinterest" with Sheikh Hamad binKhalifa Al Thani, the state news

Asia andMiddle East

Men of the state emergency team at the mines in rescue efforts.

agency QNA said, withoutelaborating on the substanec oftheir talks. The meeting was alsoattended by the Qatari primeminister, Hamad bin Jassem AlThani.

Karzai arrived in Doha onSaturday and also met withAfghan and Arab officials andbusinessmen. The delegationtraveling with the Afghan

president includes ZalmaiRassoul,the foreign minister;SalahuddinRabbani, the head ofthe High Peace Council; andRanginDadfarSpanta, apresidential advisor.

Until earlier this year, Karzai wasstrongly opposed to the Talibanhaving a meeting venue outsideAfghanistan, but the US wanted theTaliban on the talking table as it

prepared to withdraw its troops fromAfghanistan in the next two years.

"If we want to have talks to bringpeace to Afghanistan, the main sidemust be the Afghan government'srepresentatives - the High PeaceCouncil, which has membersfrom all the country's ethnic andpolitical backgrounds," Faizisaid.

Kabul has repeatedly stressed

that it would only start talks ifthe fighters broke all links withal-Qaeda and gave up violence.

Faizi said any Taliban office inQatar must be held to strictconditions.

"It can only be an address wherethe armed opposition sit and talk tothe Afghanistan government," hesaid. "This office cannot be used forany other purposes."

Hope fades forChinese mine survivorsHopes were fast fading that Chinese search and rescue teams

would find survivors two days after a huge landslide crasheddown a Tibetan mountain, burying scores of mine workers.

About 3,500 rescuers were searching for survivors and 300 piecesof large machinery had been mobilised, state media reported early onSunday, with many workers said to be digging with their bare handswhile battling snow and altitude sickness.

A total of 82 miners remain trapped after one body was found onSaturday, almost 36 hours after the massive landslide buried theworkers under two million cubic metres of earth.

The disaster struck when a huge section of land tumbled onto amine workers' camp in Maizhokunggar county, east of the Tibetancapital, Lhasa, at 6:00am local time on Friday (22:00 GMT).

"The rescuers are conducting an inch-by-inch search, but they stillcannot locate the missing miners," said Wu Yingjie, deputy secretaryof the Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Partyof China, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Wu said that, given the scale of the disaster, the miners' survivalchances were slim.

Xinhua, citing its reporters, said that many workers were diggingwith their "bare hands" because damage to narrow local roads had keptmuch of the large-scale rescue machinery from getting to the site.

US naval ship finally removed from reef ten weeks after running aground, but Manila demandsfinancial compensation.

Philippines wants USpayment over reef damage

The Philippines haswelcomed the removal ofa US minesweeper that had

been stuck on a protected coral reeffor 10 weeks, but stressed thatcompensation must be paid for theenvironmental damage.

Salvage crews contracted by theUS navy on Saturday extracted thelast remaining piece of the USSGuardian from the Tubbataha reef,a UNESCO World Heritage site in aremote area of the Sulu Sea.

"We maintain there must beaccountability and we will enforceour existing laws," said HerminioColoma, a spokesman for presidentBenigno Aquino.

"We will adopt needed measuresto prevent a repetition (of theincident)," he said.

Initial investigation showed thatthe ship had damaged about 4,000square metres of the reef, famous

for its rich marine life that diverssay rivals that of Australia's GreatBarrier Reef.

Tubbataha is a protected marinepark under Philippine law, and is offlimits to any vessel unlesspermission is granted by parkauthorities. Fines can reach up to$585 for every square metre thathas been damaged, officials said.

While only a small portion of themarine park has been damaged, theincident has stoked nationalistsentiment and revived debate abouta controversial agreement thatallows a US military presence in thecountry.

The United States has repeatedlyapologised for the incident, but hasnot clearly explained why a navalvessel with state-of-the-artequipment ran aground in an areathat local officials said was clearlyvisible in any map.

North Korea in 'state of war' with South

North Korea has announced that it has entered a "state of war" withSouth Korea and would deal with every inter-Korean issueaccordingly.

"As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all mattersbetween the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol,"the North said in a joint statement attributed to all government bodiesand institutions.

"The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither atpeace nor at war is finally over."

The statement was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA).

The North threatened on Saturday to shut down a joint industrialcomplex with South Korea, state news agency KCNA reported, in thelatest warning from Pyongyang at a time of escalated tensions betweenthe two sides.

The threat from the state body in charge of the complex just north ofthe Korean border followed an announcement by the North on Wednesdaythat it was cutting its last military hotline with the South.

But an official from the South said the joint industrial complex, whichlies inside North Korea, was operating normally on Sunday despite theNorth's threat.

PAGE 34 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

NATO eyesmissile shieldprogress withRussia afterU.S. move

Pope Francis delivers Easter plea for peace

Maduro calls opposition heirs of HitlerInterim president Nicolas

Maduro, heir to the late HugoChavez, has attacked

supporters of his rival in the April14 presidential election as beingthe "heirs of Hitler."

The opposition, Maduro saidon Saturday, are the "heirs ofHitler" because they areconducting a campaign of"intolerance" by criticising thepresence of Cuban doctors inVenezuela and local artists thathave joined the Madurocampaign.

The leftist Chavez died onMarch 5 and his vice-president,Maduro, must now run for officein a special election to completethe late leader's term.

His rival is HenriqueCapriles, candidate of the

Europe andAmericas Francis used his "Urbi et Orbi"

address to call for peace inAfrica, Asia, the Middle East and

across the globe.He singled out "dear Syria", saying:

"How much blood has been shed! Andhow much suffering must there still bebefore a political solution is found?"

Easter is the most important festivalin the Christian calendar and pilgrimshave attended church across the world.

Pope Francis, formerly Buenos AiresArchbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, waselected on 13 March, becoming the firstnon-European pope for almost 1,300years.

He replaced Benedict XVI, who heldthe office for eight years and becamethe first pontiff in more than 700 yearsto resign, saying he no longer had thephysical strength to continue.

In his UrbietOrbi (To the city andthe world) speech, Pope Francis beganwith a simple "Happy Easter!"

The 76-year-old Pope, who hasbegun his tenure by emphasisinghumility, went on: "Christ has risen!What a joy it is for me to announce thismessage... I would like it to go out toevery house and every family,especially where the suffering isgreatest, in hospitals, in prisons."

Later in his speech, Pope Francissaid: "We ask the risen Jesus, whoturns death into life, to changehatred into love, vengeance intoforgiveness, war into peace."

The Pope then mentionedtroubled regions of the world in

NATO hopes a U.S. changeto global missile defenseswill dispel Russian concern and

foster cooperation on an issue that haslong strained relations, alliance DeputySecretary General AlexanderVershbow said in an interview.

Russia has said U.S. missile shieldplans could erode its nuclear deterrent.It has softened criticism sinceWashington announced on March 16that it would station 14 missileinterceptors in Alaska in response toNorth Korean nuclear threats and atthe same time forgo a new type ofinterceptor that would have beendeployed in Europe.

However, Moscow has said it wantsa series of consultations on the newshield set-up and U.S. and Russiandefense officials are expected to hold talkson that in the coming weeks.

Moscow has long been at odds withthe West over anti-missile defenses ithas begun to establish in Europe,which both the United States andNATO say are aimed at preventingany attack from Iran and pose no threatto old Cold War foe Russia.

"The change in the U.S. plans ...just simply makes the situation muchless ambiguous," Vershbow toldReuters. "There is now no reason forconcern that the system going intoEurope will have any effect whateveron Russia's strategic deterrent.

"We think there is a real window ofopportunity and we hope that theRussians seize it," said Vershbow, whohas held talks with senior officials fromthe Russian foreign and defenseministries as well as President VladimirPutin's Kremlin.

The skipped interceptors weremeant to be able to target long-rangemissiles, sparking concern inMoscow that they could be usedagainst its intercontinentalballistic missiles.

"On both the NATO-Russiaand U.S.-Russia tracks, we hopethe dialogue will pick up speed sothat we can get at least closer tosome kind of a deal on missiledefense cooperation," saidVershbow, a former U.S.ambassador to Russia.

"To the extent we are able tomake some progress on missiledefense, it might also facilitaterenewed dialogue on nuclear armsreductions both at the strategic leveland the non-strategic level." He saidbroader NATO-Russia ties would get "ashot in the arm" if progress was madeon missile shields.

Moscow has frequently said it isunlikely to go for further cuts in itsnuclear arsenal unless Washingtonsatisfactorily addresses its concernsabout the defense system Washingtonhas started to deploy in Europe incooperation with NATO partners.

Russia is also pushing to host ameeting of defense ministers of NATOand Russia in Moscow in May and somein Russia have expressed hope forprogress by then.

For Africa, the Pope referred toMali, Nigeria - "where attacks sadlycontinue" - the Democratic Republicof Congo and the Central AfricanRepublic.

He added: "Peace in Asia, aboveall on the Korean peninsula: maydisagreements be overcome and arenewed spirit of reconciliation grow."

Pope Francis concluded by saying:"Peace in the whole world, still dividedby greed looking for easy gain,

wounded by the selfishness whichthreatens human life and the family,selfishness that continues in humantrafficking, the most extensive formof slavery in this 21st Century."

Alan Johnston, says the Pope hasreinforced his image as a man ofsimple, down-to-earth tastes, notwearing the more ostentatious ofpapal costumes and, for the moment,not moving into the grandiose papalapartments.

Pope Francis has delivered a passionate plea for peace in his first Easter Sunday message sincebeing elected.

turn."Peace for the Middle East, andparticularly between Israelis andPalestinians, who struggle to findthe road of agreement, that theymay willingly and courageouslyresume negotiations to end a conflictthat has lasted all too long.

"Peace in Iraq, that every act ofviolence may end, and above all fordear Syria, for its people torn byconflict and for the many refugeeswho await help and comfort."

Henrique Capriles has accused the interim president of being acheap clone of late president Hugo Chavez [Reuters]

Texas district attorney third law official killed in weeks

Mike McLelland (2nd Right) answers questions at a press con-ference in January in Kaufman, Texas.

Kaufman Police Chief ChrisAulbaugh told the DallasMorning News: "It is a shock. Itwas a shock with Mark Hasse,and now you can just imaginethe double shock and until weknow what happened, I reallycan't confirm that it's related,but you always have to assumeuntil it's proven otherwise.''

The lead suspect in MrClement's shooting, EvanSpencer Ebel, died in a shootoutwith police in Decatur, around135km (85 miles) fromKaufman, on 21 March.

Ebel, 28, was a formerColorado prison inmate and waslinked to a white supremacistgroup in prison called the 211Crew.

Kaufman County districtattorney's office had been one of

several agencies involved in theinvestigation of two members ofanother white supremacistgroup on racketeering chargesearlier this year.

A district attorney has beenshot dead in Texas, thethird justice official to be

killed in the US in recent weeks.Mike McLelland and his wife

were found dead on Saturday inKaufman County. Kaufman'sAssistant District Attorney MarkHasse was killed in January.

Last week a suspect in thekilling of the head of Colorado'sdepartment of corrections died ina shootout with police in Texas.

Authorities are investigatingwhether any of the cases may belinked.

No arrests have been madeover Mr Hasse's killing but policeare reportedly looking into a linkbetween his death and the killingon 19 March of Colorado prisonschief Tom Clements.

Speaking of the latest killing,

unified opposition and theman the cancer-riddenChavez defeated in an Octobervote.

Capriles ran a positivecampaign against Chavez inOctober, even as the leftistpresident slammed him as apampered member of the "rancidoligarchy" taking orders fromWashington.

But with Chavez gone,Capriles, who is Catholic but hasJewish roots, is tearing intoMaduro, who he derides as a cheapChavez clone and a puppet ofHavan a .

A mid-March poll of 1,100people by the firm Hinterlacesshows Maduro with 53 percentsupport against 35 percent forCapriles.

Mr McLelland hadpreviously had a 23-year careerin the army, according thebiography on his website, andhad five children.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013 PAGE 35

World'shottest pizzais three timesstronger thanpolicepepper sprayIt's called the Saltdean

Sizzler, and according torecent tests performed by

the Warwick University, it'sthree times hotter than theworld's strongest chili and evenpolice pepper spray. Thatmakes it the spiciest pizza onEarth.

The world's hottest pizzawas created by Paul Brayshaw,of Paul's Pizza, in Saltdean,England, a self-confessed spicyfood fanatic and fan of the Manvs Food TV show. After openinghis own pizza place, Pauldecided to include a challengeon the menu, and staredworking on the hottest pizza hecould make. He used one of thestrongest chilies on the planet -the ghost chili - and spiced itup even more with a specialchili paste with chili extract.The 32-year-old father of twosays the Saltdean Sizzler startsout as a regular pizza, with a

Photo: NY Times video caption

Australian shop charges visitors $5 just for lookingTired of having people walk

into her gluten freeproduce store looking

around and asking questionsonly to leave empty-handed and

buy similar products somewhereelse, a business owner fromBrisbane, Australia, put up asign announcing would-beshoppers they will be charged a

homemade dough base,regular Italian tomato andherb sauce and freshmozzarella, but turns into aworld of pain after he adds hiskiller sauce. Apparently it evenchanges from a nice "red tomatocolor" to an "evil black/red".Ever since he put it on the menulast year, Paul has sold over1,300 Saltdean Sizzlers, butonly eight men and one womanhave managed to eat all sixslices of the 10-inch pizza.That's just 0.1% of challengers.

Word of the SaltdeanSizzler's hotness spread like wildfire, and Paul was evencontacted by the GuinnessBook of Records, who told himthat if it would score more than1 million units on the Scovillescale, it would be awarded thetitle of world's hottest pizza.After a series of tests, scientistsat Warwick University ratedBrayshaw's creation at over 3.2

million on the Scoville scale,which makes it three timesspicier than the world'sstrongest chili and policepepper spray. Paul himself hasonly been able to finish twoslices of his hot delicacy, andsays the after effects are muchworse than eating the pizza."There was no pleasure. Justpain. It was unbearable. I was

scared about swallowing it. Thepain subsided after 20 minutesbut then the relentlessstomach ache started. I wouldnever do it again. I would notwish it on anyone," said 28-year-old Christopher Barnard,one of the brave souls that daredtake on the Saltdean Sizzlerchallenge.

As spicy food fanatic Rob

House demonstrates in the videoabove, eating Paul's pizza iscertainly doable, but holding itdown is a completely differentmatter. If you're in the mood foreven more hotness, check outthe Atomic Burger and the RedDog Saloon's Viper Hot Wings.Caution, even reading aboutthem could burn a wholethrough your intestines.

$5 fee for "just looking".A photo of the notice in the

window of Celiac Supplies wentviral on popular social news siteReddit, this week. A lot of people

thought it was a joke, but reportersfrom the Australian Associated Presstracked down the owner of "Brisbane'sonly glutenfree and wheatfree store"who confirmed the measure was for

real. Apparently Georgina felt forcedto take radical action after spendingseveral hours each week giving adviceto people only to see them walk outempty handed and buying the samekind of products from localsupermarkets or online shops. "I've hada gut full of working and not gettingpaid," she told AAP. "I'm not here todispense a charity service for Coles andWoolworths to make more money."Her frustration is also fueled by thefact that in most cases her prices matchthose of larger supermarkets, butpeople still prefer to shop elsewherethinking they'd find them cheaper.As you can imagine, her $5 "justlooking" tax has turned some potentialcustomers away, but Georgina says afew have actually paid up.

"I can tell straight away who arethe rat bags who are going to come inhere and pick my brain anddisappear," Georgina says. The onlyupside to this showrooming-prevention fee is that people whoactually buy something arerefunded the initial $5. Still,experts believe this kind ofapproach will likely turnpotential customers away andaffect earnings.

Source: Brisbane Times

PAGE 36 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

TV time 'does not breedbadly behaved children'Spending hours watching

TV or playing computergames each day does not

harm young children's socialdevelopment, say experts.

The Medical ResearchCouncil (MRC) team whostudied more than 11,000primary school pupils says it iswrong to link bad behaviour toTV viewing.

Although researchers founda small correlation between thetwo, they say other influences,such as parenting styles, mostprobably explain the link.

But they still say "limitscreen time".

This cautionary advice isbecause spending lots of timein front of the TV every daymight reduce how much timea child spends doing otherimportant activities such asplaying with friends and doinghomework, they say.

US research suggestswatching TV in early childhoodcan cause attention problemsat the age of seven.

In the US, paediatricguidelines recommend thattotal screen time should be

Children may find it hard to talk about bullying

The study's lead author Dr Alison Parkes and Jane Gentle from Mumsnet discuss the findings

Social isolation 'increases death risk in older people'

Being cut off from friends and family and a support network posesa risk

Social isolation is associatedwith a higher risk of deathin older people regardless of

whether they consider themselveslonely, research suggests.

A study of 6,500 UK men andwomen aged over 52 found thatbeing isolated from family andfriends was linked with a 26%higher death risk over seven years.

Whether or not participants feltlonely did not alter the impact ofsocial isolation on health.

Age UK says cuts to services forolder people are compounding theproblem.

It is not the first time thatloneliness and social isolation hasbeen linked with poor health.

But researchers wanted to findout if it was the emotional aspect offeeling lonely that was having animpact or the reality of having littlesocial contact.

Those who were socially isolated- that is had little or no contact withfriends or family - were more likelyto be older and unmarried and havelong-standing illnesses limitingtheir mobility, such as lung diseaseand arthritis.

People who describedthemselves as feeling lonely weremore likely to be female and have awider range of health conditions,including depression.

Both social isolation and feelinglonely were associated with ahigher chance of death.

But after adjusting for factorssuch as underlying healthconditions, only social isolationremained important.

That risk did not change whenresearchers added in whether or notsomeone felt lonely in theirisolation.

Writing in the Proceedings of the

National Academy of Sciences, theresearchers said they weresurprised by their findings.

Study leader Prof AndrewSteptoe, director of the Institute ofEpidemiology and Health Care atUniversity College London, said:"Social connections can provideemotional support and warmthwhich is important but they alsoprovide things like advice, makingsure people take their medicationand provide support in helpingthem to do things.

"It would suggest that thosepractical aspects are quiteimportant for older people'ssurvival.

"There's been such an increasein people living alone. In the last 15years, the number of 55 to 64-year-olds living alone has increased by50%.

"And it might be that people in

those circumstances aren't lookingafter themselves so well."

Michelle Mitchell, directorgeneral at Age UK, said: "This studyshows more clearly than before that

being lonely and isolated is not onlymiserable, it is a real health risk,increasing the risk of early death."

Source: BBCNews.com

limited to less than two hoursof educational, non-violentprogrammes per day. Thereare currently no formalguidelines in the UK.

For the MRC study,published in Archives ofDiseases in Childhood, DrAlison Parkes and colleaguesasked UK mothers from allwalks of life to give detailsabout their child's TV viewinghabits and general behaviour.

Electronic entertainmentAlmost two-thirds (65%) of

the 11,014 five-year-oldsincluded in the study watchedTV between one and three hoursa day, 15% watched more thanthree hours and less than 2%watched no television at all.

Watching more than threehours' TV a day at this agepredicted a very small increasein "conduct" problems at the ageof seven.

After their seventhbirthday, these boys and girlswere slightly more likely to getinto fights, tell lies or be bulliesthan their peers, according totheir mothers' reports.

Time spent playing

computer games bore no suchrelationship.

And there was noassociation between TV or anyscreen time and other issuessuch as hyperactivity or

and social problems that welooked at and only a very smalleffect indeed for conductproblems, such as fighting orbullying.

"Our work suggests thatlimiting the amount of timechildren spend in front of theTV is, in itself, unlikely toimprove psychosocialadjustment."

She said interventionsfocusing on the familydynamic and the child weremore likely to make adifference and that much maydepend on what children arewatching and whether theywere supervised.

Sonia Livingstone,professor of social psychology,at the London School ofEconomics, said the findingswere a "good reason to ask whysome children spend so muchtime watching television".

Prof Annette Karmiloff-

Smith, of Birkbeck, Universityof London, said that ratherthan focusing on the possibleadverse effects of TV and videogames, it would be better tolook at what positive impactthey could have on children.

Prof Hugh Perry, chair ofthe MRC's neurosciences andmental health board, said: "Weare living in a world that isincreasingly dominated byelectronic entertainment, andparents are understandablyconcerned about the impactthis might be having on theirchildren's wellbeing andmental health.

"This important studysuggests the relationshipbetween TV and video gamesand health is complex andinfluenced by many othersocial and environmentalfactors."

Source: BBCNews.com

p r o b l e m si n t e r a c t i n gwith friends.

Dr Parkes,head of theMRC's socialand publich e a l t hsciences unitin Glasgow,said it waswrong toblame socialproblems onTV.

"We foundno effect withscreen timefor most oft h eb e h a v i o u r a l

PAGE 37PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

In a swift reaction tospeculation that he may bedefeated in the 2015 general

election, the Senator representingNiger East, 'Zone B' Senator DahiruAwaisu Kuta has said that he remainsunshakeable and can not beintimated by anybody in the countryand Niger state.

"For the age I am now, it is notpossible for me to say that anybody

2015: I can't be intimidated,Sen Kuta boastsFrom Iliya Garba, Minna can intimidate me, it is not possible.

I can not be intimidated, this is whatI have always said and I will alwaysbe ready to make peace.

Kuta in an interactive sessionwith Journalists yesterday at the IBBPen House Minna said that nobody issuperior to him in Niger State interms of politics as he has spent over32 years in the game.

According to him, "Niger statebelongs to all of us and I know that Ican not be intimidated. There is

nothing that I have not seen in politics.By April 16th this year, I will be 64years old, and out of which I havespent 32 years in politics and out ofthe 32 years, for 25 years I had beenin the opposition. I have always wonmy elections on the platform ofopposition throughout since 1982.

"So, I have seen a lot in life; I do notfear death; I do not fear anybody but Irespect people. I am not quarrellingwith anybody but I am saying that Ican not be intimidated by anybody

Leadership,the bane ofAPC, saysActivist

An Abuja based socialreform activist, DanielRichard, has said the All

Progressives Congress (APC) cannotfly because of its challenge ofleadership and mutual distrustamong its membership.

Explaining why APC will notpose a serious problem to the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, in 2015,Daniel Richards disclosed thatleadership problem stems from thefact that the Action Congress ofNigeria has already emerged as theprincipal partner in the mergerwhile Muhammadu Buhari'sCongress for Progressive Change,CPC and the All Nigerian PeoplesParty have been relegated to theposition of junior partners.

Addressing journalists in Abuja,Richards, who is very active inpolitics without belonging to any ofthe partisan political parties said theACN control has more electedmembers at federal and state level,more governors, more resources andgreater influence in APC with its logo(broom) dominating the adoptedlogo of the APC.

He maintained that in everypolitical arrangement, it is the groupthat has the wherewithal that callsthe shots and this might be theundoing of the new All PeoplesCongress. "I cannot see APC flyingbecause there is a serious leadershipissue. Who will lead? Is it the South-west group that is in the majority?The people that are calling the shotare the people that have thewherewithal to finance the party(APC), they are the South-westgroup.

"If you are going to APC todayyou are going as a junior partnerwherever you come from. If you arenot from the South-west and wantto be member of APC, you are a juniorpartner".

He declared that the party isdoomed ahead of 2015 because of thehistory and political summersaultsof the prime movers and leaders ofthe ACN since 1999. According tohim, ACN was Alliance forDemocracy, AD, in 1999 and in2003 they went into loosearrangements with the PDP. By2007 they have moved to ACN, in2011 they voted PDP duringpresidential election and now theyare in APC.

He observed that by the serialtransmutations of ACN it is reallydifficult for Nigerians to preciselysay what the party and its leadersstand for. "Any person who wantsto follow Tinubu has a problem asthis is the fourth time his party ischanging name since 1999", he said.

He described the APC, made upof parties from the North and South-west as Kangaroo, pointing out thatsince the June 12 election of 1993,the North has never gone intoelection as a group; a situation hesaid is seriously affecting the region.

By Lawrence Olaoye

Governor Babangida Aliyuof Niger recently urgedNigerians not to link

Islam with Boko Harm as “Islamabhors extremism in allaspects.”

Aliyu made the call at theopening ceremony of a three-day workshop of Chief Imams ofNorth Central Zone of thecountry in Minna.

“We all know that Islam is areligion of moderation andabhors extremism in allaspects,’’ he said.

Aliyu described a situationwhereby some people linked the“heinous activities” of BokoHaram to Islam as unfortunate.

He said that the activities ofthe sect negated the basicprinciples of Islam, stressingthat “Muslims do not attackanother religion in the name ofjihad.”

Gov. Aliyu, however,observed that many Muslimswere ignorant of the rudimentsof Islam because some parentshad abdicated theirresponsibility of teaching theirchildren the basic tenets of thereligion.

He added that schools nolonger encouraged moral orreligious education.

Aliyu advised the imams“to mould and reform thesociety through wisepreaching, sincere and honestadmonitions, spiritual adviceand community support at alltimes.

“You are entrusted with theguidance of everybody in thesociety; the leaders and the led,the rich and the poor, youngand the old, father and son,husband and wife, that you seeas servants of God.

“The imams should also bein the vanguard of mutualunderstanding betweenMuslims and non-Muslims;similarly, the imams shouldserve as guides to politicalleaders.

“They should reach out tothe youth, inspire them inpeaceful pursuits and teachthem the correctunderstanding of Islam, toavoid them resorting violence,”he said.

He also appealed to thegathering to advise thegovernment on whether theimams should be paidallowance or depend oncharity.

The governor, who said thatthe advice should also includethe method of selecting theimams and the location ofJuma’at Mosque within a

community, said the effort wasworth its salt to avoid conflict.

The Chairman, NigerLeague of Imam, SheikhIbrahim Fari, called for unityamong the Muslimcommunity to ensure betterunderstanding andadvancement of Islam and inthe interest of the largersociety.

He also called for adherenceto the true teaching of Islamictenets, obey the leaders andavoid abusing them for failureto tackle the problemsconfronting the country andits citizens.

The News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) reports that210 imams from Kwara, Kogi,Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue,FCT and the host state wereparticipating in the workshop.(NAN)

Do not link Boko haram with Islam, Gov Aliyu tells Nigerians

L-R: NewImo stateDeputyGovernor,EzeMadumere,beingcongratulatedby the stateGovernor,OwelleRochasOkorochaafter hisswearing inon Saturday,in Owerri.Photo: NAN

in this country not only Niger state.Furthermore, Senator Kuta who

is also the Chairman, SenateCommittee on Federal CharacterCommission, said "If my people say Ishould contest, I will and I will alsoask God. I have said it time withoutnumber that nobody is senior to mein politics in Niger state. It is notpossible for me to say 'NO when mypeople say GO'.

"As much as God gives me life,by the grace of God I will contest; Ihave never been interested ingovernorship but whatever it is thatI am contesting as a Senator, mypeople are confidently behind me."

PAGE 38 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

Your boss, GovernorKashim Shettima isone of the early

callers for dialogue withthe Boko Haram membersand declaration of amnestyfor them but some peoplefeel it will be an injustice togrant amnesty to BokoHaram given the spate ofkillings and destructions.What is your take on this?

When I was appointed byGovernor Kashim Shettima ayear ago, before I resumedoffice I went to him andrequested that he explains tome the logic behind hispioneering and strict call fordialogue. I was coming fromthe Niger Delta, covering theregion as a journalist andthere were issues there butafter the Governor explainedto me, I have come to realisethat dialogue is indeed thebest option for us if we needurgent solution. GovernorShettima believes in the threeDs approach to crisismanagement: Diplomacy,Defence and Dialogue andthese are usually appliedinterchangeably as effectiveand efficient strategies ofmanaging crisis such as whatwe are facing in Nigeriatoday. Governor Shettima hasregularly upheld inparticular diplomacy anddialogue because the soldiersalso say their guns are notmeant for fellow Nigeriansbut enemies of Nigeria.Shettima is always painedwhen anyone is killed, be itcivilian, soldiers, police orany of security officials aswell as when the sectmembers are killed becausethey are all Nigerians. Whenparents die, children areorphaned, women arewidowed and in most cases,hopes are dashed. TheGovernor had explainedpolitely to the President thatit is the job of government totrace the insurgents, unmaskthem and dialogue with them.Like he said, you must startdialogue with a step and youcan’t get everyone overnight. We have detainees,some of them can beapproached; a leader inauthority can choose a goodtime in order to see any highprofile detainee to interactwith him, speak to hisemotions. It all depends onhow much one is passionateabout solving the issues andhow much one even tries to

understand the problem.Leaders around the world, Ipresume do a lot of talksunderground that we don’tget to know; there arenegotiations here and there.As bad as the U.S invasion ofIraq could be seen, theycouldn’t have succeeded inpenetrating the countrywithout possibly workingwith some people in Iraq. Thatthe U.S does not necessarilyshare their views on manyissues be it religion or politics;we hear some world leadersvisiting war fronts, they mayactually be there for tacticalnegotiations that don’t getreported by the press becausethey may be done in highlevel secrecy. A world leadermay meet a ‘high profileenemy’ in captivity one onone and put some cards on thetable and tell him, look, youare in our hands, we want toachieve this, we need yourhelp and this is what youstand to get and this is howwe think you can help us. Theleader has to take charge,initiate and control theprocess and this is what I havelearnt from GovernorShettima; the man is just tootactical. He fully understandsthe peace process; it is justthat he doesn’t have the

powers to get everythingdone, only the President canseal the process however onetries.

But some people arearguing that when it will bean injustice to pardonsomeone or a group thathas killed so many peopleand is still killing morewithout showing remorseor being reachable...

(...Cuts in), I even read onearticle by former Minister ofAviation, Femi Fani Kayode,insisting that crackdown isthe best way; a sort of eye foran eye but with due respect, I

think Kayode and some otherswith his kind of views have somuch to study on the dialogueand amnesty beingchampioned especially theposition of Governor Shettimaand other eminent Nigeriansbecause there is logic in whathe explained to me and tomany people. Now, a lot ofpersons and groups, includingChief Kayode are looking atthe amnesty issue from justone point of view, that is theview of forgiving if you like tosay, an unrepentant killer.But Governor Shettima islooking at the amnesty as apsychological strategy thatwill open doors for dialogue.When a person kills one, hekills many in an attempt notto get caught but when youcreate an opening for a sort offreedom, you spare the livesof those he would have killedin an attempt to be safe. If youhave an area dominated bycertain groups of people whofeel unsafe for being or doingx-y, the groups are likely toattack any strange face theysee around the area based onsuspicion arising from fearthat the stranger is there tocompromise their safety butwhen these people have somehope of freedom, theirtendency to attack a strangeface is reduced because theactual motive behind thatwould have been addressed. Inaddition to that, you cannever round up negotiation soeasily, you go in rigid butflexible at the same time; yougo in with a clear objective,passion, open heart andimportantly, strongdetermination and tact. Youget experts to negotiate foryou if you are not good at itbut you require sincerecommitment to agreements

Why Governor Shettima preachesdialogue with insurgents, by SpokesmanIsa Umar Gusau is Special Adviser on Communications to Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State. Inthis interview, Gusau explains the governor’s message of dialogue and the need to consider amnesty for theinsurgents as a way of addressing the violence the Boko Haram sect perpetrates in the region. Excerpts:

reached if you want to achievesomething sustainable.

Even in the negotiations,we hear or read betweenlabour and government. Theyare never easy because partiessometimes go into negotiationswith impossible demands;sometimes with the intentionof meeting a far lesserobjective. For instance theNLC can tell the FederalGovernment it needsN100,000 as minimum wagefor workers whereas the NLC’starget is 20,000. That is hownegotiation takes place; onlya fool goes into negotiation,pronouncing an easyobjective, you normallyinflate your needs, you don’tknow what the other party iscoming up with. You probablyremember how in 2011,Hamas negotiated thefreedom of 1,000 Palestiniansto free one Isreali solider intheir hands. Some people sawthe Isrealis as crazy but I thinkbeside concern for theircitizen, the Israelisgovernment wanted apsychological warfare tocreate a sort of value for theirsoldiers and make thePalestinians fear the soldiers.You know ‘if they can release1000 of us for one soldier, thentheir soldiers must have somesort of mysterious fightingskills’ but all the same it was avictory for Hamas. I am notan expert in conflictresolution, but I know thatnegotiations take differentforms. Let me give you anexample: based on some mediareports and as someone thatcovered the Niger Delta as ajournalist and interacted withdifferent researchers on thesubject matter, when the latePresident Umaru MusaYar’adua declared amnesty forNiger Delta militantssometimes in June, 2009,there was no full negotiationwith some of the leaders of themilitant organisations. AlhajiAsari Dokubo for instance,whom I have met alongsideother journalists andinterviewed on three occasionsin Port Harcourt, confirmed tome even as recent as 2012,that he did not and will neveraccept the whole amnestyissue because according tohim, he didn’t commit anycrime and he believes thatonly criminals are grantedamnesty. Dokubo even went tocourt challenging the

“Governor Shettima is looking at theamnesty as a psychological strategy

that will open doors for dialogue.When a person kills one, he kills

many in an attempt not to get caughtbut when you create an opening for asort of freedom, you spare the livesof those he would have killed in an

attempt to be safeContiuned on page 40

Governor Kashim Shettima

PAGE 40 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

Why Governor Shettima preachesdialogue with insurgents, by Spokesman

Contiuned from page 38

Isa Umar Gusau

“Everyday, Governor Shettimaexplores ways of establishingnew form of communication toachieve his objective. He is verydetermined and he reaches out

to the lowest category of personsor group the moment he hears of

an opening

country to preach themessage of peace andtolerance.

The lawmaker, who notedthat the frequent disturbancesin the country are avoidabledistractions, pointed out thatthe resurrection of JesusChrist remained the ultimatedemonstration of victory over

adversity .He said “As a teacher,

Jesus Christ of Nazarethtravelled far from place toplace, preaching about Godand how people can learn toforgive and live together inpeace and harmony.Through his faith, he madethe sick healthy again, the

Easter: Rep enjoins political, spiritual leaders to preach peaceBy Lawrence Olaoye

A member of the House ofRepresentatives, RepOlusegun Dokun

Odebunmi, representingSurulere/Ogo-Oluwa FederalConstituency has called onthe nation’s spiritual andpolit ical leaders in the

blind see, the deaf hear, andthe multitude satisf ied. Hegave hope to those who hadgiven up. It must beemphasized that the frequentdisturbances in our countryare avoidable distractions.

“Therefore, in the interestof peace and love, which is apre-requisite for good

governance, economicgrowth, industrial peace andharmony as well as the generalwell-being of Nigerians, we callupon leaders at all levels acrossreligious boundaries, to enjointheir followers to be bearers ofthe message of peace in theirutterances andactions,”Odebunmi urged.

amnesty itself. But I think heis only being clever by halfbecause he left the creeksalong with his boys, laid downhis arms and started walkingfreely only after the amnestyproclamation. Today he issometimes a guest in Aso rock;he was even a member ofFederal Governmentdelegation to Hajj two yearsago. Probably, Dokubo wasjust looking for a smart wayout as a sort of image controlmaybe based on the wardrums he had beaten before.

The fact is that withoutfoot soldiers, there is nocommander. When Yar’aduadeclared amnesty, it was thegroup of foot soldiers, theyoung frontline armscarriers, not the commandersthat started coming out tocommit to freedom obviouslybecause some of them weretired of moving from one creekto another to hide. Some ofthem simply took risks andcame out perhaps becauseremaining in their hideoutswas not any better and thecommanders, may be,smartly came out because youcannot lead where there is noflock. The amnesty madethem to lose frontline men sothey had to join. Some peopletalk of money, I can bet youthat militants and theircollaborators were makingfar, far more during themilitancy era. Some of themprobably didn’t want that erato end. Those who didn’t makeenough or those who alwayswant more, regardless what iswrong about the money ismade. I also remember thatChief Ateke Tom onlyaccepted the amnesty somehours to the deadline.President Yar’adua had comeup with a date in October,2009, as the deadline andanyone who didn’t come outthen was to be regarded as acriminal. So, many footsoldiers kept trooping out andas a commander even if onedid not actually determinethe ‘surrender’ of the his footsoldiers to drop their arms foramnesty, because the

commander is the one inposition to sit down fornegotiation with governmentofficials, he naturally takesthe credit, claim anexaggerated control and eveninflate the figures of his menfor whatever motive. So, theamnesty Governor KashimShettima wants is that whichwould open doors for sinceredialogue that will guaranteean immediate andsustainable peace and notsome blind optimism.

But Governor Shettimawas said to have met withsome commanders of thesect members in 2012 fornegotiations that hit thebrick wall and another onethat resulted into a ceasefire declaration by a factionof the sect all of which havenot produced results, howdo you reconcile that?

First of all , I have nocomment as to whether or notthe governor held meetingswith anyone in the first place,but what I do know is that thegovernor has been working soseverely hard to end theinsurgency by way ofdialogue. Everyday,Governor Shettima exploresways of establishing new formof communication to achievehis objective. He is verydetermined and he reachesout to the lowest category ofpersons or group the momenthe hears of an opening. Morethan any other thing,Governor Shettima isdesperate about ending the

insurgency by way ofdialogue because he believesit is the best way out and likeI said, dialogue especially thetype the Governor is lookingforward to is not an easy taskand he knows andunderstands that very well.

The President who hasthe powers to declare theamnesty has foreclosedthe negotiation rightbefore the Governor in

Maiduguri, doesn’t thatend the Governor’sobjective?

No, it doesn’t it. In fact, itonly rekindles the Governor’sspirit to be more determined;at least having heard fromthe President, he now knowswhere to press the buttons.Let me also say that for us, wedo not see it that way that thePresident has forecloseddiscussions, not at all. ThePresident is human, he is ademocrat, he is leadingNigerians and Nigerians canchoose how they want him tolead especially on certainissues. So the debates are goingon; we are beginning to seemore people keying into theGovernor’s call of dialogue. Ifyou assess the oppositedebates, those against dialogueand amnesty have onlymaintained a particularnumber but there is a risealmost every day on thoseseeing the need for amnestyand i think the number willcontinue to grow and we willgain the right momentum. Ibelieve the President will be

decisive when he sees thenumbers climbing. The fact isthat guerrilla warfare is notsomething you combat easily;even if you win by militarytactics, the price may be toomuch to pay for that victorybecause so many moreinnocent souls would be lost tocross fires and that is whatGovernor Shettima and manyother well meaning Nigerianswant to prevent by theirshared logic.

There was this repeatedcall for the President to visitBorno, now he went, whathas the State benefitted?

The current debate fordialogue and the climbingnumbers of those supportingthe amnesty is one big benefitbecause before the visit,Asiwaju Bola Tinubu andmany others didn’t openlysupport the amnesty. Thedebate was not set, the debatecame up after the Presidentialvisit and even though thePresident merely re-echoedwhat he had said, it became anagenda when he pronounced itat the affected States of Bornoand Yobe. Then, we areexpecting other materialbenefits from the Presidentbased on his promises on theissue of education,employment creation,agriculture throughenhancing irrigation byincreased commitment onrecharging the Chad basin.The President was in Bornowith Ministers of Works,Education, Water, Agricultureand Finance, I don’t think hejust went with them for noreason, I think they hadreasons for being there.Remember also that the focusof the Governor’s wellarticulated speech wasprimarily on security, roads,education and irrigationagriculture and affectedministers were all there. I amsure the President and hisentourage have copies of theGovernor’s submission, so weare waiting impatiently, Imust say, for the President’saction to complement themany good efforts of the stategovernment and better thelives of Borno citizens.

PAGE 39PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

1.0 BackgroundThe Federal Government of Nigeria has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost ofimplementing Public Sector Governance Reform and Development Project, and intends to apply partof the proceeds for consultant services in Kebbi State as one of the participating States implementingthe project. The overall objective of the project is to "improve transparency, accountability qualityin public financial management and human resource management systems with a view tostrengthen governance in participating States".The major statutory and administrative instruments governing the conduct of Public FinancialManagement (PFM) in Kebbi State, including the enabling regulations and manuals have, over theyears, become outdated and were premised on a paper - based accounting system. In many respects,their provisions while proving generally inadequate in ensuring accountability and transparency inthe conduct of government business, appear also grossly outdated and out of tune with the realities ofmodern governance. A Bill for the repeal of Public Finance (Control and Management) Law, enactedin 1958 that is now applicable and governing PFM system in Kebbi State and for matters connectedtherewith has been proposed for enactment by Kebbi State House of Assembly.The need to review and address these inadequacies has therefore given rise to the urgent need forKebbi State Government to develop and pass modern PFM Law and put in place regulations andmanuals for effective implementation.

2.0 ObjectiveThis is a Request for a Proposal (RFP) from consultants to provide professional support in the reviewand re-codification of extant public finance documents and legislation in the initial process ofdeveloping organic public finance legislation in Kebbi State.The Finance (Control and Management) Law will specify roles and responsibilities for managingpublic funds, set out the control environment, provide framework for financial reporting and auditing.

3.0 Scope of ServicesThe Consultant's specific assignments are:PFM Specialist (Lead Consultant)a) Work closely with the State Steering Committee as the Activity Executing Agency (AEA) andState Project Coordinator to ensure the successful implementation of the public finance managementlegislation component as outlined in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD) and ProjectImplementation Manual (PIM);b) Conduct a comprehensive review of all existing frameworks and statutory provisions that currentlygovern the conduct of financial administration and management in Kebbi State public service. Theseinclude but definitely not limited to: the Public Finance (Control & Management) Law; Audit Law,Financial Regulations, Stores Regulations, Treasury Circulars, etc., and similar PFM Laws of theother countries;c) Examine current Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) initiatives such as the Fiscal ResponsibilityLaw and the Public Procurement Act, Bill for the amendment of the Finance (Control and Management)Act, Cap 144 LFN 1990 and for matters connected therewith and Audit Bill with a view to adaptingit to the needs and context of Kebbi State. Review of PFM Laws of other countries is also required.d) Provide a detailed profile of the identified weaknesses and gaps in the current statutory andadministrative procedures governing the conduct of financial and fiscal operations of Kebbi StateGovernment.e) As much as possible, situate identified initiatives within the context of national and internationalbest practices in public finance management, bearing in mind, of course, their adaptability within,and relevance to the context of the Kebbi State public service.f) Build consensus through wide-scale interaction with the various stakeholders on the need forspecific reviews of existing financial and fiscal regulations and procedures in Kebbi State. Thesestakeholders include members of the Executive arm, Kebbi State House of Assembly the legislativearm of government, Judiciary of Kebbi State as well as non-state actors and the public.g) Prepare a detailed report of proposed reviews - including regulations, statutory provisions, andprocesses, which have earlier been discussed with the stakeholders.h) Any other duties or processes associated with the implementation of public finance managementlegislation component of the project and the achievement of project objectives.Legal Experta) Work closely with the public finance management consultant to ensure the successfulimplementation of the public finance management legislation component as outlined in the ProjectAppraisal Document (PAD) and Project Implementation Manual (PIM);b) Review existing financial laws, regulations and other instrumentsc) Draft an organic public finance law, and related statutory organs, which reflects the findings ofthe review, and the requirements of fiscal responsibility and transparency.d) Participate as key resource person in seminars designed to sensitize members of the Ministry ofFinance, Kebbi State House of Assembly, Kebbi State Executive Council, and other stakeholders oncontent of the draft Kebbi State Public Finance (Control and Management) Bill.e) Revise and produce a final draft of the Public Finance (Control and Management) Bill, based onfeedback from key stakeholders.f) Production of final component implementation completion report;g) Any other duties or processes associated with implementation of Public Finance (Control and

KEBBI STATE OF NIGERIA

Management) legislation component of the project and the achievement of Project objectives.

4.0 Expected Output (Deliverables)a) Within five days of starting the assignment, a timetable and approach to conducting the assignment.b) A detailed report of proposed areas for review; the recommended reviews, and any other newinitiatives necessary to bring public financial management legal and regulatory framework in linewith trends realities and challenges of State governance in today's Nigeria.c) Report on stakeholder consultative workshopsd) A (i) revised draft Public Finance (Control and Management) Bill; (ii) Financial Regulations;(iii) Treasury Circulars, (iv) Budget Bill, and (iv) Audit Bill that has been sufficiently discussed bythe various stakeholders in the State for submission to the KEBBI State Executive Council.e) Dissemination workshop reports

5.0 Minimum QualificationPFM Specialist (Lead Consultant)a) A degree in economics (specialising in public finance) or accounting;b) A reputable Professional Accountant with considerable experience in public sector accounting,financial management and auditing;c) Vast knowledge of the Nigerian public sector;d) Demonstrable experience in public sector budgeting, accounting and financial managementreforms in Nigeria or elsewhere;e) Strong ICT skills and infrastructure;Legal Experta) At least LL.B or its equivalent in Legal Studies with Minimum 15 years of related workexperience.b) Demonstrated experience with Nigerian legal systems prior experience in public sector reformsis mandatory.c) Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.d) Comfortable working in pressured environment with capacity to deliver high quality outputs andresults to tight deadlines

6.0 ReportingThe Consultant will report to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance (MoF) for and on behalfof the Chairman State Steering Committee on PSGR&DP. The State Steering Committee howeverhas the overall supervisory responsibility for the project.

7.0 Duration of ConsultancyThe Consultancy shall be for a period of 12 months, on a time-based contract.

8.0 Client ContributionThe client will provide temporary office accommodation, as may be available, to the consultant forthe duration of the assignment.Selection methodQuality-Cost Based Selection (QCBS)Cost estimate240,000 USD (or less)Payment schedule(i) 20% of the contract sum upon receipt of an inception report;(ii) 40% upon receipt of draft report, and(iii) 40% upon receipt of final report.Interested consulting firms are to submit proposals addressed to:Chairman,State Steering Committee,Public Sector Governance Reform & Development Project,Ministry of Finance,Gwadangwaji Secretariat,BIRNIN KEBBI.KEBBI STATE.The proposal should reach the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance on or beforethe 30th April 2013.RESERVATIONS, REJECTION OF RESPONSEThe Government of Kebbi State reserves the right to reject any proposal submitted in response to thisadvertisement without assigning any reasons thereto.

ALHAJI UMAR F. BAKOPermanent Secretary Finance, for and on behalf of

Chairman,Kebbi State Steering Committee,

Public Sector Governance Reform & Development Project.Birnin Kebbi.

Kebbi State Public Sector Governance Reform And Development ProjectIda Financing 4667-ng

State Steering Committee, Ministry Of FinanceGwadangwaji Secretariat

Birnin Kebbi

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR PUBLIC FINANCE SPECIALISTAND LEGAL EXPERT FOR PUBLIC FINANCE LEGISLATION TERMS OF

REFERENCE (TOR)

PAGE 41PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Aminu Umar, Golden Boot winner

Sunday Mba

Though the Flying Eagles failed to retain the African YouthChampionship trophy, Aminu Umar retained the Golden Bootas he emerged the Goal King of the 2013 AYC tournament

after Saturday’s final in Oran, Algeria.He takes over from compatriot Uche Nwafor, who also fired four

goals as Nigeria won a sixth AYC title two years ago in South Africa.The Wikki Tourists striker scored four goals in as many matches

to finish as top scorer in the biennial championship.He fired a brace against DR Congo and then another double in a

third-place match against Mali on Friday.Aminu’s closest rivals for the Goal King award were Egypt’s Hamid

Mahmoud and Ebenezer Assifuah, who both finished on three goalsapiece after they failed to add to their tally in Saturday’s final.

Flying Eagles skipper Abduljaleel Ajagun scored twice from thepenalty spot.

Meanwhile, the junior Eagles have escaped the ‘Group of Death’at the 2013 U-20 World Cup after they were drawn with Portugaland Cuba and Korea Republic in Group B.

The final draw for the World Cup was staged in Oran, Algeria,Saturday night after the AYC final between Egypt and Ghana.

Nigeria will open their campaign on June 21 against Portugal inKayseri, while their other match dates are June 24 against Cubaalso in Kayseri and then on July 27 against Korea Republic inIstanbul .

Ghana, beaten AYC finalists by Egypt, will be in the ‘Group ofDeath’ along with Spain, USA and France. Fourth-placed Mali arein Group D with Mexico, Greece and Paraguay.

Newly crowned African champions Egypt are in Group E alongwith England, Chile and Iraq. The 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup kicksoff on June 21 in Turkey to end on July 13.

Defending champions Brazil and one of the most successful teamsin this tournament, Argentina, failed to qualify for this year’s editionof the competition.

Rangers are likely torespond within 72 hoursto Warri Wolves’ N12m

prize tag placed on the neck ofAFCON hero Sunday Mba.

Wolves opted to impose thetransfer fee on the playerfollowing the directive from thecommittee set up by the NFFthat both agree on a transfer feeor be forced to accept whateveramount the NFF deemnecessary for the player’stransfer fee.

Wolves, who throughavailable record are the rightfulowners of the player, hadfollowing the ultimatum giventhem adduced the amount butRangers, which the player wants

to play for are expected torespond before Wednesday.

The Nigeria FootballFederation had given both clubstill Thursday to decide on thetransfer fee of the player andresolve the issues surroundinghis return to club football.

“Warri Wolves havedemanded for a N12 milliontransfer fee. We would look attheir request and let them knowwhat we can offer, then whenwe agree we get back to theNFF,” declared Foster Chime,the spokes person of Rangers.

Mba will set a new transferrecord in the Nigeria domesticleague if he eventually goes toRangers for a double figure.

Rangers ponder WarriWolves N12m tag on Mba

Paul Hamilton, a formerHead Coach of the SuperFalcons, has called for

adequate sponsorship of theNigeria Women ProfessionalLeague (NWPL), for thecountry’s female football toyield better results.

Hamilton, who made the callin Lagos, said that only adequatesponsorship from corporateorganisations can ensure thesustenance of the league.

The coach said that the slowpace of development in femalefootball in the country was dueto poor league sponsorship.

According to him, thestability of the league has adirect relationship with theperformance of the nationalfemale teams in internationalt o u r n a m e n t s .

“We have discussed in the pastthat the sponsorship of the NigeriaWomen Premier League is poor; Ieven salute the players for theirperformance in some of thetournaments I attended,’’ he said.

Hamilton noted that theinability of some league matchesto hold as scheduled was due tothe failure of some teams to show

up because of lack of money totravel to honour their awaym a t c h e s .

“Many of them could nothonour their away matches dueto lack of money to travel, butwith sponsors, the teams wouldbe buoyant enough to honoursuch matches.

“In short, praise the girls whoplay the league because I do notknow the source of theirstrength. At the moment, theydo not have sponsors.

“Their appearance atinternational matches itself isworth celebrating because theleague has not received theneeded support,’’ he said.

According to Hamilton, goodsponsorship would ensure anuninterrupted league, which hesaid, would invariably positionthe country at the top inwomen’s internationalcompetit ions.

He then urged thegovernment, corporateorganisations and public-spirited individuals to intervenein women’s football, to enable ityield better results for thec o u n t r y .

Hamilton calls for adequatesponsorship for NWPL

Aminu consoles Nigeriawith AYC Golden Boot

Eric Ofori Antwi won the Fair Play Award in the finalmatchGhana U20 goalkeeper Eric Ofori Antwi won aconsolation Fair Play Award in the African Youth

Championship final against Egypt on Saturday.The shot-stopper was beaten during the penalty shoot-outs as the

Black Satellites lost 5-4 at the Ahmed Zabana Stadium in Oran,A l g e r i a .

The award was his second after being adjudged Man-of-the-Matchin the semi-final victory over Mali also on penalties.

Antwi will maintain his first choice position for the 2013 FIFAU20 World Cup in Turkey. The Black Satellites are in a Group ofDeath comprising France, Spain and USA.

…Ghana’s Antwi winsAYC final match Fair PlayThe present crop of the

Flying Eagles will not giveeffective representation at

the FIFA U-20 WorldChampionship in Turkey inJune unless they areoverhauled, according formerJunior Eagles coach, TundeDisu.

The junior Eagles weredefeated 2-0 in semi-final by theYoung Pharoahs of Eypt whowent on to beat the BlackSatelittes of Ghana in the finalto emerge the new African YouthChampionship champions.

Though the Flying Eaglesavenged their 0-1 loss to theJunior Eagles of Mali that haddefeated them in the openinggroup game by handling them2-1 win to clinch the bronze, Disuwas unimpressed with the

overall performance of thesquad.

“This team won’t do well at theWorld Cup if we’re to assess themwith the standard exhibited atthe Africa Youth Championship.It’s a far cry of a standardexpected from the title holders.

“The World Cup is anotherkettle of fish compared with theAfrican tourney. The WorldCup is more professional whereyou meet teams that aretactically and technicallysound. The antidote I wouldproffer to avert anembarrassing World Cup outingis thorough overhaul of theteam.

“The coach must scout for newplayers who are intelligent,skilful, technical and tactical. Inaddition, he must carry out an

in-house cleansing of the playersin his fold.

“I saw a technically andtactically deficient side at theAfrica Youth Championship. Thestandards displayed were notchampions’ stuff. The positivesare the side’s qualification forthe World Cup and sweetrevenge against the Malians.

“The team must go back towork upon return to Nigeriafrom the AYC and work fast, too.We may come up with a side whocan challenge at the WorldCup,” said the former NigeriaFootball Federation technicaldirector.

The Flying Eagles will play inGroup B alongside KoreaRepublic, Portugal and Cubawith the opening game beingagainst Portugal.

Disu urges FlyingEagles overhaul

Edafe Egbedi, Flying Eagles

PAGE 42 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Bayelsa state’s male andfemale beach volleyballteams have won their

first games at the secondedition of the SamsungElectronics Male and FemaleBeach VolleyballChampionship.

The male team defeatedAkwa Ibom 20-18, 20-17 toearn a 2-0 victory over theiropponents, while the femaleteam thrashed their Enugustate counterparts 21- 14, 21-9 to also record a 2-0 victory inits opening match.

The championship whichkicked off on March 29 withgames holding daily from 9 a.mto 6 p.m at the Jabi Lake Damin Abuja ended yesterday.

In the other matches playedin the male category, NigeriaImmigration Service (NIS)defeated Nigeria Army 2-0while Ondo state beat Katsinastate 2-0.

Kogi and Nigeria Prisons bothhad 2-0 wins after theiropponents, Urban ShelterSchool and Kano staterespectively, were absent.

In the other matches in thefemale category, NIS defeatedOndo state 2-0 while Delta StateUniversity (DELSU) defeatedKatsina state. Yobe state alsobeat their Niger counterparts2-0 in the female category.Serena Williams with Sony Open trophy

Nigeria BeachVolleyball team inaction

Musa Nimrod, Chairmanof the Beach VolleyballCommission of the

Nigeria Volleyball Federation(NVBF), says the federationhopes to appear at the 2016Olympic Games.

Nimrod’s optimism is borneout of what he terms ‘a fast-paced level of development of thegame’ in Nigerian in recenttimes.

“Beach volleyball is movingvery fast in Nigeria, and itshould now aspire to the nextlevel, which is for us to be at the2016 Olympic Games in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil,’’ he said.

The NVBF board member saidNigeria’s fast rate ofdevelopment in the game ismanifested in its position on thecontinent and the country’squalification for many worldchampionships.

“We are number two in Africacurrently, and no Africancountry has produced as muchas the number of under-ageteams we have produced inrecent times.

“We have teams in the under-19 and under-21 categories, andthis is why we qualified last yearfor the World YouthChampionship on Cyprus andthe World JuniorChampionship in Canada,’’ he

said.Nimrod said the Nigerian

senior team was also at theAfrican championship last yearin Mauritius, finishing behindSouth Africa and Angola.

“We really have good teams,as we have recorded lots ofachievements over the years.We, however, hope to have lotsof competitions and otherprogrammes to complementthis, for us to appear at the RioGames,’’ he said.

The NVBF Beach VolleyballCommission chairman saidthe game had been furtherhelped by its sponsorship bySamsung Electronics Nigeria.

“Samsung’s sponsorship iswonderful, and it has made thegame here to be at a high-level, and we are indeedgrateful to the company,’’ hesaid.

Nimrod pointed at thecompany’s sponsorship packagefor the second edition of theSamsung Electronics Male andFemale Beach VolleyballChampionship to buttress hispoint.

“Samsung’s sponsorship isgreat, and it has put thecompetition at par with the likesof those popular competitions wehave worldwide.

“For example, the Monte Carlo

event winners go with 2,000 U.Sdollars, while the Samsungevent in Abuja here hasN150,000 for the winners,’’ hesaid.

NAN reports that thechampionship which will takeplace at the Jabi Lake Dam inAbuja, is holding from March 29to March 31 from 9 a.m to 6 p.mdaily.

Nigerian beach volleyball targets Rio 2016 Olympics appearanceIt has a cash prize of N800,000

as well as Samsung productssuch as air conditioners, GSMphones and television sets, as giftitems.

Winners in the male andfemale categories will go homewith cash prizes of N150,000each, while the first runners-upwill get N120,000 each andsecond runners-up, N100,000

each.Fourth-placed teams will also

receive N30,000 each, while allthe participating teams willreceive accommodationsubsidies.

No fewer than 20 teamsparticipated in the three-daychampionship 12 of which wereon hand at the openingceremony on Friday.

Nigeria Beach Volleyball team in action

After beating Maria Sharapova for the 11 times in a row at theSony Opens in Miami and leads their overall rivalry 12-2,Serena Williams has turned attention to the French Open.

THe American says she will begins her clay-court preparationsfor defending the French Open title even as Sharapova fifth timeslosing finalist of the Sony Open in Miami remains a fierce contestantfor the French Open trophy.

In yesterday’s World No 2 Sharapova led by a set and a breakbefore world No 1 Serena battled back to capture the final 10 gameson her way to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory in the WTA Miami hardcourtf inal .

“My goal is to win a match at Roland Garros this year, take it oneat a time. I love the French Open. I love the clay. I love sliding.Hopefully I can just keep winning matches on clay,” Williams said.

Williams, who had shared the all-time Miami women’s title markwith Steffi Graf, won the last 10 games in adding to a trophy haulthat included crowns in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008 andrunner-up efforts in 1999 and 2009. “It’s so good to win No 6. Startof the tournament, I definitely didn’t feel like I would be here, notwith the way I was playing. But it definitely feels good to go througheverything,” Williams said.

Williams became only the fourth woman in the modern era towin the same event six times, joining Graf, Chris Evert and MartinaN a v r a t i l o v a .

Williams, a 15-time Grand Slam singles champion, also becamethe oldest women’s champion in Miami history, four months olderthan Evert when the legend won here in 1986 at 31 years and twomonths of age.

Williams will begin her clay season next week at Charleston, butunlike Sharapova she is not talking about taking the French Opentrophy just yet. Four-time Grand Slam title winner Sharapovahad won 11 matches in a row without dropping a set since losing toWilliams in a Doha semifinal, including a title earlier this monthat Indian Wells.

Sharapova missed a chance to match Graf and Kim Clijsters asthe only women to win at Indian Wells and Miami in the same year.

But after running off 11 match wins in a row overall before theloss, including a victory at Indian Wells without Williams in thefield, Sharapova has greater confidence in her game and herchances to defend at Roland Garros.

She had hoped to collect a first Miami crown but was pleased thatshe took a set off Williams for the first time since the 2008quarterfinals on clay in Charleston, South Carolina.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova, 25, is a semifinalloser at the Australian Open, Indian Wells champion and Miamirunner-up this year just as she was in 2006 when she won her onlyUS Open title.

The $8.5 million hardcourt event, which also includes an ATPMasters tournament, concludes early this morning with Britain’sAndy Murray and Spaniard David Ferrer battling in the men’s final.

Serena focuses on French Open afteredging Sharapova for 6th Miami title

TeamBayelsa winsmale, femaleBeach V’balltourney

PAGE 43PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

The FA Cup quarterfinals replay betweenManchester United and Chelsea will be decidedtoday at the Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea fought hard to draw level 2-2 in the firstgame to force a replay.

Both sides were in Premier League action onSaturday, giving them little time to prepare for anencounter that carries with it the tantalising prize ofa semifinal date with Manchester City at WembleyStadium.

United manager Alex Ferguson made severalchanges for his side’s 1-0 win at Sunderland, withWayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs amongthe players omitted from the squad altogether.

Despite United’s reputation for endurance in themajor competitions, centre-back Jonny Evans admitsit is something of a novelty to play two games in suchquick succession.

Ferguson is desperate to see United end their nine-year wait for FA Cup glory, having seen his sidebeaten 1-0 by Chelsea in 2007 in their last appearancein the final.

The Scot will also be keenly aware that, with fourFA Cup triumphs in the last six seasons, Chelsea areintruding upon United’s territory as the mostsuccessful side in the history of the game’s oldest cupcompetition.

However, his decision to shuffle his pack againstSunderland owed as much to his team’s dominantposition in the Premier League table as it did to hisdesire to add a sixth FA Cup winner’s medal to hiscollection.

United’s win at the Stadium of Light enabled themto preserve their 15-point lead at the top of thestandings and a 20th English title now appears aformality.

Life is not quite so rosy for Ferguson’s oppositenumber, Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez.

Last season’s European champions remain incontention for honours in both the FA Cup and theEuropa League, but Saturday’s 2-1 loss atSouthampton jeopardised their chances of qualifyingfor next season’s Champions League.

Benitez defended his decision to leave Eden Hazard,Ashley Cole and David Luiz on the bench at St Mary’s.Benitez also rejected suggestions he had purposefullyrested Gary Cahill and Juan Mata.

Despite United’s record-breaking dominance in theleague, which has now seen them amass 54 pointsfrom a possible 50, Benitez will take heart from hisside’s performance in the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford onMarch 10.

Then, United quickly assembled a 2-0 lead, only towilt in the face of Chelsea’s stirring comeback in thesecond half.

Since that game, United have produced twolaboured 1-0 victories, over Reading and Sunderland,but Ferguson confirmed that he will look to recall hisbig guns for the trip to west London.

Robin van Persie, Man Utd

Frank Lampard, Chelsea prolific finisher

Rasheed Lawal, the first champion of the annualGov. Babatunde Fashola’s belt in 2009— at themonthly “Saturday Boxing Show’‘— has described

the event as a good platform for identifying futurepotential.

Fashola’s belt, which holds every December, is thehigh point of the monthly show, and is meant to discoverthe best boxer for the year.

The show is being promoted and financed by OlawaleEdun, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Financeand currently, the Chairman, Lagos State Boxing Hallof Fame (LSBHF).

Lawal said on Saturday at the 40th edition of the show,held at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Yaba, thatamateur boxing had really developed in Lagos throughthe show.

The former champion, who now trades his professional

skills in Germany, said he had benefited a lot from theshow, because it equipped him for his current form.

“The show is a good platform for young boxers becauseit will help them to develop their talents and preparethem for future challenges in boxing.

“I thanked Mr Edun for his initiative of promoting boxingand sustaining this programme, because it has helped todiscover lots of talents from the grassroots,’’ he said.

The 29-year-old Lagosian, who won gold medal forLagos at the 15th National Sports Festival in 2006 inOgun, urged young boxers at the show to be focused intheir career.

Lawal also appealed to young boxers to imbibe thetechniques of the sport and obey the instructions of theircoaches, for their future to be bright.

The boxer, however, added that he was still shoppingfor a good manager who would help him achieve his

goal of winning a world title.NAN reports that in the nine bouts of the show,

Kazeem Lukman of Badagry Pioneer Club, in the 56kg,defeated Olanrewaju Olakode of Lion Club.

Samson Taiwo of Golden Star defeated AkeemAdekunle of Always Club in the 64kg.

In the female bouts, Ramota Olaniyi of Always Clubdefeated Tawa Awise of No Shaking Club in the 48Kg,while in the 80kg, Fatimah Shittu of Day by Day Clubhumbled Mariam Akintunbowa of Lecturer’s Club.

Tobi Adedeji of Great Lam High School, Oshodi, in the49kg exhibition bout for students, defeated Kola Okejimiof Alakotojun High School, Mushin.

Wahab Adeniyi of Azeey Primary School, Bariga, inthe 23kg exhibition bout against Adeshina Adeniyi ofGreat Leader Primary School, Bariga, threw in thetowel.

Saturday Boxing Show, good platform for future potential, says ex-champion

Abel Ubeibi, an International Tennis Registry (ITR)Instructor, has said that early camping of athletes,especially for international competitions, will

facilitate early detection of athletes using bannedsubstance.

Ubeibi said in a telephone interview yesterday thatearly camping usually give the medical committee timeto ascertain the true health status of players.

“Early camping of athletes, especially forinternational competitions, is very important, becauseit will give the authorities the opportunity to monitorthe players. “Some of the athletes might haveunconsciously taken banned substances, but when theyare under the guidance of health experts in a camp, thiscan easily be detected. “Early camping also affords themedical committee the opportunity to determine thehealth condition of athletes and to make sure that theyare fit for the competition,” Ubeibi said.

He said that it was common knowledge thatinternational sporting organisations usually carry outrandom doping test for athletes before any internationalcompetitions.

Ubeibi, therefore, urged the national federations tofirst tidy things up at home before allowing their athletesto go for any international competitions in order to avoidinternational embarrassment.

He advised athletes representing the country ininternational competitions to be good ambassador andto avoid anything that could tarnish the image of thecountry.

The instructor urged coaches to foster goodrelationship with their players for proper execution oftheir training programme.

The Lagos StateBaseball and SoftballA s s o c i a t i o n

(LSBSA), in a bid toimprove the skills of itstechnical officials, hadscheduled scorers andumpires clinics for April 11and April 12.

Robert Onwukwe,LSBSA Technical Director,told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) yesterdayin Lagos that the clinicwould hold at the MobolajiJohnson Sports Centre,Yaba, Lagos.

Onwukwe said that theclinic was important, andwould help the officialsenhance their proficiencyand update theirknowledge.

The director said thatthe clinic, the first to beorganised for technicalofficials this year, wouldalso keep them abreast ofthe latest rules and

regulations in the game.“The clinic is to ensure

that the technical officialsare acquainted with thelatest rules of the sport, andto aid the growth of thesport in the state,’’ he said.

He advised the state’sumpires and scorers totake advantage of theprogramme, adding thatany officials that missedthe course would not berated for state andnational competitions.

The director urgedindividuals and privateorganisations tocontribute to thedevelopment of the gamein the state and thecountry in general.

The introduction ofbaseball and softball to thecountry was jointlypioneered by retired Maj.-Gen. Ishola Williams, Prof.Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke andDr William Boyd.

Baseball and Softballassociation fixes dates forscorers, umpires clinic

Instructor stresses need forearly camping of athletes Man United,

Chelsea battlefor FA Cupsemifinal berth

PAGE 44 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Tijani Keita

David Gatebe and NataliaVolgina provided theupset wins in Saturday’s

44th Old Mutual Two Oceansmarathon held in gale forceconditions around the SouthernCape.

Gatebe, the 2008 SAmarathon champion, ran hisown race from 21km but onlytook the lead from 32km at thetop of Chapman’s Peak whichsaw many runners beingbuffeted across the road in thegusting wind.

Kenya Henry Kipsan was hissole challenge on the climb, butit was the group of 11 runnerswho provided the chase onceover the Nek. Lesotho runnersdominated the chase but Gatebewas well clear and runningstrongly through to UCT where

he took the tape in 3:08:54.Western Province’s

Mthandazo Qhina proved thebest of the rest, but was so faradrift that he thought he hadwon the event when he crossedthe line in 3:10:02. It was animpressive improvement for thetalented 25-year-old who wassixth last year.

Moeketsi Mosuhli led home aquintet of Lesotho runners forthird place in 3;10:23 withCollen Makaza the firstZimbabwean in fourth and MikeFokoroni closing the top ten in3:13:29.

Volgina’s victory in the ladiesrace was the first time since2007, when Madina Biktagirovatook the honours, that neither ofthe Nurgalieva twins took thetop spot on the podium.

With Olesya dropping off thepace early on Elena, MamorollaTjoka, Thabita Tsatsa and NinaPodnesbesnova were in closecombat going up ChapmansPeak, with Elena alreadylooking to have lost her normalrhythm.

The contenders graduallyfaded as 36-year-old Volginaeased up the Nek on her way toa victory in three hours 38minutes 38 seconds, which wasonly 36 seconds slower than herwinning time in 2002.

Olympian Tstatsa, runningin her debut ultra distance, heldon well for second in 3:39:57,which also saw her take first inthe 40-49 age category.

Three-time South Africanmarathon champion CharneBosman had a dream debut,

starting well outside the top tenand working her way throughthe field to reach ConstantiaNek in seventh, then movingthrough the field to anunexpected third place in3:40:19.

The 37-year-old will nowallow a couple of weeks recoverybefore deciding whether to joinTsatsa and Volgina atComrades.

A record field of almost 11 000runners entered the 56km ultramarathon which offers R1.525Million in prize money andattracts over 1 800international participants.

RACE RESULTS56km Men’s

1st: David Gatebe (ImpalaPlatinum) (03:08:54)

2nd: Mthandazo Qhina(Nedbank) (03:10:02)

3rd: Moeketsi Mosuhli (MrPrice) (03:10:23)

56km Ladies1st: Natalia Volgina

(Nedbank) (03:38:38)2nd: Thabita Tsatsa (Mr Price)

(03:39:57)3rd: Charne Bosman (Bonitas)

(03:40:19)21km Men’s

1st: Stephen Lesego Mokoka(Transnet) (01:03:36)

2nd: Lusapho April (OxfordStriders) (01:03:40)

3rd: Joel Mmone (Nedbank)(01:03:45)

21km Ladies1st: Biru Meseret Mengista

(Nedbank) (01:12:43)2nd: Rene Kalmer (Nedbank)

(01:14:54)3rd: Irvette van Blerk(Nedbank) (01:15:20)

Gatebe, Volgina in upset wins in Two Oceans ultra marathon

Navy Commodore OmatseyeNesiama, the TechnicalDirector, Athletics Federation ofNigeria (AFN), has said that thebody would strive to improve itsapproach on the techniques usedfor the steeplechase event.

Nesiama stressed that thecountry’s performance in thediscipline at the ongoing AfricaYouths Athletics Championships(AYAC) had informed the AFN’sdecision.

Sunday Adeyemi returnedninth with 6:50:82, whileUmmike Akpo claimed the tenthposition with a time of 6:53:91.Mouhcine Benflah of Mauritiuscould not finish the race due toexhaustion.

Nesiama said that, in spite ofthe development, he was not toodisappointed by the performanceof the two athletes.

“To me, they did very well,compared to the way they

performed during the third DrD.K. Olukoya U-18 meet, wherethey posted nine minutes in theevent.

“But with what they havedone at the AYAC, it means thatthey are improving by the day.

“The fright of crossing the

hurdles and water has beenovercome by the athletes,especially the water jump”.

Nesiama added that the duo

would be encouraged to featurein the event as often as possible,since it would soon be introducedin all national competitions.

“Our plan is to put steeplechaseinto our programmes,henceforth, to encourage theathletes and by that, they willimprove,’’ he said.

Further, the technical directorsaid that the AFN intended toexpose its coaches to moretraining programmes to honetheir technique.

“We will work on thetechniques because, from what Isaw, the athletes have improvedbut with more technical input,we should be able to boast of betterresults in the future,’’ he said.

Edwin Meli of Kenya posted atime of 5:42:18, Kahsay Hailuof Ethiopia came second with atime of 5:42:20, while KirosKebebew also of Ethiopia camethird with 5:45:50.

Iheagwam urges younger athletes toattach importance to education

AYAC: AFN to impove on steeplechase technique, says Nesiama

Tina Iheagwam, a 1987100m All Africa GamesGold medalist, on Saturday

advised Nigerian athletesparticipating at the ongoing AfricaYouths Athletics Championships(AYAC), to also attach importanceto their education.

Iheagwam said at the WarriTownship Stadium thatupcoming athletes should notallow their current fame tobecloud their priorities.

“They should not say thatbecause of sports, they will

abandon education, just as theywill want to abandon educationfor sports. They should strive atcombining the two because theywon’t know which of thedisciplines will eventually bringthem to limelight,” she said.

Iheagwam added that becauseshe attached equal importanceto both endeavours in her career,she turned out to be a fitnesscoach at the end of the day.

“If I had abandoned educationthen, I will not be where I amtoday. Education, combined

with sports, is the best.’’The former sprinter also urged

athletes to be focused on theircareer path, and shun any actthat could dent their image.

“I am appealing to these youngathletes to continue to remainfocused because that is the onlyway they can improve.’’

In the mean time, Ofonime Odioncame first in the 400m event witha time of 54.46sec, AbimbolaJunaid came second with 54.81sec,while Moroko Galefele emergedthird with 55.52sec.

Officials at the ongoing maiden Africa Youths AthleticsChampionships (AYAC), have commended the quality of theequipment being used for the championships.

Some of them said that the Electronic Distance Measurement deviceshad made the work of officials easy.

Yusuf Alli, a technical official at the championships, said that thedevices were top-grade.

“It is good that such equipment have been purchased and technicalofficials are now conversant with the operation of the devices. The eraof using tapes to measure has gone and the devices make work easierand very accurate,’ he said.

In the same vein, Babatunde Suleiman, a discus coach, said that thedevice was the best acquired for the championships.

He commended the organisers for acquiring the gadget, adding thatit would go a long way to improve on the outcome of field events.

“It will help us to improve better on the field events. The organisershave done well,” he said.

Uruemu Adu, a sprint coach, noted that the acquisition of the deviceswould bring about an improvement in the performances of the country’sathletes.

Meanwhile, in the 400m Boys event: Tijani Keita of Gambia camefirst in 47.39sec; Ethiopia’s Gabiso Galcha came second with 47.75sec,while Nathaniel Oghenewegba, of Nigeria came third in 47.89sec.

In the 400m girls: Ofonime Odiong of Nigeria came first in 54.46sec,Abimbola Junaid of Nigeria came second in 54.81sec, while MorokoGalefele of Botswana returned a time of 55.52sec to clinch the thirdposition.

Officials laud use of electronicdistance measurement deviceat AYAC tourney

PAGE 45PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

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PICTORIAL1] Tony Bellew draws with Isaac Chilemba in theirWBC light-heavyweight title final eliminator inLiverpool

2] Keep across the big games at the top and bottomof the world's leagues with the FIFA MatchCentreservice. Relegation scraps and crucial continentalqualification deciders make up an excitingweekend of football.

3] Nemanja Vidic is looking to finally add the FACup to his already impressive Old Trafford trophyhaul before he heads off for his summer break.

4] Usain Bolt fell just short of his 150m world recordas he opened his season with victory onCopacabana beach

1 2

3

4

Sale earns what could be a vital draw againstfellow strugglers London Irish, also earning afour-try bonus point

Manuel Charr

Boxingheadgear

Farouk Bello, the Public Relations Officer of Kebbi State Hockey Association, onSaturday advised the association to develop and promote the game in secondaryschools.

Bello told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview in Lagosthat encouraging the game in schools would assist children to master the art of thegame early enough.

He said that children, who showed interest in the game could be nurtured to jointhe state’s team.

“Building a strong hockey team will depend on how much effort is put intopromoting the game in schools, where you can catch them young.

“Furthermore, the children will be exposed early to the techniques and rulesgoverning the game, which will make them develop into formidable players,” hesaid.

Bello said the state was blessed with young talents and the association shouldorganise regular school competitions to discover them at the grassroots.

Bello wants association topromote hockey in schools

A Britishheavyweight hasbeen suspended for

two years after testingpositive for a bannedsubstance found in a foodsupplement.

UK Anti-Doping saysDillian Whyte testedpositive for the stimulantmethylhexaneamine afterwinning a heavyweightfight against SandorBalogh of Hungary onOctober 13 last year.

An independent panelfound the case warranteda two-year ban, which wasupheld after an appeal bythe 24-year-old Whyte.

The agency says Whyteused the supplement Jack3D,which he bought over the

counter from a nutritionalsupplements store. It hassince been removed fromshops in Britain.

The appeals panel saidthe case emphasised “thedangers of athletes takingsupplements whichcontain MHA.”

Whyte is banned fromall competition untilOctober 12 next year. Hisvictory over Balogh wasannulled.

Whyte, who has been asparring partner for VitaliKlitschko, David Haye andDereck Chisora, wasunbeaten after nineprofessional bouts.However, his recordchanged to 8-1 when theresult of his fight against

Balogh was overturned.As an amateur, he once

beat Olympic Gameschampion Anthony Joshua.He would have challengedfor the Englishheavyweight title had he notbeen suspended late year.

Another leading Britishboxer, Enzo Maccarinelli,has been banned for sixmonths for using the samesubstance.

Haye, meanwhile, hasannounced that he wouldfight again in Manchesteron June 29. His opponentwill be identified shortly.Haye plans to get in line totake on WBC championVitali Klitschko or hisbrother Wladimir, amultiple title holder.

Whyte suspended over food supplement

Some boxingstakeholders in Lagoshave reacted to the

decision of theInternational BoxingAssociation (AIBA), to stopthe use of head gears in theforthcoming 2016Olympic Games in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil.

The News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) reportsthat the body had also saidthat it would onlyrecognise points generatedby its electronic scoringmachines in the nextOlympics.

Some of the enthusiastssaid that the decisionwas a welcome

development, while somewere not comfortable withit.

Obisie Nwankpa, theHead Coach of the NigeriaBoxing Federation (NBF)and formerCommonwealth Welterweight champion, saidthat the decision was agood one and added that itwas not used during histime.

He added that theequipment had to be

i n t r o d u c e d

after the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) haddescribed boxing as adangerous sport.

“We did not use headguard during our time; itwas only introduced whenWHO said the sport wasdangerous and threatenedto get it removed from theOlympic Games.

“The rules will onlyaffect Nigerian boxersbecause we take things forgranted and don’t prepareearly enough forcompetitions,’’ the formerlight welterweightchampion said.

Jeremiah Okorodudu,a 1984 Middle weightquarter-finalist at theLos Angeles OlympicGames, said ‘’thedecision cannot becontested since AIBA

has given its nod.“Since AIBA remains

the controlling body forboxing, we have nooption than to just adjustaccording to its rule.’’

Sunday Nwamuda, acoach with the BayelsaSports Council, noted thatit would be verydangerous for boxers tofight without head guard.

“Though there isnothing wrong with usingthe electronic scoring

machine to score points,but for boxers not to usehead guards is dangerous,especially for amateurboxers,’’ Nwamuda said.

Wasiu Bisiriyu, HeadCoach, Lagos StateAmateur BoxingAssociation, also supportedthe stance of Nwamudaand urged AIBA to do arethink on the decision.

According to him, evenwith the head guard,

boxers still sustain lots ofinjuries, much less whenthey would not be using it.

Meanwhile, AdekunleFaseso, Chairman, LagosState Boxing ClubsAssociation, has decriedthe absence of any of thecountry’s administratorsin AIBA’s hierarchy,claiming it had impactednegatively on thecountry’s profile.

He said that if more

Nigerian’s were part of theAIBA’s decision organ,unfavourable rules wouldbe countered before it gotapproved.

“The absence of ourpersonnel in AIBA’sdecision making body hadbeen responsible for therules that are notfavourable to us. I think weshould gear up to take ourrightful position in sportsfor us to have a voice”.

Boxing enthusiasts divided over new AIBA rules

Manuel Charr hasvowed to donatehalf his purse to

the Syrian peace process ifDavid Haye will fight him.

Charr, a formerheavyweight titlechallenger, was born inBeirut en named MahmoudOmeirat Charr. He has aSyrian father but has livedmost of his life in Germany.

Known as the DiamondBoy, Charr wants to dosomething to ease thesuffering in the land of hisancestors.

And he can think of nobetter fight to help him dothat than against Haye, aBriton who has announcedhis return to boxing aftera year-long absence.

“I’ve heard Haye is stilllooking for an opponent for

his next fight. He can stoplooking. I’m here and I’mwaiting for him,” Charrsaid on Friday.

The 29-year-old knowsa clash with the brash“Hayemaker” would bringin perhaps his biggest pay-day, which is why he haspledged to donate half hisearnings to charity.

Charr’s motherrelocated to Germanywhen he was five after hisfather was killed in theLebanese civil war. It is inmemory of his father thathe has vowed to make adonation towards peace.

“That’s why I’ve decidedto give half my purse topeace projects and to theSyrian people if DavidHaye agrees to fight me,”said Charr. “We all need to

fight together so that peacemay reign.”

Charr has lost only oncein 24 bouts as aprofessional; in a WBC titlechallenge against VitaliKlitschko.

One of formercruiserweight championHaye’s two career defeatswas to Vitali’s youngerbrother WladimirKlitschko in a unificationbout in 2011.

Haye, 32, once claimedhe would retire before his31st birthday but he firstcame back to boxing lastJuly when he knocked outBritish rival Derek Chisorain five rounds.

Now he plans to fightagain in June and force hisway into a mandatory shotat one of the Klitschkos.

Charr to donate earningsversus Haye to Syria

PAGE 46 PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

PAGE 47PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

Star attraction: A seagull stands on the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel, during the secondday of voting for the election of a new pope Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Say what?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Some Interesting FactsSome Interesting Facts

Last edition’s solution

SUDOKUSUDOKU

•The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeatingits letters is uncopyrightable.•Windmills always turn counter-clockwise.•The "Sixth Sick Sheik's Sixth Sheep's Sick" is the hardest tongue-twister.•The longest English word without a vowel is twyndyllyngs whichmeans "twins".•1 x 8 + 1 = 9; 12 x 8 + 2 = 98; 123 x 8 + 3 = 987; 1234 x 8 + 4 =9876; 12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765; 123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654; 1234567 x 8+ 7 = 9876543; 12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432; 123456789 x 8 + 9 =987654321•The word "dreamt" is the only common word in the Englishlanguage that ends in "mt".•Albert Einstein never wore any socks.•The average human will eat 8 spiders while asleep in theirlifetime.•In space, astronauts cannot cry because there is no gravity.•Hummingbirds are the only creatures that can fly backwards.•An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.•Cockroaches can live 9 days without their heads before theystarve to death.•A flamingo can eat only when its head is upside down.•The lighter was invented before the match.•It is physically impossible for pigs to look up at the sky.•The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year!•Scientists with high-speed cameras have discovered that raindrops are not tear shaped but rather look like hamburger buns.•The first Internet domain name ever registered wasSymbolics.com on March 15, 1985.•When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone back in1876, only six phones were sold in the first month.•Approximately 7.5% of all office documents get lost.•Business.com is currently the most expensive domain namesold: for $7.5 million.•In 2001, the five most valuable brand names in order wereCoca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM, GE, and Nokia.•In Canada, the most productive day of the working week isTuesday.•In a study by the University of Chicago in 1907, it wasconcluded that the easiest colour to spot is yellow. This is whyJohn Hertz, who is the founder of the Yellow Cab Companypicked cabs to be yellow.•It takes about 63,000 trees to make the newsprint for theaverage Sunday edition of The New York Times.

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Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako,Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office:No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 805 727 9862.e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013

QQQQQUOUOUOUOUOTTTTTABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QABLE QUOUOUOUOUOTETETETETEI think the question is: Are we, the thinkersof the North, satisfied with the way things

are being run? The answer is No.— Dr. Paul Unongo, spokesman,

Northern Elders Forum

Aston Villa remain in thePremier League bottomthree after Liverpool

came from behind to claim thethree points and keep alive theirfaint hopes of securing a UEFAChampions League spot withtheir 2-1 win at Villa Park.

Villa looked on course for athird successive win afterleading at the interval throughChristian Benteke's 18th goal ofthe campaign.

But the Reds equalizedthrough Jordan Henderson earlyin the second period and thenCaptain Steven Gerrard'spenalty sealed victory for thevisitors.

The home side, whoyesterday slipped into therelegation zone for the fifth timethis season, are level on pointswith Wigan Athletic but have aninferior goal difference.

Villa posed plenty of threatto Liverpool in the first half withBenteke and Gabriel Agbonlahorlinking well and AshleyWestwood pulling the strings inmidfield.

But Liverpool upped theirgame a gear in the second periodas they closed the gap on sixth-placed Everton to three points.

Luis Suarez was a handfulthroughout the 90 minutes,despite his FIFA World Cupqualifier exertions in Uruguayin midweek, and came close onseveral occasions to notching his30th goal of the season.

Liverpool needed only threeminutes of the second half to getback on level terms. PhilippeCoutinho's defence-splitting passwas seized on by Henderson whoflicked the ball past Guzan intothe corner of the net for his fourthgoal of the season.

Gerrard became the firstplayer to be booked for a foul onAgbonlahor. Coutinho shouldhave put Liverpool ahead in the56th minute after beating theoffside trap to run onto a passfrom Suarez but he dinked hisshot wide of the post. ButLiverpool was not to be deniedand went ahead three minuteslater.

Suarez was brought down inthe box by Baker and theresulting spot-kick wasconverted by Gerrard.

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

GerrardcompletesLiverpoolcomeback

You can't always get whatyou want

But if you try sometimesYou just might findYou get what you need— Mick Jagger and Keith

Richards

While opening ani n t e r n a t i o n a lconference on "Islam

and the fundamentals of peacefulcoexistence in Nigeria," organizedby the Sokoto State governmentand the Muslim World League inSokoto, President GoodluckJonathan assured Nigerians ofhis administration'scommitment to protecting theirrights and ensuring aharmonious living. He told theconference that Nigerians have"no alternative to peacefulcoexistence" and "must thereforedo everything in our power toensure religion is neither misusednor abused to justify violence." Headvised that dialogue andtolerance, rather thanconfrontation should be theprinciples that should informcollective and corporate existenceof Nigerians. The Sultan also usedthe occasion to lament seriousdeviations from the true path byMuslims and Christians as thecause of the nation’s problems.

The conference on peacefulcoexistence between faithscoincided with the Easter period,ironically of late, a time of greattension and stress. ChristianAssociation of Nigeria (CAN) andthe Nigerian Supreme Councilfor Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) bothmade passionate appeals for peacebetween the two faiths. TheNSCIA statement said in this"trying period of unnecessarystrife, tension, mutual suspiciousand wanton destruction ofinnocent lives… Muslims inNigeria shall strive to strengthenthe cooperation and collaborationbetween our two bodies - NSCIAand CAN - for our mutual benefitsand to the glory of God andNigeria." The Kaduna StateChapter of CAN said Nigerians"must unite ourselves as oneirrespective of religions, tribe andpolitical affiliation".

In spite of the assurances fromthe President and umbrellareligious organizations, manyChristians chose not to go tochurch in some cities in the Northon Good Friday. There werereports of massive deployment ofmilitary and police personnel toensure that the Easter period didnot register unusual assaults.Patrols and checkpoints havebeen increased in some sensitivetowns and cities, underlying the

government to consider theamnesty option. Some of it is alsoinformed by the belief that thegranting of amnesty will weakenthe insurgency, and strengthenthe moral hand of governmentin dealing with it. There is alsothe belief that the refusal to acton the advice of leaders and eldersdiminishes their standing andcapacity in their communities,and reduces them to a groupwhich has neither the respect ofgovernment nor the insurgents.

So when the President sends amessage to a forum with a heavydose of foreign participationwhich is completely at variancewith the established position ofthe administration, you have towonder whether it is one of thosespeeches that are written andokayed by minions who have noregard for policy consistency orimage of leaders. When thePresident says Nigerians have noalternative to peacefulcoexistence, most participantswill sit up in anticipation that hewill say what he is doing topreserve the foundations of thatcoexistence. The World Muslimleague is no stranger to theinsurgency, and it knows that itrepresents in various forms, arepudiation of religiouscoexistence in Nigeria. TheSultan had taken a major gamblein joining the chorus for amnesty.Its rejection by the governmentmeans they are now on oppositesides as far as solutions to theproblem are concerned. He islikely to hear Mr President'swords sounding rather hallow,particularly the parts thatcelebrate religiousunderstanding and tolerance.

Participants at theconference will go through themotion of exposing thefundamentals of religiouscoexistence, but they will do thisagainst a raging controversyand high tempters regardingkillings by people who claim tobe Muslims in the names of theirfaith. In spite of local Igbo leaders'strenuous efforts to deny that therecent park bomb in Kano wastargeted at Igbo people, there arestill many whose anger cannot

worry that exhortations andappeals by religious and politicalleaders are unlikely to geteveryone to sheath their swords,even for Easter. In villages inBarikin-Ladi LGA of Plateaustate, blood continued to flow asit did in the last few days, in aconflict with almost pure ethno-religious undercurrent.

The disconnect between thepolitical and religious leadershipin the nation and reality is veryworrying. At the Sokotoconference where the President'smessage on the abuse of religionand the values of dialogue,understanding and tolerance wasconveyed by the Vice President,the Sultan of Sokoto's recent callfor amnesty to insurgents whohave shown an interest will sitrather uncomfortably. The samePresident's spokesmen haverecently gone to town on whycalls for amnesty are misplacedor even outrightly mischievous.They demand those who make thecalls to prevail on insurgents toshow faces first, and indicate awillingness to dialogue. Othershave hinted that the insurgencyis virtually finished militarily,and the mop-up operation is beingdisturbed by noise being made foramnesty.

The Sultan's call for amnestyhas been echoed many times,even as attacks by the insurgencyescalate. Some of the calls appearto be informed by the thinkingthat an escalation of attacks isinformed by a refusal of

The network is badbe assuaged. Many elementsamong the Christian Associationof Nigeria are finding it veryhard holding back the tide ofanger that Christians are beingkilled by the insurgents just forbeing Christians; never mindthe fact that Muslims die dailyat the hands of the insurgents aswell. Muslim leaders and clericsare losing ground because theycan neither influence theinsurgency, nor protect otherMuslims from its bombs andbullets.

There are deep murmuringsthat there is more to theseattacks than the pursuance ofthe goals of the Jamaatu AhlilSunnah Lid dawati Wal Jihad(JASLIWAJ) or even the newergroup, Ansaru. The failure of theNigerian state to defeat thisinsurgency, or, as some cynicsnow insist, its reluctance to do somakes the position of the federalgovernment highly suspect,particularly when it is steadfastin rejecting the option seen as afoot in the door. Its lack of analternative strategy to the oneit is deploying makes therejection all the more puzzlingto those who are charitable; andoutrightly suspicious to thosewho see sinister motives.

President Jonathan is beingput on the defensive in terms ofpolicies towards violentinsurgencies. This is the worstpossible position he needs to bein. He is not communicatingvery well with the communitieswhich are the first line victimsof this insurgency. He is also notcommunicating with those whosupport what appear to be hispositions, but would like to seean end to this conflict. There areothers who presume to speak forhim but make his case worse.These appear to have the loudestvoices, and they remindnorthern elders that they fishedout militants from creeks whohad grievances and guns andfaces, and leaders from the northshould do the same. They wantthe insurgency crushed if it willnot remove its veil and discuss,and they want this done at allcost. They see a political solutionas capitulation and reward forkilling of particularly Christiansand southerners. They speak fora sentiment that says the Northdeserves what it gets, betweenthe insurgency and arampaging JTF. There aremany voices around thisinsurgency, and most of themmake little sense. Government'scommunication network on thisissue is bad, and it can only makethe problem worse.

President Jonathan

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drbabaahmed@yahoo.com

withDr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed