Nigerian observer 04 11 2013

1 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013THE NIGERIAN

VIEWPOINTPg. 13

DISCOURSEPg 20Gov

OkorochaAnd

EducationIn Imo

cmyk

ReducingChild

MortalityThrough

Vaccination

PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs.Rabi Jimeta (left) and Director-General, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASDRA),Prof. Seidu Mohammed observing the partial solar eclipse in Abuja yesterday. (Insert is the partialsolar eclipse in Calabar yesterday.

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 38 NO.346• MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013 • N100.00

TIT-BITS“Storing up hatred in our hearts is likekeeping worthless information on ourSim Cards; if we do not delete them,there won’t be space to store up theuseful ones.”

- Kingsley Ogbeide-Ihama

Oshiomhole bags Canon Law FellowshipAward

Anambra stampede: Police begininvestigation

Wedding tragedy: Gunmen kill groom, 30 others

Take advantage of Britain’snew security devices - EnvoyLAGOS – Mr. Peter

Carter, the BritishDeputy HighCommissioner toNigeria, has urgedNigerians to takeadvantage of the newly-developed securitydevices by Britishcompanies.

Carter gave the advicein Lagos, while declaringopen the exhibition on“Solar for Security andRenewable Energy” inIkeja.

The envoy said thatthe exhibition wasorganised to sensitiseNigerians on thepossible ways of

safeguarding their livesand property.

“The need to promotesecurity and securityconsciousness isbecoming important forNigerians by the day.

“Issues of security area major one at theNigerian Airports,offices, public places,homes and businesses.

“These Britishcompanies - Solar andElectric Gates Ltd., UK,and Yomadek GlobalNetworks Ltd. are hereto provide solutions toNigeria’s securitychallenges.

“We strongly believe

that these securityproducts are highlysuitable for Nigeria’ssecurity challenges andmarkets,’’ he said.

Carter l isted thesecurity devices toinclude: automaticgates, wireless CCTV,solar street lights andtraffic barriers, sure boltlock and solar powersystems and door entrysystems. Continues on page 2

Continues on page 2 Continues on page 2

Continues on page 2

UKE (ANAMBRA) -The police in AnambraState has commencedinvestigations into thecause of death of somepersons at the HolyGhost Adoration Groundin Uke, Idemili North

Local Government ofAnambra on Saturday.

The Police PublicRelations Officer

(PPRO) for thecommand, DSP EmekaChukwuemeka, madethe disclosure in an

interview with newsmenat the weekend in Uke.

He said the incidentoccurred at the prayer

ground in the early hoursof Saturday.

The police imagemaker further said thattwo Deputy Inspector-Generals of Police(DIGs); Kachy Ugorjiand Philemon Leha,responded to the newsby visiting the scene ofthe incident.

“The number of deathscannot be ascertainednow until we concludeinvestigations because

BENIN CITY – All isnow set for theconferment of SpecialAward of Fellowship ofCanon Law Society onthe Executive Governor

By OBOH SYLVESTER of Edo State, ComradeAdams Oshiomhole bythe Canon Law Societyof Nigeria.

A statement signedby the Chairman, LocalOrganising Committee

(LOC) of the Canon LawSociety of Nigeria, BeninProvince, Rev.Monsignor Joseph P.Omesa, said the societywill be hosting Catholic

priests, lay faithful, thereligious as well asthose interested inlearning about theoperational law of theChurch and heradministration across Continues on page 2

YOLA - A governmentspokesman sayssuspected Islamicmilitants attacked awedding convoy in

northeast Nigeria andkilled more than 30people including thegroom.

Amadawa state

spokesman Ahmad Sajosaid the weddingceremony had takenplace in Adamawa’sFugi vil lage and the

groom and guests weredriving home when theywere attacked Saturdayon the highway between

Partial solar eclipseoccurs in Nigeria

According to reports,the partial solar eclipsewas predominantlyexperienced in Calabar,where the PermanentSecretary, FederalMinistry of Science andTechnology, Mrs. Rabi

Jimeta and Director –General, National SpaceResearch andDevelopment Agency(NASDRA), Prof. SeiduMohammed were joinedby others to observe theeclipse.

In Benin City, EdoState, curious residentshowever monitored theevent via nationaltelevision, the NTA and

other networks.The last solar eclipse

was an annular eclipseon May 9, 2013, beforeyesterday’s hybrid

eclipse of Nov. 3, 2013.Yesterday’s eclipse wasprojected to be visiblefrom eastern North

America, southernEurope and Africa

Earlier, while briefingjournalists on what

By TUNDE EIGBIREMOLEN/Agency Reports

CALABAR – Nigeria, yesterday, experienced aPartial Solar Eclipse, which is an astronomicalevent that throws the earth into temporal orpartial darkness, as the moon blocks the sun’srays from reaching the planet earth.


NewsPartial solar eclipse occurs in Nigeria EAAN 2013 festival

begins today

Oshiomholebags

ASUU strike: Chairman hopeful ofending impasse

Continued from page 1


Prince Akenzua beratesBritish invasion, looting of

Benin kingdom

the nine (9) Provinces inNigeria from November 5 –8, 2013, at Bishop KellyPastoral Centre, Benin City.

According to the statement,the Annual Conference whichis rotational among the nineprovinces in Nigeria, willfeature several presentationof papers, special awardceremony of the Fellowshipon deserving individuals andthe foundation stone layingceremony of the permanentNational Secretariat of thesociety in Benin City.

The theme of theConference is “The Churchand Polit ics: PastoralImplication”.

The Comrade GovernorAdams Aliyu Oshiomhole isexpected to speak on thetopic: “The Christian Unionistin Government” and willthereafter be conferred witha Special Award ofFellowship of Canon LawSociety.

He said that the productswould withstand the“uncertainties” in Nigeria’spower sector, because theywould depend on solarenergy to operate.

The General Manager,Yomadek Ltd., Mr. AbayomiOshinakin, said that thesecurity devices would helpto reduce the country’ssecurity challenges.

Oshinakin said that thedevices would alsocomplement thegovernment’s efforts atfighting insecurity.

Securitydevices


some persons who faintedwere later resuscitated,” hesaid.

Governor Peter Obi andSen. Chris Ngige wereamong the early callers atthe scene of the incident tocommiserate with thevictims.

Meanwhile, Governor Obihad promised to set up apanel of enquiry to ascertainthe immediate and remote

causes of the incident.A statement made

available to newsmen andsigned by the Special Adviserto the Governor on Media, MrValentine Obieyem, quotedthe governor as expressingshock over the incident.

The governor promised totake care of the medical billsof the victims.

Michael Okpara Varsitydistributes ‘mungbean’ seedsto farmers in Abia

Anambra stampede Continued from page 1

UMUAHIA - Dr UzochukwuOnyebinama, Chairman,Academic Staff Union ofUniversities (ASUU), MichaelOkpara University ofAgriculture, Umudike, inAbia, on Sunday expressedthe hope that the five-monthstrike by the union would endsoon.

Onyebinama, in astatement made available tonewsmen in Umuahia,expressed the hope thatMonday’s parley between theleadership of ASUU and theFederal Government wouldproffer solution to theimpasse.

“As the national leadershipof our union meets withPresident GoodluckJonathan on Monday, wehope that the meeting will bea dialogue that will lead to amutually acceptable fair andfar reaching solution,” hestated.

He, however, insisted thatthe solution should be “withinthe context of theimplementation of the 2009agreement, the 2012 MOUand the recommendations ofthe Needs AssessmentReport”.

“Any proposal bygovernment should be basedon a clear acceptance of aframework for theimplementation of the 2009agreement.

“Any imposition will notpresent a solution to thecurrent crisis,” Onyebinamasaid.

He enjoined the President

BOSTON (USA) – TheEnogie of Evbuobanosa,Prof. Gregory Akenzua hastold an audience in BostonMassachusetts that BeninKingdom can never validateany person’s possession ofstolen Benin artifacts duringthe British invasion of thekingdom in 1897.

Indications to this emergeat the recent opening ofBenin Kingdom Gallery of theMuseum of Fine Arts (MFA)in Boston, Massachusetts.

Prince Akenzua, bluntlystated that the presence ofhis delegation which includedChief Eseosa Eghobamien,the Obobaifo of Benin andChief Nicholas Obaseki ofBenin Kingdom was not anapproval of the violentinvasion and looting of theNation in 1897.

Prince Akenzua recalledthat the 32 pieces of pricelessartifacts being housed in theBenin Kingdom Gallery of themuseum were part of the4,000 pieces of treasureslooted by the British nowlocated in various parts of theworld.

He said that the term“punitive expedition” ascoined by the British todescribe their violent missionwas wrong as it waspremeditated, with the solepurpose to depose the Kingand annex the Kingdom,citing evidence from a secretletter credited to Vice-ConsulJames Robert Philips prior tothe invasion. “We have theevidence”, he said.

The Enogie also madereference to some of thecontents of the letter whichadvanced economic reasonsfor the expedition withparticular focus on thepresence of ivory at thepalace that would help tooffset the expenses of themission.

While the revisiting of thesad past in Benin historyevoked emotions andthunderous applauds fromthe crowd, mostly made up ofBenin community, it at thesame time sent chills amongMFA officials who helplessly

FIFA U-17 W/Cup: Footballenthusiasts praise Eaglets

LAGOS - Some footballenthusiasts yesterdaycommended the GoldenEaglets for their 2-0 victoryover Uruguay at the ongoingFIFA U-17 World Cup in theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE).

The enthusiasts, inseparate interviews withjournalists in Lagos, alsoexpressed confidence thatthe team would qualify for thefinal.

Festus Allen, a formercoach of 3SC Football Clubof Ibadan, commended theteam for qualifying for thesemi-finals of the competition“in style’’.

“This is a commendablevictory for the team. Theplayers’ display on pitch hasshown that the boysprepared adequately for thecompetition.

“The technical crew is alsodoing a great job, I mustconfess. The boys areplaying as a well co-ordinated team,’’ he said.

Ndaks Lawrence, the Headof Football, National Institute

for Sports (NISports) inLagos, said the Eaglets havemade the country proud sofar in the competition.

Lawrence urged the teamto remain focused to ensureit gets to the final of thecompetition, saying it is oneof the best under-17 teamsthis Nigeria has produced.

“But the players should notbe carried away with theirgood run in the competition.The most important thing forthe team now is to qualify forthe final,” he said.

Also, Adamu Ejor, thecoach of the Super SandEagles, urged Nigerians togive the team the neededsupport to qualify for the final.

“We are almost there, andthe boys should be givenmore support at this crucialstage of the tournament.

“I believe we can defeatSweden in the semi-finalmatch on November 5, if theboys can put in their best tobook a place in the finals,”Ejor said.

watched as the speech wasdelivered extemporaneously.

Prince Akenzua howeverthanked the MFA for theinvitation and for accordingthe artifacts a pride of place,remarking that “there aremany Museums in theWestern world which havenot shown the same.”

He acknowledged therelationship which the galleryproject has brought betweenMFA and the Palace, addingthat it has opened moreavenues for furtherdiscussions on the lootedtreasures.

The gallery, he continuedhas undoubtedly givenopportunity to our youngchildren to know about theirhistory and hoped that thiswould “show good exampleto other Museum in theworld.”

Earlier in his openingspeech, the Director of theMuseum Mr. Malcolm Rogerssaid “the magnificentsculptures on view in thegallery are the BeninKingdom’s legacy to theworld and a testament to thebrilliance and creativity of itsartists.”

He compared the Beninartistry with some of the finestarts of Europe, Asia and theMiddle East, saying “we aredelighted to now be able tocelebrate these works withinour encyclopedia collection”

The MFA, he said wascommitted to studying theserare works of art and toproviding educationalexperiences to “all ourvisitors, including schoolchildren, communitymembers, families and all ofyou assembled here thisevening.”

The event which featuredEdo cultural dance, amongothers was attended bypeople from all works of life,including former UnitedStates Ambassador toNigeria, Walter Carringtonand his wife, Dr. AreseCarrington, a member of theMuseum visiting committeewho helped to put the eventtogether.

“to be guided by the principleof honouring agreements inthe interest of justice andindustrial harmony in thecountry.”

BENIN CITY – Arising fromthe general meeting heldrecently in Benin City, theexecutive members of EdoArtists Association of Nigeria(EAAN) has fixed today,Monday November 4 –Thursday 7 for her 2013festival.

According to a programmeof events released, activitiessuch as carnival floats roundmajor streets of Benin City,Festival lectures/Seminar/Workshop would be

showcased.Other events slated for the

programme include culturaland musical Extravaganza.

Beauty pageant andmusical fiesta/comedy show.

Maleke and the ConcernedEntertainers are expected toentertain guests at theceremony.

The programme will climaxwith an award presentationand musical performances byAmbassador OsayomoreJoseph, Akobeghian andUmewaen of Africa.

Bama and Gwoza towns inneighboring Maiduguri state.That road runs alongsideforests that are a knownhideout of Islamic militantsfrom the Boko Haramterrorist network.

Last week suspectedextremists attacked a militarycheckpoint on the road andwitnesses said they killed atleast four security forcemembers.

Attacks have continuedthough the military has driventhe insurgents from majortowns in the northeast undera more than 5-month-oldstate of emergency.

Gunmen

Nigerians should expect, theDirector General of theNigeria Space Research AndDevelopment Agency(NASDRA), Dr Sa’iduMohammed said the eclipsewill come in three phases; apartial eclipse at about 1.00pm when the moon will touchthe edge of the sun, themaximum eclipse shortlybefore 3.00pm when themoon is expected to be

closest to the center andshortly after 4.00pm whenthe moon will leave the sun’sedge.

He however stated thatthere was no cause for alarmand advised Nigerians not topanic.

As seen from the Earth, asolar eclipse occurs when theMoon passes between theSun and Earth, and the Moonfully or partially blocks theSun.

This can happen only atnew moons, when the Sunand the Moon are inconjunction as seen fromEarth in an alignmentreferred to as syzygy.

In a total eclipse, the disk ofthe Sun is fully obscured by theMoon. In partial and annulareclipses only part of the Sunis obscured.

If the Moon were in aperfectly circular orbit, a littlecloser to the Earth, and in thesame orbital plane, therewould be total solar eclipsesevery single month.

However, the Moon’s orbit isinclined at more than 5

degrees to Earth’s orbit aroundthe Sun so its shadow at newmoon usually misses Earth.

Earth’s orbit is called theecliptic plane as the Moon’sorbit must cross this plane inorder for an eclipse to occur.

In addition, the Moon’sactual orbit is elliptical, oftentaking it far enough away fromEarth that its apparent size isnot large enough to block theSun totally.

The orbital planes crosseach year at a line of nodesresulting in at least two, andup to five, solar eclipsesoccurring each year; no morethan two of which can be totaleclipses.

However, total solar eclipsesare rare at any particularlocation because totality existsonly along a narrow path onEarth’s surface traced by theMoon’s shadow or umbra.

An eclipse is a naturalphenomenon. Nevertheless,in some ancient and moderncultures, solar eclipses havebeen attributed to supernaturalcauses or regarded as badomen. A total solar eclipse canbe frightening to people who

are unaware of itsastronomical explanation, asthe Sun seems to disappearduring the day and the skydarkens in a matter of minutes.

Since looking directly at theSun can lead to permanenteye damage or blindness,special eye protection orindirect viewing techniques areused when viewing a solareclipse.

It is technically safe to viewonly the total phase of a totalsolar eclipse with the unaidedeye and without protection,however this is a dangerouspractice as most people arenot trained to recognize thephases of an eclipse whichcan span over two hours whilethe total phase can only lastup to 7.5 minutes for any onelocation.

A solar eclipse occurs whenthe moon gets between Earthand the sun, and the mooncasts a shadow over Earth. Asolar eclipse can only takeplace at the phase of newmoon, when the moon passesdirectly between the sun andearth and its shadows fall uponearth’s surface. But whetherthe alignment produces a totalsolar eclipse, a partial solareclipse or an annular solareclipse depends on severalfactors, all explained below.The fact that an eclipse canoccur at all is a fluke of celestialmechanics and time. Since themoon formed about 4.5 billionyears ago, it has beengradually moving away fromthe Earth (by about 1.6 inches,or 4 centimeters per year).Right now the moon is at theperfect distance to appear inour sky exactly the same sizeas the sun, and therefore blockit out.



News

Risk Of Chronic Non-Communicable DiseasesStart At 40 - Expert

Retiree LaudsGovt Over New

Pension Scheme

Varsity, Distributes Mungbean Seeds ToFarmers

IRU-EGBEDE (Edo) –Hon. Julius Onyeacholem-Nachokoma Onwungbonu, aretired civil servant inOrhionmwon LocalGovernment Area of EdoState, has lauded the effortsof the government over thenew scheme to address thechallenges faced bypensioners.

Hon. Onwungbonu said, ifthe new scheme is properlyimplemented, it would endthe agony been faced by theretirees by accessing thescheme.

His position was stated in achat with newsmen in IrueEgbede Uhumwonde LocalGovernment Area.

According to him, theprevious pension schemewhich has claimed the livesof many pensioners whileaccessing their funds wasbarbaric and inhuman.

He called on government tosubsequently make provision

said “life they say begins at 40,unfortunately, we are not oftenreminded that the risks of somenon-communicable diseasesalso start increasing at age 40,as part of the aging process.

“The major non-communicable diseases arecancer, chronic respiratorydiseases, diabetes mellitus andheart diseases, including stroke.

“All of the four sharecommon aetiological factors,including physical inactivity,unhealthy diets and smoking.

“Other chronic diseases worthmentioning are mentaldisorders, visual impairmentand blindness, hearingimpairment and deafness,arthritis, oral diseases andgenetic disorders.’’

Durosinmi stressed the needfor strict healthy lifetyles earlyin life to prevent some of thesediseases.

He said “it is advisable thatpeople start early in life to livehealthy and go for regularmedical check-up.

“People should eat well,

with Rex Foundation, anUmuahia-based NGO.

‘’We have been going fromone community to another,distributing the seeds to farmersfree-of-charge, so that they canadopt it, grow it and develop theinterest to consume it.’’

He also explained thatfarmers groups from Enugu,Ebonyi and Anambra hadindicated interest in the crop.

Agugo said that the initiativewould not only make the croppopular in the south east butalso help to diversifyagricultural produce in the area

UMUAHIA - MichaelOkpara University ofAgriculture, Umudike(MOUAU) in Abia hascommenced the distribution of‘mungbean’ seeds to farmers inthe state, a lecturer in theinstitute told newsmen inUmuahia.

Dr. Boniface Agugo, alecturer in the department ofAgronomy and head of thedistribution team said that thecrop belonged to the cowpeafamily and originated fromIndia.

According to him,‘mungbean’ is lavishlyconsumed by both the young

and old in the country,especially those recuperatingfrom ill-health because itdigests easily unlike othercowpea species.

He further said that thecommodity and its vegetablewere rich in nutrients,especially proteins andminerals.

Agugo said that the universityhad so far distributed over 50kilograms of the product tofarmers from differentcommunities in Obingwa,Umuahia North and South LocalGovernment Areas of the state.

He said that the initiative wasbeing handled in conjunction

as well as boost farmers’income.

He said the university begangrowing the crop since 2002,adding that it had beendiscovered that the it couldthrive and flourish in the agro-ecological zones in Nigeria.

According to Agugo, as alegume, mungbean has thecapacity to transform nitrogeninto forms that plants could use.

‘’It is a crop that regeneratesthe soil, it rehabilitatesdegraded soil,’’ he said, addingthat growing it would help tosustain soil fertility andagriculture in the area.

He said that the produce had

been in existence in the northernpart of the country, where it wasbeing grown by some Indians.

He explained that MOUAUbrought it to the south east fromthe World Vegetable Centre in2002, after meeting all thenecessary conditions tointroduce a new crop to the area.

Agugo, who specialised inCrop Production andPhysiology, said that effectivestorage of the produce could beachieved by robbing vegetableoil on it to check weevil attacks.

He said that the universityplanned to buy-back theproduce from the farmersprevent wastage and economiclosses to farmers.

avoid sedentary lifestyle,exercise frequently, avoidsmoking, excessive drinking ofalcohol and use of artificialthings.’’

Dr Yetunde Aken’ova, aProffesor of Haematology at theUniversity College Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, said more than100,000 Nigerians werediagnosed with cancer yearly.

She said “in Nigeria, 100,000Nigerians are diagnosed withcancer annually and 80,000 ofthem die due to late detectionof the disease and the lack of

access to sound medicaltreatment.

“The key areas of challengesin cancer research are inhispathology, medical-microbiology and clinicalchemistry.

“In these areas, the challengesinclude inadequate funding fortraining and routine diagnosticfacilities, inadequate diagnostictools and support for updatetraining for specialists indiagnostic pathology.’’

She added that there was alsothe absence of screeningprogrammes for most of thecancers, vaccines, presentationof cases at terminal stage.

theme: “ChallengesConfronting Research in CancerDiagnosis in Nigeria”.

According to him, thecommon NCDs are cancer,chronic respiratory disease,diabetes mellitus and heartdiseases.

The professor of haematology

LAGOS - Dr MuheezDurosinmi, the Chairman,Faculty of Pathology, NationalPostgraduate Medical Collegeof Nigeria (NPMCN), weekendsaid the risk of some chronicnon-communicable diseases(NCD) increase at the age of 40.

He made the disclosure inLagos at the 17th All FellowsMeeting of the Faculty ofPathology, NPMCN, with

for employees in governmentpay roll so as not tocompromise the aim of thenew pension scheme.

The retired civil servantalso called on the governmentto review upward currentpension benefits topensioners in the country inorder to meet the demands ofcurrent economic realities.

Also, Onwungbonucommended the Edo StateGovernor, Comrade AdamsOshiomhole for his effort inidentifying with thepensioners in the state, sayingit has helped in addressingsome of their challenges.

By JOELCHUKWUAGHONIM

Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly (right), receiving one of the briefs from Mr. James Omoataman,Deputy Clerk, Legislative Matters, Edo State House of Assembly during the ministerial briefing by Comissioners at theHouse. Photo: GODWIN ISEGUAN.

Hon. Philip Shaibu, Majority Leader, Edo State House of Assembly (left) and Hon. JudeIse-Idehen, member representing Ikpoba-Okha Constituency in a chat during the minis-terial briefing by Commissioners at the House. Photo: GODWIN ISEGUAN.

Agric Ministry TrainsOfficers On Palm

Produce Techniques

BENIN CITY – Theproduce department of theEdo State Ministry ofAgriculture and NaturalResources recently embarked

on the training of officers onmodern techniques of PalmProduce, Inspection andGrading to prepare and equipthem for the task ahead.

The training which spannedtwo weeks took place at theNigerian Institute for OilPalm Research (NIFOR).

According to the Director,Produce Department of theministry, Mr. Godfrey O.Alile disclosed that a batch ofthe officers were earlier,trained on Marginal ResidueLimits on Cocoa at Akure inOndo State.

He said that the training ofthe officers became necessaryfor them to be abreast withthe modern techniques ofcarrying out their statutoryduties as well as enhancetheir efficiency andeffectives.

According to him, planswere on to send another batchto Iyanomo for more training.

By DOROTHYEGBOBAMWONYI


News

AWKA - The Anambra Po-lice Command have warnedvigilance groups against par-ticipating as security opera-tives at the November 16 gov-ernorship election in thestate.

The Commissioner of Po-lice, Mr Ballah Nasarawa gavethe warning while addressingmembers of the group in

Awka.Nasarawa urged the groups

not to work on the day of theelection except to go and casttheir votes.

He said the commandwould arrest any vigilancemember trying to flout thedirectives.

“You do not have any roleto play in the election. We gotinformation that politicians

want to use you on the elec-tion day.

“You are free to go and castyour vote; we are going to cre-ate three monitoring units tomonitor your activities duringand after the election.

“Anybody caught withuniform on that day will bearrested and prosecuted,’’ hewarned.

Anambra Poll: Stay Away, Police Warn VigilanteGroups

Hon. (Mrs) Aanena Jemitola, Edo State Commissioner for Art, Culture and Tourism with Pastor Monday Aigbe,Acting General Manager, Bendel Newspapers Company Limited (BNCL), Publishers of Observer titles during thecommissioner’s visit to the company recently. PHOTO: LUCKY AGIE

Nasarawa directed the vigi-lance groups to surrendertheir arms to the DivisionalPolice Officers (DPOs) in their

areas three days before theelection.

While commending themembers for assisting thepolice in curbing crime in thestate, he warned against theuse of sirens by politicians.

ENUGU - Nigeria’s HighCommissioner to Canada,Chief Ojo Maduekwe, hasurged Igbos to evolve a lead-ership recruitment strategythat would drive the economyof the South East.

Maduekwe made the call inEnugu at the 2013 South EastEconomic Summit with thetheme ‘Opening up SouthEast Nigeria for IncreasedTrade and Investment’.

He urged elites from thezone to create new values bybringing resources togetherto make the area the hub ofexcellence.

According to him, theSouth Eastern states are in-deed blessed with creativeyouths who are technologi-cally inclined and anxious tomove Nigeria to a greaterheight.

“If the South East is toachieve its much canvassedand persistently predictedpotential, we must evolve aleadership recruitment strat-egy to boost our economy.

“But this requires enor-mous truth-telling and consis-tent political will. That washow the Nnamdi Azikiwes, theMichael Okparas and othersof a pioneer generation madethe old Eastern Nigeria thehub of excellence,’’ he said.

The former transport minis-ter commended the group fororganising the summit andpledged to facilitate Canadianinvestments to all the statesof the federation, particularlythe South East zone.

Declaring the summit open,the Chairman of the SouthEast Governors Forum andGovernor of Anambra State,Mr Peter Obi, urged thepeople of the zone to demandfor the accounts of steward-ship from political leaders.

Obi said the zone was safefor investment, noting thatthe issue of security chal-lenges in the zone was beingexaggerated in some quarters.

The governor regretted thelow turnout of political lead-ers and captains of industryfrom the zone to the summitand wondered how the zonewould move forward withsuch attitude.

“In burial ceremonies, yousee Igbo elites and politiciansbut in economic functions

Obi, Maduekwe TasksIgbos On Economic De-

velopmentsuch as the summit, none ofthem will show up,’’ he won-dered.

Obi, however, assured thesummit that the governors’forum would adopt its report.

Earlier, the Chairman of thesummit, Chief ChrisObiefuna, said it was to high-light factors that impeded theflow of investment capitalinto the zone.

Reports state that thethree-day summit would fea-ture paper presentations bysome notable Nigerians.

OMU-ARAN (KWARA) -The Nigeria Security and CivilDefence Corps (NSCDC) inOmu-Aran, Kwara, has arresteda 15-year-old student of Ofe-Aran Commercial College, Omu-Aran, for allegedly promotinghimself to the next class.

Mr Samuel Ogungbe, thecorps’ Intelligence Officer, toldnewsmen in Omu-Aran that the

student was arrested when he re-fused to repeat his class after fail-ing his examination.

Ogungbe said the school’s au-thorities had instructed the stu-dent to leave the school, a direc-tive he ignored.

He told newsmen that an offi-cial of the school reported thematter to the corps when effortsto make him see reason why he

should repeat the class failed.“The student was said to be

violent and the authorities im-mediately called in the corpsand the student was arrested.

“Efforts by his parents tocompel him to repeat the classalso failed.

“When he was asked to leavethe school, he went back to theclass in anger and broke 10 win-

dow louvre blades in the school,”he said.

Ogungbe added that the stu-dent might serve a communitysentence to serve as a deterrentto others.

It was gathered that the stu-dent, who failed the just con-cluded JSS3 examination, insistedon remaining in SS1.

NSCDC Arrests Student For Promoting Self

ABUJA - The police havearraigned five men in an AbujaGrade 2 Area Court, Kado, forjoint acts of inciting publicdisturbance, criminal trespassand intimidation.

The police prosecutor, Sgt.Simeon Ibrahim, gave thenames of the accused as FelixNwaeze, 40; Jeff Momoh, 45;Nelson Onwuemeodo, 44;Nwenwa Alex, 48; and SunnyAbayomi, 37.

The accused are all tradersand shop owners at UtakoMarket, Abuja.

The prosecutor told thecourt that on October 9, MrTanko Danjuma of UtakoMarket, Abuja, reported the

matter at the Utako Police Sta-tion.

He said the complainant re-ported that on the same day,Felix and 10 others, now atlarge, formed a common inten-tion and jointly trespassedinto traders’ shops.

Ibrahim said that the firstaccused (Felix), who was theleader of the group, forciblystopped the traders from pay-ing their market dues to themarket management.

He said Felix threatened tokill anybody that pays the saiddues and also to burn downthe person’s shop.

The prosecutor said thatthe traders failed to pay thedues out of fear, resulting inthe management losing rev-enue.

During court sitting, thesecond and fourth accused(Momoh and Alex) were ab-sent from court.

The first, third and fifth ac-cused - Felix, Onwuemeodoand Abayomi - who werepresent in court pleaded notguilty to the charges.

The presiding officer, MrAhmed Ado, granted bail tothe accused in the sum ofN100,000 each and two sure-ties each in like sum.

Ado ordered that one ofthe sureties must be a civilservant not below GradeLevel 10.

He said the other suretymust have permanent houseaddress within the jurisdic-tion of the court, with his fam-ily living with him.

Ado adjourned the case toJanuary 8 for further hearing.

Criminal Trespass:5 Men Docked

BIRNIN KEBBI - Mr Ben-jamin Kusuma of the NationalAgency for Food and Drug Ad-ministration and Control(NAFDAC) have warned thepublic against patronising drughawkers in Kebbi to prevent theintake of expired drugs.

The NAFDAC official gavethe warning at a media briefingin Birnin Kebbi.

He stressed that the activitiesof drug hawkers had placed the

health of the people of the statein jeopardy.

Kusuma regretted that membersof the public were often carelesswhen buying drugs from the hawk-ers.

He, however, gave the assurancethat NAFDAC officials wouldstrive to redress the situation.

“We will strive to reverse thetrend; the agency is now collabo-rating with health officials at thestate and local government levels,including traditional leaders, in

efforts to confiscate expireddrugs and prosecute the hawk-ers.

“We, nonetheless, urge thepublic to stop patronising drughawkers.

“NAFDAC has been able toconfiscate illegal drugs from atleast 10 hawkers on a weeklybasis and the drug hawkers werehanded over to the police for

prosecution,’’ he said.Kusuma acknowledged the in-

put of the members of the publicin the campaign against fake andexpired drugs.

He noted that some well-mean-ing persons had provided usefulinformation to the agency on theactivities of some unscrupulouspatent medicine dealers and ven-dors.

NAFDAC Warns Against Sales Of ExpiredDrugs

Hon. Frank Evbuomwan Edo State Commissioner for Housing and UrbanDevelopment (centre) flanked by Mr. Felix Otoide Permanent Secretary of theMinistry (left), and Mr. Daniel I. Director of Physical Planning during thecommissioners ministerial briefing at the house. PHOTO: GODWIN ISEGUAN.


Fishermen LamentAttacks By Pirates

Oil Spill Compensation: Paramount RulerSues For Peace

South/SouthBayelsa ToIntroduceWorkers

BiometricAttendance

Register

Power Reform, Necessary Tool For SustainablePower Generation -Sambo

IBENO (AKWA IBOM) -Chief Effiong Archianga, theparamount ruler of Ibeno LocalGovernment Area of Akwa Ibomhas called on youths of the areato embrace peace.

Archianga, who representedthe four paramount rulers of thecore oil community made the callin his Palace in Ibeno.

He urged the youths to call offthe eight-day protest embarkedupon by the community over thenon-payment of the 2012 oil spillcompensation.

“The affected LocalGovernment Areas, youths andother stakeholders shouldcontinue to maintain peace in ourrespective domains by giving theAkwa Ibom Government achance to resolve the matter onceand for all.”

He warned youths in the areato desist from further blockingthe operations of MobilProducing Nigeria and theirsubsidiaries.

Reports state that the AkwaIbom Government, representedby the Secretary to the StateGovernment, Mr UdomEmmanuel, has intervened in the

protest.Our correspondent observed

that the protesting youths are nomore in the streets of Eket andIbeno Local Government Area.

Meanwhile, the communitieshave given ExxonMobil another14 days ultimatum to settle their

grievances or face a prolongedprotest.

Also speaking, Mr Isiah Abia,the Secretary, Oil SpillCompensation Committee inEket, said that the protest had tobe called off due to the state

government’s intervention.“Stakeholders of the affected

communities have to respect thewishes of the state governmentby calling off the protest,” hesaid.

Also reacting, Mr AkaninyeneEsiere, the Manager, Public/

Government Affairs of MobilProducing Nigeria (MPN) at theQua Iboe Terminal in Ibeno,acknowledged that the protesthad been called off.

Reports state that stakeholders,youths and the state governmentwould meet on November 2, tofind a lasting peace overgrievances generated by the non-payment of the oil spillcompensation.

YENAGOA - The BayelsaGovernment has said it wouldintroduce an AutomatedBiometrics AttendanceRegister (ABAR) for workersin the eight LocalGovernment Areas.

The state Commissioner forLocal Government andCommunity Development,Mr James Dugo, announcedthis in an interview withnewsmen in Yenagoa.

“The state government’sdecision to introduce theregister at the localgovernments is based on theneed for growth anddevelopment at the councillevel.

“The reforms and re-positioning plan for the thirdtier of government is to allowfor effective service deliveryat the grassroots.

“If the register is fullyimplemented, only staff whodischarge their official dutiesdiligently in the month willreceive salary,” he said.

The commissioner advisedemployees of the councils tofully participate in theelectronic enrolment system.

According to Dugo, “if youare not captured, you standthe risk of being declaredghost workers because onlythe committed ones will earntheir salaries’’.

“This bad attitude to workis depriving the people at thegrassroots of their democracydividend,” he said.

The commissioner said thatgovernment would continuewith its effort to ensure thatpeople in the ruralcommunities enjoyed thedividends of democracy.

By RICHARD EWEKA

BENIN CITY - The Vice-President of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria and theChairman of National Councilon Privatization (NCP) Arc.Mohammed Namadi Sambo saidthe privatization and reform inthe power sector is a necessarytool for laying a solid foundationfor sustainable power generationand service efficiency in Nigeria.

Arc. Namadi Sambo madethis known in Benin City duringthe official handover ceremony

of Benin Electricity DistributionCompany (BEDC) to VigeoPower Limited.

Sambo, who was representedat the occasion by Mr. BeksDagogo Jack, the Chairman,Presidential Taskforce on Power,said the handing over was in linewith Federal Government’scommitment to reform andrestructure the power sector.

“The power reformprogramme became imperativein order to improve efficiency,reduce losses and cost. No doubt,

this reform will lead to increasedaccess to electricity, engenderprivate sector investment,improve infrastructure and createemployment for the growingpopulation of our citizenry.

“Privatization of the sector isa key component of the reformin the power sector and one ofthe pre-conditions for the start upof a competitive electricitymarket in Nigeria,” heconcluded.

The CEO of Vigeo Power

Limited, the Core investors, Mr.Victor Gbolade Osibodu pledgethe company’s commitment toturnaround the assets of BEDCin line with the company’sbusiness plan and performanceagreement while instituting astrong sense of customer serviceand professionalism.

He assured consumers in thezone of quality service deliveryand urged the FederalGovernment to ensure thepayment of outstanding

severance allowances to PHCNstaff.

Earlier, the ManagingDirector (MD)/Chief ExecutiveOfficer (CEO) of BEDC, Dr.Effiong Umoren Salute thecourage of Vigeo, being the lastman standing and expressedoptimism that the battle in thesector is now over as there iscertainly good day ahead.

“It has been a long battle butwe believe, it is all over now”,he said.

UYO - Fishermen resident infishing settlements in Mbocouncil of Akwa Ibom havedecried attacks by sea pirates,whom they claimed stole theirclothes, outboard engines, andmoney.

Fishermen at Ibaka in Mbolocal government, told newsmenthat the pirates chased themaway from their fishing areas inthe sea and settlements.

The affected settlements areUte Bramah, Okposo, Atabong,Mbughu Unyenge, Afia Ndite,Mbeng Ndonro and Inua Abasi,

Mr Kenneth Okon, a victim,said the activities of the seapirates and militants in thesuburbs had made the areasdangerous for indigenes andresidents.

Okon said they had been livingin constant fear of the sea piratesfor some months now.

According to him, the pirates,who used to operate only in thehigh seas, are now coming to thecommunities.

“They shoot and maim atevery provocation.

‘’You dare not tell them youdon’t have money, fish, clothes,or refuse to reveal where youkeep your outboard engines,when they come visiting, elseyou risk losing your life to thepirates, who are armed to theteeth.

“Now, we are at home. Whatare we going to do at home? Wedid not go to school.

“The only way we earn ourliving is through fishing. If wedo not go to seas, how can wefeed our children and send themto schools,” he said.

Okon appealed to securityagencies in the state to come totheir aid and ensure adequateprotection in the sea.

“We need security in our

settlements. As citizens ofNigeria, if at all, we are notentitled to any other thing; we atleast, must be entitled to securityof our lives and property.”

Another fisherman at MbughuUnyenge, Mr Edidem Ekong,said: “the pirates or militantsharass, maim, and steal withimpunity because they knownobody will challenge them.”

Ekong appealed that thesecurity system should alsocover the creeks and othersettlements in the rural areas.

“If you don’t provide securityto your citizens in all parts of thecountry, you are leaving themvulnerable to other Republics,”Ekong said.

In his reaction, the actingPolice Public Relations Officer,Akwa Ibom Command, Mr JohnPatrick, refuted the complaints ofthe fishermen.

President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor consoling the FirstLady, Dame Patience Jonathan during service of songs in honour of Mrs Charity FynefaceOba in Port Harcourt recently.

First Lady, DamePatience Jonathana c k n o w l d g i n gcheers at theservice of songs inhonour of hermother, mrsCharity FynefaceOba inP o r t h a r c o u r trecently.


South-West

25 Arrested FollowingAssociations Clash

Robbery: 2 Teenagers Remanded

Local Council Empowers Vocational Trainee Graduates

Fight For Your Rights, NGOUrges Women

L-R: Chairman, NYSC National Governing Board, Chief Gordon Bozimo; Director-General of NYSC, Brig-Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Affia and a board member, ChiefDominic Yahaya during the visit of the board to the supervising Minister of YouthDevelopment in Abuja recently.

Produce Officers of Edo State Ministry of Agriculture after a training programmeon Modern Techniques of Palm Produce in NIFOR, Edo State.

Osun PDP Raises Alarm Over ProliferationOf Security Outfits

centre was inaugurated toempower the people and raisetheir standard of living.

“The purpose of this cen-tre is to afford our teemingunemployed youths the op-portunity to acquire variousskills for economic empower-ment and self-employment fora better living standard.

“The centre also providesnon-formal education andtraining opportunities for tal-ented individuals who canbecome entrepreneurs with ahigh standard of professionaland ethical conduct,” he said.

Bamigboye urged parents

ABEOKUTA - The OgunPolice Command in Abeokutasaid 25 persons were arrestedafter a fight between membersof the Amalgamated Commer-cial Motorcycle Owners andRiders Association of Nigeria(ACOMORAN).

The Ogun Police PublicRelations Officer (PPRO), Mr.Abimbola Oyeyemi who con-firmed the arrest, said the sus-pects were being interrogated.

“They will be charged tocourt as soon as investiga-tions were concluded,’’ hesaid.

Reports say that the fighthad led to a pandemonium asmembers of two factions ofACOMORAN engaged eachother in a fight.

The clash left nearly 30people critically injured infront of the premises of theFederal High Court inAbeokuta.

The fight was sequel to theadjournment of a case be-tween two factional leaders ofthe association.

The fracas resulted in a se-rious commotion which par-

economy.“We are here in Ikogosi as

a body recognised by the UNto educate women on theneed to come together to solvethe problem of gender gap inour political landscape.

“We observed that Nige-rian women contribute im-mensely to political life evenbefore the colonial era, butunfortunately, statistics reveala very low disproportionaterepresentation of women ingovernance.’’

Mrs Fola Richie-Adewusi,the Ekiti State Commissionerfor Women Affairs and Gen-der Empowerment, stressedthe important role women playin politics.

“Any government wishingto achieve a lot must learn togive women their rightful po-

doing its best to protect livesand property in Osun.

“We are confident thatthugs will not be allowed toparade themselves in uni-forms,’’ he said.

He noted that the duties ofthe police are clearly spelt outand should not be duplicatedto avoid confusion.

should not encourage illegaloperations of self-appointedsecurity agents.’’

He lauded the state policecommand for creating a level-playing ground for all politi-cal parties.

“The command has been

He said it had become im-perative for the police to makesure that untrained and un-registered security outfits donot constitute themselvesinto a nuisance.

“The police is the onlybody authorised to maintainlaw and order and as such

OSOGBO - The PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) inOsun, in Osogbo has calledon the police command in thestate to check the prolifera-tion of security outfits.

Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, thechairman of the party in thestate, made the call in a state-ment.

emulating by other councils.Ajimobi, who was repre-

sented by Mrs SandraKolade, an All ProgressivesCongress (APC) WomenLeader in the state, said suchprogrammes would help inreducing unemployment inthe area.

“Others should join in em-powering more people andtackling the problem of childlabour in the society,’’ shesaid.

Mr Jacob Bamigboye, theCaretaker Chairman, OriireLocal Government, said the

OGBOMOSO (OYOSTATE) - The Oriire LocalGovernment of Oyo State inIkoyi-Ile, near Ogbomoso hasequipped the 154 graduatesof its vocational training cen-tre with materials worth N5million.

The reports say that thegraduates were the first set tobe trained at the centre whichwas inaugurated on July 3,2012.

Mrs Florence Ajimobi, wifeof the Oyo State Governor,said the initiative of the coun-cil in equipping the graduateswas commendable and worth

IKOGOSI-EKITI (EKITISTATE) - Mrs Bisi Olagbegi,the Executive Director ofWomen Consortium of Nige-ria, an NGO, says Nigerianwomen will continue to fightfor their rights.

She stated this at the clos-ing ceremony of a 2-day train-ing workshop on AffirmativeAction for Women in Nigeriaat the Ikogosi Warm SpringResort in Ekiti West LocalGovernment Area.

Olagbegi, who doubles asthe Coordinator of the South-West Women Political Em-powerment Project, said herorganisation was committedto the promotion of the rightsof women and children.

She said the main goal ofher NGO was to address theunder-representation ofwomen in decision-makingprocess in virtually everysphere of the nation’s

sition in a democracy.“If any government must

meet the needs of both menand women, it must first buildon the two sexes through de-liberate and equal represen-tation,’’ she said.

According to her, EkitiState, under GovernorKayode Fayemi, has taken anumber steps in that directionby making women empower-ment one of its 8-pointagenda.

She lauded the state gov-ernment for promulgatinglaws that prohibit violenceagainst women.

The workshop wasorganised by the NGO in part-nership with UN Women.

tially paralysed commercialactivities in the Oke –Mosanarea of the city.

Reports say that the areahosts several high-profile in-stitutions, including the stateand federal secretariat com-plexes.

Traders and passers-by, aswell as civil servants, scam-pered for safety as the war-ring groups freely used dan-gerous weapons, includingguns and machetes, to un-leash terror against eachother.

It took the combined effortsof security operatives, includ-ing men of the Special Anti-

and guardians to desist fromusing their children as hawk-ers as a survival strategy dueto poverty.

“They should instead em-brace the programme, whichis free,’’ he said.

The council caretakerchairman urged thegraduands to guard theknowledge they had acquiredjealously and put the equip-ment they received to effi-cient and effective use.

Reports say that equip-ment distributed to the train-ees include hair dryers, elec-trical and welding machines,computer sets and blenders.

Robbery Squad (SARS) andthe special security outfittagged “OP–MESA’’, to re-store normalcy to the area.

ABEOKUTA - Two teenag-ers — AhanzogleleMuhammed and Sonae Evremwho allegedly robbed awoman of property valued atN500, 000 at gunpoint, wereremanded in Abeokuta Pris-ons.

An Abeokuta Magistrates’

Court which gave the ordersaid the duo should remainbehind bars pending advicefrom the State Director ofProsecutions (DPP).

The accused, whose ad-dresses are unknown, are be-ing tried for conspiracy and

robbery.Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp.

Augustine Ozimini had toldthe court that the duo com-mitted the offences on Sep-tember 20 at 12.00 a.m. atMauko in Akomoje area ofOgun capital.

He said the men, armedwith locally made pistols, en-tered Mrs MotunrayoAdesina’s house and cartedaway two deep freezers,plasma flat screen television,a microwave oven, a genera-tor, all valued at N500, 000.

The two were caught whilecarting away all they stole bymen of the Special Anti-Rob-bery Squad (SARS) officialswho were on patrol, Oziminialleged.

The offences, he noted,contravened Section 5 (r), 1(2)and (a) of the Robbery andFirearms (Special Provisions)Act, Laws of the Federation.

The Magistrate, MrEmmanuel Adekunte, ad-journed the case to Decem-ber 13.


Lagos

and Realities”. Reports state that the week

also witnessed health talk onhealthy oral habits, oral healthscreening and recitation of HolyQuran by elected secondaryschool students.

“If indeed children are the fu-ture leaders, governments at alllevels should formulate andimplement policies toward en-suring the realisation of theMDGs as it affects girl-child and

women.“The aspects of the MDGs that

address girl-child and women -Goal 2 (achieves universal pri-mary education for all) - and -Goal3 (promotes gender equality andempower women),” she said.

Titilade listed the causes ofchild abuse and child labour to in-clude poverty, uncontrolled po-lygamy, under-aged marriages andcultural beliefs.

She said that nurturing the girl-child was not the responsibilityof government alone, but of allstakeholders.

Titilade said that if the girl-childwas shown love, care and atten-tion, her potential could be prop-erly harnessed.

In another lecture, AlhajaHamdalat Abdulkareem, said thatfathers had important role to playin the emotional development oftheir daughters to relate properlywith the opposite sex.

Abdulkareem, a director in the

Lagos State Civil Service, saidthat children should be taught toworship God and be kind to theirparents.

The lead speaker at the event,Justice Taofikat Abdullahi-Oyekan of Lagos High Court,said that proper nurturing was amajor determinant of character.

Abdullahi-Oyekan said thatthe girl-child should be givenproper education and preferencein the society.

Also, Alhaja NofisatArogundade, the NASFAT Na-tional Women Affairs Secretary,decried the increased rate of vio-lence and abuse of children in thesociety.

Arogundade said that the as-sociation was using the week tosensitise the governments on therole of women in nation build-ing.

“We need to build our tomor-row, if we want to improve ourquality of life, and we shouldfocus on the girl-child,’’ she said.

LAGOS- A former federallawmaker, Senator TokunboAfikuyomi, has called for theenactment of a law that willensure police officers, who aretrained in legal practise,handle prosecution of courtcases.

Afikuyomi, who repre-sented Lagos Central at theSenate between May 1999and June 2007 under

the Alliance for Democracy(AD), stated this at the ongo-ing Magistrates Associationof Nigeria (MAN) conventionin Lagos.

He made the call whiledelivering a paper titled“Grassroots Justice Dispen-sation: the travails of a typi-cal Nigerian Magistrate”.

According to him, the majorchallenge facing the judiciaryis inconsistency in judg-ments.

“Little offences had beencarrying heavier judgments,not due to corruption but forlack of concrete evidences.

“However, if this law ispromulgated, consistency injudgments or sentences willbe achieved.

“Moreover, financial cor-ruption will be on a decline inthe justice system,” theformer lawmaker said.

Afikuyomi emphasisedthat legally trained policeprosecutors would articulatefacts of cases accurately andpromptly.

“With their ability to ar-ticulate facts, legal evidencewill be available.

‘This alone underscoresthe fact why all Nigeriansmust join hands to improvethe cause of magistracy,’’ hesaid.

Speaking at the event,Justice Latifat Folami, aformer President of MAN,urged state governments toprovide the necessary infra-structures for magistratecourts.

‘I urged our state gov-ernments to build wellequipped libraries for ourmagistrates to carry out re-searches.

“We should all know thatdispensation of justice is notjust a public service but a jobto creator,” Folami said.

Reports state that thethree-day convention withthe theme “Career Magistrate- the way forward’’ was at-tended by about 2,000 magis-trates nationwide.

Senator Calls ForEnactment Of NewProsecution Law

LAGOS- Mr OlorundareThomas, the Director-Gen-eral, Nigerian Insurers Asso-ciation (NIA), has advisedNigerians to take time to readinsurance documents beforebuying policies.

Thomas told newsmen inLagos that reading the docu-ments thoroughly was im-portant for the policy holder.

He said that insurance wasa contract between an insur-ance company and the policyholder.

According to him, lack ofreading culture has perme-ated all aspects of our livesthat people are always in ahurry to do things withoutreading about them.

“When any insured lostoccurs, the insurance com-pany will refer to the contractto know the specified claimsto pay.

“Most of the time when thedetails are being explainedthe policy holder will say thathe does not know aboutthem,” he said.

Thomas said that this wasusually a source of conflictbetween policy holders andinsurance companies.

He said that this conflict

could be reduced if peopleimbibed the culture of read-ing policy documents toknow the extent to which thepolicy would cover.

The director-general saidthat a change of attitude bythe insuring public would goa long way in sanitising the

Read Insurance DocumentsNIA Advises Nigerians

LAGOS-The Association ofSenior Civil Servants of Nigeria(ASCSN) has advised the Fed-eral Government to ensure thatthe right economic policies wereput in place for the creation ofjobs in Nigeria.

The Secretary-General of theAssociation, Mr Alade Lawal,told newsmen in Lagos has saidthat unless the right polices werein place the issue of job creationwould only be on paper.

“We have said it times with-out number that if the govern-ment is serious about the issueof job creation, every sector ofthe economy must be encouragedto do better, through economypolices.

“The government should putthe right polices in place and takemeaningful steps to ensure thatsuch policies were implemented.

“If the right policies were notin place, it would be impossiblefor somebody to wake-up oneday and say he wants to createone million jobs.

“Job creation is a function andgeneration of economic activities,which we are not seeing pres-ently in the country.

“We want to see activities inall the sectors, especially in themanufacturing sector.

‘‘If the government says itwould not go into direct manu-facturing, it must put polices inplace to make the sector vibrant.

“How does one explain a sce-nario were a manufacturer goesto the bank and gets a loan at 22per cent interest rate, whatwould he produce?

“I bet you he would not be ableto compete globally, ‘’ Lawalsaid.

The ASCSN scribe said that

Activist Urges Govt To EmpowerGirl-Child

practice of insurance in thecountry.

He also said that an ag-grieved policy holder couldalways rely on NIA Con-sumer Compliant Bureau tomediate between him andany insurance company.

effective national planning andthe development of sectoral blue-prints would assist the govern-ment address the issue of job-lessness in the country.

Association TasksFG On Job Creation

L-R: Head of Disaster Management, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Plateau State, Mr. Lawrence Ndubisi;Representative of the Coordinator, North Central Zone, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji SuleimanMuhammed and Representative of Executive Secretary, Plateau Emergency Agency (SEMA), Mrs. Juni Dabin, at a workshopon mass casaulty handling on road related crashes during Ember months in Jos recently.

Officials of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), at a Sanitation andAwareness creation campaign, on the need for regular Sanitation in Gombe Metropolis recently.

LAGOS-A child right activ-ist, Alhaja Adijat Titilade, hasurged government at all levels toinitiate policies to develop girl-child toward the realisation ofMillennium Development Goals(MDGs).

Titilade, the Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Mother and Girl-ChildProtection Initiative (MAGI),made the plea at a lecture mark-ing the 14th NASFAT AnnualWomen Week held at AgidingbiSenior Grammar School, Ikeja.

The lecture entitled: “TheMuslim Girl Child: Her Travails


Across The NationAbubakar Tasks Varsity On High

Standards

Adamawa Extends EmpowermentProgramme To Prison Inmates

Govt To Spend N464trn On Infrastructure Master Plan

Etsu Nupe UrgesResidents To Be

Ventilation Conscious

SOKOTO - Former Headof State, Gen. AbdulsalamAbubakar, has called onauthorities of the newly-inaugurated Sokoto StateUniversity to blend localcontents with globalorientation in the institution’steachings and research.

Abubakar, who made the callin Sokoto at the university’sinauguration, urged theuniversity authorities to ensurethey attain a higher standard tomeet global best practices.

“This is one of theuniqueness the university mustattain, if it wants to be relevantand have the ability tointegrate its products in thesociety,’’ he said.

“The university must set ahigh standard of academicexcellence by devisingprogrammes in partnershipwith foreign educationalinstitutions, as well asrecruiting personnel from allparts of the world.’’

Abubakar said theinstitution’s students shouldget the best educationavailable, while the teachersand other staff of the universitymust do the best in their duties.

“The society to whom theuniversity belongs mustperform its own duties, inorder to make the universitysucceed,” he said.

The former Nigerian leadersaid the commitment of theSokoto state government to theestablishment of the universitywas a step in the rightdirection.

“I rejoice with the people ofSokoto state who have shownthat they are in search ofdevelopment,’’ he said.

A former governor of Lagosstate, Mr Bola Tinubu,congratulated the people ofSokoto State, especiallyGovernor Aliyu Wamakko,for setting up the university.

He described education asthe greatest weapon againstpoverty and ignorance, saying“it is the only chemical thatcan break down differences.

“I salute the courage,commitment andunderstanding of you all, andwe will continue to collaboratewith you in your endeavours,’’Tinubu said.

Also, a former Head of State,

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari,described education as themost important determinantfor any people to enhance theirparticipation in public affairs.

Buhari noted that a hugenumber of qualified applicantswere not able to gainadmission into theuniversities, while there weremany graduates who haveremained without jobs.

‘This is due to insensitiveleadership, because aneducated community ought tobe able to create jobs for itspeople,” he said.

Wamakko praised God formaking the university a realityand assured that it wouldensure the overalldevelopment of theeducational sector in the state.

YOLA - The Adamawa StateLocal Apprenticeship Scheme(LAS), has said it has extendedits skills acquisition and youth

empowerment programme toprison inmates in the state.

Alhaji Sani Jada, the scheme’sProject Manager, made thisknown in Yola while briefing

some consultants on theactivities of the scheme.

Jada said that the schemewould provide working tools forthe inmates, after the

MINNA - The Etsu Nupe,Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar,urged residents of Niger tosleep in ventilatedenvironment, to avoid beinginfected with Cerebrum-Spinal Meningitis (CSM).

Yahaya made the call whenhe received officials of theMinistry of Health in Bidabefore the inauguration of thevaccination against thescourge.

“ The mass vaccination forthe killer disease had beentargeted at the ages of one to29 years; the ministry shouldput more effort inenlightenment campaign, notminding that the vaccination

is free, ’’ he said .He said thatthe people of Bida Emiratewould maximise theopportunity provided by thevaccination to get protectedfrom CSM.

The Etsu urged the ministryofficials and theirinternational partners toensure that people above theage of 30 were vaccinatedsince “meningitis is acommunicable disease”.

Earlier, the Director ofPublic Health, Dr UsmanMuhammed, said the massvaccination was targeted atcovering 3.5 million peoplein the state.

UYO - Mr. Fidelis Ugbo, theSecretary of the NationalPlanning Commission, saysN464 trillion will be required toimplement the NationalIntegrated Infrastructure MasterPlan (NIIMP).

The master plan is a 30-yearplan expected to be funded bythe Federal and StateGovernments as well as theprivate sector.

Ugbo made the disclosure atthe opening of the 10th JointPlanning Board (JPB) andNational Council on

Development Planning (NCDP)meetings in Uyo.

The theme of the meeting is“Imperative of StrategicPlanning as a Framework forEffective Policy Formation andImplementation for Nigeria’sTransformation’’.

“The scope of the NIIMPcoverage is 2014 to 2043. Theinvestment size isapproximately N464 trillion andis to be implemented throughfive-year operational plan and10-year strategic plan for 30years.

“The NIIMP has beendeveloped, concluded and iscurrently being validated tocomplement the TransformationAgenda and Vision 20:2020,’’Ugbo said.

He urged the permanentsecretaries of states planningcommissions, who wereactively involved in the plan, tobe involved in theimplementation of the plan.

Ugbo also urged stategovernments to ensure that theirannual budgets and mediumterm plans were aligned with the

priorities of the NIIMP witheffect from the 2014 budget.

However, Mrs Arit Ibanga, thePermanent Secretary, Ministryof Economic Development,Akwa Ibom, said dwindlingrevenue due to oil theft in theNiger Delta had severeimplications on the nation’sdevelopment planningprocesses.

“The outcome of the currentreview of the revenue formula,the national dialogue and theongoing constitution review willseverely impact on our planning

completion of their jail terms, toenable them establish theirbusinesses.

He said that the trainingcovered tailoring, carpentry andbeads making.

Controller of Prisons inAdamawa, Mr Ekijere Shidi,commended the scheme andurged the public not todiscriminate against theinmates.

He said that theirimprisonment was forreformation, rehabilitation andcorrection.

In his remark, Prof. AbbaGambo, the team leader of theconsultants from RoyaleCriterion Consults, lauded theefforts of the state governmentfor including inmates in itsempowerment programme.

A team of Agricultural Consultants from Royale Criterion Consults, being conductedaround Milking Workshop of Adamawa State Agricultural Skills Development Centre atDamare Village in Sirie Local Government Area of the State.

processes.“We must therefore be able to

develop a more robustframework and responsecapability that will be easilyamendable to the possibledistortions these changes maybring,’’ Ibanga said.

The reports say that the three-day meeting will review theextent of implementation of keyrecommendations ondevelopment planningprocesses arising from the lastJPB meeting held in Benue.

Newly acquired training equipment by Adamawa State Agricultural Skills Development Centre in Damare Village re-cently.


Abuja

N300bn Accrued To SURE-P - DG

NGO Seeks Support For Stroke Victims

Group Wants Involvement OfWomen Farmers In Policy Making

Lawmaker Advocates 50 Percent Cut InElected Officials’ Allowances

ABUJA - Ms Rita Melifonwu,President of Stroke ActionNigeria, an NGO, called on alllevels of government toestablish support centres toreduce deaths from stroke in thecountry.

Melifonwu said this in Abujaat a conference on stroke

strategy held in collaborationwith the Federal Ministry ofHealth.

She said support centres werenecessary, as a lot of personssuffering from stroke failed torecover due to delay in receivingcare and support.

“Stroke survivors and their

families need a lot of support,following hospital admission, ifthey are to cope with the traumaand experience of the stroke.

“When the support is notimmediately available, recoveryfrom stroke becomes delayed,there will be fatigue for

caregivers, and end of life carebecomes extremely challengingcausing stress for allconcerned.”

According to her, stroke isresponsible for 10 per cent ofdeaths worldwide and also theleading cause of disability.

She said stroke was also a

contributory factor to dementiadeaths.

“More than 30 million peopleworld-wide have suffered astroke, six million die from thecondition yearly.

“Other common risk factorsinclude heart rhythmirregularities, diabetes mellitus,high cholesterol levels, blocked

carotid arteries, advancing age,smoking, alcohol consumptionand physical inactivity.

Dr. Ogugua Osi-Ogbu, aconsultant gerontologist, saidthat of all those who had stroke,one third died and another onethird ended up with severedisability.

ABUJA - Miss ConstanceOkeke, the ProgrammeAdviser for Actionaid Nigeria,has called on the country’spolicy makers to involvewomen farmers in agriculturalpolicy making.

Okeke made the call whileaddressing reporters at thelaunch of the NationalPlatform for SmallholderWomen Farmers in Abuja.

“I believe that these farmershave the inherent ability andcapability to proffer solutionsto agricultural developmentchallenges but our policymakers do not think that theyhave anything to offer.

“Things ought to change; itis high time we began torealise that these women havethe power in their hands.

“They contribute so much toour economic growth; yet,they are not recognised.

“Let’s have a specialobjective in our agriculturalplan for the year targetingsmallholder farmers.

“We have credit facilitiesthat are meant for smallholder

women farmers.“Some of them are getting

the loan but why don’t wework with them and ensurethat the real women farmersactually get the loan,” she said

Okeke said that the platformwas created to increase thevoice of the smallholderwomen farmers and theirengagement with agriculturalpolicies.

She said that it would alsocreate a space for womenfarmers to advocate for theirneeds with regard toinvestments and developmentof the sector.

The reports state that as partof the event, nine newmembers of the nationalexecutive council of the SmallScale Women Farmers’Organisation in Nigeria wereinaugurated.

The newly elected presidentof the organisation, Mrs SarahYapwa, said that thecommittee would work topush for women farmers tobenefit more in the sector.

“Our plan is to engage theFederal Ministry ofAgriculture, particularly onthe issue of agricultural inputs,so that these small-scalewomen farmers can haveadequate agricultural inputs.

“That would definitelyenhance their productivity,”Yapwa said.

Mrs Mary Ishaya, a farmer,who spoke with newsmen,said that with the newcommittee, women farmerswould be able to speak withone voice in matters relatingto their needs.

ABUJA - The Director-General of the Budget Office,Dr. Bright Okogwu, has saidN300 billion has so faraccrued to the Subsidy Re-investment andEmpowerment Programme(SURE-P).

Okogwu made this knownwhen he appeared before theSenate Ad-hoc Committee onSURE-P.

He said the sum of N300billion accrued to the SURE-P between Feb. 2012 andSept. 2013 while the sum ofN207 billion was disbursedwithin the same period.

He said N72.4 billion wasdisbursed in 2012 whileN134.5 billion had so far beendisbursed as at the end ofSept. 2013.

Okogwu said that theSURE-P intervention wasmaking appreciable progressin the development of certaincritical areas such as roads,mass transportation andmaternal and child health,among others.

“SURE-P is to harvest themonies that would have goneto subsidy and distributeamong the three tiers ofgovernment to developcertain critical areas thatwould benefit the people.

“The resuscitation of therailways, work on the Abuja-

Kaduna Road, the East-WestRoad and other road networksacross the country aredemonstration of thecontribution SURE-Pdevelopment of keyinfrastructure,” he said.

Okogwu also explainedthat maternal and child careservices in the country hadbenefitted immensely fromthe SURE-P intervention.

He said that the programmewas essentially to utilise theresources to completeongoing projects.

The director general saidthat under the currentProgramme, no contractor hadcomplained about non-payment of fees after duecompletion of projects they

ABUJA – Senator SolaAdeyeye (APC-Osun), the ViceChairman, Senate Committeeon Education, has urged theFederal Government to urgentlycut the allowances of all electedand appointed officials by 50 percent.

Adeyeye made the call inAbuja while speaking tonewsmen against the backdropof the protracted strike by theAcademic Staff Union ofUniversities (ASUU).

The senator also urged theNational Assembly tohenceforth appropriate 26 per

cent of national revenue to theeducation sector.

He said this had becomenecessary because “theenormous rot in the educationsector cries for urgent andimmediate attention”.

Adeyeye said that thedemands put up by ASUU wasmotivated by the hugeprivileges and entitlementscurrently enjoyed by theNigerian politicians.

He said the “meagreallocations” to the educationsector had turned the Ministryof Education into “a beast ofburden” which had over 46parastatal agencies to attend to.

“The costs for running theoffices of all elected andappointed political officeholders should immediately bepruned by 50 per cent.

“The National Assemblyshould, henceforth, appropriate

at least 26 percent of Nigeria’scurrent revenue to educationalone,” he said.

Adeyeye also suggested thatbeginning from 2014, thenational assembly shouldformulate a law compelling allworkers in Nigeria to contributefive per cent of their income aseducation taxes.

He said there was the need tostreamline the large number ofparastatals under the Ministry of

Education into a manageablefew, to reduce the drain onscarce resources.

The senator, however, advisedthat stringent punishmentshould be meted out to anybodyfound guilty of stealing from therevenues that would be derivedfrom the education tax.

“Embezzling any amount ofthese revenues targeted foreducation should be taken as anact of treason.

Acting President, Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa (left), with the former President, JusticeAyo Salami at the valedictory Court section of the Court in honour of Justice Salami in Abuja recently.

handled. Earlier, the Chairman of the

Senate Ad-hoc Committee onSURE-P, Sen. Abdul Ningisaid Nigerians were skepticalof the Programme due to thelack of adequate information

on the work it was doing.Ningi said that Nigerians

were yet to feel the impact ofthe SURE-P because therewas “very little” on ground toshow that people were gettingvalue for their funds.

Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) at the valedictory session of the Court ofAppeal in honour of Justice Ayo Salami in Abuja recently.


Business + Economy

Nigeria’s Airspace Safe- NAATE PresidentIKEJA - The President, Na-

tional Association of Air TrafficEngineers (NAATE), MrEbenezer Makanjuola, has saidthat Nigeria’s airspace was safefor flying.

Makanjuola, who said thiswhile speaking with aviation cor-respondents at the MurtalaMohammed International Air-port, Ikeja, challenged anyonewith a contrary opinion.

He said that such a person orgroup of persons was only mis-leading Nigerians.

Makanjuola also commendedthe management of the NigerianAirspace Management Agency(NAMA), for improving thenavigational equipment in thecountry’s airspace and beyond.

The president said that theequipment installed at the vari-ous airports across the countrymet international standards andassured the travelling public of avery safe airspace.

He insisted that none of the aircrashes that happened in thecountry in the last 20 years hadbeen traced to equipment failure.

“If the equipment were not ofinternational standard, aircrashes would have been attrib-uted to their malfunctioning,“ hesaid.

Makajuola further said thatsince the Total Radar Coverageof Nigeria (TRACON) equip-ment was installed over threeyears ago, pilots had not com-plained about its efficiency orperformance.

He insisted that the equipmentwas perfect and dependable.

The president, however, ad-mitted that although there mightbe hitches in the system, that wasnot enough to say the airspacewas unsafe.

“No one has ever complained

about the TRACON project. Ifthe users do not complain, whoare we to do so?

“With the system, you can seean aircraft as far as Niger, Chadand even Ghana. TRACON isnot an equipment that will keepthe aircraft in the air or controlits performance, “ he said.

Makanjuola said that the WorldGlobal Survey (WGS 84) projecthad been completed and wasproviding Performance-BasedNavigation (PBN), in 22 airports.

“This enables aircraft systemperformance to be defined interms of accuracy, integrity,availability, continuity and func-tionality, required for all opera-tions in the Nigerian airspace,supported by appropriate navi-gational infrastructure.

“The WGS 84 is to provideseamless communication be-tween pilots and air traffic con-trollers (ATCs) and it enhancesdata transfer from one airport toanother.

“The agency has taken deliv-

ery of Aeronautic InformationService Automation facilities for27 airports and our members arefully equipped with necessaryskills for this provision,” he

IKEJA - Mr TonyUsidamen, Head, CorporateCommunications, DANA Air-line, has appealed to the Ni-gerian Civil Aviation Author-ity (NCAA) to immediatelycommence an audit of theairline’s aircraft, in the inter-est of its workers.

Usidamen made the appealin a news statement madeavailable to aviation corre-spondents at the MurtalaMohammed International Air-port, Ikeja.

He said that the airline hadsuspended its flight opera-tions since October 6, 2013 incompliance with the directiveby NCAA.

Usidamen added that thiswas to allow the authorityaudit the airline’s operations,adding that up till now, thishad yet to be done.

“Subsequently, as a resultof the suspension, the airlinedirected its Nigerian and ex-patriate workers to proceedon compulsory leave withoutpay, with a promise to recallstaff as soon as the audit pro-cess is completed.

“It is now three weeks sincethe NCAA directive and,though the airline is open andready for the planned audit.

“It is worrisome that theNCAA is yet to commence theaudit and no clear directionor timeline has been given to

the airline for completion ofthe audit, “ he said.

The statement said that theongoing suspension hadcaused untold hardships forthe hitherto gainfully-em-ployed staff of the airline.

“With NCAA’s inaction re-garding the audit, there ap-pears to be no relief in sightto the sufferings of theairline’s staff and their numer-ous dependants.

“NCAA’s action or inactionis not without consequencesfor the average Nigerian trav-ellers, with the few airlines lefttaking advantage of thedearth of operators to hikefares and offer poor servicesto helpless customers.

“It is for these reasons thatwe, the over 540 directly-em-ployed Nigerian staff ofDANA Air, are appealing tothe NCAA to save us and theairline by carrying out itsstatutory role, devoid of sen-timents and political interfer-ence, “ he said.

Usidamen said that the air-line cared for the safety andcomfort of its passengers andcrew members, pledging thatit would continue to offer bet-ter services.

“We pledge to continue tooffer our full cooperation tothe NCAA and all other rel-evant agencies in ensuringsafer skies,” the statementadded.

DANA Air Urges NCAATo Commence Audit OfIts Aircraft

KANO - Alhaji AbdukadirSaleh, the Chairman of the Boardof the National AutomotiveCouncil (NAC), has said that theFederal Government is commit-ted to the implementation of thenew automotive policy.

Saleh said this in Kano whenhe led members of the board on afacility tour to the NationalTrucks Manufacturers (NTM)Ltd in Kano.

He said the current adminis-tration was ready to revitalise theauto industry and “that is whyit puts in place the policy re-

cently approved by the FederalExecutive Council’’.

Saleh said that through thepolicy, “the government intendsto reduce the high vehicle impor-tation bill which stood at 3.4 bil-lion dollars (N550 billion) in2012.

“A transformed automotiveindustry will realise its poten-tials as a major driver of eco-nomic growth, job creation, localvalue addition and technologyacquisition,” he said.

Saleh said the policy did not

out rightly ban the importationof used cars.

He explained that the FederalGovernment only directed thatall vehicles purchased by itsagencies should be from the lo-cal assembly plants unless itwas specialised in nature.

In that case, Saleh said that theNAC must certify that such ve-hicles were not produced in thecountry.

He said that under the newpolicy three automotive clustersare to be established in the coun-try, while the metal and steel

sector is to be revived as well asthe tyre manufacturing industrythat would support it.

The Managing Director of thecompany, Mr Ibrahim Bayero,who received the board mem-bers, called for the full implemen-tation of the new auto policy forthe growth of the sector.

Bayero, who was representedby the Company Secretary, DrSamuel Itabiyi, urged the FederalGovernment to mandate govern-ments at all levels to patronisethe local assembly plants.

He said government should

guide against policy failure,which had been one of the majorfactors militating against the autoindustry in the country.

Bayero appealed to the gov-ernment to make available loanfacilities to the manufacturingsector at single digit rates, andsaid the age limit of importedsecond hand vehicles should bereviewed.

New Auto Policy: FG Committed To Implementa-tion

– NAC

NPC Produces 3 National Plans - MinisterUYO - The Supervising Min-

ister of National Planning Com-mission (NPC), Alhaji BashirYuguda, said the commissionproduced three strategic nationalplans since 2010.

Yuguda disclosed this at theclosing ceremony of the 10thJoint Planning Board (JPB) andNational Council on Develop-ment Planning meetings in Uyo.

The minister, who was repre-sented by the secretary of thecommission, Mr Fidelis Ugbo,said the ministry worked in col-laboration with relevant stake-holders to produce the plans.

He said the strategic plans areNigeria Vision 20:2020, theTransformation Agenda, andNational Integrated Infrastruc-ture Master Plan (NIIMP).

“At the federal level, the min-istry has effectively coordinatedthe production of three catego-ries of strategic plans since thereturn to National DevelopmentPlanning in 2010.

“These strategic plans includethe Nigeria Vision 20:2020,which is Nigeria’s long-term stra-tegic plan; the first NationalImplementation Plan (2010-2013) of the Vision 20:2020 is amedium-term strategic plan.

“The Transformation Agendais a medium-term plan contain-ing key policies, programmes andprojects to be implemented bythe Federal Government during2011-2015.

“And the National Integrated

Infrastructure Master Plan is a30-year plan (2014-2043),’’ hesaid.

The minister said the purposeof developing the NIIMP was tofill the existing infrastructure gapsin the country.

He thanked state governmentsand other stakeholders involvedin the planning for playing sig-nificant roles in the developmentof the three plans.

Governor Godswill Akpabio ofAkwa Ibom said the bedrock ofthe uncommon transformationwitnessed across the state wasstrategic planning and budgeting.

Akpabio, who was repre-sented by the Secretary to theState Government, Mr UdomEmmanuel, added that his admin-istration maintained a steadybudgeting formula of 20 per centrecurrent and 80 per cent capi-

tal.According to him, the admin-

istration instituted the provisionof dividends of democracy byimplementing proper budgetingin addition to strategic planning.

Reports say that the theme ofthe meetings was Imperative ofStrategic Planning as a Frame-work for Effective Policy For-mation and Implementation forNigeria’s Transformation.

added.

L-R: Secretary to Sokoto State Government, Alhaji Sahabi Gada; DeputyGovernor, Muktari Shagari; Governor Aliyu Wamakko and Speaker, Sokoto StateHouse of Assembly, Alhaji Lawali Zaiyana, at a Creative Public AwarenessWorkshop in Sokoto recently.

L-R: Director, Securitiesand ExchangeCommission, Mrs. MaryUduk; President,Chartered Institute ofStockbrokers, Mr. AriyoOlushekun; Chairman,Bancorp Plc, Mr. TolaMobolurin; ManagingDirector, PartnershipInvestment Company Plc,Mr. Victor Ogiemwonyiand Chairman, NigeriaElectricity RegulationCommission, Dr. SamAmadi, at the 17thAnnual StockbrokersConference in Lagosrecently.


MediaSocial Media And Public Information

Management In NigeriaBy JUDE ZOHO

Labaran Muaku, Information Minister

THE National Councilon Information metrecently at its 44th sessionin Osogbo and focused onthe role of social mediaand public informationmanagement in Nigeria.The deliberations centredon access, knowledge, useand indispensability ofsocial media in facilitatingdiscussions among thecitizenry. The speakers wereunanimous in theiragreement that socialmedia had potential toaddress the challenges ofpublic informationmanagement in thecountry.Information ministerLabaran Maku set the toneof the deliberations whenhe stressed on the potentialand influence of socialmedia, and urgedinformation managers totake advantage of theemerging trend. He observed that therewas governance deficit inNigeria, noting that thehigh level of distrust andskepticism among thepeople called for a newapproach to publicinformation management.He said that the need forthe citizens to participatein governance process, andensure public trust ingovernance highlightedthe imperatives for theadoption of the newtechnologies.“The growing internetaccess across the country,the availability of a varietyof mobile and web-baseddevices for informationgathering, storage, andi n s t a n t a n e o u sdissemination on a massscale across extensivedistances, offer newpossibilities andchallenges for publicinformation management,

and mobilisation of thecitizenry fordevelopment,’’ he said.Maku called on publicinstitutions, officials andinformation managers toestablish their presencemore visibly and activelyon social media circuits.He urged them to showgreater openness andreadiness to engage withcitizens in a two-waycommunication processfor effective servicedelivery.‘Social media, indeed,afford enormousopportunities for buildingpublic trust and confidencein government anddiligently encouragingpublic participation ingovernance.“Popular participation is,of course, key todemocratic consolidation,effective policymonitoring, evaluation andefficient delivery ofservices,’’ he said.Speaking in the same vein,Osun Governor, Mr. RaufAregbesola, stressed theneed for officials at alllevels to harnessopportunities in the socialmedia for effective publicinformation management. He urged policy makersto use the new media toengage the youth ingovernance processes soas to build trust betweenthem and government.“I urge you to also givethoughts to howgovernments at differentlevels can tap into the vastpotentials of social mediaand InformationC o m m u n i c a t i o n sTechnology to enhanceaccountability andtransparency ingovernance,’’ he said.

The council alsodeliberated on thecomplementary rolessocial media play in thedevelopment of traditionalmedia.The issue was highlightedto create necessaryawareness on the changingroles of traditional mediain the internet era.It was assumed that the era

of total dependence ontraditional media forpublic sensitisation andmobilisation of the publicto government activities isover.For the participants, it wasimperative for informationmanagers to understandthat dissemination ofinformation could bemanaged better ifopportunities provided bysocial media were properlyharnessed in collaborationwith traditional media.

While many believe thattraditional media wouldcontinue to compete withsocial media, othersargued that the emergenceof the later would notundermine the role of theformer. Some experts also arguedthat the future ofinformation disseminationand management in

Nigeria would largelydepend on theconvergence of social andtraditional media.Osun Commissioner forInformation and Strategy,Mr Sunday Akere, arguedthat rather than see theemerging media as athreat, experts must find ameeting point between thetwo.He said that effectiveinformation managementcannot be successfullypursued using a particular

medium in isolation of theothers. He stated that the socialmedia empowers thecitizenry to act moredecisively, and hold theirleaders to account.The participants noted thatmany contemporarychallenges, includingfloods and other challenges,voter registration andelectoral apathy, could be

world watched theMinisterial Platform 2013videos on YouTube, andFMI dedicated livestreaming channel.“YouTube and livestreaming, Facebook andTwitter were employed torelay the MinisterialPlatform to Nigerians andthe world,’’ he said. In her addressed, Mrs.Folasade Yemi-Esan,Permanent Secretary,Federal Ministry ofInformation, expressedthe hope that far-reachingdecisions would be takenon the use of social mediato facilitate nationaldevelopment.She noted that the newpublicity strategy shouldbe well adopted as theworld was now driven bydigital technologies. However, analysts havecalled for caution in theuse social media, notingits side effects on policymakers.According to them, abuseof social media includingidentity thefts, cyberbullying, and defamationwere inherent challengesthat must be carefullybalanced against the manybenefits of social media.Maku had noted that thehandling of Boko Haraminsurgency by some socialmedia informationplatforms had brought tothe fore the flip side toinformation managementon social media. He said that Boko Haramhad always deployed socialmedia to coordinate deadlyattacks on citizens and tospread its evil ideologiesand hate campaigns withinand across nations.The participants remindedNigerians of the challengesand prospects of socialmedia in Nigeria’sfledgling democracy. It was the view of theparticipants and otherstakeholders that socialmedia could be used toinvigorate publicinformation managementin Nigeria, and to steer thenation on the path of unity,peace, progress andprosperity.

tackled through socialmedia utilisation andengagement. Maku affirmed the viewand presented a model ofsocial media use in theFederal Ministry ofInformation. He, therefore, urged theparticipants to adopt themodel in eliciting massparticipation in governmentprogrammes and policies.He said that the ministryhad set a new standard inthe use of social media forpublic informationdissemination andmanagement.He said that the NationalGood Governance Tour andthe Ministerial Platformprogrammes were hingedon effective use of socialmedia.“Many Nigerians andothers from around the

“The growing internet access across the country, theavailability of a variety of mobile and web-based devices forinformation gathering, storage, and instantaneousdissemination on a mass scale across extensive distances, offernew possibilities and challenges for public informationmanagement, and mobilisation of the citizenry for development.’’


THE Federal Government says 86 personsout of 1, 623 reportedly infected by the chol-era outbreak in some parts of the countryhave died. As its response, the Federal Gov-ernment directed the Nigeria Centre fordisease Control to immediately coordinateall its response activities and report to theministry of health daily on both the patternsof occurrence. The Federal Minister ofHealth, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, in a state-ment by his Special Assistant (Media andCommunications), Mr. Dan Nwomeh, di-rected all federal health facilities in thecountry to provide free services to cholerapatients.

AS at the last checks, the cholera outbreakhas affected a number of states includingOgun, Oyo, Plateau, Zamfara, Nasarawa andLagos with fears of possible spread to otherparts of the country. There is also gastro-enteritis outbreak in Sokoto and Katsinastates which have not been confirmed to becholera.

WE are alarmed at the sudden outbreak ofcholera in the country and the fast rate ofits spread. The death toll is also disturbingbecause it shows the parlous state of ourattention to basic hygienic practices in thecountry.

IT is shameful that while other countriesin sub-Saharan Africa are making progressin meeting the Millennium DevelopmentGoal on Sanitation, Nigeria is off track.Also shameful is the fact that Nigeria is offtrack in meeting the Millennium Develop-ment Goal for Water. Cholera, as we allknow from basic science or hygiene is awater-borne disease. It is sad that in spiteof billions of dollars earned from crude oilsince its discovery in commercial quantityin 1958, access to potable water is still amirage to many citizens as 42 per cent ofNigerians still take water from unwhole-some sources.

Curbing TheSpread Of Cholera

WE also decry a situation where the Fed-eral Government still saddle itself with pro-vision of water to Nigerians, a responsibilityit ought to have devolved over the years tothe States and Local Governments, which arethe tiers of government closest to ordinarycitizens.

ALSO, owing to the failure of governmentto provide potable water to its citizens, manyresort to self help with poor regulation of thesector by government whose responsibilityit is to regulate the sector. Many boreholesare located near sewage and pits while a goodnumber are located near graves in residen-tial premises. Some citizens as a result arepractically drinking their faeces. These situ-ations predispose citizens to water- borne dis-eases such as the cholera epidemics that is rav-aging parts of the country.

IN some parts of South-West of Nigeria, hu-man faeces and wastes are exposed close tosources of drinking water in such a way thatthe outbreak of cholera is as good as a timebomb waiting to explode.

WE therefore call on governments at all lev-els to rise up to their responsibility of pro-viding safe drinking water to Nigerians andtake steps to regulate the sector in such asway that private persons involved in waterprovision for self-use comply with interna-tional best practices.

WE urge governments of affected states totake a cue from the federal government byordering free medical services to all cholerapatients in secondary and primary health in-

stitutions across the country.AS the nation is currently undergoing the

process of amending the 1999 constitution,or producing a brand new constitution asbeing demanded by Nigerians from the na-tional dialogue advisory committee, we urgethe law makers and conference participantsto make access to water and sanitation aright for all Nigerians. It should be ex-pressly stated in the constitution. This is,more so, when a number of International in-struments and convention exists governingthe right to water and sanitation. However,governments of all countries need to domes-ticate these instruments for the rights ofcitizens to be assured.

ON 30 September 2010, the UN HumanRights Council affirmed for the first timethat the human right to water and sanitationis legally binding. Nigerian authorities needto guarantee this right for all citizens. Theright to water and sanitation is derived fromthe right to adequate standard of living,which is recognised in several internationaltreaties. These include the InternationalCovenant on Economic, Social and CulturalRights (ICESCR) to which 160 States areparty, and the UN Convention on the Rightsof the Child, which has reached nearly uni-versal ratification.

IT is instructive to note that the Council’sresolution helps those denied the right towater and sanitation to hold governmentsto account. It is for these reasons we call onCivil society and those at risk to activelyclaim this right from duty bearers. The So-ciety for Water and Sanitation, NEWSAN,Nigeria’s umbrella body for Civil SocietyOrganisations working in the Water, Sani-tation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector to riseup to the occasion by holding governmentto account and ensuring that Nigeria movesspeedily in guaranteeing the rights of allcitizens to WASH.

THE NIGERIAN


View PointReducing Child Mortality

Through Vaccination

• Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health

By EMMANUEL ACHA

Nigeria’s Expensive National Assembly

Senate President David Mark

MEDICAL experts haveexpressed concern over therecent recurrence of measles inthe country despiteimmunisation campaigns andother efforts by stakeholders tocurtail the spread of the disease.

Experts say that measles is ahighly contagious virus thatkills more Nigerian childrenthan any other vaccine-preventable disease.

Statistics by the UNChildren’s Fund (UNICEF)indicates that cases of measlesin Nigeria increased from 383in 2006 to 2,542 in 2007 and9,510 in 2008.

Citing UNICEF data, expertsnoted that routine immunisationcover against measles rangefrom 35 per cent to 70 per centbetween 1999 and 2008.

According to them, Nigeriaconducted a two-phasednationwide measles vaccinationcampaign in 2005 and 2006 onchildren between nine monthsand 14 years.

They also recalled that in2008, a follow-up nationwidecampaign targeting childrenbetween nine months and fouryears was conducted in twophases, and wondered whymeasles outbreak had notabated.

Available records say that out

of the 9,510 cases of measles in2008, some 717 cases occurredin children below two years ofage, while 1,445 cases occurredin children between two andfour years old.

The records also say that 354cases were found in childrenbetween five years and 14 yearsold.

Considering the trend ofoutbreaks in Nigeria and theAfrican continent, the WorldHealth Organisation andUNICEF recommendedaccelerated measles control inAfrica, using measles mortalityreduction strategies.

The strategies include atarget to achieve and maintainmore than 80 per cent coveragewith routine measlesvaccination of infants, and toprovide a second dose ofmeasles vaccine throughSupplemental ImmunisationActivities (SIAs) among others.

Complementing thestrategies, the National PrimaryHealth Care DevelopmentAgency (NPHCDA) said it wasset to embark on a second phaseof a nationwide massvaccination of children.

Mrs. Nkiru Asomugha, Head,Primary Health Care Advocacy

and Social MobilisationDivision of NPHCDA, said thefive-day campaign would holdin 17 southern states betweenNovember 2 and November 6.

Speaking at a mediaorientation workshop in Benin,

she said the agency hadconcluded the first phase of thecampaign in the 19 northernstates and the Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT) betweenOctobr 12 and October 16.

According to her, the firstphase of the campaign in thenorthern targeted more than 15

million children, while morethan 12 million are expected tobe vaccinated during thecampaign in the southern partsof the country.

Asomugha said that a total of9,418 vaccination posts hadbeen set up in all the 17 statesto provide free vaccinationservices to children againstmeasles.

“Measles, which is a vaccine-preventable disease, is stillendemic in Nigeria and remainsa leading cause of death ofchildren under five years.

“The campaign is targeted atchildren between the ages ofnine months to 59 months, andthe key objective of thecampaign is to reduce childmortality in Nigeria through asecond vaccination opportunityagainst measles through SIAs,’’she said.

Asomugha announced thatmeasles vaccine wascompletely safe, effective andfree, stressing that the majorsymptoms of measles includedhigh fever, rashes and cough.

She warned that if not treatedin time, measles could causeserious health complications,including blindness, diarrhoea,brain damage and pneumonia.

According to her, the diseasereduces a child’s ability to fightother diseases, resulting infrequent illness, whilemalnourished children coulddie.

She noted that 950 caseswere reported on July 30, with585 deaths throughout thecountry in which 85 per cent of

the victims were nevervaccinated before.

Asomugha also said thatcurrent data in Nigeria indicatesthat more than 57 localgovernment areas had measlescoverage figures below thenational average of 78 per cent.

But Mrs Omawumi Daibo,the South-South ZonalCoordinator of NPHCDA,assured Nigerians that theNigeria Integrated MeaslesFollow-up Campaign wouldstrengthen the health system inthe country.

Daibo regretted the existenceof measles immunity gap,adding that the 2011 postfollow-up campaign coveragewas poor in 299 localgovernment areas of thecountry.

“UNICEF is supportingNigeria to fight measles; thecountry is moving forward andour aim is to bring infantmortality to its lowest level.

“This is the second campaignagainst measles, having donethe first in the northern parts ofthe country a few weeks ago.

“In a few weeks from now,we will also have a campaignagainst yellow fever,’’ she said.

Medical experts believe thatsince protecting childrenagainst measles throughinoculation will reduce childdeath, parents, care-givers andguardians, should ensure thattheir children and wards areimmunised.

They note that their roles inmaking immunisation exercisesuccessful will justify thesaying, “Healthy children begeta healthy nation.

THE National Assemblysymbolises the sovereignty ofNigerian people. There are twochambers in the NationalAssembly which comprise ofthe House of Representativesand the Senate. There are 360members in the House ofRepresentatives with 109Senators in the NationalAssembly. Altogether, there are469 legislators. Each memberof the National Assembly isentitled to 5 Legislative Aides,notably, Senior Legislative aidewho should be a Lawyer, aLegislative aide, a PersonalAssistant, a Secretary and anOffice Attendant or aMessenger. A SeniorLegislative aide earns 250thousand naira per month whilea Legislative aide and aPersonal Assistant earn 70thousand naira each per month.The aides are trained twiceyearly and paid 120 thousand

naira. They are also paid duty,transport and other allowancesquarterly as extra. They are paid50 thousand naira extra forfeeding during training.

There are 2,345 Aides forReps and Senators. The costimplications for theirremunerations total N140.7mannually. Sadly, in the last 2years, 34 Senators have notsponsored any bill or movedany motion out of the 109Senators. Each Senator earnsN240 million naira per year($1.7m) and collects N45mquarterly and each Rep earnsN204 million naira per year($1.45m) and collects N33mquarterly as Constituencyallowances. The EconomistMagazine of London recentlydid a comparative study on thetake home pay ofParliamentarians across theglobe and found Nigerianlawmakers as the highest paid.

Despite the inexplicablyparlous state of the Nigerianeconomy, NASS legislators,amended Section 81 of the

1999 Constitution which led tojumbo pay for them fromNovember, 2010. NASSlegislators are rapacious

financial conspirators againstpublic good. They have grownricher while the people theyclaim to represent have becomemore impoverished. In nineyears, Federal, States and LocalCouncils consumed 80 trillionnaira. Fifty six trillion naira outof the 80 trillion naira was paidas salaries and allowances topublic office holders mainlypoliticians.

A Legislator has three major

Legislative duties whichinclude activities on the floorof the House and in theConstituency. They are;

a. Contributions to Bills andMotions

b. Contributions toCommittees and Oversightfunctions and

c. Constituency duties.Many of them only show

interest in the oversightfunctions because of thelargesse that usuallyaccompanies the functionsfrom the supervised Ministries,Departments and Agencies(MDAs). There are discussionsand opinions that Legislature inNigeria be made part- time dutybut beneficiaries are unwillingto let go because of hugefinancial benefits. Nigeria doesnot need a bicamera legislature.NASS is unnecessarilyunwieldy. The Senate alonewould just have been enough.The exorbitant pay cuts acrossthe three tiers of Government— Federal, States and LocalCouncils. Nigeria is not as richas Britain or America. Thewaste of public resources onlegislators is preposterous,imprudent and injudicious.

A parasitic political classmajorly peculates Nigeria’swealth. Besides, misrule by the

elite has greatly consigned avast majority of Nigerians to alife of despondency, attendantmisery and abject poverty.Government has continuouslyleft the generality of Nigeriansin the last decade in a constantstate of denial that neglects thebasic needs of citizens.Nigerians need all round, soundand qualitative education, goodhealth care services, cleanwater, power (electricity),security, agriculture,infrastructure and improvedclean environment forsustainable decent living. Theseare primarily the basic things aresponsive Government incharge of the people’s hugeresources should provide. Aresponsive Government isflexibly dynamic, proactive andresponds quickly to changesand reasonable demands of thecitizenry. The System, defacto,dejure ideally appoints the bestinformed minds, the brightestbrains, the most patriotic andmost resourceful in strategicpositions in governance. AnyGovernment that is unable toprovide these basic necessitiesshould be changed or replacedno matter who heads it (theleadership).

• Dr. (Prince Oyakhire)writes from Benin

Dr Prince Oyakhire, OON, Ph.D, NPM

“Many of them only show interest in the oversightfunctions because of the largesse that usuallyaccompanies the functions from the supervisedMinistries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Thereare discussions and opinions that Legislature inNigeria be made part- time duty but beneficiaries areunwilling to let go because of huge financial benefits.”


CATFISH is a diversegroup of ray-finned fishnamed for their prominentbarbells that resemble a cat’swhiskers.

It has been widely farmedfor food over hundreds ofyears in Africa, Asia, Europe,and North America.

Catfish has no scales; it isrich in Vitamin D; and it is easyto farm in warm climates, lead-ing to locally sourced inex-pensive and safe food.

It is no wonder, therefore,that a growing number of in-dividuals and organisationsnow embark on large, mediumand small-scale catfish farm-ing to meet the animal proteinneeds of Nigerians.

Observers, however, notethat catfish farming is lucra-tive as it is the delight of thegrowing number of personswho are staying away frombeef consumption.

Agriculturists and otherstakeholder in the fisherysub-sector agree that its avail-ability, high survival rate andnutritional value had madecatfish a favourite of manyfish consumers in Nigeria.

Mr. Joseph Shola, a fishfarmer in Lokongoma, Abuja,says that catfish is strong andcan withstand stress betterthan other species of fish.

“I started farming catfish in2011; a brother introduced itto me and I travelled to Kainjito buy 3,000 fingerlings be-cause it is cheaper there.

“I was afraid because I feltthey will all die before I arrivein Abuja, but my guide reas-sured me that they will sur-vive; only 20 of them died.

“After some months, I sold

the fish almost three times theamount I bought them as fin-gerlings, catfish farming isprofitable,’’ he said.

Mr. Emeka Eze, a fish farmerin Gwarimpa, Abuja, agrees,saying that he learnt aboutcatfish farming from hisfriends and decided to investin it in 2007.

“Catfish sells better thanother species and people likeit; I do not think I can leave itbecause I am enjoying thebusiness.

“When I started, I didhatching only and I madeprofit because some farmersdo not know how to hatch;so they will call me to hatchfor them.

“I billed them N20,000 forhatching then; but now I donot hatch again because Ihave my own farm and havemany customers,’’ he said.

Mr. Paul Babalola, a princi-pal scientist in the Agricul-tural Biotech and Bio Re-sources Department of theNational Biotechnology De-velopment Agency, Abuja,agrees with that catfish is pre-ferred because of its values.

“Unlike tilapia, catfish isrugged; supposing you re-duce water in the pond, cat-fish will survive; but tilapiawill not and that is why farm-ers prefer catfish because itsmortality rate is low comparedto other species,’’ he ob-served.

“From four to six weeks old,they are fingerlings; at eightweeks old, they become juve-niles and from 12 weeks old,they are called table size cat-fish.

“But from four weeks old, a

catfish conveniently be-comes marketable as it hasreached the stage where it isreferred to as fingerlingswhich farmers prefer.

“Some farmers, however,prefer brood stock which isabout a year old; these areprimarily meant for breedingpurposes which require se-men of a male brood stock tofertilise the eggs of a female

AgricultureEncouraging Catfish Farming

In NigeriaBy OLUKAYODE BABALOLA

brood stock,’’ he explained.But Mr. Emmanuel Oje, a

scientific officer in the agency,disagrees with inbreeding, ashe insists that cross breedingis the best method for hatch-

ing.“When you practice in-

breeding, you are hatching infutility because no matterhow hard you try, the mortal-

ity rate of the hatchingthrough inbreeding will behigh.

“It is like using sperm of abrother to fertilise the eggs ofhis sister which is very bad;such practice is easily sus-ceptible to infection and dis-eases,’’ he cautioned.

Another reason for thepopularity of catfish in Nige-ria, according to agriculturists,is its demand as food in nu-merous restaurants. Catfishcan be boiled, fried, grilled orsmoked.

Observers say it is thrillingin some restaurants and barsto watch customers whopoint at a live catfish theywant to be dressed for food.

Referred to as “point andkill’’ in many restaurants, theidea is for customers to pointat their choice of catfish in apond where it is caught, killedand prepared for consump-tion.

Mrs. Funmi Jegede, a resi-dent of Gaduwa Estate, Abuja,says unlike her friends whopreferred the grilled or boiledcatfish with ingredients, shegoes for the smoked catfish.

“I like catfish, but I alwaysprefer the smoked ones be-cause I enjoy it a lot with garriand it can be preserved for along time,’’ she explains.

Although catfish farminghas its challenges like watersupply and constant supplyof feeds, observers agree thatit is one of the most lucrativeaspects of farming.

What are the Organizational set up of the ADPs?

THE ADP is the implementation organ of the state Ministryof Agriculture and Natural Resources. It is semi-autonomousand focuses on the small farmer. It adopts the Integrated RuralDevelopment Strategy in its operations. The policy makingbody is the Agricultural Development Project Executive Com-mittee (ADPEC) headed by the State Governor or the Commis-sioner for Agriculture. Its executive body is the ProgrammeManagement Unit [PMU) headed by the programme manager.He is assisted by Heads of sub programmes and zonal manag-ers.

What are the programmes carried out by ADPs?The ADP programmes include:

A. ADAPTIVE RESEARCHB. EXTENSION OR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERC. INPUT SUPPLYD. RURAL INFRASTRUCTUREIn Adaptive research, diagnostic surveys are carried out to

identify problems inhibiting technology transfer before con-ducting research under local conditions to evolve appropriatetechnology packages for adoption by farmers. The extensionprogramme transfer improved packages to farmers through theextension agents in the field and brings problems of farmers toresearchers from onward transfer to farmers.

The Training and Visit (T&V) approach is adopted in exten-sion teaching. It involves monthly technology review,

Monthly technological review meetings (MTRM).During (MTRM), researchers from research institutes and

universities train subject matter specialists (SMSS), who inturn train Village Extension Agents (VEAs) during forth nightlytraining sessions (FNTS) who in turn train farmers on improvedagricultural practices.

Input supply programme of ADPs involves supply of inputs

such as Fertilizers,Improved Seeds, Agro Chemicals, Farm Mechanization

equipment throughADP farm service Centres. For example, Kano, Borno, Bauchi

and KadunaADPs went further to commercialize inputs supply compa-

nies (FASCOM) to distribute all inputs except fertilizer whichwas being distributed by the State Governments. It was con-sidered desirable to privatize input supply by establishingsimilar companies in all the ADPs in the country.

Rural infrastructure programme involved provision of infra-structure facilities, particularly Feeder Roads, Rural waterthrough earth dams, deep wells and bore-holes. Otherprogrammes of the ADPs included Women-in-Agriculture(WIA), livestock /Fishery Development land management andfarm mechanization. The WIA programme focuses on improv-ing Agricultural production, processing and marketing bywomen. The land management programme focuses on soilconservation and management. The farm mechanizationprogramme focuses an small farm equipment and animal trac-tion. Some ADPs included Horticulture, Pest control, Veteri-nary services and Co-operative Agricultural credit in theirprogrammes.

What are the financial supports for ADPs?Since the inception, the ADPs were jointly funded by the

Federal Government, the State Government and World Bankthrough a joint counterpart funding arrangement. Initiallythe World Bank during the IBRD loan period contributed 32% of the incremental cost of financing the ADPs while theFederal Government contributed 25% and State Governmentcontributed 43%. Later on, the World Bank contributed 60%,Federal Government 20% and State Government 14% for theMulti-State ADPs. When Naira was devalued, the contribu-tion changed to World Bank 75%, Federal Government 15%and State Government 10%. The World Bank’s contributionwas in form of credit offered at a low interest rate. The WorldBank contribution stopped in 1995.

What are the shared responsibilities for the ADPs?The responsibilities for the ADPs in the country are shared

by the State Government, Federal Government, and WorldBank. Local Governments provide tangential support suchas maintaining Rural Feeder Roads. The State Governmentprovides grants, the bulk of the personnel, payment of staffsalaries and is responsible for project implementation. TheFederal Government provides funds, supervision and assistsin project implementation and evaluating the IFRA and theAgricultural Project Monitoring and Evaluation Unit(APMEU)

APMEU was established in 1975 to monitor and evaluatethe ADPs operation in the country. Both IFRA and APMEUwere merged in 2001 to form the Project Co-ordinating Unit(PCU). The World Bank provides credit technical and logis-tic support through experts.

An Overview Of Agricultural De-velopment (1)

By OLUMESE MARK

“The responsibilities for the ADPs in the country are shared by the State Gov-ernment, Federal Government, and World Bank. Local Governments provide tan-gential support such as maintaining Rural Feeder Roads. The State Governmentprovides grants, the bulk of the personnel, payment of staff salaries and is re-sponsible for project implementation. The Federal Government provides funds,supervision and assists in project implementation and evaluating the IFRA andthe Agricultural Project Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (APMEU)”


THE local governmentis the closest tier of gov-ernment to the people inNigeria, yet the residentpopulation in it are deniedthe benefits of its exist-ence. The failure of the lo-cal governments in the areaof service delivery hasmade the citizens to loosetrust in government as aninstitution. In some areas,council officials are betterknown for harassment ofcitizens than service deliv-ery.

Many Nigerians cravefor change in the local gov-ernment system as pres-ently constituted in order tonot only bring it in confor-mity with present day re-alities, but also to make itlive up to the expectationsof the people who havebeen yearning forgrassroots development.This will however requirea lot of process like consti-tutional amendments andinputs from the civil soci-ety.

Local government sys-tem in Nigeria is in a dwin-dling state. It has beenoverheated as a result ofthe ways and manner thepolitical actors have playedtheir “game”. The localgovernment was put inplace for reasonable pur-poses. It is quite disturbingthat over the years, thesepurposes have not beenfully realized. The reasonsfor the evolution and cre-ation of local governmentranges from political, socialand economic reasons.These reasons are cap-tured by section 7 (2) of theNigeria constitution.

It is worthy of note thatin all political systems overthe world, local govern-ments are instruments of

local self rule. However, itwould be misleading tothink of autonomous localunits since these units ex-ist as subsystems of alarger system (the state).“As creation of the state ina unitary political system,local governments are ex-pected to decongest thenational government act asa hedge against unduecentralisation, and secure acloser adaptation of publicservices to local needs”.

It is the general beliefthat the reason for the ex-istence of local govern-ment is to provide servicesto citizens and thereforemust do everything possibleto ensure that such ser-vices are provided accord-ing to standard required ofthem. Local governmentmust be willing at all timesto provide certain servicesfar more efficiently than thecentral government. Thisshould be so, because it isthe government that iscloser to the local peoplethan any other.

The importance of localgovernment should not beoverlooked because it is themost efficient agent in theprovision of services thatare essentially local.Across the globe, scholarsof democratic – participa-tory school hold that localgovernment functions tobring about democracy andto afford opportunities forpolitical participation to thecitizens as well as to edu-cate and socialize politi-cally. For the local govern-ment to grow and be de-veloped, the grassroot

people should be ready tomake choices and toleratethe views and opinions ofothers.

They should be coura-geous enough to take ac-tive part in the political edu-

cation and participation.The local government is thesource of greater participa-tion in elections, in pressuregroups and interest activi-ties, public debates and dis-cussions of political issues.“So it will be right to saythat local government con-tributes to the political par-ticipation, political educa-tion and forms the bulwark

of democracy”.When local government

was introduced in thecountry, it was discoveredthat its functions were wideranging, comprising bothdevelopmental and non de-velopmental. As a result ofthe larger nature of itsfunctions, the regional state

government seized the op-portunity to take over quitea number of these func-tions, some of which werethe backbone of the localgovernments in terms oflucrativeness of its func-tions. Most local govern-ment councils in the coun-try today are in deplorablestate of affairs.

This is attributable to theindiscriminate manner inwhich the regional/stategovernors took over thefunctions of local govern-ments without taking intoconsideration the need tofirst of all put in place nec-essary machinery to deter-mine whether such take-over was really necessary.This act has greatly ham-pered the growth and de-velopment of local govern-ment councils in Nigeriatoday.

President Goodluck Jonathan

The regional/state andfederal government of lo-cal authorities have demor-alized and hampered thegrowth of the local govern-ments by taking over anumber of the functions ofthese councils.

To this extent, the futureof the local government asan institution has beenthreatened. It was a signifi-cant development there-fore that a nationwide re-form was embarked uponin 1976 to remedy the badstate of affairs. This re-form came into operationwith the federal militarygovernment entering into aconsultation with the stategovernment. Some areaslike the structure, functions,finance, role of Traditionalauthorities and state-localgovernment relations werecovered by the reforms.

The 1979 constitution fur-ther centered their 1976reforms at resuscitating thelocal government system inNigeria by recognising lo-cal government as the thirdtier of government. “Moresignificant is the fact that,for the first time in the con-stitutional history of thecountry, local governmentwas not only recognized,as a tier of government, butalso as an active partner inthe national developmentprocess with set functionsto discharge”.

In the second republic(1979-1983), the militaryregime took steps to en-sure that the 1976 localgovernment reforms be-comes operational. In De-cember 1976, electionswere held at the local levelthroughout the country ona non-party basis. Com-mendable efforts weremade between December1976 and October 1, 1979.During this period, the mili-tary government relin-quished power to the civil-ians.

Their efforts were gearedtowards resolving theproblems encountered inthe process of implemen-tation of the reform, espe-cially in the sphere of fi-nance and personnel. The

second republic also sawthe dissolution of the localgovernment system by thestate governments.

Because of this, electionswere not held into the vari-ous councils until Decem-ber 1983 when the militaryseized power again. As aresult of this unwholesomeabnormally, the constitutionguarantee of the local gov-ernment councils could notbe realised. To a largerextent, this developmentadversely hampered thelocal government system inthe country and brought tonullity the fundamentalchanges that was usheredin by the 1976 reforms atplacing the government atthe grass-root on a soundfooting.

As part of the transitionprogramme from the mili-tary regime to elected ci-vilian government, localgovernment elections wereconducted in 1999 acrossthe country for a three yearterm. At the expiration ofthe tenure of local govern-ment in 2002, it was ex-pected that election wouldbe conducted immediatelymore so as the countrywas in a democratic dis-pensation. Unfortunately,this did not happen.

It is my honest plea to thestate governments in thecountry to assist the localgovernments to ensure thatthey perform their func-tions without any undue orunnecessary interference.The state governmentshould at all times supportand monitor projects ex-ecuted by the local govern-ments.

When this is done, thecentral government will bedecongested; and thesense of national con-sciousness will be createdthrough the interaction ofboth local and central gov-ernments.

Political PlatformNeed To Overhaul Local Govt Admin-

istration In NigeriaBy FAMOUS IGUISI

“It is my honest plea to the state gov-ernments in the country to assist thelocal governments to ensure that theyperform their functions without anyundue or unnecessary interference.The state government should at alltimes support and monitor projectsexecuted by the local governments.”


FocusIt Is Good To Celebrate Centeamount of courage and

developmental imaginationdid the Nigerian Ruling Elitesbring to bear on the fortunesof country since herindependence in 1960? Theobvious answer is not muchand the obstacle is not withthe circumstances of birth perse but poor upbringing duelargely to the grossincompetence or inability ofthe ruling elites after birth.Blaming 1914 for our’problem is thus wrong: itreflects lazy thinking andamounts to giving a dog a badname in order to hang it. It isunfair.

HATRED ANDPREJUDICE-REVIEWOF CRITICISM OF 1914

The criticism of 1914 datesback to history of colonialismin the country and it is largelyone of hatred and prejudice.The problem though is thatthe criticisms have neversatisfied curiosity. They mayexplain partially how Nigeriacame into being, and poor,but they don’t explain whythe country has remainedever so poor, underdevelopedand persistently corrupt longafter the attainment ofpolitical independence. Forinstance a persistencecriticism is that the 1914amalgamation has beenresponsible for the disunity,under-development andpoverty of the country. Butinstead of working hard toovercome such age-longidentified problems andmaking the best out of ourcommon inheritance, theelites have been busyblaming the circumstances ofour birth, amassing personalfilthy wealth and living inobscene opulence andcontinuing to mourn thedeath or eclipse of once upona golden time of ourforefathers. Theyromanticized the pre-colonialpast as though all was goldenand so provide excuses forpassing the bulk andunconvincing reasons for thepresent day failures. In theprocess the real problems areleft unsolved and the culpritsare allowed to run away withtheir crimes unpunished andunchecked. Recentcomments on 1914 reflect theold mark of prejudice which

blames our problems oncolonial factor but tends toignore the present dangernext door. This has not beenhelpful.

To some of the critics, 1914is evil — the source of all thecountry’s problems todayincluding insecurity. As itwere, there were no problemsin pre-colonial Africa andeach empire lived in peace,love and harmony till thearrival of the white man. Butwe know that this is not true.There were wars andinsecurity even among peoplewith common language as wecan glean from the history ofthe stave trade or the Yorubawars in the 18/19th century.To others, 1914 represents anact of subjugation by aforeign power and thusunworthy of celebrationbecause according to them, itis not wise to celebrate onesperiod of slavery or conquest.History is full of accounts ofthe rise and fall of empiresFrom Roman Empire toSonghai, Benin, Oyo etc. TheAfrican experience istherefore not strange. Theodd thing really has been theinability many of Africancountries including Nigeria tomake the desired progressafter freedom.

Yet others havedisdainfully referred toNigeria as mere geographicalexpression, the ‘mistake of1914,’ colony of strange bedfellows’, a colonial measuremeant only to reduce colonialadministrative cost andenhance British economicfortunes overseas, the causeand source of her continuedunder-development etc.These are some of the wrongideas fed to citizens over timefrom colonial era to postIndependence period by theelites which had madecitizens resentful of theircountry thereby making thetask of Nation-buildingextremely difficult- if notnearly impossible toprosecute. A major problemwith dependency theory is thetendency to pass the bulk,blame others for theirmisfortunes and find excusesfor present failures. In

our efforts in forging a unitedcountry’ (The Nationcentenary celebration 30/1/2013, p. 43). Again this is ahuman failure wronglyascribed. The arguments areillogical and the angermisplaced. How can onelonely event of a hundredyears old be held responsiblefor today’s problems such asinsecurity, corruption,

military subjugation, culturalalienation, psychologicaldisorientation andhumiliation as well aseconomic emasculation of thewell structured and organizedcommunities that precededthe colonial conquest’. He,however, recognized that theamalgamation is an‘undeniable importanthistorical event’ (The Nation,23/2/2013: back page). ToTunji Adegboyega, whobelieves that Nigeria once

estinsIndprewora spherMaesprevandnatspirbetatta

infrastructural decay,intolerance? Shameful:Nations are what men makethem and antagonism is anattribute of man and not ofgeographical space.

To Idowu Akinlotan, thecentenary celebration is awarped project asamalgamation is a’humiliating part of ourhistory which irreparablydamaged our self esteem’(The Nation, January 7, backpage). To Ropo Sekoni, it isa ‘bold attempt tocommemorate the nation’scolonization’ (The Nation,10/2/2013:16). To SegunAyabolu, who sees the wholething as a centennialdelusion”, the amalgamationwas ‘the commemoration of

worked within the frameworkof amalgamation, he was nottoo sure whether to supportor not the idea of celebration.All he knows is that thecountry once worked but notworking fine again and werethe idea to be subjected to areferendum, most Nigerianwould have rejected thecelebration of 1914(TheNation, 10/2/2013 : 17).

The position of theseauthors can hardly be faultedexcept to note that what weare actually celebrating is not1914 per se but the gift of life-l00 years of togetherness asa ‘people’ the jerky or uglycircumstances of birthnotwithstanding. Besideswhat makes it impossible torebuild and firm up our self-

ON 1st January, 1914, agiant country was born by theBritish and was namedNigeria. In geographical sizeand population it was biggerthan its creator - GreatBritain-a 356669 squaremiles land mass which is saidto be the ‘size of UnitedKingdom, France andBelgium combined’. She hada problem almost from thebeginning - the lack of familylove: she suffers from whatcan be called hate-syndrome.Generally seen as a child ofcircumstance she has oftenbeen treated with scorn by herparents like an unwantedbaby. However, in spite ofsuch ill-treatment and otherproblems, the baby grewsteadily, surviving all oddsand hardship. Very soon-precisely on 1st January 2014she would be 100 years old.In its wisdom, the Federalcovenant announced plans tocelebrate the centennialexistence of the country - anobviously remarkable feat,unfortunately, that decision tocelebrate such epochal stageof our history has generatedmuch furor. The purpose ofthis essay is to show why it isgood to celebrate onehundred years of thecountry’s existence. The 1914amalgamation is not the evilit has often been painted bycritics. It is the cradle of ournationhood.

The criticisms have beenbased largely on two grounds,namely, the circumstance ofbirth and the poorperformance andachievement of the countrysince birth. However, it is thecircumstance of birth thatseems to be more vociferous.Our position is that whilethere is nothing much toworry about thecircumstances of our birthwhich is beyond us, there ismuch to worry about a lifebadly led after birthespecially sinceindependence. The latter waswithin our control to make ormar,

This distinction isimportant for as AWO thesage popularized many yearsago, it is not life that mattersbut the courage brought intoit. The question most of thecritics have ignored is: what

By JOHN ABHUERE FNIM

Nigeria it has made thecultivation of unity ofpurpose, patriotism, mutualcoexistence, cultural andreligious tolerance, moralityin public life and other relatedvalues necessary for nationalunity and development veryhard. Wrong and hateful ideascan be hurtful to any causeincluding Nation-building.

According to DozieIkedife, who wonderswhether the country wasabout celebrating failure orsuccess, Nigeria is yet toattain economicindependence, national unityand therefore improper tocelebrate a ‘mere existence ofa country’. However suchobservation ignores thelongevity factor as well as thefact that nations do not buildthemselves. They are builtand developed by peopleespecially the ruling elitesand being able to livetogether for l00 years is nomean feat. The purpose ofmilk in mothers is to enablethem to feed and nurture theirbabies healthily. The babywhose mother fails in herprimary duty of feeding couldhave stunted growth, butshould be grateful all thesame for survival and longlife. Nigeria is like a baby thathas not been nurtured wellsince birth and yet survivedto be 100 years old in spite ofall odds. Her problems arelargely post—natal—thenegligence and ineptitude ofthe ruling elites. So blame theelites for our poverty andeconomic backwardness andnot 1914.

In similar vein otherwriters such as Okoko haveargued that the 1914amalgamation is the bedrockof Nigeria’s problems,including ethnic antagonism,insecurity, infrastructuraldecay and lopsidedfederalism. How? To Okokothe antagonism that wefrequently experience amongthe various ethnicnationalities is as a result offorced amalgamation. Thuswe should ‘rather concentrate

The as oits mno uwhiignoimpobjeknowattepresone and to celelikes

Inpublende14, gavethe Anee

President Goodluck Jonathan

“In similar vein other writers such as Okoko have arguedthat the 1914 amalgamation is the bedrock of Nigeria’sproblems, including ethnic antagonism, insecurity,infrastructural decay and lopsided federalism.”


Nor has Nigeria enjoyedthe confidence and true loveof its creators and citizens.While as earlier hinted, someof the British who created thecountry spoke of it indisdainful term of being mere“geographical expression” —meaning not real orimportant, to some Historiansit was only a short termmeasure for the achievementof British selfish interest ofreducing colonial cost ofadministration.

To some of the citizens itwas a “mistake of 1914’ thathad allegedly compoundedtheir problems. Many otherstrace their individual andnational problem to the 1914as mere events which is saidto have brought together“strange bed-fellows”. Eventhe kinder historians have notbeen generous as they see1914 as a mere event whichonly served as a catalyst to analready on-going process,suggesting that with orwithout the amalgamation,Nigeria would have comeinto being. They cite factorsof trade, military and jihadreligious movement of the18-19th century as signs ofsuch early move to oneNigeria-the ‘ifs’ of historysniff. In other words, with orwithout the amalgamation,the corning together of peopleup and down the Rivers’Niger and Benue would havecome to pass. The negativeattitude to 1914 has beendisastrous for the meaningfuldevelopment of the Country.The planned centennialcelebration should be able tobeam brighter light on 1914and situate it properly in ourconsciousness.

It should trouble the heartthat till date there is stillconfusion and seeminginability to separate the chafffrom the grains- to make adistinction between cause andeffect preferring instead tolump things together about1914 - the year of our birth.There is a season foreverything, a differencebetween birth and growth andlife and death: Nigeria wasborn after colonial conquestof some parts of Africa up and

Focusennial Existence Of Nigeria

eem, build bettertitutions since

dependence and why hasvented the country fromrking fine today? Let’s callpade a spade. The probleme has largely been with the

anagers of the countrypecially since 1960. Theyersed the progressive geard dampened thetionalistic and patrioticrits for which citizen weretter known before theainment of Independence.

amalgamation, derailing itsorigin, thrust, problems etc.He left no one in doubt thatthough the amalgamationwas not deliberately done toadvance the interest of theNatives, it non-the-lessremains an importantmilestone in the history of thenation. However I did not seehow Amalgamation per sedestroyed indigenouspolitical and administrativesystem that was alleged to befar more democratic and

whole event (The Nation. .10/2/2013:3). To him, the 1914amalgamation is not a‘Nigerian event because theNatives did not gives Lugardtheir mandate.’ It is thereforenot worth celebrating ‘by thedescendants of those whowere herded in like humancattle’. The celebration andcommemoration of ones ownenslavement is a classicinstance of mentalcolonization and the mostdepressive example of Afro-Saxony -in recent politicalhistory. By the same token,the Japanese ought tocommemorate the arrival ofCommodore Perry on theirshores and the Chinese theseizure of Hong Kong’. In asubsequent edition of TheNation, Sunday, 21/4/2O13:3) he shows thedebilitating impact of mental/intellectual slavery on societyin form of inferioritycomplex’. According to himintellectual subjugation is theworst and most deadly formof conquest because it leadsdirectly to spiritual,economic, cultural andpolitical enslavement. Withhis old religion gone, hisculture subverted, histraditional institutionsdecimated, his mode ofknowledge productiondevastated, the African,unlike the Chinese, theJapans and Indians requires acomplete make-over to evenminimally function’

The logic of the argumenthere is Sound. Howeverwhile I find the intellectual-slavery thesis useful tounderstanding what wentwrong since creation day, itdoes not remove the fact thatNigeria somehow has lived along life of l00 years arid thatsuch longevity is a thing ofjoy. Would it be proper to aska man say of 80 years not tocelebrate his birthday justbecause his mother waswicked or suffered muchpains to deliver him incontroversial circumstances?Suffice to add that we live ina competitive world whereone man’s meat is another

persons poison. Japan maynot like to celebrate someaspects of their history butNigerian has chosen. It is amatter of choice andperception. Given ourpeculiar circumstance ofmany tongues where notmany gave the country achance of survival, onehundred years of livingtogether in a tough, slippery,political terrain such asNigeria is worth the drums ofcelebration. It is a remarkablefeat where others such asIndia and Sudan whichequally experienced colonialamalgamation failed.

Thus the current spate ofcriticism is only acontinuation of the same agelong story of distrust andhatred for the amalgamationand the country it gave riseto. Such attitude was nothelpful in the past. It robbedus of our ‘Nigerianness’ andalmost eclipsed spirit ofnationalism and patriotism inthe country. It is sixty yearswe attained independenceand we are still laden with oldhatred and prejudices asthough we are still in colonialera. When will Nigeria beloved? When will the trueworth of the amalgamation beappreciated? While It washigh time we gave duerecognition to that creationday of 1914- the cradle of ournation-hood, we are worriedbecause of the power of ideasand the place of history ininforming and reinforcing thevalues of men and womenwhich result in humandecisions and actions andattitude to national-building.As Brian Browne observes inthe Nation 21-4-2013, p11, afalse or terrible idea widelyaccepted can inflict damageno weapon can achieve. Abad idea is often moredangerous than an army, onewho plants wrong ideas onthe heads of adversary neednot spend a drop of sweat’.This has been the problem:too much wrong ideas hadbeen planted in the heads ofNigerians about 1914 with

disastrous consequences fornation-building efforts.

As anti-colonial innuendoby the Nationalists during thestruggle for independencesome of the criticisms mighthave been relevant butcertainly not after theattainment of Independence.They ignore the real problemwhich is the failure of theelites to make good use of theopportunity which 1914offers for accelerated growthand development of thecountry.Perhaps the most vilifiedand misrepresented eventever

Perhaps the 1914amalgamation has been themost vilified, misrepresentedand grossly under-appreciated event ever in thehistory of the country. Thereis no event known to me thathas attracted more ingratitudeand even outrightcondemnation than it.Generally the epitaphs andepithets of 1914 have largelybeen unkind and negative,while its epistemology haslargely been one of hate,regrets and venom. Ratherthan being venerated, thecreation has largely beendespised. And now someeven want us to black it outof our history becauseaccording to them it is anundignified aspect of our life.In short many falsehoodshave been peddled about itbut as Diran Apata argues inthe Tribune of 5-5-2013 the‘sad predicament of thecountry is not becauseNigeria is made up of manynations-an unavoidable fact’as result of 1914amalganiation, but ‘becausethose who dominated Nigeriahave distorted the countryand resisted any kind ofchange for the better’, ofcourse the dominant group isthe ruling elites and theyfailed to make good of thecountry and to give the 1914action its due pride of placein the history of Nigeria. Theresult is that citizensespecially the youths havecontinued to hold wrongimpression and consequentdeep hatred for their nation-state.

1914 event is not as evilften painted. While it has

many blessings, it servesuseful purpose to wish tote-wash our history or

ore its ugly aspect. Theortance of history is its

ective account and soundwledge of the past and

endant lessons for thesent. History teaches thatcan be born low and pooryet grow to be great andenjoy long life and

ebrate birthdays if ones celebration.n a three- part article,lished in The Nation thated in its edition of March2013, Dapo Fafowora

e a historical account ofABC of what one probablyds to know about the

accountable’ than thecolonial. This is because theAfrican system and itsleading operators had beenput aside by the colonialconquerors long before theamalgamation of 1914. Atleast the partition of Africaof 1884/5 came before theamalgamation of 1914which created Nigeria aswe know it today. Still Iagree with his view that the100th birthday of Nigeriashould be celebrated but notfor a whole year. Thegovernment can review theprogram to make it smarterin order to avoid a boring,snoring party. -

According to TataloAlamu, there is a tinge ofintellectual slavery in the

Continues on page 18

“Perhaps the 1914 amalgamation has been the most vilified,misrepresented and grossly under-appreciated event ever in the historyof the country. There is no event known to me that has attracted moreingratitude and even outright condemnation than it. Generally theepitaphs and epithets of 1914 have largely been unkind and negative,while its epistemology has largely been one of hate, regrets and venom.”


Focus... Centennial Existence Of NigeriaContinued from page 17

down the Rivers Niger andBenue. Let it be quicklyrecalled that the colonialconquest of the territoriesamalgamated in 1914 hadbeen completed by about1905 thereby making the1914 exercise a mere butsignificant administrativestep by the British whichbrought about a new countrynamed Nigeria. In this sense1914 becomes a unifier- anact of unification that trulymarks the beginning ofNigeria as we know it today.

The amalgamation of 1914is thus not the evil or thesource of our nationalproblems as often painted butan opportunity to embark onbuilding a new nation-state.At least it gave rise forinstance to a well-endowedcountry where everyone hasequal status of membershipThe real problem of thecountry has been poormanagement of resources bythe educated elites whoproved unequal to the tasksof nation-building. Theyfailed woefully to managewell the common heritagefrom the British afterIndependence. In itself, 1914remains a blessing in manyfronts, especially theemergence of a big countrythat is nobly and richlyblessed by Nature, contrary toconventional opinion re-echoed by recent critics, itserved different purpose fromthe Berlin conference of1884/ES during which thecontinent of Africa wasbutchered and shared amongEuropean Powers of the timewithout any regard to thefeelings, culture, heritage ofthe African peoples andleaders. But it Berlinconference drove knife intothe heart of Africa todismember it according to thewhims and caprices of theEuropean powers anddispossessed our forefathersof their stools, and associatedempires, states or kingdoms,the 1914 amalgamationappears to me as the first steptowards the reunification ofsome of the conqueredAfrican territories albeit

unintentionally by the British.It is true that the opinion of

Africans was not sought in1914 for the Lugard actionbut by then the Africanleaders of thought had losttheir powers and their voice.It is the cold reality of historyof conquest and defeat. Thatis unfortunate, but asChristian, such unfortunateevents are better left in theHands of God who in hisinfinite wisdom does not seekthe consent of parents beforeassigning them children.Nigeria is God’s creationusing the British.

Much has been made of thefact that Nigeria was createdfor the selfish economicreason especially of reducingBritish’s burden of high costof colonial administrationnorth and south of RiverNiger. In other words, Nigeriawas created merely to featherthe nest of the BritishGovernment overseas and notfor the good of the Africanindigenes in the area broughttogether. This is historicallycorrect but I am not movedbecause it only demonstratesthe wisdom and imaginationof a given people in usingwhat they have to achievewhat they want- a trait thathas been very lacking in theNigerian elites sinceIndependence. The success ofthe British is not only ashameful challenge todayalso it shows how dull andunimaginative our leadershave been over time.

There has beenembarrassing lack of creativethinking and developmentinitiatives on the part of theNigerian elites who inheritedthe country from the Britishin 1960. Nigeria in 1914 wasthe seized property of Britainand they were free as it wereto put her to maximum use fortheir own advantage. Thequestion begging for answeris why had the Nigerian elitesfailed to use the same countryto the collective good ofsociety? It is needless to saythat 1914 cannot be blamedfor the default and ineptitudeof the inheritors. At least asTunji Adegboyega citedearlier rightly observed

Nigeria ‘once worked’ (TheNation l0-2-2013).

Rather than thecircumstance of birth whichis beyond the child’sdecision, it is the relativesuccess of the British inactualizing their dreamthrough the Nigerian Projectand the failure of the Nigerianelites in this regard sinceIndependence that shouldamaze and make one mostuncomfortable today. Itshould challenge and awakenus from slumber to the rightroad. I always wonder howthe British elites from a tiny

island overseas many milesaway from home were able touse the 1914 actioneffectively to achieve theirend and why the Nigerianelites have failed woefully toattain some feat sinceindependence. This crushinginability to manage thingswell should be our shame andnot the day of our birth as anation.

It is trite and wrong tocontinue to hold the viewlong after independence that

we are still poor and disunitedbecause the British createdour country for selfishreasons without askingourselves what good we havebeen able to make out of thecreation, It really hurts toeven contemplate the foolishthings the elites have donewith the country includingcorruption and squanderingof resources sinceIndependence. While itserves no use shivering in therain where there are friendlyshelters around, commonsense demands a change forthe better. The problem is that

the country’s elites have beensuffering from what TataloAlamu calls “intellectualslavery or ‘mental laziness”and so could not make thedesired impact even in periodof freedom. Even a denial orrejection of our history ascritics would like us have itcannot help. So weep notbrothers and stop mourning,complaining and blaming1914 amalgamation undulyfor the nation’s current woes.

Tatalo’s concept of

intellectual slavery’ isimportant in understandingwhat went wrong as it helpsin answering many relevantquestions such as: why thecountry in spite of the naturaland geographical advantageshas not been able to throw offthe yoke of poverty andunderdevelopment since thedeparture of the Britishcolonial masters? Or why ithas been convenient for us tocontinue to blame an event ofalmost one hundred years oldfor our current predicamentstoday and our inability tochange the situation? The

“While it is obvious that the Nigerian elites have not worn theircreative thinking caps well, many of the reactions to 1914 reflectsubtle attempt to deny or reject sonic aspects of our history as apeople. There is feeling of shame or fanciful desire to black outthat period of our history and where possible replace it with arosier one perhaps as children of giants rather than dwarfs.”

answer is persistent mentalslavery of the Nigerian rulingElites. Otherwise how comethe colonial masters wereable to use the creation toachieve their end, and ournationalists were able to usesentiments and insights fromsame to nurture a spirit ofnationalism and fight forfreedom but the postIndependence elites havefailed woefully to develop thecountry they inherited fromthe British? Here is it notmore proper to blame ourfailure as adults on poormanagement of resourcesrather than the date of ourbirth? In short the Nigerianelites should be ashamed oftheir dismal failure in themanagement andadministration of the countrysince independence.

While it is obvious that theNigerian elites have not worn

their creative thinking capswell, many of the reactions to1914 reflect subtle attempt todeny or reject sonic aspectsof our history as a people.There is feeling of shame orfanciful desire to black outthat period of our history andwhere possible replace it witha rosier one perhaps aschildren of giants rather thandwarfs. But doing so wouldamount to intellectual fraudthat adds no ounce of valueto our well-being. There is nouse attempting to write fakehistory because it could

mislead and backfire as wasthe case in Russia after thedemise of Stalin. I truly wishthat we were created byAngels but the truth is that weare not. Too bad perhaps, butas the saying goes ‘wishes areno horses’. The reactions to1914 remind me of whatProfessor Jide Osuntokuncalls the ‘ifs’ of history’ butas the renowned Scholarsargues the Historian’s task iswith facts rather than fictionleading to some well- drawnlessons of life. The truth isthat no matter thecircumstance, Nigeria oftoday is largely a product ofthe action of Lord Lugard on1st January, 1914 and in fewmonths she would be 100years old. Longevity mattersand it justifies somecelebration.

To be continued


MediaSocial Media And Public Information

Management In NigeriaBy JUDE ZOHO

Labaran Muaku, Information Minister

THE National Councilon Information metrecently at its 44th sessionin Osogbo and focused onthe role of social mediaand public informationmanagement in Nigeria.The deliberations centredon access, knowledge, useand indispensability ofsocial media in facilitatingdiscussions among thecitizenry. The speakers wereunanimous in theiragreement that socialmedia had potential toaddress the challenges ofpublic informationmanagement in thecountry.Information ministerLabaran Maku set the toneof the deliberations whenhe stressed on the potentialand influence of socialmedia, and urgedinformation managers totake advantage of theemerging trend. He observed that therewas governance deficit inNigeria, noting that thehigh level of distrust andskepticism among thepeople called for a newapproach to publicinformation management.He said that the need forthe citizens to participatein governance process, andensure public trust ingovernance highlightedthe imperatives for theadoption of the newtechnologies.“The growing internetaccess across the country,the availability of a varietyof mobile and web-baseddevices for informationgathering, storage, andi n s t a n t a n e o u sdissemination on a massscale across extensivedistances, offer newpossibilities andchallenges for publicinformation management,

and mobilisation of thecitizenry fordevelopment,’’ he said.Maku called on publicinstitutions, officials andinformation managers toestablish their presencemore visibly and activelyon social media circuits.He urged them to showgreater openness andreadiness to engage withcitizens in a two-waycommunication processfor effective servicedelivery.‘Social media, indeed,afford enormousopportunities for buildingpublic trust and confidencein government anddiligently encouragingpublic participation ingovernance.“Popular participation is,of course, key todemocratic consolidation,effective policymonitoring, evaluation andefficient delivery ofservices,’’ he said.Speaking in the same vein,Osun Governor, Mr. RaufAregbesola, stressed theneed for officials at alllevels to harnessopportunities in the socialmedia for effective publicinformation management. He urged policy makersto use the new media toengage the youth ingovernance processes soas to build trust betweenthem and government.“I urge you to also givethoughts to howgovernments at differentlevels can tap into the vastpotentials of social mediaand InformationC o m m u n i c a t i o n sTechnology to enhanceaccountability andtransparency ingovernance,’’ he said.

The council alsodeliberated on thecomplementary rolessocial media play in thedevelopment of traditionalmedia.The issue was highlightedto create necessaryawareness on the changingroles of traditional mediain the internet era.It was assumed that the era

of total dependence ontraditional media forpublic sensitisation andmobilisation of the publicto government activities isover.For the participants, it wasimperative for informationmanagers to understandthat dissemination ofinformation could bemanaged better ifopportunities provided bysocial media were properlyharnessed in collaborationwith traditional media.

While many believe thattraditional media wouldcontinue to compete withsocial media, othersargued that the emergenceof the later would notundermine the role of theformer. Some experts also arguedthat the future ofinformation disseminationand management in

Nigeria would largelydepend on theconvergence of social andtraditional media.Osun Commissioner forInformation and Strategy,Mr Sunday Akere, arguedthat rather than see theemerging media as athreat, experts must find ameeting point between thetwo.He said that effectiveinformation managementcannot be successfullypursued using a particular

medium in isolation of theothers. He stated that the socialmedia empowers thecitizenry to act moredecisively, and hold theirleaders to account.The participants noted thatmany contemporarychallenges, includingfloods and other challenges,voter registration andelectoral apathy, could be

world watched theMinisterial Platform 2013videos on YouTube, andFMI dedicated livestreaming channel.“YouTube and livestreaming, Facebook andTwitter were employed torelay the MinisterialPlatform to Nigerians andthe world,’’ he said. In her addressed, Mrs.Folasade Yemi-Esan,Permanent Secretary,Federal Ministry ofInformation, expressedthe hope that far-reachingdecisions would be takenon the use of social mediato facilitate nationaldevelopment.She noted that the newpublicity strategy shouldbe well adopted as theworld was now driven bydigital technologies. However, analysts havecalled for caution in theuse social media, notingits side effects on policymakers.According to them, abuseof social media includingidentity thefts, cyberbullying, and defamationwere inherent challengesthat must be carefullybalanced against the manybenefits of social media.Maku had noted that thehandling of Boko Haraminsurgency by some socialmedia informationplatforms had brought tothe fore the flip side toinformation managementon social media. He said that Boko Haramhad always deployed socialmedia to coordinate deadlyattacks on citizens and tospread its evil ideologiesand hate campaigns withinand across nations.The participants remindedNigerians of the challengesand prospects of socialmedia in Nigeria’sfledgling democracy. It was the view of theparticipants and otherstakeholders that socialmedia could be used toinvigorate publicinformation managementin Nigeria, and to steer thenation on the path of unity,peace, progress andprosperity.

tackled through socialmedia utilisation andengagement. Maku affirmed the viewand presented a model ofsocial media use in theFederal Ministry ofInformation. He, therefore, urged theparticipants to adopt themodel in eliciting massparticipation in governmentprogrammes and policies.He said that the ministryhad set a new standard inthe use of social media forpublic informationdissemination andmanagement.He said that the NationalGood Governance Tour andthe Ministerial Platformprogrammes were hingedon effective use of socialmedia.“Many Nigerians andothers from around the

“The growing internet access across the country, theavailability of a variety of mobile and web-based devices forinformation gathering, storage, and instantaneousdissemination on a mass scale across extensive distances, offernew possibilities and challenges for public informationmanagement, and mobilisation of the citizenry for development.’’


DiscourseIgniting The Spirit Of Entrepreneurship

Among Nigeria YouthsBy UTI A UDOH

• Gov. Rochas Okorocha

Gov Okorocha And Education In ImoBy OBINNA EMEKA

ENTREPRENEURSHIPis a key driver of anyeconomy in the world today.It is the process of planning,operating and assuming therisk of a business venture.The concept refers to theinnovative and creativeresponse to economic andsocial ventures. Inegbehebor(1987) definedentrepreneurship as “thewillingness and ability of anindividual to seek outinvestment opportunities,establish and run anenterprise successfully.”According to Steven andGumpert (2002),entrepreneurship is the“process in which individualspursue opportunitiesfulfilling needs and wantsthrough innovations togetherwith the attendant risks.”

An entrepreneur is anindividual who own andcontrol an enterprise orventure, and makes fromprofits from it. He/she is anindependent business ownerwho efficiently andeffectively combines the

factors of production. TheWorld Bank definedentrepreneurs as, “peoplewho perceive profitableopportunities, are willing totake risks in pursuing themand have the ability toorganize a business.” Anentrepreneur is a risk bearer;an independent, self-sufficient individual whotakes the necessary step thatmay either lead to profit orloss. Anayakoha (2006) seesan entrepreneur as, “one whochooses or assumes risks,identifies businessopportunities, gatherresources, initiates actionsand establishes anorganization or enterprise tomeet such demand or marketopportunity.”

Discovering businessopportunities, bringing aboutinnovations, and taking upbusiness opportunities arequalities of a goodentrepreneur. And thesequalities can be found in theyouths which are believed tobe the reservoir of a nation’sstrength, creativity andproductivity. The youths need

to be empowered to beentrepreneurs; their zeal,initiatives, creativity, andinnovation need to beharnessed for employmentgeneration, growth of theeconomy and sustainabledevelopment. Addressingproblem of poverty andunemployment, and crimesdemands that our youths beempowered with creativeproblem-solving skills suchas entrepreneurship skills.

White and Kenyon (2000)found a ‘flourishing youngenterprise culture’ amongyoung entrepreneurs aged 18-24 years in the UnitedKingdom. In Zambia,statistics shows that 25percent of the youths are self-employed. Findings in Ghanaof small scale enterprisesrevealed that young peopleowned almost 40 percent ofthe enterprises. Also, researchin South Africa suggests that

the probability of self-employment among youthsrises with age. In Nigeria, ifthe youths mentored in theskills of entrepreneurship andprovided with the enablingenvironment for wealthcreations; problems such aspoverty, unemployment,kidnappings, vandalisms andother such acts willdrastically reduced in thecountry.

Thankfully, the Nigeriangovernment in recent timeshas made urgent need to fightunemployment, reducepoverty and promoteeconomic prosperity throughentrepreneurship. As part ofproactive measures to tackleunemployment in thecountry, the Ministry ofIndustry, Trade andInvestment has inauguratedthe UniversityE n t r e p r e n e u r s h i pDevelopment Programme to

imbibe a strongentrepreneurship culture andpromote self-employmentamong the youths, so thatgraduates can have the mindsto set up their own business,create employment andalleviate poverty in thesociety. The YouthEntrepreneurship Summit(YES) is another measuremeant to tackleunemployment and promoteentrepreneurship. YES is anevent positioned to motivateand ignite the spirit andexcitement ofentrepreneurship amongstNigerian youths.

Entrepreneurship educationshould go beyond the schoolcurricula. NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations,institutions like family,groups and churches shouldalso be instrumental inmaking our youthsentrepreneurs. The agenda ofinnovation, creativity, wealthcreation and self-employment should be

widely and aggressivelypreached. Also, all sectors ofthe economy should focus onpromoting entrepreneurshipamong youths in the country.

However, being anentrepreneur depends on anindividual motivation,willingness to work, take upresponsibilities. Some youthsjust do want to face thehurdles of starting up a newenterprise. They are notwillingness to take the risk;they are not willing to takethat leap that can take themto the next level. And yet, wecomplain of the country;there is no job in the country,the country does not favourgraduates, the country is this,the country is that, when wethe youths do not want to helpourselves. The youths need tostep up and take the bull bythe horns, seize opportunities,create wealth and fostereconomic growth anddevelopment. “It is not whatyour country can do for you;it is what you can do for yourcountry.” And so my fellowyouths, let us ponder on thesewords by John F. Kennedy,“Ask not what your countrycan do for you, but ask whatyou can do for your country.”

2015 election is fastapproaching so one is notsurprise at the propagandaand pull him down campaigngoing on against notablepoliticians. Politics, as weknow, is generally assumed tobe a dirty game. Indeed, it isdirty in so many ways andsenses to the extent that mostpoliticians and their gulliblefollowers often pretendagainst positive steps ofdistinguished achievers as ameans of giving a dog a badname in order to hang it.

Owelle Rochas Okorochathe governor of Imo State isat the receiving end of somany media propaganda bypeople who want to see himout of government houseOwerri in 2015 by all means.The latest propaganda againstRochas is that he took a loanof 73 billion naira from banksusing Imo LGA allocation ascollateral. Others say he ismobilising miscreants to taketo the street to protest againstFG. That each recruited youthare paid N5,000. These are alllies.

The way thesepropagandists throw outfalsehood and denigratestruth baffles me. They haveembarked on mission ofmassive misinformationagainst the Imo governorbecause they cannot fault hisprogrammes for Imo state.Why will Okorocha mobilizeanyone to protest for him?The people love him and ifthe people choose to take tothe street to protest on behalf

of their Governor, so be it.Okorocha requires no

introduction as a leader whois diligently and humblyserving his state Imo. Theascendance of Okorocha toDouglas House Owerri asgovernor of a politicallysophisticated state as Imo inMay 29, 2011 is divine andspectacular. Hisachievements in office so farare also spectacular.

His leadership in Imo so farhas impacted tremendouslyon both the state and herpeople. Such positive impactsinclude the areas of roadnetworks, free educationfrom primary to tertiaryschools, rehabilitation ofpublic utilities, peaceful co-existence in the state,security, health, agriculture,youth empowermentinfrastructure improvementsand societal re-orientation.Henceforth, on weekly basis,I will pick on one area ofachievement of governorRochas Okorocha of ImoState. I will talk abouteducation this week.

Naturally, as human being,Governor Okorocha like anyother politician has his ownweakness because no one butGod is infallible. Butwhatever is Okorocha’sundoing, the fact still remainsthat he is doing his best totake Imo State to a greaterheight. A man that hasdeclared free education fromprimary to tertiary school inhis state so that the childrenof the poor can go to school

should be commended.Education is very important.It helps us gain knowledge,information and interpretthings correctly. Educationteaches us how to lead ourlives by mingling in thesociety and turning out to begood citizens. It makes uscapable of interpreting rightlythe things perceived.Education teaches us rightbehavior and makes us

civilized people. Education isimportant because it equipsus with all that is needed tomake our dreams come true.The notion that an investmentin education and humancapital promotes economicgrowth can be traced to Adam

Smith (1776), the Scottishphilosopher in his famousstudy of what constitutes the“wealth of nations”, themodern history sourcebook.

Are you aware that the manOkorocha Increasedsubvention to Imo StateUniversity from 57.56million(fifty-seven million,five hundred and sixtythousand naira) to100,000,000(one hundredmillion) naira monthly? Are

you aware that the lastadministration in Imo Statefixed school fees in Imo StateUniversity at 150,000(onehundred and fifty thousandnaira) but when Okorochacame in he reversed it? Areyou aware that the man

Okoroch a providedN100,000,000 (one hundredmillion naira) for theaccreditation of courses in theFaculty of Engineering andNursing Science in Imo StateUniversity? Are you awarethat he releasedN138,000,000 (one hundredand thirty-eight million naira)for payment of arrears ofC O N T I S S / C O N U A S(Academic & Non-academic)staff

entitlements in Imo StateUniversity, Owerri ? Are youaware that Imo stategovernment under Okorochahas distributed thousands ofschool desks to secondaryschools in Imo State and hasalso renovated severalschools in the state? Are youalso aware that GovernorOkorocha is building severalmodern secondary schools inthe state? Let’s give himsome credit so that he can domore.

Are you aware thatOkorocha established ImoCollege of AdvancedProfessional Studies? He alsosecured approval ofN922,000, 000 (Ninehundred and twenty twomillion naira) from theEducation Trust Fund (ETF)to be used for projects inEducational Institutions inImo State. Are you aware thatOwelle OkorochaCommissioned a well-equipped InformationCommunication Technology

(ICT) Laboratory at GirlsSecondary School, Ikenegbu,Owerri. He also securedapproval for theestablishment of NationalTeachers’ Institute (NTI)Study Center in Imo State.450 million naira grant hasalso being released to themissionary schools in thestate. To make things easierfor parents and guardians, thestate government is alsoproviding school desks,uniforms, sandals, books forImo pupils. Allocation ofimpress is made to theauthorities of all primary andsecondary schools in the statefor the purpose of carryingout routine maintenance intheir respective schools.

Hatred, manipulations,mischief, ill-feelings, evilmachinations, vendetta andgossips from people againstthe Imo governor cannoterase these solidachievements. It is wrong forany one to be hiding under thefaçade of being a reporter tounleash his political vendettaagainst Okorocha’sgovernment. Okorocha is alistening governor, whoeverhas ideas on how to developthe state should comeforward. Critics could alwayshave says while the truth willeventually have its way.

• Obinna Emeka lives inOwerri and can be reached [email protected].


Archival Matters

Truth Allergy SyndromeBy MICHAEL ODIGBE

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Gen Ibrahim Babangida Rtd

SIMPLY put, Nigeria istoday suffering from TruthAllergy Syndrome. It is asocial disease complex whichmakes the average person inthe country love to cohabitwith mistruths, falsehoodsand lies. Invariably, youhardly find in Nigeria a truthadvocate and defenderbecause the vast majority ofus wallow in this syndrome. One of the greatest books onearth, the Holy Bible, extolsthe virtue of truth. It thereforementions the word 243 timesfrom Genesis to Revelation.Also, the same bible tells ushow King David wasfrontally confronted with thetruth by Nathan, a prophet ofGod, for appropriatingBathseba, wife of Uriah theHehite. The prophet showedby this action that truth is norespecter of persons. He toldKing David the truth withoutfear or favour and withconsistent validity. But how many Nathans dowe have today in Nigeria?Very, very few. It is for thisreason God has turned hisback on Nigeria spirituallydespite our loud decibelreligion. God doesn’t look atlying lips but the sincerity inthe hearts of men. If you closely study Nigeria,you will indeed discover thatmost of us have Truth AllergySyndome. Take late GeneralSani Abacha, for instance. In1995, Obasanjo paid him avisit in his office at Aso Rock,Abuja informing him that he(Abacha) had no businessbeing in power becausedemocracy was theinternational value andnormative standard for daringto give him an honest, trueadvice, Abacha concocted acoup against his regime androped Obasanjo into it. How about our MilitaryPresident, IbrahimBabangida? He wasn’t a truthadvocate either because hepoliticized his administration.Truth and politics always di-synergize. See, when hisregime was told at a media

parley that one of his militarygovernors was enmeshed incorruption, here was hisadministration’s response.The governor did notmisappropriate funds; all hedid was misapply them,explained the administration. The same Babangida whilein power spoke severaltransition mistruths whichended up denying Abiola, hisbosom friend, of victory inthe June 12, 1993 presidentialelection even though Abiolascored 8,128,720 votes to hisrival Ibrahim Tofa’s5,848,247. Prof. OmoOmoruyi one of Babangida’shenchmen who oiled hisdiabolical political schemethat annulled the election in1993, later repented of hissins. He came out with aninsightful insider’s accountwhich convincingly showedthat Abiola, indeed, won thecancelled election. For daringto speak the truth, an attemptwas made on his life onFebruary 3, 1994. Don’t askme who tried to kill him. Goand ask the witch whoshrieked as an owl from anIroko Jane tree one night in1993. In 2013, more woes visitedthe erudite professor ofpolitical science. He wasdown with prostate cancerand needed help fromBabangida his friend but itdidn’t come. Why? Certainly,Babangida had yet notforgiven him for his truthfulpronouncement on the June12, 1993 presidential electionwhich Babangida wanted to“award” to Ibarahim Tofa(NRC) but providentiallyAbiola won it. Indeeded, forour evil genius Babangida, toerr is not human neither isforgiving divine. And, so, sick Prof. OmoOmoruyi was no more hisconcern. Lamenting this twistof fortune Omoruyi cried out.“IBB abandoned me. I let himknow about the first journeyabroad for my treatment. He

did not help me, not even onekobo. So I cannot go to himduring this second journey. Inthe first journey, I did not hearfrom him even though I senthim a message that I wasgoing back to thehospital…..” Hmmm, thewages for truth has becomeabandonment? In our currentcircumstances, Prof. BenNwabueze can be said to bean apostle of truth andrealism. And, so, realisingthat President Goodluck

Jonathan is at the epicenter ofthe bombastic political crisisrocking the nation down to itsfragile foundation, Prof. BenNwabueze led the patriots toAso Rock, Abuja. There headvised President Jonathannot to run for second term sothat tension might reduce inthe country. He spoke thetruth to our dear president inProphet Nathan’s straightforward way. But he was ignored. Then isan amphibious, acrobatic

assault on his integrity as aspokesperson of truth, thepresident offered him a placeon his CONFAB Committee.However, the knowledgeableprofessor of constitutionallaw knew the implication ofaccepting the President’sGreek offer. If he did, it meantendorsing technically thepresident’s 2015 ambition.Wise man, Prof. BenNwabueze. He rejected theoffer in unmistakable termsciting frail age as a disablingfactor. By his deft move, Prof. BenNwabueze didn’t behave like

Tai Solarin of Yore whomistakenly acceptedBabangida’s insincere offerof People’s Bank chairman asa way of de-stooling Solarin’scriticism of his regime. ButProf. Ben Nwabueze actedlike Dele Giwa who refusedBabangida’s offer of Ministerof Information because he(Dele Giwa) knew it was aploy to sacrifice his ascorbicanti-Babangida newspaperjournalism on the Baal altarof mumu bureaucratic media

practice as an informationminister in an oppressivemilitary regime. Were Mr. FestusOdimegwu, formerManaging Director of NigeriaBreweries Limited in Lagos,as wise as Dele Giwa andProf. Ben Nwabueze, hewould have realised too thata truthful man’s best bet is notto wine and dine with aJonathanesque sequelgovernment that daily emitsgaseous mistruths and is on asick bed with the flu of TruthAllergy Syndrome. But then,he wasn’t wise enough toknow this. Patriotism insteadmoved him to acceptJonathan’s job of NigerianPopulation CommissionChairman.

Bubbling with the servicomdiligence to serve hisfatherland with truth andhonesty, he granted aninterview in which he vowedto give Nigeria a crediblecensus unlike hisanthropological predecessorswho since 1816 havemanipulated the exercise. Hethereafter said with the zealof Prophet Nathan: “If thecurrent laws are not amended,the planned 2016 census willnot succeed …. Nigeria hasrun on falsehood (mistruths)for too long. We must stopthis falsehood and put a stopto all these. The Boko Haramproblem is partly as a resultof that…..” Not long after his mediaepistle of truth, apologists inJonathan’s administrationscreamed blue murder. Theyknew Mr. Festus Odimegwuwasn’t one of them. Also,they realised his strong

immune system wouldn’tallow him to be cross-infected with their TruthAllergy Syndrome. So, theyforced him to resign. Atpresent, he has “fled” thecountry to New York,America. Hon. Dino Melaye, a formerHouse of Representativesmember and chair of Anti-Corruption Network, like Mr.Fesus Odimegwu, has alsobeen a victim of mistruth inNigeria. Following thescandal in which AviationMinister, Ms. Stella Oduah,allegedly acquired twoarmoured cars worth N225million, Dino Melaye led hisnetwork on a peaceful protectto the National Assembly on

October 24, 2013. However,there was an unprovokedattack on them by pro-Oduahprotest group. To add vinegarto Nigeria’s open consciencewound, police ignored thepro-Oduah rowdy protestersbut arrested Melaye’s humanrights’ activists protectingOduah’s wastefulexpenditure of tax payers’money at a time the federalgovernment cannot fund ourpublic universities. How youare, says the Chinese learningEnglish!!. Well, take or leave it.Mistruth can never lead usto the El Doraldo we seek.Only truth can take us there.Because this truth is lockingin Nigeria today makes usto be like the squirrel. Heowns and climbs all thepalm trees to eat their nuts.But his wife at home has nopalm oil to cook his meals.What a paradox!!.

“The same Babangida while in power spoke severaltransition mistruths which ended up denying Abiola,his bosom friend, of victory in the June 12, 1993presidential election even though Abiola scored8,128,720 votes to his rival Ibrahim Tofa’s 5,848,247.”


Science By OYAKHILOME CLEMENTINA

The Cell And It’s EnvironmentTHERE is a need for the exchange of materials between an organism and its environment, for the survival of thatorganism for example Amoeba lives, takes in water and excretes waste product directly inside the water it lives.While in higher organisms like multicellular organisms do exchange materials between one cell and another andbetween cells and tissue fluids that surrounds them and between cells and their environment.

Diffusion is a physical process by which fine particles ofsubstances move from a region of a higher concentra-tion to that of a lower concentration either with a liquidor gaseous medium until an equilibrium is met, for a ex-ample, standing in front of a classroom and a perfume isused, you find out that the position in front where theperfume is used has the highest concentration of thatperfume but gradually, the perfume diffuses to the sideand to the back of the classroom after some minutes,people at the front seat and at the back seat get the sameamount of concentration of that perfume at that time, anequilibrium of the concentration has been met. The man-gling together is known as diffusion, it usually takes placefrom a region of higher concentration to that of lowerconcentration. In the case of plants, water vapour dif-fuses outward and gases. The gases include oxygen andcarbon dioxide, which diffuse on both directions between

Diffusionthe plant organs and the surrounding atmosphere.FACTORS THAT AFFECT DIFFUSION.

1. TEMPERATURE: - The higher the tempera-ture, the higher the rate of diffusion.

2. STATE OF MATTER. Liquids are heavierproducts and move slowly, but gases move fasterand are freer.

3. SIZE OF MOLECULES: - The nature of themolecules do determine the rate that diffusionwill take place, larger molecules tends to dif-fuse slower than small molecules.

4. CONCENTRATION GRADIENT :- Thegreater the gradient, the greater the rate of dif-fusion process. Loice ficks law states that theamount of solutes diffusing through a unit crosssection of an area is directly proportional to theconcentration gradient across that section.

Movement of water molecules into substances to makethem swell is referred to as imbibitions. Example is, whengarri is soaked and the increment in volume. So also whena living cell imbibes water, it is used up or it is trans-ported to an adjacent cell hence it do not swell nor burst.

Significance of diffusion:- Diffusion has played a very significant roll in cel-lular activities like gaseous and lon exchange be-tween the cell and its environment.

Nutrient have been able to move during the processof photosynthesis, excretion and respiration all movethrough a process known as photosynthesis.

Due to photosynthesis, cell has been able to distrib-ute substances evenly to all parts of the cell.

OSMOSISThis is the movement of solvent from a solution of alower concentration to that of a higher concentrationthrough a semi-permeable membrane, until an equilib-rium is met, when an equilibrium is met it is said to beisotonic. While the solution that loses water is said tobe hypotonic and the solution that gains water is said tobe hypertonic while the solution of higher concentra-tion, is said to exert a higher osmotic pressure than theother solution. The instrument used in the measurementof osmotic pressure is know as osmoimeter.

THE IMPORTANCE OF OSMOSIS TOPLANTS.1. It gives turgidity to the plant cells.2. It aids in the opening and closing of the stomata

during the day and at night respectively3. It aids movement of water molecules from the root

hair to the cells of the cortex.4. Absorption of water from the soil into the vacuoles

of the root hair of plants is done by a process knownas osmosis.

IMPORTANCE OF OSMOSIS TO ANIMALS.1. Intracellular movement of water in animals is

done through a process known as osmosis.2. In the kidney, re-absorption of water takes place

in the kidney tubules by a process known as os-mosis.

3. The absorption of water from undigested foodmaterials that takes place in the large intestine isdone by a process known as osmosis.

4. It gives animal cell turgidity5. Haemolysis is the bursting of the red blood cell.

This is done in animals through a process re-ferred to as osmosis.

PLASMOLYSIS. When the medium in which a living cell lies, has a

higher osmotic concentration then that of the contents ofthe cell, the water in it, flows out of it and this is referredto as ex-osmosis unlike when the water flowed into thecell membrane through a selectively permeable mem-brane. As a result of this flow, there is a water loss,which makes the vacuole to shrinks thereby making thecytoplasmic linings to pull from the cell well hence it issaid that the shrinking of the contents of the cell is knownas plasmolysis, while the cell is said to be plesmolysed.


PoliticsTowards Ensuring Internal De-mocracy In Political Parties

By GABRIEL AGBEJA

ANALYSTS have oftencalled on the various politi-cal parties in the country toensure transparency andstrict adherence to internaldemocratic processes inthe conduct of their affairs.

For them, the call is inresponse to the spate ofinternal squabbles, and of-ten times, litigations overthe manner of adoption ofparty candidates for elec-tive positions.

They opine that no partycan be said to be demo-cratic and worthy to holdpublic trust if it failed toensure transparency in itsinternal administrative andpolitical processes.

The National Chairmanof the People’s Demo-cratic Party (PDP), AlhajiBamanga Tukur, ex-pressed support for this callwhen he urged party lead-ers in Nigeria to deependemocratic culture bystrengthening democracy intheir respective parties.

Tukur, who urged politi-cians to put service aboveself, insisted that democ-racy offers the people theright to speak their mindsand challenge unfavourablepolicies.

In the same vein, the In-terim Deputy NationalSecretary of the AllProgressives Congress(APC), Malam Nasir el-Rufai, advised leaders ofvarious parties to intensifyefforts at strengthening in-ternal democracy for na-tional development.

El-Rufia spoke at a train-ing workshop for leaders ofpolitical parties organisedby the U.S. Agency forInternational Development

(USAID) in collaborationwith the International Re-publican Institute.

“We are very happy thatour party is one of the ben-eficiaries of this training,which is about internalparty democracy and howto manage political parties.

“What we are learningfrom the experience ofGhana is that the more yougive power to members ofa party to choose, the moredemocratic you are likelyto be,’’ he said.

For Gov. Kayode Fayemiof Ekiti State, strengthen-ing internal democracy ina political system is cardi-nal to development in allfacets of life.

Fayemi urged politicalparties to imbibe the prin-ciples of democracy andpopular participation bybeing transparent and pro-viding good leadership ex-amples.

The Speaker of theHouse of Representatives,Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal,once told his colleaguesduring a sitting that truedemocracy requires thatNigerians must place na-tional interest above self-ish considerations.

“After 14 years of unin-terrupted practice of de-mocracy, we still sufferacute poverty of demo-cratic culture and prac-tices.

“We must deliberatelypromote a viable and trans-parent electoral process;the right to opinion and op-position should be givenchance in any political dis-course.

“We ought to take thevow that all votes must

mocracy.“The people of Nigeria

desire and deserve this; itis right and honourable,and we have a duty to de-liver these noble expecta-tions,’’ he said.

Tambuwal, nonetheless,expressed concern oversome activities of somepolitical parties as theyprepare for the 2015 gen-

for Political Affairs, DrAisha Abdullahi, called onlegislators to collaboratewith relevant electoral bod-ies to strengthen democ-racy.

Speaking recently inAbuja, Abdullahi urged leg-islators to collaborate withforeign partners and em-bark on massive voter edu-cation to enrich democracy

strong democracy.Tanko said that the call

was necessary to ensurepolitical stability and eco-nomic development of thecountry.

“The constitutions of thecountry and the politicalparties are the guidelinesfor the parties; we mustabide by them,’’ he said.

Tanko said that internaldemocracy in partieswould be further enhancedif erring members weresanctioned for failure toadhere with the provisionsof the constitutions.

“There is also the needfor political parties to em-brace internal party de-mocracy in accordancewith their constitutions,because lack of internaldemocracy leads to con-flicts, disagreements, fac-tions, and anarchy,’’ hesaid.

count whether in intra-party democratic pro-cesses or at the level ofinter-party contests.

“True democracy doesnot happen by accident; itis, therefore, our duty asintimate practitioners andbeneficiaries of politicalpatronage to be in the van-guard of deepening of de-

eral elections.According to him, if the

political parties did not leadby good example, thenation’s democracy wouldbe questioned, and provid-ing good governance forthe people would be hin-dered.

The AU Commissioner

for the development of thenation.

The National Chairman,Inter-Party AdvisoryCouncil, Alhaji YinusaTanko, urged the variouspolitical parties to abide bythe constitution of Nigeriaand the Electoral Act toensure the evolution of

The National Coordina-tor, Youth Alliance on Con-stitution and Electoral Re-form, Mr Samson Itodo,urged political parties to besincere in their decisionmaking to strengthen de-mocracy.

According to him, mem-bers of political partiesshould be allowed to ac-tively participate in deci-

sions involving the selectionof delegates and nomina-tion of candidates for vari-ous elective offices so asto ensure justice and fair-ness.

“When you hear expres-sions such as no ‘vacancy,automatic ticket and con-sensus candidate’; theseare manifestations of ab-sence of internal democ-racy and lack of competi-tiveness,’’ he observed.

Political analysts, there-fore, hold the view that tostrengthen internal democ-racy; political parties shouldrespect the will of theirmembers while taking de-cisions.

They agree that liberal-ism, rights and freedom ofexpressions by party mem-bers are hallmarks of astrengthened democraticprocess.

Alhaji Bamaga Tukur Mallam Nasir-El-Rufai

“When you hear expressions suchas no ‘vacancy, automatic ticket andconsensus candidate’; these aremanifestations of absence of inter-nal democracy and lack of competi-tiveness...’’


International AnalysisTension With Allies Rise, But US Sees

Improved China Ties

President Barack Obama

WITH ties betweenWashington and manyclose allies strainedbecause of eavesdroppingrevelations and differencesover U.S. policies in theMiddle East, the Obamaadministration can takesome comfort from animprovement in ties withChina.

A year after China’sPresident Xi Jinping tookover the helm of thecountry’s rulingCommunist Party, seniorU.S. officials say they seeincreased cooperation on arange of issues fromclimate change to NorthKorea’s nuclear weaponsambitions. They also regardgreater bilateral militarycontacts as an importantsafety valve if there are anypotential flare-ups.

On the economic front,Washington is focused onChina’s November 9-12Communist Party conclavewhere Xi’s blueprint formaking the world’s second-largest economy more openis expected to be unveiled.

Xi’s administrationalready has spawnedoptimism with anagreement to reopenbilateral investment treatytalks and a pilot free tradezone in Shanghai thataugurs well for deeperreforms to address Chineseinvestment and tradebarriers. Both could helpdent the $300 billion annualU.S. trade deficit withChina.

Not all is rosy. Seriousfault lines remain overissues that have long vexedthe Sino-U.S. relationship,such as human rights.Western experts andChinese activists areconcerned that China’srecord on human rightsmay be worsening underXi, who became China’spresident in March, giventhere have beencrackdowns on lawyers,activists and Internetopinion leaders.

Potential discord alsolurks in China’s recentincreasing recourse to whatits critics call gunboatdiplomacy in maritimeterritorial disputes with

Asian neighbors, includingU.S. allies such as Japanand the Philippines.

But officials from bothcountries say they arecommitted to what Chinacalls a “new model of majorcountry relations” - a Ximantra that aims tominimize Sino-U.S. rivalryas China’s global powergrows.

To Washington, theconcept means “there isroom on planet Earth for arising, strong, stable,prosperous China and aUnited States that continuesto serve as the champion ofa liberal, democratic, free-market and rules-basedsystem,” said DanielRussel, the StateDepartment’s top Asiadiplomat.

Washington and Beijingintend to “avoid amechanistic dynamic inwhich a rising power and anenduring power wereinevitably destined forconflict,” he added.

The most commonconcrete example U.S.officials give of a betterworking relationship isNorth Korea, whosenuclear weapons andballistic missile programsare seen as one of Asia’smost serious securitythreats.

Washington has longsought to convince Beijingto do more to rein inPyongyang, a Chinese allysince the Korean War.North Korea’s nuclear testin early 2013, the latest ofthree since 2006, wasaccompanied by threats ofnuclear attack on the UnitedStates and South Korea.

“We’ve seen (China) bemore forward-leaning inapplying pressure on theNorth Koreans,” said BenRhodes, Obama’s deputynational security adviser forstrategic communications.

“That’s in part becausethe cycle of provocationthat was taking place in thespring was concerning tothem because it wasdestabilizing the region ...and ultimately it was not

consistent with their owninterest,” he told Reuters.

China, often criticized bythe United States and itsallies for weak enforcementof U.N. Security Councilsanctions on the North, lastmonth published a detailedlist of technologies and

goods banned from exportto North Korea because oftheir potential use inweapons of massdestruction.

The narrowing ofdifferences on North Koreawas a key outcome fromXi’s informal summit withPresident Barack Obamalast June in Rancho Mirage,California - a desert retreatthat allowed the two leadersto meet for eight hours overtwo days.

That informal summit,mainly designed as a trust-building exercise, alsoproduced an agreement toreduce the use ofgreenhouse gases and tolaunch a bilateral workinggroup to hold regulardiscussions on cyber-security.

“The U.S. and China arecooperating not onboutique projects, not onoff-Broadway, where itdoesn’t really matter, but onpriority, critical issues that

genuinely matter to both ofour people and genuinelymatter to the region and theworld,” said Russel, whoattended the summit, in aninterview.

In early 2012, when Xiwas China’s vice president,he toured the United States

as a guest of U.S.counterpart Joe Biden,visiting a small town inIowa where he did a briefhome stay in 1987, as wellas Los Angeles andWashington.

The Washington tripincluded a visit to thePentagon, which helped setup a packed 2013-14

calendar of exchangesbetween the two countries’militaries. Military-to-military ties have long beenthe weakest link betweenthe two powers.

U.S.-China ties havewarmed but then cooled inthe past, and analysts warn

that Xi’s agenda may onlystart to become clearer afterthis month’s CommunistParty Central CommitteePlenum sees him put hisfull stamp on Chinesepolicy.

On economic policy,Americans see room foroptimism, based on Xi’srecord since the 1990s as abusiness-friendly party andgovernment leaderoverseeing roaringeconomies in Shanghai andthe vibrant coastalprovinces of Fujian andZhejiang.

“Everything about hispast where he served beforein China indicates that thereare reasons to be optimisticthat he will take a more pro-market approach than hispredecessor,” said KennethJarrett, president of theAmerican Chamber ofCommerce in Shanghai anda former U.S. diplomat inChina.

The U.S. Treasury onWednesday said China wasnot a currency manipulatorand had allowed the yuanto appreciate 12 percentagainst the dollar since June2010, while adding that theChinese currency stillappears undervalued. Butin a semiannual report toCongress, the criticism ofChina was muted and lessprominent than an attack onGermany, which wasaccused of hamperingeconomic stability inEurope and hurting the

global economy because ofits focus on exports ratherthan boosting domesticdemand.

On human rights andregional security, however,there are more questionmarks.

A party directive called

Document No. 9, believedto reflect Xi’s beliefs,makes it a taboo to discusspublicly “Western notions”such as constitutional rule,universal values, pressfreedom, judicialindependence and civilsociety.

In less abstract terms,China’s wideningcrackdown on bloggers,lawyers and activists hasseen the detention or arrestof scores if not hundreds ofpeople. nL5N0IC2J8]

Obama, while notdropping the human rightsissues, appears to havedecided not to turn it into amake-or-break issue forSino-American relations.

Xi has broken withBeijing’s traditionallyreactive and defensiveforeign policy, saidStephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt of the U.S.Institute of Peace. She seesXi testing U.S. allies andpushing back againstObama’s decision to shiftdiplomatic and securityattention to Asia.

“Xi Jinping has come inand essentially pivoted ona dime and is now the firstto really embrace China’srole as a ‘great power’ andhe’s making foreign policywith a great powermindset,” she said.

U.S. officials say they donot expect Beijing toescalate its maritimedisputes with Japan or othersmaller neighbors becauseit would risk harmingChina’s economic growth.

“If Xi Jinping wants to

realize the goal of theChinese dream, ofbecoming a middle-classcountry by 2049, the 100thanniversary of the PRC,they’re going to want to dothat without any kind ofdisruption or distraction,”said a senior U.S. official.

(Courtesy Reuters)

“Xi has broken with Beijing’s traditionallyreactive and defensive foreign policy, saidStephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt of the U.S. Instituteof Peace. She sees Xi testing U.S. allies andpushing back against Obama’s decision to shiftdiplomatic and security attention to Asia.”


International Features

Britain To Build Europe’s FirstNuclear Plant Since Fukushima

David Cameroon, British PM

LONDON/PARIS -Britain is set to sign a dealwith France’s EDF for thefirst nuclear plant to startconstruction in Europesince Japan’s Fukushimadisaster raised safetyconcerns worldwide, at acost estimated at around$23 billion.

Under the deal,expected to be announcedon Monday, the Frenchutility will lead aconsortium, including aChinese group, toconstruct two EuropeanPressurised WaterReactors (EPRs)designed by France’sAreva.

Industry estimates,based on other nuclearprojects, put the cost ataround 14 billion poundsor more than 16 billioneuros.

EDF’s long-timepartner China GeneralNuclear Power Group(CGN), possibly incombination with ChinaNational NuclearCorporation (CNNC), isexpected to have a 30 to40 percent stake in theconsortium, with Arevataking another 10percent, according tonewspapers includingFrance’s Les Echos andBritain’s SundayTelegraph.

EDF and the Britishprime minister’s officedeclined to comment onthe media reports.

The two reactors, eachwith a capacity of 1.6gigawatts, wouldtogether make up nearlyfive percent of Britishgenerating capacity andincrease energy securityin the country, whichneeds to replace 20percent of its ageing andpolluting power plantsover the coming decade.

The project is a boostfor the global nuclear

industry, which has seenprojects canceled sincethe 2011 Fukushimadisaster.

Germany decided tophase out nuclear power,Italy scrapped a plannednuclear program andFrance has pledged to cutatomic power to 50percent of its electricitymix from 75 percenttoday.

Britain’s governmentand main oppositionparties support nuclearpower and anti-nuclearsentiment among thepopulation is muted bycomparison with otherparts of Europe.

George Borovas,nuclear specialist at lawfirm Pillsbury, saidBritain is a uniqueenvironment for nuclear,given political support, arelatively strongeconomy and an existingnuclear fleet.

“If nuclear can’t workin the UK, where else?”he said.

Two other groups haveput forward plans to buildnew nuclear plants inBritain and will bescrutinizing the EDF dealclosely: Japan’s Hitachivia its Horizon projectand the NuGen project ofFrance’s GDF andSpain’s Iberdrola.

HUGE RISKSUnder the deal, the

EDF-led consortium willbuild the two reactors atits own risk, but thegovernment willguarantee a minimumprice for power generatedfrom the proposed

Hinkley Point C plant inSomerset, southwestEngland, adjacent to anexisting nuclear powerplant run by EDF.

EDF operates 15nuclear reactors in theUK following its 12.5billion pound takeover ofBritish Energy in 2008-2009.

The so-called strikeprice, over which EDFand Britain havewrangled for more than ayear, is expected to be setat about 92 pounds permegawatt-hour, morethan twice current marketlevels, and could be validfor 35 years, according tosome media.

If British electricitymarket prices fall belowthe agreed threshold,EDF would be

reimbursed for thedifference, while it wouldhave to pay back moneyin excess of the price.

The suggested dealcomes amid anincreasingly bitter rowover electricity prices inBritain, with two of themain six utilitiesannouncing more than 8

percent rises for thiswinter. Several Britishmedia were critical of theHinkley Point project,saying it would increasepower prices.

Analysts said it was tooearly to estimate theimpact of the HinkleyPoint deal on EDF’soutlook and share price asdetails had yet to emerge,and the deal still needs toget EuropeanCommission clearance.

Direct market supportfor new nuclear plants isunprecedented in Europesince liberalizationstarted two decades ago,and Britain will be thefirst country to seekconsent from theEuropean Commission’scompetition department

for this.Earlier this month the

Commission ruled outincluding a reference tonuclear power in revisedstate aid rules, anindication the UK requestcould be difficult.

Critics say that byfreezing the power pricefor a nuclear plant fordecades ahead, thegovernment is takinghuge risks.

“Why would anyone

begin to imagine that youknow what the price ofwholesale electricity willbe in be 2058?” said TomBurke, environmentalistand former governmentenergy adviser.

For EDF too the projectis a major risk. At theEPR reactor EDF isbuilding in Flamanville,France, costs balloonedfrom a budgeted 3.3billion euros in 2005 to8.5 billion euros late lastyear. An EPR built byAreva in Olkiluoto,Finland, has sufferedsimilar overruns and isalso years behindschedule.

“If the Hinkley Pointproject ends up costing20 billion euros, theconsortium will have tocough up the 4 billioneuro difference,” a Paris-based equities analystsaid.

But two EPRs beingbuilt by EDF’s Chinesepartner CGN are onschedule and on budget,and EDF hopes that theChinese, besidesfinancing, will bringproject managementskills gathered fromconstructing more than adozen nuclear plants inrecent years.

British finance ministerGeorge Osborne signedan agreement in China onThursday allowingChinese companies toenter Britain’s nuclearpower sector.

China, which isdeveloping its ownreactor, sees the HinkleyPoint deal as a first footin the door in Europe andhopes to use the Britishreference to sell nuclearplants worldwide.

Eventually, this couldbring it into competitionwith EDF and Areva, onwhose technologies theChinese designs arebased.

“Direct market support for new nuclear plants is unprecedentedin Europe since liberalization started two decades ago, andBritain will be the first country to seek consent from theEuropean Commission’s competition department for this.”


International

Militants Test Tunisia’s New Democracy

Boat Carrying70 Muslim

Rohingya Sinks

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Faymy addresses the 68th United Nations GeneralAssembly at UN Headquarters in New York recently.

Australia, US ‘Spied On Indonesia’

CAIRO - Egypt’s ForeignMinister Nabil Fahmy said onSaturday that Egypt wouldlook beyond the United Statesto meet its security needs andwarned Washington that itcould no longer ignore populardemands in a changed Arabworld.

Speaking ahead of a visit byU.S. Secretary of State JohnKerry, Fahmy said the UnitedStates must take a long-termview of its relations with Egyptand understand that in the wakeof the Arab Spring, “it wouldhave to deal now with the Arabpeoples, not only with Arabgovernments”.

Emphasizing the “turbulent”state of Washington’s ties withits longtime Arab ally afterU.S. military aid curbs inresponse to the army’soverthrow in July of PresidentMohamed Mursi of the MuslimBrotherhood, Fahmy saidEgypt would have to develop“multiple choices, multipleoptions” to chart its wayforward - including militaryrelationships.

Fahmy, in a rare interview,also sent this message to the

SYDNEY (Australia) -Australia and the UnitedStates mounted a jointsurveillance operation onIndonesia during the 2007United Nations climatechange conference in Bali, areport said yesterday.

The Guardian newspaper’sAustralian edition cited adocument from USwhistleblower EdwardSnowden showing Australianspy agency the DefenceSignals Directorate workedalongside America’s NationalSecurity Agency (NSA) to

TUNIS - When protestersstormed the U.S. embassy inTunis last year, they hoisted ablack jihadist flag that exposedthe militant Islamistundercurrent in one of theMuslim world’s most secularsocieties.

An attack on a tourist resortlast week by a suicide bomber,and recent gun battles withTunisian police, revealed howdeeply that fervor, fosteredworldwide by al Qaeda, hastaken root in the country wherethe Arab Spring began.

Militants, few in number, havelittle chance of forging theIslamic state they want inTunisia or igniting wider war.But with the country stillstumbling toward democracy

YANGON (Myanmar) - Aboat carrying 70 ethnic minorityMuslim Rohingya capsizedyesterday off the western coastof Myanmar, an aid worker said.Only eight survivors have beenfound.

The boat was in the Bay ofBengal and headed forBangladesh when it went downearly yesterday, said AbdulMelik, who works for thehumanitarian organizationAction Against Hunger.

The incident comes after theUnited Nations warned that anannual and often deadly exodusof desperate people fromMyanmar ’s Rakhine stateappears to have begun. Theexodus usually kicks off inNovember, when seas begin tocalm.

As many as 1,500 people havefled in the last week, DanMcNorton, a spokesman for theU.N. High commission forRefugees, said at a pressbriefing Saturday in Geneva.

He said the agency hadreceived several reports ofdrownings and was seekingdetails from authorities.

In yesterday’s incident, Meliksaid the wooden boat carryingat least 70 Rohingya from OhnTaw Gyi village left at around 3a.m. and broke apart about fourhours later. Women, childrenand babies were among those onboard.

Family members and friendswere scouring the Bay of Bengaland coastlines for survivors, butso far only eight survivors havebeen found, he said.

It was not immediately clearwhether any bodies had beenrecovered.

Myanmar, a predominantlyBuddhist nation of 60 million,has been gripped by sectarianviolence in the last 18 months,leaving more than 240 peopledead and causing 250,000 to fleefrom their homes. Most of thevictims have been Rohingya, along persecuted Muslimminority in the country, withBuddhist mobs chasing themdown with machetes, ironchains and bamboo clubs.

The U.N. says it expects this

United States: “If you’re goingto have interests in the MiddleEast, you need to have eithergood relations with the countrythat is the focus of the MiddleEast, or at the very least well-managed relations”.

“This is going to be a frank,honest dialogue betweenfriends,” he told Reuters abouthis meeting with Kerryyesterday.

“We will work in thatconstructive fashion to developthe relationship but there is noquestion in our mind that wewill fulfil our national securityneeds as they are required fromwhatever source we need”.

collect the phone numbers ofIndonesian security officials.

The revelation is likely toexacerbate already strainedrelations with Jakarta afterreports last week thatCanberra’s overseasdiplomatic posts wereinvolved in a vast US-ledsurveillance network.

Missions in Indonesia, aswell as embassies orconsulates in China, werereportedly used to monitorphone calls and collect data,sparking demands for anexplanation from Jakarta andBeijing.

The Guardian said the 2007operation was not particularlysuccessful, with the onlytangible outcome being themobile phone number ofBali’s chief of police.

“The goal of thedevelopment effort was togain a solid understanding ofthe network structure shouldcollection be required in theevent of an emergency,”according to an account of themission included in a 2008weekly report from the NSAbase at Pine Gap in Australia,one of the agency’s biggestoverseas bases.

Summing up at the end ofthe operation, the NSA said:“Highlights include thecompromise of the mobilephone number for Bali’s chiefof police.

“Site efforts revealedpreviously unknownIndonesian communicationsnetworks and postured us toincrease collection in theevent of a crisis,” accordingto The Guardian.

While largely unsuccessful,the operation is hugely

embarrassing for Australia.At the time, Kevin Rudd

was the country’s newlyelected prime minister and heattended the summit — hisfirst high-profile internationalforay — at the personalinvitation of IndonesianPresident Susilo BambangYudhoyono.

Both leaders agreed at thetime to work together toadvance ties.

Widespread reports of NSAspying based on leaks fromfugitive intelligence analystSnowden, including that theagency was monitoringGerman Chancellor AngelaMerkel’s phone, have alreadysparked a major trans-Atlantic rift.

After last week’s report inthe Sydney Morning Herald,which amplified earlierrevelations by German

magazine Der Spiegel,China’s foreign ministrydemanded the Australian side“make a clarification”.

Jakarta summonedAustralian ambassador GregMoriarty for an explanationon Friday while Indonesian

Foreign Minister MartyNatalegawa described thereported spying activities as“just not cricket”.

and Libya’s chaos on itsdoorstep, violent Islamists haveroom to flourish.

No one else died when a manblew himself up on the beach atSousse on Wednesday afterfailing to get in to a resort hotel.Another would-be suicidebomber was arrested. Lastmonth, nine policemen died ina clash with Islamists.

Both incidents shocked asmall country little used toviolence, dependent on tourismand in the process of forming anational unity government toorganize elections after twoyears of rule by moderateIslamists allied to the MuslimBrotherhood.

“When we have seen this inthe past, in Syria or elsewhere,

it is usually a very ominous signof things to come,” ThomasJoscelyn of the Foundation forDefense of Democracies inWashington said of the suicidebomber. “It represents a markedescalation in the tactics thejihadists are willing to use.”

Officials blame Ansar al-Sharia, which they link to Al

Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb(AQIM), active across NorthAfrica. The Tunisian groupemerged after the uprising ofearly 2011 that ended the secularpolice state of Zine al-AbidineBen Ali but was banned by themoderate Islamist governmentthis year after two secularpoliticians were assassinated.

Egypt To LookBeyond US For Arms

Tunisian policemen investigate near a crime scene on a beach near the tourist resort ofsousse.

UKEKE – I, FormerlyMISS EHIZEFUAWINIFRED UKEKE nowwish to be addressedand known as MRSEHIZEFUA WINIFREDOBADIARU. All formerdocuments remain valid.NYSC, other concernedauthorities and thegeneral public to pleasetake note.

CHANGE OF NAME


Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: AnExample To Women

Personality

By MERCY IYAHEN

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister

HONOUR is givento whom honour is due,it is generally believedthat the certificate of anEducated AfricanWoman ends up in thekitchen in her husbandshouse, but most womenof numerousachievement andoutstanding prestigehave proven that sayingwrong.

One of theseprestigious women whohas taken the economyof Nigeria to a higherlevel and has also stoodas a great role model forevery youth especiallythe girl child is Dr. NgoziOkonjo-Iweala theFinance Minister ofNigeria.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was born into thefamily of ProfessorChukuka Okonjo the Obi(King) from the UmuObi Obahai Royalfamily of Ogwashi-UkuDelta State on the 13th ofJune 1954.

Dr. Ngozi spent theearly years of her lifeliving with her grandparents while her parentsstudied abroad. Upon thereturn of her parents shemoved with them toIbadan, South West ofNigeria where theyworked with the thenUniversity College ofIbadan now Universityof Ibadan. She laterattended the girls schoolin Enugu and had a longbreak due to the civil warin Nigeria. She later

completed her SecondarySchool Education at St.Annes College in Ibadan.

Though the civil wardisrupted her Education,it did not slow her down.She passed her A levelswith good grades and gotadmitted into HarvardUniversity to studyEconomics.

Leaving the shores ofthe country NgoziO k o n j o - I w e a l aperformed excellentlywell with good grades.She has a PHD from MITthe MassachusettsInstitute of Technology.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is happily marriedto Dr. Ikemba Iweala,MD. MBBS, BS fromAbia State an EmergencyPhysician, familypractitioner and internistand they are both blessedwith four children.Onyinye, Uzodinma,Ikechukwu and Uchechiwho are all graduates ofHarvard University liketheir mother.

Undoubtly, Dr. NgoziOkonjo-Iweala is aglobally renownedNigerian Economist bestknown for her two termsas a Finance Minister ofNigeria (her currentposition) and for herwork at the World Bank.Including several yearsas one of it’s managingDirectors from October2007 to July 2011. Shebriefly held the position

of Foreign Minister ofNigeria in 2006.

In 2007, Okonjo-Iweala was considered asa possible replacementfor former World BankPresident PaulW o l f o w i t z esubsequently in 2012,she became one of the

three candidates in therace to replace WorldBank President RobertZoellick at the end of histerm in office in June2012.

Unfortunately, onApril 16, 2012 it wasannounced that she hadbeen unsuccessful in herbid for the World BankPresidency, having lost

to the US nominee, JimYong Kim. This outcomehad been widelyanticipated.

Prior to herministerial career inNigeria, Okonjo-Iwealawas Vice President andCorporate Secretary ofthe World Bank Group.She left it in 2003 aftershe was appointed to

President Obasanjo’scabinet as FinanceMinister on 15, July2003.

This great achiever inOctober 2005 ledNigeria and struck a dealwith the Paris Club, agroup of bilateralcreditors, to pay a portionof Nigeria’s Externaldebt (US $12 billion

(dollars) ) in return for an18 billion dollar debtwrite-off, prior to thepartial debt payment andwrite-off Nigeria spentroughly 1 billion USdollars every year ondebt servicing withoutmaking a dent in theprincipal owed.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also introducedthe practice of publishingeach state’s monthlyfinancial allocation fromthe federal governmentin the Newspaper. Thisactions went a long wayin increasingtransparency ingovernance.

She was alsoinstrumental in helpingNigeria obtain it’s firstever sovereign creditrating (of BB minus)from fitch and standardpoor’s; Nigeria isconsidered to havedefaulted on it’ssovereign debt in 1983.

Okonjo-Iwealaresigned as Nigeria’sforeign minister whichshe held between 2003 –2006 following hersudden removal as headof Nigeria’s EconomicTeam by formerPresident OlusegunObasanjo. She left thatadministration at the endof August 2006.

On October 4, 2007,World Bank PresidentRobert Zoellick,appointed her to the postof Managing Director,which took effect onDecember 1st 2007.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was reappointedas minister of financewith the expand portfolioof the coordinatingminister for theEconomy by PresidentGoodluck Jonathan in2011.

She took a lot ofpressure, more so thanany other GovernmentOfficial due to theunpopular fuel subsidyremoval, policy by theNigerian Governmentwhich led to numerous

protests in January 2012.That action triggered anationwide riot whichhad Dr. Iweala in thecross-fire. She got theblame more than anyother public servant forthe removal of subsidy.

In the issue of ASUUstrike Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has received a lotof pressure as so manypointing fingers aredirected at her to theextent that pamphlets andflyers with abusive andinflammatory messagesagainst her aredistributed in mosquesand other places byASUU leaders.

This accusationagainst her came whenshe reportedly describedthe ASUU action as“taking academicunionism to a new lowand infusing it withunnecessary politics.”

The major inscriptionof the flyers andpamphlets is that theFinance Minister hasinsisted on a “take-it-orleave-it approach” in thenegotiation with ASUUand contrary to somerecent medial reports theFederal Government hasnot adopted a take-it-or-leave-it approach innegotiating with ASUU.

However, thegovernment’s approachis focused on positiveengagement andachieving sustainablesolutions to thechallenges facing highereducation in the country.

It is very difficult tosee a woman who isdetermined to set thingsstraight. The Nigeriastudents are nowdepending on theFinance Minister Dr.Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealaand the FederalGovernment to end thestrike which is more thanfour months now byhaving an acceptablenegotiations with theASUU leaders and savethe dreams of the leadersof tomorrow.

“The major inscription of the flyers and pamphlets is thatthe Finance Minister has insisted on a “take-it-or leave-itapproach” in the negotiation with ASUU and contrary to somerecent medial reports the Federal Government has not adopteda take-it-or-leave-it approach in negotiating with ASUU.”


City IntensityDelights

Pellegrini

• Sven Goran Eriksson

Moyes ConfidentOf Climbing Table

I Signed Man Utd Deal - Eriksson

Arsenal Sink Liverpool To Stake Title Claim• David Moyes

SVEN-Goran Eriksson hasclaimed in his newautobiography that he signeda contract to succeed Sir AlexFerguson at ManchesterUnited in 2002 - and that heclashed with the Scot overWayne Rooney’s inclusion inhis 2006 World Cup squad.

Ferguson led United for 26years before retiring thissummer and being replacedby David Moyes.

He previously announcedhis intention to stand downin 2002 and althoughFerguson later reversed thatdecision, Eriksson claims hewas approached to replacethe Scot and accepted a deal.

In an extract from the bookreproduced in the Mail onSunday, Eriksson wrote: “Iknew it would be tricky. I hada contract with England until

MANCHESTER City bossManuel Pellegrini hailed hisruthless side for refusing to easeup in their 7-0 demolition ofNorwich.

City were back to theirrampant best as they ran outconvincing winners over thestruggling Canaries in a one-sided Barclays Premier Leagueclash at the Etihad Stadium.

An own goal from BradleyJohnson set them on their waybefore David Silva, MatijaNastasic, Alvaro Negredo, YayaToure, Sergio Aguero and EdinDzeko all got on the scoresheet.

Pellegrini vowed to playcompelling, attacking footballin pursuit of trophies when hetook charge in the summer andhe felt his players fulfilled thatobligation.

He said: “It was a really goodperformance. The team playedreally well during the 90minutes, not only the first half.

“Normally when winning 4-0 at half-time, in the second halfa team finish or stop. But theteam continued playing exactlythe same and that’s veryimportant for me.”

It was City’s biggest top-flight victory since 1968 andtheir most emphatic at any levelsince hammering Huddersfield10-1 in the old Second Divisionin 1987.

On some of the fluid movesinvolving the likes of Aguero,Silva and Samir Nasri,Pellegrini said: “It is the way wework every day.

“It is so important for me tosee the way I want them to play.

“They are very good technicalplayers when they move the ballquick and move into space, it isvery difficult for our team notto score so we must continue thesame way.”

The goals City scored took theattention off the opposite end ofthe field, where Pellegrini optedto make a big change.

After a number of errors thisseason, England goalkeeper JoeHart was dropped in favour ofCostel Pantilimon, and theRomanian did nothing to harmhis cause on a quiet afternoon.

Pellegrini said: “My duty is tosee, every week, which are thebest players to play every game.We have a lot of games.

“This game, I thought Joeneeded a rest. I think it will beuseful for him. He has playedevery match for the last two anda half years here.

“We will work hard behindJoe so he can return to hisnormal performance level assoon as possible but (againstNorwich) I thought the bestgoalkeeper was Pantilimon,nothing more.”

The result increased thepressure on Norwich boss ChrisHughton with his sideremaining in the bottom three.

Life after Sir Alex Fergusonwas always going to be difficult,but few could have predictedUnited being eight points off thepace after nine matches.

They remain eighth in thePremier League after Saturday’s3-1 defeat of Fulham, althoughMoyes’ side are slowlyquietening the naysayers.

The victory at Craven Cottagewas their fourth in succession inall competitions and the firsttime United have secured back-to-back league wins under theformer Everton manager.

“We knew we would have topick up points as we went alongand I was always confident thatwould happen,” Moyes said.

“It was a good victory, animportant victory for us. It getsyou three points and hopefullywe will try and continue doingthat and keep the momentumbuilding.

“Our job is to climb the leaguetable. We want to get the nearerthe top and I have got no doubtthat by the end of the season wewill.

“Where we are right now Idon’t think is really thatimportant, except that you don’twant to let the teams get too faraway from you and we’ve gotto try and make sure they don’t.

“We’re going to have keepbuilding on today’s performanceand the performances of the lastweek or so.”

United’s win came courtesy ofthree goals in 13 first-halfminutes, with dodgy defending

ARSENE Wenger isconvinced his Arsenal side nowpossesses sufficient consistencyto challenge for trophies athome and abroad.

Much has been made of thefact that the Gunners have notwon anything since 2005 but,following Saturday’s 2-0 homevictory over Liverpool, they arecurrently five points clear at thetop of the Premier League.

Their credentials are set for athorough and instant testinghowever as on Wednesday theytravel to Borussia Dortmund inthe Champions League, having

and clinical finishing allowingAntonio Valencia, Robin vanPersie and Wayne Rooney tonet.

Fulham pulled one back whenAlex Kacaniklic’s shot deflected inoff Rooney, with the hostsimpressing in a second half inwhich United started with theenforced substitutions of TomCleverley, Jonny Evans and Rafael.

“Tom Cleverley had doublevision, Jonny Evans’ backstiffened up and Rafa went overon his ankle on the touchline,”Moyes said of the triple change.

“It forced me into threechanges at half-time, whichdisrupted the momentum of theteam a little bit and the fluencyof the team. I was pleased withthe lads that came on.”

Moyes is hopeful the trio willbe available for Tuesday’sChampions League clash

against Real Socieded, althoughconcedes Rafael is the biggestdoubt.

The injuries were the onlynegatives in a fine afternoon forUnited, whose strikers VanPersie and Rooney impressedonce again.

“I thought there was greatcombination play betweenthem,” Moyes said. “I think theyboth made the goal for eachother.

“There was good link-up play,so I am just starting to see reallygood signs from the two ofthem.

previously lost 2-1 at home tothe Germans, and on Sundaythey are back in Premier Leagueaction at reigning title-holdersManchester United.

“It was important to convincepeople we can win these biggames,” Wenger said of theLiverpool success.

“And that we did it in aconvincing way is even moreimportant. I believe nobodywould dispute that we deservedto win this game.

“We have have plenty of otherbig games coming up and thiswill help us to deal with them.

It’s down to consistency and wehave been consistent since thefirst of January 2013. Ten gamesand 25 points is a respectablenumber. The players know eachother better and have improvedindividually and collectively.”

Santi Cazorla gave Arsenal afirst-half lead before AaronRamsey made it 2-0 just beforethe hour mark with his 10th goalof a very impressive season andthe Wales midfielder made itclear he was ready to maintainindividual and collective highstandards, starting at Dortmundon Wednesday.

“It was very important to getoff to a good start and we havea nice gap now,” he said.

“Hopefully we can maintainthat over Christmas as we knowour run-in form has been secondto none over the last fewseasons. If we get ourselves intoa strong position in January wewill have a very successfulseason.

“We go to Dortmund now andwe were very disappointed withhow we lost to them. It was avery sloppy goal when we werein control but we got a goodresult in Germany last seasonagainst Bayern Munich.

the 2006 World Cup and Iwould be severely criticisedif I broke that contract.

“But this was anopportunity to manageManchester United. Acontract was signed - I wasUnited’s new manager.”

The 2006 tournament itselfgave rise to further issues asEriksson selected Rooney,who had been battling abroken metatarsal in theweeks leading up to thesquad announcement.

Ferguson, Eriksson claims,had said Rooney would notbe available, giving rise to adifference of opinionsbetween medical staff withclub and country - withEngland doctor Leif Swardultimately winning out.

Eriksson wrote: “Leif andI met Ferguson and United’sdoctor at the United trainingground. ‘He cannot play inthe World Cup’, Fergusonsaid flatly. The doctorbrought out some X-rays thathe said showed Rooney’sbroken bone would not healin time.

“When the doctor finished,Leif looked him in the eye.‘Why do you sit here and lieto me?’ Leif asked.

“He was one of Europe’sforemost specialists on thiskind of injury. I just wish Icould have filmedFerguson’s face when Leifexplained that Wayne’s breakwould heal in time for theWorld Cup.

“When Leif had finished, Iturned to Ferguson. ‘Sorry,Alex,’ I said. ‘I will pickRooney’.”

Rooney went to thetournament but did not scorea single goal and was sent offfor stamping on RicardoCarvalho in England’squarter-final againstPortugal, which they lost onpenalties.

MOMENTUM is building at Manchester United andmanager David Moyes is confident the reigning championswill soon be challenging for the title.


‘Embarrassing’ Milan MustDo Better, Says Allegri

Lyon Return ToWinning Ways

Pep Guardiola

Real Madrid’s striker Gareth Bale (C) clashes with Rayo Vallecano’s midfielders Roberto Trashorras (R) andAdrian Embarba during a Spanish league football match at the Vallecas stadium in Madrid on Saturday.

Fiorentina Heap More MiseryOn Milan

Pep Guardiola GratefulFor ‘Lucky’ Win

Ronaldo Double Sinks Rayo

Bafétimbi Gomis in the space oftwo minutes.

Lacazette took advantage of apoor clearance by Jérémy Sorbonfollowing a good strike fromGueïda Fofana parried away byGuingamp’s keeper Guy RolandNdy Assembé.And a minute later,it was Bafé Gomis who made thebest of a ball lost by MustaphaYatabaré in the midfield to lob theCameroonian keeper.

While the visitors had a fewopportunities to narrow the gapwith Yatabaré and Sankharé,Olympique Lyonnais remained incharge for most of the game andcould have increased their leadthrough Lacazette again andFofana.

A few shadows were howevercast over the locals’ celebrationsas keeper Anthony Lopes seri-ously injured his back on the halfan hour mark while skipperMaxime Gonalons also had toleave the field early in the secondhalf after a very rough challengeby Elhadji Diallo.

over Juventus.hen, roars for a penalty erupted

throughout the stadium whenMario Balotelli went to groundinside stoppage time of the first-half, but it was his second bla-tant dive inside the box in a mat-ter of minutes.

The striker was lucky to sur-vive not being a subbed at therestart for his antics even afterseeing Alessandro Matri havingbeen stripped down and readyto come on.

More frustration followed forBalotelli when he was booked onthe hour for an unnecessaryshove on Neto, leaving him sus-pended for the Rossoneri’s matchaway to Chievo.

And the Fiorentina goalkeeperdid well to punch awayMuntari’s cross off the bylinebut the Ghanaian was shortlytaken off and replaced byRiccardo Saponara as Milanfought to salvage some form apositive result.

It wasn’t to be as Gabriel wasat fault for Fiorentina’s secondgoal when he got a hand ontoJoaquin’s cross which fell kindlyto Borja Valero.

It was easy pickings for themidfielder who tapped it in fromclose range with a quarter of anhour to go.

For Milan, they will head backto the drawing board ahead oftheir big midweek match againstBarcelona in the UEFA Champi-ons League.

in the second half.Massimo Ambrosini made his

return to the San Siro for the firsttime since leaving the Milanellooutfit in the summer after 14years spent at the club.

He was welcomed by the homefans with a warm applause asboth Fiorentina and Milan lookedto get over their midweek upsetsof a loss and a draw respectively.

Milan got off to a positivestart with some fluid play andearly pressing, and it was SulleyMuntari who tried his luck fromrange with an effort which flewwide.

The first real chance of thematch arrived in the 13th minutewhen Ryder Matos made a greatrun along the byline.

The youngster supplied a dan-gerous cross into the box onlyfor Gabriel to make a sterlingsave.

Ten minutes later, Borja Valerothreatened with a well workedset-piece into the box but he wasdenied by an excellent CristianZapata clearance.

Fiorentina then took the leadagainst the run of play when JuanVargas’ shot off a set-piece tooka deflection off the Milan wall tobeat Gabriel at his far post in the27th minute.

Ambrosini’s outing, however,lasted just 34 minutes as he wassubstituted after suffering a re-lapse in injury which kept himsidelined since Fiorentina’s win

FIORENTINA extendedMilan’s dismal Serie A run witha 2-0 away win at the San Siroon Saturday evening.

Juan Vargas opened the scor-ing in the first-half before an er-ror by the Brazilian Gabriel giftedthe Viola with their second goal

at least,” he told his club’sofficial website. “Not every-thing worked perfectly sowe’re going to have tochange the way we play.

“Games against Hoffenheimhave always been tight in re-cent years, but we had thatbit of luck.”

Guardiola’s counterpartMarkus Gisdol admitted hisside needed that luck if theywere to get anything from agame he was neverthelesssatisfied with.

“We were on a par withBayern, but if you want tocause them more problems,then everything has got to beperfect,” he said.

“You can’t afford to concedea goal from such a deflection,for example. I’ve got mixedfeelings. On the one hand, I’mhappy because we hadBayern on the ropes, but onthe other hand, we’re leftempty-handed.”

BAYERN Munich coachPep Guardiola admitted hisside had been lucky to comeaway from Hoffenheim with a2-1 win on Saturday.

Bayern equalled aBundesliga record of 36games unbeaten, dating backto a 2-1 home defeat to BayerLeverkusen last October, witha hard-fought win at theRhein-Neckar Arena, but theSpanish coach said it was nota particularly strong perfor-mance.

Niklas Sule becameHoffenheim’s youngest-evergoalscorer when he openedthe scoring in the first half,but Franck Ribery broughtBayern level six minutes be-fore the break with a free-kickwhich took a deflection offteammate Mario Mandzukicon its way in.

Thomas Mueller thensnatched victory for Bayernwith 15 minutes to go as theChampions League holdersreturned to the top of theBundesliga.

“It certainly wasn’t our bestperformance, but we’ve won

league title with Milan in his firstseason in charge before seeing ahost of established stars departthe club, has ordered his squadto retreat to the club’s Milanellotraining base in the lead-up toWednesday’s clash.

“We have to do better and finda solution to this situation,”Allegri said.

“The last half hour was embar-rassing. It was the worst in mythree and a half years at theclub.”

Rossoneri are in crisis mode.Milan had no reply to Juan

Vargas’s deflected free kick in the27th minute and when BorjaValero struck for Fiorentina in the73rd minute the writing was onthe wall.

Milan’s fifth reverse in 11games has left them in 10th, 18points behind Roma ahead of theleague leaders’ trip to Torino laterSunday.

Allegri, who won the 2011

AC Milan coach MassimilianoAllegri has demanded improve-ments after what he labelled an“embarrassing” last half hour ina stunning 2-0 home defeat toFiorentina on Saturday.

Milan face Champions LeagueBarcelona on Wednesday, twoweeks after a 1-1 draw at the SanSiro gave the Italians a share ofthe points and a two-point leadon Group H qualification rivalsCeltic.

But on the domestic front, the

off Madrid had made it 2-0 whenBale raced clear on the right andhis measured cross was headedhome at the far post by Benzema.

Real could have extended theirlead before half-time as they con-tinued to pick off Rayo on thecounter-attack and Ronaldolashed an ambitious volley overbefore flicking a header wide ofthe far post.

Ronaldo looked to havewrapped up the points when heprodded into an open goal fromBale’s inviting cut-back four min-utes after the break.

However, Rayo were back inthe game when Viera convertedhis first spot-kick after he hadbeen brought down by Pepe.

game. Today the same thing hap-pened and that is not a coinci-dence,” he said.

“We need to change and re-move the superficiality we haveon the pitch, the second-half wasa disaster. You cannot let a teamback into the game like that whenyou have the quality of RealMadrid.”

Bale was starting a second con-secutive game for the first timein his Madrid career and Realstarted where they left off inmidweek as Ronaldo took advan-tage of Rayo’s dangerous high lineto skip past Alejandro Galvezand slot calmly past the keeperfor his 19th goal of the season..

Rayo were very unfortunatenot to be awarded a penalty mo-ments later when Dani Carvajalappeared to clip Nacho insidethe area.

The hosts did have the ball inthe net on the half hour markwhen Iago Falque turned LassBangoura’s cross towards goal,but the ball struck Viera on itsway into the net and was rightlyruled out for offside.

Within two minutes of that let

Ronaldo had scored a hat-trickin the 7-3 mauling of Sevilla onWednesday and the Portuguesetook just three minutes to openthe scoring with a cool finish af-ter racing onto Luka Modric’spass.

Rayo then had a strong pen-alty appeal waved away and agoal disallowed, but Madriddoubled their advantage just af-ter the half hour mark as Bale’sright-footed cross picked outBenzema to nod home his sev-enth goal of the season.

Ronaldo added a third just af-ter the interval from Bale’s lowcross, but two Jonathan Vierapenalties in as many minutesgave Rayo hope.

The hosts then piled on thepressure for the final half hourand Alberto Bueno struck thepost as they came agonisinglyclose to an incredible comeback.

And despite holding on for thewin, Real boss Carlo Ancelottiwas furious with his side’s lackof control after half-time.

“Against Sevilla we were 3-0up and let them back into the

Joaquin Larrivey then struckthe bar with a diving header, butas the ball ricocheted around thearea from the rebound Bueno wasbrought down by Marcelo for asecond penalty.

Viera stepped up again and hisstrike had just enough power tobeat Lopez despite going the right

GARETH Bale provided two assists for the second consecutivegame as a double from Cristiano Ronaldo and a Karim Benzemaheader saw Real Madrid squeeze past Rayo Vallecano 3-2 onSaturday.

way.Bueno then thrashed a shot

against the post and pulled an-other effort inches wide as Rayoforced Madrid onto the back footfor the majority of the secondperiod.

LYON have returned to win-ning ways with a 2-0 victoryover Guingamp on Saturday atGerland, in week 12 of the Ligue1.Rémi Garde’s men put an endto a series of five straight gameswithout a single win with twounanswered first half goals byAlexandre Lacazette and


HarunaDisappointed

By EaglesSnub

No Fear Of Sack ForUnder-Fire

Jol

Alejandro Faurlin

We Let Ourselves Down -Martin

Faurlin’s Injury Worries Redknapp

Boateng Could BeDenied World Cup

Kevin-Prince Boateng

Lukman Haruna

Black Stars managementcommittee member YawBoateng Gyan, who playedkey role in persuading theformer AC Milan star to re-turn to the Black Stars, hassuggested time could be run-ning out for the talentedmidfielder.

“There is no such playeronly cut for qualification andothers only for tourna-ments,” Boateng Gyan, rela-tive of Kevin, is reported tohave told Kumasi-basedMetro FM.

“It is a collective effort andtherefore if he [Boateng]keeps turning down invitesto play with the other play-ers during the qualificationseries including this lastmatch then I think that willbe it.

“We have done our bestand yes, he is my relative butthe truth of the matter is thatif he keeps up with this atti-tude of not turning up forgames then he better counthimself out of the WorldCup.”

It will be recalled thatBoateng gained global recog-nition after playing for Ghanaat the 2010 World Cup finalsin South Africa after a nation-ality switch.

Ghana will face Egypt on 19November in Cairo and mustprevent a five-nil defeat toqualify to the World Cup fi-nals for the third straight time.

Jol’s confidence is admi-rable considering the increas-ing levels of vitriol he is fac-ing, as well as the constantquestions about his future.

“I get asked about pressureevery week and any managerin the league will get this ques-tion,” the Dutchman said.

“If you are in the bottomhalf of the table you have towin games.

“It is not as bad as peoplethink, but the only thing is youwant to turn it around likeNewcastle United did[against Chelsea on Satur-day].”

Asked where his unerringbelief comes from, Jol said:

FULHAM have sufferedthree defeats in the space ofa week, but Martin Jol doesnot fear being sacked.

It has been a difficult startto the campaign for the westLondoners, whose manager’sposition is coming under in-creasing scrutiny.

Jol is amongst thefavourites with bookmakersto become the next BarclaysPremier League manager toleave their job, while Fulhamfans are quickly losing pa-tience.

“Jol out” was chanted onseveral occasions duringSaturday’s 3-1 home defeat toManchester United, whichcame on the back of losses atSouthampton and second-tierLeicester.

“I have no fear,” Jol saiddefiantly. “In the past theyused to say ‘have no fear,Martin is here’.

“I don’t fear. Sometimes Iworry if the supporters are atmy back, but on the otherhand it is better that they areon my back than the players’back.

“I felt better when I saw thereaction of the players in thesecond half.”

LUKMAN Haruna has toldMTNFootball.com he was dis-appointed not to be picked byNigeria for a World Cup playoffagainst Ethiopia.

Dynamo Kiev midfielderHaruna has been on superlativeform for his Ukrainian club andhad hoped he would be recalledfor a November 16 World Cupplayoff return leg clash againstEthiopia in Calabar.

Coach Stephen Keshi had evenhinted on a possible recall forHaruna, Hull City winger SoneAluko and Gabriel Rueben, butonly Reuben made the list re-leased on Sunday.

The former U17, U20 andOlympic team star toldMTNFootball.com: “I am sadbut I am still positive that I willget my chance.

“I was very happy when Iheard the coach said he wouldconsider me for the Italy gamebut now that I am not listed, itonly means I should work extrahard and that is exactly what amgoing to do. I will continue towork hard and keep my form

“It’s been three years since Iplayed for the Eagles and everyday I put in my best in my cluband my form and performancethis season has been evidence ofmy hard work but I need to domore.”

Haruna netted four goals forDynamo Kiev this season.

QPR boss Harry Redknappfears popular midfielderAlejandro Faurlin faces anotherlong spell on the sidelines afterbeing carried off on a stretcherduring the 2-1 win against Derby.

Jermaine Jenas’ early tap-inwas cancelled out by SimonDawkins’ equaliser but Rangerssealed a 2-1 win in the 63rdminute when the ball ended up inthe back of the net as Clint Hill,Jenas and visiting defender JakeBuxton challenged for Faurlin’sright-wing free-kick at the farpost.

However, the home side’s af-ternoon ended on a sour note af-ter fans’ favourite Faurlin, whosuffered cruciate damage the sea-son before last, was carried offwith 15 minutes remaining.

Redknapp now plans to enterthe loan market after losing an-other key player.

He said: “It was a good game,

that left them in the bottomthree of the Barclays PremierLeague and increased the pres-sure on boss Chris Hughton.

The Norfolk side have col-lected just eight points fromtheir first 10 league games andHughton, along with Fulham’sMartin Jol, is favourite to bethe next top-flight managerout of work.

Martin said: “It hurts -simple as that. It’s humiliating.

“We’ve let ourselves downand we’ve let the managerdown.

“There is going to be a lotof soul-searching and conver-sation about this game,analysing it and goingthrough it.

“We will see what we aremade of now for next week.

“We have got the charac-ters in the dressing room. It isa good dressing room, a con-fident dressing room. We be-lieve we are good enough tobe in this league.

“Next week we will see whatwe are really made of.”

Norwich host West Ham intheir next fixture and will needto start better than they did atEastlands.

Samir Nasri had already hitthe post when SergioAguero’s 16th-minute shotwas blocked by MichaelTurner and then looped in forthe opening goal off BradleyJohnson.

David Silva, Matija Nastasicand Alvaro Negredo all got onto the scoresheet before half-time in what proved a horrorshow for visiting goalkeeperJohn Ruddy.

With Joe Hart dropped bythe hosts, Ruddy might havehoped to press his Englandclaims but it proved an after-noon to forget.

Even so, he still producedthree good saves in the sec-ond half to avoid even greaterdamage and could do littleabout Yaya Toure’s sublime

KEVIN-Prince Boatengcould miss out of the 2014FIFA World Cup finals if hefails to play in this month’splayoff return leg againstEgypt in Cairo, according toa Ghana FA official.

There is growing suspicionthat the former Germanyyouth international is choos-ing and picking internationalmatches after missing the lasttwo matches.

Boateng, who rescinded hisdecision to quit internationalfootball in August, reportedto camp for the final Group Dqualifier against Zambia athome but sat out due to in-jury.

Last month he suffered anankle problem for hisBundesliga side Schalke andwas unavailable for the 6-1drubbing of Egypt in Kumasiin the playoff first leg.

free-kick for City’s fifth.Aguero volleyed in the

sixth from a poor SebastienBassong clearance and EdinDzeko rounded off the scor-ing.

Scotland international Mar-tin, 27, said: “I just don’t knowwhere that performance hascome from, because eventhough we haven’t been pick-ing up results lately we’vebeen playing okay in bits andbobs.

it’s just a shame about Ale. He’sdone his knee and it doesn’t lookvery good.

“I wouldn’t want to make ajudgement but it looks like a badinjury. He’ll go and have a scan.

“The kid’s got back into theteam and played well and nowthat’s happened to him.

“I don’t know how he did it tobe honest, but it’s such a shamefor the lad. He gives us a goodbalance in midfield.”

“I’ve been pleased with ourperformances. It’s a tight divi-sion but we’ll be up there at theend of the season.

“We have picked up a few in-juries though and might try toget a loan or two in if we can.

“Niko Kranjcar pulled hishamstring, Tom Carroll recentlypicked up an injury and GaryO’Neil too, so we are getting in-juries.”

QPR went ahead on 11 min-

utes when Jenas tapped into anempty net after Charlie Austin’sclose-range effort had been par-ried by keeper Lee Grant.

Dawkins volleyed home afterJamie Ward’s free-kick had beenheaded down by Buxton, but leadwas restored when Hill, Jenasand Buxton tangled and the ballwent in after Faurlin’s free-kick.

It meant an unhappy return toLoftus Road for Steve McClaren,who recently left a coaching roleat Rangers to take over as Derbymanager.

“My team can be proud oftheir performance,” McClarensaid after the Rams’ first defeatsince his appointment.

“I know from working herewith QPR’s players that they’rethe best team in the league andwill have no problems going upwith the squad they’ve got.

“We stopped them playingand did everything well withoutthe ball in the first half, but wecould have been better with theball.

“We caused them problems inthe second half, swamped themand five minutes into extra timewere still going strong and wereunlucky not to get something.

“We’ve got a lot of things towork on but if we keep doingwhat we did today, with the sameendeavour, we’ll win more gamesthan we lose.

“The results will take care ofthemselves if we work hard andplay football. I couldn’t wish fora better group to work with.

“This is all about the long term.It didn’t work out for us todaybut most of the time it will.”

“Because I know there are al-ways six or seven clubs introuble.

“I said to somebody on Fri-day, if you looked at RobertoMartinez [at Wigan] he wasalways in the bottom three ofthe table and after games hewas always fantastic.

“That is where I get my be-lief from, because I know weare a better team than at leastsix or seven other teams.

“We will pick up points andI think we will be fine in theend, but to play against ManU doesn’t help.”

DEFENDER Russell Martin believes Norwich must nowshow what they are “really made of” after letting themselvesand their manager down at Manchester City.

The Canaries were humili-ated 7-0 by rampant City atthe Etihad Stadium, a result

“The whole team justweren’t good enough fromstart to finish.

“We had a little bit of mis-fortune with the first twogoals but after that we totallycapitulated and that’s not likeus.”


Jordan Ayew Opens Season’s GoalAccount

Omeruo, Gabriel Return To

Eagles

Eaglets Vow SwedenWill Fall Now

FIFA 2013 U-17 World Cup

Emenike Scores Again

EbonyiFans HailEaglets

Emmanuel Emenike Jordan Ayew

Kenneth Omeruo

The Nigeria internationalstriker has come off a barrenrun in front of goal since hisarrival in the summer fromRussian club Spartak Mos-cow.

Such form bodes very wellfor Nigeria ahead of a returnleg 2014 World Cup playoffagainst Ethiopia on Novem-ber 16 in Calabar afterEmenike scored twice inAddis Ababa last month.

The win means Fenerbahceremain on top of the leaguetable with 25 points from 10games.

The former Spartak Mos-cow forward was on song inthe 83rd minute to giveFenerbahce a 2-1 lead.

Compatriot Taye Taiwo wason from start to finish forBursaspor.

back of the net on 16 minutesto help Elie Baup side clawback to earn a point at theStade de la Route de Lorient.

FOOTBALL fans in Ebonyiyesterday hailed the Golden Ea-glets for defeating Uruguay onSaturday at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United ArabEmirates (UAE).

In separate interviews withnewsmen the fans described thevictory as revenge for previouslosses by Nigeria to the SouthAmericans.

The Eaglets beat Uruguay 2-0on Saturday, through a TaiwoAwoniyi brace in a quarter-finalmatch played at Sharjah, toqualify for Tuesday’s semi-fi-nals.

However, it will be recalledthat Uruguay’s senior nationalteam had defeated their Nigeriancounterparts, the Super Eagles,2-1 in the 2013 FIFA Confedera-tion Cup in Brazil in June.

The Flying Eagles, Nigeria’sunder-20 men football team, alsolost 1-2 to Uruguay’s under-20men team at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.

The Ebonyi fans however saidthat the Eaglets had shown thatNigerian football had come of ageand urged the team not to rest onits oars in its remaining matches.

Ikeuwa Omebe, a former chair-man of Ezza North Local Gov-ernment in Ebonyi, said theteam’s performance against theSouth Americans was superlativeand they were poised to win thecompetition.

“This is a national team whichrecorded the longest period ofpreparation in recent times, andthe coaches selected players whodiligently imbibed their techni-cal teachings.

“The team’s win over Uruguayshowed its tactical depth, whichis concretised by its scoring 20goals and conceding five so far inthe competition,” he said.

George Anizoba, coach ofMgbo Ambassadors FootballClub of Ohaukwu, the 2013Ebonyi Federation Cup champi-ons, said the Eaglets had proventhat they are a well-groomed side.

“Their quality is shown in thefact that the team reached thisstage of the competition from agroup that has produced twoother semi-finalists — Swedenand Mexico,’’ he said.

The coach however urged theteam not to be complacent againstSweden in the semi-finals.

“They should not forget thatthe Swedish team gave them theirtoughest test at the group stagewhen both sides drew 3-3,’’Anizoba said.

He suggested that the Eaglets’coaches should review the tapeof their previous match withSweden so as to be able to effec-tively work on the team’s areasof weaknesses.

On his part, Mr Rufus Ebenyi,an Ebonyi Ministry of Youthsand Sports’ official, called on thecoaches to work seriously on theteam’s defence.

“The team appears vulnerableat the rear,’’ he said.

works in the semi-final onTuesday,” he said.

“We have learned so muchplaying against Sweden thelast time, but we shall beready for them this timearound.”

With African championsCote d’Ivoire bundled out byArgentina 2-1 in an earlier

GOLDEN Eaglets coach Manu Garba has said hehopes to go past group rivals Sweden in tomorrow’sU17 World Cup semi-final.

The Eaglets had to draw ontheir rich experience to draw3-3 with Sweden in a Group Fmatch in Al Ain penultimateweek, but Manu said it wouldbe a different ball game whenthe two teams meet again inthe semi-final at the RashidStadium in Dubai.

With a total of 20 goals infive matches, the Eaglets re-main the best attacking teamat the 2013 U17 World Cupand Manu said his team will

be ready to see off theSwedes.

“I want to congratulate theboys for a job well doneagainst Uruguay and Swedenshould be ready for our fire-

on Nov. 11.It added that the 25 players

will also feature for the teamagainst Italy in a friendlymatch on Nov. 18 in London.

The list has three goalkeep-ers, eight defenders, eightmidfielders and six strikers.

The team’s stand-in skipper,Vincent Enyeama, was invitedalongside goalkeepers AustinEjide and Chigozie Agbim,while South Africa-based de-fender James Okwuosa alsokept his place.

Strikers Obinna Nsofor andUche Nwofor also kept theirplaces in the team.

The full list has goalkeepersEnyeama (Lille FC, France),Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Is-rael) and Agbim (Rangers In-ternational).

It also has defendersElderson Echiejile (SportingBraga, Portugal) BenjaminFrancis (Heartland FC), EfeAmbrose (Celtic FC, Scotland),Solomon Kwambe (SunshineStars) and Godfrey Oboabona(Rizespor FC, Turkey).

The other defenders invitedto camp are AzubuikeEgwuekwe (Warri Wolves),James Okwuosa (ChippaUnited, South Africa) andOmeruo.

The midfielders includeMikel Obi (Chelsea FC, En-gland), Victor Moses(Liverpool

FC, England), John Ogu(Academica de Coimbra, Por-tugal) and Ogenyi Onazi (SSLazio, Italy).

The rest midfielders areNnamdi Oduamadi (BresciaCalcio 1911, Italy), NosaIgiebor (Real Betis, Spain),Sunday Mba (Rangers) andGabriel.

The strikers include AhmedMusa (CSKA Moscow, Rus-sia), Brown Ideye (DynamoKyiv, Ukraine), Shola Ameobi(Newcastle United, England)and Emmanuel Emenike(Fenerbahce FC, Turkey).

The other strikers areObinna Nsofor (LokomotivMoscow, Russia), UcheNwofor (SC Heerenveen, TheNetherlands).

SUPER Eagles’ chief coachStephen Keshi has listedKenneth Omeruo, ReubenGabriel and 23 others for theteam’s preparations for theNovember 16 return leg clashwith Ethiopia.

This is contained in a state-ment signed by the AssistantDirector (Media) of the Ni-geria Football Association(NFA), Ademola Olajire, re-leased yesterday.

The match is the reversefixture in the 2014 FIFA WorldCup Playoff, with the Eaglesholding a first leg 2-1 advan-tage.

The Eagles will host theWalyas of Ethiopia at the U.J.Esuene Stadium in Calabar,after winning 2-1 on Oct. 13in Addis Ababa.

The statement saidOmeruo, a Chelsea FC de-fender, and Gabriel of Scot-tish clubside Kilmarnock FCwill report to camp alongsideothers at the MetropolitanTranscorp Hotel in Calabar

Portuguese Nélson Oliveirascored first for the hosts inthe 9th minute but the son ofGhana legend Abedi Peledrew Marseille level.

Jordan was making histenth Ligue 1 appearance andhis fifth start of the cam-paign.

His elder brother Andrewas suspended for thematch.

GHANA striker Jordan Ayewscored his first French Ligue1 goal of the season to helpMarseille draw 1-1 at Renneson Saturday.

The 22-year-old found the

EMMANUEL Emenikescored his fourth goal for

Fenerbache as they won 3-2at Bursaspor on Saturday.

quarterfinal played at thesame Stadium, Manu notedthe onus is now on theGolden Eaglets to carry thebanner of the

continent.“It is unfortunate that our

African brothers Coted’Ivoire are out of the tour-nament, but we are going tofly the flag of the continentsince so much would be ex-pected of us now,” he said.

32 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013THE NIGERIAN C M Y K

Between Oshiomhole And Nyiam

“THE point must be made here that theidea of a National Conference was neverthe idea of President Obasnajo as he hadbitterly resented it in the past in speechesand actions. In fact he swore never to en-tertain any dialogue on the future of thecountry. His complete change of mindsurprised many Nigeria” – Quoted in

Printed and published by Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, 24, Airport Road, P.M.B. 1334 Benin City. Telephone; Lagos: 01 4930929, Benin: 052 257492, 257531Editor: BARR. SOLOMON IMOHIOSEN (KSJI)-(07030699646), Deputy General Manager-Marketing (08023457566), Assistant General Manager-Advertisement (08023808856)

Lagos Office: 3/4 Amode Close, Kudirat Abiola Way, By Olushosun Bus Stop, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. Abuja Office: Floor 1, Edo House, 75 Ralph Shodeinde Street, CentralBusiness District, Abuja. Tel/Fax: 09-5237631. All correspondence to: 24 Airport Road, Benin City. E-mail: [email protected] (ISSN 0331-2674)

tem which became thebone of contention dur-ing the brief rule of Gen-eral Ironsi that eventu-ally led to his assassi-nation in July 1966 byofficers of Northern ex-traction has been rein-troduced sadly into our

country today. This hasshown that the civil warwas a gigantic waste-ful exercise in blood.This has shown that or-dinary precious lives ofpeople were termi-nated for nothing, whilethe General at bothends of the divide (Ni-geria and Biafra) pro-

filed heavily. Today, what we haveis not a federal system.What we have is a sys-tem that is over central-ized, even more supe-rior than the unitary sys-tem which sent Gen-eral Aguiyi-ironsi to hisearly grave. Who com-mitted this grave injus-tice on the country? Ofcourse the military. Themilitary which threw thelikes of GeneralBabangida, Abacha,Obasanjo, Gowon,Abdulsalami etc scat-tered what we had asa federal system andreplaced it with a uni-

using presently to buytime, space and cred-ibility for his hiddenagenda of running forthe presidency in2015. I refused to be afool, as a veteran hu-man rights andprodemocracy activist,and as a prolific uniterand researcher, I knowthat PresidentGoodluck Jonathan willwalk in the path whichGeneral OlusegunObasanjo had walkedin the past. General OlusegunObasanjo swore neverto entertain any Na-tional Dialogue on thefuture of Nigeria. But,

he later changed hismind. The NationalConference which helater organized was in-deed conceive to elon-gate his tenure in of-fice. It was a wickedconspiracy stage man-aged by Obasanjo.The excessive politicalmasturbation of the

It is a shame that weare always runningaway from reality in thiscountry. If Nigerian rul-ers were sincere withthe position ofChukwuemeka Ojukwuin 1966, the useless,hopeless slaughterswe called the Nigeriancivil war would have

Col. Tony Nyiam

the discovery of oil inthe Niger Delta every-thing was turned upside down by thehopeless rulers thathave held us toransome. Now, coming to therecent National dia-logue which PresidentGoodluck Jonathan is

WHERE WE ARE(Page 114)

When did it becomean offence to air yourviews in a democraticsetting in Nigeria? Ohsorry, we are truly notin a democracy butcivil rule! Evenwhether what wehave in civil rule orwhatever, is it an of-fence to bare yourmind on any issue,especially issue thathas to do with the po-litical destiny of ourcountry? I am taking off onthis note today be-cause the drama thattook place inImaguero Hall onMonday 28th 2013,when members of thePresidential AdvisoryCommittee on Na-tional Dialogue camecalling in Benin wasavoidable. It wasavoidable becausesome persons justwanted to show casetheir complete hatredor impatience withothers on the issue offreedom of speech. From the way I wasbrought up in the civilsociety movement inNigeria, one is al-lowed to normallymake his or herpoints, and at the endof the day superiorargument carry theday. What I watchedon television on Mon-day night is shockingto me; that becauseof perceived griev-ance or political intol-erance on the part ofsome Nigerians, anevent that would havebrought out the best interms of preserva-tions from our peopletragically ended indisarray.

seeking; they will neverlet go such issues asfiscal federalism, 50%derivation formular forstates or ResourceControl for Niger-DeltaStates, State Police,regional autonomy, ef-ficient education, lackof food etc. Between ComradeAdams Oshiomhole ofEdo State and Col.Tony Nyiam of thepresidential AdvisoryCommittee on Na-tional Dialogue, one isabsolutely sincerewhile the other is hypo-critical. ComradeOshiomhole knows thebody language ofPresident Jonathan;he knows we are beingdeceived. But ColNyiam knows the truth,he has a job on hishand, he must prove tohis boss that he isworking. My only worry in all ofthis is that Obasanjobudgeted N1 billion forhis confab and wastedit. Only God knows howmuch PresidentJonathan’s confab willconsume? I stand withC o m r a d eOshiomhole, the Fed-eral Governmentshould address thearmy of youth unem-ployment in our land.This is a time bombthat may wipe away ourpolitical hypocritessooner than later. Theway things are today, itis only revolutionarydemocrats that willconvoke a sovereignNatiHarunaDisappointed

By Eagles SnubNo

Fear

tary system. Before the uselesscivil war, we used tohave 50% derivationformular for productscoming from all the re-gions like groundnuts,cocoa etc. But, after

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State

period was rendereduseless, because of apersonal ambition ofone man-OlusegunObasanjo. Even PresidentGoodluck Jonathanhas had opportunitiesmany times in this dis-pensation to vehe-mently kicked againstany kind of conferenceon the future of Nigeria.Now, why did he sud-denly changed hismind? There is more toit than the ordinaryeyes. The cabal thatholds our country toransome is insincere,hypocritical and self

been avoided. ChukwuemekaOdumegwu Ojukwuwas never part of thebloody business car-ried out by MajorKaduna Nzeogwu onJanuary 15 1966; hesaw a massive injusticedone to the person ofGeneral Aguiyi – Ironsi,he saw the humiliationand mass killings of theIbos in the North; heprotested and de-manded justice. But atthe end of the day, hewas ignored and theroad to the abyss ofwar became inevitable. Now, the unitary sys-

Nigerian observer 04 11 2013

Documents

Transcript of Nigerian observer 04 11 2013