Nigerian observer 25 11 2013

1 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013THE NIGERIAN

DEVELOPMENTPg. 20

INT’LFEATURES

Pg 26Abortion Law:

SupremeCourt SplitsOn Hearing

Case

cmyk

GovernanceIn Nigeria:

Between Nat’lInterest And

PersonalAmbition

COMMEMORATION: Chief Communication Officer, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA),Mrs. Toyin Aderibigbe; Director-General, Prof. John Idoko; Deputy Director, Finance, Dr. Ken Laluand Deputy Director, Programmes, Dr. Priscilla Ibekwe at a Church service to commemorate the2013 World Aids Day celebration in Abuja yesterday.

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 38 NO.361• MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013 • N100.00

EDO STATE

GOVERNMENTSPECIAL

ANNOUNCEMENT Edo State Government has observed thatdespite several warnings in the past, someunscrupulous individuals and groups havecontinued to encroach on the land belong-ing to Edo State Broadcasting Service. The government can no longer condonethis illegality. Consequently, it is herebyannounced for the information of the gen-eral public and those who have encroachedon Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) landat Aduwawa, Ivue, Auchi and other partsof the state in particular, that they are forthe last time, given two weeks from thedate of this announcement to vacate theencroached premises as failure to do sowill attract severe penalties.

Signed:LOUIS ODION,

HON. COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATIONAND ORIENTATION, EDO STATE

Peace and ConflictResolution CommissionFor Inauguration Today

November 2013inaugurate the Peaceand Conflict ResolutionCommittee to be chairedby Chief Eduwu Ekhator,the Obasogie of BeninKingdom.

According to astatement by the ChiefPress Secretary PeterOkhiria, the inaugurationceremony will be at theBanquet Hall,Government House at1.00 p.m. Members ofthe committee andinvited guests areexpected to be seatedby 12.30 p.m.

Delta Community Seeks FG AssistanceIn Shoreline Protection

Refineries: BPE ConfirmsPrivatisation in 2014

Code Of Conduct: NASS Commission Member,Tasks Public Officers

Continues on page 2 Continues on page 2

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Continues on page 2

APC Gives Evidence To Cancel Election

Anambra Guber Polls

GOVERNOR AdamsOshiomhole of EdoState will on Monday 25

WARRI (DELTA) - TheUgborodo Community inEscravos, Warri South-West Local GovernmentArea of Delta State, hascalled on the FederalGovernment to assist inthe protection of its

shorelines.The community head,

Mr. Wellington Ojogor,who spoke withJournalists yesterday,said that this would

reduce the community’sloss of land to the sea.

He said that theprotection could be donethrough the piling of theshorelines with steel or

concrete embankment.Ojogor explained that

the community waslosing vast portions of itsland mass to the sea

ABUJA - The Bureauof Public Enterprises(BPE) yesterday saidthat the bureau wouldprivatise the fourrefineries in the countrynext year.

Mr. Chigbo Anichebe,

the Bureau’s Head,Public Communications,told newsmen in Abujathat the refineries’

privatisation was part ofthe ongoing oil sector’sreforms.

Earlier last week, the

Minister of PetroleumResources, Mrs. DiezaniAlison-Madueke, toldBloomberg TV Africa in

London that the countrywould privatise its fourg o v e r n m e n t - o w n e drefineries in the firstquarter of next year.

That this is the secondtime the FederalGovernment isdisclosing plans toprivatise its refineries.

It will be recalled that

The party said this ina statement yesterday,in Lagos, signed by itsNational PublicitySecretary, Alhaji LaiMohammed.

According toMohammed, there isenough “weighty,compelling and

BWARI (FCT) - DrPaul Oweh, member,representing DeltaSouth-South at NationalAssembly Service

substantial” evidence forthe IndependentNational ElectoralCommission (INEC) tocancel the election.

It will be recalled thatthe INEC Chairman,Prof Attahiru Jega,reiterated thecommission’s stance not

to cancel the election,arguing that there wasno evidence to warrant

it.Instead, Jega

announced that a

supplementary electionwould hold onNovember 30 in parts of

the state where theexercise did not hold.

LAGOS - The All Progressives Congress (APC)says it has provided substantial evidence towarrant the cancellation of the November 16governorship election in Anambra.

Commission, has urgedpublic office holders toadhere to their code of

conduct, so as to earnpublic trust.

Oweh made the call in

an interview withnewsmen at theweekend.

He spoke at a


Anambra guber polls Investigate Iyayi’s death,Right group tell FG

. . . issue 7 days ultimatum

News Continued from page 1

Don implores CBN not tophase out polymer notes

Continued from page 1

RefineriesContinued from page 1

Delta Community

Catholics mark Feast ofChrist the King

BENIN CITY - HumanRights Activists in Edo Statehave issued seven daysultimatum to the FederalGovernment to set up apanel of inquiry to unravel thecircumstances surroundingthe kil l ing of the formerPresident of the AcademicStaff Union of Universities,Professor Festus Iyayi withthe convoy of the Kogi StateGovernor, Mr. Idris Wada.

The rights group made upof legal practit ioners,students, labour unions,lecturers, journalistsamongst others made theposition known at asymposium and streetprotest organized by theAfrica Network forEnvironment and EconomicJustice in collaboration withthe National Human RightsCommission and CitizensWealth Platform to mark2013 International Day toend impunity.

The groups whoconspicuously brandishedthe pictorial banners of theformer ASUU President withinscriptions: “The highestlevel of impunity- Dr FestusIyayi murdered by the killerconvoy of Governor IdrisWada of Kogi State”, “Let’sspeak out against impunity inNigeria” staged the streetprotest right from BishopKelly Pastoral Centre,through Air port road, roundOba Ovoranmen square alsoknown as Kings Square,Sapele road to the NUJ presscentre in Benin City.

According to the ExecutiveDirector of Africa Network forEnvironment and EconomicJustice, Reverend DavidUgolor, a society not drivenby justice is unacceptable

hence the need for thefederal government to set upa panel of inquiry into thekilling of the former ASUUPresident.

Ugolor said the rate ofimpunity in the country mostespecially by the policewhom he said oppressedcitizens who tend to expresstheir opinions is becomingtoo unbearable.

He recalled how the policehave become an instrumentused to deny Nigerians therights to freedom of assemblyand expression in RiversState and beyond, addingthat Festus Iyayi was killedwith a vehicle in the KogiState Governor ’s convoysuspected to be manned bymen of the Nigeria PoliceForce.

“Police has become athreat to peoples’ freedom tofree expression”, said Ugolor.

The Edo State Coordinatorof National Human RightsCommission, Barrister SaniMomodu said thecommission has putmachinery in place toaddress the problem ofimpunity in the country,adding that the rights ofpeople are being trampledupon with impunity.

President of Conference ofNon- GovernmentalOrganizations, CONGOs,Comrade Jude Obasanmisaid it’s high time the cultureof impunity is brought to anend in Nigeria.

He described the death ofIyayi as an act of impunityand therefore called on thefederal government toinvestigate thecircumstances surroundingthe death of the activistprofessor.

LAGOS - A polymerscientist, Prof. GabrielShonaike, has advised theCentral Bank of Nigeria(CBN) not to phase outpolymer currency notes, butimprove on the quality ofmaterials used in printingthem.

Shonaike, who teaches atthe Faculty of Engineering,Lagos State University, EpeCampus, observed that oneof the main objectives forintroducing polymerbanknotes was to reduce thelevel of counterfeiting.

In a press statement inLagos on Sunday, the donsaid polymer bank noteswere “Non-fibrous and non-porous; last longer, at leastfour times longer incirculation than paper.

“They are harder tocounterfeit; printing involveshigh technology thatprevents duplicating thenote; and they can berecycled”.

Shonaike mentioned manycountries that have shiftedpartially to polymer banknotes to include Israel,Malaysia and Indonesia,noting that Canada wasabout phasing out papercurrency in favour of polymernotes.

“The problem we are facingtoday (with the Naira) isfading of the inks. The Nairanotes may look ugly onfading, but the good thing isthat they can be recycled andused for various applications.

“It is certain that thesecurity features in Nairanotes are excellent— theyare much more difficult toforge.”

According to Shonaike, ifadequately funded, Nigeriahas the experts to researchinto and handle theproduction of its polymercurrency notes locally.

“I am appealing to theGovernor of the Central Bankand his deputy not todiscontinue the use ofpolymer banknotes due tothe advantages to be gainedon the long run.

“They are cost-effectivebecause they last longer andthey contain some securityfeatures that are difficult tocounterfeit.

“My dream is to see allNigeria currencydenominations change intopolymer banknotes.

“Paper notes, after a shortcirculation, become dirty andcreate environmentalproblems.”

President OlusegunObasanjo approved the saleof the refineries during hisadministration but the latePresident Umaru Yar’Adua in2007 reversed the sale of therefineries for lack oftransparency in thetransaction.

However, PresidentGoodluck Jonathan inNovember 2012recommended that therefineries should be sold dueto inadequate finance andunder-performance.

Anichebe, nonetheless,told journalists that theprivatisation plans werecurrently at the preliminarystage, where the blueprint ofthe policy would be decided.

“We are working with theNNPC and Ministry ofPetroleum Resources on theprivatisation of the fourrefineries.

“We are just in thepreliminary discussion withthem and very soon, we willmake public the work plan forthe privatisation processes,including the engagement ofadvisers to advise us on thetransaction.

“Once the work plan is fine-tuned, hopefully by the endof the year or early Januarynext year, the work plan aswell as the schedule will beunveiled to all stakeholders,including the media,’’ he said.

Anichebe said that theprivatisation would behandled in line with the usualstrategy of the bureau, whichwas to sell a certainpercentage of shares andreserve a certain percentagefor the workers, hostcommunities and Nigeriansat large.

He urged Nigerians not tobe apprehensive about therefineries’ sale because onlycapable and visionaryinvestors would beconsidered in the

through the activities of oilcompanies. Ugborodo is thehost community to ChevronOil Exploration Company inEscravos.

“Piling the seashore aroundthe Ugborodo is a majorconcern to the community toprevent further loss of land tothe sea.

“Although we have startedsupporting the seashoreswith heaps of stones by theentrance of the community,but it is not an easy project.

We need government’sassistance,’’ he said.

He described the impact ofoil explorations on thecommunity as devastatingadding that “fishing is ourmajor occupation; we do nothave fish in our rivers againdue to oil spill.’’

Ojogor urged the FederalGovernment, through theNiger Delta DevelopmentCommission, to urgentlyaddress the social andeconomic backwardness inthe community.

privatisation process.“People should not be edgy

about this transactionbecause we have done thisover and over again. Whenwe first started with thetelecommunications sector,people were worried that wewill give it to the wrongpeople.

“They were worried aboutthe security implications andall that. I believe that whetherthese companies end up withlocal, home-based or foreigninvestors, what is importantis the efficiency of whoeveris handling it.

“The criteria should be thatthe buyers have the financialmuscle and technical know-how to run these companies.We don’t bother about wherethey come from, as long asthey are coming with cleanmoney to invest in oureconomy.

“So, when we are doing ourevaluation of investors for thetransaction, that is what wewill look at,’’ he said.

The BPE spokesman alsosaid that in 2014, the bureauwould also begin theprivatisation of the housingsector, Abuja Security andCommodity Exchange Plc.,as well as the country’stransportation sector.

was not left out as they cameout in their thousandsmatching round variousstreets in the town andsinging hymms and songs.

The procession was led bythe parish priest Rev. FatherFrancis Omonlumen andassisted by Rev. FatherMario Aigbefo, members ofknights of St. John, legion ofMary, john Bosco alter boysand many other functionalgroups of the church.

The feast of Christ the kingis celebrated annually byCatholics worldwide and theessence of it is to exalt Christabove all powers andauthority here on earth andin heaven, it is also anevangelization strategy of thechurch calling on all to adoreand accept Christ as theLord of their l ives. Theprocession also witnessedveneration to Christ in theBlessed Sacrament.

He maintained that thechallenges the commissionhad in the areas were notenough grounds to cancelthe election.

However, Mohammed said:‘’Our party has providedincontrovertible and morethan substantial evidence toshow that what took place onNovember16 is a parody ofelection.

“There is no evidence thatcan be more substantial thanthe fact that INEC, inconducting the election,failed to comply with theprovisions of the ElectoralAct”.

“What other evidence canbe more compelling than theINEC Chairman’s admissionof compromise by a topofficial of the commission?”Mohammed queried.

The publicity argued thatJega’s statement that theelection fell short of whatINEC expected and prepared

for, was also enough reasonfor cancellation.

He said that Jega’sunforced admission that asenior official of thecommission had beenfinancially induced tocompromise the election inIdemili North LocalGovernment Area with morethan 173,000 registeredvoters, was a big reason.

He described the issue as“very serious”, becauseIdemili North was thestronghold of the APCcandidate, Senator ChrisNgige.

Mohammed noted that inthe 2011 senatorial election,Ngige scored more than 80per cent of all the votes castin the area.

Another reason headduced for the cancellationof the election was theINEC’s decision to usestudents of the NnamdiAzikiwe University, inviolation of its guidelines touse trained and ad hoc staff

as presiding officers.“Also, the use of the staff

of the university asSupervising PresidingOfficers even though therunning mate of the APGAcandidate was until hisnomination a professor in thesame institution is anotherreason,” he said.

Mohammed also said thefact that electoral materialsmeant for the known

reception organised by twocommunity based-organisations — the AbujaChapter of IsokoDevelopment Union (IDU)and Emevor ProgressivesUnion (EPU) — in his honouron in Bwari.

He said that the receptionwas geared towardsrecognising the level ofconfidence people reposed inpublic officers from theirhome communities.

Oweh pledged to live up tothe people’s expectations,urging the public officeholders to see public serviceas a means of gaining thepeople’s trust.

“One thing about publicoffice is that it is a position oftrust; you go there and use itto help the people.

“So, now that I am there, Ihave certain duties and whenI perform my duties well, asstipulated, it will mean myown way of helping them.

“It may not necessarily bethrough contract awards andmaking big profits, as mostlyperceived, but there are otherservices which can berendered to promote growth.

“Public office holders mustobserve the rules, code ofconduct, under which theycame on board.

“I am encouraged by whatpeople from the twocommunities have done forme; I hope to make themproud by living up to theirexpectations,” he said.

Oweh, who noted thatunemployment remained the

strongholds of the APCcandidate were sent to wrongwards or polling units wasanother reason why theexercise should becancelled.

He urged Jega to summonthe courage “to amelioratethe situation by ordering afresh election”, saying thatfailing to do so meant anabdication of hisresponsibility.

Code of ConductContinued from page 1 major challenge facing the

people of the communities herepresented, however, saidthat unemployment was notpeculiar to them alone, as itwas a national and globalconcern.

He assured thecommunities that PresidentGoodluck Jonathan’sadministration was doing allwithin its power to addressthe problem.

“I key into what thePresident is doing as theirrepresentative and I believethat the problem will soon beaddressed. Besides that, wemust learn to do vocationaljobs to be self-reliant.

“People must learn toalways engage in meaningfulventures, such as skil lsacquisition to be self-employed, rather than waitfor white-collar jobs; in thatway, the economy will grow,”Oweh added.

Mr. Hyacinth Aso, thePresident of the Abujachapter IDU, said in hisremarks that the receptionwas a tradition among thecommunity’s members toshow respect to theirillustrious sons.

“What we are doing heretoday is in recognition of ourentity as a people; it is toencourage our sons anddaughters to always do wellwhenever they occupy publicoffices”.

He urged Oweh not tobetray the confidence whichthe people reposed in him,adding that he should alwaysprotect the interests andimage of the Isoko people.

UBIAJA - As Catholicsfaithful worldwide yesterday,marked the feast of Christ theking, St. Benedict CatholicChurch at Ubiaja in EsanSouth East LGA of Edo state,

By OKOH INNOCENT


News

Climate Change: Africa Faces Huge Adaptation Cost

Edo Govt CommittedTo People’s Welfare

- Commissioner

MASSOB To Train MembersOn Traffic Control

Young People Driving Force ForNigeria’s Greatness - Foundation

ABUJA - Africa faces hugefinancial challenges in adaptingto climate change, according tothe United NationsEnvironment programme(UNEP).

That spells out the cost facedby the continent if governmentfails to close the ‘emissions

gap.’This is contained in a

statement issued by UNEP inWarsaw, Poland, where the19th Conference of Parties ofthe United Nations ClimateChange Convention.

According to the statement,

made available to newsmenonline in Abuja, Africa couldface a financial challenge, ifgovernments failed to close‘’emissions gap’’ to keepwarming below two degreesCelsius.

It stated that climate changeadaptation costs for Africacould reach approximately 350billion dollars annually by 2070should the two-degree target besignificantly exceeded.

It explained that the costwould be around 150 billiondollars lower per year, if thetarget was to be met.

The statement said thatAfrica’s adaptation gap,released on Tuesday andendorsed by the AfricanMinisterial Conference on theEnvironment (AMCEN)confirmed the report.

‘’The World Bank’s TurnDown the Heat Reports statesthat there is a 40 per centchance that we will inhabit a‘3.5-4° Celsius World’, ifmitigation efforts are notstepped up from current levels.

‘’Africa is already facingadaptation costs in the range of

seven to 15 billion dollars peryear by 2020.

‘’These costs will riserapidly after 2020, since higherlevels of warming will result inhigher impacts.

‘’Combining adaptationcosts with ‘residual’ damages,the total costs can reach four percent of Africa’s Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) by 2100, undera 3.5-4° Celsius scenario.

‘’If no adaptation measuresare taken, damages areexpected to cost seven per centof African GDP by 2100 in a‘3.5-4°Celsius World’,’’ thestatement quoted the report assaying.

It said the report cautionedthat, even if the world didmanage to get on track to keepwarming below two degreesCelsius, Africa’s adaptationcosts will still hover around 35billion dollars per year.

It further quoted UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEPExecutive Director AchimSteiner, as saying that ‘’missingthe two degrees window wouldnot only cost governments

billions of dollars, but wouldalso risk the lives andlivelihoods of hundreds ofmillions of people on theAfrican continent andelsewhere.

‘’Even with a warmingscenario of under two degreesCelsius by 2050, Africa’sundernourished would increase25 per cent - 90 per cent.

“Crop production will bereduced across much of thecontinent as optimal growingtemperatures are exceeded.

‘’The capacity of Africancommunities to cope with theimpacts of climate change willbe significantly challenged.

‘’I would like to welcome thedecision by AMCEN to endorsethe recommendations of theAfrica Gap report, an importantstep towards strengtheningpolitical will and buildingresilient national policies.’’

Steiner further noted that:‘’Additional adaptation fundingand technical know-how areimperative if Africa is to movetowards a climate-resilientgreen future path.

ONITSHA (ANAMBRA) -The Movement for theActualisation of the SovereignState of Biafra (MASSOB) haspromised to train 500 of itsmembers for traffic control inOnitsha, Anambra during theChristmas season.

Chief Charles Oputa,MASSOB’s Director ofTransport, told newsmen inOnitsha that the training wouldtake place in the first week ofDecember.

“MASSOB feels veryconcerned about the trafficcongestion recorded everyChristmas period in Onitsha andits environs and we do not wantit to happen this year.

“This is why we decided to

ABUJA - The ExecutiveDirector Africa Region,MacArthur Foundation, Dr KoleShettima, has said young peopleremained the driving force forthe country’s quest forgreatness.

Shettima said this at a newsconference to herald theforthcoming Annual PopulationLecture slated for tomorrow inAbuja.

He said that for Nigeria to belike Asian Tigers, she mustinvest in the youth adding that

they were the natural resourcesand force for positive change.

“We have to think about howwe utilise the energy, thepassion, the vision, and the driveof these young people, so thatwe may be able to see them assolutions to our problems.

“So that at the end of the day,Nigeria can be like any of theso-called Asian tigers if weinvest in our young people.

“Our youth are our onlynatural resource, and they are aforce for positive change; let’s

shift our mental gear fromthinking that young people area disaster.

“They are indeed ourdemographic dividends; theyare our present, as well as ourfuture.“

According to him, “too oftenwe classify young people as aproblem, doing drugs,trafficking, engaged in violence,prostitution and thuggery,among others.

“We should begin to turn theconversation to young people as

the only natural resources forNigeria’s development.“

He urged Nigerians to jettisonthe idea of seeing young peopleas a tool for violence and vicesadding that investing ineducation of the youth would bebeneficial to the country.

“The natural resource of thiscountry is what is in the head ofour young people; this isnaturally given to them but itmeans that we must ensure thatthey have high qualityeducation, especially for girls.

By RICHARD EWEKA

BENIN CITY - The EdoState Commissioner forHousing and UrbanDevelopment, Hon. FrancisEvbuomwan has expressedgovernment commitment to thewell being of the Edo people andvarious ethnic groups in thestate.

He made this know whilespeaking at the Coalition Day/Seminar 2013 organised byCoalition of EthnicNationalities, Edo State chapterwith the theme, “Unity inDiversity.”

Hon. Evbuomwan said thestate governor, Comrade AdamsOshiomhole is a detribalisedNigerian, hence theadministration has embraced allethnic Nationalities in the stateand created a peacefulatmosphere for theirdevelopment.

Delivering a lecture on“cohesion rather than ethnicAffiliation as a tool formeaningful NationalDevelopment,” Dr. AlfredEdema of the Western DeltaUniversity urged participants to

see themselves as one for thesake of sustaining the nationsdevelopment.

Mr. Emmanuel Okaka,another guest speaker fromWestern Delta University whospoke on the topic, “Pay yourtax, to have a say” advisedparticipants to see payment oftax as an obligation that conferson them, the right to ask forgood governance from theirleaders.

Earlier in a welcome address,the chairman of Coalition ofEthnic Nationalities, Edo Statechapter, Dr. Dosu Malomoenjoined everyone to embraceunity, love one another andrespect constituted authoritiessaying these would lead todevelopment of the nation.

conduct training for ourmembers who will man all thebusy roads and strategic points,’’Oputa said.

He advised commercialdrivers to always comply withtraffic rules to avoid loss of livesand delay.

Oputa said the movementwould collaborate with trafficcontrol agencies in Onitsha toachieve the goal.

Onitsha usually experiencesdaily traffic jams during theseason due to the influx oftraders to the various markets inthe town.

Hundreds of commutersannually spend days on the NigerBridge during the peak of theChristmas season due to the jams.

Edo State SSG, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere (right), signing documents alongside the immedi-ate past Head of Service, Edo State, Princess (Mrs.) Ekiuwa Inneh during a handoverceremony in Government House recently. Photo: QUEENETH A. OROBEDO.

Edo State SSG, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere (right), in a handshake with the immediate past Head of Service, Edo State,Princess (Mrs.) Ekiuwa Inneh during a handover ceremony in Government House recently. Photo: QUEENETH A.OROBEDO.


NewsPresident Jonathan Pledges Financial Support

To NIPSS

Alleged Forgery: Police QuizChief Priest

Owan East LG To Partner NUT

Representative of the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Chief Emiola Adesina (left),presenting to the Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, a meritaward by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes in Ibadan weekend. Withthem is the Minister’s husband, Mr. Aliyu Pategi.

Scene of an accident at Orile Iganmu bus stop in Lagos yesterday.

forwarded to the presidencydocuments that showed we arerecording a lot of success inthe transformation agenda.

“We shall also put our bestto improve the welfare of allNigerians citizens.

“We shall not leave anystone unturned to fightcorruption in the public andprivate sector in the country,”the President said.

Earlier, the Director Generalof NIPSS, Prof. Tijjani Bade,called on the FederalGovernment to assist theinstitution with funds so as toperform their functions.

“This institution is in direneed of funds to run its affairsand meet all its financialobligations.

“We need funds to attractcompetent researchers to theinstitution, but our conditionof service is challenging us.’’

The NIPSS GoverningBoard Chairman, Maj. Gen.Paul Omu, said that all thecourse participants had been

JOS - President GoodluckJonathan, weekend pledgedto support the NationalInstitute of Policy andStrategic Studies (NIPSS)financially to enable itachieve its research mandate.

Jonathan stated this duringthe graduation ceremony ofCourse 35 of NIPSS in Kuru,near Jos.

The President, who wasrepresented by the Secretaryof the Federation, SenatorAnyim Pius Anyim said thatthe government would makefunds available to theinstitution to enable it meetits financial obligations.

“The Federal Governmentwill surely come to thefinancial assistance of theinstitute so as to perform itsstatutory duties to the nation.

“The Federal Governmentwill make funds available toimprove the welfare packageof the entire staff of theinstitution.

“The government willsurely look inward and assistthe institution with the fundsto discharge its duties as aresearch institution but within

our limited resources.”He called on the staff of

NIPSS to continue with thegood work of producingtechnocrats for the nation.

The president called onNigerians to support theNational conversation as ithad the capacity of solvingthe nation’s challengesthrough dialogue.

“All problems can besorted out through dialogueand discussions all over theworld and our case is notdifferent from that of otherpeople.

“My commitment on thenational conversation isunshakable and we shallcontinue to solicit people’sadvice and opinions for abetter discussions,’’ he said.

Jonathan said that thesecurity challenge and otherchallenges in the nation hadbeen slowing down thetransformation agenda.

“We are making steadyprogress to improve thewelfare of our people.

“We are happy that Course35 has in their documents,

the state NUJ, ComradeDesmond Agbamacommended the council bossfor his victory at the April 20local government polls and forhis development efforts atensuring the delivery ofdemocratic dividends to thepeople of Owan East.

He solicited the support ofthe council boss in ensuring thefulfillment of his three pointagenda aimed at transformingthe NUJ Conference Hall;training of journalists and theestablishment of a modernlibrary at the Press Centre.

Comrade Agbamaintimated the council chairmanon the essence of their visit,which he said was to properlyassess council chairman’sservice delivery to the peoplefor possible qualification forthe NUJ’s prestigious awardduring its Press Week billed for

assess the projects so farexecuted by the council bosswith a view to scoring himfor the possible NUJ’sprestigious award during itsPress Week, saying that goneare the days when people sitback in their offices and scorepublic officers andpoliticians for underservedawards.

He commended thecommittee for comingaround to carry out an on-the-spot assessment of projectsexecuted by hisadministration and pleadedwith them to endeavour tovisit the over 40 projects sofar executed by hisadministration to enablethem appreciate that OwanEast local government isworking.

Earlier, the chairman of

AFUZE-EMAI – OwanEast Local GovernmentChairman, Hon. (Barr) JimohIjegbai has pledged to partnerwith the Edo State Council ofthe Nigeria Union ofJournalists (NUJ) in therealization of its three-pointagenda.

Barrister Ijegbai gave theassurance when he receivedthe chairman of the stateNUJ, Comrade DesmondAgbama and members of the2013 Press Week Committeein his office.

He said he is impressedthat the leadership of theUnion has set an agendatowards improving the lot ofjournalists in Edo State, aswell as the Union.

The Council chairmantold the journalists who werein the local government to

Traditional Council letter byMichael AmadinayangbonAgbonlahor.

In the letter, he stated “Inrespect of the above subjectmatter and to say that theletter did not emanate fromthis council” (BTC).

Frank Irabor howeverconfirmed the authenticity ofthe letter as a response to theletter allegedly signedbyOsaro Idah.

Attempts to obtaincomment from Mr.A m a d i n a y a n g b o nAgbonlahor on the lettersproved abortive.

The Police AreaCommander, Benin ACPPukuma had a forth night agodisclosed to The NigerianOBSERVER that Police havecommenced investigation.

A dependable source inhis office revealed that theChief Priest was arrested andreleased on bail by operativesat the Benin Area Command.

It was further learnt thatMr. AmadinayangbonAgbonlahor was re-arrestedlast week by men of the StateCriminal InvestigationDepartment (SCID), Policeheadquarters, Benin Cityfollowing a petition said tohave been written to theCommissioner of Police, EdoState, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo.

Traditional Council withreference number, BTC. F.37/Vol.11 dated January 1,2011 for approval for thepayment of stipend wasallegedly signed by ChiefOsaro Idah, Secretary, BeninTraditional Council.

According to the letter “Iam directed by the OmoN’Oba N’Edo, UkuAkpolokpolo, Oba of Benin,to convey approval ofmonthly stipend for you as111, with effect from 1stJanuary, 2011.”

The document gave“annual breakdown of themonthly stipend as,” stipend– N14,400 per annum andceremonial allowance N720per annum totaling N15,120.

Secretary to BeninTraditional Council, FrankIrabor disclaimed the letterwhen The NIGERIANOBSERVER visited him toconfirm the authenticity ofthe letter.

In another letter, withreference number BTC.287/VOL.V/216 dated October14,2013 and addressed toD.L. Aimofumeh Esq ofAimofumeh Law house,Henry O. Izevbigie whosigned for secretary to BeninTraditional Council stated;Re: Forgery of Benin

BENIN CITY – Police inBenin have arrested a ChiefPriest (OhenrhiomwonNosarobo) in IkpeCommunity, Ikpoba-OkhaLocal Government Area ofEdo State, Mr. MichaelA m a d i n a y a n g b o nAgbonlahor over allegedforgery of a document fromthe palace of the BeninMonarch, His Royal MajestyOba Erediauwa.

The document, said to bea letter from the Benin

December 3 to 8, 2013. The local government

boss later took the visitorsround some of the projectsexecuted by hisadministration.

Noting that he wouldwant to be remembered forrestoring Owan East LocalGovernment to its enviableheight through prudentmanagement of resources hedisclosed that hisadministration wouldaddress agriculture next yearby training the youths inmodern agriculturaltechniques.

The council boss wasaccompanied on the projecttour by the Supervisor forWorks, Mr. Desmond Imohi;Supervisor for Health, Mrs.Patience Ireotoi and theSpecial Assistant on Media,Comrade Dele Enaifoghe

cleared by the presidency fortheir graduation.

He explained that allNIPSS participants must be

cleared by the presidencybefore they would be allowedto pass out.

Omu called on thegraduating participants to usethe experience they acquiredin NIPSS to improve the

wellbeing of Nigeriansthrough good policyformulations.

Eleven women and 55 menpassed out from course 35and they were conferred withthe status of Member ofNational Institute mni).


Man Pleads Guilty OfStealing N2.4m Rents

Provide Social, EconomicDevelopment, FG Urged

South/South

C/River’s GDP Drops To N1.28Trillion

ASABA-A 34-year-oldman, Anthony Ogbugwo, inAsaba has pleaded guilty ofstealing N2.4 million rentspaid by tenants of No 3,Achalla-Ibusa Road, Asaba.

Ogbugwo was arraigned ata Magistrates’ Court on aone-count charge of stealingthe amount, belonging toMrs. Josephine Nwuli,owner of the building.

The prosecuting policeofficer, Mr. David Okeh, toldthe court that the accusedcommitted the offence

By JOELCHUKWUAGHON

AGBOR (DELTA) - Aprominent Chief in EkukuAgbor Ika South localgovernment area of Deltastate, has appealed to thethree tiers of government toprovide socio amenities andinfrastructural developmentin the area.

Chief Thomas Onyibe, theIhenkayem of Ekuku-AgborCommunity in South LocalGovernment Area of DeltaState stated that the stategovernment the has sinceabandoned that area in termsof infrastructuraldevelopment.

He advised Delta Stategovernor Dr. EmmanuelEweta Uduaghan to carefullyaddress his three pointsAgenda, by distributing thedemocracy dividend to thearea it has not touched in the

growing faster, especially inthe area of crops production,adding that there was need forthe diversification of theeconomy.

He said that Cross Riverwas among the seven pilotstates from the six geo-political zones used tounderstudy the nationaleconomy.

The other states are Rivers,Anambra, Gombe, Lagos,Niger and Kano.

Yuguda said that the reportspecifically showed the stateof the economy in the sevenstates using agriculture,industry and the servicessector.

Gov. Liyel Imoke laudedthe NPC and the NationalBureau of Statistics for the

The supervising Ministerfor NPC, Mr Bashir Yuguda,made the disclosure inCalabar at the presentation.

Yuguda attributed the dropin the state’s GDP by N40billion to the drop in thestate’s oil revenue during theperiod.

The national statistics alsoshowed that the state’sindustrial productiondeclined by 66 per cent in theperiod under review againstan earlier fall of 70 per centrecorded in 2009.

“Agriculture grew from 20per cent to 23 per cent withinthe same period and otherservices sector grew from 10per cent in 2009 to 11 per centin 2011,” he said.

Yuguda said that theagriculture sector was

state.Chief Ihenkayem, said that

his community has no linkroads to the neibhouringcommunities around hiscommunity. He said traderscannot come to hiscommunity on market day tobuy farm produce because ofbad roads.

He appealed to the threeties of the government to giveempowerment to the youths,particularly to those whohave graduated from schoolsand are without jobs. He alsowants government to build amodern market in Ekuku-Agbor Community, sinceEkuku-Agbor is a basket offood.

Chief Ihenkayan alsoappealed to federalgovernment and ASUU toaddress the issue of strike toenable their children go backto school , and become abetter future leaders.

CALABAR-The NationalPlanning Commission (NPC)has said that the Cross RiverGross Domestic Product(GDP) dropped to N1.28trillion in 2011 from N1.32trillion achieved in 2010.

sometime between 2011 and2013.

Okeh told the court that theoffence was punishable underthe Criminal Code of DeltaState, 2006.

Reports say that theaccused was returned toprison custody because therewas no plea for bail.

The magistrate, Mrs QueenMomoh, adjourned the caseto January 13, 2014, to enablethe prosecution to haveenough time for furtheraction.

exercise, adding that it wouldguide the state properly inpolicy planning andimplementation.

“When we know what ourGDP is, it will enable us todeliver the needed democracydividends to our people.

“The presentation has givenus the size of our economy forproper planning,” he said.

Imoke said that theprovision of infrastructureshould be driven by demandas the only way of eradicatingpoverty in the state.

He called for theamendment of the extractiveindustry law and its removalfrom the exclusive list.

Prof. Ndem Ayara, SpecialAdviser to the Governor onEconomic matters, said thatthe data provided by NPCwould help the state toreposition its economy.

Theft: 3 Women,Man Arraigned

ASABA - Three suspects,Chidima Udeh , 21; JoyEbodili, 21 and FunanyaOnwuzuluaba, 24, have beenarraigned before an AsabaMagistrate’s Court for stealingN312, 820.

The three suspects arestanding trial for conspiringand stealing the amountbelonging to Mrs NkemChukwu.

The prosecutor, Mr DavidOkeh, told the court that theaccused committed theoffence at Alpha Bykeezefilling station along AnwaiRoad, Asaba.

Okeh told the court that theycommitted the offencebetween April 2012 andOctober 2013.

He said that the offence waspunishable under sections 390and 516 of the Criminal CodeCap21 Vol. 1 of the Laws ofDelta State of Nigeria, 2006.

The accused personspleaded not guilty to thecharges.

The magistrate, Mrs QueenMomoh, granted each of them

bail in the sum of N300, 000and a surety in like sum.

Momoh ordered that thesureties must be civil servantson salary GL 08 and above.

She also ordered that theymust be resident in Asaba andshould provide two passportphotographs each to the court.

The case was adjourned toDecember 18, 2013 forhearing.

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River

L-R: Group Managing Director, Mainstreet Bank, Ms Faith Tuedor-Matthews; representative of CBN GovernorDr. Kingsley Moghalu; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and thePermanent Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote at a breakfast meeting of the Minister of Agriculture with CBNGovernor and some selected bank MDs and CEOs in Abuja recently.

Giving a helping hand by removing a car from flood.


South-West

Group To Develop Solar Energy Plant InOgun

Don Seeks More EmploymentOpportunities For Women

Small Scale Enterprises AnswerTo Underdevelopment - Expert

22 Nigerians Died During Hajj - Commission

IBADAN - A don hascalled for the creation ofmore employmentopportunities for women inorder to improve the healthstatus of mothers and theirchildren.

Dr Adetola Adeoti,lecturer, Department ofAgricultural Economics,University of Ibadan, madethe call at the NationalPolicy Seminar on Health,Economic Growth andPoverty Reduction inIbadan.

In her paper: “ChildHealth and Maternal HealthStatus and Demand forHealth Care Services inNigeria’’, she said“educated and employedmothers will not only behealthy but also havehealthy children.’’

She said Nigeriaexperienced significantincrease in economicgrowth in the last decadeyet the health indicatorswere very poor particularlyin the rural areas wherepoverty remained high.

She also recommendedincreased immunisationcoverage of rural areas of

the country.Adeoti added that efforts

should be made toimmunise children inschools and worship centresin addition to clinics andhospitals with the consentof their parents.

Dr Musibau Babatunde ofDepartment of Economicsof the University of Ibadan,said policies promotinggrowth would have thedesirable effects ofreducing poverty.

In his paper: “AnEmpirical Analysis of theG r o w t h - H e a l t hRelationship in Nigeria’’,he recommended that moredoctors should be trained toimprove life expectancy inthe country.

IBADAN - Twenty twoNigerians died during thisyear’s holy pilgrimage toSaudi Arabia.

Alhaji Uba Mana, the headof Information, National HajjCommission of Nigeria(NAHCON), disclosed thisin a telephone interview withour correspondent.

Mana, who did not give thestate by state break down ofthe figure, said that majorityof the victims, died of naturalcauses, and had been buriedin Saudi Arabia in accordancewith Islamic rites.

He said the death toll waslower than that of theprevious years, due toadequate medicalarrangement provided by thecommission.

Mana also attributed thelow casualty rate to theawareness created by theCommission on personalhygiene and the performanceof a stress-free hajj.

Reports say that 44 pilgrimsdied in 2011 and 36 pilgrimsin 2012 out of the over 95,000pilgrims who performed thehajj in each of the years.

Speaking on thetransportation of pilgrimsback home, Mana said the

commission was able tocomplete the exercise fourdays ahead of the November19 deadline given to it by theSaudi Arabia authorities.

Mana commended theconduct of pilgrimsthroughout the exercise,saying that there was noreported case ofmisbehaviour on the part ofany Nigerian, capable of

tarnishing the good image ofthe country.

It would be recalled thatthe remaining pilgrims andofficials came back with thelast flight on FridayNovember 15, concluding thereturn journey, which beganon October 19.

The inaugural flight toSaudi Arabia, which took offfrom Maiduguri on Saturday,September 14, was concludedon October 9.

OSOGBO- A renownedeconomist and social critic, DrAkin Babalola, has made a casefor the development of smallscale enterprises as a way of

ending unemployment in thecountry.

Babalola, who made the callduring an interview withnewsmen in Osogbo,described the sub-sector asviable and the largestemployer of labour.

The don said that free marketeconomies gave room forindividual contribution tonational economic growth.

According to him, the basicstrategy of economic growthand development in anydeveloping country is smallscale enterprises whereindividuals contribute accordingto their economic strength.

“Capitalist system ofgovernment anywhere in theworld promotes individualism;it tends to bring out creativityin every member of the politicalenclave with sizeable GrossDomestic Products.

“The system curbs joblessnessin no small way if priority isgiven to small businesses whichserve as bedrock of the macro-economy in the developing

nations.“This has made scholars in

different parts of the world tocanvass for small-scaleenterprises in emergingeconomies, especially in thethird world countries whereGross Domestic Products arenot enviable.

‘’The development of smallscales enterprises as they haveargued will boost nationaleconomy and contributeimmensely to the developmentof the real sector of theeconomy.

“I am imploring policymakers to come up with policiesthat will favour smallenterprises genuinely andimprove the standard of livingof the commoners.

“Of course, economicconditions of the individuals ina particular politicalenvironment determine theirconsciousness, and this can beachieved by developing thesmallest economic units,’’ hestressed.

courtesy visit to theOgirimadagbo of Ilodo, ObaIsiaka Ajede, in Ijebu-Ode.

Ference later toldnewsmen at the monarch’spalace that the Nigeriaproject would provide atleast 300 jobs for starters,when completed.

He said similar projects

initiated by the group hadalready been completed inSouth-Africa and Saudi-Arabia.

“We are working onrenewable energy which willsupply electricity from thesun because it is the safest,cleanest and noiseless sourceof energy abundant to Africa.

“The project will be self-sustained as locals will betrained to manufactureindigenous solar panelsmade from locally

outsourced materials.“Youth unemployment is a

major source of concern, sowe also aim to empowerabout 300 workers for a start,through the project,” he said.

Ference said the projectwould improve from five to15 megawatts powergeneration in the long-term.

He added that the groupalso proposed to set up asolar energy training schoolto be located in Ilodocommunity.

Ajede, who was given theFriends of Nigeria BusinessForum Leadership Award

2013 by the group,commended the investors fortheir gesture, urging otherorganisations to emulate it.

According to the monarch,the initiative for the projectis conceived as part of apresentation he made at ameeting with the groupearlier in the year inBudapest, Hungary.

‘Let’s not forget thatenergy provision and jobcreation is what we arebringing to this nation and ittakes one person to changethe whole world,” Ajedesaid.

A cross section of the children and family members of the late Prof. Omo Omoruyi at the thanskgiving service held atCentral Baptist Church, Benin City at the weekend. Photo: OSADEBAMWEN SUNDAY.

L-R: The Secretary, Edo State Rapid Response Agency, Mrs. Maureen Eradayale (left),Evangelist Mrs. Rosemary Elawure, APC Leader in Ovia South West and Hon. (Mrs.) Rose-mary Osunbor, Supervisor for Health, Oredo Local Government Area during the enter-tainment of guests in honour of late Prof. Omo Omoruyi in Benin City. Photo:OSADEBAMWEN SUNDAY.

IJEBU-ODE (OGUN)-The Friends of NigeriaBusiness Forum, Hungary,said that it would develop afive-megawatt renewablesolar energy plant in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun.

Leader of the six-manHungarian delegation, MrViragh Ference, made thecommitment during a


NNPP, ADC Back Supplementary Election In Anambra

News

DPR Seals 30 Filling Stations

Traders ThrongeAbuja Carnival

Minister Tasks Oyo Govt OnInvestment

ABUJA- Local andinternational traders throngedthe Eagle Square, officialvenue of the 2013 AbujaCarnival.

Reports say that foodvendors, artists, dealers inlocally-produced adirematerials (kampala), shoesellers and dealers in bedspreads were not left out.

Some of the traders whospoke with newsmen,however, complained of lowpatronage although with somemeasure of optimism that thesituation would improve.

Mr James Collins, a traderin kitchen-stuff, said that thepatronage was low becausethe carnival started late.

“The carnival is just starting,but I believe that with time

people will come out in theirnumbers to patronise us,”Collins told newsmen.

Malam Musa Muhammed, aKano-based trader, who dealsin brocade materials (sheda),was optimistic that the level ofpatronage would be far betterthan that of last year’s.

According to him, thecarnival is an excellent mixand display of the country’sdifferent cultures and,therefore, offers a splendidplatform to make moremoney.

Newsmen gathered that thetraders paid N5,000 daily foreach pavilion that theyoccupied.

There was a mild drama assome of the traders battled tosecure pavilions placed inconspicuous and vantagepositions to display theirwares, moves which theorganisers rebuffed.

This led to a shouting matchbetween the traders and theorganisers, who insisted thatthe traders must accept whatthey were offered initially.

Earlier, the annual carnivalprocession with eachcontingent displaying acultural insignia, had begun atthe old parade ground amidheavy security and ended atthe Eagle Square.

Vehicles from Area1, Area10 and the Central Area werediverted to other routes toensure the safety and easymovement of the states’contingents.

IBADAN- Chief OlajumokeAkinjide, the Minister of Statefor the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), wants the Oyo stategovernment to be more investor-friendly in order to attractinvestors to the state.

Akinjide spoke with newsmenin Ibadan, at the 2013 IbadanAnnual Festival during whichshe was conferred with an awardof excellence by the CentralCouncil of Ibadan Indigenes(CCII).

According to her, Ibadan haseverything it takes to be anindustrial state in its own right,given the fact that the FederalGovernment had created anenabling environment there.

She said that the stategovernment must play its part toensure that investors got accessto land as well as security toencourage investment.

Akinjide urged investors to beready to invest in the town as

soon as necessary structureswere provided.

“Just like the great cities of theworld where the governmentscreated structures and enablingenvironment for their citizens,’’she said.

Akinjide explained that theFederal Government wasalready rehabilitating the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and that itwas also set to provide astandard gauge for the nation’srail system for it to functionproperly.

LAGOS- The AfricanDemocratic Congress (ADC)and the New Nigeria PeoplesParty (NNPP) have supportedthe decision of the IndependentNational Electoral Commission(INEC) to conduct asupplementary gubernatorialelection in Anambra.

Chief Okey Nwosu, theNational Chairman of the ADC,and Dr Boniface Aniebonam,the NNPP’s National Chairman,made their stance known inseparate telephone interviewswith the newsmen on Saturday

SOKOTO - The Departmentof Petroleum Resources ( DPR)sealed 30 filling stations inSokoto and Kebbi Statesbetween January andNovember because of variousoffences.

The DPR’s Zonal OperationsController in charge of Sokotoand Kebbi States, Alhaji UmarMoriki, announced this onSaturday in Sokoto at the 2013annual petroleum productsmarketers’ meeting.

He listed the offences toinclude under-delivery, sellingabove government-approvedpump price and dilapidation ofstructures.

Moriki added that theaffected filling stations cutacross independent and majormarketers.

The controller furtherannounced that the departmenthad uncovered 30 illegal fillingstations in the two states.

“Some of them have beencompleted while others are stillongoing.

“Twenty of them are in KebbiState while the remaining 10are located in Sokoto State,” hesaid.

He said, however, that: “Thedepartment is taking serioussteps towards addressing this

ugly trend and will reprimandany defaulting marketer.”

Moriki warned the owners ofpetroleum stations in the twostates against condoningcheating by pump attendants.

“Reports reaching us indicatethat pump attendants are in thehabit of surcharging the public.

“ This trend has becomerampant now. Owners of fillingstations are hereby warned tocall their employees to order.

“ Otherwise, we will assumethat the owners are activelyinvolved in this malpractice,”he said.

Moriki reminded themarketers that the prices ofPMS (petrol) and DPK(kerosene) were regulated andthat the Federal Governmenthad fixed their prices at N97and N50 respectively.

He warned the marketers todesist from selling the productsabove the governmentstipulated prices.

“Any station caught sellingabove the approved pumpprices will be sanctionedappropriately,” he added.

Moriki commended theFederal Government forimproving the distribution ofpetroleum products.

in Lagos.It will be recalled that the

Chairman of INEC, Prof.Attahiru Jega, had in a broadcaston November 22, 2013, said thatthe commission would conducta supplementary election onNovember 30, in the localgovernments where there werelapses.

He noted that in spite of thelapses the Anambra election,which took place on Nov. 16, itwas one of the best which it hadever conducted.

Nwosu described thecontroversies surrounding theelection as “deliberatepropaganda to undermine thecommission’’.

“I am from Anambra and Imonitored the election. It is oneof the best I have seen inNigeria.

“It was smooth, calm andpeaceful despite a fewchallenges masterminded bysome politicians.’’

He added: ‘‘The Anambragovernorship election was

reasonably free and fair, and theresult, though inconclusive, iscredible.

“My candidate may have lost,but whoever wins will becongratulated by the ADC.’’

Nwosu urged the otherpolitical parties to embrace thespirit of sportsmanship andwork with whoever emergedwinner to uplift Anambra.

Aniebonam said: “Theplanned supplementary electionis okay and results that havebeen announced must besustained.’’

According to him, INECneeds support to workeffectively.

“INEC puts the structures onground but if some officialsdecide to be corrupt, one cannotblame Jega because humanbeings are unpredictable,’’Aniebonam said.

He said that there was nojustification to call for Jega’sresignation, adding that ratherthe stakeholders must supportthe commission to performoptimally.

“We as a people must learn torespect the rules of engagement.If we desire a free and fairelection, then we must ensurethat we play fair.’’

Aniebonam alleged that someof the law enforcement agentswho participated in the election“witnessed the sharing ofmoney to voters at polling unitsand made no arrest’’.

The chairman urged INEC toevolve a more efficient methodto allocate grants to politicalparties to ensure fair play andreduce the opportunity formoney bags to hijack thepolitical space.

The Transition MonitoringGroup (TMG), a domesticobserver, said that INEC shouldbe blamed for “failing to exposesaboteurs’’ of the Anambraelection.

Its Chairman, ZikirulahiIbrahim, told newsmen thatalthough a supplementaryelection was necessary, thegroup’s 600 observers deployedfor the Anambra electionpresented a fair report.

Hon. Abdulrazak Momoh, member representing Etsako West Constituency I at Edo State House of Assembly (sitting) ina handshake with Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Foly Ogedengbe at the House recently. Photo: GODWIN ISEGUAN.

Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Francis Evbuomwan (arrowed)with members of Coalition of Ethnic Nationalities, Edo State Chapter.


Across The NationABUJA - Miss Yemisi

Olowookere, a Dietician withthe Garki Hospital Abuja, hassaid that people should avoidconstipation to enable themenjoy good health.

Olowookere told newsmenthat the foods that wouldprevent constipation includefresh fruits, vegetables andgrains.

According to her,“constipation is difficulty indefecation; it is accompaniedwith the discharge of more ofhard faeces.

‘Eat fruits with all of itspulp instead of drinking fruitjuice,’’ she said.

She said that if the bodywas not properly hydrated,the large intestine thatextracts water from the faecesdries them and makes themdifficult to push out.

“Drink at least 13 glassesof liquid each day,’’ she said.

Olowookere said that plantbased foods were the onlyones that contained the fibrenecessary to move the faecesfreely through the intestine.

She explained thatlaxatives such as natural

vegetable, fibre andpharmaceutical preparations,enemas, glycerin,suppositories and otherremedies could relieve anacute case but not chronicconstipation.

“Do not ignore thephysiological need todefecate,’’ she said.

She said that one couldhave pain while passingstools or might be unable tohave a bowel movement afterstraining or pushing for morethan 10 minutes.

Olowookere said thatconstipation was often caused

Expert Advises Against Constipation

by low-fibre diet, lack ofphysical activity and notdrinking enough water.

She said that stress andtraveling could alsocontribute to constipation orother changes in bowelhabits.

“Other causes ofconstipation may includecolon cancer, diseases of thebowel, such as irritable bowelsystem,’’ she said.

She, however, advised thatlearning good toilet habitsfrom childhood wouldprevent constipation ingrownups.

QUA’AN PAN(PLATEAU) - The PlateauState EmergencyManagement Agency(SEMA) said 108 babies hadbeen born at the InternallyDisplaced Persons ((IDPs)camp at Namu in Qua’an PanLocal Government of PlateauState.

Mrs. Juni Dabin, Searchand Rescue Officer of(SEMA), made the disclosurewhen the Commissioners forEnvironment and WaterResources, Mrs. Serah Yusufand Mr. Idi Waziri, visited thecamp.

Dabin said the camp had7,853 IDPs.

She said since the campwas opened in October, 107birth were recorded with onebeing twins.

She said the twins were

named Hassan and Hassanaby their parents, adding thatthe twins and other babieswere doing fine.

Dabin said the StateGovernment and the Qua’anPan Local GovernmentCouncil were doing all theycould to ensure that the kidsand their mothers receivedadequate healthcare.

Dabin said that SEMA haddistributed relief materialsworth over N3 million to theIDPs.

She stressed that theagency was doing all it couldto ensure that the IDPs livedin a conducive and cleanenvironment.

Qua’an Pan localgovernment distributed bathtubs, toiletries and cosmeticsto the women who deliveredin the camp.

108 Babies Born InCamp – SEMA

LAGOS - The NigeriaUnion of Petroleum andNatural Gas Workers(NUPENG) has advised theFederal Government againstthe planned sale of thenation’s refineries.

The Lagos ZonalChairman of NUPENG, Mr.Tokunbo Korodo gave theadvice in an interview withnewsmen in Lagos.

“The government shouldnot sell the refineries, ratherthey should bring in those

who first built the refineriesfor repairs and returned themto their original status,” hesaid.

He said that governmentshould always ensure that theturnaround maintenance ofthe refineries was done bythose with the technicalknow how.

He urged the governmentto open-up the market andallow private sectorparticipation, adding that thecountry would then target the

exportation of petroleumproducts.

Korodo advised theNational Assembly to enactlaws that would befavourable to the Nigerianworkers.

He said that most LabourLaws were not in tandemwith the conventions of theInternational LabourOrganisation (ILO).

“Government shouldlisten to the cries ofNigerians, they are not

comfortable with the waysthe labour laws are beimplemented.

“The National Assemblyshould be more pro active intheir responsibilities and riseup to the occasion if trulythey are representative of thepeople.

“The people are crying,especially the workforce, weneed their intervention fromthe inhuman treatment andanti-labour practices in theworkplace,’’ he said.

NUPENG Kicks Against Sale Of Refineries

ABUJA - Some advocates forcredible polls in Nigeria haveurged INEC to review thelogistics it adopted in Anambragovernorship election toforestall irregularities in futurepolls.

The Executive Director, CivilSociety Legislative AdvocacyCentre (CISLAC), MalamAuwal Musa, told newsmen in

Abuja that poorly organisedpolls affected the credibility ofINEC.

He said that the INEC neededto improve on the conduct offuture elections to enhance itscredibility.

“We expect that INEC willhave to improve on all its lapses.It cannot continue to explain itsfailures all the time.

“It needs to ensure that it putsall the necessary logistics inplace to guard against widelycondemnation during futureelections.

“It is becoming a trend for theelection umpire to always giveexcuses for poor conduct ofelections,’’ he said.

He said that it was clear thatINEC’s personnel were still

lacking adequate knowledge onelection management.

On the call by some civilsociety groups for INEC tocancel the Anambragovernorship election, theCISLAC boss urged the electionbody to “listen to the voices ofthe people“.

He said: “It is clear that a lotof people have beendisenfranchised and a largenumber of people are deniedtheir rights to determine whogovern them.

“When people feel they havebeen denied their voting rights,it is only fair to cancel theprocess that caused suchviolation and organise a morecredible exercise,’’ he said.

Also, Mr Tosin Adeyanju, theExecutive Director ofConscience Nigeria, toldnewsmen that advocates forcredible elections in Nigeriawere unimpressed with INEC’slogistics for the Anambraelection.

“We were part of a coalitionof civil society groups thatmonitored the election and I cansay that we are dismayed at thenumbers of people that could notvote.

“Many voters’ names weremissing from the register andmany of INEC’s officialscompromised the exercise bytheir conducts.

“We are disappointed with theorganisation of the election,’’ hesaid.

Adeyanju added that it wouldbe proper for INEC to review itsstand on the Anambragovernorship election result.

He said that the flaws in theconduct of last Saturday’selection in the country were notgood for the image that Nigeriawas trying fervently to improvein the global arena.

“This is just one isolatedelection.

“We should not be made tobelieve that INEC cannot all atonce organise a state election inwhich legislators and councilc h a i r m e n / c o u n c i l o r s h i ppositions are being contested fortoo,“ he said.

The Secretary General ofConscience Nigeria, Mr.Opeyemi Duke, said “INEC hasincreased the apprehension ofNigerians over its ability toconduct credible nationalelections in 2015.’’

Activists Want INEC To Review Election Logistics

Rivers Civil Servants on a health walk to mark the 100 years celebration ofPort Harcourt City in Port Harcourt recently.

Chairman, Dredging and Sand Dealer’s Association of Nigeria, Mr. Edmund Chilaka (4th right) withparticipants at the Port Harcourt Dredging Executives roundtable in Port Harcourt recently.


AbujaFG Appoints 4

Permanent Secretaries

Bwari Area Council Promises To Provide Refuse Bins

Committee On National DialoguePreparing Report - Chairman

Court Sentences Pakistan,Brazil-Based Drug Pushers

ABUJA - President GoodluckJonathan has approved theappointment of four permanentsecretaries in the Federal CivilService.

This is contained in astatement signed by Dr TopeAjakaiye, Director(Communications) in the officeof Head of the Civil Service ofthe Federation in Abuja onTuesday.

According to the statement,the new appointees are: AbbasMohammed (Kaduna);Adelakun Saheed Kayode(Lagos); Bukar Mohammed B.(Yobe) and Magaji Abubakar G.(Zamfara).

ABUJA - The PresidentialAdvisory Committee onNational Dialogue says it hascommenced preparation of its

ABUJA - Mrs Cecilia Toledo,the founder of AbujaMetropolitan Music Society(AMEMUSO), has said planshad been concluded to hold the2013 edition of the musicalshow called “Operabuja’’.

Toledo who spoke at a pressbriefing in Abuja said the titleof the concert which wasscheduled to hold on Sunday,Nov. 24 is “Classic andComedy’’.

“The event, which will featurea mixture of classic and comedymusic, will be interactive,’’ shesaid.

It would be recalled thatOperabuja, now in its thirdedition, features a lot oftraditional African music, evenas it started as a classical opera.

Toledo said the AMEMUSOchoir would perform at theconcert under the supervision ofits conductor, Mr SamuelEzugwu.

“Ezugwu will performalongside the great Peruviantenor singer based in Germany,Mr Rafael Cavero,’’ she said.

The AMEMUSO founder also

ABUJA - Justice GladysOlotu of the Federal High Court,Abuja has sentenced VictorMgbeobuna to seven years’imprisonment for trafficking I.6kilo grammes of heroine.

Delivering judgment, Olotuheld that the prosecution wasable to convince the court byproving the charge broughtagainst the convict.

“It is in the record before methat Victor Mgbeobunacontravened the NDLEA Act,having confessed to bringinginto the country 1.6 kg heroineen route from Pakistan.

“The court does take judicialnotice of the confessionalstatement of the offender and allother exhibits that tend tosupport the allegation.

“In view of the admission ofthe act by the accused person,the court finds him guilty ascharged and convicted of the

FCT - The Bwari AreaCouncil has promised toprovide waste bins at strategiclocations, to check illegalrefuse dumping in the area.

Mr Haruna Ahmed, theDirector of the EnvironmentDepartment of the council,made the promise in aninterview with newsmen inBwari, FCT on Tuesday.

According to him, illegalrefuse dumping on roadsides,

The statement said AlhajiBukar Aji, the Head of the CivilService of the Federation, whoannounced the approval, saidthat it was to fill the existingvacant positions.

“The new appointments havebeen made to fill the slot forYobe State which becamevacant following his (Aji’s)appointment as Head of theCivil Service of the Federation.

“It is also the retirement fromservice of permanent secretariesrepresenting Lagos, Zamfaraand Kaduna States that havecreated vacancies for theirslots.’’

offence.“In the circumstance, the

accused person is sentenced toseven years’ imprisonment.

“It is therefore ordered that theseized substance be returned tothe NDLEA custody fordestruction,’’ she said.

In a related development,Olotu sentenced Brazil-basedOkechukwu Orieukwu to twoyears’ imprisonment forunlawful traffic in 250 kilogrammes of cocaine.

According to the judge,Orieukwu got a lower sentencebecause the court believed asyndicate coerced him intoengaging in the act.

“I have read the confessionalstatement of the accused personas well as studied closely hisoral testimony and seem to beconvinced that Orieukwu wasactually coerced and threatenedby a group to commit the act.

said the event would feature theprominent Swedish soprano andDirector of the Opera ComedyTheatre, Mrs Charlotta Huldt.

nature strips and highways,bush land, drains and parks,was responsible for the poorsanitary condition ofenvironment.

He identified lack ofcooperation on the part of theresidents as the majorchallenge hindering effortsaimed at tackling refusedumping.

Ahmed said: “Although weestablished collection points

for the residents to dump theirwastes, we still find that theypatronise the local wastecollectors bowlers, whomostly indulge in illegaldumping.

“The Bwari Area CouncilAuthority in August this yearemployed the services ofwaste managementcontractors.

“When their services arefully implemented, issues

about illegal dumping willdrastically reduce, because thecontractors will move fromhouse to house andappropriately collect refuse fordisposal at designated sites.

“For now, we will providewaste bins at strategic placesin all communities of the areacouncil to put an end to issueof illegal dumping.

“When that is done, it willafford the residents the

opportunity to package theirrefuse into the wastes bins,instead of littering them withinthe surrounding.

According to him, illegalrefuse dumping contributed toland degradation whichposed,health challenges in thecommunity.

“Illegal refuse dumpingdeters people from visitingareas where there are frequentwastes; dumped items createphysical and chemical hazardsfor anyone visiting the site.

“Such dump sites attractrodents, insects and othervermin that pose health risks,for instance, mosquitoes,which can multiply 100 timesfaster in warm stagnant waterstanding in scrap tyre casings.”

report for submission toPresident Goodluck Jonathan,based on interactive sessionsand memoranda received

from Nigerians.This is contained in a

statement issued on Tuesdayin Abuja by the Chairman ofthe Committee, Senator FemiOkunrounmu.

According to the statement,the committee will hold a one-day retreat on November 20in Abuja to analyse thememoranda submitted byNigerians during itsinteractive sessions in 13states.

The statement said eminentleaders, scholars and expertshad been invited to the retreat.

It said the retreat wouldwork toward ensuring that“the best advice is madeavailable to Jonathan as hestudies the report of thecommittee which is beingprepared for submissionshortly.’’

Okunrounmu expressedgratitude to Nigerians forsupporting the committee byattending the interactivesessions and submittingmemoranda in line with its

terms of reference.He also praised the media

for accurate reportage of thecommittee’s work.

Association To HoldMusical Show

L-R: Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, Solicitor-Generalof the Federation, Mr. Abdullahi Yola and Executive Secretary, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic inPersons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Beatrice Jeddy-Agba at African Regional Consultation on the Right to anEffective Remedy for Trafficked Persons in Abuja recently.

36.9Kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa seized by Nigeria Customs Service at SemeBorder.


Business + Economy

BADAGRY (LAGOSSTATE) - Mr. SalehOthman, Area Controller,Seme Border Command ofthe Customs Service, said thecommand generated N6.68billion between January andOctober.

Othman disclosed this in anews statement signed by thecommand’s Public RelationsOfficer, Mr. Ernest Olottah,which was made available tonewsmen in Badagry.

He said that the commandmade 914 seizures with DutyPaid Value (DPV) of N4.39million during the period.

The Controller said that 26suspects were arrested duringthe period and were atvarious stages ofprosecution.

He said that goods seized

included vehicles, textiles,rice, vegetable oil, secondhand clothes, shoes, bags andartifacts.

“The artifacts weredetected and seized by ourofficers during an intensivesearch operation based onintelligence.

“They are internationallyvalued at about 16,870dollars, “ he said.

Othman said that thecommand would intensifyefforts during the yuletide tostem smuggling, adding thatthe illegal business would beon the increase during theperiod.

The commander said that

he had directed that all patrolvehicles, logistics andpersonnel to be fully onground.

He charged officers andmen of the command tostrictly keep to their shiftduties to ensure the presenceof his personnel at all times.

“We cannot afford to betaken unawares at our dutyposts either at this period orat any other time asmanagement expects us to bevery much at alert.

“Our core functions ofpreventing and suppressingsmuggling, collecting andaccounting for all revenuesdue to the government,facilitating genuine importand export businesses mustbe discharged without fear orfavour.

“We should through ourwords and conduct, assurelegitimate business people ofour support and cooperationat all times, while warningthem that the command willnot condone any attempt toevade duty payments.

“Nobody should treat ourwarnings with levity as notonly will we make seizures ofprohibited or smuggleditems, we will ensure thearrests and prosecution of allpersons behind theseunlawful acts, “ he said.

Othman, however,reiterated the commandsbelieve in zero tolerance onsmuggling activities.

He commended the effortsof other security agencies inensuring that smuggling wasreduced to the barestminimum.

LAGOS - InternationalBusiness Machines (IBM)has announced that it wasworking with the Union forInternational Cancer Control(UICC) to create the world’slargest and comprehensiveclinical dataset on cancerpatients.

IBM said this in astatement made available tonewsmen in Lagos that thesynergy would be done bybuilding cancer registries indeveloping nations.

“The effort will begin inSub-Saharan Africa, whereless than one per cent of theregion’s population iscovered by a cancer registry.

“Due to heavy populationin the region, this new effortwould improve cancerregistration and in timetreatment for patients inAfrica.

“It would also enrichknowledge about cancer forpatients all over the world,”it said.

IBM said cancer registrieswould provide governmentswith incidence and mortalitydata so that effective policiesfor cancer control could bedeveloped, implemented and

evaluated.“They also provide

clinicians with informationabout patient outcomes tohelp identify tailoredtreatment options.

“Reliable andcomprehensive data wouldlead to the most effectiveinterventions for saving lives.

“The donation of big dataand analytics technology wasannounced by Gary Cohen,Chairman, IBM Africa, at theWorld Cancer Leaders’Summit in Cape Town.

“IBM’s objective is to helpfind ways to level the field ofaccess through innovationand knowledge.

‘So that we can bridge thedivide between the discoveryof cancer and the delivery oftreatment with positiveoutcomes - regardless ofgeography,” he said.

Cohen said the initiativewould begin in two to threecountries in Sub-SaharanAfrica, continued throughoutthe region and extended toSoutheast Asia and LatinAmerica.

“The IBM collaborationsupports UICC’s work withthe Global Initiative forCancer Registries in low- and

Cancer Registries: IBM Partners UICCmiddle-income countries..

“According to the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO),about 70 per cent of allcancer deaths occur indeveloping nations,” he said.

Cohen said that experts

predicted that the Sub-Saharan region alone wouldsee more than an 85 per centincrease in its cancer burdenby 2030.

Cary Adams, CEO of

UICC, said he could imaginea world in which the verylatest scientifically provenmeans of detecting andtreating cancer was availablein all countries.

“This information will

provide unique andcompelling insights oncancer, the likes of which wehave not seen before,” hesaid.

Adams said, according toWHO, more than 12 millionpeople worldwide would bediagnosed with cancer thisyear and approximately eightmillion will die.

Adams said the numberwas drawn from a databasethat was increasingly weak asthe cancer burden moved aspredicted from developed todeveloping countries.

“Much of the world istracking a growing burden ofcancer with very incompleteinformation.

“Improving the collectionof data is critical to our abilityto address cancer around theworld,” he said.

Dr Isaac Adewole, agynaecologist in Nigeria andPresident of the AfricanOrganisation for the Researchand Training in Cancer, saidimproved cancer registry datawould reveal the populationbased trends.

This, he said, were soimportant in shaping andadapting a cancer strategy.

“This will inform my dailypractice in ways that myhospital data alone cannot,”he said.

Customs Rakes In N6.7Billion

LAGOS - The AnambraState Government has signedan agreement with Microsoftfor the provision of qualityInformation, Communicationand Telecommunication (ICT)education in schools in thestate.

The agreement wascontained in a statement madeavailable to newsmen inLagos.

According to the agreement,Microsoft and its partners willtrain teachers from state’s 450schools in ICT.

The agreement include thesupply of tools for the trainingof students on Microsoft

technologies aimed at makingstudents self-reliant and thecreation of skilled ICTcommunity in Anambra.

Marc Israel, MicrosoftOffice Group Director forCentral, East and WestAfrica, the Indian Oceans,commended the stategovernment for itscommitment to thepartnership.

“As a technology enabler,we believe ICT educationcontributes significantly toeconomic empowerment,growth and development,offering the appropriate skillsto use technology ininnovative ways,” he said.

Israel said ICT Academywould provide children withnecessary ICT skill to keepthe state on global map ofICT technology and assist inlong and shor-term planning.

“The Microsoft ICTAcademy programme willoffer schools world-class ICTcurriculum by allowingstudents to utilise the latestMicrosoft technologies,while learning aboutinformation technology andearning Microsoft technologycertifications,” he said.

Israel said the programmealso aimed to link academiclearning to job skills, thusallowing students to graduatewith the ICT skills that theywould need to advance intheir future careers.

“With the Microsoft ICTAcademies in AnambraState, participating studentsbecome Microsoft certified,benefitting from e-learningcourses, demonstrating theirproficiency in ICT andequipping them with work-related IT skills,” he said.

Israel said that Microsoft

ICT Education: Anambra PartnersMicrosoft was effectively partnering

with several companies inNigeria to deliver ICTrequirements.

“The Microsoft ITAcademy school agreementwas orchestrated byMicrosoft certified partner,Wavetek Nigeria Limited,that worked closely with theAnambra to establishMicrosoft ICT Academyprogramme in the state,” hesaid.

Reports say that theceremony, held at the WomenDevelopment Centre, Awka,attracted members from thestate’s legislature, executivearm and traditional rulers.

Chairman, Omatha Holdings Limited, Nnewi, Chief Mathias Onwugbenu (2ndleft), with the Chairman, National Automotive Council, Alhaji Abdulkadir Saleh(right) and other members of the council during their visit to Nnewi recently.

Farm produce displayed at the 2013 National Agricultural show in Tudun WadaNasarawa State recently.


StrengtheningThe NYSCScheme

THE NIGERIANTHE National Youth Service Corps,popularly called the N.Y.S.C wasestablished in 1973 as one of the schemesto actualise the 3Rs of RehabilitationReconciliation and Reconstruction of thecountry by the then Military Head ofState, Yakubu Gowon, in line with hispopular declaration of “No Victor, NoVanquished”

THE NYSC Scheme amongst otherobjectives was aimed at reuniting thepeople of Nigeria, thus fulfilling theprinciples of integration of the Gowonadministration because of the bitter andbloody ethno-political colouration of thecivil war which the country witnessedfrom the 1960s.

AS a matter of deliberate policy, thescheme made it a point of duty to amongother things inculcate in corps members,a sense of discipline, unity, patriotism,integration and dignity of labour. Toachieve this, the organisation reserves theright to post prospective corps membersto any part of the country, other than hisor her own state of origin, except such acorps member was married with proof.

OVER the years, the NYSC Scheme hashelped t0 unite so many Nigerians even asit has also served as vehicle for cultural,traditional, religious and ethnic cohesionin the Nigerians nation. This is more sowhen marriages were contracted andconducted amongst Muslims and

Christians between different tribal spousesetc.

ALSO, with the passage of time, the NYSCScheme like so many organisation in Nigeriahad been beset with a lot of misfortunes,calling to mind, the issues of blind lootingof funds meant for the feeding of corpsmembers, by the scheme former managerswho eventually were sent to jail after beingfound guilty of criminal breach of trust.

SOME powerful Nigerians also have beenengaging in untoward activities withregards to the scheme, by influencing theirpostings to choice areas and states, therebydefeating the dreams of the founding fathersof the scheme.

THE gradual erosion of the NYSU dream,began with the promotion of negative ethniccards, by the military junta which openlypromoted mediocrity high abovecompetence because of tribal and ethnicconsiderations. This went a long way topromoting disenchantment to the extentthat parents and graduates of, tertiaryinstitutions alike started losing fate in the

NYSC Scheme.WORSE still, is the mutual distrust

existing amongst the various ethnicprincipalities that constitute thegeographical entity called Nigeriaespecially with the rising wave of ethnicreligious riots sweeping through thecountry, particularly the northerngeographical region of the country. Inview of this development, especially withcorps members becoming targets ofviolent religious attacks by rioters, theNYSC Scheme started losing followeshipand support from Nigerians.

THE last straw which brought about thepresent state of disillusionment with theNYSC Scheme was the massacre of somecorps members posted to some northernstates like Borno last year. This incidentwas one-to many as there was wide spreadcondemnation of the act, because life isso precious that its sacrosanct naturemust be respected.

CORPS members are on nationalservice for their father and, and so, mustbe treated with utmost respect, and notto be massacred-on the alter of religionby any sect.

THE NYSC, rather than been scrapped,should be further strengthened, especiallyin a period such as this when truepatriotism, peace and harmony arerequired to forge a cohesion and unitedcountry.


PerspectiveNAFDAC: Charting A Befitting Reputation For Nigeria

The Director-General, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii displays the award given to him.

By MARTHIN F.O. IKHILAETHE concept healthinessis wealthness, is indeedglobally upheld. This ispredicated on the premisethat a nation in quest ofpolitic& and socio-economic prosperitycannot undermine the wellbeing of the mass of herCitizenry as to do so willamount to putting theproverb cart before thehorse.

Incontestably, strategiccum positively propelledvision maximallygalvanized withintelligence is certain toherald successes in everyfacet of a nation’s endeavorparticularly in the healthsub- sector of the nation’seconomy Anticipated, aneffective and out rightlydynamic approach towardsboosting the nation’shealthcare delivery sectorvia ensuring that curativeand preventive medicalcommodities otherwiseknown as pharmaceuticalproducts or drugs, remainstandardized anduncounterfeited is indeed asin-qua-non for asustainable andprogressive economicgrowth.

This perhaps explainswhy the Dr GoodluckEbelle Jonathan Fedprogressively focuseddemocratic administrationin Nigeria is workingtirelessly and patrioticallyto ensure that Nigerianshave access to a whollyindigenized, dependable aswell as an internationallycomparable healthcaresector. Unknown tonumerous Nigerians, thenation’s health careproviding sector is beingregularly accorded amaximized governmentattention in an attempt to

guarantee good andenduring healthcareproviding services for alland sundry.

However, the choice ofDr Paul Bortwev Orhii aninternationally reveredTechnocrat, Administrator,Medical con and LegalLuminary, as a substantiveDirector-Genera) of thenation’s pro-healthboosting and human lifeelongating machinery-theNational Agency For Food,Drug Administration andControl(NAFDAC) isindeed riot a misplaceddecision or priority goingby the various distinct,dynamic andoverwhelming healthboosting achievementsbeing remarkably made bythe agency in its doggeddetermination to betterhealthcare provision for thegenerality of Nigerians inline with the aspirationsand determination of thenation’s currentD e m o c r a t i cAdministration.

Apart from theinternationalization viatotal overhaul of theagency’s multimillion nairanow ultra-mode, nLaboratory in Agulu inAnambra state ,east ofNigeria, to enable it venderinternational standardservices, NAFDAC sworking assiduouslytowards ensuring thatindigenous pharmaceuticalfirms successfully attainsthe World HealthOrganization1s(WHO)pre-qualification for drugproduction in line withinternational practices so asto empower our locallyproduced pharmaceuticalproducts to competefavorably with those of thecounterparts abroad.

Already, the agency hascommenced collaborationwith the nation’s bank ofindustries in an attempt toinitiate a multi-millionnaira Pharmaceuticaldevelopment fund whichwill in turn avail ourindigenous pharmaceuticalindustries with productionboosting minute interestloans whilesimultaneously, makingstringent efforts to ensurethat a huge success is madeof the recently launchedFederal Governments SaveOne Million Livesprogramme targetedtowards achieving theUnited Nations globalstrategy to save multi-million lives by 2015which in rum has placed onthe agency’s shoulders theonerous responsibility ofdirecting about or overfifty(50) developed anddeveloping countriesworldwide on themodalities of enhancingsafety and quality for Life-Saving commoditiesapproved for theprogramme.

On the Legal terrain, theagency through itsincumbent chiefexecutive’s wealth of legalexperience has emergedpersistently victorioushaving recorded notable,laudable and celebrate ableachievements in this regardvia successfully securingconviction of the agency’sregulated productscounterfeiters therebyachieving a feat whichindisputably andremarkably remainsoutstanding being the firstof its kind in the history ofthe agency’s excellence.Furthermore the agency’s

Food Drugs, Cosmetics,Medical devices andPackaged Water includingall drinks generallyregarded as regulatedproducts of the agency, iscurrently being compelledto undergo an overhaul hian attempt to furtherempower it for morepatriotic services.

On Food safety,sanitization and regulation,the agency has equallyachieved tremendously ofwhich are: the introductionof Hazard Analysis andCritical Control Point planfor Food safety in Nigeria,the convening ofintellectual discuss/interactions between

point of food safety inNigeria.

While numerous foodproducts have beencertified and registered bythe agency under theleadership of its incumbentchief executive, fast foodproviding industriesnationwide are beingintensely monitored andhighly supervised therebycomparing them to complywith good hygienicpractices so as to forestalloutbreak of food bornediseases or ailments. Also,Bakeries are being strictlysupervised nationwide bydynamic and strategicallyseasoned NAFDACoperatives to preventbakers from using the muchdetested internationallyadjudged deadly flour/dough enhancer namedPotassium Bromate whichis known for its Cancercausing ability.

Active and very vibrantenforcement operationsaimed at arresting erringoperators have beenmaximally sustainedleading to closure of fast

activities.Apart from making a

huge success of its VitaminA food fortificationprogramme, as well asmaximally promoting foodsecurity while imploringstakeholders in the foodsector to adopt high qualityCassava flour in theproduction of bread andother bakery products, ithas equally recordedinnegligable victory in theSalt iodization programmeaimed towards eliminatingiodine deficiency disordersin the entire NigeriaFederation. To forester safeand idea application cornusage of Agro-Chemical,befitting guidelines andstandard operatingprocedures have beenintroduced for effectiveregulation as well ascontrol of Chemical and aresubjected to regular reviewto ensure its compliancewith modern practiceswhereas risk assessmentand field trials or Fertilizerhave been imbibed by theagency as part of measures

enabling Act tagged:Decree No 15 of 1993 asamended to Cap Ni Lawsof the Federation of Nigeria(LFN) 2004, whichempowers it to control andregulate manufacturing,importation,e xportation,distr i b u t i o n , a d v emtisement,sale an d use of

NAE[)AC and MillenniumDevelopment Agencies(MDAs), professionalOrganisations, tertiaryinstitutions as well as theNational UniversityCommission which in turnculminated in theinauguration of a NationalFood Safety Committeewhich has become a focal

food industries and quickservice restaurants who fallto comply with theagency’s stipulated goodhygienic practices whileimploring intensivesurveillance, walk /talkshops as well as grassrootssensitization efforts todrive home its healthboosting initiatives and

Continues on pg. 14

“While numerous food products have been certified andregistered by the agency under the leadership of its incumbentchief executive, fast food providing industries nationwide arebeing intensely monitored and highly supervised therebycomparing them to comply with good hygienic practices so asto forestall outbreak of food borne diseases or ailments.”


to enhance effective andefficient control cornmanagement of Agro-Chemicals nationwide.

There is no doubt thatmodern trend in waterprovision and consumptionhas brought aboutproliferation of waterpackaging plants/industriesnationwide which hassubsequently paced

on the agency’s, the onusof guaranteeing viadynamic and efficientregulation, suitablemanpower trainingprovision laboratoryanalysis, advisoryinspection and consultativemeeting and eventuallyensuring availability of safedrinking water therebypreventing the outbreak ofvarious water bornediseases like; Cholera,Typhoid Diarrhea etc. Inthis regard, numerouspackaged water productshave been laboriously andprofessionally analyzed,tested and certified forconsumption by NAFDACsuch that currently about orover 10,000 water productshave so far been registeredby the agency..

Its recently introduced E-Clearance Portal whichmakes possible on-lineclearance of goods at thenation’s ports, the agencyhas established webpresence whereinformation on activities ofthe agency could be easilyaccessed, On the otherhand, a corporate portalwhich allows in-houseinformation sharing as wellas a laboratory informationmanagement system to

support quality laboratoryprocedure and dataprocesses has been put inpace ir1cuding itsautomated, productadministration andmonitoring solution whichis a web portal that isinternet enable to provideelectronic platform for themanagement of theregistration process/E-registration and a data baseto capture information onthe agency’s regulatedproducts.

Obviously, counterfeitingmaximally retards healthboosting efforts if allowedunabated. This explainswhy the Dr Orhii ledNAFDAC managementteam have held on tightlyto the horns of theproverbial bull in thisregard. The agency took theentire world by surprisewhen it co-opted cuttingedge technologies intocombating pharmaceuticalproducts counterfeiting, aheroic, historic anddynamic attempt which hasearn for it victory aridglobal recognition as wellas distinct internationalreputation for Nigeria. Thiscomprise; Truscantechnology, Back Eye anRadio Frequencyidentification Systems andthe Mobile AuthenticationService while &soengaging the globalpharma health fund mini-lab test kits.

While the Black Eye hasthe ability to screenmultiple drug samplessimultaneously the RadioFrequency identificationSystem possesses the

capacity to trace and trackregulated medicines andfoods as well as avertforgery of sensitivedocuments. The Truscan ishowever, a hand he’ddevice which utilizesRoman Spectroscopy todetect counterfeitpharmaceutical productswhile the MobileAuthentication Serviceuses the Global System OfMobil Telecommunicationshort message service(GSM SMS) platformwhich is outrightlyoutstanding being aninternationally acclaimedand applauded premier

innovation.These are indeed few of

the numerous daringachievements at the agencythat has made it a glowingtamp which can no longerbe hidden under a bushel asthese performance arebeing highly applaudedcelebrated trailed byaccolades andcommendations bothwithin and moreinternationally whereNAFDAC has successfullyset a very dynamic pace forother nations(bothdeveloped and developing)to follow. Arising from thisis the series of international

Perspective. . . Charting A Befitting Reputation For Nigeria

Continued from pg. 13

• Dr. James Walls Mayor of Maryland and the President of US Mayors’ Conference, presenting an award to DGNAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii while the Co-ordinator of Nigerians in Diaspora, Chief (Mrs.) Temitope Ajayi looks on at aceremony in Milwaukee, USA.

awards that has trailed theagency’s Chief Executive-Dr Paul B. Orhii’sinnovative and progressiveperformance.

Impressively the UnitedStates of America, anoteable World power, astrict enforcer and advocateof high standards, hasremained at the fore frontof appreciating andshowering of encomiumson the NAFDAChelmsman Dr Paul B. Orhiiinview of his outstandingdynamic ant-counterfeitingonslaughts and techniquesthereby providing atechnical poo1 from whichother countries of theWorld like the UnitedStates, Canada etccurrently sourcesknowledge on how tocombat the seeming hydra-headed menace.

It is regard that ourindefatigable andoutrightly patrioticNAFOAC Chief ExecutiveWas bombarded withnumerous indigenous andinternational excellenceawards during the yearunder review among which

are: the Nigeria Nationalhonour of Officer & theOrder & the Niger(O.O.N),an award forspecial congressionalrecognition endorsed by anotable AmericanCongress woman JaniceHahn and presented at theJames Madison Hail,Capitol Hill Washington DC,USA, an excellenceaward of the United StatesWorld Conference ofMayors which conferred onDr Orhii, the status of ahonourary Citizen of theCity of District HeightsMaryland presentationwhich was made during afour day conference of USmayors held in Milwaukeea certificate of recognitionfrom the Senate of the Stateof Georgia also in theUnited States of Americaetc to mention but a few.This has no doubt boostedthe Image and reputation ofthe Nation globally in thecommittee of Nations.

• Martins F.O. Ikhilae isa Lagos based Pubic

Affairs AnalystEmail:

man;[email protected]:080234OS821

“Impressively the United States of America, a noteableWorld power, a strict enforcer and advocate of highstandards, has remained at the fore front ofappreciating and showering of encomiums on theNAFDAC helmsman Dr Paul B. Orhii inview of hisoutstanding dynamic ant-counterfeiting onslaughts...”


Power Of Good HabitsBy ADO ERHIRHI

Lifestyle

Harmful Effect Of SmokingSMOKING is the practice

in which a substance mostcommonly tobacco orcannabis is borned and thesmoke is target inhaledcigarettes is the mostcommon form of recreatingdrug use. Tobacco smokingis today the most popularform of smoking and it ispracticed by over one billionpeople.

The history of smokingcan be dated to 5000 BC.Early smoking evolved in asociation with religionsceremonies as offering todeities.

After the Europeansexploration and can quest ofthe American, the practise ofsmoking spread to the restparts of the world in regimelike india and sub-saharanAfrica.

If I ever get a chance toban any thing in the world itwould be smoking. Becausethen and even adult newtaking smoking as a hobbywhich is very harmful takingsmoking as a hobby whichis very harmful to the health.

By OSIEGBU ISIOMA LOUIS

Smoking primary ispracticed by some 1.1 billionpeople and about up to 1/3of adult population lit variesconsidability.

Recent study had shownthat smoking dieting areamong the significant causeof cancer to tobacco plays arole in a multiple of thedisease which is now thegreatest cause of prematuredeath world wide.

There are approximately4000 demicals in cigaretteof which 2000 are concern tobe poisonous and 60 areidentified as carcognncehealth disease is the leadingcause of death and the majorcause of death amongsmokers.

At least half of all lifelong smokers die earlier as aresult of smokingstatisticians has shown thatthe risk of dying from lungscancer before 83 is 22:1% fora male smoker and 11.9%for a female smoker. But for

a non-smoker are a 1.1%probability of dying fromlong cancer before 85.

This means that cigarettesniffs out of an alarming rateto smoking related diseaseswhich is about 5 milliondeath per year. This meanssomeone loses his life to

smoking every 8 secondsame where in the world.

If you currently smokeuse this information to helpyou to stop your smokinghabit as deadly. Don’t wastewas anymore of your life tocigarette. Be your own herosave your life.

Kill smoking before itkills you.

MOST writers opined thatif you do a particular thingdaily and consistently for 21days, it would become a habit. Though recently some arguethat the time frame is 60 days,one truth remains the same;you can actually imbibe a habit(any habit) if you want to.

The hold of habit on thefabric of our lives is unrivaled.A man is caught harassing anunderage female because ofhabits he built over time. Anexecutive skips out of work todrag a smoke because of thehabit he has. A top governmentofficial is accused ofembezzlement and root of thematter is his habit. If bad habitscan have a hold so strong onus and lead to such devastating

consequences whatwonderful effects wouldgood habits have on our livesif we imbibe them?

Habitis Key to SelfDevelopment

Habits transverse all areasof our lives - health, finance,relationship, mental etc. Ourhabits rank among top causeof our success or failure inlife. A student with a habitof sleeping off each time hetakes up a book to readwishes to pass his exams,how is that possible? Youhave a habit of spending allyou have and yet desire tohave money in your accountthrough savings, how canthat happen? You even haveto imbibe certain habits of

affirmation, rightcommunication and show ofaffection to makerelationships work and growstrong. Habit is key tomaking life better ordestroying it.

All Habits are LearnedIn each area of our life the

decisive factor in theachievement of success and

failure is the development ofthe specific habits that leadautomatically and inevitablyto the results we desire.

The good news abouthabits is that all habits arelearned, as a result ofpractice and repetition. Youcan learn any habit that youconsider necessary ordesirable. By using your will

power and discipline, you canshape your personality andcharacter in almost any wayyou desire. Like Brain Tracysaid, “you can write the scriptof your own life and if you arenot happy with the currentscript, you can rip it up andwrite it again.’ his can be doneby developing the relevanthabits necessary

Benjamin Franklin felt hewas a little too rough, illmannered and argumentative

as a young man and herealized that his attitudes andbehaviors were creatinganimosity toward him fromhis associates and co-workers. He resolved tochange by rewriting the scriptof his own personality. Hebegan by making up a list of12 virtues that he felt the idealperson would possess. Hethen concentrated on thedevelopment of one virtueeach week. All week long, ashe went about his daily

affairs, he would remindhimself to practice thatvirtue. Overtime, hedeveloped these virtues andmade them habits of hischaracter. With these habitsand a sound character, hebecame one of the mostpopular personalities andstatesmen of his age. Hebecame enormouslyinfluential both in Paris as anAmbassador from the UnitedStates during the

Revolutionary War, andduring the ConstitutionalConvention when theconstitution and the Bill ofRights for the United stateswas debated, negotiated andagreed upon. By working onhimself to develop the habitsof an excellent person, hemade himself into a personcapable of shaping the courseof history.

Good Habits HelpAre you satisfied with your

level of development? Whathabits do you desire to havethat you don’t current have?What habits can you developto make yourself a betterperson? What habits can youimbibe to make you get paidmore and promoted faster?What habits can you learn tomake you a better businessperson? What habits can youlearn to help you get alongwell with others? What habitscan you learn to help you livea healthy life? Sit down andidentify them and start towork them into your life.

Till we talk againAdo Erhirhi is an insightful

speaker and writer. Hecoordinates MirrorViewServices, a Human ResourceDevelopment outfit. Contacthim for your trainings andspeaking engagements.

“Habits transverse all areas ofour lives - health, finance,relationship, mental etc. Ourhabits rank among top cause ofour success or failure in life. Astudent with a habit of sleepingoff each time he takes up abook to read wishes to pass hisexams, how is that possible?”


International Day For the ElimFocus

TODAY, November 25, is setaside by the United Nationsto mark the International Dayto End Violence AgainstWomen and girls the worldover. According to the UNSecretary General, Ban KiMoon, “one in every threewomen” is estimated to beaffected by violence in herlife-time. The Secretary Generalstated that violence againstwomen is a human rightsviolation, a consequence ofdiscrimination againstwomen, in law and also inpractice, and of persistinginequalities between men andwomen and that it impacts on,and impedes, progress inmany areas, includingpoverty eradication,combating HIV/AIDS andpeace and security. He alsostated that it is not inevitablebut that prevention is possibleand essential, describing it as“a global pandemic,” alsonoting that up to 70 percentof women experienceviolence in their life-time. So, as the world marks theday, how does the Ministry ofWomen Affairs and SocialDevelopment, Edo Stateintend to commemorate it?The HonourableCommissioner, WomenAffairs and SocialDevelopment Edo State, Hon.(Mrs.) Blessing Maigidaspoke with our FeaturesEditor/Principal FeaturesWriter, Ijeoma Umeh on theactivities of her ministry inthis regard, stating that,“everyday in my ministry isa day against violence.”

First, the sex and genderclassification of a woman, thegirl-child and even thenewborn and unborn baby girlmakes them very vulnerable.That does not imply that Godshouldn’t have created thewoman. No. That does notalso mean that women shoulddeny their womanhood or puton the toga that is differentfrom their characteristic. No.What it means is what thesociety has perceived awoman to be – the gentle, theweak one, the one that couldbe easily hurt; the one that hasno likely power, physicalstrength, capacity andwherewithal to defend herselfagainst oppression. For thisreason, gullible persons takeadvantage of the woman andmete out all forms of violenceagainst her. Secondly, discriminationagainst women, even asunborn babies, is perceived. Infact, it is a very worrisomeform of violence against thefemale specie. Some couples,while trying to reproduce, doall manner of medical tests toascertain the sex of the unbornchild. If it is a girl foetus, it ispromptly aborted. That is asinful act against the God ofCreation, crime againsthumanity and a clear violationof the right to life of everyhuman being. That is alsodiscriminatory, preferring onesex against another.

That suggests that you areagainst abortion of thefemale foetus…

No! Not in that sense of theword. As change agents, wepropagate the family planningculture as a way of organizingthe family institution; weadvice couples to planadequately for the number ofchildren they can alsoadequately cater for, inaccordance to their economic,social and even psychological

capacities. In terms ofcouples who have had anumber of children already,We advice them to stophaving more children in orderto comprehensively cater forthe ones already begat – givethem all their basic needswhich include shelter, food,clothing, medicare, basiceducation and all otheremotional psychologicalsupports to enable them growinto meaningful adult lives.The denial of all these basicrights is violence in itself. Forcouples who have either allmale or female children, wealso advice them to stop andgive total care to theirchildren. They should stopselecting sex, or havingselective abortions, whichcould endanger the lives ofthese women. They shouldstop discriminating againstthe girl-child. Equal assess toevery good thing of lifeshould avail both the maleand female child. Doingotherwise is violence.

We Also Understand ThatRape Is Violence…

Yes! It’s a very terrible formof violence, taking sexualadvantage of a woman, a girl-child by the use of force andthe sheer application of mightagainst the perceived ‘weakvessel: that is a terrible, veryterrible affront on the femalegender which we regard asvery unacceptable. The worstbeing the defilement ofyoung female children andassault on babies, leavingthem scarred for life. We askanyone who has such evilintention to desist from suchbarbaric acts, it must stop andanyone who is caught wouldface the full wrath of the law.We won’t stop dragging theculprits up and down until weget justice. We arecollaborating with the police,Human Rights Organizationsto ensure that adequate

punishment is meall culpable persregard.

How do you treadomestic especially when are regarded astheir wives befor

It’s a pity that our agitations in tthe law still regarnot separated the care married urelevant law, cusotherwise, as inThat is a major sall family issues thhad to contend time, even in violence – occasioning bodrape, battery, property ownersh A legally marriean entity, a simbefore the law. meneven take advantadeal ruthlessly wives and get awwomen do not owthey do not engagthat will be of ecosocial benefits to tand their familierecourse to the pertheir male Although the UN umbrella of thNations, has propit a legal instruwomen’s right toownership shentrenched as a furight, that womenfar as reproduconcerned is a furight, the limitatiothere when it comfamily unit. Ouralso a draw bwoman who ownin her own namethe wrath of the hhis kinsmen. families the man dthe number of chwoman should beno say. No one co

Excerpts:

Can you give us a brief onwhat has been happeningin your ministry regardingmaking significantprogress in ending violenceagainst women?

First and foremost, I wishto use this very goodplatform to congratulatewomen and girls all over theglobe who I would not referto as victims but survivors ofviolence in all forms of it andto tell them to continue todeplore their ownexperience, as sad as it is, inteaming up with all otheragents of change to squareup against violence as itaffects women everywherein the world. Collectively,we shall overcome. Ourhope is that soonest,violence will be reduced tothe barest minimum if notcompletely exterminatedfrom the world system. Back to your question, Iwish to reiterate here like Ihave done in the past, that inmy ministry we are doing allwe can, and we do notessentially wait for thestatutory United Nationsdays as mapped out in theUN Calendar of activities, topropagate any cause that wefind will be of positiveimpact on the lives of ourwomen, the girl-child orchildren as a whole. For us,everyday is a day torelentlessly fine-tunemodalities towards endingall those negative issues thatmilitate against the progress

of women, psychologically,emotionally, and physically,including issues ofempowerment, socio-politically, economically andotherwise. So, we have notrelented in makinginterventions in all thoseareas. Violence againstwomen is therefore not anexception and in whateverform it comes, whether asdomestic or externalaggression, rape or physicalassault occasioning bodilyharm or injury, we fight itwith all the resources at ourdisposal, ensuring that thehuman rights of the woman,the girl-child or even theyouth, no matter their gender,is upheld. What are the specificconsiderations this time, inending violence againstwomen and up holding theirhuman rights?

First, our antenna is up; weare keen about knowingindepth, the root cause ofviolence; the channels ofviolence, the reasons whyviolence, occur, those whoare prime culprits or suspectsincases of violence andessentially, the categories ofwomen who are prone toviolence. It should beunderstood that it has cometo the extent that we canboldly say that every womenis a potential victim ofviolence although the UN hassaid one in every threewomen, the rate is gettingmore disturbing by the day.

What Informs ThisStartling opinion of Yours?

We Are Squaring Violence – Hon. (

Mrs. Maigida Blessing, Commissioner for Women Affairs

“They should stop selecting sex, or haselective abortions, which could endathe lives of these women. They shoulddiscriminating against the girl-child. Eassess to every good thing of life shavail both the male and female child. Dotherwise is violence.”


ination Of Violence Against Women

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Up Against All Forms Of(Mrs.) Blessing Maigida

first as a child bearer and rarerand as a helper and homemaker and keeper. Those arenot easy roles for a singleperson to adequately fit into. Secondly, violence,whatever form it takes,should be stopped. Rapeshould be abhorred. If shedoes not willingly accept thatgesture, don’t force her.Beating up a woman is verybad. It is only a coward thatbeats up a woman, even to theextent of inflicting mortalinjuries upon her. Dialogue isthe best. Understanding iseven better. Defilement is amortal sin, a grave offense.People should desist from it. We are also setting upcommittees to advancemeasures to tackle all theseills. We are not resting on ouroars, but we are stillappealing to the society to befriendly, kind to andunderstanding of the situationof the female gender.

avingangerd stopEqualhouldDoing

Focus

facilities are to be assessed.Women’s Adult Literacyprogrammes are being fine-tuned. Skill Acquisition areon, family planningprogrammes are on,rehabilitation centres arebeing worked out incollaboration with WDPChairpersons in all the 18Local Government Areas,and so on and so forth.

What would be yourmessage to couples at thistime, considering that mostacts of violence emanatefrom the home?

Love, understanding andtrust are the bedrock of anymarriage institution. Menshould show more love totheir partners; there should be a passionateconcerned understanding ofthe position of the woman,

body as an instrument orchannel of reproduction. Thematernal dangers, themortality, the risks, the socialinconveniences it bringsabout for her are notconsidered. These are allforms of violence which weare tackling squarely, eventhe violence against awoman’s sexuality. If awoman is not in the mood forsexual relations with herpartner she shouldn’t beforced. That is rape and it isan act of violence if the mantakes her against her will.

But is there anycircumstance where thewoman should deny herhusband his sexualsatisfaction?

Of course! The typicalNigeria woman for instanceworks harder than her malecounterpart, even in a white

have realized the role ofeconomic self-sustenance inthe issue of violence. Thewoman that is noteconomically self-sustainingsuffers more violencebecause the angry man whois the bread winner regardsher as a stooge in his pathtowards progress. She hascome to eat his future up. He mistreats her. He evenabhors her. Whatever shesays is not accepted. He doesnot regard her with respect.In order to send the signalsacross, he beats her up at theslightest opportunity. Herapes her rather than beingaffectionate andunderstanding. So, we are ensuring that by2020 every woman,beginning from the ruralareas is fully empowered,economically and otherwise,to face the future. Microcredits are being worked out,grants and non-interest credit

colar job or as anentrepreneur. Society hasmade women to have to workdoubly harder in order tomeet with the changingeconomic tides. Nature itselfhas foisted women with dualroles as channels forreproduction (even as sexcare givers), as wives, asmothers, companions,complementary partners,helpers, or soul mates. Shefits in all these roles, sheapportions time to every bitof it as she develops. Youhardly find a woman who sitscross-legged at home withouthelping or supporting herhusband and family. Womenwork doubly hard. And whenshe’s at the home front too,she puts in her best, playingher role effectively. At times,the human body weakens out,baulking to the stress whichit has been confronted with.That may just be the timewhen the man wants her toperform her conjugal duties.

She has the right to protectherself! She has the right tosay no to intimacy at thattime. We expect that if theman rapes her at that point,he should face the wrath ofthe law,, but not really, eventhe police man would laughyou to scorn. How can a manrape his wife? How can aman rape himself? It is thesame attitude: How can aman beat his wife? How cana man beat himself? Becausethey are regarded as one.Woman have lost their lives,their dignity, their self-worthand their image in the eyesof the society as a result ofviolence and it must stop!

So, what measures is yourministry taking inmitigating the effect ofviolence against women?

We are ensuring thatwomen are empowered. We

adult literacyprogrammes are properlyenforced among our ruralwomen; if these womenlack education, there isevery likelihood that theywould resist all effortsgeared towards assistingthem run from acts ofviolence. They have to beproperly enlightened ontheir reproductive rights,even on their economic,social – political andother rights. Access to credit is anissue and we are tacklingit. We have begun thetour of the rural areas; weare working with theWDP Chairpersons andwe are going to bridgethis yawning gap.” Shestated.

Startling Statistics! Up to 70 percent ofwomen experience

violence in their lifetime Between 500,000 to 2million people aretrafficked annually intosituations includingprostitution, forcedlabour, slavery orservitude, according toestimates. Women and girlsaccount for about 80percent of the detectedvictims. It is estimated that morethan 130 million girls andwomen alive today haveundergone FGM/C,mainly in Africa and somemiddle Eastern countries. The cost of intimatepartner violence in theUnited States aloneexceeds $5.8 billion peryear; $4.1 billion is fordirect medical and healthcare services, whileproductivity lossesaccount for nearly $1.8billion.

Princess Margareth Jos-Bazuaye

Illiteracy Bane OfWomen Empowerment

– Princess Margaret Jos-Bazuaye ON her part, theDirector, Women Affairsand Social Development,Princess (Mrs.) MargaretJ o s - B a z u a y e ,collaborating thestatements of theh o n o u r a b l eCommissioner, also statedthat the ministry is fine-tuning measures towardsreducing violence againstrural women, which shesaid, is on the increase dueto illiteracy and the lackof awareness on theirfundamental human rights Particularly by the ruralwomen. “Illiteracy has alwaysbeen a major issue, astumbling block in allefforts geared atstemming the tide ofviolence against women.We are working hard tobridge the gap betweenthe rural and urbanwoman by ensuring that

“She has the right to say no to intimacy atthat time. We expect that if the man rapesher at that point, he should face the wrathof the law,, but not really, even the policeman would laugh you to scorn. How can aman rape his wife? How can a man rapehimself?”


TributeFestus Iyayi: Tribute To A Consumate

FighterPRECISELY twenty five

days after we lost one of ourmost unswerving leader, BabaOmojola, whose entombmentproceedings are still ongoing,death has again taken one ofour best through a ghastlymotor accident primarilycaused by the irresponsibleculture of impunity oftendisplayed by the convoys ofcrass public office holders whofeel the capacity to “fly” on theroad magnifies their obscurepower of gripping other roadusers to acknowledge theirweight even when-it clearlyfurther exhibits how muchcontempt they have for peopleand lives.

Professor Festus Iyayi, avery rare endowment; anembodiment of meekness,cerebral dexterity, prolificwriter, articulate speaker,dependable leader, honest andvaliant in all things; wasmurdered in his prime byagents of an uncultured, rash,spineless, visionless andnauseatingly corrupt rulingelite as the convoy of aGovernor who is yet to recoverfrom an earlier accidentresulting from similar recklessdriving, which almost took hislife, speed off with the bloodof a man who had spent nearlyall of his life and resourcesfighting for a decent society;spearheading protests for theenthronement of socialequality; a man who wouldn’thave thought the convoy ofone of the most unworthybeneficiaries of his struggleswould eventually kill him withsuch reckless abandon.

Born in Ugbegun, Edo State66 years ago in 1947, Festusstarted his education at theAnnunciation CatholicCollege in his village and later,Government College, Ughelli,Delta State.

He soon after readIndustrial Economics at theKiev Institute of Economics inthe defunct Union of SovietSocialist Republics, endingwith a doctorate at theUniversity of Bradford inEngland. He thereafterreturned to Nigeria and since1980, until his death, he was alecturer in the department ofBusiness Administration at the

University of Benin. He alsodid his last sabbaticals with theNigeria Labour Congresswhere he added values to thework of Africa’s largest tradeunion federation. . . . -

An award winner from earlystage of his education, Prof.Iyayi got his first award as anessayist in 1968 when he wonthe John Kennedy Essaycompetition organized by theEmbassy of the United Statesof America in Nigeria. He wasthen in his final year atGovernment college, Ughelli.

A writer of high repute, hisbook, Heroes, did not onlyenjoy popular reading acrossthe globe, it won him theesteemed commonwealthwriters prize in 1988. He hadalso authored other thoughtprovoking novels such asviolence in 1979, contract in1982 and Awaiting CourtMartial in 1996. These booksare compelling depiction of thedecadence of the Nigeriansociety, a society that hascontinuously increased in herslide to banal reputations withleaders who continue to flauntstolen public wealth in the faceof the impecunious millionsthat form over ninety percentof the citizenry.

To these millions who bearthe brunt of the imperiouspresence of profligate rulingelite that is exceptional in itscontempt for goodgovernance, Festus committedthe entirety of his productivelife.

Festus was a conscientiousorganizer who had beeninvolved in the developmentof ideologically focusedorganizations of the Marxistflank as well as massorganizations committed to thedesired change for a countrythat is so endowed with all thatis needed to lead indevelopment.

Festus did not only organizeand led intellectuals; he wasdeeply involved in organizingpeasants in remote areas of hisnative Edo State. He was aleading light in the socialistmovement in Nigeria from theSocialist Congress of Nigeria(SCON) to the Socialist Partyof Nigeria. He was part of theideological substratum of the

Radical Student Movement inthe 80s when students spokewith one patriotic voice underunited, strong and vibrantauspices. A dexterous leaderhe was.

At the level of human rightsand pro democracy struggles,he succeeded Dr BekoRansome - Kuti as President

of the Committee for theDefence of Human Rights,CDHR. He was activelyinvolved in the Campaign forDemocracy. And as a writer, hewas part of the Association ofNigerian Authors, encouragedby the commitment ofpersonalities like Ken SaroWiwa.

The most open attestation ofhis activism is his leadershipof the Academic Staff Unionof Universities, ASUU. Hewas elected President ofASUU in 1986 at a time whenthe imperial structures ofinternational finance capitalused the opportunity providedby the anti people regime ofGeneral Ibrabim Babangida to

unleash all sorts of neo liberalpolicies that has today leftnearly all components of ourcollective socio economic andpolitical existence inshambles.

ASUU, under professorIyayi’s leadership was aleading voice against themanipulation of that regime,

most especially the economicsting called StructuralAdjustment Programme, SAP.He led ASUU to team up withNigeria Labour Congress,National Association ofNigerian Students, and severalothers to challenge theintroduction of SAP and otherdraconian policies that wereclearly intended to hand overour country to the whims ofneo liberal institutions whosepolicies were sketched tosubsume the entire Nigerianpopulace and our collectiveresources in second slavery,the fulcrum of the newcapitalist economic order.

He fought for qualityeducation and the right of

every Nigerian to haveeducation regardless or classbarriers. He saw scholarship asa major tool that can ensure thedevelopment of any countryand to achieve this, onlyeducation that is people drivenin access, content and essencerequired. He put all of hisenergy, resources and intellectin this struggle; and indeed,lost his life in the cause of thestruggle as he was killed on hisway to a meeting scheduled toadvance the cause of thestruggle for qualitative

education in Nigeria.He had suffered so much

state attacks in the cause of hisinvolvement in the struggles ofour people, the most ferociousand traumatic being the statesponsored evacuation of hisfamily from his officialresidence as a lecturer at theUniversity of Benin followinghis removal as staff of theuniversity along with Prof. ItseSagay, Dr. Osagie Obayuwanaboth of the law faculty at thetime as well as Tunde Fatundeof the Faculty of Arts.

This was at the twilight ofthe orchestrated obliteration ofquality education in Nigeria,which was carried out by theBabangida regime on behalf ofneo liberal institutions,especially the InternationalMonetary Fund, IMF, whoabhorred resistance to their gritto seize our economy.

The systemic attack oneducation started with theannihilation of the culture ofcritical intellectualism whenthe regime, in open declarationof its disdain for qualityeducation, claimed there were

lecturers that were teachingwhat they were not paid toteach, consequently, peoplelike Festus who, in theperception of the regime fellin this category, were huntedand hounded out of the system.In fact Dr. Patrick Wilmot,then a lecturer at the AhmaduBello University was thrownacross the border, deported tothe United Kingdom, andforcefully extricated from hisNigerian wife in a manner onlypresumed possible in wartimes. The students’

movement was not left out andtoday, the result is clearlyevident in the catastrophicrecession in our educationsystem. Intellectualism has notonly been destroyed, teachingand learning infrastructures inthe system have totallycollapsed.

The demand for properfunding for the effectiverevitalization of thesestructures that will ensurequality education are the mainissues in contention leading tothe current strike by universitylecturers. Festus wascommitted to the struggle toactualize these demands untilhe was cut down in an accidentthat could have been avoidedif the governor’s convoy hadlearnt a lesson from theirprevious accident. Prof. Iyayiwas a colossus in themovement and his death isindeed a major smack thatwould not elapse so easily, butthe challenge of regeneratinghis fighting spirit, dexterityand courage will ensure thecontinuity of all struggles hewas involved in until victory.

• Late Prof Festus Iyayi

By DENJA YAQUB

“Festus was a conscientious organizer who had been involvedin the development of ideologically focused organizations ofthe Marxist flank as well as mass organizations committed tothe desired change for a country that is so endowed with allthat is needed to lead in development.”


Gender IssuesUnderstanding The Role

Of Nigerian WomenBy HAUWA ISMAILA

IN the pre-colonialperiod, women playeda major role in socialand economicactivities. Division oflabour was alonggender lines andwomen controlled suchoccupations asprocessing, matweaving, potterymaking and cooking.

Moreover, land wascommunally ownedand women had accessto it through theirhusbands or parents.Although a man wasthe head of thehousehold in apatrilineal system.Older women hadcontrol of the labour ofyoung family member.

Women were alsocentral to trade.Among the Yorubas,they were the majorfigures in long distancetrade, with enormousopportunities foraccumulating wealthand acquiring titles.The most successfulamong them rose to theprestigious chieftaincytitle of Iyalode, aposition of greatprivilege and power.

In politics, womenwere not as docile orpowerless asc o n t e m p o r a r yliterature tends toportray them. Thebasic unit of politicalorganization was thefamily and in thecommon metricalarrangement, whichallowed a woman togain considerable

authority over herchildren, a woman andher offspring couldform a motor block inthe household. Powerand privileges in ahousehold were alsobased on age andgender, therebyallowing seniorwomen to have a voiceon many issues.

Because the privateand public area wereintertwined, awoman’s ability tocontrol resources andpeople in a householdwas at the same time anexercise, in publicpower. She could usefood production to gainrespect. She couldcontrol her childrenand influence menthrough this power.She could simplywithdraw and use thekitchen as her ownpersonal domicile forinteraction with hercolleagues, friends,and children. Beyondthe household level,power as generallydominated by men, butin many areas, specifictitles were given towomen.

The queen mother, apowerful positionamong the Edo andYoruba, could bebestowed upon theking’s mother or a freewoman of considerablestature. In her ownpalace, the queenmother presided overmeetings withsubordinate titleholders in her support.

Yoruba and Hausalegends describeperiod when womenwere either the actualkings or heroines. Suchwomen as Moremi ofIle-Ife and Amina ofZaria are notable

legendary figures, asare the powerfulqueens in the Ondo andDaura histories.

The most seriousthreat to the influenceand privileges ofwomen occurredduring the 20thcentury, when

patriarchy combinedwith colonial changesto alter under relations.As male chiefscollaborated with theBritish colonialadministration in

collecting taxes andgoverning, the positionof female chiefsdeclined in importancewhen the economybecame increasinggeared toward theproduction of cashcrop for export,Nigeria men and

European firmsdominated thedistribution of rubber,cocoa, groundnuts(peanut) and palm oil.

Women, pushed to thebackground were

forced to shift to theproduction ofsubsistence crops. Apervious land tenuresystem that hadprevented landalienation gave way tol a n dcommercialization,favouring those withaccess to moneygained from the sameof cash crops.

Western stileeducation alsofavoured boys overgirls and thus largelyexcluded women frommany of the new

o c c u p a t i o n sintroduced bycolonialism.

The most powerfulagency of change forthe modern womanhas been Nigeria’sformal education

system, from which alarge number of elitewomen have emerged.Intelligent, educated,and confident, theycan be found in allleading occupations;they now challengemany aspect ofpatriarch and aregradually organizingto ensure that thepolitical arenaexpands sufficiently toaccommodate them.

Behind everysuccessful man thereis a always asuccessful woman tosucceed him.

“Women, pushed to the background were forced to shiftto the production of subsistence crops. A pervious landtenure system that had prevented land alienation gaveway to land commercialization, favouring those withaccess to money gained from the same of cash crops.”


International FeaturesNuclear Deal Blocks Iran’s Path

To Bomb - ObamaIRAN struck a historic deal

yesterday with the United Statesand five other world powers,agreeing to a temporary freezeof its nuclear program in themost significant agreementbetween Washington andTehran in more than threedecades of estrangement.

Iranian President HassanRouhani endorsed theagreement, which commits Iranto curb its nuclear activities forsix months in exchange forlimited and gradual sanctionsrelief, including access to $4.2billion from oil sales. The six-month period will givediplomats time to negotiate amore sweeping agreement.

It builds on the momentum ofthe public dialogue openedduring September’s annualU.N. gathering, which includeda 15-minute phone conversationbetween President BarackObama and moderate-leaningRouhani, who was elected inJune.

The package includesfreezing Iran’s ability to enrichuranium at a maximum 5percent level, which is wellbelow the threshold forweapons-grade material and isaimed at easing Westernconcerns that Tehran could oneday seek nuclear arms.

Obama hailed the pact’sprovisions, which include curbson Iran’s enrichment and otherprojects that could be used tomake nuclear arms, as key topreventing Iran from becominga nuclear threat.

“Simply put, they cut offIran’s most likely paths to abomb,” he told reporters inWashington.

For Iran, keeping theenrichment program active wasa critical goal. Iran’s leadersview the country’s ability tomake nuclear fuel as a sourceof national pride and anessential part of its insistence atnuclear self-sufficiency.

Giving up too much on theenrichment program wouldhave likely brought a storm ofprotest by Iranian hard-liners,who were already uneasy overthe marathon nuclear talks andRouhani’s outreach toWashington.

In a nationally broadcastspeech, Rouhani said the accord

members of nuclear scientistskilled in slayings in recent yearsthat Iran has blamed on Israeland allies.

Saying “trust is a two-waystreet,” Rouhani insisted thattalks on a comprehensiveagreement should startimmediately.

Iranian Foreign MinisterMohammad Javad Zarif, wholed his country’s delegation,called on both sides to see theagreement as an “opportunity toend an unnecessary crisis andopen new horizons.”

But initial reaction in Israelwas strongly negative. Israel’sprime minister, BenjaminNetanyahu, called the deal, a“historic mistake.”

Speaking to his Cabinet,Netanyahu said yesterday thatIsrael is not bound by the deal

and reserves the right to defenditself. That is a reference topossible military action againstIran.

Netanyahu has said theinternational community isgiving up too much to Iran,which it believes will retain theability to produce a nuclear

countries, friction points remain— notably Iran’s support of theSyrian regime of Bashar Assad.The United States also has saidIran supports terrorismthroughout the region andcommits widespread humanrights violations.

The Geneva negotiationsfollowed secret face-to-face

weapon and threaten Israel.U.S. Secretary of State John

Kerry, who joined the finalnegotiations along with theforeign ministers of Russia,China, France, Britain andGermany, said the pact willmake U.S. allies in the MiddleEast, including Israel, saferreducing the threat of war.

“Agreement in Geneva,” hetweeted. “First step makesworld safer. More work now.”

The deal marks a milestonebetween the two countries,which broke diplomatic ties 34years ago when Iran’s Islamicrevolution climaxed in thestorming of the U.S. Embassyin Tehran. Since then, relationsbetween the two countries hadbeen frigid to hostile.

Although the deal loweredtensions between the two

talks between the U.S. and Iranover the past year, TheAssociated Press has learned.The discussions, held in thePersian Gulf nation of Omanand elsewhere, were kepthidden even from America’sclosest allies, including itsnegotiating partners and Israel,until two months ago.

A White House statement saidthe deal limits Iran’s existingstockpiles of enriched uranium,which can be turned into thefissile core of nuclear arms.

The statement also said theaccord curbs the number andcapabilities of the centrifugesused to enrich and limits Iranability to “produce weapons-grade plutonium” from a reactorin the advanced stages ofconstruction.

The statement also said Iran’s

term, comprehensive solutionthat addresses all of theinternational community’sconcerns,” said the statement.

Since it was revealed in 2003,Iran’s enrichment program hasgrown from a few dozenenriching centrifuges to morethan 18,000 installed and morethan 10,000 operating. Themachines have produced tons oflow-enriched uranium, whichcan be turned into weaponsgrade material.

Iran also has stockpiledalmost 200 kilograms (440pounds) of higher-enricheduranium in a form that can beconverted more quickly tofissile warhead material than thelow-enriched uranium. Itssupply is nearly enough for onebomb.

In return for Iran’s nuclearcurbs, the White Housestatement promised “limited,temporary, targeted, andreversible (sanctions) relief” toIran, noting that “the key oil,banking, and financial sanctionsarchitecture, remains in place.”And it said any limitedsanctions relief will be revokedand new penalties enacted ifIran fails to meet itscommitments.

Kerry said the relief offeredwould give Iran access to $4.2billion from oil sales.Approximately $1.5 billion

nuclear program will be subjectto “increased transparency andintrusive monitoring.”

“Taken together, these firststep measures will help preventIran from using the cover ofnegotiations to continueadvancing its nuclear programas we seek to negotiate a long-

more would come from importsof gold and other preciousmetals, petrochemical exportsand Iran’s auto sector, as wellas easier access to“humanitarian transactions.”

“The core sanctionsarchitecture ... remains firmly inplace through these six months,including with respect to oil andfinancial services,” Kerry said.He said those sanctions willresult in more than $25 billion

in lost oil revenues over sixmonths.

Those conditions are beinghighlighted by the U.S.administration in its efforts todemonstrate that Iran is still inpain. The administration hasurged Congress to hold off on anynew sanctions and give the accorda chance to prove its worth.

But one influential member ofCongress was quick to criticizethe deal.

Rep. Ed Royce, theRepublican chairman of theHouse Foreign AffairsCommittee, expressed “seriousconcerns,” saying the UnitedStates was “relieving Iran of thesanctions pressure built up overyears,” while allowing Tehranto “keep the key elements of itsnuclear weapons-makingcapacity.”

Obama hailed the deal asputting “substantial limitations”on a nuclear program that theUnited States and its allies fearcould be turned to nuclearweapons use.

“While today’sannouncement is just a firststep, it achieves a great deal,”Obama said. “For the first timein nearly a decade, we havehalted the progress of theIranian nuclear program, andkey parts of the program will berolled back.”

• Courtesy: AP

recognizes Iran’s “nuclearrights” even if that preciselanguage was kept from thefinal document because ofWestern resistance.

“No matter whatinterpretations are given, Iran’sright to enrichment has beenrecognized,” said Rouhani, wholater posed with family

• Barack Obama • Hassan Rouhani

“Since it was revealed in 2003, Iran’s enrichment programhas grown from a few dozen enriching centrifuges to morethan 18,000 installed and more than 10,000 operating. Themachines have produced tons of low-enriched uranium,which can be turned into weapons grade material.”


Science

Vegetative Propagation

WithOyakhilome Clementina

IT is an asexual method ofreproduction occurring inhigher plants, which involvesthe vegetative organs like theroots, stems and leaves.

Types of vegetativepropagation

Vegetative propagation canbe further dividend into twotypes and they are the naturalvegetative propagation andthe artificial vegetativepropagation.

The natural vegetativereproduction include bulbse.g onions. Rhizomes e.gcorms and ginger, Stemtubers e.g yam and Suckerse.g banana. Root tubers e.gcassava and carrot, Runnere.g creeping stem.

Artificial vegetativereproduction include,cutting, crafting, budding.

Stem tubersIrish potatoe and yam are

swollen stem tubers, each hasa swollen branch of the mainstem of the plant. Theypossess the “eyes” whichrepresent the buds within thereduced scale leaves. But theeyes found in yam is noteasily seen but the bud on atuber of yam, sprouts onlywhen a new shoot develops,only when there is afavourable condition.

RhizomeThey are underground

shoot which growshorizontally. They areswollen and have foodreserve. At the buds, rootsand shoots grows out e.gginger, cannalily.

BulbsIt is an underground shoot

with reduced triangular stem.The stem bears thick fleshystorage leaves that are furthercovered by brown scale likeleaves e.g onion andharmattan lily.

CormsThey are underground

shoots whose stems containstored food. Corms growvertically, while the swollenfleshy stem is covered bybrown scale – like leaves.The roots are adventitiousroots e.g. Gladiolus. Butcocoyam brings forth newcorms at the base of the aerialshoot, some of theadventitious roots arereferred to as contractileroots which pull new cormdown to the level of theoriginal corm from which thenew one grow from.

StolonsThey are slender side

branches that arise from thebase of a stem, but mosttimes grow into the soil andmove horizon tally from theparent plant. After somedistances, the terminal bud ofthe stolon grows out of the

ground and a new plants isdeveloped. This new planthas both nodes andinternodes that looks like arunner e.g taro variety ofcocoyam known as colocasiaand passion flower known aspass flora

RunnersRunners also are referred to

as creeping stems. They areslender branches arising fromaxillary buds and creeping onthe surface of the ground.They have both nodes andinternodes. Onecharacteristics about them isthat, they can separate fromtheir mother plant, throughthe death at the internodes,but the terminal buds stillcontinue to grow e.g oxalisconciliate and desmodiumadscendes.

OffsetThey are short, thick

horizontal branch producedat the apex. A new plant isusually formed from the ringof leaves and cluster of roots.

Daughter plants usuallybreak away from the motherplant.

An offset arises from theaxil of the leaf but it isusually stouter, shorter andmost common in plants withwhorled leaves e.g waterhyacinth and water lettuce.

Suckers

They are short horizontalbranches arising from a stemjust below the soil surface.Suckers are short and thickbecause they contain foodreserve, they grow upwardeither close or some distancefar away from the parentplant. They continue livingafter the death of the parentplant.

Adventitious budThese plants leave develop

buds on the leaves whichtend to grow into a completematured plant whenever theydrop to the soil e.gbryophyllum. Also roots ofsweet potato develop budsthat are able to grow into anew plant whenever they areexposed to sunlight.

BulbisThey are reproductive buds

that develop in the axils oflateral leaves as short swollenstructures containing foodreserve. At maturity the budsfall off to the ground to forma new plant e.g wild yam.

BuddingSome cells at time form

orie or more chains orsubchains from whichindividual cells separate toform new independent plantse.g yeast.

GemmaeGemmae are special bodies

developed on either the leaf

branch or thallus forvegetative propagationpurpose e.g march antia.

Leaf tipAdiantum caudatum and

polypodium flagelliferum aresome ferns that exhibit a kindof movement and they areknown as walking ferns asthey grow, their leavesbecome very long and benddown to touch the ground asthey do that, they strike rootat the tips where buds areform which then grows andform new plants.

Artificial propagationtechniques include cuttings,layering and crafting.

CuttingsA cutting is a small branch

that has at least two nodesand when placed in moist soilthey grow roots at the basethat grow into new plant e.gsugarcane, croton, cassava,hibiscus.

LayeringThis is a method employed

by plants who flow at longintervals or whose flowersare not suitable forreproduction.

A healthy plant is bent intothe ground with a node andkept below the soil with asecured peg while the freeend is tied to a strong support.After a while at the node,

new shoots arise from theground when the rootings arefirm, the peg portion isseparated from the parentplant e.g grape vine, ixoraand bougainvillea.

Grafting here there a smallbranch with a bud (scion) iscut off and another growingplant (a stock is inserted intothe plant and both are fusedan tied togethers and it growsto form a new plant examplesare citrus and other domestictrees.

Adventages of vegetativepropagation

Some plants do not produceviable seeds only throughvegetative propagation

When new plants areproduced they require lessattention than plants raisedfrom seeds.

They do not depend onpollination and dispersalagents

Parents produce youngplants only whenenvironmental conditions arefavourable.

Desirable qualities inparent plants are retained.

Their development is rapidand unfavourably conditionsare over come by the youngplant.

Fruit and flower formationdo occur earlier than thoseraised from seeds.


EnvironmentTackling Cross Border Human Trafficking Through

PartnershipBy AZUIKE OKEH

Demystifying The Ember MonthsBy JENNIFER OGEDEGBE

MYTH is derived from theGreek word mythos, whichmeans story or word. Variouswriters have defined myth indiverse ways William Bascomin his article “The forms ofFaklore: Prose Narratives”defines myth as tales believedas true, usually sacred, set inthe distant past or other worldsor parts of the world and withextra – human, inhuman, orheroic characters.

It is from the foregoingthat one would like to examinethe age-long belief in thecountry that the so-called‘ember’ months (referring tothe last four months of the

year i.e September –December) are naturallytragic periods. Thisconviction has become soentrenched that variousreligious groups and otherinstitutions often organizespecial prayer sessions with aview to warding – off thedangers associated with the‘ember months’, so, it is notunusual to see faithful of thevarious religious engage infervent spiritual warfare in abid to dislodge blood suckingdevils that are always on theprowl during these months.

The reality, however, isthat the so called ‘ember

months’ are not in any waydifferent from other monthsjust as it happens in othermonths of the year. Ascribingneedless spiritual andmythical undertones to tragichappenings during the ‘embermonths’ is nothing but theusual Nigerian way oftrivializing serious issuesinstead of using methodicalmeans to appraise matters ofcrucial public concerns.Rather than clothing the‘ember months’ in a way ofexplaining dreadful eventsduring these months,

therefore, which is morehuman than mythological,critical issues should beaddressed, which also includeissues of infrastructural needsof the nation.

The truth is that there isusually an increase in thetempo of public, private andcorporate activities duringthis period. This is the periodwhen most public andcorporate institutionsorganize end-of-year eventthat involve massive humanmovement. Many religiousorganizations also arrange

various event to fit into thisperiod of the year mostly asway of rounding off duringthe year.

Consequently, in a bid tobe part of the various end-of-year activities slated for the‘ember month’, most peoplethrow caution to the wind bydisregarding critical safetyissues, vehicles are driven inparticularly reckless fashion,alcoholic drinks areconsumed in amazingmanner, social outings areorganized with recklessabandon, while theatmosphere is often filled withunusual allure and jollity. It isin the midst of this frenziedstate that avoidable humanblunder often result in diversekinds of misfortune leaving intheir trial sorrow, tears andblood.

Perhaps, moreimportantly, relevantgovernment agencies muststep up enlightenmentstrategies to guarantee that‘ember months’ crashes andother related tragedies arereduced to the barestminimum. The Federal RoadSafety Corps, FRSC, and the

Lagos State trafficManagement authority,LASTMA, should becommended for their ‘embermonths’ safety strategies. InLagos and adjoining states.However, there is a need forthem to intensify efforts inthis direction while morerelevant government agenciesshould also come on board the‘ember months’ re-orientationand re-awareness project.

Currently, the Lagos StateMinistry of Information andStrategy is embarking on an‘ember month’sresponsiveness campaignacross the state. Objective isto change the attitude of thepeople toward these monthsand offer key safety tips.

In concluding, it isessential tore-affirm that‘ember months’ are just likeall other months. If only wecould be modest in ourapproach to the months, wewould certainly avoid thedangers and hiccups usuallyconnected to them. One thingis sure, nothing is wrong withthe ‘ember months’ if only wecould rid ourselves of what iswrong with us.

MISS Queen Ebimaho, an18-year-old Nigerian girl fromEdo, met her untimely death onAugust 24, just few monthsafter she arrived in Abidjan, insearch of greener pastures. Shewas stabbed to death inmysterious circumstances.

The suspects and the personwho brought her to Abidjan arefreely walking the streets ofAbidjan.

Also, recently, anotherNigerian girl, Miss ErherhaEguono, narrowly escapeddeath while trying to escapefrom her traffickers.

Eguono, who hails fromDelta, was assisted to come toAbidjan by a Nigerian,identified as Chinedu Felix, ata price.

Eguono had rejected furtherconditions imposed on her byChinedu and left her room in abrothel in Portbouet, anAbidjan suburb.

She was hit by a taxi driverwho never stopped to knowwhether his victim was dead oralive.

Chinedu has been arrested,while the 22-year-old lady isbattling with pains frominjuries she sustained in theaccident.

Eguono said she decided torun away after she was askedto pay huge sums to a womanbefore being freed to operateindependently and “make herown money’’.

“We agreed to come to

Abidjan but how I reached hereis not known to me. Again, Igave him money to bring mehere, why should I pay to stay,am I a slave?’’ she asked.

Ebimaho and Eguono arejust two out of many Nigerianladies who have metmisfortunes after beingtrafficked out of the country insearch of greener pastures inCote d’Ivoire.

Many have died unreportedand many repatriated toNigeria after several wastedyears. Many still hang on withthe hope that better days areahead.

Trafficking of Nigerians isnot limited to ladies, as manyNigerian young men have beenmisled into the world ofuncertainties.

In September, a Nigerian,Bethel Chima, ran amok in apolice station in Abidjan,chasing policemen on dutywith cutlass.

Chima had lived in Coted’Ivoire for about eight yearsbut started behavingabnormally three years ago.

When visited at the CentralUniversity Hospital, CoCody,where he was receivingtreatment, he spokeincoherently.

Chima said that his intentionwas never to live in Abidjanpermanently.

“I wanted to go to Europe, Iwas brought here with theintention of processing my

papers to continue but sincethen, it has not been possibleand I no longer see the man thatbrought me here,’’ he said.

Mr Bassey Akanyene, Headof Nigerian Mission in Coted’Ivoire, said many Nigerianswere abusing the free

movement policy in the WestAfrican sub-region.

“As Nigerians, they have theliberty to travel within theregion just as nationals of otherECOWAS states but it is goodfor our citizens to engage inlegitimate businesses andconduct themselves in mannersthat will not damage the image

of the country.“As an embassy, our hands

are tied to a large extent, as youknow there is no law banningprostitution,’’ Akanyene said.

He said the embassy hadremained committed towardsprotecting the rights of

Nigerians residing in thecountry.

“We are faced with strandedNigerians every time, we doour best to ensure they go backhome.

“We have also constantlypreached that Nigerians shouldrespect the laws of the hostcountry and do only legitimate

businesses,’’ he added.Mr. Musa Asemota,

President, Esan Family for thePromotion and Protection ofPeoples’ Rights, an Abidjan-based non-governmentalorganisation, described theinvolvement of Nigerians inhuman trafficking andprostitution as embarrassing.

“Government needs to dosomething. I have alwayscalled for officials of the

National Agency forProhibition of Trafficking inPersons (NATIP) to be postedto the borders and Nigerianembassies in the West Africansub-region.

“This will tackle the issuesof arrests and prosecution ofperpetrators; it will also fosterstronger collaboration with

other law enforcement agentsto tighten up border securitiesagainst traffickers,’’ he noted.

Asemota, also called for theFederal Government’scollaboration with non-governmental organizations tofight cross border trafficking.

He said that the effortsbeing made over the years byprivate partners and non-governmental organisations tocheck trafficking had remainedlargely unsuccessful due tolack of government’s backing.

“ There are NGOs showingsincerity and commitment inthe fight against trafficking inpersons but they need the rightsupport from government.

“This is an issue thatconcerns all of us; everyhuman being deserves to berespected and treated as one,trafficking is slavery. We allneed to rise and stop theembarrassment this satanic actis causing us,’’ he stressed.

Analysts say traffickers haveused the free movement policyof ECOWAS to rip-offinnocent Nigerians anddehumanise them.

They say that the uglydevelopment should bechecked, through the combinedefforts of government andother stakeholders in order tostop the nation from facingcontinued embarrassment dueto the twin issues of cross-border trafficking andprostitution.

“Consequently, in a bid to be part of the various end-of-year activities slated for the ‘ember month’, most peoplethrow caution to the wind by disregarding critical safetyissues, vehicles are driven in particularly reckless fashion,alcoholic drinks are consumed in amazing manner, socialoutings are organized with reckless abandon, while theatmosphere is often filled with unusual allure and jollity.”


InternationalFighting Near Damascus Kills Over 70

Rebels, Troops

Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during the opening of the Loya Jirga, in Kabul.

Stormy Weather Leaves 8 Dead

Peace Needed Before US SecurityDeal - Karzai

Israeli Leader Calls Iran Deal ‘HistoricMistake’

KABUL - Afghan presidentHamid Karzai said yesterdaythe United States needed tobring peace to Afghanistanbefore he would sign a securitydeal which will enableWashington to keep troops inthe country beyond next year.

“If there is no peace then thisagreement will bring

DAMASCUS - Fierceclashes between regimetroops and rebels near anopposition stronghold east ofSyria’s capital Damascus haskilled more than 70combatants, a monitoringgroup reported yesterday.

Saturday’s fighting in theEastern Ghouta region killed28 jihadists of the IslamicState of Iraq and the Levant(ISIL) and the Al-NusraFront, 26 fighters from theFree Syrian Army, and 18soldiers, the SyrianObservatory for HumanRights said.

Also killed were five so-called citizen-journalists —members of the public whohave taken to reporting onSyria’s conflict in which morethan 120,000 people have

“What was reached last nightin Geneva is not a historicagreement, it is a historicmistake,” Netanyahu said.“Today the world became amuch more dangerous placebecause the most dangerousregime in the world made asignificant step in obtaining themost dangerous weapons in theworld.”

Voicing what he calledIsrael’s right to self-defense, hesaid, “I want to clarify thatIsrael will not let Iran developnuclear military capability.”

TEXAS, USA - Stormyweather across the Westblamed in eight deathsmoved steadily eastward,prompting alerts of wintryconditions in New Mexicoand Texas.

Forecasters said the stormsystem in the West wouldsweep across the South andtoward the Atlantic coast thecoming week, causingproblems for holidaytravelers.

The “Nordic outbreak” will“produce a mixed bag of wilyweather that will end upimpacting much of thenation,” National WeatherService meteorologist JoeHarris said.

With a winter stormwarning in effect for parts ofNew Mexico, snow wasfalling across much of thestate early Sunday andforecasters predicted up to 5inches for many areas.

The state Department ofTransportation said motoristson several major roadways,including parts of Interstate40, faced difficult drivingconditions because of packedsnow and ice, while someroads in the south wereclosed. Low temps werepredicted to be mainly in the20s statewide.

Station KOB reportedstrong winds and near white-out conditions late Saturdaynight along a stretch of I-40,about 80 miles west ofAlbuquerque.

Parts of the state hadalready been hit with snowand freezing rain that causeda rollover accident that killeda 4-year-old girl in the

died since March 2011.Eastern Ghouta, a ring of

suburbs besieged by the armyfor months, was targeted in anAugust chemical attack thatthe US and other worldpowers blamed on PresidentBashar al-Assad’s regime.

As part of a deal to head offUS military strikes,

Damascus has agreed todestroy its entire chemicalweapons arsenal.

Syria is cooperating withthe disarmament operationbeing carried out byinternational experts, whohave reported that the entirechemical arsenal has beensealed, awaiting destruction.

eastern part of the state.Three other storm-related

deaths were reportedSaturday in a crash in theTexas Panhandle involvingnearly a dozen vehicles.

In California, where thestorm system hit first,prompting flooding andwater rescues in recent days,three deaths have been linkedto the storms since Thursday,as authorities found one bodynear downed power lines,one man crashed his vehicleinto a tree and a woman waskilled when a tree fell on aparked car.

In Arizona, firefightersrecovered the body of a manwho was swept away by highwaters Friday in the SantaCruz River in the southernpart of the state.

The storm already hasaffected much of the West,causing hundreds of rolloveraccidents and promptingofficials to cancel events andclose roads.

In Nevada, snow in highelevations temporarilybogged down travel.

In Arizona, more than8,000 cyclists competedSaturday in rainy conditionsin the annual El Tour deTucson. One cyclist died ina collision with a vehicle, butthere was no immediateindication that the accidentwas storm related. Also, highschool football games, soccertournaments and paradeswere cancelled across thestate.

Forecasters said parts ofboth California and Arizonacould expect severe weather

with winter storm warningsthrough Saturday.

In Texas, freezing rain andcold temperatures havealready hampered travel andmuch of the “heavy stuff”will hit south of I-20, Harrissaid. Several traffic accidentswere reported, including the

fatal crash late Friday thatleft several injured hurt inVega, about 30 miles westAmarillo, and one thatinjured three members ofsinger Willie Nelson’s bandwhen their bus struck a pillaron Interstate 30 near SulphurSprings, about 75 miles

misfortune to Afghanistan,”Karzai said in his closingremarks to the Loya Jirgaassembly of elders anddignitaries. “Peace is ourprecondition. America shouldbring us peace and then we willsign it.”

The president did notelaborate, but has previouslysaid that a free and fair electionis needed to guarantee peace inthe country.

The Loya Jirga was convenedto decide on the pact, butKarzai cast the entire processin doubt by saying he wouldrefuse to sign it until after apresidential election scheduledfor April 2014. The UnitedStates has repeatedly said itcannot wait beyond the end ofthis year.

Earlier, Netanyahu’s Cabinetminister for intelligence issues,Yuval Steinitz, said the dealwas based on “Iraniandeception and (international)self-delusion.”

Yet he and other officials saidIsrael would have to turn itsfocus to the outcome of thefinal negotiations.

The exact details of Sunday’sdeal, hammered out in Genevabetween six world powers and

Iran, were not immediatelyknown. Israel was not aparticipant in the talks butremained in close touch withthe U.S. and other allies duringthe negotiations.

In a statement, the WhiteHouse called the nuclearagreement an “initial, six-month step.” Over the comingsix months, the world powersand Iran will try to reach a finalagreement that the WhiteHouse said would ensure thatIran never develops a nuclearbomb.

JERUSALEM — Israel’sprime minister harshlycondemned the internationalcommunity’s nuclear deal withIran yesterday, calling it a“historic mistake” and sayinghe was not bound by theagreement.

Speaking to his Cabinet,Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu said the world hadbecome a “more dangerousplace” as a result of the dealand reiterated a long-standingthreat to use military actionagainst Iran if needed,declaring that Israel “has theright and the duty to defenditself by itself.”

Israel believes Iran is tryingto develop a nuclear weapon,and in the weeks leading up toSunday’s agreement,Netanyahu had warned theemerging deal was insufficient.

He had called for increasedpressure on Iran, and warnedthat any relief from economicsanctions would make Iran lesswilling to compromise duringa coming, six-month periodaimed at reaching a finalagreement.

Netanyahu told his Cabinetthat Sunday’s deal gave Iranmuch-needed relief from thesanctions, but left most ofIran’s nuclear infrastructureintact. In particular, he citedIran’s continued ability toenrich uranium, a key step inmaking a nuclear bomb.

northeast of Dallas.The National Weather

Service has issued a winterweather advisory for much ofthe Texas Panhandle untilMonday morning, while theDallas-Fort Worth area wasunder a winter storm warninguntil Monday.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting inJerusalem.


International

Thai Capital Tense AsPolitical Rivals Rally

Mali Goes To Polls AmidstThreat Of Violence

Iran, 6 World Powers ClinchNuclear Deal

BANGKOK - Tens ofthousands of anti-governmentdemonstrators massed inBangkok yesterday, with amajor rally scheduled later bytheir rivals, as Thailand faces itsmost significant political streetaction since bloody protests in2010.

Organisers said 100,000 anti-government protesters hadgathered by yesterdayafternoon, while thousands ofpro-government “Red Shirts”were expected to mobilise laterat a suburban football stadiumin support of Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra’s crisis-hitadministration.

Both groups have vowed toremain in the capital overnightas tension rises in a city whichhas seen several bouts of unrestsince Prime Minister ThaksinShinawatra — Yingluck’sbrother — was deposed in amilitary coup seven years ago.

Authorities said they expectopposition protesters to try tomarch on parliament andGovernment House on Monday,but vowed to show restraint.

“We will not use force and wewill try to avoid any casualties,”police spokesman Piya Utayotold AFP, estimating the anti-government rally to be at least30,000-strong.

The Thai capital has alreadyfaced weeks of opposition-backed rallies sparked by anamnesty bill that could haveallowed the return of Thaksinfrom self-imposed exile — andpardoned those responsible fora deadly military crackdown onhis Red Shirt supporters.

The bill was rejected by thesenate, but anti-governmentprotesters have remained on thestreets and are now trying to

GENEVA - Iran and sixworld powers reached abreakthrough deal earlyyesterday to curb Tehran’snuclear program in exchangefor limited sanctions relief, inwhat could be the first sign ofan emerging rapprochementbetween the Islamic state andthe West.

Aimed at ending a dangerousstandoff, the agreementbetween Iran and the UnitedStates, France, Germany,Britain, China and Russia wasclinched after more than fourdays of tortuous negotiations inthe Swiss city of Geneva.

Halting Iran’s most sensitivenuclear work, it was designedas a package of confidence-building steps to ease decadesof tensions and confrontationand banish the specter of aMiddle East war over Tehran’snuclear aspirations.

But Iran’s arch foe Israel

BAMAKO - Malians votedyesterday in parliamentaryelections intended to cap thetroubled west African nation’sreturn to democracy butovershadowed by the threat ofIslamist reprisals.

The polls mark Mali’s firststeps to recovery after it wasplunged into chaos by amilitary coup in March lastyear, finalising a process begunwith the election of its firstpost-conflict president inAugust.

Some 6.5 million Malians areeligible to cast ballots for a newnational assembly, with morethan 1,000 candidates runningfor 147 seats.

But voting takes place amidan upsurge in violence by Al-Qaeda-linked rebels who stalkthe vast northern desert, anever-present danger to Frenchand African troops who aretasked with providing securityfor the election alongside theMalian army.

French security forceswitnessed their first attack inthe capital Bamako on Friday,when a police officer workingwith the army was lucky toescape serious injury after agunman believed to beinfluenced by Islamists openedfire on him.

A day earlier militants hadshelled the northern city ofGao, and although their rocketsfell harmlessly short of themain urban centre, the attackunderlined the continuingsecurity threat.

Al-Qaeda-linked insurgentsousted by French and Africantroops in January from thenorthern towns they hadoccupied last year resumedtheir deadly insurgency onSeptember 28, after a lull ofseveral months.

Since then, a dozen civiliansas well as Malian and Chadiansoldiers in the United Nations’MINUSMA peacekeepingmission have been killed in thecountry’s vast desert north.

Much of the worry ahead ofthe polls has been focused onthe largely lawless region ofKidal, occupied for fivemonths by ethnic Tuaregseparatists until a ceasefireaccord signed in June allowedin the Malian army.

In a grisly reminder for theWest of the ongoing securitycrisis, Al-Qaeda in the IslamicMaghreb (AQIM) onNovember 2 kidnapped andshot dead two French radiojournalists who had come toKidal, the capital of the region,1,500 kilometres (930 miles)northeast of Bamako.

UN peacekeepers, the Malianarmy and French troops aretasked with ensuring voters’safety in the region, thestronghold of the National

Movement for the Liberation ofAzawad (MNLA).

Malians are voting for a newparliament following the 2012coup that toppleddemocratically electedpresident Amadou ToumaniToure and created an openingthat allowed the MNLA andgroups allied to Al-Qaeda toseize northern Mali.

A UN peacekeeping missionexpected eventually to numbermore than 12,000 troops ischarged with ensuring securityas Mali rebuilds, allowingFrance to withdraw all but1,000 of the 4,500 troops it sentto its former colony.

The three-week electioncampaign never caught fire inMali, and analysts arepredicting a lower turnout thanthe 50 percent achieved in thepresidential election won byformer prime minister IbrahimBoubacar Keita.

topple the government, whichthey say acts as a stooge forThaksin.

Aerial footage showed tens ofthousands of protesterscrammed into the streets leadingto the city’s DemocracyMonument, which has becomethe focus of the anti-governmentprotests.

Addressing the rally, protestleader Satit Wongnongtaeyhailed the strong turnout for theso-called “People’s Day” rally,with many demonstratorsarriving from the provinces.

“How can this governmentsurvive? How can the Thaksinsystem survive?” he said toapplause from the crowd.

denounced it as a “bad deal”and said it would not be boundby it.

EU foreign policy chiefCatherine Ashton, who hasbeen coordinating talks withIran on behalf of the majorpowers, said it created time andspace for talks aimed atreaching a comprehensivesolution to the dispute.

“This is only a first step,”Iranian Foreign MinisterMohammad Javad Zarif told anews conference. “We need tostart moving in the direction ofrestoring confidence, adirection in which we havemanaged to move against in thepast.”

Hard-pressed by sanctions,many Iranians were elated bythe easing of tensions andprospect of economic

improvement.U.S. President Barack Obama

said that if Iran did not meet itscommitments during a six-month period, the United Stateswould turn off sanctions reliefand “ratchet up the pressure”.

U.N. Secretary-General BanKi-moon warmly welcomed theinterim agreement and urgedthe governments concerned “todo everything possible to buildon this encouraging start”.

But Israel was unhappy.“This is a bad deal. It grantsIran exactly what it wanted -both a significant easing insanctions and preservation ofthe most significant parts of itsnuclear program,” an official inPrime Minister BenjaminNetanhayu’s office said.

Israeli officials howeverstopped short of threateningunilateral military action that

could further isolate the Jewishstate and imperil its alliancewith Washington, saying moretime was needed to assess theagreement.

The West fears that Iran hasbeen seeking to develop anuclear weapons capability.The Islamic Republic deniesthat, saying its nuclear programis a peaceful energy project.

The United States said theagreement halted progress onIran’s nuclear program,including construction of theArak research reactor, which isof special concern for the Westas it could yield potential bombmaterial.

It would neutralize Iran’sstockpile of uranium refined toa fissile concentration of 20percent, which is a close stepaway from the level needed forweapons, and calls for intrusiveU.N. nuclear inspections, asenior U.S. official said.

People dance at the political meeting of Malian RPDM party candidate for Mali’s legislative elections, Madou Hidaraand Chaka Cisse in Bamako weekend.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads Eid-al-Fitr prayers at Tehran University recently.


International FeaturesAbortion Law: Supreme Court Splits

On Hearing Case

President Barack Obama

A New Texas lawrequiring doctorsperforming abortions tohave hospital admittingprivileges has forced morethan a dozen clinics in thestate to close. The case ison a path back to theSupreme Court.

The US Supreme Courton Tuesday declined toblock a tough new Texaslaw that has forced morethan a dozen abortionclinics in the state toclose their doors.

The justices split 5 to 4on whether to block thelaw. The action came in acontroversial case overabortion restrictions that islikely to find its wayquickly back to the highcourt in the months ahead.

In the meantime, the lawwill remain in full effectpending an appeal at theNew Orleans-based FifthUS Circuit Court ofAppeals.

That court is set to hearoral arguments in January.

The new law, which tookeffect last month, requiresany physician performingan abortion at a Texasclinic to have admittingprivileges at a hospitalwithin 30 miles of theclinic.

Obtaining suchprivileges is difficult andthe new requirement hascaused roughly one-thirdof the state’s abortionclinics to close their doorswhile leaving an estimated20,000 Texas womenwithout such services,according to abortionrights advocates.

“This law is blockingwomen in Texas from

getting a safe and legalmedical procedure that hasbeen their constitutionallyprotected right for 40

years,” said CecilRichards, president ofPlanned ParenthoodFederation of America, ina statement.

“This is outrageous andunacceptable,” she said.

Elizabeth Graham,director of Texas Right toLife, hailed the highcourt’s action as asignificant step forward.

“This ruling signals thatTexas is on the verge of adecisive legal pro-lifevictory,” she said. “The

recent closures of abortionclinics, even if temporary,prove that [the Texas law]does have a major impactin protecting women and

their unborn children fromsubstandard care atabortion clinics.”

The issue before theSupreme Court waswhether the justicesshould intervene in thecase to block the Texas lawfrom being enforced whilethe expedited appeal to theFifth Circuit is underway.

Abortion rightsadvocates had asked thecourts to uphold aninjunction issued by afederal judge who ruled

last month that the newTexas law was overlyrestrictive of a woman’sright to obtain an abortion.After declaring the law

unconstitutional, the judgeissued an injunctionblocking enforcement ofthe statute pending anyappeals.

Texas officials appealedthe decision to the FifthCircuit and asked theappeals court to lift thefederal judge’s injunction.The appeals court did so.

Abortion providers inTexas filed an emergencyappeal to the SupremeCourt, asking the justicesto preserve the status quo

In declining the block thelaw, Justice Antonin Scaliasaid that the appealscourt’s earlier decisionwas based on itsconclusion that Texasofficials were likely toprevail in the case, withthe new statute beingupheld as constitutional.

The justices oweddeference to the appealscourt’s conclusion, hesaid.

“It would flout coreprinciples of federalism bymandating postponementof a state law withoutasserting that the law iseven probablyunconstitutional,” JusticeScalia wrote in a four-pageorder.

“Reasonable minds canperhaps disagree aboutwhether the Court ofAppeals should havegranted a stay in this case,”he said. “But there is nodoubt that the applicantshave not carried their

heavy burden of showingthat doing so was a clearviolation of accepted legalstandards.”

In a dissent, JusticesStephen Breyer, RuthBader Ginsburg, SoniaSotomayor, and ElenaKagan said they wouldhave taken action to blockthe new Texas law.

Justice Breyer, writingfor the dissenters, said thatthe federal judge’s initialinjunction would havepreserved the status quo,allowing clinics to remainopen and serve women intheir communities as thelitigation continued.

“By putting Texas’ newlaw into immediate effect,it instantly leaves 24counties in the Rio GrandeValley… with no abortionprovider because thoseproviders do not haveadmitting privileges andare unlikely to get them,”Breyer wrote in a 5-pagedissent. He added that thenew law “maysubstantially reduce accessto safe abortionselsewhere in Texas.”

Breyer said that theunderlying legal issueconcerning theconstitutionality of theTexas law “is a difficultquestion.”

“Lawmakers in Texasand other states havepassed laws like this forthe sole purpose oflimiting access to safe,legal abortion, notpromote women’s health,”Terri Burke, executivedirector of the ACLU ofTexas, said in a statement.

Nancy Northup,president of the Center forReproductive Rights, saidthe Texas law was“ u n w o r k a b l e ,unconscionable andunconstitutional.”

“The shattering stories ofwomen turned away atclinic doors and deniedtheir constitutional right toabortion are alreadynumerous, and theymultiply every single daythis underhanded law isenforced,” Ms. Northupsaid.

in Texas so that abortionclinics could remain openduring the ongoingappeals.

“Obtaining such privileges is difficult and the newrequirement has caused roughly one-third of thestate’s abortion clinics to close their doors whileleaving an estimated 20,000 Texas women withoutsuch services, according to abortion rights advocates.”


Managing Diabetes Through DietHealthy Living

By ABIEMWENSE MORU

Spotting A Heart Attack?By RUTH ATSEGOR

A HEART attack happenswhen the flow of oxygensuddenly becomes blockedand the heart can’t getoxygen.

Often, people whoexperience the symptoms ofa heart attack don’t realise theseverity of the situation; somesee it as indigestion and

conclude that if they lie downfor a while they will be fine.

WHAT ARE THESYMPTOMS OF HEARTATTACK

The symptoms of a heartattack are as follows:Lightheadedness, fainting,sweating, shortness ofbreadth, anxiety,nervousness, cold, sweatyskin, paleness or pallor,increased or irregular heartrate.

WHAT TO DOIf any of these symptoms is

noticed call 911 immediately;try to stay calm and have theperson sit or lie down loosenclothing around the chestarea. The all dispatcher willassist you with simple

MR. Linus Nwokoro, anAbuja based businessman,was diagnosed of diabetestwo years ago and was placedon drug therapy by his doctor.He also consulted a dieticianwho recommendedappropriate diet for him.

“The dietician asked mequestions which I answered;and she brought out a cup andgave me measurement offood that I should be takingand placed me on diet,’’ hesaid.

Nwokoro said while hewas on the new diet, hecontinued with his drugtherapy, adding that he laterstopped taking the drugswhile continuing with hisdiet.

“I went back for test andthe result showed that I hadbeen cured; but I am still ondiet,’’ he said.

Mrs. Tina Afe, a civilservant who lives in Abuja,said she had been managingdiabetes with the help ofher doctor and a dietician.

She said that she takes herdrugs as prescribed, whichhelped her to maintain ahealthy lifestyle and copewith the ailment.

Afe said that the “homeremedy” which she wastaught by her dietician wasreally working.

“But I make sure that Ialso visit my doctorwhenever the need arises,’’she stressed.

The testimonies ofNwokoro and Afe areindications that diabetes iscurable with correctmedication and diet.

Diabetes is a chronicdisease that occurs when thepancreas does not produceenough insulin, or when thebody cannot effectively usethe insulin it produces.Insulin is a hormone thatregulates blood sugar.

Experts say thatuncontrolled diabetes, overtime, could leads to seriousdamage to many of thebody’s systems, especiallythe nerves and blood vessels.

Records from the WorldHealth Organisation showthat 366 million people diedof diabetes in 2011.

The disease was projectedto kill 552 million people by2030, making it the seventhleading cause of death.

It was to raise awarenesson the havoc of diabetes thatNov.14 of every year wasdeclared World Diabetes Day(WDD).

“Diabetes Education andPrevention,’’ is the WDDtheme for the period 2009 to2013

Hajiya Jummai Abdul, adietician at the Wuse GeneralHospital, Abuja, said thatgarden egg and cucumber arethe best snacks for diabeticpatients.

“Patients should take allclasses of nutrients, includingcarbohydrates, protein,vitamins and vegetables,such as pumpkin, spinachand steamed cabbage, ’’ shesaid.

She, however, warned thatpatients should be mindful ofthe quantity they take.

“The quantity of food to be

taken by a patient depends onthe Body Mass Index (IBM)of an individual and theblood sugar level.’’

Abdul said that thereshould be an interval of fourto five hours between eachmeal.

“If the patient is hungry, heshould go for garden eggsand cucumber which serve asthe best snacks for him.

“Patients should havetheir breakfast at least from7.00 a.m. to 8.00 a. m., lunchat 1.00 p.m. and dinner at7.00 p.m.,’’ she said.

Abdul warned patientsagainst the consumption ofpastries, alcoholic and soft

drinks, as well as fatty,sugary and fried foods.

She listed other foods notgood for diabetics to includesweet fruits, sweetconfectioneries and peppersoup.

Abdul recommended a

little quantity of unripe paw-paw and grape which, shenoted, cannot increasepatient’s blood sugar level.

She said that treatmentduration vary from individualto individual, adding thatpatients’ health conditionwould improve at least in sixmonths if properly managed.

Dr Nana Chidi-Emmanuel,Director, Operations and

Programmes, EducationDevelopment Foundation forExcellence, a non-governmental organisation,said that moderate weightloss could reduce the risk ofType 2 diabetes.

According to her,increasing consumption ofunhealthy diet posed risks to

Type 2 diabetics.“Type 2 diabetes is a

disorder characterised byhigh blood glucose in thecontext of insulin resistanceand relative insulindeficiency.’’

Chidi-Emmanuel said thatdiabetes was on the increasebecause the rate ofoverweighed and obsessedpersons had also increased.

The director said that someindividuals, includingoverweighed, obsessed andwomen who have diabetes inpregnancy, were more at risk.

She said that people withhigh blood pressure or highcholesterol and over 45-years-old were also at risk.

“Regular physical activitywould help to reduce fatdeposits in the heart, liverand the abdomen of peoplewith Type 2 diabetes,’’ thedirector added.

C h i d i - E m m a n u e lrecommended theconsumption of healthyfoods, less fat and morefibres like fruits andvegetables, whole grain andsmall amount of bread.

She, however, said thatType 2 diabetes accountedfor about 95 per cent ofdiagnosed diabetes in adults.

“Several studies hadshown that healthy eatingand regular physical activitywith prescribed medicationcould help control healthcomplications in Type 2diabetes,’’ the director noted.

Although experts have saidthat diabetes is a leadingcause of death, they alsorecommended that properdiet could help reduce deathsfrom the disease.Governments and otherstakeholders should,therefore, mount intensepublic enlightenment toeducate the public, especiallydiabetics on the need toconsume appropriate diets.

instructions which mayinclude asking if the personsis taking any heartmedications, or have youadministed aspirin not(Ibuprofen or naproxen)

while waiting for anambulance. Aspirin can helpby thinning the blood andallowing more blood to reachthe heart.

The dispatcher will alsoinstruct you with CPRinstructions if the patient hasno breath or pulse beats.

“The symptoms of a heart attackare as follows: Lightheadedness,fainting, sweating, shortness ofbreadth, anxiety, nervousness,cold, sweaty skin, paleness orpallor, increased or irregularheart rate.”


Aluko Not For Sale- Hull Boss

Rooney Rejects Fergie Fitness Claim

Goals Make Giroud Stronger,

Oliver Giroud

Winger Traore Latest ProductOf Barcelona Academy

Lyon HeldBy

Valenciennes

Sir Alex Ferguson’sautobiography sees the formerMan Utd boss stay loyal to thepeople he trusts. Read

Where will Sir AlexFerguson’s new autobiographyrate among the best/worstfootball books? Read

Ferguson also claimedRooney handed in a transferrequest in April. The playerhimself denies it but thesituation led to a standoff withthe club over the summer as

month, Ferguson said Rooneystruggled to maintain hisperformance levels over 90minutes and often became tiredin matches, claiming: “Rooneyhas great qualities about him butthey could be swallowed up bya lack of fitness.”

Last season the Englandinternational struggled for form,and was dropped for United’scrunch second-leg ChampionsLeague last-16 defeat againstReal Madrid.

WAYNE Rooney has hit backat Sir Alex Ferguson over claimshe was unfit last season —insisting he has the stats to proveotherwise.

Ferguson’s successor DavidMoyes and England boss RoyHodgson have both laudedRooney’s fitness this season,with the forward hitting ninegoals for club and country.

However in his newautobiography, released last

Says Arsenal Manager WengerGiroud set his side on course

for a 2-0 victory that movedthem four points clear at the headof the Premier League tablewhen he dispossessed Saintsgoalkeeper Artur Boruc andscored mid-way through the firsthalf of Saturday’s game.

The forward then stepped upto convert a late penalty, takinghis tally of goals for the seasonto seven in the league and 10 inall competitions.

“Other strikers will tell you, ‘Iam not obsessed by scoringgoals,’ but if they don’t, they aresick! It is a relief on theirshoulders,” said Wenger.

“I believe as well that Olivierdidn’t expect himself to score somany from the start of theseason, but it can only boost hisconfidence.”

Wenger added: “Olivier is apositive character who is alwaysready for a battle.

“He is maybe completelydifferent to the rest of the teamin that he gives us so much withhis physical presence, with hislink play, which he has improvedtremendously. He has the mentalqualities and a positive attitude.”

The win ensured Arsenalbounced back after suffering thedisappointment of defeat byManchester United immediatelybefore the international break.

“I am convinced that after abreak like that, the character istested,” Wenger added.

“Can you win when you haveto in a season like that, straightaway again after a big defeat toManchester United? That wasreally at stake for us.

the KC Stadium.The discussion on his contract

extension has stalled due to theAchilles injury which willsideline the Nigerian untilFebruary.

Hull are also having to fend offmounting speculation

HULL City boss Steve Brucehas said Nigeria forward SoneAluko is not for sale.

The 24-year-old forward hasturned down Hull City’s offersreferred to as ‘fabulous offer’ bythe team to prolong his stay at

OLYMPIQUE Lyonnaishave been held to a 1-1 draw byValenciennes on Saturdayevening in matchday 14 of theLigue 1.

After two back to backvictories including a prestigiouswin away against arch-enemySaint-Etienne, Rémi Garde’smen could not manage to extendtheir series but still climb in 6thposition in the standings whileValenciennes remain in thedanger zone.

The locals opened the scorejust after the quarter of an hourmark by Bafétimbi Gomis, whoheaded home a Henri Bedimo’scross following a good work byYoann Gourcuff.

But the visitors came backinto the game in the second half,thanks to the equalizer by Jean-Christophe Bahebeck in the 51stminute.

Lyon missed severalopportunities in that game andcan have some regrets despitethe good show displayed byValenciennes.

Maxime Gonalons and histeammates are now 15 pointsaway from leaders Paris Saint-Germain ahead of a tricky tripto the capital next Sunday.

who have debuted at a youngerage include Argentine WorldPlayer of the Year Lionel Messiat 17 years three months and 22days and Spanish forward BojanKrkic at 17 years and 18 days.

“It’s not normal that a lad of17 years has the chance to trainand play with the first team,”coach Gerardo Martino told anews conference.

“He has been working with usthe past week and we saw anopportunity for him to beincluded on the bench and playa few minutes,” he added.

Traore started the seasonplaying for Barca’s youth teambefore winning a place in the Bside, which plays in the Spanishsecond division.

He missed one chance to scoreagainst Granada three minutesfrom time and told reporters hewas “filled with great pride” atplaying for the first team in theNou Camp after so many yearsof work in the academy.

“I am here thanks to thecoaches I have had and to theteam mates,” he said.

“It’s easy playing with theseplayers and they give you a lotof confidence.”

Vicenc Martinez is theyoungest Barca first-teamdebutant at 16 years 10 monthsand five days back in October1941.

suggesting that they will need tocash in on the former Rangersman in the New Year in order toavoid losing him on a free nextsummer.

Bruce, though, is adamant thatno sale will be sanctioned andhopes an unfortunate injury endsup playing into his hands.

He told the Hull Daily Mail:“I’m still hopeful that we can dosomething (with the contract).

“The most disappointing thingis getting injured. He could dowithout that when he’s talkingabout a new contract.

“We’ll still talk to him andwe’re still optimistic. I’ve got nointention of letting him goanywhere in January.

“I don’t think he’s going to befit in January so I don’t see anyprospect of anyone coming in forhim.”

Bruce is also expecting toreceive full backing from hisboard when it comes to Aluko’sfuture, adding:

“People are criticising myowners over the name changebut the most important thing forme is if I turn around and say‘We’re not selling Sone Aluko atwhatever cost’, then he (AssemAllam) won’t do it. I’m confidentabout that.

“I can’t see any reasoning inthat one. I can’t see us sellingAluko, even if he doesn’t sign anew contract.

“I can’t see it unless it’sridiculous money, and I can’t seeanyone paying ridiculous moneyfor someone who’s injured andplayed a handful of games sincelast Christmas.”

“We have improved ourdefensive stability. After aninternational break, you havealways two challenges: one is to

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger believes that Olivier Giroud’sdouble against Southampton confirmed the France striker’s growingconfidence.

get the team to focus again asa team, because we have beenspread all over the world andyou have very little time to get

the focus point right.“The second is physical,

because they all come back indifferent levels of fatigue; somehave not trained a lot. The firstpoint we got right; the team werehighly focused. We suffered a bitphysically, but overall theconcentration was there.”

Southampton managerMauricio Pochettino offeredBoruc his full backing followingthe Poland goalkeeper’sembarrassing mistake.

Boruc was caught inpossession after rejecting thechance to clear first time whenhe received Nathaniel Clyne’sback-pass and Pochettino said:“It’s true that we were unluckywhen we conceded that goal.

“There is nothing more toanalyse. We all saw whathappened and we can draw ourown conclusions and we have tojust move on. It happened.

“I fully support all of myplayers. These things can happen

in football. We have to keep onlooking forward and keep onworking the way we have beenworking.”

Pochettino refused to attachany blame to the former Celticman and said that Boruc’smistake would make him a betterplayer.

“It’s the way that we play,”said the Argentine. “That’s whatI demand of him and what Idemand of all my players. Thereis nothing more I can say. It’s justa bad day.

“I think footballers need to beable to learn from these mistakes.They need to be able to live withthese mistakes and know thesethings can happen, accept themand move on.

“And from our point of view,we just offer our complete and100 percent support for him. Andkeep talking to him, workingwith the entire team and movingon.”

Rooney sought a move toChelsea.

But even with the formerEverton forward appearing to besettled once again at United, hehas now taken another swipe athis former manager.

“My fitness levels are the sameas last season — I’ve got thestats, so I know,” said Rooney,who played 90 minutes forEngland against Chile last weekand 70 against Germany onTuesday.

ADAMA Traore became thelatest player to roll off theBarcelona academy productionline when he made his first-teamdebut at the age of 17 years and10 months in Saturday’s 4-0 LaLiga win at home to Granada.

A pacy and powerful winger

of Mali origin who was bornnear Barcelona, Traore cameon for Brazil forward Neymarin the 81st minute at the NouCamp, becoming the eighth-youngest player to representthe Spanish champions.

Fellow academy graduates

“Every footballer gets statsfrom each training session andgame — and I go through themevery day. It’s the same systemwith England.

“It’s something which you canmonitor in terms of how muchwork you’re doing andsometimes you do need a bit ofa rest, so that’s what we do. Andmine are the same stats as lastseason — but obviously it’s beennoticed this season, that’s all.

Sone Aluko Adama Traore


Ancelotti Plays Down Ronaldo Injury

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Blanc Lauds ‘Born Competitor’Ibra

AC Millan FansTrap Players

Bayern On Top In Germany After Dortmund Rout

Cristiano Ronaldo

supporters from San Siro’sCurva Sud blocked the exitsfollowing the full-timewhistle, demanding talkswith Allegri and the playersabout the club’s currentplight.

“These players don’t knowwhat sacrifice is. They haveso much money, whilepeople like us work hard forthem,” a Curva Sudspokesperson told reporters.

The fans had earlierunfurled a bannerproclaiming “Let’s meet bythe exit you unworthy lot”,while after the match, Kakaand Christian Abbiatireportedly tried to meet asection of the supporters.

Blanc said. “Behind everygreat player is a greatcompetitor.

“This is a born competitor;when he finds thecompetition, he is there, hewants to win, he wants toscore and he does it in theend.”

The victory at Reimsstretches PSG’s unbeatenstreak in the league to 25games, but Blanc refuses tobe carried away by the club’sform.

“We came here withambition and we have beenable to dominate Reims,” headded. “People watch ushoping we lose. It willhappen, but we will try toensure it comes as late aspossible.

“There are periods whenyou sense that the playershave mastered everythingindividually and are acollective force that canovercome any test.

“It is a period that must beappreciated as a coachbecause there are otherswhen it doesn’t work and youcan’t win.”

dream of playing in stadiumslike this.”

Dortmund have no time tolick their wounds with Napolinext up on Tuesday in a gamethey must win to keep alivetheir dreams of reaching theChampions League’s knock-out stages and are third intheir group behind leadersArsenal and Napoli.

“Bayern changed theirgame in the second half andhit a few long balls, they werepatient,” said Dortmundcoach Juergen Klopp.

“I believe that up until the1-0, we had big chances, youhave to put those away if youwant to get back into a gamelike this.”

Dortmund have had a fewtough weeks, losing toArsenal at home in theChampions League and thiswas their third straight defeatafter also losing at Wolfsburgin the Bundesliga.

“Games are decided bygoals - and at the momentwe’re not scoring the crucialones,” said Dortmundcaptain Roman Weidenfeller.

“The amount we lost by isultimately irrelevant.

“It’s a bitter defeat, as weplayed a good game overnearly 80 minutes and havenothing to show for it.”

“The team all played well.We have to carry on this waybecause we are doing wellright now. We’ve had a lot ofproblems because ofinternational games and todaywas a different game and weshould be happy.”

He was not entirelysatisfied, however, adding:“In the last 15 minutes of thefirst half we lost control of thegame a little. We played a bitmore slowly, but those are justsmall details.

“We could have scored asecond goal in the first half.We lost a bit of confidence inthose 15 minutes, but nothingelse.”

Ancelotti had to reshufflehis midfield due to an injuryto Sami Khedira and waspleased with how Isco andAsier Illarramendi steppedup.

“Illarra has worked reallywell over the last two weeks.He’s in good shape, the sameas Isco, who has worked verywell too,” the 54-year-oldsaid.

“We’ve made a few changesto put the players in a morecomfortable position. Illarraand Xabi played very welland the team was reallybalanced especially becauseof the good work by thesetwo.”

REAL Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti played down theinjury-enforced substitution of Cristiano Ronaldo duringSaturday’s 5-0 win over Almeria at the Estadio de losJuegos Mediterraneos, insisting it was only “a littleproblem”.

The Portugal forward, freshfrom almost single-handedlygetting his country to theWorld Cup finals with a hat-trick in the midweek play-offsecond leg against Sweden,opened the scoring for Realwith less than three minuteson the clock before signallingto the bench early in thesecond half that he could notcontinue.

However, with attentionnow turning to Wednesday’sChampions League clashwith Galatasaray at theBernabeu, Ancelotti did not

seem overly concerned withthe 28-year-old’s fitnessissue.

“He had a problem with hishamstring. I don’t think it’s abig problem. It doesn’t hurthim,” the Italian said onrealmadrid.com after thematch.

“His muscle is a bit tired butI think he’ll be better soon.

“Tomorrow he’ll havesome tests but we think thatit’s not an important problem.Cristiano started the gamewith a goal but then he had alittle problem.”

Ronaldo himself, who nowhas 35 goals in his last 25appearances in allcompetitions, said on Spanishradio network Cadena SER:“It was a blow - it’s nothingspecial.”

There remained only onegoal in it until after the hourmark, but, despite Ronaldo’s

absence, the floodgatesopened in the final half-hour,with further goals fromKarim Benzema, GarethBale, Isco and substituteAlvaro Morata sealing therout.

The victory endedAlmeria’s three-gamewinning run in emphatic

style, and ensured Real endedthe day still six points behindBarcelona after the PrimeraDivision leaders’ 4-0 triumphover Granada in the earlykick-off.

“I think it was a goodgame,” Ancelotti said. “Wedidn’t concede any goals andthat’s important.

ANGRY AC Milansupporters have reportedlyprevented players leaving theSan Siro and demanded ameeting with the team afterthe 1-1 draw with Genoa.

Milan slipped further downthe Serie A table after twoearly strikes to Kaka andGenoa’s Alberto Gilardinosplit the spoils.

Genoa goalkeeper MattiaPerin was the hero on theday, repelling all of Milan’sattacks including a MarioBalotelli penalty.

The result means thatMassimiliano Allegri’s menhave now gone five matchesin the league without a win.

And according to reports,

PARIS Saint-Germainmanager Laurent Blanc hashailed the club’s striker ZlatanIbrahimovic as a “borncompetitor”.

Ibrahimovic overcame thedisappointment of missing outon a spot at the World Cup withSweden to help PSG moveseven points clear at the top ofLigue 1 with a 3-0 victory overReims.

The 32-year-old roundedoff the win with his ninthgoal of the season afterearlier strikes from LucasMoura and Jeremy Menez.

And after the match, Blanclauded Ibrahimovic for hiskiller instinct.

“You [the media] assumedIbra would be affected,”

Lahm.”Dortmund came into the

game having suffered adouble injury blow after bothGermany defenders MatsHummels and MarcelSchmelzer were ruled outwith injury on Wednesday.

Bayern, in contrast weremissing only France wingerFranck Ribery from theirfirst-choice line-up andGuardiola could bring Goetzeand Spain star ThiagoAlcantara off the bench.

Defending championsBayern are at CSKA Moscowin the Champions League onWednesday, but have alreadybooked their place in theknock-out stages.

Dortmund had theirchances, with seven shots ongoal compared to Bayern’s10, but Marco Reus andHenrikh Mkhitaryan wastedclear chances while Bayernmade theirs count.

“We cannot overstate thewin,” beamed goal-scorerRobben.

“It was still 1-0 up until the85th minute, it looks like adecisive win, but Dortmundhad their chances.

“We put the space we hadto good effect and perhapsdeserved to win.

“As a young boy, you

Former Dortmund heroMario Goetze came off thebench and produced a supershot to give Bayern the leadon 66 minutes before ArjenRobben and Thomas Muelleradded to the 3-0 rout in thefinal five minutes ofSaturday’s German Clasico.

It was Bayern’s firstBundesliga win overDortmund in seven attemptsand extended Munich’srecord unbeaten run in theGerman league to 38 matchesin a repeat of May’sChampions League final.

The result at Dortmund’sWestfalenstadion left Bayernfour points clear of BayerLeverkusen, who replacedDortmund in second place,while Pep Guardiola’sMunich are an ominous sevenpoints ahead of Borussia.

“We are very happybecause we won against thebest counter-attacking teamin the world,” said Bayerncoach Pep Guardiola.

“In the first 15 minutes weplayed very well, but didn’tdo so well at the end of thefirst-half.

“We were clearly better inthe second half, especiallywith Thiago, Mario Goetze,Toni Kroos and Philipp

EUROPEAN championsBayern Munich took asignificant step towardsretaining the Bundesliga titlewith their first win at rivalsBorussia Dortmund in fouryears.


Wilfred Ndidi Gets Genk Chance

PillarsInsistsCoach

Ganaru StillIn Charge

Uche, Bruno Inspire Villareal To Victory

Wilfred Ndidi

Rabiu Makes InjuryReturn For Kuban

2014 World Cup

Mikel, Victor Moses, EmenikeTipped To Shine For Eagles

Mohammed Rabiu

Vincent EnyeamaGhana Qualify For FIFA

U-17 WWC Finals

spectacular overhead kick.Fourth-placed Villarreal, who

spent a season in the seconddivision last term and finishedsecond behind Elche, have 27points from 14 matches, sevenbehind Real Madrid in third afterthey thrashed promoted Almeria5-0 on Saturday.

Unbeaten leaders Barcelonaand second-placed AtleticoMadrid also recorded thumpingwins, Barca beating Granada 4-0at the Nou Camp and Atleticohammering Getafe 7-0 at theCalderon.

season have prompted calls forhim to be included in the Spainsquad, stroked the ball into thenet past hastily-introducedreplacement keeper JaviJimenez.

With an extra man, Villarrealcreated and squandered a host ofchances before Bruno threadeda pass through to Uche in the74th minute and he fired aclinical shot low into the corner.

The pacy Nigerian then scoredthe goal of the game a minutefrom time when he netted a

VILLARREAL maintainedtheir impressive form sincewinning promotion back to LaLiga when Ikechukwu Uchestruck twice and captain BrunoSoriano scored a penalty in a 3-0 win at 10-man Levanteyesterday.

Levante goalkeeper KeylorNavas was shown a straight redcard in the 10th minute at theCiutat de Valencia stadium whenhe felled forward Uche in thepenalty area.

Midfielder Bruno, whosepolished performances this

the first-leg after beating theiropponents in early November.

Ghana became the firstAfrican side to win a medal atthe FIFA U17 World Cupfinals after bronze at the lastedition in Azerbaijan.

The 2014 FIFA U17Women’s World Cup finalswill be hosted by Costa Rica.

by Genk. I hope to soon leavefor Belgium,” said Ndidi, whofeatured for Nigeria at theFIFA U20 World Cup inTurkey in July.

Ndidi, who has also featuredfor the country’s U17 team,impressed visiting scouts at arecent special tournamentorganised in Lagos.

He was earlier slated to tryout at another Belgian club,Club Brugge.

In the meantime, anotherNath Boys of Lagospromising prospect, AdebayoAdemelua, has gone on ashort-term loan to Portuguesesecond division clubPortimonense.

Portimonense are second inthe Portuguese second-tierleague with 30 points from 15matches, a point behindleaders Morierense.

Ademelua combined withNdidi in the heart of the backfour when Nath Boys won theLagos Junior League back-to-back.

NIGERIA U20 defenderWilfred Ndidi has toldMTNFootball.com he isthrilled he has got a chance

to bag a deal at Belgian clubGenk.

“It’s great to be consideredfor a two-week assessment

Cup.”Brazil 2014 will be

Enyeama’s third World Cupafter he took his chance atthe 2002 World Cup groupgame against England.

NIGERIA leaguechampions Kano Pillarshave insisted coachMohammed Babaganaru hasnot quit the club.

In a press statement byclub spokesman IdrisMalikawa made available toMTNFootball.com, Pillarssaid they are yet to receiveany resignation letter fromBabaganaru.

Instead, they said thechampionship-winningcoach has agreed personalterms with them and wasexpected back from a week’scasual leave to startpreparation for the newseason.

Coaches Kabiru Baleriaand Ibrahim Musa will takecharge of Pillars for the

ceremonial Charity Cup finalat the NFF AGA in Warri thiscoming weekend.

Babaganaru has speciallytold MTNFootball.com he hasquit Pillars after he waspushed out by some officialsof the club.

He said he will sign acontract with another club,Nasarawa United, on Mondayafter he agreed personal termswith them recently.

GHANA qualified forfourth successive FIFA U17World Cup finals aftereliminating EquatorialGuinea on Saturday.

The Black Maidensrecorded a 3-2 in Malabo toseal a 5-2 aggregate win.

The girls went into thegame with a 2-0 lead from

VINCENT Enyeama has said he believes the class ofMikel Obi, Victor Moses and Emmanuel Emenike willpropel Nigeria to glory at Brazil 2014.

The African championshave qualified for their fifthWorld Cup and Enyeama haspicked several players led byChelsea midfielder Mikel toget the team to shine in Brazilnext year.

“I pray that Mikel Obi willbe in his best shape and(Victor) Moses plus Emenikewill all be in their trueelements by the time theWorld Cup will start inBrazil,” Enyeama toldSporting Life in an interview.

“These three men are thosethat we are banking onbecause if they are in topshape, they will help us to geta rhythm and also they makethings happen. They make thedifference in importantmatches.”

Emenike has been theEagles reliable goals machine,while Mikel and Moses havebrought their quality to bearon the team since Nigeria wona third AFCON in SouthAfrica in February.

The Lille goalkeeper alsosingled out up and comingLazio youngster OgenyiOnazi, who has been on

superb form lately.“Onazi is also coming up

greatly,” remarked the stand-

in Eagles skipper, who hasalso been on great form fortitle-chasing Lille in theFrench Ligue 1 this season.

“I pray that they all stayinjury-free and are in topshape ahead of the World

Mohammed Ganaru

The 23-year-old missedGhana’s Brazil 2014 WorldCup finals playoffencounters against Egypt.

Rabiu’s recovery is a bigboost for FC Kuban coachDorinel Munteanu.

M I D F I E L D E RMohammed Rabiu played hisfirst match for his Russianside Kuban Kransnodar afterrecovering from a knee injury.

The versatile playerreplaced Artur Tlisov in the70th minute as Kuban lost 3-1 at Amkar Perm in theRussian Premier League.

The Ghana internationalsuffered a knee injury earlySeptember during a EuropaLeague clash against StGallen.

Rabiu underwent surgeryand recuperated early enoughto join his teammates.


C M Y K

Iyayi: Demise Of A Colossus

“TODAY, the standards of education have notonly hit the dust, most campuses in our tertiaryinstitutions are now gangster’s paradise, aterrible situation where cultism of variousdegrees and shapes has taken over proceedings.These ugly development in our educationalsystem was equally fanned by inept, hopelessand criminally irresponsible military/civilianadministrations in Nigeria” – Quoted in WHEREWE ARE (Page 91).

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became chairman,Committee for theDefence of Human Rights(CDHR) Edo StateChapter, in 1995,Comrade Festus Iyayiwas President of theorganization NationalLevel. I learnt the meaning of

hard work, unrestrainedcommitment and absolutefearlessness in the“struggle” from ComradeIyayi. He was a tirelessworker, a devotedintellectual with a heart fullof gold. I made severaltrips and attended

numerous meetings withComrade Iyayi; he loveddriving and was quite veryenergetic. Comrade Iyayi was anebullient debater; a manof infinite knowledge. Heread quite a lot and wasnever tired of reading. Itwas while I wasinteracting closely with the

Defence of Human Rights(CDHR) in 1997. Hequickly handed over thepresidency of the CDHRto Comrade Femi Falanaafter a duly conductedAnnual General Meeting,which I attended. Comrade Iyayi used totell us - Felix Oriakhi,Kayode Olatunji,

Mohammed Bello, BodeSteve Ekundayo etc that‘Comrades’ are truly hisreal brothers. It was thetype of undiluted love andcomradeship whichComrade Iyayi showeredon us that made me tochose Mrs. Grace Iyayi asmother of the Day when I

Academic Staff Union ofUniversities (ASUU). Inoted his bravery andintellectual content whenhe confronted Authoritiesof the University of Benin,that tried frantically tobreak his spirit forstanding for what is rightin the ivory towers in the

struggle) to name a fewthat I learnt the doctrineof ‘superior argumentsmust prevail.’ As a man of giganticprinciples, ComradeFestus Iyayi refused to gobeyond the firstconstitutional tenure ofthe Committee for the

Just like that ComradeProfessor Festus Iyayi isno more on this physicalplane. I really find it verydifficult to believe. It ismost tragic to note thatComrade Festus Iyayiwas killed by agents ofthe ferocious ruling classin Nigeria while on activeservice to bring sanity tothe educational systemin Nigeria. The untimely death ofComrade Festus Iyayion Tuesday November12th 2013, in Lokojaarea enroute Kano for avery important meetingof the National ExecutiveCouncil (NEC) of theAcademic Staff Union ofUniversities (ASUU) ismost painful to me as anindividual. It is sadbecause ComradeFestus Iyayi was ahuman being, genuinelyconcerned with theprogress and fate of ourcountry. Yes! Comrade Iyayiwas a human beingbecause he was verysensitive, concernedand humble about theaffairs of his fellow menand women. I keepreferring to him as a‘Comrade’ because hesaw anyone genuinely inthe struggle toemancipate the massesfrom the satanic chainsof oppression, povertyand repression as aComrade. Since Ibecame closed to him in1995, he neveraddressed me in anyother manner than:“Comrade Nowinta.” To lose ComradeFestus Iyayi the way ithappened recently is likedenying me ofsomebody I see as a bigbrother, a Comrade of nomean repute, aprogressive personalityand a humanist. I flowedclosely the troubles hehad with the governmentof General IbrahimBabangida as a result ofhis presidency of the

likes of Professor.Omotayo Olorode (a giantintellectual), Dr. DipoFashina (former ASUUPresident), ComradeFemi Falana (Ex-President of CDHR), Dr.Idowu Awopetu (a doggedfighter), late Comrade OlaOni (encyclopedia of the

Federal Republic ofNigeria. Comrade Festus Iyayilooked unblinkingly eyeball to eye ball at themilitary apologists withinthe University of Beninand eventually triumphedwhen he was reinstatedback to his job in theUniversity. When I

wedded in March 2003. Ireally find it very difficultthat Comrade FestusIyayi, is gone. When the leadership ofASUU led by Dr. Fagge,its president came to theHouse of late Iyayi on acondolence visit, I wasthere. When Mrs. Iyayisaw Dr. Dipo Fashina

among the entourage,she came close to himand started crying andsaying: “Dipo, Dipo,Dipo.” That was howComrade Iyayi used toaddress Comrade DipoFashina. It was a sight Iwill never forget. Thesudden passing ofComrade Iyayi iscertainly a great loss notonly to members of hisimmediate family, but tous comrades and theentire nation. Comrade Festus Iyayiwas born in 1947. Hewas able to conquer themenace of poverty by hisexceptional brilliance,which saw him throughthe then Soviet Unionand United Kingdom.One of his books‘Heroes’ won thecommonwealth prize forliterature in 1988.Comrade Iyayi wasASUU President in themid 1980s at a time themilitary bandits weretearing ourcommonwealth intotatters. Comrade Iyayi’sleadership of ASUUdistinguished him as arevolutionary fighters forthe best in the citadel oflearning within outnation. His love anddevotion to teaching andacademic freedom isquite unprecedented. Itwas this great love for asanitized educationalsystem in Nigeria thatdragged him to make atrip which finallyconsumed him onNovember 12th, 2013. May his giant soul restin peace! Amen! Onething is very clearComrade Iyayi was acolossus in human,academic anddemocratic struggle. Hewhole heartedly believedthat another Nigeria ispossible.

Nowinta, WroteWHERE WE ARE

“Comrade Iyayi’s leadership of ASUU distinguished him as arevolutionary fighters for the best in the citadel of learning withinout nation. His love and devotion to teaching and academicfreedom is quite unprecedented. It was this great love for asanitized educational system in Nigeria that dragged him to makea trip which finally consumed him on November 12th, 2013.”

Late Comrade Festus Iyayi

Nigerian observer 25 11 2013

Documents

Transcript of Nigerian observer 25 11 2013