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VOL. 1 NO. 102 SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 RAMADAN 23 - 24, 1433 AH N150

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. . . putting the people first

How I wasbeaten bySoldiers inAso Rock

JTF recovers highprofile arms in Borno

Edwin Clarkand theNiger Deltamob action

>> Page 15>> Page 14

Bayelsa coat of arms,anthem, flag: Threatto national unity?

North needstheatre forsocio-economicdevelopment— Kasagi

>> Page 24

>> Page 4

Entertainment:

>>Pages 9, 10 & 11Gov. Dickson

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 2

I have no problemwith Tinubu, Akume

Interview

Y o u were the governor of Benue statefor eight years. Now

you are in the Senate and inthe opposition. How has itbeen?

I was the governor of Benuestate for eight years and fromthe executive arm I moved tothe legislature when I came tothe Senate when I won electioninto the Sixth Senate; that wason the platform of the PDP. I wasone of the founding fathers of thePDP but in the second time; thatis in the Seventh Senate, Imoved to another platform,that is the ACN. The differencein between the executive andthe legislature is very clear. Atthe state level one is the chiefexecutive and you have a lot ofpowers concentrated in you bythe constitution but not so in theSenate. When I came to the Sen-ate, in the Sixth Senate, I con-tested for the seat of the SenatePresident and lost gallantly toDistinguished Senator DavidMark.

So I have been enjoying mywork as a legislature. You havecolleagues from various parts ofthe country and I think that isthe beauty of the legislature.You see people with differentcallings and different back-grounds and all of us are work-ing together to move the nationforward. Initially it was diffi-cult for some of us coming to theexecutive to adapt but we did.This kind of movement is notnew; you see people moving alsofrom the legislature to the ex-ecutive.

It is like some people arenot happy with you beingthe Minority Leader. Whatis actually happening?

Well, this is politics and wehave a situation of anomywhere norms and values wouldappear to have broken downcompletely. We are talking of asituation where self-respect hasgiven way to conspiracy. In asituation where treachery hastaken over, you will see thesethings. I am not saying that Iam better than every other per-son. There are many people whocan do what I am doing butwhen I talk of treachery, I knowwhat I am talking about. Some-one phoned me. He has notphoned for the past three years.He wished me very wonderfulrecess but this is someone whois busy going round trying tomobilise against me. Somebodydoing this kind of thing and alsophoning you to wish you well, I

think is a height of treachery. Ialso wish him the best. But Ithink this is nothing new. It ispart of our political culturehere. Unless you are there, theperson who is there can neverbe allowed to operate.

You talked about treach-ery. Is it from the ACN or thePDP?

I believe this is one area thatgentlemen of the press can alsohelp in looking into. I do knowthat these things are being spon-sored. I do believe treacheryand conspiracy are at work.

Is there anything youcould have done to createroom for this treachery youare talking about?

Well, I have said that hu-man history is replete withpeople who will criticize youuntil they achieve their objec-tives. So, I wouldn’t know whatI could have done but don’t for-get that this is not the first timepeople will be making such at-tempts. It is commonplace in theassemblies. So it is part of hu-man history and part of human

political behaviour. Do you have any prob-

lem with the leader of yourparty Asiwaju Bola Tinubu?

I have no problem with theleader of my party. I have aproblem with Tinubu. No. Ihave no problem with him.

What is the role of theACN in the planned im-peachment of the Presidentover the poor implementa-tion of the 2012 budget?

The issue here is rather theposition of the House of Repre-sentatives. So I am not talkingof the ACN. The position of theHouse is very clear. Basically

what they are saying is that ‘wehave passed the appropriationbill and by the powers conferredupon us by the Constitution ofthe Federal Republic of Nigeria,it is your responsibility to imple-ment this budget. And if youdon’t implement it, we will takecertain steps to force you toimplement it’. That is what Iunderstand to be the position ofthe House.

This is not new in any de-mocracy. Basically you expectthese things in a democracy.

So the party has not taken adecision on the impeachment ofthe President. All the ACN

stands for is that the budgetshould be implemented andthat there should be rule of law.The ACN is a disciplined partyand if you look at the perfor-mance of the state governors,the ACN governors have donevery well.

As the Minority Leader,how would you react to the per-ception that the opposition is notorganised to do its job in the pol-ity? In fact, it is widely held thatthis failure on the part of theopposition is largely responsiblefor the poor performance of theexecutive.

Yes. I agree with you thatthe opposition has an importantrole to play in a democracy butthere is a popular saying that‘the opposition will have its saybut the majority will have itsown way.’ This clearly demon-strates the limitations of the op-position. But at the same time,when you gather as a group, likein the Senate where we are 109senators out of which 38 are inthe opposition, occasionally ithappens that some in the mi-nority will be behaving as ifthey are in the majority. Occa-sionally it happens.

But having said that, let mealso make this comment thatwhen the interest of the wholecountry is at stake, it is the de-termination of the legislature toensure that the greater good issalvaged. In any case, peoplewill continue to also critise usby saying the opposition is indisarray. They say after all theCPC and the ACN could not do amerger and could not even forman alliance. People were disap-pointed because the alliance ormerger would have provided aviable alternative platform. Wemay be weak for certain rea-sons today but I think it is amatter of time; we will cometogether and provide an alter-native platform for Nigerianswho are totally fed up withwhat is going on today underthe leadership of the PDP whichI said I was one of the foundingfathers.

However, I can say that onthe whole, the legislature is do-ing its work. Look at what is go-ing on in the House. It is not aquestion of opposition. It is aquestion of what they perceiveand what they consider to be inthe best interest of this country.Their argument has nothing todo with party sentiments. Theissue is that the budget is notbeing implemented and they

In this interview with journalists in Abuja, Senate MinorityLeader, Senator George Akume bares his mind on sev-eral burning national issues including the alleged plots toremove him from his seat. Richard Ihediwa was there

Contd on Pg 3

So the party has not taken adecision on the impeachment of thePresident. All the ACN stands for is

that the budget should beimplemented and that there should

be rule of law.

“

Sen. George Akume

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 3

Interview

believe that if it is implementedproperly, the common man willstand to benefit more. In theirwisdom they believe they haveto push a little bit harder.

Flowing from that, the Sen-ate has also decided to act fur-ther. We as elder statesmenmay not be as harsh as themembers of the House, but werespect their views; they areyoung, they are brilliant. Theyare men and women who lovethis country just like we believethat we the elder statesmen alsolove this country too. We believethat the solutions to these prob-lems may not be easy, but weshall certainly be there.

As the leader of opposi-tion, what steps are you tak-ing to ensure that the clearposition of things as theyrelate to the budget is madeknown to Nigerians?

The Minister of Finance wasin the Senate and you can againtake a look at her presentation.The 2011 budget was rolledover to March, which is not atidy thing to continue to do be-cause it distorts the entire bud-get. If you look at the pressurethat is being put on the execu-tive with threats of impeach-ment, you will see that some-thing is being done. She gaveher figure, the Senate gave itsfigures and the House too somefigures but in the final analy-sis, it is what is on the groundfor the benefit of our people thatwill be judged a success storyand not mere figures that arebeing bandied about.

Why do you think theFederal Government can-not implement its own bud-get?

If you have a very beautifulbudget, your projections shouldbe in such a way that youshould be able to implementwhat you provided for. If thefunds are there then it is lack ofwill. The budget was anchoredat 72 $ per barrel and price ofcrude has never gone downeven to $80 per barrel, and thenthey did not anticipate thatthey will produce 2.7 millionsbarrels per day, but that iswhat they are doing now. If theprice had crashed, there wouldhave been the need to reviewthe budget but the price has notcrashed, it is just the will toimplement that is not there.

What is your position onthe issue of insecurity inthis country and theclamour for the establish-ment of state police?

I strongly believe that thesecurity of any country is in thehands of the citizenry. It is notjust the police, the army andthe security services. All of ushave a collective interest inwhat happens to us and our dear

country. We are all committedto seeing that what is proper isdone. I was Governor; I knowthe constitution says that youwill direct the police commis-sioner in your state to handlethe security situation butwhere he may decide that whatyou are asking him to do is notin public interest, he may de-cline. You also have the optionto report him to the Police Coun-cil.

Do not forget the history of thiscountry. The policing was donein such a way that the NativeAuthorities had their police; theRegional governments had policeexcept the East I think. Later, be-cause of abuses, the whole systemwas centralized. Also because ofprolonged military rule, mostof these powers that would havebeen devolved to the states werenow centralised. In the Consti-tutional review exercise we aredoing, there is the pressure todevolve some of these powers tothe federating units of thiscountry.

But people are afraid that ifyou give the governors powersto have their police, they willuse the powers to harass the op-position. This is a genuine fearbecause it has happened in thepast when opposition memberswere arrested indiscriminatelyand put into jail. They were alsorestricted from carrying outtheir legitimate campaigns andso on.

When we were at Asaba fora retreat on constitution re-view, this matter came up.Somebody raised the issue of thesituation where the Federal Po-lice were used by Presidents toremove governors. We havehad a situation where five leg-islators in a House of 21 mem-

I have no problem with Tinubu, Akume

bers signed a notice of impeach-ment and the police moved in.And so you have abuses. But itis a matter of putting up mea-sures and mechanisms that willstop these abuses.

We are in the 21st Centuryand you can see what is happen-ing in other parts of the world.Some people have been arrested;powerful people have beenpicked up and taken to remoteparts where they have been puton trial. Some have been jailedand many have died there. So ifyou think you are so powerful,you should stop to think that oneday you may be made to answerfor your actions.

Curiously the Northerngovernors have said they don’twant the state police. They aresaying that they be allowed tocontrol the federal police intheir states; but you see, he whopays the piper also calls thetune. It is a little bit tricky but Ido not know how they want togo ahead with that. In the finalanalysis, security is a matterfor all of us. There are somestates where despite the presentarrangements; you don’t haveany serious security problems.

In other states, you have seri-ous challenges. In other states,the breaches are not as pro-nounced but they are there. Sofor me, if it is the wish of thepeople and the position of ourparty that we should have statepolice, it is fine.

On the issue of the generalinsecurity in the country, it isvery worrisome. It is giving usa bad name internationally.The destruction is enormous interms of materials and humanlife. I recall during the Obasanjodays, we also had problems inthe Niger Delta. It took the de-termination of the Yar Aduagovernment to sort that out.

From the best of what wehave been told by experts, BokoHaram started as a disgruntledgroup and those who started itmay have more to say. Many ofyou may have travelled to somestates of the north and you cansee the havoc and destructionwhich is being caused by deser-tification; there is the lack ofpower and the collapse of indus-tries so you have a large groupof unemployed people in mil-lions. This is not in the interestof this country.

I suggest that the Federalgovernment should inject a lotof funds into agriculture in thenorth in the form of a marshalplan. If you do that, I think youwill minimize the problem ofBoko Haram. I am saying thisbecause food runs hand in handwith security. We are lucky inthis country because we pro-duce much of what we eat. In1992 in Morocco, the price ofbread was increased by only 1cent and there were massiveriots on the streets.

By investing in agriculture,we will be killing two birds withone stone. We will be producingfood to feed ourselves; providingemployment and taking care ofour security. I do not look at theBoko Haram issue from thepoint of view of politics at all. Igave you the example of theNiger Delta. I look at it as anunfortunate situation whichwas not created by us but whichhas been exploited by selfishpeople who have some grudgeshere and there. But I don’t see itas a political problem at all.

What is your relation-ship with Governor Suswamwho your party lost in the2012 election?

For your information wewon that election. That is whyour case was not heard. ProfStephen Ugba of ACN won thatelection and his case was notheard at all. People took coverunder 180 days. I have noth-ing personal against GabrielSuswam. It is a question of po-litical differences; nothing per-sonal. I pray for him every dayjust as I pray for everybody in-cluding those involved in evilplans against me.

So what is your impres-sion on his style of leader-ship?

Well every governor has hisown style. He has won manyawards from different organi-zations, even from the media;best in this, best in that and soon. Based on these, you cansay they are moving onsteadily in Benue state. I havenot been to Benue for sometime, so I cannot say. But thereis what we call appearance andthen reality. You in the mediaare a very strong voice. Werespect you. I want to appealto you go to Benue state andtell us what is the reality onthe ground.

As an opposition leaderin the Senate, how wouldyou rate the administra-tion of President Jonathan?

I will like to say he is not do-ing enough. Look at the secu-rity situation in the country. Itis a very big dent on his admin-istration. You look at the situa-tion of fuel subsidy and youknow that he is not doingenough.

Contd from Pg 2

By investing in agriculture, wewill be killing two birds with one

stone. We will be producingfood to feed ourselves;

providing employment andtaking care of our security.

“

Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu

PAGE 4 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

JTF recovers highprofile arms in Borno

News

Jonathan urges African leaders toemulate Atta Mills’ leadership qualities

WAEC releases2012 SSSCE results

T h e May/June 2012 WestAfrican Senior SchoolCertificate Examination

(WASSCE) result released by theexamination body, West AfricanExamination Council (WAEC)yesterday has shown as increaseof about 8percent from last year’sperformance.

The head of the NigeriaNational Office of WAEC, IyiUwadiae made this known duringthe formal announcement of therelease of the results at the council’shead quarters in Lagos.

Uwadiae disclosed that out ofthe 1,672,224 candidates that satfor the examination, 649,156representing 38.81percentobtained credits in five subjects andabove including English Languageand Mathematics, which is anincrease of about 8percent to the30.91percent recorded in 2011.

T h e Joint Military TaskForce (JTF) yesterday saidits operatives had

conducted a successful operationwhen they raided a hide-out ofsuspected terrorists in Maiduguri,the Borno state capital andrecovered high profile arms andammunition.

This came less than two weeksafter a similar incident in whichthe JTF intercepted a Hilux vanloaded with assorted high profileweapons including eight rocketpropelled grenades (RPG) and itsaccessories as well as 2 AK 47 rifles,among others at Daban Masara, aborder town between Nigeria andChad in Monguno localgovernment area of Borno state.

In the latest incident, itemsrecovered at a compound

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru,Maiduguri

suspected to be the hide-out of theterrorists comprised of four AK 47rifles, a set of a general purposemachine gun (GPMG), nine rapidpump guns, (RPGs). Others were1,032 rounds of ammunition,three magazines of AK 47 rifles andthree wooden butts.

Field Operation Commander ofthe JTF, Col. Victor Ebhaleme, whodisplayed the arms to newsmen,said the recovery was made possiblefollowing a new operationaltactics, which were devised by thetask force and tagged"Humanitarian Line of Operation"against the Boko Haram sect.

According to Col. Ebhaleme, thenew tactics entail encouragingmembers of the public to give usefulinformation on the hide-out ofsuspected militants or presence ofarms as all information given will betreated with utmost confidentiality.

“Some good Samaritans gaveJTF a clue on the presence of somesuspected members of the BokoHaram sect, a team of soldiers weredeployed to the area and raided acompound where some men werearrested and that a thoroughsearch conducted in the house ledto the recovery of the arms”, he

added.He described the recovery as a

major breakthrough, saying "theJTF wishes to once again appeal tomembers of the public to provideuseful information to securityagencies in order to stop the spateof killings in the state".

The field operation commanderalso announced the arrest of twopersons for allegedly sendinganonymous threat text messagesto several individuals, demandinga specified sum of money.

“We apprehended twosuspected fraudsters, who wereinvolved in sending anonymoustext messages to individualsthreatening to kill them shouldthey fail to keep a certain amountof money at a particular spot.Whoever receives such threat,should always report same tosecurity agencies early enough forprompt action,'' Ebhaleme advised.

Impeachment threat not northern agenda,says Southern Forum

T h e Southern SolidarityForum (SSF) has called onthe Federal Government to

explore the options of dialogue andmassive job creation as solutionsto the twin problems of kidnappingand Boko Haram attacks in the

country.Rising from a meeting in

Calabar yesterday, the SSF, whichis an umbrella platform for allpolitical pressure groups inSouthern Nigeria, called on all thearms of government to saveNigeria from disintegration asserious security challenges andunhealthy political intrigues raisethe stakes ahead of the 2015elections.

According to a communiquésigned by the group’s Secretary-General, Prof. Henry Onyeke, theSSF stated that, “severe security,political challenges are pushingour great country to the brink.”

It continued: “The SouthernSolidarity Forum hereby calls onthe three tiers of government –(the executive, legislature and thejudiciary) to rise up to theirresponsibilities and save Nigeriafrom disintegration.”

The body further called onPresident Goodluck Jonathan to“as a matter of urgency address

the issue of corruption”, notingthat “the aforementioned hasdestroyed the corporate image ofNigeria and has contributedimmensely to the dwindlingfortunes of millions of Nigerians.”

On the impeachment threat tothe President by the House ofRepresentatives, the SSF dismissedthe belief in some quarters that itwas a northern agenda targetingderailment of the Jonathanadministration.

“We hereby condemn the beliefin some quarters that it is anorthern agenda aimed atderailing his government. SSFcommends the President andMinister of Finance, Dr. NgoziOkonjo-Iweala on the patrioticways they have been handling theissue and urge them not to allowsycophants misguide them.

“We plead with the leadershipof the House of Representatives toback-down from theirimpeachment threat and showpatriotism in the interest of peace

and stability of the country.” On the nation’s security

situation, the SSF appealed to theFederal Government to engagemilitants in the north and angryyouths in the South-East in adialogue.

“We hereby appeal to theFederal Government to engagemilitants in the north and angryyouths in the South-East in adialogue aimed at achievinglasting peace in the two regions.

“We believe strongly that onlydialogue can solve the Boko Haraminsurgency in Northern Nigeriaand kidnapping in the South-East.We urged the Federal Governmentto provide jobs for millions of youthsin the country who constitute over70 per cent of our population.”

The Forum condemned theraging press war between formerMilitary President, GeneralIbrahim Babangida (rtd) andprominent Ijaw leader, Chief EdwinClark and appealed to the duo to stopinciting people from their regions.

.Says dialogue, jobs will solve insecurityBy Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

By Augustine Aminu, withagency reports

A heavy downpouryesterday that followed acrash involving 12

vehicles near Karu Bridge alongAbuja-Keffi Road, worsenedcommuters woes as the reoccurringgridlock on the road got to its peakat the evening rush hours, causinga total lockdown on the road.

The gridlock which started atpoint of the place where the multiple-accident occurred when alumberjack conveying anexcavator had a burst tyre, around4 pm on Thursday, stretched downto the Power

House/Water Board Junction inthe nation’s capital city.

Following the incident,commuters plying the route,especially those leaving work placesin Abuja back to Nasarawa state,were stranded at different bus stopsaround Eagle Square, Area 1 Wuse,and Central

Business District of Abuja asthere were no commercial vehicleson the roads.

However, few transporterswilling to dare the road, cashed inon the development by hiking theirfares up to 50 and 80 percentrespectively, forcing those whocould not afford the fee to resort totrekking.

However, some commuterswho had boarded vehicles droppedoff and continued their journey onfoot when vehicular movementcame to a standstill.

Meanwhile, our reportergathered that the Deputy CorpsPublic Education Officer of theFederal Road Safety Corps, Mr. BisiKazeem, who confirmed themultiple accident through a textmessage dispatched to the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN), said acommercial motor-cyclist died andsix others sustained injuries fromthe accident.

P r e s i d e n t GoodluckJonathan yesterday inAccra, Ghana, extolled

the virtues of Late GhanaianPresident, John Atta Mills, urgingAfrican leaders to emulate thesterling leadership qualities of thedeparted African leader.

Speaking during the finalfuneral rites of Atta Mills at theAccra Stadium, Jonathan alsoapplauded and recommended toemerging democracies on the

continent, the smooth and prompttransfer of presidential power toPresident John DramaniMahama following the death ofAtta Mills on July 24.

Jonathan hailed thesignificant legacy of stable andenduring democratic institutionsof governance established andnurtured since 1992 in Ghana.

He described the late Atta Millsas a “dependable leader, an affablegentlemen, soft spoken but firm,a self assured man of honour andof intellect who loved his country,

his continent, his race and whoserved humanity with all hisheart.”

The President assuredMahama and the people of Ghanaof Nigeria’s continued brotherlysolidarity and friendship.

Among the dignitaries thatattended the historic state burialwere U.S. Secretary of States,Hillary Rodlam Clinton,Chairman of AU and President ofBenin Republic, Boni Yayi, andformer UN Secretary-General,Kofi Anan.

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

Heavy downpours,accidents worsencommuters’ woeson Abuja-KeffiroadBy Stanley Onyekwere

President Goodluck Jonathan

Speaker Aminu WaziriTambuwal

CAS Lt.Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 5

News

Kano students threaten showdownover unpaid scholarshipsT he National Association of

Kano State Students(NAKASS), Bayero

University chapter, hasthreatened to disrupt peace in thecity during the forthcoming Eid-el-Fitr if the state governmentfails to pay the scholarshipallowances due to its members.

The students made their

AFAN blamesherdsmen/farmers clasheson boundaryadjustments

From Edwin Olofu, Kano

T h e All FarmersAssociation of Nigeria(AFAN), has blamed

clashes between cattle rearersand farmers on boundarydistortions due to state creation.

Mr. Ike Ubaka, the deputypresident of AFAN, said this inan interview with the NewsAgency of Nigeria (NAN) inAbuja on Friday.

“There used to be grazingroutes which had water pointsand markets along the routes.

“The study we carried outdiscovered that the creation ofstates and local governmentsdestabilised the grazing routes;the shift in boundaries distortedthe grazing routes.

“Some of the herdsmen evenreported that they were forced topay taxes before crossing someboundaries.”

He said that the creation ofpasture land by stategovernments would help to curbpersistent clashes between farmersand herdsmen in the country.

Ubaka said that a wellestablished ranch could helpstation nomads and theiranimals for grazing as well asboost business strategy.

He described the recurringclashes as an “economic waste”that could be corrected bydeveloping the communitieswithin local governments.

“The pasture land must bedeveloped within communitiesin the sense that you have tostation the animals, feed them onconcentrated feeds instead ofgoing to look for pasture.

“If there’s an open field, wecan now have a water fountain,plant grass that will develop intowhat the animals consume.

“If the pasture lands areestablished, it can be rented outto the nomads for a period of timeespecially at the peak of dryseason…”

NAN reports that farmersrepeatedly complain that grazinganimals stroll into theircroplands to destroy their cropsjust as herdsmen always try tosecure good grazing sites for theiranimals.

These opposing needs oftenlead to conflict between bothsides, sometimes leading to lossof lives and destruction ofproperty. (NAN)

A hearse carries the body of late President John Atta Mills

position known during a peacefulprotest in Kano on Friday.

During the protest, the youthin their hundreds were chantinganti-government slogans; theydescribed the state governmentas insensitive in not payingallowances amounting to severalmillions of naira in the last threeyears.

The students, also in a letteraddressed to the commissioner,

Ministry of Higher Education,Farouk Sambo Iya, signed by itspresident and secretary JamiluGarba Ibrahim and ZaharadeenUsman respectively, issued thegovernment a one-weekultimatum to settle theallowances or face street protests.

The letter reads in part: “BUKstudents have given Kano stategovernment a maximum of oneweek to settle the students so as

to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitrhappily; otherwise students willcome out in mass to protest fortheir rights”.

In a reaction, however, theDirector, CommunicationStrategy and Public Relations tothe Kano state governor, HaliluBaba Dantiye, dismissed thethreats as uncalled for; addingthat the issue has been addressedby the government.

NNPC recruits595candidates

T h e Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation(NNPC), announced a

final figure of 595 candidates thatwere successful and recruitedafter painstaking interviewsessions and due diligenceassessment based on the criteriaof merit, catchment area andnational spread.

Briefing newsmen yesterdayin Abuja at the inductionceremony for the new intakes,the Group Managing DirectorEngr. Andrew Yakubu, restatedthat the 2010 recruitmentexercise stands as one of the mostpainstaking and transparentrecruitment ever conducted inthe history of the corporation togive Nigerians equal opportunityto aspire for available vacanciesin the service of the corporation.

According to Yakubu, a recordof 269,376 applications werereceived out of which 44,239candidates were shortlisted foraptitudes test, while 18% of theshortlisted candidates did notshow up for the test.

By Muhammad Nasir

Senator donates to flood victims Build Nigeria initiative decries lack of unity

Our projects will be contractor-financed – Aviation Minister

T h e Minister for Aviation,Princess Stella Oduah, hastold the Chinese Business

Community that all projectscontained in the investmentbaskets currently beingmarketed through the Investors'Road-show are to be executedunder the Contractor-FinancedBusiness Model and not throughconcessioning or the PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP)business model as obtained in thepast.

The Minister who made theposition of government knownduring the Investors' Forum in

Beijing, China, said the ministrywas looking for investors who areinterested in investing in theNigeria Aerotropolis Cities andthe aviation sector in generalwho will partner with Nigerianindigenous investors in growingthe aviation industry in thecountry.

Asked if the ministry isconsidering the PPP option as itspreferred business model, theminister said what thegovernment is "actually lookingfor is contractor-financedinvestors who can finance theprojects while the government

provides the enablingenvironment; we are looking forinvestors that can have jointventures with our local,indigenous companies wheretogether, they can contractor-finance the various projects", shestated.

Meanwhile, several Chinesecompanies are currentlyscrambling for investmentopportunities in the nation'saviation sector. Generating ahuge amount of interest is theconstruction of new airportterminals, Aerotropolis cities aswell as airport IT infrastructure.

…As Chinese investors scrambleFrom Suleiman Idris, Lagos

A s part of the effort atproviding the dividends ofdemocracy to the

electorate, the Senatorrepresenting Kebbi centralsenatorial district in the NationalAssembly, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu,has donated relief materials worthmillions of naira to the recent floodvictims in the state capital, BirninKebbi.

Handing over the relief packageto the acting governor, AlhajiIbrahim K. Aliyu at the cabinetoffice, the representative of the

From Ahmed Idris, Birnin KebbiSenator, Alhaji MuhammaduNayaya, registered his heartfeltsympathy to the government,victims and people of the state overthe unfortunate incident.

He then announced the donationof 1200 bags of cement, 200bundles of roofing sheets, 300 packsof assorted nails and N1 million cashfor onward distribution to theaffected victims.

Receiving the items, the actinggovernor thanked the Senator forthe gesture and described him as aleader who has the interest of hispeople at heart while calling onothers to emulate him.

T h e National Coordinator,Build Nigeria Initiative,Prince Hope Lawson has

observed that the country is fastlosing its unity and attributed thisto poor leadership.

Prince Lawson who made thislamentation during a courtesyvisit on the Speaker, Benue StateHouse of Assembly, Mr. DavidIorhemba, said it is required of goodleadership to listen to the governed.

The Coordinator intimated theSpeaker that the state has been

chosen to flag off a national tourbecause of its strategic position asthe home of peace and center of thecountry. He solicited the supportof the House to make theforthcoming programme asuccess.

Responding, the Speaker whoalso acknowledged that there arecracks in the nation caused by theactivities of terrorists, noted thatthere is dire need to rebuild thecountry, adding “the initiative isapt at this time especially as thegoverned no longer appreciatevalues nor have regard for laws”.

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 6

NewsKidnapping: Lawyersprotest in AsabaL a w y e r s in Asaba, on

Friday, took to the streetsin protest against Monday’s

kidnap of a judge of the state’s HighCourt, disrupting courts’proceedings in the process.

The lawyers, under the auspicesof the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA)and numbering more than 40,barricaded Magistrates Courtspremises on Ibusa Road, at 8.30 am.

No resolution on sacked – Oyo House committee chair

YOUWIN haslifted myenterprise—Beneficiary

They also barred court workersand magistrates from entering thecourt halls.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) recalls that the judge,Justice Marcel Okoh, was allegedlyabducted by a gang of armed menat Abraka, Ethiope East localgovernment area of Delta state onhis way to Warri.

A Chief Magistrate, Mr.

Sylvester Ehikwe, and someworkers, who were already in theiroffices were forced to abandon theirduties by the protesting lawyers.

The lawyers said that therewould be no court sittings in the statetill the judge was released.

Twenty-four detainees brought tothe court by prisons officials for theirvarious cases were also turned backby the protesting lawyers. (NAN)

From Inumidun Ojelade,Ibadan

O n e of the beneficiaries ofthe first edition ofFederal Government’s

Youth Enterprise with Innovationin Nigeria (YOUWIN)programme, Ojonoka OpaluwaUjorha, has stated that theprogramme has expanded herinterior decoration company,Raina Interior, into a bigenterprise.

Recounting her journey to theprize and how she intends to fulfilthe mandate of YOUWIN, Ujorha,a degree holder in Statistics fromAbubakar Tafawa BalewaUniversity, Bauchi, said shestarted the business four years ago,not having all that is required toachieve her vision.

She explained that despite herdogged determination and plansto get the business off the ground,it was not long before it dawned onher that she had to find a way toget the resources required toachieve the goals.

Speaking further, she said afriend told her of the YOUWINbusiness plans competition and thegrant, which she applied for,adding that though she expectedthe ‘Nigerian factor’ to apply, shewas amazed to have made it to thefinal stage and was invited tocollect her first tranche of funds asone of the winners.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

C h a i r m a n of the ad-hoccommittee constituted bythe Oyo State House of

Assembly to review cases of the3,000 workers recently sackedby the state government, Hon.Segun Ajanaku, has said that the

Assembly has not passed anyresolution calling on theexecutive arm to reabsorb thesacked workers.

Ajanaku, in a statementissued in Ibadan on Thursday,said his committee had not evensubmitted its report to theAssembly on the affectedworkers.

Yorubaelders warnBoko Haramagainstmovement toSouthWest

T h e Yoruba Council ofElders (YCE), onThursday, warned the

Boko Haram sect not to attemptspreading the violencesouthwards.

The YCE, also known as IgbimoAgba Yoruba, spoke withjournalists through its publicitysecretary, Yemi Falade at the endof the meeting, explained that thesecurity challenge being faced bythe country was discussed duringthe meeting.

According to him, the meetingfollowed the strike by the sect inKogi state during which some peoplewere killed in their place of worship.

He said the group tookcognizance of the implication of theattack in Kogi state on the South-Western part of the country as thenext and neighbouring zone to thestate through Ekiti state, assuringthat all the necessary mechanismsto ward off any invasion by thosehe described as dissidents, havebeen put in place.

From Inumidun Ojelade,Ibadan

Terminal benefits: Minister calls on NLC to help trace workers’ contributions

I n its effort to bring developmentto the country, the NigerianArmy Research and

Development Centre plan toarmoured in a scale that would attractpatronage from other countries.

The Commander HeadquartersTraining and Doctrine Command

Army tasks self on Research and DevelopmentFrom Iliya Garba, Minna

T h e Arewa ConsultativeForum (ACF), has accusedthe National Universities

Commission (NUC) of marginalisingthe North in the award ofpresidential scholarships forinnovation and development.

A press statement in Kadunayesterday by the ACF NationalPublicity Secretary, Anthony Sani,alleged that the NUC givespreference to the South.

According to a statement, “theattention of the Arewa ConsultativeForum has been drawn to a mostcurious list of candidates publishedin the newspapers this week who are

North marginalised in presidential scholarships —ACFsaid to have qualified for the awardof a presidential scholarship forinnovation and development.

“It is a project beingimplemented by the NationalUniversities Commission and thescheme is designed to train anddevelop young Nigerians to becomeentrepreneurs, capable of creatingjobs, wealth and progress.

“However, although the listreleased by the NUC is on a state bystate basis, it is not at all clear thatthe Commission wanted candidatesto come from all parts of the country.

“Oyo state, for example, has 52candidates while, Sokoto, Yobe, CrossRiver and the FCT have nilcandidates each. The list itself isexplanatory.

If it is a mistake, NUC should takeimmediate steps to correct it. Aspresently implemented, it is adisservice to the very objective forwhich the scheme was set up and toour aspirations as a people”.

Assistant (Media), Mr. OgbuaguAnikwe, stated that “The NLCyesterday (Wednesday) reportedlyissued a 7-day ultimatum forgovernment to pay PHCN workerstheir alleged 25 percentcontribution to theirSuperannuation Scheme asterminal benefits as well aswithdraw security from PHCNinstallations, failing whichorganised labour would embark ona nation-wide strike.

The Ministry of Powerexpresses the readiness of thegovernment to promptly pay

the 25 percent contributions assoon as all parties are able toestablish the whereabouts of thefunds so far contributed byworkers of the PHCN. For theumpteenth time, let it be statedthat the government has noproblem with PHCN workersgetting the money they havecontributed under theirSuperannuation Scheme. ThePHCN Superannuation Schemeis managed by the PHCNmanagement and the leadershipof the three Unions in the sectorwho are the trustees…”

From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

T h e Minister for Power,Prof. Barth Nnaji,yesterday called on the

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) tohelp government trace thecontributions which Power HoldingCompany of Nigeria (PHCN)workers are alleged to have beenmaking as part of their terminalbenefits.

The money, running intobillions of Naira, is said to be missing.

Prof. Nnaji, in a statementsigned last night by his Special

By Udenna Orji

“The insinuation thatGovernor Abiola Ajimobi hasrefused to comply with a so-calledHouse resolution calling for thereinstatement of the sackedworkers is far from the truth. It isa blatant lie because mycommittee has not evensubmitted its report to theHouse”, he stated.

From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

Nigerian Army, Minna, MajorGeneral Joseph Okunbor who madethis known on Thursday, during theSecond Quarter Conference 2012 heldin TRADOC NA Officers’ Mess, saidthe year conference is to broaden thearmy’s understanding towardsexploiting good potentials for thedevelopment of the nation.

Okunbor recollected that during

Nigerian Air force Conference, variousprototype items developed by R&Dwere displayed and advised in thesame vein that prototypes bedeveloped by different NA corps R&Ds’in future conferences.

He charged members of NigerianArmy to always reappraise their focuson research and development thatwould move the country forward.

Rumbles as Plateau Assemblyplot Speaker’s impeachment

A n x i e t y is building up atPlateau House ofAssembly over alleged

plans by some aggrieved membersof the House to effect changes inthe leadership of the House led bySpeaker John Clark Dabwan.

Investigation revealed that themajority of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) whodominate House are bent onimpeaching the Speaker Dabwanon the allegations of weakleadership and romance with theexecutive arm. Furtherinvestigations revealed that thatmost of the lawmakers are rootingfor the return of the immediate

past Speaker of the House, Hon.Istifanus Mwansat. Mwansat wasSpeaker of 6th Assembly till theend of the Assembly but theleadership of PDP and state thegovernment were alleged to haveopposed his return as Speaker,hence the nomination and electionof Hon. Dabwan who defected fromthe Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) to PDP.

Peoples Daily gathered that theface-off between the lawmakersand their Speaker came to publicknowledge recently when theSpeaker alegedly influenced theremoval the Clerk of the House,Mrs. Helen Chundusu, DeputyClerk and the Deputy Sergeant AtArms.

President Goodluck Jonathan

ACF National PublicitySecretary, Mr. Anthony Sani

Prof. Berth Nnaji

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 7

Kada NewsKaduna re-trains 4,600primary school teachersStories by Agaju Madugba,Kaduna

Kaduna PHCN workers embark onspecial prayers over entitlements

As part of measures aimedat enhancing the qualityof its teachers, the

Kaduna state government saysit has embarked on the re-training of about 4,600teachers, in mathematics andscience education programmesof the National Teachers’Institute (NTI).

According to GovernorPatrick Ibrahim Yakowa, theproject is being mounted withsupport from the JapanInternational Cooperation

Agency (JICA), in collaborationwith the State Universal BasicEducation Board.

Yakowa who spoke at aworkshop for evaluators, headteachers and local governmentsupervisors of education onquality assurance evaluation,in Kaduna South localgovernment area, noted thatgovernment has also provided978,444 textbooks in four coresubjects in primary schools and38,000 resource materials forjunior secondary schools in thestate.

He said: “I wish to commendthe Federal Ministry ofEducation, through the Federal

Inspectorate Service (F.I.S), forthe zeal towards the productionand review of the UniformEducation Quality AssuranceHandbook Nigeria.

“This major work hasresulted in a paradigm shiftfrom the traditional inspectionpractices to a holistic approach.

”The Quality AssuranceEvaluation involves the processof monitoring, assessing andevaluating as objectively aspossible, all aspects of school life.

“It communicates theoutcome to stakeholders withthe view of improvingstandards in our schools andthis initiative of F.I.S in

supporting states to trainevaluators is commendable andI believe it will go a long way inimproving the quality ofevaluation in our various states.

“The Kaduna state TaskTeam on Quality Assurance,made up of all stakeholders ineducation service delivery, hastrained master trainers and hasproduced 2,000 copies of boththe handbook and instrumenton quality assurance, to aid thetraining of evaluators in thestate.

”Government is alsocontinuing with the renovationof existing structures,constructing new classrooms,providing science and technicalequipment, ICT facilities as wellas instructional materials, toenhance the quality ofeducation in the state and thishas ensured a higher enrolmentand retention rates in mostschools”.

Kadunastate localgovernmentelection Bill:ACN kicks

The Kaduna statechapter of the ActionCongress of Nigeria

(ACN), has described the,recent passage of the KadunaState Local GovernmentElection Bill by the House ofAssembly as callous anddishonourable.

A press statement by theKaduna state ACNchairman, BarristerMohammed Soba,condemned the two-yeartenure for local governmentcouncils arguing that thedevelopment is contrary toestablished democraticpractice envisaged by theConstitution.

According to the ACN,“our position is strengthenedby the fact that when thestakeholders were invited bythe Kaduna State House ofAssembly to a one-day publichearing on the said Bill on the11th of June, 2012, nothingwas said about reducing thetenure of the elected officialsof local governments fromthree to two years.

“Kaduna state legislatorsshould know that the issue oftenure of elected governmentofficials is not one that shouldbe decided by a few greedyand misguidedrepresentatives, acting thescript of a desperate politicalparty without recourse to theelectorate.

“We reject the two-yeartenure and call on GovernorPatrick Yakowa to come outclean on this legislative fraudby refusing to assent to thesuspicious Bill that has all thepotentials to enslave the goodpeople of Kaduna state andrubbish the localgovernment system”.

Yakowa disturbed over socialmedia reportage of KadunaKaduna state Governor,

Patrick IbrahimYakowa, has described

social media reporting of thearea as unethical, urging theleadership of the NigerianUnion of Journalists (NUJ) tointervene and correct theperceived lapses.

Speaking when the NUJpresident, Mohammed Garba,visited the Governor oncourtesy call at theGovernment House onThursday, Yakowa insistedthat the NUJ should addresswhat he described as theethical issues in the union.

According Yakowa, themedia ought to assist thenation to overcome thecurrent state of insecurity andbe counted among institutionsthat are committed to tacklingthe problem.

“Peace is crucial tenablegovernment at all levelsdeliver on the othercomponents of governance,”

Yakowa said, adding that themedia should be in a positionto bail Nigeria out of theprevailing difficult securitysituation in the country.

He said, “it is in the light ofthis that I want you, to use theNUJ and help to contribute topeace building in the nation.

“We really need to findways to resolve our differencesin Nigeria because we have noother country to call our own,”

He noted that hisgovernment has set up a peaceand reconciliationcommittee, comprisingeminent citizens of the state,to assist in providing a lastingsolution to the securitychallenges in Kaduna.

Speaking earlier, the NUJpresident explained that hewas in Kaduna tocommiserate with thegovernment over the recentdisturbances in the state.

According to him, theNigeria Guild of Editors,

(NGE), the NewspapersProprietors Association ofNigeria (NPAN) and otherstakeholders in the media

industry will soon discuss onthe way forward for Nigeriaregarding the currentsecurity challenges.

Gov. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa

Staff of the Power HoldingCompany of Nigeria (PHCN)in Kaduna, have organised

special prayers at the DokaBusiness District, for intervention

*Threaten mass actionin the payment of their 25 percententitlements and pensions beforethe proposed privatisation of thecompany.

Speaking at the programme on

According to Ishaya, theNigerian economy is not yet ripefor privatisation. Most of ourindustries are relocating to Ghanabecause of electricity supply andyet you want to privatiseelectricity.

“We prefer privateparticipation, for people to comeand participate in the generationof electricity and not to take overwhat is already on ground.

“We may be forced to call outour members to leave their placesof work, that is, to call them outfor a strike action because wehave come to understand that theonly language governmentunderstands is to call ourmembers to go on strike and thatmay be volatile, given the natureof Kaduna and that is why wedecided to embark on prayersfirst”.

Wednesday, ComradeJoseph Ishaya of theNational Union ofElectricity Employees(NUEE), accused theMinister of Power, Prof.Bart Nnaji, ofinsensitivity to the plightof the workers even as hequestioned the decision ofthe Federal Governmentto embark on theprivatisation of PHCN.

“Privatisation is notthe best option forNigeria, rather it shouldbe private participation,”he said.Barth-Nnaji

Ramadan: JNI tasksMuslims on Night of Majesty

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam(JNI) has urged Muslims tointensify their prayers

during the concluding days of themonth of Ramadan in order tobenefit from the Laylatul Qadr(Night of Majesty), expected withinthe last 10 days of the month.

A statement by the JNISecretary-General, Dr. KhalidAliyu Abubakar, said Muslimsshould exploit the period to recitemore of the Qur’an, be punctual inthe observance of obligatoryprayers, Taraweeh, Tahajjud aswell as intensify the giving of almsor Sadaqat.

According to the statement, theJNI under the leadership of HisEminence, the Sultan of SokotoAlhaji Muhammad Sa’adAbubakar, wishes to felicitate withthe Muslim Ummah in Nigeria onthe successful start of the Ramadanfast on Friday, 20th July, 2012.

“It is expected that we giveZakatul Fitr (ordained alms-givingat the end of Ramadan fast). TheJNI calls on all Muslims to give itout on time and to the needy.

“In addition, Muslims are oncemore called upon to pray ferventlyfor the peaceful co-existence ofNigeria.

“In the same vein, the JNIcommiserates with the good peopleof Okene and the Kogi stategovernment over the dastardlyterrorist act unleashed on themand equally condemns the act intotality.

“Once more, we wish allMuslim faithful happy Ramadanfast and it is our prayer thatAlmighty Allah will count usamong those whom theirRamadan fasting will be acceptedand see the celebration of theforthcoming Eid-el-Fitrsuccessfully.”

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 8

RamadanChildren are a trustto parents —Sani

The Soul of your child is like an uncut preciousjewel entrusted into your care by Allah. To you isgiven the awesome responsibility of shaping thatprecious jewel into a beautiful form, pleasing tothe eye of Allah.

In today's world, unfortunately it is a verydifficult task to raise children who are goodMuslims. But it is important to successfully fulfillthis most important Islamic duty.

Childhood, school, job,marriage, and children,practically everyone

goes through these cycles of life.The most important job afamily does is helping to guideour future generation throughthese milestones in life. This was the message handeddown by Malama HalimaSani at a lecture, during theSpeech and Prize Giving day ofHalilullah Islamic Nursery andPrimary school in Jikokocommunity in Abuja.

Sani who was Guestlecturer at the occasionindicated that parents’responsibilities for the careand upbringing of theirchildren are mentioned inseveral verses of the Quran,as well as in the Hadeeth,amongst which is givingchildren knowledge.

She reiterated that TheHoly Prophet (s) of Islam said:“Seeking knowledge isincumbent upon everyMuslim, male and female”,thus it was enjoined “seekknowledge from the cradle tothe grave”.

According to the teachings

of Islam, seeking knowledge isone of the great acts of worshipthat leads one to the path ofparadise. However, the aimbehind seeking knowledge ismore important than theknowledge itself. Seeking trueknowledge with a divine aim,for the pleasure of God andserving His creatures, leads oneto Paradise in the company ofProphets and Awliya. Butseeking knowledge for personal,mundane, or worldly motivesleads a person to ignorance, sins.

Sani appealed to parents ofthe children to ensure that theypaid their school fees as at whendue and also cater for theirwelfare because they aretreasures bestowed on us and weshall give account of ourstewardship in this regard.

“Children are a trustgiven to the parents.Parents will be heldaccountable for this truston the Day of Judgment.

Parents are essentiallyresponsible for the moral,ethical and the basic andessential religiousteachings of theirchildren.

Malama Halima Sani

your Lord, an expiation for wrongdeeds, and a shield from sin.”[Tirmidhi, and others] In somenarrations, there is an addition,“And it repels sickness from thebody.”

Ibn Mas‘ud (Ra) said, “Thevirtues of night prayer over dayprayer is like the virtue of secretcharity over open charity.”[Tabarani]

The scholars explain that thisrefers to voluntary prayers. ImamSaffarini, the Hanbali faqihexplained in his Sharh Mandhumatal-Adaab:

“Night prayer is superior today prayer because: It is moreconcealed and closer to sincerity.The righteous early Muslims(salaf) used to strive hard to hidetheir secrets [f: i.e. the actionsbetween them and Allah].”

Hasan [al-Basri] said, “Itused to be that a person would haveguests staying over and he wouldpray at night without his guests

The virtues of praying Tahajjud

Allah Most High said,“Establish worship at the going down of the sun

until the dark of the night, and(the recital of) the Qur’an at dawn.Lo! (the recital of) the Qur’an atdawn is ever witnessed. And somepart of the night awake for itsrecital, as voluntary worship foryou. It may be that your Lord willraise you to a praised estate.”[Qur’an, 17: 78-79]

Abu Hurayra (Ra) reports thatthe Prophet (Sallallahu AlaihiWasallam) said, “The best prayerafter the obligatory prayers is thenight prayer.” [Muslim]

Abu Hurayra (Ra) reports thatthe Prophet (Sallallahu AlaihiWasallam) was asked, “Whatprayer is most virtuous, after theobligatory prayers?” He said,“Prayer in the depths of the night.”[Muslim, Abu Dawud,Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah]

Abd Allah ibn Salam (Ra)reports that the Prophet(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said,“O people! Spread the salams, feedothers, maintain family ties, andpray at night when others sleepand you will enter Heaven safely.”[Tirmidhi, Hakim]

Abu Umama al-Bahili (Ra)reports that the Prophet(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said,“Hold fast to night prayer, for itwas the way of the righteous beforeyou, a way of drawing closer to

knowing.”And because night prayer is

harder on the lower self, becausenight is a time of rest from the tireof day, so leaving sleep despite thelower self being desirous of it is atremendous struggle (mujahada).Some have said, “The best of worksare those the lower self is forced toperform.”

And because recitation innight prayer is closer tocontemplation, because thingsthat busy the heart are mostlyabsent at night, so the heart ismore attentive and is with thetongue in understanding, asAllah Most High said, “Lo! Thenight vigil is (a time) whenimpression is more keen andspeech more certain. [Lo! Youhave by day a chain of business.So remember the name of yourLord and devote yourself with acomplete devotion.]” (Qur’an,73: 6-7) It is because of this thatwe have been commanded torecite the Qur’an in night prayerin a steady recital (tartil).

And it is because of this thatnight prayer is a shield from sin.

And because night vigil timeis the best of times for voluntaryworship and prayer, and theclosest a servant is to his Lord.

And because it is a time whenthe doors of the sky are opened,supplications answered, and theneeds of those who ask fulfilled.

Laylatul Qadr: Night of power, crowning gloryLaylatul Qadr is thecrowning glory of the holymonth of Ramadan. It isassociated with the sendingdown of the Qur’an Majeed, thelast Book of Allah on His lastProphet Muhammad(Sallallaahu AlayhiWasallam), for the guidance ofmankind. The Qur’an Majeeddescribes this Night.“We have indeed revealed this(message) in the Night of Power:And what will explain to youwhat the Night of Power is? TheNight of Power is better than athousand months. Therein comedown the Angels and the Spirit(Jibraeel) by Allah’s permission,on every errand: Peace! Thisuntil the rise of Morn!” (Surah97)The Night of Power is the nightof spiritual bliss. Our Nabi(Sallallaahu AlayhiWasallam) is reported to havesaid concerning Ramadhaan:“Verily this month has come toyou; and therein is a night whichis better than a thousandMonths. Whosoever is deprivedof it, is deprived of all good; andnone is deprived of its goodexcept a totally unfortunateperson”. (Ibn Majah)“Whosoever stands up (inprayer) at the Night of Power outof faith and hopeful of reward,all his past sins will beforgiven.”(Targhib)

Better than a thousandmonths

A thousand months areequivalent to 83 years and4 months. Fortunate is the

person who spends this night inprayer. The man or woman, whoprays for the whole night duringthis Night, will deserve blessingsand reward for the period as if heor she had been praying for eightythree years and four monthsconsecutively. Since the Night ofPower is better than one thousandmonths no one can actuallymeasure the extent as to howmuch better it is.

ExclusiveThe Holy Prophet Muhammad

(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)said: “Laylatul Qadr has beenbestowed by Allah to my Ummah(People). It was not given to anypeople before this.” (Dur-Mansoor).

How manifest and replete thespecial bounties and mercies ofAllah Ta’ala are upon this Ummatis quite really beyond imagination.It will therefore be extremely foolishto allow ourselves to be deprived ofthese great blessings at the expenseof sheer laziness and a few hours ofextra sleep.

Which Night is it?Although there are different

reports in different traditionsregarding the exact night, it isalmost unanimous that the blessednight occurs in one of the last tennights of Ramadhaan and moreprobably in one of the last ten oddnights i.e. 2lst, 23rd, 25th 27th or29th night.

The popular opinion is,however, in favour of the 27thNight of Ramadhaan but that is notabsolutely certain.

The traditions indicate that itis to be sought in one of the last tennights and preferably in the lastthree odd nights.

It was therefore the practice ofthe Holy Prophet (SallallaahuAlayhi Wasallam) and hiscompanions to make I’tikaaf in theMosque for the whole time offeringDivine service during the last tendays of Ramadhaan.

Hazrath Aisha (RadhiallaahuAnha) reported that the Apostle ofAllah said: “Search for theBlessed Night in the odd (nights)from the last ten (nights) ofRamadhaan” (Bukhari).

Hazrath Aisha has narratedanother saying:

“I asked: O Messenger of Allah!Tell me if I were to find a Night ofPower, what should I recite therein?”Holy Prophet Muhammad(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)advised her to recite:

Al-laa-hum-ma in-na-ka‘afoow-wan tu-hib-bul-’af wafa-fu ‘an-ni.

O Allah! You are Forgiving,You love forgiveness, so forgiveme. (Bukhari).

Special attention shouldtherefore be given to the excessiverecitation of this dua on the blessednight. Furthermore one mayengage in lengthy rakaats ofTahajjud salaat, Tilaawat of theQur’an’ Dua, Zikr, etc.

The worship and the vigil of theNight of Power are a treat to thesoul. The heart tends to melt intotears of heartfelt gratitude. Thebody is in a state of angelic ecstasyThe soul strives to reach nearer toAlmighty Allah. In this holymonth of Ramadhaan let us striveto seek the Night of Power and itsbliss. May Allah reward us withHis bountiful blessings. Aameen.

Source: Jamiatul Ulama

PAGE 9PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

WillOgoniautonomystay?

Cover Feature

'declaration for self determination andpolitical autonomy is long awaited and theonly way to go for the Nigerian federatingpeoples, since the predatory political cartelin the country is not willing to allow theNigerian people negotiate and agree theterms of their well being at a nationalconference

The coalition of ethnic nationalitiesand social movements in Nigeria said theUnited Nations Declaration on the Rightsof Indigenous Peoples, which forms thebasis on which the Ogoni people made theirdeclaration, was adopted by the UnitedNations General Assembly during its 62ndsession at UN Headquarters in New YorkCity on 13 September 2007 with Nigeriapresent and endorsing it

PRONACO however, declared that selfdetermination and political autonomy forthe Nigerian federating units is also one ofthe key resolutions of its people's nationalconference attended by delegates of 200ethnic nationalities and social movementof the country between 2005 and 2006,stressing that what the ogoni people havedone is legitimate and not new as advancedcountries like Britain, Canada, China,USSR among others have all adopted selfdetermination principles in governing andadvancing the prosperity in theirdiversity

"The indigenous peoples and socialforces in Nigeria have been very patientwith the Nigerian government to convenea national conference where the diversepeoples forced by colonial Britain into theartificial Nigerian union can peacefullynegotiate the terms of their association butthe political cabal in its usual arrogancehas consistently bungled that grace butprefers to foist wasteful cosmetic ventureof amending the flawed 1999 imposedconstitution on the people

The only option left for the variousfederating peoples of Nigeria is to urgentlyinvoke the United Nations' charter on the

rights of the indigenous people's world over,an international law to which Nigeria is asignatory and which the Ogoni peoplehave wisely embraced" Okunniyi charged

PRONACO however advised the federalgovernment to urgently embrace theOgonis for adopting a more peaceful methodthan what obtains in the Northern Nigeria,where Nigerians have been daily murderedon the same account of the same strugglefor self determination and politicalautonomy tagged 'wider application ofIslamic laws in the northern Nigeria'

"The federal government musttherefore enter into bilateral talks with thenew political leadership of the ogoni peopleto work out in concrete terms mutualcooperation between Nigeria and theindependent people of Ogoniland as thosewho makes peaceful change impossible inthe history of the human race havealways made a violent one inevitable"PRONACO warned

However, Coalition of Oodua Selfdetermination Groups(COSEG) also statedthat unless the mirage of problemsbesieging the country vis vis, generalinsecurity, corruption, faulty federalstructure, inefficient public service andothers are addressed, the Yoruba people willalso be forced to declare self government sothat the wishes and aspirations of the peopleof Yoruba will be met.

COSEG among other groups howeverurged the federal government to alsorecognize the right of the Ogoni people toself determination and allow them theirpeace or else, it may lead to break down oflaw and order if attempts are made atdismantling their structure as thatrepresents their genuine aspiration for agovernment that will be trulyrepresentative of the Ogoni people.

Security agencies in the state - police,SSS and the Joint Military Task Forcedeclined to speak on Diigbo'spronouncement.

O goni community is again in thenews front, following itsdeclaration of political autonomy

and self-government.Led by Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, under the

auspice of the Movement for the Survivalof the Ogoni People [MOSOP], founded bythe late playwright and poet, Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was hanged by the regime oflate General Sani Abacha, which hasconsistently campaigned against theenvironmental degradation of Ogoni landby oil companies, on a day to mark theOgoni Day pronounced Republic of Ogoni.

Goodluck Diigbo said "The urgencybehind the declaration is that self-government for Ogoni was overdue in viewof many important issues bordering onindigenous rights of the Ogoni people beingtampered with now. The UNEP OgoniReport is one out of many."

"The Ogoni declaration of self-government now guarantees the Ogonipeople the right to participate in decision-making in all matters which would affecttheir rights, through representativeschosen by Ogonis in accordance with ownprocedures, as well as to maintain anddevelop all our own indigenous decision-making institutions, which we started toset up since 2011."

"It is my hope that this self-governmentwill help to provide just and fair redress todecades of deprivation of our indigenousrights," Diigbo said.

However a major crack surfaced inMOSOP following the declaration of theRepublic of Ogoni by a faction of themovement, when The Chairman ofMOSOP Provisional Council, Prof. BenNaanen, and other Ogoni leaders disownedthe declaration of 'Ogoni Autonomy Day'by Diigbo, insisting that Ogoni people arenot for sovereignty. They said all that theirpeople are interested in is the creation ofBori State out of the present Rivers andthe effective implementation of therecommendations contained in the UnitedNations Environment Programme(UNEP) report on Ogoni land, submittedto President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja

in August last year.Naanen asked Diigbo to stop deceiving

himself with his August 2 declaration andstressed that Ogoni people are not botheredabout Diigbo's activities.

The chairman of the MOSOPprovisional council also said Ogoni peopleat the congress resolved that therecommendations contained in the reportof the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) on Ogoniland mustbe implemented to the letter.

They asked government to take lawfulmeasures to check Diigbo's anti-stateactivities and protect lives and propertyin Ogoni, stressing that the cult boys beingused by Diigbo for violence constitute anenduring threat to peace in Ogoniland.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of RiversState on his part described the declarationof autonomy for the Ogoniin the state astreasonable felony.

Amaechi, argued that Diigbo's aim isnot achievable and the man will flee atthe slightest attempt to question him bythe security agencies.

"On Ogoni autonomy, I wish them well.Ogoni autonomy is not achievable. Theman (Diigbo) who declared Ogoniautonomy will run into the bush tomorrowmorning. What Diigbo is doing istreasonable felony. You do not declareautonomy on the pages of newspapers andmagazines or on radio and television."

Diigbo, an Ogoni, claims to be President/Spokesman of the Movement for theSurvival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP).

However leadership of ProNationalConference Organization, PRONACO hasbacked the declaration of the Ogoni peoplefor political autonomy and selfdetermination of their people andterritory within Nigeria

PRONACO's Spokesperson, OlawaleOkunniyi said the time has come for theindigenous peoples and federating units inNigeria to deliver their peoples andterritories from the pilfering and violentcentralized structure operating in thecountry

Okunniyi said the Ogoni peoples

Ayodele samuel takes a look at the divided house ofstruggle legend Ken Saro Wiwa, as his Ogoni communitydeclares Self-Government.

PAGE 12 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Bayelsa coat of arms, anthem,flag: Threat to national unity?

Cover

Contd on page 11

T h e recent passage of a bill for therolling out of coat of arms, stateanthem and flag by the Bayelsa

state House of Assembly has reignitedcontroversies trailing similar actions,earlier by nine other states of thefederation. But is the Bayelsa stance athreat? And what does it portend for thenation especially as one of its own; who ispresident of the country had sworn todefend the unity and territorial integrityof the nation and its constitution?

The customized insignia are to bereleased once the law establishing themis signed by the governor, Henry SeriakeDickson. The governor said the decisionwas taken to forge a common identity forthe Ijaws with the state reputed as theirhomeland, and assured it was nothingdifferent from what obtained in the othernine states that have towed a similarpath.

"In line with the vision of the foundingfathers of our dearly beloved state andgiven this administration's stand on Ijawmobilization, Ijaw integration and theneed to promote Ijaw fundamentalinterest, which clearly is not subordinateto any other interests, the government ofBayelsa state has given its approval tohave a state-owned emblem to mark andstrengthen our sense of identity as a state,"Dickson said in a statement signed by hisPress Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson.

The move brings to 10, the number ofstates with known state paraphernaliawith the rest being Lagos, Oyo, Osun,Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, Kwara, Cross Riverand Rivers states. But more than anyother state, it was a similar declarationby the Osun state government, led by theAction Congress of Nigeria's RaufAregbesola that got tongues wagging.Now the Bayelsa state move appears tobe a reckless disregard for the precariousstate of the nation.

Aregbesola had triggered a collisionbetween the state and the FederalGovernment in April, when he introduceda new anthem, coat of arm, new schooluniform and other emblems which hemaintained were meant to promote thestate culture.

More controversial in the Osun matterwas the fact that the government haddecided to change the state'snomenclature from the usual Osun stateto 'the State of Osun' which some criticssaid was unconstitutional andtantamount to secession.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)had called on the Federal Government towithhold Osun state's monthly allocationas the new name is unknown to theconstitution. The party argued that thenation's constituents listed in theconstitution never recognized 'the stateof Osun'

But the state maintained that it hasnot contravened any constitutionalprovision by changing its name to theState of Osun nor has it broken any lawby adopting different coat of arms, flagand anthem different from that of thecountry.

Federal officials viewed the move as"secessionist" and reportedly had Mr.

By Lawrence Olaoye, AbdulrahmanAbdulraheem & Edwin Olofu

Aregbesola closely monitored by theDepartment of State Security and othersecurity agencies. He was also accused ofhaving links with Islamic militantsoutside the country. The allegations werefiercely rejected by the ACN andAregbesola, who accused the federalsecurity units of "overzealousness."

Justifying its decision to behave likeOsun and the other states, the BayelsaState Governor, Henry Seriake Dicksonsaid the emblems are to brand the state,and are cardinal to the developmenteffort of the oil-rich state. "This decisionalso underscores government's beliefthat this state, like any other state, iswhere the Ijaws, the fourth largestethnic nationality in Nigeria, has as itshome. Bayelsa is home to all Ijaws bothat home and abroad," the statementsaid.

"The emblem therefore will help serveas a unifying force and rallying point forall our people. It says a lot about thepreservation of our culture, our essentialvalues as a people and as a race," SeriakeDickson declared.

What has however made the Bayelsacase more controversial is the fact thatthe President hails from there and heswore to protect the unity and integrityof the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He can'talso claim ignorance of such moves beingmade by a man he singled handedlyinstalled as governor.

The Bayelsa example is alsohappening at a time the Ogoni people arethreatening the country with secession.It would be recalled that Movement of theSurvival of Ogoni People (MOSOP)recently threatened the FederalGovernment with secession if nothing isdone about the implementation of theUNEP report on the environmentaldegradation in ogoniland.

A particular faction of the group ledby one Professor Ben Naanen hadthreatened to occupy strategic economictargets in the area if the FederalGovernment continues to stall theimplementation of the report of the UnitedNations Environment Programme(UNEP) on the devastation of the place.

On the same UNEP report, another

factional leader, Goodluck Diigbo,declared political autonomy for Ogonipeople of Nigeria and threatened to secedeif government doesn't hasten up theimplementation of the report.

He had stressed that by thisdeclaration of political autonomy, theOgoni people of Rivers state weredetermined to enforce the United NationsDeclaration on Rights of IndigenousPeoples, without fear or retreat.

Though the River state governor,Rotimi Amaechi had disowned Diigbowhile the other faction too disagreed withhim on the secession threat, the fact thatthe Bayelsa state government isestablishing its own coat of arms, anthemand flag at a time the Ogoni controversyis yet to abate may not just be a co-incidence.

It took the intervention of the Ministerof Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Mailafia todouse the tension.

The minister who briefed thePresident on her ministry's budgetperformance during the week, explainedthe progress and challenges the FederalGovernment is facing the in theimplementation of the report.

Although, she blamed the Januaryfuel subsidy strike for slowing down thereport implementation, she said theFederal Government was makingenormous efforts to ensure properimplementation of the report.

Mailafia said: "We are makingenormous efforts, I agree that thepresentation was made last year, but yourecall that just after the presentation ofthe UNEP report the country fell intosome kind of unrest due to fuel subsidyissue.

"For quite a number of weeks all of us

What has however made the Bayelsa casemore controversial is the fact that the President

hails from there and he swore to protect theunity and integrity of the Federal Republic ofNigeria. He can't also claim ignorance of such

moves being made by a man he singledhandedly installed as governor.

“

Bayelsa Government House

PAGE 13PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Cover

Bayelsa coat of arms, anthem,flag: Threat to national unity?were not doing what we should have beendoing at that time. But it is not true thatgovernment is not doing anything.

"The UNEP report highlighted someimmediate issues that needed to beaddressed; finding potable or alternativesupplies of drinking water, such asmarking out the wells that were toopolluted and doing other strategicframework activities that needed to be inplace before the implementation.

"With the support of Governor RotimiAmaechi and through the National OilSpill Remediation Agency, we havecarried out all those tasks.

A Kaduna based lawyer YahayaMahmood (SAN) has reportedly askedPresident Goodluck Jonathan to make hisposition known on the matter. He wasquoted as saying "it is time for PresidentJonathan to come out categorically to tellthe nation if he wants us to remain as oneunited country". Mahmood therefore,asked the President to caution DrGoodluck Diigbo and Asari Dokubo fortheir threat of war as well as the BayelsaState Governor and the State Assemblyfor their role.

The issue also attracted commentsfrom a constitutional lawyer, Fred Agbaje(SAN), who reportedly chided the Bayelsastate attempt, saying it is an affront onthe constitution. Agbaje who reactedfrom London, while speaking to a nationaldaily, said the move could mark thebeginning of secession.

A foremost Kano-based constitutionallawyer, Professor Auwalu Yaduduhowever said that Bayelsa stategovernment's adoption of its own flag, coatof arms and anthem is within the confinesof the law. Yadudu who spoke to ourcorrespondent on phone on the law passedby the Bayelsa state House of Assemblyadopting its own flag, coat of arms andanthem, said as far as he was concerned,the state government did not do anythingwrong.

The legal practitioner added that astate can decide to create its flag or coat ofarms, unless the action is accompaniedby an ulterior motive, citing Lagos stateand Osun as two states that have done soin the past.

He recalled that Kano state used tohave its own coat of arms when Nigeriawas divided into twelve states likewisesome northern states.

"I don't think it is a big deal if the stateHouse of Assembly passes a lawempowering the state to have its own flagor coat of arms, many have very shortmemories but when the country wasdivided into twelve states, I rememberKano state had its own coat of arms. Idon't know whether it had its own flagbut I do know for sure that it had its owncoat of arms. All the northern states hadtheir own coat of arms. It is not somethingthat you can say is illegal but I don't knowwhy people are worried.

"Bayelsa is not the only state thatstarted it, Osun and Lagos states havedone it before. Unless it is accompaniedby ulterior motives, I don't find thatunacceptable. It is perfectly within theirlegal right to do so" he stated.

Mohammed Fawehinmi, the son of

Contd from Page 10

late legal luminary and fiery Lagoslawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, also told ourreporter in the same vein that the Bayelsastate House of Assembly decision waswithin the confines of the law.

According to Fawehinmi, the legalityof the decision is covered under thefreedom of expression of any individual,group or state.

However, the Arewa ConsultativeForum (ACF) has cautioned thepresidency on the unfolding events in thesouth south, saying they could spur ethnicnationalism if not checked.

The National Publicity Secretary ofthe Forum, Mr. Anthony N.Z. Sani, saidunfolding events in the south south tendto rev up ethnic nationalism, the ACFsaid such attitude runs across the grainof unity.

According to Sani, "a few days ago, afaction of Ogoni extraction declared forpolitical autonomy and yet asked foreffective representations in all Nigerianinstitutions."

He said: "The ACF does not understandthe unfolding events in the south southwhich tend to rev up ethnic nationalismthat are larded with fissiparoustendencies. Such attitude runs across the

grain of unity".The spokesman wondered how the

Ogoni expect to be sovereign within aNigerian sovereignty, noting that "nowBayelsa state's actions are tendingtowards the same direction, all under thewatch of Mr. President, who is in a betterposition to put a stop to such centrifugalforces within the polity."

Sani expressed regret that thedevelopment is unhelpful because thereis more to gain in a united Nigeria thanin a disunited Nigeria, more so that thechallenges facing the country are notbeyond redemption, given unity ofpurpose with clear thought and moreclarity.

Speaking in the same vein, elderstatesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, said thedevelopment in Bayelsa is a "challenge toPresident Goodluck Jonathan who sworeto defend the unity and territorialintegrity of the nation and itsconstitution."

While observers disagree over thelegality and/or necessity of thedevelopment in Bayelsa state, what addsto the complaints outside the south southis the kind of statements that have beencredited to some key figures from the

region in recent times.The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples

Volunteer Force, Alhaji MujaheedDokubo-Asari, last week canvassed thedissolution of the President GoodluckJonathan's government to pave way forthe convocation of a Sovereign NationalConference, while declaring war on thenorth, as a panacea to the Boko Haraminsurgency.

It is noteworthy that since PresidentJonathan won election last year, bothAsari Dokubo and First RepublicInformation Minister, Edwin Clark havenever said anything that suggests thatthe south south region is interested inthe unity of the country. Asari Dokubohas threatened to bomb the north if theBoko Haram sect doesn't stop itscampaigns. He also threatened that themilitants will return to the creeksimmediately Jonathan finishes histenure.

As far as Edwin Clark is concerned, allthe challenges facing the country arecaused by the north. In fact, according tohim, the fact that President Jonathan hasnot been able to bring in any fresh airsince he was sworn in is becausenortherners won't allow him perform.

The way he speaks, he doesn't thinkthe Niger Deltans need Nigeria. That iswhy the latest move by Bayelsa stateHouse of Assembly is causing ripplesacross the length and breadth of thecountry.

Some analysts who do not want to bementioned have however intervened tocalm down nerves, saying that the NigerDelta people are minorities andtherefore, any threat of secession by themwill not really affect the country.According to these observers, if an ethnicgroup like the Igbo or Yoruba attemptssuch moves, it would be more cause forconcern.

However, the Arewa ConsultativeForum (ACF) has cautioned the

presidency on the unfolding events inthe south south, saying they could

spur ethnic nationalism if not checked.

“

President Goodluck Jonathan Gov. of Bayelsa state, Mr. Seriake Dickson

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 12

Public opinion and subsidy reversalBoy whose organ was cut has not beenabandoned —Commissioner of health, Malami

Interview

Dr. Sani Muhammed Malami is the Bauchi state Commissioner for health, inthis interview with our Correspondent, Ahmed Kaigama; he spoke on the problembetween his ministry and the 12 year old boy whose organ was cut off bysuspected rituals, maternal mortality and the state of some hospitals in thestate. Excerpts.

The parents later came to my office anddemanded that they should be taken abroad; I

told them that the medical doctor has notfinished examining the boy before they took thechild away. Before then, we had given the family

about N400,000,00.

“

T here has been controversyover the issue of the 12 yearold boy whose organ was cut

off by suspected rituals in LimanKatagum, which surgery the stateGovernment promised to sponsor.What came up between the ministryand his parents?

I visited the family of the boy,Governor Yuguda also visited his family,interacted with the boy and promisedthat government will take care hismedical bills and we will leave no stoneunturned to see that whoever did thatsatanic act is brought to book.Subsequently we sponsored the youngboy for treatment at the University ofMaiduguri Teaching Hospital, I am amedical doctor and I have friends in someplaces and I know for a fact, that theconsultant whom I asked to see the boyin the University of Maiduguri Teachinghospital conducted similar operationcalled organ transplantation, it is just tocreate a separate organ so that the youngboy can have control f his urination.

So what happened? The saw the doctor in Maiduguri, who

is an expert in this area, the doctoraccessed him, and said he was ready tooperate on him and could create thatorgan for him, even before he leftBauchi, I was aware, why I am takingtime to answer this question is becausethere has been insinuation that the boyhas been abandoned. As you know theboy has no say in some of those things,he was brought back to Bauchi by hisfather and the father's friend and theycame and informed me that they hadcome back from Maiduguri, but thedoctor called me to say this is anoperation he has done several times, butthat the parents said he should not do it,that the boy should be taken abroad so Iasked him to bring his report and he saidit would take one and half monthsbecause he has done extensive studies onthe boy and that usually when he iswriting a report to a doctor in the US,Belgium or Canada as it often happens,he does not like to ridicule himself.

Can you clarify this please?There are certain findings a doctor is

supposed to document because mosttimes, you write a report and it's takento Australia the person there laughs atyou, because he knows that a doctor thatknows what his doing could not havewritten such thing, that means that DrTairu has to take his time, get all theresults from the information gathered,examination of the child and thenforward it to me. The parents later cameto my office and demanded that theyshould be taken abroad; I told them thatthe medical doctor has not finishedexamining the boy before they took thechild away. Before then, we had giventhe family about N400,000,00.

What was the money for? It was a donation to the family, it

was also to help sustain them for few daysor few weeks in Maiduguri, to collect thedoctor's report, then I told them thatthey should allow us wait for the reportwhich will also be processed. Thus weneeded to rely on the doctor's opinion, onwhere this boy should go, I don't haveexpertise in planting a fresh organ onpeople , we will not send the child to a

place where they will plant a whiteman's penis on him, I don't know whatthat will imply , Dr Tairu knows theproper place to do that, so we are on topof the matter.

Is it that such surgery cannot beperformed in Nigeria? Why abroad?

Personally, I do not subscribe toreferring people abroad just for the funof it, if there are services that can berendered in Bauchi, then why not? Thatwas the reason I thought at length overthe services available at ATBU Teachinghospital, we did not upgrade the hospitalto Teaching Hospital just for the signboard to be changed but for specificpurpose, so that we can have theseservices right under our nose, wewondered why anybody will like to goand suffer their relations by goingabroad to have certain services unless itis absolutely necessary.

What is the current statistics ofmaternal mortality in Bauchi?

The authentic statistics of maternalmortality and other health indices arereliable and consistent, done by the DHSand referred to as Demographic andHealth survey which is conducted everyyear; it is the global standard type.

There are complaints that

pregnant women and childrenunder the ages of 5 are beingcharged certain amounts beforethey are attended to in hospitalsagainst the free medical servicesintroduced by Governor IsaYuguda?

The free medical programmesstarted about 4 years ago, a verylaudable programme which hasbenefitted many in Bauchi but is itpossible for us as human beings to saysomething is hundred percent free? I

don't think so, but we are doing our bestto ease the problems for the people andthe people have taken the bull by thehorn, we said we are going to have freematernal and child health care andactually came up with a list of drugs,services which are free and you can goto our maternities today, go to anyhospitals , ask the woman who isdelivering, is she having a free deliverypack, is she being charged for thoseservices, I want to know that hospitalthat a woman went and was asked to pay.That is the reason why we have alsoassigned people in the ministry tosupervise and inspect happenings. Weare not spying on anybody though, butlet us know who is collecting thesemoney, all these things are free and wewill continue to fund it, every month wedistribute commodities, drugs etc.

However, there are challenges, ourneighboring state are not implementingfree maternal and child health, whatwas budgeted for instance, if we said wewere going to have 400,000 pregnantwomen and 400 or 500 pregnantwomen are coming from otherneighboring states to benefit from thosefree care treatment, for which we havebudgeted for our women, how do youreconcile the situation? So there arechallenges but government is on top ofthe situation.

Despite your efforts to ensureeffective health care delivery, somehospitals like Kirfi GeneralHospital is still in a dilapidatedstate. Why is that so?

I was in Kirfi with my team about 3months ago, after I left Kirfi, our technicalteam went to Kirfi twice and we alsorequested the chairman of Kirfi localgovernment to give us additional land.You should understand that Kirfi was notdesignated as a General Hospital but asa primary health care centre severalyears ago for the communities in Kirfibut the Governor has magnanimouslyagreed to upgrade it to a GeneralHospital, though it has started bearingthat name but it cannot be a GeneralHospital until it has enough facilities andthat is in the pipeline.

Dr. Sani Abubakar Malami, Commissioner for Health, Bauchi state

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JULY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 13

InterviewNasarawa: The greatestobstacle is logistics, says CPW h a t is your

assessment of thes e c u r i t y

situation in the state on yourassumption of duty?

The security situation in thestate is relatively okay. But notthat we do not have somechallenges here and there. As Iused to say, no matter how whitethe sky could be, some little darkspots must be there. So we havesome challenges, some crimerelated challenges, like conflictsbetween farmers and herdsmen,conflicts between communitiesand some theft, here and thereand robbery.

How has the commandbeen coping with the "darkspots" and what effect do theyhave on activities of thepolice?

The greatest obstacle tohaving a crime free state inNasarawa is logistics. That is thefacility to implement the policydirection of the new InspectorGeneral of police, which is thatthe roads should be free for everylaw abiding citizen, and shouldnot be left free for criminals. Andto do that, we need vehicles.Because we need mobility. Andthe criminals these days don'tsteal Volkswagen, they stealHummer Jeeps and if you wantto pursue a robber that hassnatched a Hummer Jeep, youcan't do that with a Volkswagenand neither can you do it withsome of these rickety vehicles. Sowe have those challenges and Ithink it is a serious one. So if wereally want to effectively police,even Mararaba along, like Imentioned in one programme,we need not less than 25 vehicles,

for Mararaba alone. Not to talk ofMasaka, Nyanya, Karu, Toto, etc.And so many other places.

Can such challenges beaddressed in the nearest

future? And what about thepledge made by GovernorUmaru Tanko Al-makura, tosupply vehicles to thecommand?

Yes, you know, these arepolitical issues. It is true thatthere are pledges and I have faiththat they are going to redeemthose pledges. We are onlywaiting for the time, but I believethat time will tell. It is still tooearly for me to foreclose theirperformance. I believe they aregoing to perform.

On lack of sufficientpersonnel

Well, personnel, we don't haveso much problem as regardspersonnel. You see, they saymodern warfare does not dependon numerical strength. Evenwith 5 people we can perform thefunction of 20 persons if we havethe facility to perform. So themore logistics we have, the easierit is for us to perform, regardlessof the number of people we have.I think logistics is more importantthan the personnel. Fewpersonnel can performeffectively and that is why we arestill coping so far.

What are you doing on therecent influx of commercialmotorcycle riders in Lafia,the state capital, as a resultof the ban in neighbouringstates like Plateau,Adamawa and even the FCT?

Well, I don't have statistics toshow that most of them are inLafia. But I do know that somestates have actually imposed

Abayomi Akeremale is the Commissioner of Police inNasarawa state. Recently, the CP interacted with somejournalists in his office, over security issues in the state. OurNasarawa state correspondent, Ali Abare Abubakar, wasthere. Excerpts:

Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa state, Abayomi Akeremale

some ban on motorcycle. Everystate has its own peculiarity andI believe it is a very good measurebecause some of thesemotorcycles are being used atnight to rob. And it is easier topenetrate remote areas and visitinjuries on innocent citizens. Sowith time, when it is right for apolitical decision to be taken onthat, I think that will be done.

Are men of the commandadequately armed to carryout their duties? Tell us also,about the recent fire thatburnt an armoury at theMOPOL base in Akwanga?

It is not for the police to discloseinformation about weapons sothat criminals will not takeundue advantage of that. InAkwanga, nothing was missingas the carcass of the burntarmoury and it is there for all tosee. It is true that an armourygot burnt due to electrical faultand investigations have beenconcluded on that. A report hasbeen submitted. It was anaccident, and an accident isdefined as an act occurringindependently, so it is not anintentional act.

What about the arrest of8 NYSC members involved inalleged electoral malpracticeduring the Awe stateassembly bye-election?

What did the corpers do? Didthey abscond or were theykidnapped? Investigation is apainstaking process and we don'tjust draw conclusions, and wherewe have the facts. So theinvestigation is still ongoing. It isat the end of the investigation thatwe can be able to say whetherpolicemen were there or not.

Police intensify securitychecks in Bauchi

Okada men arraigned for assaulting judge

B a u c h i state policecommand hasintensified security

checks across the state.Our correspondents

gathered that the trend hasheightened as a result ofrecent serial killings in whichat least six policemen havebeen killed in the last twoweeks in the state capitalalone.

Many residents who wereheld in the traffic along YelwaRoad, Wunti, Central BankRoundabout, AwalaJunction, Wunti Dada Road

and Gombe Road,complained bitterly that thedevelopment had madethem t lose manyappointments and businessdeals.

“I was going to the FederalPolytechnic for an importantappointment when I washeld up in the traffic atVannilla Roundabout”, aresident who declinedidentification said.

Another resident, ChiefAustine Tsenzughul whoresides in Tsohon Konfanialong Jos Road, observedthat the check is a mockeryof the normal stop-and-search, because the

policemen merely look atmotorist and don’t ask themto open the booths of theircars or lift the seat ofmotorbikes to see what isinside. In addition, they don’teven ask people carryingbags to show them thecontents they might becarrying dangerousmaterials.

Reacting to the situation,the Police Public Relationsofficer, AssistantSuperintendent MohammedAuyo, told newsmen ontelephone that the checkswere normal routine checksin view of the securitysituation in the country.

F o u r commercialm o t o r c y c l i s t s ,popularly called

Okada were yesterdayarraigned before a MakurdiChief Magistrate onallegations of criminalconspiracy, criminaltrespass and serious assaulton Justice Ogbogo Ejembi ofthe Otukpo High Court.

Peoples Daily Weekendinvestigation showed thatthe okada men had onAugust 8th, 2012 trailedJustice Ejembi and beatenhim up at the premises of theHigh Court complex,Makurdi.

Further inquiry revealedthat on that day, an okadaman Agbo Athanasius hitJustice Ejembi from the rearat David Mark Bye-passJunction near the NYSCSecretariat after the trafficwarden had waved them on.But the Justice ignored therider who along three otherokada men followed him tothe court premises wherethey beat him upmercilessly.

The four cyclists werelater apprehended by thepolice and charged before aChief Magistrate.

The other cyclists includeZuzuli Emmanuel, AdamAnthony and BarnabasAgbaka, who are said to bewithin the age limit of 23 and

28.At the sitting, the okada

men pleaded not guilty andthe presiding Justice Mrs.Lilian Wergba granted thembail in the sum of N50, 000each with their sureties whomust be resident in Makurdi,own landed property.

She later adjourned thecase to September 11, 2012.

The Benue State PolicePublic Relations Officer,PPRO, DSP Daniel Ezealaconfirmed the incident,saying that the trafficwarden had been detained atthe cell of the “A” DivisionPolice Station in Makurdi andis undergoing Orderly Roomtrial awaiting directive bythe state policecommissioner.

From Ahmed Kaigama,Bauchi

From Uche Nnorom,Makurdi

NEWS

Man in the NewsPAGE 14

Edwin Clark and theNiger Delta mob actionE d w i n Kiagbodo Clark,

First RepublicInformation Minister,

Second Republic Senator andelderstatesman, is a man everyNigerian should respect, envy andadore.

Aside being a Federal Ministerat a time some of the presentmembers of the Federal ExecutiveCouncil (FEC) were not yet born,he is one of the few movers andshakers of the country in the FirstRepublic who are still alivetoday.

Besides, in a country where alot of socio-economic andenvironmental factors plusgovernment failure over theyears have conspired to makesure the Life Expectancy Ratio isless than 50 years, for a man likeClark to live up to the grand oldage of 85 is really admirable.

But unlike the way the oldman is now parading himself asa frontline Niger Delta advocatejust because his kinsmanGoodluck Jonathan is in power,in all the years the Niger Deltasuffered neglect, infrastructuraldecay and environmentaldegradation, we didnt see Clarkin the frontline of the battle toliberate his people the way wesaw Isaac Adaka Boro, Ken SaroWiwa, the Ogoni 8 and others.Rather, Edwin Clark, we weretold, was silently benefiting in somany ways from the successivemilitary governments that didmore harm than good to thecountry, and was blind to thesufferings of his people. We are notsurprised because it is commonknowledge that Niger Deltaleaders themselves were moreguilty of the long years of neglectsuffered by their people than theso-called north dominatedFederal Government. Anyway,that is an issue for another day.

While his comments aboutJonathan's eligibility to contestin 2015 were still generatingcontroversy, the old mancommitted another gaffe fewdays ago at a public lecture wherehe took a swipe at the north andnotable northerners like IBB andBuhari for allegedly conspiringto make the countryungovernable under his belovedbrother. He accused them ofsponsoring the Boko Haraminsurgency and wondered whyNigerians were busy criticisingJonathan for his poorperformance.

Obviously, Clark wantsNigerians to keep on clapping forthe President for his hugeincompetence and inability and/or willingness to bring in anyfresh air or serioustransformation.

Clark and his team of ethnic

jingoists believe that since ourproblems didn't start today, andsince a particular part of thecountry had ruled for so longwithout good results, his ownbrother, Jonathan has the excuseto continue the misrule. Clark,Asari Dokubo and other NigerDelta ethnic warriors feel since"na our oyel money," Nigerianscan "siddon look" (apologies to lateBola Ige) while the mind blowingcorruption, nepotism and mal-administration at the federallevel of government underJonathan continue unabated.

Clark also lambasted PastorTunde Bakare of Latter RainAssembly for criticising thePresident. If his memories arefading, we dare remind him that

Bakare didn't start criticisinggovernment today. He wasamong the most consistent criticsof Olusegun Obasanjo, his ownkinsman (from the same part ofAbeokuta). Throughout the 8-year misrule of the widelydespised despot, Bakare keptcalling on Nigerians to revolt. Ofcourse, the present profligacy isa continuation of Obasanjo'sineptitude and no reasonabefellow should expect a truehuman rights crusader likeBakare to shut up now. We arealso yet to forget that Bakareconvened the Save Nigeria Group(SNG) and led a massive protestto Abuja to add his voice to thecall for Jonathan's swearing- inas President since Yar'adua had

proved incapacitated. If the CPCstalwart is now campaigningagainst that same President, isn'tit because he believes that thelong suffering Nigerian massesdeserve a better deal from theirleaders?

It is worth stating at thisjuncture that the overwhelmingnationwide goodwill garnered byJonathan during the Yar'aduaillness saga and the electionresults of 2011 showed that thegenerality of Nigerians have noproblems with a Niger Deltanleading them. This is contrary tothe mischief and lies being spreadby Edwin Clark and co thatNigerians are subjecting hisbrother to unfair criticism justbecause he is from the NigerDelta. We ask, could the votes ofEdwin Clark's extended familyalone be enough to make someonea President?

Talking about thedesperation of Clark and othersto demonise the north as if it isthe only region responsible forNigeria's woes, didn't the samenorth voluntarily relinquishpower in 1999 to the south tocompensate for Abiola's travails?And when Obasanjo insisted ona second term, didn't the samenorth suggest a rotation of thePresidency under the PDP toensure fairness and equity? Andwhen Obasanjo's ignoble lifepresidency bid fell like a pack of

badly arranged cards in theNational Assembly, didn't heinsist on installing a sicklyYar'adua and a healthyJonathan as successor justbecause he sadistically didn'twant the north to enjoy their 8years after having his ownuninterrupted two terms?

And when Edwin Clark'sbrother, Jonathan had anopportunity to write his name ingold, didn't he bulldoze his wayback to power as against the PDPzoning formula which hereportedly endorsed a few yearsearlier while serving as Bayelsastate Deputy Governor? And if aneglible (very tiny) percentageof northerners decide to react toall these cases of injustice, does itmean all northerners are likethat? Does it mean we should notall see it as a national problemand find solutions to it instead ofblaming northern leaders?

If truly the controversial PDPzoning formula is not in theconstitution as claimed by thePresident, is a gentle managreement too much to respectand obey for the sake of peace?

Late President UmaruYar'adua, found solution to themilitancy in the Niger Deltaeven though the problem hadexisted for so long and successiveleaders failed to do so. So, ifNigerians expect PresidentJonathan to end the Boko Haramviolence and criticise him for thefailure in this regard, is it toomuch to ask for, whether webelive he has played an indirectrole in the escalation of theviolence or not?

If Edwin Clark believesJonathan should continue in2015, why can't he tell us if he issure the country is better offunder him in the last one year,and what Nigerians stand tobenefit if they elect him again?

Come to think of it, why is itthat if anybody from outside theSouth south criticises thePresident, his kinsmen wouldreact negatively? OlusegunObasanjo remains Nigeria's mostvillified President ever, did theYoruba people defend him insuch manner when he was beingcriticised? Did it happen thatway in the days of Abacha orIBB?

A supposed elderstatesmanlike Clark is expected to shun allethnic grudges and advise ourleaders on how to solve the majorchallenges we are facing. Byconstantly abusing Jonathan'scritics and telling the President(in public fora) to continue ("I ambehind you") the way he isgoverning the country, the oldman does the President no PublicRelations favour. In fact, bydoing so, he exposes him tofurther attacks.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

By constantly abusing Jonathan'scritics and telling the President (in

public fora) to continue ("I ambehind you") the way he is

governing the country, the old mandoes the President no Public

Relations favour. In fact, by doingso, he exposes him to further

attacks.

“

Chief Edwin Clark

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JULY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 15

Peoples Page

How I was beaten bysoldiers in Aso RockR e c e n t l y , a young man

was beaten for trespassingaround Aso Villa, this

young was also at NationalAssembly calling the attention oflaw makers to his ordeal ofunemployment. The man whomoves around Abuja holding aplacard with the words, 'I NEED AJOB' with his qualification andphone numbers also written on theplacard, is one case out of manycases of unemployedundergraduates in Nigeria.

Abbas Babatunde Rasak is ayoung energetic man from Oyostate. As a child, his parentsenrolled him into an elementaryschool close to his area atOniyanpanrin in Ibadan "I hailfrom Oyo state where as anindigene of Oyo state, I started myprimary school at Oniyanpanrinarea in Ibadan," he narrated.

Young Rasak later proceeded tocommunity grammar school,Ibadan, where he spent six yearsjust like his peers. Like every youngman with dreams and aspirations,he was not satisfied with seniorsecondary school certificate, heforged ahead, and he was able toget admission into OlabisiOnabanjo University at Ago Iwoye.In his word, "two years after mysecondary school education I gotDiploma admission into Universityto study Industrial and LabourRelations for two years and Ifinished with upper credit."

With this feat, he immediatelysecured admission into the sameschool to study Political Science andPublic Administration."Immediately I got admission tostudy in the political departmentof the same school, I set my mind tostudy hard and since I've alwaysbeen the struggling type, I contestedelection at the departmental levelto represent political sciencestudents at the faculty level," henarrated.

With this political exposure,young Rasak also contested andwon as the General Secretary ofNational Association of PoliticalScience Students.

He later graduated and servedhis dear country Nigeria between2009/2010. He said, "I served inAdamwa state, with a school underState Universal Basic Education,Government Secondary SchoolDanjiwa.

Since then, he had beenstruggling to secure a job with noluck. "When I got back to my state,Oyo state after my service year, Itried to see what I could lay myhands on in form of job but therewas nothing for me to do. Isubmitted my CV to bothgovernment and privateestablishments but all were invain," he said. He could not evenget reabsorbed in the school he wasteaching at, after his graduationin 2008 before he went for service.

This frustration pushed Rasak

to call his friend who was doing hisyouth service in Abuja. "I asked myfriend about life in Abuja and hetold me to come over since he knewthat I am the struggling type. Hesaid I should just come over andstart something so, I came to Abujain 2010 and I started movingaround," he narrated.

Not meeting his expectations,he has been sleeping inside amosque. "Since I came here, I've notbeen able to get apartment of myown so I started moving aroundsubmitting my CV," he said.

Now, Abdulrasak story has takena dimension, he is now frustrated andon the verge of losing hope in patiencethat is characterized of Nigerian jobseekers. He told our reporter, "I havereached a stage where if I cannot gethelp, I will help myself so I thought ofdoing something like this just to goout and let people know what peopleare really going through."

He said there are lots ofunemployed graduates like him,those that want government toknow what they are passingthrough. "I am the first born of myfamily, I have other siblings, myfather is a driver and my mother isa palm oil seller in the market, theyare both poor and they struggled togive me this education with thehope that one day, I will take themout of this poor background buthere I am," he declared.

Narrating his recent ordeal,Abdulrasak said, "When I realized Icould not continue like that, that Ijust have to get something doing sothat I can help my parents. I wroteon placard that I needed a job, thatI am a graduate. I mapped out somestrategic areas where people canactually see what am trying to do.

He started with this cause inyear 2010. In his words, "I startedmoving around with this placard

for people to see .There are peopleout there who are ready to help butthey don't know who needs the help.Since I started, I've been gettingresponses, some will park and pray,some will give me something. Therewas a day I was standing at onejunction at Wuse II and some IndiaNationals driving past saw me,they parked and called me, I wentto them, they asked why I was doingthis, I explained to them, they askedwhether I had eaten and I said no .One of them gave me two thousandnaira and their leader gave me hiscomplementary card and asked meto come to their office.

I went there; unfortunately itwas an NGO which is into watercampaign so he said there was noplace I could fit into. I told them thatI can work as administrative officer,personnel manager as well asmonitoring and evaluation officer,pension administration, sales andmarketing. He said they will get intouch with me. He later called thatthe place where they wanted tosend me to , the only vacancy thereis 'water expert' and as a result ofthat I could not fit into that positionbut my CV was in their data baseand they were going to get in touchwith me but uptil now I have notheard from them.

Some other people would comearound pray and make promisesas well, they also give me theircontacts but there was a time in2011, I was travelling to Ibadan, Ihad an accident, I lost my phonewhere all the contacts were keptand ever since that time, I havenot been able to reach most ofthem."

This is just a tip of iceberg asconcerns his struggle and efforts tosecure a job. He said, "There was aday I took my struggle tostatehouse, Aso Rock itself, I was

about getting to its main entrancewhen a soldier called me, I did notknow he was there inside the bush,he asked why I was going towardsthe entrance, I explained to him,he did not want to listen to me, hecalled others, they started beatingme. In fact I still feel pains in myright leg. "I went to that place tolet them know that something ishappening in this country but foursoldiers beat me up instead. Theysaid I don't have justification to bethere. One of them used his boot tohit my knee and stood on it, onewas dragging the banner and mycertificates because any where I goI always go with my certificates. Infact, the beating was because of thebanner.

"Another instance was when Iwas invited by the state security

services SSS to their head office afterbeing beaten by the soldiers. Theysaid they saw me when I wasstanding at the National Assemblyand they copied my phonenumber from the banner. (I amvery sure that before they called,they must have found out aboutme probably through my numberand got some details about me.)

On getting there, I met oneYoruba man, the man questionedme as well, and I told him myqualifications and my background.Fortunately for me, he also hailsfrom Ibadan like me. We talkeddeep and I gave him my CV. Hesaid that I should not go back to thatstruggle again, that he was goingto get something for me to do. Infact, that day, he wanted to takeme to the number one. I accepted Istarted frequenting there since hepromised to help.

I waited for almost one monthand when I discovered that therewas nothing coming out of it, I wentback to the streets.

I got tired of this too so took toanother method; a friend of mine hasa car and told me that since I knowvirtually everywhere in Abuja, thatI should use his car for commercialpurpose in the meantime before hereturns from a journey when hewould take back his car.

I started driving the car and ina day I used to realise N3000 extraafter buying fuel.

When my friend came back, hetook back his car because of thenature of his job.

This idea made me go back tothat SSS man to request for moneyto buy a car, he asked how much Ineeded and I told him four hundredthousand naira and I will repayhim forty thousand nairamonthly. He said that he justreturned from a journey and hehad no money. I kept disturbinghim like that and he said he wouldintroduce me to a friend workingin the bank but I am still waitingfor the promise to be fulfilled," heconcluded.

By A'isha Biola Raji and IwabiDubagba Kumo

Abbas Babatunde Rasak

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 16

FestivitySallah: The endof Ramadan

D u r i n g the month ofRamadan, Muslimsobserve a strict fast and

participate in pious activities suchas charitable giving and peace-making. It is a time of intensespiritual renewal for those whoobserve it. At the end of Ramadan,Muslims throughout the worldobserve a joyous three-daycelebration called Eid al-Fitr (theFestival of Fast-Breaking).

Eid el-Fitr falls on the first dayof Shawwal, the month whichfollows Ramadan in the Islamiccalendar. It is a time to give incharity to those in need, andcelebrate with family and friendsthe completion of a month ofblessings and joy.

Before the day of Eid, during the

last few days of Ramadan, eachMuslim family gives a determinedamount as a donation to the poor.This donation is of actual food -- rice,dates, rice, etc. -to ensure that theneedy can have a holiday meal andparticipate in the celebration. Thisdonation is known as sadaqah al-fitr(charity of fast-breaking).

On the day of Eid, Muslimsgather early in the morning inoutdoor locations or mosques toperform the Eid prayer. This consistsof a sermon followed by a shortcongregational prayer.

After the Eid prayer, Muslimsusually visit various families andfriends, give gifts (especially tochildren), and make phone calls todistant relatives to give well-wishesfor the holiday. These activitiestraditionally continue for threedays. In most Muslim countries, theentire 3-day period is an official

government/school holiday.In Kano, thousands gather for

the Durbar Festival. Kano holds theDurbar festival twice a year duringthe two Islamic holidays (Eid ElKabir and Eid El Fitr).The popularDurbar Festival of Kano performedduring Sallah (Islamic celebration)and special occasions. Thespectacular traditional parade ofornately dressed Hausa-Fulanihorsemen pays an annual homageto the Emir.

The Emir himself would arrivelast accompanied by a splendidretinue of eminent Kano men.Groups of horsemen would racedacross the square at full gallop withswords drawn but would stop a few

By Augustine Aminu, with onlineNigeria.com

feet from the Emir to salute him.After all the action, the Emir andhis chiefs retire to the palace whilstdrumming, dancing and singingwould continue.

The Kano Durbar is normallya procession of highly elaboratelydressed horsemen who passedthrough the city to the Emir’spalace. Once assembled near thepalace, groups of horsemen, eachgroup representing a village, tookits turn to charge towards the Emir,pulling up just feet in front of theseated dignitaries to pay their respectand allegiance.

The procession is a flamboyantdisplay of colours representing theclans. There is the Katukan Kano,

richly dressed horsemen in green,the Barayan Kano would dress inpurple, the Harimin Ungogo in blue,Durbin Kano in lilac, Dan LawalKano in black combine with whitecolour while the emir and hishousehold would dress in spotlesswhite. The Emirs’ group wouldcome last to mark the end of theparade. There would be shootingsinto the air as a mark of celebration.

The last and most fierce riderswere the Emir’s household andreg-imental guards, the Dogari.After the celebrations, the Emir andhis chiefs would retire to the palace,and enjoyment of the occasionreigns. This fanfare is intensified bydrumming, dancing and singing,with small bands of Fulanisperforming shadi, a fasci-natingsideshow to behold.

During the parade, regimentswould showcase theirhorsemanship, their preparednessfor war, and their loyalty to theEmirate. Today, Durbar has becomea festival celebrated in honour ofvis-iting Heads of State and at theculmination of the two great Muslimfestivals, Eid-el Fitri(commemorating the end of theholy month of Ramadan) and Eid-el Kabir (commemorating ProphetIbrahim sacrificing a ram instead ofhis son).

Of all the modern day Durbarfestivals, Katsina Durbar is themost mag-nificent andspectacular. Eid-el-Kabir, orSallah Day, in Katsina beginswith prayers out-side town,followed by processions ofhorsemen to the public square infront of the Emir’s palace, whereeach village group, district, andnoble house take their assignedplace. Last to arrive is the Emirand his splendid retinue; theytake up their place in front of thepalace to receive the jahi, orhomage, of their subjects.

Young girls pose for a photograph at the Durbar Muslim faithful going for the Eid-el-Fitr prayers

Group of horsemen and dogarai (body guards) at a Durbar

PAGE 17

Weekend Cocktail

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Customised beadsfor eye catching outfits

>>> Page 32

PAGE 18 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Anger destroys trustRelationship

T r u s t is one of the most basicrequirements for true closenessbetween people. We might feel

connected with those who share our work,history, family ties, community or spiritualpractice, but without trust we will notexperience the same depth of feeling orintimacy in the relationship.

Trust allows us to lower our barriers, tobe vulnerable to emotions, to let ourselvesbe seen as we really are. Trust is not alwayseasy to achieve; it grows slowly as we get toknow one another, as we learn to recognizehonesty, caring, consistent actions andmutual respect.

But just as trust allows us to be close toothers, in all kinds of relationships, angerdestroys trust and drives a wedge into ourconnections with others. Anger - whetherour own, a partner's, a co-worker's or afriend's - immediately puts others into adefensive mode. Instead of loweringbarriers to communication and closeness,it raises them; instead of rewardingvulnerability and emotion, it punishesthem.

The only thing we "trust" around anangry person is that he or she will get angryagain and might hurt us or someone welove, even if the anger is directed outward -at the economy or society, for example.

After a burst of anger, we often feelregret and we may try to re-establish trustby apologizing and begging for forgiveness.But while apologies are necessary, they aremerely a band-aid, not true healing.

To heal our trust and to heal ourrelationships, we must first treat our anger.The time to start is now, before the damageis done.

How do I deal to a controlling

partnerHow you deal with a controlling partner

really depends on the amount ofinappropriate control that is present in therelationship. Many relationships have anongoing power struggle running throughthem. Each partner may be trying to bethe dominant partner within therelationship. Experts have thought thispower struggle is caused by blurred genderroles in today's society.

One way to deal with a controllingpartner is to find out the reason he or she isexerting this control. It may be due to theparental examples they were shown as achild. If one parent was seen to be moredominant than the other, this model maybecome ingrained in the child. As an adult,they may be unconsciously mimicking thistype of control.

Another possible reason for the behaviorof a controlling partner may be found inprevious relationships. If a previousrelationship ended due to a lack of trust orsome form of deceit, this can continue on tothe future relationships. A controllingpartner may not realise that he/she isbeing controlled to the extent that it isharmful to the relationship.

There are many ways that a controllingpartner can exert his or her control. It cantake the form of simply phoning the partnercontinually to check on him or her. It cantake the form of verbal abuse and constantarguments. If left unchecked, it can oftenleads to physical abuse and domesticviolence.

The first step to take with a controllingpartner is to establish communication.Your partner should be aware that this formof control is not acceptable to you. This

should be talked about early in therelationship to enable the controllingpartner to realize his or her behavior willnot be tolerated.

Unfortunately, in many cases thecontrolling partner will not accept that heor she is behaving in any way out of theordinary. Previous partners may haveaccepted this form of behavior; if acontrolling partner has not been confrontedabout his or her behavior before, he or shemay not see anything wrong with this typeof behavior. When talking about theproblem, the controlling partner maybecome angry and defensive. The anger heor she is showing is also a form of control, as

he or she wants the conversation to stopand not be discussed any further. If he orshe is unwilling to discuss the issue, theremay be no alternative than to step awayfrom the situation until your partner iswilling to discuss it.

The problem of controlling behaviorwithin relationships is widespread. Arelationship is built on mutual trust andrespect. If one partner is trying to controleverything that the other partner is doing,it is an unhealthy relationship. Thebehavior can have consequences in futurerelationships and, if children are involved,can influence the way they viewrelationships in their adult life.

PAGE 19PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Over 40? Change your coloursBeauty Tips

A s women age, the oldsaying of "less is more" isvery true. Fine lines and

dry skin can cause your old liquidmakeup to make you look olderthan necessary. Improperlyapplied makeup and poorlychosen colors can and will age you.It's very important to take care ofyour skin at any age, but if you'reover 40 you have some specialconsiderations. If you haven'tlooked in your makeup drawer fora while you might want to do amakeup checkup.

Throw out old make up. Ifyou've had your make up for a

really long time it might havebacteria in it and cause skininfections and break outs. Thestandard rule of thumb formakeup depends on what kind itis but liquids usually last aboutsix months, lipsticks threemonths, mascara three months,mineral makeup can last sixmonths or even longer dependingon the ingredients.

Read the labels and ensure thatyour products have no change incolor, odor or change inconsistency. If they do, throwthem out. It is easier to replaceyour makeup than to cover up

blemishes caused by old makeup.Change your colors. If

you've been using the same shadesfor a long time it might be time tochange your colors. Styles changebut so does your hair color andskin color. What looked good onyou twenty years ago might lookharsh or garish now. Today youcan buy kits that allow forexperimentation so don't be afraidto try out new shades. Lots ofbrands these days offer samplesizes, so if are not sure, order asample!

Skin care first. Taking careof your skin includes eating

nutritious vitamin-rich naturalfoods as well as what you put onyour skin. Using natural skincareis best because there is less chanceto use a chemical that can causebreakouts and other skinproblems.Skin care is by far moreimportant to your makeuplooking good than almost anyother factor.

Go lighter. When you're over40 it's better to use more lighternatural looking foundations andshades. In fact, the morenaturally you can apply yourmakeup the younger you willlook.

Makeup can enhance yournatural beauty when it's light,airy and not harsh. Mineralmakeup can help with this lighternatural look.

Concealer is your friend.Using a shade of concealer thatmatches your foundation,which should match your skintone as perfectly as possible willmake you look amazing and getrid of dark circles and evenpuffiness. Put it on under yourfoundation, if you use mineralmakeup, or after you applyliquid foundation, for theperfect finish.

6 tricks forgorgeousair dried hair

into a knot.Get a Head Start: To get hair

that air dries perfectly, begin inthe shower. It is all aboutconditioning, because thehealthier your hair is, thesmoother and more complaintyour cuticles will be and the lessweirdly it will dry. Do a deepconditioning treatment every twoweeks, and let it sink in for at least10 minutes. Post shower, a big doseof leave in conditioner workswonders for wet curly hair. Inaddition, for fine hair smooth a bitof oil onto dried ends for extra

moisture and shine.Do Ropy Waves: When hair

is 80 percent dry, crumple in asalt mist from roots to ends.operational in one to woo inchsections, twirl locks of hair aroundyour finger. If hair is dry, giveeach section a short burst of hairspray pins, just screw one in atthe top of the roll, one up from thebase, and boom. While it is stilldamp. Then, hands of while it isdrying this avert frizz. When hairis very dry, flip your head overand shake, you will stand back upto soft, sexy ripples.

Snooze on it: At last, a usefor those ancient tees stuffed in theback of your drawer: super softrollers. In French it is called enpapillot and it gives you lose curlsovernight. To get romanticringlets, shower at Night andrake a mousse through damphaircut a T-SHIRT into 6 one halfinch strips, double them up, andwind big sections of hair aroundthem. Sway each one up likecurler, tie the ends in a knot, andhit the sack. In the a.m., untieand tousle.

Loosen your ponytail:Permit hair dry fully.(If you'renaturally curly, you won't needto add a thing, if your hair's wavyor straight, build in body andniceness with volumizer)Create adeep side part by flinging yourhair over to one side, then gatherall your hair together and braidaway. If it looks, too school girlish,scrunch your fingers into yourroots to mess it up a bit and free afew tendrils. Finish with a blast ofhair spray.

Try the Bun Trick: For a fewhappy days of flyaway free hair,put wet hair into a bun and let itdry: The bun compresses all thecuticles. Comb a smoothingcream through a wet hair, thencoil it up and twist it around itself

H e r e we bring someworking tricks thatdefinitely help you to

dry your hair, and give you asupportive look.

Toss the Hair Tie: Whetheryou're off to a dinner party or justthe garden, let your hair down foraBlowzy, just been to the beachlook.

LearningPAGE 20 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Globe Trekker-NigeriaBook Review By Augustine Aminu

N i g e r i a is Africais most populatedcountry, home to

150 million people,overcrowded andchaotic; it s definitely noton the usual tourist trail.Globe Trekker Adela Ucarboldly goes to the heart ofWest Africa and discoversNigeria to be one of themost diverse and excitingtravel destinations.

Her journey begins inthe country’s largestcity, Lagos, where shevisits the local food andtextile market and takesin a rehearsal by FemiKuti at the New AfrikaShrine. Adela travels onto Lokoja on the banks ofthe Niger for a glimpseinto the city’s Britishcolonial legacy and learnsabout the Biafran war forindependence, meeting aveteran of the war at theNational War Museum inUmuahia.

She makes her way toCalabar to join thecelebrations at atraditional Efik tribalwedding, before headingdeep into the rainforest tosee the endangered drillmonkeys of Afi Mountain.

I f Mr. Peterson didnot hide the detailsof his African

background, traditionand beliefs from his son,Frederick might havebeen playing football andriding bikes like otherkids his age do. Hewouldn't be moreinterested in hearing hisbest friend, Nwakaego, asuperstitious Nigeriangirl, tell him stories aboutthe Igbos and theirculture; exactly the sortof dark magic that angersand disappoints Mr.Peterson.

Of all that Frederickthinks he has learnt fromNwakaego, he reallyknows very little. Like, heshould not sing at nightbecause it brings evilspirits into the house, orthat it is only acceptablefor stuffed animals tothink, behave, and talklike humans only whenthey are on TV, andfinally, that if the spiritgirl, Ify, offers to teachhim how to play footballin exchange of possessinghim for a minute, sheplans never to leave.

But, Frederick agrees,considering only thatmaybe just this once his

After a short stop inAbuja, she ventures toKano in the north to meetthe Emir at his palace.

Her trip ends with a visitto the magical weeklongdesert music festival inMachina.

The other child

father would like him.It is left to Nwakaego,

with the help of the spell-breaker Frederick'sgrandmother, MamaOfoduli, weaves from Igbofolktales and legends, to

expel the spirit girl beforeshe takes over Frederickcompletely.

And they have to dothis before Ify discoverswhat they are up to andattempts to kill them.

I n the past when youreferred to a routeryou were talking

about a tool that was usedto design and shape wood.The internet has changedthat.

In its simplest form arouter is defined as adevice or setup that findsthe best route between anytwo networks. A router isthe most important part ofa computer network inthat it helps data get where

How a Router works

you. This might takeseveral days or weeks withsnail mail. On the internetrouters are the mailmanthat gets your letter toyour friend and then theirletter back to you.

Routers are veryversatile. For examplethey allow two computersto receive the internetunder one IP addresssimultaneously. An IPaddress is what allows yourcomputer to connect to theinternet. If you have anetwork of computers arouter will allow them touse the Internet with thesame access.

In many households

it is supposed to be. Whenit is given the choice ofwhere to make it's deliveryone of the tools a routeruses to decide whereinformation should go is aconfiguration table.

A configuration table isa collection of information,including:

- Information on whichconnections lead toparticular groups ofaddresses - Priorities forconnections to be used -Rules for handling bothroutine and special cases oftraffic

The internet is reallyan unbelievableinvention. Think about

this. You can send anemail to someoneanywhere in the worldand they receive yourmessage in a matter ofseconds. You can downloada file or surf from web pageto web page very easilytoday. All of this becauseof routers.

An easy way tounderstand a router is likethis. You send a letter to afriend in Australia. Theyread it and send it back to

today a cable modem isthe router. The internetis accessed through themodem directly into acomputer. If you havemore than one computeryou can purchase arouter and connect it tothe cable modem. Theinternet is passedthrough the router anddelivered to thecomputers either througha wire or more commonlytoday now through

wireless technology.Wireless routers allow

you to connect computers,portable computers,personal desk assistants,and printers withoutusing wiring. Wirelessrouters are excellent forconnecting notebookcomputers to the Internetand networks.

As you are runningmore computers on yournetwork you mayexperience a slight drop inspeed, but today manybroadband routers are ableto deliver the internetwithout much of aslowdown. You probablywill not even notice it.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 21

HHHHHealthy ealthy ealthy ealthy ealthy LLLLLivingivingivingivingivingRed meat could raise risk ofcancer 'due to high levels of iron'

cancer.The discovery could lead to

new treatments that can 'mopup' iron in the bowel in people whodevelop cells affected by thedefective gene.

In studies of mice, researchersfound that susceptibility to bowel

cancer was strongly influencedboth by iron and a gene calledAPC.

When the APC gene wasfaulty, mice with a high ironintake were two to three timesmore likely to develop the disease.

Mice fed a low iron dietremained cancer free even if thegene was defective, but when itfunctioned normally, high ironlevels did no harm.

Lead scientist Professor OwenSansom, deputy director of theCancer Research UK Institute inGlasgow, said 'We've made a hugestep in understanding how bowelcancer develops.

'The APC gene is faulty inaround eight out of 10 bowelcancers but until now we haven'tknown how this causes thedisease.

'It's clear that iron is playinga critical role in controlling thedevelopment of bowel cancer inpeople with a faulty APC gene.

'And, intriguingly, our studyshows that even very high levelsof iron in the diet don't causecancer by itself, but rely on theAPC gene.'

Each year, more than41,000 people in the UK arediagnosed with bowel cancer andaround 16,000 die from thedisease.

Previously, researchers haveestimated that red meat

contributes to around 17,000cases of bowel cancer a year.

But this estimate was basedon two different dietary factorsthought to play a part inpromoting bowel cancerbecause a substance calledhaem, which gives red meat itscolour, can damage the liningof the colon, while burning meatproduces cancer-causingcompounds.

The latest laboratory studyproposes another mechanismthat, if confirmed in people,might help explain why people'srisk of bowel cancer increaseswith age.

Over time, cells in the bowelwould be increasingly likely todevelop APC gene faults and thusreact to iron in the diet.

Researchers say that whenthe APC gene doesn't work, ironis allowed to build up in the cellslining the gut.

This activates a geneticcancer 'switch' called wnt thatcauses cells to multiply out ofcontrol.

But consumption of iron alsoaids the growth of cells withdefective APC over time, says thestudy published in the journalCell reports.

In mice fed a diet with no iron,cells with a faulty APC gene werekilled off and bowel cancer did notdevelop.

R e s e a r c h e r s found thatsusceptibility to bowelcancer was strongly

influenced both by iron and agene called APC

Scientists claim high levels ofiron may be one reason whyeating red meat raises the risk of

bowel cancer.Iron may switch on the disease

process via a faulty gene in thegut which would normally resistthe disease.

Red meat contains largeamounts of iron and is also knownto increase the likelihood of bowel

Stomach ulcers: Potatoe juice to the rescue?S t o m a c h ulcers could

have handed in their chips- thanks to the humble

potato.Scientists at Manchester

University have discovered spudscontain unique antibacterialmolecules that can treat thecondition.

Members of the university'smicrobiology team now hope thesubstance, dubbed 'potato juice'could go into production as a dailydiet supplement.

Potatoes contain uniqueantibacterial molecules that cantreat the condition

Inspiration came as one of thedepartment's scientists tuckedinto a spud for Sunday lunch.

It led to the discovery of a keymolecule which could both cureand prevent the bacteria thatlives in the stomach and causesstomach ulcers and heartburn.

The discovery is one of manybeing made by scientists at theuniversity as they try to developthe products and medicines oftomorrow.

Uniquely, unlike withantibiotics, the stomach bacteriacannot develop resistance to the'potato juice' which also does notcause any side-effects.

Scientists at the universityeven carried out the test on

different types of potatoes -discovering Maris Piper and KingEdward varieties worked the best.

The process to extract the asyet unnamed molecule has nowbeen patented, with hopes it couldone day be sold as a supplementsimilar to probiotic yoghurtdrinks.

Ian Roberts, professor ofmicrobiology at the Faculty of LifeSciences, who worked on thediscovery, said: 'One of ourscientists was having Sundaylunch when her boyfriend'sgrandma said they used to usepotatoes to cure stomach ulcers.

'Afterwards she went andbought a bag of King Edwardsfrom a shop on Curry Mile andstarted testing them in the lab.

'When I first heard about theidea of using potatoes to treatstomach ulcers I have to admit Iwas a bit sceptical. But on anotherlevel I wasn't surprised - a lot ofbotanical products have veryinteresting compounds and wejust have to find them.

'We see this 'potato juice' as apreventative measure to stopstomach ulcers developing thatpeople would take as part of ahealthy lifestyle. It could be a hugemarket if we can get it developed.'

The discovery of 'potato juice' isjust one of a number of new

medicines and treatments beingdeveloped by staff at theUniversity of Manchester'sintellectual property department.

Staff there seek out companiesfrom across the world to developthe university's inventions.

Business manager Dr Sunita

Jones said: 'It is really exciting tosee these new discoveries - theycover all areas of science so itreally keeps us on our toes.

'As a scientist, the end goal ofany work is to put something intothe public arena which willbenefit people.

'We work to develop all the newtechnology that comes out of theuniversity, by getting licensingagreements or forming spin-outcompanies. It's great to see yearsof research pay off with a new drugor product at the end.'

Source: Daily mail

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 23

With Aunty A'isha rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHORSHORSHORSHORSHORT STT STT STT STT STORORORORORYYYYYSights and soundsThe lesser hajj

('Umrah)Among the virtuous acts

recommended duringRamadan, is

performance of ‘Umrah, thelesser Hajj, for those Muslimswho are capable physicallyand financially first to travelto the House of Allah(Ka’abah) in Makkah, andwho can afford the expenses ofair fare or bus fare andaccommodations.

The case for this ‘Umrahrests on the Hadith in whichthe Messenger of Allah said: “Performing ‘Umrah in themonth of Ramadan equalsperforming Hajj’’

This hadith indicates themerits of ‘Umrah inRamadan. It does not specifywhether ‘Umrah is performedin the beginning of the monthor in the last ten days ofRamadan.

There is a popular beliefthat this ‘Umrah should be onthe 27th of Ramadan, theNight of Power.

This results in a traffic jamon that date in the grandMasjid, with thousands ofvisitors around the worldwanting to make `Umrah onthat night. As explained in thesection on the Night of Power,the recommended act on theNight of Power is not ‘Umrah,it is Tahajjud (nightlyprayer). After all, no one iscertain that the 27th is theNight of Power.

Indeed, for those who canafford it and may have madeHajj, ‘Umrah in Makkahduring Ramadan is a lifetimeexperience that no one shouldmiss. Words cannot describethe exhilarating feeling ofIftar (fast breaking, nightly

LYRICS OFTHE WEEK

prayer, and Taraweeh) in theHoly Land with otherpilgrims.

Umrah PracticeThe pilgrim (mu’tamir),

sometimes referred to as a‘Haji’, performs a series ofritual acts symbolic of thelives of the prophet Abraham(Ibrahim) and hishandmaiden Hagar (Hajar),and of solidarity withMuslims worldwide. Theseacts of faith are:

·Perform a tawaf, whichconsists of circling the Kaabaseven times in a counter-clockwise direction. Men areencouraged to do this threetimes at a hurried pace,followed by four times, moreclosely, at a leisurely pace.

·Perform a sa’i, whichmeans rapidly walking seventimes back and forth betweenthe hills of Safa andMarwah. This is a re-enactment of Hagar’s franticsearch for water.

The baby (Ismael) criedand hit the ground with hisfoot (some versions of thestory say that an angelscraped his foot or the tip ofhis wing along the ground),and water miraculouslysprang forth. This source ofwater is today called the Wellof Zamzam.

·Perform a halq or taqsir,meaning a cutting of thehair. A taqsir is a partialshortening of the hair,whereas a halq is a completeshave of the head, except forwomen, as they cut a littleamount of hair instead.

These rituals complete theUmrah, and the pilgrim canchoose to go out of ihram.

The Selfish ManOnce upon a time, there

was a selfish man. Heliked everything to be

his own. He could not share hisbelongings with anyone, noteven his friends or the poor.

One day, the man lostthirty gold coins. He went tohis friend’s house and told himhow he lost his gold coins. Hisfriend was a kind man.

As his friend’s daughterwas coming from an errandshe found thirty gold coins,when she arrived home, shetold her father what she hadfound. The girl’s father told herthat the gold coins belong tohis friend and he sent for him.When the selfish man arrived,he told him how his daughterhad found his thirty gold coinsand handed then to him. Af-ter counting the gold coins theman said that ten of them wasmissing and had been takenby the girl as he had forty goldcoins. He further commentedthat he will recover the re-maining amount from him.But the girl’s father refused.

The man left the gold coinsand went to the court and in-formed the judge there aboutwhat had taken place betweenhim and the girl’s father.

The judge sent for the girland her father, and when theyarrived asked the girl howmany gold coins did she find.She replied thirty gold coins.The Judge that asked the self-ish man how many gold coinsdid he lose and he answeredforty gold coins.

The judge then told the manthat the gold coins did not be-long to him because the girl

found thirty and not forty as heclaimed to have lost and thentold the girl to take the goldcoins and that if any- body islooking for them he will send forthe girl.

The judge told the man thatif anybody reports that theyhave found forty gold coins hewill send for him. It was thenthat the man confessed that helied and that he lost thirty goldcoins but the judge did not lis-ten to him.

This story teaches us to bealways honest as dishonestnever pays

RamadanBy Nancy Stewartcopyright 2001

I have a friend, his nameis OmarHis family celebratesRamadanThe ninth month of thelunar yearHis family celebratesRamadanChorus:Ramadan, RamadanHis family celebratesRamadanEvery morning they getupAnd have a big mealbefore the lightThen they don’t eat, andthey don’t drink,They fast until the dark ofnight(chorus)I have a friend, her nameis AmeenaHer family celebratesRamadanWe go to school togetherand play,Ameena prays five times ad a y(chorus)On the first day of themonth that followsRamadanTheir families invite us tothe feast that theyput on Celebrating(chorus)Ramadan Mubarak (havea blessed Ramadan)Ramadan

HIS & HERS CORNER

Aladdin and the magic lamp

PAGE 22 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Button Beaded Bracelet

With Aunty A'isha rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

ACTIVITIESACTIVITIESACTIVITIESACTIVITIESACTIVITIES

CREACREACREACREACREATIVITYTIVITYTIVITYTIVITYTIVITY

AFRICAN AFRICAN AFRICAN AFRICAN AFRICAN TTTTTALESALESALESALESALES MODEL OF THE WEEKMODEL OF THE WEEKMODEL OF THE WEEKMODEL OF THE WEEKMODEL OF THE WEEK

Hurray! Fathiat Oladipo is ten years old today, happybirthday and many happy returns

Name and colour the image below think of howyou can plant and nurture it to grow. It is fun toget your hands dirty doing this. Cheers!

Long time ago in China,there lived a poor boy,whose name was Aladdin.

Aladdin lived with his mother.One day a rich and distin-guished looking man came totheir house and said toAladdin’s mother, “I am a mer-chant from Arabia and wantyour son to come with me. I willreward him handsomely.”Aladdin’s mother instantlyagreed. Little did she know thatthe man pretending to be a richmerchant was a magician.

Next day, Aladdin havingpacked his belongings left withthe ‘merchant’. After manyhours of traveling the ‘mer-chant’ stopped. Aladdin toostopped, surprised that theyshould stop in such a desertedplace. He looked around; there

was nothing in sight for miles.The ‘merchant’ pulled out

some colored powder from hispocket and threw in theground. The next instant thewhole place was filled withsmoke. As the smoke cleared,Aladdin saw a huge opening inthe ground; it was a cave. The‘merchant’ turned to Aladdinand said, “I want you to go in-side this cave; there will bemore gold than you have everseen; take as much as youwant. You will also see an oldlamp; please bring that backto me. Here, take this ring; itwill help you.” Aladdin wasvery suspicious but the decidedto do as was told.

He lowered himself into thecave, thinking all the whilethat it would be difficult to

climb out without help.Aladdin entered the cave andjust like the ‘merchant’ had saidsaw gold, jewelry, diamondsand other valuables. He filledhis pockets. When this wasdone, he looked for the lamp; itwas lying in the corner, full ofdust and dirty. He picked it upand ran to the cave’s openingand shouted to the ‘merchant’,“I have your lamp. Can youplease pull me out?” “Give methe lamp,” said the ‘merchant’.Aladdin was not sure that hewould be pulled out if he gaveback the lamp; so he said, “First,please pull me out.”

This angered the ‘mer-chant’. With a loud cry, hepulled out the same colorfulpowder and threw it on the caveopening, sealing it with a hugeboulder. Aladdin was de-pressed. He thought, “That wasno rich merchant; he was surelya magician. I wonder why thislamp was so important to him.”As he was thinking he rubbedthe lamp. All of sudden astrange mist filled the room andfrom the mist emerged astrange looking man. He said,“My master, I am the genie ofthe lamp, you have rescuedme; what would your wish be?”Aladdin was scared but he saidin quivering voice, “Ta.. Takeme back home.”

And the next momentAladdin was home hugging hismother. He told her of the magi-cian and the lamp. Aladdin againsummoned the genie. This timewhen the genie appeared he wasnot scared. He said, “Genie, Iwant a palace, not an old hut.”Again to Aladdin and hismother’s amazement in front ofthem was a magnificent palace…(To be continued)

Fathiat Oladipo

This adorable little braceletis fun for all ages. Usingvarious buttons and bead

to form a pretty pattern, youcan wear it with lots of outfits. Ifyou sew, you can use the samebuttons from a new outfit to putin the bracelet!What you need:·A collection of buttons and beadsthat match up nicely together·Clean white towel for layingout beads·Jewelry string ·Crimpingbeads ·End closures ·Springclips ·Needle-nose pliersWhat to do:Lay out the beads and buttons inan attractive pattern.Cut approximately 16 inches ofjewelry string.

Securing one end of the

jewelry string with a spring clip,string beads and buttons (Seephoto.) onto string, leavingroom at each end for adding endclosures (about four inches oneach side) with the buttons.Simply come up from thebottom on one side and go downthrough the other side.

Adding the closures: Stringa crimping bead onto one end ofjewelry string, string one half

of the closure, and then bend thewire, coming back down theopposite way, through thecrimping bead. Have an adultcrimp it tightly with the needle-nose pliers.

Secure the other half of theclosure on the other side, usingthe same method. This shouldcreate a nice, snug clasp. Snipoff excess string from each end.Tips:·As you string on the buttons andbeats, you may notice a fun upand down effect. This happensbecause of the unique way thebuttons are placed.·Test the length before addingclosures. You may find that youneed to adjust the size, and thatis much easier to do before theend pieces are in place!·Use good lighting, as the piecesof the project are small.By Mia Cronan

PAGE 24 PAGE 25PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Kannywood NollywoodEntertainmentJim Iyke and J-Martins WinCameroon Entertainment AwardsKASAGI was meant to stem rural-urban drift

At last, Chinwe Egwuagu’saward winning movie, MR& MRS is out on DVD, today

9th of August 2012. It will beavailable in all major shops inGhana soonest. MR & MRS was inhigh demand during it’s time atthe cinemas, sells more thanN3million in it’s first week. Andis one of the best African moviesof 2012 with over 15 nominations& 8 major awards.

The blockbuster Nollywoodmovie features actor JosephBenjamin and actress Nse Ikpe-Etim,Produced by ChinweEgwuagu and directed by

aaas

Ikechukwu Onyeka.Synopsis: ‘Mr and Mrs’ tells the

story of two couples whosemarriages are constantlythreatened by economic and socialdivisions in the society they findthemselves.

Kenneth (played by Benjamin)is young man who is ashamed ofhis wife’s (Ikpe-Etim) backgroundand then decides to confine her tothe kitchen, a place he stronglybelieves she belongs.

The movie similarly zones in onanother couple Linda (ThelmaOjiji) and Charles (Paul Apel) whoseemingly have a perfectmarriage until Linda begins totake her husband for grantedbecause she takes care of all thebills in the home.

We need to improve the picturequality of our movies — Funke

The very sexy and one of themost highly talented staractress of Nigerian film

Industry, popularly known asNollywood worldwide, FunkeAkindele-Oloyede aka JENIFA spokerecently on her fashion & style sense,on how she really admire Hollywood’sTaraji P Henson, the respect she hadfor her colleagues, how she’s a big fanof Genevieve Nnaji, and mostly, alsospeaks on what most people don’t knowabout her .excerpt.

Why was Jenifer such a hugesuccess?

It was just realistic and true.What is Nollywood not doing

right? I am also guilty. We need to

improve the picture quality of ourmovies, including sound and other

technical issues. We should alsohave enough content and goodstories.

What is your fashion andstyle sense?

I am very simple; I just wearmy flat shoes and be comfortablein whatever I put on. But no thanksto my stylist who says beauty ispain and all that, so I have to be abit stylish and glamorous for thered carpet.

What is your best movie? All Tyler Perry movies, but I

love I Can Do Bad All By Myself alot because I really admire TarajiP Henson the actress; she’s a strongactress. Then for Nigerian movies,I think its Cry Me Heaven with JimIyke and Kate Henshaw.

Which actor will you want to

be paired with? Internationally, that would be

Taraji P Henson and WhoopiGoldberg. Then for Nigeria, I loveall my colleagues but I will likeGenevieve Nnaji. I love her somuch. I bow my head to KateHenshaw, Rita Dominic, OmotolaJalade-Ekeinde because they’vebeen there and are still there.

What most people don’tknow about you?

I am very soft hearted. I mayappear tough, but deep down; I’mvery quick to say ‘sorry’, even whenI’m not at fault.

What would you be outsidethe movie industry?

I would be a dancer. I lovedancing.

Alhaji Umaru DanjumaKatsina, alias Kasagi, is a popularplaywright based in Katsina state.Kasagi has participated in manynational and internationalcultural events. He is also a writerwho authored a number of books,popular among them, kulba nabarna. In this interview with ourKatsina correspondent, LawalSa’idu Funtua, Kasagi talkedabout his life, and life in thetheatre.

Sir, tell us your life history

I was born on 10th April 1948at Kofar Soro quartersKatsina. I went to Qur’anic

primary school before going to aprimary school. In 1960 I wasenrolled into primary one. In 1966I passed the common entranceexamination and got admissioninto provincial secondary school,Katsina which is now GovernmentCollege, Katsina. From 1966 to1972 I completed my secondaryschool education I had a delay inbetween because of some healthchallenges that I faced then. In1973, I joined the services of thenorth-central state ministry ofinformation and after about sixmonths I was posted to the newlyestablished north-central state artscouncil.

How were you discovered asan artist?

Actually that was where myartistic talents were discovered.When I was with the arts council Iuse to write plays for the radio andNigerian Television Authority(NTA) then NTV. I rememberedthat I ran a series on NigerianBroadcasting Corporation (NBC)the then controller of the Kadunazone was Mrs. Afeniki Hamman. Iran the ‘ilimi gishirin zamanduniya’ programme that was whenthe Gowon government wanted tointroduce free primary schooleducation in the country.

After three years, in 1975 to beprecise I got admission into theLondon College of Film, Televisionand Theatre arts. So I went toLondon, where I studied motionpictures, television and theatrearts and finally specialised onscreen play and directing. When Iwas in London Ahmadu BelloUniversity, Zaria opened a centrefor cultural studies and they werelooking for talents from the northso they came to London andrecruited me. When I returnedfrom London I joined the servicesof ABU, Zaria centre for NigerianCultural Studies.

What was your role at thecentre?

We used to produce plays,musicals, concerts and alsoconducted research on Hausadrama development in the North.About 50 per cent of my life wasspent in the production of plays,theatre, television, stage, etc. Iretired in 1992 and came back toKatsina where I established myown theatre called ‘gidan hira’. Ibuilt it with my own money, withbank facilities, unfortunately itfaced opposition from the Ulamas

and we closed it down. I’m now aconsultant on screen play, directing,etc. I have personally performed inmany theatres around the world likethe royal shakespears theatre inLondon, theatre of the nation inSophia Bulgaria etc. I also taughtHausa complex drama at ABU,Zaria.

Kasagi was popular ontelevision and radio in Kadunain the 70s. How did you get thename?

Kasagi programme, was initiatedby the Shagari administration withthe aim to discourage rural dwellersfrom migrating to the urban centresbecause of the problems they wereencountering then. It was intendedto tell them to stay at home as thegovernment was ready to bringdevelopment to them at thegrassroots. I was in London whenthis idea came-up, the NTA knewmy flight schedule so it arrenged tomeet me at the Airport in Kano. Iremembered that the Late Aminu

Baba-Ahmad was there to meet meand he told me that they hadsomething in the offing and theybelieved I was competent to handleit. They whisked me away toKaduna before I could even see myfamily in Katsina. There was alsoMalam Bello Sule, who was directorprogrammes of the NTA . Bello Sulestarted the pilot copy to guide meand we ran 1,2,3 episodes then hesaid I could take over. I took over theprogramme and it ran for about fiveto six years on NTA, Kaduna.

You were in televisiondrama for long. Who were yourcontemporaries?

There were Kasimi Yero,Samanja, Malam Mamman DanHaki from Kano, Alkali KuliyaManta Sabo and Karkuzu from NTA,Jos. There is also Peter Badejo of theABU, Zaria Centre for CulturalStudies, who is now based inEngland where he has formed histheatre and was Knighted by theQueen of England.

Is it true that you are alsoan author?

When I was in secondary schoolI watched many plays and eventsand you know that to be a goodwriter you need to be veryobservant, have good command of

language and vocabularies. Sowhen I was in secondary school I useto visit girls schools a lot and Iobserved that there were no lawsrestricting us and people could go toa girls’ school anytime they liked.So I nursed the idea of writingsomething about it and theopportunity came when I startedworking with the National ArtsCouncil, where I was encouraged towrite. When Gowon introduced thefree universal basic education, I saidI had to fight certain bad andimmoral practices through writing.That was what motivated me towrite ‘KULBA NA BARNA’ it wasserialized on Nigerian BroadcastingCorporation and televised. It wasalso filmed by the Nigeria FilmCorporation and the Ahmadu BelloUniversity Consultancy services.The film won an internationalaward in the African Countries filmfestival in Milan in 1993, andcurrently ‘Kulba na Barna’ in beingtranslated in Arabic, German andFrench, and recently I discoveredthat ‘Kulba na Barna’ is being shownin New-Zealand.

Were you involved in theshows abroad?

No I was not part of the show youknow what they did was to pick thebook and convert it into a film. I haveno more control over it; the controlis with my publishers. I was onlywith the director of the film Mr.Brandan Shehu as a consultingdirector. He was only consultingwhen he was shooting the film as aFinland feature film.

It is said that the film wonmany national andinternational awards?

When I heard that too I contactedthe director of the film, who is the

former managing director of theNigeria Film Corporation and heconfirmed to me that the film gotan International award in MilanItaly, Germany, Burkina Faso,France and Korea. But I don’t knowanything about it.

Did you gain any royalty asauthor of ‘kulba na barna’

it was only when the NigeriaFilm Corporation and ABU, Zariadecided to pick the book to make it afeature film that I got N300, 000.Apart from that every year I getabout N30, 000 or N40, 000 asroyalties. But when I browsedthrough the internet I checked theamazonbook.com and realised theywere selling these books in dollars.The two books I wrote, ‘KULBA NABARNA’ which in English means‘Blaming the Innocent’ and ‘AI GAIRINTA NAN’ which translated as‘A Regrettable Action’. These are notthe only two books I wrote but theyare the master piece. I wrote one,‘The Circle of Confusion’ which is onmilitary take-over.

How do you compare booksand films produced bycontemporary artist with whatobtained during your time?

It is not proper for governmentto say it will not intervene in certainbusinesses and leave them to thecitizens to do what they like withthem. The film industry inNorthern Nigeria, and the countryat large, should be controlled totallyby the government. Artistsnowadays just carry cameras andshoot without studying the cultureand traditions of the people. Youmust know this before going intofilm production. That is why you seethat most directors of these newfilms only know the technicalaspects of the camera they don’tknow anything about the cultureand tradition of the target people.

. I believe that if the centre forNigerian Cultural Studies stillexisted you will never find thesekinds of pictures on our screen. There

was a section which we used to trainsuch people; you would learnarcheology, musicology,performing arts, introduction totheatre, film making andphotography, etc.

It was a nine month certificatecourse and I’m sure anybody whopassed through such courses willknow what he is doing. But most ofthese boys they don’t go to eitherfilm or television schools and theynever worked in a television studio,they are not even artists they aremade artists only on the spot.

With all your contributionsto theatre and drama have youever received any award?

I remember the first person togive me an award was the emir ofGumel in Jigawa State, the‘LAUTAI’award in 1994 and otherorganisations in Nigeria, and lastyear the Katsina government gaveme the highest award that is theaward for excellence for dedicatingmy life to theatre for more than fourdecades. I thank all those who caredand appreciated my littlecontributions to the society. Fornational awards, I was not givenbecause it is not me they want. Theyprefer politicians.

When you were growing upin Katsina, who were yourfriends?

Late President Umaru Musa‘Yar’adua was my childhood friend.We used to play football together infront of their house. He went to ABU,Zaria after finishing school and Iwent to Kaduna. When I returnedfrom London he was then teachingat the College of Arts, Science andTechnology Zaria and I was with theNigerian Centre for CulturalStudies, Zaria. At that time we spentmost of the night together wheneverwe were around.

How can we use drama tofight the challenges facingNigeria?

The problem is so much in thenorth where arts is not respected. In

the southern part they havetheatres and it contributes to theirsocio-economic development. Buthere in the north maybe becauseof our culture we are not into this.But we need these artistic skills toprotect our religion and culture.We say we reject arts yet we havesatellite dishes in our homes wherewe have no control on what ourwives and children watch.

The neglect is with thegovernment when I was in Japan;every village had a youth theatrewith the youth of the areaperforming to promote theirculture. Any policy or programmeof government can be passedthrough these theatres. Go to eachlocal government, recruit 100 boysgive them N100,000 subventionmonthly ask them to producedramas on HIV/AIDS, POLIO etc.With this they would beencouraged to be self reliant.

Now if the government sayspeople like you should returnto the theatre would you acceptthe offer?

Which government? Today’sgovernments have no interest inarts but if this government feelswe have contributions to make,we will accept. But the wholeprogramming at the NTA andstate television stations mustchange.

The centralization of dramaepisodes was wrong, stations mustbe allowed to produce their dramaepisodes suitable to theirenvironment. If the NTA cannotreach the people because it isNational TV, the state televisionshould have special focus ondrama.

Lastly tell us about yourfamily

I have two wives and twelvechildren, three of them, Hadiza,Amina and Safina are all lawyerswhile the rest are still in school.So far none of them has showninterest in theater or dispositionof taking after me.Alhaji Umaru Danjuma

Katsina Kasagi

Kasagi and members of his group performing in a theatre in Sophia, Bulgaria in 1982.

Nollywood bad boy actor,Jim Iyke and Nigeriansinger, J-Martins were

rewarded for hard work andexcellence at the first CameroonEntertainment Awards heldrecently in Washington DC, USA.

The award ceremony was heldat the prestigious CramtonAuditorium in Washington DC,USA precisely on July 28, 2012.The event saw the convergence oftop Cameroonian entertainmentstakeholders in attendance.

Jim Iyke won the Pan AfricanActor of the Year Award in thatcategory while J-Martins won thePeople’s Choice Award. The singerwas present at the event to receivethe award.

Joseph Benjamin and Nse Ikpe Etim Starin Award Winning Movie, ‘Mr. and Mrs.’

Nse Ikpe Etim

JosephBenjamin

PAGE 26 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

HHHHHollollollollollywywywywywoodoodoodoodood/////BBBBBollollollollollywywywywywoodoodoodoodood

E l t o n John mayhave sang thatSaturday night is

alright for fighting, butwhen it comes to Madonna,Sunday suited him, too.After taking swipes at theMaterial Girl on a fewoccasions over the years,the "Tiny Dancer" singerleveled his most bitter blowat her in an August 5interview with Australia'sChannel 7, during which hegave his thoughts on the 53-year-old's MDNA tour,which has been rife withcontroversy (Madonnaflashing the crowd andusing a gun as a prop) andlow with ticket sales.

"She's such a nightmare,"said John, 65. "Her career isover, I can tell you that. Hertour has been a disaster". IfMadonna had any commonsense, she would have madea record like Ray of Light,

B i p a s h a finds herown laughterspooky!

The very bold andbeautiful Bipasha Basu,despite looking all strong andbrave, reveals that she hasher fears and gets scaredoften. The actress alsodisclosed that shooting forRaaz 3 scared the hell out ofher and that she couldn't getover the terrifying feelingeven after the shooting.

"In 'Raaz 3 ', I laugh in acertain way. Even when Iwatch a comedy movie, Idon't laugh aloud because Iam so scared of my ownlaughter," Bipasha has said.

The actress was speakingduring the launch of the firstlook of "Raaz 3

"I am a big sissy, I don'tlook like one but I am. WhenI was narrating the script ofthe first 'Raaz', the chair Iwas sitting on slid back and I

Elton John intensifies feudwith Madonna, says she is'fairground stripper'

Raaz 3: Bipasha scaredof her own laughter

Emraan Hashmi has no friends

stayed away from the dancestuff, and just been a greatpop singer and made greatpop records, which she doesbrilliantly. But no, she hadto prove that she was like …and she looks like afairground stripper. Andshe's been so horrible to[Lady] Gaga," he addedabout his friend, who alsohappens to be his 19-month-old son Zachary's

godmother.The feud between

Madonna and John firstbegan in 2004 when heaccused her of lip synchingduring her liveperformances. Then thispast January, when bothwere nominated for BestOriginal Song at the GoldenGlobes, they traded barbs onthe red carpet about theircompetition.

Rob Kardashian announcesplans to attend Law School

R o b Kardashian isfollowing in his latefather's footsteps,

by pursuing a career in law."Going to Law School

very soon and so excited andcan't wait," the "Keeping Upwith the Kardashians" star,25, has Tweeted "School justnever ends for me!"he says.

Rob referenced theUniversity of SouthernCalifornia (USC) in hisTweet, but USC Tweeted he'snot headed their way.

"Rob Kardashian hasn't

even applied to USC Law,"USC's Gould School of LawTweeted.

Rob did graduate fromUSC's Marshall School ofBusiness in 2009.

The reality star's father- Robert Kardashian - wasfamously a member of theO.J. Simpson defense teamin 1995. Robert is also thefather of Rob's sisters, Kim,Kourtney and Khloe.

The senior Kardashiandied of esophageal cancer in2003. He was 59.

fell, I was so scared. Evenwhile shooting for 'Raaz' I wasquite scared," she furtheradded.

Bipasha Basu is overwhelmed at getting back tothe Bhatt camp afterseveral years. The last timeshe worked with the Bhatts

was in 2002, in the movie"Raaz".

"My experience has beengreat in this film because Ihave made a come back. It'sthe team of my second film.It's very dear to me. It's after10 years that we all have gottogether," said Bipasha.

N o t o r i o u s l y -private actressKristen Stewart

would probably like todisappear about now. The 22-year-old "Twilight" starwouldn't publicly acknowledgea romantic relationship with

Kristen Stewart returns tothe screen in racy role aftercheating scandal

co-star Robert Pattinson for thelongest time - even thougheveryone knew it was goingon! Then last month, she wascaught cheating on Pattinsonwith her married "Snow Whiteand the Huntsman" directorRupert Sanders in paparazzi

photos, which led to hermaking anuncharacteristically candidstatement apologizing for herindiscretions. Unfortunatelyfor KStew, there's not muchtime for her to hide out.

Even before "TheTwilight Saga: BreakingDawn - Part 2" hits theaterson November 16 and all thered carpets (and run-ins withPattinson!) that come withthat, Stewart's returning tothe spotlight in a racy role.

She plays Marylou, the16-year-old bride of one of thetwo men on a long-distanceadventure in the big-screenversion of Jack Kerouac'siconic novel On the Road. Anew trailer shows Stewart'scharacter dancing with heron-screen husband, "TRON:Legacy's" Garrett Hedlund,and looking sultry.

Emraan Hashmi isalsoquoted as saying, "Ifyou want stable and solidfriendships, then it isbetter to look for themoutside the industry." Theactor is rarely seen inmovie parties and socialgatherings.

He also speaks about the"serial kisser" tag attachedto his name. Making astrong point, Emraansays, nowadays, kissing onscreen is pretty normaland almost everyBollywood actor does it.

E m r a a n Hashmiis said not to havefriends in

Bollywood. He is definitelyone of the most successfulactors in the industry andhas worked with manyactors. Then why doesn'the have friends?

Well, the actorhimself disclosed thereason. Emraan says, hebelieves in straighttalking and doesn't like tocarry on the rapport heshares with his co-starsoutside movie sets.

2012: Bollywood top 10performing amazingly well.

Anushka SharmaAnushka sharma, good

looking, effective performer,a good dancer and a highlyskilled actress, she madeher top 10 position inBollywood industry withher amazing performancein a film 'Band bajabaaraat', and 'Ladies andRicky Bahal' which alsobrought her to limelight.

Salman KhanSalman Khan is the 1st

most popular actor in theBollywood. He is called theRajniKant of Bollywood. Heperforms very well in actionfilms and has great talent.He has performed in theblockbuster film, Bodygaurdand Ready in the last year.

Nargis Fakhri Nargis Fakhri was born

in Queens, New York, USA.

Nargis Fakhri is a halfCzech- half Pakistani model.New York-based Nargis wasintroduced in the 2009Kingfisher swimsuitcalendar. She was acontestant on third cycle ofAmerica's Next Top Model.She appeared with RanbirKapoor in her rockingmovie, 'Rockstar (2011)' inthis movie she plays aneffective, rocking role and

Salman Khan Nargis FakhriAnushka Sharma

Kardashian

John Madonna

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 27

Don't just 'pick-up' the toiletHomes

B athrooms need to be cleanedoften. And unlike other roomsin your home, they cannot be

just "picked up" and still be consideredclean. This cleanup guide allows youto maintain the cleanliness of thebathroom without spending hoursscrubbing and disinfecting.

Equipment needed:-Gloves-Sponge or scrubber-Toilet brush-Cleaning productA note on cleaning products: Some

people insist that Vinegar alone isenough to clean every part of thetoilet. And though I don't do this, mygrandmother did, and many readersdo. It's less toxic and the vinegar willhelp dissolve mineral deposits in thebowl. No matter what cleaning agentyou choose, make sure it's one that isantibacterial. You'll need somethingfor the outside of the toilet andsomething for the bowl.

1. Start with the bowl.Most toilet bowl cleaners have a

curved neck so that you can squirt thesoap up under the rim and let it dripdown. (I like to start here so that thesoap has some time to sit on the partof the bowl that isn't under water andsoften anything that has hardenedthere.) Use the toilet brush to scrubthe whole bowl, making sure that youget the rim and deep into the bottom.Don't flush, just let the soap sit for thenext couple of steps.

2. Close the lid.3. Spray the outside.Using whatever cleaner you've

decided on, spray down the outside ofthe toilet and start wiping down withyour sponge, rinsing often using thebathroom sink, scrubbing wherenecessary and not forgetting the backof the toilet or that bottom part thatcollects all the hairs and dust.

4. The rim.Now you're ready for the rim,

which is by far the grossest part of theprocess and one made infinitely worseif you live with men with poor toiletmanners. Lift the lid, spray the

cleanser and wipe. Don't forget to dothe underside of the toilet seat. Thiscan be a nasty surprise.

5. The bowl finale.Get the toilet brush and give the

bowl another scrubbing using thesoap that's already been sitting there.Flush. Make sure to rinse the toiletbrush as you're flushing (you mayneed to flush more than once).Hopefully the bowl is clean now. Butif it isn't, scrub away.

6. Clean and maintain.Now your toilet is clean. You can

keep it this way longer if you practicesome daily maintenance. I like keepingsoapy water in with the toilet brush sothat you can just swish it in the bowlevery day to keep the gross frombuilding up. You can also use wipes ora sponge to wipe down the top of thetoilet every day or every couple ofdays. If you do these things you canavoid a major overhaul. Waste basket Toilet paper holder

Toilet accessories

Clean toilet with rubber gloves

Soap case, brush stand

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11— SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 28

Pots & PansWith

Hajiya Ramatu Usman DorayiCuisineDates meals to celebrate Sallah

Ginger chickenIngredients:Cooked & shredded chickenDried Mushrooms (optional).1 big Chopped onionChicken stock ¼ ltr.Soya sauce ¾ cupFresh ginger, you can also use

powdered gingerGarlicVinegar 4 tbsp.Sugar 1 tsp.Corn flour 1 tbsp.Tomato puree 1tsp.Pepper and salt to tasteMethod:1. Put the soya sauce, onion,

ginger, garlic, vinegar, sugar,

tomato puree, salt and pepper ina saucepan.

2. Boil for about 2 minutes.3. Soak the dried mushrooms

in warm water for 30 mins.Drain, rinse and cut into thinslices.

4. Heat the oil in a saucepanand add the shredded chicken.Cook for 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the stock and the Soyasauce mixture, together with thecorn flour, to the chicken.

6. Add the mushrooms andcook till sauce thickens slightly.

7. Serve hot.

Datesmilkshake

Ingredients:1/4 cup dates - remove seeds

and chop2 tbsp sugar720 ml milk1 cup crushed iceMethod:Blend the dates and 1/2 cup

of milk together in a blender.Add the rest of the ingredients

and blend at high speed andserve.

Dates snacksIngredients:Fried groundnuts- 250 gramsRaw rice- 500 gramsDates- 1 cup, remove seeds SugarRice flour-5 spoonsMethod:Soak raw rice for 2 hours.

Drain the water completely andthen dry, grind raw rice. Sift andthen again grind the coarseparticles until it is smooth or fine.

Grind groundnut intopowder.

Then grind sugar with riceflour. Grind Dates separately andkeep aside.

Finally grind all the groundingredients together. It may be alittle difficult to grind all theingredients together but youreally need to do this if you likedates snacks. If you've a mortarits better to pound all theingredients together in a mortar.

Roll in your palms, small ballsand then coat it with rice flour.

Dates breadIngredients:" 1 cup boiling water" 8 ounces chopped dates

(dabino)" 2 tablespoons butter" 3/4 cup granulated

sugar" 1/4 cup brown sugar" 1 large egg" 2 1/4 cups flour, stir

before measuring" 1 tablespoon baking

powder" 1/2 teaspoon salt" 1/2 cup chopped

groundnutsPreparation:Grease a 9x5x3-inch bread

pan.Pour boiling water over the

dates in a medium bowl; addbutter and set aside. With mixer,beat sugars and egg until light. Inanother bowl, combine the flour,baking powder, and salt. Add tothe sugar mixture, alternatingwith the date and water mixture.Stir in chopped groundnuts. Bakeat 325° for 45 to 55 minutes, oruntil a wooden pick inserted in thecenter of the pan comes out clean.

Dates or what is referred to as dabino in Hausa, is a sweet fruit from the Date Palm with scientific name ofPhoenix dactylifera. It is an everyday sweets or nuts but largely eaten during the Ramadan for breaking offast. However, meals made from dates like bread, date shakes are a delicious.

PAGE 29 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

10 ways to deal withan irritating boss

Womanhood

Show it through workThe very first and most

important way of making yourboss stop yelling is by showing itthrough your work. You knowwhat, ladies are bestowed withthis supernatural power ofmulti-tasking and dishing outimpeccable work. Summon thispower of yours and put it to gooduse. When you show your bossthat there is nothing to complainabout, then he/she will be leftwith no choice but to shut up.

Boost your self-confidenceIf it's in your boss' nature to

irritate subordinates, nothingcan be done about it. He/she willuse every chance to put youdown, sometimes in person,sometimes in public. No matterwhat happens, always make sureyou never lose your self-confidence. If you think that youare drowning, learn new waysto boost your self-confidence.Talk to your hubby, ask him toboost your morale or simpler,meditate. Focus on your positiveenergies and there can benothing in the world that canstop you.

Trust yourselfAn annoying boss is all about

complaints, queries andpointing out mistakes. In orderto avoid all of this, you must firstlearn to trust yourself. If he/shecross-questions you about yourwork, be confident enough toanswer. Tell to yourself, 'I'vegiven my 100% and I generallydon't go wrong'. Many a times,bosses have this habit of provingyou wrong and if you aregullible, you end up acceptingwhat they say. At such times,your conviction will come toyour rescue and convictioncomes through self-belief.

Think of yourachievements

Whenever you feel let downor your boss makes you feel so,instead of sulking, think ofyour achievements in the past.Tell yourself, "If I could do itthen, I can do it even now". Themost successful people havehad to endure a life ofhardships. Who knows, theseexperiences might carve asuccessful person out of you! So,think of the hardships thatyou've had to face in the pastand ask yourself to face thepresent with firmness.

Avoid argumentsYou must have heard it

many a times from yourcolleagues, 'The boss is alwaysright'. Well, even the boss thinksso. But, I'm not telling you to dothe same. Think laterally aboutthis. If your boss begins anargument with an assumption

that he/she will have his/hersay in the end, there's no pointarguing. No matter how silly orillogical the proposition is, do notargue or show your talent. Whenthe instruction falls into the pit,you can always say that you justfollowed what you were expectedto!

Ask for adviceBy asking for advice, I mean

ask your boss for advice! Whenyour boss disapproves some workof yours or your work pattern,then you must, too politely, askfor suggestions. Ask him/her toexplain in detail how he/shewants work to be done. If yourway is wrong, you'd get the rightdirection. But, if your boss iswrong, he/she'll realize hismistake while explaining stuff toyou.

Shake hands withsarcasm

No matter how smart andhow dumb, there can be no bossin the world who cannotunderstand the language ofsarcasm. Hence, you must shakehands with sarcasm. Conveyyour spite in the most hilarioustone. You'd realize with time thatyou are able to vent out your

frustration without beingoutright contemptuous. Smartmove, right?

Never give your boss achance

Bosses usually have thistendency to exploit yourAchilles' heel and blame you forevery wrong doing. In order toavoid such things, you mustmake sure you never give yourboss a chance. I've known manya women in my neighborhoodwho crib before their boss abouttheir son's nanny not showingup for a day, which makes themtake a leave or concentrate lesson their work. In such cases,there are chances that your bossmay attribute your failure toperform to your constantpreoccupation with yourpersonal life.

Learn to counter attackMany a times, it happens

that your boss is as dumb as astick. But, when a project worksout fine, he/she is smart enoughto take all the credit for the effortthat you've put in. This leavesyou devastated, affects yourquality of work and gives yourboss a chance to take up yourcase. To avoid this in the future,

learn to counter attack.Whenever a new project begins,make sure you enlighten your

boss about everything that ishappening through e-mails.While you mark a mail to yourboss, cc it to a senior colleague oryour boss' senior just to ensurethat everyone is kept in the loop.Who knows, during the nextproject, you might get all thecredit for your work andappreciation from your boss'boss!

Quit the jobThis is the last thing that I'd

suggest because I don't believe inquitting the battle like a coward.But, it happens at times, that it'sjust not possible to tolerate theboss anymore. In that case, youmay choose to quit the job. But,listen to what I say. Make sure,you find a better or a suitable job.Do not forget that you mighthave to experience a similartendency when you change theworkplace. So it's best to partways on a happy note. You mustmake your boss realize that he/she would be losing a wonderfulemployee.

An irritating boss is truly apain in the neck. To add to this,if your boss turns out to be a malechauvinist, it's even moredifficult. But, the only mantrathat I'd suggest is never leavehope. Try every possible way tocome to terms with it for youhave to pave the way for yourown successful career. Perhaps,post 10 years, you'd realize thatit was because you had such aboss that you learnt to tackle thetoughest of situations! All thebest!

A stressful lifestyle, hectic schedule and demanding career is alethal combination for every woman these days. To top it, if youhave to encounter an irritating boss every single day, you are sureof the fact that life is turning into hell. It's like dying day in day out,managing home, kids, husband and rushing to the office to say'Good Morning' to a nagging boss, who deserves nothing but one,big tight slap! Do you experience the same, lady? In that case, youmust read these top 10 ways to deal with a nagging boss.

PAGE 30

ArchivesPEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

“THE STRONGEST MAN IN NIGERIA” (1959)Uzoma “Killi-We” Nwachukwu (1932-?) was for more than two decades celebrated as a homegrownNigerian “superman.” Some of his legendary feats of strength included lifting buses, having cementblocks crushed on his head, and allowing cars to drive over his body.

Do you have old pictures for memories?Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com

Nigeria's UK Tourist team of 1949 with Thunder Balogun standingfar left

Pupils take milk break at Queen’s College in Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, a state secondary school for girls. (Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images). June 1959. Nowstudents hardly have water to drink in their schools.

The Emir of Katsina, Sir Alhaji Usman Nagogo, holding a morninggreeting ceremony, Katsina, Nigeria 1959.

PAGE 31

LeisurePEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

WORD SEARCH With Augustine Aminu

QUOTABLE QUOTESPolitics, it seems to me, for years,

or all too long, has been concernedwith right or left instead of right orwrong.

—Richard Armour

Politicians and diapers should bechanged frequently and all for thesame reason.

—José Maria de Eça deQueiroz, translated fromPortuguese

Hell, I never vote for anybody, Ialways vote against.

—W.C. Fields

We live in a world in which politicshas replaced philosophy.

—Martin L. Gross, A Call forRevolution, 1993

There are many men of principlein both parties in America, but thereis no party of principle.

—Alexis de Tocqueville

We'd all like to vote for the bestman, but he's never a candidate.

—Frank McKinney "Kin"Hubbard

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Find the words from the bottom in the word search grid. Thewords can be forwards or backwards, vertical, horizontal, ordiagonal. Circle each letter separately, but keep in mind thatletters may be used in more than one word.

M O T H E R D S S U N D A Y D

A Y C E T L E R B R A T A I O

N S B R E A K F A S T D G O E

S B A C L K T O T C I H E S P

R I N Y E G C C E L L E F B R

A H A P P Y A T O I O N A Y S

O M O T H E R H O O D F M E A

N N D C O I N E N T A M I T G

E R N E N E A C E C U A L A L

R L O V E L T E D M G H Y R I

D L C A R I I A H S H O N B O

L R E Y M M O M N I T N G E R

I H S E A T N O S R E W O L F

H H E M O T S H E R R O F E T

C H E G M O T H E R S O D C S

BREAKFASTCARDCARNATIONSCELEBRATECHILDRENDAUGHTERSFAMILYFLOWERSHAPPYHOLIDAY

LOVEMAYMOMMYMOTHERHOODMOTHERSMUMMYSECONDSONSSUNDAYTELEPHONE

JOKES

Mother’s Day Word Search

A European pilot came to Nigeria and hiredtwo local hunters to help him get some 'bushmeat'. He dropped them in the forest in achartered plane and returned a week later to pickthem up.

He looked at the 'bush meat' they had shot."There is no way the plane can take all this bushmeat. We will have to leave a third of it behind."

"But we did it last year", the hunters insisted."The pilot took the two of us and the same amountof bush meat in a plane just like yours"

The pilot hesitated, but then decided to taketheir word for it. "Well, if you did it last year, Isuppose we can do it again this year."

The plane took off. As it approached a nearbymountain, it could not gain height. it crashed intothe side of the mountain. The pilot and the hunterscrawled out of the plane, dazed but glad to bealive.

"I wonder where we are," the pilot asked. Oneof the hunters looked around, "Don't worry, I thinkwe are just 15 metres east of where we crashedlast year."

Two Nigerian Hunters and aEuropean Pilot

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 32

Customised beadsfor eye catching outfits

FWhoever said pictures last forever is

absolutely correct. Whateveroccasion it is, whether it is your best

friend’s wedding, sister’s engagement partyor simply a special occasion, people willremember for a longtime to come, what youwere wearing. Carefully selected beadjewelries and accessories to match yourdress give magical touch to a memorableaffair. So stay one step ahead in setting highfashion trends with beautiful beads like theseones, for that special occasion you may beplanning. Certainly with attractive beadjewelries, there is no need stressing yourselfabout the perfect dress. From the hemlines,fabrics and colours finding the dream dress iseasy.

Compiled by Jamila Nuhu Musa

Sparklingdiamondpurse

Heels

Bracelet

Courtesy: Bella Naija

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 33

Business

T h e Federal Governmentis set to unveil the E-governance portal to

stakeholders at a special session inLagos this month, with ComradeAbba Moro of the interior ministryacting on behalf of the federalgovernment.

This was disclosed in astatement credited to the Chiefexecutive officer of AnchorDataware solutions, Mr. Joel Adi,who noted that “the e-governanceportal will act as a revolution itemin the way the governmentconducts its businesses and it willhelp in improving commerce andindustry, creation of employmentopportunities, and acceleratedeconomic development in thecountry as well”

Mr. Adi, who is the provider of

E-governance: Portal to beunveiled to stakeholders this month

the new operating systems for theministry also assured stakeholdersof their readiness to deploy theelectronic portal to transform thedepartment of Citizenship andBusiness, adding that "it will alsobring about an economic networkof opportunities on that corridorand will also provide for theintegration and automation of theoperations of the department, andalso streamline its Naturalization,Citizenship, Marriage registry andExpatriate Quota ManagementSystem.”

According to him “Ourprofessional and proactive team isputting finishing touches to allinstallations and the requiredinfrastructure for the overallsuccess of the project as well as theactualization of the noble andlaudable goals of government.

While commending Moro forhis dogged determination to see to

the realization of the project, Adidescribed the Minister as apatriotic public servant, who hasshown uncommon devotion totransforming his ministry andthat, the e-Citibiz that will beintroduced is a system that allowsdata to flow between the public,service professionals, and publicservice agencies, adding that datafrom multiple regions can bequickly centralized and convertedinto useful information.

It will also help social serviceagencies manage the explosiveinformation growth by creating asimplified, seamless front end thatpresents a cohesive one-stop shopfor constituents and effectivelymanages network data flow.

The project, according to theICT expert, is a Public PrivatePartnership (PPP)between theCitizenship and Businessdepartment of the Ministry of

The report also noted that asconsumer tablet adoptioncontinues to rise, there will

be significant migration ofpurchasing activity from laptopsand desktops to tablet devices, withconsumers increasingly engaging inonline shopping while watching TV.Indeed, it found the developmentof this "couch commerce" trendwould result in mobile and nomadicdevices accounting for 30% ofeRetail within five years. However,it also observed that suchtransactions would continue tocomprise a small minority of aglobal retail sales marketplacecurrently worth more than $16tn.

As report author Dr WindsorHolden pointed out, "We havealready moved towards amultitasking, multimediaenvironment which offers brandsthe opportunity for far greaterengagement with consumersthan was previously the case.Mobile is increasingly beingdeployed at all touch points inthe retail process - productdiscovery, product purchase,customer retention."

eRetailmigratestoMobile

FG to sell N75bn of domestic bonds in August

Interior and Anchor DatawareSolutions (ADS), a technology-focused group providing worldclass Infrastructure, InformationCommunication and Technology(ICT) solutions to bothgovernment and privateenterprises.

four months respectively. Thebonds are re-openings of previousissues. "The DMO reserves theright to alter the amount allottedin response to marketconditions," the debt office said ina public notice.

on Friday.The debt office said it would

sell 25 billion naira apiece of five-, seven- and 10-year bonds withterms to maturity of four yearsand seven months, six years andnine months, and nine years and

T h e Federal Governmentplans to raise 75 billionnaira ($472 m) in local

bonds with maturities of betweenfive and 10 years at its regularauction on Aug. 15, the DebtManagement Office (DMO) said

Nigeria, Africa's second-biggest economy after SouthAfrica, issues sovereign bondsmonthly to support the local bondmarket, create a benchmark forcorporate issuance and fund itsbudget deficit.

Compiled by MuhammadSada

Minister of Interior, ComradeAbba Moro

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 34

Business NewsFinancial experts commend FG on 2013draft budget, seek early implementationFinancia l experts have

commended the FederalGovernment for planning

to increase the capital expenditurefor the 2013 draft budget to 31.34per cent.

The experts gave thecommendation in separateinterviews with the News Agencyof Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos onFriday.

They said that the projected2013 increase in capitalexpenditure was a developmentthat demonstrated government’scommitment to the growth of theeconomy.

According to them, FederalGovernment’s plan for early

Jamil-Mohammed, the Director,Planning, Research and Statistics,Awosika, observed that the newproduct would reduce thelingering queues for kerosenenationwide.

``I can recall, we havepreviously challenged NARICT tocome up with something toreduce the hardship as a result ofkerosene scarcity which engulfedthe entire country,” she said.

In a paper entitled:``Increasing Productivitythrough Technology Acquisition”,Dr Umar Bindir, the Director-General, National Office forTechnology Transfer andPromotion (NOTAP), laudedNARICT for alleviating the plightof Nigerians.

Represented by Alhaji AdamuTandama, a Deputy Director,

budget implementation willstimulate positive economic rippleeffects in domestic wealth creationand sustainable development.

Mr Oluwole lbikunle, theManaging Director, BoazManagement and FinancialStrategies Ltd. Lagos, said that the2013 budget contained significanteconomic drivers to enhancenational productivity, ``ifimplemented to the letter’’.

Ibikunle said that the plan toreview the capital expenditureupward against the recurrentexpenditure showed that thegovernment was listening to theyearnings of Nigerians.

He said that there was nothing

NARICT invents newenergy packageT h e National Research

Institute for ChemicalTechnology (NARICT),

Zaria, Kaduna State, has launcheda new ``Integrated JatrophaEnergy Package” (stove), aimed ataddressing air pollution anddesertification menace.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the inventionwas one of the institute’s four-year strategic plans meant tocurtail difficulty in the society,especially among rural women.

Dr. Dare Awosika, thePermanent Secretary, FederalMinistry of Power, said at thelaunching of strategic plan inZaria on Thursday that NARICThad never ceased to be theministry’s flag-bearer inprojecting its image positively.

Represented by Alhaji Ahmad

Bindir said technologyacquisition involved identifying,sourcing, transferring anddomesticating a needed ordesired technology.

Earlier, the NARICT Director-General, Prof. IbrahimMohammed-Bugaje, saidactivities of the institute weregeared toward the transformationagenda of the presentadministration and vision 20:2020.

Mohammed-Bugaje notedthat the institute needed about N4billion to successfully implementits strategic plan in the next fouryears.

NAN reports that the occasiondrew some non-governmentalorganisations and women groups,who were presented with thenewly invented stove.

wrong in borrowing money tofinance a budget deficit providedit would be properly committed tocapital development.

According to him, Nigeriansare averse to borrowing to financeconsumption and otherostentatious lifestyle.

Ibikunle described as``dangerous’’ the benchmarkingof crude oil price at 75 dollars perbarrel, stressing that theinternational oil price fluctuationswould have a negative effect on thebudget.

Dr Samuel Nzekwe, theimmediate past president of theAssociation of NationalAccountants of Nigeria (ANAN)

also lauded government’s move topresent the draft budget before theend of September.

According to him, theapproach will impact positively onthe economy and on Nigerians.

Nzekwe frowned at theinability of the Minister of Finance,Dr Ngozie Okonjo-Iweala, toinform Nigerians on how theFederal Government planned toreduce the recurrent expenditures.

He said that the plannedincrease in the capital expenditurewould boost economic growth andenhance the nation’sinfrastructure deficiency.

The former ANAN boss alsourged government to consolidate

NNPC pledges toabide by FOI Act

effort in the aggressivediversification of the nation’seconomic base.

Mr Emeka Madubuike, theManaging Director of CompassSecurities Ltd. Lagos, said thatemphasis should be on capitalinvestment toward achieving the20:2020 economiccompetitiveness.

Madubuike urged thegovernment to pay more attentionto the capital market to createveritable means of medium to longterm funds.

He said that funding forinfrastructure development couldonly be achieved through thecapital market.

Mobile transactions to hit$730 billion by 2017T h e value of remote

transactions for digitaland physical goods

purchased via mobile devices isexpected to exceed $730bnannually by 2017, a new reportfrom Juniper Research hasfound.

According to the report,

transaction growth will be drivenby the increasing scale of real-world (non-digital) purchasesfrom major brands and retailers,with companies such asDomino’s in the US and Argos inthe UK already seeing 6-7% of allsales occurring via the mobilechannel.

T h e Management of NNPCon Friday dispelledinsinuations that it was not

bound by the Freedom ofInformation Act and pledgedimproved transparency on itsactivities.

Mr Andrew Yakubu, the GroupManaging Director of the NNPCmade the clarification in Abuja at theinduction ceremony for the 595 newmembers of staff.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that some mediaorganisations had reported that themanagement of the corporation saidthat it was not bound by the new law.

``I want to use this opportunityto address some concerns raised insome quarters about our attitudetoward transparency andaccountability. We uphold theseideals in all our operations.

``Even long before the Freedomof Information Act came into force,the NNPC had always maintained anopen door policy.

``This policy saw NNPCvolunteering information to itspublic through press releases,advertorials and presentations atdifferent forums including at theNational assembly.’’

Yakubu said that the NNPC,since the signing of the FOI Act in2011, had stepped up itstransparency and accountabilityprocesses and positioned itself forpublic scrutiny.

He maintained that therecruitment exercise that producedthe new members of staff waspainstakingly carried out in line withthe Federal character principle.

``I wish to restate that the 2010recruitment exercise whichultimately led to today’s inductionceremony stands as one of the mostpainstaking and transparentrecruitment exercise ever conductedin the history of the corporation,

``In line with the FederalCharacter Commission’srequirements, Managementengaged the Commission for vettingof the recruitment exercise.

``After a series of interface, thecommission issued a Certificate ofCompliance to NNPC thus bringingthe exercise to a successful close,’’ hesaid.

He charged the new members ofstaff to be diligent and professionalin their duties and key into thetransformation drive so as to fasttrack the repositioning of theCorporation in line withinternational best practice.

He said that the NNPC waspursuing an aggressive expansion ofits operations both in the upstreamand downstream sectors so as toboost the economy of the nation.

``As at the last count, the NNPChad increased its number of retailoutlets and affiliate filling stationsfrom 30 to over 500 increasing itsshare to over 16.13 per cent,’’ he said.

L-R: Department for International Development DFID,Head Nigeria, Mr. Richard Montgomery, withthe Nigeria Trade and Investment Minister, Mr Olusegun Aganga, during the Nigeria investmentClimate Meeting in Abuja, on Thursday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 35

BusinessNNPC makes U-turn onFOI, promises transparency

T he Nigerian NationalPetroleum Commission,which initially claimed that

it was not bound by the Freedom ofInformation law, has made a U-turn, the News Agency of Nigeriareports.

The NNPC had in a letter datedJuly 17 and signed by its LegalAdviser refused an FOI applicationby a national daily saying it is “notbound by the provision of the act”.

Senior lawyers, human rightactivists, and civil society groups, asreported by PREMIUM TIMES,condemned the NNPC for its positionon the FOI; with Itse Sagay, aProfessor of Law, describing thecommission’s position as “ignorant.”

The official position by the NNPCwas however contradicted by thecommission’s head and GroupManaging Director, AndrewYakubu.

Mr. Yakubu, while speaking atthe induction ceremony for the 595new members of staff said hiscommission is open to transparency.

“I want to use this opportunityto address some concerns raised in

some quarters about our attitudetoward transparency andaccountability,” Mr. Yakubu stated.

“We uphold these ideals in all ouroperations.”

The NNPC boss said that “longbefore the Freedom of InformationAct came into force, the NNPC hadalways maintained an open doorpolicy”.

Part of the ways the commissionacts transparently, according to Mr.Yakubu, is by “volunteeringinformation to its public throughpress releases, advertorials and

NEXIM Bank gets foreign partner on TradeT h e Romanian

government has expressedinterest to partner the

Nigeria Export Import Bank(NEXIM) to explore ways to opentrade ties between the Nigerianexporters and Romanianbusinesses.

Mr Chinedu Muoghalu, thebank’s Spokesman, said in a release,that the commitment resulted froma high-powered visit by theRomanian Embassy officials to

NEXIM.The delegation was led by Amb.

Nicolae Moldoveanu, who helddiscisions with the NEXIM Bank onissues bordering on trade ties betweenthe two countries. The statementquoted Mr Roberts Orya, theManaging Director of NEXIM Bank,as discussing the bank’s trade policyand the role in promoting exportrelated investment in various sectorsof the country’s economy.

Orya listed the areas to include

Manufacturing, Agriculture, SolidMinerals and Services sectors of theeconomy.

He also shared experiences onthe Bank’s activities to deepen tradewith the West and Central sub-regions through the facilitation ofSealink Project.

The Sealink project is expectedto provide sea-going vessels for easeof movement of goods and personsin the ECOWAS region.

Orya lauded the Ambassador’s

We obeyed FederalCharacterMr. Yakubu stated that his

commission complied withthe principle of the Federal

Character Commission in therecruitment of new staff.

“I wish to restate that the 2010recruitment exercise which ultimatelyled to today’s induction ceremonystands as one of the most painstakingand transparent recruitment exerciseever conducted in the history of thecorporation,” he said.

The NNPC boss said that “in linewith the Federal CharacterCommission’s requirements,Management (of NNPC) engaged the

Commission for vetting of therecruitment exercise”.

“After a series of interface, thecommission issued a Certificate ofCompliance to NNPC thus bringingthe exercise to a successful close,’’ hesaid.

Mr. Yakubu also said hiscommission is rapidly expanding itservices in the upstream anddownstream sectors.

“As at the last count, the NNPChad increased its number of retailoutlets and affiliate filling stations from30 to over 500, increasing its share toover 16.13 per cent,’’ he said.

keen interest to collaborate with thebank to harness investmentopportunities in Nigeria and saidthe visit signalled the beginning ofmutually beneficial relationshipbetween the two countries.

In his remarks, Moldoveanusaid that most Romanianbusinesses had little knowledge ofthe Nigerian business landscape,adding that many were sceptical ofdoing business in Nigeria due to therisk of being defrauded.

recorded last week to close at23,523.15.

In the same vein, the marketcapitalization in the weekdepreciated by N90.43 billion(US$565.21 million) to close atN7.39 trillion (US$46.22 billion) asagainst appreciation by N73.31billion (US$488.78 million)recorded last week to close at N7.48trillion (US$ 49.89billion).

The total volume traded in theweek closed at 1.31 billion unitsvalued at N9.13 billion (US$57.09million) compared with 1.63 billionunits valued at N11.88 billion(US$74.17 million) exchanged in17,532 deals last week. The volumetransaction in the week whencompared with the previous weekdata moved down by -19.58% asagainst decline by -16.43% recordedlast week. Weekly value also wentdown by -23.03% as againstnegative position of -5.58% recordedlast week.

Nigerian stocks shed N90.43 billionin the week on profit taking

P e s s i m i s t i c tradingdominated Nigerian boursein the week along with

increased market price volatility asspeculators booked profitconsiderably while Nigerian stocksexperienced price correction due tothe overbought posture of themarket. The outlook recorded camein with our position as envisaged inour previous mid-week analysisreport.

Consequently, the keybenchmark indices experiencedretracement while it failed to breakits 52weeks resistance level due tostrong profit-taking tendency andunrelenting sell pressure witnessedin the week. Meanwhile, improvedspeculative trading and risk appetitewitnessed towards Small andMedium CAP stocks in the weekdespite weak market breadth.

Market opened the week bearishby -0.44% loss to erase the previousgain and traded below-the-line tillWednesday, extending downtrendby -0.96% loss as against -0.11% lossrecorded on Tuesday as bears

dominated market terrain till mid-week.

Conversely, market leveragedon mixed sentiments witnessed onThursday to record a modest gain of+0.05% while the improvedpatronage reclaimed marketbreadth with an impressive marginof positive divergent.

On Friday, the All Share Indexsustained the uptrend by 0.26%gain and closed negative for the weekby -1.21% loss amid negativebreadth.

Further analysis on acquiringbanks since transaction date showedthat the share price of Access BankPlc has recorded +51.52% gains withFCMB recording -20.77% losseswhile Union Bank Plc leads the chartwith +133.49% gains. However,Sterling Bank Plc recorded -14.17%losses while ETI also closed negativewith -11.48% loss recorded. See thetracking table below

However, the All-Share Index inthe week under review dipped by -1.21% to close at 23,239.03 asagainst an upbeat by +0.99%

The volume traded in the topten most traded stocks for the weekrepresented 73.00% of the entiremarket volume transactions andtheir total value accounted for72.20% of the market value.

Financial Services sectoremerged the most traded sector inthe week in terms of volume. Thevolume traded in the sector thisweek alone closed at 1.11biillionunits, valued at N7.05billion andexchanged in 11,381 dealscompared with 982.54 millionunits, valued at N7.94billion andexchanged in 10,281 deals in thepreceding week. The volume tradedin the sector accounted for 84.46%of the entire market compared with71.74% of the ratio recorded lastweek.

Law Union Plc led the marketvolume for the week to displaceUnion Zenith Bank Plc as top tradedstock on the transaction volumechart last week.

The sector's volume transactionwas mainly boosted by trading inthe shares of the companies in thetop-ten category.

Conglomerates sector followedwith 55.75 million units valued atN96.00 million and exchanged in741 deals compared with 34.69million units, valued at N89.29million and exchanged in 574recorded in the sector last week.

INDEX MOVEMENTSNSE All-Share Index opened the

week on a negative note with -0.44% loss, mixed sentimentsdominated the week while ASI closedpositive on Friday by +0.26% withnegative market breadth.

In the week under review, twoNSE sectoral Indices closed positiveas NSE Insurance recorded thehighest gain by +0.39% while NSEBanking closed with the lowest gainby +0.08%.

Top 10 Gainers of the weekThe numbers of gainers in the

week closed at thirty (30) comparedwith thirty-two (32) appreciationsrecorded last week. SMURFIT Plctopped the gainers chart for the weekwith +19.44% appreciations. Othergainers in the top ten appreciationclass are outlined below.

Top 10 Losers of the weekThirty-seven (37) stocks

recorded price decline of differentmagnitude in the week underreview compared with thirty-seven(37) stocks declined in the previousweek. WAPIC Plc topped the loserschart for the week with-12.70%depreciation. Other losers in the topten classes are outlined below.

CAPITAL MARKET

presentations at different forumsincluding at the Nationalassembly”.

However, the NNPC boss failedto denounce or reject the officialletter written by his commission;nor did he state the commission’swillingness to honour the FOIrequest of the Daily TrustNewspapers.

The FOI request, by the media,bordered on the recent recruitmentcarried out by the NNPC, amidstalleged violations of the FederalCharacter principle.

Augustine Aminu with Agencyreports

PAGE 36 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Re: Sovereign wealth fund

Peoples Daily Weekend welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text messagesand ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions should be concise. Wordlimits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and

a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to:The Editor,

Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza,35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.Email: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com

WRITE TO US

Suswam’s our Benue, ourfuture and our unity

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

MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

ALI M. ALI

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION

HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

EDITOR, DAILY

ABDULAZEEZ ABDULLAHI

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND

JAMILA NUHU MUSA

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING

HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

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

industry by putting thepeople first, upholdingthe truth, maintaining

the highestprofessional andethical standards

while delivering valueto our stakeholders”

“To be a reputable,profitable,

innovative andtechnologically

reliant mediacompany offering

world classservices and

products”

OUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISIONOUR VISION

DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRUFA’I IBRAHIM

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU

ADESOJI OYINLOLA

I have always believed that theeconomic and social progress of adeveloping country such as ours

cannot be measured simply byreferring to the level of per capitalincome. I think that what reallycounts are the visible and tangiblesigns of progress in the rural areassuch as schools, rural health clinics,water and electricity, access roads foreasy movement goods and persons.

This conviction has brought mecloser to understand thedevelopmental blueprint of Gov.Gabriel Suswam, “Our Benue, OurFuture” no longer as a social criticrather a taxpayer whose hard earnedkobo no matter how minute must beused in driving the administrativepolicies of government at all levels. Itis now 5 years since May 29, 2007when Rt. Hon Gabriel Suswam took theoath of office with a solemn pledge toaggressively provide infrastructureand purposeful leadership that willstand the test of time, still not muchhas been said about the presentposition of Benue State on themilestone.

It will be a great disservice to thelargest population of the rural dwellersin Benue State if we decide to judgethe performance of the Suswam ledadministration based on the elitistperspective of urban beautification.The awards he has received from veryreputable rating agencies andinternational organizations are notenough reasons to convince the typicalBenue man who is a farmer at Udeithat there is a government somewhere.Our singular applausive song eachtime the name Rt. Hon GabrielSuswam is mentioned anywhere is thepresence of one tangible structure orrare facility that he has freely givento the people without any bargain.While the outside viewing world holdsa separate view of Suswam as Mr.Infrastructure, a name that wasascribed to the Governor based on histireless efforts in providing basicinfrastructure, those at the grassrootshold several other views based on theirown conviction and where the people’s

Governor has had a date with theirdestiny.

The stories as have been told by thosewho have visibly seen the man inaction are quite different in reasoningas to the dynamism and flexibility ofeven spread of basic amenities cuttingall round the state. By all accounts, theordinary people of Benue State alwaysspeak well of Governor Gabriel Suswambecause he has always been a massesfriend that believes that the only wayto maintain equity and fairness in thedistribution of scarce resources is to putin place certain infrastructures thatguarantees endless access to everyNigerian irrespective of tribe orreligion.

He looked into the future to see thatthe only way to bridge the gap betweenthe excessively rich and the extremelypoor are to provide quantitative andqualitative free primary education forboth class of persons in the society. Inachieving this, the state governmenthas embarked on very capital intensivetraining and re-training exercise forprimary school teachers, renovation andbuilding of more schools to cater for thegrowing population in the rural areas,incentives and morale booster to aid boththe teachers and pupils, seasonalorganization of the age-long dead quizcompetitions and sporting activities inschool to serve as a source of exposure tothe children etc.

I strongly believe that our positionon the milestone today is not by thepresence of multi-billion naira streetlight projects used to lighten the wholestate capital and make Makurdi town a

mini London at night but thecommitment of the presentadministration to ensure that everycommunity is given the opportunity toknow the difference between a switchboard and the kerosene lamp.

Governor Suswam should beapplauded for ensuring that ruralelectrification which is a more difficultand capital intensive venture isachieved by his administration to alarger extent. Not minding theimmediate completion of all abandonedelectrification projects inherited frompast administration by this government,new contracts ranging from erection ofpolls, wiring, provision of transformersto step up and step down, connection tothe national to high power source etcwere awarded.

A certain Editor at large who reportsfor one national daily at Abuja recentlyclaimed not to have seen water flowingon the streets of Makurdi which I believeto an extent to be true. But let me usethis medium to remind my good friendthat the cost of providing good water isan enormous challenge that no otherGovernor in Nigeria has ever tackled theway and manner Rt. Hon GabrielSuswam has done in the last five years. Iam very sure that the beneficiaries ofthe various water schemes at Otobi,Otukpo, Otukpa Anyim, Wanune,Katsina-Ala and other remotecommunities in the state were notadequately consulted.

The Greater Makurdi Water Projectstill remains an architectural masterpiece that will stand the test of time interms of capacity and technology. The

greatest beneficiaries I know are not theeducated populace of the urban centresbut those who have made the waragainst total eradication of guineaworm and other water borne diseasesimpossible by drinking untreatedwater from the river.

Maternal and infant mortalityrate has greatly reduced as a result ofthe Suswam led administration’stimely intervention in health careservices. This is one area that Rt. HonGabriel Suswam and his beautifulwife, Mrs. Yemisi Dooshima Suswamhave jealously guarded away frompolitics and the spin doctors,understanding how important tosafeguard the health of mothers andchildren in the society.

The strategies implored byGovernor Gabriel Suswam and histeam in dealing with this menace arequite encouraging. The stategovernment has purchased anddistributed over one million mosquitonets to the citizenry, availability offree and highly subsidized malariadrugs in government hospitals,renovation and provision of medicalequipments by the government andregular inspection of facilities inhealth care centres to ensure smoothrunning.

The policy document, “Our Benue,Our Future” has its way into the innerroom of every family in Benue Statenot for its literary content but becauseof the sincerity and show of couragedemonstrated by the presentgovernment. If much could beachieved for the people within 5 years,I hereby plead that Mr. Infrastructureshould not be allowed to go to bed; wemust support him to build on thisconcrete foundation and the futurewhich he has already projected into.Governor Suswam has clearly shownto us that a safe future for our childrenis a product of our collective effortstoday as a people.

Comrade Philip Agbese,President-General of Benue Youthsin Diaspora Associationcontributed this article from Lagos,Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 37

OpinionTambuwal’s leadership of the House

A f t e r he broke the barrier ofgodfatherism and externalinfluences to become the Speaker of

the House of Representatives, Hon. AminuTambuwal has led the House to tread thepath of transparency and accountability.

His dynamic leadership has made thelower House to become a centre of reflection ofthe voices of the masses. The House has defiedthe wrath of the godfathers and has risked theaxe of corruption-fattened cabals, to ensurebetter standard of living for Nigerians.

The House under Tambuwal hasovershadowed its counterpart, the Senate,as the latter is not better than a toothless dogthat can’t even bark.

In recent times, the House ofRepresentatives has always been at theforefront of getting to the roots of shady dealsamong office holders and technocrats in thecountry. This makes one to wonder whetherthe country is operating a unicamerallegislature, as the Senate has not been active

subsidy culminated in nationwide crisis, thespeaker called an emergency meeting of theHouse, which was on recess, in order toprevent anarchy. In addition, the House didnot relent on ensuring transparency in theinvestigation of the subsidy scandal. It wasthe patriotic act of the House that unveiledthe dubious deals of some ‘untouchable’ evilgeniuses in the country.

Though, there were attempts to sabotagethe subsidy report through calculated witchhunt of probe committee chairman, FaroukLawan; yet, the House deservescommendation for allowing illumination ofthe darkened truths for Nigerians to see.

The zeal of the House to ensureaccountability in governance can also be seenin the summoning of President GoodluckJonathan few weeks ago to come and makeknown his stance on the high rate ofinsecurity in the country. This is sequel tothe wanton loss of lives and properties thathave ravaged the country in recent timesas a result of the activities of the seeminglyintractable Boko Haram sect and the Jos

By Simon Godwin

enough to get the attention of Nigerians theyclaim represent.

In January, when the removal of fuel

Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal

Addressing training and manpower devtdeficit in Nigeria: CMD as the solution

O n assumption of office last year,President Goodluck Jonathanreiterated the commitment of the

Federal Government to buildingformidable capacity capable of drivingthe administrative machinery of theFederal Government. This assertion,undoubtedly, was hinged on thePresident's recognition of theindispensability of professional and wellskilled personnel in the civil service. Hepromised to accord the civil service itspride of place in the scheme of things andurged all concerned in the training andretraining of the nation's workforce tobe proactive in the actualisation of thisgoal. This task by President Jonathancould not have come at a better timeconsidering gross inefficiency,ineptitude, low productivity and rusewhich have plagued both the federal andstate civil service over the years.

With the expanding roles ofgovernment and the civil service inparticular, training and development ofpersonnel have become increasinglyimperative. This is in line with theextant staff training and manpowerdevelopment policy which lendssystematic approach to training effortin the civil service, and by so doing,enables government to derive higherbenefits from massive investment inmanpower development. This, however,is in tandem with the various publicservice reforms which have sought to usetraining as one of the vehicles for makingthe civil service operationally effectiveand more result oriented.

Personnel in any organisationremain the most invaluable asset forgrowth and development. Training andretraining are essential components ofmanpower development which in turnplay a decisive role in promotingeconomic growth with equity. It is,however, challenging that most trainingprogrammes by some institutions havefailed to introduce new orientations on

Company of Nigeria (PHCN), CentralBank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission (EFCC),Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria,Nigeria Police Force, National YouthService Corps, PENCOM, to mention afew.

As a parastatal of the NationalPlanning Commission, charged with theresponsibility of driving the vision, plansand programmes of the FederalGovernment, the Centre hasenthusiastically identified with the keydevelopment agenda of the presentadministration and has taken boldmeasures to enhance competence in theperformance of its functions. As a matterof policy, the Director-General of theCentre, Dr. K.K. Usman, an astuteadministrator of international reputehas ensured the compulsory training ofstaff of the Centre both locally andinternationally to equip them for thetask of building a formidable andthorough-bred workforce for thecountry. As a routine exercise since hisassumption of office, Dr. Usman hasfacilitated the international exposure ofvarious categories of staff to the besttraining institutes in Europe, America,Asia among others with the aim of

By Iheanyi Sunday meeting the capacity building needs ofthe country as mandated by the FederalGovernment.

In order to realise the dream of theFederal Government in manpowerdevelopment and capacity building,however, the CMD as the apex FederalGovernment training, research andconsultancy institution needs to bestrengthened through the amendment ofsome enabling laws establishing it to giveit a freer hand to operate. Since staffdevelopment goes beyond formal trainingto include creating the rightorganisational context, changinginterests, value re-orientation as well asprovision of transformational andvisionary leadership, effort should alwaysbe geared towards ensuring thatcompetent and suitable individuals arealways at the helm of affairs of suchsensitive organisations as is the case withCMD today. In view of the stronginterconnections between human capitaldevelopment and socio-economictransformation which is the bedrock ofPresident Jonathan's administration, staffdevelopment should be accorded priorityconsideration by the Federal Governmentthrough adequate funding of resourceinstitutions. Since it is seeminglyimpossible to get the required funds for staffdevelopment in view of other competingnational needs, strategies must be evolvedto ensure that the available resources arespread to provide access to training anddevelopment opportunities for nationalgrowth and development.

On its own, the CMD, under thevisionary leadership of its Director-General, Dr. K.K. Usman, has taken anavowed stand on ensuring high qualityin all spheres of its operation. This is toreposition the Centre in compliance withthe realities of the 21st century and toenable the organisation achieve its coremandate as given by the FederalGovernment.

Iheanyi Sunday is the PublicRelations Officer, Centre forManagement Development.

training evaluations, attitude totraining and training utilisation. Theseimbalances need to be correctedimmediately.

In the light of the above, theimportance of training and developmentof personnel in the service becomescompelling, given the growingcomplexity of the work environment,rapid change in organisations,advancement in technology amongother factors.

It is, therefore, on this premise thatthe Federal Government mandated theCentre for Management Development(CMD) to frontally tackle this challengeby ensuring quality training anddevelopment of all cadres of the nation'sworkforce so that the Nigerian civilservice would be at par with itscounterparts in other parts of the globe.It is gratifying today to say that CMDimmediately swung into unprecedentedaction by designing and implementingover 200 relevant training programmesaimed at optimum manpowerdevelopment for personnel of both publicand private establishments in thecountry. Accordingly, the Centre is inconstant collaboration with a largenumber of national and internationalinstitutions to actualise the lofty goals ofthe Federal Government in capacitybuilding and manpower development.Prominent among these institutions areOffice of the Head of Service of theFederation, West African ManagementDevelopment Institute, theCommonwealth Secretariat, the FordFoundation etc. These collaborationshave not only deepened the knowledgeassets of the Centre in the impartation ofthe requisite knowledge to its growingclientele but have raised its profile,thereby granting it the opportunity tomeet the training needs of the Nigerianworkforce. Based on this, various staff ofdifferent organisations have beentrained by the CMD. Some of theminclude the Nigeria National PetroleumCorporation (NNPC), Power Holding

Dr. K. K. Usman, DG, CMD

unrest. This action of the House is arguablyfirst of its kind in recent times.

The current impeachment threat againstthe President on budget implementationattests to the fearlessness of the House. It alsospeaks volumes of the House’s unfriendlystance against corruption andmismanagement of funds in the country.

All these were possible as a result of thepurposeful leadership and the patrioticinstinct of all members of the House.

However, the speaker and members ofthe House need the support of all Nigeriansto ensure better performance of its functionswhich include getting rid of corruption andchecking the excesses of other arms ofgovernment. It is necessary to encouragethe members of the House so as to enablethem to work better for the growth of thecountry, and to give them the necessarybacking that will make them to comfortablycope with any external pressure that mightimpede the actualization of their plans.

Simon Godwin wrote fromUniversity of Lagos

Kogi: A state under siegeIssuesPEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 38

K o g i , a state known for itsrelative peace,tranquility and peaceful

co-existence among its differentethnic groups, is now under thethreat of unknown gunmen whoterrorize innocent citizens,travelers and motorists on thehighway and in places of worship.

In fact, the last attack in DeeperLife Bible Church, Otite Okehi localgovernment, where not less than20 persons lost their lives, hasbrought the central senatorialdistrict and other parts of the stateunder siege with roadblocks andgun-wielding soldiers as thecommon sight on the road. Socialand economic activities have alsobeen seriously affected as manyshops remain under lock and keyduring the week.

This is seen from the movementwithin and around the state wheremajor roads are blocked. Motorists,commuters and securityoperatives in the state have beenkept under serious pressure becausethe people are scared of even theirneighbours.

Movements in recent times inthe city of Lokoja and some localgovernment areas, especiallyCentral Senatorial District has beenrestricted and constant checkinghas become the order of the day.

Even in Lokoja, the statecapital, to move from one part ofthe city to the other is so difficultbecause of incessant stop andsearch exercises. Most affected arepeople moving in vehicles andthose carrying hand bags.

The Murtala Mohammed wayin Lokoja has brought pains ofunimaginable expression in lastcouple of days. Motorists, tradersand workers are complaining thatthe police have reduced the road toone lane while the Police said thesecurity situation in the state isresponsible for such measure.

Those who spoke with PeoplesDaily Weekend during the week inLokoja said times are hard. Theyconcluded that people whorelocated from some troubled spotsin the North were now regrettingtheir decision.

Mallam Hashim Amana, abusiness man who relocated fromKaduna to Lokoja just a couple ofmonths ago, told ourcorrespondent that "the fear ofinsecurity brought me to Kogi statefrom Kaduna state but what ishappening now is betterimagined."

He added however that he maybe forced to move to his village ifthe security situation in Lokojadoes not improve.

Another business man whosimply identified himself as Jalidosaid "before bringing tomatoes fromthe North you must cross several"borders" where you are made towaste time and in some cases youpay "toll" fees. He said the presentpredicament is in the hands ofAllah. According to him, journeyfrom Maiduguri which ordinarilywould have been a day trip is nowmore than three days. Reason, he

said was because of police and armycheck points that dot the routes.He said the situation was evenbetter in Kogi than Maiduguri andother parts of the north. Hehowever pleaded with thegovernment to find solution to theproblems.

Kogi state became synonymouswith violence for the first time sinceits creation in 1991 when a coupleof months ago, dynamites wereused in tearing down doors of banksin the state by armed robbers.

Twice the dare-devil armedrobbers entered Kabba,headquarters of Kabba/Bunu localgovernment, first breaking downpolice station, where AreaCommander's office was located,before entering the banks. Beforesecurity men could apprehend therobbers, they had gotten to Odo-Ere in Yagba local governmentwhere they also attacked a bankwith dynamite.

Before people could finishtalking about the Yagba Eastattack, another bank robbery wasreported in Okene and the robbersreportedly operated withdynamite.

The following Ayingba attackbrought untold pains to residentswho were under constant fearbecause the dare-devil robberscould operate without challenge.Ankpa local government was notspared as even Idah and Ijumuwere not left out in the orgy ofcriminality.

In Ankpa, about 10 personsincluding 4 police officers whowere on surveillance on the roadwere brutally murdered.

It seemed that the hoodlumshave declared war on the peoplefrom what is happening in recenttimes around the state with Okenebeing the worst hit.

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

But some political watchershave argued that what ishappening in the state may bepolitically motivated.

President Kogi Youths forPeace and Development Forum(KYPDF), Comrade OnoguCollins told our correspondent inLokoja that politicians should beheld responsible. He stated thatwhat is happening in and aroundOkene has political undertone,stressing that the youths forumwill soon come out with a positionpaper on the happenings in Kogistate. He added that Boko Haramis not responsible for the killingsbut political thugs since thefirearms they were given duringthe last elections have not beenretrieved.

An observer, who would notwant to be mentioned, reiteratedthat the elders and indigenes knowwho the criminals are. "It is notpossible for strangers to walk to ahidden Church like the Otite, whereDeeper life ministry is located toopen fire on the worshipers" hestated, adding, All buildings in theneighbouhood have occupants andpeople live around those buildings,how could strangers enter thebuildings without the knowledge ofthe neighbours?".

Take the robbery at Ankpa forinstance, the robbers were allegedto have stayed in a hotel in Ankpa,for almost four days, drinking andmoving freely with some Ankpaboys before they robbed First Bankbranch in the town and cartedaway some millions of naira.

A truck driver with ramsheading towards the Eastern partof the country, who cravedanonymity, said "we are allsuffering for the sins we do not knowabout. The Federal Governmentshould find a lasting solution to the

crisis so that Nigeria can be freeagain.

However, a security operativeat a road block mounted at Lokoja,told our reporter that there was awarning letter intimating thecommand that Boko Haram wouldstrike at the commandheadquarters which necessitatedroad block mounted around thearea with Armoured PersonnelCarriers (APC).

With this development,workers of the Federal High Courtand the Magistrate court 1, 2 and3 near the police commandheadquarters face a lot challengescoming and going out of theiroffices because of the blockage.

In the wake of Boko Haraminduced security watch, the roadsleading to the office of Director ofState Security, in Kogi state isbeing blocked thereby reducingHassan Katsina dual carriage waywhich leads to the High courtcomplex and Kogi state House ofAssembly, to one lane.

The Special Adviser on Mediato the state House of AssemblySpeaker, Alhaji Amouka urgedKogites to be patient with allsecurity measures taken sincethey are for the good of all.

Most business centres in the cityhave positioned local securityoperatives to guide their premisesdespite the deployment of officialsecurity men by the policecommand to watch over the city.Customers are now used tosearching of their bags in andoutside the business centres bysecurity men.

With curfew now imposed inOkene and restriction of Okadamovement in the state capital,people have started recounting theordeal they are going through inthe hands of security men.Kogi CP, Muhammad Katsina

Gov. Idris Wada visits victims of gunshot in a hospital

International

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 39

Algerian diplomat tipped as UN envoy to Syria

China charges policemen in Gu Kailai cover-upFour Chinese police officers

went on trial chargedwith covering up the

killing of a British man, as thewife of a senior politicianawaited the verdict in her trialfor his murder.

The four men are accused onFriday of trying to protect thespouse of Bo Xilai, who was oneof China’s most senior leadersuntil his downfall earlier thisyear in a political scandal thathas shaken the rulingCommunist party.

Syria rebels forced from key Aleppo district

Syrian rebels have beenpushed out of a strategicdistrict in the

commercial capital of Aleppo,but sporadic fighting hascontinued in other parts of thecity.

Diplomats at the UnitedNations, meanwhile,indicated on Thursday thatLakhdar Brahimi, a veteranAlgerian diplomat, could benamed next week to replaceKofi Annan as the joint UN-Arab League envoy to Syria.

Also on Thursday, SyrianPresident Bashar al-Assadappointed Wael al-Halki, thecountry’s health minister, asSyria’s new prime minister.

All four were senior policeofficials in Chongqing, thesouthwestern Chinese city thatBo ran until he was sacked inMarch, and where Britishbusinessman Neil Heywood’sbody was discovered in a hotelroom last November.

It is not clear whether Boknew about the alleged cover-up.

Nothing has been heardfrom the charismatic andambitious former leader sincehe was sacked from the powerful

25-member Communist PartyPolitburo in April and placedunder investigation forcorruption.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent,Rob McBride, reporting fromHong Kong, said the court wasstill in session, but anannouncement had been madesaying a press briefing willfollow at the end of the day.

“The police currently ontrial, apart from being accusedof covering up, they’re alsobeing accused of favouritism,”

he said. “Were they trying toprotect Bo Xilai? If so, there willbe political ramifications, anddoe it imply he knew what wasgoing on?”

“The trial is largely takingplace behind closed doors, withstate media being allowed in andreporting on events,” he said,adding that on Thursday therehad been “a bit of a scufflebetween Hong Kong reportersand police outside thecourthouse, demonstrating thattensions were running high.

Six people accused of being“terrorists” have beenarrested by Egyptian armed

forces in Sinai, after an attack ona police station earlier this weekkilled 16 border guards, statetelevision reports.

They were arrested duringjoint army and police patrolssearching for criminals in NorthSinai province, state news agencyMENA reported on Friday.

The arrests came as the armymassed troops in the area andBedouin leaders pledged their helpin a meeting with the interiorminister.

Military trucks carryingdozens of armoured personnelcarriers mounted with machineguns rolled through the town ofal-Arish heading eastwards onThursday, where they claimBedouin “Islamists” with links tothe attacks have established apresence in villages near theborder with Gaza.

The build-up came after statetelevision reported that militaryhelicopters and soldiers killed 20people on Wednesday in the firstsuch operation in Sinai in decades,allegedly in retaliation for anambush that killed 16 soldiers.

Israel said on Thursday it gaveEgypt the go ahead to deployhelicopters in Sinai, easing therestrictions on military presencein the peninsula in a 1979 peacetreaty between the neighbouringcountries.

Egyptian armyarrests ‘terrorists’in Sinai

An Afghan man wearing auniform has shot and killedthree US soldiers in the

southern province of Helmand, aNATO spokesperson hasannounced.

The incident took place earlyon Friday morning, and detailswere still being gathered, MajorLori Hodge, the spokesperson forthe the military alliance inAfghanistan, said.

NATO was looking intowhether the attacker was amember of the Afghan militaryor security forces.

Afghan officials said the menwere all special forces membersand were killed while attending ameeting in Sangin district.

Mohammed Sharif, theSangin district chief, put the tollhigher, saying that four foreignspecial forces soldiers had beenkilled by an Afghan policemanafter he had invited them todinner.

“Last night, a police checkpostcommander invited four foreignspecial forces soldiers to a dinnerparty at the checkpost. He laterkilled them and ran away,” Sharifsaid.

Other Afghan officialsconfirmed that account.

US soldiers killed inAfghanistan’sHelmand

Lakhdar Brahimi has served as a UN special envoy in Iraq after the US invasion that toppled SaddamHussein [Reuters]

Diplomats have said LakhdarBrahimi, a former Algerianforeign affairs minister, is a

strong candidate to replace KofiAnnan as the United Nations’ peaceenvoy to Syria.

Brahimi’s possible appointmentcould be announced as early as nextweek, but the diplomats, who spokeon condition of anonymity, saidlate on Thursday that there couldbe last-minute changes if a keygovernment has concerns aboutthe choice.

The former Algerian foreignaffairs minister has a long historyas a diplomatic troubleshooter, andwill if appointed face toughchallenges in Syria, wherePresident Bashar al-Assad is usinghis security forces to try to crush a17-month-old uprising.

Brahimi, 78, has served as aUN special envoy in a series ofchallenging circumstances,including in Iraq after the USinvasion that toppled SaddamHussein, and in Afghanistan bothbefore and after the end of Talibanrule. He was posted in South Africaas it emerged from the apartheidera.

Syria, however, may presentan unusually vexing assignment,in part because internationalaction to try to end the violence hasbeen stymied by the disagreementsbetween the five veto-holdingpermanent members of the UNSecurity Council.

While the security councilunited in April to approve thedeployment of 300 monitors to

Syria to observe a failed ceasefireas part of Annan’s peace plan, Russiaand China vetoed three other

resolutions that criticized Syria andthreatened sanctions againstDamascus.

Halki replaces Riad Hijab, whofled to Jordan and defected tothe opposition earlier hisweek.

In Syria, rebels in theAleppo district of Salaheddin,a southern gateway to thecity, said that they wereforced to retreat under heavyfire.

“There have been somewithdrawals of Free SyrianArmy fighters fromSalaheddin,” rebelcommander Abu Ali said.Others said the mainfrontlines in the area, whichhad been held by rebels formore than a week, were nowdeserted.

Rebels said clashescontinued in the district andthat, while the governmenthad at least 80 tanks stationedin various parts of Aleppo, themilitary appeared reluctantto engage in close combat,preferring to use helicoptersand fighter jets.

Sheikh Tawfiq,commander of the Nur al-DinZinky brigade based on 15thstreet in Salaheddin, said thearmy’s formidable weaponrywas offset by apparentlyfaltering morale.

“At the 10th street frontline we are face-to-face withthe army and can hear themmake orders on their

radios. We hear theircommanders give orders tosoldiers to advance and theykeep urging them to, but thesoldiers don’t and arehesitant.”

State television said: “Ourspecial forces have cleansedSalaheddin district ofterrorists.”

State media reported thatthe government offensive inAleppo had taken place onseveral fronts, including aneighbourhood near theairport in southeast Aleppo,several eastern districts, anda town on Aleppo’snorthwestern outskirts, statemedia said.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 40

Wellness Zone101 "Everyday" tips forlosing 10 pounds (7)

Phyllis Ogo Ogahphyllisogoogah@gmail.com+234 80 58425746 (sms) only

HEALTH TIP FOR THE WEEK"Getting Fit . . . One Step at a Time"Researchers found that obese women who dieted for 5months without exercise had no change in abdominal fat-cell size, while those who combined exercise with diet for 5months saw their fat cells shrink by 17%.Keep moving!

73. It sounds strange, but some peoplehave reported that they lost more weightwhen they drank black coffee before aworkout. While there's no hard data tosupport this, nutritionists speculate that thecaffeine in coffee makes the body rely moreon fat for fuel during the work out. It's worthtrying!

For some people the caffeine in coffeeenhances their work outs.

74. Here's a corollary to the tip above:Avoid drinking coffee in excess, as it tends todesensitize your body to the fat burningeffects of caffeine.

75. Stop using remote controls. Remotecontrols are the bane of a prospective weightloser. They may be remarkable gadgets bythemselves but from the weight loss point ofview, they just aren't very helpful.Theyreally encourage us to take a laid back kindof attitude towards life itself. In fact if remotecontrols were not there, the television wouldnot have become so popular. It is because ofremote controls that people can remainwhere they are and switch from one channelto the other. And they only have to twitch afinger muscle to achieve this. Now, I havenothing against multi channel televisionsets but what I strongly advocate is that youget up from where you are and change thechannel of the TV each time you want to doso. The same thing holds true for otherremote controls as well. As it is we haveremote controlled TVs, DVD players, A/Cs,garage doors, gateways and what not. Thenext thing we know is that we will haveremote controlled people as well.

76. Do things like fetching, turning

things off and on by yourself. Often whenwe come back tired from work, we tend toget others to do simple chores for us. Thesethings are no big deal. They are things thatwe can very well do for ourselves but wedon't. That is why we often ask our kids tofetch us this or take away that. Trainingyour pet is a wonderful thing indeed. It isquite remarkable how some people get theirdogs to fetch them something. But the fact isthat while you may be making sure thatyour dog is getting a lot of exercise, you areneglecting your bit of the story.

77. Here's a pop quiz. Escalators help usto:

1. Move up and down faster2. Gain weight3. Stand stupidly as they move up and

down4. Look down at other people when you

are going down5. Look up to others when we are going

up You have to pick the correct answer fromthe 5 alternatives given. You can see foryourself that all the options are in a waycorrect. So the next time you travel on anescalator, don't just stand there...climb upor down along with it. (Or better yet, takethe stairs.)

78. During commercial breaks walkabout. If you want to sit all evening withyour eyes glued to the tube, then do so. Butat least spare your eyes the agony of acommercial break. When the nextcommercial flashes on screen, instead ofsurfing, get up and take a walk. Reach overand try to touch your toes or do any suchsimple exercise that will at least get the blood

Rise and shine! Bonjour mes amis, if you have followed our series onlosing 10 pounds from June then certainly your body will have startedundergoing some physical and physiological changes. Please don'tforget to add loads of fiber to your diet as well as sweet potatoes. Ihope you have replaced your fizzy drinks with organic homemade fruitjuices. I just had a full glass of homemade soy milk and trust me itcouldn't get any better. And don't for get to add some dates to yoursmoothies if you are craving for some sugar. I acquired a new set oftrainers too because they are my best friends for now. Ok darlings,let's get the show started.

flowing in your veins.79. Wriggle your toes and your fingers

whenever you can. This too is a stress busterand it gives you a chance to at least workyour hand and leg joints. This will tell youhow sore they are and if their condition is sobad, just think of the rest of your body.

80. Turn on music and dance like wild.Let your hair down once in a while. Go backto the days of wild child hood. Close the doorof your room, turn on your sound system to

the highest volume possible (but a little lowerthan the level at which your neighbors startto complain) and then do the wackiest dancethat you can think of. Jump on your bedand jump off it again.

Roll all over the floor. Pretend that youare Michael Jackson or Madonna (you willnever see them keeping still) and do everboogie move that you know. Dancing is afun and effective way to lose weight.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

WeekendPAGE 41

CAF ChampionsCAF ChampionsCAF ChampionsCAF ChampionsCAF ChampionsLeaLeaLeaLeaLeague:gue:gue:gue:gue: Sunshine Sunshine Sunshine Sunshine SunshineStarStarStarStarStars bes bes bes bes beg NFFg NFFg NFFg NFFg NFF

(L to R) Tianna Madison, Bianca Knight, Jeneba Tarmoh and Lauryn Williams of the U.S. celebrate after win-ning their women’s 4x100m relay heat during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium onyesterday.

Medal Table as at Friday afternoonRank Country Total1 United States 39 25 26 902 China 37 25 19 813 Great Britain &

N. Ireland 25 15 16 564 Russian Federation 14 21 24 595 South Korea 12 7 6 256 Germany 10 17 11 387 France 8 9 12 298 Hungary 8 4 3 159 Australia 7 14 10 3110 Italy 7 6 7 2011 Kazakhstan 6 0 3 912 Japan 5 14 16 3513 Netherlands 5 5 8 1814 Iran 4 4 1 915 New Zealand 4 3 5 1216 North Korea 4 0 2 617 Belarus 3 3 4 1018 Cuba 3 3 3 919 Jamaica 3 3 3 920 Ukraine 3 1 6 1021 South Africa 3 1 1 522 Spain 2 7 3 1223 Romania 2 5 2 924 Denmark 2 4 3 925 Czech Republic 2 3 3 826 Brazil 2 2 7 1127 Kenya 2 2 3 728 Poland 2 1 6 929 Croatia 2 1 1 430 Switzerland 2 1 0 331 Ethiopia 2 0 2 432 Canada 1 5 11 1733 Colombia 1 3 4 834 Sweden 1 3 3 735 Georgia 1 2 1 436 Slovenia 1 1 2 437 Tunisia 1 1 1 338 Norway 1 1 1 339 Dominican Rep. 1 1 0 240 Ireland 1 0 2 341 Latvia 1 0 1 241 Lithuania 1 0 1 241 Turkey 1 0 1 244 Venezuela 1 0 0 144 Grenada 1 0 0 144 Algeria 1 0 0 147 Mexico 0 3 2 548 Azerbaijan 0 2 4 649 Egypt 0 2 0 250 India 0 1 3 451 Slovakia 0 1 3 452 Mongolia 0 1 3 453 Belgium 0 1 2 354 Armenia 0 1 2 355 Serbia 0 1 1 256 Thailand 0 1 1 257 Chinese Taipei 0 1 1 258 Estonia 0 1 1 2 59 Bulgaria 0 1 1 2 60 Indonesia 0 1 1 2 61 Finland 0 1 0 1 62 Guatemala 0 1 0 1 63 Cyprus 0 1 0 1 64 Portugal 0 1 0 1 65 Botswana 0 1 0 1 66 Uzbekistan 0 0 2 2 67 Greece 0 0 2 2 68 Moldova 0 0 2 2 69 Qatar 0 0 2 2 70 Singapore 0 0 2 2 71 Argentina 0 0 2 2 72 Trinidad and

Tobago 0 0 1 1 73 Tajikistan 0 0 1 1 74 Morocco 0 0 1 1 75 Saudi Arabia 0 0 1 1 76 Kuwait 0 0 1 1 77 Afghanistan 0 0 1 1 78 Hong Kong 0 0 1 1 79 Puerto Rico 0 0 1 1

Sunshine Stars have asked for their top stars to bereleased by the Super Eagles for their CAF ChampionsLeague tie in Algeria next week.

The Nigerian flag bearers are now second in Group Abehind champions Esperance of Tunisia.

They face ASO Chlef of Algeria in the reverse clash onSaturday after they won the first game 2-0 at home lastweek.

Top official of Sunshine stars Mike Idoko said that theyhave demanded for skipper Godfrey Oboabona, Izu Azuka,Moses Ocheje and Solomon Kwambe to be excused from afriendly against Niger in Niamey on Wednesday so theycould fly out with the Akure club to Algeria.

“We have four players in the Eagles camp, namelySolomon Kwambe, Godfrey Oboabona, Izu Azuka andMoses Ocheje, and they are very important for our crucial

game against ASO Chlef in Algeria. We want the NFF tosee reasons with us and release at least three of the fourplayers for our Champions League match,” Idoko disclosed.

“I am in Abuja as I speak with you to appeal to NFF torelease the players to us. They have been supportive to ussince the competition started and I hope they grant ourrequest on those players.”

He added: “The Eagles game is a friendly, though abuild-up to qualifier, while our game in Algeria is a CAFChampions League game that we need to win or get at leasta draw. We know ASO are a good side, so we need our bestplayers for this game.”

The Nigeria Premier League (NPL) have alreadyassisted Sunshine by bringing their Week 37 game againstKwara United forward to Sunday before they jet out toAlgeria.

New world relay competition to start in 2014

A new world relay competition that will be used to qualifyteams for the world championships and Olympics will start

in 2014, the International Association of Athletics Federations(IAAF) said in a statement yesterday.

The first editions of the two-day event, which will includethe traditional 4x100 metres and 4x400m relays as well as4x200m, 4x800m and 4x1500m races, will take place in Nassau,Bahamas in May 2014 and 2015. The “IAAF World Relays” willcarry approximately $1.4million in prize money.Men’s freestyle wrestling 55kg gold medal matchresults

Russia’s Dzhamal Otarsultanov won the Olympic gold medalin men’s freestyle wrestling 55kg yesterday.Georgia’s Vladimer Khinchegashvili won the silver. Results

Table Dzhamal Otarsultanov (Russia) beat VladimerKhinchegashvili (Georgia) 3-1

Spain top Russia, advance to gold medalgame

Spain beat Russia 67-59 uyesterday to reach the Olympic men’sbasketball final for the second successive time.Spain will meet either 2008 champions United States or

2004 Olympic winners Argentina in Sunday’s gold medal game,while Russia will play for the bronze.

Outplayed in the first half, 2008 Beijing silver medallistsSpain dominated play over the last 20 minutes, outscoring theRussians 47-28 to erase an 11-point deficit at the break.

Pau Gasol led Spain with 16 points, while Jose Calderonposted 14 points, all but two of them coming in the second half.Sasha Kaun was top scorer for Russia with 14 points.

Spain, the 2008 silver medallists, had a miserable timescoring in the first half, shooting a consistently woeful 21percent,making 3-of-15 shots in the first quarter and 3-of-14 in the secondquarter.

PAGE 42 PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Eseka demands overhaul of NSC’s eggheadsChris Eseka, a veteran sports

journalist, has called the FederalGovernment effect complete

overhaul of the technical andadministrative staff of the NationalSports Commission (NSC).

Eseka, who was speaking against thebackdrop of Team Nigeria’s woefulperformance at the London OlympicsGames despite government generoussponsorship of the contingent to theGames, said the overhauling wouldbring on fresh breath and redirectionin the sports administration.

“The problem facing sportsdevelopment in Nigeria is from theadministrators and not the athletestraining with scarce facilities. And it’sonly an overhauling of the personnelinvolved in running sports that canensure a positive change. There are somany old hands that must leave for newideas to emerge,” he said.

According to him, if the necessarychanges are not done, the trend willcontinue until it dwindles to a statewhere changes will be difficult.

“I do not expect any welcomeprogramme whenever Team Nigeriaarrive in the country, instead, we willonly raise our voices against their poorshowing without asking for changes,”

Eseka said.As a panacea to the decline in sports

performance, he advocated four-yearsustenance of the Innocent Egbunike-ledtechnical team in athletics in order toensure stability.

“What can be expected of a team thatwas put up some months to the Games,certainly not magic? The athletes onlygave the best they had at the Games.

“If Egbunike’s team is left for thenext four years in preparation for Rio-de-Janeiro, I can assure you they willbring glory in athletics to Nigeria in2016,” Eseka said.

Team Nigeria is yet to win a medalat the Games which is scheduled to endtomorrow.

Kenyan, Ethiopianmarathon rivalry resumes

Nigeria’s performancea reflection of ourpreparedness, saySports Director

Kenya and Ethiopia resume anintense if friendly rivalry in themen’s marathon on the final day

of the London Olympics on Sunday, overa course featuring some of the city’smost distinctive landmarks.

“Sometimes the Ethiopians arestrong, sometimes the Kenyans,” HaileGebrselassie, the finest distance runnerof the modern era. We understand eachother, without Kenya, there’s noEthiopia. We need each other,” he saidon Friday.

Gebrselassie, 39, had hoped toconclude his career by running inSunday’s race but time and injurymean he can no longer run the timesneeded to qualify for a strong Ethiopianteam.

He lost his world marathon record toKenyan Patrick Makau in Berlin lastSeptember, and said on Friday he wouldnot be running in next year’s Moscowworld championships.

Underlining the strength of theKenyan team, Makau was not selectedfor the Games. Kenya will berepresented by twice world championAbel Kirui, this year’s winner of theLondon marathon, Wilson Kipsang, andlast year’s champion, Emmanuel Mutai.

Kirui said this week he thought hecould break the Olympic record of twohours, six minutes, 32 seconds, set bySammy Wanjiru in Beijing four yearsago. Wanjiru, the only Kenyan to winthe Olympic marathon, died last

year when he leaped from thebalcony of his house, after his wife foundhim in bed with another woman.

On Friday, Mutai said times were notimportant in Olympics or worldchampionships. “We are prepared forany kind of weather,” he said. “You haveto be prepared for any kind of weatherhere.”

Nigeria’s medal drought at the ongoingLondon Olympics has been blamedon poor preparations and the delay

in the release of funds for sporting activitiesin the country.

Dr Cyprian Amuzie, Anambra Directorof Sports and acting Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Youth and Sports, claimedyesterday in Awka while lamenting thewoeful outing of Team Nigeria.

Amuzie said that the performance wasa sharp reflection of the state of sports in thecountry as well as poor preparation formajor tournaments and pleaded withNigerians not to chide the athletes for theless than pleasant performances.

“You will not blame the athletes so muchbecause they are not magicians; becausesome countries started camping andtraining for the London Olympicsimmediately after the Beijing Games.

“We cannot expect to get the same resultsas those countries that have trainedelaborately for the Games. Money was notreleased until just about two months to theGames,” Amuzie said.

“You are aware that money meant forthe sports ministry is usually part of thenational budget; you just need to go andcheck the percentage of the national budgetthat has been so far released.

“Those athletes could not go for theirnormal training as there was no meaningfulcamping ahead of the Games.

“You don’t expect the athletes to performany magic when money was only releasedalmost at the commencement of the Games;our performance so far has reflected ourlevel of seriousness to sports development inthis country.

“Even the money that was not releasedon time will eventually be expendedbecause they will still have to pay their billson transportation and accommodation, aswell as the allowances of the athletes, thenone begins to wonder why funds are usuallynot released, as and when due,” he noted.

However, Amuzie commended thenational basketball team, D’Tigers, for doingNigeria proud as the first African basketballteam to win a match at the Olympics.

Yahuza blames Mohammed’s ouster on sub-standard coachingThe Chief Coach of Kano State

Taekwondo Association, IbrahimYahuza, has blamed Isah Mohammed’s

ouster from the Olympic Games on poorcommunication and sub-standard coachingfrom Nigeria’s Korea-born coach.

The Korean, Kaum Sihwan, was employedby the National Sports Commission (NSC)earlier this year to prepare taekwondoistsChika Chukwumerije and Mohammed for the

London 2012 Games.Mohammed lost to Jordan’s Mohammad

Aabulibdeh in the 68kg category at thepreliminary stage on Thursday in theSummer Olympic Games and Yahuzabelieves the NSC was wrong to have haveemployed a foreign coach who did not knowthe Nigerian taekwondoist to prepare him forthe Games.

“It is morally wrong to bring a foreigner

who does not have the fundamentals of anathlete and good communication skill totrain him for a competition of suchmagnitude,’’ he said.

According to him, Mohammed is acapable and experienced taekwondoistbrought up from good grassrootsdevelopmental programme and have wonmedals in international taekwondocompetitions.

He said Chinese athletes who weretopping the ongoing Games medals tablewere trained by their local coaches, adding,that “they understand their athletes andare in the best position to handle them’’.

Yahuza urged the NSC to ensure thatlocal coaches participated in InternationalTaekwondo Federation (ITF) courses andworkshop to be abreast of the latest rulesand techniques.

Abel Kirui of Kenya Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia

Chief Patrick Ekeji

PAGE 43PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 11— SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

AVB makes Real Madridtarget train alone

The season is over. Clubs are countingtheir blessing as well as losses and wouldlike to make amends and even beef up theirsquads where noticeable lapses exist. Andthe transfer market is agog barely 24 hoursafter major European leagues dropped thecurtain.

And so to keep abreast with latestrumours, we begin weekly doses ofmovements within the market both forplayers and coaches like.

Transfer

Chelsea eyeSwitzerland right-back

Luka Modric has been frozen outby Tottenham - and left in limboby suitors Real Madrid.

Croatia midfielder Modric is beingforced to train on his own, and newSpurs boss Andre Villas-Boas isplanning for the coming seasonwithout him.

But Real president FlorentinoPerez is close to pulling the plug ontheir pursuit, having ordering a‘cooling off’ period until the Spanishchampions return home next weekfrom a pre-season tour of the USA.

Perez is sticking to his guns and

Blues have started lookingelsewhere to fill their problemposition as Marseille drive a hard

bargain over first-choice AzpilicuetaChelsea is lining up Juventus defender

Stephan Lichtsteiner after seeing theirpursuit of No.1 right-back target CesarAzpilicueta stall.

New Blues boss Roberto di Matteo hashad a £5million bid for Spaniard Azpilicuetaturned down by his French club Marseilleand are struggling to reach a deal.

Jose Bosingwa has been released whileBranislav Ivanovic, who can play right-back, is desperate to play in his preferredcentre-half role.

Azpilicueta remains Chelsea’s firstchoice and the Spanish Under-21international wants to move to StamfordBridge, but the European champions arehaving to look at other options.

Lichtsteiner, 28, is a Swissinternational right-back who played threeseasons for Lazio before joining Juve lastsummer.

Kjaer, Kahlenberg close to Wolfsburrg exit

insisting he will not pay more than£30m, while Tottenham chairmanDaniel Levy wants closer to £40m.

The two sides are miles apart andthe stand-off has left Modric sweatingon his future, because Spurs insidersinsist Levy will not budge as theplayer has four years left on hiscontract.

Villas-Boas is determined not to letModric become a distraction and hasisolated him just as he did with NicolasAnelka and Alex, who were also forcedto train away from the main groupwhen he was Chelsea boss last season.

Arsenal set tomiss out on Niang

Wolfsburg duo Simon Kjaer andThomas Kahlenberg have beenomitted from the Denmark

squad for the friendly against Slovakia

because of their impending transfers.The •6.5 million-rated centre-back

Kjaer, who had vowed “never to playunder [Wolfsburrg coach Felix] Magathagain” before Euro 2012, has beendemoted to the 2009 Bundesligachampions’ reserve squad and has notbeen given a squad number.

It is unclear where Kjaer, who spentlast season on loan at Roma, will beplaying this season after a move toFenerbahce fell through.

Manchester City had been linkedwith him, but sources told theWolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung therewas no foundation to the rumours.

Kahlenberg, capped 38 times, hadbeen benched during Denmark’s Euro2012 campaign.

The attacking midfielder has failedto impress during his 36 months withWolfsburg, and in January was loanedout to Evian, featuring in 17 matchesand scoring two goals.

At last, Liverpool signAllen from Swansea

Chelsea swoopsfor cavani

Chelsea is reportedly in talks withNapoli after the Italian club revealedthey are ready to part with super

striker Edinson Cavani. Chelsea haveadmitted defeat in their pursuit of Hulkfollowing Zenit St Petersburg’s bid for thePorto striker, reportedly offering £38million for the 25-year-old striker. RobertoDi Matteo has made signing a forward histop priority this summer after losing DidierDrogba and Salomon Kalou earlier thissummer but accepts his pursuit of Hulk isover. Having struck 33 goals in 47 gameslast season Di Matteo believes Cavani possessthe correct physical attributes for PremierLeague target man and is hopeful ofconcluding a deal before the new season kicksoff. As Napoli is prepared to settle for a cutprice offer of •35 million, it looks as thougha deal could go ahead.

Spurs swoop for CesarSpurs are eyeing a move for Inter keeper

Julio Cesar — who could be availableon a free.

Boss Andre Villas-Boas has turned hisattention to Cesar as Lyon has demanded£15million for Hugo Llorris.

Italian giants Inter want to get the big-earning Brazil keeper, 32, off their wage billas he pockets £85,000 a week after tax.

They tried to offload Cesar to Palmeirasfor free last month but his wages proved aproblem.

Exciting young prospect M’Baye Nianglooks set to move to AC Milan,disappointing Arsenal and a host of

other Premier League clubs.Niang, 17, currently plays for Caen, who

were relegated from France’s Ligue 1 lastseason and has been told he can leave theclub. Arsenal took the teenager on trial inJuly and he impressed boss Arsene Wengerenough to persuade him to make an offer.

However, Caen rejected his initial offerof £5 million pounds and demanded £7million up front, far more than boss ArseneWenger is willing to pay.

City and Tottenham have both hadrequests for a trial turned down as Caen arelooking to hurry a sale through and ACMilan have emerged as the frontrunnersfor the player.

Reports suggest that the Italians will pay£400,000 for a season-long loan with theoption to purchase the player outright nextsummer for £6 million.

As part of the deal Caen will have firstpick of Milan’s youth players to bring in onloan.

Liverpool have completed the signingof Swansea's Wales internationalmidfielder Joe Allen.

Allen, 22, was at Anfield on Thursdayas Liverpool beat FC Gomel 3-0 and passed amedical on Friday.

He becomes Brendan Rodgers's secondsigning after the capture of Italy interna-tional striker Fabio Borini.

Rodgers believes Allen will play a keyrole in helping him impose his style of playon the Liverpool team. Allen was crucial toRodgers's system at Swansea and expectsthe Welshman to do a similar job at Anfield.

"Joe is a player whose profile will fit per-fectly with the ideas of this group. His abil-ity to control and dominate the ball is animportant ingredient in our attempt to gainsuccess on the field.

"Joe has had a fantastic education atSwansea City and will now begin the nextchapter in his exciting career."

The two clubs opened negotiations overa deal for Allen last month, but the Anfieldclub's opening bid was rejected.

Rodgers offered about £12m plus fellowmidfielder JonjoShelvey on loan, butthat deal was turneddown by Swansea chair-man Hugh Jenkins.

Although the newLiverpool manager hasa written agreementwith Swansea not to re-turn to his former clubto try to sign any of theirplayers for the next 12

months, the Welsh club can waive thatclause if a deal is deemed to be in the bestinterests of the club.

Also, Chelsea youngster Romelu Lukakuhas joined West Brom on a season-long loan,ending speculation over his future. Nether-lands defender Joris Mathijsen has also leftmoney-troubled Malaga to join Feyenoordfor an undisclosed fee

PAGE 44

Don’t expect much fromChukwumerije, says Oluigbo

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

Ferguson Oluigbo, President,Nigeria TaekwondoReferee’s Association,

yesterday warned Nigeriansagainst expecting much fromtaekwondo athlete, ChikaChukwumerije, when he file outtoday to begin his medal chase atthe ongoing London Olympics.

Chukwumerije, a bronzemedalist at the 2008 BeijingOlympics, is only remainingmedal hope for Nigeria followingthe falling aside of severalprospects at the London Games,which ends tomorrow.

Oluigbo, who discoveredChukwumerije, said in Lagos thatthe medal hope may not be ableto meet up with peoples’expectations because of “too muchhype and pressure on him”.

“Due to our poor performancein various events at the Games,Chukwumerije may be under toomuch pressure to perform well,which could inadvertently affecthis poise.

“He might also have beenhyped as a result of his pastperformance. This could makehim susceptible to some over-confidence; which is not good forany athlete,” he said.

Oluigbo said that he might notbe getting the right type oftraining prior to his fight, becausehe may be mismanaged under hiscoach, Shiwam Keum of SouthKorea, at the Games.

“A good coach must know thestrength and weaknesses of hisathlete and it is only a grassrootscoach that could best fit into thisposition.

“I trained Chukwumerije andI was with him at the 2007 AllAfrica Games Camp for sixmonths, where he came out witha gold medal in the competition.

“It was from there he qualifiedfor the 2008 Beijing Olympics,where he won a bronze medal,” he

By Patrick Andrew

Falconets cageWidek girls

DisciplinaryCommitteegives directiveon Womenleague

The DiusciplinaryCommittee of theNigeria Football

Federation has directed thatGroup A matches in thewomen’s league be played thisSunday while those in Group Bbe played next weekend.

Meanwhile, it also directedthat these matches Nito Queendversus Delta Queens andBayelsa Queens versusStandard Babes be played onWednesday, August 15.

Also the draw for this year’sWomen Challenge Cup hasbeen conducted.Below are the fixturesGroup A (Abuja centre)Sunshine Queens Oguche BabesPlateau Reps.APA QueensAdamawa QueensGroup B (Akure centre)Pelican StarsNasaraw AmazonsRemo Queens#FCT Reps.Lagos Reps.Group C (Calabar centre)Rivers AngelsOyo RepsCerezo QueensOsun BabesStandard BabesGroup D (Owerri centre)Delta QueensEkiti QueensBayelsa QueensIbom AngelsInneh QueensSemi-finalsA1 VS C2B1 VS D2C1 VS A2D1 VS B2

Nigeria’s Flying Eaglestake 2-1 advantage to theIlorin Stadium on

Sunday where they will battlevisiting Ngorogoro Heroes fromTanzania for the CAF U-20African Youth Championship.

The junior Eagles, who havehad stormy ride until the win inTanzania a fortnight ago areexpected to edge their theTanzania in spite of their later’sdetermination to upset them.

Though coach Jacob Miksonsaid the Ngororo Heroes wouldneed a miracle to overcome theEagles, John Obuh has chosento operate on a cautious notebecause the visitors parade quitea number of foreign-basedplayers who would want to stunthe hosts.

The Eagles though would notbe lacking in foreign-basedplayers following Obuh’s recallof six of them excluding thosethat featured against the visitorsin Dar es Salaam during the firstleg.

Flying Eagles, Ngorogoro Heroes battle for AYC ticket

Five players of the female U-17 national team, theFlamingoes, were yesterday

dropped from the team by coachPeter Dedevbo.

The Media Officer of the team,Gracious Akujobi, disclosed thiswhile speaking on the team’spreparation for next month’s FIFAU-17 Women Championship billedto be held in Azerbaijan.

The prunning of the squad hasfurther reduced it to 25 players.The coach is therefore expected towork with this number until thelast minute when he would dropthree more players.

Okafor Lovina, WaheedAminat, Kehinde Akinwade,Jennifer Ajuwah and MaryamAbdulrashid, were the first batchof players to be dropped, whileanother five could leave the team’s

Dedevbo drops 5 playersfrom U-17 female team

camp by next week, Akujobi said.The release indicated no definite

date when the team would embarkon foreign training tours. But it ishoped that it would be somewherein Europe.

Meanwhile, the Flamingoes haveintensified preparations for the U-17World Cup in Azerbaijan inSeptember and plans a friendly gameagainst Ghana’s U-17 female team,the Black Maidens, later this month.

The match is designed toascertain the fitness level of theFlamingoes.

The Flamingoes are expected toplay friendly matches with localteams before the match with Ghana.

Ghana are drawn in Group Dwith Uruguay, China and Germany,while the Flamingoes are drawn withhosts, Azerbaijan, Colombia andCanada in Group A.

Oluigbo said that he might notbe getting the right type oftraining prior to his fight, becausehe may be mismanaged under hiscoach, Shiwam Keum of SouthKorea, at the Games.

said.According to him, it is not

proper to de-emphasise the role ofa grassroots coach in internationalcompetitions because they are theones who know the athletes well

The Falconets yesterdaycontinued impressive theirbuild-up to the FIFA U-20

Women’s World Cup with a 4-1victory over Widek Univeristyfemale team in a warm up matchplayed at the Namhae PublicStadium in Korea.

Nigeria’s goals were scored byEbere Orji, Charity Adule,Chisom Henry and AsisatOshoala in both halves of theencounter.

Speaking after the game, theFirst Assistant Coach, FlorenceOmagbemi commended the levelof opposition.

“It was a good game for ourteam and a good build up to theWorld Cup. So far we are satisfiedwith the sides that we have playedsince coming to Korea,”

explained Omagbemi.The second string team was

fielded by the technical crewunlike Tuesday’s friendly whichwas to gauge the strength of itsbench.

While comparing bothmatches , Omagbemi said thegirls are good technically butnot tactically better than theboys.

“But they should be hailed.They had a good goal whichcould have been beaten anykeeper. Also do not forget thatall over the world boys arebetter than girls in football,” sheadded.

The friendly produced ayellow card collected by theKoreans. Nigeria’s next friendlycomes up on August 13.

National ShootingChampionship shiftsto SeptemberThe Technical Adviser, Lagos

State Shooting Association,Bidemi Adeboye, has disclosed

that the National Shootingchampionship, earlier slated forAugust, has been shifted toSeptember.

Adeboye confirmed the shift indate of the championship addingthat it was because of the ongoing2012 London Olympic Games,scheduled to end this weekend.

According to him, many of theassociation’s officials expected toofficiate at the championship werenow at the London Games.

The adviser said that the nationalchampionship was to prepareshooting athletes for the GlasgowCommonwealth Games in 2013 andthe All African Championships laterin the year in South Africa.

The director, however, lamented

the continuous exclusion ofshooting at the National SportsFestival.

He said that the game wasexcluded at the Port HarcourtGames and the forthcoming 18th

National Sports Festival in Lagosin November. “Our initial planwas also to use the championshipto prepare for the 18th festival, butunfortunately, shooting is notfeaturing. The organisingcommittee of the festival isgradually killing the sport.

“The committee does notbother about the shooters whohave been training with the hopeof showcasing their talents at thefestival,” he said.

Adeboye said that he was notsure if the sport would also beexcluded at the 19th edition of thefestival in Calabar.

He, however, urged thecommittee to urgently reconsiderthe inclusion of shooting insubsequent festivals.

Chika Chukwumerije

Aliyu Miohammed Kenneth Omeruo

PAGE 45PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012

JAVELIN: A speed builderBy Augustine Aminu with

reports from Wikipedia

During the era between theMycenaean times and theRoman Empire, the javelin

was a commonly used offensiveweapon. Being lighter than thespear, the javelin would be thrownrather than thrust and thus allowedlong distance attacks against one’senemy. Athletes, however, usedjavelins that were much lighter thanmilitary ones because the idea of theevent was to demonstrate distancerather than penetration. The onemajor difference between thejavelin of the ancient games and thejavelin of more modern times is aleather thong, called an ankyle thatwas wound around the middle ofthe shaft. Athletes would hold thejavelin by the thong and when thejavelin released this thong unwoundgiving the javelin a spiraled flight.

Unlike other throwing events,javelin allows the competitor tobuild speed over a considerabledistance. In addition to the core andupper body strength necessary todeliver the implement, javelinthrowers benefit from the agilityand athleticism typically associatedwith running and jumping events.Thus, the athletes share morephysical characteristics withsprinters than with other, heavierthrowing athletes.

Traditional free-weight trainingis often used by javelin throwers.Metal-rod exercises and resistanceband exercises can be used to traina similar action to the javelin throwto increase power and intensity.Without proper strength andflexibility, throwers can becomeextremely injury prone, especiallyin the shoulder and elbow. Corestability can help in the transferenceof physical power and force from theground through the body to thejavelin. Stretching and sprinttraining are used to enhance thespeed of the athlete at the point ofrelease, and subsequently, the speedof the javelin. At release, a javelincan reach speeds approaching113 km/h (70 mph).

Rules for Throwing aJavelin

The javelin throw is one of fourthrowing field events. The javelin isa spearlike instrument that isthrown by the athlete into adesignated space known as thethrowing sector. Originally used byhunters as a way of procuring food,the javelin throw has existed as acompetitive sport since the days ofthe ancient Greeks. Both men andwomen worldwide compete in thejavelin throw.

EquipmentThe javelin is made of three

parts: the head, the shaft and thegrip. The shaft and head are madeof metal. The shaft may be of solidor hollow construction and must besmooth throughout. The headcomes to a sharp point and may bereinforced. The grip must cover thecenter of gravity of the javelin. The

grip must be universal in thicknessand be no more than 8 mm thickerthan the diameter of the javelin. Thejavelin tapers from the grip to thetip and tail. Men use javelinsweighing 800 g while women usejavelins weighing 600 g. The overalllength of the javelin varies, withwomen using a javelin that is 2.2 mto 2.3 m long and men using ajavelin that is 2.6 m to 2.7 m. Thejavelin may not have any movingparts.

Legal ThrowThe javelin must be held by the

grip and thrown over the shoulder

or upper part of the arm. In thejavelin throw, athletes run up therunway before rotating their hips ahalf turn and making the finalpowerful steps to hurl the javelinforward into the sector. The releasemust be from behind the arc, whichis the curved line that separates therunway from the sector. The javelinmust land headfirst within thesector. The thrower must not allowhis body to rotate through a full turnduring the approach. Furthermore,the athlete should not turn his backto the throwing sector until after therelease of the javelin. Unorthodox

javelin does not meet regulations.If the athlete crosses the foul line orleaves the runway before the javelinhits the ground, it is considered afoul throw. If the javelin lands onor outside of the sector lines, thethrow is classified as a foul.

MeasuringA judge inside the sector

determines the nearest point of firstcontact of the javelin. The throw isthen measured from this point tothe inside edge of the arc.Measurements are madeimmediately after each throw.

throwing styles are not permitted.Throwing AidsTaping of the hands and fingers

is not allowed other than to protectan injury. Athletes may use chalk toassist in the grip of the javelin. Asupport belt is also permissible.

Foul ThrowAn attempt may be classified as

a foul throw if a legal throw is notused or if the athlete touches the arc,also known as the foul line; run-uplines, which outline the runway; orthe area outside the foul line orrun-up lines before the release ofthe javelin. A throw is considereda foul if the athlete does not holdthe javelin by the grip or if the

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012PAGE 46

Public opinion and subsidy reversalWe will rewrite black Diasporahistory, Amb. EzenwoyeWhat is the African

L e a d e r s h i pExcellence Award

all about?It is an organisation set up

about ten years ago. The dreamactually began ten years ago,but it was realised in 2005. Thatwas the year the AfricanLeadership Excellence Awardbecame a corporate image.Hitherto we used to run theAfrican Leadership ExcellenceAward under the ConceptCollege, London, which was doneduring the graduation of ourstudents. We used to honourcommunity members who aremainly diasporan returnees andAfricans on the Africancontinent who have donesomething great for theircommunities. We started withhonorary doctorate awards inhuman resources,administration and educationdepending on areas of interest.Some senators and other publicoffice-holders acquired theawards then.

How did it start?In 2009 we gave the

President of Uganda a grandaward on public administration.His representative at the event,the Mayor of Banjul in theGambia, suggested that theexcellence award should be astand-alone event tocommemorate excellence in theblack world. That was how wereturned to the United Kingdomand instituted the AfricanLeadership Excellence Award. Itis an institute now with branchesall over Africa. We plan to havemore branches. It is anambassadorial position. Eventhough it started as an award tocommend people who haveachieved one thing or the other,but it transformed itself into anambassadorial award. Anybodywho receives the award becomesan ambassador of Africa byvirtue of being a qualitativeAfrican: good leadership,transparency, andaccountability. It is a grass-rootsaward and permeates everyfacet and human endeavour:village, local government, state,national; those in industries,sports, banking and finance,politics etc receive the award.

It sounds elitist?The award is not for the rich;

it has no financial attachment,rather we aspire to give moneyto winners of our award. It isbasically on merit. By next year,we shall hopefully have a hugefinancial backing to give thosewho pass through the screeningexercise. We screen nomineesfrom the scratch; the nominationis made by everybody. We havea public opinion portal and wehave a department thatresearches on the submissions to

ensure that correct data aregotten. Like I said, the award ismeant for Africans in diasporawho have distinguishedthemselves in their fields ofendeavours. There are people inthe diaspora who are investingfunds in their localcommunities. We want toidentify blacks who haveexcelled in medicine,aeronautics, business and stuffslike that and reward them. Webelieve such will also spur otherblacks to contribute to theirroutes. We get them in the US,Canada, UK, and in fact all overthe world. For your information,Jamaicans, people from Trinidadand Tobago etc are all Africans.We are all victims of slavery. Itis a black race matter. Ittranscends Africa to whereverslavery has taken us to. Again,we have modern diasporans:these are Africans who on theirvolition relocated to the foreignland. The award is for them aslong as they are contributingtheir widows’ mites to theAfrican project.

The African ExcellenceLeadership Award has becomean institution that we use toassess Africans and blacks and

celebrate them. We are tired ofthe Western media selling ourimages wrongly. The era ofdescribing Africa as a dark worldis over. We don’t want Africa tobe seen from the Westernperspectives again. Theorganisation was formed in theUK with the mandate to displayvirtues of our heritage.

Who qualifies to receivethe award?

We are looking atrevolutionary African leaders inpolitics. There will be apresidential award for adistinguished president inAfrica. The voting will be doneby Africans, and the winnerannounced. The likes of Nigeria’sPresident Goodluck Jonathanwill be considered because of howmuch he has achieved inchanging the political andeconomic fortunes of Nigeria. Hehas tried in putting physicalinfrastructure in Nigeria despitethe unfortunate activities of theBoko Haram sect and some anti-political activities of someNigerians. We also appreciatethat he brought capable handslike Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala andLamido Sanusi who have addedcolours to his administration.

Look at the fuel subsidy removal.Outside Nigeria, we look at EllenSearlif Johnson of Liberia whohas done very well intransforming the war-devastated Liberia to a newnation. She has brought a newphase of Liberia. Ivory Coast isanother country where hertrademarks have beentremendous. These arecandidates for consideration bynominees. Nelson Mandela andUgandan president have won theawards in the past. It is an extra-ordinary award.

How will this projectbring about good leadershipin Africa?

We are conscious of badleadership in Africa. However itis also a world phenomenon.There is confusion everywhereeven in the Middle-East. Theaward is establishing therudiments of judging how best asound leadership should be.Leaders will also evaluatethemselves with our bases ofjudgement. They should listento their people and embark onpeople-orientated projects.Nothing spurs positive mindsmore than self-assessment andthe determination to do well. An

enlightened society is a fastdeveloping one. The dark age isretrogressive. There won’t bekidnapping, corruption,underdevelopment and killingsin an enlightened society. TheAfrican Leadership ExcellenceAward is instituting a procedureto recognising good leaders andrewarding them with a view tomaking others strive to emulatethem. We are going to haveseminars on black leaders whoare not doing well.

Where and when is theevent coming up?

This year’s event will holdin the Gambia in Decemberbetween 6 and 8. It will be anaction-packed event. Africanstudents will be there to alsostudy what it takes to havegood leadership and alsonetwork. There will be acultural show; African artistslike 2face and Dbanj will bethere. They will win awardsand also perform. There will bea gala night for the who-is-whoin Africa.

What are the economicimpacts?

It used to hold in London, butwe have decided to bring it toAfrica because it is an Africanaffair. Above all, its economiceffect is tremendous. There willbe capital flight within; tourismwill also be promoted. Imagineover 2, 000 Africans flying tothe Gambia for the occasioninstead of London! Our hotelswill also be patronised.Continental dishes will also beshared. It will be our ownOlympic games and veryunique.

The winners also includenon-Africans who havesomething positive to do withAfrica. These people or bodiesmay have built institutionsthat have played good roles inthe development of Africans.They could come from Chinaand Latin America. Some non-Africans have companies inAfrica. We want to encouragethem to be aware of theircorporate social responsibilities.We want the likes ofcommunications giants,construction companies, mediaorganisations and individuals toidentify with this project in ourinterest. It is in the principle ofAfrican oneness that this projecthas been established.

Encounter

The African Leadership Excellence Award is aimed at encouraging good leadership inAfrica, acknowledging black diasporans and non-Africans with African interests. Thisyear’s event holds from December 6 to 7 in the Gambia. Nigeria’s Amb. Dr. MarcelEzenwoye is the founder and president of the agency. In this interview with journalists,Dr. Ezenwoye talks about the award and the need for blacks to be proud of their race.Augustine Aminu was there.

Amb. Dr. Marcel Ezenwoye

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 11 — SUNDAY 12, AUGUST, 2012 PAGE 47

Lord save me!I n verse 27 of Matt 14, Jesustold the disciples "Be of goodcheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

Initially, Peter wasn't afraid as he be-gan to walk upon water but verse 30says when he saw that the wind wasboisterous; he was afraid and beganto sink. Peter might have been afraidand sinking, his next step was cor-rect. As he was sinking he cried,"Lord save me!" Jesus did just that -he saved him.

If Peter had not cried out forJesus to save him, he would havedrowned. So while many people fo-cus on the fact that Peter was afraidand began to sink and criticized himfor this, they fail to see that he didthe right thing by calling upon Jesusto save him. That is a lessonfor you and me.

We may have erred by doingsome things wrong; we should knowthe next right thing to do. Don't con-centrate on your efforts alone. Yourbest effort will, many times, not beenough without the help of God.Learn to look unto Jesus the authorand the finisher of your faith. (Heb12:2) That three-word prayer "Lordsave me" is probably one of the mostpowerful prayers you can ever pray.Learn to cry to the Lord to save you.It is not a show of weakness. It is rec-ognition of your limitation and ashow of your faith in the Lord.

There is another story in Matt8:23-27 where that prayer "Lordsave me!" comes to the fore again.In that story, the disciples of Jesuswere in a similar situation like Peterwas. Jesus was in the boat with themand Jesus was sleeping while thetempest on the sea and was beatingagainst the boat. The disciples wokehim up and cried, "Lord save us!"Jesus rebuked them for their littlefaith and rebuked the winds and thesea. Great calm was restored.

You may blame the disciples fortheir lack of faith but they could have

GREENGREENGREENGREENGREENPPPPPASTURESASTURESASTURESASTURESASTURESBy Pastor T.O. Banso

cedarministryintl@yahoo.comGSM: 08033113523

also kept quiet and perished. Butthey did the right thing. They knewwhere to get what they lacked. Theyknew who to call upon who was verymuch in the same boat with them.They didn't die for their inaction.

What do you do when you face asimilar situation like the one Peterand the other disciples were in? Youdon't have to perish because of yourmistake, sin or failure. Call upon theLord to save you. Whosoever calls onthe Lord shall be saved. Paul, quot-ing from Joel 2:32, says "For who-ever calls on the name of the LORDshall be saved." (Rm 10:13 NKJV)Peter, also speaking in Acts 2:21,quoted from the same scripture.

No matter how precarious yourcondition is, learn to call upon hisname; the Lord will save you no mat-ter the danger. Cry "Lord save me!"It's a short prayer but very powerful,very effectual. "Lord save me!" is analarm to Heaven for divine interven-tion - it's an SOS. "When you go towar in your land against the enemywho oppresses you, then you shallsound an alarm with the trumpets,and you will be remembered beforethe LORD your God, and you will besaved from your enemies." (Num10:9 NKJV) Did you see that? "Lordsave me!" is an alarm, and God willalways respond to that alarm. Thelatter part of that scripture assures,"and you will be remembered beforethe LORD your God, and you will besaved from your enemies."

When you cry "Lord save me!"what you are saying to Heaven is thatyou are helpless but you put your trustin Heaven. Salvation belongs unto theLord and he will save you. He savedPeter when he was sinking and heldhis hand and the two of them walkedback into the boat. That means Peter

still walked on water! You can stillwalk on the same water where you'resinking or have sunk before. In thesame area where you've failed, youcan still succeed if you will cry to theLord to save you. He will save thatmarriage, that business, that child etc.All you need to do is not to be self-sufficient, self-confident and cry tohim to save you. You will experiencea great calm if you cry to the Lord tosave you in the midst of the ragingstorm in your life, destiny, marriage,family, career, health etc.

Just as God saved Peter and thedisciples, he saved David when he wasin trouble fleeing from Absalom andhe cried to the Lord to save him. Davidlamented his trouble and helplessnessbut didn't fail to cry to the Lord to savehim. "Arise, O LORD; save me, O myGod! For You have struck all my en-emies on the cheekbone; You have bro-ken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvationbelongs to the LORD. Your blessing isupon Your people." (Ps 3:7-8 NKJV)

Pride will not let some peopleseek help from someone else untiltheir trouble destroys them. But aman may try to justify not askinghelp from fellow human beings, butwhat justification will anyone havefor refusing to ask God to help himout of his trouble?

David is considered a great war-rior but he never said he didn't needGod's help. David prayed in Ps 7:1-2: "O LORD my God, in You I putmy trust; save me from all those whopersecute me; and deliver me, Lestthey tear me like a lion, rending mein pieces, while there is none to de-liver." (NKJV) God didn't disappointDavid. He delivered him. In manyof his psalms, we see David askingthe Lord to deliver or save him. Ifyou go through the kind of troubles

that David had, you would be fool-ish not to seek the help of the Lord.

For instance, in Ps 118:25, thepsalmist prayed: "Save now, I pray,O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send nowprosperity." (NKJV) That's a goodprayer for you to pray. Also in Ps.116:1-14, when the psalmist was inthe danger of death, surrounded bytrouble and sorrow, he cried to theLord to save him and God saved him.

Trust in the LordIn order to experience his salva-

tion in the valley of the shadow ofdeath, you must put your trust in theLord. Is 12:2 says, "See, God hascome to save me. I will trust in himand not be afraid. The LORD GODis my strength and my song; he hasbecome my salvation." (NLT)

Prophet Micah lived in a terribletime and spoke of his decision to puthis trust in God alone to save himand not any man not even a wife.(Micah 7:5-8) Don't trust in yourbow or your sword to save you. (Ps44:6) David said, "Though I amsurrounded by troubles, you will pre-serve me against the anger of myenemies. You will clench your fistagainst my angry enemies! Yourpower will save me." (Ps 138:7 NLT)

If you cry to the Lord to save you,you can rest assured that yourtrouble will not consume you be-cause God's presence is with you. (Is

Exercise your dominion (2)

From the Pulpit

43:2, Jer 30:11, Isa 41:10) You willenjoy the salvation of the Lord inJesus' name. You will escape like abird from a hunter's trap. Any trapyou're in now is broken, and you'refree in Jesus' name. God shall helpyou in that condition you are. You'llsing for joy.

TAKE ACTION!If you are not born again, kindly

say this prayer now: "0 Lord God,I come unto you today. I knowI am a sinner and I cannot savemyself. I believe that Jesus isthe Son of God who died on thecross to save me and resur-rected the third day. I confessJesus as my Lord and Saviourand surrender my life to himtoday. I invite Jesus into myheart today. By this prayer, Iknow I am saved. Thank youJesus for saving me and mak-ing me a child of God"

I believe you have said this prayerfrom your heart. Congratulations!You will need to join a Bible believ-ing, Bible teaching church in yourarea where you will be taught howto live your new life in Christ Jesus. Ipray that you flourish like the palmtree and grow like the cedar of Leba-non. May you grow into Christ in allthings becoming all God wants youto be. I will be glad to hear from you.May the Lord be with you.

And the seventyreturned againwith joy, saying,

Lord, even the devils aresubject unto us through thyname. And he said untothem, I beheld Satan aslightning fall from heaven.Behold, I give unto youpower to tread on serpentsand scorpions, and over allthe power of the enemy: andnothing shall by any meanshurt you.” Luke 10:17-19(KJV).

Last week, we startedconsidering the important issue ofdominion as it affects believers.We saw that many believers do

not exercise the dominion thatGod has given to them in JesusChrist. We saw that many peopledo not even know that they havesuch powers and as such do notgo out to exercise such. That iswhy the Lord lamented in Hosea4.6 that His People perish for lackof knowledge. In that lesson, wesaw the magnitude of the powerGod has bestowed on believers torule and have dominion. We alsosaw how the devil is using theinstrument of deceit to preventbelievers from knowing andunderstanding this.

This week, by the grace of God,we will look into how to positionourselves in such a way that we

will live in dominion in every areaof our lives. A life of dominioninvolves being in control of issuesof life around you.

The first step is to reconginsethe supremacy of God and to livein line with his commands. Thefirst step to recognsing thesupremacy of God and to liveaccording to his commands is togive one’s life to Jesus as Lord andpersonal savior. You must be bornagain as Jesus commanded inJohn 3, 16. This is the only wayto guarantee a genuineconnection between you and God,providing the conduit throughwhich he powers flow through toyou to guarantee you a life ofdominion.

Jesus, talking about wayto inherit the kingdom of Godand all that comes through it,including a life of dominionsaid one must be born again.This scripture have been soused that many people arelosing the import of the pointmade by the Master. Let uslook at John 3. 1-8. It reads;“There was a man of thePharisees, namedNicodemus, a ruler of theJews: The same came to

Jesus by night, and said untohim, Rabbi, we know thatthou art a teacher come fromGod: for no man can do thesemiracles that thou doest,except God be with him.Jesus answered and saidunto him, Verily, verily, I sayunto thee, Except a man beborn again, he cannot see thekingdom of God. Nicodemussaith unto him, how can aman be born when he is old?can he enter the second timeinto his mother's womb, andbe born? Jesus answered,Verily, verily, I say unto thee,except a man be born ofwater and of the Spirit, hecannot enter into thekingdom of God. That whichis born of the flesh is flesh;and that which is born of theSpirit is spirit. 7 Marvel notthat I said unto thee, Ye mustbe born again. 8 The windbloweth where it listeth, andthou hearest the soundthereof, but canst not tellwhence it cometh, andwhither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.”

Being born again does notmean being a member of a

LIBERALIBERALIBERALIBERALIBERATIONTIONTIONTIONTIONARENARENARENARENARENAAAAA

By Rev. Abel Duniya

Gospel Power LiberationMinistries, Abuja

GSM: 08033155167

Pentecostal church or belongingto a religious group as manybelieve. It entail a completerebirth from a life controlled bythe flesh to a life controlled by theSpirit of God. This is importantbecause it is only the Lifecontrolled by the Spirit of Godthat can exercise His powers fordominion. Men can do naturalthings but only spiritual peoplecan excel in natural andsupernatural things. Jesus madeit clear that that which is born ofthe flesh is flesh; and that whichis born of the Spirit is spirit.

Those who are born of theSpirit are those eligible to be calledthe children of God and as suchbecomes those eligible to inheritHis powers. See Rom.8, 13-17. Itsays “For ye have not receivedthe spirit of bondage again tofear; but ye have received theSpirit of adoption, wherebywe cry, Abba, Father. TheSpirit itself beareth witnesswith our spirit, that we arethe children of God: And ifchildren, then heirs; heirs ofGod, and joint-heirs withChrist; if so be that we sufferwith him, that we may bealso glorified together.”

Are you a child of God? Nextweek, we will look deeper intowhat it takes and what it meansto be truly born again.

“

Muhammad, Messenger of GodSATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

BIG PUNCHBIG PUNCHBIG PUNCHBIG PUNCHBIG PUNCH

‘Most certainly yours,Muhammad, is a sublimecharacter!’ [Quran 68:4]

Let us, in the spirit ofRamadan, reflect a little biton some issues arising from

Prophet Muhammad’s liberationof Makkah, which marked,indeed, the climax of his career.Islam never referred to the eventin military terms. Rather theconquest of Makkah marks theday in which, as the Quran putsit and the Prophet proclaimed iton that momentous day, ‘Thetruth is now manifest.Falsehood is truly confuted.And it is right that it should be!’[17:81] The victory was socomplete that never since thatday has an idol been worshippedin the Sacred Sanctuary, andnever since that day has themessage of God - in its pristine andfinal form - been amenable todistortion or corruption. Again itwas seen as liberation day for thehuman race, when perhaps forthe first time ever, the equality ofmankind was proclaimed. TheProphet addressed the great andmighty men gathered before himsaying that the day was overwhen one race would feel superiorto another race, when peoplemeasure their worth by mereaccident of ancestry or color of theskin: for all humans spring fromAdam, and Adam is from clay. Heproclaimed to them the words ofAlmighty God, as written in theQuran: “O men, We havecreated you from male andfemale and constituted youinto peoples and tribes thatyou might know andcooperate with one another. Inthe eye of God, highest amongyou is the most virtuous. Godis omniscient and all wise.” Anaspect of the ultimatemanifestation of truth is evidentfrom the nature of the victoryitself. Here is conquest like noother, conquest wrapped incompassion. Here is victory likeno other, victory enveloped inhumility.

‘Oh, the beauty of pardon andforgiveness on the part of themighty and powerful! How greatis the soul of Muhammad whichrose above hatred and aboverevenge, which denied everyhuman feeling and ascended toheights of nobility man had neverreached before! There were theQuraysh among whom werepeople whom Muhammad wellknew had plotted to kill him, hadpersecuted him, and inflictedupon him and his companions allkinds of injury and harm, whofought him at Badr and at Uhud,

“We will like to take responsibility for wherewe go wrong but what we certainly will nottake responsibility for the failure of others. Ifothers fail let them take responsibility. Wherewe fail, we will take responsibility.”—Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba toMinister of Finance, Okonjo-Iweala, over thepoor implementation of 2012 budget.

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it had gathered such energy andstrength to transform the worldand change for ever the course ofhuman history. The example hehas bequeathed to mankind is thattruth must be backed by fullstrength and evil combatted withfull force. Were the Prophet notmorally and militarilyformidable, were he notpolitically sagacious and astute,were he not a true statesman, agenius and a strategist, nothingwould have been heard aboutIslam, and truth and its bearerswould have perished. Islam livestoday and lives for ever becauseProphet Muhammad supported itfrom the start with intellectualpower, spiritual power, politicalpower, economic power, militarypower.. This is how the worldworks.

Prof Montgomery Watts, in hisMuhammad at Madina, sheds somelight on the matter, when he notesas follows: ‘Muhammad’s own tact,diplomacy, and administrativeskill contributed greatly. Above all,however, his consummate skill inhandling the confederacy he nowruled, and making all but aninsignificant minority feel theywere being fairly treated,heightened the contrast betweenthe feeling of harmony,satisfaction and zest in the Islamiccommunity and the malaise

elsewhere; this must have beenobvious to many and haveattracted them to Muhammad. Inall this one cannot but beimpressed by Muhammad’s faithin his cause, his vision and his far-seeing wisdom. While hiscommunity was still small anddevoting all its energies to avoidingbeing overwhelmed by its enemies,he had conceived a united Arabiadirected outwards, in which theMeccans would play a new role —a role no less important than theirold role of merchants. He hadharried them and provoked them;then he had wooed them andfrightened them in turn; and nowpractically all of them, even thegreatest, had submitted to him.Against considerable odds, oftenwith narrow margins, but nearlyalways with sureness of touch, hehad moved towards his goal. If wewere not convinced of thehistoricity of these things, fewwould credit that a despisedMeccan prophet could re-enter hiscity as a triumphant conqueror.’

Prof Watt goes further toenumerates some of the causes forthe rise of Islam and its continuingrelevance as a global religious andpolitical force. Among them, hestates, is Muhammad’s wisdom asa statesman, apart from hisspiritual prowess: ‘The conceptualstructure found in the Qur’an wasmerely a framework. Theframework had to support abuilding of concrete policies andconcrete institutions. Much hasbeen said about Muhammad’s far-sighted political strategy and hissocial reforms. His wisdom in thesematters is shown by the rapidexpansion of his small state to aworld-empire and by theadaptation of his social institutionsto many different environmentsand their continuance for thirteencenturies.There is his skill and tactas an administrator and hiswisdom in the choice of men towhom to delegate administrativedetails. Sound institutions and asound policy will not go far if theexecution of affairs is faulty andfumbling.When Muhammaddied, the state he had founded wasa ‘going concern’, able to withstandthe shock of his removal and, onceit had recovered from this shock,

to expand at prodigious speed. Themore one reflects on the history ofMuhammad and of early Islam,the more one is amazed at thevastness of his achievement.’Furthermore: ‘Had it not been forhis gifts as seer, statesman, andadministrator and, behind these,his trust in God and firm belief thatGod has sent him, a notablechapter in the history of mankindwould have remained unwritten.It is my hope that this study of hislife may contribute to a freshappraisal and appreciation of oneof the greatest of the “sons ofAdam”.’

Prof Montgomery Watt goes onto bring to the fore a fundamentalissue which is bound to have adirect and critical bearing upon thefuture of mankind. In a world sothoroughly corrupted anddemeaned, is there a singleuniversal personality whose lifecan inspire humanity to rectitudeand hence to a moral rebirth?Proceeding silently from thepremise that Muhammad isperhaps the one and onlycandidate, Prof Watt puts forwarda proposition. ‘Since the world isbecoming increasingly one world,and in this one world there is atendency towards unification anduniformity. Because of thistendency the day will doubtlesscome when there will be a set ofmoral principles which not merelyclaim universal validity but areactually accepted almostuniversally throughout the oneworld. Now Muslims claim thatMuhammad is a model of conductand character for all mankind. Inso doing they invite world opinionto pass judgement upon him. Uptill now the matter has receivedscant attention from worldopinion, but, because of thestrength of Islam, it will eventuallyhave to be given seriousconsideration,’ he writes. ‘Are anyprinciples to be learnt from the lifeand teaching of Muhammad thatwill contribute to the one moralityof the future? Will Muslims be ableto turn to the life of Muhammadand by sifting the universal in itfrom the particular discover moralprinciples which make a creativecontribution to the present worldsituation? Or, will they at least beable to show that Muhammad’s lifeis one possible exemplification of theideal man in the unified worldmorality? In the wider sphere ofreligion they have probablysomething to contribute to theworld, for they have retainedemphases on the reality of God, forexample which have beenneglected or forgotten inimportant sections of the othermonotheistic religions.’

who blockaded him in theCampaign of al Khandaq, whoincited the Arab tribes to riseagainst him, and who would eventhen tear him apart if only theyhad the power,’ MuhammadHaykal writes. ‘There, the wholeof Quraysh stood totally underMuhammad’s hand, indeedunder his feet, totally subject tohis command. Indeed, their verylife depended upon the first word

emerging from his lips. All thesethousands of men, of Muslims inbattle array, stood on the readywaiting for that one word to wipeout the whole of Makkah and itspeople within minutes.Muhammad, however, was noless than Muhammad! He was noless than the Prophet of God! Noalienation, antagonism, orhostility could find anypermanent abode in his heart. Hisheart was absolutely free ofinjustice, of malice, of tyranny orfalse pride. In the most decisivemoment, God gave him powerover his enemy. But Muhammadchose to forgive, thereby givingto all mankind and all thegenerations the most perfectexample of goodness, oftruthfulness, of nobility andmagnanimity.’

The Prophet’s career whichculminates in the liberation ofMakkah explains the true natureand character of Islam.Muhammad is the Messenger ofGod. His mission is to convey themessage of God to humanity, whileat the same time striving torealize the essence of the messagein real life, in real community, inreal world. To that end heestablished and nurtured acommunity on the basis of hisbeliefs, principles and values.When this community matured,