Free surgery for 6,000 cataract patients in Jigawa

Dutse— No fewer than 6,000  cataract patients are to undergo free surgery in Jigawa, Dr Abdulrahman Ashiru, the Coordinator, Eye Care and Neglected Tropical Diseases, has said.

Ashiru made this known at the ongoing free eye surgery in Dutse yesterday.

It is sponsored by the state government in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation, Vision 20:20.

He said that 1,900 patients would undergo surgery in the first round of the programme which started on Monday.

The coordinator said that the exercise was being conducted simultaneously in five major towns – Hadejia, Gumel, Ringim, Kazaure and Dutse.

He said that the free eye treatment include cataract, trachoma and trichiasis.

“We shall distribute free azaichroms drugs to all patients with trachoma disease,” Ashiru added.

ICAN boss, others harp on tax compliance, increased IGR

Asaba—The economic development and sustainability of any country depends largely on its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, through effective taxation and tax compliance by its citizens, said President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Alhaji Kabir Mohammed.

Chairman, Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, Mr.  Joel  Thomas, and former Economic Commissioner in the state, Chief Clement Ofuani also shared his view.

Speaking in Asaba, Delta State at a lecture titled “Delta State Beyond Oil: Taxation as a catalyst for the Socio-Economic Development of Delta State,” as part of activities to mark  the second anniversary  of the 5th Assembly of the Delta State House of Assembly, the trio insisted  that to achieve sustainable economic development in the state, there was need for adequate taxation to be in place beyond oil revenues.

Mohammed said: “As Delta State takes strategic view of its future and particularly its growth and development prospects beyond oil, the place of IGR through tax and diversification to tourism and agriculture cannot be over-emphasised.”

The ICAN President commended officials of the state board of internal revenue for raising the state’s IGR from its former N1.2 billion in 2009 to its current position of N5.74 billion as at January this year.

He noted, however, that the present status of the state IGR was still not substantial, given its economic growth and development prospects, adding that  taxation, if properly harnessed, should provide alternative funding for the state economy.
>>>Vanguard

FIFA cancels Nigeria’s victory dinner party

A dinner party planned for the victorious Super Eagles’ squad on Monday night after the 6-1 defeat of Tahiti in their Group B 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup match was cancelled at the instance of FIFA.

Nigeria’s footballers pose for the official picture before the start of the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 Group B football match against Tahiti, at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte on June 17, 2013. (Standing L-R) Midfielder John Obi Mikel, defender Uwa Echijile, defender Efe Ambrose, defender Kenneth Omeruo, forward Anthony Ujah and midfielder Fegor Ogude. (First row, L-R) Forward Nnamdi Oduamadi, goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, forward Ahmed Musa, midfielder Sunday Mba and defender Godfrey Oboabona.

A PANA Correspondent reported on Tuesday that the team was billed to have the dinner at Restaurant Atelier in Savassi centre in Belo Horizonte but FIFA officials, citing security reasons, prevented the Nigerian players from leaving their hotel at Belvedere.
They said that there had been street protests in Belo Horizonte and the measure was to prevent the Nigerian team from being caught up in any mob action.
PANA reports that most major streets in Belo Horizonte were closed on Monday night by the Brazilian military police following increased protests in the city.
One of the organisers of the dinner, Olusegun Akinruli, lamented the turn of events.
“It is sad, but we have to understand the concerns of FIFA. We would have loved to celebrate the victory with guests of Nigerian roots,’’ said Olusegun, who prepared the dishes for the players.
The Super Eagles, who at about 4.30 p.m. Nigerian time, touched down at the densely-populated Atlantic coastal city of Salvador for the next game, had private dinner at BH Mall in Belo Horizonte and walked back to their Ceaser Park hotel.
Councilman Leo Bourgeois also lamented the cancellation of the dinner.
“It’s sad. We try to show that there was sufficient security for the athletes. But we have to accept the decision of the FIFA.
“The cancellation was because of legitimate demonstrations within a democratic country.’’ (PANA/NAN)

Probe arms influx, group urges govt

A group, under the aegis of African Maritime Development Initiative (AMDI), has called on the Federal Government to set up a panel to investigate the large scale of arms influx  into the country.

AMDI in a statement made available to Vanguard, noted that the call became imperative due to the recent discovery of an Hezbollah ammunitions cache in Kano  uncovered in other parts of the country.

The statement signed by AMDI  Director General, Elder Asu Beks, read, in part, “AMDI wishes to draw the attention of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to this worrisome trend and urges him to investigate disturbing news making the rounds of the possible connivance of some officials of a Para-military service, whose duty is to ensure that illegal items are not smuggled into the country.

“We therefore advise the Federal Government to constitute an investigative panel comprising  officials of the Department of Military Intelligence (DMI), State Security Service (SSS), the Navy, Nigerian Ports Authority (NP) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), to investigate imports made through our airports, seaports and  land border posts.”

The group also pointed out that the government of the United States of America (USA) has also expressed a similar concern through the United States Coast Guard to its m ission in Nigeria, and therefore charged the Federal Government to be more pro-active on security challenges facing the ports or risk  sanctions which include stoppage of US vessels and that  of its  Allied coutries  from sailing to Nigeria.

The group similarly “endorsed the pragmatic manner in which President Goodluck Jonathan enforced the state of emergency across the Northern states of Yobe, Adamawa and Bornu in the wake of heightened Boko Haram activities.

“We also commend the military Joint Task Force (JTF), for their display of professionalism in bringing the civilian casualties to the barest minimum.  In addition, we task the Governors of the three concerned states to cooperate with the National Assembly, the Presidency and the JTF to ensure a speedy resolution to the crisis in the region and a return to normalcy,” the statement concluded.

FG bans sat phones in northeast after fresh attacks

The insurgents have attacked two schools in the northeast this week, leaving at least 16 students and two teachers dead.

“Therefore, effective from 19 June 2013, the (military) imposes a ban on the use and sale of Thuraya phones and accessories, including Thuraya recharge cards in Borno state,” said a statement from Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa.

Thuraya is a popular brand of satellite phones.

“Anyone seen with Thuraya phones, recharge cards and accessories will be arrested,” the statement said.

It was unclear whether the ban would also apply to journalists, who have used satellite phones to communicate when visiting the region, where the military launched a sweeping offensive on May 15.

The announcement applied to Borno state, the hardest hit in the region, and it was unclear if it would be extended.

The military has claimed it has pushed out the insurgents with its offensive, but a series of attacks in recent days have raised questions over whether the gains were only temporary.

On Sunday, suspected Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on a secondary school in Damaturu in Yobe state, killing seven students and two teachers.

Two of the attackers were also killed, said the army.

On Monday in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, suspected Islamists shot dead nine students as they sat an exam in a private school.

Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates as “Western education is sin,” has carried out multiple attacks on schools in northeast Nigeria.

The group has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in the country’s mainly Muslim north.

Dolce and Gabbana Sentenced to Jail

Italian fashion designers Domenico Dolce (R) and Stefano Gabbana

Italian fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been sentenced to jail in Italy for one year and eight months for tax evasion.

The pair were not at the trial and deny the charges.

They are accused of hiding millions of euros from Italian tax authorities.

Dolce and Gabbana have not yet given a public comment on the sentence and are likely to appeal the verdict. They are said to be unlikely to go to jail any time soon.

Their customers have included Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Kate Moss and Bryan Ferry.

The investigation by the Italian authorities began around six years ago as part of a government plan to crack down on tax avoidance.

At the hearing on Wednesday, the judge ruled that the designers moved their brand to a Luxembourg-based holding company Gado in 2004.

He said they had done this to avoid declaring taxes on royalties of around 1 billion euros (£833m; $1.3bn).

Prosecutors alleged they sold the business for well below actual market value.

They were initially cleared of the charges at a previous trial in April 2011 but Italy's highest court overturned that ruling, ordering that the case should be sent back.

Shell faces pressure over Niger Delta oil spills

Amnesty International and Holland’s National Contact Point for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, have faulted Royal Dutch Shell’s claims on incidences of oil spills in Nigeria, urging it to be prudent when publishing spill investigation data.

Shell has blamed most spills in the Niger Delta on thieves hacking into pipelines, a crime known as ‘bunkering’.

However, an independent investigation into how the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s guidelines are enforced found discrepancies between Shell’s story and other accounts of the size and cause of spills.
Holland’s National Contact Point for the OECD told the oil giant to exercise prudence when publishing spill investigation data and also called on Shell to publish figures from before January 2011, when the company began putting information about leaks on its website.

It also repeated the United Nation’s concerns that investigators are at the mercy of the oil companies when assessing the size and severity of spills.

The report follows a complaint by Friends of the Earth and Amnesty International, which submitted evidence of spill investigations it said were heavily influenced by the company.

Also speaking, Audrey Gaughran, of Amnesty said “Shell has repeatedly stated operational spills are going down and sabotage is going up. This is all based on a process where the investigator is being investigated.”

She called for more independent assessment to offset weakness in local regulation.

Shell has pointed to improvements in the way it reports spill information since 2011.

But Gaughran urged Shell to publish all investigations carried out prior to 2011, potentially exposing the company to multi-million pound lawsuits.

Shell had disclosed that its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC has been found to be in compliance with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Military claims arrest of 8 suspected insurgents

ABUJA  (AFP) – The Nigerian military said Wednesday that it has arrested eight of the suspected insurgents who launched deadly attacks since the weekend in the northeast in which more than a dozen students were killed.

“Eight of the terrorists who perpetrated the mayhem during the weekend have been apprehended at the outskirt of Maiduguri,” the spokesman of the defence headquarters, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, said in a statement.

The insurgents attacked two schools in the northeast this week, leaving at least 16 students and two teachers dead.

On Sunday, suspected Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on a secondary school in Damaturu in Yobe state, killing seven students and two teachers.

On Monday in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, suspected Islamists shot dead nine students as they sat an exam in a private school.

Two of the attackers were also killed, the army said.

Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates as “Western education is sin,” has carried out multiple attacks on schools in northeast Nigeria.

The statement said the insurgents’ recent attack “on soft targets” was a way of seeking attention and acts of desperation.

It said that special forces have boosted mop up, cordon and search operations to ensure an end to the insurgency in those affected states.

The military earlier Wednesday banned the use of satellite phones in much of the restive region after cutting mobile phone service, further isolating the area.

The military claimed that the sect had used satellite phones to plan attacks on schools.

It was unclear whether the ban would also apply to journalists, who have used satellite phones to communicate when visiting the region, where the military launched a sweeping offensive on May 15.

Violence linked to the insurgency has left some 3,600 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces, who have been accused of major abuses.

Uruguay unleash Forlan, Suarez, Cavani on Eagles

Beaten by Spain in their opening match, Uruguay must take something from this game if they are to have any chance of progressing.

To achieve that, Oscar Tabarez’s will need to reproduce the kind of form they showed late on against the world champions, when they rallied after being being 2-0 down to score a fantastic free kick and left the stadium with respect. With that idea in mind, El Maestro is contemplating making changes to his starting line-up, which could mean a return for Diego Forlan.

The experienced forward has even voiced his desire to see his country through the Nigerian opposition. ‘’We know the Nigerian game is key and that the draw suits them better than it does us. If we draw the game, then it leaves things out of our hands on the final day. We need to prevent that from happening.”

Fresh from their handsome defeat of Tahiti, Nigeria stand top of the group on goal difference from Spain and have slightly more margin for error.

The Super Eagles should not be lulled into a false sense of security, however, and will know only too well that the Uruguayans will present a far stiffer test of their abilities than the Oceania champions.

Coach Stephen Keshi has already said he will be making changes at the back in a bid to contain the effervescent twosome of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez.

The coach said his side will remain resolute in the face of the stiff test expected from the South Americans.

“Everyone is here to win and Uruguay are planning right now how to beat us. We need to improve and focus on the job in hand,” Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi.

Mandela’s 95th birthday plans go ahead despite illness

JOHANNESBURG – Nelson Mandela’s foundation has vowed to press ahead with upcoming 95th birthday celebrations, as the global peace icon underwent a twelfth day in hospital Wednesday for a recurring lung infection.

On the frail icon’s July 18 birthday, various charity organisations and businesses will paint schools, hand out food parcels and books, and run a 67 kilometre (41 miles) relay marathon in the spirit of Mandela’s 67 years of activism and public work.

Mandela spent 27 years in jail for his opposition to white minority rule, and walked free to become the country’s first black president after all-race elections in 1994.

“We see this as an opportunity for people to rise above Madiba’s hospitalisation,” said Sello Hatang, the foundation’s CEO, referring to Mandela by his clan name.

The Nobel peace laureate, who devoted his life to promote education and AIDS activism, wanted people to carry on his good work, his great-grandson Mbuso Mandela told AFP.

“His idea for me was just to continue the legacy which he put forth to myself and to the rest of the nation, which is humility and education,” said the 22-year-old.

Local and global celebrities have also endorsed a call by the United Nations, which declared the icon’s birthday International Mandela Day, on people to do 67 minutes of good deeds.

“I too will also be giving my 67 minutes to make the world a better place, one small step at a time,” said British billionaire Richard Branson in a video clip played at this year’s International Mandela Day launch in Johannesburg.

Mandela’s birthday celebrations will be all the more poignant as the icon battles a persistent pulmonary condition that has plagued him for years.

He was hospitalised on June 8 in the capital Pretoria with a lung infection, and the South African presidency has described his condition as serious but improving.

But the United Nations insisted on his living legacy, instead of the ailing man.

“People are focusing more on his passing away rather than his recovery,” said UN country representative Agostinho Zacarias.

“We at the UN would like to focus on his recovery and a quick recovery, and wish him well.”

Former US president Bill Clinton said following Mandela’s example starts with small actions.

“In doing so we can inspire more and more people to live as Mandela has: with the belief that tomorrow does not have to be like yesterday,” he said in pre-recorded message.

Another great-grandson, Luvuyo Mandela, 27, said the icon would have been proud to see people echo his goodwill in their deeds.

“How would he respond? With his world-famous smile,” said the younger Mandela.

My life in danger, NANS President cries

The President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Yinka Gbadebo has told Nigerians to hold the Nigerian Police Force responsible if anything happens to him.

The Police were said to have threatened Gbadebo, ordering him to do thorough investigations before blaming them for the incident. Gbadebo spoke in Ibadan after he was released by men of the Oyo State Joint Security Task Force, codenamed ‘Operation Burst’.

He said they have been making calls to him following his statement that the IGP should resign owing to the incessant killings of Nigerian students by the Police Force in the last six months directly or indirectly. He also said that normalcy would not return to the University of Uyo, UNIUYO, until the VC, Prof. Comfort Ekpo is removed.

He charged the Federal Government to remove the woman with immediate effect as according to him, “her negligence and ineptitude led to the killing of our senate president and other comrades.”

Meanwhile, the family of the late former Oyo State NANS JCC chairman, Oladimeji AbdulAzeez, was  contacted early Monday morning. It would be recalled that the deceased who graduated from the University of Ibadan, hailed from Ibadan South East Local Government.

Gbadebo and others, as at the time of filing this report, were on their way to Lagos to inform Donald’s family officially about the incident after which he will move to Owerri to collect the bodies of the “fallen martyrs” and later to FMC Umuahia to visit the survivors of the auto crash.

Secondary School Girls In Ghana Nabbed Having Gang Sèx With Nigerians

On the 17TH of February, 2006, webzine Ghanaweb published an article under the heading ‘SSS Girls Sacked For Engaging in Gang sèx’. In this story, ten girls of Mpraeso Secondary School (MPASS) were caught in a gang sèx at a hotel and were alleged to be having sèx with five Nigerians suspected to be drug dealers. Another interesting thing is that each girl received ¢150,000 for the endurance and sèx skills. Therefore, if these men are HIV positive and there was unprotected sèx between them, then each infection has been exchanged for ¢150,000.What a shame. Where is Ghana heading towards?

In fact this Ghanaweb article revealed to us the kind of activities going on in our various schools and the fact that young people are now lacking sèx education or maybe there is not enough education on sèx for this young people. At least with the upsurge of HIV/AIDS, I would expect my fellow young people to think before engaging in such activities such as sèx.

I was told by a friend that teenage girls in Ghana take pride in the number of sèx rounds they can go and also the super skills they can exhibit. I hear they sometimes laugh at men who cannot provide ‘hard f**k’ and also endure long ‘distances’. We need to wake up. Our young people are going wayward. They are getting CRAZY each and every time.

I believe our parents need to do more than they are doing now in providing enough sèx education to their wards. I know it is not easy, but we need to save our young people, we need to have a better Ghana filled with morally upright youth who can take proper control of our motherland.

It this article, I want to highlight some issues for parents on sèx education and want to appeal to Ghanaweb as well as our media houses to constantly publish articles that will remind our youth on the dangers associated with sèx and also benefits of delaying early sèxual activities, these articles I believe would help them in their proper development.

The word S-E-X has been associated with social taboos and cultural mystery. Even though it contributes to the continuation of the human race, it is treated as if it is unnatural and even down right dirty. This and other stigma attached to sèx makes parents scared about discussing it with their children. sèx in the new millennium is filled with risks – both emotional and physical. Gone are the days when the only worry the sèxually active young person was unwanted pregnancy. Girls especially were more worried. This wonderful millennium ushered in a new revolution fueled by rampant STDs, high teenage pregnancy rates and the incurable AIDS virus.

AIDS is on the rise among teens and young people in general, and the fact is, if you are sèxually active, you can get it.

Even though I don’t have the exact figures, I believe a considerable number of Ghanaian young people of10-24 years are sèxually active and as such needs a kind of comprehensive sèx education so as to prevent pregnancies and sèxually transmitted diseases.

These young people should also have access to appropriate, comprehensive information about sèx, sèxuality and the consequences of bringing children into the world. This will build their decision-making skills to help protect them from pressure to have sèx, unintended pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sèxually transmitted diseases.

So Parents,
If talking with your child about sèx is difficult for you, admit it. Keep a sense of humor. Do not be shy about it.

Use TV, movies, articles, and real-life situations such as a friend’s pregnancy to begin talking about sèx. I quite remember when we were very young; my mum will always use television programmes and films to talk to us about sèx.Whenever there is a drama or issue on pregnancy being discussed, she would immediately start talking about it to us.

Share your values regarding sèx. If you believe a person should save having sèx until marriage, say so. Accept that your child may choose to have sèx despite your values.

Don’t assume that if your child asks questions about sèx, he or she is necessarily thinking about having sèx.

Ask your child what he or she wants to know about sèx. If you don’t know an answer, admit it. Find answers with your child in books or other resources.

Talk with your child about reasons to wait to have sèx. Remind your child that he or she can choose to wait (abstain) even if he or she has had sèx before.

Reassure your child that not everyone is having sèx and that it is okay to be a virgin. The decision to become sèxually active is too important to be based on what other people think or do.

Talk with your child about ways to handle pressure from others to have sèx. To feel comfortable talking openly with you, your child needs to know that you will not punish him or her for being honest. Let your child trust you.

Leave age-appropriate articles or books about teenage sèxuality around your home. Your child will pick them up on his/her own and read them.

You may also find resources such as books, videos etc., from a lot of good organizations and Youth Centres like the Young and Wise Center of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana. These centers have a lot of resources that would help in the proper development of your child’s sèxual and reproductive health. Visit them soon.
Finally, you should also remember to talk to your child often; your first talk with your child about sèx should not be your last! Talk with your child about sèx often. Let your child know that you are always willing to talk about any question, issue or concern he or she may have about sèx.

So Parents in Ghana, all the Parents in Africa, louder now, Come on – let’s talk about sèx!

FG to name bidders of 10 power plants, August 8

Mr. Benjamin Dikki, Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, who disclosed this at an investment road show in Hong Kong, said the sale of the power plants falls within the context of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda.

He reiterated the commitment of the government to creating a conducive atmosphere for private capital inflows, adding, however, that the deadline for the submission of expressions of interest for the power plants remains July 19, 2013 and that there is no plan to extend the date.

According to him, the intention of the Expressions of Interest (EOI) process for the sale of the10 power plants was meant to improve on the rigorous requirements of the PHCN successor companies’ privatization transactions.

He said, “It is critical that all interested parties and potential investors go through the EOI guideline document.

“Prospective bidders should be aware of some of the observed lapses by prospective bidders in the previous bid processes. They involve bids failing to substantially comply with the Requests for Proposal (RFP), failure to meet the threshold of required tangible net worth, failure to submit bid bonds, failure to submit audited accounts, failure to submit bids on time, among others.”

Dikki stated that the BPE and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, are partners in the joint sale transaction process for the sale of the 10 power plants, adding that the BPE is legally authorised to sell Federal Government’s 47 per cent shares, while NDPHC has the authorization of the states and local government councils to sell 53 per cent of the 80 per cent shares on offer.

He maintained that the BPE will add significant value to the process using its vast experience in privatization of assets in Nigeria spanning nearly 500 transactions in its 25 year history, with the most recent being the sale of the 15 Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) successor companies.

“Besides power, the transport and housing sectors, development finance institutions and the Abuja Commodities and Stock Exchange that will introduce the warehouse receipt trading system, are also great investment opportunities awaiting interested local and international investors,” he added.

Also addressing the potential investors at the Hong Kong road show, Mr. Gabriel Suswan, Governor of Benue State, who is also the Chairman of the Joint Technical Committee for the transaction, said that power is the bedrock of the development agenda of the current administration in Nigeria, adding that it is the policy of the Federal Government to ensure that solid foundation is laid.

He said the three tiers of government— local, State and Federal –have invested well over $8 billion in building the ten power plants.

Suswan added that with a population of over 160 million, Nigeria is the largest market for investors in Africa and the atmosphere is conducive for investments.

In his own remarks, Senator Chris Ngige, Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, said the proceeds of over $2.6 billion raised by the BPE in the privatization of PHCN successor companies, is the largest privatization transaction ever in Nigeria and one of the largest in the African continent.

He noted that the contract between the BPE and winning bidders of the 15 PHCN successor companies were signed in February 2013 and the privatization transaction process is expected to conclude by September this year. He further pointed out that the privatization of the power sector is expected to accelerate the growth of the nation’s economy. Ngige assured potential investors that their investments are safe in Nigeria and money well spent.