JUNE 12,1995 N50.00 NIGERIA'S WEEKLY NEWSMAGAZINE Why Ajasin, others were arrested KING SIZE . THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH WARNS THAT TOBACCO SMOKING IS DANGEROUS TO HEALTH Outline » AjUL (Ml JUNE 12, 1995 NIGERIA’S WEEKLY NEWSMAGAZINE VOL 21 NO 24 Nigeria: 17 Cover: 10 Obasanjo and Yar'Adua face Special Military Tribunal investigating their alleged involvement in the plot to topple the government • The death w Reign of Terror of an Igbo man in Kano has raised suspicion of ritual killing • Lagos State Polytechnic teachers call off their Two violent incidents in two-week strike and return to classrooms • Having failed to Kano and florin have once destabilise the NLC, government changes gear % again set the nation on edge. Africa: 22 Charles Taylor, Liberian factional leader, holds peace talks with Sard Abacha, the Nigerian head of state, on Liberian civil war World: 24 How to secure the release of nearly Nigeria: 16 400 UN peace-keepers held hostage by the Bosnian Serbs is a hard nut to Draft Controversy crack « Music: 32 The disagreement over the PMAN, Ideas Communications are printing of the draft consti­ back with the annual music awards but it's all ceremony, no glitter tution is still creating confu­ sion among government Sports: 33 officials and members of the Ghana's Starlets beat Nigeria's constitutional conference. Golden Eaglets to win the African maiden edition of the U-17 tournament in Mali Business + 4. Letters 6. Alubo Economy: 26 7. Cartoon 8. Editorial Suite Hand of God 9. Essay 28. Business briefs The survival of food, beverage 30. Dialogue 34. Passages and tobacco manufacturers in the past year has been attri­ Cover buted to divine intervention. Design by Taiwo Schulz Newswatch (ISSN 0189-8892) is published weekly by Newswatch Communication» Limited, No. 3 Billings Way (off Secretariat Road), Ore gun Industrial Estate, Oregun, P.M.B. 21499, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Telephone: 4960950. Fax: 962887. Telex: 27874 NEWCOM NG. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part without permission, is forbidden. Printed in Nigeria by Academy Press Pic, Uupeju. LETTERS Save Our Oil At a time other publications vote to good of this present generation and for keep on expending on drab news that has generations yet unborn. It will be a tragedy, if the oil industry been over-reported and yet continually Ukcfi Onuoha Ukefi, (Cover, May 1) which is the goose that clothed in sensationalism, you elect, time Aba, lays the golden egg that sustains us as a and time again, to explore virgin lands Abia State. nation, is allowed to collapse, like and serve your far-flung readers education, health and other essential refreshingly fresh news item, thereby Your story did not say anything on services. We are in this sorry state of remaining notches ahead of others. It is in the greatest problem in that sector — affairs because the. priority of those who this vein tha 11 consider your report about CORRUPTION. Corruption and its twin have been in government since 1983, was the oil industry as a privileged brother — mismanagement — have how to cling to power through various information to all those concerned with continuously bedeviled that sector and experiments like the long transition this money-spinning sector, the nerve until these problems are addressed, there programme of 1986 to 1993, while the centre of the nation's economy. It is now will continue to be a rapid decline in the essential sectors like oil, education, health, that concerted efforts should be geared fortunes of this sector until one day 'the transport, agriculture, water and electri­ towards addressing head-on all the chicken will finally come home to roost'. city supply were relegated to the back­ Abari Tcrungzoa, ground. This misplacement of our priori­ Taraku, ties has led to the crisis in the oil industry, Benue State. the decline in education and health services, the chaos in our transportation We shall continue to have crisis in the system, the present unprecedented high oil industry until we set our priorities cost of food items and the erratic water right as a nation. For one, the present and electricity supply. government cannot expect the oil- The priority of the present federal producing communities to give it and its military government is the endless agents loyalty, co-operation and support constitutional conference tha t has gulped when it fails to recognise the fact that in millions of naira, the transition to civil an attempt to explore and exploit crude rule programme which could take years oil in their land, water, their major source and the Family Support Programme, of livelihood is polluted. Besides, for which is yet to support the poor families reasons other than political and in buying three cups of garri for N10.00, perpétuation of immediateand long term a cup of Nigerian rice for N10.00, a interest, many round pegs are made to be measure of grains for N35.00, not to talk in square holes in the oil industry. That of supporting the poor families in paying production is falling, revenue dropping school fees and clothing their children. and tough times ahead in the oil industry,, The collapse of the oil industry, which therefore, is not surprising. is the biggest foreign exchange earner for John A. Iwori, our country, will lead to the mass problems militating against the viability Port Harcourt. retrenchment of workers in local, state of this sector. Anything contrary is just and federal governments. The federal suicidal. But for selfish reasons, political "Abacha Resources of Canada" military government should endeavour exigencies and unfavourable economic should be "Abacan resource of Canada". to fulfil its financial obligations to the oil policies, those who hold the ace to do Abegbe, companies exploring for oil in Nigeria something positive at the nick of time A frieini ofNezoszoatch. and start now to invest the huge sums of may want to dismiss the reportas alarmist money being realised from crude oil sales and sensational only to resort to fire- • Nezuswatch regrets the typographic in useful ventures, like agriculture, which brigade action when the situation error. was the main-stay of our economy before becomes almost irredeemable. oil was discovered in commercial Tai Sanni, Yes, It’s Time for Renewal quantities in Nigeria in 1958 and in science Onipaanu, Lagos. and technology, so that when our oil Time for Renewal by Ogoh Alubo wells finally dry up, we could survive as Unlike King Belshazzar who needed (Column, May 1) was a scholarly treatise. a nation from the returns on such a Daniel to decipher the handwriting on Institutions, like men, have their growth, investments. Countries like Japan, the wall for him, our economic planners their manhood, their decrepitude, their Germany, South Korea, etc., are economic and administrators need not worry any decay. Our academic institutions indeed giants not through the sale of crude oil, more. The warning is loud and clear are at their very nadir. To put education but through science and technology. enough. Now is the time to jettison all in limbo as we are doing is like Ifeku Okonkwo, manner of redtapism and set our priorities deliberately extinguishing our lamp of Awka. right (not only in the oil industry) for the modernisation, the only torch and agent Tyfwd reactions to the contents ofNezoszoatch, should be addressed to Newswatch Letters, 3 Billings Way (Off Secretariat Road), Orcgun Industrial Estate, P.M.B. 21499, Ikeja, Nigeria.- All letters must bear the correct names, addresses and signatures of the writers. Newszoatch resems the right to edit letters for clarity and breznty. 4 Newswatch, June 12,1995 ■ LETTERS of civilisation we have. And as Abraham Churchill said to the British parliament I wish to commend Alubo's prophetic Lincoln said in his address to the on May 13,1940, "I have nothing to offer and sober analyses of the m ind-staggering American Congress on June 17,1865, "a but blood, toil, tears and sweat." condition of our citadels of knowledge. house divided against itself cannot Otherwise, those who are worried But the lingering problem remains: have stand". So our educational system will about the dilapidation which we call our those in position to save us from continue to remain a shadow of its academic institutions will only shout intellectual doom read this truism? If glorious past until NASU, SSA and themselves hoarse, to no effect. The they have, are they, with all sincerity, ASUU, decide to settle their rift and bury remedy lies not in shouting but in the will going to act? the hatchet over this lingering crisis. Only to make significant and positive changes. Mfotiiso Nkanang, then will they with an elevated sense of Ukonu Kalu Agbai, Uyo. dynamism re-echo what Sir Winston Aba, Abia State. IN YOUR ATTEND BLACK COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES MÀY/JUNE IN THE UNITED ~ STATES Send for informations regarding Scholarships; Loans; Work-Study program; Locations; Eligibility and Admissions into Black QUALITY Colleges/Universities in the United - States. Complete the followings and mail to: BUSINESS TO BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTER •Away from the TV screens in the first P. O. BOX 11712 ever interview granted, Sienne Razaq- MINNEAPOLIS, MN. 55411 U.S.A. Lawal reveals everything, we mean — Send informations about U. S. Black Colleges/ Universities — Enclosed is $25.00 money order or American Express cheque. everything about herself. 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