www.africaworldnewspaper.com
MAR 01 - 15 2014
VOL 001 Nยบ52
FREE
...created to serve and inform
Was Nigeria right in axing her Central Bank Governor? By DUNSTAN UKAGA
continued on page 2, 3, 4 ...
Anglican Church for the International Community St.George and St. Thomas Church Parish. Cathal Brugha Street - City Centre Dublin 1 Sundays 11am The Revd. Obinna Ulogwara. (Diocesan Chaplain/Priest in Charge)
Uyokanjo Media Services wish to announce the formal launch of:
THE AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL
A new Pan - African Magazine
2
AFRICAWORLD MAR 01 - 15 2014
NEWS
EDITORIAL
FIFA World Cup
At a press conference on Thursday (December 5) in Costa do Sauipe, Brazil, CAF President Issa Hayatou in his capacity as President of the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup reassured the ability of FIFA and Brazil to deliver a successful tournament come next June. However, many African soccer fans are worried by the officiating. How will it fare?
A couple of days ago, the governor of the apex bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi revealed to the world that about $50 billion of the sum NNPC ought to have paid into the federation account was still missing. That revelation caused panic to Nigeria and almost hurt President Goodluck Jonathan and his economic team. After a few days, the apex bank general who made such revelation to the nation recanted and said what was missing was $10 billion. That miscalculation sent the wrong message to Nigerians.
always display comportment, decorum and trust and confidentiality in all that they do whilst in the service. This oath of office should be maintained even after they left office. Today, with hardcore facts gathered from writers and agency reports, we are asking if the Nigerian government was right in axing her central bank governor, Sanusi Lamdio Sanusi.
issues bordering on massive fraud at the bank, was sent to the governor on May 6, and the response, though expected back on May 8, was submitted to the President on May 21. The query raised on the bank’s account, which its auditors, Ernst and Young, an international auditing firm, passed without officially signing, with only a comment that it complied with the CBN Act, and also issues on The man who had for some time different financial improprieties been mentioned in many such as investment of a huge controversial issues, we gathered, amount of money in an Islamic
Five countries representing the African continent at the world cup include Algeria, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana. Already football lovers are pushing for more slots as talents abound to the extent that many plying their trade in the round leather game are outside. Although no African team has gone beyond the quarterfinal berth, pundits have often argued about officiating at the FIFA event. Though the has improved greatly with regards to technology inputs but we must watch closely on this spot of bother. Come inside. Uka
As a writer in Global News puts it:’’ the difference between approximately $50 billion and $10 billion is like the difference between night and day. My position is that his later admission that it was a mistake and now said it was only $10 billion is like the action of a sinking man who is ready to hold on to any straw to prevent him from going under” he said.”
may have finally landed himself in serious trouble if the report coming out of the International Center for Investigative Reporting ICIR is anything to go by. Despite his excesses the CBN governor has always had the support of the president but recently in a move that has surprised many, President Goodluck Jonathan queried the CBN boss over various infractions detected in the apex bank’s 2012 The Nigerian oath of office audited account. stipulates and anticipates that The query, which covered 22 public office holders should
AFRICAWORLD & MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS Editor Ukachukwu Okorie News Director Abdul Yusuf
Graphic Design Mirco Mascarin Leandro Tonetto Oliveira Jana Veverkova
Secretary / TV Director Koketso Mohotloane
Photography Alex Cavalcante da Silva
Chief Reporter Paul Kelly
The Editorial team at AfricaWorld would like to point out that it is aware of the Millennium Development Goals and seeks to Published by Uyokanjo Media Services Ltd. 46 Parnel Square West 2rd Floor +353 87 637 3210 Dublin 1, Dublin City +353 1 873 0123 Republic of Ireland E-mail: africaworldnews@gmail.com
bank in Malaysia without any guarantee of its generating returns. The query also raised questions on other spending such as the write-off of about N3.5 billion CBN staff housing loan and the donation of about one billion naira to a political party to open up offices across the country. This donation, which was given under the special access item in the account, is believed to be geared towards furthering Sanusi’s alleged political ambition in the 2015 general elections. It also touched on other issues
synergise its work in accordance with those aims wherever possible. Those goals are to improve issues of Education,
Health, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equalit y, Environmental Sustainability and Global Partnerships.
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
MAR 01 - 15 2014
AFRICAWORLD
3
NEWS By Asdrubal Santana
were not parts of Nigeria, as these attacks took place there first.” International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) also alleged there was a write-off of about N3.5 billion CBN staff housing loan, donation of about N1 billion to a political party to open up offices across the country.
ALGERIA
Algeria’s president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 76, will be running for a fourth term in April, the Prime Minister has said. Bouteflika, in power since 1999, suffered a stroke last year and according to critics he is still too ill to govern.
ANGOLA
An oil tanker hijacked in January has been returned to the national authorities, officials have said. The hijackers stole diesel worth $8 million from the ship.
BENIN
An immunization campaign made in 2012 in Benin with a vaccine that does not require constant refrigeration has demonstrated clear benefits, researchers say. No cases of meningitis were reported by the vaccinated population in 2013, the World Health Organization says.
THE REACTIONS!!
BOTSWANA
Due to the supply crisis that Botswana is facing after two units at its only major power plant, Morupule, were shut down in the past year, Eskom has had to keep the country running, the Sunday Times recently reported. Currently, Eskom is supplying 90% of the shortfall.
BURKINA FASO
Days after Burkina Faso’s opposition staged the largest demonstrations in decades to protest the ruling party’s attempt to eliminate constitutional term limits, analysts are saying President Blaise Compaoré is going to face an uphill battle if he wishes to stay beyond next year.
BURUNDI
At least 69 people have died in Burundi because of torrential rains, an aid group said. More than 180 people have been injured, and the Red Cross has said that they would expect to see more casualties as rescue teams reach more of the affected areas.
CAMEROON
A growing number of people from the Central African Republic (CAR) have crossed into Cameroon this month, UN agency for refugees says. Since the beginning of February, around 20,000 refugees from CAR have escaped from the violence in their country, according to the UN.
CAPE VERDE
The European Union has announced €55 million of new support for Cape Verde during the period 2014 - 2020. The funding will be focused on fighting poverty, sustainable and inclusive growth and good governance.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, has urged for an additional 3,000 peacekeepers for the Central African Republic. The UN has said the current force is not big enough to maintain stability in the country.
Check out AfricaWorld TV www.facebook.com/africaworldtv
such as refusal of the apex bank to consolidate in its account, the trillion debt owed by the Asset Management Company, AMCON, and the non-disclosure of the total liabilities through the bond floated by the company. The governor was also asked to explain the discrepancies noted in the 2012 account regarding the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, a subsidiary of the apex bank. Other issues included the controversial donations made to some higher institutions in the country. Investigations have shown that some of the donations were inflated in the bank’s books. For example, while the Bayero University Kano, BUK, was said to have collected N4billion, the school authorities claimed it got only N1billion. This is the reason in May this year that the public accounts committee of the House of Representatives also had cause to query several expenditure items amounting to N4.7 billion in the CBN accounts. This included the N2.8 billion which the bank said it spent on the construction of its Port Harcourt branch. The House in turn had worked with a report from the office of the auditor general of the federation which queried extravagant expenditure by the apex bank for which documents were not made available for verification. Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Solomon Olamilekan, at a meeting with officials of the bank alleged that there were indications that due process was not followed in expenditure as no documents were provided. Some of the bank
transactions that the committee queried included the sums of N23 million and N50 million claimed to have been spent for the same purpose of renovating the governor’s official residence as well as N848 million spent on the purchase of a property from the National Planning Commission without any transaction agreement. However, like many probes of public institutions by the National Assembly, the matter appears not to have been pursued. The N4 billion donation to BUK questioned in the president’s query had not even been known to the public. What had irked many Nigerians, including federal lawmakers, was the donation earlier in the year of N100 million to victims of terrorism in Kano, Sanusi’s hometown at a time when flood victims in the country are finding it hard to raise money and this to many Nigerians means that the CBN is being run by Sanusi as if it’s a personal business. When the House of Representatives entertained a motion on misuse of public funds on the donation which degenerated into a rowdy session with many members accusing Sanusi of misuse of public funds, during the period a House of Representatives member from Yobe State, Goni Lawan, described Sanusi’s donation of N100 million to Kano State and another N25m gift to Madalla bomb blast victims as “an act of terrorism”, arguing that attacks in Yobe and Borno states did not attract the same monetary consolations from the CBN governor. According to him, “When I first heard of the action of the CBN governor I was surprised. I asked whether Yobe and Borno states
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
A BBC reporter named William Ross reacts differently when he puts up an article with this title’’Nigeria central bank head Lamido Sanusi ousted.’’ Going through his article which is biased and not thoroughly written William Ross writes: ‘’To say that Lamido Sanusi has become a fly in the ointment for President Goodluck Jonathan would be something of an understatement. His allegations threaten to expose high-level fraud in Nigeria’s notoriously opaque and corrupt oil sector. He says over a 19-month period, more than $1bn was unaccounted for every month. The controversy comes at a time when elections loom and some of the president’s senior officials are being asked some very awkward questions. Mr Sanusi’s critics wonder about his own political ambitions and question whether he is using his job to harm President Jonathan’s chances in 2015. But to many Nigerians it will appear that the president has chosen to suspend the whistle-blower rather than focus on stopping fraud’’. Actually, I doubt if many Nigerians see Sanusi as a real whistle-blower or a proud northerner who thinks he is born to rule forever, one who rushes to the press without cross checking the real facts. My doubt stems from the fact of what Sanusi exposed without being sure and what NNPC stated later. Earlier this month, Mr Sanusi told a senate committee that out of $67bn of oil sold between January 2012 and July 2013, $20bn had not been accounted for. But the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation said the allegations showed “ Sanusi lacked understanding of the technicalities of the oil industry”. If Sanusi lacked understanding of the technicalities of the oil industry, why would he become a
4
AFRICAWORLD MAR 01 - 15 2014
NEWS whistle-blower to a section he knows nothing about? Why would he mislead the nation and the world with falsehood? Nigeria’s state oil firm has denied failing to account for the money, saying the claim was “unsubstantiated”. What further proves did Sanusi bring forward to make him right in such weighty claim? Speaking on Sanusi’s suspension, the Rivers State governor and chairman of the Nigerian governors’ forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi condemned the sudden suspension of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, describing the action as arbitrary and against the law. The Rivers State chief executive officer said that President Goodluck Jonathan does not have such powers to suspend the CBN governor. “You can imagine how President Jonathan announced the sudden removal (suspension) of the CBN governor. He does not have such powers. He knows that nothing will happen, that was why he took that action. In a brotherly move, The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has challenged President Goodluck Jonathan over suspension of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Muhammad Ibrahim, and issued yesterday in Kaduna, said Sanusi’s suspension has negative implication on transparency and good governance. “It also negates the principle of separation of power. “Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is the governor of CBN duly and properly appointed according to law,” the statement quoted, adding: “The executive has reportedly suspended him, a p p o i n t e d somebody in acting capacity and submitted the name of his replacement to the Senate. This shows that the government has already decided to sack him. “ACF wishes to remind the government that only the Senate has the power to dismiss or remove the CBN Governor with a 2/3 majority vote following due process. “ACF wishes to advise the government and all concerned to avoid doing anything that will
tarnish the image and refrain from exposing Nigeria to ridicule at the international level.” Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, on his part, condemned the suspension, saying it was meant to divert public attention from the missing $20 billion Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, fund. Fashola stated: “This is not a suspension but a sack. This is because there was no power to sack him and they have considered the implication,that was why they said that he should go on suspension.” The governor in an interview with newsmen after inspecting some of the ongoing Lagos projects, lamented that immediately after the president announced the suspension of the apex bank governor, “our money devalued by four points immediately.” Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, asked Sanusi to approach the courts to seek redress and challenge his suspension in the interest of constitutionalism and the rule of law, noting that President Jonathan had no powers to suspend the CBN governor. In a statement, Atiku who cautioned the Federal Government against what he termed, abuse of power following the abrupt way Sanusi was suspended, said: “The President had no power to remove or suspend the CBN Governor in such manner. Silence in the face of such abuse of power by the President of the country was capable of sending the wrong message and setting a dangerous precedent.” Atiku, a former member of PDP, who recently defected to the APC, recalled that when he became a victim of such
abuse of power in the past following his suspension as Vice President by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he went to court to challenge the action and that the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court ruled that a President cannot suspend a public officer he had no power to sack. But it seems those who oppose Sanusi’s sack are supposedly the party he supports. But on the street and devoid of party affiliations, most Nigerians welcomed Sanusi’s suspension. To most Nigerians, Sanusi was arrogant and bite the fingers that fed him. To most Nigerians, Sanusi was talkative and never managed the banking sectors well. Someone asked on Facebook how would dollars sell at 74 Naira per dollar within Christmas when naturally Nigerians flood the market with dollars which make it cheap. This is against the backdrop of the Nigerian economy highly dependent on imports. That means if the Dollars is so high, cost of living in Nigeria will be expensive. I had also asked the same question. However, former spokesperson of Afenifere and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, hailed Sanusi’s suspension, Adeyeye in a statement said the suspended CBN Governor had turned himself to an opposition in the government, he said: “We have had CBN Governors in this country and none of them was antagonistic of the Federal Government like Sanusi Lamido.” I wish to conclude this piece with the Nigerian Sun Newspaper’s report of February 28, on this
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
issue:’’...On his part, Lamido Sanusi is now faced with the reality of the inevitable consequences of a showdown with someone at whose mercy a post is held. Sanusi was well advised in this column not long ago that there was nothing sacrosanct about any public office holder screened by the National Assembly. Even if eventually exGovernor Sanusi returns to his job at Central Bank – which is like hoping to grab the moon – the fact of today is that an authority can always be found to separate a Central Bank governor from his continued services to the state. Jonathan called it suspension. The civil service language is interdiction. Incidentally, for all his chest beating, Lamido Sanusi was not even entirely surefooted. This explains Jonathan’s tactics of deliberately not faulting the former Central Bank governor for confrontation or insubordination. Jonathan held the ace, which he produced in a surprise to the nation in allegations of series of financial improprieties against Lamido Sanusi. The only possible questions that may arise are “who is making the allegations?” And “where is the moral template?. Equally, when former Central Bank governor Sanusi was making allegations of missing tens of billions of dollars, which should have been paid to the Federation Account, was he aware that he was being probed by the Financial Reporting Council? Was Sanusi indeed aware that the verdict of the Financial Reporting Council (had) massively indicted him?’’. Whichever way the sack turns out to be what ordinary Nigerians pray daily for the good of the whole. This is where I stand on.
FOLLOW A COLUMN IN AFRICAWORLD NEWSPAPAPER
MAR 01 - 15 2014
AFRICAWORLD
5
RETURN OF THE NATIVE UKACHUKWU OKORIE We often forget the labour of our heroes in the past and present. Although many have continue to distinguish themselves for the progress of Africa and humanity. This column excavates positives in the toils and vicissitudes of men and women of great character, thereby helping to ignite a new flame in our champions today. It is as hot as the basic menu in the Irish Chipper. Get addicted to it. AFRICAWORLD NEWS DIRECTOR ABDUL YUSUF
TECH_PILOT - UCHENNA ONYENAGUBO “A prophet has no regard in his town”, they usually say but that is balderdash. Here is our IT Columnist who brings to you the often neglected, yet basic tech. solutions. From your gadgets to external soft/hardware accessories, our Tech_Pilot will help you understand with ease as if you are loosening a bolt. This is an important column for all.
AFRICAWORLD CHIEF REPORTER - PAUL KELLY
AGONY CORNER: Are you heartbroken or seeking love? Do you need the tips to make him/her stay with you? A great charmer yet uncelebrated like the Dublin Spire that connects many especially new love birds that see it as meeting or melting point. Agony Corner is all you need if you are a Lover Boy/Girl. Let the contents serve as your romance liturgy.
AFRICAWORLD TV DIRECTOR/ SECRETARY KOKETSO MOHOTLOANE
AFRICAWORLD CARTOON MAX CHIJIOKE OKAFOR As they said that ‘the teacher was once a pupil’, so you could say about Max who runs our cartoon section. Unlike the hazy Irish weather, Max has predictably grown from strength to strength. Our Award-winning teenage cartoonist is on the rise and should be followed up on our Facebook cartoon page and AfricaWorld Newspaper. You will be impressed if you check it out.
THE ERA OF NU UCHENNA ACHEBE
Get down to the business of Health & Fitness Regime with Uchenna, our newest Columnist. Burn the fats, eat healthy and free your mind and soul. Don’t miss any edition of AfricaWorld Newspaper, it’s every two weeks.
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
DD’S CUBICLE - DUNSTAN UKAGA Come to think of a writer who writes fearlessly no matter whose ox is gored. Our International Affairs Columnist is a widely traveled guy, leaving you satisfied with his analysis like the manner Didier Drogba left Chelsea fans after slotting in his penalty kick, thereby granting them the audacity to lift the Euro Champions league trophy. Follow his page on AfricaWorld Newspaper.
60 SECONDS WITH THE DUCHESS NENA HUNTAZ Our Celebrity Queen bring to us ‘who is who’ in the African entertainment world from the Elizabethan city of London. “It is up to you”, however our readers who follow her column know the current and upcoming acts in the African celebrity firmament. See your African Stars and know ‘how far’ with them on 60 SECONDS WITH THE DUCHESS. Don’t miss it on AfricaWorld Newspaper every two weeks. XRAY WITH FR. VIN - VINCENT ARISUKWU A prolific writer in the order of Melchizedek of old. This Columnist brings his daily sermon on social justice to our global readership. The column ‘Xray with Fr. Vin’ is core analysis touching issues affecting all spectrum of life. In as much as it can be religious, it has political and sociocultural underpinnings in lessons. It can also serve as a ‘Mea Culpa’ for existential harmony.
6
AFRICAWORLD MAR 01 - 15 2014
NEWS/COLUMN By MORDI I. MICHAEL
KENYA
At least $613 million was sent from Kenya to four African countries in intra-Africa remittances in 2012, according to the US- based “fact tank” Pew Research Centre. Uganda received the largest share followed by Sudan (and South Sudan),Tanzania, and Ethiopia.
LIBERIA
President has ordered an investigation into reports of alleged arrests and forceful repatriation of Ivorian refugees suspected of destabilizing both countries.
LIBYA For the second time since the overthrow of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, Libyans are being asked to go to the polls to elect lawmakers responsible for preparing a new constitution. Voters have to elect 60-members to create a constitutional drafting committee.
MADAGASCAR
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is strengthening its programmes aimed at combating food insecurity in Madagascar. With new funding, the WFP and its partners are going to provide food assistance to some 46,000 people.
MALAWI
A British forensic audit report on Malawi’s “Cashgate” scandal has been turned over to the government. The report is expected to detail how more than $250 million of taxpayers’ money was looted from government coffers in 2013.
MALI
Germany’s parliament has agreed to boost the country’s troop presence from 70 to 250 soldiers in Mali, as part of the joint European Union Training Mission Mali (EUTM).
MAURITANIA Prime Minister has presented his new government. All key ministers kept their posts in the new administration while 11 others made their entrance into the fresh cabinet, which includes six women.
D. How did you start-off as a film maker?
Personally i look for tenacity, then looks before I look at line-delivery.
N. A fluke really. I saw a movie ‘Games women Play’ starring amongst others Omotola Jalade and Genevieve Nnaji. D. As one of the pioneers, what are your thoughts on the growth of UK Nollywood industry?
When will the Irish national football team be thrown open for some of us who wants to shine ? All immigrants should prepare for elections. It’s your right, it’s your vote.
N. Growth has been phenomenal. Unlike my generation that grew up watching mainly Hollywood and Bollywood movies, we have a news generation that love Nollywood movies. D. What do directors look for in an aspiring Actor/Actress? N. What Directors look for is subjective based on the script.
strength. Also I am very good in every aspect : Script-writing, Directing, Lighting, Filming, Photography, Editing, Grading and Computer generated effects, and Marketing. My studio is designed to accommodate the whole production process. D. What are you currently working on?
D.You are getting many awards and recognition for your work. How does that make you feel? N. Recognition amongst your peers is a good thing. Ability to work under extreme pressure is my major
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
N. My studio is producing a ‘Portfolio’ film for some budding artists. :18 Carat Mama” is in post production, but our £260,000 budget movie ‘My Wedding Day’ will be shot this year. It is designed to be the best Nollywood movie ever shot in the UK.w
MAR 01 - 15 2014
AFRICAWORLD
7
COLUMN/NEWS By MORDI I. MICHAEL
MOROCCO
French president Francois Hollande has telephoned Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to try to calm a diplomatic row over two human rights incidents that caused outrage in the former French colony.
SOUTH SUDAN
Fighting has broken out between the South Sudanese military and rebel forces in the capital of South Sudan, the two sides are trading blame for the renewed fighting. Thousands of people have been killed or displaced since the conflict began.
NAMIBIA
A number of Air Namibia employees could go on strike soon after the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (Natau) and company management reached a deadlock on wage negotiations.
NIGERIA
Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has fired the governor of the country’s central bank from his position, after recent allegations for a $20 billion case of fraud in the country’s opaque oil industry.
RWANDA
A German court has sentenced a Rwandan former mayor to 14 years in prison for his role in the Rwandan genocide. Onesphore Rwabukombe, 56, who was living as a political refugee in Germany, was charged with having incited the massacre of a large number of ethnic Tutsis during 1994.
SENEGAL
has secured pledges worth about $7.8 billion to help kickstart a development plan aimed at doubling economic growth rates over the next decade. Senegal President, Macky Sall, has been praised for anti-corruption measures he has implemented since he won in 2012. SIERRA LEONE In an interview to press agency DW, Human Rights Watch has claiming that the government of Sierra Leone and a mining company have undermined villagers’ access to food and prevented workers from challenging abusive practices.
By Ukachukwu Okorie
THOMAS SANKARA we miss you so much
“This revolution and women’s liberation go together. We do not talk ofwomen’s emancipation as an act of charity or because of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the triumph of the revolution. Women hold up the other half of the sky.”
On October 15, 1987, the sun tragically set at dawn in Burkina Faso as an Iroko tree fell, blocking a pathway to the only stream meant for majority in a village. A country of over 16 million people, Burkina Faso formerly called Upper Volta was colonised by France until 5 August 1960 when it gained independence. Like many African countries colonised by the French, Upper Volta remained dependent on France for survival in all spectrum of existence until August 4 1983 when Thomas Sankara swept away an unpopular and anti-people regime. His revolution and programs shook the colonial masters and their errand boys in the impoverished west African country. President Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara was born on Dec. 21, 1949 in Yako, Haute Volta. A Military Officer, Pan-Africanist and revolutionary, Sankara went to
school in Gaoua and BoboDioulasso. His father, Joseph Sambo Sankara, a gendarme fought in world war 2 and was detained by the Nazis. In a muslin dominated country, Sankara, who had wanted to be a priest, was very popular among most Burkinabes. No sooner he became leader, 33 year old Sankara changed his country’s name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, meaning land of honest men. I remember vividly how the African continent felt when he left the scene unceremoniously. Though in primary school, i read newspapers my Dad brought home announcing the execution of this African icon by his friend and lieutenant. Sankara is one of the special breed from Africa. Where do i start in recounting his initiatives and programs for the restoration of the economic independence of Africa via Burkina Faso and the dignity of man. He took a non-aligned foreign policy as soon as he became in-charge, denouncing foreign aid to his country and setting a once impoverished country to a path of sustainable development. Thomas led where others were afraid, to an African renaissance in the inalienable right to total independence, starting with vestiges
SUDAN
government has announced that is studying a draft framework agreement proposed by the African Union for talks to end a conflict in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.
Subscribe on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ africaworldnews1
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
of colonialism.
Thomas Sankara was so popular and confident that he jog daily on the streets of Ouagadougou alone without the usual paraphernalia of a president. He abolished female genital mutilation, cut wages of all public servants, abolished exotic official cars, redistributed lands from shylock landlords to the poor, opposed aids, embarking on ambitious food cultivation to feed his people and spreading the ideology of educational vitality. Although he was killed by the current dictator and errand boy in Burkina Faso, Blaise Campaore, who ironically has ruled since 1987, placing the country as the third poorest in the world, Thomas Sankara left a legacy to future generations in Africa. He imbibed into millions the spirit of courage, renaissance, love and vision for the total emancipation of Africa from the shackles of dependence. His widow, Mariam Sankara sums it up, “Thomas knew how to show his people that they could become dignified and proud through will power, courage, honesty and work. What remains above all of my husband is his integrity.” May your soul rest in perfect peace, Thomas Sankara.
8
AFRICAWORLD MAR 01 - 15 2014
Pride of Africa r e h Est a r a Cam a r a Am u w k u h C i n i Om a t i n A e z e u b a w N www.africaworldnewspaper.com
PEOPLE
MAR 01 - 15 2014
AFRICAWORLD
FAMILY & LOVE
By Abdul Yusuf
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR COUPLES TO REALLY GET STUCK TOGETHER DURING SEX?
It sounds like a scene from a trashy sex comedy. But stories of getting stuck during sex have been with most African countries for centuries - and some of them are true. An emergency trip to the hospital is never pleasant, but it’s certainly not something you would want to happen after sex. It’s not the most romantic ending a couple can imagine. Most Africans must have heard stories or witnessed couples really getting stuck together after sex or experienced problems after sex such as migraines, heart problems, even amnesia. In Africa, if you were to ask someone living in the city if s/he had come across any case of a woman’s vagina clamping on to the man’s penis, s/he might say “No” - and might say that the idea could probably be an urban myth. I must tell you it is no myth. It happened to a man that I knew who is now late. He literally could not withdraw i.e. was ‘stuck’. A doctor I contacted about the issue attributed it to the intensity of the vaginal muscle response during orgasm.” A correspondent, who asked to be referred to simply as Andrew, grew up in an urban village in Kenya. “I remember hearing a story when I was 14 or 15 about a Lebanese man who got stuck inside a lady and they had to get an ambulance and get them to a hospital to get them parted,” he says. On one occasion he and his partner were having “very enjoyable sex” when he suddenly found that he couldn’t withdraw. “Proceedings came to a halt and we decided that we’d better separate,” he recalls. It took two or three
minutes of fumbling and laughing - the experience wasn’t painful for either of them. Andrew, who is now 55, has never before spoken about the incident and it was never repeated. “When the penis is in the vagina it becomes increasingly engorged,” he says, giving his hypothesis of what causes the problem. “The muscles of the woman’s pelvic floor contract rhythmically at orgasm. While those muscles contract the penis becomes stuck and further engorged.” Finally the vaginal muscles relax, the blood flows out of the penis and the man can withdraw. Many dog-owners will have seen their pets getting stuck during copulation, which breeders refer to as a “tie”. However, there are distinct anatomical reasons for this, according to Peggy Root, an expert in animal reproduction at the University of Minnesota. A dog’s penis has a compartment which fills with blood after intercourse has begun, effectively locking the male in place. Dr. Chigioke Ede says that several of his patients have discussed with him their experience of getting stuck over the years, more out of curiosity then because it was a major problem. He draws a distinction between penis captives and the more common and serious condition of vaginismus, in which a woman’s vaginal muscles contract involuntarily, preventing intercourse. Below are several accounts of penis captivus that took place over the past decades… In 1372, Geoffrey de La Tour-Landry related how a voluptuary named Pers
Lenard “delt fleshely with a woman” on top of an altar of a church, and God “tyed hem faste togedre dat night”. The following day the whole town saw the couple still entwined “fast like a dogge and biche togedre”. Finally prayers were spoken and the couple’s prolonged intercourse came to an end (although they were obliged to return to the church on three Sundays, strip naked and beat themselves in front of the congregation). He is similarly sceptical about an account from 1931 about an event in Warsaw in the 1920s, which ended with a double suicide. This time, penis captivus afflicted lovers trysting in a garden after closing time, and the couple were only separated when the woman was put under anaesthetic. But the real tragedy came after journalists - “in their greed for sensational facts” - published the story. “The next day two revolver shots put an end to the mental sufferings of the two lovers,” the story goes. In his 1908 book The Sexual Life of our Time, Iwan Bloch recounted another case of penis captivus following on from a furtive meeting, this time in a quiet corner of the docks in Bremen, Germany. The woman underwent an “involuntary spasm”, the man - a dock labourer became trapped, and a great crowd gathered to watch. Eventually the couple were carted off to a hospital, chloroform was administered to the woman and they were freed. In a 1933 manual of gynaecology, the author Walter Stoeckel speculated that penis captivus only affected couples
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
engaged in illicit sex, the fear of detection presumably contributing to the force of the woman’s muscular spasm. This opinion is no longer held by experts, but the narrative of a clandestine meeting followed by public humiliation continues. Recent media reports of penis captives - in Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and the Philippines - all concern adulterous couples. The Kenyan incident in 2012 supposedly occurred after the cuckolded husband paid a visit to a witch doctor. It was reported that the couple regained their liberty after prayers - and after the cheating man promised to pay the husband 20,000 Kenyan shillings (€170). He was filmed going to an ATM to withdraw the money. The Zimbabwean media reported last year that a woman was bringing a law case against her long-term boyfriend for putting “Runyoka” or “Magun” on her - a fidelity spell that caused her to get stuck on her lover. As one report put it, she was demanding compensation from the jealous boyfriend “for humiliating her and trying to control how she should use her private part”. It is also very important to note that there are also several best verified accounts of penis captives taking place within marriages. Dr. Chigioke Ede says that he can’t explain this “very unusual” story, since people experiencing captives generally have trouble disengaging for only a few seconds. But he adds: “If you’re in that position, that probably feels like an eternity.”
9
10 AFRICAWORLD MAR 01 - 15 2014
PHOTO NEWS
LINO GOES TO CHURCH AFTER PARTY
Lino Ezeabata Agbo - OZUOME THE 5TH GOES TO CHURCH for the first time with his parents. The Christening reception was at Unit 5 Dunboyne Industrial Estate after Church service in Top Chapel on 23-Feb-2014.
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
MAR 01 - 15 2014
PHOTO NEWS
AFRICAWORLD 11
NEWS
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
12 AFRICAWORLD MAR 01 - 15 2014
NEWS
THE AFRICA FORUM 2014 IN PICTURES
AFRICA FORUM which is organized by the Africa Centre held to elect members of the Africa Council.
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
MAR 01 - 15 2014
AFRICAWORLD 13
COLUMN/ NEWS WESTERN SAHARA Moroccan intervened
forces in the
occupied city of El Aaiun leaving 70 Sahrawis injured, according to the Sahara Press Service. The intervention came after Sahrawis took to the streets calling for human rights monitoring in their country.
TONGO 18 people were killed and 40 others injured in a collision between a bus and a lorry in Togo, authorities have said. Fatal accidents are common on the main roads of this country.
MOZAMBIQUE
Legislators in Mozambique rushed through changes to election laws demanded by opposition Renamo in an effort to “silence the guns” and bring the revived rebel movement back into the political game.
SOMALIA
A huge car bomb exploded at the gate of Somalia’s presidential palace followed by a fierce gun battle inside. Al Shabab, the militant Somali Islamist group, claimed responsibility.
ZAMBIA A court in Zambia has acquitted a gay rights activist charged with an “offence against public morality” over pro homosexuals comments that he made on television. The decision came a day after the president of Uganda signed a law against gay people.
ZIMBABWE A court in Zambia has acquitted a gay rights activist charged with an “offence against public morality” over pro homosexuals comments that he made on television. The decision came a day after the president of Uganda signed a law against gay people.
THE ERA OF NU By Uchenna Achebe
Hello friends, it’s been a very busy few weeks for me, was on holiday and then just returned from the second Nu retreat which was hosted by Nuconsulting in Ireland!!! It was a three day event and five phenomenal ladies stayed in a self catering four star facility on an island. It was a weekend filled with feminine bonding, clean eating and exercise!!! Planning the 3rd retreat already, really was an experience to remember guys, nothing can describe taking a journey back to your past and enjoying it completely. Really looking forward to the next one!!! Pow!!!
Have an awesome week dear friends and make sure you keep fit and eat Currently in the Facebook closed clean as much as you possibly can. group, there is a challenge Run with See some pictures from the retreat, Nu this February and we are actually love you!!! ending that this week, it has been an exciting one, run three days each week for at least 30 minutes!!! Leggo!!!
Feisty Foods Open for Business
You can now shop for grocery, African, Carribean and Asian food stuffs at Feisty Foods on 1st floor, no 1 Sallins Road Naas, Co. Kildare.
DISCOVERY GOSPEL CHOIR IS 10
Formed in 2004, Discovery Gospel Choir has a strong ethos of integration, development and reconciliation, and is made up of 30 singers and musicians from 16 countries across the globe. The choir is known for its infectious energy and colourful costumes, and has gained a reputation as Ireland’s leading intercultural choir over the past decade.
MISS ETHNIC IRELAND & MISS KENYA IRELAND Miss Ethnic Ireland, Phokule Mafu and Cathrine Wambui, Miss Kenya Ireland were guests in AfricaWorld TV.
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
14 AFRICAWORLD MAR 01 - 15 2014
NEWS
NIGERIANS IN DIASPORA CELEBRATE 100 YEARS
Nigeria is celebrating her 100 years of existence as a country and it has been pomp, pageantry as well as sober reflection. AfricaWorld talked to the leader of Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDOE) Ireland, Mr. Ogochukwu Serguis Anthony. Below are excerpts from our brief interview: What is the full meaning of NIDOE? NIDOE stands for Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation. We usually add Ireland to denote the Irish chapter. When was it formed and its core objectives? The Idea of NIDOE came from the former President Olusegun Obasanjo during one his many visits abroad. He felt it was necessary for Nigerians Living outside the country to come together under one body for
cohesion and to properly contribute to the development of their homeland. The Objective of NIDOE is to mobilize Nigerians living in the Diaspora for national development. NIDO was formed in the year 2000. Membership are drawn across America, Europe (where we belong), Africa and Asia. What are your contributions to developments in Nigeria? The Contributions of NIDOE are too many to mention: from modernization of institutions of
learning set up in various states to vocational exchange programs, and rural electrification projects. NIDOE still has a lot to do. How are you celebrating the Centenary? NIDOE Ireland is organizing a special dinner this first weekend in March to celebrate the centenary. This is more than a celebration as we hope to use this opportunity to gather Nigerians living in Ireland so that we can begin to map out how best we can begin to make the voices of Nigerians living in Ireland heard. We must contribute
in the development of our nation. What are your programs? We plan on having series of meetings first with leaders of Nigerian organisations in Ireland and later Nigerians in order for us to achieve our objective of cohesion and national development. We also have big plans for the year which will be unveiled very soon. Any plan to contribute on the forthcoming national conference?
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
Yes! Though we are not directly sending anyone to the conference from our chapter, we are however, working closely with other chapters in Europe to see that the delegates sent represent our interest and opinions. To accomplish this, we intend to cue in line with the directives from the BOT of NIDOE which entails holding series of town hall meetings here in Ireland. This will help capture the views of our people and this is what will be presented by our delegates in the National conference.
MAR 01 - 15 2014
AFRICAWORLD 15
IT/ NEWS
DISCOVER
T H E L AT E S T F E AT U R E I N “HANGOUTS” with UCHE ONYENAGUBO Over the years different apps and software have been designed to improve the way we communicate. The likes of Skype, Tango, Viber etc offer great services that has changed the calling pattern, not only has it been cost effective but also convenient with excellent noninterference communication.
The online email application have followed suit, more than getting your mail to recipient, the email services deployed more effective medium to process communication. Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail etc, started from just sending mails
and moved on to messengers that provide instant messaging. Yahoo was a step ahead with the innovation of yahoo messenger that incorporated video calls before other companies modified to proper video calls like Skype, Ta n g o e t c . Tech_Pilot brought you the amazing Google Drive a while ago, sharing the awareness of the tools available with the application. The Google Inc. has combined most of services (Google+, Google Map, Street View etc) helping to effectively communicate. In this edition, another Google innovation will be discussed. The Gmail’s hangouts which ordinarily copied the function of the instant messaging have developed. The Gmail hangout Instant messaging software commenced as part of the Gmail account to communicate with other Gmail account users.
Taking a step into more productive and live communication, it has incorporated video calls among its services. The idea was to amalgamate the concurrent services within Google, including Talk, Google+ Messenger, and Hangouts, a video chat system present within Google+. Just as with the previous Google+ Hangouts, users can also perform a group video chat with up to 10 users at a time. The new Google Hangouts app on iOS integrates
a Google Voice number to some extent, but on Android the SMS support in Hangouts does not fully
integrate with Google Voice for calls or texts. Gradually, the integration is almost coming to a completion in order to
download, simply visit your market place, application store and request “hangouts”, it has replaced “talks” and it’s FREE. Once download and Installation are complete, login with your Gmail account detail.
accommodate cross functionality of all the platforms. Gmail Hangouts bring your conversations to life with photos, emoji, and even group video calls for free, turning any Hangout into a live video call with up to 10 friends or simply search for a contact to start a voice call from your computer. And more importantly, Hangouts works on computers, Android and Apple devices, so you can connect with everyone, and no one gets left out.
For Google Hangout app
FRELIMO PICKS DEFENCE MINISTER NYUSSI AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
MORDI.I.MICHAEL
on Saturday night in Matola outside the capital Maputo, went to a second round after Nyussi failed to achieve an outright win in the first. Armando Guebuza is set to step down as president of the resource-rich country after his two terms are up.
Mozambique's ruling party picks defence minister Filipe Nyussi as itspresidential candidate in polls set for October 15. Mozambique's ruling Frelimo party picked Defence Minister FilipeNyussi as its presidential candidate late on Saturday, a decision likely to see current President Armando
Guebuza maintain influence even after he steps down following October polls.
into song and jostled to congratulate the minister after its caucus ended at midnight.
"Filipe Nyussi won with 68%," party spokesperson Damiao Jose told Agence France-Presse shortly after midnight on Sunday following two rounds of voting.
"Congratulations Frelimo," Nyussi told AFP after his win. When asked how he felt he said: "I am from Frelimo," referring to his long history with the party.
Members of the party's powerful central committee burst
The party vote, held late
However, he retains control of the party after winning reelection in 2012 and successfully pushing through one of his favourites to succeed whim in the country presidency. Nyussi, a Guebuza loyalist, has eight months to prepare for presidential polls set for October 15. The 55-year-old former state railway employee emerged as the front-runner among three "precandidates" announced by the party late last y e a r.
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
A last minute push by influential figures inside Frelimo widened the field to five, but dark horse former prime minister Luisa Diogo won only 31% in the final round of voting. - AFP
Check out AfricaWorld TV www.facebook.com/africaworldtv
16 AFRICAWORLD MAR 01 - 15 2014
www.africaworldnewspaper.com