www.africaworldnewspaper.com ...created to serve and inform
OCT 01 - 15 2013
FREE
VOL 001 Nยบ44
Ghanaian kente GLITTER IN DUBLIN
Cont. p2
PRIDE OF AFRICA P6
The African Scene 8.30 - 9pm Every Thursday
103.2 Dublin City fm
Come celebrate yourself and air your opinion
CRAIC WITH THE YOUTH
RESTAURANT OWNERS FIGHT IN DUBLIN
P19
P19
2
AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
NEWS
GHANAIAN kente glitter in DUBLIN
Editorial 2nd PAN-AFRICAN LECTURE / AWARD AfricaWorld is at it again, this time
bringing to our friends and readers the much anticipated Pan-African lecture. This is an event which highlights the unity and uniqueness of the African continent. This event which is in its second session began last year with lectures on Kwame Nkrumah, the champion of PanAfricanism. This year focuses on the thoughts of a core Pan-Africanist, Julius Nyerere, whose ujamaa principle is at the root of academic thoughts and economic development in Africa. This year’s lecture which promises to be an unforgettable one,
“There was once two men who went to a farm and when they got there they saw a spider with its web and they saw the way the spider made the web and they thought it was amazing! So they went and looked for a piece of thread, got some sticks and started making the pattern of the spider. Then they went to the king and showed him what they had found. The king saw it and thought it was amazing too! He said ‘from now on this is going to be a royal cloth!’” This was how Franklina Ohene Kankam, CEO of Shalom Ventures, described the origins of Kente cloth. The famous cloth is now known worldwide and worn by virtually all Ghanaians as a symbol of their culture and history. On September 21st, Shalom Ventures launched Dublin’s first Kente dance event in the Millennium Business Park, Dublin to celebrate this cloth and Ghanaian culture. The event hosted kings and queens from all over Ghana, as well as guest artist Dada KD, who travelled from Germany for the event. The royal dignitaries sported exclusive Kente clothes reserved only for royalty. As
Queen Nana Hemaa Dokua explained to AfricaWorld: “Mine is different because of my position, only a queen can wear this. There is no top (covering the shoulders): that shows that I am the queen. All the girls will come and they will be wearing clothes like this but they will also be wearing a top. They won’t dress like this. By the way I’m dressed you can know who I am and where I come from.” King Nena Gyebi, ruler of an area in Kumasi, South Ghana, also explained to AfricaWorld how seriously this was taken: “If you wear these clothes and you are not a king or queen you can be called before the police and you must pay a penalty.” The event also saw the appearance of Chief Romanus from Nigeria, who chaired the event, and Nigerian Gospel singer Pat Edo, both of which proudly wore the Kente cloth, bought from friends in the Ghanaian community. The event’s success, according to Franklina, has inspired her to continue it and expand it every year. In an exclusive interview with AfricaWorld, she said: “My own dream is to bring in more kings and
By Paul Kelly
queens from Ghana, from Nigeria, from South Africa and around Africa to bring them into Ireland.” Franklina organised the entire event almost single-handedly, using her own links with Ghanaian royalty to get as many kings and queens at the event as possible: “My dad is kind of a side king in our village, so I’m actually a Princess. I decided I wanted to do this and my dad introduced me to all the different royalty and I met the Queen Mother of Ochima in Ghana.” From there, the enterprising CEO managed to get in contact with over half a dozen kings and queens from all over Ghana, ensuring the event had as large a royal presence as possible. Franklina felt the need to organise the event because she worried that Ghanaian children living in Ireland may forget about their culture. “We need to let them know our roots,” she told AfricaWorld. “That is my mission. To promote African culture and tradition.”
will be given by a Tanzanian, Dr. David Nyaluke. The event will also feature an award night where awards would be given to people and groups who have made great impact within the migrant community as well as the Irish community. The event will feature lots of music, with DJ Spaqs, Justine Nantale, Tunde Esho, Innocent Matthew, Botswana cultural troupe and more. There will also be an after party for party lovers where you are guaranteed music that would bring out the best in you. The event will take place at the Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street, Dublin 1 on the 19th of October, 2013 and will kick off by 4:30pm. See you there and don’t miss out!!!! Africa is our pride. Martin Ekeocha Deputy Editor
AfricaWorld & Millenium Development Goals Editor Ukachukwu Okorie Deputy Editor Martin Ekeocha
Graphic Design Mirco Mascarin Leandro Tonetto Oliveira Welbert Silva de Andrade
Chief Reporter Paul Kelly
Photography Alex Cavalcante da Silva
Sub-Editor Roisin Morris
Secretary Miranda Dube
T he Editorial team at A f r i c a Wo r l d w o u l d l i k e t o point out that it is aware of the M illennium Development
Goals and seeks to synergise its wor k in accordance with those aims wherever possible. Th o s e g o a l s a re to i m p rove
Published by Uyokanjo Media Services Ltd. 46 Parnel Square West 3rd Floor +353 87 637 3210 Dublin 1, Dublin City +353 1 873 0123 Republic of Ireland E-mail: africaworldnews@gmail.com
issues of Education, Health, H I V / AID S , G e n d e r E q u a l i t y, Environmental Sustainabilit y and Global Par tnerships.
www.africaworldnewspaper.com
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD
3
NEWS Djibouti ruling party has dismissed opposition calls for the release of political prisoners. The president said he had to wait until a Supreme Court decision on a case challenging their incarceration.
Egypt a Cairo court has banned all activities by the Muslim Brotherhood and has ordered the confiscation of all its property. Muslim Brotherhood supporters say the ban is politically motivated.
togo churches have started actively campaigning against HIV/AIDS and have announced support for homosexuals, who are among the worst affected. The campaign includes healthcare support, as well as meetings denouncing homophobia and providing health information to homosexuals.
Eritrea EU High Rep. for Political Prisoners Catherine Ashton has condemned the continued imprisonment of political prisoners in Eritrea. She especially called for the release of 11 former MP’s who have been held and tortured in Eritrean prisons for 12 years.
Ethiopia security has been tightened across the border with Kenya following the terrorist attack on the Kenyan shopping mall which saw 64 dead. The extra security is to try and ensure the attackers do not attempt to flee across the border.
Gabon Football Federation has fired Portuguese trainer Paulo Duarte, citing the country’s failure to qualify for the 2014 World Cup and the African Cup of Nations as the primary reasons.
Zimbabwe at least 81 elephants have been killed for their ivory tusks at Hwange National Park. Poachers killed the elephants by poisoning their water hole with cyanide.
Swaziland Elections: TINKHUNDLA ABOUT TO CHEW JAN SITHOLE UP AND SPIT HIM OUT!
Jan Sithole, a former charismatic trade unionist has been elected to the very government which at one time was his arch enemy. It is quite obvious that a number of those whom he rubbed the wrong way back then will be waiting in the dark corners of parliament hoping that he trips and falls on his dissenting views. They might even set a couple of hurdles of their own just to make sure that he does not walk around the octagonal architecture without ruffling a couple of his feathers.
strangle the progress of prodemocracy activism, but in some strange logic he decides to stand for elections which are legitimised by section 79 of the constitution which promotes the weakness inherent within individualism and kills the power of a unified voice. The fact that there was to be a section in the royally-authored constitution that blatantly contradicts a section that awards freedom of expression and assembly, was an obvious give away that section 79, through advocating for elections conducted under “individual merit” was a repressive piece of law that uses the weapon of divide and rule as its rallying point. But riding on this repressive law, Jan Sithole, who claims to advocate democracy, has entered parliament through the back door that Tinkhundla presents as the front door.
But assuming that all those in parliament, including the king’s appointees, decide to let Sithole go about his business by freely letting him try to effect whatever good intentions he has in his imaginative mind, the question to ask would be if the system in its present design holds any hope that it might be bridged or outsmarted by Mr Sithole. We The Ngwane National know that he was at the helm of liberation Congress (NNLC) has the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) in 1996 when a tender was almost taken out on royal diapers, but we also know that 1996 was a product of united Swazis with a solid list of demands which were not the sole invention of Mr Sithole. Considering that Mr Sithole was elected on the shoulders of a law whose very purpose was to nullify freedom of expression and assembly, it is clear that before he even enters parliament he has compromised himself by compromising a principle of democracy, even if he might argue that this was a necessary sacrifice to bring about a greater good.
mentioned on a couple of occasions how it allowed its members to contest the elections and how those members then became more members of the Tinkhundla regime than they were members of NNLC. Gradually they were completely swallowed by the Tinkhundla machinery of How can Mr Sithole fight for co-opting. freedom of expression and assembly when he was part of its The People’s United Democratic massacre before he even entered Movement (PUDEMO) allowed its parliament? Before we get to the President, Mario Masuku, to be analogy of breaking eggs and the part of a Tinkhundla Commission lesson contained within the when Tinkhundla was feigning omelette, we might add that this sincerity, but as soon as it became subject cannot be outsourced to clear to him that he was there on the vagueness of analogy individual merit and not as his because it has to do with a party representative, being the majority of real Swazi people who honourable man that he is, the are living under definite heinous President of PUDEMO divorced conditions that have never himself from the fraud. When allowed them to even taste an Mandla Hlatshwako was omelette. To employ analogical appointed for the same reasons, clichés on such an important he also resigned, citing futile subject would be doing a great points of reference in the brief. injustice to people that have to He did leave Tinkhundla with live under conditions of perpetual f o r w a r d - t h i n k i n g recommendations on giving uncertainty. substance to the points of Jan Sithole has had ample reference but the system decided experience as a trade unionist on not to use them. how the Tinkhundla Regime uses the law of divide and rule to That is why it is quite
disconcerting when a full journalist for Independent Newspapers, Peter Fabricius, a foreign editor for that matter, remarks that “…we pay so little attention to events in our little neighbour that we have generally just absorbed, largely by osmosis, the strident calls for a complete boycott of elections...”. It is almost understandable for a Swazi journalist to use the technique of osmosis in reporting but for a journalist in Johannesburg, where journalism enjoys reasonable freedoms, to shamelessly parade ignorance on issues of human rights abuses in a country much closer than Durban raises questions of the standard of South African journalism in general. The fact that Swaziland has been ignored by journalists like Fabricius has led to a duplication of many debates because the debate of “fighting from within” has been around since the early
‘60s, and even earlier than that because part of the manufactured Swazi tradition is the technique of co-opting. This debate is as old as the Swazi school of indoctrination. A classic case would be that of Sishayi Nxumalo’s political party, the Swazi Democratic Party (SDP), which after Sobhuza’s Imbokodvo won all eight seats in the 1964 elections asserted that “ ….any opposition to Imbokodvo will be meaningless at this stage…”. It is quite ironical that the new Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA) is walking in the footsteps of the 1964 Swaziland Democratic Party, and we need no reminders that Sishayi Nxumalo progressed as far as being Acting Prime Minister in 1996. There is little, however, that can be credited to his activism for democracy thereafter. The question then remains if such will be the fate of Jan Sithole. It would have inspired more confidence had Jan Sithole, while still drawing a salary from SFTU, embarked on this enterprising quest. However, taking this big decision against the backdrop of
By Zakhele Mabuza
critics talking of “stomach politics” deviates the debate away from advocating for Mr Sithole’s sincerity. Regardless of whether he took this decision to fight the good fight or if he did it in response to the legendary pangs of hunger, the fact still remains that he is walking head-first into a hostile constitution and an even less welcoming aristocracy with its throngs of bootlickers. What complicates the fight from within experiment is that it too, like the Tinkhundla programme, is shrouded in much secrecy, and transparency is almost totally non-existent (and understandably so). This is the very reason that pro-democracy activists should avoid the “fighting from within” policy like a bad habit. Mr Sithole says that “a few” of his party members have also made it into parliament but he is not divulging their names. The question is how they will be able to work with each other inside if they are terrified of naming each other in public. The programme to be tested “within” is also a highly classified policy, tempting critics to suspect the possibility that there actually isn’t any such programme and that the strategy is as informal as ‘we-will-see-when-weget-there’. It would be hard then to formulate criteria against which Mr Sithole and his mysterious team will be measured after a given number of years. It may then seem unfair for Mr Sithole and all the “withinfighters” to expect the people of Swaziland to have confidence in the ‘fight from within’ by their mere say so. The biggest question is in relation to the policies that Mr Sithole is going in to parliament to promote. Do they exist? And if they do, how does Mr Sithole and SWADEPA intend to navigate the spider web that is the contradicting royallyauthored constitution and a further contradiction to Swazi law and custom? One thing that is not shrouded in secrecy t is that Jan Sithole will be drawing a monthly salary that will ensure that his family has an almost secure source of income for the next five years. So in a spirit of selflessness, it would be wise to congratulate Mr Sithole on the rare reprieve of a comfortable income that the majority of Swazis can only dream about. As to how he should answer to those that ask if it isn’t hypocrisy to join a government he has been fighting against for so many years, that is totally up to him.
4
AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
news by Paul Kelly ALGERIA an infamous suicide br idge has been transformed into a bridge of love in the country’s capital. Organisers encouraged youth to hang padlocks on the bridge symbolising love for each other. The padlocks were later cut away by strict Salafist Muslims using pliers.
ANGOLA a ship carrying 1,600 litres of fuel has been seized by the police. The ship’s owner intended to illegally trade the fuel in CongoKinshasa (DRC), avoiding export taxes.
BENIN a French court is considering extraditing Beninese businessman Patrice Talon to Benin. If extradited, the man will face charges of attempting to assassinate President Boni Yayi.
BOTSWANA the Minister of Transport and Communications has announced that he will support the legalisation of community radio stations, if they operate under the control of Radio Botswana. The move comes as he struggles to find a middle ground between those who want more freedom of expression and those who argue they promote tribalism and intolerance.
BURKINA FASO the spillage of the Bagre Dam has been scheduled for Monday. The spillage allows extra water to flood into the White Volta river and, although it protects the dam, can destroy livestock and homes near the river’s banks. The spillage occurs in two phases each year.
BURUNDI theWorld Bank has approved a $4.25 million emergency grant to support excombatants who are now returning to their communities. The funds will support new activities under Burundi’s Emergency Demobilization and Transitional Reintegration Project
lesotho Vodacom has launched M-Pesa in Lesotho, making it the fifth African country where it has launched the service. M-Pesa is a money transfer service and is being launched in a country where 80% of the population do not use banks.
IGBO UNION ENDS NATIONAL CONVENTION by Martin Ekeocha The Igbos in Dublin as part of The Gathering Ireland celebrated their culture and uniqueness in a spectacular fashion. The event took place from the 20th – 22nd of September 2013. The event was kicked off with an Afro-Irish trade and business connect, which saw an interchange in trade between the Nigerian and Irish businesses. It was attended by the Minister of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadka TD, who hoped that the gathering would develop into an annual tradition and praised the Igbo community for being unique and engaging in their activities. Present at the occasion was the Senior Special Adviser to the Nigerian President on Inter-party affairs, Senator Ben Obi, who assured the Igbos and Nigerians in diaspora of the wonderful achievements carried out by the President within the few years on seat. The Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland, Felix Pwol was also present at the occasion. Also at the event was businessman Nath Nwodo, based in UK.
Tyrrelstown, where awards were presented to individuals and groups who have excelled in different fields within the Irish community. The Mayor of Fingal Council, Kieran Dennison was also awarded the most vibrant County Mayor in Dublin. AfricaWorld won an award in Media & Entertainment; Singer, Debsandy won an award in Music, Kunle Animashaun took up the Industry award, Ogun State Indigenes won the most vibrant migrant community award. Others who won an award include Metro Eireann, Rev. Obinna Ulogwara, Manorfield foundation and many others. The climax of the event saw the inauguration of Rev. Obinna Ulogwara as a Patron of Igbo Union by Dr. Linus Offiah. The event also featured drama, music from Boost Muzik, performances from Big J and Nze Kennedy Nnannah.
The following day saw the Iwa ji festival which took place at the National Show Centre in Swords. The event was graced by the different Igbo Unions in Ireland, Later that evening, a gala and award from the different counties as well as the night was held at the Carlton Hotel, various community groups in Ireland. At
that event was also the inauguration of the women executive wing of Igbo Union. The children performed a drama in the native Igbo language and the Botswana dancing group were also there. There were lots of dances and refreshments. The convention came to a close with an inter-denominational thanksgiving Church service at the Mulhuddart Community Centre, which was anchored by Pastor Austin of New Heaven Citizens Church of Christ. Rev. Obinna Ulogwara led the prayer session for the success of Igbo families, and especially the children, Rev. Austin Chukwuemeka led the prayer for unity and progress of the Igbo Union and all her members. While Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu gave the message which was on forgiveness and the need to embrace brotherhood as children of God. Sis Grace Amah led the praises and thanksgiving with her crew. The Igbo Union are very optimistic that this event will run annually having kicked off with a wonderful start.
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD
5
news/IT by Paul Kelly
Morocco has pledged to provide training for 500 Malian Imams (Muslim clergymen). The move has been touted as an attempt to promote tolerance and peace in Mali. “Any coordinated international action which does not attach the necessary importance to cultural and religious aspects will be doomed to failure,” the Moroccan king said.
Pregnanc y, Lac tation, Childbirth, Heart Disease & Stroke.
Mozambique thousands of victims from the 2007 floods have still not been resettled, 6 years later. About 122,000 people are still living in tents or unstable, improvised houses. The government is citing a lack of funds as the main reason behind the failure of the resettlement programme.
Namibia a Green energy loan scheme has just been launched. The scheme allows households to borrow up to €7,500 to finance green technologies, such as solar panels, for their homes. The scheme is expected to affect 2,000 households. The loans will be repayable over a maximum of five years.
Abdul Yusuf
known.
Glutathione – The Essential Health AID. ‘A’ is for Antioxidant, ‘I’ is for Immune Booster & ‘D’ is for Detoxifier. Aging, Cancer, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Hepatitis, Lung Disease, Kidney Disease, Digestive Diseases, Neurological Disease, Athletic Performance, Free Radicals and Oxidation Toxins, Pollution, Radiation
Hello All, I am an Immunotec Independent Consultant based in Dublin and if you are genuinely looking for work and committed to building a better future for yourself and your family, I have already done more for you than anyone you’ve probably ever
You see, all opportunities are not born equal and that’s why I have invested almost a couple of year of my time investigating the direct selling industry. I have found the good, the bad and the ugly. I also discovered the ultimate opportunity. That opportunity is with Immunotec.
Immunotec is a publicly traded company based in Montreal, Canada. It is engage in the research and manufacture of a small range of superior quality natural health products. It only began a global expansion in 2011. Its flagship product IMMUNOCAL is the first presented, natural supplement in the world that is clinically proven to optimize our immune system – the future of all wellness. To put this to prospective for you, almost every single cancer study going on around the world today is focused on whats called ‘IMMUNOTHERAPY’, that is looking always of breaking the immune system to better defend itself. The vast majority of these studies are being carried out by the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry, all trying to find a drug to treat, not prevent cancer.
TECH_PILOt >>>>>>>> with Uchenna Onyenagubo
Niger children’s charity Plan I nternational have reported that families are facing a food crisis after recent floods in the country. The crisis is affecting 90,000 people, four out of five of which are children.
Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the UN to grant Nigeria a seat on the Security Council for the 2014/15 session, saying the country has already been endorsed by the African Union and the Community of West African States. The seat is elected by the General Assembly.
Rwanda ruling RPF party has again secured government with a 76.22% victory in elections. The RPF will continue to dominate the government, alongside its four coalition partners.
Tunisia National Anti-Corruption Authority have announced that 400 corruption cases have recently been brought to justice. The group have examined 6,000 cases since their inception, out of 15,000 cases which have been brought to them.
Stop emailing attachments...Start sharing with Gmail
There were very little activities that can be accomplished with stand-alone computers and at a high cost, sometimes ago. As at then, every computer had its own adjoining devices to complete a task. If you needed to print, the computer needs a parallel connection with a Printer to execute that task. The same applies to saving files which can only be through the hard disk or sometimes onto an external disk. Since the advent of the Network, computer activities had been faster and even less expensive. The Internet emanated from the Networking
technology and that has introduced the electronic mailing that we use today. Computers can now share devices and distribute information at a faster and prompt manner. On Tech_Pilot today, I wish to bring an outstanding application that could collect all your works and organise your files. The Gmail account is a
wonderful tool to communicate. The features are enormous, allowing variety of opportunities to suit products and professionals. Sharing drives that consist of pictures, documents, etc. is amazing. It automatically saves when you creating or using any of the documents or applications. The (Google mail) otherwise known as Gmail account is from Google, an application that help you send your emails, attachments and perform social activities. Since its global introduction in 2004, it has witness a lot of followership and many have signed on to their services. The Gmail account is useful in so many ways; for example, The Android smartphone requires the Gmail account to have access to the Marketplace to purchase your apps. It is impossible to run the Android Operating System without the Gmail account. Once you create the free account, it allows you access to the Android app market. Creating an account is free of charge with the likes of yahoo, Hotmail etc. Visit www. gmail.com and select to create a new
account, fill out the form and follow the instruction to have your account...it’s easy. Essentially, the Gmail account is further developed to accommodate more Internet functions to assist to everyday web needs. Apart from its many useful features, the Gmail provides 15 GB of free storage per account, an improvement from 1GB announced in
access, and collaborate in a version-free world. Now, I just discovered another unique product called the Google Drive for PC/ Mac. It is now possible to bring your file and folders home to your PC/Mac. The Google Drive for your Mac/PC behaves like any other folder on your computer. You can drag files in and out of the folder, rename files, move files and folders around, edit and save, move to trash etc. Most of the files and folders in your Google Drive folder are available even when you don’t have an Internet connection. The difference with Google Drive for your Mac/PC is that any changes you make locally in the Google Drive April 1, 2004. Some of folder are mirrored in its many features include the Google Drive which is fantastic to store files, develop projects with incorporated applications. With FREE 15GB of storage, you can achieve a lot. Files and folders can be My Drive (part of shared, modified with Google Drive on the many users alike. web). That means Google Drive lets you anything you share, choose exactly who – move, modify, or put friends, f a m i l y, in the trash will be colleagues – gets your reflected in My Drive files. You don’t need the next time your email attachments computer syncs. anymore. Just share Google Drive lets you your file, folder, or store and access your Google Doc from any files anywhere -- on the device. Have you got web, on your hard Documents, Sheets, drive, or on the go. and PowerPoint Slides? Here’s how it works: Google Drive lets you 1. Go to Google Drive continue to create, on the web at www.
drive.google.com 2. Install Google Dr ive on your computer or mobile device. 3. Throw your files in Google Drive. It’s right there on your device. Now your files go everywhere you do. Change a file on the we b, on yo u r computer, or on your mobile device and it updates on every device where you’ve installed Google Drive. Share, collaborate, or work alone: your files, your choice. Your files are always waiting for you at www.drive.google. com, but you can also get them straight from yo u r c o m p u t e r, smartphone, and tablet. Install Google Drive on multiple devices and Google Drive make sure they’re all the same. You can even offline. Keep files synced. Just connect to the web – it’s pretty much automatic. Any time your device has Internet access, it checks in with Google Drive. That ensures your files and folders are always up to date. Change something on one device and it changes everywhere. With this application, stop emailing attachments. Start sharing.
6
AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
people
PRIDE OF AFRICA
bo g m le E tia i t e La we g I elo n i Ch
Chinelo is a twelve year old daughter of Bruno and Norah Igwe who resides in Navan, Co. Meath. They hail from Umuobom in Ideato-South Local Government Area of Imo State Nigeria. She is a first year student of St Joseph’s Mercy Secondary School, Navan, Co. Meath. She is an award-winning author; her book, “The Sunrise” which is a collection of short stories and poems won an award recently at the Inaugural Igbo Union National Convention Gala & Award Night. Her poem, “The Nationalities” won the 2011 Meath anti-racism week poetry competition. She co-authored a book “The Golden Rhymes” with her sibling, Ogechi Igwe, and other members of the Meath Junior Writers Group. County Meath’s youngest newspaper, “News For You” was recently published and launched by her and other members of the Meath Junior Writers Group. She loves singing and represented her primary school in the National Children’s Choir performance at the National Concert Hall, Dublin in 2011. She is a member of the Navan Athletic Club and represented her primary school at the Allianz Meath cross-country competition in 2010. She loves playing handball, Gaelic football, tennis and basketball.
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD
7
column by Paul Kelly
libyan according to a new UN report, thousands remain imprisoned without trial by militias outside of state control. The report says many are being tortured and kept in inhuman conditions. Libya’s Justice Minister has said he is working to remedy the situation.
Madagascar a locust control campaign has been launched amid a looming food crisis. The locusts are affecting the food security of 60% of the population. The operation is to mainly consist of spraying pesticides, which is due to start in late October.
Malawi Rastafarians have called for students to be allowed to attend school with their hair styled as dreadlocks. They argue the ban is unconstitutional, as their religion requires their children to wear the hairstyle.
Mali UN troops have been accused of sexual abuse in the north-eastern town of Gao. The alleged attacks happened on the 19th and 20th of September. The country which the troops were from have been notified and asked to take disciplinary action if necessary.
Mauritania President has accepted the newest ambassador from Sudan, Gariballa Khider Ali.
Zambia Parliament has heard that the government has so far paid $41.4 million of interest on the $750 million Eurobond they received last year. None of the Eurobond funds have yet been spent.
Cape Verde has been disqualified from the 2014 World Cup for fielding an illegible player in a group qualifier against Tunisia. FIFA ruled that Fernando Verela should not have played in his side’s 2-0 win as he had not completed a suspension. Tunisia was instead awarded a 3-0 victory.
X-RAY
with Fr. Vin
By Fr. Vincent Ezeoma Arisukwu
WHY INSINCERITY DOES NOT WORK IN MARRIAGE
Insincerity means saying what a person believes another wants to hear. It is a state of not being sincere, honest, genuine, or truthful. Insincerity means being hypocritical, artificial, counterfeit, double-faced, pretentious, unctuous and fake.To say that someone is insincere implies that the person cannot be trusted. It means he cannot be relied upon. A man can be insincere so also a woman. When Christ reprimanded the Jews against their hypocrisy, he said, “You are from your father, the devil, and you prefer to do what your father wants… he was never grounded in the truth; there is no truth in him at all.When he lies he is speaking true to his nature, because he is a liar, and the father of all lies” (John 8: 44-45). The implication of the above is that lies belong to the domain of the devil. Ordinarily, insincerity or lying is cheating and deceit. Insincerity has numerous effects on the marriage institution. Its effects are felt by the individual who becomes the instrument, by the partner or immediate family members who become the direct victims of lies, by those around the insincere person and by the marriage itself. Many married couples today do not tell the truth to their partners. Let us see why it does not work in the marriage bond: Insincerity causes Loss of self worth: Self worth, self integrity, self respect, self regard or self esteem is something every individual cherishes. Many early theories in psychology suggested that self-esteem is a basic human need or motivation. Psychologists define it as the reflection of a person’s overall emotional evaluation of his or her own worth; a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self. The American psychologist Abraham Maslow described two aspects of self esteem: the need for respect from others and the need for self respect. According to Maslow, respect from others entails recognition, acceptance, status, and appreciation, and was believed to be more fragile and easily lost than inner self-esteem. Insincerity depletes a person’s self worth in both the family and community. In marriage, it makes a person lose his/her dignity and respect. The moment a person is perceived to be insincere in marriage, his/her reputation begins to drop. If she is a wife, she loses her trust and confidence from the husband, mother in law, brothers and sisters in law and begins to receive bashings from all corners. She is tossed around like rag, insulted by both great and small of the family. An insincere husband also is a cheap person in the face of his in-laws.The insincere husband/wife can rarely be consulted in serious matters in the family. He/she lacks integrity. Insincerity generates Inner sadness: “Sin”, the bible maintains, “Speaks to the sinner in the depth of his heart” (Ps. 36: 1). Christ’s injunctions are, “If you make my word your home, you will be my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”And He continued,“In all truth I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave… So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free”(John 8: 31-36).The greatest sadness is the sadness of the soul, inner sadness. While thinking of the impression others might have of a liar, it is worse to
conceive of the harm which the insincere spouse does to himself. He/she lacks inner peace. He gets scared always. He is afraid of the next moment. He is always apprehensive of what may happen if his mountain of lies collapses.The insincere partner sleeps with one eye open imagining what would happen if the lies fail him.When for instance we wish someone to sleep like a baby, it means literally to say to the person, “Have an uninterrupted sleep”. The reason is because babies harbor no ill thoughts and fear nothing in their sleep. Fulton Sheen described the experience thus, “Children do not have this duplicity because they are natural and it is acquired. If their mother tells them to tell a stranger at the door that she is not at home, they will invariably say, ‘My mother told me to tell you that she is not at home”(Sheen, F., Way to Inner Peace, p.77). Insincere couples do not know inner peace. They are tormented by an internal sadness.
Insincerity causes Inconsistency: A major characteristic of lie is inconsistency. Because it is always concocted and manipulated to suit the liar, lies are usually rehearsed several times to avoid any leakage. The insincere spouse is always inconsistent in his/her dealings. He/she doesn’t say the same thing at different times. His statements are always filled with gaps and loopholes. Insincerity breeds Fear: Since the insincere spouse is not sure of the security of his statements, he is always afraid. For instance, a wife who told her husband she was traveling to a particular destination with another in mind is usually afraid of certain factors that might soil her game. She is afraid that some persons who may spot her and inform the husband. There was a case whereby a woman connived with the family’s mechanic as an avenue to extort money from the husband. At some point the mechanic started making strange demands from her. She was infuriated with the young man and threatened to relieve him of the opportunities of working for the family. The mechanic in turn threatened to expose her before the husband and told her emphatically to choose between throwing him out or facing the troubles of the husband coming to know she’s been ripping him off through some unorthodox means. The said woman was in dilemma. Your guess in this situation is as good as mine.The said wife never slept with her eyes closed. Insincerity Infects children: The kid watches the mother keenly as she consummately chews her cud. The same applies in family situations. A father or mother who habitually tells lies unconsciously corrupts the children. The scripture says,“Train up the child in the way he should go, when he grows old he will never depart from it”(Prov. 22: 6).The worst thing a man/woman could do would be to indoctrinate their children in the vice of insincerity.The first danger is that the same parents would be the principal victims of such evil from their children. Then they will end up proliferating lies in the society since such habit would not end up in the family. Insincerity Corrodes marriage: At the exchange of marriage consent the couples
promise to be true to each other. The implication is that anything on the contrary simply negates the promise of fidelity and sincerity. Insincerity destroys the fabrics of marital union. It corrodes love, trust, mutual understanding and affection. It breeds mistrust and attracts shame to the family. The insincere partner can indeed be unfaithful. Insincerity creates tension: Any marriage that is anchored on lies is always filled with tension. The couple who lives in lies lives in tension. The Psalmist echoes, “Those who chose other gods increase their sorrows” (Ps. 16: 4). This is the situation of the man/woman of lies. Such a spouse is afraid of his/her calls, afraid of the contacts the partner makes as any of these could implicate him before the partner. He/she lives in constant tension. Insincerity leads to Insensitivity: In every marriage relationship, there are tiny actions that might be considered insignificant.That’s why some lies or acts of insincerity may also be regarded as minor and unharmful to one’s partner. For instance, a lady could dress in an unappealing manner and appear before the husband. By the taste and standard of such lady, she imagines that she is really very attractive and scintillating. She emerges before the husband expecting him to say, “Wow, you look good!” The man could acknowledge her at that time but find a way to make her understand that the dress she was putting on was not the one he admired for such occasion. Similar things happen also in the taste of a woman’s food.These do not mean that the man was being insincere. They rather portray his sensitivity and accommodation. This is not the same as when a woman for some reasons begins to pilfer from the husband and forms the habit of telling him lies. Often times all the inmates of the home become suspects while actually the mother of the house is the culprit. It can also happen that a woman cooks up stories to suit the husband with regard to her whereabouts and does that repeatedly given the husband’s strictness. The danger here is that such“minor”lies can make the person lose sense of the gravity of telling lies. It can lead to general insensitivity or loss of the consciousness of sin. Insincerity attracts hatred from God: God hates lies.The case of Ananias and Sapphira is a typical example of the consequences of insincerity among couples. Insincerity is unfairness and injustice.The Psalmist depicts God as saying, “I act with integrity of heart within my royal court. I do not allow into my presence anyone who speaks perversely. Whoever acts shamefully I hate; no such person is my friend”(Ps. 101: 2-3). The book of Proverbs maintains,“There are six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to him; Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that hurry to evil, the false witness that utters lies and one who sows dissension among brothers” (Prov. 6: 16-19). A man/woman in the habit of insincerity to his/her spouse lives in sin. It is cheating as well offence against love and justice. God hates sin.
8
AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
column/news by Paul Kelly
Gambia President Jammeh has arrived in New York for a crucial UN summit. The leaders will speak about how to accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by the deadline of 2015 and of the new goals which will dominate the agenda post-2015.
6 0 S E CO N D S W I T H T H E D U C H E S S Frank Elinam Cobbinah
Ghana the Electricity Company of Ghana has been stopped from mounting pylons in Esreso, near Kumasi. The Chairman of the Road Reservation Management Committee said the pylons breached engineering rules.
Check out his recently released video called ‘ Clap Clap’ on YouTube.
Frank Elinam Cobbinah
Guinea pre-election clashes have killed one person, with 51 injured. The police officer was killed while removing a road block in the capital of Conakry. The government have called on political parties to exercise restraint while campaigning.
Guinea Bissau Paulo Gomes has announced he is going to run for President. The former World Bank Executive Director announced his candidature at the National Institute for Physical and Sports Education.
Kenya Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced three days of mourning, in response to the attack on the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi. 64 civilians and 6 security officers were killed in the slaughter, including the son of Kenya’s exAmbassador to Ireland.
Liberia human rights groups have called on the government to reform its libel laws which they claim harm freedom of expression. In August 2013, the Editor of FrontPage Africa was imprisoned because he could not pay a $1.5 million civil libel judgement.
Western Sahara Algerian and Saharawi cultural institutions have agreed to combine their efforts in the area of fine arts, cinema and music schools. The move will see Algerian officials provide supervision and training in the preservation of Saharawi culture.
Dayo Israel (LLB (Hons), MA International Relations) is an astute motivational speaker and advisor to many world leaders, business DAYO ISREALexecutives, politicians, young entrepreneurs and sports professionals. He is also an internationally recognized personality with over 12years of professional experience in international development having worked with organisations such as The United Nations, British Council, Save the Children UK and UNICEF. He has served in various capacities and has appeared on countless television interviews, commercials, talk shows, radio programs, and was even selected by the United Nations to represent all the young delegates to the UN General Assembly Special
Frank Elinam Cobbinah also known as Atumpan is one of the biggest Afrobeat artist to cross-over international. Atumpan which literally means The Talking Drum is the name of a popular traditional African drum which in the past was used as a medium of communication between the ruling and the ruled especially during wars, festivals and emergencies Even though he is a qualified teacher, he has sang all his life as part of the Church choir. He started recording professionally in 2011 and his hit song ‘ The thing’ got him a lot of recognition and awards. He has collaborated with many artists like Cabo Snoop, Ginalee, Sizzler kalonji, VIP, Stay Jay, Dcryme, 4X4 and so on. He is officially signed to 2131 records in Ghana but his smash hit song ‘THE THING’ has been signed by the Ministry of Sounds in the UK.
Dayo Israel
Session on Children on a special CNN Live Interview. Recently, He was specially invited by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to a private reception at Buckingham palace. He is one of the Africa’s leading authorities on Social Entreprise and Youth Development. He co-launched the UNICEF State of the World Children’s Report in 2003 alongside Carol Bellamy and Oscar Award Winner – Vanessa Redgrave CBE. In addition to being a Social Entrepreneur, in demand Evangelist, TV Personality, Motivational Speaker, Diplomat, Youth Advocate, Facilitator, and High Performance Coach; He has served in various capacities globally including in the
Nigerian Government and the United Nations. Dayo has exceptionally trail blazed and set the pace for many other young people in his generation. The first African to become a Student Council Chair in London’s Largest University and a recipient of so many International Awards which includes the British Red Cross Humanitarian Citizen Award, PEWA (Person Earnestly Working for Africa) Award, GAB Award, Icon Awards, Icon of Hope Award, Young Achievers Award and many more. He is also a 3 time Finalist for various categories of The Future Nigeria Award – including the Young Person of the Year Award.
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD
news/column
9
PICTURES
Sierra Leone the CEO of the Road Maintenance Fund has said that he is “not responsible for road maintenance”. Instead, he argued that he is only responsible for distributing funds for the maintenance of the roads and it is up to the Sierra Leone Roads Authority to ensure they are properly maintained.
AGONY CORNER
With Abdul Yusuf
My Husband Has Other Women Maybe Because I Am Not Good In Bed smiles we sure you once had.
Below are some tips about how to make your marriage exciting:
Somalia
Telling it like it is: Whether it be married couples, or those in a long-term relationship with a significant other, it should be understood that happy and healthy relationships take a lot of work. The effort involved with deepening the connection between the couple can be enjoyed by both husband and wife (or significant other), thus developing a close intimate bond unlike any other.
MP Bisharo Abdi Abdulle has accused the Somali government of failing to ensure their safety. She was speaking at the funeral of a member of parliament who was killed by Al Shabaab last Sunday, September 22nd.
South Africa woman who was reported missing in Kenya has been announced as presumed dead. She is thought to have been a victim of the Westgate Shopping Centre attack. She is the 2nd South African to have been killed in the attack.
sudan and South Sudan have announced a four freedoms agreement, covering ownership, movement, residence and work. The agreement will mostly affect those living on the borders between the two countries and it is hoped that it will ease tensions there.
senegal Zimbabwe’s Mugabe has visited Senegal whilst on the way to the UN General Assembly in New York. There, he met with President Macky Sall and Prime Minister Aminata Touré. The Senegalese government has reported that the visit was to “honour him”.
Swaziland king has taken a new wife, 18 year old beauty queen contest Sindiswa Dlamini. The woman is younger than some of the king’s daughters and was chosen “from among tens of thousands of barebreasted virgins who paraded before him at annual Reed Dance celebrations.”
Uganda Hotel Owners Association has begun anti-terrorist training for hotel and shopping centre guards. The training comes in the wake of the Kenyan Westgate attack and will take place at the Ugandan Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Kampala from 2:00-4:30 pm.
I am a good cook and dress moderately, but I’m not good in bed. I have once told him to teach me any style he enjoys or to buy sex film we can see together. If my hubby is going to Italy, he would tell me it is London. Yes, he has many women. Africaworldnews Agony Corner, please tell me, is it right for me to fight any of the girls/ women because there is this particular one I fought via SMS. He never appreciates me, my cooking or dressing. He never takes me out and the outings we attend together are his family parties not mine. He has never given any gift except the ones given to him which he doesn’t like or says it looks feminine. He never remembers my birthday. Please help me; I so much love my husband. Please advise me now on what to do to make my marriage enjoyable.
Begin each day with the question, “What can I do today to show my husband/wife how much I love him/her?”
Africaworldnews Agony Corner reply:
Ladies, put your hair up in a nice clip instead of a “scrunchy”, or take the time to curl your hair and make yourself look nice for your husband. Get rid of the granny panties and wear some underwear that is attractive and sexy for your man.
My dear sister, the most important of all you wrote is that you love your husband and you would really like to make your marriage enjoyable. God bless you. We haven’t met you, but responding to you has given us a glimpse into your mind – the mind of a very good woman. We say God bless you again. We are very glad you know some of the areas where you may have missed it in your marriage. Good sex is very important, and most men will go out to seek for it if they think they cannot get it in the home front. The truth is that most men are polygamous in nature, so they rush out to other women under any excuse to seek for sweeter juices. Don’t worry, you won’t lose this marriage. You may wonder how we know. We’ll tell you. That he still tells you he’s going to Italy when it’s London means he still has respect for you and doesn’t want to hurt you with the blunt truth. During one of our recent discussion, we told you that it was wrong of you to have contacted the other woman with abusive words. There’s no point fighting with a fellow woman over any man. You must play your part and leave the rest. Yes, it’s bad that he doesn’t remember your birthday. That can hurt. It’s bad that you don’t go out as couple and it’s unfair that he doesn’t appreciate your gifts. There are fundamental crisis in any marriage and we know how you must be aching. It’s okay. Since he still comes back home and you still talk and make love, all these would be addressed. We have promised you a personal session free of charge, so, we’ll go over all the grey arrears together and you will win back the love and bring back the
Grooming: You would be surprised how many people have mentioned basic grooming habits being a problem in their relationship. Brush or comb your hair, brush your teeth, take a bath or shower every day, put on some makeup, get rid of those old nasty sweats and put on an outfit that shows that you care about your appearance. You know that old, worn-out “favourite” shirt/blouse you’ve been hanging onto for years? Get rid of it! There isn’t much that can diminish the romantic feelings between husband and wife than to see your spouse looking frumpy and disheveled.
Physical Touch: Begin each day by physically touching your spouse with hugs and kisses. Hold hands while sharing a cup of coffee or tea together; place your hand on your spouse’ leg while sitting together watching the morning news; gently caress your spouse’ face and say “You’re so beautiful, I love you”. Physical touch is very important in creating romantic atmosphere in the home, so when you arrive home from work be sure to hug and kiss your spouse, and continue physically touching each other throughout the evening. A common problem in many marriages is where there is virtually no physical touch throughout the day and evening, but as soon as the children are in bed and the couple retires to the bedroom, there is an expectation that hot, sizzling sex is going to miraculously heat up the bedroom. Not! Frequently offer foot massages, shoulder massages and full-body massages to your spouse. Listen: Pay close attention to subtle hints and comments about something your husband or wife wants to buy for themselves, and purchase it for them as a surprise. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, but if your wife sees a purse she likes or a set of earrings she wants, make note of it and stop by the store and pick it up for her. If your husband mentions wanting a new tool for his toolbox, or mentions wanting a new gadget of some kind, take the time to go buy it for him as
a “just because” gift. Pay close attention to clues for birthday, holiday or anniversary gift ideas, making a point to write them down so you won’t forget and end up struggling to find a gift your spouse really wants. Communication: Make time during the day to call or text message your husband or wife to let them know you are thinking about them. Don’t use that time to complain about the kids, or the in-laws, or bills piling up. Text message your husband or wife with a little naughty message in the middle of the day, with a teaser of what you have planned for the two of you once the kids are asleep in bed. Brag to your friends, family and co-workers about how lucky you are to have found such a wonderful, loving and supportive husband or wife. Talking in front of your spouse about your partner’s good qualities is romantic; notice the way your partner’s face lights up when you speak well of them to others. Couples often complain that they don’t have much time to really communicate with each other, not with taking care of the kids, holding down one or more jobs, doing household chores and paying bills. If your children don’t have a normal bedtime routine, make one. Putting the kids to bed at a reasonable hour gives parents time to unwind from their day at work or other family responsibilities, allowing couples the needed time to focus attention on each other and the marriage. Romantic Atmosphere: Make the home atmosphere as peaceful and romantic as possible. Turn off the TV. Make the dinner time meal with the family a peaceful and calm one, rather than using that time to complain and gripe about how the kids upset you, or how the “honey-do list” is still untouched. Keep a ready supply of scented candles to make the home smell nice, turn on some soft romantic music and dim the lights. Keep the home clean, toys picked up and put away, so your husband/wife doesn’t come home and wonder what you’ve been doing all day. Sex, Sex, Sex Baby!: Make sex and romance fun in your marriage. Buy some naughty adult sex games to play when the kids are asleep. There are many intimate games for couples available to spice up their sex life, regardless of whether you are married or not. Most couples want and need sex in their marriage too, and by the way…, Adam and Eve had SEX, and SEX for married couples is talked about in the Bible too! Create your own private collection of sex toys and change up the routine of when or where you have sex, because your sexual health and wellness depends on finding creative ways to spice up your marriage and your sex life! Have a playful pillow fight, chase each other around the bedroom (if there’s enough room), turn the game of Scrabble into a striptease game. I hope that you would find the tips stated very useful and they would assist all the remaining years of your marriage life till death do both of you part.
10 AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
beauty & fashion CAMEROON solar panels have taken root across many of the country’s main cities. As prices for the panels fall and hydroelectric power from the country’s main grid becomes more and more unreliable, dozens of families have switched to the cells.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC President Michel Djotodia has announced the disbandment of the rebel Seleka group that brought him to power last year. The rebels have been blamed for a surge in robberies, rapes and murders across the country.
CHAD a new meningitis vaccine tested in Chad has proven highly effective, with incidence rate falling by 94%. The disease affects nearly half a billion people in SubSaharan Africa and can often be deadly.
column/news
WHISPERS FROM THE REEDS NEW BLACKBERRY AMBASSADOR JO REPREZENTER TO HIT iTunes WITH NEW SINGLE
By Lihle
The 24 year old Nigerian born artist/
in touch with friends and family locally
has about us, and this is my
businessman is new BlackBerry Brand
and back home. Basically, I have an
contribution. Not to mention the
Ambassador. Gesticulating as he takes
agreement with BlackBerry to promote
freebies BlackBerry gave me - a new
me memory lane through his journey
the Brand during my shows, in my
z10 phone. Folks, there’s a new
to becoming Brand Ambassador for
music videos and in general ( Shout
BlackBerry phone coming out soon
BlackBerry smart phone. Like every up
out to BlackBerry for believing in me).
especially for the students, it’s
and coming young artist Jo has had
My hard work is paying off. Nothing
affordable and so chic. I am looking
his fair share of challenges, coupled
comes for free in life, you must be
forward to working with BlackBerry,
with the fact that he is African. He
willing to put in the hard labour to
there is still more coming and it is
credits hard work, education and
reach the stars. I have just began and
exciting. My third single is coming out
diligence to his recent success.
you know what? BlackBerry recognised
soon called ‘Me and you’ look out for
Below are part of his story which
hard work and of course people want
that, it will be available on iTunes for
will be published in subsequent
to be associated with it. As an African,
99cents”
edition of my column:
this proves that if you stay on the right
“The BlackBerry Brand is very
course long enough, you must slowly
popular amongst the black community
change something. The whole idea is
“KEEP THE FAITH THE JOURNEY IS
because of BB, it makes it easy to keep
to change the perception this world
LONG”
CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE antiretroviral (ARV) drug treatments for HIV/AID’s patients have been suspended across the country. The Ministry of Health has announced that the suspension is due to a break in the supply chain.
CONGO-KINSHASA a new measles campaign has begun in the provinces of Equateur and Orientale. It is due to last till Friday. The aim is to vaccinate 6,809,321 children aged from 6 months to 9 years against measles and at the same time to give two drops of polio vaccine to children under 5 years old.
COTE D’IVOIRE the government have ruled against sending the former First Lady to the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity. Instead she is to be tried in an Ivorian court.
LADY DRAGS BUSINESSMAN LOVER TO COURT OVER FRAUD By Mordi Michael
In a further display of the increase in
Daodu and Ogunniyi were lovers.
employment for Ogunniyi’s sister in a
social vices and a demonstration of
Daodu, who resides at Akinyemi Street,
communications firm.
the government’s resolve to tackle
Onipanu, Lagos, faced a two-count
However, he said that the accused
such failings, the Punch reported that
charge of stealing and fraud.
fraudulently diverted the money for
a lady has brought her boyfriend to court over an allegation of fraud. Tanzanian security forces are investigating alleged threats by Al Shabaab that have appeared across social media in recent days. “We are not afraid of Al Qaeda or Al Shabaab. As a government we are ready to defend our people and no one should be worried,” the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs said.
his personal use, adding that the Samuel said that the offences were
offences contravened sections 285 and
committed between March 3 and June
312 of the criminal law of Lagos State
Omofela Ogunniyi,has taken her
12 2012 at Onipanu, Lagos. He said
2011.
businessman lover, Akeem Daodu, to
that the accused collected the money
court over an allegation that the latter
from the complainant on the pretext
The accused pleaded not guilty. The
defrauded her of 1.8 million Naira.
of investing it in a telecommunications
Magistrate, Mrs M.O. Tanimola, granted
Police prosecutor, Corporal Ishola
mast contract “and promised to return
the accused bail at the sum of 500,000
Samuel, told an Ebute Meta
the money to her with interest”.
Naira with two sureties. The case was
magistrate’s court in Lagos on
According to the prosecutor, the
adjourned until October 14 2013 for
Wednesday that the 42-year-old
accused also promised to secure
further hearing.
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD 11
family corner
P
s m e o
Sweet dreams Sweet dreams so are the blissful respite Whilst the angles watch over one’s night With cords and songs of immense delight Till the morning dawns in glow and bright Sweet dreams are when one sleeps tight
Facts
Hans Christian Andersen was born over 200 years in Denmark. Hans’ family only slept in one room. His father was a shoemaker. When Hans was 11, his father died. Hans needed to find a way to make money. Hans had a few friends. Hans’ friends teased him. Hans was unhappy. Hans wrote funny stories so the children would not feel unhappy as he was.
news
Beyond the worries of life and their blight Dreaming dreams of creams and in spite That the morn comes with its own fight Sweet dreams are when one wakes in flight Of the wings of determination and might Without terror, without ill, without fright With fortitude and gratitude bear the freight Sweet dreams are yet the rhythms that beat In the hearts of the awakened and their feat
For all dreams and no work makes one bleat So wake and work to have something to eat Sweet dreams sweetheart!
Hans wrote the story of the “Ugly Duckling” so that everyone could know about his life. Hans wrote about 350 fairy tales. Hans wrote “The Little Mermaid”, The Emperor’s new clothes, Cinderella, Jack and the Bean Stalk, The Princess and the Peas, The Ugly Duckling, The three little pigs, Rapunzel, Goldilocks and the three bears and several others. Most of his stories have been
Good night Sweet dreams dearest one As the angels watch over you At your right and left till morn Unfolds in sparkle and splendor As you wake, they keep cares On your steps lest you stumble Behind to guard and before you To lead your heart to the sun Sweet dreams then sweetheart In the knowledge that love stays Beyond this land of transience To the place in my heart for you May this far-near sweet lullaby Bring forth heartfelt mindfulness Of prayer to God of love above As his angels watch over you!
adopted by Walt Disney movies. Hans believed that “the only wealth that is worth having is the wealth of the heart”.
Connect with
AfricaWorld on
Divine Ashimole Scoil Mhuire Junior 2nd Class
F O L K TA L E Why the Tortoise is Bald
Once Upon a Time! The King of the Jungle organised a big feast and invited all animals. The King had great love for lavished ceremonies and he organised extravagant functions every year, to commemorate his ascension to the throne. On these occasions, he offered his guests different kinds of foods, fruits, palm wine and spirits to show his appreciation for their support throughout the year. In return, his friends and wellwishers paid him respect by presenting him with wellknown special gifts. Among the animals invited to the annual great feast was the Tortoise who was noted for his love for hand-outs. He was clothed in a fanciful robe and hat, and set out with his friends to join the rest of the animals who had already converged to celebrate in grand style. On their way to the Jungle Square, they prided themselves in the quantity of food and drinks that they were going to consume because they were prohibited from taking food reserves from the venue. They planned that the next alternative to the prohibition was to “eat and drink till they dropped” at the square. (After the previous ceremony, the king placed an embargo that from oncoming years, no animal was allowed to take food or drink reserves away from the Jungle Square or the Kingdom.) When the Tortoise and his friends arrived at the Jungle Square, they sat closest to where the foods and drinks were lined up, but his friends were unaware of his ulterior motives for wearing a hat. The first meal was served and it was maize meal with vegetable soup, and followed by other delicacies such as palm wine and yam porridge, which was the best and popular meal in the jungle. As this was a special dish, the tradition demanded that the yam porridge would always be served hot. The Tortoise loved yam porridge and decided that he was going to hide some of the porridge in his hat even though it was very hot. Without wasting any time, he finished his first plate of the yam porridge and requested another. When the second plate was handed to him, he took the dish away from the table, to the side of the forest, and poured it on his head and covered it with his hat. He asked for the third plate and did same with it but the porridge was very hot and he began to feel unbearable pains. He requested to go home and said he was suffering from constipation. On his way from the Jungle Square, he ran fast in order to avoid being roasted by the hot porridge, underneath his hat. When he arrived at his hut the pain was excruciating but he did not rush to remove his hat in the presence of his children. Rather, he went to the side removed the porridge with care in order to preserve the yam porridge stored underneath his hat on his head. After removing the porridge, he realised that all of his hair was burnt. This left him bald and explains why the Tortoise has a bald head.
#africaworldnews
recipe column
ATAMA SOUP
by Genevieve Agorua
Ingredient -Meat -Stock fish -Fresh fish -Periwinkle -Crayfish -Utama leaves -Uyayak
Cooking
-Palm nut -Pepper -Fresh shrimps -Water
Boil the palm nut till it is soft. Pound or mash it with finger in a bowl of water to extract sauce. Boil the meat & stock fish in another pot with seasoning. Boil the extracted oil for 5 minutes, then add the boiled meat & stock fish, add the shredded Atama
leaves and uyayak and cook for 10mins. Add the crayfish, fresh shrimps and Atama soup seasoning, salt to taste, fresh fish, then allow to boil like 20 minutes. Add the Periwinkle and let it boil like 2 minutes. Then bring it down from fire. You can serve with any cereal meal.
12 AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
photo news
family CORNER
Inaugural Igbo National Convention in Pictures
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD 13
PHOTO NEWS
14 AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
news
photo NEWS
ROYAL WEDDING: Henry and Susan say “I do”
Friends and families of Mr. Benjamin Ogbo & Ms. Ruby Harold and His Royal Highness, Eshi of Nkwere, Eze (Dr.) Chijioke Okwara & Ugoeze Grace Okwara gathered in the Ritz-Carlton to witness the solemnization of holy matrimony of their children Susan Ogbo and Henry Okwara.
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD 15
photo news
Wezesha Fundraiser Event
Wezesha is Swahili for ‘Empower’ is an Irish based non-profit NGO founded and managed by members of the African diaspora to support women and children affected by conflicts and violence in Africa. The organization mobilizes and facilitates an international network of the African diaspora in order to raise awareness of the plight of African women and children and advocates for the elimination of all forms of violence directed at women and children in Africa. For more information see the website www.wezesha.com
Bukky Bakare Celebrate Birthday The beautiful Bukky celebrates a glorious birthday with friends and family
16 AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
dd’s cubicle
column
IS OBAMA CARE STIFLING US GROWTH? WHY THE SHUTDOWN?
By Dunstan Ukaga
Since yesterday, credible sources within the news media and confirmed by Amy Goodman & Juan González claim The U.S. government has begun a partial shutdown for the first time in 17 years after Congress failed to break a partisan deadlock by a midnight deadline. The Office of Management and Budget issued orders shortly before the midnight deadline saying that, quote, “agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations.” Some 800,000 federal workers are to be furloughed; more than a million others will be asked to work without pay.
Carolyn McClanahan a contributor to FORBES believes there are five reasons not to hold the Obama-care hostage in the government shut down. Supporting Obama-care she states: The show down that could shut down our government is on, and Republicans are holding funding for Obamacare hostage in this event. However, we need to remind them there are many valuable provisions in the law that work to repair our broken health care system. These “good” parts of the law need to move forward. By gutting the funding, we put our entire health care system at risk. Granted, the insurance provisions will need repair, and this can be done over time. Tonight, in the heat of the arguments, I share five reasons
2: The Affordable Care Act improves prevention, wellness, and early care of chronic disease. We do a great job in the United States with taking care of serious illness, but really stink where it matters most – preventing illness from becoming serious in the first place. Insurance doesn’t pay well to take care of serious illness early, and pays next to nothing for prevention. This is what the Affordable Care Act does and creates avenues to better coordinate care of chronic illness early in the course of disease, and has payment incentives for patients to participate in improving their health.
flu, and responding to bioterrorist threats. The law attempted to fund public health at a set amount each year. Unfortunately, Congress has decreased funding promised by the Affordable Care Act year after year.
insurance,” Mr Obama said, with Americans set to sign up for plans standing behind him. “Millions more live with the fear that they’ll go broke if they get sick. And today, we begin to free millions of our fellow Americans from that fear.”
5: Finally, guaranteed issue insurance coverage.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speaking in support of Mr. Obama and denouncing The Republicans says:” it is embarrassing that these people who are elected to represent the country are representing the tea party, the anarchists of the country, and a majority of the Republicans in the House are following every step of the way. This is an unnecessary blow to America, to the economy, middle class, everyone’’.
Before Obama-care, if you got sick and lost your job, you could go on COBRA coverage at a very expensive price. After that ran out in 18 months, you could go on an even more expensive HIPAA policy that usually had poor coverage. And since you no longer had an income, you would lose your insurance and have to rely on charity or public programs
The shutdown was spearheaded by tea party conservatives who backed a House bill tying continued government funding to a oneyear delay of the affordable care act and the repeal of a tax to pay for it. The Democratic-controlled Senate insisted on funding the government through November 15th without special conditions. IS OBAMA CARE THE PROBLEM? Speaker John Boehner thinks so and alludes: “The American people are worried about their job. They’re worried about their incomes rising, because they’re all under pressure. The economy is not growing. Why isn’t it growing? One of the issues that’s standing in the way is Obama-care the fact that nobody knows what the rules are, employers scared to death to hire new employees, cutting the hours of many of their current employees, and—and for what reason? This law is not ready for prime time.’’ MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE OBAMA-CARE IS GOOD.
why Obamacare should not be held hostage to the Shutdown Showdown. 1: The Affordable Care Act begins repair of a decimated primary care system. Countries with a strong primary care system have much lower costs and healthier populations than what we experience in the United States. Primary care doctors focus on wellness, prevention, and treat minor illnesses in a cost effective manner...The Affordable Care Act provides better pay to primary care doctors and helps with loan repayment if a physician practices in an undeserved area.
3: The Affordable Care Act moves us toward truly patientcentered medical care. Our health care system is historically patriarchal – you go to the doctor, he/she tells you what to do, and you go home and do it (or not.)...The Affordable Care Act has multiple pilot programs that test changes in delivery of care and patient centered approaches. 4: The Affordable Care Act improves our reaction to bioterrorist and mass casualty events. Congress funds our public health system. These folks are responsible for protecting public health, preparing for the next bird
if you happened to qualify. With guaranteed issue coverage, you cannot be turned down because of illness, and your illness does not make your premiums more expensive when you can least afford it. This will go a long way toward keeping the working middle class healthy and out of financial trouble. Even though Obama-care is about way more than insurance, this is a very important reason we should try to make it work. On Tuesday, Mr Obama said the opportunity would be “life changing” for the “15% of Americans who don’t have health insurance”. “Tens of thousands of Americans die each year just because they don’t have health
A REPUBLICAN DIVIDED CAMP. Credible sources within our reach and also affirmed by Global News claim some Republicans are demanding their colleagues ditch the shutdown strategy. Republican Congressman Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania said, quote, “It’s time to govern. I don’t intend to support a fool’s errand at this point.” Republican Congressman Michael Grimm of New York said, “The circus created the past few days isn’t reflective of mainstream Republicans—it projects an image of not being reasonable. The vast majority of Republicans are pretty level-headed and are here to govern,” he said. And Republican Congress member Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, right, the party’s vice-presidential nominee in 2012, said, quote, “We have to stay on the right side of public opinion ... Shutting down the government puts us on the wrong side,” he said. In reality therefore the Obamacare means well for the average Americans and does not stifle the growth of the US economy in any forms. While Mr Obama and his supporters in the Democratic Party portray the law as a historic effort to extend healthcare coverage to the millions of Americans who lack it, the law’s opponents say it amounts to an unprecedented intrusion into Americans’ private lives. The shut down is not really necessary and does no good to Americans.
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD 17
column
Dimkpa
THE QUESTION OF FUNDAMENTALISM
Mazi Uche Osakwe
Richard T. Antoun, in his book Understanding Fundamentalism, Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Movements, postulates that fundamentalism and evangelicalism have something in common. He defines fundamentalism as the presence of certain attributes such as protesting against the contemporary era, concern for purity, activism and totalism, scripturalism, the practice of tradition and selec tive modernisation. He observes that evangelicals are renowned for their belief that Christians must be “born-again” and their belief that Jesus Christ is their personal life and that without Him; you cannot attain a good life or go to heaven. But he argues that not all evangelicals are fundamentalists or believe in the forceful submission of souls to Jesus Christ. Clarke writes, “Muslim fundamentalism is essentially about the reform of Islam for the purpose of creating a more just society along Islamic lines. It is not only a moral response to what it sees as the corrupting influence of Western libertarianism or exploitation, and godless socialism, but the failure… of political, economic and educational systems” in most impoverished regions the people have left the secular world with no option but to embrace religion. The philosophical roots of Islamic fundamentalism are largely as a result of a conscious attempt to revive and reaffirm the theoretical significance of Islam in the contemporary world. Muslim thinkers of the twentieth century – philosophers such as Sayyid Qutb, Ayotallah Ruhollah al-Khomeini and Abul Ala Maududi – recommended strict rules regarding the “philosophical discourse of Islamic fundamentalism”. But it was Qutb who offered a more radical understanding of Islam as a philosophical organisation. Qutb argued for the detachment of Islam from Western culture. He stressed that Islam was “sui generis” and “transcendental” so therefore Islamic fundamentalism is against “enlightenment, secularism, d e m o c r a c y, nationalism, Marxism and relativism”. Thus, Islamic fundamentalism hinges on the “essentialist worldview whereby innate qualities and attributes apply to individuals and human societies, irrespective of time, historical change or political circumstances”. Clarke argues that
most Muslims are interested in reform and see fundamentalists as a group who will free them from political and economic injustice and the oppression of the corrupt politicians. For instance, the moderates and fundamentalists in Nigeria will do anything to ensure that Nigeria is an Islamic state. The radicalisation of Muslim youths in Northern Nigeria was due to a combination of inside and outside influences. The inside influence was the failure of the leadership of Northern Nigeria’s politicians – for instance, a Northern based magazine called Sarduna magazine carried a caption, “Northern Nigeria failed leadership = Almajiri + poverty + illiterac y ” (a need for transformation). The magazine chided the Northern politicians
for the feature. He said that he had to drop out of University in his third year because he has faith in Boko Haram’s micro finance scheme and in the promise of paradise instead of the joblessness and insecurity that awaits him after graduation in the larger humanity. He gave an example of how two of his brothers had graduated from Universities long ago without any means of gainful employment. Therefore, going to school is a waste of time for him; he would rather go to heaven than waste his time on earthly things. The second factor is attributed to Arab Spring or what Michael Totten and Hussain AbdulHussain called the “Islamist Winter”. Mohamed Bouazizi, a twenty-six year old street vendor was credited for sparking off the
come without a price, following decades of authoritarian regimes and brutalities of the people by their leaders – but through bravery and the defiance of vicious security forces, this time the people said that enough was enough. He notes that it was not the first time that Arabs had called for the change of their despotic leaders, but that it was the first time their calls became a reality. He looks at the images of brutality from Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon etc. and how their leaders gave the people a clear choice – either to accept stability under authoritarianism regimes or civil war. The people preferred to “throw caution to the wind” and opted for change. For AbdulHussain, Arab Spring showed that the region was not only focused on the old perception of
Circled area is Boko Haram Stronghold in Northern Nigeria
for their failure to tackle child destitution, poverty and unemployment, and held them as being responsible for the societal ills in the Northern region. Also, the Maiduguri (the capital of Borno state) based cleric, Sheik Abba Aji, seen as a moderate Muslim, blamed the upsurge in the radical conversion of youths to Boko Haram on “joblessness and hopelessness” in modern-day Nigeria. Abba Aji aptly asserts: “The situation is so bad. People are hungry, people are suffering. People see clearly that leaders are cheating. Today you are with a local government chairman or commissioner who has nothing prior to his election or appointment; tomorrow, he builds a big house and owns fleets of cars. So the people see these acts and they are beginning to revolt.” The question is why some dis-satisfied youths in the North join extremist groups such as Boko Haram? One member of the group said his reasons for joining Boko Haram was based on his fear
Arab Spring by setting himself on fire to protest the corruption and egotism that reigned supreme in the Tunisian government. The political change that swept Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya was unprecedented. In Tunis, the people called for the restoration of the suspended constitution. In Egypt, the protesters at Tahrir Square demanded the restoration of true democracy and, through mass revolts, the government of President Mubarak was toppled. In Libya, the government of Qaddafi was also toppled after fierce fighting between Qaddafi’s troops and pro-democracy forces aided by NATO. For Lisa Anderson, the Arab Spring shows the power of the “global diffusion of information and expectations”; also, the campaigners in Egypt employed “Facebook” to inform and disseminate information which resulted in “civil disobedience against President Mubarak’s government.” According to Hussain AbdulHussain, Arab Spring did not
“Palestine”, but it also debunked the insinuation that Arabs were not ready for democracy and that they preferred stability over freedom. He emphasises that for the first time in the history of the region, Arabs are experiencing democracy. The Arab Spring revolution became a central ideological struggle and magnet for Muslim youths in Nigeria. The Arab Spring event swayed the number of militant Muslims and jihad became a movement to achieve similar goals in Nigeria. One of the groups that subscribed to the militant position in Nigeria was the Muslim Students Society (MSS). The group became active in Nigerian universities and became the vanguard for the dissemination and propagation of Islamic doctrines in and outside of the campuses. Notable universities like Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna attracted the likes of El Zak-Zaky, while AminudDim Abubakar arrived at Bayero University, Kano. El Zak-Zaky was
not happy with the religious and political leaders for their inaction in the enthronement of Sharia law in Nigeria. He mobilised and led the demonstration and agitation against the 1979 constitution and the secular clause in the constitution. Sharia law was applied in order to achieve the goals of Islam. The moderates and fundamentalists in Nigeria want Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria over which they have a stronghold, to be turned into an Islamic state, irrespective of what the constitution says. To achieve their goal, the Muslim fundamentalists were interested in the transformation and elimination of innovations (bida) and the retention of the teachings and practice of Islam based on the Koran and the Sunnah and can be in a position to offer radical change and an alternative to the corrupt Western prescription of economic and political development. Therefore, the fundamentalists are spurred on by the view that their religion is best and have answers to the myriads of problems confronting society. The fundamentalists are detached from the views of others and hold on strongly to their beliefs. They flourish because of the absence of good governance and development, in addition to the presence of corruption and a lack of opportunities for youths to live their dream, and as a result, minor issues fuelled by rumours sparked off violent riots. The attack on innocent and defenceless civilians killed in Westgate Shopping Mall by Islamic militant Al-Shabaab an affiliate of al Qaeda was an act of cowardice and primitivism. These acts of barbarism has been recurrent decimal by this militant groups be it in Nigeria or Kenya to enthrone Islamic rule. The question is should religious conversion be force on people or allow individuals to decide what is right? Are we going back to Hobbessian postulation of the world of nasty, short and barbarism? Enough is enough let the world find solution to the fight against terrorism or we may find ourselves back to dark ages. However, my appreciation goes to Igbo Union Dublin for organising a well attended Igbo Economic forum and cultural shows. It not only placed Ndi-Igbo at the epicentre of the worldview, it also brought them positive searchlight to showcase Ndi-Igbo rich culture and hospitality. Finally, the so-called New PDP led by formal Vice-President, Abubakar Atiku these shows desperado by Hausa/Fulani to reclaim power by all means and an attempt on President Jonathan was a direct assault and restlessness by oligarchy and its cohorts to undermine Ndi-Igbo because of the rising profile of Igbo sons and daughters in President Jonathan’s government. They are not happy. We have to be vigilant or else the gains by President Jonathan will come to nothing by fascist in Nigeria.
18 AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
ENTERTAINMENT/NEWS
Evidence of Vera Sidika HIV Test Result There have been rumors going around that Kenya top model Vera Sidika is HIV positive and have been admitted into hospital.
You know how rumors spread fast and this has made the hot model really uncomfortable. She took a bold step and went for an HIV blood test in Nairobi Women’s Hospital . She has since display the test results for all rumor mongers to see..
“Y’all don’t know how much it affects someone, especially when it involves their health. I just had to put an end to this!”
PUDEMO condemns Swazi Princess Sikhanyiso censorship
The People United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) has learned with utter shock and dismay reports that following a healthy dialogue between ourselves and HRH Princess Sikhanyiso, pressure has been exerted on her to delete her twitter account. PUDEMO has been informed that the Princess was scolded and berated for engaging with PUDEMO on the social media platform over the past weekend particularly after the local media picked this up and made a story of our conversation. It is now clear who the enemy of freedom of expression is as well as who refuses dialogue, minute and elementary as it may be. PUDEMO has again taken the moral high ground, despite some pockets of vilification from some within our ranks, and proven to the world that the obstinate King Mswati regime would hear nothing about us even when we have clearly showed our intentions as reasonable, understanding and more importantly committed to peace while not compromising on our principles. Despite our cordial engagements with the Princess, which were nothing but political education on her part on what we stand for, those within the circle of royals felt that she must not speak to us and forced her to delete her twitter account. Indeed we have confirmed that she has removed herself from twitter.
What crime did Princess Sikhanyiso commit? As a serious minded revolutionary organisation we are under no illusion that our dialogue with the Princess was going to yield anything. We also do not extricate her from being part of the system and benefiting from it. Even if she were to have wellmeaning intentions, the fact that the revolution threatens her family’s ill-gotten wealth, she cannot be our savior. Only we shall free ourselves from royal bondage and supremacy. However, we are alive to the fact that Princess Sikhanyiso did not choose to be born in the royal family and that for the most parts of her life all she has known is the royal outlook of life and by extension given us the baddie status without knowing who we really are. We therefore commend her for being bold enough to engage with PUDEMO, asking the many questions that people have and through her we clarified to many others who have never interacted with us. Importantly, we commend her for not being arrogant in our dialogue but showed herself as level headed and maturted. Now the onus is on the royal family and the king in particular to explain if they are responsible for censoring the Princess. Does the king fear that the seed we planted with Princess Sikhanyiso may blossom one day? Is King Mswati threatened that our
message to Princess Sikhanyiso was warmly received? Is she angry that the Princess broke ranks and decided to give PUDEMO an ear? Why was Princess Sikhanyiso berated and made to close her twitter account? Is talking to PUDEMO such a sin? We ask these rhetorical questions knowing fully too well that indeed it is not PUDEMO that is the enemy, it is the king and his family’s visceral fear for the truth. They may have raised their children to look and fear PUDEMO as animals and now that we are exposing such lies and they are dissipating like morning dew, they no longer have a cover to hide their inexplicable failure to call PUDEMO and all other political parties to the negotiating table. PUDEMO President Mario Masuku instructed all PUDEMO members to preach the sweet message of freedom and liberation in every church, institution of higher learning, school, chiefdom, workplace, sports centres and more importantly right in the belly of the enemy--the royal house. It is only a matter of time before King Mswati opens the newspaper to find a nicely wrapped PUDEMO pamphlet. We have entered very deeply the royal household and we are being warmly received, even though clandestine our operations are at present. Reaffirming our position on the monarchy question
PUDEMO, as a vanguard organisation, the mobiliser, organiser and guide of our people, recently clarified the monarchy question in our Policy Conference last year. We can now speak without fear of contradiction that PUDEMO is prepared and is ready to work with the monarchy within the guidelines of a constitution that defines its role and duties as a ceremonial figure. We approached this issue in both a serious-minded and revolutionary manner. PUDEMO has recognised the need and works for the strongest possible revolutionary links among all the progressive organisations in Swaziland, for the isolation of the oppressor and would never want to isolate itself as extremists but who equally would never sell the people of Swaziland. This is a principal task to which, to this day, the movement pays maximum attention. We clearly understand that it is not and can never be a revolutionary approach to seek to isolate ourselves from any actual or potential allies in the struggle for the liberation of our country. As a revolutionary organisation, PUDEMO does not believe that the unity of the whole Tikhundla population as an oppressor nation is either natural or permanent. Neither does the movement believe that unity is both forced and transient. As the struggle intensifies, the correctness of this position will
and has already been amply demonstrated. For us, now, it remains a constant task to win over to our side all those within the oppressor, the royal family, who recognise the injustice of extreme national oppression in our country and are prepared to fight for its destruction, however primitive the level of that recognition and however timid that preparedness. It can never be a revolutionary approach on our part to seek to increase the cohesion and to raise the level of unity of the enemy. It is a revolutionary approach, rather, to seek to divide him, to win over to our side whatever sections are prepared to come over to us, to neutralise those that we can and to fight the rest without giving in an inch until we emerge victorious over them; until we impose democracy and liberation over the die-hard forces of Tinkhundla and reaction. It is for this reason that we continue to fuel and laud people like Prince Masitsela who has consistently called for dialogue between PUDEMO and the monarchy. We continue to believe that as the country goes on a downward spiral, international pressure heightens and momentum of struggle picks up again. More voices from within the royal family will join the call for political dialogue to end this impasse once and for all.
COLUMN/news
CRAIC WITH THE YOUTH With
Tina Mokemane
and it did not end at that: I was terrified, I was in pain. As a matter of fact, that separation changed my destiny. Well, it all started like this: they chose to split up and go their own ways, that was when my life and feelings dropped. It was right in front of my eyes. I watched them because at that very moment, i couldn’t do nothing about it. Yes! Even if I could, I had no say in it at all.
Did it change for the better or worse? That is what I still ask myself? What if they were still together? Would have things turned out differently? Would I still be here writing this? Would I have met all these people that I have come across in my life? I highly doubt it!
I never knew how much the impact of the decision they made was going to change my life so drastically. Yes, it affected me a lot. It bruised me in so many ways that I vowed to myself that I never want to get Married in the future.
As years went by my emotions seemed to get worse. I tried to hide it. And oh boy! I was really good at it. I ended up losing myself. I became this character who kept lying to herself and kept acting tough as if I had no affection and all I was longing for was love and affection. I never thought of facing the music life brought, instead, I
I was scared of the opposite sex
OCT 01 - 15 2013 AFRICAWORLD 19
Y M S S I IM
kept running away from that pain. The truth is that I didn’t know how to react to it . Looking back from it, I actually wish I did. Then another stumbling block came: I had to move to a different continent from where he was. It was hard saying goodbye. I knew I was going to see him again because he was a part of me that I couldn’t just faze away. It was four of us then but there were three entering that plane. I knew things were never going to be the same again. I felt the teardrops running down my face but I couldn’t stop them. I felt so much pain and pressure on my neck that it was even hard to swallow my own saliva. Yes, the feeling of pain kept coming and this time it is more of an intense pain than the previous one I had felt a few years ago .
Y D D A D
I’m not going to lie I missed him very much. I didn’t have a picture of him, I knew if I did, it was just going to make it feel as if I was leaving him for good. However, I knew I was going to come back for him. It wouldn’t be the last time, it certainly would not.
knew how much I loved him...
Many years passed without seeing him. When I finally went back to my home country, it was to find out his younger brother and my favourite uncle passed away. I cried my eyes out and he was there to comfort me. “Come to Daddy, it will be alright. Stop crying!” he said, giving me the biggest hug ever.
I left for Ireland and a week later they told me he had passed away My soul died and I had wished the ground would open up and swallow me in. My best friend, soldier, counsellor, mentor, blood, creator, first love and my father was Gone and a half of me left with him too.
I stayed for the funeral and it was lovely having him around. I found myself staring at him and thinking, ‘that’s My Dad’, with a huge smile on my face. If he only
When It was time for me to leave, he gave me a kiss on the forehead and observed my facial expression with smile. His kiss was touching as if he knew it was his last time with me.
And I never got to tell him that I loved him. I will always remember you the same, may you find happiness there and may you find warmth in the Lord . I LOVE YOU DADDY!!!
AFRICAN RESTAURANT OWNERS FIGHT IN DUBLIN
Two African restaurant bosses nearly killed themselves in a physical battle over disagreement on October 1 at the famous Decency restaurant in Dublin city centre. AfricaWorld reliably learnt that the fight at Decency, located on 40 Mountjoy St, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, was between the owner of the earlier and Johnson, boss at another fast rising African food take-away outlet. The crux of the matter, AfricaWorld reliably learnt, was about change of ownership of the Decency outlet. Johnson, who runs his take-away outlet on Summerhill, Dublin 1, agreed to take over the well established
Scene of Clash
Decency at an agreed sum of about €15000, only to renege on full payment on the agreed date. According to AfricaWorld source, Johnson deposited €2000 as initial commitment until the end of September when full payment will be effected to trigger change of ownership. H o w e v e r, Johnson came back on the agreed date, reneging to balance payment citing his wife’s refusal
to continue the deal. Instead, he demanded to be refunded his
earlier financial commitment which fell on deaf ears of the Decency owner. Eye witnesses
Olu’s eatery Place off Moore Street
said arguments became intense, leading to a physical combat. As at press time, the matter is yet to be resolved.
Far from the Decency debacle, Johnson is said to have fallen out with Olu, another restaurant owner located off the Moore street multicultural market. Olu’s eatery place, 3sixty5 was rumoured to have been acquired by Johnson two weeks ago, only for the earlier to
take it back after a very short time. When AfricaWorld went to 3sixty5 to investigate two weeks ago, the staff confirmed the Johnson takeover. However, another visit on October 1 brought another story from a source close to Olu. “Johnson never paid Olu”, the source informed AfricaWorld. Instead, a young man has emerged as the new owner of 3sixty5, and AfricaWorld will be revealing his identity in the next edition. This debacle of restauranteurs has finally brought out the underground battle to control the African restaurant business within the city centre of Dublin metropolis.
Johnson’s Restaurant in Summerhill
20 AFRICAWORLD OCT 01 - 15 2013
lecture series