African voice newspaper 501 by African Voice Newspapers UK

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013 ISSUE 501

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SINCE 2001

B R I TA I N ’ S N O . 1 A F R I C A N N E W S PA P E R

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Britain’s Prime Minister talks exclusively to African Voice SEE PAGES 2 & 3

Simple changes we must make to ﬁght the diabetes disaster

SEE PAGE 22

Public opinion inhibits rational immigration policy

Business minister claims ‘toxic’ views inform decisions By Alan Oakley

Activists at last week’s Liberal Democrat autumn conference have been told by coalition business minister, Vince Cable, that ‘toxic’ public opinion in the UK makes it difﬁcult for politicians to make a sensible, business-based case for immigration. Addressing a fringe meeting at the conference in Glasgow, Mr Cable said that it was difﬁcult to make an “economically rational case” for immigration because “we are dealing with an absolutely toxic public opinion”. As Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Mr Cable has long asserted that foreign workers are vital for the British economy. He has also argued that international students make a valuable contribution of about £12bn a year to the UK economy. However, he has found that his pro-immigration views have met with op-

position, both in the press and from within government. Immigration has turned out to be a major bone of contention between the two coalition parties, occasionally giving rise to public spats. Most recently, Sarah Teather, Liberal Democrat member for Brent Central constituency, announced she was stepping down as an MP having become depressed by a Government plan to introduce ‘security bonds’ for people coming to the UK from so-called high risk countries. Since the coalition came to power in 2010, measures attributed chieﬂy to the Conservative contingent have seen the net annual immigration level fall from about 250,000 to about 150,000. Mark Harper, the Government’s immigration minister, has said that he expects to meet David Cameron’s “tens of thousands” target – taken to mean below 100,000 - by 2015.

Continued on page 19

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Have You GotNews For Us

News

Britain’s Prime Minister

Newsdesk: 020 3737 3077

Email: africanvoicenews@gmail.com

HM Revenue & Customs launches graduate recruitment drive

The search begins this week for at least 120 graduates to join HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as tax trainees. The graduates will join a specially-designed four-year Tax Professional Development Programme, gaining skills across all of HMRC’s activities. This could include working with specialist teams investigating tax fraud, unravelling complex tax avoidance schemes, looking at the tax affairs of big businesses, while also gaining general business skills. Last year nearly 16,000 applicants applied for 200 places on the programme. HMRC is launching its recruitment drive with an advertising campaign and visits to more than 30 university careers fairs across the country. Edward Troup, Tax Assurance Commissioner and second Permanent Secretary at HMRC, said: “One day you could be working on criminal investigations or statistical forecasting, the next you might be challenging an avoidance scheme from a blue chip company.” Applications close on 29 November.

Publisher and Editor-In-Chief Mike Abiola Editorial Board Adviser Dr Ola Ogunyemi News Editor Peter Olorunnisomo Managing Editor Alan Oakley Sports Editor Abiodun Teriba Assist. Sports Editor Olubunmi Omoogun Arts Editor Golda John Columnists Ryan Holmes Photo Journalist Isaac Adegbite Graphic Designer African Voice UK Legal Adviser Nosa Kings Erhunmwunsee London Office: Unit 7 Holles House Overton Road London SW9 7AP

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African Voice is published by African Voice UK.

Prime Minister David Cameron

African Voice was recently invited, along with a small group of ethnic media editors, to a Round Table meeting at 10 Downing Street to discuss issues and areas of concern relating to the ethnically diverse population he was elected to represent.

As an adjunct to the meeting, African Voice was granted a brief opportunity to put questions pertaining specifically to Britain’s African community to Prime Minister David Cameron. We would like to thank Mr Cameron for taking time out of his undoubtedly busy schedule to offer the following responses. AFRICAN VOICE: The role of the migrant community, particularly those of African descent, has been variously described as very healthy for the British economy and growth by politicians and business moguls. Will the method of immigration prosecution of these people not undermine their value and contributions to the country without sending negative signals to them? MR DAVID CAMERON: Immigration has brought significant benefits to Britain and our migrant communities are a fundamental part of who we are. Our country is a far richer and stronger society because of them, whether it’s doctors, nurses, artists, entrepreneurs or hard–working businessmen and women. They are part of our island story: open, diverse and welcoming, and I am immensely proud of it. However, it is important that our immigration system is fair and not abused.

We want to ensure that people who do come here are the brightest and the best, with the skills and talent to help create the jobs and growth that will help us to win in the global race. And it also means ensuring that the system is fair so that we support the aspirations of hard-working people who want to get on in life and do the right thing. I know these are aspirations shared by African Voice readers. AV: What policy avenues are you considering to harvest effectively all that they could bring to the socio-economic table of Britain? DC: There are over a quarter of a million black and minority ethnic-led small and medium sized enterprises in the UK, contributing an estimated £30 billion to the British economy so we acknowledge the significant contribution they make. Just this month we announced an extra £69 million to support new businesses and entrepreneurs. Our initiative to help aspiring start-ups is harnessing the extraordinary talent from across Britain’s communities and I’m pleased to say that over 40% of the new businesses in the scheme have been set up by black and minority ethnic people – a sure sign that people of all backgrounds are having a stake in Britain. AV: On British political party representation; Africans believe the Conservative Party is quite remote from them. Do you think that ethnic representation is adequate within your party? DC: The number of BME Conservative MPs elected at the last election increased from two to 11, so we’ve made progress already but I realise there is

still more to do. I am determined to keep increasing the representation of ethnic minority communities throughout the Conservative Party at every level. That must start by engaging properly with diverse communities around Britain, showing the values we share, winning the trust and support of more BME voters and then persuading more to join us and put themselves forward for council elections and as prospective MPs. AV: What is your position on Proportional Representation? DC: The public had the opportunity to vote for a new voting system just over two years ago but decided to keep ‘First Past the Post’. Proportional Representation takes power away from the man and woman in the street and hands it to the political elites. Instead of voters choosing their government on the basis of the manifestos put before them in an election, party managers would choose a government on the basis of secret backroom deals. First Past the Post is a fair voting system that is used the world over. It is used by 2.4 billion to elect their representatives; it is used in over 60 countries including the United States and India, the biggest democracy in the world. AV: What is British government doing to tap Africa’s huge market opportunity? DC: For too long, politicians in this country looked at Africa and saw only the problems of that continent, not the potential. This is now changing. Africa is open for business. Many African nations are among the world’s

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News

talks exclusively to African Voice fastest growing economies and the continent as a whole is predicted to see strong growth over the next decade. It’s vital that we are a part of that story. Not just because more UK trade and investment is good for Africa and good for development, but because it’s good for Britain too. That’s why I flew to Africa with a planeload of business leaders in 2011, and that’s why Justine Greening, my international development secretary, has made such a priority of promoting economic growth. As well as supporting vital things like immunisations, healthcare and education, the UK is taking concrete steps to help improve the investment climate and break down barriers to trade between African countries - whether tariff barriers or things like red tape at border crossings. Alongside our G8 partners, we’re helping get more infrastructure investment into Africa. And we’re helping to promote much more transparency and

PM David Cameron with Mike Abiola editor in chief African Voice Newspaper and Hnery Bonsu CEO of Colourful Radio

openness in how money from extractive resources like oil and gas is used, so as to spur development. It is through increased trade, growth and jobs that Africa will realise its huge

potential – something that will benefit us here in the UK as well as the people of Africa. AV: In view of Britain’s relationship with Nigeria, does your government

have any plan(s) to commemorate Nigeria’s centenary? DC: We are looking forward to taking part in Nigeria’s centenary celebrations next year. 2014 is an important milestone for Nigeria as it marks 100 years since the unification of a great country and valued friend of Britain. As our High Commissioner recently declared, our bilateral history, culture and people-topeople connections remain very strong and mutually beneficial. But I think the best is still yet to come as we forge ever closer links. Britain’s Nigerian community has contributed so much to Britain in so many ways: business, education, science, public service and the arts, the list of extraordinary talents goes on and on. The Diaspora also help keep the close bond between our two great countries, and I’m sure next year as the country salutes its centenary they will bring joyous Nigerian celebrations to towns and cities across Britain.

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News

Kenya mall attack: Brit death toll may rise By Alan Oakley

Details have emerged of the six British subjects confirmed murdered at the hands of al-Shabaab in the Westgate shopping mall attack in Kenya.

Zahira Bawa, wife of a British businessman, and their eight year-old daughter Jenah were both killed in the terrorist attack. Husband and father Louis Bawa said he had spoken to his daughter last week and promised her “any present in the world” if she did well in her exams. She replied that he should start saving because she intended to work very hard so that she could have a pony. Describing the attackers as vigilantes, Mr Bawa said: “They are using religion as an excuse to kill people. Zahira and Jenah were Muslims, but these animals just shot them the same as all of the others.” 33-year-old Architect Ross Langdon, who had dual British and Australian citizenship, was in Kenya having designed an AIDS hospital for which he volunteered to forego his fee. He was killed alongside his pregnant Dutch wife, Elif Yavuz, also 33, who was a malaria specialist with a PhD in public health policy from Harvard University. She had completed her dissertation research on malaria in eastern Africa and was working with the Bill Gates Foun-

An apparently wounded hostage is carried away by volunteers from Kenya’s Red

dation in Kenya and the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Tanzania. Her Facebook page proudly displays a photograph of her alongside former US President Bill Clinton, posted a few weeks ago. The Clinton family said in a statement: “Elif was brilliant, dedicated, and deeply admired by her colleagues, who will miss her terribly.” The website of Regional Associates, the firm Mr Langdon founded in 2008, displayed the following simple message yesterday: “Profoundly talented and full of life, Ross enriched the lives of all those around him.” Four young relatives of an East Midlands businessman, who were in West-

A terrified unaccompanied child rushes to a willing rescuer

Shocked shoppers cower as they are escorted to safety by Kenyan security forces

gate mall recording for a TV show called Junior Super Chef were also killed. Reported figures for the death toll vary between 62 and 69 and it remains possible, according to defence secretary Philip Hammond, that the number of Britons killed in the attack may rise further. “Our current best estimate is we now have six British nationals who have died in this incident,” he said, after leaving a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee in the Cabinet Office. “Of the additional two, one is confirmed and another one we believe to be

a British national and we are awaiting final confirmation but we are pretty certain we now have six British nationals who have died.” At the time of writing, no confirmation as to whether radicalised British mother Samantha Lewthwaite, the socalled ‘White Widow’, was one of the attackers or, if she was, whether she survived the siege in which up to five of the assailants are thought to have been killed. A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.

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Letters

More reactions to African Voice 500th edition Dear Editor in Chief,

It was hard for me to believe on walking into African Voice HQ six years ago, that the two-room premises run by skeletal staff was responsible for putting out content week after week without fail. I was a postgraduate journalism student with Harlow College and needed a place to do my internship. Right from the first week, I was thrown in the deep end – chasing leads and researching stories. But I was also given free rein to use my initiative, introduced to interesting interviewees who I might not have otherwise met, and encouraged to be creative and discerning with topics I wanted to pursue. And the result – countless bylines and a few front page articles meant

Chikodili Emelumadu that I was more than prepared for my future position with the BBC. For this, I remain grateful.

Chikodili Emelumadu

Congratulations African Voice. Please keep the flag flying high. I wish I had known in advance so I could have sent my goodwill message. Good job; we are very proud of you. Ambassador Ahmed Umar Nigeria Embassy, Saudi Arabia Congratulations! I am very proud of your achievement. May God continue to strengthen you now and forever. Christian C Udechukwu  MD/CEO, BusinessinAfrica Events (BIAE) Big congratulations on the 500th edition of African Voice newspaper, well published by Chief Mike Abiola. We are very proud of this popular and valuable newspaper. Well done and God bless. Wishing you greater success in the years ahead.

Chief (Mrs) Yemisi Agunbiade Sanusi, President, IDAY-UK

A dozen gbosas for you and your team on this unique achievement. Ambassador Ahmed Umar

I wish you greater success as you continue to dazzle and shine in a competitive

environment. Ire ni o.

Tunde Kelani, Filmmaker

UPU UK inauguration: Chief Emmanuel Ganiga rolls out a 7 points agenda By Emmanuel Urhiofe

New executive members of the Urhobo Progress Union UK were recently sworn in to run the affairs of the Union. The event which took place on the 25th of August 2013 at the River of Life Centre Hatcham Road London was attended by a cross section of the Urhobo community in the UK as well as the representative of the Nigeria High Commission, London, Mr S Kporharor. Presenting certificates of office to the new officers, President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union Worldwide, Chief (MajorGeneral) Patrick Aziza (RTD) CFR, MNI, called on all Urhobo sons and daughters in the UK to join in the development of the region back home. While enjoining the new officers to work within the tenet of the UPU constitution, he advised all Urhobos in the UK to team up in the interest of unity and progress of the community at large. Thanking the people for electing him as President, Chief (Barr.) Emmanuel Okpako Ganiga called on all aggrieved members to unite with his team in achieving his seven points 6

agenda which has the objectives of uplifting the fortunes of the Union. He promised to, among other things unite all fronts for the purpose of enhancing the progress of UPU, embark on membership drive, and provide a UPU (UK) Bus to convey our elders and vulnerable members to various meetings/ functions. He also promised to launch an Urhobo House/School initiative with the aim of inculcating the Urhobo culture in the youth, embark on Scholarship schemes to assist the brightest and less privileged citizens of the Urhobo nation at the university level back home, and to embark on the inauguration of a think-tank committee as a powerful advisory body to bridge the gap between London and the headquarters in Nigeria. He said “The Urhobo nation is rich in culture and resources and it is on this front that I challenge my brothers and sisters here in the UK to utilize our opportunities and potentials to the maximum.”

Past UPU President Chief Humphrey Aghoghovbia; Chief Emmanuel Ganiga,Chief (Major-General) Patrick Aziza (Rtd), Mr S Kporarhor and past UPU President Mr Paul Akpofure

Chief (Barr.) Emmanuel Okpako Ganiga receiving the staff of office from the UPU President-General Worldwide, Chief (Major-General) Patrick Aziza (Rtd) CFR, MNI

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Edward Boateng Wins the 2013 African Business Leader of the Year tel in New York. Mr. Boateng won the award from an impressive number of strong candidates comprising CEOs from across the continent.

Edward Boateng

The Executive Chairman and Chief Executive of Global Media Alliance (GMA), Edward Boateng, has won the prestigious African Business Leader for the Year 2013 organised by African Business Magazine and IC Publications.He was recognised in New York at an impressive ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Ho-

Organised by African Business magazine and IC Publications for the past six years, the African Business Awards has become a platform to celebrate excellence and best practices in African business and to recognise CEOs and deserving Africans who are driving Africa’s rapidly transforming economy and continue to play a role in its transformation.Mr. Boateng was recognised for his immense contribution towards the transformation and development of media and ﬁlm in Africa to tell the African story, mentoring of young professionals, his work with the disabled and the development of social and environmental awareness programs. His company Etv Ghana is the only television company to employ a blind news reader in Africa. “I am honoured to be adjudged the 2013 African Business Leader of the Year. Indeed, I am very grateful for this huge recognition; I want to thank my wife and my

family for their immeasurable sacriﬁce and support, and the board, management and staff of Global Media Alliance. I owe this to the hardworking employees of GMA who are driving our vision to be in industry leader in Africa. This award is a testament that we are certainly making an impact and achieving our goal despite our challenges” noted Mr. Boateng. Other awards that were given include the African Business of the year, outstanding woman in Business award, award for good corporate governance and award for innovation. Under Mr. Boateng’s leadership, GMA now boasts of one television station in Accra (e.tv Ghana), four unique radio stations spread across Ghana (Happy 98.9 FM, Y107.9 FM, Y97.9 FM, Anigye 102.5 FM), an Event Management company, a Public Relations Firm, a Creative and Brand Management Firm, a Mobile Content Development Company (Starﬁsh Ghana Limited), an LED Service Provider (Megascreen Ghana Limited), as well as the country’s only multiplex cinema and

complete entertainment house (Silverbird Ghana Limited).He also helped establish Nu Metro Cinemas, later to become Silverbird Cinemas in Kenya and Nigeria. Prior to founding GMA, Edward was the Africa’s Head of Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), establishing brands such as CNN, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies as household names in Africa. He initiated the highly successful weekly “Inside Africa” program on CNN, which has now been running for over a decade, and established the CNN African Journalists Awards (CNN AJA), now widely recognized as the most prestigious award of its kind on the continent. In addition, Edward helped establish the ﬁrst 24-hour Pan African TV News Channel, SABC Africa, in 1999 and the Africa2Africa Entertainment Channels, the precursor to the now very popular Africa2Africa Channels on DSTV. He was also one of the main architects who helped deregulate media across several African countries in the 1990s.

Kenya switches to digital

WHILE South African broadcasters continue to haggle over the move to digital terrestrial television, the Kenyan government is ready to switch off analogue television broadcasting signals from December. Both free-to-air and pay television options will be available to residents. Speaking at a MultiChoice Africa information brieﬁng in Nairobi last month, policy expert Daniel Obam said analogue signals would be switched off in the city on December 13. Other parts of the country would follow in phases from next year. The International Telecommunications Union, a UN agency responsible for information and telecommunications technology, has set a June 2015 deadline for member states -including South Africa -to switch from analogue to digital. Failure to do so would put countries at risk of interference from neighbouring nations as the agency would no longer protect analogue signals. Telecoms operators -competing for in8

creasingly rare spectrum as network traffic grows -are also sniffing around the frequencies that would be freed up by the switch, something that has been dubbed the “digital dividend”. South Africa has indicated it would miss the union’s deadline, as it has been mired in court challenges from broadcasters seeking an access control system in the set-top boxes needed to feed digital signals into analogue television sets. Vasili Vass, group head of corporate affairs at e.tv, one of the broadcasters keen on the control system, said: “If digital specifications and the conditional access system are not outlined and controlled carefully, users will not have a cohesive experience across different set-top boxes, and this could negatively impact their view of freeto-air broadcasters and their offerings. This system has not been implemented anywhere else in the world and would effectively amount to government and taxpayers funding e.tv’s pay-television ambitions, MultiChoice pointed out.

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Islamic Militants threaten Nigeria By Peter Olorunnisomo

the attacks against our men in the troubled North Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. “We have seen fairs-skinned corpses and those of Arabs of Shuwa descent. We believe they are from countries like Algeria, Mauritania, Niger, Sudan and Somalia. It is very possible they are helping the Nigerian insurgents like those in Boko Haram in coordinating attacks against our men.” Our correspondent learnt that there were strong feelings in the military that the militants who still have several bases in the thick forests of the northern part of Borno State, were among those chased out of Mali by the French and the West African troops led by Nigeria. The militants are said be be armed with Rocket Propelled Grenades and General Purpose Machine Guns which are more

sophisticated than the AK 47 used by the Nigerian troops. Another security source told our correspondent that the RPG released to the Nigerian troops were obsolete compared to those being wielded by the militants from North Africa and their Boko Haram allies. Findings indicated that the level of preparedness and calibre of arms in possession of the militants were responsible for ‘the high casualty on the Nigerian side.’ The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, had said during a press conference a week ago that the Army lost 15 soldiers with nine others missing during the attack by militants in the Kasiya Forest in Ngazai Local Government Area of Borno State. Last Sunday and Monday morning, the insurgents launched another rounds of attacks on the Nigerian troops, necessitating the deployment of more fighter jets in the troubled states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. It was learnt that the fighter jets immediately commenced monitoring the activities of the insurgents in the three states which are under emergency rule. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, is said to be personally supervising the use of fighter jets and the Air Force personnel supporting the Army in the fight against the insurgents. It was also gathered that a major offensive planned by the Army with aerial back up

from the Air Force resulted in the killing of a good number of the insurgents on Monday night. Our source couldn’t give the casualty figure in the latest attack. The Director of Air Information, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, confirmed the deployment of Alpha jets as well as M1, 35 and M1,34 helicopters in the operational areas. Anas also confirmed that Badeh was in Maiduguri to supervise the latest deployment and the personnel of the Air Force assisting the the Army in the campaign against terrorism. He said, “It is true; we have deployed M1, 35 and M1,34 helicopters and Alpha jet aircraft. They are there to support the Nigerian Army in curtailing the security situation in the North-East. “I cannot give you the exact number but the figure is adequate to perform the role for which they were deployed. I know that in the past nine months, we have always had NAF helicopters there; they are engaged in patrol purposes, medical services, medical evacuation and also offensive roles; that is, they are also used for attacks. “In addition to that, the Air Force has deployed Alpha jets aircraft to participate in the operation. I can also confirm that the Chief of Air staff was in Maiduguri to monitor the deployment and supervise our personnel who are involved in the operation.”

to the global community that the country deserved to be elected to the Council again for the 2014-2015 session. “Our support for the United Nations Security Council in its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security has been total and unwavering. “We have, in previous membership of the Council, demonstrated both the political will and capacity to engage in key Council responsibilities. “I am pleased to state that Nigeria has received the endorsement of the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union. We therefore urge this august Assembly to endorse Nigeria’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council,” Jonathan said. The President also called for quicker democratisation of the Security Council to address the concerns of Nigeria and other developing countries. “I believe that I express the concern of many about the slow pace of effort and apparent lack of progress in the reform of the United Nations, especially the Security Council.

“We believe strongly that the call for democratisation worldwide should not be for States only, but also, for international organisations such as the United Nations. “That is why we call for the democratisation of the Security Council. This is desirable for the enthronement of justice, equity, and fairness; and also for the promotion of a sense of inclusiveness and balance in our world.” Noting that the world continues to be confronted with many serious challenges, Jonathan called for a renewed and concerted effort by the international community to effectively resolve all issues that currently impede global peace, stability and progress. “Our world continues to be confronted by pressing problems and threats. No statement that will be made during this Session can exhaust the extent of these problems. “The world looks to us, as leaders, to provide hope in the midst of crisis, to provide guidance through difﬁcult socio-political divisions, and to ensure that we live in a better world. “We have obligations to the present generation, but we have a greater obligation

to generations yet unborn who should one day inherit a world of sufﬁciency irrespective of the circumstances of their birth or where they reside on the globe,” he said. “We must work to make that world a reality in recognition of our common heritage. “We must dedicate ourselves to working together to address global, regional and national challenges and deliver a more peaceful, equitable and prosperous world for all. It is our duty. We must not fail,” he declared. The President also restated his call for the international community to confront the menace of global terrorism with greater resolve and determination. “Terrorism constitutes a major threat to global peace and security, and undermines the capacity for sustained development.” Jonathan congratulated UN memberstates on the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), and expressed the hope that “upon its entry into force, the ATT would herald an era of accountable trade in conventional arms which is critical to the security of nations.”

Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, Chief of Defence The Nigerian military may be strongly bracing themselves up to face possible terrorist threats from North Africa. Reports reaching us say that there are strong indications emerging that Islamic militants from some North African countries are coordinating attacks against the Nigerian military in the North Eastern part of the country. A military source in Abuja is said to have informed that security operatives were led to this conclusion from the number of Shuwa Arabs and fair-skinned people from Mauritania, Somalia, Algeria, Sudan, and Niger, were among those whose bodies were found after some of the recent encounters with the militants. The source said, “We strongly believe that the foreign militants under the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are coordinating

Goodluck canvasses UN for seat

From one President to another, what do you think bruv?’ Goodluck and Obama

President Goodluck Jonathan was in New York on Tuesday to attend the 68th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, United States of America, where he put forward reasons why Nigeria ought to be given another chance to occupy a seat on the Security Council. He mounted the podium and spoke to world leaders and their country delegates and recalled Nigeria’s commendable performance on previous occasions when it held a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. This, he stated, strengthens belief that Nigeria should be supported to assume the seat and this recommended assurance

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ICT Lifts Osun’s Monthly-Generated Revenue To N1.6bn – Aregbesola

Aregbesola of the State of Osun has disclosed that his passion with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in developing people and economies has paid off, with the state’s monthly internally generated revenue now standing at N1.6 billion.

The governor said the deployment of ICT in the state has helped to boost its finances. According to him, as soon as he became governor of the state in 2010, he deployed the use of ICT in all government transactions and within a space of one year, its monthly internally generated revenue jumped by 100 per cent, from N300 million to N600 million, and now to N1.6 billion. Aregbesola, who spoke at a recent telecoms lecture in Lagos tagged Nigerian Telecoms Development Lecture (NITDEL), organised by the Nigerian Telecoms News Magazine, said since his inception as governor of the state, he was able to use ICT to block all loopholes leading to financial leakages in the state, adding that the state now stands on a strong financial ground to

serve the people better. Aregbesola, who delivered a paper at the telecoms lecture with the topic ‘ICT, A Tool for Societal Development,’ urged the federal and state governments to conscientiously deploy ICT in governance to enable Nigerians enjoy its many benefits. According to him, “Since I became the governor in November 2010, I have given an important place to ICT in the way we run the business of government. One of the first areas of ICT deployment in the State of Osun under my administration was revenue reform. We immediately moved to discard the old methods of payment system and tax administration which were fraught with leakages and loopholes that were exploited to divert revenues that should accrue to the state’s coffers”. He added, “The result was instant and stunning; our monthly internally generated revenue (IGR) jumped by 100 per cent from N300 million to N600 million in less than one year. We have since moved to consolidate our public finance reforms by deploying an ICT-driven revenue and taxation management system, called the Osun State Government Electronic Banking System of Revenue Cycle Manage-

ment (OSSG-EBS-RCM), and today our monthly IGR stands at N1.6 billion.” The system, he said, allowed for online Direct Bank Lodgement System (DBLS) of the revenue collection process. The DBLS, with its communication, database software, accounting and reconciliation and monitoring components, enables the capturing of all payments information and other banking transactions on-line, he said.

The system also generates reconciled cash-book on all banks’ accounts for the Accountant General’s ofﬁce; generates summary and specialised reports for tax stations and other agencies as required; and sets up electronic link between tax stations and other agencies with the central information pool incorporating applicable restrictions, the governor added THISDAY LIVE

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Governor, State of Osun during the Ogbeni Till Day Break

From Left – Hajj Orientator for Saudi Authority, Shaykh Abdallah Garsan; Commissioner for Home Affairs, Tourism and Culture State of Osun, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun, Hon. Muhammad Bashir Ibraheem Member Osun assembly, Alhai Rasheed Mabayoje SSA to Osun Governor and, Shaykh Iyaad Shukry, Hajj Orientator Saudi Arabia during a special orientation forum organized for representatives of the Osun Government in Madeenah

Photos: Taofeeq Adejare

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Managing Director, Ecobank, Mr. Jibril Aku during a Courtesy Visiy to the Governor, at Government House

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Indonesia

Nigerian wins 2013 ‘Crown of Modesty’

Protests about Israel’s alleged unjust treatment of Eritrean refugees are commonplace on the streets of Tel-Aviv

2012 winner Nina Septiani of Indonesia crowns Nigeria’s new Miss World Muslimah, Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola

Germany

Germany elects first black lawmakers

Senegal-born Karamba Diaby became a German citizen in 2001

Germany has its first black MPs following the country’s general election, which returned Angela Merkel as Chancellor. A chemist and an actor – both with family roots in Senegal – have become the European nation’s first black federal lawmakers, according to official election results released on Monday (September 23). They were among 34 lawmakers with immigrant backgrounds to win seats in Sunday’s election, up from 21 in the previous term, said the Migration Media Service, a group that provides facts and figures on immigration in Germany. Although nearly one in five of Germany’s 80 million people are immigrants, or the children or grandchildren of immigrants, relatively few have made it into the federal legislature. Until now there were no black lawmakers in Parliament, despite more than 500,000 people of recent African origin believed to be living in Germany. “My election into the German Parliament

is of historical importance,” said Karamba Diaby, a Senegalese-born chemist who moved to the city of Halle in 1986 after receiving a scholarship to study in communist East Germany. The 51-year-old, who gained German citizenship in 2001, said his priority would be to promote equal opportunities in education. “Every child born in Germany should have the chance to be successful in school regardless of their social background or the income of their parents,” he said. The other black lawmaker elected Sunday was Charles M. Huber, a 56-year-old actor born in Munich to a Senegalese father and a German mother. Huber is a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, which won the election with 41.5 percent of the vote. Merkel’s party also now has its ﬁrst Muslim lawmaker in the Bundestag. Cemile Giousouf was elected in the western town of Hagen. The 35-year-old was born in Germany to Turkish immigrant parents. Several lawmakers of Turkish origin have previously been elected to the lower house, but most were with the Social Democratic Party, which Diaby represents, the environmentalist Green Party or the Left Party. “Measured against the 630 seats in Parliament, some 5.4 percent of deputies now come from immigrant families,” the Migration Media Service noted. “In the population as a whole their share is more than three times as high, with about 19 percent.”

A week before Indonesia also hosts the established Miss World pageant, capital city Jakarta hosted the 2013 Miss World Muslimah contest last week, crowning Nigerian entrant Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola queen for a year. The contest, which was inaugurated to challenge western ideas of beauty, placed emphasis on contestants’ knowledge and views on Islam in the modern world and how well they were able to recite verses from the Qur’an. The 21-year-old winner wept and dropped to her knees as her name was announced. She was awarded prize money of £1,365 and trips to Mecca and India. The annual pageant, which evolved from a contest ﬁrst held in 2011 exclusively for Indonesian Muslims, saw participants from 20 countries take part, including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Brunei and Iran. Countries were permitted to enter multiple contestants. The sole US ﬁnalist withdrew before the ceremony citing a family emergency.

The pageant was founded three years ago by Eka Shanti, who lost her job as a TV news anchor for refusing to remove her headscarf. Shanti billed the contest as “Islam’s answer to Miss World”. “This year we deliberately held our event just before the Miss World ﬁnal to show that there are alternative role models for Muslim women,” she said. “But it’s about more than Miss World. Muslim women are increasingly working in the entertainment industry in a sexually explicit way, and they become role models, which is a concern”, she said. Around 90 percent of Indonesia’s 250 million people are Muslim, making it home to the world’s largest Muslim population. The established Miss World pageant, elements of which were to be held in Jakarta, has now been conﬁned to the mainly Hindu island resort of Bali in response to pressure from Indonesia’s government. The lead-up to this week’s pageant has seen a groundswell of protests from hardline Indonesian Muslim groups.

India

Man found guilty of wife’s suicide

A husband has been jailed for ﬁve years for harassing his wife and “abetting her suicide” after she was found hanged in their marital home.

Judge Yashwant Kumar said Amrender Singh played a “deﬁnite role” in his wife’s decision to take her own life. Sentencing Singh, he said: “It was the intended and direct act of the accused which resulted in the injuries on the person of deceased Sunita, which left no option with her but to commit suicide... [the injuries] cannot be the effect of hanging herself by Sunita, meaning thereby abetment is not missing in this case. There was a deﬁnite role of the accused for abetment of suicide. Therefore, there is a presumption as to the abetment of suicide by Sunita against the accused. Thus, the prosecution has been able to prove by oral testimony of prosecution witnesses coupled with documentary evidence that Sunita was subjected to cruelty and harassment by

accused and further he abetted her to commit suicide.” Sunita Singh’s body was found in September 2008 after she had complained persistently to her parents that her husband of four years was physically abusing her. She told them that the beatings were particularly bad when he was under the inﬂuence of alcohol and that, during the assaults, he would say he wanted more dowry from them. The court rejected Singh’s claim that he never demanded any dowry from his wife or her parents. “It is pertinent to mention here that it is not a case of dowry death but the case of abetment of suicide, therefore, [the] plea taken by the accused that he never demanded any dowry cannot be sustained,” the court said. In addition to the jail term, Singh was ordered to pay a R17,000 (£170) ﬁne, R10,000 (£100) of which is to be given to the father of the victim as compensation. 11

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Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

Special Interview

The All Peoples Party is the Ethnic Prem Goyal: If you were to describe a path for the ethnic minority political and economic development, what would your prescription be? African Voice: Each person should think about becoming a leader in their community. They don’t need to become politicians. Back home we all connected to different parts of the community. They should also do this here so that they can become school governors; participate in London marathon, volunteer with police or ambulance. The second thing they can do is to include in their community meetings a 15 minute or so slot where they learn about the British political system. They talk about a lot but don’t talk about these things in their meetings. And unless they start talking about this they will continue to be exploited. We have Indian associations, Caribbean associations, African association, etc and that has to be inculcated at the meeting points. They need to learn about the British political system so that they can master the system and know how to gain power from the Prem Goyal OBE system. The thing is a lot of the ethnic minorities and politicians get alienated from the bottom or struggle at the bottom and working at small jobs and if they produce the system because they are not aware of then start our kids at the most disadvanta3 or 4 children, yes you need to have some these small routes that access them to recgeous positions. Somebody has to do the family but they need to look at who will ognition. This is because as they haven’t hard work, either we do it or the next gentake care of them and they need money. mastered those routes, they think it is like eration will do it. Look at the older people That has to be understood. To bring up they are back home where they can simply campaign for say 10 years and be nice to senior politicians they will become recognised as politicians. But they are surprised when they present themselves to find that they are shown some defect in say their applications and therefore are out. We have lots of associations, Indian, African etc. They talk about everything but they don’t talk about these things - how to get political power in England. So that means that unless they start talking about these things they will always be manipulated by people who are born and brought in England. African Voice: How do you think the ethnic minority can attempt to be pro-active in the face of socio-economic limitations like wage pegs, long hours of toil, etc? Prem Goyal: That is what we have to remember to fire us up. We have made a journey of 7,000 kilometres that was not easy. When we came to this country, we came with £10, £100, £1000 but now that we are making £10k, £20k and £40k per year, it is better that we work hard another 5 or 10 years and move to the right level Prem Goyal (second right) with other members of the All Peoples Party because there is no point for us to settle at 12

kids successfully in this country cost £20k per year and about £200K all together for 15 years. So after coming into this country, you need to bring yourself to the right level before acquiring other liabilities, it will bring them down. So they need to observe this but it is difficult. They have to remember that they have not come to settle at the bottom. Even if they start a family, they need to tell these children to also work after the age of 15 years whether in the city or in America or South Kensington. So it is up to us to work hard. African Voice: When you say ‘work hard’, what does work hard mean? Prem Goyal: Just like what Tayo Shittu did. At the age of 40, he went through his skills set. Whatever you are doing in your businesses or in your day to day life and especially with your next generation. For example a lot of immigrants watch TV 5 hours a day. But they didn’t come here to watch TV. But they watch it and watching football. They are fans of each football team. And when they watch football, who makes money? The footballers; and not the ethnic minority groups. Most ethnic minority have got a favourite football team and footballer and favourite programmes. And that is why they are forgetting their destination. It is not easy, I am not saying it easy. So there is a challenge to evaluate how their watching football for 6 hours daily impacts on their goals in England. African Voice: Don’t you think that the home or host country to migrants has laws which protect its own and can become restrictive in the political sphere that become barriers? Prem Goyal: They have. But the thing is they are winning at the expense of our weaknesses. They have put those barriers there to help their people more so it is up to us to accept less or work hard and go over those barriers. African Voice: Do you not see a disconnect or gap between say your generation and the next generation (who should be fired up) that affects the goal for the socio-economic emancipation of the ethnic minorities? Prem Goyal: There is a gap. But people like me and others; we are fired up. We have come here, we have passion, we are hungry, we are driven because we don’t like where we are. But we know e can achieve more. Whereas the next generation haven’t seen any of these hardships, the challenge for them is when we produce the next generation in Brixton or

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

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Special Interview

Minority Party! – Prem Goyal OBE Peckham, they need to move just 10 km into the city of London but we have moved 7000km and this needs to be told to them every day for them to remember that they can only be successful if they move only 10km from Peckham or Brixton to the city of London. I don’t see many ethnic minority people working in the city of London, in fact almost none. That means they are stuck at the wrong place and parents have to sort this out. Somebody has to take the responsibility but they are putting it on the government or the political leaders who are saying we’ll take care of you when we have time. So who has the responsibility? Political leader or the community or the parents. African Voice: Can you reconcile the status of migrants to the realities of expectations minding the fact that they come in as engineers or qualified professionals and end as security guards, care workers, park attendants, etc. and the more they transit so also their expectations become unrealisable? Prem Goyal: If people come in and they find that they are struggling and also finding it difficult to sharpen the skills set; what they should think is to acknowledge what, may be they want to go to the moon but can go anymore, their situation is, be proud of their accomplishment and be happy. They enjoy the country and tell the next generation that they can push forward. But there are like-minded successful people who are good and now capable should take it on themselves to go to places like Southwark and say that I am going to be your representative in the House of Commons and I understand that you came in as an engineer and you have become a care-worker not by choice but circumstances have forced you and I want to give you the opportunity to become what you want. People like Mike, when they become politicians will make the right policies at the top and celebrate this journey as well guide the people. That way the expectation will be made clear that people know what they will be doing before they come into the country. People like Mike can then deliberate over creating the right opportunities for them. They can then inspire others to determine to be trail blazers like Tayo Situ who unfortunately died while in office as the Mayor of Southwark . African Voice: How can the ethnic minorities find the ability to advantage those things that they want to do? Is it by building a political, social and/or economic platform to bring this to reality? Prem Goyal: I think all are applicable

Prem Goyal (right) with colleagues

and necessary. First is the need to celebrate the different cultures so that ethnic groups can have their presence established and the influences felt. For example, a country like Nigeria that has almost 50% of its London population in Southwark is not able to celebrate its independence with such fanfare as necessary. No one is supporting such a venture. I have attended several functions in Southwark were cultural menus are nonexistent yet a large number of the people gathered do not reflect the true demography of Southwark. At such functions, it is not likely to find politicians and Council officials yet they have quite a number of Nigerians as friends of Facebook. All this become no one either has the confidence or thinks it is important as if the people are there. African Voice: But could this not be because they say there are limited funds? Prem Goyal: No, I don’t think so. Let me give you an example. For the armed forces day, there two community events then; Southwark Council catered for 2000 guests and less than 5% minority for which the council paid £50,000to organise that and food was abundant. Another event that had 5000 people with 99% ethnic minority and Southwark Council gave no penny and no political leader attended that function. For the armed forces there were at least 25 politicians and leaders. That means they take our votes but don’t recognise our culture and our people. So if we are able to

get political power at the top, then that can gives us social power and when those

things start happening then it will turn into economic power which we don’t have at the moment. Our political leaders do not support our businesses. Our leaders don’t go to our functions and that is why I don’t see any African restaurant in the heart of London. African Voice: You may want to disabuse the notion that you need to vote for a big party only in order not to ‘waste’ your vote believing that smaller parties can’t win election. Prem Goyal: I think that is true. That was true in Southwark up to 10 years ago because then the ethnic minority population was about 20% so they were not in a position to get their candidates selected so it was better to stay with the big parties and get whatever they can negotiate. Now in Southwark two things make that different; one, we are just about 50%. That is we have the ability to select and elect our own candidates, and secondly, more importantly, for the first time we have this party called the All Peoples Party. Meaning that people have an alternative to Tory, Labour, and Lib Dem to say why we want our own party so that we can look after our own interests.

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

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CRIME

Man jailed for forcing woman to miscarry

Ahmed Raoﬁ

A man who forced a pregnant woman into having a miscarriage by administering medication against her will has been jailed for six years.

Ahmed Raoﬁ, 27, (06.04.86) of Whitchurch Avenue , Edgware, was sentenced at

Blackfriars Crown Court on Friday 20 September for administering a substance to a woman with intent to procure a miscarriage. Raofi pleaded guilty on Tuesday 17 September to the offence at the same court. The offence took place on April 9 this year at an address in Islington. The 39-year-old woman - who was in a relationship with Raofi - had a miscarriage after he forced her to take medication without her consent. She eventually lost her unborn baby within 24 hours of being given the drugs. After she was discharged from hospital, she told the midwife what Raofi had done. She had not told doctors at the time because she was too ashamed to admit what had happened to her. He was subsequently arrested on Friday 12 April and charged the following day. Detective Constable Aroon Rashid, of Community Safety Unit at Islington, said: “I hope this conviction would encourage anyone who has been through a similar experience to contact police and have faith that we will deliver them justice.”

Three jailed for raping woman

Three men were jailed at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday 18 September for a total of 53 years for the violent rape of a woman in 2012.

Mehmet O’Dea, 25, of Ulster Gardens, London, N13 was found guilty of rape and attempted rape. He was sentenced to 20 years. His brother, Fahri O’Dea, 24, of Farm Close Borehamwood, Hertfordshire was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to 13 years. Olua Nimbo, 24, of Rochford, Grifﬁn Rd Tottenham N17 was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 20 years. A fourth man, Petros Aristoudou, 28 of Beckenham Gardens, Edmonton N18 pleaded guilty to Witness Intimidation and was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment. The victim, a 40-year-old woman, had rented her garage out to an associate of the men who then started growing cannabis inside. When she asked the men to stop, they threatened her and began to intimidate her. In the early hours of 19 August 2012, the four men took the victim to a nightclub. After a few drinks she told them she wanted to leave. They then left and went back to the victim’s home. She recalls feeling unwell on

the journey home and has a vague memory of being held down and raped by the four men. She could recall trying to push them away but not having the strength to do so. She came round the next morning to ﬁnd one of the men sexually assaulting her. An investigation was launched by detectives in the Sapphire Command. Mehmet O’Dea and Nimbo were arrested when police attended the house later that day. Fahri O’Dea was arrested as he tried to leave the country bound for Cyprus. All claimed that the victim had consented to the sexual intercourse in interview. Whilst waiting for the trial, the victim was threatened and offered money by Aristoudou. Detective Constable Amanda Christodoulou, of the Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “These men are dangerous and violent offenders who have now been sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment which reﬂect the offences that they have committed against this vulnerable woman. “These men have taken advantage of this woman and the vulnerable circumstances that she has found herself in. She has shown courage in giving evidence at court despite the witness intimidation that she also faced.” The fourth suspect still remains at large.

Raids across south London net 23 arrests in drug dealing

A photograph of police carrying out the raids

A major crackdown on drug dealing gang members selling heroin and crack cocaine in Merton has lead to 23 people being arrested today, Thursday 19 September.

Dawn raids at addresses across Merton, Wandsworth, Croydon, Lambeth and Lewisham were executed by 350 ofﬁcers as part of Operation Burney - an intelligence led operation by the Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) London Crime Squad (LCS). The LCS were supported by colleagues from Merton Borough, Trident’s Central Gangs Unit, Serious, Organised & Economic Crime Command’s Financial Investigation Unit, Dogs Unit, Territorial Support Group, Op Reclaim and Safer Neighbourhoods teams. 14

So far, the 23 people have been arrested for offences ranging from fraud, conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely heroin and crack cocaine, and motor vehicle offences. A quantity of drugs and cash has also been seized. Searches are still ongoing. All those arrested have been taken to a central London police station where they remain in police custody. Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Laurence, who leads the MPS LCS, said: “Those targeted in today’s coordinated operations are believed to be ‘high harm’ individuals and known gang members who are suspected of involvement in a series of crimes including supply of class A drugs and violence. “Today’s operation demonstrates how

the London Crime Squad will work across boundaries in order to arrest criminals who cause harm in their communities, through drug dealing and gang-related criminal activity. “The raids and subsequent arrests are the culmination of three months intensive work, which will result in a significant reduction of serious youth violence, gun and knife crime. “We are committed to tackling violence and the supply of drugs on our streets and will work closely with our partners to share information and bring offenders to justice.” Today’s raids build on the success of the jailing of 16 gang members and associates in June for dealing Class A drugs in around the Phipps Bridge Estate in Mitcham, Merton. The defendants were jailed for more than 33 years following a joint operation by the LCS and Merton Borough officers. Today, in support of the latest LCS operation, Merton Borough officers, in partnership with the local authority, have been carrying out additional operational activity, including estate sweeps, mounted patrols and activities including youth engagement and property marking. Chief Superintendent Darren Williams, Merton Borough Commander, said: “We have been successfully targeting gang members and their activities for a number of years, working with colleagues from

across the Met, such as the London Crime Squad. “Today’s results show how our resources are being deployed across the borough to disrupt those involved in gang crime and make a dent in their network. We will continue to take robust action against gang related activity.”

Three charged in connection with £1.3 million theft from Bank Three men were charged today in connection with the theft of £1.3 million from a branch of Barclays Bank. Michael Kingett, the ring leader has been described as a “serious frauster”. Kingett works in London as a pub and club singer with his girlfriend as a double act. He has been charged with conspiracy to steal. Matthew Andrews, who works at the Body Shop was also charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. Michael Born, who works at Slug and Lettuce was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and conspiracy to steal. All three men appeared in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. They will next appear at the same court on Thursday 3 October.

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

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Sounds of Diaspora People of America

Gospel diva aiming to set secular charts ablaze

Assault case unproven, not so Coolio escapes jail

Former Destiny’s Child Michelle Williams effortlessly blended gospel and old-school soul on her inspirational ballad “If We Had Your Eyes”. This time around, she takes it straight to the club!

Fire is the latest release from Michelle Williams’ fourth solo project

Yes, “Fire” could well be the first Gospel track to inspire non-religious listeners to drop it low since Mary Mary’s “Shackles (Praise You)”. Taken from Williams’ fourth solo album, Journey to Freedom and produced by Harmony Samuels, the slick club-banger pulses with staccato beats and intricate hooks — all while Michelle stays true to her faith on the catchy chorus: “it feels just like fire, fire caught up in my bones, don’t leave me alone!” “Fire” is a solid bet to crossover to urban radio, while dance remixes would seem an inevitability. Meanwhile, news surfaced that Ms Williams is to be honoured as part of the “I Love Gospel Music Convention” in her home town of Rockford, Illinois in October.

American TV spawns Judge Judy and Maury’s love-child

Coolio is more famous for his hair and reality TV outburst than his musical output, which consists of a Stevie Wonder rip-off and . . . . and .

Charges against rapper and Celebrity Big Brother ex-housemate Coolio have been dropped after prosecutors were unable to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he was guilty of assaulting his girlfriend.

Live-in partner Anabella Chatman had alleged that Coolio, who was charged under his birth name Artis Leon Ivey, had struck her, pushed her to the ground and hit her with a car, leaving tyre marks. Coolio claimed in

response that he acted in self-defence and had been driving away from the couple’s home when Ms Chatman put herself in danger. The contretemps apparently started when the tonsorially challenged ‘gangsta’ thought it might be okay to bring home another girlfriend. The 50-year-old LA rapper was cleared by a Las Vegas court on Tuesday (September 24), while no trial date has been set for his crimes against hairstyles.

An earnest looking ‘judge’ Lauren Lake listens to the dirt before she breaks the news everyone knew all along

That’s if the test proves positive, of course.

Satellite/cable TV is set to plumb to new depths of depravity and poor taste when we inevitably get 5-year-old reruns of the latest reality show over the ‘pond’. Paternity Court should need no explanation, but putting it down on paper might at least serve to assert in my mind that the notion is not just a bad dream. Who knows? We might get really lucky and get our own version. It certainly pays homage to the spirit of “if you can’t find anything really new, throw together a mash-up of tried and tested . . . or perhaps that should be tired and tested According to star of the show, Lauren Lake, who wouldn’t surprise me if she turned out to be a bona fide judge-gonedownmarket: “People will reveal shameful truths, those secrets they are ashamed to talk about.” That’s right, so ashamed they are happy to expose themselves to 300 million people. Ms Lake goes on: “What you’re going to see in this courtroom is those people shed that guilt, that shame. I try to figure out where they go from here. I call it the way I see it; if not, what they need to hear

because what they want to hear and what they need to hear are usually different things.” Lake admits her show has “Maury” in its own DNA, referring to the long established ‘tabloid’ chat show hosted by Maury Povich that specialises in DNA tests. “We’d seen that shows like Maury had scored amazing ratings dealing with paternity issues,” said Lake. “So we’ve taken the paternity issue and put it into a court show format.” She added: “We respect the shows that came before and we understand that they have paved the way for us.” Litigants in Lake’s courtroom agree to a DNA test, and she learns the results when they do — as she reads them aloud. Cases aren’t limited to nailing down baby daddies either, she said. “A grandparent might want to know if the child is in fact theirs, and if they are entitled to rights under the law to see that child,” she said, adding that potential siblings have faced off in her court as well. Be warned; this is what your toddler will be watching when he or she comes home from school in a few years time. 15

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

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Gospel

THERE IS A WAY OF ESCAPE FOR YOU

“Satan has desired to seduce, lure, induce, instigate, bind, sift and separate you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail during your temptation and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31-32).

By Michael Adekoya Dear Reader, Jesus told Peter, “Satan wants to sift you as wheat.” Satan desired to separate Peter, a man of revelation, from God just as wheat is separated from chaff. Sound familiar, isn’t it? My friend, hear me! Whether you know it or not - whether you believe it or not –Satan is after your life especially if you are a son or daughter of God, with a mandate on this earth. If he succeeded with Adam and Eve, you’re not immune! He has desired to separate you from the will of God. He’s all out to use people against you and one major way he accomplishes this is through temptation. Paul said, “We must be very familiar with Satan’s schemes and devices.” 2 Cor 2:11. My friend, we are in the endtimes, the last days before the second coming of Jesus. One thing that will help you maintain your Christian faith to the end; one thing that will help you to endure to the end, if you are going to make heaven is to resist temptation. Not everyone who came out of Egypt made it to the Promised Land. Out of a congregation of more than three million people, only Caleb and Joshua entered. The data of those who died in the wilderness were frightened (1 Cor 10:5). Moses never entered, neither is Aaron. Except we learn and able to resist, deal wisely with, endure and overcome temptation, we might be casualty in Christian race. My friend, one thing that the devil can use to separate you from God, one thing he can use to quench the fire of the Holy Spirit in you, one thing he will use to abort the purpose or assignment of God for your life is what he used to stop Jesus. Satan is predictable? His skills and methods are

still the same. Immediately Adam was created, God breath in him the breath of life and he became a living soul and God connected him with his wife. The next thing was that he was tempted, and of course through Eve, his wife. The only reason why Adam did not continue his mission in the Garden of Eden; the reason why he was separated from God, was because he did not deal with, resist and overcome the temptation that was presented to him. If there was anything that Jesus first of all faced after He was declared to be the Son of God by power (Matt 3:17), was temptation by Satan. The Bible says, “He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Matt 4:1. My friend, the same primary thing (temptation) which Satan used against Adam and Jesus are the same thing he will use against us to separate us from God and to stop our progress. Until Jesus went to the cross, the temptation continues. Listen! Until you learn how to handle wisely, how to resist, how to deal with, how to endure and how to overcome temptation, you may not be able to continue in the Christian faith. Could this be what the Bible means when it says, “When the Son of Man comes again, and will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8. My friend, Satan has desired to lure you, to seduce you, to induce, to attract, to fascinate, to instigate, to entice, to make your mouth water and captivate you. That’s the simplest definition of temptation. Satan’s temptations follow familiar four-step pattern. You must not be ignorant of them. First, Satan will identify your natural Godgiven desire and he will make you take them beyond God’s given limit and boundary. He will exert

Are you looking for a church?

Not settled in any particular congregation? Perhaps now is the time to pray about it If you are not yet saved try one of the following: Jubilee International Churchmeets at 2,30pm on Sundays at Kings Avenue, school, park hill. London SW4. Part of Jubilee International Churches worldwide. For information, you may call (020)8697 3354 New Wine Christian Church- 11am holds meeting at Ringcross Tennants club, Lough Road, Holloway, N7. a member of the Icthus fellowship

worldwide. For more information call 020 7609 959 or 07957 757 663. Praise Tabernacle- 10:30am holds meetings at 620 Western Avenue (A40), park royal Business centre, opposite Warner Bros. Cinema Complex, W3. part of The Redeemed Christian Church of God. For information you may call 020 8993 3010 New Life Christian Centre 10.30am & 6.00pm. meetings at Cairo New Road, Croydon. The church has

a force to make you think, say or do things; relate to people, pursue something or go to places beyond the boundaries that you’re allowed by the Word of God...the limit and boundaries that has been put in place by God. My friend, when Satan tempts you, he will lure you to satisfy your right desires in a wrong way and at a wrong time. He will invite you to accept a different way to meet your needs apart from the divinely established and outlined way by God. Once he identifies the desire within you, then he suggests to you to fulfil that legitimate desire in a wrong way. For example, we all have sex drive (sex desire) which is naturally put in us by God. But what temptation, by Satan and his agents, does is to lure us to satisfy that desire with the wrong person, in the wrong place and at the wrong time. My friend, the truth is, if you didn’t have desires, temptation couldn’t attract you. The Bible says there’s: “A whole army

of evil desires within you and me” Jam. 4:1. Do you agree? Second, Satan would try to get you to doubt what God has said about your destiny, about your divine assignment, about your dream, about the person God puts in your life, about God’s promise to you, about God’s instructions which you must follow to receive your salvation, healing, breakthrough, victory, joy, peace, prosperity, blessing or miracle. Satan will get you to doubt what God said about sin? That’s what he used against Eve. He will whisper in your ears, “Is it really wrong?” “Did God really say that to you?” “How come others do it and nothing happens?” Doesn’t God really want you to be happy?” “If He is really in control of your life and in control of the situation, how come things have not changed with your faith in Him, prayer, sowing and continuous attendance in church services?” The Book of Hebrews warns us to: “Watch out! Don’t let

a bible school, primary, is involved in extensive mission work in Eastern Europe, Italy and India. For information you may call 020 8680 7671 Ruach Ministries - holds meeting at 9am, 11am and 6pm. For information you may call 020 8678 6888 International Central Gospel church - Battersea chapel, holds meetings on Sundays from 2.00pm. . For information you may call 020 8684 4934 Jesus Arena International- Sunday service at 11.00am at Broadwater farm centre, Adams road N17 The Bible Life Church UK- They meet on Sunday mornings at 2.30pm at St Giles Centre, Camberwell

Church Street, London SE5 Christ Apostolic church (Full Gospel & Pentecostal) Surrey Docks District 163 Ilderton Rd South Bermondsey London SE16 2UT. Tel. 020 7252 2086. Time of worship: Sunday English service 9- 11.30am. Yoruba service 11.30 -2.30pm. Prophetic counselling: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 12noon- 5pm, Saturday only 5- 7pm. Holy Cross Church InternationalSunday 10.am- 1 pm at Crown House 71-73 Nathan way London SE28 0BQ Tel: 07904 234 126, 07809 381 886 Times of service:Bible study: Thursdays 8pm. Night Vigil: Friday Forthnightly 12am

evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God” Heb 3:12. Third, Satan is incapable of telling the truth. He’s “the father of lies” John 8:44. Anything he tells you will either be untrue or halftrue. He uses deception so much to tempt God’s elect in order to sift us from the presence and promise of God. He’ll whisper words like, “Nobody will ever know. Do it! It’ll solve your problem. It’s only a little sin.” But a little sin is like being a little pregnant; it’ll eventually show itself. It is those “little foxes, that spoil the vines – little lies, little disobedience, little covetousness, little greed, little laziness, little sleep, little slumber or little prayerlessness SOS. 2:15. This is why Jesus says to His disciples or followers – you and I – to keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41)

Sunday Service: Sundays 10am - 1pm Winners Chapel London- part of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, at Unit B1 Galleywall Trading Estate, South Bermondsey, London SE16 3PB meets Sunday 7am & 9am and 11am and Wednesdays at 7pm. For details call 020 7237 7894 CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH GRAVESEND, ST. AIDAIN’S CHURCH, ST. AIDAN’S WAY, GRAVESEND, KENT, DA12 4AG TEL. 01474 355 841, 07956 38 38 70 TIME OF WORSHIP: Wednesday Bible Study: 7:30pm to 9:00pm Friday, Night Vigil: 9pm to 11pm Sunday Worship: 12:30pm to 3:00pm

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

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Africa Newsround

Ethiopia

Doctor goes home to plug brain drain

Senait Fisseha supervising her OBGYN training program

A Michigan-based doctor has responded to comments by the health minister in her country of birth by helping to set up a training program to encourage medical graduates to practise at home rather than travel abroad.

Ethiopia’s health minister bemoaned the fact that there are more Ethiopian doctors in Chicago than in his own country in a

2011 address. Senait Fisseha, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan is leading an effort to develop a postgraduate training program for doctors of obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) that is fast-becoming a national model for Ethiopia. Fisseha said that University of Michigan has learned from its work in other African nations—especially Ghana—that one of the best ways to retain medical talent is to offer doctors training and other opportunities to advance their careers. “People don’t want to leave their country if they have the option to stay there. Nobody wants to be a second-class citizen somewhere else,” Fisseha said. Last year, Fisseha established a postgraduate OB-GYN training program at St. Paul’s Hospital in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, with the help of Tim Johnson, chair of University of Michigan’s department of OB-GYN, and Joe Kolars, senior associate dean for Global REACH. Her work is funded by a $1.6 million grant from an anonymous foundation. She has received an additional $270,000 per year for the next ﬁve years from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the

Sudan

Protester killed during oil price demonstration

Recent sharp price increases have led to dangerous stockpiling of fuel

One protester was shot dead during protests in central Sudan against a steep hike in oil prices, police said in a statement on Tuesday.

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Wad Madani in Al-Jazeera state on Monday (September 23) after the government announced price hikes following the removal of oil subsidies. As demonstrators pelted passing cars with stones, shots were ﬁred from one vehicle, killing 23-year-old Ahmed Mohammed. According to police, the assailants ﬂed after the shooting. Petrol prices at the pump have shot up to 20.8 Sudanese pounds (£2.95) a gallon from 12.5 pounds (£1.77). President Omar al-Bashir said on Sunday that subsidies on petroleum products had reached “a level that

is dangerous for the economy,” with inflation now running at 40 percent. Anti-regime demonstrations spread last year after Bashir announced similar austerity measures, including tax hikes and an end to cheap fuel. On Monday anti-riot police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators in Wad Madani, witnesses said, adding that around 400 students took part in the protests. Demonstrations against the rise in oil prices were also reported in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city. Sudan lost billions of dollars in oil receipts when South Sudan gained independence two years ago, taking with it about 75 percent of the formerly united country’s crude production. Since then Sudan has been plagued by inflation, a weakened currency and a severe shortage of dollars to pay for imports.

American International Health Alliance. When she began working at St. Paul’s, the hospital only had two OB-GYN doctors. One was an administrator and the other was the department chair, assisted by 16 midwives. “They have about 250,000 visits per year and they do about 4,000 deliveries. That’s equivalent to what we do at University of Michigan,” Fisseha said. “But we have over 80 OB-GYN faculty, 24 residents and 25 fellows.” When the OB-GYN training program started last year, seven residents were enrolled and 13 are taking part this year. “Now, there are 200 OB-GYNs in the country with a 90-million population,” Fisseha said. “In four years, we will be able to contribute about 50 OB-GYNs. It’s a quarter of what the country has now. It’s a massive contribution.” Postgraduate training programs are extremely rare in Ethiopia. After students earn their medical degrees as undergraduates, they’re sent out into the ﬁeld as generalists, often working on their own with little supervision. “They are the surgeons. They are the OB-GYNs. They learn to do everything

while they are deployed to the rural areas after medical school and internship,” Fisseha said. Fisseha knows Ethiopia well because she was born in Addis Ababa and experienced much of the violence and tumult of the dark days. She went to the US. in 1989 after finishing high school. After earning degrees in medicine and law at the University of Southern Illinois, she decided to do her residency at Michigan, impressed by the university’s work in Africa. “We go and deliver,” she says, summing up University of Michigan’s approach to capacity building—transferring knowledge and skills. After finishing her residency in 2006, she was eager to start a training program in Ethiopia, but the timing wasn’t right yet. The prospects started looking promising two years ago when progressive officials in Ethiopia began mobilising global resources to improve healthcare in the country. “Everybody who travels to Ethiopia says that this is a robust time for change,” Fisseha said. “It’s easy to implement things. You can move things quickly. People function differently.”

Uganda

Vigilance increased in wake of Kenya mall attack

Information Minister Rose Namayanja has described the Nairobi shopping mall attack as “cowardly”

Uganda has stepped up security at shopping areas and other public places in the capital Kampala and other major towns following the terrorist attack in neighbouring Kenya that has killed at least 67 people.

Security forces are leaving nothing to chance after an attack by the Somali Islamist group Al-Shabaab during the 2010 World Cup ﬁnals left 74 people dead. AlShabaab has claimed responsibility for the siege on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall that began on Saturday that has also left 175 people injured. Police chief, Kale Kayihura, said they

were taking the security threat seriously. “It is important to tighten security at public places to avert similar attacks,” he said, adding: “What has happened in Kenya is very unfortunate and can happen anywhere’’. Al-Shabaab claims to be avenging the invasion of Somalia by Kenyan troops that began in October 2011 in response to cross-border attacks by the militant group. Kenya joined troops from Burundi and Uganda, who play a leading role in AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) to support the Horn of Africa country’s fragile government. Uganda government spokesman, Ofwono Opondo has said the country is not considering leaving Somalia anytime soon. ‘’Our troops will stay in Somalia until when peace is brought back into that country,” he said. Meanwhile, Uganda’s Information Minister Rose Namayanja has condemned what she termed “a cowardly act of terrorism” following the siege on the Nairobi mall. “It is a misguided act of desperation designed by evil elements to divide the people of Kenya and break the country’s resolve and to support the global antiterrorism fight and the on-going UN Stabilisation Mission in Somalia,” she said, adding: “The government of the Republic of Uganda stands firmly in solidarity with the Government of our sister-country, Kenya and the bereaved families and the People of Kenya at large during this difficult period.” 17

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Reaching UK’s fastest growing ethnic markets

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Book review

Managing your boss in a culturally diverse society By Larry Jones-Esan

Over the past decade, we have witnessed a degree of business globalisation and internationalisation that has increased the need for business people operating across geographies to become both culturally and linguistically aware. Thus, sticking to well-rooted but traditional views of the world does not seem to be an option any longer. As Oliver Wendell Holmes explains, “Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it—but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

Amongst other consequences, these new global competitive environment has made even more clear that companies and governmental organizations need to review how they operate, their structures, and their cultural foundations and set of beliefs. From a personal perspective, learning, knowledge transfer, and professional development activities are also in need of review and change. Research and experience have taught us that widespread, sustained implementation of new practices in classrooms, principal’s offices, and central offices requires a new form of professional development. According to Sparks and Hirsh, this staff development initiative must not only affect the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of teachers, administrators, government workers, officers, or employees, but it must also alter the culture and structure of the organization.

Deep and sustained change/reform depends on many of us, not just the very few who are destined to be extraordinary, most times sitting on top of the ladder. New leadership skills are needed for problems that do not have easy answers from top or bottom. Geert Hofstede explains in his book “Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind”, how organisational cultures differ from national cultures, and how they can—sometimes—be managed. These concepts have the potential to be adopted in most organisations where tribal and national diversity exist. Leadership, then, is not about mobilizing others to solve problems for which we already know the answer, but about helping them to confront those problems that have not yet been successfully addressed. Most leaders and mangers today are in a world of their own, where top-down leadership is the norm. Likewise, subordinates stay in their own sphere in which they are not able to manage “upwards”, in what I describe as the ‘Managing-up” syndrome. Collaborative cultures, which by definition have close relationships, are indeed powerful, but unless they are focusing on the right things, they end up being equally wrong or ineffective. The more complex society gets to be —and the more it experiences rapid, unpredictable, and nonlinear

change impacting organisations and our own perception of the world—, the more sophisticated leadership must become. Complexity means change, and the pace of change is increasing, as James Gleick, the author who introduced the concept of chaos into popular parlance, points out in his work “Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Every-thing (1999)”. This book aims to show that today’s leaders and followers face a dilemma: failing to act when the environment is radically changing leads to extinction, yet making quick decisions under conditions of seeming chaos can be equally fatal. Along these lines Robert Sternberg concludes that “The essence of intelligence would seem to be in knowing when to think and act quickly, and knowing when to think and act slowly” If we understand how change affects us better, we will be able to influence (but not to control) it for the better. Different studies equally show that the place where we grew up constrains the way we think, feel, and act. Suffice to say that most are in existence to leave by order from above and they are either not able to make a contribution to their own development, or just capable to challenge orders simply because of their place of birth.

This book discusses the reality that has been sketched above, and posits that organisations and countries alike that could develop and incorporate to their values system bottom-up management capabilities will be better equipped to deal with the challenges of this fascinating but complex world in the 21st century. Larry JonesEsan has worked in the education sector for more than 15 years, with commercial experience spanning over three decades. The author has contributed immensely to many corporate organizations and startups. He is an Entrepreneur, a Business and Management Consultant, Information Technology Professional, a Certified IT Trainer and a seasoned practitioner. This book comes from the author’s personal experience and his ability to add value to organization both to those who are leading and to those following. Over the years, his experience in different roles and in organising and facilitating workshops and seminars on many exotics subjects in finance and management coupled with an international exposure in trade mission assignments in different countries, particularly in UAE, Asia and Africa, makes writing this book a real experience. As part of the top leadership team of the London Academy Business School, he managed both the international office staff and the administration of the Academic Affairs department, coordinating the department’s annual performance review, training needs and professional development opportunities. Larry Jones-Esan is completing a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) in International Business Management at the International School of Management (ISM). He holds a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) from ISM/ St John’s University.

Public opinion inhibits rational immigration policy Continued from front page

The government has announced an Immigration Bill, likely to be introduced later in 2013 or early 2014, that will introduce further measures. Among these are proposals to make foreign nationals living in the UK, including students, pay an annual levy of £200 to pay for their healthcare in the UK and the introduction Sarah Teather and others’ bête noire - a ‘security bond’ of up to £3,000 levied on visitors from select “high risk” countries. Mr Cable said that the Liberal Democrats have been arguing against the Conservatives behind closed doors and have succeeding in getting them to tone down some of their plans. He told the Liberal Democrat activists that, without Liberal Democrat

intervention, the cuts would have been much deeper. Talking about the number of students with Tier 4 visas, Mr Cable said: “It could have been a lot worse, I assure you. If you had seen the early proposals, there would have been none left”. Mr Cable has found it very difficult to make the business case for immigration because opinion polls continually show that the UK public considers the issue to be an important one for voters. He said: “We are a liberal party economically and socially. The natural instincts of our party are to be liberal-minded and rational where immigration is an issue. But we also see these surveys which show that [immigration] is number two in everybody’s political preoccupations after the economy…You can’t ignore your constituents”.

Vince Cable MP, made his comments at the Liberal Democrats’ autumn conference

Events calendar What’s On & When Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

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Arts

Theatre, Shows and Musicals By Ryan Holmes

When three witches tell Macbeth that he is destined to occupy the throne of Scotland, he and his wife choose to become the instruments of their fate and to kill the first man standing in their path, the virtuous King Duncan. But to maintain his position, Macbeth must keep on killing – first Banquo, his old comrade-in-arms; then, as the atmosphere of guilt and paranoia thickens, anyone who seems to threaten his tyrant’s crown. 21 New Globe Walk, London, Greater London SE1 9DT Lenny Henry as Troy and Tanya Moodie as Rose

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Now- November 16th

Always first in line to play the ass, David Walliams hee-haws crowd-pleasingly as donkey-headed Bottom in this sultry reimagining of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, mingling with Sheridan Smith’s lusty Titania and a string of exceptionally chiselled fairies. Set against the backdrop of fairyland’s glistening moon, Shakespeare’s tale of mischief and misplaced devotion is adeptly retold by a talented cast, whose comedic skills bring pace and energy to director Michael Grandage’s turbocharged interpretation. The high octane drama, mirth and calamity of this heady ‘Midsummer Night’ are riotously unpicked as Gavin Fowler’s naughty fairy, Puck, stirs up a love-fuelled frenzy on stage. Noel Coward Theatre. St Martin’s Lane London, WC2N 4AU

Chimerica Now-October 19th

Chimerica is a fragile web of shifting human relationships, which are sometimes severed by corporate greed, state cruelty, or individual selfishness, but achieve moments of connection which transcend their inhospitable environment. It’s staged with a film-like fluidity and flair by brilliant director Lyndsey Turner and designer Es Devlin inside a spinning cube, whose sides open to reveal the squalid Beijing flat of Zhang Lin, Joe’s kindly Beijing contact and friend, and the office of his genial, morally compromised New York newspaper editor. But the only things that are black and white here are Joe’s photographs of China, which are projected all over the set as newspaper contact sheets, crossed out or reframed by the editor’s red pen – a subtle reminder that a photograph is an opinion, not a simple 20

record of the truth. Harold Pinter Theatre,6 Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4DN

The 39 Steps Now- March 2014

When Hitchcock adapted Buchan’s ‘The 39 Steps’, however, he introduced a love interest in a version which Buchan later conceded was better than his own. In this stage version, Patrick Barlow has continued the honourable tradition of mucking around with Buchan’s original, keeping the love interest (now elegantly played by new cast member Rachel Pickup) and adding a whirligig of self-conscious theatrical effects in a production where four actors evoke everyone from lingerie salesmen to a housekeeper who screams like a steamtrain.. The Criterion,218-223 Piccadilly, London, SW1Y 4XA

Pride Now-November 9th

Set in both 1958 and 2008, ‘The Pride’ sees what appears to be the same love triangle play out in two very different eras. In 1958, closeted married man Philip (Harry Hadden-Paton) grapples violently with his feelings for writer Oliver (Al Weaver), while his fragile wife Sylvia (Hayley Atwell) looks on in impotent despair. And in 2008, the three seem to have been given their time again in a more liberated age… Yet they’re not happy – promiscuous journalist Oliver has scewed up his relationship with straight-laced Philip, and Oliver’s chronic neediness is seriously bringing his BFF Sylvia down. Trafalgar Studios,14 Whitehall SW1A 2DY

Macbeth Now- 13th October

The Ladykillers Now- October 25th

‘The Ladykillers’ is back in town. Now on its third cast of bumbling, murderous crims, it’s as anarchic and free-wheeling as anything you’ll see on a West End stage. Graham Linehan’s script takes the setup of the 1955 Ealing comedy, in which five crooks hole-up in a little old lady’s lopsided house to plan a robbery, and cranks up the contrast. The gags come faster, the killings are crueller and there’s a delicate knowingness to the dialogue that never oversteps the mark. Vaudeville Theatre, Strand, London, WC2R 0NH

One Man, Two Guvnors Now-March 2014

Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6000 from his fiancee’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers. Holed up at the Cricketers’ Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart. Simple. Haymarket Theatre,18 Suffolk St, London SW1Y 4HT .

Much Ado About NothingNow-November 30th

Age is the theme and the big talking point at the Old Vic as it plays host to two great theatre pros in Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy. Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones are Benedick and Beatrice: reluctant older lovers, grouchily bickering their way into each other’s hearts. The play is reimagined in a Britain of old too. It’s 1944, and we get a wartime view of the country that perhaps only ever existed in our imaginations. A land of comedy policemen, dashingly handsome GIs and naughty boy scouts – it conjures up images of a particular kind of British

sitcom or BBC radio play, a sort of ‘Archers’ does Shakespeare. 103 The Cut, Waterloo Rd, London SE1 8NB

Lutz Bacher: Black Beauty Now- November 17th

Get ready to be manipulated by an eclectic display of works by the elusive American artist for her first major UK show. Varying degrees of black will dominate with tons of coal slag being emptied into the lower gallery for ‘Black Beauty’ along with pulsating astrotuf in ‘Black Magic’. Accompanying these is an audio of the Shakespearean character, Puck from ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ that adds an enchantingly devious tone to the premise of Bacher’s exhibition. ICA, The Mall, London, SW1Y 5AH

CROWNING GLORY A new play by Somalia Seaton

17 Oct - 9 Nov 2013

“In a world saturated with images of unrealistic and unobtainable beauty, how do women see themselves?” Join our all-female cast of fun and feisty modern women as they share the trials and tribulations of their hair, and try to uncover what true beauty means. This current, funny and thought-provoking show will undoubtedly get you talking. Come along with friends or family and take part in the conversation!

Theatre Royal Stratford East, London

JOAN LITTLEWOOD SCULPTURE Donation deadline 5 Oct 2013

Theatre Royal Stratford East’s public appeal to raise money for a sculpture to remember the legendary theatre director Joan Littlewood is closing soon. If you haven’t made a donation, now’s your chance! Created by internationally acclaimed artist Philip Jackson, the sculpture is set to be placed in Theatre Square, Stratford.

The Scottsboro Boys 18 Oct - 23 Oct

Young Vic Nominated for a remarkable 12 Tony Awards, the legendary creators of Cabaret and Chicago bring their bold and exhilarating musical to the Young Vic for its UK premiere.

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

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Arts

Poet of the Week; Kofi Awoonor

Okot p’Bitek

The weekend atrocity at Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mall has left scores dead, and though most of the hostages appear to have been rescued from the Al-Shabaab militant group, I’m sure we’ll have more surprises in the hours to come. One prominent name has surfaced among the dead: Kofi Awoonor, the widely translated and anthologized Ghanian poet and diplomat born as George Kofi Awoonor Williams. The Telegraph coverage is here; Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy writes here. Capital News in Kenya reports here. There’s not much I can do about this weekend of massacres – but let me spent a few words, and least, on this 78-year-old African poet. Let him put a face and a name on this massacre of anonymous victims. Kofi Awoonor was born in the Gold

Coast (now Ghana) on March 13, 1935, in the small farming village of Wheta. He was the son of a tailor and a chieftain’s daughter. His grandmother, however, was a dirge-singer, and much of his early work is modeled on this type of Ewe oral poetry. Awoonor’s poetry, rooted in the oral poetry of his history, has kept close to the vernacular rhythms of African speech and poetry. “It is for this reason I have sat at the feet of ancient poets whose medium is the voice and whose forum is the village square and the market place,” he has said. According to the Encylopedia Britannica: “Awoonor sought to incorporate African vernacular traditions—notably the dirge song tradition of the Ewe people—into modern poetic form. His major themes— Christianity, exile, and death are important

among them—are enlarged from poem to poem by repetition of key lines and phrases and by use of extended rhythms. Each poem in Rediscovery and Other Poems (1964), for example, records a single moment in a larger pattern of recognition and rediscovery.” According to critic Derek Wright, the poetry “both drew on a personal family heirloom and opened up a channel into a broader African heritage.” In Rediscovery (1964) and Petals of Blood (1971), Awoonor uses the common dirge motif of the ‘thwarted or painful return’ to describe the experience of the Western-educated African looking back at his indigenous culture.” The “Western-educated” part came from the painful experience of exile, a theme in his work. Awoonor was associated to the first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, who was driven out by a coup in 1966. During his exile abroad, he completed graduate and doctoral studies, receiving a Ph.D. in literature from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1972. He published a novel, This Earth, My Brother in 1971. He was Ghana’s ambassador to Cuba and Brazil in the 1980s, and ambassador to the U.N. in the 1990s. He was, apparently, controversial – enough so that Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Harruna Attah met him at the Ghana Association of Writers last year with a lot of negative preconceptions. His anecdote about how he changed his mind is here.

His Promise of Hope: New and Selected Poems, with an introduction by fellow poet and scholar, Kofi Anyidoho, will be published next year with help from the African Poetry Book Fund, established by the editor of Prairie Schooner, Kwame Dawes, a poet and writer from Ghana. Dawes described him as “a poet of witness, of great lyric grace and a remarkable capacity to combine his command of traditional Ewe poetics with a modernist lyric sensibility … one of the great African poets to have appeared in the twentieth century.” At the time of the announcement last year, he added that “his agreement to be a part of this series is a tremendous coup. We are extremely pleased.” He was in Nairobi for the Storymoja Hay Festival, a four-day event that celebrates writing and storytelling. “I had asked him to attend the festival to help celebrate some new initiatives in African poetry that I was spearheading, and his new book, Promise of Hope: New and Selected Poems, is to be the lead book of the new African Poetry Book Series to appear early next year,” Dawes wrote in The Wall Street Journal According to news reports, the terrorists invited Muslims to leave the mall with their hands up, and escape to safety. Apparently Awoonor decided not to try and fake it.

The Griot and his poetry Yes, he was Ghanaian fluid in Ewe and Twi. Yes, he came from a homestead that belonged to griots and poetry was their trade. Western education could only cloak them but they were never naked. Kofi was always clothed: steeped in the beauty of the forge where words are made as hot as they are cold, and truth run on the same stream-bed as the river of lies. Kofi had a call to fulfil his calling. He was ordained for it. Did he know he would die at Westgate. Perhaps not. But that is a griot’s essence – to seep from the dew of Hermon and speak in anointed drones exhilarating words. Hear Kofi “When the final night falls on us as it fell upon our parents we shall retire to our modest home earth-sure, secure that we have done our duty by our people

we met the challenge of history and were not afraid.” Kofi did not die, he was killed. They killed his flesh and left his spirit. If they had known perhaps they would realised his spirit was also in his words and that his flesh like garments, his spirit could change. It is his words, his poesy, that would have been the grief. Where would they find those words to kill; littered in the memories of a million and more, fed from the school pages and wisdom of sages, when all Kofi thought he was doing was saying the words from the ages. ACROSS A NEW DAWN Sometimes, we read the lines in the green leaf run our fingers over the smooth of the precious wood from our ancient trees; Sometimes, even the sunset puzzles, as we look for the lines that propel the clouds, the colour scheme with the multiple designs that the first artist put together

There is dancing in the streets again the laughter of children rings through the house On the seaside, the ruins recent from the latest storms remind of ancestral wealth pillaged purloined pawned by an unthinking grandfather who lived the life of a lord and drove coming generations to despair and ruin * But who says our time is up that the box maker and the digger are in conference or that the preachers have aired their robes and the choir and the drummers are in rehearsal? No; where the worm eats a grain grows. the consultant deities have measured the time with long winded arguments of eternity And death, when he comes to the door with his own inimitable calling card

shall find a homestead resurrected with laughter and dance and the festival of the meat of the young lamb and the red porridge of the new corn * We are the celebrants whose fields were overrun by rogues and other bad men who interrupted our dance with obscene songs and bad gestures Someone said an ailing fish swam up our lagoon seeking a place to lay its load in consonance with the Original Plan Master, if you can be the oarsman for our boat please do it, do it. I asked you before once upon a shore at home, where the seafront has narrowed to the brief space of childhood We welcome the travelers come home on the new boat fresh from the upright tree

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013

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Health Simple changes we must make to ﬁght the diabetes disaster Losing weight, eating more fruit and vegetables and taking regular exercise is all people need to do to signiﬁcantly slash their chance of developing Type 2 diabetes.

A diabetes patient taking a blood sugar reading

But experts warn people are not taking the risks seriously enough. Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “This is a misconception that is wrecking lives and is the reason that as a country we are sleepwalking towards a public health disaster of an almost unimaginable scale.” The number of people with the condition is expected to hit 5 million by 2025 – up from 3.8 million today, the charity said. Less than a third of people realise that Type 2 – which sees patients not producing enough insulin or the insulin they do produce not working properly – can lead to serious health problems. In a poll of 1,000 people carried out for the charity, just 30 per cent knew Type 2 patients are more likely to go blind, while awareness that heart attacks (15 per cent), amputation (28 per cent) and stroke (7 per cent) are complications of diabetes was even lower.

And only 13 per cent knew of the increased risk of death, despite the fact that people with Type 2 are 36 per cent more likely to die in any given year than someone their age who does not have the condition. Less than one per cent mentioned being South Asian or black as a risk factor. The charity today launched the UK’s biggestever diabetes advertising campaign to highlight possible consequences. The £2million campaign, which will include on-street, radio, transport and digital advertising, is funded as part of Diabetes UK’s National Charity Partnership with Tesco, which aims to raise £10million to help those affected by or at risk of diabetes. Ms Young said: “I hope our campaign will help people realise why it is so important that they understand their own risk of Type 2 and making lifestyle changes if they are one of the 7 million of us who are at high risk.” She added: “While there are risk factors for Type 2 diabetes that you can’t change, such as your ethnic background or your family history, everyone who is at high risk can reduce their risk by making relatively straightforward lifestyle changes.

3.2 Million in need as Central African Republic health service collapses

People from the Central African Republic queue for a mobile healthcare clinic

Some 3.2 million people in Central African Republic lack access to essential healthcare because of the looting of medical supplies and the flight of many doctors from their posts after a coup in March that was followed by persistent widespread violence, aid agencies said.

The healthcare system has almost completely collapsed and urgent support is needed to re-build, re-staff, and re-provision health facilities across the country, a recent report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. 22

There was a period during the change of leadership when there was no police force, no gendarmerie and no army, and it was then that most of the looting occurred, said Vincent Pouget, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross. “Solar panels have been taken, there are no mattresses left and medicines have been taken or damaged. Ambulances donated by NGOs have been gutted, with engines and wires removed so they cannot be used any more,” Pouget told Thomson Reuters Foundation. “In one place, the light bulb of a surgery lamp was taken. The bulbs are quite cheap, but they are very specific and cannot be

found in the local market. So now you have a hospital where they are doing surgery at night using candles,” he said, speaking by phone from Bangui. Even before the coup CAR, population 5.2 million, had some of the worst health indicators in the world and fewer than 5 doctors per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. Since March, the largely uncontrolled rebel movement has inflicted death and destruction on many towns and villages, though there is at least a basic level of security in the capital Bangui. “Doctors are appointed to their posts and have no family ties in the region. When the fighting broke out, they decided to leave [for Bangui],” Pouget said. “In Kaga Bandoro, six hours drive north of Bangui, the only doctor for the whole area returned just one month ago after a lot of persuasion. So for several months, the facilities in Kaga Bandoro were functioning only with nurses,” he said. “Inevitably, when there are no services, people seek alternatives,” said Alain Coutand, Director of Regional Operations at Action Contre la Faim (ACF), an INGO responsible for treating malnutrition and implementing water, sanitation and hygiene programmes in CAR. ”We’ve seen examples of people displaced in the bush making their own soap with ashes and plants, so you can imagine they are referring back to traditional medi-

cines too,” said Coutand. The killing of two aid workers this month in Bossangoa, three hours drive north of Bangui, has also intensified the need for security and stability so that medical aid can reach those in the countryside. “Security is the number one priority. In March 2013 one of our bases in Bossangoa was destroyed by the Seleka rebels and the local population, so like some other NGOs, we had to pull out. The current situation is still the same,” said Coutand. Last week, fighting broke out again in the northwest of the country, killing hundreds of civilians and forcing the new president, Michel Djotodia, to sack the army chief and dissolve the rebel alliance that brought him to power. Outside Bangui, NGOs are supporting nearly all the health facilities that are operational, but if security deteriorates further, even they may leave, said Pouget. for security,” he said. “On Monday this week, an NGO providing healthcare had to leave a locality in the northwest because of insecurity. The ones who suffer the most are the local population” he said. International aid has increased since last year because of effective appeals by organisations on the ground, but this has been offset by the increase in the cost of ensuring the safety of staff.

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Culture

Culture: The Tigray of Ethiopia

Tigray ladies doing the Ashenda dance

The Tigray (Tigrigna) people are related to the Amhara and Tigre people of Ethiopia and Eritrea who together make up the Habeshans. These people can trace their origins back to Shem, eldest son of Noah. They left present day Yemen and settled on the African side of the Red Sea inhabiting the Nile Delta and all land East of the valley down to the Ethiopian Highlands. These people are known in antiquity as the Ancient Egyptians who retreated back to Ethiopia and Eritrea after countless takeovers of Egypt. Here they established other great kingdoms such as Sheba/Saba and Axum. After the Middle Ages they soon split into 3 tribes: Amhara, Tigre and Tigray with their own languages that all derived from Ge’ez, their ancient language.

After a mass migration from Egypt, the Habeshans settled in the Ethiopian Highlands and Red Sea coast of present day Eritrea and North-Eastern Sudan. The Tigray live primarily in the Northern Highland of Ethiopia and the Southern plateau in Eritrea. The lives of the Tigray are much like the Highland Amharas. They are mainly farmers and pastoralists. In older times there were several large urban communities in the Tigray Region that flourished and created much Christian art in the Abyssinian middle ages. From early encounters with the Hebrew people, many Habeshans adopted the early form of proto-Judasim. Though the high and ruling class continued to to practice the Egyptian pagan religion until Queen Makda of Sheba was converted by King Solomon to Judaism. Christianity came to the Tigray through Coptic missionaries. The Tigray and other Habeshans were the first African converts to Islam after sheltering Muhammad’s followers in the holy city of Negash, located in the Tigray Region, from their enemies in Mecca. The converted Habeshans (especially Tigray Muslims) became known as the Jeberti (Elect of God). They became the religious leaders and university teachers in the powerful Islamic city of Zeila in NW Somalia. Because of the Islamic expansion, Aksum was cut from other Christian kingdoms which created their own unique form of Coptic Christianity by incorporating Judaistic rituals and laws and putting a large focus on monasticism. today the majority of Tigray people are Ethiopian Orthodox and the minority are Sunni/Sufi Muslim. Culture

Beautiful Tigrai girl serving coffee 22

Ashenda is a unique Tigraian traditional festival which takes place in August to mark the ending of fasting called filseta. This event is mostly for girls and young women, which they await very eagerly every year. It is unique to the people in

the state of Tigrai in northern Ethiopia. The name of the festival “Ashenda” comes from the name of a tall grass that the girls make in to a skirt and ware it around their waist as a decoration. The young women and girls dress the best traditional dresses called tilfi which is a cotton dress decorated with amazing embroidery from the neck to toe in front of the dress. The girls also adorned themselves with array of beautiful jewelry. After they gather in the village or city center they divide in to small groups and they go house to house singing and playing their drums. They stop at ever house and sing and dance for the people in the houses. It is customary for people to give them money, food and drinks and other items for their efforts. They continue the whole day going from house to house and occasionally stopping in a village or city center and singing and dancing for a while before they go on again on their tour. A week or so after the celebrations started, the event comes to an end with all the

by anybody, there are women who specialize in the skill and that is what they do for a living. When it is done it looks like an art more than hair style. The jewelry that is worn by Tigrai women is also very unique to the region it is usually made mainly of gold and silver and sometimes copper. Coffee is a very important ceremonial drink in Tigrai. The coffee ceremony is common through out the state and most of Ethiopia. Fresh beans are roasted; while they are hot and smoking they are passed around by the coffee maker usually a girl for blessing. The roasted beans are ground and served in very small richly decorated ceramic cups. The coffee is served in three rounds. The first round is called Awell, the second Bereka and the third Dereja. It is customary to show you appreciation by telling the person who is making and serving the coffee how good the coffee is. As many people around the globe Tigrai people have long used face scarification for the expression of cultural identity. When a baby is about two to six year old

Tigrai women with different hair styles

girls from the village or the town coming together in the center of the town or a village singing and dancing until sun down. This time the young boys join in more like spectators than active players. The women of Tigrai are known for their beauty in Ethiopia. Women in Tigrai might ware Variety of hairstyles based on their age and marital status. Young girls shave their hair on the side of their head leaving some hair at the back of the head and around the head. The shaved part slowly closes over the years, by the time a young lady is married and have a kid she officially enters womanhood and she wears the fully braided hair do. There are many styles of braiding from the very fine called gilbich to a course one called albaso. All the hairdo styles show the most amazing artistic skills of the people developed for ages. The Tigrai women hair style is unique to the people of Tigrai. It takes long time to do the fine hair braids and it is not done

a traditional doctor will cut two very small incisions on the temple of the kid. Sometimes these cuts can be on the eye brows and if they are done properly the scars will be very thin and hardly noticeable. Usually the scars would be less than one eighth an inch wide and about quarter an inch tall. If the cuts are done by the parent or unskilled person they can leave bigger scars. In Ethiopia only the Tigrai people do mark their faces with these small straight line incisions side by side on their face. In the past 90 years since the Tigraians lost power to the Amhara people of central Ethiopia, their tradition, language and cultural practices have been attacked and ridiculed. The facial scars of the people of Tigrai have been source of insult and discrimination by the Amhara who tried to destroy the Tigrai identity. Despite the humiliation the practice still continues today in Tigrai, in fact most young people are finding their own cultural identity and embracing it with pride.

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News

Budiriro witch crash-landing is ‘a hoax’

The two women as they are transported from the scene

Two women paraded in court as suspected witches after being found naked outside a house in Harare’s Budiriro suburb may have been willing participants in an elaborate hoax, it has emerged. Relatives of the duo – who were found with a live owl and an assortment of witch-

craft-associated paraphernalia – have also revealed that the names they used during their court appearance were false. The sensational revelations could provide a key to a puzzle that had perplexed a nation and pitted scientists – who dismissed the idea of people ﬂying 400km in winnowing baskets – against traditionalists who insist witches can ﬂy.

On September 11, prosecutors charged Chipo Chakanja, 26, and Maria Moyo, 35, with “engaging in practices commonly associated with witchcraft”. The two women denied being witches but claimed they were “possessed” by evil spirits. A magistrate postponed their trial to allow for a psychiatric examination to be carried out. But relatives of the duo say they are very sane – so in charge of their faculties they even managed to dupe police investigators by providing false names. The woman who identiﬁed herself as Chipo Chakanja is in fact Christine Matiyenga, 28, and Maria Moyo is in fact Elnette Jinya (age not given), both from Chihota in Mashonaland East and not Nembudziya, Gokwe, as they claimed. Newspaper reports that the two women are known to be of “easy virtue” at Landos Business Centre in Chihota where they live in rented accommodation. Matiyenga rents a room at Munyama store, while Jinya rents at Mai Tigere’ store. Both women were paid by two self-styled

Egypt farmer arrested after parading donkey with army chief’s name

Workers laying the underwater “high speed” Internet cables

The man and donkey in question parade through the streets

A farmer in southern Egypt was arrested Saturday after putting the military chief’s name and an army-style cap on his donkey. Elsewhere in the country eight people were detained for spraying anti-military grafﬁti.

The arrests point to a long-standing taboo in Egypt against criticizing the country’s powerful military, an offence magniﬁed amid the ongoing crackdown on supporters of the country’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood. The farmer, Omar Abul-Magd, was arrested late Friday in Qena province for allegedly insulting Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi when he rode the donkey

through town, reported the state MENA news agency. El-Sissi led the military’s popularly backed ouster of Morsi in July and has been hailed by millions of Egyptians as an icon. His detractors, however, have called him a traitor and a murderer for overseeing the coup and the subsequent attacks on Morsi’s mostly Islamist supporters, including an August raid on two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo that killed hundreds. At least one of the eight people arrested on Saturday for spraying grafﬁti against el-Sissi was detained in Cairo, said security ofﬁcials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Earlier this week, a military court ordered ﬁve pro-Morsi protesters to serve from two to three years in prison for chanting against the army. Three of them were tried in absentia. The court said the defendants spread hate speech and false rumours against the military through loud speakers. Rights advocates fear Egypt’s interim, military-backed authorities are using a state of emergency that grants police broad powers of arrest to silence critics. For decades, any critical mention of the country’s army or its top generals was unthinkable in Egypt. After the popular uprising that ousted autocratic President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, criticism of the military grew as Egypt’s powerful generals took over. Activists began lashing out at the ruling generals for trying civilians in military courts and using violence against protesters. In one case, former lawmaker and rights advocate Ziad el-Oleimi came under ﬁre for referencing an Egyptian proverb and insulting then-military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. El-Oleimi, who was beaten by military police during a protest after he was elected to parliament, referred to Tantawi as a donkey during a rally.

prophets from the neighbourhood where they allegedly “crash-landed” in their winnowing baskets – apparently in an attempt to show themselves as “powerful” and attract more customers. At least six women had originally been drafted to carry out the hoax, but four had developed cold feet, according to accounts by family and friends. The other four have been named only as Mellisa, Precious, Forget and Pauline “These two are not witches, they are just looking for money but this is so embarrassing.” She claimed the duo were not witches “but had been promised a lot of money by a Harare prophet who works with Zunzamandere – traditional healers from Chihota who hoodwink people.” Police are now being urged to arrest the fake prophets who sweet-talked his sister into masquerading as a witch. The two women have applied for bail at the High Court. Their lawyer said they were not a ﬂight risk and chances of their acquittal were high.

Peacekeepers in Mali accused of sexual abuse The United Nations is committed to taking appropriate action in response to claims peacekeepers in Mali were involved in acts of sexual abuse. The U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali has more than 6,000 uniformed personnel working to ensure post-coup stabilization. Al-Qaida and nomadic rebels seized control over parts of northern Mali following a 2012 coup. The Malian government in January called on France, its former colonial power, to help fight off the militants. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said countries contributing forces to the U.N. peacekeeping mission were notified of allegations of sexual abuse in Mali that surfaced last week. “[U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon] has a policy of zero tolerance for any form of sexual exploitation and abuse, and will do everything possible to see that a thorough process of investigation and, as appropriate, accountability takes place,” he said in a statement Monday. Nesirky didn’t indicate the nationality of the troops involved in the alleged incident of sexual misconduct. Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, elected in August, was sworn in to office Sept. 4. He defeated challenger and former Finance Minister Soumaila Cisse in a presidential contest that took two rounds to settle.

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News

Benin and Southern Nigeria hit with severe ﬂooding

Benin was hit with its worst ﬂooding since 1968

Several major roads and streets of Benin City, capital of Edo state in southern Nigeria were Monday ﬂooded following a heavy down pour that lasted for over ﬁfteen hours.

Homes were also ﬂooded and scores of cars that attempted to wade through the water-logged roads were abandoned. The rain which started at about 2 am and continued till about 6pm when this report was ﬁled, paralysed all forms of business

activities in some areas in the city, forcing many people to stayed indoors. Even the deep roadside and underground drainages constructed in several parts of the city could not contain the attendant flow of water. Roadside drainages were overflown as a result of the intensity of the rain, turning several roads to rivers with high current. Among the roads seriously affected by the flood were Uselu-Ugbowo Road, Sapele Road and Dumez Road

Many residents were seen erecting barriers in their premises under the rain to prevent the resultant flood from overrunning their houses, while others were seen bailing the flood water from their houses. Heavy rain also affected the western Nigerian city of Ibadan, capital of Oyo State. The rain started on Sunday evening, and by Monday evening, it was still raining. Several bridges across Ibadan, were covered by the flood, making residents to stay indoors Monday. The submerged bridges include the 7up/Elebu bridge in Oluyole Estate, which prevented residents, including pupils and government workers, from leaving their homes. Some of the people, who spoke to NAN, however, bemoaned the sudden increase in the cost of transportation, adding that most commercial motorists even declined to convey people to long distances.

Mrs Blessing Joshua, a housewife, lamented about the continued downpour since Sunday evening. “What kind of rain is this? I went to the market to buy some foodstuff, only for me to come back empty-handed because most of the sellers were not present. “Even the few available traders increased the cost of things in the market; I hope this is not the seven-day rain which, as some people predicted, would fall in September,’’ she said. Mr Abdullateef AbdulGafar, a commercial motorcyclist, said: “I would not have gone to pick my customer if he had not paid me for my services earlier.’’ Mrs Rasheedat Rufai, a teacher of Ansar-Ud-Deen High School in the Liberty area of Ibadan, said that the school’s academic activities had been paralysed due to the deluge. She said that most of the teachers and students failed to come to school on Monday

Tanzania to digitalise school books

Tanzania prime minister Mizengo Pinda

Tanzania’s government now intends to digitalise all school books and other paperbased educational materials in a move to do away with dated physical reading manuscripts and embarking onto ebooks. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda stated here that the country’s educational system must go digital because it would make it easier for both students and teachers in Tanzania to access available reading and teaching materials on convenient and modern platforms such as personal computers, tablets and even smartphones. Mr Pinda explained that the move will also include establishing a giant national digital library and archives that can be accessed from practically anywhere in the country. “In the old days, stocking of piles of large volumes of books used to be popular among students who wanted to be seen as ‘learned,’ but that is no longer applicable today. We want scholars to ac-

cess e-books on lighter platforms,” said the prime minister. He, however, did not divulge when the ambitious project was likely to kick off, but pointed out that once rolled out, it would save the state a lot of money and help reduce the footprint covered by analogue libraries. The oval-shaped library building which the PM launched in Karatu comprising a ground floor for bookshelves and office space and an upper floor for reading benches, was constructed at a cost of 100m/-. The funds were contributed by various local and international development partners. According to the school’s management, the facility will serve students as well as their teachers. Banjika Secondary School has 628 students, among them 337 girls and 291 boys and 28 teachers. The teachers also use the library as a source of referral materials to supplement their guide books. 25

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Travel Travel

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Arik Air signs MoU on tourism By Milton Tella

The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU, with Arik Air on the development of domestic tourism. The MoU will see to the promotion of Nigeria’s tourism as a main source of revenue generation and job creation. At the event tagged “Rebuilding the NTDC and Growing the Tourism Value Chain for Revenue Generation and Job Creation” the DG to intimate stakeholders in the industry with the Corporation’s plans for the future. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, said that the Federal Government was committed to diversifying the economy from crude oil earnings to more sustainable sources of revenue and community-based jobs. “Nigeria’s tourism potential across the 36 states of the federation is capable of proving such sustainability,” Duke said.

NTDC Director General, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, flanked by Jesmane Boggenpoel (left) and Mr. Loren Gary. PHOTO: NTDC Press

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development The minister said that the government was committed to addressing issues of regulation and advocacy for improved infrastructure around tourism sites. “Government is mindful of many challenges faced by stakeholders across the tourism value chain and is, therefore, committed to providing lasting solutions,” he said. Duke noted that the Federal Government had approved N3 billion for the development of the creative arts industry. The Director-General of NTDC, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, said the main thrust of the meeting was to map out strategies on how to translate Government policies into programmes and projects that can better serve stakeholders in the Tourism Value Chain, especially the Nigerian Citizen. The stakeholders meeting had the theme: “Rebuilding the NTDC and Growing the

Tourism Value Chain for Revenue Generation and Job Creation”. Mrs. Mbanefo said that the NTDC focused on domestic tourism to boost influx of tourists. “If 20 million out of the 160 million Nigerians travel locally for business, leisure, culture, religion or sports, NTDC expects to generate $4 billion annually through the domestic tourism market,” she said. The director-general said that domestic tourism was paramount to Nigeria’s development because of its enormous potential in providing jobs. “Through the development of domestic tourism, the industry will be one of the major contributors to Nigeria`s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “The essence of developing the tourism value chain is to create more jobs for youths through partnership with public, private and multilateral organisations,” she said.

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Petroleum Minister Mrs. Deziani Allison-Maduekwe (left) with NTDC DG, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo

Nigeria’s Minster of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke (middle) with director-general for the National Tourism Development Corporation, (NTDC) Mrs. Sally Mbanefo

Last month’s competition winner: Mr. George Buwa from London Answer to question: a) Arik offers the only non-stop service between Nigeria and New York

1.Competition is open to UK residents only aged 21 years or over. By entering this competition you are agreeing to receive marketing communications from Arik Air. 2. The ticket prize is for a return economy flight from London Heathrow to Lagos for one passenger. (Taxes to be paid by winners). 3. Winning tickets must be redeemed during off peak period. Black-out dates apply (including Easter, Summer, Christmas – please check with Arik Air reservations). 4. Competition closing date: Midnight 20th October 2013. 5. Entry is restricted to one entry per person. No purchase is necessary. An independent person will randomly pick one winning entrant from the pool of all eligible entries within 48hrs of the closing date. The winner will be notified within 7 days of the draw date by telephone or email. 6. Travel insurance and travel documents such as valid passports and visas are the responsibility of the winner. 7. Prize is non transferable, non exchangeable and non changeable. There is no cash alternative offered. 8. All expenses, including but not limited to, hotel accommodation costs, transfers from airport, fuel costs, parking, meals, beverages and items of a personal nature are not included in the ticket prize and will be the responsibility of the ticket winner. Ticket prize excludes travel to and from departure airport in the UK. 9. Once travel dates have been confirmed changes cannot be made. 10. The prize is subject to availability and restricted travel dates to be advised to the winner at the time of booking. 11. The promoter is not responsible for any delays or cancellation of the ticket or for any inability of the ticket winner to take up the prize. The promoter reserves the right to suspend, change or terminate the competition at any time, and for any reason, without notice. 12. Entry to the competition implies acceptance of all relevant terms and conditions by the entrants. 13. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the partners in this promotion accept no liability for any loss, damage or injury caused by, or to, the prize winner or their guest whilst taking the ticket prize. 14. If the winner cannot be located within 21 days of the drawing of the prize, then the runner-up from the draw will be selected as the new winner. 15. Events may occur that render the ticket prize draw itself, or the awarding of the ticket prize impossible, due to reasons beyond the control of the promoter and accordingly, the promoter may, at its absolute discretion, vary, or amend the promotion and the entrant agrees that no liability shall attach to the promoter as a result thereof. 16. The draw is not open to employees, agents, contractors of The African Voice or their families or anyone professionally connected with the prize draw. 17. The Promoter is not responsible for the entrant’s submission of incorrect telephone numbers, e-mail or postal addresses or for problems with entries caused by any factors outside their control. 18. Ticket prizes are subject to availability and the Promoter reserves the right to substitute alternative prizes of similar value. Promoter: African Voice Newspaper UK. 19. Any other conditions will be advised at the time of booking. 20. Promoter: African Voice UK, Unit 7 Holles House Overton Road, London SW9 7AP, England.

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Egypt to bring 10,000 to Kumasi

Osaze Odemwingie looks deflated after the match

Egyptian football fans

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) is planning to travel with 10,000 supporters to Ghana for the first-leg of the 2014 World Cup playoff match in Kumasi to boost their team to beat the Black Stars in the Garden City. The EFA will next week launch a massive fundraising campaign to transport their fans to Ghana to support the team reach its first World Cup since 1990. The Pharoahs will travel to Kumasi to face the Black Stars in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on 15 October in the first-play of the playoff clash. But they want to appeal to businessmen in

Osaze hopes for more after debut goal

their country to transport fans to Kumasi to ensure that they have massive support for the team in Ghana. “The association will launch the campaign in early October and reveal its details at a press conference,” EFA board member Mahmoud El-Shami told Reuters. “We will be calling businessmen to search for ways to motivate players and support transporting fans to Kumasi [4,300km from Cairo], providing special flights for the event.” Egyptians are preparing for the match against Ghana as if their lives depend on it and will start camping for the Black Stars match in Thursday.

Osaze Odemwingie has said he hopes to score more goals after his goal-scoring debut for Cardiff City in League Cup game Tuesday. Odemwingie, who joined Cardiff from West Bromwich Albion in the summer, scored in the 76th minute to draw level at 2-2 in a game they lost 3-2 to West Ham United. “Happy to score my first goal for Cardiff City. Hope many more to come in the league, which is our main objective,” Odemwingie tweeted. However, Osaze said he believes his team Cardiff City have learnt some les-

sons from the game. “Big thanks to our supporters for travelling down on a Tuesday night. Bad result but a good lesson for the games to come in the league,” he tweeted. Even his club boss Malky Mackay prasied the striker saying ““Peter was excellent, he was dangerous and that’s what we wanted,” Mackay said, after the £2.5m signing from West Brom completed his first 90 minutes since January. “He looked as though he would score a goal or set up a chance. But there is a need to get match minutes into him because he hasn’t played regularly for six months or so.”

Ghana FA boss will back Kingson’s return

Richard Kingson

Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi will support the decision to recall goalkeeper Richard Kingson for next month’s World Cup playoff against Egypt if he is in form. The veteran goalkeeper has returned to active football in Cyprus and played 270 minutes of football for Doxa in the country’s top-flight. The 35-year-old earned rave reviews when he kept a clean sheet on his debut in the 2-0 win over Nea Salamis at home. Kingson lost his national team position due to his inactivity after he was released by then English Premier League side Blackpool. “Why was Richard (Kingson) dropped from the Black Stars? It was

because he became clubless,” Nyantakyi told Accra-based Joy FM. “If he is now playing, it means that there is every opportunity for him to comeback provided he is playing and playing well. “For such a veteran goalkeeper, I believe if he is indeed playing well and we will get the chance to come back into the team, it will be a big boost to the team’s chances of qualifying to the World Cup. “With Richard Kingson, you can go and sleep. If he is in good form, he is the safest pair of hands in the country.” Kingson was between the sticks for Ghana at the FIFA World Cup finals in 2006 and 2010.

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Eaglets cancel Qatar training

Sunderland have invited Asante Kotoko for an exchange programme visit next month, the English Premier League side have confirmed. The trip will help the current the newly constituted board to learn the full operations of Sunderland and replicate it in the development of the defending Ghanaian champions. “We have invited the Kotoko Board to come and visit us in early October,” Commercial Director of Sunderland Gary Hutchinson said. “They are coming to look at our full operations and see how it works and bring the best practices back to Ghana to run Kotoko in various forms. “They will also engage in various discussions which are all geared towards cementing a good partnership between the two parties.” Kotoko signed a partnership deal with the Black Cats in July 2011.

One of Nigeria’s promising young eaglets is striker Kelechi Iheanacho

Nigeria U17s have cancelled a proposed training camp in Qatar due to logistics, officials have said.

MTNFootball.com gathered that the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar, where the Golden Eaglets would have trained is fully booked. They are now expected to fly directly to the United Arab Emirates to train for at least two weeks before the FIFA U17

World Cup kicks off on October 17. “The Golden Eaglets are still in the country training in the final phase of local preparation. They could not go to Qatar due to logistics reasons,” said general secretary of the Nigeria football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu. “But the Federation is making frantic effort to see that the team train for at least two weeks in UAE to help the team acclimatise ahead of the World Cup.

“We will decide later this week where in the UAE the team would camp, but they would have at least two weeks of closed and concentrated training in the UAE.” Nigeria are drawn in Group F alongside defending champions Mexico, Sweden and Iraq. They play their first match on October 19 against Mexico.

Mobara is Mr Versatile for Ajax

Abbubaker Mobara

Versatile defender, Abbubaker Mobara, has revealed he prefers to play in the centre of defence but faces stiff competition from his Ajax Cape Town teammates. The young talent can play either in the

centre of defence or at right-back, but has found himself having to adapt to the holding midfielder role just above the Ajax backline. “My preferred position is centre-back because I am more comfortable there,” he says.

Kotoko board to visit Sunderland next month

“I started as a right-back as a youngster and when I got to Under-15 they pushed to centre-back. “I got used to it and started to like it a lot. Since then I got used to it - I never wanted to go back to right-back. “In the Vodacom team I swerved from the centre to the right, but in the Coppa Amsterdam and in the Bayhill I played in the middle.” Ajax boss Muhsin Ertugral’s preferred pairing in the middle is Dominic Isaacs and Ritus Krjauklis - who in the absence of Thulani Hlatshwayo has made two appearances for the club. And with the Turkish tactician stern in sticking to his experienced favourites at the back. Mobara doesn’t mind adding extra cover above the defensive unit. “I prefer it there because I can see everything,” adds Mobara.

Continued from page 32

CAF decides on host countries

The cities are understood to include Misrata, Tripoli and Benghazi with highly ambitious plans to build 11 new stadiums including a 60,000-seater in Tripoli. However, given the political instability of the country, it seems unlikely CAF will be willing to take the security risks. According to the Equatorial Guinea federation, CAF has contacted Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, who successfully jointly hosted the African Cup of Nations in 2012, as an alternative venue for 2017, with the Gabon-Equatorial Guinea Local Organising Committee agreeing to submit CAF’s proposal to their respective governments. Meanwhile, the hosts for the 2019 and 2021 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as the 2018 and 2020 editions of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), will be announced in the first half of 2014. The deadline for the submission of applications for the CAN is 25 November 2013 and 4 December 2013 for the CHAN. An inspection team will visit interested countries between January and April 2014 to evaluate infrastructure and facilities. The executive committee also emphasised that national associations had been tasked to ensure Club Licensing requirements were met by the end of 2013. Any federation failing to meet the requirements risks having their clubs banned from CAF Club competitions for 2014. 31

Friday, 27 September – Thursday, 03 October 2013 ISSUE 501

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Ghana FA boss backs Kingson’s return SEE PAGE 30

Hockey Nation’s Cup falls victim to Kenya mall terrorists By Peter Olorunnisomo The planned All African Nations’ Cup for hockey in both male and female categories is one of the casualties of the Westgate shopping mall terrorist siege that traumatized Kenya and the world. The event, which was scheduled to begin this week, had to be postponed as a result of the actions of the Al-Shabaab terrorists. The African Hockey Federation (AfHF) has been left with no option but to postpone the competition to allow the nation and all those even remotely affected, just as Kenya started three days of national mourning for the victims. The attack, which left at least 67 people dead and a further 175 injured, spanned four days before the horrible saga came to an end. Despite the Kenyan Government’s statement that the attackers were defeated, the AfHF decided to postpone the continental tournament that leads to qualification for the 2014 Hockey World Cup. “On behalf of the AfHF, I offer our apologies to all who have worked tirelessly towards this tournament,” AfHF honorary secretary general Nii QuayeKumah said. “I thank you all for your patience and support during this difficult time and we also encourage national associations to spare a thought for our brothers and sis-

Dr. Nii Quaye-Kumah, Hon. Secretary-General (African Hockey Federation)

ters in Kenya (Kenyan Hockey Union) and to reach out and console them on the loss of lives.” A new date for the tournament is expected to be announced in the near future.

CAF decides on host countries The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the host countries for its upcoming competitions and the Moroccan host cities for the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2015.

Meeting at CAF headquarters in Cairo, the Executive Committee nominated host nations for the following competitions: · The 2015 African Beach Soccer Championship will be held in the Seychelles · The 2015 African U-23 Championship will take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo · Cameroon has been selected to host the 2016 African Women’s Championship · Zambia will host the 2017 African U-20 Championship CAF also confirmed timings of the following competitions; · African Women’s Championship, Namibia 2014 will be held 11 to 25 October, 2014. · African U-20 Championship, Senegal 2015 will be held 8 to 22 March, 2015. · African U-17 Championship, Niger 2015 will be held 2 to 16 May, 2015. The four host cities for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015 have been confirmed as Rabat, Marrakech, Agadir and Tangier with Casablanca serving as an alternative venue for the 17 January to 7 February tournament. Perhaps more in hope than expectation, the Libyan Football Federation has submitted proposed cities and venues for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations for CAF Executive Committee approval.

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The International Hockey Federation (FIH) also expressed “its deepest sympathies to the people of Nairobi and everyone who has been affected by this tragedy”.

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