African voice newspaper issue 512 by African Voice Newspapers UK

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013 issue 512

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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 Government set out to ban zero hour work contracts

New tensions as ex-VP accused of attempted coup

SEE PAGE 12

NOW REST

£1.00

SEE PAGE 17

Accelerating action to stop rogue EU benefit claims

SEE PAGE 22

By Alan Oakley

Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president and one of the modern era’s most iconic political figures, was laid to rest on Sunday in his ‘home’ village, Qunu.

The man who led a whole nation on its ‘long walk to freedom’ received a send-off befitting a national hero as fellow freedom-fighters, princes and princesses, potentates, dignitaries, business moguls and celebrities gathered from far and wide to pay tribute to South Africa’s “greatest son”. If one cannot escape the feeling that, having insisted on this humble final resting place, this man of the people would have been somewhat perturbed that his people and their traditions were largely ignored, then the silver lining is that the world is less ignorant of those people and traditions as a consequence. Mourners who turned out along the 19 mile route to Qunu from Mthatha air-

port complained bitterly that the cortege moved too quickly for them to see the flag-draped casket, never mind properly pay their respects and bid their liberator farewell. Efforts to observe the traditional burial rituals of Mandela’s Xhosa clan were somewhat thwarted by the scale of the event but 4,500 attendees and a global TV audience of hundreds of millions could never have been contemplated when those tribal funeral edicts were first conceived. Less forgivable, given the disposition of the man being honoured, was the cordon erected to keep out ‘undesirables’ but which also served to exclude the people a fit and healthy Mandela chose to spend his leisure time with. Even if he saw all South Africa’s oppressed - perhaps all South Africans – perhaps all the world’s oppressed - as his people, the people of Qunu were HIS people in its truest sense.

The front cover of Nelson Mandela’s funeral programme

Continued on page 2

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Government opens up key education data

News

The funeral service of Nelson Mandela Continued from front page

Yet many of these same people felt snubbed by the organisers’ apparent contempt, overwhelmed by the maelstrom of international media attention and inconvenienced by the upheaval brought about by hastily paved roads to accommodate traffic where there

Mr Zuma attempted to channel the spirit of hope Mandela engendered during this state funeral - South Africa’s first. “Whilst the long walk to freedom has ended in the physical sense, our own journey continues. We have to continue build-

The Department for Education is to open up access to key education data, so parents and pupils are given information on the qualifications most likely to help realise their ambitions.

Researchers can now request information, from the Department for Education, which links data on the National Pupil Database (NPD) to further and higher education data. Previously this would have required three separate requests to different Government departments. The improvement will make it easier for researchers to produce data on what GCSEs, A Levels and vocational courses are most successful at getting students to university or onto apprenticeships – and in which subjects. The change was welcomed by Schools Minister David Laws, who said: “If we are to build a stronger economy and a fairer society we need to give young people the information they need to make informed decisions. “This Government is committed to publishing more transparent information so that parents and students can make informed decisions about education.

Publisher and Editor-In-Chief Mike Abiola Editorial Board Adviser Dr Ola Ogunyemi News Editor Peter Olorunnisomo Managing Editor Alan Oakley Sports Editor Peter Olorunnisomo Assist. Sports Editor Olubunmi Omoogun Arts Editor Golda John Columnists Ryan Holmes Photo Journalist Isaac Adegbite Graphic Designer Ryan Holmes 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.

Officers from South Africa’s security forces stand to attention at Nelson Mandela’s final resting place, observed by widow Graca Machel, Winnie Mandela, Jacob Zuma and Mandla Mandela, Madiba’s grandson

was previously dirt track and goats. One Xhosa tribal leader was heard to say that Madiba, for so long their own, had been taken away from them. Despite dire weather predictions, the sun knew enough to make its presence felt for just enough time to illuminate proceedings before making way for torrential rain as soon as the crowds dispersed. Under a specially erected marquee, moving tributes poured forth from friends, family and fellow leaders past and present. Regrettably, current president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, could not fight the urge to insert an election campaign speech into his eulogy, while Kenneth Kaunda, former president of neighbouring Zambia, proved beyond doubt that stand-up comedy is not an avenue retired politicians should ever pursue. Confident he would not face the hostile reception he endured days earlier at the Madiba Memorial, Mr Zuma remembered a man who transformed a country, saying “South Africa will continue to rise because we dare not fail you. “Your abiding revolutionary spirit will convey on us to not rest until the poor and the working class have truly benefitted from the material fruits of freedom and democracy which you fought for,” he said, continuing: “Tata, as your triumphed journey comes to an end, we sincerely thank you for dedicating your life to building a free and democratic South Africa in which all shall live in equality and dignity. “We acknowledge the suffering of your own children who had an absent father and a father who was called a dangerous man and a terrorist by the apartheid regime and its surrogates. They are no doubt truly proud today to have been brought to this planet by a man so great and yet so humble.” Mr Zuma’s government - mired in allegations of mismanagement and corruption - has been vilified for not living up to Mandela’s standards. But in a lengthy address,

ing the type of society you worked tirelessly to construct. We have to take the legacy forward,” he concluded. Ahmed Kathrada, anti-apartheid activist, friend and for 26 years Mandela’s fellow political prisoner, delivered an emotional opening eulogy, saying that he had been left in a void by the death of his “dear brother”. “The last time I saw Madiba alive was when I visited him in hospital. I was overwhelmed with a mixture of sadness and pride,” he said, adding: “My mind automatically flashed back to the picture of the man I grew up with.

and grandchildren. Nandi remembered her grandfather as a storyteller with a great sense of humour. “During the past year we truly missed hearing his voice. At dinner, he liked telling stories about his childhood and he preferred the ones where he would poke fun at himself,” she said. “One of his favourite stories was of him chasing a piece of chicken with a fork at a dinner table with a family of a girl that he wanted as his girlfriend. “He would say - and you’ve heard this story many a time - ‘Gee whiz, man. Every time I stabbed the chicken it jumped, and I was sweating and embarrassed because I wanted to impress this young girl’.” What threatened to detract from the main focus of the day was nipped in the bud when Desmond Tutu responded to a late invitation and took his place amongst the mourners. The former Archbishop of Cape Town was a close friend of Nelson Mandela but latterly fell out with the ANC. Asked about the funeral in an interview, Tutu said he had not been invited when, perhaps, he should have simply kept quiet, mindful that an apparent snub ran the risk of taking over the headlines. The organisers blamed an error, which as their best option whether it was true or not, and the media world returned to its axis. In accordance with the Mandela family’s wishes, the lowering of the casket was not broadcast and was observed only by a select group of 450 guests and family members who, curiously and to the potential chagrin of the 4,000 who didn’t make the cut, were named during the main service.

Nelson Mandela’s former wife, Winnie (left), and his widow Graca Machel flank President Jacob Zuma at Sunday’s funeral service

“I first met him 67 years ago and I recall the tall, healthy, strong man - the boxer, the prisoner who easily wielded the pick and shovel when we couldn’t do so. “Madiba, we may be drowned in sorrow and grief, [but] we must be proud and grateful that after the long walk paved with obstacles and suffering we can salute you as a fighter for freedom in the end. Farewell, my dear brother, my mentor, my leader.” Mandela’s grandson Ndaba delivered an obituary, while granddaughter Nandi delivered a tribute on behalf of his children

It will inevitably prove a forlorn hope that the isolated Eastern Cape village of Qunu will not become a tourist attraction and Mandela himself would baulk at the notion that his grave might evolve into a place of pilgrimage. It will be for the government and local leaders to ensure that whatever becomes of this long-sanctified site and its environs is handled with sensitivity. The events of the past two weeks have run roughshod over the people of Qunu but their patience is likely to wear thin should their village become a vista for voyeurs.

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Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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News

UK closing its ears to world music Concert promoters are complaining that UK immigration is making it harder for international musicians to get visas to work in the UK, saying that the Home Office has refused to issue visas to internationally renowned artistes on a number of occasions.

The New Musical Express, one of the UK’s most respected music magazines, cites the cases of two Asian bands whose scheduled concerts could not go ahead because one or more members were refused UK visas. In November, the Pakistani Sachal Jazz Ensemble had to cancel two concerts in the Kings Place venue in London’s King’s Cross after one of their number was refused entry to the UK. The group played in New York’s Lincoln Center with no problems only a week earlier and, indeed, played the Alchemy Festival at London’s Southbank Centre with no reports of absconders in 2012. Sachal Jazz are best known for their reworking of The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s 1959 jazz classic Take-Five, written by the group’s saxophonist Paul Desmond. When Brubeck heard Sachal’s version of his group’s most famous work shortly before his death in 2012, he said that it was “the most interesting and different recording of Take-Five that I have ever heard”.

The Sachal Jazz Ensemble performing at the Southbank’s Alchemy Festival in April 2012

Music promoter Jay Vivsadeva, who was behind the London visit said: “We are finding it very difficult to obtain visas. Six professional musicians who travel the world constantly should have a clean application. We had no issue with [UK] visas last year. The Border Agency are the culprits. They are heavy-handed, especially with people from the subcontinent”. In October, the Ensemble Al-Kindi, a Turkish-Syrian group which plays traditional Syrian music, was refused entry to the UK because the Home Office refused entry visas to five of the group. They had been due to play at a concert at the RichMix Centre in Shoreditch, East London to celebrate their 30th anniversary in the music business. Ensemble

Al-Kindi’s manager, Sabine Chatel, told The Evening Standard that she had been told the visas were refused because the Home Office believed that the musicians might not leave the UK if allowed to enter. Ms Chatel said that Al-Kindi had been granted Schengen visas which allow them to travel freely elsewhere throughout the European Union and into Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland outside the EU. However, the UK and Ireland stand alone in the EU as non-signatories to the Schengen accord. Oliver Carruthers of RichMix said: “We know how disappointed everyone will be, especially those who have already bought tickets. It would have been a very exciting show for London, which is usually known to be an open, welcom-

ing city for artists. “What’s sad is that their music is part of a long tradition of peaceful exploration of the relationship between people and spirituality - a tradition that is increasingly under threat in Syria.” The Standard reports that Simon Broughton, the editor of Songlines, a magazine dedicated to world music, believes that the problem is getting worse and is threatening the world music scene in the UK. Mr Broughton said: “I don’t know whether something has changed at the Border Agency but it has become a problem recently. Great musicians who are very well known in their own fields are not getting into the country where there is an audience for them. “Much of the music is a fantastic way of correcting the image of Islam as sombre and strict but the musicians can’t get into the country. It doesn’t help the understanding of these cultures.” A Home Office spokesman said: “All visa applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with immigration rules”. Musicians from outside the EU can perform in the UK with an Entertainer Visitor visa, providing that they are not paid while in the UK. If they are being paid, they can apply for a Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) temporary work visa.

Two sentenced for murder of soldier

The two men who hit headlines this year when they publically murdered soldier Lee Rigby, have been sentenced. Both were found guilty of murdering Lee Rigby outside Woolwich barracks in south-east London in May.

Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, first ran over Fusilier Rigby in their car before hacking him to death. Adebolajo had claimed he was a “soldier of Allah” and the killing was an act of war. The men were however found not guilty of attempting to murder a police officer at the scene. The Old Bailey jury of eight women and four men took approximately 90 minutes to reach its verdicts. They had heard that Adebolajo and Adebowale drove a car into Fusilier Rigby at 30-40mph, before dragging him into the road and attacking him with knives and attempting to decapi-

tate him with a meat cleaver. Mr Justice Sweeney ordered that the verdicts be heard in silence. He said he would pass sentence after a key appeal court ruling on the use of whole life terms in January. He expressed his “gratitude and admiration” for the soldier’s family, saying they had “sat in court with great dignity throughout what must have been the most harrowing of evidence”. As the defendants were taken out of the courtroom, Adebolajo kissed his Koran and raised it in the air. Relatives of Fusilier Rigby broke down in tears as the verdicts were given. His wife said the family was satisfied that justice had been done, adding: “This has been the toughest time of our lives. No one should have to go through what we have been through as a family.”

Sentenced Michael Adeboljo and Michael Adebowale

Rebecca Rigby said: “These people have taken away my baby’s dad but Lee’s memory lives on through our son and we will never forget him. “I now want to build a future for Jack and make him proud of his dad like we all are.”

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The whole country was completely shocked by the murder of Lee Rigby and the whole country united in condemnation of what happened and I’m sure everyone will welcome these verdicts.

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Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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News

Cameron admits target sailing out of view Following the release of figures last week that reveal immigration in the year to June 2013 actually rose by 15,000 to 182,000, David Cameron has conceded that it is unlikely that his government will meet its target of reducing net immigration to the UK to “tens of thousands” (taken to mean below 100,000) by 2015.

Mr Cameron told journalists that immigration had fallen by about a third from the level it reached under the last Labour government when official figures suggested that net immigration ran at 250,000 a year. The Prime Minister was speaking to journalists while on a trade mission to China. He said that it was not impossible that the target would be met but said that a fall in the number of people emigrating from the UK had made it harder to achieve. He said: “I made the pledge of trying to get net migration down to the tens of thousands, rather than the hundreds of thousands, on the basis that actually over the previous period migration flows within Europe have been relatively balancing out when it’s been migration from outside Europe that’s been topping up the numbers”. The tens of thousands target seemed to have come about after Mr Cameron was interviewed on the Andrew Marr Programme on BBC1 on Sunday 10th

David Cameron made his immigration pledge in an interview with Andrew Marr

January 2010. He told Marr, “We would like to see net immigration in the tens of thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands. I don’t think that’s unrealistic”. The target has been criticised by many business groups because it makes no distinction between different types of immigration. International students, for example, who contribute a great deal of income to the UK economy, are included in the figure. UN guidelines state that students should be included as ‘permanent migrants’ because, for the period of their

studies, they hold long term visas in the country where they are studying. When they leave, they are included in the emigration statistics. Therefore by reducing the number of overseas students that are granted Tier 4 student visas, the government can artificially cut the immigration figure. Critics of the target argued that it could not be met without causing significant damage to the UK’s economy by preventing international students with Tier 4 visas as well as skilled workers with Tier 2 (General) visas from coming in.

A report from academics at University College London published in November 2013 criticised the target as “neither a useful tool or a measure of policy effectiveness”. In their report, Professor John Salt and Dr Janet Dobson said that the government had put itself in a difficult position by coming up with the tens of thousands target because it was now bound to pursue it even if it was damaging the country. They wrote: “having publicised the target, a government is under pressure to prioritize its achievement over other considerations which may be in the national interest or the interests of individual citizens and to act hastily to reach it within the promised time-scale”. They also said that the UK would be better advised to follow an immigration policy not predicated on a single immigration figure but rather “one which strikes a balance between minimizing the economic and social costs of migration while maximising the benefits”. The report recommended: ‘If governments wish to set targets for non-EEA immigration, they should be based on estimates for different migration streams – labour, student, family and asylum, each perhaps broken down into component parts, rather than a single overall figure to be met regardless.” Mr Cameron has promised to continue to attempt to reduce the net immigration figure to below 100,000.

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Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

News

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Niger River states plan hydropower dams By Elias Ntungwe Ngalame

West African states in the Niger River Basin are seeking to tackle climate risks and reduce poverty by constructing three hydropower dams in the next five years. In late November, the Council of Ministers of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), meeting in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde, endorsed an environmental and climate action plan for sustainable management of the scenic basin and its rich natural resources, which have come under threat from climate change. The projects include a 102 megawatt (MW) hydropower dam at Fomi in Guinea, a 25 MW hydropower plant in Toussa, Mali, and the 565 MW Kandadji dam in Niger. These aim to boost hydro-electricity and irrigation, reduce desertification and flooding, and improve economic activities across the region. “The West African region is facing urgent problems of food security, rural poverty and climate change that demand answers

Schematic of a typical hydroelectric dam in the form of investment and infrastructure. We need to give a push to these three multi-purpose hydropower dam projects as a sustainable solution that involves the region’s largest river,” NBA executive secretary Collins Ihekire said in a statement at the Yaounde gathering. The NBA is the coordinating body for the 4,200 km-long (2,600-mile) Niger River, bringing together the governments of Be-

nin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. The NBA also agreed to rehabilitate three hydropower plants at Kainji, Jebda and Lagdo, as well as multiple run-of-river hydropower stations, optimise water storage, set up irrigation schemes for an additional 1 million hectares (2.5 million hectares) of land, and increase hydropower production to 1,000 gigawatt hours per day. “Integrating future climate change adaptation and mitigation into our development action plan will enable...sustainable management of our water resources, to better the livelihood of the over 106 million population in the area,” said Emmanuel Nganou Djoumesi, Cameroon’s minister of the economy, planning and regional development, at the closing of the Yaounde meeting. BOOST TO FOOD SECURITY The decision to reinforce climate and environmental protection in the basin comes

Map of the Niger River 8

after a series of World Bank-funded studies to assess climate risk in the area. The research concluded that “the impacts of climate change on minimum water flow in the river are potentially severe”, according to an NBA report. “Rain-fed agriculture in the area is vulnerable to climate change. Crop yields have reduced by more than 15 percent in the last five years due to increase in temperature by more than 2 degrees.” This has undermined food production, especially in the Sahel region, which includes NBA member states like Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, which have high rates of child malnutrition, the report said. As well as generating electricity for sur rounding areas, the new dams will also boost production of crops like rice and vegetables, and alleviate the impacts of climate change, authorities say. “The Fomi multi-purpose dam in Guinea will not only provide hydroelectric power, but its reservoir will create opportunities for fishing. Areas around the reservoir will also be suitable for raising cattle and other types of livestock as well as for agriculture. The new body of water will also provide a habitat for aquatic birds,” the NBA report said. The $384 million project will enable regulation of water levels in the Niger River, benefiting countries downstream by making irrigation possible during the dry season, the NBA says. The Taoussa dam in Mali - estimated to cost $38 million - is slated to generate electricity for Burkina Faso and Niger, and could eventually provide irrigation for nearly 140,000 hectares.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Bangladesh

War criminal execution sparks deadly protests

Five more people were killed on Monday in Bangladesh in continuing protests sparked by the execution of top Islamist leader, Abdul Quader Molla, as the prime minister warned of a crackdown.

The deaths reportedly happened overnight in southeastern district of Satkhira. Police said demonstrators, some wielding homemade bombs, attacked security ofﬁcials. The clash was the latest violence since Molla, a top ﬁgure in the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged last week for crimes against humanity dating back to the country’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Since the execution, at least 25 people have been killed in street violence and clashes with authorities. Another six people were killed on Sunday, including four in the northern town of Patgram, and a further seven died elsewhere overnight, police said. The deaths occurred as Islamist supporters enforced a nationwide strike

Abdul Quader Molla was executed last Thursday for atrocities committed during East Pakistan’s ﬁght for independence from the West, which he opposed

over the execution of Molla. “Police ﬁred riﬂes after Jamaat protesters torched at least 20 houses belonging to ruling party supporters,” government administrator Habibur Rahman told reporters of the violence in Patgram, adding: “We have banned

Turkey

Landmark agreement heralds thaw in Turkey-EU relations Turkey has signed an agreement with the European Union allowing EU governments to repatriate illegal immigrants crossing into Europe via Turkey.

At a ceremony in Ankara on Monday (December 16), Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and EU Home Affairs Commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, also signed an accord to enter into discussions on dropping visa requirements for Turks visiting Europe. The agreements are a fresh sign of improved ties between Ankara and the EU after they began a new round of membership talks last month following a three-year hiatus. “A new process in Turkish-EU relations is beginning,” Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech at the ceremony, adding: “With our signatures today, the European doors are being opened for visafree travel by Turkish citizens.” Turkey has provisionally closed just one of 35 chapters it must negotiate with the EU to bring its laws into line with the 28-nation bloc’s standards. It has 13 other chapters open. “This autumn there has been a new launch in relations ... [The agreement] can contribute to building trust and can lead

to new types of cooperation,” Malmström told the Reuters news agency. Erdogan rejected what he said was an impression in Europe that Turks would surge into the EU if requirements were lifted. “If EU visas are abolished, neither Turkey nor EU member countries will experience the slightest problem ... We are coming to take on a burden, not to be a burden,” he said. Talks on the “readmission agreement” to send back illegal immigrants had been stalled for years, largely due to Turkish distrust over the EU’s willingness to ease visa rules. Turkey lies on a major route for illegal migration into Europe from Africa and the Middle East, and some in Western Europe fear Turkish membership would widen the bloc’s borders too far to the fringes of Iran, Iraq and Syria. The number of irregular migrants travelling into Europe from Turkey has been steadily falling to around 20,000 this year from more than three times that number in 2010, partly due to better border cooperation with Greece and the economic crisis making Europe less appealing.

protests and gatherings in the area to prevent further violence.” Molla was the ﬁrst person to be convicted of war crimes and sent to the gallows since the country gained independence in 1971. The government, led by the Awami League party,

has held war crimes trials in keeping with a pledge it made during the 2008 election. However, some international rights groups have criticised the trials, arguing that they are politically motivated and haven’t met international legal standards, charges the government has disputed. Molla, 65, was dubbed the “Butcher of Mirpur,” a reference to a suburb in the capital of Dhaka where he reportedly led local pro-Pakistani militia in killing dozens of people, including women and children. He was one of ﬁve leaders sentenced to death by the Bangladesh government’s war crimes tribunal, which the country’s opposition says is on a hunt to wipe out its leadership. Molla’s execution has heightened tensions in the impoverished, politically polarised South Asian nation. The country has seen a rise in violence in advance of divisive elections scheduled for next month.

Spain

Spain digs in heels over Catalan independence

The government of Spain has poured icy water over plans by separatist parties in Catalonia to hold a referendum in November next year.

Catalan regional government head Artur Mas said the vote, which the Spanish government says would be unconstitutional, would ask two questions: “Do you want Catalonia to be a state?” and “Do you want that state to be independent?” Calls for independence in Catalonia, a wealthy industrial region of northeastern Spain which includes Barcelona and accounts for a ﬁfth of the country’s economic output, have grown as a prolonged Spanish recession and cuts in public spending have hit the area, creating a headache for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Mas argued that there was a way for the vote to be held legally, but within minutes of his statement, Spanish Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon said the vote could not take place because Spain’s constitution would not allow it. Rajoy later reiterated that he saw no elbow room on Madrid’s stance against the referendum. “As prime minister I have sworn to uphold the constitution and the law and,

because of this, I guarantee that this referendum will not happen,” Rajoy said during a joint news conference with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, adding: “Any discussion or debate on this is out of the question.” The ambiguous wording of the proposed ﬁrst question: “Do you want to be a state?” was aimed at satisfying parties who wanted more independence from Madrid without separating altogether and at attracting as many voters as possible, political analysts said. The Catalan government has been talking about a possible referendum since late last year and a Metroscopia poll in newspaper El Pais last month showed that 46 percent of Catalans favour separatism versus 42 percent who wish to remain within Spain. However, the same poll also showed that Catalans, if offered more autonomy, would prefer it over outright independence. Catalonia has strong historic and cultural roots and its own language, aside from Spanish. It already has a high degree of autonomy, but wants more say over taxes and public spending. AntiSpanish fervour frequently extends to the Spanish national anthem being booed during sporting events. 9

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Osun: Giant strides continue Last week, the media reported the British Deputy High Commissioner as saying that the State of Osun is a viable destination for any investor who is looking for a safe place to put his money in Nigeria because, according to him, “the State is peaceful”. For a country now accustomed to negative stories from mischievous quarters, painting the State of Osun in the most unfavourable light, this statement from Mr. Peter Carter, Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria should put the lie to the misinformation and disinformation fed to and promoted by a section of the media.The High Commissioner did not stop at that; he said, “within three years of his administration, what the government of Ogbeni Aregbesola has done in terms of infrastructural development and how the governor has been attracting businesses and industries is IMPRESSIVE, PRAISEWORTHY AND BOASTFUL for FUTURE of the State”, (emphasis mine). The truth could not be more clearly stat-

ed. What’s going on in the State of Osun in virtually all departments is really and truly “giant strides” in development. However, a vocal minority enamoured of and sated by the miserableness of conditions that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola met, are getting serious and sizeable media attention as they hysterically demand a return to the status quo created by their People Democratic Party (PDP) friends. These people live in the past and they have practically lost their legitimacy as “promoters of the good” for at each stage of the Aregbesola revolution every step taken by the governor was viciously condemned, his person maligned and the State placed in the dumps by the opposition party and their surrogate. In fact, many respectable citizens who were misled to buy into the false stories coming out of Osun got a sense that a radical Islamists had emerged in Osogbo who must be checkmated. That was some two years ago. We had worked as hard as we could to change the pathetic image which the PDP and their friends tried disingenuously to create of the State of Osun. As you read this, that strainous effort is not over, because there are people in high and low places who

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (centre); Chairman Osogbo-Oroki Day Planning Committee, High Chief Sulaiman Solagbade (2nd right); Vice Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Lateef Oladosu (right); National Treasurer, Osogbo Progressive Forum, Mr Adegoke Hassan (left) and Alhaji Ghazal Owolabi (2nd left), during a courtesy call to the Governor in Osogbo

have a preference for lies and continue to buy into the falasies that PDP and their surrogate tell about Osun. They keep the negative stories alive and they swear by their goddess of lies that Aregbesola is destroying Osun. Some people, awfully limited in their perceptive ability, call that politics; blind, deaf and unenlightened politics perhaps. When you sit back in the fraudulently acquired opulence of your wealth to tell senseless lies about your own state, or you junket media houses with utterly false stories about how the state is being run, all for the purpose of tarnishing the image of the government in power, in the long run you qualify to be described as a terrorist. You are in the business of mentally terrorizing your community. That is not politics; it is crime!! But the good thing is that these lies and those who take pleasure in propagating them have not succeeded even in fooling ordinary people in the state who see, hear, feel and delight in the incredible level of progress that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by Ogbeni Rauf Aragbesola, continues to make in Osun.

People who know what is happening, whose source of information is not the political illiterates assembled in the opposition party, will tell you that the state is making giant strides. And no less a personality than the British Deputy High Commissioner has said just that. Let the enemies of progress bow their heads in shame. They have eyes to see what is going on in their country but they deny what they see. However, their denial has changed nothing and will stop nothing. Giant strides in Osun continue. The world is acknowledging it. The people are delighting in it. The streets of our cities tell the story. Business is bubbling. The pace of commercial activities in the last three years has more than doubled. There is no single family in Osun today that is not positively affected by the giant strides which the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola led government is taking. The scare-mongering of the opposition, the lies of their surrogate, and the evil machination of their supporters from distant lands cannot and will not be allowed to stop these giant strides. *Mr Oyatomi is the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, All Progressives Congress (APC), State of Osun.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd left); Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Federal Matter, Honourable Idiat Babalola; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Research, Planning and Policy Implementation, Prince Olusegun Bada (left); Personal Assistant to State of Osun Governor on Political matter, Alhaji Bisi Oyoosun (right); Engineer Abdulkareem Ojutikun (2nd left); S.J Samuel during the unveiling late Chief Awolowo statue at Osun Lodge

Photo: Taofeeq Adejare

By KUNLE OYATOMI

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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NAF produces unmanned aerial vehicles By Peter Olorunnisomo

The Nigeria Air Force made the nation proud, and indeed the Nigeria Armed Forces, when President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday unveiled a Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), produced locally by the Air Force as part of the Federal Government’s effort to tackle insecurity in the country.

The vehicle, named GULMA, is the ﬁrst Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to be produced in the country according to the authorities, and will be used to ﬁght terrorism and other sophisticated crimes through enhanced air surveillance. At the commissioning ceremony held at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna, President Jonathan commended the nation’s armed forces for their breakthrough in science and technology innovation, and assured of the federal government’s willingness to support the security agencies in their research projects. He urged the private sector to key into the breakthrough made by the Air Force

Labaran Maku, Minister of Defence

in order to achieve through mass production, the highest and best commercial use of this prototype Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Earlier in an address, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh said that the main objective of producing the surveillance vehicle was to instil self-sufﬁciency in the ﬁelds of aviation and military technology and also to discourage the military’s over dependence on developed nations for supply of security equipment. He further disclosed that the unmanned aerial vehicle has been designed to meet vast expectations and needs, and could be used by the nation’s armed forces and other security agencies for both internal

PENGASSAN gives notice of industrial action For some reason, every year towards the festive season end of year, something always happens to orchestrate the possibility of fuel strike actions. It is the time to remember promises not kept, supplies not made, price hikes that cannot be upheld and anything that will bring the oil workers sector into conﬂict with the Federal Government for which the public must pay.

News reaching us state that this year may be no different as PENGASSAN has announced plans by the association to commence industrial action in the first week of January, 2014. While this may be said not to have much effect on commuting during the festive period, it is definitely going to spark fuel scarcity and fuel price hikes as the strike date gets closer unless something is done. In any case, the culture of trans-Nigeria travel at this time of the year normally would affect the supply and cost of fuel. The association, through its National President (Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association) Babatunde Oguns has expressed its seriousness to carry out this threat if the Federal Government fails to rescind its decision to privatise the nation’s refineries. Addressing members of the association at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Abuja, Mr Oguns, flanked by the Deputy President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers, said that the planned

and security operations. He added that the Nigerian Air Force spent between $2million to $3million to train the eleven pilots that will operate the UAVs, and therefore called for more funding. Supervisory Minister of Defence, Labaran Maku, said that the development of the unmanned surveillance aircraft by the Nigerian Air Force at the time the country is battling with terrorism is an indication of the present government’s resolve to provide security for the citizens. He urged other security agencies to incorporate it into their operations to fully harness their potentials. The 40 kilogramme unmanned aerial vehicle is designed to pick objects 10,000 feet above sea level. Its history commenced in 2007 when the Nigerian Air Force introduced a 5-year manpower development programme in Aerospace engineering in collaboration with Cranﬁeld University based in the United Kingdom. The vision was to develop in-house capacity for advanced research and development in the country’s aerospace ﬁelds. The collaboration between the Nigerian Air Force and the University heralded the

design and production of several small unmanned aerial vehicles, which were code named ‘Amebo’. The vehicle, basically made of aluminium alloy structure and operated by radio control only, was designed and tested by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2009. Besides its diverse military application, the unmanned aircraft provides other beneﬁts; in disaster management, power line surveys, law enforcement, telecommunications, weather monitoring, and aerial imaging and mapping. It is also rapidly, becoming an important tool in news coverage, environmental monitoring, and oil and gas exploration. From a humble beginning in 2007, the Nigerian Air Force has grown capacity and capability in unmanned aerial vehicle production and operations. The authorities therefore believe that with adequate funding, this wealth of research could be harnessed to produce various categories of the vehicle to support internal security operations, and also provide civil agencies with aerial surveillance requirements.

Jega says no elections in troubled states

Comrade Babatunde Oguns (centre) ﬂanked by union ofﬁcials

privatization is an attempt to hand over the nation’s refineries to cronies of the Federal Government. He said that an indefinite strike will be declared in the first week of January 2014, to press home their demand on the Federal Government not to sell the nation’s refineries in the name of privatization. “If between now and 24th of this month (December), government does not retract that every statement that has been made has been put on hold while further engagement is made, and everything we have to do is hinged on PIB (Petroleum Industry Bill) by first week of January, be rest assured that PENGASSAN and NUPENG will go on indefinite strike.” He further said: “You cannot sell something without a model, without Nigerians knowing exactly what you are doing…the nature in which they do business in the oil and gas industry is fraught with secrecy. There must be a retraction first and it’s what they will make public, so Nigerians will know that it is on hold.”

Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has insisted that the electoral body will not be able to conduct any election in areas affected by the State of Emergency.

Speaking at a forum in the National Assembly, Professor Jega said that the security situation in the areas cannot guarantee the conduct of a credible election. He added that he had advised against the conduct of the Yobe state local government election, which is scheduled to hold on December 28. He explained that the security situation in the area has forced the commission not to conduct a bye election to ﬁll

the Nangere Constituency position in the state House of Assembly. The seat was vacated after the death of the deputy leader of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Degubi, who was killed by unidentiﬁed gunmen in 2012. The election, which was initially scheduled to hold in June, was postponed due to security challenges. Recall that the Chairman of the Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission, Alhaji Muhammad Jauro, had told journalists in September that the emergency rule imposed on the state would not affect the forthcoming local government poll.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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News

Government set out to ban zero hour work contracts Companies could be banned from imposing exclusivity on zero hours contracts which offer no guarantee of work and stop employees from working for another company, under new proposals announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable. These measures come as part of efforts to boost fairness for workers. In a consultation launched today, the government will also outline proposals on ways to tackle the lack of transparency in the way zero hours contracts are currently being used and improve guidance for both employers and employees around their use. Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “A growing number of employers and individuals today are using zero hour contracts. While for many people they offer a welcome flexibility to accommodate childcare or top up monthly earnings, for others it is clear that there has been evidence of abuse

Business secretary Vince Cable

around this type of employment which can offer limited employment rights and job security. We believe they have a place in today’s labour market and are not proposing to ban them outright, but we also want to make sure that people are getting a fair deal. “Our research this summer gave us a much needed insight into both the positive and negative aspects of zero hours contracts. Our consultation will now

focus on tackling the key concerns that were raised, such as exclusivity clauses and how to provide workers with more protection. We don’t think that people should be tied exclusively to one employer if it unfairly stops them from boosting their income when they are not getting enough work to earn a living. We also want to give employees and employers more guidance and advice on these types of employment con-

tracts. “Employers need flexible workforces and people should have the choice in how they work. But this shouldn’t be at the expense of fairness and transparency.” The 12 week public consultation will seek views on a range of proposals including: Proposals to potentially ban the use of exclusivity clauses in contracts that offer no guarantee of work New advice and guidance to improve transparency around the use of zero hours contracts for employers and employees The launch of the consultation follows a fact-finding exercise that was carried out over the summer by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to explore how these contracts are currently being used. The consultation will run until 13 March 2014.

France plead with Europe to send reinforcement France will ask Britain and other European countries on Monday to send troops or logistical aid to head off a possible genocidal civil war in Central Africa. The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said on Sunday that two European Union countries were considering sending soldiers to bolster a 1,600strong French force which is trying to end an anarchic and murderous conflict between Muslim and Christian communities in the Central African Republic (CAR). Mr Fabius did not name the countries which are considering deploying troops but said that Britain, Germany, Poland, Spain and Belgium were ready to supply logistical help to the French force. “Two of them are looking at the possibility (of sending troops). I hope that they will say yes,” Mr Fabius told Europe 1 radio. He said that he would be asking for a “stronger, more solid” European response to the crisis in Central Africa when EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday. “I would not be shocked if the Europeans agree to do more,” he said. Two French paratroopers were killed last Tuesday in Bangui, the capital of the CAR while trying to keep apart Muslim 12

rebels and Christian vigilante groups. President Francois Hollande arrived for a brief visit on the same day.

was talking to local politicians. After a stand-off with French troops, the rebels departed without firing a shot. The mainly muslim Seleka (alliance)

French President Francois Hollande landed in Bangui this week, where his plane was surrounded by supporters and soldiers.

It emerged on Sunday that a large force of Muslim rebels had invaded the capital’s’ airport during Mr Hollande’s visit and penetrated to a few yards from the building were the French president

rebels, including many fighters from Chad and Sudan, installed Muslim President in the 80 per cent Christian country last March. President Michel Djotodia rapidly lost control of his forces

who have since been accused of a series of savage, random attacks on Christian civilians. Christian vigilante groups have made revenge raids on Muslim communities in recent weeks. Fighting and attacks on civilians in Bangui claimed more than 500 lives in four days just before the French force arrived nine days ago. The violence has since abated but attempts by the French, and an African peacekeeping force, to disarm both sides have been only partially successful. Half the 4,800,000 population of the CAR is said to be in need of humanitarian aid. Over 1,000,000 people face severe food shortages or famine. Domestic support for intervention in France has slumped since the two paratroopers died. On Saturday, Mr Hollande made an uncharacteristically impassioned defence of his decision to launch a second military operation within one year in a former French African colony. Neither the operation against Islamist rebels in Mali last January, nor the present action in the CAR, should be compared with post-colonial interventions in the past, he said.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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News

Failed asylum seeker returns to Nigeria A failed asylum seeker from Nigeria who went on hunger strike has been forcefully removed from the UK after an unsuccessful legal battle.

Isa Muazu, who was said to be seriously ill after he went on a hunger strike lasting more than 100 days, has been returned to Nigeria, immigration minister Mark Harper said. The 45-year-old was detained earlier this year in July after he was found to have overstayed his leave by five-and-ahalf years. Theresa May was one of the politicians involved in sending Isa Muazu back The minister went on to comment that to Nigeria found to have a genuine need of protecMuazu – who despite being 1.8 metres halting Muazu’s removal because of his tion. This was a decision that was sup(5ft 11in at one time weighed just 58kg hunger strike would “provide a dangerported by the courts. (8st) – claimed he faced persecution from ous incentive for others to follow suit”. “Mr Muazu was found to have no right the militant Islamic group Boko Haram if He said: “Today, Mr Muazu, a failed to be in the UK and so the Home Office he was to return to Nigeria, but has lost a asylum seeker from Nigeria, has been began the complex process of removing series of legal challenges. successfully returned. While we rarely him. He said he came to the UK for a betcomment on individual cases, in this in“Halting the removal of Mr Muazu beter life, and would rather die than face stance we believe it is in the public intercause of his protest would undermine our removal. est to know the facts about the case, why asylum and immigration system – and Earlier this month, a chartered deporhe was returned and what we are doing to provide a dangerous incentive for others tation flight carrying Muazu was turned ensure his welfare. At times we need to to follow suit. back. This prompted his lawyers to make difficult decisions to maintain the “The health of those in our care is somelaunch another attempt to appeal against integrity and fairness of our immigration thing we take very seriously and all dethe decision to remove him, but this was system. tainees including Mr Muazu have access again unsuccessful. “Mr Muazu arrived in the UK as to healthcare provision. The botched attempt saw a jet chartered a visitor for six months. He overstayed “At every stage, the government by the government return to the UK with his leave for five-and-a-half years before has offered appropriate assistance to him Nigerian Isa Muazu and immigration ofclaiming asylum in July of this year. and has also facilitated his transport to a ficials still on board. The 20-hour flightWe consider every claim for asylum hospital in Nigeria where the cost of an ordeal was caused when officials saw on its individual merits and he was not assessment will be covered.” the plane prevented and denied it from

entering Nigerian airspace. It diverted to Malta, where an angry dispute broke out with the authorities over the plane’s right to use its airstrip. The aircraft then had to return to Britain, landing at Luton, where Muazu, was taken off by stretcher and returned to Harmondsworth detention centre near Heathrow. The flight is estimated to have cost the Home Office £95,000- £110,000. Muazu was the only detainee on board, according to sources. Toufique Hossain, public law and immigration law director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, who represented Muazu, said the firm was extremely disappointed. “We felt that the substantial evidence produced before the tribunal more than justified the granting of a stay and permission to apply for a judicial review. Although we are disappointed with the decision, we will continue to fight for Mr Muazu even though he is outside the country. “With respect, we maintain that there are significant errors of law in the upper tribunal judgment and we intend to pursue our appeal at the court of appeal. “This case has been extremely difficult to litigate given the contracted timeframe pushed by the home secretary purely because she wanted him on a plane as soon as possible after her failed attempt. “We will not give up on him.”

Interest rate fears as unemployment rate drops A bigger-than-expected fall in the unemployment has brought closer the likelihood of the Bank of England raising the base interest rate from its historic low. Official figures out this morning showed the jobless rate fell 0.3 percentage points to 7.4pc in the three months to October, meaning there were 2.39m out of work over the period. Economists had been expecting a smaller fall to 7.6pc. Unemployment in Britain is now at a four-and-a-half-year low, with 2.39m people out of work, down 99,000 on the previous three-month period - the biggest cut in over a decade. Compared with the same period a year ago 121,000 fewer people were seeking jobs. Under Governor Mark Carney, the Bank of England has instituted a so-called “forward guidance” policy in which a key plank was that it would not raise the base

Bank of England chief Mark Carney rate from the current 0.5pc until unemployment dropped to 7pc. When the policy was introduced earlier this year it was not expected that this level would be reached for three years but the UK’s economic recovery has strengthened unexpectedly over the past few months,

raising expectations that this target will be hit much sooner. Although , Mr Carney has said the 7pc level is a “threshold” and not a “trigger” for the Bank’s rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee, the pound gained more than cent against both the dollar and euro on news. The jobs figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also revealed that the number of people in work broke through 30m for the first time, exceeding the landmark by 90,000. The employment rate for people aged 16 and over was 72pc, with 250,000 more people in work than in the preceding three months and up 485,000 on the same period a year ago. However, this record masks the fact that 1.47m people were working in part-time jobs because they could not find full-time employment, the highest total since records

began in 1992. Total pay rose by 0.9pc compared with the August to October period last year and the strengthening jobs market combined with rising prices could present problems for business, as employees demand better packages which companies may not be able to afford according to KPMG. “Confidence has clearly returned to boardrooms around the UK, with employers now determined to ensure they have enough staff in place to meet customer demand,” said Bernard Brown, a partner at the Big Four consultancy. “The question now, though, revolves around wages. Inflation may be falling, but with energy prices due to increase, employees will be looking at their pay packets in real terms. “As a result employers will find it hard to attract the best people unless they can afford to offer market rates. We could find ourselves in a situation in which jobs are 13

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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CRIME

Appeal following murder of Croydon father of four

Victim Trevor Ellia

Detectives continue to appeal for information following the murder of a young father in Croydon in 2011. The Metropolitan Police Service is offering a substantial reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the identiﬁcation, arrest and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for the murder of 26-year-old Trevor Ellis. Police discovered Mr Ellis on Monday 8 August 2011 at 21.20hrs slumped in a vehicle in Duppas Hill Road, junction with Warrington Road, Croydon. The father-of-four, who would have celebrated his 29th birthday on Dcember 14, was rushed to St George’s Hospital, Tooting, suffering a gunshot wound to his head.

Man sentenced for murdering wife

Despite efforts by medical staff Mr Ellis, of Brixton Hill, SW2, died from his injuries on 9 August 2011. A post-mortem gave cause of death as a gunshot wound. Detectives know that Mr Ellis had travelled to the Croydon area earlier on 8 August 2011 in the company of a group of friends. It is believed the group became involved in an altercation with a other group of approximately nine individuals. This altercation culminated in a vehicle pursuit involving three vehicles which commenced in Scarbrook Road, Croydon, passing along the A232 ﬂyover into Duppas Hill Road where Mr Ellis was shot. A murder investigation is being led by Detective Chief Inspector Diane Tudway of the Homicide & Major Crime Command. DCI Tudway, said: “Trevor Ellis was murdered on a night where Croydon, and in fact London, saw unprecedented levels of violence and disorder. “I believe his killers were actively involved in looting and responsible for robbing at least two people that night. They thought nothing of arming themselves with a gun and ultimately taking a young man’s life leaving four young children without a father.”

Minta Adiddo, 38, of Morris Court, Rigby Place, Enﬁeld was found guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday, 13 December, of fatally stabbing Akua Agyeman in November 2012. She later died from horriﬁc injuries on 2 January 2013. He was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 17 years, at the Old Bailey on16 December At previous court hearings Adiddo had admitted to manslaughter but denied murdering her. His conviction followed a successful investigation by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command.

The court heard that in January 2006 Banaz Mohmod, an Iraqi Kurd from Mitcham, was strangled, stored in a suitcase and her body driven away from London. In July 2007 the victim’s father, Mahmod Babakir Mahmod, 58, and her uncle, Ari Mahmod, 57, both appeared at the Old Bailey where they were jailed for life for her murder. As part of the investigation two further men, cousins Mohammen Saleh Ali, 31, and Omar Hussain, 35, were linked to the case and traced by Met detectives to Iraq, where they had fled just days after the murder. The pair became the first suspects to ever be extradited to the UK from Iraq and they stood trial at the Old Bailey in September 2007. They were both convicted of the murder and making threats to kill Banaz Mahmod, threats to kill her boyfriend and perverting the course of justice. Ali was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment and Hussain to 21 years. Banaz was first reported missing to police on 25 January 2006 by her boyfriend Rahmat Suleimani. He had become concerned for her welfare as he had not heard from her.

Banaz came from a Mirawaldy Iraqi Kurdish family who had settled in the UK in 1998. Before she met Rahmat she was in an arranged marriage which had broken down and she was awaiting a divorce. Her relationship with Rahmat, an Iranian Kurd, began during this time and was met with disapproval by her family. Compounding Rahmat’s concern was the fact that both he and Banaz had recently been subject to a number of threatening incidents due to the disapproval regarding their relationship. Banaz was circulated as a high risk missing person and on 27 January 2006 an incident room opened at Lewisham. On 27 April 2006, Banaz’s body was found concealed in a suitcase which had been buried to a depth of six feet beneath the footings of a house in Alexandra Road, Handsworth. Dana Amin’s car, a black Lexus, was proven to have been used to take Banaz’s body from London to the Birmingham property. A post mortem held at a mortuary in Birmingham on 29 April 2006 gave cause of death as strangulation. On the 11 July 2007, an Old Bailey jury

Minta Adiddo

A man has been jailed at the Old Bailey today, Monday, 16 December, having previously been convicted of murdering his wife in a ﬁt of rage and jealousy at their Enﬁeld home.

The court heard that in October 2012 Adiddo harboured a belief that his wife was conducting an illicit affair with a neighbour. His belief, which was denied by the neighbour, led to Adiddo attacking Mrs Agyeman in their bedroom on 5 November 2012. He initially stabbed her with a large kitchen knife. Mrs Agyeman fled the bedroom and attempted to escape through their living room window. Addido pursued her and witnesses described how they saw him chasing the 22-year-old across a road and continue to stab her as she lay collapsed on the ground. As witnesses called emergency services one passer-by, who had been tending to Mrs Agyeman, told the court how he then realised a car was driving straight at them. He managed to avoid the vehicle but watched as Adiddo drove over his wife before fleeing the scene. The jury were told about how following the attack, in one of the first phone calls Adiddo made, to a relative, he admitted stabbing his wife and that he was going to kill himself before arrest. Shortly before 10:00hrs on 6 November 2012 Adiddo was arrested after officers spotted him in the vehicle still wearing his blood-stained shirt.

Man jailed for ‘honour’ killing Dana Amin

A man convicted at Southwark Crown Court for his part in the ‘honour’ killing of young Iraqi, Banaz Mahmod, has been sentenced to a total of eight years imprisonment at the same court today, Friday 6 December.

Dana Amin, 33, of Armﬁeld Crescent, Mitcham, was found guilty at Southwark on Thursday 5 December, of perverting the course of justice and preventing the lawful and decent burial of the 20-year-old woman. The court heard how Amin had been in contact with friends and family who had either ordered or carried out Banaz’s murder before he then agreed to drive her body to Birmingham to be concealed in a shallow grave. 14

unanimously convicted Banaz’s father and her uncle of her murder following a 14week trial. “We were determined not to rest until each and every person responsible for this horrendous crime had been apprehended and held to account.”

Man who defrauded church pleads guilty Geoffrey Hammond, 50, was employed as an executive ofﬁcer by the Fellowship of St John (UK) Trust Association in April 2012. Over the course of the next year he abused his position to extract £99,493.39 from the Trust’s accounts, which he claimed to have used to pay off debts he had accrued. Hammond has since taken steps to repay the money, however, only around £20,000 was ever credited to his bank accounts and it is not known what happened to the rest of the money. He will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 9 January

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Sounds of Diaspora People of America And what were they thinking?

Hip hop royalty admits she was slave to booze

Queen Latifah’s late 1990s recorded output was noted for her public feud with rival Foxy Brown

No costumes required. Why help big corporations to make monkeys out of black people? US home improvement chain responsible for posting the tweet and disHome Depot, roughly akin to our pensed with the services of their marketB&Q, has landed itself in hot wa- ing agency, though the fact that CEO Fred ter over a ‘racist’ tweet depicting Blake was one of the instigators behind two black drummers flanking an a clandestine effort to portray Barack ‘ape’ with the interrogative cap- Obama as inherently “unAmerican” durtion, “Which drummer is not like ing his 2008 election campaign has taken on renewed significance. the others?” As open-minded as I am, I don’t personThe tweet was swiftly removed, but too ally see the joke. Am I offended? Only by late to prevent hundreds of re-tweets, both the two black men who agreed to pose who by those offended by it and those who see must envy the so-called ape’s intelligence. the almost imperceptible funny side. The lives of the likes of Nelson Mandela The company has issued an apology might yet prove to be in vain. and claims to have sacked the individual

Jail inches closer for reckless Brown

Brown in court with attorney Mark Geragos

Chris Brown has been forced to take the threat of jail time more seriously than of late as the singer’s probation for beating up Rihanna has been revoked.

Brown has been on probation since his 2009 assault of Rihanna, who he was dating at the time. Despite this jeopardy, he has become involved in a number of scrapes involving the police, culminating in charges of assault following a recent incident in Washington DC. Brown was arrested in October after a man accused the Grammy Award-winning R&B singer of hitting him after he tried to get a photo with the star. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge

With some justification, Queen Latifah is adored by legions of loyal fans. She switches seamlessly between Grammy-winning performer, actress, hip hop artist, talk show host, and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

In a revealing interview with Good Housekeeping magazine, plain old Dana Owens, as she likes to be called away from the spotlights, delved into her use of alcohol as a coping mechanism after a tragic string of incidents in her life. In the span of just a few years, she was faced with the death of her brother (on a motorcycle she bought him) as well as being the victim of a violent carjacking incident, where her friend, a passenger in the car, was shot and almost killed. Dana recalls these years as a dark time, and in an effort to cope, she

turned to the bottle. She recalled “Drinking a bunch of alcohol, numbing myself. Every day I would be faded, like a painting that’s just not vibrant, whose edges are dull. I wasn’t living my full life.” Dana, now 43, has risen from this dark period of her life through strength she finds in her faith, as well as her own sense of internal strength. She relies on “accentuating the positive and eliminating as much negative as possible,” which, she admits, is not always an easy task. She went on to say, “I think I got to that place by not being happy with the other side — hating your body and criticising yourself all the time. When I was around 18, I looked in the mirror and said, ‘You’re either going to love yourself or hate yourself’ and I decided to love myself. That changed a lot of things.” Dana has stuck by that decision, and it has got her through tough times and darkness so that she can emerge an even better person. Dana has retired from her self-medicating with alcohol, and has turned once again to her faith as a well of inspiration and strength. She has also received therapy since confronting the issues in her past, and is continuously working on improving her mindset and moving towards healing. Dana’s story is truly a heartwarming one, and this writer hopes that it might bring strength and inspiration to others who may be struggling.

James R. Brandlin, who had the option to summarily jail Brown, released him pending a further hearing in February. The judge told Brown he is still required to perform the 1,000 hours of community labour he was handed originally and he was also ordered to stay in rehab. Brandlin said probation officials reported that Brown is doing well in treatment. According to TMZ.com, the judge also ordered Brown not to use ‘medical marijuana’ for the time being. TMZ reported last month that Chris was kicked out of his rehab programme in November after he threw a rock at his mother’s car window. The site reported that his mother showed up to a ‘family session’ and was urging Chris to stay for extended treatment. Brown is said to have ‘violently disagreed with her’ and shattered her car window with a rock. A source close to the singer says: “It does him no good to dwell on the ‘what ifs’ in life. Yes, [the prospect of going to jail] scares him but he’s really trying hard to not think about it because he can’t control that at this point.” The source adds: “All he’s focused on is continuing in rehab and making the best out of this life-changing experience. As long as he’s focusing on doing what’s right, everything else will fall into place.” 15

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Gospel By Michael Adekoya

THE ‘MURDER’ OF JESUS

“Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death” Act 2:23

Dear readers, for the next few weeks I shall be writing about the greatest event in history, that is, the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we are approaching the Easter period of the year, we have to be aware of some important truths, which should affect our thinking, outlook and perception. We should not be looking forward to the time of Easter as a period to distribute Easter Eggs to friends and relatives, not to be seen as a time to stay at home or to go out with our families to enjoy the bank holidays. Easter period should be viewed more than that. It is unique period when a unique thing happened in history. Consider the facts: Jesus Christ was the only truly sinless individual who ever lived-the most innocent, blameless, virtuous man of all time. He “committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth” 2 Peter 2:22. He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” Hebrews 7:26. And yet the torment and punishment He suffered in His death was infinitely more heinous than anyone else has ever suffered. He bore the full weight of retribution for human evil. He suffered as if He were guilty of humanity’s worst offences. And yet He was guilty of nothing. It is easy to look at the cross and conclude it was the worst miscarriage of human justice in the history of the world. And it was. It was an evil act, perpetrated by the hands of wicked men. But that is not the full story. The crucifixion of Christ was also the greatest act of divine justice ever carried out. It was done in full accord with “the determined purpose and foreknowledge of

God” Acts 2:23-and for the highest of purposes: the death of Christ secured the salvation of untold numbers and opened the way for God to forgive sin without compromising His own perfectly holy standard. Christ was no mere victim of unjust men when He hung on the cross. Though murdered unjustly by men, whose intentions were only evil, Christ died willingly, becoming an atonement for the sins of the unjust, just like the murderers who killed Him. It was the greatest sacrifice ever made; the purest act of love ever carried out; and ultimately an infinitely higher act of divine justice than all the human injustice it represented. Every true Christian knows that Christ died for our sins. That truth is so rich that only eternity will reveal its full profundity. But in the mundane existence of our daily lives, we are too

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

inclined to take the cross of Christ for granted. We mistakenly think of it as one of the elementary facts of our faith. We therefore neglect to meditate on this truth of all truths, and we miss the real richness of it. If we think of it at all, we tend to dabble too much in the shallow end of the pool, when we ought to be immersing ourselves in its depths daily. Many wrongly think of Christ as merely a victim of human injustice, a martyr who suffered tragically and unnecessarily. But the truth is that His death was God’s plan. In fact, it was the key to God’s eternal plan of redemption. Far from being an unnecessary tragedy, the death of Christ was a glorious victory-the most gracious and wonderful act divine benevolence ever rendered on behalf of sinners. It is the consummate expression of God’s love for us. Yet here also we see the wrath of God

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

against sin. What is too often missed in all our songs and sermons about the cross is that it was the outpouring of divine judgement against the person of Christ-not because He deserved that judgement, but because He willingly took it upon Himself on behalf of those He would redeem. In the words of Isaac Watts, “Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?” Christ’s death is by far the most important event in human history. It is the focal point of the Christian faith. It will be our one refuge in the final judgement. It ought to be the main sanctuary for every believer’s private meditation. All our most precious hopes stem from the cross of Christ, and our highest thoughts should be rooted there. It is a subject we can ill afford to neglect or treat lightly. It is the shame of the modern church that our focus is so often fixed elsewhere. May we never take the cross of Christ for granted or miss its depth. It was there that mercy and truth met together; righteousness and peace kissed each other according to the words of Psalm 85:10. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. My friend, I pity you, all what Jesus went through for your sake is in vain. Do you think His Father will spare you for neglecting all what His Son went through when you get to the gate of heaven? Do you think Jesus Himself who is going to judge the world will take it lightly with you when you stand before Him on the day of judgement? Remain blessed!

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

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, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Africa Newsround

South Africa

Mandela statue unveiled at apartheid former HQ One day after a moving funeral service that had the world riveted, South African president, Jacob Zuma, has unveiled a giant bronze statue of Nelson Mandela in Pretoria.

The 9-metre statue of a smiling Madiba with his arms outstretched is situated at Union Buildings, the seat of government. Unveiling the monument, Mr Zuma said: “Both hands uniting the entire nation, for us to unite as a rainbow nation.” The amphitheatre of the complex was renamed Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre last week. The event took place close to the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Union Buildings, originally built by the white minority as the headquarters of the merged English and Afrikaner governments, representing the descendants of the European colonialists. After 1948, the buildings

The unveiling of the 9 metre bronze of Nelson Mandela in Pretoria

became home to the apartheid government, which strictly imposed racial segregation and enacted policies to solely beneﬁt the whites while disenfranchising the blacks. The event also coincided with what is commemorated annually as Day

Kenya

Deadly attacks cast shadow over celebrations

Emergency workers examine the wreckage after Saturday’s bus bombing in Nairobi which left four dead and 36 injured. Photo: AFP

Independence celebrations in Kenya have been marred as thirteen people were killed in separate attacks - one of which targeted tourists. The latest attack during the week-long celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of an independent Kenya, was an explosion on a Nairobi bus that killed four on Saturday (December 14). At the time of writing, no group had claimed responsibility and there have been no arrests. Kenya has been the target of sustained attacks since the army sent troops into neighbouring Somalia to ﬁght the country’s al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab insurgents in October 2011. Eastern Kenya, along the 700-kilometre border with Somalia, has been particularly hard-hit. Experts are reluctant to draw any link between the armed conﬂict with al-Shabab and the latest series of attacks. One Western observer said there was “no evidence” yet to link the attacks. Late on Friday, one person died and three were injured in a double explosion at a market in the town of Wajir, about 100 kilometres from the Somali border. On Tuesday, eight people were killed, in-

cluding five police officers, in the Garissa region about 20 kilometres from the Somalia frontier after their vehicle was ambushed. Another policeman is still missing. Saturday’s bus attack blew the vehicle apart, sending shrapnel flying through the air. As well as the four dead, 36 were wounded. There was also a rare attack on tourists during the week in the tourist location of Mombasa, a predominantly Muslim city. A grenade thrown at a minibus transporting British tourists hit a window, but did not explode. It was the first attack on tourists since 2011. The British tourists were en route to the famous Masai Mara safari park. In September 2011, British tourist David Tebbutt was killed as he fought kidnappers in a luxury tourist village on the Kenyan coast, not far from Somalia. His wife, Judith, was captured and taken to Somalia, where she was freed after six months. The same year, a French woman living in Kenya, Marie Dedieu, was kidnapped by Somali gunmen from her beachfront home in Lamu, in the south-east of the country. She subsequently died. “Mombasa has been targeted, but it is true that this attack against tourists is a novelty,” the Western observer noted. He said it was “very different” from the recent Westgate shopping mall terror attack, which left 72 dead. Many attacks remain unclaimed and the finger of suspicion is often pointed at jihadists. But there are sometimes serious conflicts between tribes caused by issues such as access to water or grazing land, which can be fuelled by local politicians. These conflicts, especially in areas where there is deadly weaponry, regularly escalate.

of Reconciliation, a public holiday created after the fall of apartheid to help bridge the gap between blacks and whites. December 16 has been a day of commemoration in South Africa for over 150 years. It was initially named Day of the Covenant, honouring a

victory of the early Afrikaners, mainly descendents of Dutch settlers, over the Zulus in an 1838 clash that became known as the Battle of Blood River. Some Afrikaners still mark the day today. But it is also the anniversary of the founding of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) -- the armed wing of the now ruling African National Congress, of which Mandela was the first commander-in-chief. After South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, the day was symbolically retained as a holiday and renamed Day of Reconciliation. When Mandela was elected president in 1994, becoming the first black president to govern from Union Buildings, public perception of the complex shifted from it being a place of exclusion to one where the majority is represented.

South Sudan

New tensions as ex-VP accused of attempted coup

Riek Machar was sacked as vice president in July

Fresh ﬁghting has broken out in South Sudan following a reported coup attempt. Several people have died in violence centred on the capital, Juba, which comes after months of political upheaval.

According to witness reports, gunﬁre resumed on Tuesday (December 17), a day after President Salva Kiir said security forces had successfully put down what he said was an attempted coup against his government. Sporadic shooting was also heard overnight, with the military “clearing out remnants” of a group of renegade soldiers accused of mounting the alleged coup, according to the foreign minister. A manhunt has been initiated for former vice president Riek Machar, who is

suspected by the government of being behind the failed plot. South Sudan’s Under-Secretary for Health said on local radio that at least 26 people had been killed so far in the violence since Sunday evening, with a further 130 wounded. United Nations radio said at least 7,000 civilians had taken refuge at UN ofﬁces. South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has experienced months of a power struggle between Kiir and his former deputy. Kiir ﬁred Machar from his post in July, raising fears of a political upheaval in the country. Machar has said he will contest the presidency in 2015, and has openly accused Kiir of establishing a dictatorship.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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News

Interview with Joice Akuazaoku 2Face Idibia’s former manager, Joice Ize-Iyamu Akuazaoku, sits down to talk about family life as baby Theodore celebrates his first birthday

he has been very supportive, sometimes helping out with my business or the baby when he has time off work. Will you want your son to follow your footsteps and have a career in music and entertainment? - I won’t mind because he’ll have his mum showing him the ropes from an early age and if he decides to be an artist then he’ll have the best artiste manager, won’t he?

Biography Mrs Joice Akuazaoku is the current C.E.O of Rouge Management. She married her husband, Mr Bruno Akuazaoku in December 2011. Almost a year later, by November 2012, the lovely couple was blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Born Joice Ize-Iyamu, she is one of three sisters and grew up within a family which took both sport and music very seriously. Joice is one of Nigeria’s most accomplished artiste managers. Star musicians she has worked with include Weird MC, OJB Jezereel, Darey and Ruggedman. One of her biggest and probably most popular artistes was 2Face Idibia. In 2005, when MTV came to Nigeria, it was in need of a face to serve as a spring board to kick-start its services. She immediately saw opportunities for 2Face after talks with Femi Olagbaiye about the Pan African vision of the biggest music television network in the world. MTV liked 2Face’s music and made him the face of the network. The results were instantaneous and 2Face became an African brand overnight. 2Face went on to win Best African Act of the Year at the MTV Europe Awards in 2005 and Joice received an award for Best Artiste Manager for Africa that same year. Joice later left Now Muzik to pursue other ventures including an international management deal with Grafton

Joice and her family

Have you any special plans for the family for the upcoming Christmas holidays?It’s looking like a quiet Christmas because we’ve been very busy all through the year and we all need to relax and enjoy each other

Joice Akuazaoku

Entertainment before setting up her own business, Rouge Management.

Interview How did you and your husband meet? I’ve known my husband since I was 15. We were always good friends and remained so over the years. Is he also in the music industry? - He isn’t, he is in the IT/ project management industry Nwachinemere Theodore just celebrated his first birthday. Over the past year, how would you say motherhood has changed you as a person? - It’s taught me patience and how taking care of myself is very important if I need to take care of anyone

else. I’ve also learnt to cut down on risks (laughs) knowing someone/people depend on me. I hope you don’t mind me asking, what did you get him for his birthday?- I think I went overboard as a first time mother (laughs) [We] got him a tricycle, mini truck, loads of toys including a fisher price remote control as he keeps trying to eat ours (laughs). How has marriage affected your life and work within the entertainment industry? - I thank God I married my friend, as it’s been a breeze. I have a very understanding partner. I took time off managing artistes to look after my baby and in the process started ROUGE CUPCAKES & DESSERTS as well as TELENT TRAVELS (a travel agency) and

Celebrating

What should we expect from Rouge Management in the near future? Rouge is revamping and especially with the cupcakes and travel, we’ll be marrying it all together and coming out stronger (a lot is being planned and will be revealed soon). Tell us a bit about working with 2Face. And what lead you to finally part ways when you did? - 2Face is incredibly talented. He has a lot of passion and I enjoyed working with him. However, we eventually reached a point in both our careers where it was necessary to part in order to grow. Have you any advice for people looking forward to a career within the Nigerian entertainment industry? I would say research properly and look for a mentor in the industry. Most importantly, trust in God and work hard.

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Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

Reaching UK’s fastest growing ethnicEntertainment markets

Tel: 020 3737 3077

www.africanvoiconline.co.uk 19

Events calendar What’s On & When Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Arts

Theatre, Shows and Musicals By Ryan Holmes

Lenny Henry as Troy and Tanya Moodie as Rose

The Lion King Now- Jul 20 2014

The posters have been plastered around the London Underground for 12 years – long enough for this show to rack up 5,000 performances – but nothing prepares you for the sheer impact of ‘The Lion King’s opening sequence. With the surge of ‘Circle Of Life’ reverberating through your chest, Julie Taymor’s animal creations march on, species by species. Gazelles spring, birds swoop and an elephant and her child lumber through the stalls. It’s a cacophonous cavalcade that genuinely stops you breathing. You’d think Noah’s Ark had emptied onto the stage 21 Wellington St, London, WC2E 7RQ

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

Henry V Now Feb 15 2014

It’s once more unto the breach for director Michael Grandage and his protégé Jude Law! This unusually elegant revival of Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’ marks the last chapter in Grandage’s five-show run at the Noël Coward Theatre, and the last chance 20

for the 40-year-old Law – a mainstay of Grandage’s reign at the Donmar Warehouse – to realistically carry off the 29-year-old English king. St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4AU

The Scottsboro Boys Now-December 21st

The Scottsboro Boys were nine young black men convicted of raping two white women in Scottsboro, Alabama in 1931. Following a mistrial, the overwhelming evidence of their innocence did nothing to persuade a succession of white Alabama juries to find them innocent; their plight did much to lay the groundwork for the US civil rights movement – but that wasn’t a lot of comfort for the poor fellas left to rot in a Southern penitentiary. Young Vic, 66 The Cut, SE1 8LZ

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

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory November1st, 2014

Skyfall’ director Sam Mendes’s huge new

Warner Brothers musical confirms it: the hottest property in the West End right now is a grouchy, dead half-Norwegian, who loathed show-offs and spent most of his working life hiding out in a shed at the bottom of his garden. Roald Dahl probably wouldn’t have liked the whiz-popping rave that Mendes has created from his addictive kids’ book ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ – because he felt it was Charlie’s story, and any adaptation inevitably becomes the Willy Wonka show. But what a show this is: a deliciously twisted anti-talent contest in which young Charlie finds a golden ticket and enters the factory of mysterious confectioner, Wonka, to battle four revoltingly spoiled brats for a lifetime’s supply of chocolate. Catherine St, London, WC2B 5JF

of Broadway’s golden age as much as the sounds. The strapping young Latter Day Saints missionaries in ‘The Book of Mormon’ are as cartoonish as any ‘South Park’ character, with the endearing alpha-male woodenness of the ‘Team America’ puppets. In other words, they are loveable, well-intentioned idiots, traversing the globe like groups of pious meerkats, convinced they can convert the heathen through sheer politeness. And if they have doubts, then as Stephen Ashfield’s scene-stealingly repressed Elder McKinley declares in glorious faux-Gershwin number ‘Turn it Off’, ‘Don’t feel those feelings – hold them in instead!’. Prince of Wales Theatre, Coventry St, W1D 6AS

Warhorse Now - Oct 27th, 2014

Now- Jan 18th, 2014

Five years on, the National Theatre’s ‘War Horse’ has become ubiquitous. The toast of the West End and Broadway, as I write this it’s sold out at the New London Theatre for the next two months – by contrast Its enormous success has negated the impact of Arts Council funding cuts on the NT, to the extent that the show has started to be singled out by some commentators as an example of ‘safe’ post-credit crunch programming. And, of course, there’s the Steven Spielberg film, a curious affair sparked by the director’s genuine love of the play, in which he gives Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 a lavish screen treatment that has everything bar the one thing that made the play so special in the first place. ICA, The Mall, London, SW1Y 5AH

The Light Princess Now-Feb 2nd 2014

The National Theatre’s much-hyped new musical is a visual and technical tour de force with a title performance from Rosalie Craig that’ll blow your mind and melt your heart. I was a fan – in other words – in spite of the fact that ‘The Light Princess’ doesn’t really do the business in the tunes department, where big things had been expected from songwriter and creator Tori Amos. South Bank, London, SE1 9PX

Book of Mormons Now- March 21st 2014

Brace yourself for a shock: ‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Broadway-munching musical is not particularly shocking. Sure, there are ‘fucks’ and ‘cunts’ and gags about baby rape – but beneath it all, this is a big-hearted affair that pays note-perfect homage to the spirit

Meet me in St. Louis

Wheeler and Blane’s piece – based on the 1944 MGM movie starring Judy Garland – makes its belated UK premiere here. It tells of the well to do Smith household, who live in St Louis, 1904. The two older daughters are rooting through the local boys for suitors and suddenly, just when everyone has found love, daddy Smith gets a promotion and decides he’s moving them all off to New York where, shock horror, they’ll have to trade their massive St Louis house for a smaller Big Apple apartment. Kind of a first world problem, then, yet despite all the flouncing, the show is undeniably charming. Blane and Martin’s songs certainly help - the best tunes, including the hits from the film ‘The Trolley Song’ and ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, are catchy and beautiful. Landor Theatre, 70 Landor Rd, SW9 9PH

Let the Right One In Now- July 8th 2014

There’s more ‘spirit’ than ‘Christmas’ over at the Royal Court this season as top playwright Jack Thorne follows his terrifying BBC drama ‘The Fades’ with a stage adaptation of the cult Swedish vampire novel, which has already spawned two chilling cult films. The much in demand John Tiffany (‘Black Watch’, ‘Once’) directs a story of blood in the snow, as young boy in a remote Scottish town encounters a girl who is far older than she appears. It’s sold out but all Monday seats go on sale the morning of the performance, and there are also special £10 tickets for teenagers every night. For adults and fearless teens ages 13+ Sloane Square, London, SW1W 8AS

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Arts

Poet of the Week: Marcus Moses Garvey By Peter Olorunnisomo

Born in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, on August 17, 1887, Marcus Garvey was the youngest of 11 children. Garvey moved to Kingston at the age of 14, found work in a printshop, and became acquainted with the abysmal living conditions of the laboring class. He quickly involved himself in social reform, participating in the first Printers’ Union strike in Jamaica in 1907 and in setting up the newspaper The Watchman. Leaving the island to earn money to finance his projects, he visited Central and South America, amassing evidence that black people everywhere were victims of discrimination. He visited the Panama Canal Zone and saw the conditions under which the West Indians lived and worked. He went to Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia and Venezuala. Everywhere, blacks were experiencing great hardships.

Garvey returned to Jamaica distressed at the situation in Central America, and appealed to Jamaica’s colonial government to help improve the plight of West Indian workers in Central America. His appeal fell on deaf ears. Garvey also began to lay the groundwork of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, to which he was to devote his life. Undaunted by lack of enthusiasm for his plans, Garvey left for England in 1912 in search of additional financial backing. While there, he met a Sudanese-Egyptian journalist, Duse Mohammed Ali. While working for Ali’s publication African Times and Oriental Review, Garvey began to study the history of Africa, particularly, the exploitation of black peoples by colonial powers. He read Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery, which advocated black self-help. In 1914 Garvey organized the Universal Negro Improvement Association and its coordinating body, the African Communities League. In 1920 the organization held its first convention in New York. The convention opened with a parade down Harlem’s Lenox Avenue. That evening, before a crowd of 25,000, Garvey outlined his plan to build an African nationstate. In New York City his ideas attracted popular support, and thousands enrolled in the UNIA. He began publishing the newspaper The Negro World and toured the United States preaching black nationalism to popular audiences. His efforts were successful, and soon, the association boasted over 1,100 branches in more than

Modikwe Dikobe

40 countries. Most of these branches were located in the United States, which had become the UNIA’s base of operations. There were, however, offices in several Caribbean countries, Cuba having the most. Branches also existed in places such as Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Namibia and South Africa. He also launched some ambitious business ventures, notably the Black Star Shipping Line. In the years following the organization’s first convention, the UNIA began to decline in popularity. With the Black Star Line in serious financial difficulties, Garvey promoted two new business organizations - the African Communities League and the Negro Factories Corporation. He also tried to salvage his colonization scheme by sending a delegation to appeal to the League of Nations for transfer to the UNIA of the African colonies taken from Germany during World War I. Financial betrayal by trusted aides and a host of legal entanglements (based on charges that he had used the U.S. mail to defraud prospective investors) eventually led to Garvey’s imprisonment in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary for a five-year term. In 1927 his half-served sentence was commuted, and he was deported to Jamaica by order of President Calvin Coolidge. Garvey then turned his energies to Jamaican politics, campaigning on a platform of self-government, minimum wage laws, and land and judicial reform. He was soundly defeated at the polls, however, because most of his followers did not have the necessary voting qualifications.

In 1935 Garvey left for England where, in near obscurity, he died on June 10, 1940, in a cottage in West Kensington.

Fire In The Flint!

Oh yes, there’s fire in the heart of manA beast is he when’er it pleases him: He frowns upon the members of his clan, And oft the lives of hosts and friends bedim. A child of God as he was made to be, He changes soul and character to boot; And now he hates and kills with license free, And smiles at all, to rob, to cheat and loot. Not only does he plunder men for gain, But prejudices practice ‘gainst the weak, He thus inflicts upon them awful pain, And forces them to hope, in groanings meek. The whites are great offenders ‘gainst the Blacks; They steal, they rape, they kill and punish hard The sons of Ham, and whip them on their backs: In hope alone they trust their gracious Lord. To call it mortal sin, is mild rebuke: It’s man’s most wicked way of treating man. To gain the ends, his laws and ways impute That men are different beings, and not one

clan. The centuries of life have left no secd Of goodly change toward the the helpless weak; With all the pleas and woes, man fails to heed; But leaves the bending poor God’s grace to seek. A life for life, is not with men all true; The strong corrupts, destroys and murders all; And white men lynch the ones of darker hue, Who have not rights nor laws on which to call. And should you doubt the story I do tell, I ask of you, investigate the facts: Go South and see the men who live in bellWho get the kicks with burdens on their backs. The mob will make the human skull a ball, And trample on the foetus of the child: Oh! this, of crime, is fun, yes, very small! The “Crackers” think this sport but passing mild. The fire in the heart of man is hell; It’s flint that burns throughout the night and day; Yet with such creatures we must always dwell, And groan, and weep, and die. but have no say.

Death’s Pleasure

Death is no terror, friend! It’s a sublime sleep That lulls the weary home To rest-not to weep: It is the solace of GodA message for you From those friends, gone before, Those whose love is true. The dream called death is not The pain that you fear: It’s an ecstacy Beyond man’s compare; ‘Tis life’s joy-that’s called The Eternal Fair.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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News

Health workers have one week to join tax campaign

Workers in the health and wellbeing professions who have taxable income that they have not told HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about have one week to come forward and register.

The Health and Wellbeing Tax Plan offers health professionals a time-limited chance to bring their tax affairs up to date, on the best terms. The campaign covers physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, chiropodists, podiatrists, homeopaths, dieticians, nutritional therapists, reﬂexologists, acupuncturists, psychologists, speech, language and art therapists and others. Health professionals have until 31 December to tell HMRC that they would like to take part in the campaign, and until 6 April 2014 to disclose the details and pay the tax owed.

After 31 December, HMRC will take a much closer look at their tax affairs. By using this campaign to come forward, any penalty the health workers might have to pay will be lower than if HMRC goes to them ﬁrst.

Marian Wilson, Head of HMRC Campaigns, said: “This campaign gives health and wellbeing professionals a quick and straightforward way to bring their tax affairs up to date. Help, advice and support is available.

“After the opportunity closes on 6 April, HMRC will use information we hold from third parties and regulatory bodies to identify people who have not paid what they owe. Penalties – or even criminal prosecution – could follow.” People can take part in the Health and Wellbeing campaign by: · telling HMRC by 31 December that they want to take part in the campaign · disclosing the details and paying what they owe by 6 April 2014 For more details, plus help and support about the campaign, people can visit HMRC’s website: https://www. gov.uk/voluntary-disclosure-healthwellbeing or call a dedicated health and wellbeing campaign helpline on 0845 600 4507 The Health and Wellbeing Tax Plan is not aimed at doctors and dentists, who were covered by a previous HMRC campaign.

Accelerating action to stop rogue EU beneﬁt claims The Prime Minister announced that from 1 January 2014 all EU jobseekers will have to wait for three months before they can apply to claim out of work benefits.

As part of the Government’s long-term plan for the economy, tough new rules have been brought in from the start of next year to stop people abusing Britain’s benefit system. Last month, the Prime Minister announced a range of welfare, immigration and employment restrictions to ensure the UK is able to take some of the toughest action in Europe against people abusing their Treaty rights. The package included plans to stop EU citizens claiming out of work benefits until they had been in the UK for three months where previously they could apply to claim in a matter of weeks. Today the Prime Minister will announce that this new restriction to come into force on 1 January. The Prime Minister said: “The hardworking British public are rightly concerned that migrants do not come here to exploit our public services and our benefits 22

system. “As part of our long-term plan for the economy, we are taking direct action to fix the welfare and immigration systems so we end the ‘something for nothing culture’ and deliver for people who play by the rules. “Accelerating the start of these new restrictions will make the UK a less attractive place for EU migrants who want to come here and try to live off the state. I want to send the clear message that whilst Britain is very much open for business, we

Minister for Employment Chris Grayling

will not welcome people who don’t want to contribute.” Most EU citizens coming to the UK come here to work as part of the single market and contribute to the economy and pay their taxes. But for those who come here without jobs to go to, the government is tightening up the rules to stop them claiming out of work benefits from day one. Other measures already announced by the Prime Minister include:

*Cutting off benefits after 6 months for EU jobseekers with no job prospects; *Stopping housing benefit claims for EU jobseekers; *Toughening the habitual residence test to include a minimum earnings threshold to check whether migrants are genuinely working; *Imposing a 12 month re-entry ban for people who have been removed for not working or being self-sufficient; *Increasing fines for businesses found not to be paying the national minimum wage top £20k per employee – more than four times the current penalty. In addition, the Immigration Bill currently going through Parliament includes provisions to reform the removals and appeals system making it easier and quicker to remove people with no right to be here; end the abuse of Article 8 – the right to respect for private and family life and prevent illegal immigrants from accessing services like bank accounts, driving licenses or housing.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Culture

The Bini People Edo lady in traditional beads ‘Edo. Historical accounts are vague

as to when and if the Bini (Edo), migrated from the Nile valley. What is not in doubt is that the earliest rulers of Benin were called Ogisos. Thirtyone Ogisos in all ruled the kingdom of Benin between 900 - 1200 AD, which is the earliest period so far accounted for in Benin history.

The Bini monarchy demonstrates strong affinity with ancient Egyptian gods and Pharaohs, with which it shares identical authority, grandeur and a great deal of reverence from their subjects. In fact, the hair style of Bini chiefs is similar to Pharaoh Ramses II’s famous helmet, while the small circles on the helmet appear also on many Bini bronzes. Bini Queens wear identical hairstyles to that of Pharaoh Mycerinus (Fourth-Dynasty), and Pharaoh Sesostris I (Twelfth Dynasty). The kings (Ogies) of Benin (Bini) also adopt grand Osirian titles of the ‘Open Eye,’ signifying omniscience and omnipotence. Bini Cosmology The Bini cosmological account of the universe draws significantly from the Egyptian one. The Egyptian version, which later formed the basis of genesis in the Bible, is that the universe was created from chaos and primeval (or ancient) ocean. After a hill (called tatjenen) arose from the bottom of the ocean, a son-god (God’s child or baby god) called Atom (which is the Sun without which life on earth is impossible), appeared on the land created by the hill. The son-god or Atom then created eight other gods which together with himself made nine gods. These nine gods are presumed by modern science to be symbolized by the nine major planets of the universe. The Bini version is that, in the beginning there was no land only water everywhere. In the middle of the water stood a tree on top of which lived (Owonwon) the toucan. Osanobua (The Creator) decided to populate the world so The Creator sent three sons, each with a choice of peculiar gift. One of the three sons chose to have wealth and the next chose magical skills. 22

As the youngest was about to make his choice known, Owonwon cried out to him to settle for a snail shell. This he did. When the canoe the three children were travelling in reached the middle of the waters, the youngest son turned his snail shell upside down to release endless stream of sand resulting in the emergence of land from the waters. The three sons at first were afraid to step on the land from the canoe. To test the firmness of the land, they sent the Chameleon, which is why Chameleons walk with hesitation. Osanobua then came down on a chain, from the sky, to demarcate the earth and allocate responsibilities. Osanobua appointed the younngest son as ruler of the earth. The son called the earth (Agbon) and promptly set up his headquarters at Igodomigodo. The oldest son was given control of the waters by Osanobua. The Bini call this son, Olokun (meaning the god of the river). The other son was allowed freedom to use his magical powers to balance out the negative and positive forces of nature. He apparently represents evil and the Bini call him Ogiuwu (or Esu sometimes) meaning the harbinger of death. Ogiuwu is supposed to own the blood of all living things. In other words, no living thing can live forever. Osanobua then settled in the realm of the spirit world across the waters where the sky and the earth meet. While Osanobua and Olokun represent aspects of life such as good health, long life, good luck, prosperity and happiness to which man may apeal through ritual purity, Ogiuwu represents mourning, evil omen and diseases. The youngest son, the ruler of the earth represents innocence and so is susceptible to the powers of the other deities. These same good and evil influences form the basic elements of all modern religions, with man endowed with the power to make choices. The Ogisos (meaning rulers of the sky) because of their direct lineage to the youngest son of Osanobua (God), from the sky,

Bini brass sculpture

were of course, accorded divine qualities by the Bini. These, the Ogisos naturally tried to strengthen in a variety of ways, including not allowing themselves to be seen eating in public and so suggesting that they can live without food. They are not mortal but god-kings with celestial mystique attached to them. Because the kings (Ogisos) of Bini are considered divine, they are worshipped by their subjects who speak to them always with great reverence, at a distance and on bended knees. Great ceremonies surround every action of the Bini king. Bini kings have immense political powers, as ultimate judges in court matters, the deliverers of death penalty, the receivers of taxes and tributes, the regulators of trade, the nominal owners of the land of the kingdom, chief executives and law makers, and principal custodians of customs and traditions. However, their immense powers are hedged with checks and balances to prevent excesses. The king’s powers are held in trust for the entire community and cannot be exercised without consultation with other levels of authority, such as the kingmakers, known as Edionisen. The first Ogiso king was called Ogiso Igodo and his kingdom Igodomigodo was at Ugbekun. Ogiso Igodo’s successor, Ogiso Ere, transferred the capital from Ugbekun to Uhudumwunrun. This detailed history of Bini is being provided to illustrate the formidable authority and influence welded by monarchs in African kingdoms and demonstrate how ancient people tried to breath life into myths. Whether it is the son-god of the Bini, Egypt or the Christian religion, ancient people translated myths into reality. There is, therefore, nothing special about Jesus Christ. The idea of the Son of God or Son-God is as old and ancient man in Africa. Ogiso Ere was a very resourceful king. He introduced the guild system of carpenters and wood carvers, which eventually developed into the world celebrated wood works and bronze casting of Igun Street in Benin City. Ogiso Ere also built the first ever Igodomigodo market known then as Ogiso market and in modern times as Agbado market. Ogiso Ere, a lover of peace, invented the famous African kingship paraphernalia which includes the Ada (a sword of honour), Eben (a sword for dancing), Ekete (a royal stool), Agba (a rectangular stool) and Epoki (a leather box). Ogiso Ere was succeeded by Ogiso Orire, maintaining the primogeniture (son succeeding his father) principle. The fourth dynasty on the death of Orire introduced the system of gerontocracy (the oldest person in the community rules), until the death of the twenty-second Ogiso when

the primogeniture system was restored. The twenty-third Ogiso extended the primogeniture rule to all his frontline chiefs known collectively as the Edion (Elders). The Edion included Chief Oliha, Edohen, Ero, Ezomo and Eholo-Nire. Ogiso Ibioye, another resourceful king introduced the use of cowries as currency to Igodomigodo. The last of the Ogiso kings was called Owodo. He reigned in the 12th century AD and had only one child (a male) despite having many wives. In attempt to unravel the cause of his wives’ barrenness, he sent his first wife Esagho and three male messengers to consult an oracle. The oracle named Esagho as the cause. To avoid the wrath and punishment of the king, Esagho threatened to lie to the king that the male messengers had carnal relationship with her (an act carrying death penalty), if they revealed the oracle’s declaration. The messengers, in connivance with Esagho told the king that the oracle fingered his only son, Ekhaladerhan as the cause of his wives’ barrenness and that Prince Ekhaladerhan had to be killed to reverse the situation. The king, angered by the development but reluctant to take the life of his only child, banished Ekhaladerhan and his mother to a place called Ughoton on the outskirts of Igodomigodo kingdom. Three years after the banishment, Owodo’s wives were still barren so he sent another set of messengers to the oracle. It was then that the truth about Esagho’s treachery was revealed. Esagho was executed as punishment and still the king’s wives remained barren. Apparently, the problem had to do with the fertility status of the king himself but no body dared to raise such ideas in those days. Women were always blamed for barrenness. The death of Ogiso Owodo created leadership vacuum for the first time in Igodomigodo’s history. The people were not prepared to countenance a mere mortal from a non-Ogiso lineage ruling them. It had to be the God-son’s first son or nothing. It was during this period of confusion that the elders, known as Edionisen, including Chiefs Edohen, Ero and led by Oliha mounted a search for their banished Prince Ekaladerhan. In the meantime, Ekaladerhan had set up a settlement he called ‘Ilefe,’ (meaning, successful escape) and had changed his name to ‘Izoduwa,’ (meaning I have chosen the path of prosperity). Izoduwa’s new home, ‘Ilefe’ was in the heart of Yoruba land and because of his immense magic powers soon endeared himself to his Yoruba community which included some Uzebu (corrupted in Yoruba to Ijebu) who had followed him into exile from Igodomigodo, and were treating him as a god. The Yoruba corrupted his name Izoduwa to ‘Oduduwa’ and his camp, ‘Ilefe’ to ‘Ile-Ife.’

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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News Somali refugees fear return from Kenya, as hunger looms

Somali refugees living in Kenya believe they will be forced to return home, with more than 300 out of almost half a million asking for help with repatriation, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said amid warnings of worsening hunger due to poor rains. The UNHCR signed an agreement with the governments of both countries on Nov. 10, and half a million Somali refugees living in Kenya are expected to return to Somalia voluntarily over the next three years. The number of refugees from Somalia - 1.1 million - is the third highest in the world after Afghanistan and Syria. Kenya hosts more of them than any other country with the biggest group living in the world’s largest refugee camp, Dadaab, a complex series of tented settlements near the arid Kenya-Somalia border. UNHCR said 319 refugees living in Ifo 2, which is part of Dadaab, approached the agency saying they intended to return home. “There was however a widespread mis-

Somali refugees are being severly affected by the current food crisis, which currently plagues Kenya

conception that refugees would be forced to return, especially after the statements by government ofﬁcials,” the UN said in its latest Dadaab Update newsletter. “Many refugees approached UNHCR requesting to be allowed to stay in Kenya.” Two government delegations visited Dadaab in late November. On Nov. 22, Somali government representatives met with

refugees and told them to start thinking about returning as conditions in Somalia were improving. “The refugee leaders expressed skepticism about the situation in Somalia, saying that in principle they wanted to go home, but they still did not believe that favourable conditions for return in safety were in place,” UNHCR said.

On Nov. 22, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Interior Joseph Ole Lenku also visited the camp and encouraged the refugees to return to rebuild their country. “The refugee leaders gave the same answer as the day before, saying they were hesitant about the possibility of immediate return, since they were well aware of the situation in Somalia and were worried about insecurity and lack of infrastructure such as schools and health services,” UNHCR said. The U.N. has set up return help desks to give accurate information and “counter misleading rumours circulating in the camps”, the newsletter said. Lower Juba and Gedo regions, which border Kenya, are among the priority areas identiﬁed for return. There are 389,026 Somali refugees registered in Dadaab and neighbouring Alinjugur camps, according to UNHCR. Of these, 161,348 are from Lower Juba, on the Kenyan border; 69,566 are from Middle Juba, slightly further up the coast; 55,683 are from Banadir, the region around the capital Mogadishu; and 29,377 come from Gedo region, also bordering Kenya.

Zimbabwe baby smuggling business is on the rise

In Johannesburg, there are several single mothers originally from Zimbabwe who struggle to find the time and resources to care for their young children. Around Christmas therefore, when the border crossings get notoriously congested and hectic, making it easier to sneak things across, some mothers bribe drivers like Robert to smuggle their children back to Zimbabwe where they can be looked after by family or friends. Thembi Nale, a 21-year-old mother who works as a cleaner at a local restaurant in Johannesburg, did just this, recently persuading an omalayitsha (‘courier’) to take her four-month-old baby to her grandmother in Bulawayo. “If I stop work to breastfeed, I lose my job and benefits,” she explains, “my employer is nasty.” Transporting undocumented and unaccompanied children is of course illegal, but for up to R2000 ($200) and a written address of where to deliver the child, it is possible to find drivers willing to take the risk. The most commonly heard stories of omalayitsha in the news tend to be around cases of drivers being caught trying to smuggle children into South Africa from Zimbabwe, often to be reunited with their parents during the school holidays. This practice has been particularly prevalent since 2012 when South Africa changed the rules to require travelling children to have more detailed documents than previously. Several omalayitsha have been caught and imprisoned. However, the less-commonly heard

Zimbabwe lorry drivers are smuggling babies back to South Africa

side of the story is of drivers smuggling children - many of them young babies into Zimbabwe from South Africa. Although the ﬁgures vary, estimates suggest that there may be as many as 2 million Zimbabweans currently living in South Africa; many of these migrants crossed the border in the mid-2000s as Zimbabwe’s economy was collapsing under hyperinﬂation, including several young women who now work menial jobs in restaurants, day care, and farms. They not only support themselves through this work, but also often send back money, food and medicine to their

relatives in Zimbabwe. If these women get pregnant, however, they may lack the time to care for their babies - especially under the pressure to keep working to support their dependents - and so, like many young parents around the world, rely on the help of family. This is tricky given that relatives are across the border in Zimbabwe, but this is where the omalayitsha come in. For bus drivers, smuggling babies across the border is a risky but potential lucrative side job. Bus owners forbid their drivers from engaging in the practice, but bribes from mothers can make the offers

hard to resist. Alongside this payment money, mothers just need to give omalayitsha an onward address and a bundle containing items such as baby oil, milk, nappies and bottled water. Child welfare organisations estimate that as many as 200 babies are transported this way between November and January, and these journeys begin just like any other. For 900 km, drivers and their assistants take turns to steer the vehicle and feed the babies along the highway. “We ply the babies with cushions and lots of tasty porridge when the bus starts moving,” explains Robert, holding a purse full of baby shoes and taxi keys. “It’s somehow a satisfying thrill, seeing a four-month-old motherless baby calm beside a roving bus engine,” he adds. When the bus stops to allow passengers to disembark for a short time, drivers like Robert get busy administering pills to diabetic babies, giving orange juice to thirsty ones, and jingling toys to cheer up those crying from fatigue. “It’s easy,” Robert says with a smile, “we just follow the mother’s instructions.” According to Robert, getting past tolls and police roadblocks is also simpler than it may seem. Usually if one was smuggling something, the contraband would be well hidden away. “The police just demand a R50 [$5] for every unaccompanied baby,” Robert explains.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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News

Mortar shells fired at French soldiers in UN camp Two mortar shells were fired on a military camp housing French and UN troops in Kidal on Monday night. In Paris officials said a magistrate may be sent to investigate the murder of RFI’s Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon near the northern Mali town next month.

“Two mortar shells were fired on Monday night by people who have not yet been identified on the Camp in Kidal where French and Minsusma troops are housed,” a Malian military source told the AFP news agency. There were no victims and no damage. A French military source confirmed the report. The attack came two days after a carbomb attack on a bank in Kidal. It killed two Senegalese blue helmets and wounded at least seven UN

A French soldier patrols his area around the UN camp

and Malian soldiers. Members of armed groups are still present in the town, which was a stronghold of the Tuareg separatist MNLA, even though its is supposed to be under the joint control of French, UN and Malian forces. An examining magistrate may be chosen in January to investigate the murder of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, foreign ministry officials told the families and their lawyers on Monday. They hope to obtain permission to quesiton several UN presonnel in Mali. Although the leader of the gang that kidnapped and killed the pair has been identified as criminal and Islamist sympathiser Baye Ag Bakabo, none of the other members have yet been identified and none have been arrested.

Protests in Egypt prompt violent police response

Egyptian protested on the streets outside the Ain Shams University, which prompted police retaliation

Egyptian authorities arrested 25 Muslim Brotherhood students in clashes that erupted at Ain Shams University on Monday, a security source from the interior ministry said.

Confrontations erupted between security forces and pro-Brotherhood protesters at the university earlier, escalating into chases in leading streets. The source said in a statement published on the interior ministry’s Facebook page that the Brotherhood students gathered in Khalifa al-Maamoun Street and blocked the road while security forces warned them in vain.

He added that security forces then intervened to disperse the protesters with teargas after they were attacked by birdshots which injured one conscript in the face. The statement said that two of the suspects were carrying birdshot riﬂes and a teargas bomb. Pro-Brotherhood students have organized many demonstrations at different universities since the army’s ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi which they consider a coup. Mursi was deposed in July in response to mass demonstrations across the country, calling for his resignation.

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Mandela Special

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

The dying of Mandela By Peter Olorunnisomo

The death of Nelson Mandela shook the world. Why it did would probably have as many reasons as the stars in the sky. A plethora of research organisations would probably need a work force the population of half of Europe to conduct in sufficient quantum what Mandela truly meant as a person and as a philosophy of quintessential African tradition and culture.

The reasons given would be so diverse and yet the commonality of each would reverberate with so many people that you would want to think why he didn’t live in as big a palace as Buckingham, why he didn’t have as much wealth as the monarchs of the middle east, why his cough and groans and meals was not reported daily like the ultimate cream of the show biz personalities, until the world knew he was ill. Yes, news of his failing health made the rounds in real time and the world gasped at the reality of a possibility – that he was man and would not leave forever. While the world held its breath and news of his treatment and recuperation flirted with every media round the world, sickness and death wore a different garb. It wasn’t that sickness was new to the young, middle-aged, and old. In fact, as winter approached every year, NHS and government campaigns would be stepped up announcing discounts and relief measures on power for aged households, flu jabs, etc. Not that these elders in society were less honourable for the dotting but that honour itself had moved

Mandela going home: his last lap of honour?

residence to Mandela’s quarters – an aura of décor had enveloped him rather than his mere household such that were he to live in an igloo, it would glow with warmth from every quarter of the earth.

But he had retired quietly for the remaining glorious moment that the world would gladly deny him if they could. Oh, the selfish thoughts of men proving more selfish for that which they would have they may

say they have it. It was becoming the challenge of love – pitching the love of success against an individual’s humanity. Much the same I would were my loving father alive to give me notice of his impending death. If banks are broken to pay for a cure to death then I would gleefully undertake the journey of the quintessential hunter to the forest of a thousand demons (Ogboju Ode ninu Igbo Irunmale) or should it be the Grecian hunt for the golden fleece. Yes, he had retired. But was he tired? Tired after a long and tortuous incarceration, tired of the denial of all joys of normalcy that he looked to find joy every second of the remainder of his life, tired of all the running from the guerrilla carpeting, boundary crossings, prisms of prison, to the loss of the people who soldiered with him and left him alone to pray over many graves as if he was never going to join them. But was he tired? Perhaps the world would never know. It would be no use saying. He was father to them all. So in the quiet of the world media, night took its course lulling everyone to sleep as death stole in as if men were not on guard. But while his family took their turns and gathered to record the last minutes in their memory, Mandela sailed away to rest and the media woke from their slumber. He had become popular once again, in death. As if he would never die. As if he ought not to die. As if the lessons he spent his life teaching would now be certificated. As if we knew what he wanted and were reluctant to give it. As if we knew that he should never die even though we couldn’t keep him.

Comets of Comments Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson

Prime Minister David Cameron: “A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a hero of our time”

By Peter Olorunnisomo

How many comets were seen upon the death of Nelson Mandela berthing the earth announcing that even nature was aware that a soul had left the world the world, I would not know; and if any was not seen either, I probably still would not know. It was never reported. But what was reported are the comets of comments made by various people about the man. Perhaps if the South African government would consider these quotes as epitaphs on the basis of quality, office, and relationships, of those who gave them, Madiba’s grave might suffer abuse of being considered a tabloid for a grave stone. 26

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg: Nelson Mandela will be mourned and missed on every continent around the globe.” But read some of the comments below: Prince Charles said he was “the embodiment of courage and reconciliation. He was also a man of great humour and had a real zest for life” Jacob Zuma, South African President: “Let us recall the values for which Madiba fought. Let us reaffirm his vision of a society in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another.”

US President Barack Obama: “He no longer belongs to us. He belongs to the ages.”

Former Prime minister John Major: “He left an indelible mark on his time that few have ever equalled.” Former President George Bush: “President Mandela was one of the greatest forces for freedom and equality of our time.” Myanmar Opposition Leader, Aung San Suu Kyi: “He made us all understand that nobody should be penalised for the colour of his skin, for the circumstances into which he is born.”

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Mandela Special

What Madiba said of himself By Peter Olorunnisomo

At the ceremony of Madiba’s death at the 90,000 capacity football stadium called the Soccer City stadium in Soweto, one got glued either to seat, if you were there in person, or to the screen as the world looked on seeking to know more and more about the man. Everyone had a purpose for being ‘there’. Journalists from across the world were waiting for a scoop of sorts; something new, something peculiar that we never heard about, perhaps something that just might throw up among the various dignitaries that were there. Something had to give for a scoop. And scoop there was. Speech after speech, eulogy after eulogy, and even local poetry not minding the clown that robbed the millions of people with hearing disability of all the information they might never be able

“I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.” This was upon his release. “I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when you, the people, are not free.” This was his declaration when he was promised his freedom as bait to stop the uprising against apartheid. “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

Mandela in prison, Robben Island

But let’s hear what Madiba said about himself: beliefs, experiences, et al at various times.

“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die” “I was made by the law, into a criminal, not because of what I stood for, because of what I thought, because of my conscience.” Perhaps the greatest plea of guilt which could find no sentence in any court. “During my lifetime, I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.”

“I was the loneliest man during the period I stayed with her… Ever since I came back from prison, not once has the defendant ever entered our bedroom while I was awake.” The greatest pain that Madiba could not bear seemed to have hit him in the underbelly through his wife. During the long years of incarceration, something had happened. When he came out, their continuity as man and wife was challenged. “If the entire universe persuaded me to reconcile with the defendant, I would not…I am determined to get rid of the marriage.” “Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”

Winnie and Nelson: sour grapes still fruit

to read. If Madiba could talk at that time, the world would listen to what he has to say about the world today and himself as well. Knowing he was certainly bullet-proof, mine-proof, and even gasproof, death would not have any more say in his life. It would be interesting to do a no-holds barred interview where nothing short of absolute revelations would stream out of him to the world as we all lap in rabid hunger and thirst at the things we should know which we never knew about his thoughts, his life, the little secrets, etc.

“I became a creature of the night”. This he said describing his life in the 1960 – 1 when he had just been acquitted of treason but dared not celebrate. He hid ghostly everywhere disguised in various fashions like chauffeur, chef, and garden boy. So he saw homeless albeit in the face of ‘criminal persecution’. “The struggle is my life. I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days.” This has become famous for all those politically oppressed in similar circumstances and perhaps a battle cry for an unyielding struggle.

Mandela with age-long friend and confidant, Bishop Desmond Tutu

Events calendar What’s On & When WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Three is the magic number for Raja It was only a very short while ago that Raja Casablanca were a club in crisis. The defeats were coming thick and fast for the reigning Moroccan champions, triggering the departure of coach Mohamed Fakhir just a few days before the start of the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2013.

And yet in the space of just a week and three matches, Les Rajaouis have rediscovered their winning touch, capping their revival by beating Atletico Mineiro in Wednesday’s semi-final, an unexpected triumph that has booked them a date with the mighty FC Bayern Munchen on Saturday. “The dream is far from over yet and we’ll be giving it all we have against Bayern, right up to the final whistle,” a jubilant Mouhssine Iajour told FIFA. com after scoring a goal and winning a penalty against the Brazilians, who momentarily pulled level at 1-1 only to fall to a 3-1 defeat. “We never give up. This team has got so much mental strength to draw on.” It is hard to accuse the striker of going over the top. Three times the African outfit have opened the scoring at Morocco 2013, three times they have been pegged back, and three times they have dug deep late on to secure their place in the next round. “It’s difficult to explain how you feel at moments like this,” said Chemseddine Chtibi, who was on the scoresheet for Raja against CF Monterrey in Saturday’s quarter-final. “We’ve been on a high even though we haven’t been

Celebrations began as Raja Casablanca beat Athletico Mineiro

considered favourites, and we’ve never stopped believing in our chances.” An unshakeable belief is far from the only factor in Raja’s thrilling run to the FIFA Club World Cup final. Their newly installed coach Faouzi Benzarti has also had his part to play in their unlikely renaissance. “He’s definitely got the best out of us and given us fresh confidence after an unfortunate run of results,” said Iajour, who with two goals to his name and one game to play has designs on ending the tournament as its top scorer. “And his approach is more attackminded than our previous coach. He always wants us to attack, no matter

The final score 3-1 showed the dominance of the Moroccan champions 30

what the state of the game is.” A winning blend The late introduction of midfielder Deo Kanda in two of Raja’s three games to date is an indication of that, the Congolese using his pace and ability to get behind defences to help tilt the balance against both Auckland City and Atletico. “We had a good, close look at Atletico before the game and we knew they would try to put pressure on our midfield,” said Kanda, who came on against the New Zealand club with the score tied at 1-1 and set up Abdelilah Hafidi’s late winner. “We were aware that if we could hold Atletico off and play the ball out intelligently and quickly to the wings, then we’d have the chance to catch them on the break.” The frequency of those counterattacks increased as O Galo upped their possession percentage, with Les Rajouis breaking to perfection. Played in by Hafidi, Iajour put his side ahead with a firm low drive before popping up at the end of the match to draw a foul from Rever inside the box, with Mohcine Moutaouali stepping up confidently to convert the spot-kick. The

icing on the Raja cake came when substitute Vivien Mabide prodded the ball into an empty net after Moutaouli had struck the crossbar at the end of yet another lightning counter. Aside from their drive, determination and a perfectly executed gameplan, the Moroccans also have another key asset in their favour, namely the fervent support of their fans, who drowned out the noise generated by the nearly 10,000 Galo supporters at the Marrakech Stadium. “It’s like having the whole of Morocco behind us. You can achieve the most amazing things with support like that,” said Chtibi in reference to the explosions of noise that accompanied each of Raja’s three goals. “It makes us so happy to see so much jubilation when we win. What’s more, they’re also inspiring us to perform better and better,” explained Iajour. It all bodes very well indeed for the final of Bayern, when the streets of Marrakech and Casablanca are sure to be awash with noise and colour.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Ghana set up camp in Marceio for World Cup

Namibia hosts scintillating tennis

The recently concluded Alexander Forbes Open tennis tournament held in Swakopmund produced some of the best tennis ever witnessed in Namibia this year. Overall winner in the men’s final was Phenyo Matong from Botswana who defeated Deon van Dyk 7-6: 6-2. As widely expected, the No 1 seed Kerstin Gressman saw off Julianna Schuckman 6-1 and 6-3 in the ladies final. The men’s single quarterfinal clash in which Michau Basson defeated the top seed Henco Serdyn was a three and a half hour battle with both players giving no quarter. However, Basson emerged victorious 3-6,6-2 and 7-5. The next day, Basson got involved in another marathon battle of two and a half hours against Deon van Dyk, with the latter winning 3-6;6-4 and 6-3.

Ethiopia booked their place at the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup

Ghana will set camp in Marceio for their 2014 FIFA World Cup finals Brazil, the Ghana News Agency has reported.

But the Ghana Football Association is yet to announce the team base camp after inspecting facilities following last week’s draw in Bahia. The venue is considered to be closer to the three cities for their Group G matches and also for its mild tempera-

ture.

According to information, Marceio is about an hour drive to Natal, Fortaleza and Brasilia where the first round matches will be played. “The fine weather conditions which is similar to Ghana and all the other cities the team will play influenced this decision as well,” an anonymous Ghana FA source is quoted by the Ghana News Agency.

“It is expected that the conditions will be around 29 degrees Celsius at that time, and also proximity and nearness to the venues.” Ghana will play USA in Natal on 16 June and then Germany in Fortaleza five days later and Germany in Brasilia on 26 June.

2014 CHAN: Keshi drops 2 players Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has dropped two players from the squad preparing for next year’s CHAN and has called up four new players.

The two players dropped due to low productivity are midfielder Mohammed Ajia of Bayelsa United and El Kanemi defender Reuben Ogbonnaya. Assistant coach Daniel Amokachi said there was little or no time to prepare the squad hence the need to quickly identify tournament materials. The four players who are expected to join the squad in Abuja immediately are striker Mfom Udoh, who played for Akwa United last season before he moved to Enyimba, Insurance duo of Obannu Erhune (Central defender)and Ikeleji Bello(defensive midfielder). Warri Wolves Ewenike Achibi(midfielder) completes the list.

Stephen Keshi

“We have been tracking these players for some times now and we want to give them a chance to prove themselves at a critical point like this and we hope they won’t disappoint,” Amokachi declared. Indications have also emerged that

more players who fail to measure up will be asked to go by the weekend after Wednesday’s test match against Niger Tornadoes and another practice match that has been scheduled for Saturday both at the Abuja National Stadium.

Cote d’Ivoire Ends Year at the Top

Star player Didier Drogba

Cote d’Ivoire has ended the year (2013) as Africa’s best ranked team, according to the FIFA rankings released on Thursday, December 19, 2013. The Elephants started the year at the top of the continental rankings and maintained their status throughout and finish as Africa’s only team in the top 20. The impressive performance of Didier Drogba and his teammates, capping it with qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, was vital to their 17th position with 918 points. Ghana (849 points) is ranked second and Algeria third (800 points), 24th and 26th globally, making them the only other African teams in the top 30 bracket. Nigeria (37th) - 710 points, Cape Verde (39th) - 698 points, Egypt (41st) - 695 points, Mali (45th) - 664 points, Tunisia (48th) - 632 points, Cameroon (50th) - 615 points and Burkina Faso (53th) - 591 points complete the continent’s top 10 teams.

Friday, 20 December – Thursday, 26 December 2013 issue 512

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Three is the magic number for Raja SEE PAGE 30

Volvo Golf Championship tees off in SA

South Africa native Ernie Els teeing off at the Durban Country Club By Peter Olorunnisomo

South Africa will be hosting the cream of European and local golf stars at the Volvo Championships. The championship which also has the advantage of stimulating the hearts of younger Africans to take up golfing which is yet top be established as a sport which Africans thrive in.

Africa’s foremost golfer in contemporary times has been Ernie Els who is also expected to take part in the tourney. While a 30-strong elite field contests the Nedbank Golf Challenge at South Africa’s Sun City resort this week, an equally star-studded field, headed by

four-time major winner Ernie Els, will line up at Durban Country Club for the Volvo Golf Champions in January. The Volvo Golf Champions features winners on the European Tour from the past year, as well as established stars who have won more than 10 European Tour titles in a “Tournament of Champions”. With an increased prize fund of $4-million (R41.7-million), a top field is certain as rising stars battled top veterans. Record-breaking 20-year-old Matteo Manassero will head up the challenge of the next generation, while Els, a 26-time winner on the European Tour, will be joined by European Ryder Cup stars Miguel Angel Jimenez, threetime Major winner Padraig Harrington, 2010 Open Champion Darren Clarke , eight-time Order of Merit winner Colin

Montgomerie, 17-time European Tour winner Thomas Bjorn and two-time Major winner Jose María Olazábal. Between them the aforementioned older generation have won 142 European Tour titles and have 170 years of experience playing on the Tour. By contrast, Italian star Matteo Manassero, a four-time winner on the European Tour before his 20th birthday, is one of a talented group of young twenty-somethings looking to emulate the successes of their elders by adding the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions to their CV. Rookie of the Year, Peter Uihlein, a 24-year-old American, is the newly crowned winner of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, having won his maiden title at the 2013 Madeira Islands Open and finished 14th in the Race to Dubai.

Also qualified is 23-year-old Victor Dubuisson from France after his stunning win at the Turkish Airlines Open last month, along with Korea’s 23year-old Jin Jeong, who won the 2013 Perth International, and Asia’s newest superstar, 24-year-old Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who qualified with a win at the Maybank Malaysian Open and leads the 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit by an unassailable margin.

African Voice Newspaper is published by African Voice Communications. Unit 7 Holles House Overton Road London SW9 7AP. Tel: 020 3737 3077 Registered at the British Library as a newspaper. ISSN 1475-2166.Email: africanvoicenews@googlemail.com