African Voice Newspaper Issue 614

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016 ISSUE 614

SINCE 2001

£1.00 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 scheme Does Zac have aid job-seeking Londoners’ entrepreneurs back?

SEE PAGE 5

EMPLOYERS’ BODY SLAMS TIGHTER IMMIGRATION CONTROLS

By Alan Oakley

A recommendation in the “independent” Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) long-awaited review of Tier 2 immigration that the Government impose even tighter immigration controls for Tier 2 visas has been greeted with criticism from

many UK employers, who say that the measures will lead to increased costs and make recruiting more difficult.

In June last year, Theresa May commissioned the Committee to conduct a review to justify tougher Tier 2 visa rules. This is a route that allows overseas nationals sponsored by an UK em-

SEE PAGE 7

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Theresa May commissioned the review to justify tougher Tier 2 visa rules

ployer to work in the UK. Under Tier 2 visa rules, candidates need to have a job offer from an employer with a Tier 2 sponsorship licence. The employer will usually also need to complete a resident labour market test to show that there is a shortage of people with the relevant skills in the UK and must pay the salary as required for the role under Tier 2.

The MAC, which the Government claims is an “independent” group of economists, has been looking at ways to make it even more difficult for non-EU nationals to gain entry to the UK as part of its Tier 2 visa review.

Continued on page 2

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UK announces further boost for oil and gas industry

The UK Government has introduced a £1.3bn package of tax measures for the oil and gas industry to ensure the UK Continental Shelf remains an attractive destination for investment and safeguard the future of its vital national asset.

Also, a major new injection of cash into North East Scotland’s economy was confirmed with the signing of a new £250m UK City Deal, jointly funded by the UK and Scottish Governments.

UK Government is to boost the oil and gas industry by backing the export of Britain’s world class skills in oil and gas and diversifying the economy of the North East of Scotland, including a £20m package of investment in exploration, innovation and skills.

Innovate UK is launching an “Energy Game Changer” which will make £1.5m available for innovators, micro businesses and SMEs from outside the energy sector to come up with radical solutions and disruptive technologies in response to challenges set by the energy industry. These include challenges set by the oil and gas sector in areas like monitoring corrosion under installation, vessel inspection and use of sensors and data.

Publisher and Editor-In-Chief Mike Abiola Editorial Board Adviser Dr Ola Ogunyemi Managing Editor Alan Oakley News Editor Peter Olorunnisomo Sports Editor Abiodun Teriba Arts Editor Golda John Columnists Milton Tella Photo Journalist Isaac Adegbite Graphic Designer Edward Mirza Accountant Fanla Agboola Chief Correspondent, Nigeria Olubunmi Omoogun London Office: Unit 7 Holles House Overton Road London SW9 7AP

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African Voice is published by African Voice UK.

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

News UK Aid Girls’ School and Peace in South Sudan James Duddridge, Minister for Africa on his first visit to South Sudan on 25-26 January visited the UK Aid supported girls’ school.

The UK is also committing over 250 UK military personnel to the UN Mission in South Sudan so it can more effectively support peace and security.

The Minister met with President Kiir, Foreign Minister Barnaba, Finance Minister Deng and SPLA-IO Chief Negotiator Taban Deng. Mr Duddridge also met with representatives from civil society and members of the diplomatic community who have been supporting the peace agreement.

In his meetings the Minister emphasised the UK’s desire to see the peace agreement fully implemented and urged the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity without further delay.

The Minister visited an UN Protection of Civilians camp and an UK Aid supported girls’ school to see how the UK is helping

James Duddridge, Minister for Africa on a visit to South Sudan

to provide practical support on the ground.

The UK is committing long term support to the South Sudanese people, along with emergency humanitarian assistance, to help the country recover after two years of conflict.

Beginning this year, the UK is also committing over 250 UK military personnel to the UN Mission in South Sudan so it can more effectively support peace and security.

At the end of his visit Mr Duddridge said: ‘I was pleased to be able to visit South

Sudan at such an important time and made clear to South Sudan’s leaders that the Transitional Government of National Unity must be formed without further delay. All South Sudan’s leaders bear a responsibility to their people to implement the peace agreement fully so the long and difficult task of rebuilding the country can begin. The UK has a long term commitment to South Sudan and we will continue to work towards the peaceful and prosperous future its people deserve.’

Employers’ body slams tighter immigration controls Continued from front page

It is well known that David Cameron wishes to reduce net migration down to less than one hundred thousand a year. However, the most recent published figures show annual net migration to the UK to have gone up to 336,000.

In particular, the MAC was exploring the possibility of increasing the salary threshold; further restricting the occupations that are eligible for sponsorship; introducing a time limit on how long an occupation can remain on the shortage occupation list; implementing a skills levy; and possibly ending the automatic right of dependants to work in the UK. The Migration Advisory Committee’s chairman, Sir David Metcalf, said: “My recommendations have to balance conflicting demands to reduce immigration levels without harming the economy.”

Unsurprisingly the MAC report has been welcomed by the Home Office. It remains to be seen what the Government does in practice, but there will inevitably be arguments between pro and anti-immigration ministers.

Metcalf said: “The measures proposed should lead to a greater investment in UK employees and reduce the use of migrant labour.” However, he did acknowledge that foreign workers with Tier 2 Visas did raise tax revenues for the Government, but, he added, this “should be balanced against their potential impact on the welfare of existing UK citizens.”

The GMB trade union, which campaigns for better pay and conditions in the workplace for its members, said the measures are “a step in the right direction.” The GMB is currently in dispute with British Airways over 900 jobs it claims are being outsourced to Indian IT firm Tata Consultancy Services, which they say could be filled by ‘home-grown workers.’

It is interesting to note that one of the founders of the GMB was Eleanor Marx the youngest daughter of Karl Marx, an immigrant, and the founder of modern communism. If you had the sort of tough immigration controls that it appears that the GMB favours would the GMB ever have been founded we wonder?

The GMB even has a GMB Eleanor Marx day every January – celebrated this year on January 14.

In contrast, employers’ groups have slammed the proposed measures, dubbing them ‘too stringent.’ In particular, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) – one of the largest employers’ groups – has been highly vocal on the Tier 2 Visa issue.

The CBI is adamant that the proposed measures “could potentially hold businesses back”. Concern was raised over stifling the ability of companies to grow and create jobs, especially for exporting, with SMEs (SmallMedium Enterprises) likely to suffer most from the measures.

Metcalf claims that increasing the overall salary threshold would cut approximately 27,600, equivalent to 18 percent, from the 151,000 foreign workers arriving in the UK on a Tier 2 Visa. Special measures for the IT sector would see around 12,000, the equivalent of 47 per cent, workers cut from the numbers entering. He said these were representative of the net of dependants travelling with Tier 2 Visa holders.

UK Immigration is already charging huge fees to immigrants and employers. UK Immigration probably now has the highest visa fees in the world. There is also the apprenticeship levy and NHS health surcharge.

One of the MAC’s key recommendations is to impose a yearly ‘immigration skills charge’ of £1,000 to cover the cost of training local workers. The MAC estimates that this would

generate £250 million that could be channelled back to employers.

Increasing the salary threshold to £30,000, up from £20,800, is another of the MAC’s key proposals. However, they advised that this needs to be done without affecting staffing levels in occupations such as teaching and nursing, because staff salaries tend to fall below the £30,000 level in these occupations.

However, many leading businesses have labelled the proposals “a disaster waiting to happen”. Deloitte partner, Julia McKluskey, said: “The burden of all these recommendations could just tip the scales for many companies, severely damaging their international reputations.”

Many companies argue that they will be forced to cut costs elsewhere in order to compensate for proposals such as the skills charge.

Intra-company visas targeted The MAC’s proposals also target Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfers. Third-party contracting, which is popular among IT companies, could potentially be treated as a separate category within the intra-company transfer classification. Workers must be offered a minimum salary of £41,500 under the MAC’s proposals. Metcalf said: “Existing arrangements, while beneficial to employers, are tilted against British workers.”

The intra-company transfer proposals would likely hit Indian IT outsourcing firms such as Infosys, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services, as well as US firms Accenture and IBM. The MAC has called for the government to investigate why these firms have been unable to recruit domestic workers.

However, the MAC did advise against narrowing the range of Tier 2 professions and restricting the working rights of dependants accompanying Tier 2 Visa holders to the UK. A spokesperson for the MAC said: “No timeframe has been specified for implementing any of our recommendations.”

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

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News Right to Buy extends to Housing association tenants Housing association tenants will now be able to take their first step to owning their own home under the government’s plans to extend the Right to Buy.

The existing Right to Buy gives social housing tenants the opportunity to buy their home with a discount of £103,900 in London and £77,900 elsewhere.

Communities Secretary, Greg Clark said: Anybody who works hard and aspires to own their own home should have the opportunity to realise their dream. The Right to Buy is central to that and has already helped more than 46,000 into homeownership since we reinvigorated the scheme in 2012.

Thanks to the historic voluntary agreement with the sector a further 1.3 million housing association tenants now have the chance to open the door to their own home, starting with this trailblazing pilot scheme.

The pilot will help inform the design and implementation of the main scheme before it is rolled out across the country following the passage of the landmark Housing and Planning Bill. Applications for the pilot scheme open.

Housing association tenants will from January 25 be able to take their first step to owning their own home under the government’s plans to extend the Right to Buy. They will be the first in the country to be able apply to the new Voluntary Right to Buy scheme as part of a pilot that is being run by 5 housing associations ahead of the national rollout later this year.

It follows an historic voluntary agreement between the government and the National Housing Federation to extend the Right to Buy to 1.3 million housing association tenants. Under the agreement, every home sold will be replaced nationally with a new affordable home.

Travelling pregnant women on Zika virus alert Public health England (PHE) and the National travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) are aware of a Zika virus outbreak in South and Central America and the Caribbean therefore advising pregnant women to consider delaying travel to these destinations.

In October 2015, the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported an unusual increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly (a smaller head than expected which can be due to abnormal brain development) and has suggested a possible link between the increase in microcephaly and the ongoing Zika virus outbreak.

PHE and NaTHNaC have been carefully monitoring this situation and as a precaution, travel advice for pregnant women has been updated.

Whilst it remains important for travellers to take the necessary precautions, PHE is stressing that any public health risk to the wider population in England is negligible, as the mosquito that transmits the virus is not found in the UK. Dr Dipti Patel, director at NaTHNaC said: All travellers, especially pregnant women going to an area with active Zika virus transmission should ensure they seek travel health advice from their GP or a travel clinic well in advance of their trip and consult the NaTHNaC website for up to date information on current outbreaks and country information.

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Zika Virus

We strongly advise all travellers to avoid mosquito bites and urge pregnant women to consider avoiding travel to areas reporting active Zika transmission. If travel to these areas is unavoidable, or they live in areas where Zika virus transmission is occurring, they should take scrupulous insect bite avoidance measures both during daytime and night time hours.

Women who are planning to become pregnant should discuss their travel plans

with their healthcare provider to assess the risk of infection with Zika virus and receive advice on mosquito bite avoidance measures. Tailored advice for pregnancy and travel is available at NaTHNaC’s website.

Dr Hilary Kirkbride, travel and migrant health expert at PHE said: While we may expect to see small numbers of Zika virus infections in travellers returning to the UK, the risk to the wider population is negligi-

ble as the mosquito is not found in the UK and the virus cannot be caught from coming into contact with an infected person.

If you are planning on travelling to any of the infected countries, seek advice from a health professional if you have any questions or concerns.

Since the start of the outbreak in 2015, 5 UK travellers have been diagnosed with Zika virus.

If you have recently returned from an area where active Zika transmission is currently reported and have a fever or flu-like illness, seek medical attention without delay to exclude malaria and mention your travel history. If you are pregnant, seek advice from your GP or midwife as you may require further monitoring.

The symptoms of Zika virus are similar to other mosquito-borne infections such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria so laboratory testing is essential for the correct diagnosis. Zika virus is generally mild and self-limiting, lasting 2 to 7 days.

Symptoms of Zika virus infection may include: Fever, joint pain, itching, rash, conjunctivitis or red eyes, headache, muscle pain and eye pain. No specific antiviral treatment is available for Zika virus infection.

PHE is proactively monitoring the risks from Zika virus and is working with government and NHS colleagues to ensure the UK remains alert to, and prepared for, cases returning with Zika virus infection.

Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

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News

Does Zac have Londoners’ back?

Eton-educated Zac Goldsmith talks affordable housing, state schools and mini-cabs

African Voice caught up with Zac Goldsmith the Conservative candidate for the 2016 London mayoral elections on 21st January.

Mr Goldsmith had something to say hot off the press regarding the housing shortage in London.

Talk about the launch of your campaign and what London needs for all of London.

The boom in London over the past 8 years, which can be credited to Boris (Johnson), who put London back on the map, which can be seen in the activities and the rate housing has exploded. But though there is a boom in the economy of London, a lot of people feel that this has not affected their lives, as they haven’t boomed like the economy.

People feel considerably that they have been priced out of their own city; most obvious example of that being housing that you could be earning double an average salary and you can’t afford to own your own property in London. That’s a social problem, it’s an ethical problem, and it is a business problem.

You can’t afford to live in the city where you work, then you are probably not going to stay there for long. That is a real big cause for concern. That is why this plan puts housing at the top of the list of priorities, but it’s not just housing but also transport as well. And the reason transport is so important is because growing a transport network allows us to open up the land to build the homes. If you don’t open up the transport networks then you don’t open up the land you need to build the homes. The land will help to solve the housing crisis.

Environment has become one of the key concerns for people wherever they live.

As a mayoral candidate, I will say this that if you want to deliver for London then you need to get a good deal from government. It is very important. We generate huge wealth in this capital and it is all to the government. At least 93% of it goes to the government. We then have to beg for some of that back to pay for our police, our housing, our transport etc.

So if you want to improve London and be a successful mayor then we have to be prepared to hold government to account when they get it wrong, but to also get a good deal from government. And my record as MP shows that I’ve done that in the past five years, I’ve held government to account where they’ve got it wrong.

I’ve stopped them and I’ve said so and

I’ve also delivered for my constituents and that’s what I want to do for the whole of London. I think that’s what marks me out as a candidate for this job. I’ve got a record of working with this government, whereas my rivals - particularly my labour rival - has shown no ability or willingness to engage with people outside of his political party throughout his political career.

Let me start by asking you what would you be doing differently to Boris Johnson to engage with the different communities that make London up?

London is one of the most diverse cities on earth and also the greatest city on earth. The two go hand in hand. It is not because it has such diversity but also harmony and it is this diversity that makes it a great city. The harmony that exists between the communities in London does not happen anywhere else in the world.

Our communities generally do not have the same tension that you get in other parts of the world. For anyone who doubts the value of diversity in London, you only have to strip the diversity in London to see how it will strictly be a pale imitation of what is now.

As a mayoral candidate but also as a citizen of the city, I am speaking for, standing up for and representing everyone in our city no matter what their background is.

Whether you are families from Nigeria, Pakistani, Israel or wherever, you have the same concern. Are your kids going to get a good education? Are you safe when you walk the streets? Are the police going to be there when you need them? Can you afford to get on the housing ladder? These are concerns that affect everyone right across all the communities. I don’t want to speak for one diverse community. I want to speak for London as a whole.

Many people in the capital prefer to send their wards to private or catholic schools as opposed to state schools.

State schools are still the third choice.

What would you be doing to raise the target?

I think that is beginning to change because of the policy brought in by the last government, particularly policies surrounding academies, has started to help them to change. Free school programmes have raised the quality and standards of its schools. People are sending their kids to state schools

Zac Goldsmith

where they have the ability to do so because there are great schools within their areas.

People do not want to go to an unnecessary expense, so the challenge is to make sure that lands that could lend themselves to being the alternative for new schools are not just sold off to developers. The main issue in terms of schools in London today is capacity.

There is more and more demand for new schools at secondary level and at primary level and I think that is where our priorities should lie. The responsibility of the mayoral candidate is to ensure that you don’t give away the good land delegated for new schools.

You’ve been quoted as promising a solar revolution in London, how will that affect the green fields?

One of the biggest obstacles we are seeing in London today is the amount of homes that are bought by the public but are not used. One of the things I want to say to Londoners is that if they see a publicly owned roof space that is free for use; if it is not being used for anything else, then it can be used free of charge.

This is working quite well in Bristol. It’s a new policy.

The government has promised to cut the subsidies solar incentives, how would you fund that?

I’ve been the strongest advocate for environmental health policy in the past 5 years. Solar subsidies, because the cost of production has come down so dramatically, have to keep coming down. You don’t want to create a facility where putting up solar panels is a license to print cash.

The Uber cars… Black cabs are complaining about Uber taking their business?

I worry about black cabs; I think they are an important part of London. I think it would be sad if London lost them. I think they are in an unfair competition with Uber cars. There are things that the black cabs can do that Uber are not licenced to do. There needs to a distinction between the two as they are not necessarily providing the same quality of service.

Have you had a change of mind with regards to Heathrow extension?

Heathrow expansion would be a backward step if you want competition in the sector - and you do. Competition not monopoly.

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

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Health News

UK pledges £3 billion to end Malaria Deaths from Malaria could be nearly eliminated in the next 15 years thanks in part to a landmark £3 billion funding commitment announced by the Chancellor and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Speaking at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine George Osborne, Bill Gates and International Development Secretary, Justine Greening revealed a significant funding package to ramp up efforts to fight Malaria, centred on a £3 billion commitment over five years and a mission to support the World Health Organisation’s goal of reducing malaria deaths by 90% by 2030, on a path to malaria free world.

The Chancellor George Osborne said: I am determined that our overseas aid budget is spent on the challenges people in Britain want to see addressed and those that threaten global and national security.

Across the globe over a billion people are infected with malaria and it’s a cause of both untold misery and lost economic potential.

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That’s why, working with Bill Gates, I’m determined that Britain leads the world in the fight against this disease.

Already we’ve made great progress.

Now, together with the Gates Foundation we are announcing £3bn over the next five years to start the work on eradicating malaria altogether.

Some of that money will be spent here in the Northern Powerhouse, and the brilliant science we want to see here. The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is the oldest such institution in the world and is at the cutting edge of the war against malaria.

Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates said: Britain is a global leader in the fight against deadly diseases like malaria, a disease that still claims the life of a child every minute. From the strength of its scientific community, to the bravery of the ordinary men and women who go out to fight these diseases, the UK’s commitment to global health is building healthier futures for people living in the world’s poorest places and making the world a safer place for all of us.

Credit: Unicef

Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening said: We can be incredibly proud of Britain’s contribution to the battle against malaria. Thanks to the efforts of the UK and others over the past 15 years, more than six million lives have been saved.

However, malaria still causes one out of ten child deaths in Africa and costs Africa’s economy billions every year. Our new commitment will save countless more lives and build a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for us all which is firmly in the UK’s national interest.

Director of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Professor Janet Hemingway CBE said: As the world’s oldest Tropical Medical Institution dedicated to improving health, LSTM is delighted to see the growing partnership between the UK government and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, providing leadership and support to the fight against the global health challenges of malaria and NTDs. These diseases are indicators and drivers of poverty, and this partnership will help increase know-how, advocacy and funding, making a significant contribution to rapidly reduce the disease burden imposed by these infectious diseases and improve the quality of life for many of the world’s poorest populations.

The funding announced will mean £500 million a year invested by the UK government for the next five years.

The Gates Foundation will spend $200 million in 2016 to support R&D for malaria and to accelerate regional malaria elimination efforts, with a similar amount over each of the following four years.

Together this amounts to a minimum £3 billion commitment from the two partners to support global efforts to fight malaria.

The announcement builds on the new £1 billion Ross Fund announced by the government and the Gates Foundation in November – named after Sir Ronald Ross, the first-ever British Nobel Laureate who was recognised for his discovery that mosquitoes transmit malaria.

The Ross fund aims to develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat the world’s most serious infectious diseases in developing countries.

The Ross Fund will target drug resistant infections including malaria and TB, outbreak diseases such as Ebola, and neglected tropical diseases.

The Gates Foundation has committed to a five year partnership with the Ross Fund, aligning efforts with the UK Government to fight infectious disease in developing countries.

Today’s commitment also delivers on the pledge, first made by George Osborne on a visit to Uganda in 2007, to spend £500 million a year battling malaria.

Bill Gates also announced today that his foundation would partner and invest in the Global Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Research Innovation Fund announced by the Prime Minister and President Xi of China in October 2015.

Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

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News

Government scheme aid job-seeking entrepreneurs A wide-reaching poll reveals that the majority of entrepreneurial jobseekers who became their own boss thanks to a Government scheme are still in business, more than a year after launching their start-up.

A survey of 1,500 participants of the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) published today shows that 80% of ventures started with NEA support are still trading with more than nine in ten of these going for more than 12 months.

Around half of respondents report an expansion in their customer base (55%) or an increase in turnover (47%) since starting their business. The majority of survey participants also say they have plans to grow their company in the coming years.

Employment Minister Priti Patel said: “This government is determined to help jobseekers with real entrepreneurial ambitions turn their ideas into successful business ventures which create new jobs, boost productivity and contribute to long-term economic growth.

“The first year of trading is considered the most challenging, so I’m delighted that through our New Enterprise Allowance and added support services we are helping businesses stay on track and grow twelve months in.”

The NEA initiative is delivered through Jobcentre Plus and offers expert mentoring and financial support to jobseekers, lone parents and people on sickness benefits who have a good idea to set up their own business.

Set up in 2011, the latest statistics show almost 77,000 businesses have started with NEA funding and support. Furthermore, one in five (20%) of all businesses created using the NEA have been set up by benefit claimants with a disability.

The survey, released by DWP found that NEA recipients started businesses in a wide range of sectors including retail, car repair, construction and professional services.

The NEA survey also found: Of those that received support from a mentor, the vast majority (83%) rated it as helpful in supporting them develop a business plan.

Two thirds (66%) of respondents did not access any additional support outside of the NEA scheme at the time of developing their business

plan, suggesting that for most, the NEA scheme provided sufficient and appropriate support.

The payment of the NEA weekly allowance was commonly highlighted by respondents as being a critical factor in enabling them to start their business.

New Enterprise Allowance, a big leap

For Winsome Duncan, the New Enterprise Allowance was a stepping stone to helping other people find the job of their dreams.

The 38-year-old from Southwark was recommended to take part in the scheme by her work coach in 2013 after she told them she wanted to help others gain skills and become more employable.

After developing a business plan to hold employability workshops and receiving a £1,000 loan from Jobcentre Plus, Winsome also wrote a book “100 Ways to Save Money: An Employment Guide”, offering advice to young people and ex-offenders looking to get on the career ladder.

Her business MPLOYME is now in its third year and employs three people parttime out of their base in the Pempeople Pop-Up Shop on Peckham High Street.

“The NEA programme saved my life”, Winsome said.

“It gave me a living and helped me to put food on other people’s tables as well as my own.

“I am forever grateful to the programme, it’s definitely life-changing.”

Winsome said the business continues to expand, and she wants to find her own office space for the business.

She added: “You have to be dedicated and committed to make it work, and I would advise anyone looking to start their own business to look at the NEA.” The New Enterprise Allowance (https://www.gov.uk/new-enterpriseallowance), operated by DWP, offers eligible jobseekers mentoring and business support to develop a business plan before they start trading.

Once a business plan is approved and trading starts, on-going support is available from providers for a period of six months.

Financial assistance is offered in the form of an NEA weekly allowance, administered by Jobcentres, to claimants who have had a business plan approved and start working at their business for 16 hours or more a week.

Employment Minister Priti Patel

Winsome Duncan

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

2nd U.S.-Africa Business Forum to host in New York U.S. billionaire Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker plan to co-host the second U.S.-Africa Business Forum, a day focused on increasing trade and investment between the U.S. and Africa.

The forum is scheduled to be held in New York City the week of Sept. 19, coinciding with the 71st Session of the U.N. General Assembly, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The goal of the second forum is to build on the progress of the first one, held during the first-ever U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in August, 2015. Almost 50 African heads of state and more than 150 global CEOs attended.

Bloomberg, 73, has a net worth $35.5 billion, Forbes reported. He owns 88 percent of the media company he founded in his name, which in 2014 had $9 billion in revenues, and he’s all about doing business in Africa.

He is also a philanthropist, and has given away $3.8 billion through his foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies — the

12th largest foundation in the U.S., according to the Foundation Center.

His contributions include $100 million to the Gates Foundation to help eradicate polio and $1 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University.

“African markets hold many untapped opportunities for U.S. investors and companies – and capitalizing on them would create jobs and improve lives on both sides of the Atlantic,” Bloomberg said in a prepared statement. “That’s the goal of this year’s forum – to foster the strong ties between the U.S. and Africa that will drive greater economic growth and lift earnings in both places.”

At the first U.S.-Africa Business Summit in 2015, Bloomberg talked about the possibility of more summits and why doing business in Africa is important for his business. AFKInsider was there.

“We are not Johnny-come-lately to Africa,” Bloomberg told African heads of state. “We’ve been doing business in Africa for 20 years now.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has been to 40 different countries around Africa. We have something like 150 employees who work in Africa and we see nothing but good opportunities to come.”

Michael Bloomberg

A longtime supporter of gay rights, Bloomberg was asked whether he could do something to change the laws that criminalize homosexual relations in dozens of African countries. He said no, “it’s not our job” to change other countries’ laws, NPR reported.

Bloomberg is considering running for president of the U.S. in the 2016 election, CNBC reported. It won’t be the first time his name is mentioned as a possible candidate.

He was also pegged as a candidate for the U.S. presidential elections in 2008, 2012, and for governor of New York in 2010, but didn’t seek office.

Bloomberg at one time was ranked the seventh-richest person in the U.S. and the 13th-wealthiest in the world.

He was a major contributor to lobbyists pushing for same-sex marriage, and also backed lawyers who argued in the Supreme Court to allow same sex marriage for the entire U.S. After campaigning to change New York City’s mayoral term limits, Bloomberg served a third term as mayor of New York, which ended in 2013.

Despite promising to dedicate his life to philanthropy, in September 2014 Bloomberg said he would return to run financial news and information company, Bloomberg, at the beginning of 2015.

The U.S.-Africa Business Forum is expected to bring together African heads of state with CEOs of U.S. and African companies to strengthen commercial and 8

financial ties between the U.S. and Africa.

The forum will focus on U.S. privatesector engagement in Africa in sectors such as finance and capital investment, infrastructure, power and energy, agriculture, consumer goods, health care, and information communication technology.

“The U.S. private sector is eager to increase its commercial connection to African economies,” Pritzker said in a prepared statement. “As the Obama administration sharpens our focus on shifting the relationship between the U.S. and Africa from one based on aid to one based on trade, we will continue to support events, partnerships, and initiatives that deepen our ties of commerce and investment.”

These are some of the promises made at the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit: U.S. President Barack Obama promised $14 billion in new investments in Africa by U.S. companies involved in technology, construction and finance, according to NPR. “The U.S. is determined to be a partner in Africa’s success,” Obama said. “I want Africans buying more American products.

I want Americans buying more African products.”

New business deals highlighted at the summit included a $5 billion investment from Coca-Cola for production equipment; a $2 billion investment from G.E. for a variety of projects; $200 million in investments in hotels by Marriott International; and a $66 million commitment from IBM to provide tech services for Ghana’s Fidelity Bank.

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

Arts Culture

Comment

Pension Industry Strategy Implementation Roadmap

By Babatunde Fashola Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has advocated a collective national attitude that would make it possible to invest the over N5 trillion in pensions funds into the real sectors as a means of diversifying the economy and achieving growth.

The minister’s recommendations are in the following areas namely: (1) politics, (2) Governmental action, (3) socio-cultural, (4) Legal, and (5) judicial.

1. Politics Very often, concessions, PPPs and private ownership of public assets are complex, sometimes misunderstood transactions that some people view with suspicion.

Some of the perceptions that influence these complexities, misunderstanding and suspicion arise from the fact that people sometimes begin to question why they should begin to pay for services that government used to provide for free or at a subsidy.

For example, today, the cost of self generation of power by residents, using their own generators, buying diesel or petrol, and sometimes adding inverters to augment, is estimated between N48 to N70 Kw/h.

There are already at least 7 (seven) cases in different Federal High Courts in Nigeria. 3 (three) are in Lagos, 1 (one) is in Abuja, 1 in (Umuahia) , 1 (one) in Owerri and 1 (one) in Awka.

The curious thing is that even manufacturers have taken up some of these cases as plaintiffs, as if they themselves have maintained the same price of their finished products.

The truth is that Tariff is about price and if the raw materials like Gas, power plants, spare parts, Labour etc have gone up the price of the finished product cannot be the same.

If the price of the product is not right there is no incentive to produce more of it.

This can only result in scarcity and high prices. It is simple economics.

Without the right tariff there will be no power because it is now in the control of entrepreneurs.

It is left to us to make the rational choice of paying the right tariff which is cheaper

than generating ourselves at between N48 Kw/h to N70 Kw/h.

In similar vein, people pay averagely N7,000.00 (Seven Thousand Naira) per tanker of 11,000 litre of water, approximating to N0.63K per litre of water, which is not treated, but they will question a decision to produce water at a commercial rate of about N0.35K per litre of water and insist that it must not sell for more than N0.15K per litre, in spite of the fact that the water is at least treated with chlorine which sells at N600.00 (Six Hundred Naira) per kg .

This state of affairs has been the fertile theatre of deception for some unprepared and fly by-night politicians who mount the soap box and threaten to cancel existing concessions once voted into power.

What they do not understand is that they are sending out messages that no investor wants to hear.

They are raising risk to private capital on a political front which investors seldom understand. They understand financial and return on investment risk but are seldom equipped to deal with political risk.

Even outside the political class, those who ought to know display shocking ignorance.

In response to the recommendation to raise tariffs to competitive market rates, the Punch Newspaper in its editorial of December 22, 2015 Edition said: “…Fashola…should not hesitate to explore the option of revoking existing contracts to pave the way for foreign companies with the relevant expertise and financial capacity to deliver the good.”

The question I ask is this, if we needlessly cancel concessions granted to our own people, what incentive and assurance do we give to “outsiders” to invest if the investment of our own people is not secure in their land?

If you consistently horsewhip your own children in your home, why should I let my own children visit your home?

2. Governmental Action Closely related to political risk, but slightly different from it is Governmental action.

Whereas the former occurs during the campaigns and the quest for political power, the latter is often the follow up to the acquisition of political power.

Newly formed governments begin a review of all contracts signed by their predecessors, cancel or frustrate them even when they are performing.

They do so under one guise or the other. The previous government has done something wrong, they did not adequately protect the interest of the people and so on.

What they do inadvertently, is to create a climate that diminishes the sanctity of

contracts, negatively affecting the ease of doing business.

It is a practice that is particularly prevalent on the African continent and I argue that in some part contributes to our continental deficiency of infrastructure.

I am not saying that government must not terminate non-performing contracts.

Indeed these are rights that are standardly provided in all well drawn contracts.

What I am saying is that contracts cannot be terminated or frustrated on trumped up reasons simply because a new government does not like the affiliation of the holder of the contract.

It weakens the economy, it frustrates enterprise and leads to poverty and unemployment through job losses, loans taken from banks are endangered and the knock on effect is more than we often can see on the horizon, because the bad word spreads around the global investment community very quickly like wildfire.

Yes it may be the case sometimes, that the past government did not act in good faith, or even compromised or was even negligent. The answer is not cancellation, if the contract is performing. The answer is renegotiation.

You can invite the holder of the contract, confront him with evidence of compromise, bad faith or recklessness, and this is easy to get if there is diligence, and you propose new terms.

This I think will enhance the reputation of the state or country or continent for honouring contracts and it is music to the ears of investors. Even then, I say, it must be sparingly resorted to, once the contract has been signed and is performing.

This is the business friendly route. It is one thing to mouth slogans of being business ready and business friendly. It is quite another thing to practice it.

3. Socio-Cultural There are many variants and manifestations of this but I will cite only one example which is our cultural outlook to land, especially land owing families and government.

Unlike the first world, we still cling to bare land and ownership for itself, without understanding that it is no more than a factor of production and capital formation.

All communities that have clung to ownership of land for no reason other than the fact that they do not want to lose it, have invariably been characterized by poverty.

First they do not welcome visitors to their land, including surveyors. Without surveys, title to land cannot be created.

Land that is not titled and measured, cannot be valued and is therefore not useful for investment.

Without investment, there is no development, no jobs, no prosperity.

I will cite only one example to make my point.

Most of what is Victoria Island today, and the entire Oniru Estate, belongs to the Oniru Chieftaincy Family. They are a forward looking land owning family who have welcomed visitors, allowed surveys and titled their land.

It is no wonder that some of Nigeria’s prime real estate, banks, hotels, toll road, offices and multi-billion dollars land assets are located there.

The examples of the other attitude are replete and living evidence of how we have perpetrated old cultural beliefs to our own detriment and prosperity.

Those who are ready to sell their land to investors, and guaranty safety of title, or use their land to buy equity into businesses will attract more investment and prosperity.

4. Legal As it stands today, it seems to me that the legal regime for regulation of privatization of public assets can do with some reform.

On a general note, let me use the opportunity to call for the re-invigoration of the National Law Reform Commission with the mandate to focus vigorously on the reform of our body of laws.

As things stand, many new laws have been passed since the return of civil rule in 1999 and they need to be harmonized for ease of access to update the last reform carried out around 1990 when the Laws of the Federation 1990 was presented.

If an example is required, Lagos State Government revised its laws in 2003 and recently presented an updated version by its Law Reform Commission in 2015.

Specifically as far as privatization and concession of public assets is concerned, it will require the immense skills of very experienced legal practitioners to carefully navigate through the provision of at least 5 (five) general laws in order to be able to give sound advice to any investor who seeks advice.

These laws are (1) Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act; (2) Public Enterprise (Privatization and Commercialization) Act; (3) Pubic Procurement Act; (4) Debt Management (Establishment) Act; and (5) Utilities Charges Commission Act. If the concession is in respect of a road for example, one will then have to look at a 6th (sixth) law, the Federal Highways Act. I should not be mistaken for suggesting that it is impossible to have a successful privatization, as we have seen with telecoms and lately power, but it seems very clear that things can be a lot better by law reform and harmonization, and the challenges that road concessions have been beset with cannot be divorced from the complexities of the legal regime.

An extract from the keynote speech at the Nigerian Pension Industry Strategy Implementation roadmap retreat by Babatunde Fashola on Jan 21 2016.

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

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Arts

Theatre, Shows and Musicals

By Edward Mirza

WEST AFRICA: WORD, SYMBOL, SONG AT THE BRITISH LIBRARY Now – February 16th, 2016

An exhibition of literature and music – from the great African empires of the Middle Ages to the cultural dynamism of West Africa today.

Fascinating stories from the region’s 17 nations show how West Africans have harnessed the power of words to build societies, drive political movements, sustain religious belief and fight injustice.

Beautiful manuscripts, historic film and sound recordings, books, photographs, and woven and printed textiles offer a unique insight into a profound and engaging literary culture with centuries-old written heritage existing alongside ancient oral traditions.

Hear the myth of the founding of ancient Mali in recorded performance. See the influence of religion through colourful fabric and a saddlebag Qur’an. Celebrate writers and artists including Africa’s first Nobel prize winner, Wole Soyinka, and internationally acclaimed musician and human rights activist Fela Kuti.

British Library, 96, Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB

KINKY BOOTS Now – May 28th 2016

The UK première of Kinky Boots, Broadway’s huge-hearted, high-heeled hit opens at London’s Adelphi Theatre on 15 September 2015, with previews from 21 August.

With a book by Broadway legend and four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), and songs

by Grammy® and Tony® winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this joyous musical celebration is about the friendships we discover, and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind.

Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots takes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father’s expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son. With the factory’s future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.

The Adelphi Theatre, Strand, London WC2R 0NS

RED VELVET 23 Jan - 27 Feb 2016

Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, 1833.

Edmund Kean, the greatest actor of his generation, has collapsed on stage whilst playing Othello. A young black American 10

actor has been asked to take over the role.

But as the public riot in the streets over the abolition of slavery, how will the cast, critics and audience react to the revolution taking place in the theatre?

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company has announced the full cast for Red Velvet, the third production in the inaugural Plays at the Garrick season. The production originally premiered at the Tricycle Theatre in 2012 before transferring to St Ann’s Warehouse in New York in 2014. Red Velvet is written by Lolita Chakrabarti with direction by Indhu Rubasingham and stars Adrian Lester as Ira Aldridge [read interview].

Kenneth Branagh said “Writing, direction and performance are exceptional in Red Velvet. I’m immensely proud to be presenting this work”.

The Garrick Theatre 2 Charing Cross Road London, WC2H 0HH .

THE ROLLING STONE Jan 14 - February 20, 2016

Dembe and Sam have been seeing each other for a while. They should be wondering where this is going and when to introduce each other to their families. But they’re gay and this is Uganda. The consequences of their relationship being discovered will be explosive. Especially for Dembe, whose brother goes into the pulpit each week to denounce the evils of one man loving another.

The Rolling Stone was the winner of a Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2013 and first premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in April 2015 to critical acclaim. Chris Urch’s plays include Land of Our Fathers (Theatre503/Trafalgar Studios).

The Orange Tree Theatre1 Clarence Street, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2SA

THRILLER - LIVE Now - April 17, 2016

Thriller - Live, the spectacular concert show that celebrates the music of the world’s greatest entertainer and undisputed King of Pop, Michael and the Jackson 5, is celebrating its 2,000th West End performance on Thursday October 24.

Smashing all previous records at the Lyric Theatre, where it recently celebrated becoming the longest-running production in the theatre’s 125-year history, Thriller - Live first moonwalked into the West End in January 2009 after three acclaimed UK tours. It has just extended its West End booking period to Sunday 28 September, 2014 Several world tours have seen the show play to acclaim in 26 countries, including Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Singapore, South Africa, China, Sweden, Finland and Norway, Japan and Brazil.

Red Velvet - at The Garrick Theatre

More than 1 million people have seen the show at the Lyric Theatre and more than 2.5million people have seen the show worldwide.

Unlike other West End productions, Thriller - Live is not a rigid book musical with set songs, but is a constantly evolving music concert celebration. When Michael Jackson died, the Lyric theatre became a focus for fans from all over the world, who created a massive shrine of flowers, candles, and tributes. More than 40 books of condolence were signed in the foyer then sent to the Jackson family. A year after his death, a permanent West End memorial to Michael was unveiled in the theatre foyer. Thriller - Live brings to life on stage the distinctive high-energy dancing and pulsating sound of many of pop’s greatest hits, blending eye-popping video footage and effects together with dazzling choreography by the show’s award-winning director Gary Lloyd. The show has regularly been updated with additional songs, new visuals and choreography.

Thriller - Live was originally conceived and created by Adrian Grant, a long time associate of Michael Jackson, and author of Michael Jackson – The Visual Documentary. Thriller - Live is produced by Paul Walden and Derek Nicol for Flying Music in association with Adrian Grant for Key Concerts.

Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue London W1D 7ES

NINE LIVES BY ZODWA NYONI NATIONAL TOUR Now - Jan 2016 Presented by Leeds Studio in association with West Yorkshire Playhouse Fleeing from his home in Zimbabwe where a fresh wave of homophobia threatens his life, Ishmael has sought sanctuary in the UK. Dispersed to Leeds, Ishmael waits to hear his fate, he waits for a new life to begin amongst strangers. Strangers who don’t trust him and don’t want him there.

But not everyone is bad… can he find a place to call home again?

Some of us wanted to stop being afraid.

Some of us wanted to find ourselves.

Some of us wanted to belong.

Zodwa Nyoni (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Channel 4 Writer in Residence 2014) threads together humour and humanity to tell the real personal story behind asylum headlines.

16 November 2015 Waterside Arts Centre, Trafford 19 November 2015 Arc Stockton, Stockton on Tees 10 December 2015 Brighton, Brighton January 2016 Arcola, London

Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

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Culture

Meet the tiger who came to party

Adapted from the bestselling picture book by Peter Brown, this show for ages three and over is more than a little bit rock and roll.

Mr Tiger lived a perfectly proper life in a perfectly proper city and everything was perfectly fine – until the day he had a wonderfully wild idea. Join Mr Tiger on a musical adventure full of laughter and hijinks as he journeys from the urban jungle to the actual jungle. Mr Tiger Goes Wild is a story about being your-

self enriched by original live music, hilarious characters and cascading torrents of imagination. **** ‘An unmissable musical delight [which made] the kids in the packed audience scream with incredulous laughter’ (Time Out) **** ‘Wonderful ... creative, highquality kid’s theatre ... with rocking songs (that I was still humming on the train home)’ (Everything Theatre) Saturday 13 – Wednesday 17 February 11am – 12 noon & 2pm – 3pm

Sleeping Under A Blanket of Stars in the Sahara

By Josh Ferry Woodard Mr Tiger Goes Wild

The magnificent calm of the Sahara - photo courtesy of Josh Ferry Woodard

Our magical Sahara experience began at a hotel in Merzouga with a tasty lunch of tagine and couscous, washed down with lots of tiny glasses of sweet mint tea. We spent the afternoon bathing in the hotel pool, waiting for the sun to fall before setting off on a camel trek into the desert.

In the early evening we donned turbans—a pair of purple Guatemalan shorts in my case—climbed onto our camels and embarked on a 45-minute journey into the silky smooth orange sand. We arrived at the Berber camp just in time to enjoy an unworldly sunset on the Martian landscape of dry fiery dust.

We spent the evening chatting as the sand cooled to a bearable temperature while the Berbers cooked us up a gigantic and delicious beef tagine. We ate the chili

con carne-esque dish at low tables on the sand as one…two…three-hundred-thousand stars started twinkling in the undisturbed sky above us.

After dinner we watched as Mohammed, our tour guide, and the Berber gang played a fast drumbeat with high-pitched human squeals for treble. Then we joined in singing about each member of the group and begun dancing the ‘camel’.

It was an unforgettable experience.

When the dancing finished we moved our beds outside and slept beneath a blanket of shooting stars.

In the morning we woke up early to catch the magical sunrise and hopped onto our camels hastily to avoid being burnt, as each grain of sand transformed into a solid speck of fire.

Josh visited the Sahara desert camp as part of a 10-day Moroccan Explorer Adventure with Topdeck Travel.

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

News

100,000 NHS apprenticeships for young people The NHS will create 100,000 apprenticeships almost 7 times the current number across the country by 2020, offering opportunities to thousands of young people who want a career in the health sector.

This commitment follows the launch of the government consultation to make 2.3% of workers in large public sector bodies apprentices.

The roles will be created in a range of areas within the NHS, including: nursing and healthcare assistants, IT, estates and facilities, domestic and housekeeping services and business administration and accounting Ministers expect to boost the NHS apprenticeships programme with an estimated 17,000 new roles in 2015 to 2016.

Health Minister Ben Gummer said: As one of the largest employers in the world, I am immensely proud that the NHS is leading the way in offering thousands of aspiring young people the opportunity to become an apprentice. We will work with trusts across the country to improve access to a career in the healthcare system for anyone who has the drive and values to pursue it.

This apprenticeship plan, along with the £10 billion we have invested to back

the NHS’s own plans for the future, will ensure staff have the opportunity to develop their careers in both existing and also new and exciting roles such as nursing associates. We can’t have a strong NHS without a strong economy and this government is committed to

creating more jobs and opportunities for Britain.

The scheme will mean existing NHS staff can have the opportunity to try a new role or enhance their current role.

These apprenticeships also support the NHS commitment to widening

participation and social mobility in broadening the routes into training and employment in the NHS, especially in attracting more young people and improving diversity within the workforce.

There is work already taking place across England that the government hopes to build on. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has linked up with local colleges to encourage students to take up healthcare assistant roles. Of the 24 trainees initially taken on, over half have stayed working within the Trust and only 3 have left to pursue a career outside of the healthcare system.

North Bristol NHS Trust has developed a strong partnership with its local Jobcentre Plus and now has 20 out of the original 27 trainees employed in a range of roles including administration and payroll.

This drive was backed by ministers when they announced the introduction of a new apprenticeship role in December 2015 – the nursing associate. It is anticipated that up to 1,000 people could be trained in this new nursing support role from 2016.

There are already a variety of different apprenticeship roles in the NHS and the government plans to develop more, for example in nursing and paramedics.

Thailand

Thailand debris “not from missing flight 370”

Investigators

have

determined

that debris found last week in Thailand isn’t part of missing Ma-

laysia Airlines Flight 370, which

disappeared nearly two years ago with 239 people aboard.

Thai experts examined the debris and ascertained that the numbers engraved on the body, the wire bundle and the bolts do not match those of a Boeing 777, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement.

Japanese rocket maker Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said Monday that it’s “highly likely” the metal piece is part of a Japanese H-IIA or H-IIB rocket that was launched from southern Japan.

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rench police inspect a large piece of plane debris found on the beach on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion last July. It was later found to have come from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, headed to Beijing, but disappeared after turning back toward Malaysia.

The search, which has cost more t h a n $ 1 2 0 m i l l i o n s o f a r, i s l e d b y t h e A u s t r a l i a n Tr a n s p o r t S a f e t y B u reau in coordination with Malaysia and China. It focusses on the Indian Ocean about 1,000 miles west of Perth. Ships dragging sonar equipment have scanned nearly 30,000 s q u a r e m i l e s o f o c e a n f l o o r.

A piece of the plane’s wing was found in July 2015 off the coast of Reunion island near Africa, about 3,000 miles from Thailand. French analysts confirmed it matched the plane parts and could have reached the island from the suspected crash site because of ocean currents.

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

Brazil

Soldiers enlisted in war against Zika-spreading mosquito

Brazil is set to deploy the military to help battle mosquitoes spreading the Zika virus.

Soldiers will go from home to home handing out leaflets on how to avoid the spread of Zika, which has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains. The announcement comes after Health Minister Marcelo Castro said Brazil was “losing badly” in its fight against the virus.

Mr Castro said the troops would be sent out on 13 February to hand out leaflets and give advice on how to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds.

He told O Globo newspaper that the spread of the Zika virus was one of the greatest public health crises in Brazilian history and the fight to eradicate it could only be won if people did their bit to eradicate the Aedes Aegypti mosquito which transmits it.

He added that the mosquito, which also transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever, was Brazil’s “public enemy number one”.

The Zika virus is strongly believed to be the cause of a massive increase in reported cases of microcephaly – underdevelopment of the brain in babies leading to an abnormally small cranium

“Last year we had the highest number of dengue cases in the history of Brazil,” he said.

Scientists say there is growing evi-

dence of a link to microcephaly, a condition that leads to babies being born with small heads. The Zika virus can lead to fever and a rash but most people show no

symptoms or suffer any lasting effects.

Other symptoms include conjunctivitis and headaches. There is currently no known cure.

However, authorities are most worried about the damage the virus can potentially cause babies in the womb. Brazil has recorded a huge spike in cases of babies born with microcephaly and a number of Central and South American nations have asked women to delay pregnancy. There have been 3,893 reported cases of microcephaly in Brazil since October compared with the previous annual average of just 160 cases.

The only way to fight Zika is to clear stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, and apply protection against mosquito bites.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that the Zika virus was likely to spread across nearly all of the Americas. It has already been found in 21 countries in the Caribbean, North and South America.

The WHO is currently warning women who are pregnant or who plan to have a baby in the next two years not to travel to the region.

Denmark

Danish legislators hold controversial refugee bond vote

Danish lawmakers are to vote today (Tuesday) on controversial legislation that would empower authorities to seize cash and valuables from asylum seekers to help cover their expenses.

The so-called jewellery bill would allow the seizure of valuables worth more than 10,000 Danish kroner (about £1,000).

Items of “special sentimental value” such as “wedding rings, engagement rings, family portraits, decorations and medals” would be exempted, according to the Danish Ministry of Immigration, Integration and Housing. But “watches, mobile phones and computers” could be confiscated, it says.

The legislation has been criticised across the political spectrum, appalling many in the northern European nation, which has a longstanding global reputation for tolerance and promoting liberal, social democratic values.

Denmark’s ruling Liberal Party says the legislation is about ensuring that asylum seekers contribute to the country’s generous welfare state.

“All Danish citizens and refugees coming here receive universal healthcare; you receive education from preschool to university, and you receive el-

derly care; you receive language training and integration training free of charge, paid for by the government,” Liberal Party spokesman Jakob Ellemann-Jens-

en told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour last month.

“The only demand that we set to measure this is if you have the means to pay for your housing and for your food -- regardless of whether you are a Dane or whether you are a refugee -- then you should.”

Similar laws exist in Switzerland and Germany, according to officials there. Dozens of cases were reported in Switzerland of migrants’ assets being confiscated to fund their living expenses, although in Germany it was unclear if, or how widely, the policy was enforced.

Both supporters and critics of the bill say it has more to do with deterring further arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers, who have entered Europe in numbers not seen since World War II. “We hope this will start a chain reaction through Europe where other European countries can see there’s the need to tighten the rules on immigration in order to keep European culture,” said Martin Henriksen, spokesman for the right-wing Danish People’s Party, which supports the bill.

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CRIME

Six guilty of firearms and ammunition supply

Four men and a woman convicted for their roles in the illegal manufacture and supply of firearms and ammunition were sentenced to a total of 45 years at Harrow Crown Court today, Friday, 22 January.

A fifth man convicted has had his sentencing adjourned until March.

On 16 June 2015, officers from the Trident and Area Crime Command stopped a minicab in Bishops Avenue, Newham. The passengers, Aaron Shane Murray and Uzair Patel, were removed from the vehicle and a firearm - a reactivated 9mm self-loading pistol - was found in the footwell.

Both men were arrested for possession of a firearm.

Subsequent police investigations identified that Murray was purchasing deactivated weapons and reactivating them at a workshop. This workshop was quickly located and the owner of the workshop - Bart Pawlowski - was arrested. The group used Pawlowski’s skill as a metalworker and former soldier in the Polish army to reactivate these weapons. Ammunition was also manufactured by the group.

Further investigations led to the identification of two further key members of the conspiracy; Ishmael Brown

Top (L-R) Aaron Murray, Ishmael Brown, Bart Pawlowski. Bottom (L-R) Caitlin Adams, Uzair Patel, Ehsen Abdul-Razak

and Caitlin Adams. Brown was a serving prisoner at HMP Rochester and, using an illicit mobile from his cell, was responsible for sourcing deactivated weapons and organising the onward sale of the weapons to the criminal underworld. His girlfriend, Caitlin Adams, was responsible for collecting the deactivated weapons and delivering them to the workshop.

In the six-month period between January and June 2015, in excess of 40 firearms, including an AK47 style assault rifle, were sourced by the group.

To date, eight reactivated firearms linked to this group have been recovered. Police investigations are ongoing to recover the remaining weapons.

Another prisoner at HMP Rochester, Ehsen Abdul-Razak, was also found to

be using an illicit mobile phone from his cell and assisted Brown in organising the sale of the firearm to Patel.

DC Claire Gentles, the officer in the case for the Trident and Area Crime Command, said: “The firearms and ammunition this gang converted had the potential to cause great harm on the streets of London and there is no doubt that the Capital is a safer place as a result of the network being dismantled.

“The sentencing of Caitlin Adams should serve as a warning to others of the grave consequences of storing and transporting guns for others.”

Detective Inspector James Hale, from the Trident and Area Crime Command, said: “This was a complex investigation targeting criminals both inside and outside of prison as part of the Met’s fight against gang and gun crime. We successfully collaborated with our colleagues in the prison service to recover the mobile phones and I would like to pay tribute to my detectives who have worked tirelessly to make communities safer and see this case to its successful conclusion.

“I would like to take this opportunity to urge anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of any of the outstanding weapons to contact police.”

Gunman given three life sentences

A man has been sentenced to three life sentences following a shooting at a south London barber’s shop.

Joel Johnson, 27 of Baildon Street, SE8 was sentenced at the Old Bailey today, Friday, 22 January, and will serve a minimum of 14 years imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Maria Harris, from the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command, said: “Johnson has a history of violence and is a very dangerous man. On that day in May he fired a gun into a crowded shop without a care for who he may injure. It is fortunate that no one was killed that afternoon.

“Detectives from Trident continue to work hard to arrest those individuals who carry guns and threaten violence on the capital’s streets.

“Today’s sentencing reflects how seriously the courts take this behaviour and should stand as a 14

Jailed: Joel Johnson

warning to those who carry out these reckless and dangerous crimes.”

Detectives from the Trident and Area Crime Command launched an investigation after a 38-year-old

woman was shot in the leg whilst she was sitting in a barber ’s shop, with other customers and children, on Rotherhithe New Road, SE16 on 8 May 2015.

The woman was an innocent bystander who was caught up in a violent altercation between several men that began outside the shop.

The fight continued inside; Johnson appeared in the doorway and produced a handgun before opening fire.

The bullet passed through the woman’s leg and was later found on the floor. The woman was taken to a south London hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

Officers carried out extensive enquiries and identified Johnson as the gunman.

On the night of 17 June 2015, Johnson was arrested by armed officers on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of a firearm.

He was taken to a south London police station and was charged with numerous firearms offences.

Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

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Sounds of Diaspora People of America

Rock’s PR man expects us to believe what?

Chris Rock’s publicist has denied the comedian has rewritten his Oscars’ script to incorporate the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.

Rock will host the ceremony on February 28th, but has faced pressure to step down as the awards’ host, as the debate over the Academy’s lack of diversity continues.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight over the weekend, Academy Awards producer Reginald Hudlin insisted that Rock will not be stepping down as this year’s host and is instead working on a new script that will address the #OscarsSoWhite outrage.

“Chris is hard at work. He and his writing staff locked themselves in a room,” Hudlin said. “As things got a little provocative and exciting, he said, ‘I’m throwing out the show I wrote and writing a new show.”

“Chris is that thorough. He’s that brilliant, and I have 1000 percent confidence that he will deliver something that people will be talking about for weeks. You should expect [#OscarsSoWhite jokes].

And, yes, the Academy is ready for him to do that.

“They’re excited about him doing that.

They know that’s what we need. They know that’s what the public wants, and we deliver what the people want.” Hudlin added.

But speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Rock’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, has denied the comedian has made any changes to his script.

“Regarding Reggie Hudlin’s comments about Chris Rock’s Oscar hosting duties, neither he nor anyone else speaks for Chris,” Sloane,said “Chris has made no decisions about the content of the show. All will be revealed on February 28th. We will not comment further on this.”

So far the only time Rock has addressed the #OscarsSoWhite issue was when he shared his second awards promo video earlier this month and tweeted, ‘The #Oscars. The White BET Awards’.

This year’s ceremony will mark the second time Rock has hosted the awards, having first taken the reigns in 2005.

Chris Rock will never have had as attentive an audience as he will on February 28th

Almighty stink as Jay Z goes cold on Gold

Mr Beyonce was clearly already losing interest even as the publicity shots were taken

Perfumania Holdings, the company behind several celebrity scents, including fragrances ‘by’ Rihanna, Paris Hilton and Ivanka Trump, who may, incidentally, have as unfortunate a name for a purveyor of perfume as there has been, is suing Jay Z for $18 million for failing to talk about his own signature odour, so to speak.

The rapper, media mogul and all-round entrepreneur rattles on endlessly about his Tidal music service but, accuses Perfumania, appears to show little interest in promoting his Gold Jay Z fragrance whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Perfumania says Jay Z has collected $2

million in royalties while refusing to plug his fragrance on Good Morning America and at a special Macy’s event. He has also allegedly rejected “five prototypes for an 18-carat gold capped bottle” and was generally unavailable for meetings throughout 2014 to discuss “spinoff scents.”

Basically, it sounds like Jay Z decided that being a fragrance mogul on top of all of the other things he’s a mogul of wasn’t especially interesting, so he gave up. Perfumania says this sudden disinterest is to blame for the sales of Gold Jay Z suddenly dropping from a projected $35 million last year to a paltry $6.1 million.

The company is now looking to get Jay Z to pay back the $2 million in royalties it already gave him plus another $16 million in damages.

15

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

Gospel

YOU’VE CROSSED OVER TO YOUR SEASON OF GREATER EXPLOITS! PART 3

By Michael Adekoya

Bible says, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.” (Isaiah 2:2)

Dear Readers, I shared with you in the first and second parts of this message that we serve God of all generations – God of time and seasons and He makes all things beautiful in its time (Eccl. 3:11). And it is our understanding of the time and the season and knowing what to do, like the Sons of Issachar, as recorded in 1 Chro. 12:32, that will put us in command of the glorious season we are now.

As a Church - children and family of

God - we are now in our glorious season of greater exploits. In God’s agenda, there is a day called, “The day of His power.” It is the season when the Church of Jesus Christ will reign and rule on earth in the midst of the enemies of God (Psa 110:1-3).

It is a time of dominion, when mortal men and women will become squad missiles on everywhere depopulating the kingdom of darkness and expanding the Kingdom of God through the demonstration of the power of God, through the Holy Spirit in and upon us. We are now in that day and time!

The Bible says, “Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is your power that Your enemies cringe before You.” (Psa 66:3). Another translation says, “Through the greatness of Your power shall Your enemies submit themselves unto You.” My friend, did you hear that? Not through the greatness of Your sermons, religious obligations or entertainments. Listen! Christianity without the power of God, that comes through intimate relationship with God, is a frustrated religion. Power doesn’t travel in word but in relationship with God. Your Word and prayer life should be sound!

My friend, no matter how religious you are, Pharaoh would not let you go without first a demonstration of God’s power; your tittle, position, grammar, education, wealth, cozy building, silky suit or halfnaked dress not withstanding. Paul, the Apostle knew this too well. He told us the

secret of his dominion when he said, “My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

(1 Cor 2:4). Did you hear that? We are the end-time Church – the Church of power and authority; the Powerhouse of Jehovah, the Change Agents and City Changers; the exalted, glorious, ruling and reigning Church.

The Bible says, “The whole earth is waiting for the manifestations of the sons of God” (Rom 8:19). God has an agenda to make His people – you, me and all believers – take charge of the entire earth. That hour, day, time and season is here now!

This is the reason we cannot afford to fight each other or pull down each other. If there is a time to love each other unconditionally, humble ourselves, pray together, turn from our wicked ways and seek the face of God in spirit and in truth, it is now. No more disunity or division! No more fear, insecurity or competition.

The Kingdom of God is not a kingdom of theology, kingdom of division, kingdom of disunity; kingdom of competition, kingdom of accusation, kingdom of selfishness

­­

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

16

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

or self-centredness. No! It is a kingdom of power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8, 1 Cor 4:20). It is time that Christianity will no longer be grouped with other religions or mistaken for religion. We have entered the season when there will be clear distinction through clear manifestations of the supernatural as we go into the market places, communities, villages, towns, cities and nations. It is the power era of the Church and the world would know that we’ve got the answer. Yes, it is time for them to know!

We are living in the days of the dominion of the saints of God, endowed with the supernatural ability to take the battle to the gates of the enemies (Isa 28:5-6). It has started! Writing to the Church, John wrote, “And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev 5:10) My friend, the season has come. So whether as a priest in the temple or a king in the palace, in ministry, in business, in market place, in offices, in government, in profession, etc, the ultimate of redemption is to make us reign on earth together, not in isolation or in division.

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

You’re the Gospel Carrier! Listen, as from 2016, families, friends, foes, governments, companies, corporate bodies, communities, cities and nations will call upon you to seek for your wisdom, help, talents, gifts, skills, insight and foresight just as they call on Joseph, Daniel and Paul.

There was a desperate need for the Gospel in Macedonia just as there is a desperate need for the gospel in our regions today.

While most of us probably won’t see a vision in the night of a man beckoning us to “come over and help us” it doesn’t take a vision today. Nobody should convince us to go out there, into the streets, and be rescue agents for lost and dying souls.

Everywhere we look there is the need for the Gospel. Indeed, the need has never been greater and it is time to go in the power of God for the salvation of lost human souls – “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ” (Acts 26:18). My friend, you are the Daniel, Peter, Paul, Joseph, Deborah or Esther of our days. It is my prayer that you will start manifesting the power, authority and the glory of God from this year.

“The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Hag 2:9) My friend, we are in the exciting season of the Church with greater glory in stock. Under the latter rain, it is written, “And My people shall not be ashamed” (Joel 2:2527). Listen! As from today, no one will trace any form of guilt or shame to you again. Instead of your shame you shall have double honour, and instead of confusion you shall rejoice in your extra measure of prosperity; in your land you shall possess double; and everlasting joy shall be yours (Isa 61:7). You have crossed over to your glorious season of greater exploits.

Walk and work in it!

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 Forth-

nightly 12am Sunday Service: Sundays 10am - 1pm Winners’ Chapel London- part of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, at 1 Churchill Close, Green Street, Green Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1QE meets Sunday 7.30am, 9.15am and 11am and Wednesdays at 7pm.

For details call: 01322 292097 Christ Apostolic Church, Surrey Docks District, Solution Centre, 47-47 High Street, Swancombe, Kent, DA10 0DA Tel: 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

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

Africa Newsround

Ghana

Uganda

Ghana police snare wanted Burkinabe coup guard Uganda bans maid exports amid abuse claims

A former member of the Burkina was an ex-member of the presidential Faso presidential guard during guard that was disbanded.

“Police in Burkina Faso were also the recent coup d’etat has been armonitoring him, so they found out they rested in Ghana.

Police confirm that the man, whose name has been withheld for now, is on the wanted list of Burkina Faso’s security forces.

The arrest took place in Gwolu, in the Upper West Region, after police noticed the man behaving suspiciously.

Speaking to reporters, Upper West Regional Police Crime Officer, Superintendent Hussein Musah Awun said the Police found out that he was a former member of the presidential guard after he was interrogated.

“Yesterday in the evening around 5 pm… the Police just saw a certain man who they suspected to be a criminal.

He was just loitering in the town, and they did not know his name so they arrested him and he was interrogated, and it was there that it was revealed he

have arrested him and they contacted us, but since we just arrested him, we could not just hand him over to them.”

Meanwhile, security chiefs have announced increased surveillance at Ghana’s borders to foil any possible terror attacks after the recent attacks in Burkina Faso.

On Sunday, ten soldiers from a disbanded elite unit loyal to Burkina Faso’s former president were arrested during a raid on an armoury outside the country’s capital, Ouagadougou. The pre-dawn raid on Friday underscored the challenges facing new president, Roch March Christian Kabore, a week after al-Qaeda fighters attacked a hotel and cafe in the capital, killing at least 30 people.

Reports of the ill-treatment, abuse and torture of African, Indian and Filipina maids pour out of Saudi Arabia every week

Uganda has imposed a ban on maids going to work in Saudi Arabia following complaints of mistreatment and poor living conditions until an environment ‘deemed fitting’ is guaranteed by the Kingdom’s authorities.

The move violates a deal struck between the two nations to allow university graduates to make the trip as a means of addressing high unemployment rate among young people in Uganda.

According to the Ugandan Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Welfare, the ban comes as a result of an audio recording circulating on social media of Ugandans in Saudi Arabia alleging they are being ill-treated.

According to official Ugandan figures, some 500 housemaids have arrived in the Kingdom since the deal took effect.

Ugandan Ambassador to the Kingdom, Rashid Yahya Ssemuddu, told Al-Eqtesadiah, a sister publication of Arab News, that the decision to stop sending housemaids to Saudi Arabia is temporary.

“It has been stopped for a short time until some outstanding problems are sorted out,” the envoy said.

“We have to ensure the rights and privileges of both employer and employees for better operations,” the ambassador added pointing out that Uganda wants to set up a joint electronic system to streamline the recruiting system between the two countries.

The ban echoes a 2014 moratorium imposed following complaints of Ugandan girls being turned into sex slaves in Kuwait.

Parliament has handled a number of petitions

by Ugandans who are taken by labour-exporting firms to work, especially in the Middle East.

The first such petition was in 2009, against Uganda Veterans Ltd., where girls who were taken to Iraq to work in American bases ended up being distributed to Iraqi families, where they claim to have suffered gross abuse without pay.

The girls said their documents were confiscated immediately upon arrival, and that they are frequently made to do different work to that which has been agreed.

Eritrea

Confusion surrounds forced polygamy edict Social media throughout Africa is buzzing with the apparent news that Eritrea’s government has issued a memo COMPELLING the nation’s men to take at least two wives or face prison.

The post, which was written in Arabic and translated to English by activists, reads: “Based on the law of God in polygamy, and given the circumstances in which the country is experiencing in terms of men shortage, the Eritrean Department of Religious Affairs has decided on the following: “First that every man shall marry at least two women and the man who refuses to do so shall be subjected to life imprisonment with hard labour.

Would it be unkind to speculate that this groom, who is clearly not looking to double his misery, is thinking a life sentence awaits him either way?

“The woman who tries to prevent her husband from marrying another wife shall be punished to life imprisonment.”

The suggestion is that the “circumstances” refer to a shortage of men caused by casualties during the civil war with Ethiopia.

We have not been able to authenticate the document nor the translation. Nor is it clear why the statement was not in the other two national languages, Tigrinya and Tigre.

The May 1998 to June 2000 EritreanEthiopian war saw 150,000 soldiers killed on either side. The casualties impacted Eritrea’s relatively small population much more acutely, however. Estimates put Eritrea’s population at around 6 million against Ethiopia’s 100 million.

17

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

Nigerian News

Osun Appoints Africa’s 3rd Richest Woman, Alakija, Chancellor of State Vasity The Governor of the State of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola, has appointed the third richest woman of African descent in the world, Folorunso Alakija, as Chancellor of the Osun State University, Osogbo.

The governor, in a statement by his spokesperson, Semiu Okanlawon, said p‎ursuant to the provisions of clause 5(8) of the first schedule to the Osun State University (Establishment) Law, 2006, Mr. Aregbesola is privileged to appointment Mrs. Alakija as the Chancellor of the University.

The appointment, which according to the statement, takes immediate effect will be for a period of five years.

The statement noted that statute 3(1) (a) and statute 5 of the Osun State University Law (2006) provides that the University shall have a Chancellor, who shall, in relation to the University take precedence before all other members of the University

and when he or she is present shall preside at all meetings of Convocation held for conferring degrees, diplomas, certificates and other awards.

Mr. Aregbesola, while congratulating the new Chancellor, said Mrs. Alakija’s antecedent and sterling qualities as a God-fearing woman, a person of honour, integrity and successful business woman would no doubt impact positively on the running of Osun State University.

The governor pointed out that the government of Osun would look forward to a great working relationship with the new Chancellor as she leads Osun State University, Osogbo, to a new height of excellence.“ I wish to inform you, that the investiture is expected to hold during the 4th Convocation ceremony of the institution, proposed to come up on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th February, 2016.‎ “While congratulating you once again, please accept the assurance of best regards of the people and Government of Osun”.

Folorunso Alakija

In her acceptance letter addressed to the governor, Mrs Alakija said, “It is with pleasure that I receive and accept the appointment as the chancellor of the

University of Osun State. I pray for God’s grace and strength to execute my duties as Chancellor of the University during my five-year tenure.”

Ooni Of Ife Builds N7.6 Billion Ife Grand Resort, Employs 20,000 Widows A new dawn in the history of Ile Ife occasioned by the recent appointment of 40 years old Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja 11, as the Ooni of Ife, has continued to resonate with the Ooni set to declare Ife as a tourism zone in furtherance of his promise to foster peace and unity and bring economic prosperity to his people by opening up Ife to the world through tourism.

Significantly, it a boost for the promotion of arts and culture.

The Ooni who is a business czar and owner of Inagbe Resort, one of the few privately run resorts located across Lagos waters, has from the first day of assumption of office not hidden his resolve to elevate the historical and abundant cultural wealth of his people and town by opening it to the world through massive investment in tourism related projects, which are aimed at transforming Ife from a mere tourism attraction to a mega tourism destination.

To this end, the Kabiyesi, his newly appointed chief tourism adviser and consultant, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, who is the Founder of La Campagne and Motherland Beckons, disclosed that Oba Ojaja 11 is set to declare Ife a tourism zone on February 26 and to kick start the development of the zone into a tourism destination of world class standard has concluded plans 18

Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja 11, the Ooni of Ife

to build a N7.6 billion Ife Grand Resort.

Also in line with his resolve to foster peace and unity amongst his people, a major ingredient for sustainable tourism development, and put to rest the ghost of the over 200 years old conflict between Ife – Modakeke, the Ooni over the week brushed aside all protocols and barriers to attend the Modakeke Day celebration even as he announced the employment of 20, 000 widows from the over 40, 000 widows recorded in the last Ife – Modakeke crisis to work in the tourism zone project with a promise to absolve the remaining 20, 000 widows alongside the teeming population of unemployed as the project gathers traction.

The Ooni’s attendance at the Modakeke Day celebration has been hailed by many people as a deft move by the Kabiyesi to

finally bury the Ife – Modakeke intermittent conflict that has lingered for over 200 years as this has never been done by any Ooni in the past 200 years, as attending Akoraiye Day Modakeke, is a way of not only healing the wounds of the past but also clearing the negative past and replacing it with a prosperous future through tourism.

As part of the grand design to secure life and property in Ife, the Kabiyesi has approved the construction of a watch tower with standby rapid response squad that is fully equipped and which response time to any distress call should not be more than 10 minutes and this time frame hopefully would be cut to five minutes in the days ahead.

Speaking on these new initiatives by the Ooni, Akinboboye, who has also an-

nounced the Kabiyesi as the grand patron of Motherland Beckons, said it is a grand design by the Ooni to redesign the tourism map and agenda of Ife by drawing the attention of Africans, the Diaspora and the entire globe to it in a way that has never been done in the history of the former Ife Kingdom, which is not only regarded as the Source of Yoruba but the cradle of South west civilisation.

According to him, ‘‘the glory of Ife is finally coming to light. Ife is now the new destination in Africa as the sleeping giant of tourism in Africa wakes up to a new reality,’’ insisting that henceforth the whole world would come to Ife on religious, cultural, economic, educational, and archaeological tourism among others, as the new Ooni constructs a new agenda for the kingdom of Ile Ife. Akinboboye revealed that the declaration ceremony and the kick off for motherland beckons has been fixed for February 27 with the president of Black Lawyers in England and Wales, Peter Herbert, billed to deliver the key note address while the chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) America, among a host of other dignitaries are expected at the event.

This development from the palace, he said is in partnership with La Campagne with Motherland Beckons serving as a multi – purpose vehicle for bringing to fruition the agenda of the Ooni.

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

Nigerian News

Senator Rafiu Ibrahim wants all Nigerians to see the nation as their future

By Olubunmi Omoogun Chief Correspondent, Nigeria

The Chairman Senate committee on Banking, Finance, Insurance and other financial institutions, Sen. Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim representing Kwara South has commended Nigerians for their knowledge even has he reiterates that if we put our resource bases together Nigeria will be better.

He said this during a committee session with Federal Mortgage Bank, Bank

of Agriculture, Bank of Industry and Nigeria Security, Printing and Minting at the senate building on tuesday. Rafiu Ibrahim said “this nation is our future and we have the knowledge to move this country forward. We must move to the realms of forward thinkers and succeed together”. The Senate believes that there are many ways the government finance agencies can to bring more innovation to increase their economic capabilities and bring added value to their various units. The Senate also wants them to collaborate and draw up legislative proposals that will strengthen their capacity to achieve more successes. According to Sen. Ibrahim, “this meeting is set up to understand what has been happening and also see how the Senate can help to make things work for the agencies”.

Senator Sabi Abdullahi roles out a workplan for the Senate media committee

Sen. Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim

By Olubunmi Omoogun Chief Correspondent, Nigeria

The Chairman Senate committee on media and public affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi representing Niger North has rolled out his committee’s work plan to re- position the media and public affairs of the Senate and how to communicate the Senate workings as appropriately as possible.

The Senator who has good governance as his target achievement is keen to put in new innovations and inject new ideas into how the media will project the image and Senator Sabi Abdullahi integrity of the senate better than plan to add some innovations like senwhat its getting at the moment. ate town hall meetings to connect with The committees are essential part of the Senate we will create information sheet for people to locate what information to need and see Senate as a resource reservoir. “We want to improve the reputation of the Senate and ensure that the nation is properly governed” the essence of the strategy document and situate and assign roles. We want to have a budget anchored on clear purpose. The Senator noted that the Senate should engage in community focus based enlightenment programmes. They

the people more and open to discussions around the workings of the senate. According to him people will see senate as a partner in the development of Nigeria. We want to make all stakeholders to be involved and move forward. They plan to introduce capacity building for the press men to help them work better.

Communication plan will be done in a way to target the public and improve the general internal information workings of the National Assembly.

19

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

Miya taking flight with the Cranes Turning 18 is a milestone in life.

The legal age in most countries, it marks the end of adolescence and the start of one’s adult life, when maturity and responsibility come hand in hand.

Uganda prodigy Faruku Miya knows a thing or two about that. Having only just turned 18, the Cranes No10 is carrying the hopes of a country, one that has been absent from the CAF Africa Cup of Nations since 1978, taking on the roles of playmaker, goalscorer, linchpin and captain.

“It feels more like a privilege than pressure to me. It’s an honour to wear the Uganda captain’s armband,” he told FIFA. com. “It feels very special to have been given this job, though I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t feeling a little nervous about it all. Some of my team-mates have obviously got more experience than me and there might be one or two who’ve been taken aback about me getting the captaincy. I think I’ve lived up to expectations though.”

The attacking midfielder has certainly done that, having enjoyed an excellent 2015. After breaking into the national team the previous year, he demonstrated his potential by scoring the only goal of the March 2015 friendly against a Nigeria side containing Vincent Enyeama, who was making his 100th appearance for his country.

Miya, who started his career with Vipers SC before recently joining Belgian side Standard Liege on loan, went on to collect Uganda’s 2014/15 Player of the

Faruku Miya (centre)

Season award in June, before scoring twice in the 4-0 aggregate victory against Sudan in October, which saw his national team through to the 2016 African Nations Championship.

He maintained his momentum in November, when he struck three of the four goals that took Uganda past Togo and into the third round of the qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

Miya ended his stellar year on a suitably high note in December, finding the back of the net three times to help Uganda win the CECAFA Cup - a competition featuring national teams from central and east Africa - for the 14th time. And the high-flying teenager has started this

year in similar fashion, scoring one and setting up another in the Cranes’ 2-2 draw with Mali in the 2016 African Nations Championship earlier this week.

“I’m not in a position to judge my performances, but I have to strive for more,” said the youngster. “For me what counts is tomorrow. It’s about knowing where I’m going and how I’m going to make that happen. The one thing I can say is that I’ve worked tremendously hard. I was a nobody before 2015, though, and you can hardly say I’m a somebody now.”

The making of Miya An unknown quantity no more, the Bulo-born Miya spent the first few years of his life with his father before joining

his mother in Kampala, where he went to school and attended a football academy.

“To begin with my mother wasn’t very sure about me playing football,” he explained. “She couldn’t really see me making a living from it. My passion for the game was too strong though.”

Sure enough, his talent soon became clear, and after learning his trade at St Mary’s SS Kitende, where he won backto-back national university titles, he signed for Vipers in 2013.

It was with the Wakiso Town outfit that his career began to take off. Describing his qualities in a column in The Observer newspaper, Vipers coach Edward Golola said: “He’s a good, humble and kind young man who’s not there for the show.

He just keeps it simple when he plays. He doesn’t overcomplicate things. Passing and moving, shooting and scoring: those are the things that help a team win.”

Miya’s haul of 11 goals and his various assists helped Vipers land their second Ugandan Premier League title in 2015, five years after their first.

Reflecting on his role as a team man, the fast-maturing Miya said: “The way I see it, a player’s characteristics depend on the team they play for. They don’t just stay the same. A lot of players dream of turning professional but I’m convinced it all comes down to the way you carry yourself and your mindset – on and off the pitch – and not to statistics. It’s not the player who makes the team but the team who makes the player. I’m nothing more than a link in a chain.” And a very strong link at that.

Arsenal fan Ahmed Musa boasts choice properties in London Leicester target Ahmed Musa is a fan of Arsenal and already owns several choice properties in London including a home on the same street with Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere as the Nigeria captain has always had his eyes on playing in the English Premier League.

EPL surprise leaders Leicester are expected to improve on an initial bid of 15 million pounds to snap up the 23-year-old Ahmed Musa from Russian club CSKA Moscow before the end of this transfer window.

The Nigeria star’s blistering pace and eye for goal have now installed him as the man to join Leicester as a cover for their leading scorer Jamie Vardy.

22

A source revealed: “Ahmed’s agent, Tony Harris, is a Nigerian based in England and he has guided the player to invest part of the fortunes he has made in Russia in London.

“And his real estate portfolio has included a home, which he has put up for rent, which is on the same street with Arsenal star Jack Wilshere.

“The player has somehow always eyed England for business and also the football there.”

Ironically, Ahmed Musa, who has followed Arsenal because of their attractive passing game, came very close to teaming up with ‘The Gunners’ bitter city rivals Tottenham Hotspur a few seasons ago, but Russian army club CSKA eventually pulled the plug on it.

Ahmed Musa (right)

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016

Kalou wants to make Hertha Berlin history Salomon Kalou believes capturing a trophy for Hertha Berlin or helping the club into Europe would be on a par with his Champions League-winning exploits at Chelsea.

Kalou has scored nine times in the Bundesliga this season to help Pal Dardai’s men into third place, prompting talk of a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2000.

Hertha enjoyed regular appearances in the UEFA Cup and took part once in its successor, the Europa League, prior to being relegated from the Bundesliga in 2010 and again in 2012.

They are enjoying a fine top-flight campaign this season, though, and continue their bid to win the DFB-Pokal with a quarter-final against second-tier Heidenheim next month.

Kalou helped Chelsea to their first and only Champions League title in 201112 and wants to become part of Hertha folklore over the coming years.

“It’s a club with huge history and I think that there’s a lot of history to write as a player because the team haven’t won a lot of trophies,” the 30-year-old told Deutsche Welle.

“If … I manage to succeed with the team, win a trophy, my name will be written in the club’s history.

“That’s what is challenging about it. You always have to push yourself to go for the bigger challenge. When I joined Chelsea, they had never won the Champions League and we won it.

“Our name will be in the Chelsea [history] books forever and that’s what I’m looking forward to doing here.”

With Hertha in contention to claim a first Pokal title since back-to-back successes in 2001 and 2002, Dardai’s men have been

Salomon Kalou

the surprise package of the top flight this term.

And Kalou, under contract in the German capital until June 2017, said the prospect of earning Champions League football should serve as motivation for the remainder of the season.

“I think everyone has [European football] in the back of their mind. As a player you have to have the highest ambition you can.

“It shouldn’t be a pressure. It should be a motivation. I think the Champions

League is the most exciting competition in Europe.

“Playing in the Champions League is a platform for every player to show your skills, to compare yourself to other players.

“I think for this season at Berlin, for the club, it’s an amazing opportunity to also promote our football and the way we play. And our fans want to see us play against big clubs. I think everyone is motivated to achieve that goal together.”

Togo striker will want to punish Spurs

Continued from back page Palace chairman Steve Parish expressed his joy at the deal, posting on Twitter: “Real pleasure to welcome @e_adebayor to #cpfc”.

Adebayor scored on his debut for each of the Premier League teams he has played for, as well as for Real Madrid and Monaco in a 15-year career that has taken in six clubs in three countries.

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew acknowledged that the club were interested in Adebayor following their 3-1 defeat to Spurs on Saturday and said he had no doubt he could deal with the player, who has fallen out with previous managers.

Adebayor has scored 96 times in 230 league games in England, eight behind Ivory Coast’s former Chelsea hero Didier Drogba, who is the Premier League’s leading African goalscorer.

He joined Arsenal in January 2006 from French club Monaco for a fee of around £7 million. He moved to Manchester City for almost three times that figure in July 2009, but was loaned to Real Madrid 18 months later.

When the loan period expired in the summer of 2011 Adebayor joined Tottenham, initially also on loan before the switch was made permanent in August 2012 for a fee of

about £4.5 million. However, having fallen out of favour at White Hart Lane, Spurs agreed to release him from his contract last September but have continued to pay his wages, reported to be around £100,000 a week.

He has been training alone in an attempt to stay fit and Palace made their move after suffering a slump in form and injuries to key players -- in particular, Yannick Bolasie, who is still out after suffering a leg injury before Christmas.

Palace announced Adebayor’s signing on their website (www.cpfc.co.uk) and said the player would wear the number 25 shirt.

Mali join Zambia in CHAN quarterfinals Although all Group D matches have failed to produce a winner in their final round at the 2015 CAF African Nations Championships on Wednesday, Zambia and Mali are through to the knockout stages.

Both matches were staged simultaneously and the group leaders Chipolopolo faced the Eagles of Mali and the match produced a 0-0 outcome.

George Lwandamina’s Zambia are the group leaders with seven points, having won two matches against Uganda and Zimbabwe and drawing one.

On the other hand, the Eagles have won one match over the Warriors and drew against the Cranes and Zambia - they finished with five points in second place.

In the other match of the group, Calisto Pasuwa’s side will head home with no victory to show for their participation in the tournament as they played to a 1-1 stalemate.

They succumbed to two losses against Zambia and Mali before drawing against Milutin Sredojevic’s side in their final match.

Looking at the Cranes, they are also out of the showpiece and will leave Rwanda with no victories either, after two losses plus one draw.

Chipolopolo will now face Syli National of Guinea in the last eight and the group’s number two, Djibril Drame’s Mali, will meet the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Sunday.

Disappointed Oliseh says he remains proud of Eagles

Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has admitted he is disappointed his team crashed out of CHAN 2016 by the first round, but insisted he remains proud of the players.

On Tuesday, Nigeria fell 1-0 to Guinea in a final group game when they needed at least a draw to go through to the knockout rounds of the tournament reserved for players who feature in their home leagues.

“It’s a big disappointment, but I’m proud of my boys even though we did not go through. They gave a good image of themselves,” said Oliseh.

“Somewhere inside it was difficult for the players. They have given their best, they needed that lift and they couldn’t find it then “We came out to win, but we did not play.

My players are human and there is limit to what they can hold. For some morale reasons, they couldn’t fight it today.

“My players have children and families.

Adult tournaments are not youth tournaments.”

Oliseh has maintained his team have worked under trying conditions.

“We are the most poorly equipped technical crew to manage Nigeria’s super Eagles since I started playing for the country. The least for what anyone can do is to be grateful for what we are doing,” argued the coach who took over the Eagles in July 2015.

“I’m coaching Nigeria and if I get tired, I will leave the work.”

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Friday, 29 January - Thursday, 4 February 2016 ISSUE 614

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Kalou wants to make Hertha Berlin history SEE PAGE 23

PALACE NET FREE AGENT ADEBAYOR

Togo striker will want to punish Spurs

Adebayor has signed initially until the end of the season

By Alan Oakley

Emmanuel Adebayor has joined his fourth Premier League team after signing for Crystal Palace, the club said on Tuesday.

Crystal Palace have taken out-ofcontract former Spurs, Man City and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor on a free transfer to bolster their bid for European football next season.

Adebayor, 31, a free agent since being released by Spurs in the summer, has signed until the end of the season. The

Togolese forward may feel he has a point to prove to the North Londoners, who, if they ultimately miss out on Europe and Palace qualify with Adebayor’s help, may rue leaving him out in the cold.

Continued on page 23

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