African Voice Newspaper issue 590 by African Voice Newspapers UK

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015 ISSUE 590

SINCE 2001

B R I TA I N ’ S N O . 1 A F R I C A N N E W S PA P E R MEP writes US Ambassador calling for hunting trophy ban

£1.00

Power of fashion to counter gender violence

SEE PAGE 4

SEE PAGE 11 Like us on Facebook facebook.com/africanvoicenews Follow us on Twitter @africanvoice2

MAY ANNOUNCES STUDENT VISA EXTENSION CRACKDOWN By Alan Oakley

The Home Office has announced a series of changes to the Tier 4 visa for students, including new rules that affect applicants’ eligibility to work.

As of August, new students at publicly funded colleges will not be allowed to work, bringing the rules into line with those for private colleges. There are also changes for the dependants of those on Tier 4 visas. From autumn they will no longer be able to work in low-skilled or unskilled jobs. They will, however, be allowed to engage in part-time or fulltime skilled work. New restrictions will also be placed on those looking to change from a Tier 4 visa to either a Tier 2 or Tier 5 visa. They will no longer be able to do so from within the UK and will need to leave the country to apply from abroad. Students will no longer be able to extend their Tier 4 visas in the UK, either. The only exception will be for students studying at an ‘embedded college’, one with a formal link to a university recognised by the Home Office. If they wish to apply for another course, they will need to do so from outside the UK. New rules will also prevent Tier 4 university students from switching to a new course unless there’s a link to their

Continued on page 2

Business secretary Sajid Javid: “People coming to Britain to study should be studying, nothing more.”

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Have You Got News For Us Newsdesk: 020 3737 3077

Email: africanvoicenews@gmail.com

National Minimum Wage offenders named

Business Minister Nick Boles has named 75 employers who have failed to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage.

Between them, the named companies owed workers over £153,000 in arrears, and span sectors including hairdressing, fashion, publishing, hospitality, health and fitness, automotive, social care, and retail. This brings the total number of companies named and shamed under the scheme, which was introduced in October 2013, to 285 employers, with total arrears of over £788,000 and total penalties of over £325,000. Business Minister Nick Boles said: As a one nation government on the side of working people we are determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage receives it. When the new National Living Wage is introduced next April (2016) we will enforce robustly. This means that the hard-working people of the UK will get the pay rise they deserve.

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 Yemi Dipeolu Photo Journalist Isaac Adegbite Graphic Designer Edward Mirza Accountant Fanla Agboola London Office: Unit 7 Holles House Overton Road London SW9 7AP

Tel: 020 3737 3077

Email: africanvoicenews@gmail.com

African Voice is published by African Voice UK.

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

News

Helping British nationals abroad - FCO The new Helping British Nationals Abroad report published shows the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued almost 38,000 emergency travel documents to help people return to the UK.

A global network of British embassies, high commissions and consulates handled over 470,000 enquiries, and FCO staff supported British nationals in 15 crisis situations across the world. This comes at a time when British nationals are travelling abroad more often. In 2014 British nationals made over 60 million trips overseas, and more than 5 million are estimated to live abroad. Grant Shapps, Minister for Consular Affairs, launched the report as he visited

the British Consulate and Global Contact Centre in Malaga to meet consular staff at the frontline of supporting British people abroad. He said: Every day our dedicated staff are out helping British nationals across the globe. From making hospital visits and contacting friends and family in the UK, through to supporting grieving families or providing emergency travel documents so people can get home. This report provides an insight into what consular staff do every day. But it also offers important advice on how people can take responsibility for their own safety abroad, from checking the FCO travel advice and taking out comprehensive travel insurance to researching the country and health risks before travelling. Most of us can look forward to a fantas-

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps tic, trouble-free holiday this summer. But for those who do find themselves in difficulty, the FCO will continue to provide a crucial source of support.

May announces student visa extension crackdown

Continued from front page ...previous course, or the university can confirm that the course supports their career aspirations. The government says that there will be credibility interviews and sanctions for universities who abuse this rule when it comes into force in August. Finally, Tier 4 applicants will only be given leave to spend two years in further education, reduced from the current allowance of three years, to bring the period into line with a typical British student’s education. The changes have been described as harsh by political opponents and student advocates alike. Introduced at short notice, the changes have caught some students by surprise and many online resources are yet to be brought up to date with the changes. Anyone applying for a Tier 4 student visa or a Tier 4 student visa extension is therefore advised to take direct personal advice from an accredited, qualified source. The new restrictions to the Tier 4 Visa should come as no surprise. Previously in a speech from UK business secretary, Sajid Javid, on July 10 he said that the UK visa system will not be loosened for international students, despite experts saying that doing so would improve Britain’s slowing productivity. In fact the opposite is now happening. It is becoming more difficult for Tier 4 visa students to study in the UK. The latest changes to the Tier 4 Visa announced on 13 July 2015 will now add even more restrictions on international students from outside the European Union. However, it will be students at publicly funded education colleges that will be affected the most. The changes for University students studying in the UK will not be so significant. Most of the changes

will take place in August and November this year. While launching the Conservative government’s plan to boost productivity, Mr Javid said “We’ve got to break the link” between studying in Britain and being able to stay in the UK on a permanent basis. Addressing an audience in Birmingham Mr Javid said: “We don’t want a system where studying becomes a motive to settle in Britain and that’s their only motive. People coming to Britain to study should be studying, nothing more.” It is already the case that in most cases Tier 4 visa graduates needs to apply for a Tier 2 General Visa to stay in the UK after graduation. However the Conservative Government are making things even more difficult still for Tier 4 students wishing to stay in the UK. Javid who supports these changes was criticised for his views on immigration by a spokesman at the Institute of Directors (IoD), who said that it would be detrimental to the UK’s economy. Head of employment and skills policy at the IoD, Seamus Nevin, said: “Mr Javid’s proposals to remove international students following their graduation is misguided and would harm the country’s education system, economy and global influence.” He added: “While other countries are welcoming foreign students, Britain is continuously making it more difficult and expensive for them to come here and settle. These proposals would simply have them removed once their studies are complete.” It was recently announced that nonEU students attending publicly funded further education colleges would be banned from working while they studied. James Brokenshire, the UK’s immigration minister, made the announcement with

the ban coming into effect from 3 August 2015. The move to ban some students from working is part of a ‘new crackdown on visa fraud’ says UK immigration. They said: “We want to make sure that UK student visas are used as intended, for study, not as a route into the country’s job market.” Other restrictions that the Home Office will be introducing from 12 November 2015 are as follows: • A reduced maximum period of stay for Tier 4 visa students in further education; cut from three years to two • Students at further education colleges prevented from applying to remain in the country to work under the tier 2 visa category upon completion of their studies, unless they leave the UK first. • Further education students prevented from extending their studies in the UK, unless they’re registered with an educational institution that has a formal link to a university The Association of Colleges has warned the government that tighter UK immigration measures represent a massive risk to Britain’s ability to attract overseas students. They said: “Stopping foreign further education students from continuing to study in the UK once their initial studies are complete will limit the progression of students from colleges to universities.” Conservative ministers have insisted that the move to restrict the terms of the Tier 4 Extension Visa represents a crackdown on ‘back door’ and ‘bogus’ applications. Inevitably, it will make the process of application for those genuinely seeking to study and work in the UK more difficult to negotiate.

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

News

MEP writes US Ambassador calling for hunting trophy ban

Following the tragic killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by a US citizen, Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder has written a letter to the US Ambassador to the EU Anthony Gardner calling for Europe and the United States to work together to ban lion hunting trophy imports. She called for both the EU and US to follow the lead of Australia, which in March banned the import and export of lion body parts. Catherine Bearder commented: “The killing of Cecil the lion was sickening, but we can do something about it. “We need concerted and coordinated action now to protect this magnificent species. “Both the EU and US must ban imports of lion hunting trophies to end this cruel and unsustainable practice.” The copy of the letter sent by Catherine Bearder MEP, is the full text below: I have been working in the European Parliament on biodiversity loss and wildlife crime, and like many I was

Catherine Bearder MEP

disturbed by the hunting down and tragic killing of Zimbabwe’s most famous lion by a US citizen. But this incident has highlighted what we have known for some time now: that trophy hunting in many parts of Africa, even when legally

undertaken, is draining protected areas of their most valuable and iconic species. Appropriate action must now be taken to prevent this from happening. Hunting lodges surround protected parks and are known to bait or chase animals across from protected areas in order to satisfy the demands of hunters, who pay very large amounts of money to shoot these animals. It has been estimated that there are now fewer lions in Africa than there are black taxi cabs in London. They are facing increasing pressure from human

population growth, but hunting is also taking a terrible toll on lion numbers. We need concerted and coordinated action now to protect this magnificent species and we should start by banning the import and export of lion hunting trophies in both Europe and the USA. The EU and USA should take our lead from Australia, which earlier this year banned the import and export of lion hunting trophies in an attempt to reduce organised hunting of Africa’s wildlife. Hunting trophies count as personal possessions and thus have a derogation under CITES regulations and EU law. As a result, while the EU has already banned lion hunting trophies from a number of African countries, imports continue to be allowed from a handful of countries including Zimbabwe, despite there being a lack of evidence that current hunting levels are sustainable. I am now calling on the European Commission to implement a complete ban on hunting trophy imports from endangered species and have had huge support in this endeavour. I implore the USA to also follow suit and call for a complete ban on lion hunting trophies. Only by acting together will we be able to assist those working in their countries to protect lions by removing the demand for trophies. This way substantial money will carry on being made from photographic tourism which can go directly towards the conservation and not the obliteration of animals.

Tackling illegal migration and its causes upstream The UK and France has agreed it is vital to deal with the continuous migration of people from countries of origin. Both countries have agreed to work together on returning migrants to their countries of origin, particularly in West Africa.

In Niger, a support centre for migrants is expected to open by the end of the year under the auspices of the International Organization for Migration. To reach these goals, the EU must set an ambitious and concrete agenda combining development issues, capacity building and an improvement in the short term of the cooperation of these countries in the field of readmission. The UK Government has announced a new range of programmes to address the root causes of the migrant crisis. This includes aid initiatives totalling £217 million in Africa, to help approximately 2.5 million refugees and vulnerable people in the countries that the majority of migrants are travelling from or through. An additional £100 million in aid will help those displaced as a result of the Syria crisis. 4

Theresa May

With more than €3 billion a year in development assistance to Africa, France contributes to addressing the root causes of migration. Countries of origin and transit in West Africa are among those countries who receive the most, including to reinforce their capacities and to help them with the management of migration and refugees. Both countries agreed to coordinate their efforts in this field and push for ambitious EU aid programmes to develop the skills and improve the lives of those in source countries, aiming to improve standards of living and reduce drivers for migration.

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Health News

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

CANUK Set to Launch Disability Support Fund on September 19 DIASPORA umbrella body, the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (Canuk) has asked for contributions and sponsorship from Nigerians in Britain to enable it fund the proposed disability fund day due to take place on September 19. Organised by Canuk, the event has been christened Canuk Disability Day and will take place at the Enfield Town Hall in north London. Several Nigerian charities and organisations that work with disabled people including the Pamela Douglas Foundation Worldwide, Ovo Foundation, Star Children Initiative and the Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians. Expected to attract many Nigerians living with disabilities across the UK, the day has been designed to provide them with a range of activities and entertainment. Starting from 11am and lasting until 6pm, the event will have Nigerians with disabilities at the centre of its activities, with many of them taking leading roles in managing affairs. Canuk chairman Babatunde Loye said: “We believe that it is imperative to organise this event as it is important that Canuk reaches out to the entire community in the UK, including the disabled community. However, we need the community to helps us fund it, so would appreciate it if Nigerians in the UK and the component organisations that make up Canuk make generous contributions towards the cause.

“By our calculations, if individuals make a contribution of £30 each and organisations give us £50 each, this will help us cover our costs. All monies should be paid to the Canuk account at Lloyds Bank with the account number 00224400 and the sort code 301553.” Canuk treasurer Ronke Adeagbo urged anyone contributing to please provide their details with all payments and make it clear that the money was going towards the disability day by including the initials CDD with all contributions. She added that after the event, Canuk will publish an account of how all the money was spent. Dr Ife Akintunde, the chairman of the organising committee, added that he is confident that the event will be a huge success as it offers everything including entertainment, food, cultural displays, dancing and love performances from people living with disabilities. He added that it should empower Nigerians living with disabilities in the UK to be more confident about themselves and refuse to accept the restrictions imposed on them. Kate Anolue, the former mayor of Enfield, added that hopefully, the event will empower the parents of children with disabilities to be more optimistic about the future. She added that if they meet and interact with other parents facing similar situations, they will appreciate the fact that a lot of help and support is available.

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Strategy for getting Textbooks to Children in Sub-Saharan Africa Every child in sub-Saharan Africa can have access to affordable and good quality textbooks if policy measures are taken to reduce the cost of textbooks and sustainable financing is ensured says a new World Bank report launched at a workshop hosted by the African Development Bank.

The study, titled Getting Textbooks to Every Child in Sub-Saharan Africa: Strategies for Addressing the High Cost and Low Availability Problem takes an in-depth look at textbook scarcity in the region and finds that the primary bottleneck is not lack of funding but the high cost of textbooks. The study also identifies the factors that impact costs of textbook production and based on insights from India, the Philippines, and Vietnam, recommends policy options to reduce these production costs. “Countries in sub-Saharan Africa have made commendable progress in access to education, but the progress has not been matched with improvement in the quality of education,” says Amit Dar, Director of the Education Global Practice at the

World Bank. “Access to good quality and affordable books can have a long lasting impact on a child’s learning capabilities.” Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from a chronic shortage of textbooks, even in core subjects. A 2010 survey of 22 countries showed that in some places up to 13 children share one textbook and in others these ratios can be as high as 1 book to 15 children. Speaking at the event, Peter Materu, World Bank Practice Manager for Education in Central and West Africa said, “From policy makers to distributers, there are several actors that play a vital role in the long chain of textbook production to make textbooks available to children in their classrooms. In this workshop we have brought together policy makers, academicians, development partners, and Peter Materu, World Bank Practice Manager for Education and West Africa representatives from the publishing sector have succeeded in providing textbooks Finally, the onus of making sure that for effective deliberation and dialogue for all children by adopting policies that children use the textbooks lies with that would help identify solutions to the have resulted in keeping textbook costs school managements that must ensure that problem of high cost and low availability manageable. of textbooks in the region.” The study The report recommends that sub- textbooks are well managed and effectively compares textbook policies from countries Saharan African countries revisit their used in the classrooms. like India, the Philippines and Vietnam textbook policies to explore options that With long term policy options and that are diverse in size, have varying can lead to lowering costs in the immediate, systemic reforms, getting textbooks to all political and administrative systems but medium, and long term. The countries and development partners must join together children in sub-Saharan Africa is possible. to build capacity, forge effective private- We cannot afford to neglect this problem public partnerships and ensure reliable and anymore. sustainable funding.

Nigerian National Arunma Oteh Appointed World Bank Treasurer World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has announced the appointment of Arunma Oteh as Vice President and Treasurer of the World Bank.

“Arunma has deep knowledge of capital markets and tremendous experience as the former Treasurer of one of our partner development banks,” said Kim. “We are very fortunate to be able to recruit an individual of Arunma’s obvious caliber.” Ms. Oteh, a Nigerian national, was most recently the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria. Appointed to a five-year term by the President of Nigeria in 2010, she led the transformation of the country’s capital markets industry into a major global presence. She was a member of the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Chairperson of the Africa Middle East Regional Committee of IOSCO. Prior to joining the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Nigeria, Ms. Oteh was Group Vice President, Corporate Services, at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). In this 8

Arunma Oteh

role she oversaw a number of departments, including human resources, information and communications technology, and institutional procurement. From 2001 to 2006 she held the role of AfDB Group Treasurer, where she led AfDB’s fundraising and capital market activities across the world. Earlier roles at the AfDB, which she joined in 1992, included trading room management, investment portfolio coverage, and public sector lending. She also held other positions in capital markets and lending during the course of her career at the AfDB.

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Theatre, Shows and Musicals

Arts Culture

By Edward Mirza

MEMPHIS Now – Oct 18th

The producers of hit Broadway musical MEMPHIS are delighted to officially announce that multi award-winning recording artist Beverley Knight will star as club singer ‘Felicia Farrell’ when the show comes to London’s West End this autumn. MEMPHIS, winner of four 2010 Tony Awards® including Best Musical has Grammy® Award-winning original score by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan and book by Joe DiPietro. Inspired by true events from the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, MEMPHIS follows the fame and forbidden love of a radio DJ who wants to change the world and a club singer who is ready for her big break. “David Bryan evokes the powerhouse funk of James Brown, the hot guitar riffs of Chuck Berry, the smooth harmonies of the Temptations and the silken, bouncy pop of the great girl groups of the period” Charles Isleworth, New York Times. Directed by Christopher Ashley and with Choreography by Sergio Trujillo, MEMPHIS has Scenic Design by David Gallo, Costume Design by Paul Tazewell, and Lighting Design by Howell Binkley. Shaftsbury Avenue Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Avenue London WC2H 8DP

THRILLER LIVE Now - September 25th 2015

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 Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue London W1D 7ES

theatre on the touring circuit. Spun together with a blend of Indian music and movement, this brand new production from one of the UK’s leading cross-cultural theatre companies sees Shakespeare’s tragedy reimagined in a contemporary context, as a brew of treachery and ambition sets an Asian family on a road to destruction. The production sees the engineers of Macbeth’s downfall depicted as three Hijras. A strand of Indian society little-known in the west, Hijras are a centuries-old “third gender” community (including transsexuals, transgender people, eunuchs and cross-dressers). Tara Arts Artistic Director Jatinder Verma, who will direct Macbeth said “Spirits in Indian traditions combine vivacity with viciousness. By casting the Witches in Macbeth as provocative Bollywood queens, I aim to explore the dangerously vain ambition driving Macbeth.” For information on Black Theatre Live: www.blacktheatrelive.co.uk | For information on Tara Arts: www.tara-arts.com .

THE ETIENNE SISTERS BY CHÉ WALKER September 10 - Oct 3

‘I can’t believe my own sister would come with this thievery and anarchy to my door...’ Tree and Ree Etienne are laying their mother to rest when an unwelcome arrival at the graveside intrudes on their grief. It’s Bo, their troublesome estranged half-sister. To comfort her sisters Bo moves in for a while and things begin to look up. But can a leopard ever change her spots? Cracks appear as childhood memories, deep resentments and long put away dreams come to the fore. Tensions build before erupting in a confrontation during which harsh truths are said that cannot be unsaid. Will the sisters destroy all that is left of their family and each other? This thought-provoking and honest is new play is written by Chè Walker with songs by Anouskha Lucas (Klook’s Last Stand). Set to a contemporary soulful jazz soundtrack, The Etienne Sisters explores what it means to be part of a family today. By Chè Walker, with songs by Anoushka Lucas Additional songs by Sheila Atim Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, London E15 1BN

MACBETH, TARA ARTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH QUEEN’S HALL ARTS & EAST END BOYS, WEST BLACK THEATRE LIVE END GIRLS Now- October 31st July 28th –August 15th Macbeth is the first production from Black Theatre Live, a pioneering consortium of 8 regional theatres committed to increasing the amount of Black and Ethnic Minority

East meets West across the education divide when four London teenagers compete for a prestigious scholarship. As they venture across the capital into unfamiliar territories,

from Nine Lives - by Zodwa Nyoni

friendships are tested, aspirations are challenged and each is forced to decide what matters most. Will the best candidate win or will their postcodes keep them in their place? This vibrant, timely and touching new work, by award-winning playwright Ade Solanke, takes the pulse on coming-ofage in an increasingly divided city., Ade Solanke’s previous play, Pandora’s Box, premiered at Arcola in 2012 and returned as part of a national tour in 2014. It was nominated for Best New Play in the OffWestEnd Theatre Awards and for the 2014 Nigeria Prize for Literature. Directed by Ade Solanke Producer: Hannah Tookey Set and Costume Designer: Anna Lewis Lighting Designer: Peter Small Sound Designer: Tim Shaw Assistant Director: Maa-Yarkor Addo Stage Manager: Drew MacNeil Casting Director: Caley Powell Cast: Jennie Eggleton, Alhaji Fofana, Ismail Kamara and Montana Mascoll (for date, times, tickets - see pagge 10)

NINE LIVES BY ZODWA NYONI NATIONAL TOUR Now - Jan 2016 Presented by Leeds Studio in association with West Yorkshire Playhouse Performed by Lladel Bryant Directed by Alex Chisholm 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. 25 September 2015 Taliesin, Swansea 26 September 2015 Wakefield Lit Festival, Wakefield 28-29 September 2015 Oxford Playhouse, Oxford 12 October 2015 The Bikeshed Exeter, Exeter 17 October 2015 Trinity Bristol, Bristol 23 October 2015 The Cube, Malvern 06 November 2015 Upstairs at Western, Leicester 12 November 2015 Cast, Doncaster 16 November 2015 Waterside Arts Centre, Trafford 19 November 2015 Arc Stockton, Stockton on Tees 10 December 2015 Brighton, Brighton January 2016 Arcola, London 9

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Theatre

A CHARMING PLAY ON EAST END BOYS, WEST END GIRLS OPENS IN LONDON Following the sellout success of Pandora’s Box, Spora Stories returns with the premiere of their brand new play, East End Boys, West End Girls, touring London this summer. Starting from 28 July to 15 August 2015 by 8pm. Will their postcodes keep them in their place?  East meets West across the education divide when four London teenagers compete for a prestigious scholarship. As they venture across the capital into unfamiliar territories, friendships are tested, aspirations are challenged and each is forced to decide what matters most. Will the best candidate win, or will their postcode keep them in their place? Written and directed by Ade Solanke and produced by Hannah Tookey. Acclaimed playwright and screenwriter, Ade Solanke, has had a wide ranging career working as a script analyst in Hollywood and teaching scriptwriting around the world. Solanke has been awarded a Nigerian Entertainment Award for Best Playwright and Best Play at the African Film Awards. Her writing credits include the award-winning BBC Radio drama Westway and Nigerian feature film Dazzling Mirage. Solanke’s work has been showcased at Tiata Fahodzi’s Tiata Delights at the Almeida and Talawa’s Unzipped at the Young Vic. Her first play Pandora’s Box was a hugely successful and was nominated for an Off West End Award for Best New Play. It toured nationally in 2014 and was also shortlisted for the 2014 Nigeria Prize for Literature, Africa’s biggest literary award.  With a talented cast of Jennie Eggleton, Alhaji Fofana,  Ismail Kamara and Montana Mascoll. The tour opens at Arcola Theatre on Tuesday 28 July. It continues

on to CLF Arts Cafe, Saatchi Gallery then concludes at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre. Creative workshops will be available at all venues. For more information check the venue’s website.  For more information about the production or Spora Stories visit: www.sporastories.com Facebook: /sporastories Twitter: @sporastories #EEBWEG.  Spora Stories is an award-winning theatre and film company based in London in 2011. Founder Ade Solanke, an awardwinning playwright and scriptwriter, created Spora Stories to develop engaging and entertaining plays and films about the African diaspora.  Listings  Arcola Theatre Tuesday 28 July - Saturday 1 August, 8pm and   Saturday 1 August, 3.30pm Tickets: Adults £17, Concessions £12 and Under 16s £6 Booking information: 020 7503 1646 | www.arcolatheatre.com  24 Ashwin Street, London, E8 3DL  CLF Arts Cafe Tuesday 4 - Friday 7 August, 7.30pm Tickets: Adults £12, Concessions £10 and Under 16s £6 Booking information: 020 7732 5275 | www.clfartcafe.org 133 Rye Lane, Peckham, London, SE15 4ST  Saatchi Gallery Monday 10 - Wednesday 12 August, 4pm (N.B workshop performances) Tickets: Under 16s £6 + £1.01 bkg fee Booking information: 020 7811 3070 | www.saatchigallery.com Duke Of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, London SW3 4RY  Bernie Grant Arts Centre Friday 14 - Saturday 15 August, 7.30pm Tickets: Adults £12, Concessions £10 and Under 16s £6 Booking information: 020 8365 5450 | www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk Town Hall Approach Road, Tottenham Green, London, N15 4RX Photo credit: Thabo Jaiyesimi

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Culture Culture

Power of Fashion to Counter Gender Violence

The World Bank sponsored a fashion show recently, as models sashayed in various shades of blue down the ramp in Mumbai, India.

The event, called the Blue Runway, marked the launch of the Bank’s WEvolve program, which aims to empower young men and women to challenge societal norms that lead to gender-based violence. The color blue was used to represent a call to action against gender-based violence – from both men and women – and the program uses power of the creative industries – including fashion, digital and social media, performing arts, film, music etc. – to create awareness and drive social change. The concept was visualized by Maria Correia, Manager for Social Development in South Asia, and one of the Bank’s leading advocates on gender issues. It is based on the premise that young people can ‘evolve’, develop new attitudes and behaviors, and build healthy relationships that reduce the risk of gender violence. While the subject is still taboo in many parts of the world, the statistics point to a grim reality: the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one billion women – or 35 percent of women worldwide - have faced, or will face, intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. And the problem does not affect just women alone. Violence against men, which is both under-researched and underreported, is a closely related issue. The Mumbai show had all the makings of a blockbuster. Hollywood actor Rosario Dawson and an all-star Bollywood cast – Kajol, Huma Qureshi, Sridevi, Deepika Padukone, Jacqueline Fernandez and Farhan Akhtar, to name a few – came together in a strong show of support. The clothes were designed by one of India’s leading fashion designers - Manish Malhotra - and the front row seats were packed with well-known designers and some of India’s most prominent personalities from the social, media and entertainment worlds. While the models carried banners about empowerment and equality, the stars talked and tweeted about the issue. “Young men and women have the opportunity to influence, challenge and change social norms,” said Correia. “To-

day’s social media and the fast-growing digital world give them a reach and power that is unmatched in history. WEvolve helps to open their minds and provides them the tools and language to become the leaders of a new era, engage their peers and elders, and think and act differently.” Designer Manish Malhotra explained the role that fashion can play in helping addresses gender violence: “Fashion has a comprehensive and universal appeal and can be a powerful instrument to raise awareness and promote action.”

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

News

Pastor proffers alibi as RTA kills woman, 38 An associate of controversial pastor James Maina Ng’ang’a has denied witness claims that ‘the Apostle’ was driving a Range Rover involved in a fatal road traffic accident.

Reverend Ng’ang’a called the NTV report featuring the witnesses an attempt to cast men of God in a bad light. The associate claims Ng’ang’a’s driver was the one who caused the accident, even though more than one witness identified Ng’ang’a as emerging from the driver’s seat after the collision. “Even if it was Apostle’s driver who caused an accident, why then cook all the lies and broadcast the non-issue report?” he wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday. In a more incriminating post, he said he was in Naivasha with Ng’ang’a and other members of Neno Evangelical Church Ministries, which the controversial pastor heads. “Apostle Dr James Ng’ang’a. Director and CEO of Sunny Hill Hotel, Naivasha. Set up as an example to all churches to have such a long term vision ....putting up structures like this (SUNNY HILL HOTEL) (sic),” he wrote. “He called all Neno church Nrb Deacons and other church leaders yesterday (sic),” he added in a further post accompanied by images of the hotel launch. However, in the second post the Range

Witnesses say Rev James Ng’ang’a sped off in a second vehicle after emerging from behind the wheel of this wrecked Range Rover Sport

Rover Sport that would later be involved in the accident in Limuru constituency on Sunday evening could be seen parked outside the hotel. The two posts put a dent in the story put forward by Inspector General Joseph Boinett on the ownership of the Range Rover Sport, which had expired insurance cover at the time of the accident. Boinett said the vehicle belongs to Valley Road Motors, a car hire and sale company, and had been on a test-drive in

Naivasha. Earlier on Tuesday, he stated through his Twitter account that the vehicle was being driven by Simon Kuria, not Ng’ang’a. “The Range Rover was on General Dealers (KG) licence with valid insurance and was on test drive when the accident occurred,” he said, adding: “The Range Rover was inspected and released. The driver will appear in the Limuru Senior Magistrates Court. He’s (out) on Sh20,000 cash bail.”

The vehicle was moved from Tigoni Police Station, where it was initially taken, to an unknown garage in Nairobi for repairs. Ng’ang’a is alleged to have been driving the powerful Range Rover Sport when it collided with a Nissan March. The driver of the Nissan, Mercy Njeri, 38, died while being transferred from Tigoni Hospital to Kenyatta National Referral Hospital for specialised treatment on Monday. Her husband is admitted at Tigoni subcounty hospital with injuries including fractures to his legs. Witnesses said the Range Rover was being driven on the wrong side of NakuruNairobi highway, forcing other vehicles off the road. They said the driver of the Range Rover, whom they identified as Ng’ang’a, got out of the car and into one behind it, which then sped off. The injured husband’s father has alluded to foul play, saying the two vehicles were neither inspected at the same time, nor by the same official. “We do not know what is happening and how the investigations are being done. We feel someone is hiding some important information so that we do not get compensated,” Peter Ndung’u said. “We were shocked to see the Range Rover being carried by a breakdown and to learn that its inspection was done. Their driver was not injured but she is dead and her husband is still at the hospital.”

Daddy Jackson suffers Anti-graft agency quizzes birthday stroke wife of senate president

Deputy President William Ruto insists Kenya will not tolerate ‘unchristian’ gay practices

Joe Jackson’s stroke put paid to his birthday celebrations on Saturday

Michael Jackson’s father Joe is in back to the US, but he was able to send hospital in Brazil after suffering a a message back to well-wishers from his hospital room. stroke on his 87th birthday.

The patriarch of pop music’s best known family is in the intensive care unit of a Sao Paolo hospital after he lost his vision due to a blood vessel bursting behind his eye. According to a family source, Mr Jackson has since suffered three heart attacks while in hospital, where he continues to recuperate. He is currently too unwell to be flown 12

“To my family, friends, acquaintances and fans all over the world. I want to thank you all for your prayers, unwavering support and kind well wishes during these trying times. Through God’s intervention the wonderful Doctors, Nurses and caretakers at the Albert Einstein Sao Paulo hospital have taken great care of me,” he wrote. “God willing, I should be able to make a quick recovery

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released the wife of senate president, Bukola Saraki, following seven hours of questioning on Tuesday.

Mrs Toyin Saraki had been interrogated by the Commission over large inflow of money into her private company during her husband’s tenure as Kwara state governor. She was released about 6:30pm. Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesman of the EFCC confirmed the interrogation of the former Kwara first lady at the Commission HQ in Abuja. Uwujaren said “Mrs Saraki was in our office

for questioning following an earlier invitation sent to her over [an] allegation of corruption. “I cannot speak further on the issue because I am currently not in the office and don’t have further details on the questioning.” Following her release, a statement issued by Mrs Saraki’s NGO, Well Being Foundation, pledged to support and cooperate with the EFCC in ensuring credible investigations into the allegation. The statement said Saraki had surrendered herself to the EFCC in line with her belief in transparency and accountability.

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

USA

Cecil the Lion’s killer hires PR ﬁrm to handle backlash The American dentist in the centre of a public outcry over the slaying of a protected lion has reportedly engaged the services of a PR ﬁrm to help deal with the fallout.

Police in Zimbabwe want to interview Dr. Walter J Palmer for the July 1 attack on Cecil with a bow and arrow wielded by the dentist. Thirteen-year-old Cecil was allegedly lured out of Hwange National Park by Dr. Palmer’s bait. After Cecil was hit, it took two more days to track him down and kill him with a gun. The animal was then beheaded, and skinned. Dr. Palmer’s hunting companions have already been arrested and will appear in a Zimbabwe court next week on illegal poaching charges. After being publicly identified by The Daily Telegraph, Dr. Palmer hired J. Austin & Associates, a public relations firm. In a statement issued by the PR firm, Dr. Palmer stated, “In early July, I was in Zimbabwe on a bow hunting trip for big game. I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted. “I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and

Dr Palmer posing with a leopard killed in Zimbabwe in 2010

Brazil

part of a study until the end of the hunt,” he continued. “I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. “I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the U.S. about this situation, but will assist them in any inquiries they may have. Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion.” Cecil was 13-years-old had been wearing a radio collar as part of a research project, which was allegedly removed by the hunters after the kill. An avid hunter, Palmer, who has previously been convicted for poaching a bear in Wisconsin, has bragged of his conquests in photos posted online, posing with a dead leopard, another lion, and a rhinoceros, all killed with a bow and arrow. The online backlash against Palmer has been swift and uncompromising, with comments ﬂooding the Yelp page of his dental practice. Among the statements, “You should be in jail, and you should hang your head in shame,” “Shame on you, killing a majestic creature,” and “Do not see a blood thirsty psychopath for dental work. He may decide to add your severed head to his mounted collection.”

Indonesia

Odebrecht charged over £2b scam New hope for Veloso after Philippines and Indonesia break bread

Mystery surrounds toddler’s remains found in suitcase Marcelo Odebrecht

The CEO of Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht was formally charged on Tuesday with bribery, money laundering and criminal conspiracy for his alleged role in a $2 billion corruption scheme centred on state oil company Petrobras.

Judge Sergio Moro accepted federal prosecutors’ request for indictments of Marcelo Odebrecht and 12 other people, including former executives from both Odebrecht and Petrobras. The case against the CEO is based not only on testimony from other defendants, but on materials obtained by police in the course of the investigation, Moro said. Among the others charged along with Marcelo Odebrecht are Petrobras’ former downstream director, Paulo Roberto Costa; and currency trader Alberto Youssef, who has confessed to facilitating the payment

of bribes. Both Costa and Youssef have reached plea deals with prosecutors, while Marcelo Odebrecht denies any wrongdoing. Odebrecht is one of a score of construction and engineering firms accused of having paid bribes to secure inflated contracts with Petrobras. Investigators say the construction groups formed a cartel to overcharge the oil giant, splitting the extra money with corrupt Petrobras officials while setting aside some of the loot to pay off politicians who provided cover for the graft. Among other targets of the wide-ranging Petrobras probe are some 50 politicians, including the leaders of both houses of Congress. Already behind bars is Joao Vaccari, former treasurer of President Dilma Rousseff’s Workers Party. The Petrobras case expanded on Tuesday with the arrest of Othon Luiz Pinheiro da Silva, CEO of state-owned nuclear power firm Eletronuclear.

Indonesian Attorney General HM Prasetyo has said a court ruling in the Philippines can later be used as new evidence for Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso to apply for clemency.

“If the Philippine court later decides that she’s a victim of trafficking, it’s still difficult (for her) to be free from her sentence here,” Prasetyo said, as quoted by Indonesian media on Wednesday (July 29). “But she might use the ruling as novum (new evidence) to apply again for clemency or judicial review,” he said. Mary Jane’s lawyer Agus Salim is also waiting for the legal process in Philippines. “We will apply for clemency or judicial review again, but that will depend on the ruling in Philippines,” Agus said. A delegation from Philippines Department of Justice met with officials of the Indonesian Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on Wednesday to discuss the case against Veloso’s alleged recruiters in the Philippines. The meeting in Jakarta comes three months after Indonesia was supposed to execute Veloso on April 28 for drug smuggling. Veloso’s execution was postponed because of a last-minute appeal from Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. The Philippine government is now try-

Mary Jane Veloso, sentenced to death through ﬁring squad in Indonesia, was given a last-minute reprieve at the request

ing to pin down Veloso’s alleged recruiters for illegal recruitment, estafa, and human trafﬁcking to prove that Veloso was a victim. In Indonesia, however, Philippine Justice Assistant Secretary Neil Simon Silva refused to answer journalists’ questions about the meeting. Silva requested them to interview Indonesia’s AGO ofﬁcials instead. AGO spokesman Tony Spontana said that the AGO will not let Veloso leave Indonesia, at least for now. “We’ll never allow Mary Jane to be taken to the Philippines. We offer their investigators to question her here, conduct a video press conference, or let us question her,” Spontana said. 13

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

CRIME

Man who murdered drug rival jailed for life A man who fatally stabbed a drug rival following a ﬁght inside his own home has been jailed for life at the Old Bailey today, Tuesday 28 July.

Jaydee Dorsett 20, of Maryland Court, N22 was found guilty of murdering Isaiah Ekpaloba, 18, following what police believe was a dispute over drugs on 9 January. He was today sentenced to life for the murder and will serve a minumum of 12 years before he is eligible for parole. He was also sentenced to fours years for attempted wounding with intent (to be served concurrently.) Lamont Roper, 18 of Wigan House, Warwick Grove, E5 was today sentenced to seven and a half years for conspiracy to rob and three and a half years for both counts of robbery (both to be served concurrently). He was also sentenced to three months for not disclosing the PIN on his mobile phone. Roper’s total sentence is 11 years. The court heard how Ekpaloba and Lamont Roper, 18, had taken a minicab to Dorsett’s address in Wood Green with the intention of robbing him of drugs. Shortly after 16:00hrs, the pair forced entry into Dorsett’s address and proceeded to attack him - Dorsett sustained several stab injuries during this attack. During the altercation Ekpaloba sustained injuries and he and Roper fled the scene and attempted to flee in the waiting minicab. Dorsett pursued the pair and caught up with them as the cab attempted to pull out into the High Road, N22. CCTV showed Dorsett, armed with at least one knife, open the front passenger door and make stabbing motions towards Roper who was seated there. Dorsett then attempted to open the back passenger door where Ekpaloba was seated but only managed to open it partially. Again, he made a stabbing motion before the door was closed and the cab managed to pull away into the High Street. The car took Ekpaloba to North Middlesex Hospital where he died at 16:46hrs that day. A post-mortem examination on 10 January at Haringey Mortuary gave cause of death as a stab wound to the chest. Police were called to the scene at around 16:15hrs and found Dorsett, covered in blood, inside his own flat. He was taken to the Royal London Hospital for treatment to his injuries and subsequently charged with the murder. Inside the flat, officers recovered a number of knives - one which had the blade

I know that Isaiah missed me terribly

and me him. Throughout the time that we

were separated I spoke and wrote to my children constantly. They were the thing

that kept me going and I dreamed every

night of seeing them again but I never dreamed that the next time I would see one of my children was in the morgue.

I am struggling to ﬁnd the words to

give justice to how I feel and how Isaiah’s

death has affected me and my family. I

don’t think that it has really sunk in yet and until this trial is done I don’t think that it will. I feel empty, alone, sad, tearful and

angry. I haven’t eaten or slept properly

since I was told of Isaiah’s death. I keep thinking about my baby in the car; scared, hurt, and dying without me or any of his family or friends around him.

The impact on my other two sons has

been huge: My middle son, Kehmar, has Jaydee

snapped off, indicating the ferociousness of the struggle. Officers arrested Roper, 18 of Wigan House, Warwick Grove, E5, on 14 January and he was subsequently charged with conspiracy to rob Jaydee Dorsett. He was tried alongside Dorsett and found guilty. Dorsett was today found guilty of the murder of Isaiah Ekpaloba and guilty of attempted wounding of Lamont Roper. Lamont Roper was found guilty of conspiracy to rob Dorsett and of failing to disclose his mobile phone PIN to police Roper also pleaded guilty on the first day of the trial (8 July) to two separate robbery offences in Finsbury Park Train Station which took place on 10 April 2014. These offences did not involve Jaydee Dorsett. Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams of the Homicide and Major Crime Command said: “Whatever the circumstances of that day, Jaydee Dorsett did not need to pursue Isaiah Ekpaloba and Lamont Roper into the street. Dorsett chose to continue the violence by arming himself and attacking the pair as they attempted to flee the scene in a minicab. “The events of that day show the destructive consequences carrying and using knives can have; one young man has been brutally murdered while another will spend a considerable amount of time in prison as a result of his actions.” Victim Impact Statement by Isaiah’s mother, Grace Aloba

been terribly affected; he was his big How does a person ever put into words what the impact of losing a child really is, let alone in the manner that Isaiah was taken away from me? On the 9th January 2015 my eldest son, my baby, was taken away from me in the most horriﬁc way. He was a loving, big hearted individual, who could light up a room with his big smile and cheeky personality. His life was full of promise; he was a talented and well respected actor at the Chicken Shed theatre company and had appeared on TV and had toured schools talking about the dangers of knife crime with them. He was a well liked boy who loved being the centre of attention and the best testament of his impact on people was that over 300 people attended his funeral. I know he wasn’t perfect and I have had to listen in detail to all of the wrong choices that he made, including the ultimate one that lead to him losing his life. I didn’t raise him to be the boy that he has been portrayed in this trial and this was a side that he kept hidden from me and my family. I am sorry on his behalf to all of the people that he has hurt in the past. I too have made some wrong choices in my life which meant that I was imprisoned abroad throughout Isaiah’s teenage years. I am not proud of my actions and I know that this separation had a profound effect on Isaiah as we had a very close relationship.

brother and he looked up to Isaiah as only little brothers can. He has become

introverted and I am scared that his anger and grief is eating him up inside. He has

refused to talk to anyone about Isaiah’s death and I am not sure how is going to cope.

My youngest son Zion was ﬁve when

Isaiah was killed and is now six. Isaiah worshipped the ground that Zion walked

on and vice-versa. They were as thick as thieves. Zion knows that Isaiah is in

heaven but he doesn’t understand it. This has robbed him of his big brother.

This act has really devastated my

family and it is something that we will never get over.

I want to add that I do not hate Mr

Dorsett. I am a Christian woman and it

says in the bible that we must forgive. I

forgive Mr Dorsett for killing my son. All

I want is to know the real truth of what happened that day and how my son died.

Isaiah’s death is such a waste. I want

this to be an example to young men of the

dangers of carrying a knife and to think

twice as these incidents don’t just affect

one family it affects many families. Life is worth more. I am proud to be Isaiah’s mum.

“The NCA and its partners continue

to demonstrate that we can identify criminals who think they are operating

anonymously online, and ensure they are brought to account.”

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Sounds of Diaspora People of America

Mic woes herald another Kanye hissy-fit

Kanye West treats athletics fans to an unexpected bonus event – the men’s unreliable but still expensive rented sound equipment disdainful chuck

Regular petulant outbursts get you column inches in newspapers. Thus must have gone some sage advice offered to fledgling wannabe entertainer Kanye West when he realised his singing, dancing and, if you ask me, his fall-back talent for rapping were not really up to snuff. So, predictably enough, here we are again reporting on another of his almighty strops.

This time it was sound engineers at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada that felt Mr Kardashian’s wrath, since they were unable to provide a microphone that wouldn’t keep cutting out. As for who lost out (or got a lucky break; depending on your point of view) . . . as usual, it was the audience – this time at the closing ceremony of the 2015 Pan American Games. Wearing ripped jeans and a blue sweater so big that it might previously have seen service as the loungewear of a sumo wrestler, West looked for all the world like he spent the night sleeping under the stage as he pranced, posed, preened and even prostrated his way through thirteen minutes before his microphone’s Artificial Intelligence chip proved it was working just fine and shut him up. While most performers faced with the same situation might give a playful shrug; perhaps encourage the crowd to sing (say) the words to what is, after all, a wellknown repertoire; or, perish the thought, politely wave goodbye, West simply threw his mic, which appropriately followed a similar trajectory to a dummy thrown from a 10-month old’s baby rocker, and skulked off.

Many of the 40,000-strong captive audience did seem to be enjoying the show up until West’s melt-down, though some may have been delirious from fatigue, still temporarily deafened from the starter pistol for the last race or just plain drunk, but some Canadians thought he should never have been invited in the first place. Mirroring the immediate reaction when West was announced as headline act at Glastonbury, a petition was started before the games to try and get organisers to remove him from the Games’ closing ceremony – it was signed by 54,000 people. The petition’s author had written on Change.org: “The Toronto Pan Am games have proven to be very important for Torontonians this year and have triggered a unified sense of pride in our city. “It would only be just to ask a proud Torontonian (or even a Canadian for that matter) in the music industry to perform, such as Drake, Walk Off The Earth, Feist, Metric, Shania Twain, deadmau5, Crystal Castles, Zeds Dead, The Weeknd, Peaches, K’naan, and many many more! “The options for Toronto artists are far from limited and choosing someone like Kanye West raises several concerns among the people. Why was a local artist or group not chosen and supported, just as our local athletes are throughout the games?” So Kanye is not everybody’s cup of tea, and his claim to being the best rapper in the world is like a sheep having the best bleat. Both are annoying noises as far as I’m concerned, and rap, a genre that could self-assess by prefixing a single letter, is not a hard thing to be best at.

Bobbi Kristina’s end more seemly than the aftermath could be As predicted last week, tragic 22year-old Bobbi Kristina Brown, only child of similarly tragic Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown has died without ever regaining consciousness after being found face down in her bathtub in January. It is believed her family agreed to have life support withdrawn.

It is understood that Bobbi Kristina’s fortune, basically around $20m she inherited when her mother died, would be distributed to Houston’s relatives, including her mother, Cissy Houston, and her two brothers, Michael and Gary if the instructions in her 1993 will were followed. In her will, Whitney Houston left her money to her daughter to be paid in instalments at age 25 and 30. If, however, Bobbi Kristina were to die unmarried and childless before the age of 30, whatever money that remained would go to her surviving close kin.

Kanye West treats athletics fans to an unexpected bonus event – the men’s unreliable but still expensive rented sound equipment disdainful chuck

So far so straightforward, but the sharks have been swarming on and off ever since Whitney died in 2012, so it would be a great surprise if the waters stay calm now. Neither Bobby Brown, who hadn’t been married to Whitney since 2007, nor Nick Gordon, who never officially married Bobbi Kristina, is thought to be in the picture legally.

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Gospel

The Sons Of Thunder! By Michael Adekoya

“Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21)

In the Gospel of John Chapter twelve verses twenty to twenty one, the Scripture says, “Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus”. But the disciples who were supposed to make Him accessible to these Greeks kept them away. This is the picture of many of our churches today. My friend, as a Christian, are you a barrier or hindrance to people seeing Jesus? As a Church leader, are you a gate or a channel through which people come to Christ and stayed or the gate of hell through which the people that came leaves?

As individual Christians or leaders, we must not allow anybody or anything keep us away from the presence of God. However, in many churches today, we have Christians and Christian leaders who stand as gates of hell prevailing against people coming to Jesus. In Jesus’ ministry, it was some of His disciples who forbade the children to come to Christ (Luke 18:15). They tried to send the crowd home hungry (Luke 9:12). They even tried to silence blind Bartimaeus when he called out to Jesus for mercy, help and healing (Mark 10:48) Why? You may think it is because they thought Jesus was too busy? No! It was because of their prejudice and their feeling that they were ‘in charge’. Sound familiar! Isn’t it? My friend, there are two lessons for us here. First, when our ‘handlers’ become our ‘controllers’, it is easy to forget what God called us to do. They are likely to direct us and the affairs of the church or ministry, which God has entrusted into our hands, which could lead to much damage done to the lives of the people under our care without us knowing. Second, we should not be too power drunk to think God cannot speak

through people that are close to us, even the people in pews. If we have that mindset, we’re likely to resist, reject or disbelieve even the true counsel, revelation or prophecy that comes from God through people around us; and we are likely to disagree with them on every occasion the truth is spoken or revealed. James and John, the ‘Sons of Thunder’, wanted to call down fire on those who disagreed with them (Luke 9:54). My friend, have you met the descendants of the ‘Sons of Thunder’ in your church or are you one of them? When James and John found others who did not belong to their ‘group’ – people that were casting out demons, saving souls, prophesying, healing people and delivering souls from bondages and oppression, they wanted to stop them (Luke 9:49). Yet a few chapters earlier, they themselves could not cast the spirits out of a tormented boy. Listen! Anytime you envy, attack, criticize, run down, judge, shut down, disagree with, reject, despise, make fun of people who do what you are incapable of doing, or make attempt to block souls from seeing them, you are a ‘Son of Thunder’ – the descendant of James and John. When the Greeks said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus”, the disciple of Jesus wanted to keep them away because they were not Jews. Can you imagine discrimination, prejudice and racism among the twelve disciples? Listen! There are two types of generations in every church: Eli generation – people who are old, tired and possibly dead spiritually; and Samuel generation – people who carry fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, the fire of God and open to God’s voice. They must work together for a common purpose of preaching the Good News, saving souls, making disciples and

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

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

building the Kingdom of God. There is no colour-line in Jesus. His Blood has made us one family. If you are a Christian, moreso a leader, make this your prayer as from today – “Lord, let nothing I think, say or do keep souls away from You”. The battle cry for revelation, salvation, relationship, healing, deliverance, liberty, freedom and direction in the whole world today is “We wish to see Jesus”. My friend, as a Christian, you are His ambassador and representative on earth – His hands, legs, eyes, mouth and voice on earth. The greatest demonstration of Christianity is for the world to see Jesus in your thoughts, words, actions, intentions, countenance, services, even in your hidden agenda. But it is impossible to display Christ in your life until the flesh is dead. For the new wine to be fresh, the old wine skin must be destroyed. Some of the Greek Gentiles were looking for Jesus because of the miracles of raising Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus heard that they were looking for Him, He knew that this was a sign that the hour had come for Him to be glorified; that is, killed on the cross and died (John 12:23; John 17:1). He knew that now the Gentiles had begun to turn to Him and His witness would begin to spread outside Israel through the preaching of the Gospel by His disciples. Then He gave an agricultural illustration to show why His death was necessary. He said, “Except a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit” (John 12:24) . In other words, any seed that’s sown must in a way ‘die’ before it can ‘come to life and bring much fruits or produce many seeds’. My friend, listen! Do you wish people to come and see Jesus in you? Do you want

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

to bear much fruit? Until your old sinful nature dies, you won’t be able to bear much fruit for Christ. In fact, if by any chance you bear some fruit, they will not remain because your old nature will chase them away. If the life, liberty and light of Christ are in you, and you demonstrate the fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - people around you would love to come to Him. So, strive to be a blessing and not a hindrance to others coming to Christ. Do you want to be a city changer? Do you want to be more like Jesus? Listen to this, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were hungry, harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Math 9:36). Did you hear that? That’s what you must do too! You need to love people and be a blessing to them, no matter their race or colour. My friend, hear me! Any practice that is not in the Word of God and any program that interferes with worshipping God or interferes with the move of the Holy Spirit the promised gift of God by Jesus - should be stopped. It is all about Jesus! He is the One that people come to see in your local assembly, not you. It is His Word and His Voice they want to hear, not yours. He must be exalted, while you humble yourself. He must increase while you decrease. It is His agenda that the children of God come to carry out in the church, in their community and in their nation, not your personal agenda. It’s Jesus’ Church, not yours! Jesus healed a man and told him, “Return to your own house and show how great things God has done for you”. The Bible says, “And he went and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done for him. And when Jesus returned, the people gladly received Him, for they were waiting for Him”. (Luke 8: 39-40).My friend, that is what your parent, spouse, children, friends, work-mates, colleagues and all your loved ones are doing today….Waiting for Jesus! Don’t keep Him in the church building or confine Him to your Sunday activities. Make Him accessible to them! 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, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Africa Newsround

Lesotho on brink of violent crisis Lesotho

Lesotho is threatening to erupt into violence again, less than a year after one of its former leaders fled into exile in South Africa. Now, the brutal killing of a top military officer has sent former leaders back into South Africa - where they are watching anxiously as regional officials head into Lesotho to try to restore peace.

Lesotho has had a disproportionate share of troubles in the last year - from a reported coup attempt in August to a recent spate of violence and reports of a growing political crisis. The landlocked nation surrounded by South Africa has seen years of political feuding and tension between the police and army. The trigger for the most recent tension was the brutal slaying of the former army chief in front of his children last month. That, said opposition leader Thesele Maseribane, spurred him and two top leaders - including the former prime minister and a top female leader - to ﬂee to South Africa. The leader of the opposition Basotho National Party said reliable sources told him that he was on the list of targets of controversial army commander Tlali Kamoli, who Maseribane said is the man

Fearing assassination, opposition leader Thesele Maseribane has ﬂed to South Africa

who orchestrated the killing of former Lesotho Defence Force commander Maaparankoe Mahao. The two men were bitter rivals. “We are running away from the Lt. Gen Kamoli’s orders that we must be arrested and must be assassinated. We ﬂee for our lives. That’s how simply I can put it,” said Maseribane. South Africa has sent its deputy president into Lesotho in an attempt to reduce tensions. Regional leaders from the

Southern African Development Community (SADC) handled last year’s crisis by bringing elections forward, a move that temporarily brought calm; but, Maseribane says mediators have consistently failed to address a major issue in Lesotho. One of the issues is Kamoli himself, whose ﬁring last August led to the attempted coup. He was subsequently reinstated by the new leader, against mediators’ recommendations. “The security issue has been an

outstanding issue that was never addressed by the facilitators or by the SADC,” said Maseribane. “The issue of the Defence Force succession, the issue of the arrest of those Special Forces members that killed people, the issues of the 29th of August, has not been addressed.” The United States has urged Lesotho to investigate Mahao’s death and to conduct “urgent” security sector reform. Maseribane says the Lesotho government also needs to clean up its affairs. “I think that the most important thing that has to happen is that we need a special independent investigation into the matters. We need arrests, we need to see arrests, we need to see justice being outlined in Lesotho,” said Maseribane. “We need to see those people going behind bars, who have killed people. Nobody can just go on hurting people on any day in front of his children,” he said, adding: “Nobody has the right to kill people and refusing to go to justice because he is a soldier. This is something that the world has to support.” This is an issue that affects South Africa directly -- as Lesotho’s only neighbour, violence in the mountainous enclave could spill over into South Africa.

The Gambia

Gambia’s Jammeh in rare display of clemency Authorities in Gambia released more than 200 prisoners on Friday (July 24), including 31 jailed for treason during multiple plots to overthrow long-ruling president Yahya Jammeh,

Hundreds of emotional friends and relatives gathered outside the Mile 2 prison in the tiny West African country’s capital Banjul to greet them. Those linked to a failed attempt to oust Jammeh remain imprisoned although their family members, including Metta Jnie, the mother of coup mastermind Lamin Sanneh, and a 13-year-old son of one of the failed coup’s plotters, were freed. Prior to their release, the family members were questioned by Gambia’s National Intelligence Agency over the attack against the presidential palace in Banjul in December 2014 while Jammeh was in Dubai. Former inmates, some of whom were jailed for 15 years, took turns to express gratitude for their release, announced by Jammeh in a speech on Wednesday to celebrate 21 years since his accession by military coup. Three Dutch citizens, a German and an Australian who had been jailed on drug charges were among 49 foreigners re-

Yahya Jammeh has ruled Gambia with an iron ﬁst since seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1994.

leased, the ofﬁcials added. “I serve the Gambian government for many years and never had any problem but by God’s will I entered this mess,” former

director of the National Intelligence Agency, Lamin Bo Badjie, said. “I want to thank the president for this surprise gesture.” Among those freed were former justice

minister Momodou Lamin Jobarteh and former police chief Ensa Badjie, jailed for alleged corruption and drug trafﬁcking respectively. Separately former ﬁnance minister Mam Boury Njie, who was dismissed in September 2012 and accused of economic crimes, was also freed under another presidential amnesty announced on Friday. Amnesty International, one of several rights groups that has expressed concern about growing repression in Gambia, welcomed the release. “However, we are aware that just a few weeks ago prisoners who were released were rounded up again and taken back to prison,” said researcher Sabrina Mahtani. Gambia said it released 85 prisoners during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The government has denied a deterioration in civil liberties and says the re-arrests that Amnesty referred to were due to a mix-up over four names. The Mile 2 prison has gained notoriety among residents and rights groups for its secrecy. The United Nations Special Rapporteur said the government barred him from visiting the security wing during a visit in November last year. 17

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Opinion

Aregbesola is a Visionary Leader of no Equal By Comrade Amitolu Situ

The present government of the State of Osun is doing what is expected of it through its verifiable unprecedented achievements in all sectors. Therefore all well meaning citizens should stand up to be counted.

Before the advent of this administration, there were no physical social infrastructures, no ultra-modern schools, no tablet of knowledge as we have it now, no stable electricity, no peace, no security, thousands of people were mysteriously murdered, no harmony, no tranquility, to mention but a few. All these good performances led to the emergence of Governor Aregbesola’s second term despite the brutal efforts and horrendous motives put together by the immediate past administration under the leadership of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan to truncate, subvert and destroy the governorship election in the state, but amazingly, Aregbesola won convincingly. That shows the wide acceptance of the current government in every nook and cranny of the state. How do you convince Nigerians that you have a government that some opposition elements are attacking everyday and your camp of the pro democracy groups are onlookers? Laugh! We will remain as political spectators by ensuring that government does not turn to business venture by the political buccaneers. Let me make it clear to you once again that we don’t have opposition in the state, we only have the desperate seekers of political offices who can go through any means whatsoever to usurp what does not belong to them. These are the people that have been using Labour Union to frustrate this government by all means and I can assure that they will never succeed because the true spirit of the popular mandate willingly bestowed on governor Aregbesola by the discerning good people of Osun will not allow them to have their evil way. I have facts and evidence for what I am saying and I can tell you categorically that so far, Aregbesola has been scored greatly with several accolades locally, nationally and internationally among his counterparts even in spite of the current economic crisis ravaging the state and the country at large. And moreover the present situation of economic hardship in the state was deliberately inflicted by the immediate past administration through its ineptitude economic mismanagement and financial recklessness. 18

If you contend that those behind the anti government activities are scammers and opportunists, how do you convince Nigerians that these people are just opportunistic campaigners? They are political opportunists because they were failed to perform while in government and they are also looking for ways to truncate this government by portraying it with bad light in the eyes of the public. How do you then educate the ordinary man on the street of Osun that the activities of the coalition are sponsored by political opponents of Gov Aregbesola? I believe strongly that some elements of devil are using unregistered and unknown civil society groups to cause disaffection in the state, but let me tell you that, people of Osun know the true and real civil society groups that have offices across the state with notable people of reputable character. For the purpose of clarity and avoidance of doubt these are the registered Civil Society Groups in Osun state, they include; Osun Civil Society Coalition led by Comrade Waheed Lawal, Human Rights Agenda Network led by Comrade Saka Waheed, Civil Society Network Against Corruption led by Comrade Saka Waheed, Nigerian United for Democracy led by Comrade Saka Waheed, Osun Progressive led by Comrade Wale Adebisi and Coalition of Group for Good Governance led by Comrade Waheed Adediran Aside these Civil Society Groups, anybody who portays himself as an activist and does not belong to any of these group is a fraudster and he should be challenged and dealt with in accordance with the constitution because majority of these fake activists are political campaigners. f you think these are just fortune seeking campaigners, what is the strategy of credible groups that had been involved in the issues of the state to ensure that the people of the state can distinguish the activities of the genuine from fake activist? Well, it not for us to judge because our track records are there to speak for our prompt activities in respect to the sociopolitical and economic issues in the state. So the good people of Osun know better. The know what we have been doing so far. My advice for the good people of Osun is to disregard any protest or struggle instigates by any self-claimed group except the aforementioned Civil Society Groups, because their action and inaction are meant to cause mayhem and chaos with parochial interests.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola(middle); Lowa of Ile-Ife, High Chief Joseph Olasoji Ijaodola(left) and Senator Babajide Omoworare(right) during the Ife Traditional Council visit the Governor State of Osun, on the Rumoured Death of the Ooni of Ife at Government house,Osogbo

Late President John Evans Atta Mills of Ghana

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola(2nd left); President, Nigerian Library Association, Alhaji Rilwanu Abdul-Salami(2nd right), Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti(left) and Chairman of the Occasion, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede during the 53rd Annual General Meeting/National Conference of Nigerian Library Association NLA tagged “Omoluabi 2015”, at WOCDIF Event Centre, Osogbo

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola presenting the State Emblem to the National Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Engr. (Prof) Adisa Bello, during a courtesy visit to Governor in his Office, at Abere, Osogbo, on Wednesday 29/07/2015.

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Opinion

Journalism and the threat to national security By Mike Abiola

It is often said that for Africa to fully embrace democracy there must be freedom of expression, respect for the rights and reputations of others, and protection of national security. But at what point can someone be guilty of crossing the boundary and becoming a threat to national security?

In the UK, the term national security is not defined in order to retain the flexibility necessary to ensure that it can adapt to changing circumstances. National security is referred to as the security and well-being of the United Kingdom as a whole, and it extends to its citizens wherever they may be across the world. The issue of national security is an unavoidable discourse that will always come to fore in developing democracies in Africa as governments attempt to place limits on the excesses of the free press or control constructive criticisms. A disturbing trend is already rearing its head among African journalists, especially in Nigeria where it manifested heavily during the recently concluded General Election. At times it became difficult for followers of news reports emanating from Nigeria to identify reliable sources of breaking news or which newspaper to believe. Now that the elections are over and the task of nation building has commenced, it is important to highlight the critical role of journalism as one of the factors that determines how Africa is portrayed to the outside world. Apart from the role of governments, Africa is portrayed to outsiders mainly by news reporting, especially from a local press that forms a substantial newsfeed into the international media. In countries like Nigeria with a vibrant and free press, news is easily disseminated by the internet and social media. Stories circulate very quickly and get syndicated widely across the world. A news story that is subsequently found to be untrue is capable of causing unimaginable damage that may prove difficult to remedy. If such a story pertains to a nation’s very stability, it is easy to see how the media can be viewed as detrimental to national security. Even though there is no clear definition of what constitutes national security, international courts define national security as a threat to the “existence of the nation or

its territorial integrity or political independence.” This is different from reporting localised violence or ordinary criminal activity. But where such reporting becomes over sensationalised or skirts the borders of fiction, it is clear that national security could be breached. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that should be forfeited where national security is infringed upon, such as when military codes are divulged or troop movements are revealed in wartime. The role of journalists as watchdogs of governments and the conscience of the people makes the profession an enviable one and attractive to many as it provides the conscientious a platform to be of genuine service to the society. A journalist must therefore maintain maximum transparency and impartiality in news reporting to avoid misleading the people. Their important role in national development makes journalists – members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm - more respectable than a person who is professionally involved in politics. The media has a far-reaching impact on the lives of the citizenry. News reports form part of the criteria for investment flow to certain destinations. Investors and analysts monitor news as a matter of course and travel advice is compiled mostly from news reports. Damaging reports Two fallacious stories from Nigeria made headline news in the United Kingdom recently. Even though the two stories were retracted, some damage was inevitably already done and it is for this reason media practitioners and all stakeholders must take their responsibilities more seriously. The stakeholders in this instance are government departments, functionaries, spokespersons etc. These stakeholders must be on top of their game and ensure quick responses to news concerning them. The first was the conflicting report that ‘Nigeria Recalled Ambassadors’. Three days later, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson denied the recall of any ambassadors. There followed counter-claims that confirmed the recall of non-career ambassadors. This story coincided with the address by Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, to a gathering of policymakers at the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House

Ambassador Ahmed Umar, Nigeria’s Consul General in charge of the mission in Jeddah and The Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II

in London. This address by the Nigerian representative to the Court of St James was seen by many analysts as a high point in his diplomatic career. The news story had the effect of side-lining the important response that would have been accorded the address by the host country. The second article was ‘Embassy in Saudi Arabia, said to have snubbed President Buhari’s family’. The story involves President Buhari’s family during a lesser haji in Saudi Arabia. The news reverberated among readers in the UK not just because it involves the nation’s number 1 family, but also because of the reputation of Ambassador Ahmed Umar, Nigeria’s Consul General in charge of the mission in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who is well known to Nigerians in the UK Ambassador Ahmed Umar is a seasoned career diplomat, who is highly regarded amongst Nigerians in the UK for his outstanding services to the nation. He won the country valuable friends during his service period as the Head of Chancery at the mission in the UK. Ambassador Umar is a gentlemen officer who should be a pride of the nation for his exemplary service. Many can recall his period of service in the UK, where he operated an open door policy and en-

gineered the Nigeria @50 celebrations, a collaboration between the embassy and the Nigerian community in the UK. His tenure witnessed an unprecedented period of cooperation between the Embassy and Nigerian professionals in the UK. Many could see the good attributes of a refined diplomat in him. The news report was an obviously damaging false story about an overseas mission and a disservice to the whole country, not just to an individual civil servant. The story gave the impression that Nigeria has a bunch of politicised Foreign Service Officers at its mission in Saudi Arabia. This could pose a significant threat to national security. The unbalanced news report presented the entire Nigeria embassy staff in Saudi Arabia in a bad light. The newspaper that carried this news report later carried a rejoinder in a not too prominent page to correct the story. At a time when Nigeria should be making headlines for good reasons, it was distressing to read this manipulative story, which was capable of causing irreparable damage. This is a clarion call to journalists and media executives to avoid bringing the respectable profession into disrepute. 19

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

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Reaching UK’s fastest growing Entertainment ethnic markets

Tel: 020 3737 3077 20

www.africanvoiceonline.co.uk

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Rent a desk in a shared office space in South London SW9 Rent: £250 per month Electricity, light and central heating (included in rent) Available: immediately. Length of rental: 6 months minimum 24 hour Access, building also has 24 hour Security Ideal, affordable, reasonable rent and excellent opportunity for start-up businesses. If you are interested; please telephone Milton: 07525 209 154

AfricanVoice

TODAY

£100 FOR 1 YEAR £100 FOR 1 YEAR £100 FOR 1 YEAR lncluding Paper & Postage

A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OUT EVERY FRIDAY! Name: Full Address: Post Code:

Tel No: I wish to subscribe to AfricanVoice

1 Year:

£100

I enclose a cheque/postal order for £

made payable to: AfricanVoice.

Please invoice me/my company Pls make a cheque of £100 payable to African Voice. Mail to Unit 7 Holles House Overton Road London SW9 7JN 21

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

FIFA 2018 World Cup: It will be difficult for Egypt to qualify Egypt may have won the CAF Africa Cup of Nations more often than any other team, seven times, but when it comes to appearances a the FIFA World Cup, they are lagging behind their main African rivals. Only twice – in 1934 and 1990 – did the Pharaohs managed to qualify for the tournament, and Egyptian icon Ahmed Hassan believes the team will struggle to make it to Russia for the 2018 finals.

When it comes to the international scene, Hassan is a veteran at the top of the list. Not only did he win 184 caps, but he also played in 37 World Cup qualifiers and has been an assistant national team coach. After the Preliminary Draw for Russia 2018, FIFA.com spoke to the former international and asked him what he thought of the North African side’s chances. “I think it will be very difficult this time to qualify for the World Cup,” Hassan said. “Many African teams have notably progressed, while we are having a slump in form. We still have a very good group of players, but we lack experience. Football is so unpredictable. Many times the underdogs outshine the fancied side.” As one of the top ranked teams in the continent, Egypt received a bye into the second round of qualifying and will face the winner of the tie between Chad and Sierra Leone. If, as expected, the Pharaohs manage to pass that hurdle, they will be drawn into one of five groups of four, with the group winners qualifying for Russia. Hassan, who has been linked with a return to active football, said he had been very interested watching the impressive draw ceremony in St Petersburg: “I wanted to find out who our opponents would be.” The midfielder, who played several seasons in Turkey and two seasons in Belgium with Anderlecht, before hanging up his boots in 2013 after playing two seasons for Zamalek, believes that, should Egypt make it through the group stage, it will not matter who they face.

Ahmed Hassan

He said: “It doesn’t really matter anymore who we would face. Sometimes you get a big team in a draw and then you find out that there are less fancied sides that pose a greater threat. I personally have no preferences over who we should avoid in the draw.” World Cup regrets Hassan collected a huge number of accolades during his lengthy career, including four AFCON crowns, league titles in Belgium and Egypt, the Turkish and Belgium Cups, the CAF Champions League and the CAF Super Cup. He was twice voted as the AFCON Player of the Tournament (2006 and 2010) and in 2010, when he was already 35, he was named as the best African-based player by CAF. Although 37 of his 184 internationals came in World Cup qualifiers, he never had the chance to play at the finals themselves. “That was disappointing, because I always hoped my efforts and the records I achieved would be

crowned with a World Cup appearance”. However, he draws some consolation from the fact that he holds the African record for qualifiers played. “I feel proud of that and when I retired, I realised even more how important such figures are. This is down to hard work and high ambitions, which were the main reasons for me carrying on that long.” To this day, he can’t explain why he never made it to the World Cup with the Pharaohs. “I don’t think there were any technical reasons for our failure to reach the World Cup,” he said. “At times we were the best team on the continent under former coaches Mahmoud El-Gohary and Hassan Shehata and we deserved to go to the World Cup. But at the end we can only say this is football, it doesn’t always give you what you really deserve.” But even without an appearance at the World Cup, Hassan still has his fair share of famous moments on the road to the event

– good and bad ones: “The greatest World Cup match for me was against Algeria in Cairo in 2009 when we needed to win by a two-goal margin to keep our hopes alive of reaching the 2010 finals in South Africa. All the fans were behind us and there was much hype preceding the game. There was a sense of unity among all people”. Emad Meteab scored the winner for the Pharaohs in the fifth minute of injury-time – a result that saw Egypt and Algeria finish equal in all respects, prompting a play-off. “That was my most disappointing match,” Hassan said. “We played a few days later in Sudan. It was very disappointing because we were finally very close to qualifying but we ended up losing the crucial match 1-0.” Hassan scored ten goals in his 37 qualifiers. His best, he says, came in his first in Cairo in 1996: “We played Namibia in a qualifier for the 1998 finals and we won 7-1. I scored with a header from around the penalty spot. It was my best goal.”

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015

Toure delighted to see Benteke join Liverpool Liverpool’s Kolo Toure says is he is happy he will be playing alongside Christian Benteke this season and believes the striker will make the Reds ‘unbeatable’.

Benteke sealed a big-money move to the Reds on Wednesday, and Ivory Coast defender Toure believes manager Brendan Rodgers has built a side capable of challenging for the Premier League title this season. “Benteke is a great player,” Toure told the Liverpool Echo. “It’s much better to have him on my side than have to play against him. “He’s so strong and powerful - we all know about his qualities. He’s a goalscorer but his mental strength is very important. “I’ve played against some good strikers who are mentally weak. Benteke isn’t weak, he stands up for himself. No matter what happens on the pitch, he will perform. “The club has done some unbelievable business this summer and it’s going to be a big season for us. “I see so much talent in this squad. So much will be played in the mind. “If we are strong mentally then I don’t think anyone can beat us with the team the manager has built.”

The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has been fined by FIFA after the women’s team failed to play an Olympic qualifier against Ivory Coast. The qualifying match for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 that was scheduled for 19 July 2015 between Côte d’Ivoire and Zimbabwe has been declared a 3-0 forfeit victory for Côte d’Ivoire. FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings after Zimbabwe failed to travel to Côte d’Ivoire for the match, which was the first leg of the third round of Olympic qualifiers for the African zone. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided that the match should be forfeited, in accordance with art. 31 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and ordered the Zimbabwe Football Association to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 after being found to be liable for the violation of art. 6 par. 1, art. 6 par. 3 e), art. 7 par. 1, and art. 7 par. 10 of the Regulations for the Olympic Football Tournaments.

Niger are building with young stars

Kolo Toure

Emmanuel Adebayor’s Villa move to be sealed Emmanuel Adebayor is set to be officially unveiled as an Aston Villa player. The 31-year-old Togo striker has agreed to leave Tottenham Hotspur and link up with former coach Tim Sherwood at Villa Park.

Adebayor completed a medical with the Birmingham side and is poised to be unveiled as their latest signing. He joins fellow West African Jordan Ayew at the club, but the pair may face stiff competition from Dimitar Berbatov, with the former Manchester United striker now strongly linked to Villa. Berbatov, 34, is a free agent after leaving Monaco at the end of last season and is currently on holiday back in Bulgaria.

Zimbabwe sanctioned for Olympic qualifying no-show

Some three years ago, Francois Zahoui took Côte d’Ivoire to the final of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Today, he is in charge of Niger – a country far below the Elephants in the world ranking. FIFA.com spoke to the coach about his challenges after his side was drawn with Somalia in the preliminaries of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Zahoui admits that there is a huge dif-

ference coaching the defending African champion Elephants and Niger, who have

never made an impact on African football before the last few years. “It is not only a huge change, they also pose very different

challenges,” he said. “In Côte d’Ivoire, there was already a big structure, finan-

cial resources and lots of quality players.

It also meant for the coach that people Emmanuel Adebayor

Adebayor could make his Villa debut in a friendly at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Sherwood is hoping to once again in-

immediately expected good performancspire Adebayor, who bagged 14 goals for him after he brought the striker in from the cold in 2013/2014 after replacing Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham.

es. So I felt immediate pressure, and all the more as I had been an Elephant as a

player, and as the national team had been

unable to meet the people’s expectations, at least since AFCON 2006.

Friday, 31 July - Thursday, 6 August 2015 ISSUE 590

WWW.AFRICANVOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Toure delighted to see Benteke join Liverpool SEE PAGE 23

Ayew ready for this Black Stars siblings to grace Premier League

Andre (left) and Jordan Ayew spent last season at French Ligue 1 rivals Olympique Marseilles and FC Lorient respectively

By Alan Oakley

Ghana’s 23-year-old striker Jordan Ayew could play against his brother Andre here on British soil this season as an Aston Villa player after agreeing the terms of a five year deal this week.

Jordan’s transfer from French Ligue 1 side FC Lorient comes weeks after Andre Ayew signed for Swansea City from Marseilles, also from Ligue 1. The siblings, whose father is Abedi Pele – considered by many the best player ever to come out of Africa, both suffered the disappointment of losing in the final of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations to an

unfancied, post-‘golden generation’ Ivory Coast. Aston Villa were in the market for a striker after selling Belgium’s Zaire-born goal-scorer Christian Benteke to Liverpool for £32.5m. Ayew’s arrival follows Villa’s summer acquisition of fellow Ligue 1 players, French-born Jordan Amavi and Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye. Villa boss Tim Sherwood said of his newest acquisition, who scored 12 goals in 29 appearances for FC Lorient last season: “I’m really pleased to bring Jordan to the football club. He is a fantastic young

player who is perfectly suited to the Premier League.” Ayew himself is delighted to have sealed his move to the English top-flight and revealed it took him just 10 seconds to make up his mind about joining Villa. “When I spoke to the coach I knew this was the place for me. He has so much enthusiasm and determination for the game of football,” he said, adding: “It took 10 seconds to work out he was the right coach for me and Aston Villa was the right team. “I am the happiest man in the world. It’s one of my greatest days in football.

“My dream was to play for a big team in England - and Aston Villa is undoubtedly one of the greats in English football.” The fee Aston Villa paid for Ayew’s services has not been disclosed, but is believed to be in the region of £12m.

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