African Voice Newspaper issue 597 by African Voice Newspapers UK

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Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015 ISSUE 597

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 UK getting tougher than ever before to live illegally

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Ondo 2016: God will fight the battle for us says Hon. Afe Olowookere

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Tier 2 sponsors under May’s microscope By Alan Oakley

The Governments desperate bid to peg net migration figures to something resembling Prime Minister David Cameron’s ill-considered “tens of thousands” pledge is continuing apace as more and more companies are seeing their Tier 2 sponsorship licences suspended or revoked. Companies with Tier 2 sponsorship licences have a range of responsibilities to adhere to on an ongoing basis and Theresa May’s Home Office investigators are becoming increasingly hard-line in looking for non-compliance with licence requirements. Those with Tier 2 sponsorship licences are at greater risk than ever before of having their licences downgraded, suspended or withdrawn. Responsibilities of Tier 2 sponsors include checking that any migrant they employ is legally entitled to do the job in question. Any such employee is required to have appropriate and recognised qualifications and registration for the job in question. The Home Office also requires employers to keep current passport, visa and contact information on file for all Tier 2 sponsored immigrants.

...Continued on page 2

The British High Commissioner in Ghana,Jon Benjamin

Coalition for a Digital Economy executive officer, Guy Levin, believes Home Office policy increases the perception that the UK does not welcome foreign workers

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Have You News Got News UK getting tougher than ever For Us Newsdesk: 020 3737 3077

Email: africanvoicenews@gmail.com

UK ranked as worldleader in innovation

The UK has been ranked as the second most innovative country in the world. The Global Innovation Index (GII) has placed the UK above the USA, Singapore and Germany for the third year running, recognising the UK’s standing in the field of innovation.

The GII highlights the key role innovation plays as a driver of economic growth and prosperity. The UK has risen from tenth on the GII in 2011 to second in both 2014 and 2015. This is the most rapid increase among the top 10 GII-ranked innovation nations. It is the result of a well-balanced performance in terms of infrastructure, market sophistication, knowledge, technology and creative outputs. The report sets out how the government is developing the UK’s intellectual property regime to support innovative and growing businesses in the delivery of services including patents, copyright, trade marks and design, in enforcement in the digital marketplace and international policy making.

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

Tel: 020 3737 3077

Email: africanvoicenews@gmail.com

African Voice is published by African Voice UK.

before to live illegally

New Immigration Bill sets out the government’s plans to crack down further on illegal migration, including a new offence of driving while unlawfully in the UK.

People driving a car while in the country illegally face jail and having their vehicles seized under new powers announced in the new Immigration Bill. A new offence of driving while unlawfully in the UK will see anyone convicted facing a sentence of up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine in England and Wales. Anyone arrested for the new offence could have their car impounded and, if convicted, forfeited. Immigration Enforcement officers will have new powers to search individuals and properties and seize driving licences if they suspect someone to be here illegally. The provisions in the new Bill to toughen our action against those with no right to be in the UK have three main themes: • new measures cracking down on the exploitation of low-skilled workers, increasing the punishments for employing illegal migrants, and strengthening sanctions for working illegally • building on the Immigration Act 2014 to ensure that only people living lawfully in the UK can have access to UK bank accounts, driving licences and rental accommodation • increasing powers to make it easier to remove people who have no right to be in the UK Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said: The message is clear, if you are here illegally, you shouldn’t be entitled to receive the everyday benefits and services available to hard-working UK families and people who have come to this country legitimately to contribute.

Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire

Whether it is working, renting a flat, having a bank account or driving a car, the new Immigration Bill will help us to take tougher action than ever before on those who flout the law. This Bill will build on the government’s work since 2010 to crack down on abuse and build an immigration system that truly benefits Britain by deterring illegal migrants from coming and making it harder for those already here to live and work in the UK. The Immigration Act of 2014 made it harder for people to live in the UK illegally by restricting access to public services and benefits. Nearly 36,000 immigration offenders were removed from the UK last year. It also introduced the Immigration Health Surcharge to ensure that migrants contribute towards the cost of our National Health Service. Since April it has collected more than £100 million to contribute to the NHS for the benefit of us all.

The new Bill builds on this work to reduce the ‘pull’ factors that draw illegal migrants to Britain and the availability of public services which help them to remain here unlawfully. It includes a range of new powers to: • tackle illegal employment, including a new offence of illegal working • stop providing support to migrants who do not return home once all claims to asylum have failed • strengthen our border security • ensure all public employees in customer-facing roles speak good English • electronically tag those on immigration bail • create a new role of Director of Labour Market Enforcement • impose a new skills levy on businesses bringing migrant labour into the country so we can reduce our reliance on imported labour, and boost the skills of young people in the UK

Tier 2 sponsors under May’s microscope

...Continued from front page Tier 2 sponsors are required to have human resource systems in place allowing them to monitor an employees’ immigration status. If a Tier 2 visa migrant ceases to be sponsored, is absent from work or terminates their contract, sponsors should report the change on the sponsorship management system to UK Visas and Immigration. If Tier 2 sponsored workers are not complying with their visa conditions, UK Visas and Immigration should also be informed by the employer. In August, former government advisor and executive officer of the Coalition for a Digital Economy (COADEC), Guy Levin, criticised

the Tory government’s handling of the Tier 2 visa for migrants. In response to the Government’s plan to further tighten visa rules, Levin said: “The proposals are already having a negative effect, increasing the perception that the UK does not welcome foreign workers and is not an attractive proposition for anyone looking to start-up a business here.” Sanwar Ali, News Editor of workpermit. com, said: “We believe that the Tier 2 Sponsorship licence system is putting an excessive burden on employers. Employers are in effect having

to act as immigration officers enforcing immigration controls. “The Home Office is taking a very aggressive attitude when deciding whether or not to revoke sponsorship licences. Many of the decisions to suspend and revoke Tier 2 sponsorship licences are very unfair. “Even employers who have worked very hard to comply with the Tier 2 sponsorship licence regulations are having their sponsorship licences revoked. We cannot help thinking that the reason for this is to try and reduce levels of immigration into the UK.”

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Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

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News Tottenham man jailed for triple insurance scam Three UK life companies have helped to foil an audacious life insurance scam that could have been worth a possible £2.9 million.

John Katege, 32, of Tottenham, north London has been sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years in prison for attempting to defraud Aviva, Liverpool Victoria and Legal & General out of the money by claiming his friend – Rose Ndadye – had died in a car accident in Uganda. Either Katege or a woman claiming to be Rose Ndadye took out three separate life insurance policies with the companies in April 2011 for a total value of £1.7 million. Katege was named as the sole beneficiary of the policies. In July that year a letter was sent to each provider to check whether travelling to Uganda would invalidate any of the policies and whether any of them would be invalidated by the other. The providers each confirmed that cover would not be affected. Then on 8 September 2011, Katege wrote to insurers to inform them that

Ndadye was killed in a road traffic accident in Kampala. He submitted various documents as proof, including witness statements from people who had been present at her funeral, a police report and a post-mortem. However, the post-mortem report was found to be riddled with spelling errors of basic medical terms and, using a private investigator, all three companies discovered that the witness statements from funeral attendees were forged, there was no record of the accident and that Ndadye had never been a patient at the hospital where a post mortem was alleged to have taken place. The investigator was able to confirm that the post mortem itself was a complete forgery and probably penned by Katege himself. City of London Police investigations in Uganda confirmed the police report related to a different individual and that other documents were forgeries. Katege denied faking the documents, claiming that the discrepancies were a result of Ugandan incompetence. No trace of Rose Ndadye, alive

John Katege claimed he had travelled to Africa to identify friend Rose Ndadye’s body

or dead, has been found in the UK or Uganda. Sentencing Recorder, Mr Dafydd Enoch QC, said Katege’s evidence in court had been an “insult to our intelligence”. The judge added: “You are a thoroughly dishonest individual. You could not face up to the fact that you faced overwhelming evidence. “There was an attempt to take out £3m of insurance policies. In the event, you were only successful in obtaining insurance to the value of £1.7million. “That remains an enormous sum of money to which these insurance companies were going to be put at risk.”

He added: “When you play for this level of stakes the consequences if you lose are severe.” Detective Sergeant Tom Hill said Katege’s sentence should be a deterrent to those thinking of committing insurance fraud. “Many criminals think life insurance fraud will be an easy way to make money,” he said, adding: “The insurance fraud enforcement department and insurance companies are wise to their methods and as this case shows, national borders are no object to pursuing criminals. “His sentence should be a deterrent to those thinking of committing insurance fraud.”

Malaria death rates drop by 60% The Millennium Development Goals target on malaria has been achieved with a sharp drop in cases and mortality. Malaria death rates have plunged by 60% since 2000, translating into 6.2 million lives saved, the vast majority of them children, according to a joint World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF.

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO said: Global malaria control is one of the great public health success stories of the past 15 years. It’s a sign that our strategies are on target, and that we can beat this ancient killer, which still claims hundreds of thousands of lives, mostly children, each year. International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: The global battle against malaria is one of the great success stories of modern times. Across the world we are now winning the battle against 4

deadly diseases - whether it’s Ebola, smallpox, polio or malaria. We can be proud of Britain’s contribution to this success, but we cannot stop here. Malaria still causes one in ten child deaths in Africa and costs the continent’s economies around £8 billion every year. Despite tremendous progress, malaria remains an acute public health problem in many regions. In 2015 alone, there were an estimated 214 million new cases of malaria, and approximately 438,000 people died of this preventable and treatable disease. About 3.2 billion people – almost half of the world’sw population – are at risk of malaria. Some countries continue to carry a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden: 15 countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, accounted for 80% of malaria cases and 78% of deaths globally in 2015.

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News Ebola heroes recognised with parliamentary march Members of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel who worked to tackle Ebola have marched to parliament for a reception in their honour.

The parade for Operation Gritrock saw Soldiers, Sailors and Aircrew joined by volunteers and government workers from the Department for International Development (DFID), NHS England and Public Health England march from Horse Guards Parade down Whitehall to The Houses of Parliament. Over 1,000 Armed Forces personnel were deployed on the operation, with 27 still in country supporting the ongoing efforts by government workers and NGOs to get to zero cases of Ebola as quickly as possible. In total over 3,000 people from the UK travelled to work in high risk areas to stop the spread of the disease. One year ago the number of cases per week was around 200, which is now down to just a handful. RFA Argus and her three Merlin helicopters from 820 Naval Air Squadron and detachment of Royal Marines from 1 Assault Group Royal Marines played a vital role, providing

much-needed equipment, supplies and food packages to remote areas of Sierra Leone. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: The work being done in Sierra Leone by members of our Armed Forces, Civil Servants and NGOs is remarkable and today offers a public appreciation for what they have done to halt the spread of Ebola. We remain dedicated to getting the number of Ebola cases down to zero and still have a number of military personnel on Operation in West Africa to assist with this ongoing effort. The UK has led the international response to the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. As part of this the government has committed £427 million to the response so far. This has supported more than half of all the beds available for Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, funded over 100 burial teams, trained 4,000 frontline staff, provided three labs to test one third of all samples collected nationally and delivered over one million PPE suits and 150 vehicles. International Development Secretary, Justine Greening said: We can all be immensely proud of the contribution the

The Band of The Royal Marines Scotland led the parade made up of members of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel who worked to tackle Ebola. (Crown Copyright)

From left: Prime Minister David Cameron, James Gray MP, the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sir George Michael Zambellas, and Major General Edward Smyth-Osbourne CBE thanking the Armed Forces and civilian personnel for their efforts . (Crown Copyright)

thousands of Brits who deployed to West Africa have made to the fight against Ebola. Although the fight is not quite over, the extraordinary courage, skill and hard work of over 2000 UK military and civilian personnel, including many from DFID, has made a vital difference to Sierra Leone’s efforts to defeat this terrible disease. The UK’s top priority remains to help the government of Sierra Leone and the wider region reach and then maintain zero cases of Ebola as quickly as possible. We are proactively seeking out cases and dealing with remaining chains of transmission through enhanced active surveillance, comprehensive contact tracing, as well as strengthened social mobilisation, encouraging the people of Sierra Leone to go to a health centre if symptomatic and to bury the dead in a safe and dignified way. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: I want to thank our health staff, aid workers and military personnel for their tireless work both at home and abroad during the Ebola crisis. They embody both our national values and the values at the heart of our health service – their expertise and dedication is second to none. Brigadier Steve McMahon said: 6

I had a remarkable team with me in Sierra Leone; brilliant men and women deployed at exceptionally short notice to bring hope to the people of Sierra Leone. The medical piece has been celebrated but the engineering element was also significant. In a very short time period, military personnel cleared six sites of jungle and built the same number of Ebola Treatment Centres, all whilst enduring rising temperatures and humidity. We are honoured to be invited to march to Westminster today and have our efforts celebrated by Parliamentarians and the public and I’m delighted that everyone from the MOD, alongside our colleagues from DfiD, FCO and UK Health have been recognised for what was a truly exceptional effort by UK personnel. A number of the military and civilian personnel visited Downing Street in July to be awarded medals in recognition of their efforts. Thousands of people who helped during the crisis on behalf of the UK in West Africa revived the medal such as those from our armed forces, NHS doctors and nurses, laboratory specialists, civil servants and nongovernmental organisations, many of whom took part in the parade.

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News

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Business backed by new Enterprise Bill The government publishes an Enterprise Bill that backs business to drive growth, create jobs and ensure economic security for all. These are new measures aim to speed up insurance payments to business and give further powers to government for broadband investment, Small Business Commissioner will help small businesses resolve payment disputes with larger firms and regulators will contribute to ambitious £10 billion cutting red tape target

The government publishes an Enterprise Bill that backs business to drive growth, create jobs and ensure economic security for all. The bill will help tackle the scandal of late payments holding back many small businesses, ensure high quality apprenticeships, and make further cuts to burdensome red tape for the first time including the actions of regulators. The Enterprise Bill will set up a Small Business Commissioner to help small firms

handle disputes with larger businesses over issues like late payment, which costs small firms £26.8 billion. The bill will also allow the government’s ambitious £10 billion cutting red tape target to be extended to include the actions of regulators for the first time. Encouraging businesses to invest in the skills of their staff is a vital part of the government’s plan to boost productivity in the UK. The Enterprise Bill includes a measure to prevent people passing off poor quality training schemes as ‘apprenticeships’ and will set targets for the number of apprentices taken on by public bodies. This will ensure the public sector leads by example and invests in a highly-skilled workforce. Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: The government is committed to making sure the UK continues to be the best place in Europe to do business. The Enterprise Bill will help do just that with measures to cut red tape, protect high-quality apprenticeships and deal with unfair payment practices hitting small firms. I firmly believe that to reap rewards for working people across the country we need to get behind our great British businesses.

Business Secretary, Sajid Javid

Small Business, Industry and Enterprise Minister Anna Soubry said: Our Enterprise Bill will help tackle some of the biggest issues facing business today. Overzealous regulation and unacceptable late payments are just some of the issues targeted in a comprehensive

package of measures designed to give a boost to the UK economy. This is about letting businesses get on with what they do best, while taking sensible action to support those that need it.

UK-Brazil partnerships invited for business funding UK businesses are invited to partner with Brazilian ones on projects that meet critical challenges in energy, water and waste management.

Innovate UK and Brazil’s national service for industrial training SENAI are to invest up to £3.4 million in innovative projects that solve critical challenges in the fields of energy, water and waste management and contribute to socio-economic growth and development in Brazil. The competition will bring together companies, research organisations, academics and other collaborators from the UK and Brazil to develop new products and services that address these challenges. Brazil was the world’s seventh largest economy in GDP terms in 2014. Its size and potential present many opportunities for UK businesses. Projects must be aimed at the Brazilian market and could look at use of waste to generate power, power generation in remote areas, reductions in water consumption, waste-reduction and design 8

UK businesses are being encouraged to partner with Brazilian ones to solve key challenges in energy, water and waste managementroma

of products that can be reused, recycled or re-manufactured. They must demonstrate commercial potential and have a positive impact on economic development and social welfare in Brazil. The UK investment has been made possible by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills-managed Newton Fund, which aims to build research collaborations between UK business and those in lower and middleincome partner countries.

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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 - Sept 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

MACBETH, TARA ARTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH QUEEN’S HALL ARTS & BLACK THEATRE LIVE Now- Oct 31st 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 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 .

From ‘Memphis’ at Shaftsbury Avenue

13TH LONDON AFRICAN MUSIC FESITVAL THE ETIENNE SISTERS 18 Sept - 27 Sept BY CHÉ WALKER The 2015 London African Music FestiSept 10 - Oct 3 val will run for 10 days under the direction ‘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

Joyful Noise founder, Biyi Adepegba. 2015 line-up: living legends EBO TAYLOR (Ghana), JOYCE MOHOLOAGAE South Africa), MOSE FAN FAN (Congo), PAUL LUNGA (Zimbabwe) and ED BENTLEY (UK). We also have London debuts for three new divas in SUZANNA LUBRANO (Cape Verde), OUM (Morocco) and YINKA DAVIES (Nigeria). Suzanna Lubrano creates a musical world that is between zouk and R&B. Oum is something special. Her performances show a singer who knows her musical history and adds something new to it. SANDRA NKAKE is the most explosive of the new singers coming from West Africa with a root in popular African cultures and the urban sharpness of her roots in France. Yinka Davies’s position as a judge on Nigerian Idol gives her a weekly exposure to Nigerian homes. The festival will take place at verious locations. Please visit: www.joyfulnoise. co.uk

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, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

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Nigerian News

Bailout Funds Will Be Used For Its Purpose

As Governor Thanks Workers For Resilience The Government of the State of Osun on Monday assured the people of the state that the N34.988billion bailout funds received from the Federal Government will be used for the very purpose for which it was received.

The Bureau, in its statement by the Director, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, explained that while the first batch of payment this week will be effected through the allocations received for the month of July, this is only pending the conclusion of the verification exercise which the labour itself called for in order to determine the actual workforce of the state. The clarification, according to the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, became necessary given the various insinuations and manipulations of the minds of the people giving the impressions that the funds will be diverted to other purposes. “We are using the opportunity to assure the entire workers in the state that all arrears of salary and pensions will be paid from the bailout funds as the reason for which it was received. And this is why the government has ensured that the verification exercise is concluded and the actual figure of workers is determined for the purpose of payment,” the Bureau stated Explaining further, the Bureau said that bailing out by the Federal Government will not be a continuous thing in the life of Nigeria, adding that the current bailout scheme was necessitated by the econom-

ic doldrums the ousted PDP-led Federal Government plunged the country into.

The statement said the government

must protect fully the interests of its real workers who toil day and night to ensure the growth and development of the state.

“It is therefore pertinent for workers

themselves to ensure effective conclusion

of this process in order to ensure they reap the fruits of their labour and prevent the

criminal and dubious activities of those who reap where they do not sow.

“Therefore, we must agree that civil ser-

vice reforms are absolutely critical at this

stage in the life of our dear state. There is a need for the engagement of all critical

segments of leadership of government and labour for the necessary actions that will

make the service effective, efficient and economic.

“If our state, and by all means, the en-

tire South-West region will become finan-

cially and materially viable, a wholesome review of what works and what does not

must be carried out and implemented with considerable alacrity and efficiency.”

The statement ended with the Governor

reemphasising his commitment to sustaining the many social programmes his gov-

ernment operate, stating that compassion with the distressed and poor members of

society is the true definition of successful leadership.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and outgoing Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abubakar Marafa during a familiarization visit to the Governor, at Government House, Osogbo.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola(2nd right), Newly posted Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kola Sodipe(2nd left,) ongoing Commissioner of Police Mr. Abubakar Marafa(right)and Special Adverser to the Governor, on Security, Mr. Tope Adejumo(left) during a familiarization visit to the Governor, at Government House.

Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle) presenting the Yoruba statue to the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Carlos Trejo Soza (left), as the Deputy Head of Cuban Commission to Nigeria, Mrs. Miriam Morales Palmero watches, during a dinner party organized by the State Government for the Cuban Envoy, at Government House, Osogbo.

Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left); Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Carlos Trejo Soza (2nd right), his wife, Mrs. Mable Perez (right) and Deputy Head of Cuban Commission to Nigeria, Mrs. Miriam Morales Palmero (right), during a dinner party organized by the State Government for the Cuban Envoy, at Government House, Osogbo.

Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

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Events

Africa Utopia, showcase at the Southbank

Africa Utopia, the Southbank Centre’s annual celebration of modern Africa, returns with a packed programme of family performances, workshops and events that was a huge success.

The event took place from 10 to 13 September, and the festival was a spotlight on the continent’s incredible cultural offerings, with appearances from world renowned performers and a wide range of subjects from community to fashion, gender to politics. Amongst the highlights for family audiences was The Boy And The Strange Animal, an interactive dance and storytelling masterclass featuring the sounds

and rhythms of the forest, which will take place on 12 September for everyone aged eight and older. Younger children aged between four and seven enjoyed dance moves on Sunday, with the opportunity to attend a dance workshop by Tavaziva Dance. Entitled When King Gogo Met The Chameleon, the show mixes the magical story of a brave boy who has to outwit the wicked King Gogo with the help of some animal friends with interactive dancing fun. Africa Utopia is one of many festivals that run throughout the year at the brilliantly eclectic Southbank Centre, many of which offer a line-up of events for children and their families. Photo credit: Ade Omoloja

Sidike Diabate ,Baba Maal ,Toumani Diabate.

Chi Chi Nwanoku founder of Chineke Junior Orchestra and Conductor Wayne Marshall

Baba Maal

Tony Allen

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Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

News

USA

Even overreaction is bigger in Texas if you’re clever and brown The Council on American-Islamic Relations have criticised police in Texas for arresting a 14-year-old Muslim boy after a homemade clock he brought to school was mistaken for an explosive device.

Ahmed Mohamed, from Irving, Texas, told The Dallas Morning News he made the clock using a circuit board and a digital display which he put in a metal box. He said he took the clock to school to show his teachers, but said the school thought it was a bomb and called police. The teen, who said his hobby was to “invent stuff”, said the school’s principal and a police officer took him to a room where he was questioned. “It made me feel like I wasn’t human, it made me feel like a criminal,” he told the newspaper. Ahmed, who had just started at MacArthur High School a few weeks ago, has a talent for tinkering — he constructs his own radios and once built a Bluetooth speaker as a gift for his friend. Wanting to show his new teachers what he could do, on Sunday night he quickly put together a homemade digital clock using a circuit board and power supply connected to a digital display and proudly offered it to his engineering teacher the next day. Later in another unrelated class, the homemade clock made a noise, annoying the teacher who asked to see inside Ahmed’s bag. It was this teacher who alerted the police.

“They took me to a room filled with five officers in which they interrogated me and searched through my stuff and took my tablet and my invention,” the teen said. “They were like, ‘So you tried to make a bomb?’ I told them no, I was trying to make a clock.” He said he was then handcuffed, taken to a juvenile detention centre and fingerprinted before his parents could pick him up. Ahmed’s father Mohamed Elhassan, a long-time resident of Irving, Texas, is a native of Sudan and has reportedly run for the Sudanese presidency twice, including this year. He told the Morning News that Ahmed “just wants to invent good things for mankind ... but because his name is Mohamed and because of September 11, I think my son got mistreated.” Father and son reportedly plan to meet with the school principal and the police chief on Wednesday. The Dallas chapter of the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has taken an interest in the case. Spokesperson Alia Salem said: “I think this wouldn’t even be a question if his name wasn’t Ahmed Mohamed (..) He is an excited kid who is very bright and wants to share it with his teachers.” According to the Dallas Morning News, police might still charge the Ahmed with making a hoax bomb. Meanwhile he has been suspended from school.

A bewildered Ahmed handcuffed at school for making a clock

Burkina Faso presidential guard seizes power in coup General Gilbert Diendiere has been appointed the head of a military council that has taken power in Burkina Faso, making him the country’s new leader, a spokesperson for the presidential guard announces on national television. Frontiers have been closed and a curfew imposed from 19:00 to 06:00. Diendiere headed the presidential guard under president Blaise Compaore, who ruled the West African country for 27 years until fleeing to Ivory Coast nearly a year ago. ECOWAS, African Union and United Nations, which jointly chair the International Follow-up and Support Group for the Transition in Burkina Faso (GISATBF), have learned with great dismay of the abduction by the presidential guards, of the President of Faso, Michel Kafando, the Prime Minister, Yacouba Isaac Zida, and transitional Ministers. This incident occurred during the Ministerial Council 12

meeting at the Presidential Palace in Kossyam. The three organisations strongly condemn this gross violation of the Constitution and the Charter of the Transition and demand that the defence and security forces submit to the political authorities and in this case, the transition government. ECOWAS, African Union and United nations call for the immediate release of the hostages. They emphatically state that the abductors will answer for their actions and will be held responsible for any physical harm to the President of the Faso, the Prime Minister and other persons being held hostage. The three organisations reaffirm their full support to the Transition at this critical time, for the conclusion of its mission with the conduct of elections scheduled to hold on 11 October 2015. They reiterate their determination, in support of the national authorities, to spare no effort in ensuring the successful completion of the transition process in Burkina Faso.

General Gilbert Diendiere

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Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

France

Good taste eludes Charlie Hebdo again Newspapers across the world have been paying tribute to Aylan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian toddler photographed washed up on a Turkish beach who became an unwitting symbol of the refugee crisis and has been credited with changing attitudes in the UK to the plight of the hundreds of thousands ﬂeeing conﬂict.

Eight months earlier, emotions were similarly heightened when terrorists attacked the headquarters of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for, the editors claimed, exercising free speech. Now, however, the latter has seen ﬁt to publish two cartoons appearing to mock the former. Entitled “So Close to His Goal”, the ﬁrst drawing features Aylan lying face down on the sand near a McDonald’s billboard proclaiming what translates as: “Two children’s menus for the price of one.” The second cartoon, entitled “Proof that Europe is Christian,” shows a little child head down in water while a bearded man, presumably Jesus Christ, stands on the water’s surface. An arrow pointing at ‘Jesus’ proclaims: “Christians walk on water”, while another pointing at the child says: “Muslim kids sink.” Well used to overstepping the limits of good taste, Charlie Hebdo has received harsh criticism on social media over what many regard as offensive drawings. @Zariyad on Twitter posted: “Ladies and gentleman, Charlie Hebdo. That’s why i was not and will never be Charlie. How can you mock that poor kid??” @zesfaye wrote: “I condamn there [the Paris terrorists] acts it makes me sick but the cartoons were so disrespectful to muslims and now thy draw the Syrian Kid and make fun of him? (sic)”

Moroccans in strange tribute to Alyan Kurdi, the toddler discovered washed up on a Turkish beach

Others suggest it is Christians’ superiority complex and Western consumerism that is the butt of the joke. If so, and the joke is so oblique as to be lost on so many, it is at least reckless as to any offense it might cause and, therefore, almost as reprehensible as something intentionally offensive. While nations, corporations, ethnic groups and even religions may be seen as fair game for a publication with Charlie Hebdo’s remit, it is unclear what possible quarrel there could be with an innocent child who cannot reasonably even be accused of being a migrant in the sense that he will probably have had no real idea why his parents even decided to brave the water that ultimately killed him. Aylan was travelling with his 5-year-old brother Galip and his parents to the Greek island of Kos. Galip and their mother, Rehan, also perished during their attempt to escape warfare in their country. The father, Abdullah, was found alive and taken to hospital near Bodrum. Meanwhile in Morocco, dozens of people replicated the scene of Aylan’s death as part of an artistic tribute. Moroccan actress Latifa Ahrar helped organise the tribute in which dozens of people dressed in similar red Tshirts and blue denim jeans to those worn by Alyan when he was discovered, laid motionless on a sandy beach for 30 minutes. Ahrar said: “As an artist, my duty is to react and to come here with my colleagues to say that a small gesture can be worth a lot.” Journalist Rachid el-Belghiti added: ‘We are here to say that the Mediterranean should remain a space for sharing and exchanges, not a barrier for those who are victims of dictatorships, civil wars and terrorism.’ More than 2,600 people have died crossing the Mediterranean so far this year. Since midday on Friday, there were 58 new fatalities at sea, according to the International Organizatiom for Migration.

Croatia

Refugees circumvent Hungarian blockade Refugees in Serbia are heading for the western border with Croatia following Hungary’s fortiﬁcation of its border.

Reporters say they have witnessed hundreds of refugees, some of whom identified themselves as Iraqis, trek through fields near the official Sid border crossing between Serbia and its fellow former Yugoslav republic, a member of the EU since 2013. They arrived by bus from the southern Serbian town of Presevo, rerouted late on Tuesday to the Croatian border after Hungary sealed its own frontier

with Serbia to the wave of migrants streaming north across the Balkan peninsula en route to Western Europe. Serbian media reported that at least 10 migrant buses had left Presevo overnight bound for Sid. A Reuters television crew saw three arrive, one a double-decker that offloaded its passengers within a few hundred metres of the border. Croatian police confirmed they had crossed, saying an unspecified number had been rounded up and would be registered and transported to reception centres near the capital, Zagreb.

From there, it is just 30 km to Slovenian border and Europe’s Schengen zone of border-free travel. Many will hope to cross Slovenia into Austria and on to Germany and other prosperous countries of western and northern Europe. Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said they would be allowed passage through Croatia. “Croatia is entirely ready to receive or direct those people where they want to go, which is obviously Germany or Scandinavian countries,” Milanovic told parliament.

“They will be able to pass through Croatia and we will help, we’re getting ready for that possibility,” he said. Croatia has space in reception centres for around 3,000 migrants, fewer than the number crossing borders daily up and down the Balkans, having landed in Greece by boat and dinghy from Turkey. Some buses from Belgrade continued to carry migrants north towards the Hungarian border, now effectively sealed by a 3.5 metre-high fence and new rules that saw asylum seekers rejected in quick succession on Tuesday. 13

Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

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CRIME

Man convicted of drone offences A 42-year-old man from Nottingham has, today, Tuesday, 15 September, been convicted of illegally ﬂying drones over buildings and congested areas, in what it believed to be the ﬁrst police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) led successful prosecution of its kind in the UK.

Nigel Wilson, 42, of Rockingham Grove, Bingham, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to a total of seven offences contrary to sections 166 and 167 of the Air Navigation Order 2009, having already pleaded guilty to two offences at a previous hearing on 7 May. He was sentenced to pay a fine of £1,800 and to pay £600 in costs. A Criminal Behaviour Order was also issued, with conditions that he is not allowed to purchase, own or fly any drones nor assist any other person in using drones for the next two years. Wilson illegally flew his unmanned ‘drone’ aircraft over various football stadia across England and buildings in central London, where he either had no direct sight of the craft, flew the craft over congested areas, or where the craft was flying within 50 metres of the buildings - all offences under the Air Navigation Order, 2009. He flew his drone illegally over Anfield stadium in September, 2014 during a Liverpool match against Ludogorets FC, filming footage which he later posted online via a YouTube account. During this incident, he flew the drone close to mounted officers at the match, startling the horses on a busy walkway outside the stadium. Officers struggled to regain control as the horses reared and narrowly avoided hitting members of the public walking nearby. Wilson went on to commit similar offences, flying his drones over the iPro

Nigel Wilson

Stadium in Derby, the Emirates Stadium in north London, and the Etihad Stadium in Manchester at various times between September and December 2014 - all during busy match days at the stadia. He was initially arrested by officers from Greater Manchester Police on 18 October 2014, after they’d received reports of a drone flying over the Etihad Stadium. He was bailed, whilst officers carried out further enquiries, and when he returned on bail in January 2015, he was further arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police, who had been carrying out a joint investigation into Wilson with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which had also been contacted about his drone-flying activity. In addition to flying drones over crowds and stadia at various football matches, officers also discovered that Wilson had

been flying drones over or near various buildings in London, including the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, HMS Belfast and the Shard. He was questioned by detectives and was released from custody, but later summoned to appear at court in May and pleaded guilty to two offences. He appeared again at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 15 September, where he pleaded guilty to a further seven offences. No evidence was offered in relation to eight other charges. Chief Inspector Nick Aldworth, from the Met’s Specialist Operations Command, who is the Met’s lead officer on the misuse of drones, said: “As drones become more widely available, it’s important that anyone using this type of small aircraft understands that there are strict regulations on how and where they can be flown and that police,

in partnership with the CAA, will look to prosecute anyone who does not follow these rules. “Flying drones over congested areas or buildings can pose great risks to public safety and security and Wilson put many people in real danger. Today’s outcome should serve as a warning to anyone thinking of doing similar that they could end up in court if they ignore these regulations.” A spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “As this case shows, anyone flying a drone needs to understand that there are safety rules in place which have to be followed. These rules are there to protect the safety of the general public and other airspace users. It is clearly not appropriate to fly a drone over large crowds of people or close to buildings and the CAA will continue working with the police to ensure these safety rules are upheld.” Under article 166 and 167 of the Air Navigation Order, anyone flying a drone, must: + Keep the drone within ‘line of sight’ at all times, that is no more than 400ft vertically and 500m horizontally. + Take responsibility for avoiding collisions with other people or objects including aircraft. + Not fly the drone over a congested area (streets, towns and cities). + Not fly the drone within 50m of a person, vehicle, building or structure, or overhead large assemblies of people, such a spectators at sporting events or concerts. + Obtain permission from the Civil Aviation Authority to use a drone for any kind of paid work or commercial activity.

£630,000 payback for stolen student cash launderer

A woman who helped defraud hundreds of UK students online has been ordered to pay back almost £630,000 after admitting she made £1.2million from her crimes.

On Monday 14 September, the Old Bailey heard how Ruth Smith-Ajala, 46,, a Nigerian national of Redlands Way, Lambeth was jailed in December 2013 for her part in conning students out of more than £1.5m. Students were sent emails inviting them to update details on their student loan account via a link to a bogus website. 14

When the site was accessed by the unsuspecting victims, a cyber crime gang gained unauthorised access to their bank accounts, stealing large amounts of money. Smith-Ajala used her share of the cash to buy products in the UK, which she then shipped out for sale at a wholesaler in Lagos she owns. During her trial, Smith-Ajala tried to convince the court that she was running a legitimate business but she was ultimately found guilty of conspiracy to launder money and mortgage fraud. The mortgage fraud related to seven houses that Smith-Ajala was renting out

in Gravesend, Northfleet and Chatam, in Kent; Grays, in Essex; and Catford, in London. In conjunction with the investigation, specialist detectives from the Met’s Central Criminal Finance Team (CFT) launched a financial investigation. They and the Crown Prosecution Service obtained a restraint order for the properties and Smith-Ajala’s banks accounts were frozen, prohibiting her from selling the houses and hiding the money. As a result of the confiscation proceedings, Smith-Ajala will now have to sell the houses, using the profits and rent money to pay the confiscation sum.

Ruth Smith-Ajala

Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

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Sounds of Diaspora People of America

Suge Knight Due in Court For Hearing in Robbery Case

Marion “suge” Knight

Marion “Suge” Knight is scheduled to return to court Thursday for a hearing in which prosecutors will detail some of their evidence to support a robbery case against the former rap music mogul.

Knight is charged along with comedian Katt Williams with taking a celebrity photographer’s camera in September 2014, just days after the Death Row Records co-founder was shot in a nightclub. Williams and Knight have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are scheduled to present evidence Thursday that could lead to a judge ordering the men to stand trial. Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen will also preside over a hearing in a separate murder case against Knight. The Death Row Records co-founder is charged with

running over two men outside a Compton burger stand in January, killing 55-yearold Terry Carter. Knight, 50, has already been ordered to stand trial on murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run charges. His attorneys have said Knight was fleeing armed attackers when he ran over Carter and Cle “Bone” Sloan, an adviser on the film “Straight Outta Compton.” Knight was a key player in the gangster rap scene that flourished in the 1990s, and his Death Row Records label once listed Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg among its artists. He lost control of the company after it was forced into bankruptcy. Knight faces potential life sentences if convicted in either case due to prior convictions for armed robbery and assault with a gun.

Producers Agree Not to Screen Aretha Franklin ‘Amazing Grace’ Doc for 30 Days The “Amazing Grace” documentary, featuring footage from Aretha Franklin’s 1972 gospel concert at New Missionary Baptist Church, won’t be shown to the public or to film executives in the next month, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

On Tuesday, an attorney for the singer told a Colorado judge that producer Allan Elliott has agreed to a 30-day injunction that bars the Sydney Pollack-shot documentary from being shown commercially. The stipulation happens as the two sides try to agree on a settlement. On September 4, hours before “Amazing Grace” was to open the Telluride Film Festival, U.S. District Judge John Kane granted Franklin’s request for a temporary restraining order. The singer has argued that that the “Amazing Grace” producer had a contractual obligation to get her permission and that the film festival violated her right of publicity when he didn’t. The Queen of Soul got an in-

Aretha Franklin

junction against Telluride showing the film and indirectly interrupted planned showings at the Toronto and Chicago film festivals.

Lionel Richie To Launch Las Vegas Residency Next Year

Lionel Rivhie

The singer announced Wednesday that he will launch a residency called “Lionel Richie — All the Hits” on April 27 at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Richie will play 20 shows in April, May, September and October. Tickets,

which go on sale Friday, range from $59 to $199, not including service charges. The shows will include hits such as “All Night Long (All Night),” ”Hello,” ”Stuck on You,” ”Say You, Say Me” and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” Richie said in a statement: “It’s a high energy show that is a perfect match for such a vibrant city!” 15

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Gospel By Michael Adekoya

Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

DON’T QUIT!!!

“Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up” Gal. 6:9

My friend, can I tell you what you need to watch out for in a great race, match, fight, and marriage; even in a great church, in a great process of parenting, in a great process of building a company, business or ministry? ‘Weariness!’ Paul told the believers in Galatia, “You did run well but who hinders and discourage you?” He went on to say, “Let’s not be weary in well doing; for you shall reap in due season if you faint not.” What do you do when you’re weary?

harsh and evil - the type of a man who takes advantage of his wife’s good heart. Despite his cruel attitude towards her, she didn’t give up on him. She even saved him from the sword of David because she chose to honour her husband instead of humiliating him or quit the relationship. Did you hear that? What a virtuous woman! Abigail drew joy, patience and strength from God, not from what’s happening in her surroundings and God rewarded her. Even when Nabal died, David, the king, was so impressed with Abigail that he took her for his wife. My friend, are you tempted to give up, to leave it all behind, to throw in the towel or to quit? Don’t do it! Make God your joy and wait for His reward. The joy of the Lord is your strength. We are not faithful to get a reward, but we are rewarded for being faithful. That’s profound, my friend! In a race, you may get rid of every weight that can hinder you; you may get rid of the sin – your sin – that easily ensnares you but until you get rid of your weariness, you may be hindered, stagnated, give up or want to quit! As powerful as Prophet Elijah was, a threat from Jezebel, the witch, got him running from his calling. Why? Because he was weary. How will a man, who outran the chariot, not be worn out? But because God knew that Elijah’s ministry was not yet over, He fed him, made him to rest and strengthened him to carry on. My friend, you can’t quit because it is not over until you achieve, until you finish your race and win. Things weren’t going well for the disciples. What worked before, wasn’t working again. They told Jesus, “…we have toiled all night and caught nothing…” My friend, does that describes you? “Lord, I tried so hard but look at my life, look at how my husband is treating me in this marriage?” “Lord, I have obeyed You in my tithe, I gave offerings every time, I gave to the poor, and served You with all my heart, with my time, with my talent and treasures in this church but see what’s happening?”

You may ask, “What’s weariness?” Webster says, “Weariness is when you have your sense of pleasure exhausted.” Weariness is when your sense of joy or enjoyment decreases. When you first started running, when you first became a Christian, when you first became a member of your local church, when you first started dating that man or woman, when you first started building the business or ministry of your dream, you were enjoying it but not anymore. Sound familiar? Listen! It is easy to discover your purpose in life and get weary in the middle of developing or deploying it. It’s easy to be discouraged and grow weary of being a spouse, a single parent, a Pastor, a worker in the church, an employee, a member of a local assembly or club, an employer, a resident of a nation…the list goes on…and you just want to quit! My friend, is this where you are now? Are you tired of the whole thing and contemplating of giving up or quitting? I have Good News for you. Rise up and resist that temptation because if you don’t, you’ll make a permanent decision based on a temporary feeling or situation. Where you are now is not where you are going. The journey is still far. Better days are ahead of you and God will not leave or forsake you. One woman who resisted such temptation was Abigail, the wife of Nabal (1 Sam 25). She was such a beautiful and an understanding wife; but Nabal, her husband, was

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

(PART ONE)

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

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

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

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Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

Africa Newsround International terrorism threatens to rekindle Civil War Angola

Angola’s defence minister, João Lourenço, has expressed concern about the spread of international terrorism that has reached countries like Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.

The Angolan official expressed his concern at the opening of official talks between delegations from Angola and Italy, the latter led by her country’s defence minister, Roberta Pinotti. The Italian delegation has been in Luanda since Sunday for a three-day visit as part of a bid to strengthen bilateral relations with Angola. “For this reason, Angola, supported by the international community, including Italy, will arrange next month an international conference on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea”, said Lourenço, recalling that Angola, an independent country since 11 November, 1975, experienced conflict

until 2002. Now, he stressed, the country is committed to the consolidation of its democracy as well as economic and social development. As for investment, the minister said that this requires safety and stability in the country. Angola has been making special efforts over the last several years despite ﬁnancial constraints amid the fall in oil prices in the international market. According to him, Angola, which chairs the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), has been working on peace solutions in a region where the situation in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR) and Burundi is still a cause for concern. Expressing the country’s optimism, Mr Lourenço said that with the engagement of the international community, peace can be achieved in this troubled region of the African continent.

João Lourenço, Angola’s Minister of Defence

Egypt

Zimbabwe

Mexico demands investigation Heckling halts Mugabe speech into deadly ‘mistake’ broadcast

Claudia Ruiz Massieu will lend support to investigations in Egypt

Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto has called on Egypt to swiftly investigate why tourists were mistakenly targeted in what witnesses described as an air strike that left at least two Mexicans dead and six unaccounted for of a total of 14 Mexicans involved in Sunday’s “grave incident” in the Western Desert.

“The events of [Sunday] have saddened us as a nation. There is no precedent, in years, of an event like this one that harms our compatriots,” Mr Pena Nieto said. “Mexico has demanded from the Egyptian government an exhaustive, deep and swift investigation into what happened,” he said at a military event in Mexico City. Foreign minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu said she would travel with seven relatives of some of the victims as well as Mexican doctors to care for the wounded. “We face of a terrible loss of human

lives and an unjustified attack that obligates us to make the protection of our citizens the priority,” Ms Ruiz Massieu told reporters at Mexico City’s international airport. Egyptian authorities said security forces mistakenly killed 12 people and wounded 10 others when they struck their convoy while chasing jihadists, but they have not given details about the weaponry used or the breakdown of victims. Egypt has vowed to form an investigative committee headed by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab. Six Mexican survivors told the Mexican ambassador Jorge Alvarez Fuentes that they had stopped for a meal when they “suffered an aerial attack with bombs launched by a plane and helicopters”. Mr Alvarez said six Mexicans were still unaccounted for while a woman and a man were confirmed dead. The wounded include five women and a man who are all stable.

President Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwe’s parliament suspended live television and radio broadcasting of a speech by President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday (September 15) after the main opposition party threatened to disrupt the event.

Opposition groups booed and heckled Mugabe about the deteriorating economy in August during his state of the nation address in parliament. Innocent Gonese of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) told parliament that the MDC would disrupt proceedings to protest against anonymous death threats to opposition legislators if they heckled Mugabe again. Speaker of parliament Jacob Mudenda, however, warned the opposition they would face contempt charges. Broadcasting was then suspended before Mugabe started his

speech. During the speech, the MDC members sat quietly, while ruling ZANU-PF party supporters clapped at regular intervals. In his 25-minute speech, Mugabe repeated promises to strengthen ties with Western lenders and promised to overhaul investment laws to make it easier to do business in Zimbabwe. “Let us, whatever our affiliations, political, religious, social, continue to believe in ourselves, to believe in our collective capacity, so as to overcome adversity and challenges that confront us, including unemployment,” Mugabe said to cheers from his party members. Mugabe arrived at parliament in a vintage black Rolls-Royce car in the company of his wife Grace, and inspected a guard of honour. The 91-year-old leader was also treated to a fly-past by three fighter jets and a 21-gun salute. 17

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Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015

Nigerian News

Ondo 2016: God will fight the battle By Olubunmi Omoogun There can be no denial of the sterling performance of this honourable and distinguished man. This naturally and very well so made him a first choice candidate to represent his beloved Akure South/ Akure North federal constituency in the House of Representative.

Hon. Afe Olowookere didn’t just have the title of an honourable in front of his name. He earned it. The title Hon. is for an accredited representative of a particular community/geographical area who had gotten the mandate of his people to fight their cause in the Assembly or hallowed chamber. APC being a party of progressives will be glad to have to its credits and stable someone you could easily and comfortably call in yoruba parlance ‘Omoluabi’. Hon. Afe Olowookere was one of the most vocal and shrewd member of the 4th House of Assembly in Ondo state where he previously served as a member and chairman of the highly revered appropriation committee of the House and thereafter deputy majority leader a position he assumed due to his commitment and respect for ethical standard and values. Olowookere comes out with wealth of political and corporate experience spanning over 3 decades, after working as a clerical officer for 3years in the ministry of Lands and Housing, Akure, Ondo state Southwest Nigeria and later for the compulsory National Youth Service where he served with merit. His well horned innate capacity for service is fast finding a great expression currently in the Nigeria’s House of Representative of the National Assembly with his prompt presentation of the motion to nip kidnapping activities in Ondo and Ekiti states in the bud and the promotion/pursuance of other people friendly programmes. He is a gentleman politician that has strong connection with the people in his constituency Hon. Afe Olowookere, a Masters holder from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile Ife, Osun state spoke to AfricanVoice Newspaper’s Olubunmi Omoogun recently. AFV: Judging by your antecedents, you have always being an apostle of due process, capacity building and firing 18

people’s mindset about doing the right things. Buhari is going towards this direction. What are your perspectives on this? Hon. Olowookere: Let me say that it is the right thing at this particular time. Because Nigerians have long missed it. You will recollect the short time Buhari and Idiagbon were in charge in this country was the only time Nigerians were been organised to conduct themselves in the right way and manner to do the right things. This concept of observing due process manifested the right character and attitude in Nigerians but unfortunately the IBB regime abruptly brought an end to that regime. IBB regime corrupted Nigerians socially and morally and we lost all the gains that were achieved under Buhari and Idiagbon. And so people went back to their old ways of doing things with impunity; exhibiting negative culture and practice. I want to believe that the conscious effect by this new government to sensitize us again and make us see things the right way. The corruption is endemic because people have not embrace the culture of doing things the right way. Nigerians need to imbibe right values, strong culture and practice. Corruption doesn’t Hon.Afe Olowookere start and ends with issue of money. It is and for the people. If truly you derive in all spheres of our lives. So the new the mandate from the people then you orientation and consciousness courtesy will do the right by them. And this of Buhari is the right tonic we need now will guide your actions. So the people that will give us the desire change we all definitely need to downplay the role of clamoured for. money in competition for positions. When we were in the House of AFV: You have shown that you are Assembly during the AD era. Those of us responsible to the people and I think that contested and won that free and fair that was what aided your success at the elections were the first set of the current primaries and the main election that political dispensation. During that time brought you here. What do you think there was no rigging of election in any we should do more for the politicians form. It was transparent. The system was to be responsive to the yearning of the not corrupted like we have now. I valued people? that mandate so much so that every last thursday of the month I report to my Hon: Well, I just want to say that constituency in a town hall meeting and to make our politicians and public highlight the programmes and activities office holders to be more responsive of government at the time and I also set and responsible to the people, we need aside a period in a year where I give to ensure that our electoral system account of my activities in the House and process are well organised and which I tagged ‘my stewardship and strengthened such that it will always accountability programme’ because produce credible, responsible, quality I see the people as the source of the and qualified representatives into mandate I was enjoying. political positions. Secondly, the people themselves must be organised and AFV: You have been a member of the discipline their minds. They must also legislative arm of the local government, resist the temptation of putting forward the State House of Assembly and now people with biggest purse or make the the National Assembly. positions cash and carry. Then it would How much legislative experience be easy for the people to hold the office does one actually need to become a holders accountable. The real power functionary in the National Assembly? resides with the people as democracy is government of the people by the people Hon: You need legislative experience

in order to function well. It will be to one’s advantage to garner enough experience because you will not act as a neophyte in some issues. Even then it doesn’t take a long time to get in the groove and function very well. The role of functionary is mostly administrative. I will want to say experience is good but that should not be used to exclude first timers from being functionaries after all one will have to start from somewhere. Though if you have the experience you will surely perform better. AFV: Do you think the President is loo king for people with great character, discipline and integrity or why do you think he’s taking long to announce his cabinet? Hon: It is not taking too long for a journey of 48 months. So if the President takes 3 months to study who he wants to work with is not too bad. After all the President has promised the list will be out this month. Rumours have it that the DSS is screening and doing security checks on some names. The President is actually looking for character, people with impeccable character. The PDP are deficient and they have accepted that so they should keep quiet. Buhari is trying to beat that deficiency in our polity, so he is trying to pick people that have not

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Nigerian News

for us says Hon. Afe Olowookere

soiled their hands. He wants a solid and formidable team that will take Nigeria out of the woods. AFV: There are words out there that the National Assembly should get cracking with the issues of legislation. Don’t you think that recesses are becoming too much? Hon: Those that are saying that are not properly informed about our working and duties. People do not understand that our duties and responsibilities do not start and ends at the chambers. It starts from the representation of the people. Representation is the first duty we are here to do. The second duty is making laws and the third is oversight function. You can only be seem to be effective if you do the first duty correctly. You must be able to rub minds with the constituent you represent, know their needs, what they desire. That’s what you will arm yourself with to legislate on. The other two you perform outside of the chambers. For example I was in my constituency in August to flag off three different projects, the 1km light drain, borehole and community town hall project. You can only do these when

you are on recess. I have used the recess window to hold several meetings with my party the APC and my constituency where I synergized with them to know their worries and needs. I will then table them in the chambers. For instance, I raised the motion on kidnapping which was rampant in Ondo/Ekiti. Based on this motion moved by my humble self, ondo state now has an anti-kidnapping squad to tackle the menace. And I was able to see first hand the deplorable conditions of the roads between Lokoja and Ondo. All these were done during the recess. Within the short period we have passed 66 motions and 12 Bills have been presented and under consideration. AFV: Nigeria needs strong institutions. How far will Buhari’s lone integrity take us?

Hon: I want to agree with you that we need to build institutions. Institution is the people. The greatest problem has been the issue of leadership. We still make reference to Murtala short lived government and Buhari/Idiagbon regime, they did things that were fundamental. Buhari will lay the foundation

is the mindset. Our mindset needs to be reconstructed. We need to instil the right discipline and values. My advised to the President is that the President should maximise his own personal integrity Nigerians are enjoying now and try and correct the mindset of Nigerians. AFV: APC seems to be a formidable political party in Ondo state today. What are its chances for 2016 guber election?

Hon. Afe Olowookere

for strong institution. Under the last regime institutions were not allowed to function. Buhari has led from the front. He declared his assets. He has started cutting costs and blocking leakages. Definitely the followers would have no reason not to follow. We hope it will be sustained and the institutions entrenched. The people should have the consciousness of having values and strong culture. The issue is the mindset of the Nigerian individual. The different between the civilised world and Nigeria

Hon: Well, it is unfortunate the Labour Party was supposed to be an offshoot of AD and AC. Most of our members joined the Labour party because they were disenchanted with the Agagu government so they wanted a change. They pitched their tent with Mimiko’s Labour party. But we have now seen the true colour of the government of the day in Ondo state and so the battle line has been drawn. However, the strength of APC lies in God. Our God never loses battles. He will not lose this one. It is between David and Goliath. David told Goliath that he comes with the name of God of Israel. God makes things possible. He will make this one possible.

Nigeria’s Senate President faces 13-count charge over asset declaration

The Federal Government will today arraign the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on a 13-count charge bordering on false declaration of assets in breach of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

An official of the ‎Tribunal said all was set to begin hearing in the charge brought against Saraki. Meanwhile, the Senate President has begun moves to frustrate his arraignment by initiating proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division to challenge the propriety of the charge preferred against him. A reliable source told The Guardian that Saraki has been locked in a marathon session with prominent Senior Advocates with a view to fashioning out the best approach to the legal challenge. He said before the close of the day, the Senate President’s legal team would have approached the Federal High Court, Abuja Division with a motion for interim injunction, seeking to restrain government from arresting him or taking any step to arraign him on the charge until the ‎substantive suit is determined. It was learnt that Saraki’s legal team would be asking for a temporary reprieve vide an exparte motion.

Bukola Saraki

The source said there are fears however that the court may not be disposed to an exparte and, therefore, the lawyers would be armed with a notice of Appeal should the exparte be refused. On Tuesday, the news broke that The Senate President was charged in charge number ABT/01/15, dated September 11 and filed before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, for offences “ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Bureau while he was governor of Kwara State.” He was also accused of failing to declare some assets he acquired while in office as governor. Among other offences, including allegedly acquiring assets beyond his legitimate

earnings, Saraki is also accused of operating foreign accounts while being a public officer – governor and senator. The offences, the charge said, violated sections of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended. In the charge signed by Deputy Director in the office of the Attorney General of Federation, Saraki is also alleged to have breached Section 2 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and punishable under paragraph 9 of the said Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. Meanwhile, Saraki yesterday described as mere political witch-hunt the reported charges being leveled against him The Senate President, who was reacting to questions on the 13-count charge said he was unshaken by the numerous allegations against him. He wondered why the bureau should wake up with the allegation about 13 years after he declared his assets and said he would defend the charges. On whether he saw the development as a witch-hunt, Saraki said: “There is no doubt about that. It is mischievous, it is not correct and the issues therein are not true. As far as we are concerned, we are not shaken. We will focus on what we have come to the Senate to do. I was elected by the people, I was elected by my colleagues to work

for what is good and in the interest of this country and that is what I will do.” He added: “For the Code of Conduct Bureau to wait for 13 years before working on declaration that was made since 2003 was ridiculous. “I have always done my declaration and we will defend those allegations but we will continue to do our work here. It is surprising that the alleged charges is now referring his asset declaration made in 2003 while in office as Governor of Kwara State to formulate their charges. They therefore ignored the recent declaration for which they last week issued an acknowledgement. We believe that the Code of Conduct Bureau following their processes in which after a declaration is submitted to the bureau, ought to have carried out their verification of the assets and ascertain the claims made and not wait till 12 years later to be pointing out an alleged inconsistencies in a document submitted to it in 2003. “This is the reason we are of the opinion that present effort is a desperate move initiated due to external influence and interference. “It should also be noted that contrary to the procedure indicated in the law setting up the CCB, the bureau never wrote to Saraki to complain of any inconsistency in his asset declaration forms.” 19

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Drama leaves Sudan smiling There was plenty of joy for Sudanese football supporters as a draw in Egypt saw two-time finalists Al Hilal join rivals Al Merreikh in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League. The other outstanding place in the last four went to TP Mazembe, who thrashed Moghreb Tetouan in their final group game. The winner of the competition will represent the continent at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan at the end of the year. TP Mazembe 5-0 Moghreb Tetouan Moghreb Tetouan’s hopes of reaching their first semi-final came crashing to the ground as Mazembe put in a faultless performance in Lubumbashi to deny the Moroccans. Mbwana Samata was the hero for Les Corbeaux. The Tanzanian international, who went into the match not having found the net for seven games, scored a hat-trick. Rainford Kalaba and Roger Assale scored the others as the side from Congo DR proved simply too strong for their opponents. They will now face Sudanese club Al Merreikh, who are coached by former Mazembe trainer Diego Garzitto, in the last four. Mazembe coach Patrice Carteron, who began the game with an offensive line-up comprising nine internationals from six countries, said that his side’s offensive display was not a surprise. “We do everything to produce attacking football because our fans request it. This is the hallmark of our side at home. It is also not their style to sit back behind the ball. This made for an exciting match.”

Mbwana Samata

Other matches The other Group A game saw Nasr Eldin Omar score a dramatic late goal to give Al Hilal the draw they needed in Alexandria against Egyptian club Smouha. Hilal, who last appeared in the semi-finals in 2011, went behind midway through the first half after Amr El-Menouf opened the scoring. The visitors, who knew that they would be eliminated with a defeat as Mazembe was leading Tetouan, pushed forward for an equaliser, but had to wait until the 73rd minute before the midfielder made the most of Smouha’s failure to clear the ball. The draw lifted Hilal to nine points – three behind Mazembe, but most importantly one ahead of Tetouan. As reward, Hilal will play against Group B winners USM Alger in the semi-finals.

Ring deaths revive calls for boxing ban

Continued from back page... ...following a knock out by Filipino opponent Carlo Magali 30 seconds before the end of their match-up for the IBF Super Featherweight title. The Australlian father of two had been on life support for four days before he succumbed to his injuries last Friday. Following the deaths, international condemnation of boxing and combat sports like Mixed Martial Arts has been invigorated. Dr. Stephen Parnis, Vice-President of the AMA told Australian broadcaster ABC: “One punch can kill, whether you are outside a pub on a Friday night or in a boxing ring, and this is the thing that causes young lives to be ended so traumatically. “The way that boxing is designed there will be these times inevitably where someone will get bleeding or irreversible damage to the brain and they will either lose 22

their life or end up with brain damage.” Neither South Africa nor Australia need to go back very far to find reason to heed calls for the sport to be looked at. South Africa’s sports ministry is still investigating the death of female boxer Phindile Mwelase late last year. Mwelase died after being in a coma for two weeks following a fight in the capital, Pretoria. Meanwhile, Queensland boxer Braydon Smith lost his life six months ago, following a featherweight bout in his hometown of Toowoomba. Australia’s Medical Association is advocating a ban on amateur combat sports at high levels, such as Olympics and Commonwealth Games. It also wants combat sports and martial arts to be completely banned for those under 18 years of age.

In Group B, USM missed out on the chance to make history by becoming the first club to obtain a maximum 18 points from their six matches. The Red and Blacks were beaten 1-0 in Sudan by Al Merreikh, who like the Algerian side had already been guaranteed of a place in the semifinals ahead of the game. Côte d’Ivoire striker Didier Lebri Grekou scored the only goal of the game early, but the outcome had no bearing on the final group standings as USM topped the table with 15 points, two ahead of the Sudanese. MC El Eulma avoided the embarrassment of becoming only the second club in the history of the Champions League (Mozambican team Costa do Sol were the first in 2002) to lose all six matches. The Algerian sec-

ond division club held the 2014 champions ES Setif to a 2-2 draw in Setif, equalising through Abdelmalek Abbes in injury time, having earlier surrendered a 1-0 lead. They ended their campaign on one point, while Setif have five. Player of the week Going into their final group game against Egyptian club Smouha, Al Hilal knew that a draw would be good enough to secure them a place in the semi-finals – irrespective of the result in the other game between TP Mazembe and Moghreb Tetouan. Hilal were shocked midway through the first half when Smouha took the lead and held it until the 73rd minute, when midfielder Nasr Eldin Omer found the goal that took his team through. It was the second goal he scored against Smouha in this competition, having already found the back of the net for his club in the 2-0 victory at home. The Sudan international also played in the Champions League for city rivals Al Merreikh. The stat 5 – The number of countries that now have managed to provide two semi-finalists in the same year after Al Merreikh and Al Hilal made history for Sudan. Previously Congo DR (2014), Nigeria (2009), Egypt (2005) and Tunisia (2004) managed to get two clubs into the semifinals. What they said “I regret this defeat, especially since it deprives us of reaching the historic mark of 18 points. Despite this setback, I am fully satisfied with the performance of my players who gave it their all.” USM Alger coach Miloud Hamdi.

Ayew beats Mahrez again to EPL award Ghana and Swansea City star Andre Ayew has again beaten Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez to the African Player of the Month of August in the English Premier League.

Last week, Ayew was also picked as the top player by the English Premier League. For the African Player award, Ayew also edged past Yaya Toure of Manchester City and Cote d’Ivoire. In a statement released by ‘Tunde Adelakun, CEO of Award organisers New African Soccer, Ayew received “overwhelming support in an unprecedented voting number count for the monthly award”. Continuing, Adelakun said, “We could see why Ayew won the award and kudos to him and to the participants in the vote. He just came into the Premier league and hit the ground running - scoring spectacularly against champions Chelsea in his debut and playing well in the month.

Andre Ayew

“Riyad Mahrez pushed him close, and well worthy of it too, as Mahrez, a bargain buy by Leicester for only around £500,000 has had a sterling 2015, and was the league’s leading scorer in August. “But I think people looked at the quality of opposition that Ayew faced and used it in determining the winner this month”.

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Nigeria get through Olympics qualifying draw Nigeria received what appears to be a tougher task than South Africa when the 2016 Olympic Games African qualifying tournament draw was made in Cairo on Monday.

The Nigerians were placed in Group B with Egypt, Algeria and Mali while South Africa face hosts Senegal, Zambia and Tunisia in Group A. South Africa visited Tunisia for two warm-up matches last weekend, winning 4-0 and losing 2-1 when the teams met again. Group winners and runners-up advance to the semi-finals, whose victors secure places at the Rio Olympic Games. The losing semi-finalists play off to fill the third and last place reserved for Africa at a tournament won by Nigeria in 1996 and Cameroon four years later. Nigeria edged Congo to reach Senegal while Egypt outclassed Uganda with rising star Kahraba scoring four goals. Algeria overcame Sierra Leone and Mali were too

Nigeria defeated hosts Congo

5-3 on penalties after final scores stood at 0-0 to win bronze medal

at the 2015 All Africa Games on Thursday.

Goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel was the

hero when he saved Sagesse Babele’s

penalty kick, while Etor Daniel, Sodiq Atanda, Kingsley Sokari, Erhun Obanor

and Christian Pyagbara all scored from the penalty spot for Nigeria.

Mustapha Abdullahi had a glaring

chance to score in the 32nd minute in a

one-on-one situation with the Congo goal-

keeper, but he decided to pass tor Junior Ajayi, whose effort was wide off target.

Overall, the game was tight with a

The Nigerian Team

strong for Mauritania and 2012 London Olympics qualifiers Gabon. Senegal are automatic participants as hosts and South Africa won at home against Zimbabwe with Keegan Dolly scoring twice after drawing away. Tunisia beat Sudan comfortably and Morocco nar-

handful of chances created by both sides, rowly while Zambia eliminated Botswana and edged Côte d’Ivoire in a penalty shootout. Senegal host the 28 November-12 December tournament in Dakar and Mbour, which lies 80 kilometres south of the capital.

Senegal, Burkina Faso battle for Gold in Brazzaville Senegal and Burkina Faso U-23 will battle for Gold in Brazzaville on Friday, in the final of the 11th edition of the All Africa Games (Kick-off at 19h30 CAT).

Both sides are already assured of a first ever continental medal, after getting past Congo and Nigeria respectively to reach their maiden AAG final. The Senegalese, whose previous best achievement at the tournament was a fourth-place finish in Maputo in 2011, finished second in their Group B after back-to-back draws with Ghana and Nigeria before enjoying a 3-1 win over hosts Congo in the last four. An early goal by Cheikhou Dieng and a brace from Ibrahima Keita proved more than enough to send the Red Devils packing. After making a maiden appearance in Lagos in 1973, Burkina Faso celebrated their big return to the competition with a narrow 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe in their Group A opener. Defeated 2-1 by Congo in their following outing, the young Stallions went on to play out a goalless draw with Sudan, with whom they ended up perfectly tied on points, goals scored and goals conceded.

Nigeria’s Dream Team win AAG football bronze

who incidentally clashed in a 2015 Africa U23 Cup of Nations qualifier recently, which Nigeria also shaded.

Another Nigerian parapowerlifter sets a new world record A National para-powerlifter, Esther Onyeama has set another new world record at the ongoing 11th African Games holding in Brazzaville. Onyeama, a Paralympion, in the 65kg

weight class, lifted 133 kg to erase the former 126kg record that she set previously. She won a gold medal at the London Paralympic Games in 2012.

The National Para-Powerlifting Head

coach, Feyisetan Are told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the performance was commendable.

According to him, the Nigerian lifters

are among the world’s best in the sport.

Are, then, predicted that another of his

lifter, Tony Ulonna would soon dethrone

the reigning world champion in the 59kg category, saying the Egyptian, who is the

world champion was already in the twilight of his career.

“I am excited at the performances of

Burkina Faso

However, they emerged the luckier side at the drawing of lots and proved their worth the next day with a 3-1 win over Nigeria in the semifinals.

my wards at the competition; they have Omar Kaboré found the back of the net either side of a brace from Sydney Mohamed Sylla to extend Burkina’s journey in Brazzaville.

display a high level of discipline and commitment. The result is there for all

to see, they keep setting new African and world records”.

Friday, 18 September - Thursday, 24 September 2015 ISSUE 597

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Nigeria get tough Olympics qualifying draw

SEE PAGE 23

RING DEATHS REVIVE CALLS FOR BOXING BAN

South Africa’s Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, was saddened by the death of a second South African boxer inside a year

By Alan Oakley

Boxing has endured a week that is bound to reignite calls for anything ranging from the mandatory wearing of head guards to the total banning of the sport.

On Tuesday (September 15), South African Mzwanele Kompolo, described as an ‘up-and-coming’ boxer, tragically died

days after suffering a first round technical knockout in a bout in the Eastern Cape. South Africa’s sports ministry said on Wednesday that Kompolo died in hospital in the town of Frere in the Eastern Cape Province after collapsing in the ring in his fight against Siphenathi Qampi. Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula said of the tragedy: “It is indeed sad to hear of

this news involving the passing of this young upcoming athlete.” News of events in South Africa came just days after Australian boxer Davey Browne Jr’s life support was terminated after he showed no signs of recovery...

Continued on page 22...

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