African Voice Newspaper Issue 620

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016 ISSUE 620

SINCE 2001

£1.00 B R I TA I N ’ S N O . 1 A F R I C A N N E W S PA P E R Femi Okutubo, IPCC to be renamed “Office for Police Trumpet Founder Conduct” Turns 50

SEE PAGE 4

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2016: Ondo state awaits a worthy governor

PEERS DEAL IMMIGRATION BILL DOUBLE BLOW

Abused domestic workers are currently forced to remain with their employer or face immediate deportation

By Alan Oakley The House of Lords has voted against two key proposals in the Home Office’s Immigration Bill in a bad week for the Government.

It has been well-publicised that the Government was defeated in the Commons over proposals to relax Sunday trading legislation. Not so prominent in the news bulletins, however, is that Peers voted on Wednesday (March 9) to allow overseas domestic work-

ers to change employers without risking immediate deportation. They also voted to allow asylum seekers the right to work if their claims have not been processed within six months.

The first rule change addresses accusations domestics brought into the country and subsequently abused by their employers must put up with the mistreatment or leave the UK (African Voice - Issue 616).

The defeat will give domestic workers

– holders of so-called ‘tied maid visas - the right move to another employer once, after which they are permitted to remain in the UK for up to two years. At present, changing employers is not allowed.

“The scandal of abuse and exploitation has gone on for too long, sometimes in the most affluent parts of London,” crossbencher Lord Hylton said.

Continued on page 2

Senator Remi Okunrinboye

By Olubunmi Omoogun Chief Correspondent, Nigeria

The stage looks set for race to grab the seat of power in Alagbaka Government House in Ondo State. Ondo state, Southwest Nigeria’s uniqueness is second to none to say the least. Politically the state has distinguished itself as a fortress for people who are determined to advance a cause that is right and that is moral.

A state with lots of potentials to grow in leaps and bounds.

Continued on page 19

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“Rise to the top” through apprenticeships

The message this forthcoming National Apprenticeship Week starting 14 to 18 March 2016 will be to highlight this year’s theme, “An apprenticeship can take you anywhere”, with a particular focus on higher skills to show how young people, entrepreneurs and businesses can “rise to the top” through traineeships and apprenticeships.

Hundreds of events will be taking place across the country to spread the word about the benefits of apprenticeships for young people, employers and the economy.

National Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity for both employers and their apprentices to step into the spotlight and help us show how, with an apprenticeship, you can rise to the top.

Throughout the week, facts and statistics about apprenticeships will be out to bring the week alive and hopefully do a bit of myth-busting along the way. Why not test your knowledge of apprenticeships on one or all five of our mini quizzes?

You may find your existing understanding of apprenticeships challenged, and even find out something surprising! So get involved in National Apprenticeship Week 2016.

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.

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

News Peers deal Immigration Bill double blow Continued from front page Opponents of the change argued it would create loophole that could be abused. Lord Green of Deddington, founding chairman of the MigrationWatch UK ‘independent’ think-tank, said it would mean someone could leave their employer whether they were being ill-treated or not, adding: “It provides what will be seen by many as a wide open door to the UK.” Lord Bates said the government was committed to eradicating modern-day slavery and abuse, but argued the amendment could be open to manipulation by people who had not been placed in difficult situations.

Despite such objections, the amendment was supported by 226 votes to 198.

The Lords also voted against the Government and in favour of a Labour, Lib Dem and crossbench amendment to the Immigration Bill on the rights of asylum seekers to work.

Proposer Lord Alton of Liverpool said the amendment would end the “enforced workhouse destitution” that asylum seekers experience.

“They are frustrated at being forced to remain idle and survive on benefits,” he argued, adding: “How many of us could exist on just over £5 a day while an asylum application was being considered? This is way below the poverty line.

Where is the justice and fairness in that?”

Under the current system, asylum seekers can only work if no decision on their case has been arrived at after a year, and only then in jobs specified on a Shortage Occupation List.

The crossbench Peer said the 3,500 people that had been waiting for six months or more by the end of last year deserved to be able to work rather than “eke out” an existence on “pitiful” state benefits.

“All the available evidence shows that permission to work does not act as a pull factor for asylum seekers, or migrants,” he said.

Arguing against, Lord Green warned reducing the time limit could encourage asylum seekers to “spin out” their cases using the appeals system.

“Not all people seeking asylum are genuine.

The record is that 50 percent turn out not to be.

We should be seeking to reduce pull factors, not increase them,” he said.

Lord Bates too argued that countries where asylum seekers can work as soon as they arrive attract greater numbers of asylum seekers; citing Sweden’s experience during the current migrant crisis as an example.

“We should not be doing anything to encour-

age more people to risk their lives. Now is not the time to make this change,” the minister argued.

Critics have called the Government’s proposal headline-grabbing but not workable.

West Yorkshire rights activist June Jones said, “If someone gets refused a right to stay here and they really can’t go home despite the Government saying they can they will just go underground.

“It’s just absolutely disgusting that we may not be able to properly support asylum seekers, who are some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

“But also, we have an aging population and massive skills shortage (…) Asylum seekers have a lot to contribute to this country.”

Fast Track to a Civil Service career opens The Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship programme is now open for applications. The Fast Track is an exciting scheme which allows you to earn a salary starting from £19,500 (from £22,000 in London) while you work towards a Level 4 Apprenticeship, gaining the skills and experience that you’ll need for a successful career in the Civil Service.

Over 700 roles in a range of departments in locations across the UK will be recruiting. The government want as many people as possible to benefit from the Fast Track apprenticeship programme and for the Civil Service to reflect the society that it serves.

Sir Jeremy Heywood, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service said: The Fast Track Apprenticeship programme is a fantastic opportunity for all the young people in this country with ambition, talent and enthusiasm to join one of the greatest organisations in the country, a

real force for good in the country; the Civil Service Fast Track apprentice Sarah Landers said; I would recommend the Fast Track to anyone; it’s such a fantastic opportunity to learn valuable skills and start a career, all the while earning a decent salary. I’ve had some great experiences on the business scheme and already know what roles I’ll

be applying for next; I haven’t looked back since I decided to join the programe!

Once apprentices have completed the Fast Track programme, they can progress their career by applying for a range of roles within the Civil Service. They will also be eligible to apply for the Fast Stream the flagship graduate scheme of the Civil Service without a degree.

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News

IPCC to be renamed “Office for Police Conduct” The plans to reform the governance arrangements of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to ensure they are fit for purpose now and in the future is out.

The organisation is to have new governance model and name to improve efficiency, drive more effective governance and make it more responsive to the public, according to the Home Secretary Theresa May. Home Secretary has concluded that the IPCC’s existing governance model is no longer suitable for the expanding organisation and in light of its enhanced role in the reformed police disciplinary and complaints systems, which will be overhauled as a result of measures in the Policing and Crime Bill. The announcement follows an independent review by Sheila Drew Smith and the Home Office’s recent consultation on changes to the governance of the IPCC. The reformed organisation will be headed by a director general instead of a large number of commissioners. The director

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general will be appointed by Her Majesty The Queen and be ultimately accountable for individual casework decisions, including in respect of the investigation of the most serious and sensitive allegations involving the police. Corporate governance will be provided by a board comprising a majority of non-executive directors appointed by the Home Secretary to challenge and have oversight of the overall running of the organisation.

Capable and resilient These changes will deliver a more capable and resilient IPCC with clear lines of accountability and decision-making, which is of particular importance as it takes on all serious and sensitive cases.

The organisation will also be renamed the “Office for Police Conduct” to reflect its expanded role investigating serious and sensitive matters and the fact there will be no commissioners under the new governance model.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: The vast majority of police officers and police staff discharge their duties with integrity and professionalism, upholding the best traditions of policing in this country.

But where the actions of a minority fall short of the high standards the public is entitled to expect, there need to be arrangements in place so that the conduct in question can be properly looked into and the matter resolved in a timely and proportionate manner.

The Policing and Crime Bill will build on reforms we have already introduced and make the police complaints and discipline systems simpler, more transparent and more robust. It also includes provisions to increase the powers and independence of the IPCC. At a time when the IPCC is growing as an

organisation to take on all serious and sensitive cases, it needs to be more streamlined, more responsive to the public, and better able to cope with the cases it is taking on.

The IPCC is supportive of the need for reform and I am grateful for the input and co-operation of the current chair and chief executive during the development of these proposals.

Increased powers The reforms in the Policing and Crime Bill increase the IPCC’s powers, including initiating its own investigations and recommending remedies.

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International Women’s Day 2016: Wellbeing Foundation Africa Calls for Gender Equality in Education and Employment. Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) and Wife of Nigeria’s Senate President, stated, “In all sectors, women continue to suffer from gender inequality, which unequivocally hinders advancement.

Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

Photo News

Actress cum producer, Stephanie Linus (3rd from left) and star of Tunde Kelani’s movie, Dazzling Mirage, Kemi Lala Akindoju (right), at this year’s edition of the AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA, which held Sunday at Eko hotel, Lagos, Nigeria.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo celebrated his 79th birthday on 5th March 2016 at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. In attendance were Rotimi Amaechi, Nuhu Ribadu, Dayo Adeneye, Dotun Ojelabi, Godswill Akpabio, Kola Bajomo, Ibikunle Amosu & Wife Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, Senator Tokunbo Tejuosho, OBA ABDULRAZAQ ADENUGBA, Pastor Oyedepo, Segun Oni, Senator Ibikunle Amosun with wife and many more prominent people.

Former Governor of Lagos State and APC National Leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Mahmud Mohammed; President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki; President Muhammadu Buhari; South Africa President Mr Jacob Zuma; Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo; Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara and two others.

President Muhammadu Buhari, President of Soth Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma, Adamawa State Governor, Alhaji Jubrilla Bindow, Speaker Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara and President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki during a dinner for the visiting President Zuma at the State House in Abuja.

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

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Health News

‘One You’ - The secret of being healthy at 70 and beyond Public Health England reveals ways to address preventable disease in adults with the launch of ‘One You’ in a nationwide campaign. The NHS spends more than £11bn a year on treating illnesses caused by the effects of diet, inactivity, smoking and drinking alcohol.

The launch of ‘One You’, a ground-breaking new campaign to help adults across the country avoid future diseases caused by modern day life.

Everyday habits and behaviours, such as eating too much unhealthy food, drinking more than is recommended, continuing to smoke and not being active enough, are responsible for around 40% of all deaths in England, and cost the NHS more than £11 billion a year.

‘One You’ aims to encourage adults, particular those in middle age, to take control of their health to enjoy significant benefits now, and in later life.

Professor Sir Muir Gray, clinical adviser for the One You campaign said: Many diseases that impact people’s health and shorten their active lives can be prevented. Currently 42% of adults in midlife are living with at least one long-term

health condition which increase their risk of early death and disability.

Although it has been customary to blame people for their ‘lifestyle’we now appreciate that we need to take into account the environmental pressures that make it difficult to make healthy choices, having to sit 8 hours a day at work for example, and then drive an hour home. One You is designed to help every individual identify not only their risks but also the pressures they face in their life and the stress that results, and then support them with personalised tools and advice.

Latest figures show that life expectancy at older ages is at record levels, yet many are spending their retirement living in ill health.

Currently 15 million Britons are living with a long-term health condition, yet studies show living healthily in middle age can double your chances of being healthy when you are 70.

The new campaign from Public Health England will help adults to move more, eat well, drink less and be smoke free. One You will also provide information on how people can reduce their stress levels and sleep better.

Modern day life makes it hard for people to live healthily, with bigger portions for everything we eat, a desk-bound job or a long commute.

One You gives people the chance to reappraise

their lifestyle choices, put themselves first and do something about their own health before it’s too late.

It will encourage adults to start by taking a new online health quiz called ‘How Are You’.

This innovative quiz provides personalised recommendations based on your results and directs people to tools and advice to help them take action where it’s most needed. Over half (56%) of 40 to 60 year olds taking the ‘How Are You’ quiz said they were likely to change their lifestyle to improve their health because of the feedback it gave them.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer said: It is important people of all ages feel able to prioritise their health so they can lead long and healthy lives.

We all have the power to shape our future

health by making simple and small changes now. One You campaign acknowledges that this can be difficult and is there to help make these changes easier.

Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director, Public Health England said: For the first time, Public Health England is launching a campaign that talks to adults directly about all of the things they can do to improve their health. The scale of the campaign is unprecedented and includes new public and commercial partnerships with Asda, Slimming World, BBC Get Inspired and the Ministry of Defence.

This will see One You in every community, on every high street, in local health services, on websites and in social media. We want everyone across the country to know that it is never too late to get your health back on track.

End to cover-up culture in the NHS Jeremy Hunt announced that, from April 2018, expert medical examiners will independently review and confirm the cause of all deaths. This was originally recommended by the Shipman Inquiry, and subsequently by Robert Francis following the events of Mid Staffs. If any death needs to be investigated and if there is cause for concern, appropriate action will be taken.

The current system has remained largely unchanged for over 50 years and leads to significant variations in the number of deaths that are investigated. The changes announced by the Health Secretary will reassure the public that if things go wrong, the causes will be identified and investigated.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: A huge amount of progress has been made in improving our safety culture following the tragic events at Mid Staffs but to deliver a safer NHS for patients, 7 days a week, we need to unshackle ourselves from a quickfix blame culture and acknowledge that sometimes bad mistakes can be made by good people.

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Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt

It is a scandal that every week there are potentially 150 avoidable deaths in our hospitals and it is up to us all to make the need for whistleblowing and secrecy a thing of the past as we reform the NHS and its values and move from blaming to learning.

Today we take a step forward to building a new era of openness and the safest healthcare system in the world.

Learning from mistakes league As part of the new measures, NHS Improvement will publish the first annual ‘Learning from mistakes league’ to identify the level of openness and transparency in NHS provider organisations for the first time.

Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

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Encounter

My experience in prison was torment- Hamza Al Mustapha

By Emmanuel Urhiofe There were no tell-tale signs of imprisonment as former Chief Security Officer to ex-head of state, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha who spent 15 years in jail addressed a cross section of the Press in Britain, at the BEN TV premises, London on Saturday 27th February 2016. But as soon as he started his briefing, prodded by questions from the inquisitive pressmen, it became clear we were in for an explosive revelation from a man who was very close to the Maximum ruler of Nigeria Gen. Sanni Abacha who died mysteriously in June 1998. He was released from jail after spending 15 years in the gulag, for his alleged role in the killing of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the winner of the June 12 election in Nigeria. He was discharged by the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos for the killing of Kudirat Abiola on July 13, 2013.

Al Mustapha, may still be wearing a toga of paranoia as he believes some perceived enemies are still after his life, as he made sure that all individual coming close to him are body scanned for security reasons. This can be permitted, given the present volatile global security situation. Nobody can be sure of himself in the city of London anymore.

Once seated, the volley of questions began in torrential sequence, and the man at the receiving end can be excused for certain non sequitur answers, but at the end of the day, he mesmerised the small audience with details of what took place during the dark days of the death of the maximum ruler and Chief Abiola, the winner of the June 12 election of 1993, his views on Nigeria development and the activities of Mustapha NGO.

‘Any government fighting corruption will never survive.’

Al Mustapha who now sponsors a UKbased charity organisation known as the Al Mustapha Peace and Development Initiative (ALPUDI) said Abiola’s death was a painful one adding that he would have been alive today if he had accepted his proposal to give up his mandate. From 1994 I was the security custodian of Abiola. “I took him

Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, as former Chief Security Officer to ex-head of state, General Sani Abacha

from Gashua prison because the conditions were bad there. I took him to Asokoro Guest House where there was satellite dish. He received a lot of visitors there including Rev Jesse Jackson, the black American politician who contested the Presidential Election and won in only the state of Michigan. He loved amala so much. I have never seen any man that like amala like Abiola. But as I could see, only one man told him the truth. That person was Oba Tejuosho. The rest came, told him lies and left with cheques.” Prodded further about his relationship with Abacha, he said: “Abiola was to be shot, but he was told not to negate the June 12 mandate since he was the bearer of the title, Are Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland.

I was chained to the ground On his prison experience, he said: “Unless you lose your freedom you will never know how precious it is. When I came out of prison I saw people chatting with themselves, smiling and joking with themselves. It was strange to me. Freedom is precious. I suffered in prison. I was chained on my hands and legs, and kept in an underground cell without electricity for a whole year. I was condemned to death and was to be hanged. The only living thing I saw were ants and mosquitoes. I will later write something about these two creatures in my forthcoming book. Rogers (the squad kingpin) is paralysed today.

“I was transferred from Ikoyi prison, to Kirikiri and from there to Abuja prisons. I was told point black that I have only a few days to live. I was to be hanged and later they would call it a mistake. I was friends with ants in the prison. I had no concept of time. But I have forgiven my jailors. I cannot believe I am alive today. I was subjected to regular torture in the prison and till today I am still feeling the pains of the torture. My father died while I was in prison and my mother followed later.”

My love for the army “Money was not my first consideration for my joining the army. It was my love to serve the country just like Gen Murtala Mohammed. When I was growing up I use to see Murtala Mohammed in Kofo Abayomi street. People should think of their country just like Murtala did. I also know Bola Ige very well. He grew up in Nguru, the railway terminal in kano. Our primary schools were close to each other.

He could speak Hausa fluently. He was a true nationalist.

Right now, I have interest in political office but I now use the platform of DKK to see how I can better the life of the youths in the country. You need a platform to talk to the youths in Nigeria. My upcoming book is a no holds back and the book is titled The Trials, travails & Triumph of Al Mustapha.

On the future of Nigeria “Nigeria has not changed. The few rich and powerful people will continue to dominate the political economy of Nigeria for the next century to come. There is need for mutual understanding and respect without the Nigeria social milieu. But money is still circulating among few people. There is poverty. This is because there a grand plan by the powerful people to make the people poor. What we have today is monkey sense. Intellectuals do not even count today because they have been swallowed by the money syndrome. People should realise and medicate what has brought the government to power.“ On why infrastructure such as road and electricity are not working, he said this can be attributed to budget manipulation by contractors. He said there are four types of contractors – those working for people in power, those working for their pockets, those working for their companies and those working for their oversea agents. He said under such situation, nothing was going to work.

On corruption He said: “Any government fighting corruption will never survive. I have written a 4-page memo to the President where I have advised him to concentrate on building infrastructure, empowering the youths, creating jobs, improving agriculture and reviving the economy. I told him to leave the issue for now but he can revisit it later after he has rebounded the economy.”

On his NGO He said the Al Mustapha Foundation for Peace and Development Initiative (APUDI) is a non-governmental organisation rendering selfless services to humanity in the spirit of peace, unity and development.

He revealed that the foundation has invested in educational and health projects for the empowerment of women and the youths.

One of his recent projects is the purchase of 10 Sharon buses, courtesy of an MOU, for the purpose of easing the transportation problems of students from the Gwadalaba campus of the University of Abuja to the main campus in the city. This project has received so much commendation from the University Vice Chancellor and the student community. A bakery project is also in the making. He said NGOs have been in his blood stream since 1994 before he went into prison. According to him his Al Mustapha Welfare Trust Welfare Trust is the only UK based charity that has established 14 hospitals in Nigeria.

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

Business Secretary wants more done to ensure BME workers get jobs Businesses must do more to help BME workers access the labour market and progress their careers, Business Secretary Sajid Javid said on 8 March 2016 at the first meeting of a new cross-Whitehall Ministerial taskforce when he called on them to engage with Baroness McGregor-Smith’s review into access to the labour market.

Ministers from across government met to discuss the barriers to progress and agree what more could be done to deliver the PM’s BME 2020 vision, which set out a series of targets.

The meeting came as Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) released a breakdown of the current scale of the problem faced by those from BME backgrounds when looking for work.

According to latest ONS statistics, the annual BME employment rate was 62.7%, almost 13 percentage points lower than the White employment rate of 75.4%.

Alongside this, the employment rate for people of Pakistani or Bangladeshi ethnic

origin was 55% around 20 percentage points lower than the employment rate for people from white ethnic groups, while it stood at 63.9% for people of Black ethnic origin. DWP are already looking to tackle BME unemployment by working with Jobcentres to identify and share best practice in working with BME groups.

Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith’s review, the terms of reference for which were published, specifically focuses on identifying and tackling the obstacles which prevent these groups from succeeding.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: A good deal of work has already been done across government to improve opportunities for people from BME backgrounds. But while we have seen progress in many areas, these troubling figures highlight just how difficult it can be to find a job if you’re from a minority background.

This is why I am determined to ensure this new Ministerial Taskforce will drive positive change to support BME workers to find the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential.

According to Business in the Community research, 1 in 10 employed people come

from a BME background, yet only 1 in 16 of top management positions and 1 in 13 management positions were held from people from these groups.

This is despite independent research undertaken by McKinsey showing that companies with the highest rates of ethnic diversity in senior management were 35% more likely to outperform their industry counterparts.

Employment Minister Priti Patel, said: The UK employment rate for BME groups is currently the highest since records began 15 years ago. But we know there is more to do which is why this government is committed to increasing the overall BME employment level and apprenticeship takeup by 20% by 2020.

This is a challenge that government, business and communities must meet to ensure that every part of Britain can benefit from our growing economy.

The terms of reference for Baroness McGregor-Smith’s review, which will specifically look to address these issues, will look at:

• the imperative for change: the impact on the UK economy as a whole of having more BME people represented at every level of the workforce

• identifying the obstacles: the obstacles BME people face and whether these differ across groups and at different stages of an individual’s career

• assessing the impacts: the impact of these obstacles on both the individual and the labour market as a whole

• gathering the data: consider what data exists, how businesses currently use it and whether more can be done to use this data in developing successful interventions

• highlighting what works: collect examples of best practice from across the UK and look to share the key lessons more broadly Baroness McGregor-Smith said: I am delighted to be leading this review. It has never been more important to fully capitalise on the skills and talents of every individual in the workplace, regardless of their background.

We need to remove the barriers that for so long have restricted BME talent from reaching the most senior levels in business.

These actions will deliver long-term economic benefits for the UK.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid

Nigeria Unbundle NNPC into 30 Companies The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has said that the NNPC is to be unbundled into 30 profit-making companies with separate Managing Directors in the weeks ahead as part of the ongoing transformation of the national oil company.

Dr. Kachikwu made this disclosure at the 25th Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum in Abuja with the theme: “Technological Advances in Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation: Solutions to Global Oil Price Stability”.

The Minister stated that the NNPC has been moved from a loss position of N160 billion to some N3 billion by January 2016, adding that by year end the Corporation should start making some profit.

“For the first time, we are unbundling the subset of the NNPC to 30 independent companies with their own Managing 8

Directors. Titles like Group Executive Directors are going to disappear and in their place you are going to have Chief Executive Officers and they are going to take responsibilities for their titles. At the end of the day, the CEO of an upstream company must deliver an upstream result,” Dr. Kachikwu stated.

He also stated that as part of measures to stabilize crude oil prices, some members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are scheduled to meet with Russia on 20th March, 2016, in Moscow to fine tune collaborative strategies.

The Minister noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is focusing on developing the nation’s gas resources in order to boost revenue as part of the diversification policy of the Federal Government.

Dr. Kachikwu said the petroleum sector, under his watch, would rapidly review the contracting cycle of projects from two years to six months in the upstream, stressing that efforts are in top gear to review the existing Production Sharing Contracts which is long overdue.

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

Comment Arts Culture

Back to the Land: What we should have done decades ago with our oil money! - Part Two Continued from last week

by Akintokunbo Adejumo “The Agricultural Policy Nigeria’s agricultural policy is the synthesis of the framework and action plans of Government designed to achieve overall agricultural growth and development. The policy aims at the attainment of self-sustaining growth in all the sub-sectors of agriculture and the structural transformation necessary for the overall socio-economic development of the country as well as the improvement in the quality of life of Nigerians.

The Broad Policy objectives Include: • Attainment of selfsufficiency in basic food commodities With particular reference to those which consume considerable shares of Nigeria’s foreign exchange and for which the country has comparative advantage in local production;

• Increase in production of agricultural raw materials to meet the growth of an expanding industrial sector;

• Increase in production and processing of exportable Commodities with a view to increasing their foreign exchange earning capacity and further diversifying the country’s export base and sources of foreign exchange earnings;

• Modernization of agricultural production, processing, Storage and distribution through the infusion of improved technologies and management so that agriculture can be more responsive to the demands of other sectors of that Nigerian economy;

• Creation of more agricultural and rural employment Opportunities to increase the income of farmers and rural dwellers and to productively absorb an increasing labour force in the nation;

• Protection and improvement of agricultural land resources and preservation of the environment for sustainable agricultural production;

• Establishment of appropriate institutions and creation of administrative organs to facilitate the integrated development and realization

Cocoa Plantation

of the country’s agricultural potentials.

Features of the Policy The main features of the policy include the evolution of strategies that will ensure self-sufficiency and the improvement of the level of technical and economic efficiency in food production. This is to be achieved through the introduction and adoption of improved seeds and seed stock, husbandry and appropriate machinery and equipment. Efficient utilization of resources, encouragement of ecological specialization and recognition of the roles and potentials of small scale farmers as the major production of food in the country, Reduction, in risks and uncertainties were to be achieved through the introduction of the agricultural insurance scheme to reduce natural hazards factor militating against agricultural production and security of credit outlay through indemnity of sustained losses. A nationwide, unified and all-inclusive extension delivery system under the Agricultural development Programme (ADP) was put in place in a joint Federal and State Government collaborative effort.

Agro -allied industries were actively promoted. Other incentives such as rural infrastructure, rural banking, primary he21th care, cottage industries etc. were provided, to encourage agricultural and rural development and attract youth, including school leavers, to go back to the land. The agricultural policy is

supported by sub-policies that facilitate the growth of the sector”. (http://www.arcnigeria.org/index.php/ explore/the-council/our-vision/152-arcn/ about/71-agricultural-policies ) A very well-articulated, focused and committed document, produced by the best brains in Nigeria at the time, but which remains just what it was – a strategy; implementable but unimplemented due to the “Nigerian factor” of materialistic, self-seeking, dishonest, indolent bunch of military rulers, politicians and civil servants.

Please go over the seven broad policy objectives above, and fathom out which of them have been, or are being put into practice now, full-heartedly or are working to the best interest of the nation. Where are the fertilisers, the mechanised farms, irrigation projects (the unproductive River Basin Authorities, where many staff have made their fortunes doing nothing), the tractors, the low interest agricultural loans, the improved seeds, the hybrid animals, the rural roads, the rural electricity, the agricultural extension workers, the research institutes results, etc.?

In their paper, “Economic Diversification in Nigeria: Any Role for Solid Mineral Development?”, Olumide .S. Ayodele, Sabastine Akongwale, Udefuna Patrick Nnadozie, (Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, Vol 4, No 6, 2013) posited that “the Nigerian economy

has mostly depended on proceeds from the sale of crude oil, at the expense of other sectors such as solid minerals and agriculture that hitherto, contributed significantly to the economy of Nigeria and showed that the solid mineral sector in Nigeria has the potential to contribute immensely to the economy of Nigeria”.

Specifically, the paper reveals that the development of the solid mineral sector could help to combat poverty in Nigeria via job creation; especially, given its forward linkage with other sectors of the economy. Most importantly, it could help alleviate some of the problems associated with “enclave” nature of the Nigerian economy that has for too long being vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil prices. To realize these potentials, the paper highlights the need for a strengthening of Nigeria’s existing solid mineral development policy. It also points out the need for the government to create an enabling environment for the private sector to take the lead in the sector.

“Nigeria is at a point in her history, when unless she becomes creative, the economy will collapse completely because it has depended too long on oil and we know what has happened to it at the international market. The other alternative for the country is agriculture and we have all it takes for agriculture to thrive: good soil, vast land and people, who are willing to take any available opportunity to put food on the table and also make money”. This was a speech delivered recently by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina.

The rallying cry of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must now be “BACK TO THE LAND”. In my town, it is completely normal to keep chickens in your backyard, and have a vegetable patch at the backyard. I frequently see a pair of goats wandering up the road even in cities as urbanised as Ibadan, Benin, Port Harcourt, Kano and Lagos. We have had Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) before, now let’s have the “Back to the Land Movement”, this time as a large scale, government-funded and motivated Agrarian Revolution, led by sincere, knowledgeable and skilled people from all sectors of Nigeria and the common thread for a call for people to take up smallholding and to grow food from the land on a small-scale basis, whether for themselves or for others.

BACK TO THE LAND!!!!

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

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Arts

Theatre, Shows and Musicals

By Edward Mirza

I SEE YOU

BY MONGIWEKHAYA NOMA DUMEZWENI Now – March 26th, 2016

I SEE YOU (English) NGIYAKUBONA (Zulu) EK SIEN JOU (Afrikaans) NDIYAKUBONA (Xhosa) “I don’t need your sorries white boy, yes. You heard right. You know white people think we are the same? We both look black. But only one of us is black” Post-Apartheid South Africa, after dark.

Ben meets Skinn for a night out. But the party is interrupted by the police. Ben, a young student who doesn’t know his own history, is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. And Officer Buthelezi, a former freedom fighter, can’t let it go.

Based on a real encounter.

“Speak to me in your mother-tongue and I will let you go.”

The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square London SW1W 8AS

KINKY BOOTS Now – May 28th 2016

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

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

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

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

The Adelphi Theatre, Strand, London WC2R 0NS

THE MAIDS Trafalgar Studios Now - May 21st 2016

Double Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Zawe Ashton (Fresh Meat, Not Safe For Work) and Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey) will star in Jean Genet’s masterpiece UK premiere of Benedict Andrews and Andrew Upton’s contemporary version of The Maids 10

The Jamie Lloyd Company’s first production of 2016 will be the full-throttle UK premiere of a contemporary adaptation of Jean Genet’s powerful psycho-drama, The Maids, with an all-star cast - Uzo Aduba, Zawe Ashton and Laura Carmichael.

In a luxurious bedroom, two maids fantasise about killing their employer, playing out dangerous and sadistic scenarios as they plan her violent death.

An intense psychological thriller seething with unique theatricality and brimming with intrigue, The Maids is a vicious analysis of the class system, and a provocative exploration of gender and sexuality.

Uzo Aduba and Zawe Ashton will play the maids, Solange and Claire. Laura Carmichael will play Mistress.

The Trafalgar Studios 14 Whitehall London SW1A 2DY

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM Jan 26th - May 18th, 2016

Chicago, 1927. In a recording studio on the city’s South Side, a battle of wills is raging.

Ma Rainey, Mother of the Blues, uses every trick in the book to fight her record producers for control of her music. Hardened by years of ill-treatment and bad deals, she’s determined that ‘Black Bottom’, the song that bears her name, will be recorded her way.

But Levee, the band’s swaggering young trumpet player, plans to catapult the band into the jazz age. His ambition puts them all in danger.

Inspired by the real-life Blues legend and infused with her music, August Wilson’s play speaks powerfully of a struggle for self-determination against overwhelming odds.

Sharon D Clarke plays Ma Rainey. Cast includes Giles Terera, O-T Fagbenle and Lucian Msamati.

Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX

THRILLER - LIVE Now - April 17th, 2016

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

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

More than 1 million people have seen

The Maids - at Trafalgar Studios

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

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

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

Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue London W1D 7ES

A RAISIN IN THE SUN Jan 28th - March 26th, 2016

Injustice, inequality and a housing crisis lead to family tension in Lorraine Hansberry’s landmark play, revived by the UK’s leading Black-led national touring company Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking play, the first on Broadway written by a Black woman, is to tour the UK in a new production directed by Eclipse Theatre’s Dawn Walton. This intense family drama, written on the cusp of the civil rights era, sees the Younger family await the arrival of a cheque for a life changing $10,000.

Driven to conflict as they encounter issues of inequality, housing and lack of opportunity that continue to resonate today, the play acts as a stark warning to anyone who measures happiness and personal worth in capital gain.

UK tour: 28 Jan – 13 Feb Sheffield Theatres 55 Norfolk St, www. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk | 0114 249 6000; 17 Feb – 20 Feb, New Wolsey Theatre, www.wolseytheatre.co.uk | 01473 295900, 23 – 27 Feb, Nuffield Theatre, www.nuffieldtheatre.co.uk | 023 8067 1771; 2 Mar – 5 Mar, Liverpool Playhouse, www.everymanplayhouse.com | 0151 709 4776; 8 Mar – 12 Mar, Watford Palace Theatre, www. watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk | 01923 225671 ; 16 – 19 Mar, The Albany, www.thealbany. org.uk | 020 8692 4446; 22 – 26 Mar, Belgrade Theatre, www.belgrade.co.uk | 0247 6553055

Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

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Culture

IROKO Theatre invokes ‘magic’ at the Barbican

‘Shakespeare’s Ájè, The Witches’ was part of the 400 years anniversary celebration since the death of William Shakespeare at the Barbican Centre’s ‘Shakespeare Weekender: Play On’.

IROKO Theatre company used storytelling, drama, music and movement to explore the world of ‘Shakespeare’s Ájè, The Witches’ from a Southern Nigerian perspective that believes that witches are not necessarily evil.

It was an electrifying display of artistic

talents by IROKO, a foremost African Theatre production company based in London.

According to Alex Oma-Pius, Artistic Director of IROKO Theatre Company, “It is believed that the women who possess Ájè can shape and define destiny and that the Ájè is not only a demonstration of the power that they have, but also the power of women. We want to use this production to celebrate and honour women all over the world.”

IROKO is a theatre-in-education company based in Stratford and founded since 1996 by Alex Oma-Pius FRSA.

Delecroix’s Paintings of Morocco on Show at The National Gallery IROKO Theatre

From Delecroix’s The Convulsionists of Tangier (1837-38)

From the bold colours and abstract shapes of Matisse and Kandinsky, to the expressiveness of Van Gogh and Gauguin, to the vibrant complementary colours of the Impressionists. All can be traced back to Eugène Delacroix – the last painter of the Grand Style but equally one of the first modern masters, who transformed French painting in the 19th century.

‘Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art’ is a long-overdue homage to France’s leading exponent of Romanticism – a true original who, at the time of his death in 1863, was the most revered artist among

the avant-garde in Paris.

Drawing inspiration from British art and literature, his real and imagined travels to North Africa, and biblical scenes; every chord of human passion can be found in Delacroix’s paintings – stories of love, murder, violence, and war. “The first merit of a painting is to be a feast for the eye,” he emphasised towards the end of his life.

Placing Delacroix alongside contemporaries such as Courbet and Chassériau, this exhibition traces 50 years of Delacroix’s legacy, exploring the profound impact he had on generations of artists to come.

This exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Minneapolis Institute of Art. 11

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

News

South Africa

Calls for Zuma to retract “outrageously sexist” comments South Africa’s opposition party has accused President Jacob Zuma of insulting the nation’s women after he reportedly made comments interpreted as sexist.

Zuma, who survived a vote of no confidence in Parliament last Tuesday (March 1), is reported to have made comments pertaining to sexual harassment while registering to vote in his hometown of Nkandla on Saturday. Speaking to journalists, the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) reportedly said that if men could compliment women as they did in the past, his bodyguards would compliment the journalists. “But when men compliment you [women] innocently, you say it’s harassment. You will miss out on good men and marriage,” said Zuma, who has four wives, according to South African newspaper The Citizen.

South Africa has high rates of rape and other forms of sexual violence. Research carried out in 2010 by South African NGO Gender Links and the Medical Research Council (MRC) found that almost one in 12 women in the province of Gauteng, which encompasses the two major cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria, had been raped in 2009, with more than 25 percent of those polled saying they had experienced some

Jacob Zuma has so far marched with impunity to the beat of his own drum

form of sexual violence in their lives.

While the total number of sexual offenses reported in 2014-15 dropped by just over five percent to 53,617, sexual violence is believed to be widely underreported in the country. The 2010 study by Gender Links and the MRC found that only one in 13 women raped by someone who was not their partner reported the crime, while this fell to one in 25 women raped by their partner. According to the Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust, research suggests that the number of sexual offenses could be as high as 482,000 if all incidents were reported.

Guyana

16 prisoners die in cellphone raid riot

Officials address anxious relatives outside Guyana’s main prison in Georgetown

Sixteen people are dead following they have to do to get (more),” adding that a prisoner riot in Georgetown’s officials helped smuggle the cell phones into the prison. main prison.

The violence broke out after a regular raid for illegal items conducted just after midday last Wednesday turned up some marijuana and 19 cell phones.

The police, the army and fire services had to be called to quell the unrest, which involved a large proportion of the approximately 900 inmates in a prison built for 600.

Prison rules provide for two phone calls per week. Superintendent of Prisons Kevin Pilgrim said: “Persons will clearly state that is inadequate and they will do what 12

“I will not sit here and deny that we don’t have some officers who are corrupt.

That is a fact,” he added.

At a press conference, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan said, “we have a crisis on our hands – referring to the scores of relatives waiting outside the prison, who clashed with officers as they seek information about the safety of their relatives. Five prisoners remain in the hospital.

President of Guyana, David A Granger, said a three-member panel would be convened to investigate the incident.

In a statement issued on Monday, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), led

by Mmusi Maimane, said: “The president needs to apologise for perpetuating patriarchal attitudes that continue to allow women to remain the subjects of high levels of violence and sexual abuse throughout our country.” The party added that it would refer Zuma’s comments to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and also write to the president to request an immediate public apology to the women of South Africa for his comments, which the opposition party said showed Zuma’s

“blatant disconnect from their lived experiences of sexism and sexual abuse across our country”.

Toko Xasa, spokesperson for the ANC Women’s League, told journalists on Sunday that there is no such thing as being “too sensitive” to sexual harassment. “Women must continue, if things make them uncomfortable, to report them and make it serious to be harassed,” said Xasa.

The controversy is the latest in a series of difficult issues that Zuma has had to address in recent months. He came under fire after replacing then-finance minister Nhlanhla Nene with the relatively inexperienced David van Rooyen in December 2015, only to remove Van Rooyen in favour of Pravin Gordhan within a week of Van Rooyen taking office. The chopping and changing caused the value of the South African rand to plummet briefly.

Zuma also appeared to perform a huge U-turn in February, when his counsel admitted in court that the president had been wrong to ignore a 2014 report by the Public Protector on state-funded improvements to his homestead in Nkandla. The report had found that Zuma should repay the costs of some of the improvements, which included a swimming pool and chicken run and cost an estimated 246 million rand.

Court ordered Sierra Leonean man to repay £55,789 Southwark Crown Court, Judge Nicolas Lorraine-Smith issued a confiscation order against Martin Solomon Randolph Kekurah, 64, a Sierra Leone national of Fortune Place, Bermondsey, London on 4 March 2016.

He was ordered to pay £55,789 within the next 3 months or serve a further 18 months’ imprisonment in default of payment.

Mr Kekurah had been convicted of providing illegal immigration advice and services on 3 July 2015 and sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.

At the time of the original sentencing Judge Nicolas Lorraine–Smith said: “I’m satisfied you are manipulative and greedy.

You have been preying on vulnerable people who needed immigration advice.

“You knew what you were doing was wrong and you have done everything possible to avoid detection and conviction”.

His Honour Judge Loraine-Smith in delivering his judgement said he had no hesitation in finding that Mr Kekurah had a criminal lifestyle and that he was a “fraudsman to his fingertips”. He had told lies throughout proceedings and his explanations of his financial affairs were simply unbelievable, rarely had he heard a less credible witness.

The Judge rejected Mr Kekurah’s evidence entirely stating: “He had survived by fraud throughout his time in this country.”

Mr Kekurah’s benefit from crime was found to be over £500,000, however he only had £5,789 left in bank accounts that could be traced. As many of these were in false names, the Judge was satisfied that Mr Kekurah had ‘hidden assets’ of £50,000.

The Judge said that the victims of Mr Kekurah’s crimes should now receive compensation.

These orders were the result of the combined efforts of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) and the Metropolitan Police Regional Asset Recovery Team based at Charing Cross Police Station.

Speaking about the decision, the Deputy Immigration Services Commissioner, Dr Ian Leigh said: “The OISC is here to ensure that people seeking immigration advice are treated fairly by people they can trust and who are fit and competent.

“Mr Kekurah operated outside the law. My Office will continue to identify and prosecute those who break the law and we will use all necessary legislation such as the Proceeds of Crime Act to pursue law breakers.

“The OISC is very appreciative of the support and assistance given by the Metropolitan Police London Regional Asset Recovery Team in this case.”

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

India

Schoolgirl rape victim left for dead

A 20-year-old man is under arrest in India following the brutal rape and attempted murder of a 15year-old girl at her home.

The teenager was found by her parents, who heard her screaming from the roof terrace of their home a few hours before dawn on Monday. She was found with burns over most of her body, having been set alight by her assailant, who the girl said had been stalking her for months. She remains in a critical condition in a Delhi hospital.

Bisrakh Police constable Yadram Singh told the press a 20-year-old man “with burns on his hands” had been arrested and charged with several offences, including rape, attempted murder, assault of a minor and causing grievous injury.

India’s women and children are considered particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and harassment because of widespread social taboos against speaking about sexual assault. The stigma is enough to keep many from even reporting crimes, while others face police resistance in filing complaints.

Monday’s attack – one of several recent cases of rape and violence against women or children in India – further underlines the persistence of such violence despite a public outcry three years ago that led to stronger laws to prevent sexual assault.

In December 2012, Jyoti Singh, a 23-yearold medical student was raped, beaten and tortured by six men on a Delhi bus. Singh, who was violated with an iron bar during the assault and thrown from the moving bus, died two weeks later.

The brutality of the attack prompted fierce criticism of the police, rows in parliament and protests in which tens of thousands of people took to the streets. The government responded by rushing through legislation to double prison terms for rape, and by criminalising voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women.

However, India’s attitude to sexual violence came under renewed scrutiny in May 2014 when two teenage female cousins were raped, murdered and hanged from a mango tree in a small village in Uttar Pradesh.

Campaigners argue more action is needed, including better education for young people and the provision of basic safety infrastructure such as street lights and public bathrooms.

Meenakshi Ganguly, south Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said that bringing in laws was just one step towards tackling a far wider problem.

“The Indian government still needs to do much more to ensure better protections as well as stronger enforcement,” she said, adding: “Politicians have unfortunately focused on issues such as the death penalty for convicted offenders or amending the juvenile justice laws, which are populist gestures. The much harder work is to create a responsive system to assist survivors, a trained police force that will be trusted to respond promptly to threats.”

Indian newspapers have carried several reports of rapes and assaults over the past few days. On Monday, police in the financial capital of Mumbai said they were investigating whether a four-year-old girl whose body was dumped in bushes on the city’s outskirts had been raped before being killed, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency.

The girl reportedly went missing after being separated from her mother at a railway station on Sunday night.

In another case, police arrested a 20-yearold man suspected of raping a six-year-old in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday night, while separately they were investigating nine people for allegedly raping a woman when she went into the fields to go to the toilet last month.

And last week, three boys reportedly kidnapped a teenage girl from her home and raped her repeatedly in a field in the northern state of Haryana and later in Delhi before she escaped, according to the news agency.

France

Butcher dentist up before French court

A Dutch dentist practising in France has been charged with aggravated assault as well as fraud over claims that he mutilated patients’ mouths and tried to rip off patients and insurance companies.

Jacobus “Mark” van Nierop, 51, faces up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000 euro fine if found guilty.

Dubbed the “dentist of horror” or “the butcher, van Nierop ripped out healthy teeth and left dozens of patients in a remote French village with broken jaws, recurrent abscesses and septicaemia.

One patient, Sylviane Boulesteix, said she was unexpectedly summoned to van Nierop’s dental surgery in central-eastern France in May 2012. Without warning, the dentist pulled eight of her teeth out and immediately fixed dentures on her raw gums.

In the following days, she says van Nierop refused to relieve her pain. A judicial expert later described a “cruel and perverse” man whose incompetence made Ms Boulesteix lose several healthy teeth, go through a trauma and suffer irreversible damage to her mouth.

Eighty-year-old Bernard Hugon said the dentist left “pieces of flesh hanging everywhere” af-

Jacobus van Nierop in his dental office in Chateau-Chinon

ter tearing out a tooth.

“Every time, he would give us what he called ‘a little prick’ and we were asleep, knocked out,” said Nicole Martin, a retired teacher who lost several teeth to abscesses caused by horrific operations.

“When it was over, we would find a Post-it note saying to come back for an appointment the next day or the day after,” she added.

And it was Martin who set up a victims’ group in early 2013 to press charges. Little did she know that the group would soon swell to 120 members.

In June of that year, police arrested van Nierop but left him free pending trial. He fled the country the following December, but was eventually tracked down to a small Canadian town in New Brunswick and arrested under an international warrant in September 2014. Local media reported that he tried to slit his throat when police arrested him.

Van Nierop tried to block his extradition, first to the Netherlands and then France, claiming to suffer from “psychological problems” including gender identity issues and suicidal tendencies.

But he was eventually placed in a prison psy-

chiatric unit in the Loiret department, south of Paris.

“He claimed to have killed his first wife, he played crazy, he said he was trans-sexual. He tried everything” to avoid extradition, Martin said.

Detained in a French prison since January 2015, he staged several hunger and thirst strikes, and once swallowed razor blades before he was to be questioned by the investigating judge.

Questioned about the alleged mutilations suffered by his patients, Van Neirop said: “It does not affect me.”

“I’m totally blocked from the inside and I don’t want to explain it all,” he told the investigating judge, according to court documents.

“You can lock me up for years ... it will not change.”

Investigators said van Nierop provided false documents to be allowed to practise dentistry in France, gaining tax and economic benefits, and concealed that he was the subject of disciplinary proceedings in his own country. He allegedly also overcharged his patients, billed them for imaginary dental care or intentionally did bad work which required further appointments and payments, according to court documents.

Van Nierop, who lived in a luxurious suburban home, had debts of nearly €1m, officials said.

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CRIME Man jailed for life for murder, Plumstead

A man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of the murder of Ahmed Ahmed in Plumstead.

The detective leading the investigation has also appealed for information about a person they are still looking to trace in connection with Ahmed’s death.

Osman Musa Mohamed, 20, of Llanover Road, SE18 was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey today (7 March) after the jury heard how 24-year-old Ahmed, who was from Plumstead, died after he was stabbed a number of times in August 2015.

He was sentenced today (7 March) to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years in jail.

Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Reeves, of the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “Ahmed was set upon just metres from his front door by a group of men who had clearly gone there to commit violence.

“It only took a few seconds to inflict the injuries that resulted in Ahmed’s death. In that brief moment, they robbed a family of a much-loved son and brother. One of Ahmed’s sisters found him lying in the doorway, something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She gave evidence at the trial, along with a number of other witnesses, whose bravery I pay tribute to.

“The defendant was involved in drug dealing, and the group had gone to the flats to attack another man. It appears that Ahmed died as he tried to prevent this from happening.

“I would urge anyone who is yet to speak with us to come forward. In particular, I want to trace a 22-year-old local man in connection

it revealed that Ahmed died from multiple knife injuries.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command launched an investigation and quickly established that one of Ahmed’s friends had been approached by a large group of men, including Osman Mohamed, close to Plumstead Common Road.

The men forced him to walk with them to the flats where Ahmed lived. On the journey, they made threats towards him and indirectly towards other friends of Ahmed, who were in his flat.

Seemingly unaware of what was going on outside, Ahmed opened a communal door and was set upon by the group, including Mohamed, before being stabbed a number of times with up to three weapons.

Enquiries continue to establish whether there are any remaining suspects who may have been involved in the murder.

Anyone who is yet to speak with officers and has information is asked to contact police on 020 8721 4868 or via 101. Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The family of Ahmed said: “We have been left heartbroken and traumatised by Ahmed dying. He had his whole life ahead of him.

We loved him so much, the pain will never go away and we will never be the same again.”

Ahmed’s partner said: “I was Ahmed’s girlfriend and we were planning our future together. Two days before he was killed Ahmed proposed to me. I later found out I was pregnant with Ahmed’s child but then suffered a miscarriage. I am now living alone in the flat we chose together. This has changed my life forever” = Hussein Roble, 18 of Wrottesley Road, SE18 and a 20-year-old man were acquitted of murder following the trial. = Sazzad Khan, 20, of no fixed address was previously charged with murder and breach of an ASBO. On Wednesday 17 February the case against him for murder was discontinued. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment for breach of an ASBO. = Khalid Hashi 22 of Fennel Street, SE18, and Hamza Dodi 24 of Herbert Road, SE18 were previously charged with murder. On Monday 22 February the case against them was discontinued.

Three other people who were arrested in connection with the investigation were released with no further action.

said: “I need all those who witnessed the killing, the moments leading up to it and the aftermath to speak with me and give an honest account of what they saw.

“I know that there are witnesses who still haven’t spoken with police. I urge those people to listen to the pleas of a mother

who has lost her son and is begging them to come forward and describe honestly what they saw.”

Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 22:21hrs on Monday, 14 September 2015 to reports of a large disturbance and a stabbing in Canterbury Place, SE17.

Officers attended and found Mohamed suffering from a single stab wound. London’s Air Ambulance also attended, but Mohamed was pronounced dead at the scene at 22:52hrs. He died two weeks before his seventeenth birthday.

A post-mortem examination took place at Greenwich Mortuary on 15 September and gave cause of death as a stab wound to the chest. An inquest was opened and adjourned on 21 September 2015 at Southwark Coroner’s court.

Anyone with information is urged to call the incident room at Lewisham on 020 8721 4805.

To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via https://crimestoppers-uk.org

Osman Mohamed jailed for life for Ahmed’s murder

with this enquiry. Ismail Saleban of Ritter Street SE18, may have left the country and travelled to Denmark or elsewhere in Europe.

Police need to speak to him about this incident.”

Police were called by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) at 18:24hrs on 10 August 2015 following reports of a stabbing at flats in Turton House on Barnfield Road in Plumstead.

Officers and London’s Air Ambulance attended the scene where they found Ahmed Ahmed, 24 , suffering from stab wounds to his left leg. He was taken by LAS to an east London hospital where he died at 20:18hrs that night.

A post-mortem examination took place at Greenwich Mortuary on 12 August 2015;

Reward announced six months after Kennington murder

The mother of a teenage murder victim has urged those who witnessed his killing to simply tell the truth about how her son died.

Mohamed Dura-Ray, 16, was fatally stabbed on 14 September 2015 during a disturbance involving a large group of people in Canterbury Place, Kennington SE17.

Police today, Thursday 10 March, announced a reward of £20,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for Mohamed’s murder.

Officers will be in the area around the murder scene today, distributing leaflets and appealing for witnesses and those with information to come forward.

Mohamed’s mother, Mariama Baby Leigh Kamara, said: “There is no pain greater than a parent losing a child. The hearts of my family are completely broken.

I would like to appeal to the public - to anyone with any information or knowledge of my son’s murder - I plead for you to come forward and speak to the police.

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Mohamed Dura-Ray

“Those responsible for my son’s death should not get away with murder. The murder of my son should not be forgotten and justice should prevail. We as a family need closure.”

DCI Graeme Gwyn of the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command

Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

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Sounds of Diaspora People of America Fleur caught in mime crime debate Singer Fleur East has so far pretty much enjoyed the equivalent of a whirlwind romance with pop music fans since she burst onto the scene during 2014’s X-Factor.

But the Londoner may now be experiencing her first rocky patch with the British public after viewers of ITV’s Lorraine morning magazine show bombarded Twitter with rants about her allegedly miming her way through a performance of new single More And More on Friday’s episode.

Whether she was singing live or lipsyncing, the pop starlet sure knows how

to put on a show as she energetically worked the studio with a now typical thigh display. Her blue-jeans clad dancers were perfectly chosen to accentuate the main attraction.

While the criticisms were barbed, many Twitterers did jump to Ms East’s defence.

Some were convinced she was indeed singing live, while others defended what they agreed was probably miming.

One message, from someone who at least appeared to know what he was talking about, responded to the vitriol, saying: “no act performs live on Lorraine the studio doesn’t have the correct mic or audio technology. No artist can sing live on it.”

Mayweather as yet unmoved

by UFC stars’ preening ‘Retired’ boxer Floyd Mayweather is an unparalleled money-making machine in a sporting context. According to Forbes’ list of highest earning sports people for 2015, the undefeated champion made almost as much money as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Lewis Hamilton COMBINED!!!!

What this means is that other boxers have earned a great deal of money just by being in the same ring – and, more importantly, on the same pay-per-view channel as him.

This fact has evidently not been lost on fighters in other disciplines, who have been calling Mayweather out, presumably to entice him to needlessly take them on in some kind of hybrid, neitherone-nor-the-other bout – or, perhaps, a half-bout in each specialist discipline.

It’s all hyperbole, of course, but as long as pay-per-viewers lap it up, there is cash to be had. And while cash is the last thing a man who adopts the epithet ‘Money’ as an unofficial middle name, the same cannot be said of Mixed Martial Artists, who are still at the stage they have to offer a detailed explanation every time they tell someone what they do.

Mayweather has not fought since beating Andre Berto last September and retiring afterwards with a perfect 49-0 record. During his run as the world’s greatest boxer, Mayweather had a few well-publicised spats with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stars Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor.

Now, with both fighters losing in the last six months — McGregor, most re-

cently at Saturday’s UFC 196 to Nate Diaz — Mayweather has every opportunity to sit back and gloat. But he’s not.

And truth be told, he never really cared about those beefs anyway.

“I never once said anything negative about Ronda Rousey,” Mayweather told FightHype.com. “Never. Never once. I never once said anything disrespectful about … I want to make sure I get his name right … Conor McGregor. OK. I never said anything negative about them.

“Now, I can wake up on the wrong side of the bed and not be happy that day; because I’m not well rested. So, [the media] can ask me a question about [them] — I’m being real with you, I’m not happy, I’m being sick — I may say, you know what, ‘I don’t give a [expletive] about them.’ And you know what the media is going to say: ‘Ah, Floyd said [expletive] them!’ When I basically said I don’t give a [expletive] about them. Basically, I’m saying I don’t even want to talk about them today, I want to just talk about me. But they’re going to twist my words and put it out there they want to put it out there.”

According to Mayweather, he has no issue with the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). In fact, he embraces it. He doesn’t mind that UFC fighters presumably used his name to drum up interest.

It’s the fight business, and it’s a business Mayweather understands very well.

“If I was involved with MMA sports, then my beef would be with MMA guys,” Mayweather said. “But I’m not involved in MMA sports, I don’t have no plans in getting involved as far as competing physical in MMA, but I do look forward to getting fighters and doing MMA fights in the future. And I’m talking about 2016.”

Fleur East as she appeared on Lorraine

Whatever the facts of the matter, the 28-year-old, who has a British father and a Ghanaian mother, is lapping up the adulation a full decade after first appearing in XFactor as part of girl group Addictiv Ladies.

Back then, in series two of the ITV tal-

ent show, the girls were eliminated in week one. Even in her successful year, the East Londoner was only runner-up – and some way behind the winner, Ben Haenow. But the former van driver’s career has not yet launched with anything like the trajectory his 57.2 percent of the X-Factor vote might lead one to expect.

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Gospel

By Michael Adekoya

Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

POWER IS IN RELATIONSHIP NOT IN YOUR WORDS

Moses prayed to God and said, “Lord, You are a long-suffering and slow to anger, abundant in mercy and lovingkindness…Pardon, I pray You, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your mercy and loving-kindness, just as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now” Num.14:18-19.

Dear Readers, what an intercessory prayer by Moses for his people! My friend, this should be the kind of intercessory prayer the Church should be praying for herself, for the lost souls, for the people in our family, community, city, nation and for the entire world in this last and closing days.

Christ is calling “His Church”; and if you are a Christian, He is calling you and me to a deeper level of intimacy with Him, a deeper level of prayer and intercession greater than anything we have ever experienced. Can you hear this call? Will you answer?

I have preached in many places and still going; I have prayed and still praying; I have faced challenges and still facing new ones; I had fallen short and sinned before; I have been denied and discouraged; I have suffered for Christ and I have been serving God for some years now but in all of these, there has never been an insatiable desire, zeal, passion and longing within my heart to know Christ in His fullness, to live in His presence; to love, trust and obey Him; to walk with Him in close communion and fellowship, to intercede for people, bless and witness to them, than now. And I strongly believe this is what God requires of us today.

My friend, is this the cry in your heart today? If your answer is yes, may I inform you that such intense longing and desire within you is the work of the Holy Spirit preparing you for the last prophetic prayer anointing which God is now releasing upon the Church of Jesus Christ (His people) for manifestations of the Gospel before Christ’s second coming. The future belongs to intercessors but hear me, if you want to continue in your experience of this prophetic prayer anointing, you must allow Christ to bring you into deeper intimacy with Him. God wants to take His chosen intercessors into the spirit world, into a new strategic level of warfare prayer. And we can only key in to this new encounter through covenant relationship with Him. My friend, as God’s people, we need to get back to the basics. We need to go back to the secret place of prayer, to the presence of the Most

High God and pray with one mind and in one accord until we receive the Holy Spirit, anointing, power and boldness. The early Apostles prayed for power and boldness to proclaim the Gospel in the face of persecution and death, with signs and wonders manifested in the name of Jesus (read Acts 4:29-31). Listen! The world is waiting for the reality of the Gospel and the power of God to be demonstrated by us – the Church!

It is time to seek God’s face until we hear from heaven and our lives are set on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is time to stand in gap for the salvation of our loved ones.

My friend, we are the enforcers. God has placed the enforcement authority of Calvary’s victory in the hands of the Church. It is our job to see to it that the victory which Jesus won on the cross is enforced on this earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. But, this power doesn’t travel in words but in relationships.

Jesus says, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. It is only by this that My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:7-8). Listen!

Moses did not follow a formula for his prayers.

He didn’t depend on his natural powers of persuasion to change God’s mind. In fact, God did not answer him because of what he said but because of his relationship with Him. Ordinarily, you’ll not obey the police man but when he’s in uniform, you have to because of his relationship with the authority of the land.

Moses had a deep, intimate relationship with God. He was known as the friend of God. The Bible says, “Moses was so close to God that He

­­

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

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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

spoke to Him face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…” (Exo 33:11-12). The power and authority in prayer that flowed though Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Peter, Paul and other disciples in the early church were the result of their intimate and close relationship with God. My friend, do you want answered prayers? How close and intimate are you to Jesus? The Bible says, “The Lord is far from the wicked; but he hears the prayers of the righteous – those who have right relationship with God, those who operate in the Spirit of God.” (Prov 15:29) Moses and Elijah are known as friends of God. They were men who had covenant relationship with God. They were men of faith and they were full of the Spirit of God. Moses prayed to God on behalf of his nation and God answered him (Num.14:18-19). Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down, prepared the sacrifice, placed it on the altar and prayed to God and He answered by fire (1 Kings 18:2439). Elijah prayed on Mount Carmel with his face between his knees for the heavens to open and release rain and God sent rain (James 5:1718). The prayers of these men of God were energized by the spirit of God and spoken with faith, with God’s power and authority and with the knowledge of their relationship with God My friend, it is your intimate relationship with God that can bring manifestations of God’s supernatural power and authority through prayer, the kind that the atheist, Muslims, Hindus, pagans, unbelievers, doubters, mockers and agents of darkness will see and will not be able to deny the Lordship of Jesus Christ on earth.

God answered Moses’ prayers because of His

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

covenant with him (Exo 33:17). I had made specific covenant with God. Have you made one with Him yet? God answers prayers. I can testify to this. You have direct access to God. But you have to pray in the Spirit of God. In prayer, as you begin to travail, to wrestle, to intercede and to penetrate deep into the spirit realm, God will begin to reveal to you the spirits, the powers and the root causes of the battle you are facing or engaged in.

My friend, your battle is not against any sickness such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, disorder or cancer in your body. Your battle is not with your husband or wife, parent or family members, boss or fellow employee.

Your battle is not with your financial condition, lack of finances and overdue bills. But, your battle is against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12). Nothing just happen! A spirit is behind that confusion, fear, frustration, terminal sickness, lust, homosexuality, betrayal of trust, jealousy, troubled relationship, violence, rebellion, hatred, anger, bareness, abandonment, loneliness, lies, corruption or greed. You need tear them down!

My friend, it is time to engage in intercessory prayer and in binding and loosing. But remember that you can scream and shout, “I bind you, satan!” and satan will just be laughing at you unless the binding and loosing is done in the Spirit of God. The battle must first be won on in the Spirit and in prayer. Our prayers must be Holy Spirit energized and spoken with God’s power and authority. Our intercession must be in accordance with the Word and will of God. The Bible says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). Listen, we cannot be praying outside the relationship with God and expect answer from God. The best example of those acting outside of the authority of Christ can be found in the Book of Acts 19:14. The seven sons of Sceva tried to deal with a demon-possessed man, without them themselves having any relationship with God. God’s protection is meant only for His children, not for His step-children.

Are you a child of God? Give your life to Him today.

Remain blessed!

Church Street, London SE5 Christ Apostolic church (Full Gospel & Pentecostal) Surrey Docks District 163 Ilderton Rd South Bermondsey London SE16 2UT. Tel. 020 7252 2086.

Time of worship: Sunday English service 9- 11.30am. Yoruba service 11.30 -2.30pm. Prophetic counselling: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 12noon- 5pm, Saturday only 5- 7pm.

Holy Cross Church InternationalSunday 10.am- 1 pm at Crown House 71-73 Nathan Way London SE28 0BQ Tel: 07904 234 126, 07809 381 886 Times of service:Bible study: Thursdays 8pm. Night Vigil: Friday Forth-

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

For details call: 01322 292097 Christ Apostolic Church, Surrey Docks District, Solution Centre, 47-47 High Street, Swancombe, Kent, DA10 0DA Tel: 07956 38 38 70 Time of worship: Wednesday Bible study: 7:30pm to 9:00pm Friday, Night Vigil: 9pm to 11pm Sunday Worship: 12:30pm to 3:00pm

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

Africa Newsround Kenya Athletics, Nike quizzed in “bribery” investigation Kenya

Sports apparel manufacturer Nike is raising eyebrows over cash it pays to Kenya’s athletics federation, Athletics Kenya, which appears to have been siphoned off by Kenyan officials with the American company’s blessing.

Under the terms of their contract, the athletics company, which has enjoyed a more than two decade long relationship with Kenyan athletics, supports Athletics Kenya to the tune of $1.3m-$1.5m per year. The money is used to help train and support poor Kenyan athletes who dream of running their way out of poverty. But after Chinese company Li-Ning made a competitive offer, Nike allegedly came up with $100,000 in “honorariums” each year and a one-time payment of $500,000, which was referred to as a “commitment bonus” and, reports the New York Times, was immediately withdrawn by Kenyan officials and kept off the books.

Kenya has a reputation for having an entrenched system of corruption, and the east African nation has been threatened with sanctions from Western countries in the recent past. The government is currently in the midst of a nationwide anti-corruption campaign. Thus far, Nike has not cooperated with Kenya’s investigation into the matter amid suspicions that they intentionally made the money easy to embezzle out of the federation.

Nike’s familiar “swoosh” is all over Kenyan athletics

John Githong, a leading voice against corruption in Kenya, is urging the US to investigate Nike, saying it would be “hypocritical” if it doesn’t. He added that language like “commitment fees” and “commitment bonuses” are “used to dress up bribes traditionally.”

In the meantime, three Kenyan athletics officials accused of taking money from Nike have been suspended.

The report also mentions that LiNing, while trying to court the Kenyan contract, paid out $200,000 which promptly disappeared:

Soon after complaining to Nike, officials at Kenya’s running federation struck a new sponsorship deal with the Li-Ning Company, a Chinese sports empire founded by a famous gymnast, Li Ning. A marketing agent, working as a middleman between the company and the Kenyan federation, then sent nearly $200,000 to Athletics Kenya, money that a top official quickly withdrew.

The middleman turns out to be Papa Massata Diack, son of Lamine Diack, who is currently banned for life from the IAAF (athletics’ ruling body). According to documents obtained by the New York

Times, Kenyan officials worked to secure the $500,000 commitment bonus in part to pay back Li-Ning.

Nike, for their part, hasn’t exactly concealed that the payments took place.

The commitment bonus was right there in their contract, and the honorariums were earmarked for travel expenses and other specific uses when they were sent over. The Times spoke to analysts who told them that the deal between Nike and the Kenyans was probably not liable to be prosecuted or investigated under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and there are reportedly no plans for American officials to get involved.

Nike’s clout within the sport is substantial, and they constantly flex their muscles.

They’ve threatened to sue people for simply removing their ‘swoosh’ trade mark from photos, booted a racer from the USA World Championship team for refusing to wear Nike gear, and prompted a protest from racers for allegedly buying a race.

As for this case, the specifics are murky.

Obviously the Kenyan officials who made off with the money are at fault, but Nike’s role in sanctioning or not sanctioning that corruption is unclear, and might not ever become clear. The New York Times story cites multiple people who refused to speak up on or off the record for fear of their lives. It would be naive to believe that Nike could have had no idea that its generous payments could be so easily misappropriated, since Athletics Kenya has had corruption problems as long as it has existed.

Somalia

Somalia-bound weapons cache stopped A multimillion dollar cache of weapons bound for Somalia was intercepted by an Australian naval ship near the coast of Oman on Monday (March 7).

The weapons supply, which included almost 2,000 AK-47 rifles, 100 rocketpropelled grenades launchers and 49 PKM machine guns, violates a UN Security Council arms embargo against Somalia.

“The weapons were seized under United Nations sanctions, which authorise interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia,” the navy said in a statement.

The East African nation has been mired in conflict and civil war since 1991. The arms embargo, first imposed in 1992, was eased in 2013 to allow the Western-backed government in Mogadishu to buy light weapons to bolster its armed forces.

A selection of the weapons that were intercepted

The embargo is intended to keep weapons out of the hands of militant groups such as the Islamist alShabab insurgents, who are aligned with al-Qaeda.

The Australian Navy patrols much of the Indian Ocean as part of an international seafaring force. The navy said sail-

ors from HMAS Darwin boarded a fishing vessel 170 nautical miles off the coast of Oman to verify the flag the ship was sailing under. They determined the vessel was stateless.

The Darwin is patrolling the region as part of the Combined Task Force 150, which is responsible for counter-terrorism operations, curbing piracy and drug smuggling.

Also seized from the fishing vessel were 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 mortar tubes.

One Western security expert estimated the street value of the entire cache to be in excess of $2 million (£1.4 million).

It was not immediately clear who, in Somalia, was the intended recipient of the weapons cache, which was found hidden under fishing nets. Besides al-Shabaab, there are regional states in Somalia that operate and equip their own militias without the approval of the central government.

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

Nigerian News

Aregbesola Tasks Universities on Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition

By Waheed Adekunle Osogbo The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has charged the leadership of the nation’s universities and other tertiary institutions to wake up from slumber in devoting and investing more resources in teaching and learning of entrepreneurship, vocational and technical courses.

He also tasked the leadership of the National University Commission, NUC to act as a matter of urgency the need to map out necessary strategies and as well formulate policies that would expand the platform of teaching and learning of technical education

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across the nation’s universities.

Governor Aregbesola gave the charge while addressing people during the combined 4th and 5th convocation ceremonies for the award of first degrees and presentation of prizes of the Osun State University.

Aregbesola who lamented over the current economic challenges in the country with the greater effects on the states revenues from the Federation Accounts, said Nigeria has gotten to a stage where government could hardly generate employment for Nigerian graduates who are churning out en masse from the nation’s tertiary institutions.

Aregbesola however attributed the decadence in education to what he regarded as palpable negligence on the part of government, which according to him has resulted to brain drainage in both

Governor State of Osun,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Middle), Chairman of Council & Pro. Chancellor, Prof. Ajibola Obafemi (right), and Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oguntola Jelili Alamu (left) during the 4th & 5th Convocation Ceremonies for the Award of First Degrees and Installation of Chancellor, Mrs Folorunso Alakija at Convocation Area, Main Campus, Osogbo

entrepreneurial and technical knowledge among the students of tertiary institutions.

He called on government at various levels to develop the required interest by investing hugely in all forms of technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills, which according to him remains the realistic solutions to the current unemployment trends in the country.

Governor Aregbesola disclosed that the major challenges facing the nation was as a result of alarming rate of unemployment, which he said could only be curbed if government was ready to commit more resources on courses that can encourage self-independence and self-sustainance between and among the youths.

He said the only way to rescue the nation out of its present economic crisis is for every Nigerian to think beyond the revenues from the crude oil, while also there is a need for government to shift attention to non-oil resources to develop the nation.

Aregbesola who lamented over the dwindling revenues to the state, said over dependence on crude oil was the major contributory factor that led the entire nation to stagnation, hence calls for the need to focus more on other revenue to sustain the economy of the nation.

He assured his administration’s commitment to pay adequate attention to an improved agricultural sector; solid mineral resources, industrial and technological advancements, pledging to remain resolute towards the provision of modern facilities to aid non-oil sectors.

Governor Aregbesola said his administration has already intensified efforts to overcome the present economic hardship, just as he is striving to turn around the economy of the state for the betterment of all.

Aregbesola who promised to continuously invest in education, said his government has received countless accolades and encomiums for prioritizing education in the state.

He described education as the only sustainable legacy that could bequeath from one’s parents, therefore charged the graduating students to apply the acquired skills in transforming and developing their various communities and nation at large.

“Nigeria has reached a stage where every Nigerian is expected to join a vanguard of being self-employed, self-independent and economically self-reliant as the resources available had dwindled to the extent of being incapable to generate massive employment for the jobs seeking Nigerians.

“When I checked this morning, the last selling price of Nigeria’s Bonny Light crude was $32.34. This practically means that an end has come to the era of dependence on oil for sustenance for the states and the Federal Government.

“This is a mortal threat for the survival of the entire governmental system, except, of course, we are able to transit to non-oil dependent mode of economic production.

“We can ask again how prepared are our universities in providing leadership for this transition by preparing their students for a self-reliant post-graduation life and guiding society with the ideas and philosophy of change, science, technology, finance and entrepreneurship for new but viable areas like solid minerals, agriculture, manufacturing and medium and small scale Information and Communication Technology.

“For the new graduates, the challenges we face at the moment presents both boom and doom. It depends on what you can make out of it. What you get eventually is what you make out of it.

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Friday, 11 March - Thursday, 17 March 2016

Nigerian News We need to make Federal Character Commission vibrant’ - Kaura

By Olubunmi Omoogun Chief Correspondent, Nigeria

The need to make the Federal Character Commission a more vibrant organisation was the subject matter of the interactive

We are the salt of the earth’ -Olujimi

By Olubunmi Omoogun Chief Correspondent, Nigeria

The Senator representing Ekiti South in the National Assembly, distinguished Senator Biodun Christine Olujimi eulogized the

session between the National Assembly and the Chairman and Commissioners of Federal Character Commission at the Senate building. The Committee

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Sen. Tijjani Yahaya Kaura representing Zamfara North who chaired the meeting enumerated the importance of interfacing and the need to strengthen the Commission. Kaura said “This interaction is mainly to make Federal Character Commission a very efficient and effective commission. We are ready to help you make the commission more vibrant one as you know the present government is committed

women for being the salt of the earth and symbols of dignity. She disclosed this at the floor of the Senate even as women celebrate the International Women’s day.

The Senator who noted that the focus of

the celebration should range from general celebration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women for women’s economic, political, and social achievements, reminded the society

and this opportunity is also for us to draw a workplan”. The Acting Chairman of the Commission Dr. Shettima Bukar Abba, while agreeing with the Senator said “There is the need to be empowered to perform our roles effectively. We are looking at some of these laws so we have enough powers to suspend or set aside recruitment that is not in recourse to Federal Character Commission and also to summon CEOs for subverting the roles of Federal Character Commission” Abba said.

The Federal Character Commission has the mandate to ensure fairness and equity in the distribution of post and socio-economic activities to ensure unity in Nigeria. to raise it voice against rape, abduction and other forms of abuse again women.

She said “We are the salt of the earth.

Women stand for sanity, accountability and dignity. There has to be a time that women should have substantial presence in sensitive political offices in Nigeria”.

The Senate also noted the importance of strengthen existing laws and pass new ones in order to encourage gender equality and empowerment of women and eradicate violence against girl-child and women.

Federal Legislator urges youths to eschew violence

By Olubunmi Omoogun Chief Correspondent, Nigeria

The fortunes of Akure youths in Ondo state have moved even further up with the empowerment strides of the honourable member representing them at the National Assembly.

Hon. Afe Olowookere representing Akure North/Akure South federal constituency of Ondo state in the National Assembly has urged the youths of the constituency to eschew violence in all ramifications. He said this while distributing empowerment items to the youths and women in the constituency. He distributed the items to them according to the areas of their specialised trade. Textiles andfabric,patent,washing machine, hair clippers, car washing equipment and monies ranging from N100,000 and N200,000 for small scale business owners numbering about 20 are some of the things he gave out. Other items distributed are 11 cars,50 motor cycles,10 tricycles popularly called keke NAPEP, 5 sowing industrial machines. 4 elderly women also received deep freezers and generators. Addressing the youths, Olowookere said “ I’m ready to assist whoever among you that is ready to live a responsible and fulfilling life. I have never encouraged thug-

gery, I abhor thuggery and violence. I cannot send my children to school and use other people’s children for political shenanigans, to open their chest for axes, guns, and cutlasses in the name of politics. They too can become responsible citizens if they are ready to turn over a new leaf and not see thuggery as an aberrant behaviour. And thank God today that many of them are beneficiar-

ies of the empowerment programme today” He noted that many of the young deaths are as a direct consequence of political thuggery. particularly people who are victims of violence in the wars between two political gladiators are always youths. The APC chairman Hon. D I Kekemeke expressed happiness that the party is breaking new grounds devoid of violence.

We must be futuristic - Enoh

By Olubunmi Omoogun Chief Correspondent, Nigeria

The Chairman Senate committee on Finance, Senator John Owan Enoh representing Cross Rivers Central senatorial district has urged agencies and parastatals of government to be futuristic in their

approach in terms of cost application, management and revenue generation for the government. This was said in a senate committee of Finance session with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Department of Petroleum Resources at the senate building yesterday. Enoh said “We should be a little bit mindful of the

figures we throw around. Things that were done in the previous years can not be done this year. We have a deficit of over N2trillion. We must be futuristic in our approach. We want things that can reduce the cost and still be effective. That is the discourse we want to be having across board”. Responding, the Group Executive Director Finance & Services NNPC, Mr Isiaka Abdulrazaq reiterated that the NNPC is working aggressively to reduce the cost of cash call. This budget can not be funded due to reduction in cash flow. I do understand the concerns of the senate about keeping the cost down but if you don’t invest your provisions will continue to drop. We are making serious effort in terms of cost reduction, we can reassure you”.

2016: Ondo state awaits a worthy governor

Continued from front page

By Olubunmi Omoogun Chief Correspondent, Nigeria November 2016 will see electorates dashing to the polling booths to exercise the right to choose who will rule the Sunshine State. Sen. Remi Okunrinboye from Owo comes out with a new spirit that reflects a true Ondo man and a renewed vigour to right all the wrongs and improve the lots of people in Ondo state as the state faces a tough choice.

Putting his foot at the door, to step into the ring has increase the numbers of interested electorates who are willing to stick their necks out for him if he finally decides to throw his hat in the ring.

Remi Okunrinboye started politics as a student unionist at Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo state southwest Nigeria where he showed amazing stewardship. With that zeal and enthusiasm the cocoa merchants in Ondo state will remember him as one of the foremost leaders that agitated for the scrapping of Cocoa board used by the whites to shortchange the farmers. His voice was loud enough and it resulted in the introduction of fair trade revolution that enable the farmers to enjoy dividend on their cocoa and cashew produces.

‘A politician par excellence, he is counted among the well meaning people that have remained unblemished in and out of politics.’

His pragmatic leadership instinct shown over the years as a third republic Senator, as a Chartered Accountant, one time lecturer has continued to keep him in the consciousness of the good people of Ondo state. A politician par excellence, he is counted among the well meaning people that have remained unblemished in and out of politics. A grassroot politician who has lived all his life in his constituency. As Ondo state looks forward to having a truly benevolent and performance oriented governor, Sen. Remi Okunrinboye fits the bill.

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Events

Femi Okutubo, Trumpet Founder Turns 50

By Golda John

To mark the 50th birthday celebration of Femi Okutubo, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Trumpet Newspaper and Founder of Gathering of Africa’s Best (GAB) Awards UK recently, over 200 people gathered at Golden Palace N18 3HU in the most colourful ‘Ankara’- African print cotton one had ever seen.

Guests were told to wear ‘Ankara’ over jeans for this special occasion which made it look like a carnival/fashion show.

Amiable Mrs Lola Okutubo initiated the planning for this special milestone in the life of her loving husband. Lola, well known for her organising skill and excellence, left nothing to chance; she secretly constituted a small planning committee made up of some dedicated family members and friends who believed in her vision of ‘Ankara’ reception for this man of God and best father in the world to help actualise it.

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However, the secret did not last as Apostle Femi got to know about it (either by divine revelation or through the whistle blower) and quickly opposed to any such party.

The turnout was quite overwhelmingly surprising and joyous with the cream de la cream of London in attendance. Some even flew in from abroad.

Femi in his emotional ‘Thank you’ response thanked his wife, the planning committee whom he called ‘conspirators’.

He expressed his gratitude to everyone for attending, explaining that he is a shy person and believes in being prudent and would rather donate to charity than have a party.

The evening was marvellously and professionally held together by M.C Mark with his unbeatable comparing skill, dishing out rib-cracking jokes relevant to the occasion and to everyone’s delight. M.C Mark did not allow for any dull moment, he manufactured a joke from any object that caught his eye.

For the attendees, it was an occasion to network and catch up with old acquaintances not seen for a long time.

Food and drinks were inexhaustible. It was indeed a very memorable night.

Photo credit: Isaac Adegbite - Adesons

Mr & Mrs Femi Okutubo

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Should Nigeria’s Super Eagles go native again?

Continued from back page

Jo Bonfrere is carried off the pitch following Nigeria’s Olympic Gold

But arguments over his salary and team selection made him quit the job in the United States, from where he returned to his native Holland.

“I have worked in Nigeria for a long time in the past and I know what to do to get the Super Eagles flying again,” Bonfrere told a BBC Sport interviewer on the telephone from the Netherlands, adding: “I love Nigeria because that is where my football mentality is most at home and I have a fantastic relationship with the people there”.

Bonfrere is ready to let his work speak for him should the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) entrust him with the three-time African champions.

“If I am asked to come back, I would have to prove to everyone that my results and performances can win me the support of everyone.

You can’t complain about criticism or ask for respect if you don’t deserve it. I want another chance to set a standard that will help improve Nigeria football.

“Someone else will come and struggle because he has no idea where he is going but I’m the man to do it because I have proven that in the past.

“Apart from Stephen [Keshi], the other local coaches have not succeeded because they cannot give what they don’t have to take the team higher.

“Other foreign coaches have also failed because they come with the arrogant attitude of being a world class coach and a big name to perform magic there, and that wrong notion meant they had no passion, desire and the required knowledge to succeed on the job.

“I was very successful because I did not separate myself from the reality. I worked with youth and domestic players; I had faith in my Nigerian assistants and gave my best despite all the challenges.

“No one has done what I achieved and I believe I am the right man to return Nigeria to glory days in Africa and the world” said the Dutchman.

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The debate that must be raging amongst Nigeria’s football fraternity has to be whether Nigerian football’s governing body should appoint another home-grown coach following successive acrimonious fallings-out with former national heroes.

NFF president Amaju Pinnick has said the Federation has no plans to appoint a local coach on a permanent basis. Meanwhile, current under-23 coach Samson Siasia will take charge for Nigeria’s Nations Cup qualifiers against Egypt later this month.

Swede Lars Lagerbäck, who helped Nigeria qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, was the last foreigner to lead the country’s senior national football team. But Lagerbäck is one of a long list of 18 overseas coaches to take the helm. Fact fans pay attention, here they all are: - John Finch (England) 1949 Finch led Nigeria in its first international game against Sierra Leone on 8th October 1949, when both countries were under British administration. Nigeria won 2-0. He handed over to Daniel Anyiam who became the first indigenous coach of the national team. Rating: 7/10.

- Les Courtier (England) 1956-1960 The biggest win Nigeria ever recorded took place under Courtier’s guidance, when the ‘Red Devils’ beat Dahomey (now Benin) 10-1 on November 28, 1959. Rating: 6/10.

-Moshe “Jerry” Beit haLevi (Israel) 1960 -61 In 1960, Jerry received an offer to coach the Nigerian national team. In his first match against Ghana, Nigeria was beaten 3-0 in Lagos and the press called for Beit haLevi to be fired. He kept his job and helped build a better Nigerian side. Rating: 5/10.

- George Vardar (Hungary) 1961-1963 Under Vardar, Nigeria suffered tremendously at the hands of Ghana and Sudan. He left the post to be replaced by Daniel Anyiam for his second stint leading the team. Rating: 3/10.

-Jorge Pena (Brazil) 1963, 1972-1973 Pena’s first coming was in 1963, when he managed the team for one year before again taking over between 1972 and 1973. He is credited with trying to bestow Brazilian flair to a flagging national squad. Rating: 5/10.

-Joseph Ember (Hungary) 1965-1968 Under Ember, Nigeria failed to qualify for the Nations Cup in Tunisia in 1965 and in Ethiopia in 1968. His assistant, Peter ‘Eto‘ Amaechina, took over from him and was in charge of the team from 1969-1970. Rating: 2/10.

-Karl-Heinz Marotzke (Germany) 19731974 Marotzke came to Nigeria after managing the Black Stars of Ghana between 1968 and 1970. His first major role with the team was between 1970 and 1972. But barely nine months after he had applied for the job on 11th April 1970, he was sidelined. He was redeployed to conduct coaching courses in the states of the Federation while Pena (q.v.) returned to the team. The Eagles were eliminated by Senegal in the preliminary competition for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games under the guidance of Pena. Marotzke remained in the country until he was named a member of the NFA in 1973.

Rating: 4/10.

-Othman Calder (Germany) 1974 Following the sacking of the NFA board led by Edwin Kentebe and the disbanding of the team and its technical crew, the new administration hired Calder in December 1974 to prepare the team for the next Nations Cup. His first assignment was to screen the more than 90 players that had been selected from the National Sports Festival held in August of the same year. But in the following year, the coach suddenly abandoned his post and left the country.

His employers, the National Sports Commission, had been unable to meet his demands which included an official car, a house and a monthly salary of N1,700. Rating: 2/10.

-Jelisavic ‘Tiki’ Tihomir (Yugoslavia) 1974-1978 Popularly called Father Tiko, the Slav narrowly missed taking the national team to the Argentina ‘78 World Cup after Godwin Odiye scored an own goal in a match against Tunisia to put Nigeria out of the race. Rating: 7/10.

-Otto Glória (Brazil) 1978-1982 A former Portugal coach, Glória guided Nigeria through the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, which the team won in the final in Lagos with a 3-0 win over Algeria. He left following poor performances at the 1982 Nations Cup in Libya. Rating 8/10.

-Gottlieb Göller (Germany) 1981 Göller came to Africa to manage the Togolese national team in 1972. He was later hired

by German construction company, Julius Berger, to coach its football team in Lagos between 1979 and 1981. He was engaged to coach the Nigerian team after a 2-0 loss in Lagos to Algeria in the first leg at the last qualifying series for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Predecessor Otto Glória (q.v) had been sidelined for the return leg tie but the team lost again 2-1 in Constantine,

Algeria. Göller later left the country to work in Mozambique and then Togo. Rating: 4/10.

-Manfred Hoener (Germany) 1988-1989 Manfred Hoener came in after the NFA had experimented with coaches Adegboyega Onigbinde, Chris Udemezue and Patrick Ekeji, who had failed to win any major tournament. He began his coaching career in 1972 and worked in Austria, Turkey, Egypt and Thailand before coming to Nigeria. His arrival in 1988 was as controversial as his disappearance later that year. Regarded more as a physical trainer than a tactician, he led Nigeria to a second place finish at the Maroc ‘88 Nations Cup. Rating: 6/10.

-Clemens Westerhof (Holland) 1989-1994.

The most successful coach to manage the team. Having failed to lead the team to qualification for Italia ’90, Westerhof showed his determination to be at the next World Cup by rebuilding the team. His first remarkable success, however, was reaching the Nations Cup final in 1990 in Algeria where Nigeria lost 1 – 0 to the hosts.

As the rebuilding project continued, Nigeria appeared to be on their way to a second consecutive Nations Cup final when Ghana recovered from a 1-0 deficit to take the semi-final 2-1. Nigeria had to settle for winning the bronze medal match, but it was a second relative success when put in context and was the impetus for a name change from the Green Eagles to the Super Eagles.

The revised moniker appeared to be an apt choice when the Super Eagles won the 1994 Nations Cup in Tunisia, beating Zambia 2-1 in the final. Cause for celebration as this was, Nigeria had achieved the feat before, in 1980.

So it was the nation’s qualification for its first World Cup that was 1994’s big story.

Ably assisted by Jo Bonfrere, Westerhof’s team exceeded many expectations in the US, winning a World Cup group that included Argentina (featuring an ephedrine-enhanced Diego Maradona). It was, however, a tournament in which eventual finalists Italy decided to have a slow start, meaning their third place in their group pitched them against a group winner in the first knock-out round. Plucky Nigeria drew the short straw, yet almost achieved the unthinkable by holding a 1-0 lead until 2 minutes from the end of normal time. Italy went on to score the only goal in Extra Time, but the heady early nineties will remain long in the memory of Nigerian football fans.

Westerhof was later to have well-publicized bust-ups with some of the Super Eagles’ feted ‘stars’ and was overruled by the NFF on more than one occasion when he axed players, which led inevitably to a breakdown in the relationship between coach and federation. Rating: 9/10.

-Johannes Bonfrere (Holland) 1995-1996 The Dutchman came to the country to assist Westerhof but he got his chance to be in charge of a team when in 1991 he was appointed to coach the Super Falcons. His achievements

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Continued from page 22

Clemens Westerhof took his newly christened Super Eagles to their first World Cup finals

with the women‘s team gave him the opportunity to be in charge of the Olympic football team in 1995, and the following year he led the team to Gold at the Atlanta‘96 Olympic Games. He left Nigeria unceremoniously after he was hired to manage Qatar between 1996 and 1997. When Thijs Libregts was fired in 1999, Bonfrere was hired to manage the Super Eagles again, leading them to a second place finish at the 2000 Nations Cup co-hosted

by Nigeria and Ghana. Nigeria lost the final to Cameroon in a penalty shootout. He subsequently left the team to coach the national

team of the United Arab Emirate in 2001, leaving his assistant, Shaibu Amodu, to take over the team. Rating: 7/10.

-Philippe Troussier (France) 1997 Troussier’s success with African clubs earned him the nickname ‘White Witchdoctor‘.

He was engaged by Nigeria in 1997 and guided the Super Eagles to qualification for the 1998 World Cup. He left Nigeria the same year under controversial circumstances, leaving the NFA to begin a search for another foreign coach. He managed three other national teams between 1997 and 2002. Rating: 5/10.

- Bora Milutinovic (Serbia) 1998 A Serbian, popularly referred to as the Miracle Worker, Milutinovic had taken three teams to the World Cup before joining Nigeria in 1998. He later guided China to the Mundial in 2002. The coach was hired simply for his World Cup experience; needed to guide the Super Eagles through France‘98.

He hardly made any changes to the squad he inherited from Troussier and it was not a surprise that the team failed to go beyond the second round of the competition. Rating: 4/10.

- Thijs Libregts (Holland) 1998-1999 Libregts had managed nine other teams – including the Dutch national team – before taking charge of the Super Eagles in August 1998 following a disappointing World Cup under Bora Milutinovic (q.v.). Libregts was dismissed by Olympiakos in 1995 and was jobless until he was hired by Nigeria. He was relieved of his job after winning just two games in five matches in the build-up to the 2000 Nations Cup. Rating: 3/10.

- Berti Vogts (Germany) 2007-2008 The German had vowed never to return to football management after dumping the Scotland team, but a lucrative deal with Nigeria made him change his mind. His four-year contract came to an abrupt end 13 months later after he resigned following the Super Eagles’ poor performance at the 2008 Nations Cup in Ghana. Rating: 3/10.

ZIFA suspends Kasinauyo for match fixing Information landing from Zimbabwe is that the Zimbabwean Football Association has suspended Edzai Kasinauyo after he was accused of match fixing.

The News Day website in Zimbabwe reports that Kasinauyo, who is responsible for technical affairs, has been suspended by the football mother body following accusations of trying to fix the result of the Zimbabwe and Swaziland 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier in Mbabane on March 25.

It is reported that the ex-Moroka Swallows, Ajax Cape Town and Warriors player has been in contact with a syndicate in Asia in a bid to fix the result of that match, presumably for Zimbabwe to lose the encounter.

Although it is reported that the details were sketchy, it was established last that ZIFA had received a tip-off that a matchfixing syndicate in Asia was in contact with Kasinauyo, who was supposed to communicate with the players.

Kasinauyo, who was elected as an executive committee member in December last year, said he is shocked as he had not been invited for yesterday’s meeting or been informed of the allegations.

“I am just as shocked as everyone else as to where this is coming from,” said Kasinauyo.

Boateng accuses Appiah of dislike

Kevin-Prince Boateng has told Italian media that Ghana’s coach at the 2014 World Cup, Kwesi Appiah, looked for excuses to expel the player from the tournament because he didn’t like him.

The AC Milan player’s account of the incident that led to his dismissal from the tournament contradicts what Kwesi Appiah said under oath during the sitting of the 2014 World Cup Commission, according to Ghanasoccernet.com.

The midfielder was axed from Ghana’s 2014 World Cup camp after clashing with the coach several times during training.

Boateng and Sulley Muntari were both sacked for various acts of indiscipline, with the Ghana FA revealing that the former verbally abused the coach while the latter star physically attacked a management member.

But Boateng claims there are more reasons behind his sacking than what has been said by the federation and the coach.

“I think Appiah had a problem with me and was only looking for a reason to send me away. To be honest I was thrown out,” Boateng told Sky Italia.

Appiah told the World Cup Commission of Inquiry that Boateng verbally insulted him, using the F-word, in front of the other players on two separate occasions during the World Cup.

Tanzania name Samatta new skipper

Tanzania have named Belgiumbased striker Mbwana Samatta as their new skipper as they prepare for an AFCON double header against Chad.

Zimbabwe ‘s national team

“I have not made any contact with anyone in Asia about the match and, to make matters worse, I have learnt of these allegations from people that have read the statement.

“I was not told about today’s (yesterday’s) meeting and I was not informed about the allegations. I am trying to contact other board members to find out what’s going on.”

On the other hand, a statement from the country’s football governing body reveals that he is suspended and investigations are currently going on.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association executive committee would like to inform

the football fraternity, and the nation at large, that following its meeting held in Harare, it has provisionally suspended executive committee member, Edzai Kasinauyo,” reads the statement.

“The suspension has been occasioned by allegations of match-fixing ahead of the 2017 Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match between Zimbabwe and Swaziland.

“Kasinauyo has been fingered in the match-fixing scam and investigations are going on. Zifa president, Phillip Chiyangwa will issue a statement after consultations with COSAFA, CAF, FIFA and the government of Zimbabwe.”

Samatta moved to Belgian club KRC Genk in January after several seasons at African champions TP Mazembe.

He was named CAF Best African Player Based in Africa for last year after his goals helped Mazembe to a fifth continental crown.

He and former Mazembe teammate Thomas Ulimwengu are the only overseas-based pros called by coach Charles Mkwasa for the matches against Chad.

Tanzania, who travel to Chad on March 23 with the return leg in Dar es Salam four days later, will not set up a training camp for these matches because the domestic league is going on.

The East Africans are third with a point in a group that also has Egypt and Nigeria.

Chad are pointless and bottom of the standings.

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ZIFA suspends Kasinauyo for match fixing

HOME OR AWAY? SEE PAGE 23

Should Nigeria’s Super Eagles go native again?

USA ’94 Round of 16: Italy’s Roberto Baggio breaks Nigerian hearts with two late goals to turn around the match in what was, in world terms, the Super Eagles breakthrough tournament showing

By Alan Oakley

Johannes Bonfrere has thrown his hat into the ring to take up the reins to lead Nigeria’s national football squad.

Bonfrere, who led the Super Eagles to the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2000 but was sacked a year later, believes he is ‘the right man’ to return Nigeria to the summit of

African football following Sunday Oliseh’s sudden resignation a week ago.

The Dutchman was very vocal about Nigeria needing a “capable foreign coach” after Stephen Keshi was sacked last summer. It is now clear that his words were a hint which, having fallen on deaf ears back in July, the 69-year-old is now keen to spell out.

Bonfrere lost his job in 2001 after Nigeria lost a World Cup qualifier

in Sierra Leone. The previous year, the Super Eagles lost on penalties to Cameroon in the final of an Africa Cup of Nations tournament they cohosted with Ghana. The final was played in front of a home crowd in the National Stadium in Lagos.

Bonfere had previously been the Super Eagles’ assistant coach from 1990 to 1994 under compatriot Clemens Westerhof, and the duo managed to win the AFCON trophy at the third time of asking during their ten-

ure. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, he led Nigeria’s under-23 team to a glorious gold medal.

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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