The Voice magazine

ISSN:2588-8807

ISSN:1571-3466

Motto: Actuated towards Africa’s advancement

Volume 21. NO. 204 April 2021

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com www.thenigerianvoice.com

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

First complete African magazine published in The Netherlands since August 1999

Meet Tanzania New President Samia Saluhu Hassan Tributes to Late President John Magufuli

2

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

3

The Voice magazine

THE VOICE MAGAZINE TEAM

The Voice magazine is editorially independent although we enjoys the support of our readers, subscribers, advertisers, non-­governmental organizations and in­ dividuals of like minds; however the magazine publishers are in no way af­filiated to any of these bodies or to any other ­ publishing institution or political interest or group.

The Voice magazine strives to foster awareness among the African audience and bridge the widening gap between Africans and the rest of the world in news gathering and dissemination.

The Voice is published digitally online except on demand, we print hard copy..

If you want to receive a copy, send us your email address.

On the Editorial board are Pastor Amb. Elvis Iruh, Jonathan Mgbejume, Sandra Iruh-Monsels, and Henry Oduenyi READ THE VOICE ON LINE AT www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com Our Affiliate partner: www.thenigerianvoice.com Registration NO: (Kvk. Nr. 34.110.928) TAX (BTW) NO: NL806215809B01 ISSN: 1571-3466 (For Print edition) ISSN: 2588-8807 (For Digital edition)

Publisher: Stichting Paddi Europa

For payments, use these bank details: Stichting Paddi Europa SNS Bank Account No: NL29SNSB0908374372 Swift Code: SNSBNL2A OR Stichting Paddi Europa Knab Bank Account No: NL77KNAB0725202238 Swift Code: KNABNL2H

Editor-in-Chief Pastor Amb. Elvis Ndubuisi Iruh elvisiruh@thevoicenewsmagazine.com Founding/Contributing Editor Edward Idahosa Ogbee apexbest2000@yahoo.co.uk Managing Editor Henry D. Oduenyi (Nigeria Office) henry@thenigerianvoice.com Project Coordinator Ifeyinwa Ezeagabu i.ezeagabu@thevoicenewsmagazine. com BUREAU CHIEFS Femi Ikutiyinu (London) afpaprint2000@yahoo.com Middle East Vice- President Amb. Laila EL Aftani Rahhall CORRESPONDENTS ABROAD Barrister Eze Eluchie (Nigeria) paddingr@yahoo.com Kehinde Aig-Imoru (Nigeria) aigimoru@yahoo.com Contributors Rev. Tammy Abusi (Nigeria) tamabusi@gmail.com Elizabeth Kameo (France) Eva Nakato (Uganda) Jimmie Nicks (Kenya) Eubaldus Enahoro (Nigeria) enabadus2000@yahoo.com

Principal Photo Editors: Handy Tims Azeez Badris fatim_26@hotmail.com PA to Publisher Lilian Akintokun (Mrs) raven_lilian@yahoo.com Magazine Designer David Banjoko davosban@gmail.com MEDIA CONSULTANT Jonathan Mgbejume Abeka Salmin Abdallah Mildred Kleinbussink Pastor Duncan Spier Engr. Barry Igbeare You can as well contact our Office Address: Stichting Paddi Europa Inz The Voice Jeroen Boschplantsoen 82 1318 HH Almere, The Netherlands Land Line: +3136-8801341 Tel.: +31 (0)6-48519292 Mobile: +31 (0)6-84999548 E-mail: info@thevoicenewsmagazine.com Websites: www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com www.thevoiceachieversaward.com www.elvisiruh.com (For the Publisher book)

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

The Voice magazine is published in the Netherlands by Stichting Paddi Europa and it is p ­ ublished online since 2016 around the world. It is registered at the Chamber of Commerce Amsterdam. The Voice aim to serve as a vital link among African readers in the Diaspora and we ­provide ­objective information and organizes opinion exchange among African people both in the ­continent and abroad. Thus it strives to foster and enhance complete understanding of ­developing c­ ountries problems and bring information to help address those issues. You can support this project now with as much as one euro a month to help keep publishing our digital copy for you.

TV MANAGEMENT

4

Volume 21 www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

NO 204 April 2021

Contents Get fast results by advertising with us.

Others are doing, join us today. Call us on +31684999548 or +31648519292 E-mail: info@thevoicenewsmagazine.com Page 6- Editorial: Why do African leaders keep their health condition secret?

Pages 8 & 9 - Profile: Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s New President Page 10 - Book Review: The Other Side of Fear Page 15 – Page for your letters (Feedback) Pages 16 & 17- Tributes to President John Magufuli of Tanzania: From Teacher to President.......

Page 18 - View from Mr. L’s Room by Elizabeth Kameo Page 19- FG Begins Pilot Implementation of Livestock Transformation Plan in Nasarawa Pages 20 & 21 - Tanzania swears in New President after sudden death of Magufuli Page 22 - Book launch and business leaders round table dinner Page 23- Prophet Bushiri: I am tired Page 24 - Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine withdraws poll result challenge Page 25 - Column: My Stingy men Vs Stingy women by Eva Nakato Pages 32 & 33 - The African Promise 2 -Her Voice shall be heard!

Pages 34 & 35 - He was praised after the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda,’ now Paul Rusesabagina faces terrorism charges Pages 38 & 39 - Why London’s city bankers are flocking to Amsterdam Pages 40-43 - Pussy power in Mathare Valley Page 44 - ‘Africa’s richest woman’ Isabel dos Santos protests Malta tax bill Pages 46-49 - DG Okonjo-Iweala: WTO can deliver results if members “accept we can do things differently” Page 50 - New Dutch Cabinet expected by the summer Page 52- Uganda: The life path of sanitary towels Page 54- Cownexxion to roll out 4 cattle ranches in Northern States of Nigeria Page 56- Bank of Kigali named best bank in Rwanda Pages 66 - 67 – Sports: CAF has a new President • Born out of conflict: How cricket is helping heal Rwanda’s wounds • Senegalese jockey dreams of international glory • Fashanu: Genk’s Onuachu is currently Nigeria’s best striker • Ajax goalkeeper Onana training alone on amateur pitches ahead of doping ban appeal • • Another Nigerian born Lawrence Okolie brings boxing glory to UK.

The Voice Magazine Volume 21. No 204 April 2021 Edition

KINDLY SUPPORT THE VOICE MAGAZINE

Since you’re here... Support the Voice magazine so we stay publishing for your reading pleasure. Give a DONATION from one time, one-month, each month, quarterly, half a year or a year.

It is your choice...

Make such payment to: Name: Stichting Paddi Europa Iban NO: NL29SNSB0908374372 (Swift code: SNSBNL2A) For payment from Abroad.

Bank: SNS Bank. Address: Utrecht, The Netherlands TV Management

Congratulations

Ginika Ibeagha at 40

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

5

Editorial

Why do African leaders keep their health condition secret?

T

he death of President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli of Tanzania came as a rude shock to the world, he was a man who appeared to be strong, physically and mentally and doing great work for his country, his health didn’t seem an issue, he led the charge against non-existence of Covid 19 in his country but for a period of three weeks he disappeared from the radiance of his country that men and women started asking after their president. Unfortunately the now President, then Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan on state televised announcement confirmed the President has died and he died of heart failure conditions. The cause of his death has angered the populace pretty more that the people who elected him did not know of his health condition and how severe his heart condition was. There are now more rumors of foul play that he could have been poisoned or infected by Covid-19 virus deliberately but whatever the true story is, the question we are forced to ask is why African leaders keep their health condition secret from their people until their sudden death?

Not long ago, Africa was mourning the passing of the outgoing president of Burundi, late Pierre Nkurunziza. Till today, the cause of his death is still debatable while many thinks he died from Covid-19 complications but the Burundi government claims it was a sudden brief illness associated with heart attack. He was just 55 years old. President Magufuli was 61 years old. From records, this has been like for decades that the ill-health of African leaders are kept secret and lies upon lies are told to the public until eventually the ultimate end of mankind - death forces them to accept that something is wrong. I could remember the late of Kenyan First Republic president Jomo Kenyatta, he had heart conditions and it was kept secret until he suffered mild stroke in 1968. His predecessor, retired president Daniel arap Moi caused a near-panic in 1996 when he went for a cataract operation in Israel owing to the fact that Kenyans were used to him making news headlines.

Failing health of Michael Sata, president of Zambia (2014) who died in office, although he was 77, there were rumours of his failing health yet he contested and won and died in

6

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

United Kingdom. Prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi (2012) died in Belgium at 57 also of undisclosed infection.

Then John Atta Mills, president of Ghana (2012) died in his home country of stroke and throat cancer at the age of 68.

He won the presidential election in 2008 and was in office for Pastor Amb. Elvis Iruh Editor-in-Chief only three years. President of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika died in 2012after he suffered a heart attack in April and died two days later at the age of 78.

Bacai Sanha, the president of Guinea-Bissau suffered from diabetes and died in Paris after four years as president at the age of 64. Throughout his time in office, he suffered from several health complications and was continually in and out of the hospital and yet he would not step down or resign from office because of ill health. That of Nigeria was more dramatic, denial upon denial while President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was dying. During his first term, allegations of ill health were reported but it was denied until he died at 58.

Advanced intestinal cancer killed President Omar Bongo in June 2009 in Barcelona, Spain, after being in office for 42 consecutive years. He died aged 72 and was one of the longest-serving rulers in history. His son who succeeded him is also battling poor health, he had suffered a mild stroke that he took several months of treatment in abroad before returning back home and he still hanging on to power.

After 24 years, President Lansana Conte of Guinea died of undisclosed illness at the age of 74. He battled complications from diabetes and heart-related conditions. The question is now who is going to be the best. Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari has been rumored severally to be dead yet he is still governing the most populous black nation in the world, Nigeria. When would these leaders learn to quit from office on grounds of ill health which is nothing to be ashamed of. It is natural course of life.

ONE EURO A MONTH SUPPORT TO THE VOICE MAGAZINE .....

Since you’re here... Support the Voice magazine so we stay publishing for your reading pleasure…..

Welcome to you our readers and our followers. We have a small favour to ask. More people, like you, are reading and supporting the Voice News magazine since we stopped the hard copy print in 2016. We have continued to serve you the magazine in the same format with all production cost covered like editing, page designs, photography and digital distribution via online channels. The Voice News magazine has been an independent organization, we do not receive any form of subsidy except the support of our advertisers, readers and friends. We made the choice to keep our reporting open for all, regardless of where you live or what you can afford to pay. Our advertising drive continue to grow. You can support us through this medium by promoting us among your friends, colleagues and clients as well,. You can promote your businesses and services with us as your way of support.

Our editorial independence means we set our own agenda and voice our own opinions. You are free and welcome to contribute both commercial and political independent articles for our reading audience without bias. We want to continue to give a voice to those less heard, exploited or turn away. We continue to rigorously challenge those in power to do what is right and just.

We hope you will consider supporting us from now on. We need your support to keep delivering quality journalism that’s open and independent. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable.

Support The Voice News magazine as little as one EURO and it only takes a minute through your bank account.

For The Netherlands Account Name: Stichting Paddi Europa IBAN: NL29SNSB0908374372 SWIFT CODE: SNSBNL2A (For payment from abroad) Bank: SNS BANK Address: Utrecht, The Netherlands Thank you.

TV Management www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

7

Profile:

Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s new President a wound in my heart,” said President Hassan. “Today I have taken an oath different from the rest that I have taken in my career. Those were taken in happiness. Today I took the highest oath of office in mourning,” she said in her maiden speech.

Under the constitution, President Hassan will serve the remainder of Magufuli’s second five-year term, which does not expire until 2025.

She is a former office clerk and development worker, Hassan began her political career in 2000 in her native Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous archipelago, before being elected to the national assembly on mainland Tanzania and assigned a senior ministry.

T

anzania’s soft-spoken former vice president has been sworn in as the East African country’s first female president after the death of John Magufuli.

She becomes the first woman to occupy such an office in her country as well as the whole of East Africa. Presently she is the only woman in such position in Africa with executive powers. The other woman is the President of Ethiopia but

her position is more of ceremonial as the executive powers lines with the Prime Minister to govern the country.

Who is Samia Suluhu Hassan?

Samia Suluhu Hassan is a soft-spoken, veteran politician.

Also Madam Hassan is 61, she made history when she was picked in 2015 as Presidential running mate to late President John Magufuli and now she has been transformed by destiny to become President with the death of her former leader.

“It’s not a good day for me to talk to you because I have 8

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Rose through the ranks

She rose through the ranks of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) until being picked by Magufuli as his running mate in his first presidential election campaign in 2015. The CCM comfortably won and Hassan made history when she was sworn in as the country’s first ever female vice president. The pair were re-elected last October in a disputed poll the opposition and independent observers said was marred by irregularities.

She would sometimes represent Magufuli on trips abroad but many outside Tanzania had not heard of Hassan until she appeared on national television last month wearing a black headscarf to announce that Magufuli had died at 61 following a short illness.

In a slow and softly spoken address – a stark contrast to the thundering rhetoric favoured by her predecessor – Hassan solemnly declared 14 days of mourning in honour of the late President.

“This is the time to stand together and get connected.

It’s time to bury our differences, show love to one another and look forward with confidence,” she said.

“It is not the time to point fingers at each other but to hold hands and move forward to build the new Tanzania that President Magufuli aspired to,” she said, amid opposition claims about the cause of Magufuli’s death.

She will consult the CCM over the appointment of a new vice president. The party is set to hold a special meeting of its central committee soon.

She paid a very emotional tribute to her predecessor John Magufuli.

‘Hold your breath’ Analysts say Hassan will face early pressure from powerful Magufuli allies within the party, who dominate intelligence and other critical aspects of government, and would try and

steer her decisions and agenda.

“For those who were kind of expecting a breakaway from the Magufuli way of things I would say hold your breath at the moment,” said Thabit Jacob, a researcher at the Roskilde University in Denmark and an expert on Tanzania.

“I think she will struggle to build her own base … We shouldn’t expect major changes.”

From commentators in Tanzanian, they say that Hassan’s “leadership style is very different from the late president.

They say she listens to counsel more and is not one to make unilateral decisions.”

Hassan’s leadership will also be tested on her response to the coronavirus pandemic, which her predecessor dismissed. “A lot of people are looking to see if she will change strategy.

Magufuli had faced a lot of criticism for how he handled the disease. He never put the country in lockdown and never encouraged people to wear masks or sanitize.”

Hassan’s loyalty to Magufuli, nicknamed the “Bulldozer” for his no-nonsense attitude, was called into doubt in 2016.

Her office was forced to issue a statement denying she had resigned as rumours of a rift grew more persistent, and Hassan hinted at the controversy in a public speech last year.

“When you started working as president, many of us did not understand what you actually wanted. We did not know your direction. But today we all know your ambitions about Tanzania’s development,” she said in front of Magufuli.

Profile of President Hassan

Hassan was born on January 27, 1960 in Zanzibar, a former slaving hub and trading outpost in the Indian Ocean. Then still a Muslim sultanate, Zanzibar did not merge formally with mainland Tanzania for another four years.

Her father was a school teacher and her mother, a housewife.

Hassan graduated from high school but has said publicly that her finishing results were poor, and she took a clerkship in a government office at 17.

By 1988, after undertaking further study, Hassan had risen through the ranks to become a development officer in the Zanzibar government.

She was employed as a project manager for the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and later in the 1990s was made executive director of an umbrella body governing nongovernmental organisations in Zanzibar.

In 2000, she was nominated by the CCM to a special seat in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives. She then served as a local government minister – first for youth employment, women and children and then for tourism and trade investment.

In 2010, she was elected to the National Assembly on mainland Tanzania. Then-President Jakaya Kikwete appointed her as Minister of State for Union Affairs.

She holds university qualifications from Tanzania, Britain and the United States. The mother of four has spoken publicly to encourage Tanzanian women and girls to pursue their dreams.

“I may look polite, and do not shout when speaking, but the most important thing is that everyone understands what I say and things get done as I say,” Hassan said in a speech last year.

Hassan is the only other current serving female head of state in Africa alongside Ethiopia’s President Sahle-Work Zewde, whose role is mainly ceremonial.

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

9

BOOK REVIEW

The Other Side of Fear Uncertainty, anxiety and fear: only fictitious superheroes are exempted from this all-too human sequence. The trouble is that fear is paralyzing because it feeds our minds with negative thoughts. In a second, fear can turn the idea of courage into one of recklessness, and then it’s all downhill to a point where determination is put aside in favour of ‘playing it safe.’ Sadly, fear can stop you from doing anything slightly risky. It’ll keep you locked up in the prison of the comfortable and predictable where you’re more likely to die of boredom than might from any of the dangers you fear. So, what’s to be done? The simple answer is that risk-taking and adaptability are as much part of our human heritage as uncertainty-inspired fear. It’s finding a balance that matters most. Fear is a useful tool for making better life-directing decisions, but fear must never be allowed to control the direction of your life. That way you lose the opportunity of reaching your true potential. I hope this book will inspire you to transcend your fears and achieve all of your dreams.

The greatest prison you can live in is the prison of your own fears. Nothing of value can be achieved when we allow fear to control our life. Grab a copy of “The other side of fear” be inspired to live above your fears. You can purchase E-book & paperback on amazon.

First and foremost, I want to thank God for guiding my every step towards completing this project and to every other

person who contributed to this. I’ve learned that if we can find the courage to begin something, God will empower & enable us to complete the task. There’s nothing we cannot accomplish if we are determined enough. I was inspired to write this book because fear has kept a lot of people locked up in the prison of comfort.

Too many people are living in a self-made prison of their own fears, they are stuck, unable to move forward and achieve their meaningful dreams. Fear has the power to limit your greatness, and blind you from seeing the opportunities that lies ahead of you. Everything you desire is on the other side of your fear, don’t stay trapped behind the walls of your fear for the rest of your life. It’s time to move towards your fears instead for trying to avoid them. I can confidently tell you that this book will inspire and challenge you to transcend your fears. And also provide principles to help you on the journey.

Grab a copy of this book to bless yourself, a friend or a loved one. You can read online, download, & order hard copies of this book online click on the link. www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Fear-M-K-Slim-ebook/dp/ B088RKSDW7/ref=sr_1_8?

Thank you

By M.K. Slim

About M.K. Slim For much of my life, I’ve been fully committed to my music career, but I’m also an entrepreneur and a budding writer. I’m very motivated and mentally resilient: a genuinely optimistic person who believes that anything can be achieved if I’m determined enough. I strive to create a positive impact in the lives of those around me and I believe the highest of human acts is to inspire others to reach their potential.

I strive to inspire as many people as I can. I’d like others to say of me, “Because you didn’t give up, I can do the same.”

That’s the legacy I hope to leave behind when I die.

10

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

11

Victory Outreach Church Almere is a Pentecostal Church, a Bible based believing people in the trinity of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

What would you like to know? Our vision?

Which activities we organize? Or would you like to hear testimonies about how we follow God? One thing is certain, we would like to get to know you and therefore you are more than welcome to visit one of our services in this new year 2020. You can visit us every day of the week as there is a Resident Pastor available to your demand.

You may have been a believer for many years already.

Or you might still be searching for the meaning of life and asking yourself whether or not there is God. Within Victory Outreach Almere we would like to help you find the answer. We will gladly teach you through the help of the Holy Spirit the exact meaning of “a living faith”.

With us you will truly see

and experience the supernatural power of the living God. You can always count on love and comfort when you need it. You will discover that we have a wonderful diversity of people with lots of different backgrounds, characters and personalities. But there is one thing we have in common. We all follow the same God, Jesus Christ.

In that diversity and love for God, we are a family where you are more than welcome.

We personally hope to meet you during one of our services. God bless you as you come in Jesus Christ name. Amen Signed: Pastor Roel & Ida van Rooij Senior Pastors Victory Outreach Almere.

Barbeelstraat 12, 1317 PZ Almere The Netherlands.

Telephone: +31646890203; Telephone: 036-7505571 E-mail: info@voalmere.nl Website: www.voalmere.nl

Join our church service every SUNDAY in church and also online service via FACEBOOK or YOUTUBE

Victory Outreach Almere

12

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

13

14

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Feedback (Page for your letters) Tanzania mourns the death of their President Dear Editor, This is the most shocking news of 2021 yet, the death of President John Magufuli, a very promising African leader and of course it does not matter what happens to him while he was alive but we cannot take away the amazing

records he has left behind in the country and should be copied by other African leaders. Within a short time, he has done more than many who have been there for more than three decades. I express my deep condolence for the death of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Honourable John Pombe Joseph Magufuli. Our condolences and solidarity to his family, his government and the brother Tanzanian people. May he rest in peace!

Eventually we all would return to our maker. Let’s live knowing we’re mortal, and that one-day we shall be no more. The legacy we leave behind especially as leaders is important, so let’s serve our countries diligently & treat people right, because one day we shall be no more.

Goodbye Magufuli.

By Joel Ssenyonyi Kampala, Uganda

Teenage pregnancy on the increase in Ghana Dear Editor, Since the government shut down high schools a year ago to fight the coronavirus, the number of early pregnancies has increased dramatically and the government seem not to be bothered about this new baby boom in Ghana. Many of these girls are disadvantaged teenagers and from poor homes. While sexual activity among adolescents has increased, the vast majority are not using any form of contraception or protection, so the fears of increase infections including HIV/Aids are on the increase.

According to a Ghanaian health survey, in 2020, only 18.6 percent of sexually active adolescents were using contraception. And abortion is not an option in this highly religious country either so who is to address this problem. Voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP) is only allowed in cases of rape, incest, fetal impairment, or danger to the physical or mental health of the mother. What would happen to these children when born and to their teenage mothers? I am just worried and crying out loud and clear. The government should engage these teenagers.

Eritrea is treated unfairly

Dear Editor, The EU did not give further details on the sanctions placed on Eritrean accusing them of operating in Ethiopia northern province of Tigray but if they do not take this necessary action, the violence would spread into their country and it may result in total break out of war between the two countries. I wonder why the same measure is not taken against Ethiopia who is the aggressor in this matter. The atrocities of Ethiopia army are well documented and yet European Union or the United Nations has not sanction the Prime Minister. Rather the EU blacklisted Eritrea’s National Security Office, which is responsible for intelligence, interrogations and arrests. “The National Security Office is responsible for serious human rights violations in Eritrea, in particular arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances of persons and torture,” the EU said after foreign ministers of the 27-nation bloc agreed to the measures. Eritrea’s foreign ministry reacted by saying the EU’s decision was “malicious” and accused the bloc of bridging a divide between Eritrea and Ethiopia. It also said the EU was trying to bring back power to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). “The EU has no legal or moral prerogative for its decision and has merely invoked trumped-up charges to harass Eritrea for other ulterior motives,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. Thousands have been killed amid the fighting in Tigray and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes since the conflict erupted in November last year.

Both Ethiopia and Eritrea have denied Eritrea using troops to fight in the Tigray conflict despite an Ethiopian general and witnesses reporting their presence. Who can help to mediate in this crisis and do not allow it to generate in full civil war. The civilian people are already displaced.

By Farhan Mohamed Asmara, Eritrea www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

15

Tributes to President John Magufuli of Tanzania.

From Teacher to President.......

B

16

orn on October 29, 1959, Magufuli earned his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1994 and 2009, respectively.

After a short stint of teaching at Sengerema Secondary School and later working as an industrial chemist, Magufuli went into politics under the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

He was elected a member of parliament in 1995 and that same year appointed deputy minister of works, receiving the title of minister in 2000.

In 2010, he gained popularity after he was appointed Tanzania’s minister for works and transportation for the second time.

His bullish leadership style and fight against graft in the road construction industry was endearing for Tanzanians, who later nicknamed him “the bulldozer.”

He ran as president in 2015 and won 58% of the vote, defeating Edward Lowassa of the Chadema opposition party.

In 2020, he was re-elected — a win that opposition presidential candidate Tundu Lissu decried as fraudulent. In his inauguration address, Magufuli was full of praise for the country’s electoral conduct.

“As you are aware, elections have been a source of conflict in many countries, but we Tanzanians have safely passed this test. This is proof to the world that Tanzanians are peace-loving, and we have matured in our democracy.”

Adored at home — but not abroad In Tanzania, President Magufuli was a popular figure.

His lean government and cost-cutting measures greatly earned him respect among citizens.

For example, in 2015, he suspended the country’s independence celebrations, instead urging citizens to clean up their communities to fight a cholera outbreak.

He also embarked on major infrastructure projects such as the port of Bagamoyo, a new railway, and upgrading the Dar-es-Salaam International Airport.

His hands-on war against corruption was admired not just in Tanzania — but the entire continent.

“Magufuli came in on the platform of fighting corruption and empowering the masses,” Martin Adati, a Kenyan political analyst, told the press.

“It is the people who have been benefiting from corruption www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

and all these other funny things who are not very happy with him.”

However, his popularity at home was tainted abroad by human rights groups who accused him of trampling on basic rights such as freedom of press and expression.

In 2020, his government introduced a law that made it a punishable offense for local media to publish international content without authorization.

For exiled opposition leader Tundu Lissu, Magufuli’s presidency was riddled with autocratic tendencies despite his accomplishments.

“Yes, he has built all these things, but that does not justify misrule, that does not justify the draconian and very authoritarian policies that he has imposed on the country,” Lissu told the press, adding that the late president’s actions did not legitimize the destruction of the country’s democratic processes.

Tributes has continued to pour in to celebrate the life of Late John Magufuli, the President of Tanzania who last month suddenly passed away from heart disease according to the government while the opposition continues to claim he died of Covid-19 related sickness. Whatever the reason for his death, it does not rub off the shine he brought to Tanzania and how he tried to transform the country and made Tanzania a middle Income country in Africa.

According things he accomplished in his first five years in office includes he strong and firm stand against rapid influence of China on many East African countries, rejected a $10 billion loan from China which would have given them dominance and key

players in the economy of Tanzania. He was also credited with reducing high cost of running government institutions his inception of his administration, he refused to engage in foreign trips rather making use of the country’s diplomatic missions abroad; he is on record has not making any state trips outside Africa during his tenure in office; reduced the size of his cabinet from 30 ministers to 19; he also flew economic class when he did travelled within Africa and made his cabinet to follow his lead. In fact he banned

Government officials from foreign trips & abolished their tax exemptions.

Late President Magufuli accused UK company, Acacia

Mining of illegal mining and ordered them to pay $193 billion for undervaluing Tanzania’s gold exports. Over 250 containers of theirs were seized at Dar es Salaam port. They paid $300 million and gave Tanzania 16% ownership in 3 mines owned by the company in the country Magufuli introduced free education in government schools in 2016. He acquired 6 Air Tanzania planes, expanded Terminal III of Julius Nyerere International Airport. He built Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway, Mfugale Flyover, Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station, Ubungo Interchange.

Dr. Magufuli built Selander Bridge, Kigongo-Busisi Bridge, Huduma Bora Za afya, Vituo Bora Za Afya, expanded Port of Dar es Salaam, Dodoma Bus Terminal, an LNG plant, a water project, a wind farm project, Uhuru Hospital project, a gold refinery plant, and Magufuli Bus Terminal.

Late President Dr. John Magufuli excelled in infrastructure and financial affairs for the advancement of his country. He faced numerous accusations of human rights abuses and was accused of repressing the opposition. He also banned explicit images or videos online.

He wasn’t a saint, but was a true son of Tanzania who meant well for the generality of the population and you can see it how the nation is at a standstill to mourn his passing.

He was truly a son of Africa. His memory would live long and the woman he has entrusted with the job as his deputy President would have to finish what he has started.

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

17

View from Mr. L’s Room

T

here he was again looking through his window.

This has become an all familiar scene to me since mid-March, about the time the Lockdown started in France. The only change, being in his expression.

4:30Pm and it is the end of my shift. I do as always, I approach Mr. L’s window, and making sure I respect the 1 metre rule. I smile and go ahead with pleasantries. Only this time round, it is not the same bubbly, smiling, eager to talk Mr. L. He has a mask on, I think he is taking the right measures and I tell him so after saying hello.

For a 83-year old, Mr. L was in great shape before the war against Covid-19, but the lockdown has taken his toll on him. If this goes on I fear he will be eaten up by loneliness and depression, like any other residents.

I had not seen Mr. L for a week, I was away from work, seven days annual leave. A very much needed break from the hospital. Being around so much death and sadness has a way of playing with your physical and mental state. I found Mr. L to have rather thinned in so short a time, he also looked sadder, hardly smiled. He let me in on the why after my hello. Mr. L was infected. He had tested positive for the Corona virus during the week I was o, leave.

“I feel better now, last week was different, and I know I am sick but what I do not understand is how I got infected. We have been staying indoors, we do not see anyone. We talk to no one. I have been told not to leave my room. I go out into the corridor when the other residents are in their rooms, but it is not the same as being outdoors,” he told me.

The view from Mr. L’s room is as the French say, “pas le luxe”. I have been in and out his room since the start of the lockdown and it much smaller than my living room.

He is one of the seven residents who live on the basement floor. His room looks right at the back of the kitchen, there is not much green around it, mostly tarmac. He and four other residents have a few flowers by their window. They do add some beauty to the whole picture frame but then again, that is all, untouchable beauty. They are far from going out and “smelling the flowers”. So they mostly look about and up. When there is any sort of action, it is brought on by the delivery and garbage trucks or by the kitchen and restaurant

18

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

By Elizabeth Kameo staff, my colleagues and I as we walk to work or leave after work. But he still looks through that window with content.

Since residents at the hospital started getting infected with Covid-19 and dying, we did not only get to see our work uniforms change but so did the schedules, the roles, the way of life. Dining rooms were and are still thus closed, living rooms put off limits to residents, society games were put away, and chit-chat between residents is a thing of the past. Corridors are plenty most of the day, sometimes I walk through and I swear I can hear my own feet echo. Residents make do with the four walls of their rooms.

Mr. L like many others residents may recover from the virus, but will they recover from being locked into their rooms?

Will the views from their rooms be enough to help them stay sane and keep the faith.

As I walked away, wishing Mr. L a good evening, I remembered his words a few weeks ago, “c’est plus pire que le temps de l’occupation” (this is far worse than the time when Franca was under German occupation).

FG Begins Pilot Implementation of Livestock Transformation Plan in Nasarawa State, Nigeria Following a €400,000 funding support from the Netherlands, the federal government has commenced talks with the Nasarawa State government for the kickoff of the pilot implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP).

The plan, which includes the establishment of grazing reserves across the country is seen as panacea to the current farmer-herder conflicts in the country.

The implementation will also help the country maximise opportunities in the country’s over N30 trillion assets in livestock which had been neglected over the years.

The Special Adviser to the President on Agriculture, Dr. Andrew Kwasari, who met with key state officials in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital recently, said it was important for the state to understand the requirements for the establishment of the Awe Grazing Reserve billed to be located in state as pilot project.

The move came on the back of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari recently to the Netherlands, whereby the Dutch Investment Agency (RVO) approved a grant of about €400,000 to cover 50 per cent cost of the pilot startup of NLTP model in Nasarawa State for 30 pastoralist households with a start date of March, 2021.

Kwasari, during the meeting with Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe and the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources, Allananah Otaki, said the engagement was to further ensure that the state livestock transformation team was fully understood the requirements for successfully implementing the pilot.

He added that the pilot would serve as a proof of concept for the livestock sub-sector transformation process.

In a statement, Communications Lead, FMARDPACE, Sandra Affun, Kwasari, who is also the Special Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on Special Projects, further explained that the objective was to, “review

in particular the project appraisal document for the startup site and ensure that the state team is clear on the roles and responsibilities of Nasarawa State senior management team of the state livestock transformation office and the project office”.

However, Akabe welcomed the initiative in the state and pledged government’s support to make it a success.

According to the deputy governor:” We are quite enthusiastic about this programme starting in Nasarawa state. We feel it is a great honor that Nasarawa State was picked to pilot this project.

“We as a state have resolved not only to be in charge but also in control. We want to own it and make Nasarawa an envy of other states because we are supposed to showcase not only Nasarawa State, but the whole of Nigeria.”

He further assured the team of the support of the state governor in making the project a huge success.

Under the current initiative, Cownexxion, the lead consultant in the bilateral collaboration, leading the Dutch Consortium, will serve as technical partner for the implementation of the NLTP pilot ranches in four states namely Nasarawa, Adamawa, Plateau and Gombe.

In each of these states, a pilot farm, which will also serve as a training centre, will be developed.

The statement added that Cownexxion will work with the federal and state governments led by Kwasari to implement the pilot initiative.

James Emejo in Abuja

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

19

Tanzania swears in New President after sudden death of Magufuli

T

anzania swears in new president after sudden death of Magufuli Tanzania’s soft-spoken Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Friday was sworn in as the East African country’s first female president after the sudden death of John Magufuli from an illness shrouded in mystery.

“I, Samia Suluhu Hassan, promise to be honest and obey and protect the constitution of Tanzania,” said Hassan, dressed in a black suit and red headscarf before dignitaries at a ceremony in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

In her first public address as president, the 61-year-old leader announced 21 days of mourning for Magufuli and public holidays on March 22

and on March 25, the day the late president will be buried.

“It’s not a good day for me to talk to you because I have a wound in my heart,” said Hassan.

“Today I have taken an oath different from the rest that I have taken in my career. Those were taken in happiness.

Today I took the highest oath of office in mourning,” she said, after being sworn in at 10am local time (07:00 GMT) on Friday.

Hassan ascended to the presidency after President Magufuli’s death due to heart disease was announced by the government on Wednesday, more than two weeks after he was last seen in public.

Magufuli’s absence since February 27 had fueled speculation about his health and sparked rumours he had contracted COVID-19, although officials had denied he was ill.

According to Tanzania’s constitution, the vice president serves out the remainder of the term of a president

who dies in office. Magufuli, who was first elected in 2015, secured a second five-year term in polls in October last year.

The constitution also states that after consultation with their party, the new president will propose a deputy, the choice to be confirmed by the votes of no fewer than 50 per cent of the National Assembly.

“I’ve been speaking to people in Tanzania to get a sense of what she is about and what they’re telling me is that her leadership style is very different from the late president.

They say she listens to counsel more and is not one to make unilateral decisions.”

‘Time to stand together’ Described as a softly spoken consensus builder, Hassan has become the country’s first female president and the first to be born in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous island in the Indian Ocean that forms part of the union of the Republic of Tanzania.

She said that Magufuli “who always liked teaching” had prepared her for the task ahead. “Nothing shall go wrong,” she said, urging all the country’s people to work to unite the nation.

“This is the time to stand together and get connected. It’s time to bury our differences, show love to one another and look forward with confidence,” she said.

“It is not the time to point fingers at each other but to hold hands and move forward to build the new Tanzania that President Magufuli aspired to,” she said, amid opposition claims about the cause of Magufuli’s death.

Exiled opposition leader Tundu Lissu insists the president died of COVID-19.

Hassan rose through the ranks over a 20-year political

career from local government to the national assembly.

A stalwart in the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), she was named Magufuli’s running mate in the 2015 presidential campaign.

The pair were re-elected in October last year in a disputed poll marred by allegations of irregularities.

Her leadership style is seen as a potential contrast from Magufuli, a brash populist who earned the nickname “Bulldozer” for muscling through policies and who drew criticism for his intolerance of dissent.

Magufuli was a vocal COVID-19 sceptic who urged Tanzanians to shun mask-wearing and denounced vaccines as a Western conspiracy, frustrating the World Health Organization (WHO).

President Hassan did not talk about coronavirus. “A lot of people are looking to see if she will change strategy.

Magufuli had faced a lot of criticism for how he handled the disease. He never put the country in lockdown and never encouraged people to wear masks or sanitise,” she said.

“People are waiting to see how she is going to deal with this disease and if she’s going to change the policy that had been in place by Magufuli.”

Hassan’s swearing in will assuage opposition fears of a constitutional vacuum.

“The VP has to be sworn in immediately,” opposition leader Zitto Kabwe told the media by phone from Dar es Salaam. “The constitution doesn’t allow a vacuum …

I will be concerned if the day passes without her being sworn in.”

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

21

Book Launch and Business Leaders Round Table Dinner

B

22

uilding on the success of the just concluded UK/ Africa Investment Summit held in January 2021, the management of Cater and Merger Consult Limited presents a Book Launch and Business Round Table Summit for the exploration of multi-sector investment relations between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

With the advent of Brexit, the ramifications of such a political and economic move of such a change was yet to be thoroughly examined in regards to what it meant for Africa and the world at large.

The book “BRITAIN/EU, POST- BREXIT AFRICAN

optimizing public and private sector resources for African development and Britain/EU stability post-Brexit.

The event is organized to maximize attendance by captains of industries, political leaders, top government officials, renowned scholars from the academia, members of the organized private sectors, chambers of commerce and industries, trade associations, financial providers, manufacturers and members of the diplomatic corps across Africa and the nation of Nigeria.

RELATIONS AND THE GEOPOLIICS OF GLOBALIZATIONS” has expansively examined the exit of Britain from the European Union, with an extensive assessment of the historical antecedent that led to British integration into the EU and the socio-economic and political dynamics of this complex and reluctant relationship between the two entities.

Thus, it has provided a resolved action to expand collaborative opportunity with Africa and Nigeria as potential trading partners, respectively.

The Launch of this Book and Business Leaders Roundtable Dinner on the 13th of April, 2021 will offer an excellent opportunity for the exploration of comparative trade advantages and highlights financial options for projects in the investments sector between the United Kingdom and Nigeria as well as

investments and the possibility for inter-agency cooperation in the investment sector between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

The summit scheduled to be held in Abuja, Nigeria will also explore international collaborations in the area of trade and

Therefore this event is tailored specifically for persons interested in exploring business to business and government to business venture collaborations between Nigeria, the United Kingdom and Europe.

Cater and Merger Consult Limited is available for consultation on this and is happy to engage with partners and investors willing to make a difference in their community through this landmark opportunity. info@caterandmergerconsult.com

Prophet Bushiri: I am tired

S

outh African based Prophet, Shepherd Bushiri, has come out with all guns blazing, saying he is fed up and tired of being attacked and slewed like a criminal

by Malawians. The Malawian born prophet and founding father of Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG), is reportedly pissed off with allegations leveled against him on social media following the recent fatal accident that claimed the lives of James Nee and two other members of ECG, Beston Khamba and Brain Gondwe.

Bushiri, speaking through his publicist, Ephraim Nyondo, claims he feels under appreciated and has decided to send back most Malawians who were working for him in the Rainbow nation.

“Prophet Bushiri is doing so much for Malawi. However, it is shocking to note how he is attacked and slewed like a criminal” Nyondo has been quoted as saying by local media. “He helps so many people in South Africa.

Nobody talks about it. But when something goes wrong or happens to these people, all the blame goes to him.

The death of James Nee, Beston and Brain is the case in point. Prophet Bushiri only knew James (the Church worshiper)” said Nyondo.

ECG James Nee dies in road accident. According to the publicists, Bushiri has come under heavy attack despite taking responsibility of meeting funeral costs for the

deaths. “When that accident happened, Prophet Bushiri took responsibility of meeting every rising cost. Instead of being appreciated for it, people from Malawi are leading in attacking him. He is also a human being. He feels pain. He feels bad” wailed the publicist who said “cutting back on Malawi is the best thing Bushiri can do now”.

A video, currently going viral on social media, appears to reveals (through the arrows that have been perforated in) that Beston Khamba and Brain Gondwe who also lost their lives in that accident but have been disowned by Prophet Bushiri as his workers might have been ECG employees. He has not personally spoken on this incident and praying for the deceased and their families.

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

23

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine withdraws poll result challenge

B

obi Wine, who had disputed January election results, says ‘the courts are not independent’ as he withdraws his case.

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says he is withdrawing a court case challenging presidential election results that handed victory to incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, alleging “bias” by Supreme Court justices hearing the case.

Speaking to a news conference in the capital Kampala on Monday, Bobi Wine said that he had decided to withdraw his case, claiming that “the courts are not independent, it is clear these people (judges) are working for Mr Museveni”.

Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, rejected the results of the January presidential election and said he believed victory was stolen from him. A pop star and lawmaker, Bobi Wine, 39, had asked the court to overturn the results on several grounds, including the widespread use of violence.

Museveni, a former guerrilla leader who has led the East African country since 1986, was declared the winner of the January 14 election with 59 percent of the vote, while Bobi Wine won 35 percent of the votes.

A political statement Solomon Muyita, a judiciary spokesman, told Reuters news agency they will only respond to Bobi Wine’s accusations and his decision to withdraw the case when he formally withdraws it through his lawyers.

“Right now what he has done is, he has only made a political

24

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres statement, as far as the records of the Supreme Court are (concerned) the case is still there,” he said.

Bobi Wine accused Museveni of staging a “coup” in the election and has previously urged his supporters to protest the result through non-violent means.

Human Rights Watch said the lead-up to the elections was characterised by widespread violence and human rights abuses.

The internet was shut down across the country shortly before voting started. It has since been revived, though access to social media is blocked.

Museveni, 76, has dismissed allegations of vote-rigging, calling the election “the most cheating-free” since independence from Britain in 1962.

Museveni has long been a Western ally, receiving copious amounts of aid and sending troops to regional trouble spots, including Somalia, to fight armed groups.

But Western backers have become increasingly frustrated at his reluctance to cede power and crackdowns on opponents.

COLUMN Column:

STINGY MEN Vs STINGY WOMEN

By Eva Nakato

“Hey babe, I urgently need some money for my hair.” She requested via a phone call.

“Oh dear! I wish you had told me earlier.” He replied.

“It’s really urgent.” She responded.

“Let me see what I can do.” He replied back.

“Please!” She insisted.

“Let me first consult from the members of the Association.”

He shot back shortly before ending the call amidst jeers from her.

When she called a few seconds later, the gentleman’s number was no longer going through as he had apparently switched off his phone.

How did we get here in the first place? Well, towards the last quarter of 2020, a group of men started a ‘revolution’ to bring about an end to them being financially exploited by women, aka ‘the other gender’! To achieve their ultimate goal, they united under an umbrella organization hence giving birth to the Stingy Men Association (SMA).

In Uganda, the Stingy Men Association of Uganda (SMAU) was at its peak when several celebrities including BET Awardwinning Singer Eddy Kenzo publicly displayed their SMAU Identity Cards on different social media platforms amidst ululations from their over 11,000 followers on Facebook and on 20,000 Twitter.

To become a member, one had to be scrutinized thoroughly of their wallet size and lifestyle. This meant that one had to be critically monitored on how they spend their money in order to help guide them from being exploited by the other gender.

Most importantly, one had to first of all swear an oath of allegiance to the organization as per the dictates of their constitution before being issued with the Association ID. They also had to strictly respect and practice the Association’s motto, ‘My Money, My Rules’. The members of the Association were actually hardworking men who worked for every penny in their pockets. They thus decided to ‘jealously’ protect their ka-money (small money). They were not necessarily broke. In fact, they distanced themselves from the Broke Men Association Uganda (BMAU) and continued to urge people to not confuse them with being broke. Their only mission was to fix the nation by only spending on what was necessary especially if spending on the ‘other gender’.

In one of their meetings, new recruits were trained on how to turn down financial assistance requests from the ‘other

gender’ without feeling any slight guilt. They were even encouraged to be stingier, save more and also use the phrase ‘I’ll see what I can do’ more often!

The members were not to respond to random texts such as ‘Hi’, ‘I love you’, ‘I miss you’, ‘Can I ask for a favor’, to mention but a few. These texts were considered traps from the other gender.

Members were also not to waste money on ‘useless’ things such as birthday parties, baby showers and vacations out of pressure from the other gender.

The ‘other gender’ didn’t take things lightly. They defined the stingy men as broke fellows who had nothing to offer anyway. They retaliated by forming their own Stingy Women Association of Uganda (SWAU) with the motto, ‘Sente Y’ekikazi Tekwatwako’ (A woman’s money shouldn’t be touched).

Under the SWAU, no woman was allowed to spend money recklessly on a man, especially through gifts and surprises. A man would have to provide something before asking for any financial assistance from a woman. He had to first spend on her; like buying expensive gifts, cloths, jewelry, expensive vacation or even buy her a new home and car!

SWAU wasn’t as popular as SMAU in the beginning but it soon picked momentum when women from different backgrounds subscribed to its ideology. It was payback time and the Stingy men had to feel the wrath!

Shortly, the two rival camps were tearing each other apart.

The audience members enjoyed free drama as different memes attacking each other flooded social media.

Towards the Valentine’s Day, the women asked the stingy men to look for their fellow stingy women as dates. The Stingy Women were as well not willing to take on the Stingy Men. Talk of discriminating against your own!

This was the much-needed stress reliever during the Covid-19 pandemic!

So, would you like to have a trip to the Headquarters of the Association and have a one-on-one moment with its founding member? Worry not, for your dreams will never come true.

These were just imaginary Associations, they didn’t exist physically!

But, are you sure you’re not ‘stingy’ in real life? Please be honest!

Eva Nakato is a Ugandan based writer and she wants to read from you so write her through

info@thevoicenewsmagazine.com

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

25

Have you got your copy yet - Getting to know you?

Visit my website at www.elvisiruh.com to place your order and it would be delivered at your door step.

Bless someone with a copy, you will not regret it.

- Author 26

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

YOUR COPY NOW....

Getting to know you written by Pastor Elvis Iruh Pastor Felix Asare wrote the foreword

BOOK REVIEW

Pastor Elvis Iruh’s new book is out……

Title: “Getting to know you” - A book on marital steps with information about marriage Author: Pastor Amb. Elvis Iruh About the book Whether you’re preparing for marriage or want to enjoy a deeper union with your spouse, this guide will help you enjoy a relationship built on solid Christian values.

Pastor Elvis Iruh is a licensed minister with Victory Outreach International. His book highlights simple principles that are often taken for granted.

Learn how to: • get to really know a love interest before deciding to marry; • avoid mistakes that lead to divorce;

• appreciate the sanctity of marriage; • forgive your partner when they make mistakes.

Before you think of getting married, you should take the necessary steps to really get to know your partner. Your past should not contain any surprises - and your values must be aligned.

This revealing book is filled with practical exercises that

partners can carry out with each other as well as guidance for pastors and church leaders who may need help in advising couples. This guide will help couples enjoy marriage that is built to last. ***** About the Author ELVIS IRUH is a native of Delta State, Nigeria. He attended numerous schools in Nigeria, including the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Lagos, Nigeria, before continuing his studies in Europe and earning a degree in theology from Victory Education & Training Institute.

He worked for several media organizations in Nigeria as well and has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Voice news magazine since August 1999. He is serving as an associate pastor at Victory Outreach Almere, The Netherlands.

The book can be used for educational purposes as well as educating your children on the subject of marriage.

He is also available to speak on related topics covered in the book at any organized event or church activities.

He is open for collaborative efforts to strengthen marriage institutions worldwide. It is a mission he has dedicated himself to helping the younger generation to talk and address the challenges they face in building good and solid relationships which could end up in marriage.

You can purchase the book in Holland via his website: www.elvisiruh.com or through his publishers’: www.authorhouse.com/ Elvis Iruh or on www.amazon.co.uk via this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1665580844/ref=ox_ sc_act_image_1?smid=AHRB2OK2Q2YCL&psc=1 You can contact him directly through any of his social media handle for your questions or comments, he would look into it and respond would be sent to you accordingly.

Email: info@elvisiruh.com or elvisiruh@gmail.com

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

27

Jeffangs Beauty

This is a one-stop shopping center for all your hair and body products.

We have sections for all beauty and body care products for men and women at Jeffangs Beauty Supply & Salon in Rotterdam We offer you the latest hair and skin products with fantastic prices.......

You are Welcome always & bless 2020 to you all..

28

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Supply & Salon

We specialize in Afro & European hair styles

J E F

Weaving, Braiding, Lace wig fixing, Trimming of hair, Washing of hair, Relaxing of hair, Colouring of hair, Barbering of all men styles etc.

A

Contact:

F

1st Middellandstraat 132B

N G S

3021BJ, Rotterdam Centrum

We have many more products for you to select from....

You can purchase Retail or Wholesale

E-mail: jeffang2002@yahoo.com jeffangs@jeffangs.com Tel: +31(0)10-4776062 Mob: +31614471508

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

29

PureCare Sal

Looking for a classic place for your Hair do (For a Woman or a Man)?

Look no further than PURECARE Salon in Almere Buiten We offer the latest hair and skin products and our services are world class.

YOU ARE WELCOME & BLESS 2020 TO YOU ALL !!!!

30

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

lon & Shop Wimper extensions stylist • Mary Kay Consultant • Skin and hair analysis with digital microscope • For appointments Only: 06-86495901 •

P U R E C A R E

We have eye for beauty Contact: Reykjavikstraat 13 1334KG, Almere Buiten Centrum Near Trekpleister E-mail: info@purecare.nl Tel: +31(0)36-5212618 www.purecare.nl Opening times: Monday: 1.00pm – 6.00pm Tuesday: 9.30am – 6.00pm Wednesday: 9.30am- 6.00pm Thursday: 9.30am – 6.00pm Friday: 9.30am – 6.00pm Saturday: 9.30am – 6.00pm

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

31

Column:

The African Promise 2....

By Nicholas Jimmy (Jimmie Nicks)

-Her Voice shall be heard!

They are holding the hands of their lovers and they will continue to do so as long as they suspect that big brother is watching!

The African belly was more healthy and full during pre-colonial error compared to postcolonial error, yet the modern Africa is more exposed and educated. One would have thought that modern Africa would be more glorious and well but that is not the case. Africa continental leadership and political wars/conflicts have given her a fine share of trouble in the past few decades, and while freedom and independence from her slave masters seem to have been achieved, she still suffers from inferiority complex, a kind of hungover affecting almost all her people. Over the years, whenever she has had elections or matters sensitive to the constitution, there has been a vicious trend of ‘call’ for international community to have an oversight. One remains to wonder why Africa still believes her solution will come from her ‘slave masters’. Truth be told, America and Europe will never call African bodies to be the oversight for their elections or Judicial matters regardless of any irregularities they have or may have. While the urge to grow and develop herself to acceptable modern standards is perceived as priceless, the true global partnership/level playground/development will not be realized by Africa until she grows up and realizes that global cake at stake is not an inheritance but a race to be won by world competitors. African leaders and politicians must now realize their role in creating a more democratic space in its actual sense which will mean giving judiciary room to inclusive development in strengthening independent bodies to work free from manipulation and also to exercise their judicial duties without interference from the executive. In a market, there are things (goods and services) to bargain on and goods/service on fixed price, my take is these three and not limited to the number must have no compromise 1. The rule of law, Africa has experienced leadership in which rule of law is on paper, judicial systems are directly disobeyed by the executive who in irony expect the citizens to obey. A good 32

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

example is the case of one Kenya born Barrister Miguna Miguna who was deported against his will to Canada. Later on the high court ordered the return and compensation of the same individual-the executive disobeyed. One may argue that Miguna Miguna committed treason by swearing in Raila Amolo Odinga as people’s president while another president was on sitting, however it would be double standard to omit doing the same judgement to the very person who was sworn in. In addition Miguna case would have been dealt with in Kenya-his country of birth. The case may be different now but the pot-the point is free courts in Africa.

Most challenges facing Africa today are directly or indirectly related to the Judiciary (justice and law). While political class and the rich may easily escape the law, a commoner can easily pay double for his/her crimes. Though emphasized to be free and fair, majority of her (Africa) course are far from exercising justice. Fundamental rights are sold cheaply.

A sitting president will utter the articles of the constitution to favor his stay in office, so will the rest of the members of parliament upon been bribed in manner of positions and kind. And yet, this constitution stands as the supreme paper by which we should abide by.

2. Vote of majority T h e purpose of election is to give people an opportunity to choose leader/leaders of their own choice, however in Africa, there has been very few cases in which a sitting president accepted defeat and walked away quietly, vote of majority means nothing if it is not respected. Elections rigging and tempering is not new disease in Africa - This one kind of problem, she may have to deal with it for a very long time. One should never join a race in which winning and losing is not equally accepted. The major cause of conflict in Africa can be attributed to leaders who incite havoc within communities creating political temperatures. These power thirsty politicians would rather watch entire community burn than lose their political existence. It’s only in Africa where youths kill each other in the name of the political class who in return degrade the country through corruption and greed. For the rule of law to be in effect, foremost the leaders should accept that running for political office has winning and losing side and that is how it is. And one should be ready for either.

3. Peoples government In Africa, governments are by the people on paper and by the

Column politician on actuality Its only in Africa where the boss (electorate) begs his employee (politician) for service. A government of the people by the people for the people should have the people having the final say. I strongly believe that if this practices are true on actuality as they are on paper will set foremost Africa’s strong believe within her potential to realize what is at stake and need to be done which will eventually wash away the inferiority complex in regard to her inability to run herself without external interference - giving her a standing on global platforms with ego which I belief is necessary. Africa should love and belief in herself. “You cannot have a standoff against your neighbour if she/he feeds you’ African leaders for a long time have displayed her dirty linen for the world to see while remaining disloyal to her people - a very common act of betrayal foreseen in governmental pact deals that favor the political class while sustaining the act of borrowing to keep up with anti-development projects. As long as the big brother is happy and ready to give more, they will continue to nurse ‘his’ wounds with cruel bravery to keep him smiling without thinking as to why he/she be so happy in giving her more. These pact deals are displayed on round table as solutions to the African problem while real deals happen at corner table in most secret places. Details as to who benefits from this monies (tenders, suppliers, beneficiaries) is a story of another day but, there has been an increase in speed in signing MOUs which attract monies from world bank and IMF, matters as to when and how Africa will pay back, and what she stand to lose at the end is always a non-issue and left for the devil to work it out. They will only chest thumb (on the amount of figures given as a loan in front of big cameras) as though such shame was an achievement. What these leaders who seek to please these lenders and displease the electorate don’t know is that a debtor is a slave, and as long as Africa owes them-she is still a slave in denial even if she thinks she

is free - I don’t think she is.

They (international community) are watching - big brother is watching, African politicians would say as they tighten their

arms around their lovers (electorate), parading shame their peoples ignorance, poverty and disease only to capitalize on the monies donated to ease her pain. African leaders should learn to do it right because it’s a mandate given to them to do so. Their concern should be her people are watching and not big brother is watching. However for this to happen there must be severe actions taken against such atrocities internally.

I strongly believe that Africa has and will continue to have the potential to grow, however the situation remain the same-physically a busy people and economically a dwarf as long as her leaders behave like thieves who are aware of CCTV in place. They will continue to caress the hands of their lovers (the electorate) and they will continue to do so as long as they suspect that big brother is watching - Until the lover says enough is enough and fights back for her voice to be heard, endless hope for her future will remain intact. It’s time for Africa voice to be heard-Africa speak up

“Nicholas Jimmy (Jimmie Nicks) is a graduate with B. A degree in Integrated Community Development, since his college days, he has continued to champion community programs on capacity building and eventually founding United Global Volunteers International, with twelve years of experience as an expert in Community Development, he is also the Founder of Kollywood Horizons - media Business, he also organizes World Volunteer Day (WVD) every 5th of December in Kenya, creating awareness on the need to grow volunteer culture and helps community institutions to get free experts & volunteers to assist solve community problems while experts get opportunity to re-learn and get exposure through various programs across targeting Grassroot capacity building. Jimmy has been awarded by Kenyan government (2010) receiving Good Samaritan honorary award presided by the then speaker of national assembly, Hon. Kenneth Marende. He has also been awarded by Daystar University as the youngest servant leader impacting communities” www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

33

He was praised after the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda,’ now Paul Rusesabagina faces terrorism charges “Paul Rusesabagina used topshelf liquor and Cuban cigars to distract extremists from murdering Rwandans posing as his guests”.

By Michael Fiorentino

of political science and international relations at Boston University.

The State Department, which has previously criticized Rwandan authorities for not following due process, has urged the government to respect the rule of law and ensure that Rusesabagina is treated fairly and given the best legal representation to defend himself from all accusations.

“We are very concerned about public statements, including

The Hollywood film “Hotel Rwanda” brought international praise to Paul Rusesabagina for saving hundreds of lives during the 1994 genocide in the central African nation, but in his home country, he’s now being tried as a terrorist.

A fierce critic of Rwanda’s powerful president, Paul Kagame, Rusesabagina, 66, had been living in Belgium and the United States for the past 25 years. He was lured back to Rwanda last year, however, where he was arrested and charged with financing terrorism, arson, armed robbery, abduction and murder. If convicted, he could be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison and probably spend the rest of his life in prison.

“As President Kagame’s best-known critic, Paul Rusesabagina posed a threat to his international image,” said Timothy Longman, professor from some Rwandan authorities, that correspondence between Rusesabagina and his lawyers has been intercepted,” a State Department spokesperson told the press after leaked video from the Ministry of Justice showed R u s e s a b a g i n a ’s communications had been accessed by prison officials. “We urge the Rwandan government to be fully transparent about both the means and the legal basis for how Mr. Rusesabagina arrived in Rwanda.”

34

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Congressional leaders have also raised concerns about the case, sending a bipartisan letter to President Kagame asking for Rusesabagina to be returned to his family.

Last month the European Parliament voted for an investigation into Rusesabagina’s arrest as well.

On March 12, Rusesabagina said he would no longer attend the trial because his “basic rights were being denied.”

Rwandan prosecutors, however, said the evidence against him is strong.

Rusesabagina and President Kagame both rose to prominence for their heroics in 1994, when extremist Hutus targeted the ethnic minority Tutsi population, resulting in over 800,000 deaths.Western countries did little but evacuate their own

nationals and left Rwandans in crisis and mass killings.

While managing the luxurious Hotel des Mille, Collines, Rusesabagina used top-shelf liquor and Cuban cigars to distract extremists from murdering Rwandans posing as his guests.

“If you stay friendly with monsters you can find cracks in their armor to exploit,” Rusesabagina wrote in his 2006 memoir, “An Ordinary Man.” Meanwhile, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, led by Kagame, liberated the capital, Kigali, ending one of the bloodiest 100-day stretches in modern history. The RPF has held power ever since. Under President Kagame, who became

president in 2000, the former Belgian colony has seen rapid development through foreign investments from companies and organizations such as Starbucks and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

But human rights groups have criticized President Kagame for stifling political debate. Freedom House, a U.S.-based human rights group, said Rwanda has a history of pervasive surveillance and suspected assassinations, a pattern that has led countries such as Sweden and South Africa to expel Rwandan diplomats.

“While President Kagame can be praised for many things, particularly his good economic management, he has been extremely intolerant of criticism,” Longman said.

Rusesabagina’s star would rise when Don Cheadle’s portrayal of him in the 2004 film “Hotel Rwanda” was nominated for an Oscar, launching him to the red carpet next to Angelina Jolie.

He has seized his public profile as an opportunity to criticize President Kagame -an effort that has brought him in loggerhead with the President.

In 2017, Rusesabagina mobilized the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change, or MRCD, a coalition of exiled political parties that opposes President Kagame and has called for more democratic freedom in Rwanda.

In a video that year, Rusesabagina urged supporters to use “any means possible to bring about change in Rwanda including voting out Paul Kagame.”

Now, prosecutors have linked those words to a series of attacks in 2018 and 2019 by the

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

35

36

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Mama at 85

Happy birthday to my dear mom, you are the best for us.

We love you very much and wish you Happy Birthday

Signed: Pastor Elvis Ndubuisi Iruh On behalf of the families

Madam Suzie Titi Omoroje (Nee Odozie) www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

37

Why London’s city bankers are flocking to Amsterdam As Brexit bites — will the capital’s financiers follow the money and decamp to Amsterdam?

Walking around Amsterdam’s sunny Vondelpark, the default destination for state-sanctioned constitutionals during the pandemic, the main sound you hear is English voices. It is not only here that the Anglophone din dominates; you can’t swing a cat in the Dutch capital without hitting a Brexpat.

Whereas Amsterdam has become accustomed over the last decade to beanie-hatted Shoreditch and Soho transplants getting a foothold in fashion at Tommy Hilfiger’s headquarters or going to work in one of this city’s award-garlanded ad agencies, recently the exodus has taken on more of a Mayfair vibe. The latest batch of émigrés seem more likely to work in banking or high-end property development, and some say Brexit is behind this step change.

sector that we have heavily focused on,” he says over email, “but we do welcome, guide and facilitate these companies when they approach us.”

Amsterdam wasn’t the only city whose stock market has received a Brexit boost; exchanges in Paris and Dublin have also swelled.

But London loyalists have been quick to point out that stock trading is a relatively low-margin sector, with limited direct consequences for jobs and revenues in the trading centre itself — wherever that may be. According to Freddie Taylor, a British financial services professional who left London for Amsterdam in February last year, the idea that the recent news is therefore beneath notice is “probably bollocks. It’s hugely symbolic and representative of where the liquidity is”.

More importantly, it could be a sign of a wider shift to come.

“Europe’s disadvantage has always been that it doesn’t have a pre-eminent financial centre comparable to London or New York,” says Taylor. “Its clout is spread between Milan, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris… But we may begin to see one of them take

Certainly, it’s a turn-up for the books. In 2019, ahead of the UK’s departure from the European Union, the Dutch government unveiled its Brexit monster, a lanky muppet who starred in ads designed to spur businesses in Holland to do their preparatory admin. Seen sprawled over desks and generally getting in the way of business as usual, Brexit was characterised as a massive annoyance.

How times have changed since that campaign, dubbed Project Fur. Despite a national coronavirus curfew, there was discreet jubilation in the Netherlands last month after it was announced that Amsterdam had ousted London from its historic position as Europe’s largest share trading hub. Brexit, far from being an obstructive gremlin, seems to have been the fairy godmother of the piece.

In the twist of separation, Brussels has declined to recognise British exchanges and trading venues as having the supervisory equivalence required to host trades of stock listed in Euros. Consequently, an average €9.2 billion (£8 billion) shares per day were traded on Euronext Amsterdam and the Dutch arms of CBOE Europe and Turquoise in January, up by more than four times from December. London, meanwhile, lost out on about €6.5 billion (£5.7 billion) in deals.

Few expected such a dramatic reversal, mainly because it had been wrongly assumed the UK and the EU would negotiate an equivalence clause. Even Amsterdam’s deputy mayor Victor Everhardt, who doubles as the city’s alderman for finance and economic affairs, seems taken aback. “Stock trading is not a 38

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

the lead.

“Finance likes to collect around one big space. You don’t want to go to the marketplace where there’s just three people and a dog.

You want to go where there’s everything you need to get your business done — lawyers, accountants, even restaurants.”

Based on his own experiences, Taylor thinks Amsterdam is well placed to provide such a context, particularly for Londonbased firms who now wish to establish a presence in mainland

Europe. “A lot of it is cultural — there’s a lot of English spoken and the Dutch have a very Anglo-Saxon approach to capitalism, whereas Paris feels a bit more foreign in that regard.

The tax regime is pretty generous. I’m here on a specialist worker’s visa and I get an income tax break.” It’s worth remembering that Amsterdam is the city that gave the world the very concept of a stock market. In the 17th century, when the Netherlands ruled the waves, selling a stake in your spice-laden ship was a way of spreading the risk as your vessel made its perilous voyage back from India.

Although the glories of the Dutch Golden Age, facilitated as they were by brutal slavery, are being re-evaluated in the age of Black Lives Matter, the unprecedented influx of wealth and talent it attracted was undeniably a boon to domestic creativity and technology (the telescope and the microscope were both invented here).

Arguably, that legacy lives on. At the end of 2019, Netflix leased a 95,000sq-ft office that will become its primary headquarters for the Europe, Middle East and Africa, while Uber is currently building its new international headquarters in the city.

“Amsterdam punches above its weight. Being a relatively small but cosmopolitan place, it is instinctively outward-looking and speaks to the world rather than to itself,” says Kerrie Finch, whose reputation management agency Futurefactor represents creative agencies and tech businesses.

Tom Jarvis established a distinct EMEA office of his Londonborn social media firm Wilderness Agency here in late 2019.

“Amsterdam is the perfect place for us,” he says. “It’s a very diverse and international city with a great young talent pool, a superb client infrastructure and a refreshing way of doing business that’s inherently collaborative.

“Even between agencies, I’ve noticed that people are more willing to share ideas over a coffee. It’s a warm business culture and welcoming to outsiders. Within five minutes of registering an interest in working in Amsterdam, we were flooded with support from the foreign investment body.”

If members of Notting Hill’s banker belt do find themselves going Dutch, they may engage Tara Alapiessa. Her homefinding and relocation service Orange Homes is doing as brisk a trade as ever despite Covid. “We’ve been busy doing apartment viewings on Zoom,” she says, “and dropping groceries on the doorsteps of new arrivals who are quarantining.”

British hires remain as attractive as ever for the many multinationals who headquarter their European operations here, according to Alapiessa. “Brits still have the language advantage, and a reputation for having a good work ethic and education.”

What’s changed is that they’re more likely to stick around.

“When I moved here 18 years ago, you couldn’t buy groceries on a Sunday,” she says. Now, there’s a Soho House and a brow bar on every other corner.

member Jazie Veldhuyzen is a member of the party BIJ1, which campaigns for “radical equality and economic justice,” and sees the €3.7 million (£3.2 million) the local government spends annually on aspirational city marketing as counterproductive.

“This pursuit of becoming a financial hub for multinationals is forcing people with lower incomes out of the city,” he tells me.

“At the same time, we’ve seen homelessness double.” Get on the list for social housing, and you’ll now be waiting between 15 and 20 years for a flat. “The fundamental right to having a roof over one’s head is being disregarded,” he says.

There is a general agreement that it would be ironic if Brexit were to spur Amsterdam into becoming a canal-side facsimile of London’s most elite enclaves. For all its long-held capitalist credentials, Amsterdam has never really been a “greed is good” kind of place.

Everhardt points out that recent successes are “in spite of the 20 per cent cap on bonuses in the Netherlands compared to 100 per cent in other EU countries”. Generally, displays of status are despised. In the 13 years I’ve lived here, the only open hostility I’ve ever encountered has been while cycling to an event dressed in black tie.

Pandemic notwithstanding, one of my favourite pastimes is admiring the still life paintings in the Rijksmuseum. These exquisite depictions of eye-wateringly expensive flora were commissioned as a way for the newly enriched merchants of the Golden Age to show off.

But look closely. The artists typically undercut the opulence with a tiny, troubling detail: a snuffed-out candle, a wormriddled apple or a wilted flower. This too shall pass, they seem to whisper. And pass it did. The phenomenon of tulip mania and the resulting economic crash of 1637 is an early example of a commodities bubble. It left the city’s high rollers in rags.

Should Amsterdam lose its head, and its identity, in a flood of foreign money, it can’t say it wasn’t warned. In the meantime, London should hold its nerve. Amsterdam has a lot to offer right now but there’s nothing like a bit of healthy competition to make you up your game.

In a city whose population is under 900,000, not everyone is thrilled at the prospect of a pinstriped stampede. City council www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

39

“It was a lot of violence and trauma, but there lies the source of my activism” She dreams big, inspires women and men and is not afraid of sacred houses – such as the balance of power in the world of human rights. A meeting in Nairobi with Rachael Mwikali, a feminist and activist. It starts at home: “In global forums, our president says he supports gender equality, but our own parties are not inclusive, and women cannot walk the streets safely at night or are even murdered.”

Text: Marc Broere and Eunice Mwaura Images: Jimmy Nicks Rachael Mwikali’s house stands out immediately with the

40

slogans painted on the front.

This house is out of bounds for patriarchs.

Feminists take over with love.

Human rights defenders’ lives matter.

Inside, the bookcase full of feminist literature and a huge bed that friends gave her stand out. “To do my job, you have to be able to sleep well,” she says with a laugh.

The proud 28-year-old feminist and human rights activist is a striking phenomenon in Mathare Valley, the large informal settlement in the east of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. When we ask for directions and only mention the name Rachael, almost everyone knows exactly where she lives. Moreover, a broad smile immediately appears on the faces. “ Pussy power”, people sometimes shout.

She was born the oldest in a family of four, with a single mother.

After her came two more girls and a boy. Mwikali describes www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

herself as a community child raised not only by her mother but also by many others; in a community that is, on the one hand, warm and close-knit but at the same time lacked the most basic things for girls in particular; ranging from parental love to food and sanitary towels.

And in which violence was normalised because of patriarchal structures and systems, making the position of girls very vulnerable. Many flee into “toxic relationships” with older men who offer a false sense of security but ensure that sanitary towels and food can be bought. You are forced into adulthood long before your time.

And so did Mwikali, who ended up in such a toxic relationship with someone nine years older at the age of thirteen.

She describes him as “super violent,” and he preferred to hit and threaten her in public places where everyone could see. What makes her sad to this day is that her environment always asked her not to report a new case of violence to the police. “You are too activistic,” it was said.

She now also knows that the sex was essentially rape, as it was never mutually agreed, and she was also a minor. “I never enjoyed my childhood,” she says. “It was a lot of violence and trauma, but it is the source of my activism, feminism and the desire to mobilise the community. I don’t want future generations of girls to go through the same thing as I did: having to fight daily as a young woman and black feminist from an informal settlement.”

She is still in therapy to heal her past wounds, but she is no longer afraid when she sometimes runs into her ex-partner on the street. “For me, that was the moment I realised I had taken back my power and regained it.”

If Mwikali had not become an activist, she would have wanted to be a lawyer or a journalist, but her real passion is activism, feminism and community organising. At first, it was difficult for her family and loved ones to make that choice.

“They are supportive, but in 2019 there came a time when they thought it was too risky for me. Then they said, “Go do something else, go and sell tomatoes. Please don’t fight the government.” I then explained to them that everyone has the

Pussy power in Mathare Valley freedom to choose their own path.”

She personally experienced the harsh downside last year and had to go into exile for a year. Mwikali felt lonely, stressed, desperate and frustrated.

“You fight for your country, but people don’t see that enough. They publicly shouted that I should be murdered and raped: “Have her raped and found in the morgue, just like Caroline Mwatha.”

“This is the price you pay as an activist,” she continues. “But it also bothers you in a subtle way. As an activist and feminist, it is quite difficult to get a paid job as an employer sees you as a troublemaker.”

According to Mwikali, there are divisions of killer cops in the country and a Facebook group called Nairobi Crime Free. Once you’re on their radar, to keep the leaders accountable and on the ball,” she added. it becomes life-threatening.

It started with her after she confronted the police spokesperson The men also respond positively. “Rachael is an angel,” said on a television program about increasing femicide and one of them, the leader of a group hanging out outside. “I violence against women, and she criticised the government can’t give her anything, but what she is doing is very good. for not acting against it – despite the law. She also criticised Many families do not have bread. Now they no longer have to buy bread but can do something else with the money. These the criminalisation of activists and “My dream is that girls get opportunities and do not have women are pussy power.”

After which, the whole group feminists like herself. to go through the same childhood as I had” chants: “Pussy power! Pussy “Over the next few power!” days, photos of me We sat down in one of the two offices of her organisation. appeared on the affected Facebook page, which has 300,000 The rooms and her house are within twenty meters of each members, portraying me as the leader of a gang. It also other; private and work are intertwined.

In this room, they said that I was a dangerous accomplice of criminals. When give workshops and training, and the loaves are also piled up Caroline Mwatha was murdered, people from my community there. Mwikali would like to thank all the volunteers for their came by and warned and advised me to go into hiding.”

She managed to escape to Sweden via Tanzania. I had the help this morning. We ask how people in the neighbourhood privilege and the contacts to create an escape route for view her. That broad and open smile reappears on her myself. “Don’t forget that most people don’t have that.” She face. “Both as an activist and feminist and as an ordinary calls the people who helped her, both in Kenya and outside, neighbourhood girl – and some as a troublemaker.” her S/Heroes. “They were there for me at that one moment, To add to this, “Not everyone agrees with everything, I think.

I am outspokenly pro-LGBTQ, which is a step too far for the moment I couldn’t get out on my own”. many. But I’m proud that my queer or LGBTQ friends can We go into the neighbourhood to distribute bread. Mwikali just come and visit me freely, without fear. I talk a lot in the says that almost every grassroots-based human rights neighbourhood about the need to have inclusive spaces where organisation in this age of corona has been forced to become everyone feels at home.” a humanitarian organisation as well. For a few hours, we In addition, Mwikali simply delivers and takes charge of walk through the neighbourhood and visit families living important matters that concern the whole neighbourhood.

Mathare Valley is infamous for demonstrations and resistance. close together. Some homes are underground.

There are a striking number of young men who volunteer and “Crossing Juja Road” is a household name. If there is no wear T-shirts with feminist slogans. Whenever she gives a water, then Juja Road is crossed to demand it – and all kinds loaf of bread, Mwikali adds that this is not charity but that of provisions or injustices are done to the residents. But first, according to article 23 of the constitution; every Kenyan must Mwikali usually tries with dialogue. not be hungry and have the right to food. “For that, you need “When the corona crisis broke out, and we didn’t have Continued on Page 42 www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

41

Continued from Page 41 water to wash our hands, I went to the local government’s neighbourhood office after a first campaign. She made sure there soon was water again. People often see us as noisemakers, but I actually like to follow the rule of law. Only when that doesn’t work do we cross the street because it is the only language that the government listens to anyway.”

Rachael Mwikali is the founder and coordinator of the Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya, of 150 organisations or individuals. Each member has their own speciality. She holds a daily consultation hour, to which people with problems come.

Cases range from land rights to access to water and sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), from domestic violence to police brutality. Mwikali then looks at who can best help within her coalition. She herself also looks at all cases separately, through a feminist lens and from the perspective of human rights and social justice.

In the waiting room are a few women whom she introduces to us, including an elderly woman whose son has been murdered by paramilitary police and a young woman of twenty whose husband has been murdered. She checks whether there is room within one of the programs.

The coalition supports communities with actions and solidarity.

“It’s really about support, not about setting up actions yourself.

If you take over, you deprive local people of their power and dignity. Then you mourn more than the people who have been robbed.”

Another aspect is providing education in the neighbourhood.

Not only to create tolerance for LGBTQ people but also to make residents aware of the Kenyan constitution and their rights arising from it. A more recent program is the provision of mental aid.

“We do this in discussion groups. We call it community therapy and collective community care. It is very good that people talk to each other to see how everyone is doing. With the outbreak 42

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

of COVID-19, this has only become more necessary.”

Mwikali co-founded her coalition in 2016 after winning a major human rights award because she saw a gap between mainstream human rights organisations and activists, feminists and grassroots organisations rooted locally in communities.

“The support of the large organisations did not get through enough. It was difficult to get support or protection, not just for me, but for all female human rights defenders and activists in the community.”

According to her, there is a difference between employees and activists in the human rights world. For the first group, it is a paid job at an international or national organisation. For the second group, it is about working at the foundation, about being on the frontline.

“In professional organisations, people are usually only hired with a university degree. That immediately excludes a lot of people. No one in my movement will get such a job because they could rarely afford to go to university – or because they don’t speak English fluently, or because they don’t know the global jargon.

But they are all people with tremendous qualities and with a lot of experience in working to protect human and women’s rights in practice.”

It does bother her that the financing flows mainly go to the regular human rights organisations, women’s rights and poverty reduction, and too little to grassroots organisations. “I find it striking that donors find it perfectly normal to hire an expensive consultant or hire people for a six-figure salary, while activists are expected to actually do it for free.

“We also have bills to pay; we are also part of the change.

Suppose your landlord hears you talking about residence rights on television, but you haven’t paid your rent – because you can’t afford it. Or you fight for children’s rights, but you have no food to feed your child properly. As an activist, that diminishes your dignity.

“Here in Nairobi, staggering salaries are sometimes paid to human rights and aid workers. I don’t want to discredit their work, but I think it’s way too much compared to the results they are achieve in the community.

“I often challenge the big donors: “Why would you invest in high salaries and not where the work is done instead?”

It made me unpopular...” While laughing, “I was even blacklisted because people from the donor circuit consider me a troublemaker.”

She also believes that the academic world should treat activists differently and compensate people for providing knowledge.

“Many Western scientists come by and do research in informal settlements such as Mathare Valley. They come here and collect knowledge and that without compensation or referencing the source.

“Then they take credit for their research themselves. I am having a difficult time dealing with that. You should know how

many researchers ask me if they can interview me, or even if I would put together an entire program for them.”

An activist needs about fifty thousand shillings (about four hundred euros, ed.) per month to make a reasonable living, she thinks, including expenses. Ideally, the community would pay for that itself.

“In Kenya, pastors are maintained by the community. If I were a pastor here in the neighbourhood, the parishioners would pay my rent, give me food, and pay school fees for my children.

In fact, we do the same work. Jesus was also an activist, and you can call us his modern-day disciples. In the same way, we activists have disciples and people who turn against us.”

Then there is the balance of power between donors and recipients that is unequal and does not feel right to Mwikali. She tells about a clash with an elderly white feminist woman from a large international human rights organisation from England that convened various young feminists and organisations with financial support in Nairobi.

“Together with a colleague, she started to tell us how we should organise ourselves in Kenya. I then made it clear to her that I am only accountable to my own team and not to her. She used her financial power and privilege that led to divisions within the feminist movement in Kenya, which her organisation supported.

“Some wanted to follow the donor’s demands and course, others did not. Inequality within the human rights and feminist movement itself is also enormous. In fact, the same system of inequality and oppression is used towards feminists, activists and grassroots organisations. This inequality is something we need to fight just as hard as the outer oppressor and the patriarchal system.”

You can also see this inequality in determining the global agenda, she says. Governments and, in particular, Western civil society organisations have chosen the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a handle and a framework in which to work, goals that are not binding.

Grassroots organisations often see that these SDGs, which Mwikali says are good in themselves, provide a wonderful way out for their leaders to avoid their obligations. “Our president has also embraced the sustainability goals and speaks about

them regularly,’’ she says, “but I would rather have him put his energy into Article 43 of the Kenyan constitution, which deals with the social, political and economic rights of our people.

“The Kenyan people have the right to food, the right to safety and clean drinking water, the right to housing and gender equality. It appears that getting involved in international discussions about sustainable goals provides an opportunity for our government to hide from its responsibilities at home.

“In international forums, she calls for the SDGs to be embraced, but she has not even implemented them in her own constitution.

That should be our first priority; only then can you talk about sustainable development goals.”

While shaking his head, “Our president even talks about the importance of gender equality at such forums, SDG 5. That is pure hypocrisy. You say you support gender equality, but our political parties are not inclusive, and women cannot walk the streets safely at night or are even murdered. Women face a lot of violence and sexual harassment. Opportunities are being taken away from us based on our gender.

“Many women still die from unsafe abortions because they cannot afford a safe abortion. We still have to make noise to show him that femicide is a national disaster. Start at home, clean up your own house first. Under our constitution, the Kenyan woman has the right to be protected by the government.”

We say goodbye. She poses with a girl in front of a wall with

If there is no water, Juja Road is crossed to demand it

graffiti on it. “In Kenya, graffiti plays a big part in activism,” she says, “but you do not often see the role of women at the centre of it. I think this narrative needs to be changed.

“African women need to know their own story – the story of those fighting day and night for their country and continent rarely makes it to the public domain. If you look at the percentage of African women on Wikipedia: there are very few, even that space is dominated by men, just like journalism.

“Take the recent months, with the corona crisis. Take a look at the incredible role women are playing in the fight against COVID-19; it should be highlighted much more. If we do not showcase these inspiring examples ourselves, our children will never see them.”

In terms of her own future, she mirrors the Kenyan actress and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, who always says that dreams are valid. You can always dream big in life. “My dream is that one day we will have a feminist government here, with a feminist policy. That everyone is free to be who they want to be and that girls have opportunities and do not have to go through the same childhood as I had. And let there be many more young activists who are doing even better than me.”

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

43

‘Africa’s richest woman’ Isabel dos Santos protests Malta tax bill

I

sabel dos Santos’s Malta Company that collects consultancy fees from Telecommunications Empire told to pay €200,000 in outstanding tax The Maltese commissioner for revenue has slapped a €191,000 tax bill on the company that collected consultancy

fees on the TV-internet empire until recently controlled by Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos.

The tax investigation was launched soon after a data trove published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in January 2020. The exposé followed soon after an Angolan court froze her stake in mobile telecom firm Unitel and in several banks.

The daughter of Angola’s former long-time dictator built a billion-dollar empire through her control of strategic state assets. But after her father stepped down, an anti-corruption drive by Angola’s new president, João Lourenço, took Dos Santos head-on.

Two months into his tenure, Lourenço kicked off an anticorruption drive that spread to Dos Santos’s holdings in Europe, chiefly Portugal.

Among her holdings, Dos Santos held some 14 companies in Malta alone, designed to minimise her tax exposure from profits remitted to the island. MaltaToday had revealed the extent of her Malta business network in 2015.

Now one of her consultancy firms – Kento Holding – is

44

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

fighting a tax bill in Malta after having first attempted to claim a €99,000 VAT refund.

The Malta investigation by the Commissioner for Revenue (CFR) found that the company Kento Holding did not carry out any economic activity in Malta, and was not entitled in claiming a €99,000 VAT refund.

Kento Holding is a Maltese entity used to receive consultancy fees for services on acquisition and redistribution agreements for television channels. The company has a 70% stake in two significant subsidiaries, Upstar Comunicacoes of Portugla, and Mstar of Mozambique. The company is also a shareholder in ZOPT in Portugal, the main shareholding of NOS, Portugal’s $1.82 billion leader in the so-called ‘quad play’ market of internet, TV, fixed and mobile telephony.

Instead, the tax investigation revealed that the company owed the Exchequer a total of €191,176 in taxes.

The Compliance & Investigations Directorate’s investigation revealed that there was “no intention of carrying out any economic activity” in the country that would merit a VAT refund. It said that “it is highly unlikely that the company has real intentions of conducting an economic activity despite being registered since 1 September 2018, as no turnover was reported.”

The CFR also said the company had to pay over €38,000 in penalties apart from the tax it owed.

At the time of Kento’s activities, the Dos Santos holdings in Malta were managed by former Nationalist MP Noel Buttigieg Scicluna. He resigned his duties in January 2020.

In August 2020, Dos Santos lost joint control of NOS after her business partner, Sonaecom, announced an agreement to dissolve ZOPT, their 50-50 joint venture, which owned 52% of NOS shares. Dos Santos held her stake indirectly through Kento in Malta, and Dutch shell company Unitel International Holdings BV. The dissolution came on the back of a Lisbon court order to freeze Dos Santos’s control, prompted by Angola’s attempts to recover an estimated $1 billion in public money it alleges dos Santos and her associates siphoned from the country during her father’s 38-year rule.

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

45

DG Okonjo-Iweala: WTO can deliver results if members “accept we can do things differently”

A

ddressing the WTO General Council immediately after taking office on 1 March, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on members to “do things differently” to achieve reforms necessary to keep the WTO relevant, starting with swift action to curb harmful fisheries subsidies, and to help scale up COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution. The new head of the WTO noted that high expectations for her tenure can only be met if members are willing to compromise and reach agreements.

46

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

DG Okonjo-Iweala suggested that prospects for a successful Twelfth Ministerial Conference would be enhanced if members target a manageable number of deliverables for this year, and set up longer work programmes to address issues that cannot realistically be resolved within that time frame.

Her full remarks are below: Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies & Gentlemen, Good morning. I am delighted to be with you in Geneva even if circumstances do not yet permit all of us to meet in the same room. Let me at the outset express my gratitude to our Chair, Ambassador Walker, incoming Chair Dacio Castillo and Ambassador Aspelund for their hard work and persistence in getting me here.

As I take office as DG, I want to thank you Members once more for the kind wishes and support many of you expressed two weeks ago when you made history by electing me. The large number of delegations (91 in all) that spoke is unprecedented and speaks to the desire of all for a fresh start.

Let me specially thank the four DDGs Messrs.

Yonov Agah, Mr Karl Bruner, Mr Alan Wolff, and Mr Yi Xiaozhun for ably holding the fort since September. I know this was not easy.

Let me also thank the management and staff of the Secretariat for their warm welcome, their enthusiasm and desire to see things done differently.

I remain honored and humbled by the confidence Members have placed in me.

I will bring all my knowledge, passion, experience and persistence to the task at hand, reforming the organization and achieving results.

I am conscious that expectations are high and shall do my utmost to move us forward.

However, this is a membership driven organization so I cannot do it without you, I cannot do it without the cooperation of staff and management. What we are involved in is a tripartite partnership. Each partner has to play its part if we are to get results. High expectations of my leadership also means that I have high expectations of you to help me deliver.

I have said it. It cannot be business as usual. We have to change our approach from debate and rounds of questions to delivering results. Excellencies, many of you put in long hours and a great deal of effort to do good work much of which goes unnoticed. There are excellent people in the capitals doing good work. We have talented staff in the Secretariat. But the world is no longer cognizant of this, does not recognize the effort because we are not delivering results at the pace required by our fast-changing environment. Last week at the TNC, several Ambassadors said that You Excellencies talk past each other. You don’t talk to each other. This approach has to change. We have to be more accountable to the people we came here to serve — the ordinary women and men, our children who hope that our work here to support the MTS, will result in meaningful change in their lives, will improve their standard of living, and create decent jobs for those who seek work.

Excellencies, coming from the outside I have noticed that the world is leaving the WTO behind.

Leaders and decision makers are impatient for change. Several Trade Ministers said to me that if things don’t change, they will no longer attend the Ministerial because it is a waste of their time. I have noticed that more and more of the work and decision making that should be undertaken at the WTO is being done elsewhere because there is an increasing loss of confidence in the ability of the WTO to produce results. But there is hope. If we all accept that we can no longer do business as usual, that will help us create the parameters for success.

A few days ago, I listened carefully over a 6-hour time period to all 56 statements of delegations at the TNC and I analyzed the priorities that were repeatedly being put forward. They were virtually identical to the priorities I set out in my acceptance speech two weeks ago. Delegations want the WTO to contribute more meaningfully and faster to a resolution of the COVID-19 pandemic both the public health crisis as well as economic recovery. Delegations want the Fisheries Subsidies negotiations concluded, they want Reform of the Dispute Settlement System including Restoration of the Appellate Body. They want action on Agriculture, on market access, Domestic Support, existing mandates such as PSH, SSM and Cotton. They also want

action on industrial subsidies to SOEs and SDT. Without neglecting the questions raised on the legal status of JSIs, delegations want forward movement on JSIs especially e-commerce, Services Domestic Regulation, Investment Facilitation, and MSMEs. There is a desire to enhance dialogue and action on women in trade. Delegations recognize that the issue of Trade and Environment/Climate Change is key and want forward movement on this. Least developed countries emphasized issues of specific interest to LDCs that would lead to enhancing their growth and development including the need for Special and Differential Treatment, Services Waiver, Preferential Rules of Origin etc. and also review of issues related to graduation. Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) emphasized the need for attention to their vulnerability and special status. Virtually every delegation mentioned the urgency and importance of MC12 and all actions were to be concluded at or by MC12 in December. MC12 gives us a timeline but I want to caution against loading too many expectations into MC12. We want a recipe for success not failure.

Therefore, we must work hard to complete a few deliverables before MC12 so that Ministers can focus on ratifying agreements and agreeing best methods for implementation. In this regard, we need to prioritize action on COVID-19 both for the immediate and longer term and focus on completing Fisheries Subsidies negotiations before the middle of the year. We must agree the road map for reform of the Dispute Settlement System and prepare a work program to achieve this which can be endorsed at MC12. On Agriculture, let us identify a few things we can deliver such as PSH, SSM, Cotton, and the WFP Humanitarian waiver which is material to our Pacific Island economies as we heard a few days ago. We must put forward a subsidies work program both on domestic support and industrial subsidies which can be agreed on at MC12. We must sharpen our approach to SDT bearing in mind how crucial this is to the policy space of Least Developed Countries in particular. For the rest, let us review the work on e-commerce, investment facilitation, Services Domestic Regulation, MSMEs, Women in Trade, and Trade and Climate to see what aspects of these Continued on Page 48 www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

47

Continued from Page 47

important work programs we can advance at MC12. So in short, I am suggesting three or four clear deliverables finalized before MC12 and work programs for the rest to be agreed at MC12.

Permit me Ladies and Gentlemen to spend just a little time on COVID-19. We have a demand for a TRIPS waiver by a growing number of developing countries and the dialogue is intensifying. Whilst this is happening, I propose that we “walk and chew gum” by also focusing on the immediate needs of dozens of poor countries that have yet to vaccinate a single person.

People are dying in poor countries. We just had our first COVAX shipment to Ghana last week and others will follow but it will not be enough. There is serious supply scarcity and some countries are out bidding COVAX and diverting supplies. The world has a normal capacity of production of 3.5billion doses of vaccines and we now seek to manufacture 10billion doses.

This is just very difficult, so we must focus on working with companies to open up and license more viable manufacturing sites now in emerging markets and developing countries. We must get them to work with us on know how and technology transfer now. There will soon be a world manufacturing convention where we can seek to build this partnership. I also hope we can initiate a dialogue and information exchange between us and representatives of manufacturers associations from developing and developed countries. Excellencies, this should happen soon so we can save lives. As I said at the beginning, this will be an interim solution whilst we continue the dialogue on the TRIPS waiver.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, forgive me for taking so much of your time but we have absolutely not a moment to lose because time is short. To kick this delivery approach off, I propose to meet with you individually and in groups starting this week. I want to listen, brainstorm, map out how I can assist to get us the deliverables outlined above. My office should be contacting you soon if they have not already done so. Let me conclude again by saying Thank You and Look Forward to working with you.

48

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Historical pictures of DG Ngozi-Iweala first day in office

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

49

New Dutch Cabinet expected by the summer

I

n their first press conference about forming a new ruling coalition to govern the Netherlands, the two “pathfinders” or “scouts” appointed to get the process underway said they were aiming to have a new Cabinet in place before the summer. The first meeting between the scouts, Annemarie Jorritsma of the VVD and Kajsa Ollongren of D66, and the leaders of those parties, which might be asked to join in a coalition, will take place later in the coming week.

Meetings with party leaders will take place one by one, and with one representative per party due to coronavirus restrictions. As talks heat up, meeting spaces will be adjusted to accommodate negotiations involving more people.

The goal is to form a coalition quickly to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the vaccination process, and then the economic recovery, Jorritsma said. Still, the start of summer is about three months away, but it took 208 days to form Rutte’s third Cabinet together after the 2017 elections took place.

Jorritsma said that the situation was complex even though there were two clear winners in the election. Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s VVD is currently projected to take 35 of 150 seats in

President Museveni has been put under pressure to perform in this new six years tenure he has grabbed through a questionable election held in February 2021. the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, while D66, led by Sigrid Kaag, is projected to take 23 seats. The ballots 50

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

were still being counted as at press time because for the first time we had three days of voting due to corona virus pandemic.

The leader of the Tweede Kamer, Khadija Arib, announced the appointment of the two scouts. They will submit their first report to the lower house about progress made on March 30, with a debate set for the following day in front of the newly elected parliamentarians.

Jorritsma also leads the VVD in the Eerste Kamer, the upper house of Dutch parliament. She has spent most of the past 40 years in politics, including time as the Deputy Prime Minister to Wim Kok’s second Cabinet, his Minister of Economic Affairs, and twice as the Mayor of Almere.

Ollongren served as a Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the outgoing third Cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Rutte. She has been a politician since 2014 and spent the preceding 20 years as a senior official at the Ministries of General Affairs and Economic Affairs.

Neither Ollongren nor Jorritsma has held the role of a scout during a Cabinet formation, though Ollongren served as a clerk during the formation of Rutte’s first Cabinet when she worked at the Ministry of General Affairs. “A large majority” of party leaders were “fine” with the selection of the two scouts, Arib said

WZ ^^ ^d d D Ed /^^h z d, KDDKEt >d, D / > ^^K / d/KE ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Ɛ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ ŵĂƌŬƐ ƚŚĞ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƚŝŽŶĂů tomen’s ĂLJ ƚŽĚĂLJ͕ ϴƚŚ ŵĂƌĐŚ͕ ϮϬϮϭ͕ ƚŚĞ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŽŵŵŽŶǁĞĂůƚŚ DĞĚŝĐĂů ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚŝŽŶ ; D Ϳ͕ ƌĞũŽŝĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĨĞůŝĐŝƚĂƚĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ǁŽŵĞŶ Ăůů ŽǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ͕ ƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌůLJ ǁŽŵĞŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŽŵŵŽŶǁĞĂůƚŚ ŽĨ EĂƚŝŽŶƐ͘ dŚĞ D ĞƋƵĂůůLJ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƚĞƐ ƚŚĞ ƐĞŶƐĞ ŽĨ ĚŝůŝŐĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ŵĞĚŝĐĂů ǁŽŵĞŶ ĂŶĚ Ăůů ŽƚŚĞƌ ĨĞŵĂůĞ ŚĞĂůƚŚĐĂƌĞ ǁŽƌŬĞƌƐ ǁŚŽ ĐŽŶƚŝŶƵĞ ƚŽ ĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĂďůLJ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ ƚŚĞ ŚĞƌĐƵůĞĂŶ ƚĂƐŬ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƌŽůĞƐ ŝŶ ĐŚŝůĚ ƵƉďƌŝŶŐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĨĂŵŝůLJ ƵƉŬĞĞƉ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐĂĐƌĞĚ ĚƵƚLJ ŽĨ ƉĂƚŝĞŶƚ ĐĂƌĞ͘ dŚĞ ŽŵŵŽŶǁĞĂůƚŚ DĞĚŝĐĂů ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚŝŽŶ ĐŽŵŵĞŶĚƐ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƌŽůĞƐ ďĞŝŶŐ ƉůĂLJĞĚ ďLJ ǁŽŵĞŶ ŝŶ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ƉŽƐŝƚŝŽŶƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ǁŽŵĞŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŽŵŵŽŶǁĞĂůƚŚ ŽĨ EĂƚŝŽŶƐ͘ dŚĞ ĨŽƌĞŐŽŝŶŐ ŶŽƚǁŝƚŚƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ͕ ƚŚĞ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚŝŽŶ ŶŽƚĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĚŝƐŵĂLJ ƚŚĞ ƌĞŐƌĞƐƐŝǀĞ ĞĨĨĞĐƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ Ks/ Ͳϭϵ ƉĂŶĚĞŵŝĐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ůŝǀĞƐ ĂŶĚ ůŝǀĞůŝŚŽŽĚ ŽĨ ǁŽŵĞŶ͕ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ĞĨĨŽƌƚƐ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ ƚŚĞ ŐĞŶĚĞƌ ŐĂƉ͘ /ƚ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ŝŶ ĚŽƵďƚ ƚŚĂƚ ĞdžŝƐƚŝŶŐ ŐĞŶĚĞƌ ŝŶĞƋƵĂůŝƚŝĞƐ ŚĂǀĞ ŵĂĚĞ ƚŚĞ world’s women more vulnerable to the socioͲĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŝŵƉĂĐƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ Ks/ Ͳϭϵ ĐƌŝƐŝƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ǁŽŵĞŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ŽǀĞƌ ϱϰй ŽĨ ŐůŽďĂů ũŽď ůŽƐƐĞƐ͘ /ƚ ŝƐ ŝŶ ůŝŶĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ foregoing that the CMA considers as apt the choice for this year’s International Women’s ĂLJ͗ ‘Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a CovidͲϭϵ ǁŽƌůĚ͘’ As the world marks the International Women’s Day, ƚŚĞ ŽŵŵŽŶǁĞĂůƚŚ DĞĚŝĐĂů ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚŝŽŶ ĐĂůůƐ ĨŽƌ ĂĐĐĞůĞƌĂƚĞĚ ĂĐƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ĐůŽƐĞ ƚŚĞ ŐĞŶĚĞƌ ŐĂƉ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ŵŽƌĞ ǁŽŵĞŶ ŝŶƚŽ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ƉŽƐŝƚŝŽŶƐ͘ dŚĞ D ĞƋƵĂůůLJ ĐĂůůƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĨĂƐƚ ƚƌĂĐŬŝŶŐ ŽĨ ĂĐƚŝŽŶƐ ƚŽ ĞůŝŵŝŶĂƚĞ Ăůů ĚŝƐĐƌŝŵŝŶĂƚŽƌLJ ƉŽůŝĐŝĞƐ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ǁŽŵĞŶ͖ ĞŶĂĐƚŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƉƌŽͲǁŽŵĞŶ ůĞŐŝƐůĂƚŝŽŶƐ ƚŽ ĐƌŝŵŝŶĂůŝnjĞ Ăůů ĨŽƌŵƐ ŽĨ ǀŝŽůĞŶĐĞ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ǁŽŵĞŶ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ZĂƉĞ ĂŶĚ &ĞŵĂůĞ 'ĞŶŝƚĂů DƵƚŝůĂƚŝŽŶ͖ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽŵŽƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ZĞƉƌŽĚƵĐƚŝǀĞ ,ĞĂůƚŚ ZŝŐŚƚƐ ŽĨ tŽŵĞŶ ĂŶĚ ĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞ ǀĂĐĐŝŶĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ĞƌǀŝĐĂů ĐĂŶĐĞƌ͘ tĞ ǁŝƐŚ Ăůů tŽŵĞŶ a memorable 2021 International Women’s Day.

Dr. Osahon Enabulele, M.B.B.S, MHPM, FWACP. President, Commonwealth Medical Association. www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

51

Uganda: The life path of sanitary towels A prison in Uganda has further improved the customization of sanitary towels.

Mawosi – *Make women smile – is the face behind it and with the earnings helps the women who are serving their time, with their children in prison. A photo-reportage on a sensitive subject that shapes selfesteem more than is sometimes thought.

Text and image: Martha Nalukenge Menstruating is not something women choose, nature has defined it that way, although for some it offers a job

She was blessed with sincere supporters in prison, who gave her feedback opportunity by manufacturing sanitary towels. COVID-19 hit the market and drove up prices in Uganda. The market has been overrun with fake sanitary pads and that affects most girls who fall victim to it.

There are countless sanitary towels, reusable and nonreusable. It’s frustrating paying so much for them, which is why most girls and women opt for reusable ones, with four pieces they can go a year ahead. Prices vary by brand - and the makers of Sis bandages reveal their route, a story of how the bandage came about.

Namirembe Shadia supplies reusable sanitary pads to women in prison, through a project called Mawosi: from

*Make women smile. It started making a difference in the lives of girls and women and putting a smile on their faces.

“The idea is to let them direct their own health and social and financial lives through our activities,” says Shadia.

52

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

“That is our mission: to increase their self-confidence, to enable them to live a life of dignity.”

Mawosi works in the community with vulnerable women, girls and children – widows, disabled and orphans – and in prison they are the same ages; many mothers give birth in there and their children stay in their cells until they are two, then they go to their caregivers in the community. The imprisoned women helped Shadia improve the quality of the pads.

The previous reusable pads were mediocre and most customers couldn’t put their finger on them, but she was blessed with the sincere supporters in prison who provided her feedback. Sis went through two stages until the third could count on consumer approval. It was a difficult road, she initially lacked the material to meet the standard, but she was helped by a Good Samaritan, who taught her the art.

The material is purchased in Nairobi. She was lucky enough to come into contact with traders who help her with the delivery, so she doesn’t often run out. The feedback from prison helped her connect better, changing the definitive brand from Sister to Sis, which is driving sales in the community.

Mawosi provides a lot of employment for young people who make, brand, package and sell the sanitary pads; they usually do this in rural areas, where women purchase Sisbandages in large numbers, but even the urban ladies find it comfortable. The profits go to a poultry project, which in turn supports the children – from zero to two – of the incarcerated women. Shadia gives them an insight into life outside the prison wall.

Menstruating is a mysterious thing and if people around you know about it without your permission, your selfesteem immediately drops. Good sanitary towels should not be underestimated, they know in the women’s wing as well.

Happy Birthday to our Publisher

9th April 2021 is your birthday sir.

We congratulate you on behalf of your wife, children, families and co-workers.

Words are not enough to describe you boss. You are a perfect gentleman and a lover of persons.

Enjoy your new age sir Congratulations TV Management

Pastor Elvis Iruh

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

53

Cownexxion to roll out 4 cattle ranches in Northern States of Nigeria

T

he Federal Government has entered into an agreement with an international dairy consultancy, Cownexxion of The Netherlands, to roll out four cattle ranches in select northern states and the process has already began according to the president/CEO of Dutch Business Association, Mr. Eric Okunde who disclosed this to The Voice news magazine through a press statement he sent to our office.

The Chief Executive of Cownexxion, Klaas Struiksma, disclosed that the agreement would see Cownexxion work with the Federal Government of Nigeria to jump start the ambitious National Livestock Transformation Plan which has been put into a well written document containing over 80 pages on how the various level of the project would be executed in Nigeria.

The contract entails setting up pilot cattle ranches in Nasarawa, Plateau, Gombe and Adamawa States. According to Struiksma, the set up ranches will serve as a training centre for farmers and extension workers in the vicinity with the ultimate goal to spread it across the country to curb the present challenges of headmen’s encroaching into people’s farmlands and destroying corps and conflicts among the people.

“The Training of Trainers program will also take place on the pilot farms. The focus in the 3 year project will be on feed production, development of knowledge and skills and the transformation of management,” he said.

54

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Struiksma further disclosed that the Dutch Agricultural industry is involved in the project through an Impact Cluster supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).

Other members of the consortium include Aeres Group, Agriterra Dairy Delta Academy, Scherjon Dairy Equipment,

Barenbrug South Africa, Dutch Sustainable Energy Group, and Queens Company, he disclosed.

The National Livestock Transformation Plan has been in the pipeline for some time as a solution to the incessant clashes between farmers and cattle herders.

It is believed that the recent surge in the clashes and cattle-herding related criminalities might have led to the activation of the plan now.

The plan will see to the creation of different sizes of cattle ranches in a period of 10 years an after that period, it would be evaluated to see the progress and challenges faced and how best to improve on it. On the part of Mr. Okunde, he welcomes the start of the pilot project and he says Nigeria stand to benefit tremendously and he thank Mr. President who is putting his words to practice after his visit to the Netherlands few years back.

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

55

Bank of Kigali named best bank in Rwanda

G

lobal Finance has named Bank of Kigali as the best bank in Rwanda in 2021. The announcement was made during the 28th annual awards for the World’s Best Banks by Global Finance, with 35 best banks in Africa awarded of which Bank of Kigali is part.

The accolade reflects the Bank’s commitment to restore growth and drawing a way forward during the unprecedented economic conditions created by Covid-19.

Bank of Kigali is a subsidiary of BK Group which has three other subsidiaries; BK Insurance, BK TecHouse and BK Capital.

“Banks are playing a key role in economic recovery around the world. Our Best Bank awards highlight the leaders in restoring growth and mapping a way forward,” said Joseph D. Giarraputo, publisher and editorial director of Global Finance.

“This year’s evaluations are more important and valuable than at any point in their 28-year history, given the unprecedented economic conditions wrought by the global pandemic.”

“This award comes as a true testimony of our dedication to provide the best financial services to our customers, despite the challenges brought by the pandemic,” said Diane Karusisi, Bank of Kigali CEO. The winners of this year’s awards are banks that attended 56

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

carefully to their customers’ needs in difficult markets and accomplished strong results while laying the foundations for future success.

Banks were invited to submit entries supporting their selection.

Objective criteria considered included growth in assets, profitability, geographic reach, strategic relationships, new business development and innovation in products.

Subjective criteria included the opinions of equity analysts, credit rating analysts, banking consultants and others involved in the industry.

All selections were made by the editors of Global Finance after extensive consultations with corporate financial executives, bankers and banking consultants, and analysts throughout the world. In selecting these top banks, Global Finance considered factors that ranged from the quantitative objective to the informed subjective.

The overall Best Bank in the World will be announced in the summer and published in October, along with the Best Global Banks in more than a dozen key categories.

Headquartered in New York, with offices around the world, Global Finance, founded in 1987, has a circulation of 50,000 and readers in 189 countries.

Its audience includes senior corporate and financial officers responsible for making investment and strategic decisions at multinational companies and financial institutions.

Global Finance regularly selects the top performers among banks and other providers of financial services. These awards have become a trusted standard of excellence for the global financial community.

By Michel Nkurunziza

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

57

Celebrating Samson Okorocha at 60 Happy 60th birthday to our special Dad, brother and a joyful and unforgettable day, full of everything that you friend to many! On your 60th birthday, we wish long life, love most! good health, plenty prosperity and happiness with your Greetings from all your children and grandchildren. family. We pray for you to have the fullest celebration, that you will always find reasons to smile, that you will always have something to laugh about, and that you will love someone like there’s no more tomorrow. You are so special in our lives, not only for being our lovely husband, Dad and brother but also for being one of our best companion, always there for all whenever needed you. You are a father to all your children. We wish you all the best on your Big Day and every day, may your life be full of joy, love and prosperity. It is a true blessing to have such a fun, smart and caring husband like you. Have

Samson Okorocha at 60: SIMPLY AMAZING GRACE OF GOD

Zarah Annette Okorocha (Wife)

58

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Children Kelvin, Armando, Mitchell, Quincy and Samson Jr. Grandchildren Jemuel, Joel, Noah, Raphael, Elijah, Ellora and Asiyah

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

59

CAF has a new President

“

African team must win World Cup” declares new CAF chief Patrice Motsepe as one of his major priority as he resume office as CAF President.

After being elected President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe set out his plans to take the sport forward across the continent at a press conference in Johannesburg.

The 59 year-old South African mining billionaire assumed the role last month at a CAF General Assembly meeting in Morocco, without the need for a vote after a deal brokered by the world governing body FIFA saw his three challengers withdraw, leaving him as the only candidate.

Motsepe said that African football must aspire to have one of their national teams win the World Cup in the near future.

“During the next World Cup and also during the forthcoming World Cups, that African nations compete (in) and, if you look at what we said in the manifesto, it’s part of our plan that an African team must win the World Cup. I think let’s clap hands for that.

60

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

“We have to, we need to get the private sector to sponsor African football. We must increase the sponsorship for the AFCON Africa Cup of Nations), make it significantly more substantial. We must increase the sponsorship for the Champions League, the African Champions League.”

He also promised to be more proactive in bringing together the 56 member associations that make up the CAF. As the head of CAF, Motsepe automatically becomes a FIFA vice president and a member of the FIFA Council.

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

61

Sports:

Born out of conflict: How cricket is helping heal Rwanda’s wounds Bringing together people once tragically divided by ethnicity is Rwandese cricket’s way of burying a very ugly past. For Rwandese cricketer Diane Ishimwe, every passing day brings about a sense of gratitude and gratefulness.

In 1994, when her pregnant mother was about to leave home to deliver Ishimwe, she had a miraculous escape after a stray bullet fired by an armed fighter flew just inches above her head.

“They almost killed her,” Ishimwe told the press. “When she stepped out of the house, there were gunshots.

Thankfully, she survived.

She had to give birth in the house.

“This was one of many such incidents in a horrific chapter of our beautiful country’s

62

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

history.”

Ishimwe was born at the height of the genocide in Rwanda and feels lucky to have lived to tell the tale.

Now, the international cricketer says the calmness of the game provides a sense of peace, togetherness and enjoyment – things that her family was deprived of during the genocide.

Ishimwe took up cricket at the age of 10 after being inspired by her older brother Eric Hirwa, Rwanda’s former captain.

The game helps Ishimwe get over the stories of her troubled entrance into the world.

“I know I survived for a reason,” said Ishimwe.

“Now, cricket makes me feel safe, it makes me calm. Every time I get the chance to bat, I make sure I have fun.

“What happened in our country is now in the past. We have to learn from that. It’s like in cricket, if your team lost, you don’t have to keep on thinking about how you lost the game because it’s not the end of the world.

You have to learn from that.”

Born out of conflict Cricket has been gaining popularity in Rwanda over the past two decades.

While the game is chiefly the result of the British colonial legacy in the major cricket-playing regions of the world, for emerging nation Rwanda, it was born out of a different kind of conflict.

The end of the Rwandese civil war – described as the worst form of genocide since World War II – saw

several exiled citizens return home, equipped with cricket knowledge acquired from neighbouring countries with a deeper history in the game.

“Cricket was first played here around 1999 by a group of students from the former National University of Rwanda at Butare,” Emmanuel Byiringiro, general manager of the Rwanda Cricket Association, told the press.

“Most of these students were former refugees from countries like Kenya and Uganda. They were later joined by a few Indian expatriates. We now have a development programme that focuses on school cricket and taking cricket to communities.

“It is also the fastest-growing sport in the country.”

Spreading the game across the country and bringing together people once deeply and tragically divided by ethnicity is their way of burying a very ugly past.

“We are sending the message of unity, so that what happened never happens again,” said Ishimwe, who is an actress by profession.

‘Cricket for me is life’ Clinton Rubagumya, a 25-year-old all-rounder on the men’s national team, also believes that cricket’s spread can bridge old gaps of distrust in the country.

“I was born after the genocide, but there are family members who didn’t survive. I don’t think there are any families that didn’t lose loved ones,” Rubagumya told the press.

“We have to move on. I’ve seen how cricket contributes by bringing together all these people who need help and those that can help.”

Rubagumya, who works at a coffee shop at Kigali International Airport, says cricket is now a significant part of his life.

“I got into cricket in high school. I always thought that football would be my future, but then I broke my arm in a game. One day, while watching others train, I saw cricket on the other side of the pitch, and I went over to see what was going on.

“From there on, I never looked back.

Cricket for me is life. The impact of cricket on my life is simply the code of conduct. The discipline of the sport helps you deal with any situations you face – patience, timing, endurance and fair play.”

‘They will be a force to reckon with’ The main focus has been spreading the game in the country and bringing new players to the fold.

However, authorities have also prioritised quality coaching. Last month, 40-year-old Zimbabwean Leonard Nhamburo was appointed Rwanda’s new women’s national team coach on a two-year contract.

Nhamburo believes there is a bright future ahead for Rwandese cricket.

“Give them two to three years, they will be a force to reckon with,” declared Nhamburo.

“There is a lot of talent, both male and female. And they are naturally strong people. They have a very good plan for the next five years.

“We are motivated by a lot of things in life and careers. I just want to see women’s cricket grow in Africa.”

By Enock Muchinjo

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

63

Crystal Palace star Zaha becomes first Premier League player to stop taking the knee in anti-racism fight The Ivorian winger feels a message being sent by leading sports people has become diluted, with plenty still suffering online abuse therefore the Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has become the first Premier League player to stop taking the knee before fixtures, with the Ivory Coast international of the opinion that an anti-racism message is being lost.

Leading sports people have been making public shows of defiance against discrimination of any kind since the summer of 2020 – when competitive action resumed on the back of a coronavirus-enforced break.

Many are still pushing that cause, and Zaha remains fully committed to the fight, but online abuse has continued and there have been suggestions that a

fresh approach is required.

The 28-year-old had stated during an injury absence at Palace that he intended to stay on his feet when a knee was taken on his return to action.

He was as good as his word in a meeting with West Brom last month – his first start since shaking off a knock.

What has been said?

A statement from Zaha explaining his actions read: “My decision to stand at kick-off has been public knowledge for a couple of weeks.

“There is no right or wrong decision, but I feel kneeling has just become a part of the pre-match routine and whether we kneel or stand, some of us continue to receive abuse..

“I know there is a lot of work being done behind the scenes at the Premier League and other authorities to make change, and I fully respect that, and everyone involved.

“I also fully respect my team-mates and players at other clubs who continue to take the knee.

“As a society, I feel we should be encouraging better education in schools, and social media companies should be taking stronger action against people who abuse others online - not just footballers.”

Zaha is not the first to stop taking the knee in English football, with similar questions being asked by others within the domestic game.

Championship sides Brentford and Bournemouth revealed in February that they would no longer be taking part in a pre-match routine that has become commonplace.

64

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Isaac Drogba, son of Chelsea legend Didier, made his professional bow in the Italian fourth-tier.

Earlier this month, the 20-year-old joined Serie D side Folgore Caratese to aid their promotion push. And, in a win over Saluzzo at Stadio XXV Aprile, Drogba made his first appearance in a professional game.

The youngster spent last season in the reserves of French side Guingamp, where dad Didier also starred for a year as he made his way in the game.

Previously, the young Drogba had been part of Chelsea’s youth academy in another nod to his family’s heritage.

But he is now making his way in the town of Carate Brianza, to the north of Milan, where Folgore are based.

The Serie D Group A side were 4-1 up with ten minutes to go when Drogba was substituted on. That is how the score line stayed, leaving the side ninth but only three points behind the play-off places with a game in hand.

‘I want to be better than my father’ – Etienne Eto’o The 18-year-old is keen to surpass his father’s achievements after heralding his presence at the U20 Afcon with two goals last month.

Samuel Eto’o son, Etienne, said he is aiming to do better than his father after scoring a brace in his debut outing for Cameroon U20 at the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania.

The Real Oviedo striker was handed a rare start against Mozambique, and he ensured the young Lions finished their group outings with an unblemished record of three wins.

Etienne scored a stunning free-kick eight minutes into the

Paris-born Drogba left Guingamp last summer having signed in February of 2018.

When joining the Ligue 2 team, a number of Chelsea legends commented on his progress, Frank Lampard writing on social media: “I remember Isaac as the small polite boy! Now a man!”

Ex-Blues captain John Terry added at the time: “Can’t believe how big he is mate.”

encounter and he later doubled Cameroon’s lead just before half-time as they bagged a 4-1 victory.

Following his memorable outing at the Stade Cheikha Boidiya, the 18-year-old disclosed his readiness to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a great player.

Samuel Eto’o is Cameroon’s all-time top scorer with a record of 56 goals and he also holds the record for winning the African Footballer of the Year award four times alongside Yaya Toure.

“There is always pressure in life whether or not you are the son of a famous person. But for me, I just try to enjoy my career and demonstrate to people that I can do it,” Etienne told Caf media.

“My dad has played a huge influence in my life because I have always admired him and want to learn from him and continue in his steps. Always I want to be someone as him.

“I want to try and be better than him and I am always looking forward to stepping on the pitch and giving my best. Even though I know it is difficult to be better than my father, I want to work hard to achieve like him. He is always there to support me and give me advice.

“I think sometimes it is natural that your father influences what you want to be in future. It is just the same like for example when your father is a policeman, you might be interested in becoming a policeman too. My father has played a huge role in my life and influenced me to take football as a career.

“For me, it doesn’t feel strange and it is nothing special really.

I just have to enjoy who my dad is but also keep working hard for myself.”

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

65

Senegalese jockey dreams of international glory

O

ne of Senegal’s most promising jockeys, Fallou Diop, hopes to compete outside his country’s borders.

A head shorter than his peers, Fallou Diop quickly vanishes into the crowd of jockeys preparing for early morning drills in the western Senegalese village of Niaga.

When the racing begins, however, his crouched silhouette is far ahead of the field, aided by an effortless riding style.

“When I start riding I get a bit stressed, but after a moment, it’s over,” Diop says. “At the time of the race, I’m only thinking of victory.”

Diop is one of Senegal’s most promising jockeys, having won the country’s top racing prize when he was just 17. He hopes to begin racing in France next year, realising a dream coveted by some of Senegal’s foremost riders.

“It’s a passion in my family,” Diop said. “Since my grandfather, we’ve supported horses, then my father after him.”

In villages like Niaga, where Diop lives, horse feed and supply shops line the main roads, and fields are dotted with men on horseback.

Adorned with colourful ceramic tiles on a busy back street, the house Diop shares with 12 family members is getting a new roof thanks to the money from his winnings.

Depending on the number of horses in a race, Diop can earn up to $600 per victory. Average monthly wages in Senegal were estimated at around $180 at the end of 2019.

Diop’s success is a source of pride for his father, who spent much of his life driving a horse and buggy around Niaga. His older brother, who also hoped to be a jockey 66

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

before a growth spurt got in the way, boasts of Diop’s achievements to visitors.

“It’s the elders who taught us everything since we were young, and that’s how I became passionate about horses,” Diop said.

Diop, who has dropped formal schooling, was 12 when he left a tailoring apprenticeship to pursue racing. According to his father, he was so determined that he walked 16km (10 miles) to enrol in the nearest training programme.

Today, Diop and other jockeys in Niaga are taught by Adama Bao, whose family has maintained a stud farm near the salty shores of Senegal’s Lac Rose for three generations.

Calling Diop “very gifted”, Bao said: “He could compete up to 50 years with his weight and size.”

Bao plans to send Diop to France for three months in early 2022 to race for a French-Senegalese breeder. He would have travelled last year, Bao said, had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, Diop’s skills were put to the test at the racetrack in Thies, Senegal’s third largest city.

Dressed in vibrant yellow and blue, he calmly mounted his steed and led it towards the track.

He went on to finish first in three of his five races that day, taking home nearly $1,000 in winnings.

“I want to be the best jockey in a country other than mine,” Diop said. “In Morocco or France, anywhere there is horse racing.”

Fashanu: Genk’s Onuachu is currently Nigeria’s best striker The centre-forward has been delivering eye-catching performances for the Blue and White and has been praised by the 58-year-old former Wimbledon and Aston Villa attacker John Fashanu who has showered encomium on Genk forward Paul Onuachu, describing him as the best Nigerian striker at the moment.

The 28-year-old has been in terrific form for the Luminus Arena outfit this season scoring 25 goals across all competitions and providing two assists.

His scintillating performances helped the Blue and White to their current third place in the Belgian First Division A after accruing 46 points from 29 games.

The forward teamed up with the Blue and White in the summer of 2019 from Danish club FC Midtjylland and has now found the back of the net 33 times in 50 games.

Fashanu has praised the lanky centreforward for his fine goal scoring form for the Luminus Arena outfit this season.

“He is the best Nigerian striker right now, the record speaks for itself,” Fashanu told the press.

“His record states he is the best Nigerian striker for now.

Something else might happen tomorrow, but for now, he is certainly the best.”

Onuachu has struggled to replicate his impressive club performances for the Nigeria national team, having only scored one goal in nine appearances for the Super Eagles.

“You can’t overlook him for the Afcon qualifiers. If you’re the

best in one position, you deserve to be selected; you deserve to have a spot,” he continued.

“As it goes for every top footballer when you’re the best, you have to be given that opportunity because you might not have it later on and I will be surprised if Onuachu doesn’t get invited for the Afcon qualifiers.”

N.B. Call it pressure or future, the much talked about Nigerian international footballer based in Belgium has finally received his call up to play for his nation, Nigeria.

Onoachu has been in the news for the past few months because of his sparkling performances for his Belgian club side but he was snubbed by the national football coach of Nigeria who does not see him as fit for his squad yet.

He has a change of mind now and he played the last two qualifier matches for Nigeria to see truly how good he is for the National colours of Nigeria green-white-green jersey. He scored his first goal against Benin Republic last weekend. www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

67

Ajax goalkeeper Onana training alone on amateur pitches ahead of doping ban appeal The Cameroon international failed an out-of-competition test and cannot play football of any kind at the moment, with the Dutch giants having appealed the decision.

Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana has been banned from all football for the next year after he was found to have the banned substance

Furosemide in his urine sample, but he continues to fight for his future.

The Eredivisie club is expecting their appeal will be heard in the next two months at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the ban also preventing Onana from training with the club.

The club has already made public their claim that their No 1 goalkeeper accidentally took medicine prescribed for his wife. Meanwhile, the Dutch Association of Professional Footballers (VVCS) has condemned the length of the ban given to Onana as “disproportionate” and “incomprehensible” to the offence he alleged to have committed.

To keep him in shape, the 24-year-old has a private gym in his house and is training at home with his personal trainer since the ban came into effect on February 5.

That need to train alone extends to Onana’s goalkeeping work and he has his own personal goalkeeping coach. The pair is working together on pitches owned by a local amateur club in Amsterdam as they await the upcoming hearing in their attempt to reduce the suspension.

What about his future at Ajax?

Borussia Dortmund had become the latest club to show an interest in signing Onana to replace their current No 1, Roman 68

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Burki, before news of his ban became public. It followed interest in previous seasons from Chelsea, Tottenham and Barcelona, who all considered signing Ajax’s shot-stopper.

Ajax is in talks to offer Onana a new contract with his current deal set to expire in June 2022. If they can’t come to an agreement, they will be open to selling Onana and are reportedly already looking at possible replacements.

They have been linked with a pair of Brazilian goalkeepers in Santos’ Joao Paulo and Flamengo’s Hugo Souza.

What did Ajax say about Onana?

Ajax managing director and former goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar said: “We explicitly renounce performance enhancing drugs, we obviously stand for a clean sport.

“This is a terrible setback, for Andre himself but certainly also for us as a club. Andre is a top goalkeeper, who has proven his worth for Ajax for years and is very popular with the fans.

“We had hoped for a conditional suspension or for a suspension much shorter than these 12 months, because it was arguably not intended to strengthen his body and thus improve his performance.”

Which tournaments will Onana miss?

Onana is banned from all football, meaning he will not be available for Ajax’s domestic or European matches, including their Europa League campaign this season. He will also be unavailable for Cameroon until February 2022, including the Africa Cup of Nations - should they qualify - which has been rescheduled to January next year. The final two games of their qualifying campaign are away to Cape Verde and home to Rwanda.

Another Nigerian born Lawrence Okolie brings boxing glory to UK. Last month, Lawrence Okolie added his name to the list of Nigerian born athletes making Britain shine globally, this time in boxing, following the footsteps of Anthony Joshua, at 16 professional fights, he has become the latest World Boxing Champion in the Cruiserweight category. He knocked out twice world champion from Poland, Krzysztof Glowacki in the sixth round of their 12 bout schedule fight that was postpone from last December to March 2021. He is now the new WBO cruiserweight champion of the world and at his right side was his very proud Father and his mother watched from home as she could not stand watching his boy fight in the ring although he enjoys the full support and encouragement of his mother.

Lawrence Okolie is a name you will hear more often in the next few years, at 28 he is ready to reign in this division and move on to the heavyweight where there is the possibility of facing his mentor, Anthony Joshua (AJ).

Okolie has ruled out that possibility saying his mother would never approve him fighting Joshua and he is seen in the family as big brother whom they owe a great gratitude in guiding his young boxing career.

Lawrence Okolie has joined the long list of successful British

boxers to win world Boxing titles. In the Cruiserweight, he becomes the fifth Britain’s world champion. He did is in a very classic fashion as he knocked out Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki in the sixth round to claim the WBO cruiserweight title at The SSE Arena in Wembley, London. He made the fight look as easy as he controlled from the first round winning each round until the knockout punch came.

Lawrence Okolie crushed Krzysztof Glowacki with a huge right hand to start his reign as the new WBO cruiserweight champion.

The unbeaten 28-year-old had emulated the likes of Tony Bellew, David Haye and Johnny Nelson, who previously held world crowns in the 200lb class, and promoter Eddie Hearn announced his desire to make unification fights as soon as possible as Okolie is ready to take on any challenger. He is not scare of any boxer in this category and ready for the big fights.

He has not been acknowledged properly for his success in the ring but those who observes him fight says he has his own unique style which the crowd has to get used to and accept but he is a fight, good height, powerful right hand and good Jabs with his left hand and his long range he is using to his advantage. Anthony Joshua and Usain Bolt inspired him while he worked at KFC and he decided to go into boxing and now the rest his history.

Sky sports did a four hours documentary on him before his world title and the role his mother and brother has played in guiding his career this far.

With a destructive right hand punch, many other boxers willing to fight him better watch out as there is a new kid on the boxing block and he is full blooded Nigerian with British training ready to rule the boxing world.

Congratulations to Lawrence Okolie, the new WBO Cruiserweight Boxing Champion of the World.

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

69

70

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

Happy birthday to you Pastor Elvis Iruh on 9th April 2021

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

71

72

www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com