BABILOWN~Mawolè

Goodluck Jonathan et les Beaux Yeux de Beyonce

L’ex Gouverneur, Goodluck Jonathan a Dépensé 1 Million de Dollars du Fond Social des Pauvres Pour Faire Venir Beyonce au Nigeria

Saharareporters a découvert un document indiquant qu'un $ Million de fonds de l'Etat de Bayelsa destinés à la lutte contre la pauvreté a été dépensé par le gouverneur Goodluck Jonathan pour faire venir les artistes américains Beyonce et Jay Z au Nigeria en 2006. Dans une lettre cachetée et signée par les responsables de Bayelsa, 150 millions de nairas (environ un million de dollars en 2006) ont été soustraits des fonds de l'Etat pour la lutte contre la pauvreté pour le premier festival de musique à Lagos du groupe de presse ThisDay. Saharareporters n'a pu déterminer quel montant des fonds libérés a été directement versé aux artistes du festival. Il n'y a aucune indication que Beyonce, l'une des stars du showbiz de renommée internationale suffisamment connue pour n’être désignée que d’un seul nom, savait que son arrivée au Nigeria avait été subventionnée par les pauvres de l’État de Bayelsa. Mais au cours de la fameuse interprétation par Beyonce de l'hymne national du Nigeria des photos de l'Etat de Bayelsa ont été projetées sur le mur de la salle de concert à Lagos. Selon le Bureau des statistiques du Nigéria, 47% des citoyens de Bayelsa vivent dans la pauvreté. La Banque mondiale estime que le produit intérieur brut par habitant dans le delta du Niger est nettement inférieur à la moyenne du Nigéria. Selon le diagnostique pour une stratégie du développement élaborée par l’Etat de Bayelsa lui-même en 2005, 80% des communautés rurales n'avaient pas accès à l'eau potable, un indicateur clé pour juger de la pauvreté. A Yenagoa, la capitale de l'Etat de Bayelsa, et la plus grande zone urbaine, on estime que deux habitants sur cinq n'ont pas accès à l'eau potable. Dans les arguments avancés pour décider les autorités de l’Etat de Bayelsa à mettre la main à la poche, les initiateurs du Festival disaient

en substance que "de toute son histoire, c'est la plus longue période de démocratie au Nigeria, plus de sept ans, et cela continue! Et une démocratie stable signifie plus d'investissements et de prospérité économique pour tous. » Et les organisateurs de poursuivre sur leur lancée rhétorique en donnant les raisons pour lesquelles le gouvernement de l'Etat de Bayelsa doit contribuer au concert. Entre autres choses, considèrent-ils, les performances des stars «diront au monde, à travers la musique, que le temps du Nigeria est venu ; et qu’une fois la jeune et dynamique génération passionnée de musique sera séduite, alors les hommes d’affaires le seront aussi, avec à la clé leurs abondantes possibilités d’investissement » En 2006, M. Goodluck Jonathan venait d’accéder au poste de gouverneur de Bayelsa après que son patron, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, a été accusé et condamné pour corruption. M. Jonathan a ensuite été élevé au rang de vice-président. La mort du Président en titre, M. Yar'Adua en 2010 a permis à M. Jonathan, un zoologiste dont la thèse de doctorat a porté sur les poissons tropicaux, d'assumer la présidence. Amené et Trad. par Binason Avèkes

Governor spent $1M from "poverty funds" to bring Beyonce...

Nigerian Governor Spent $1M from "Poverty Funds" to Bring Beyonce and Jay-Z to Nigeria in 2006

SaharaReporters has uncovered a document indicating that a million dollars of Bayelsa State’s poverty alleviation fund was spent by then Governor Goodluck Jonathan on bringing American entertainers Beyonce and Jay Z to Nigeria in 2006. In a letter stamped and signed by Bayelsa officials, N150 million (approximately a million dollars in 2006) was released from the state’s poverty alleviation fund for the first ThisDay Music Festival in Lagos. The document came to light after a controversy was ignited over how much money American “reality TV” star Kim Kardashian was paid for a brief visit to Nigeria. Ms. Kardashian, star of a US TV show about her idle rich family and who shot to international fame after a sex tape featuring her and her rapper boyfriend went viral, was reportedly paid half a million dollars for the 24-hour-visit last week. The sources who provided the 2006 document for Beyonce and Jay Z’s visit told Saharareporters that there was a shady financial link between the producers of some high profile entertainment events

and the governors and other officials who control budgets at the state and federal levels. Mr. Obaigbena’s newspaper, ThisDay, is a major sponsor of entertainment events that brings US music stars as well as top public figures for flying visits to Nigeria in exchange for gargantuan paychecks. “Mr. Obaigbena often lines up financial bonanzas from numerous governors, ministers and other top government officials to finance his jamborees,” said one of the sources who is based in the UK and is knowledgeable about such deals. Read more at ONTD:

France : OUT OF AFRICA

source

Ghana : My State Of The Nation Address

( Part One) Ghana Is A Divided Country

by Ebo Quansah in Accra

President John Dramani Mahama will appear before Parliament House tomorrow, Thursday February 21, 2013, to deliver his maiden State of the Nation’s address, with the 123-Member New Patriotic Party, conspicuously absent. The NPP membership, I understand, will address a press conference on the same day to tell Ghanaians what they consider to be the true state of the Nation. The absence of the Minority is likely to present a divided nation to the international community. It is not the very best for a nation still struggling for a national identity. But the opposition NPP believe it is a legitimate protest against a President they contend, was wrongly declared winner of an election, they consider was won by the NPP flagbearer. Commenting on the decision to boycott the Presidential address, Nana Akomea, Communications Director of the party, told an Accra radio station thus: “It is a very good decision. It is part of our protest against the results. All of us are acting legally. We haven’t stopped him from exercising his functions as President,” the Communications Director explained. “It is also within our right that it is legitimate to use the Parliamentary floor as protest,” Akomea explained. I am told that the NPP in Parliament would hold a press conference after the Presidential presentation tomorrow, to deliver the party’s own state of the nation. I intend to use this column today and tomorrow to tell the President and his image makers the true state of the nation in the hope that it would rub off on the Presidential presentation.

Ghanaians are suffering and the President should not hide under technicalities and clouded ideological spectacles to try and paper the cracks in his administration. Yesterday, just before I sat down to compose this piece, my attention was drawn to a report by Water Aid Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, which is symptomatic of the problems facing Ghana as a nation. “The Government of Ghana is failing to keep its promises of funding sanitation,” Water Aid has revealed. The report warns that unless investment is increased, the challenges of urbanization, inequality of access, climate change and population growth risk turning back the clock even further,” states the report. The report alleges that while population grew by 9.4 million between 1990 and 2011, only 2.3 million secured access to sanitation over the same period. If this is a source of bother, read a report by Afia Zakiya, Water Aid’s Country Representative in Ghana. “Every year, Ghanaians spend 850 million hours looking for somewhere to go to the toilet and you can add this to the costs of illness and medical bills of those contracting diseases due to the unhygienic conditions. Overall, the loss to Ghana is GH¢45o million per year. “ continued

Les Riziculteurs Aisés Plus Enclins à Adopter les Nouvelles Variétés

[COTONOU, BÉNIN] La richesse des ménages affecte fortement les décisions des agriculteurs sur l'opportunité d'utiliser des variétés améliorées de riz (IRVs), selon une étude, qui fait des recommandations sur la façon d'accroître l'acquisition, l'accessibilité et l'adoption des variétés améliorées. Des chercheurs du Bénin, du Ghana et du Nigeria ont recueilli des données auprès de 600 petits riziculteurs de plateau, de plaine et de rizières irriguées, choisis au hasard à travers le Nigeria. Ils ont constaté que les facteurs qui déterminent l'adoption de l’IRVs - de l’accès à l'éducation, à la richesse et au crédit, à la taille des exploitations ainsi qu’à l'accès aux organisations paysannes - varient considérablement entre les ménages riches et les moins riches « Notre étude a montré que l'adoption de l’IRVs dépend du statut sociale et financier du ménage producteur de riz », explique Aliou Diagne, économiste au Centre Africain du riz, au Bénin, et co-auteur de l'étude. « Les ménages plus riches sont plus susceptibles d'adopter l’IRVs que leurs homologues plus pauvres», dit-il. «Les riziculteurs les plus riches ont un meilleur accès aux ressources et sont peut-être plus en mesure de prendre des risques. De même, les technologies les plus coûteuses ne sont accessibles que pour -- et par voie de conséquences adoptés que par -- les agriculteurs les plus riches » L'adoption de l’IRVs a eu un impact positif significatif sur les revenus des ménages et sur la production de riz nigérian, affirme Monsieur Diagne. De plus, selon l’économiste, pour accroitre l'adoption de l’IRV par tous les agriculteurs, indépendamment de la richesse, il faudra un

certain nombre de facteurs ou de conditions comme : l'amélioration de leur prise de conscience des avantages de l’IRV; une diffusion plus large des variétés IRV, l'investissement dans les programmes d'éducation des agriculteurs, en facilitant l'accès des agriculteurs au crédit, aux semences et aux organisations paysannes ; et enfin en leur offrant un meilleur encadrement par les agents de vulgarisation. Monsieur Anastase Hessou Azontondé, chef du laboratoire de la science du sol, de l'eau et de l'environnement à l'Institut national de recherche agricole du Bénin, a déclaré que les résultats seraient « presque les mêmes » au Bénin, en particulier en ce qui concerne les déterminants de l'adoption et de l'intensité de l’IRV ". « Beaucoup d'efforts devraient être faits pour l'adoption des nouvelles technologies à hautes performances agricoles par les agriculteurs pauvres», a-t-il préconisé.. Amené et Trad. Binason Avèkes

China to Construct Ghana's 2nd Airport

China Airports Construction Corporation (CACC) is set to begin construction of Ghana's second international airport after Kotoka International Airport with the capacity for large aircraft, a government official has revealed. CACC, owned by the Chinese government and the only enterprise offering a full range of services in the civil airport construction, signed a memorandum of understanding with Ghana to undertake a feasibility study for the design of the new facility. The airport will be constructed on a 16,000 acre land near Pampram in the Dangbe-East District of the Greater Accra region. Kotoka Airport is also in the same region but in the heart of the capital city. Transport minister Alhaji Collins Dauda said the new airport would .

address the capacity constraints and anticipated traffic growth at the Kotoka Airport. He did not provide any details on the costs for the project. Ghana is in the process of drafting a new Airport Bill for parliamentary approval that is set to improve the aviation industry. Meanwhile, the Ghana Airports Company Limited will continue its rehabilitation of the Kotoka International Airport under the phase III project continued

Togo : un Pays d’Étrangers?

par Mawusse Domefaa Atimasso

Hooray For Nollywood: Nigerian Distributor Casts Wide Net Online

Election petition: 705 registered abroad ; EC reveals

The Electoral Commission (EC) has complied with the Supreme Court order asking it to furnish petitioners challenging the declaration of John Dramani Mahama as President in the December 7 and 8, 2012 general elections, with details of the registration exercise it carried out abroad. However, details are emerging about the figures submitted, as the total number of Ghanaians registered abroad is believed to be far lower than the figures the commission included in the declaration of the results of the general election. So far, the EC said 705 Ghanaians registered in Ghanaian missions abroad where registration took place, whereas the Commission quoted that over 241,000 people were registered. However, this included diplomatic staff, security persons on peace mission, students on Ghana government scholarships and Ghanaians serving with international bodies. The EC, in its answers to the petitioners, indicated that even though it had announced initial provisional figures of 13,917,366, after the registration of Ghanaians abroad, it arrived at 14,158,890 voters; a difference of 241,524 registered voters. The petitioners, comprising the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate for the 2012 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the party's chairman, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, had filed an

application for 'interrogatories' to get the EC to furnish them with the documents on the people registered overseas. The particulars requested were in respect of Ghanaians serving abroad including foreign service officials, students on government scholarships abroad, Ghanaians working in international organizations and security service personnel returning on duties and the mode of registration. The petitioners had argued that the application had been moved because of the answer given by the EC after the petition was filed. The EC, in answer to the petition, submitted that over 200,000 votes from categories of voters registered abroad were included in the final results of the election. continued

What does it mean to be a global citizen?

Nigeria: Governor Fashola, Please Stop The “Kosovo-Style” …

Nigeria: Governor Fashola, Please Stop The “Kosovo-Style” Social Cleansing Of The Poor

Your Excellency: I hope all is well with you and your family. I would like to begin by commending you for all the great things that you have done since you were first elected Governor of Lagos State almost two thousand and eighty-eight days ago. During your tenure in office, you have transformed Lagos State. You have worked hard to improve the educational sector, while your vision to turn Lagos into a mega city is attracting praises from the four corners of the world. Your Midas touch can be seen in the transportation sector, the environment, housing and the hundreds of infrastructural development projects that your administration is currently implementing or has already implemented. Through your actions, you have proved to Nigerians that it is possible for elected government officials to work towards improving the lives of the governed. So far, so good.

Lagos, like other large cities around the world, plays host to people on different rungs of the economic ladder. The State is home to the ultra-rich, the rich, the middle class, the poor, and the very poor, including beggars. In recent years, the Lagos State Government has tried to resolve the problem of people begging on the streets through a number of initiatives. One initiative that your administration has adopted is to rehabilitate beggars by relocating them to the Rehabilitation Centre at Ikorodu. continued

Ghana : Un Officiel Canadien Meurt de Stupre dans un Hôtel

La mort d’un Haut Fonctionnaire du Gouvernement Canadien a été confirmée mercredi dernier au Ghana, alors qu’il était en mission officielle. Des sources ont déclaré au Daily Guide que le Haut Fonctionnaire âgé de 54 ans Dawell Prokopetz, qui logeait à l'Hôtel Golden Tulip à Accra, serait mort après une partie torride de sexe et de drogue au prestigieux hôtel. Le Haut Fonctionnaire Canadien décédé a été déclaré mort à la clinique Nyaho de la zone Résidentielle d’Accra où il aurait été conduit d’urgence dans un état inconscient après une overdose présumée de cocaïne, d'alcool et de sexe. Des sources ont déclaré au Daily Guide que la nuit qui a précédé le drame, le Canadien a été vu dans le système de surveillance vidéo chaperonnant séparément deux belles filles dans sa chambre d'hôtel. Les deux jeunes filles ont déclaré avoir passé une heure chacune dans la chambre du haut fonctionnaire. Le haut commissaire du Canada, Trudy Kernighan, a confirmé la mort de son compatriote au Daily Guide, mardi dernier, lors d'une conversation téléphonique. Le Commandant de la police de l'Aéroport, le surintendant Aduhene Banieh a également corroboré la tragédie et a dit au journal qu’une enquête de la PJ a été réalisée sur le cadavre, sans aucune information supplémentaire. Le fonctionnaire faisait partie d'une forte délégation gouvernementale canadienne à visée commerciale, dirigée par Edward Fast, Ministre

des Relations avec l'Asie-Pacifique, arrivé récemment au Ghana et qui est entré en pourparlers avec ses homologues ghanéens. La délégation a rencontré le Président John Mahama Dramani, et visité un certain  canadien du Commerce international et nombre de centres d'intérêts canadiens dans le pays. La mission commerciale et d’extraction minière, qui avait bien marché jusque-là dans les principaux pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, a été marquée par cette mort embarrassante. Par ailleurs, c’était le premier voyage du Ministre Canadien en Afrique cette année. Monsieur Dawell Prokopetz, quant à lui était un haut fonctionnaire en charge de l'enseignement supérieur au Canada. Les responsables de l’hôtel Golden Tulip étaient peu loquaces sur la question, sous prétexte d’un pacte confidentiel avec le haut-commissariat canadien. amené et Traduit par Binason Avèkes

Nigeria : Makoko et sa Structure Flottante, Un Modèle d’Habitat…

Nigeria : Makoko et sa Structure Flottante, Un Modèle d’Habitat pour des Cités Comme Ganvié ou Aguégué

CAN 2013 : le Burkina Démentira-t-il les Statistiques et l’Histoire ?

Ko' leribe laelae !

L'historique des rencontres Nigeria-Burkina Faso donne les Super Eagles favoris Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud (PANA) - Au regard des résultats des différentes rencontres ayant opposé dans le passé  le Nigeria et le Burkina Faso, les Super Eagles sont largement favoris pour la finale de cette Coupe d'Afrique des nations (CAN) 2013 dimanche en Afrique du Sud. Sur les 12 rencontres disputées en 49 ans dans différentes villes comme Lagos, Ouagadougou, Monrovia et  Nelspruit, le Nigeria s'est montré invincible face au Burkina Faso. Leur dernier match joué il y a juste trois semaines au stade Mbombela, s'est soldé par un nul (1-1), un bon résultat pour les Etalons du Burkina, tout le contraire pour les Super Eagles. Mais par le passé, non seulement l'équipe nigériane dominait le Burkina Faso, mais les scores étaient souvent importants, à commencer par la rencontre du 29 décembre 1964 comptant pour les éliminatoires aux premiers Jeux panafricains, qui s'était soldée par la défaite (1-6) du Burkina Faso (alors  Haute Volta). Cette rencontre sera suivie d'une autre défaite (0-4) le 27 novembre 1971, infligée par une nouvelle équipe des Green Eagles avec pas moins de cinq nouvelles recrues, dont l'excellent buteur Mathias Obianika.

Le 27 juillet 1991, les Super Eagles écrasent les Burkinabés (7-1), lors d'un match où Finidi George effectuait ses débuts et Rashidi Yekini inscrivait quatre buts. Les victoires du Nigeria sur le Burkina Faso ne se limitent pas aux matchs joués à domicile. A Ouagadougou, le Nigeria ayant  battu le Burkina Faso (2-0), pour se qualifier à la Coupe du monde jouée en France en 1998. En Coupe d'Afrique des nations au Ghana en 1978, le Nigeria dominait le Burkina Faso (4-2), dans un match gâché par les coupures d'électricité qui avaient finalement brisé les ardeurs des Nigérians. suite

Social democracy must radicalise to survive

Mysticism and modernity in Benin Voodoo fest

OUIDAH, Benin -- The deified residents of the Temple of Pythons, when released to find food, sometimes slither across the road into a Catholic church that once hosted Pope Benedict XVI. The local priest, the snake handlers say, is always good enough to call or bring the gorging reptiles back to their own spiritual home. This is life in Ouidah, a mecca of spirits and gods worshipped by practitioners of Voodoo, a recognized religion in this former French colony in West Africa that is home to 9 million people. The religion has its own pope -- or two, depending on who you ask -- whose reign dates back to the 1400s and ca, on the continent, away,” said Djabassi Manonwomin, a Voodoo priestn be seen about town in his SUV. Last weekend, local banks and the post office closed as the town celebrated its annual Voodoo Festival, an event increasingly drawing curious foreigners. With its mix of beliefs and traditions, the Voodoo practiced here shows both a clash of cultures and the ability for ancient traditional beliefs to adapt to modern life. ”It is like we are sending all the evil in the country who leads others in

the worship of a mermaid deity. “The people today are corrupt, we can see that. It is from the old days, but now more open. ”More people are hungry (for corruption). They put their bellies in front of themselves.” Voodoo, also called “vodoun” here, can be seen throughout the streets of Ouidah. One local school proudly identifies itself by the religion. Down the dusty street on a recent day one could see the decapitated head of a monkey, wrapped around a stick, a curse someone had placed near a shrine of a three-head man wrapped by pythons. While the curse was grotesque, Voodoo generally does not follow the images from movies and novels from the West, of zombies and possessions. continued

Trains in Nigeria : A slow but steady new chug

BRAKES let out a deafening screech and steam fills the station as the Lagos-Kano train ends its 30-hour journey. Hundreds of passengers emerge wearily from brightly painted yellow, green and white carriages. It may be sweaty, crowded and very late, but after a ten-year absence this revamped link between Nigeria’s two biggest cities is a welcome relief. Travelling the 1,126km (700 miles) at an average speed of less than 50km an hour with endless stops, it is no wonder the trip takes so long. But for most Nigerians the low fares are worth it. A second-class ticket from Lagos to Kano costs around $12, roughly a quarter of the price of a more treacherous bus ride. “Hundreds of people were waiting at Ilorin [300km north of Lagos] but there wasn’t enough space for us all,” says a mother trying to appease a screaming child on her hip. “I had to stand the whole way.”

The service was relaunched last month after improvements costing $166m. Nigeria’s railways, started in 1898, have deteriorated in the past 20 years owing to those old engines of decay, corruption and mismanagement. Nigerians’ domestic travel options are limited. Most cannot afford to go by air, so take to the roads. Overfilled lorries, usually packed with dozens of passengers sitting on cargo, precariously negotiate crater-sized potholes. One stretch of road, nicknamed “Bauchi or Death”, after a northern state, is littered with overturned lorries and cars. continued

Nigeria: El rufai got it wrong; Obasanjo is a criminal

Obasanjo made four huge mistakes in office – El-Rufai: Will someone tell this character that what he is referring to as ‘huge mistakes in his Presidency’ regarding Obasanjo’s misrule of Nigeria are actually criminal acts punishable under Nigerian laws and the legal codes of most countries. These acts: 1. Stealing government funds to fund the ‘purchase’ of government assets for personal use 2. The Tenure elongation fiasco 3. The Obasanjo Library scam, and 4. The mass killings against the peoples of Odi (Bayelsa State) and Zaki Biam (Benue State) were crimes Nigerians and the international community had long known Obasanjo and his cohorts committed during the ‘Reign of Evil’. The only laughable part of Nasir el-Rufai’s write up is where he says himself and some lackeys of Obasanjo had

‘resisted’/’opposed’ the criminal activities of Nigeria’s former maximum ruler. It is at times like this that one really appreciates the criminal acumen inherent in a man who ensures that he is succeeded in office by a character who lacks focus or courage. Two thoughts that readily come to mind: 1. Why is Nuhu Ribadu so bereft of courage that he cannot muster the guts to confess as el-Rufai is thankfully doing? and 2. If she were not the Minister for Finance in the present government, will Okonjo-Iweala not be making the accusations that Oby Ezekwesili is making against the Yar’Adua/Jonathan regime? Only a restructured and renegotiated polity will cause a cease of these high level criminali… continued

Danger du Foot : Un Ingénieur Nigérian Meurt en Regardant …

Danger du Foot : Un Ingénieur Nigérian Meurt en Regardant le Match Eagle/Éléphant

Un ingénieur Ismail Owolabi de l'Agence Fédérale Routière, (FERMA), dans l'Etat d'Ogun est mort sous un choc d’excitation dimanche au cours du match opposant l’équipe nationale nigériane, les Green Eagle aux Eléphants de Côte-d'Ivoire lors de la rencontre du quart de finale de la Coupe d’Afrique des Nation (CAN) Owolabi Ismail a été déclaré mort dans un centre de santé de Oke-Sokori, Abeokuta où il a été transporté d’urgence après l’incident. Owolabi s'est effondré pendant les premières minutes du match de Coupe d'Afrique des nations entre le Nigeria et Côte-d'Ivoire qui se déroulait en Afrique du Sud. Le premier hôpital où il a été transporté n’ayant pas de

médecin sur place pour le prendre en charge, il a été redirigé vers un autre et c’est alors qu’il a rendu l’âme avant même son arrivée dans cet hôpital où son décès a été constaté. ... "malheureusement, alors que Owolabi regardait le Match NIGERIA-COTE D'IVORE hier , il a subi un choc quand le Nigeria a marqué un but. Owolabi a crié sous le choc d’excitation et s’est effondré!" lire la suite

Rawlings pour une Solution Durable à la Crise Malienne

Accra, le 2 février, GNA - L'ancien président Jerry John Rawlings a salué l'intervention de la France et de la Communauté économique des Etats d'Afrique occidentale (CEDEAO) dans la crise malienne. Dans un communiqué publié par son  bureau le vendredi, avec copie à l'Agence de Presse Ghanéenne (GNA), l'ancien Président déclare que l'intervention de la CEDEAO, en fournissant des forces et de la logistique pour aider à endiguer la situation au Mali, est on ne peut plus louable. Il est de notoriété publique, peut-on lire dans le communiqué, que les rebelles Touaregs sont depuis fort longtemps à la recherche d’une région autonome au Mali,  et céder à leur demande pourrait ne pas être logique en raison de la situation multi-ethnique et culturelle de ce pays. Il est toutefois important que leurs doléances soient étudiées sérieusement dans le but de rechercher une solution durable qui satisfasse toutes les parties. Le communiqué souligne que la non-résolution de certains différends ethniques et culturels à travers l'Afrique a fait le lit des noyaux terroristes infiltrant des groupes identitaires, en leur offrant une voix et en les utilisant pour leurs intérêts égoïstes et leurs propres chapelles. «L'Afrique ne peut pas balayer d'un revers de main les questions ethniques non résolues qui peuvent potentiellement générer une activité terroriste en raison de la situation de vulnérabilité des communautés concernées» peut-on lire dans le communiqué. Alors que l'Union Africaine, la France et les membres de la CEDEAO continuent à mettre en commun leurs ressources pour résoudre le  malheureux conflit du Mali, les principales parties prenantes, préconise le communiqué, devraient sérieusement envisager de trouver une solution politique durable à la question touarègue. «Essayons de résoudre les nombreux conflits ethniques qui existent dans nos divers pays en ayant présent à l’esprit que l’intervention militaire au Mali n'est pas une fin en soi encore moins la clef au problème touarègue » peut-on y lire en substance. L'ancien Président Ghanéen, dans sa déclaration, a invité la communauté internationaleà prendre les précautions nécessaires afin que son soutien au Mali ne contribue à exporter le terrorisme d'un pays à l'autre. La résolution du conflit au Mali, a-t-il fait valoir, ne doit pas ressusciter le problème ailleurs en poussant les Touaregs en lutte dans les pays voisins pour y semer les germes de nouveaux conflits dans une logique de spirale. «L'Union africaine, la CEDEAO et les autres parties prenantes doivent travailler de concert pour amener les insurgés à la table des négociations et faire en sorte qu'une solution viable et durable soit trouvée susceptible de maintenir la stabilité du Mali et décourager les terroristes qui cherchent à exploiter les problèmes ethniques pour semer la violence et la zizanie ». GNA Amené et traduit par Adenifuja Bolaji

Livre à Vous : Bénin : Une Démocratie Prisonnière…

Libre à Vous : Benin : Une Démocratie Prisonnière de la Corruption

Lire l’intégralité

Wole Soyinka : « Dirigeants Africains, Réveillez-Vous ! Le Mali a…

Wole Soyinka  : « Dirigeants Africains, Réveillez-Vous ! Le Mali a Besoin de Plus qu’un Appel aux Armes »

 

Mali needs more than a call to arms

West Africa's al-Qaida clones are neither religious nor political. The world is facing viral mutations of the human psyche – Wole Soyinka

My mind, frankly, was on anything but peace as I entered the United Nations conference hall to participate in a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence event. On that same day – 21 September 2012 – yet another UN resolution had been released on the crisis in Mali. I felt overwhelmed by the ponderousness of the UN machine. That the UN, in association with African political leaders, recognised the danger posed by fundamentalist aggression to the Sahel and west Africa was not in doubt. The sense of urgency, however, lagged so far behind my own that it was a marvel I did not invade the conference hall with a banner, screaming: TAKE BACK MALI – YESTERDAY! The security council had already set out a "roadmap" for a west African force of intervention in the Sahel – it required the secretary general to report back on "progress" a few months later. This, it struck me, was an instruction not to the secretary general, but to the fundamentalist invaders to report to the world on the progress they would have made in destroying the ancient libraries of Timbuktu; amputating the arms of a few more Malians; and stoning to death deviationists from their "moral code".

It was an invitation to Ansar Dine's allies Boko Haram to nudge a few more terminators into Nigeria; demolish a few more educational, cultural and religious institutions; eliminate what was left of the UN presence after its bomb attack on the UN HQ in Abuja; and continue its project of unleashing death and destruction in southern Nigeria. Before the conference, I had button-holed senior Nigerian officials at every opportunity. None needed any persuasion about the danger to west Africa if the fundamentalist menace were not contained, rapidly. President Jonathan himself, I was assured, was sensitive to the ramifications of Mali's northern takeover. So were a number of African heads of state. What was lacking was the practical preparedness for action. To any student of the fundamentalist temperament, this imperative of urgent response should be second nature. Africa's political leadership should be in a state of permanent consciousness – and responsiveness. We are not novices, after all, to the ruthless nature of fundamentalist insurgency, its territorial desperation and, above all, its contempt for humanity.

Nigerian Vice President Says Boko Haram Cease-Fire Is Welcome

Nigeria’s government recognizes and welcomes a cease-fire announced by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram and is considering how to respond to it, Vice President Namadi Sambo said today. Sambo’s statement was the first official response to a cease-fire announced Jan. 28 by a self-proclaimed Boko Haram spokesman. Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz told reporters in Maiduguri then that the group agreed to put down arms on the condition that its members were freed from prisons. Abdulaziz said the group made the decision after meetings with the Borno state government. “We welcome the cease-fire offer announced recently by the Boko Haram group and we will do everything as a

government to see that we achieve a lasting peace in Nigeria,” Sambo told reporters today in Maiduguri, the Borno capital. “That is why the federal government is seriously consulting on the best approach to handle the cease-fire offer.” Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer and most populous nation, has been battling an insurgency by Boko Haram that’s killed hundreds of people since 2009. The group, which wants to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, has carried out bomb and gun attacks in the mainly Muslim north and Abuja continued

Bénin : Une Étude évalue l'usage des plantes antipaludiques

Bénin : Une Étude évalue l'usage des plantes dans les thérapies antipaludiques

[COTONOU, BÉNIN] Les guérisseurs traditionnels au Bénin possèdent une connaissance sophistiquée en matière de traitement du paludisme avec les plantes médicinales et des stratégies doivent être développées pour exploiter cela et promouvoir la conservation des plantes, rapporte une étude. Des chercheurs de l'Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, ont répertorié plus de 80 plantes, qui sont considérées comme antipaludiques et utilisées par les guérisseurs traditionnels dans le plateau d’Allada, au sud du Bénin, afin d'évaluer les connaissances traditionnelles et les techniques de traitement du paludisme. Avec l'augmentation de la résistance virale aux médicaments antirétroviraux, le recours aux plantes médicinales est devenue une option thérapeutique en médecine au Bénin, indique l'étude, qui a été publiée le mois dernier dans le Journal d'Ethnopharmacologie. Marius Yetein, chercheur à l'université et auteur principal de l'étude, explique à SciDev.Net que son équipe a utilisé un questionnaire pour recueillir des données provenant de 23 guérisseurs traditionnels et 30 vendeurs de plantes médicinales. L'équipe a répertorié 82 espèces de plantes dans 43 familles comme étant utilisées par les guérisseurs traditionnels pour traiter le paludisme. Les familles des Rubiacées et Césalpiniacées étaient les plus représentées, avec sept espèces chacune, bien que les Dichapetalum madagascariense soit l'espèce le plus souvent citée par les guérisseurs traditionnels. L'équipe a constaté que les guérisseurs utilisent principalement la décoction, une méthode d'extraction des substances chimiques à partir de plantes médicinales par ébullition, pour préparer les remèdes. «[Notre étude] indique que les guérisseurs [traditionnels] ont une connaissance très poussée des plantes antipaludiques», explique Yetein. «Beaucoup de ces espèces, comme le citron Citrus, sont également utilisées pour la prévention du paludisme." Selon un rapport de l'OMS publié en 2009, qui est cité dans l'étude, plus de 80 pour cent de la population Béninoise utilise la médecine traditionnelle, due à la fois à l'augmentation des coûts des soins de santé et pour des raisons socioculturelles. Les auteurs affirment que leur recherche pourrait contribuer à la conservation de la connaissance traditionnelle des plantes antipaludiques et à l'amélioration de la gestion du paludisme. Mais ajoute, M. Yetein : «Nous avons remarqué que la plupart des plantes que nous avons répertoriées n’ont pas été soumises au dépistage alors qu'en fait, nous avons besoin de savoir avec certitude lesquelles ont des propriétés antipaludéennes actives. Une telle connaissance pourrait conduire à la mise au point de médicaments plus efficaces contre le paludisme... C'est pourquoi nous recommandons fortement le dépistage.» Monsieur Guy Apollinaire Mensah, directeur de l'Institut national du Bénin pour la recherche agricole, se félicite de l'étude. En raison de la résistance aux traitements classiques du Plasmodium, parasite du paludisme, cette nouvelle recherche est, selon lui, à la fois très pertinente et opportune. «Le dépistage de ces espèces végétales, explique-t-il, contribuera à l'expansion du répertoire des plantes médicinales utilisées comme traitements antipaludiques au Bénin». Mais selon lui, la lutte contre la maladie devrait adopter une approche intégrée et multidimensionnelle, et la recherche du développement d'un vaccin devrait se poursuivre. M. Yetein explique qu’une fois finalisée l'étude sera soumise au ministère de la Santé du Bénin, dans le but d'avoir des espèces végétales répertoriées dépistées par des chercheurs désignés par le ministère. traduit par Binason Avèkes

Nigeria’s Boko Haram Militants Announce Cease-Fire

ABUJA — A man who claims to be a commander from the Islamist militant group known as Boko Haram declared a unilateral cease-fire Monday in Maiduguri in northern Nigeria.  It is not clear if Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez is speaking for all of Boko Haram, but officials say they will consider terms laid out by the group. This is the first time a person has physically appeared at a press conference claiming to be a Boko Haram leader.  Usually they call from blocked lines, post You Tube videos or send e-mails when they want something made public.  In a 10-minute speech, Abdulazeez says he is second in command to Abubakar Shekau, the man who is believed to lead the group.  Reading a statement in the local Hausa language, Abdulazeez urges all Boko Haram members to lay down their weapons and also to tell their friends so security forces can arrest anyone “carrying arms or killing under our names.”

Nobody knows how many factions there are of Boko Haram and which ones may take orders from Abdulazeez.  By their actions, some Boko Haram members appear to want to enforce a harsh form of Islamic law while others are just at war with Nigerian security forces.   Abdulazeez says in return for the cease-fire, the Borno state government, in the heart of the insurgency, has agreed to release imprisoned Boko Haram members.  If the government doesn’t fulfill what he describes as a “promise,” he says the security crisis will continue indefinitely continued

Nigerian who stole $145M pays fine to avoid prison

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A man who formerly helped oversee Nigeria's police pension program pleaded guilty Monday to stealing $145 million, but walked out of court a free man after agreeing to a plea bargain that saw him pay only a fraction of it back. The plea deal given to John Yakubu Yusufu and read out in court sparked immediate anger across Nigeria, a nation where many feel government officials pilfer pension funds and oil revenue without any fear of prosecution. Yusufu will pay only a $14,000 fine, forfeit some properties and pay about $2 million in restitution, something that the nation's top anti-corruption agency immediately criticized. Justice Mohammed Talba, who agreed to the plea deal in a Federal High Court, sentenced Yusufu to serve two years in prison.

However, Talba said Yusufu could pay the fine and the restitution, which also includes turning over 32 properties he allegedly purchased with the stolen money. In asking for the plea deal, Yusufu's defense lawyer, Theodore Bala Maiyakim, said his client had a serious heart condition. "He has saved the time of my Lord and being a first offender, with no previous record of conviction, I urge the court to temper justice with mercy and sentence him with least possible terms," Maiyakim asked, according to an account provided by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. continued

Ethiopian New AU Chairperson Desalegn Urges Sudan

Ethiopian PM Elected New AU Chairperson Desalegn Urges Assisting Sudan, S. Sudan in Creating Two Viable States

 

Addis Ababa – The African Union summit elected the Ethiopian Premier Hailemariam Desalegn as Chairperson of the African Union to succeed his predecessor, President of Benin. The new AU Chairperson said that Sudan and South Sudan made important progress in implementing the AU roadmap and the UNSC Resolution 2046 of 2012 by signing a series of agreements on most of the outstanding issues.

He added that both countries agree to address the problems encountered in the implementation of the agreements and made progress in their negotiations to resolve the remaining outstanding issues. “We should continue to assist Sudan and South Sudan in achieving the objectives of creating two viable states living side by side in peace and harmony”, said Desalegn. Addressing the opening session of the AU summit in Addis Ababa Desalegn commended the work done b continued

Dernières Heures de Bunker Union Africaine Pour Yayi Boni

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“Offense” à Yayi : L’Ambassadeur William Nicholas Gomes Intervient…

L’Ambassadeur des Droit de l’Homme, William Nicholas Gomes, demande au Bénin d’Abandonner Toute Poursuite Contre Mme Berthe Cakpossa

L’Ambassadeur des Droit de l’Homme, William Nicholas Gomes,  demande au Bénin d’abandonner toutes les accusations politiquement motivées contre Berthe Cakpossa Lettre de William Gomes de Salem-News.com (YORK, Royaume-Uni) – Dans une lettre, l’Ambassadeur des Droits de l’Homme William Nicholas Gomes, a demandé au premier ministre de la République du Bénin, Pascal Koupaki d’abandonner immédiatement toutes les accusations politiquement motivées contre Berthe Cakpossa. Voici la lettre : Monsieur le Premier ministre Koupaki Pascal, Je suis William Nicholas Gomes, Ambassadeur des droits de l'homme de l’agence américaine d’information Salem-News.com. En tant qu'Ambassadeur de droits de l'homme, je garde un œil attentif sur la situation des droits de l'homme au Bénin. Je comprends que le Bénin poursuit sa transition vers la démocratie. Le Droit à la liberté de parole et d'expression est étroitement lié à d'autres droits et très essentiel pour une véritable démocratie. Je suis vraiment préoccupé par la condamnation illégale de Berthe Cakpossa, directrice de Canal 3 TV. Le 16 Janvier, un juge à Cotonou a condamné Berthe Cakpossa à trois mois de prison, 500.000 francs CFA d’amende et à 1 F symbolique de dommage, selon les informations publiées par la presse. Son avocat a déclaré que son client a interjeté appel de la décision. De même, il a déclaré que des peines de prison de moins de six mois n'ont pas besoin d'incarcération immédiate au Bénin, et que l'appel avait suspendu l'exécution de la peine. Mme Berthe Cakpossa a été accusée en vertu du code pénal en relation avec la diffusion le 18 septembre d'une conférence de presse dans laquelle Monsieur Lionel Agbo, un ancien conseiller de Monsieur Yayi, avait accusé l'entourage du président de corruption. En vertu de la loi de 1997 sur la presse au Bénin, les journalistes sont considérés comme auteur des déclarations qu'ils rapportent, a déclaré l’avocat de Mme Cakpossa. Maître Lionel Agbo a été condamné à six mois de prison pour les mêmes chefs d'accusation. Le lendemain de la diffusion, Monsieur Yayi a déposé une plainte auprès du régulateur des médias contrôlé par l'Etat, la Haute Autorité de l'audiovisuel et de la communication (HAAC), dans laquelle il a nié les accusations et a accusé Canal 3 de porter atteinte à la cohésion nationale et de «troubles à l'ordre public», selon la presse. Le 20 Novembre, la HAAC a suspendu deux des programmes de la télévision Canal 3 La plainte de M. Yayi a conduit à l'affaire contre Cakpossa. Le Président Yayi a riposté contre une journaliste qui a transmis un message qu'il n'aimait pas, puis a fait pression sur les tribunaux pour imposer sa volonté. « Le message envoyé par M. Yayi est que son gouvernement ne tolère pas l’examen critique » a déclaré Mohamed Keita le coordonnateur du CPJ pour l’Afrique basé à New York. « Nous appelons la cour d'appel à casser ce verdict, qui est une tache sur l'image du Bénin en tant que nation libre, démocratique. » Mme Cakpossa a déclaré au CPJ qu'elle avait été impliquée dans un procès distinct basé sur une plainte connexe déposée par des collaborateurs de Monsieur Yayi en réponse à la diffusion de Septembre. Elle a dit qu'elle avait été acquittée des accusations de diffamation criminelle dans cette affaire. Son avocat a déclaré au CPJ qu'il a été surpris par la condamnation de Mme Cakpossa pour offense au président Yayi. De même a-t-il souligné que Mme Cakpossa avait été poursuivie dans deux procès distincts dans le cadre de la même émission, mais qu'elle n’avait été condamnée que dans le cas où le plaignant était le président. Je tiens à vous rappeler que la liberté d'expression est intimement liée au débat politique et au concept de démocratie. La Justice du Bénin est l'un des secteurs les plus corrompus dans le pays. La corruption judiciaire existait avant que le président Thomas Boni Yayi n’arrive au pouvoir en 2006. C'est vraiment alarmant que votre gouvernement et le système judiciaire corrompus aient œuvré main dans la main et illégalement pour condamner Mme Berthe Cakpossa. La condamnation de la directrice de Canal 3 TV est très politiquement motivée et illégale. Le verdict porte gravement atteinte au droit à la liberté d'expression et à la liberté de la presse. Je vous demande instamment d'abandonner immédiatement toutes les accusations politiquement motivées contre Mme Berthe Cakpossa. William Nicholas Gomes Ambassadeur des droits de l’Homme Salem-News.com www.williamnichoalsgomes.com traduction Binason Avèkes

Ex-official sentenced for 'insulting' Yayi

Cotonou - A former spokesperson for Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi was sentenced to six months in prison on Wednesday on a charge of insulting the head of state by suggesting his entourage was corrupt Lionel Agbo, Yayi's spokesperson until March 2011, suggested in September that the president intended to remain in office beyond his legally mandated two terms and that members of his entourage were corrupt. Judge Ulrich Gilbert Togbonon declared Agbo "guilty of complicity of the crime of insulting the head of state" while sentencing him to six months in prison and a fine of 500 000 CFA ($1 015). Last week in the West African nation, the head of private television channel Canal 3 was sentenced to three months in prison since her station aired the press conference.

The International Federation of Journalists harshly criticised the television director's sentence, calling it disproportionate and saying it risked forcing the news media into self-censorship. The case is among several in Benin that have targeted high-profile figures, including one involving an alleged plot to poison Yayi that resulted in arrests in October. continued

Les Zones d’Ombres de l’Intervention Française au Mali

Conformément aux objectifs de l’association Survie, ce document se concentre sur le rôle de la France au Mali et aborde de façon moins approfondie le rôle des autres acteurs clé de la crise. Il ne s’agit pas de les dédouaner ou de faire porter à la France l’entière responsabilité de la crise au Mali. Il s’agit de décrypter le rôle qu’a joué la France dans la genèse de cette crise et le jeu diplomatique qu’elle a mené pour une intervention militaire dont elle est aujourd’hui la principale force, à la lumière des enjeux français dans la zone. Ce document a été élaboré collectivement par des militant-e-s de Survie qui suivent la situation au Mali depuis plusieurs mois ou plusieurs années. C’est un document qui ne prétend pas à l’exhaustivité, et qui pourra être amené à être complété, actualisé. Sommaire : Le Mali, une « vitrine » démocratique qui a volé en éclats Participation à la guerre en Libye et posture équivoque vis-à-vis du MNLA : les autorités françaises portent une part de responsabilité dans l’éclatement de la crise au Mali L’implication de la France au Sahel est étroitement liée à la préservation de ses intérêts économiques L’intervention, préparée de longue date, permet de légitimer la présence contestée de l’armée française dans la région Les « amis » de la CEDEAO sont la ‘caution africaine’ de l’intervention L’intervention de l’armée tchadienne aux côtés de la France vise à légitimer ce régime dictatorial La France bafoue la souveraineté du Mali et contribue à la mise sous tutelle du pays La France cherche à utiliser le paravent de l’ONU au Mali La France, gendarme de l’Afrique pour l’Union européenne L’objectif de la lutte contre le terrorisme vise à créer un consensus autour de l’opération militaire française et évite toute analyse des enjeux Une intervention à l’issue incertaine pour le Mali, sa population et pour la région toute entière Conflit durable, présence de troupes étrangères, atteintes aux droits de l’homme Sur les prises d’otages Risque d’aggravation de la situation économique et humanitaire Risque de déstabilisation d’autres États et d’extension du conflit à l’ensemble de la région L’exercice d’un contrôle parlementaire vigilant, une urgence     télécharger le dossier

Afari Gyan & Peace Council Boss Are "Satan" On Earth – K. Agyapong

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North constituency, Kennedy Agyapong, says hell could easily break loose in Ghana considering the way Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan and the Peace Council acted like “satan’s” agent in ensuring that the National Democratic Congress(NDC) was retained in office after the 2012 general elections. “Afari Gyan has suddenly changed and the way he handled last year’s elections is a clear manifestation that in 2008, Nana Addo won that election,” he said. In an interview he granted Okay FM, an Accra-based private radio station, the NPP MP recounted how he was denigrated by some religious groups for speaking the truth about the tendency of vote rigging prior to the 2012 elections. He accused the National Peace Council of suddenly metamorphosing into a “War Council” “led by a deceptive man of God” who wants the nation to be in shambles.

He added that it is quite unfathomable for the Peace Council led by this same “deceptive man of God” to suddenly remain silent on related issues which terrorize the peace of this country, even though the council had been quite vocal recently. Asked by the host of the show who the “deceptive man of God” was, Kennedy Agyapong pointed to Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante, who is the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana. According to Kennedy Agyapong, he was amazed to hear Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante tell the NPP that he had met with the “master thief” Dr. Afari Gyan, and had advised them to send any electoral grievances to the court. continued

Scientists in Benin unveil enhanced malaria test

The new technique can identify the four Plasmodium species which will help detect mixed-malaria infections [COTONOU, BENIN] Researchers in Benin say they have developed an improved method for detecting malaria parasites in mosquito vectors that could help yield better estimates of malaria transmission intensity in different settings. The new technique detects and identifies the four Plasmodium species in the principal mosquito vectors, Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus. It is also enables scientists to detect 'mixed' malaria infections where more than one type of Plasmodium parasite is present. SPEED READ New malaria test is 98 per cent accurate, scientists claim Detects and identifies the four Plasmodium species, which could lead to better estimates of transmission intensity Tool could aid with development of malaria vaccine, say experts

The study, published in PLoS ONE last month (28 December), explains that the technique optimises polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, a laboratory technique that amplifies and quantifies DNA molecules. The researchers also say their method is more accurate than the traditional technique, which is based on the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test, a standard laboratory diagnostic test that uses antibodies and colour change to detect DNA molecules. "This study presents an optimised method for detecting the four Plasmodium species in African malaria vectors," say the authors. They say it could be an "accurate molecular diagnostic tool for detecting malaria parasites in field mosquito populations". continued

Les raisons françaises de la déstabilisation du Mali

La France se prépare à déstabiliser le Mali. Et pour cause ? Il y en a trois qui relèvent principalement des raisons classiques : les intérêts « français » et « individuels ». Des intérêts français, la découverte du pétrole au Mali en est le déclencheur des hostilités. Bamako, 12 mai 2002, aussitôt élu président de la République avec 64,35% des voix au deuxième tour, Amadou Toumani Touré (ATT pour les intimes) fait un rêve, celui de faire du Mali un pays producteur du pétrole. Mais le rêve ne dit pas que l’or noir est un or du diable, qui insère son producteur au rang de la malédiction où d’autres anciennes colonies françaises comme le Congo Brazzaville, le Gabon... sont depuis, tenus en laisse par Paris. Le Mali peut toujours jouer le jeu de la démocratie en organisant des élections crédibles et en assurant des alternances dans la paix tant qu’une goutte de pétrole ne coule pas encore du bassin de Taoudéni dans le nord du pays. Taoudéni ? C’est à la fois une cuvette dont le dépôt centre atteint plus de 5000 m d’épaisseur et une superficie d’environ 1.500.000 km², soit le plus vaste bassin sédimentaire on-shore d’Afrique occidentale, qui s’étend hors du Mali au Niger, en Mauritanie, au Burkina Faso et en Algérie. Cette précision est d’une importante capitale à noter pour la suite de l’analyse. Il est de bon augure pour ATT de créer, dès 2004, l’Autorité pour la promotion de la Recherche Pétrolière au Mali (AUREP). Des conventions de partage de production et de concession pour 29

blocs répartis sur cinq bassins sédimentaires sont signées entre le gouvernement malien (9 blocs) et les sociétés de recherche pétrolière pour les 20 autres blocs. Parmi ces sociétés, il y a la compagnie italienne d’hydrocarbure ENI (50%), l’australienne Baraka Petroleum (25%) et l’Algérienne SIPEX (25%), dont les opérations de sondages sismiques des blocs 1, 2, 3, 4 et 9 sont assurées par l’Entreprise Nationale Algérienne de Géophysique (ENAGEO), une filiale de SONATRACH qui est la première des douze sociétés pétrolières d’Afrique. Sans oublier l’apport de 46 milliards de FCFA par PetroPlus Angola, destinés à la promotion de la recherche pétrolière, à l’exploitation, au transport, au raffinage des hydrocarbures liquides et gazeux, et à la formation du personnel technique malien. suite

Nigeria: Ondo State Governor Determined to Turn Tide on Maternal Health

Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko started the Abiye Initiative, a revolutionary program that offers free healthcare to pregnant women and children under five. Washington, DC — One in five Nigerian children will die before reaching his or her fifth birthday, according to Save the Children. Their mothers are also suffering - the country accounted for 14 percent of maternal deaths worldwide in 2010, according to the United Nations. But one governor says he is determined to reverse the tide on maternal and infant mortality with a new program that offers free health care to mothers and children under five. Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko launched the Abiye (safe motherhood) initiative in 2009. Its success - through the deployment of roving paramedics, opening new hospitals and slashing medical costs - has garnered acclaim from international organizations such as the World Bank. At a media roundtable in Washington DC on Thursday, AllAfrica's Kyle Pienaar and Lauren Everitt caught up with Mimiko to learn why

the governor chose to focus on maternal health, the challenges he faced along the way and his plans to meet Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. You said that Nigeria accounts for an estimated 14 percent of maternal deaths worldwide. Why are conditions so bad for pregnant women in Nigeria? It's a combination of many factors. It's lack of planning, lack of emphasis on the right priorities. The population is also a factor - we're 160 million. Where I come from, Ondo State, there are four million people. But leadership is also part of it. It's an issue of priorities, mainstreaming the right things continued

NIGERIAN POLITICIANS AND THE CULTURE OF IMPUNITY

GLOBAL emocracy does not begin and end with the right to cast votes, it is not even sufficient to say that the votes were properly counted. With Democracy comes the expectation of rule of law, due process, openness, and the rights of the citizens to know. While we debate the extent to which our leaders have allowed the rule of law and due process to flourish, it is abundantly clear to me that our politicians of this present era have consistently neglected or rather taken for granted one of the essential elements of Democracy?the rights of the citizens to be informed in everything including the health and wellbeing of their elected officials and in the case of the presidency, including that of their spouse. Ever since Stella Obasanjo (Late Nigeria's first lady) died suddenly under the knife of what turned out to be a quack plastic surgeon in Spain, things have simply spiralled from bad to worse. Her trip to Spain was not the problem but as it turned out, Nigerians were not informed that she was travelling to Spain, let alone for the reasons of tummy tuck. The story at the time was that even her husband was not informed of that clandestine trip to Spain but I sincerely hold my reservations on that. Then came Yar'adua in 2007 when he was running for president: It was already common knowledge that Governor Yar'adua was suffering from kidney ailment, and had been on dialysis for some years, perhaps between 5 and 8 years as at 2007. It was also common knowledge that the average life expectancy for one on dialysis is roughly 10 years. Yet when Yar'adua crumbled under the stress of heavy presidential campaign schedule and had to be flown out to a German hospital, Obasanjo boldly told all Nigerians that his hand-picked presidential candidate was only suffering from catarrh. Such fallacy only fuelled rumours that Yar'adua had died especially

after nothing was heard from him for some time. Surely, Obasanjo followed up with a repulsive charade in calling Yar'adua and putting him on speaker on live television just to prove to Nigerians that the man was still alive. The sad part of this story was that Yar'adua would die of the same ailment 3 years later without Nigerians ever being told what he suffered from, even as a sitting president. Yar'adua's family and the entire presidency did not fare any better than Obasanjo. When Yar'adua's health took a nose dive and he was flown to Saudi Arabia his family and their small cabal in the presidency shut Nigerians out completely. For many months nobody in Nigeria outside his immediate family knew his condition. Those who ventured out to visit him in the Saudi hospital were all shut out, including cabinet members and legislatures until his comatose body was finally smuggled back into Abuja in the middle of the night. I thought that the secrecy surrounding Yar'adua's illness, hospitalization, and eventual death would have thought us a lesson in this country. Sadly, recurring events since Yar'adua's death suggest otherwise. continued

Mali's rebels hold the advantage on ground ...

Fortunately for the French, there's been no sign of the surface-to-air missiles that the Salafist mujahideen in northern Mali are reported to have stolen from Libya. But taking control of the skies is one thing, winning a ground war and restoring peace is an altogether different prospect. The French government claim they are merely softening up the territory for military intervention led by the Malian army and a coalition of regional Ecowas forces. What they have failed to mention is that the Malian army hasn't won a military encounter against Tuareg rebels in the north since the early 1960s, at least not without the help of pro-government Tuareg and Arab militias who know the terrain. Unfortunately, these militias won't be on hand to help this time round - not in the short term at least. The north of Mali is as alien to the average soldier from southern Mali as the Alaskan tundra is to a citizen of Massachusetts or Manchester. That sense of alienation will be felt even more keenly by troops from Nigeria, Senegal, Benin and Ivory Coast, used to jungle and savannah

bush warfare, when they finally roll onto the vast treeless plains of the southern Sahara. This is the land where the local Tuareg or Arab in his souped-up turbo 4x4 is king. Iyad Ag Ghali, the Tuareg leader of the Salafist Ansar Dine militia, is a master of the kind of hit-and-run guerrilla warfare that suits the desert conditions and the sheer size of territory, roughly equal to that of Spain. His mujahideen showed their verve last Sunday by capturing the small town of Diabaly, north of Mopti, with a lightening strike that originated over the border in Mauritania. This ability to crisscross borders is another important aspect of the Islamists' Houdini-esque style of combat. continued

Nollywood Pays Tribute to Dead Nigerian Actor – Enebeli Elebuwa

By Sandra Birungi Saturday night saw Nollywood pay tribute to their fallen comrade, Enebeli Elebuwa who passed away last year in India. Elebuwa’s burial arrangements kicked off last week on Wednesday with a candle light procession and Night of Tribute, organized by the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, at the celebrity hangout, O’jez, National Stadium, Surulere.  The candle light procession kicked off from Masha roundabout, in Surulere and ended at the National Stadium with various actors paying tribute to the fallen Nollywood veteran. Continued

Ghana : “Ignorons Yayi Boni”, dixit John Kurfour

L'ancien président John Agyekum Kufuor a demandé aux Ghanéens d'ignorer les distinctions élogieuses données par M. Thomas Yayi Boni, Président de l'Union africaine (UA) concernant l'issue des élections présidentielles de décembre 2012 dans laquelle la victoire proclamée de l'actuel président John Dramani Mahama fait l’objet d’une controverse. Lors de l'inauguration officielle du président Mahama le lundi, Yayi Boni a été invité à s’exprimer. Sur le podium, il a salué le processus électoral du Ghana. L'opposition, le New Patriotic Party (NPP) a traîné la Commission électorale et le président Mahama au tribunal pour avoir prétendument comploté pour truquer les élections. Lors de l'inauguration, Yayi Boni, qui est aussi Président du Bénin, a décrit l'élection comme libre et équitable, notant que «l'organisation des élections législatives et présidentielles approuvée par des milliers d'observateurs nationaux et internationaux est le témoignage de la maturité politique du peuple ghanéen et l'expression de la paix et de la consolidation des valeurs démocratiques » Dans une interview à la station de radio Oman FM basée à Accra, l’ancien président Kufuor a déclaré que les observations formulées par le Président de l'UA doivent être ignorées purement et simplement.

« Ce que le président de l'Union africaine est venu dire ne tient pas la route, nous allons l'ignorer», a-t-il déclaré en langue twi. Pour l'ex-président Kufuor, le Président de l’UA était trop diplomatique dans son point de vue quant à l'issue des élections. «La diplomatie arrive à un point où la vérité est cachée. Nous lui avons donné l'occasion de parler, il a prononcé son discours et est reparti, ne laissons personne venir nous entourlouper. Par la grâce de Dieu, ce n'est pas son discours qui va influencer le tribunal. » La Position de Kufour l’Ex-président Kufuor a révélé que, après les élections, Yayi Boni, qui avait été mis au courant de la fraude présumée, est venu le voir pour essayer de l'apaiser, lui demandant de laisser tomber. «Yayi Boni est venu me parler de paix, mais je lui ai dit que, quant à moi, je ne vais pas fermer les yeux sur la fraude. » a.p  Binason Avèkes, source

Fuel explosion' and fire erupts at Nigeria's main port

An explosion and fire hit a barge at Nigeria's main seaport in Lagos, shaking buildings in the area and wounding at least four people, officials said. The explosion occurred on Wednesday on a barge seeking to discharge fuel into a tank on a jetty at the port, leading to a fire that sent a huge plume of smoke into the air but which was put out a couple hours after it began.

There was a ship that was trying to discharge into an oil tank owned by [Nigerian firm] MRS and there was a fire, but I don't yet have any details as to what led to the fire," said Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency. continued

General News of 2013-01-09 EC’s response to NPP’s challenge is just grammar - Jake

The opposition New Patriotic Party has described the Electoral Commission’s response to their petition to the Supreme Court challenging the outcome of the 2012 December elections, as nothing but grammar, which had nothing to say about the details of the case. Addressing a news conference at the NPP’s Headquarters in Accra on Wednesday January 9, 2013, Party Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey said: “They spend more time and energy debating vocabulary by quoting definitions of adjectives from dictionaries than they spent defending to the Ghanaian people why, despite being funded by the taxpayers to the tune of hundreds of millions of cedis, they ran an election in which 1 in every 8 votes will have to be thrown out.” Read the full statement below : 9th January 2013 PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW PATRTIOTIC PARTY, JAKE OBETSEBI LAMPTEY, ON THE 9TH OF JANUARY 2012 AT THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE PARTY We welcome you, ladies and gentlemen of the press, to our maiden press encounter in 2013. We wish you all a blessed and prosperous 2013 and hope that this New Year will see an even better partnership between us in helping to deepen our democracy.

Today, we’d like to provide you with an update on NPP’s recent activities in pursuit of justice and the status of the petition brought before the Supreme Court of Ghana by three distinguished members of our party. We undertake this battle of justice – not merely for the more than 5 million people who voted for our party, and certainly not for the glory of our Presidential candidate – but on behalf of all Ghanaians, including those yet unborn, and indeed Africans from across the continent who are watching our case and looking to Ghana to pave the way forward. Our nation has always been at the forefront of democratic change and political progress, and we are confident that the wisdom and foresight of our justices will make our beacon of democracy shine even brighter. continued

Nigeria: Fire Guts INEC Headquarters in Abuja

n early morning fire yesterday gutted a section of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at the scene disclosed that there were no casualties. The cause of the fire incident is being investigated and would be made known in due course, a statement by commission's director, Public Affairs, Emmanuel Umenger, stated. The fire incident which started at about 10:30am affected the office of INEC's Director of Voter Registry, Engineer Emmanuel Akem.

LEADERSHIP reports that a combined team of fire fighters from the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, Nigeria Air Force Service and NEMA quickly put out the fire before it could spread to other parts. "Apart from office equipment and the personal effects of the Voter Registry Director which were lost to the fire incident, the operational capacity of the commission has not in any way been affected." Umenger stated. continued

Obasanjo: Nigerian leaders should reach out to Boko Haram

Massive fire rips through slum in Lagos

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press LAGOS, Nigeria -- A massive fire tore through a waterfront slum in Nigeria's megacity of Lagos on Tuesday, burning down dozens of shack workshops and homes. When firefighters didn't turn up, locals tried in vain to stop the blaze with buckets of water. The fire hit along the dirty shoreline of the Lagos Lagoon, an area full of sawmills that process lumber floated into the city from hundreds of miles (kilometers) away. Massive piles of sawdust and loose shavings fill the area. By Tuesday afternoon, a thick plume of smoke rose from the mills over the city's long Third Mainland Bridge, which links the metropolis to its islands. Hours later after the sunset set, the fire still raged in the neighborhood. Silhouettes of residents could be seen, trying to toss water onto the massive flames, which stood stories high. The rest of the neighborhood remained in the dark, with little points of lights from flashlights dancing across the blackness. It was unclear if anyone was injured in the inferno. Officials with Lagos state emergency services could not be reached for comment into Tuesday night. There were no firefighters, trucks or emergency equipment seen in the neighborhood, which can be difficult to reach and dangerous for outsiders. Emergency services often lack equipment, manpower and competent staff in Nigeria, a nation of more than 160 million people whose economy is fueled largely by crude oil. Across Lagos, many areas lack water lines, meaning officials often let fires burn themselves out rather than call in water tankers that can take hours to reach the scene. Tuesday's blaze was the second major one in the city in recent weeks. On Dec. 26, a massive explosion ripped through a warehouse full of fireworks in a crowded neighborhood in Lagos Island, killing one person and injuring at least 15. Fire remains a major threat in Nigeria, where many people store gasoline and diesel in their homes to run generators for electricity. As Tuesday's fire burned, some drivers pulled over to take mobile phone images of the fire from the bridge. The only sirens heard came from convoys of police and soldiers roaring by guarding the nation's business and political elite. Read more here:

I will not let Ghana down- Prez Mahama assures

President John Dramani Mahama in his inaugural speech has promised that he will do all within his power to defend and fast track Ghana's development. He said with the support of Ghanaians, he shall work assiduously to enhance the nation's economic fortunes with the new resources at the country's disposal. The President while calling on the citizenry to embrace unity and forge ahead as one people, cautioned that "complacency and frustration makes one feel irrelevant" in society.

He continued: "Regardless of an individual political, social or tribal affiliation, I will work hard to ensure we all have the opportunities available to us to grow. …I will keep to my promises, I will not let Ghana down and I will work hard to consolidate Ghana's democratic values." John Dramani Mahama said as President he will work to ensure a less polarized nation to improve the living conditions of the citizenry.

Ghana's new parliament sworn in ahead of presidential inauguration

• Ghama's new parliament was sworn in early Monday. • The new parliament has 275 members, 45 more than the fifth parliament. • Adjaho urged members of the parliament to stay united. ACCRA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Ghama's new parliament was sworn in here early Monday, hours before a scheduled ceremony to install John Dramani Mahama as the country's new president. At 12:00 midnight, the police band sounded the Last Post to signify the end of the road for the fifth parliament which had 177 members re-elected into the new house. The new parliament, the sixth for the Fourth Republic of Ghana, has 275 members, 45 more than the fifth parliament. Clerk of parliament Emmanuel Anyimadu then opened nominations for the position of Speaker, and Edward Doe-Adjaho from the Avenor-Ave in the Volta Region was the only one proposed, and thus got elected unopposed.

Adjaho urged members of the parliament to stay united and work in concerted efforts to get business done. "I will discharge the duties of this house with discipline, humility, diligence, maturity and sincerity," said Adjaho, who first entered parliament in January 1993 and has held onto his parliamentary seat since then. The new speaker pledged to deepen the practice of parliamentary democracy in Ghana, adding that he would do so by ensuring a bipartisan approach to all matters of national interest, while being fair in all matters. continued

We'll defy police order - Young Patriots

Bras de Fer Police/Jeunes Patriotes NPP en vue au Lendemain de l’Investiture du Pdt John Mahama

 

Spokesperson for pro-NPP group, Richard Nyamah says the Young Patriots will rebel against the Police order seeking to prevent them from staging their demonstration in Accra. The group is seeking to hit the streets of Accra on Tuesday December 8, to demonstrate against what it described as a stolen verdict of the 2012 elections in support of the NPP’s petition in Court. But the Greater Accra Regional Police Command and the Young Patriots met on Friday to discuss the routes to be used during the demonstration which ended with the Police calling on the group to suspend the demonstration. Meanwhile, Mr. Nyamah in an interview on Citi FM on Friday clarified that reasons given so far were not enough to impede their constitutional rights to demonstrate. “When we met with them, they gave us two reasons why they cannot allow us to demonstrate on the 8th. One is that the date in question was a day that they couldn’t make it because they wouldhave been

tired after the 7the January swearing in and all that but we were looking to the Police to have given us a tangible reason why they cannot allow us to do a demonstration that day,” he noted. He also insisted that the leadership of the group had met the constitutional requirement and therefore the Police have no such power to stop them from demonstrating. Mr. Nyamah further took issue with the Accra Mayor Mr. Okoe Vanderpuije for suggesting that the group has to secure a permit before converging on Obra Spot to demonstrate. continued

Nigerian Actress Bisi Komolafe Is Dead

Nollywood actress Bisi Komolafe is dead. According to industry sources, the actress died at the University College Hospital in Ibadan on December 31, 2012. The actress had been admitted into the hospital and was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

Colleagues of the actress, who found fame in the Yoruba movie sector of the Nigerian movie industry, have expressed shock and sadness at the tragic incident. Bisi was a part of the Yinka Quadri led Odunfa Caucus of the Yoruba Movie sector. There is speculation that the deceased actress was pregnant and her death is connected to pregnancy-related complications but this is yet to be confirmed. continued

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