BABILOWN~Mawolè

Ghana: Konadu Crashes Out

The dreams of former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, leader of the newly formed National Democratic Congress to contest this year's presidential elections on the ticket of the newly formed National Democratic Party hit a snag, after she failed to meet the EC's criteria by the close of nominations yesterday. The electoral Commission disqualified Nana Konadu for failing to properly fill out her nomination forms. By the last count, Mrs Rawlings has suffered two excruciating setbacks in a long nurtured ambition of occupying the highest office of the land, after occupying

the position of a first lady for close to 19 years, with her husband as head of state. She suffered a humiliating defeat at the Sunyani congress, where she contested the flag bearership of the National Democratic Congress, against the then sitting President John Evans Atta Mills. Mrs. Rawlings had raised grave concerns about the conduct of the primaries which she said was fraught with intimidation and tainted with corruptio continued

Nigeria sings new tune with opening of Fela Kuti museum

In the 1970s, Fela Kuti's Afrobeat music became the anti-establishment soundtrack of Africa, an anthem for those railing against the many despotic regimes that gripped the continent at the time. But 15 years after his death in 1997, the man whose music was a constant thorn in the side of officials in his native Nigeria has been honoured by the authorities with whom he so often tangled. The Kalakuta commune – a three-storey building down a potholed road that "seceded" from Nigeria – has been turned into a museum with the help of a $250,000 (£156,000) grant from the Lagos government. "The Afrobeat movement is going stronger," his son Femi Kuti said as visitors streamed through the house in downtown Lagos. "More people are aware about what my father stood for … and the plight of the ordinary African.

That's why we have to keep fighting for a just society for everybody." Femi, whose own music has won him countless awards, says the museum is not a sign that the Kuti family's attitude towards the authorities has softened. But any form of government endorsement would have been unthinkable in the 1970s, when Fela created Afrobeat – a blend of traditional Yoruba music laced with jazz, brass sounds and stinging political messages that made him the constant target of government beatings, harassment and jailings. continued

Ghana's former first lady, Nana Konadu to run for President

Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, on Saturday made history, becoming the nation’s first-ever credible female candidate to be endorsed by a political party to contest for the presidency. She pledged to transform the nation and restore it to the path of real social justice and progress saying her strong and progressive leadership would ensure access to education, health care and protect the rights of every Ghanaian. Putting the people above politics is her goal, she said, adding that she would place the people at the centre of her policies. “The real treasures of the nation are not the oilfields but the youth and women” she noted and said they must therefore be supported to realize their potentials and dreams. Her election was by popular acclamation at the National Democratic Party (NDP) national delegates congress held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi. On hand were about 3,000 delegates and observers. A huge crowd of the party’s supporters adorned in the NDP’s colours also made it to the venue of the event to be part of the historic congress.

Representatives of the other political parties, including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People’s Party (CPP), Progressive People’s Party (PPP), People’s National Convention (PNC) and Independent People’s Party (IPP) were there to show solidarity. Conspicuously missing was the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). Mrs Rawlings, who has over the decades been fighting for women, described her candidature, as representing the dawn of “a new era”, drawing deafening applause from the large gathering. Former President Jerry John Rawlings, who stood by the side of the wife, lauded the leadership of the NDP, for the vision and boldness to form the party. He said he had no doubt that the party’s underpinning principles of transparency accountability and good governance would enable it to make an impact in December polls. continued

Nigeria: Victims Count Losses As Flood Ravages Gombe

Nigeria: Victims Count Losses As Flood Ravages Gombe Like other states in Nigeria, Gombe has also been hit by flood and windstorms that accompanied most rainfalls this year. There is reminiscence in Gombe State. The year has reminded Gombe people of an unprecedented natural disaster that struck the state especially Gombe metropolis in 2004. Called Gombe Tsunami, the tsunami claimed several lives, destroyed several houses, submerged farmlands just as economic and domestic animals went with the phenomenon. Regrettably, eight years after the destructions, the state has again witnessed a barrage of misfortunes consequent upon rampaging flood that followed this year’s rainfalls. Worst hit are Yelmatu Deba, Balanga, Dukku and Gombe Local Government Areas. In Gombe Local Government, about 13 areas were affected: Federal Low Cost, Kundulum, Nasssarawo, Kakagawa, Herowa Gana, Dawaki, Jekadafari, Tudun Wada and others. At the last count, Gombe, has recorded 14 deaths according to the official records. But analysts chide the number, arguing that the number of deaths has exceeded 14. Similarly, over 90 houses have

been destroyed, more than 500 families displaced, several farmlands submerged while several domestic animals have been killed. Recently, a camp was opened at Lawanti Primary School in Akko Local Government Area where over 70 households who are mainly victims of flood rated incidences from wuru village are currently taking shelter. The people have been there since September 15 rainfalls that wrecked havoc on the community. The same rainfall also affected the people of Angwa Yelwa in Kwadon in Yelmatu Deba local Government Area, a suburb of Gombe metropolis. The disaster destroyed over 40 houses just as it killed many live stocks. continued

Aeroplane thriller flies close to Nigeria's reality

It is perhaps an unlikely theme for a blockbuster film in a country with a dire air safety record: a near miss in which a pilot steers a smoke-filled aeroplane to safety. In Nigeria, Last Flight to Abuja has become the first home-grown production to outsell Hollywood films this year. Crowds have been packing ­cinemas to see how the Nollywood fiction matches the reality of taking an internal flight in West Africa's most populous country. The film took a record-breaking eight million naira ($50 400) in its first week of release in Lagos. It has toppled this year's box-office hits The Amazing Spider-Man and Ice Age: Continental Drift and has grossed  the ­second-highest income in West Africa after The Dark Knight Rises. "Each time I fly in Nigeria, it's a nervy experience. All the shaking, the bumpy landings, the unexplained noises as the aeroplane starts

off five hours after you're supposed to have arrived at your destination," said the director, Obi Emelonye. "The film was an accumulation of all those ­stories." The timing of the film's release coincided with a Dana Air aeroplane smashing into a Lagos slum, killing 163 people. Relatives of the dead encouraged the director not to ­cancel the film's opening so as to keep aviation safety in the spotlight. "The timing was spooky because it was supposed to be an era [that was] behind us. I felt I had a social responsibility to show [improvements] we could make with just a little change of attitude – being proactive," Eme-lonye said. continued

Chinua Achebe reflects on Biafra, but for whom?

Guest Post by Olajumoke Verissimo It is a long time already since the Biafran War (1967-1970) to write a memoir, and it makes me wonder how affective Chinua Achebe’s narrative in The Guardian is to his audience. Achebe’s new book, There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra appears to have reopened old wounds and resulted in widespread debate, whether in op-ed columns, on blogs or on social media. I question, however, if it is possible for Achebe to remain faithful to a forty-five year-old war story? While it is important to account for history for posterity’s sake, when left too long, it might decline

in veracity and become romanticised. I found an example in an excerpt of Achebe’s book quoted in the review by writer (and Achebe admirer) Chimamanda Adichie, where Achebe relays the death of his beloved friend, the poet Christopher Okigbo (Achebe has described him on occasion  as “Africa’s greatest modern poet”) to his family: continued Idem again

There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe

No writer is better placed than Chinua Achebe to tell the story of the Nigerian Biafran war from a cultural and political perspective. Yet, apart from an interview with Transition magazine in 1968 and a book of Biafran poems, Nigeria's most eminent novelist has kept a literary silence about the civil war in which he played a prominent role – until now. In his engrossing new memoir, There Was A Country, Achebe, now 81, finally speaks about his life during the conflict that nearly tore Nigeria apart in the late 60s. In many ways, the early part of Achebe's life mirrors the story of early Nigeria. Nicknamed "Dictionary", Achebe was a gifted Igbo student and enthusiastic reader, a member of the "Lucky Generation" of young students who rubbed shoulders at top institutions under the tutelage of Oxbridge colonials. They were effortlessly absorbed into the media, industry and civil service, serving a Nigeria driven by optimism on its way to freedom from British rule. By independence in 1960, Igbo people dominated commerce and the public sector in a land where the three biggest ethnic groups (the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo) were jostling for supremacy. Achebe attributes Igbo domination to their self-confidence, inherent democratic values and adaptability, which were suited to Nigeria's modernising economy. But many Nigerians resented it, and Achebe admits that the Igbo could be cocky, brash and materialistic, though he rejects the popular suspicion that there was a pan-Igbo agenda to control Nigeria – his people have too strong an "individualistic ethic". Six years after independence, corruption and electoral rigging preceded a military coup that overthrew Nigeria's first prime minister, the Muslim northerner, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Although most of the coup-plotters were Igbo, Achebe disputes that it was an "Igbo" coup, partly on the basis that its leader, Major Nzeogwu, had grown up in the north and was Igbo in name only. Nevertheless, the murder of Nigeria's northern leaders led to pogroms in which 30,000 Igbos living in the north were killed. The bloodshed culminated in General Emeka Ojukwu's declaration in 1967 that the Igbos' south-eastern region would secede from a country in which his people "felt unwanted". Fearing the disintegration of Nigeria, the government blocked the secession with military force, backed by a UK government keen to protect its oil interests. Profoundly disappointed by this turn of events, Achebe left his job at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in Lagos and returned with his family to the south-east, now calling itself the Republic of Biafra. The Nigerian army launched a three-pronged attack to subdue the Biafrans, who fought back assiduously despite being out-resourced. Achebe describes a wartime spirit that inspired Biafran engineers to build army tanks out of reinforced Range Rovers and to invent the infamous ogbunigwe (bucket bomb) with devastating effect. Though he abhors violence, Achebe cites these as evidence of the quality of the Nigerian people, and he laments the corruption that strangled such ingenuity. continued   idem

'Nigeria is haunted by Biafran war'

Chinua Achebe's new memoir suggests that his country is still suffering from a refusal to face up to its insalubrious history

Chinua Achebe's new book There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra emerges into this landscape of memory and remembrance, 42 years after the war ended. In the book Achebe, a few weeks before his 82nd birthday, finally sets out to tell the story of his Biafra. The format he adopts is novel – involving a rambling mix of anecdotes, summarized histories, analysis, reportage, declamation and haunting poetry. In some ways, reading the book feels like I imagine spending an hour or two chatting with the distinguished novelist might. He roams from the story of how Nigeria came to be, to his schooldays and burgeoning friendships with prominent figures like the poet Christopher Okigbo, whose presence looms large through the book. Interspersing the historical account is the story of his father, one of the early Igbo converts to Christianity, and his experiences growing up with newly Christian, trailblazing parents caught between the old traditions and cosmology of the Igbo people and the new Christianity. The personal glimpses into his early life are hugely enjoyable and indeed tantalizing – often outlined so succinctly, that he leaves the reader greedy for more detail.

Approaching the events leading up to the war - the descent of the first post-independence Nigerian government into an abyss of corruption and misrule; the role that the colonial government played in setting the stage for this descent and the first military coup in 1966 – he acquires a less personal and more straightforward recounting tone. This continues until the latter part of the book, when he begins to describe the counter-coup of July 1966, the massacres of Igbos that followed the coup, the failed attempts at negotiating peace and the subsequent declaration of independence and the harrowing consequences that followed. continued idem idem

Système éducatif béninois : les langues nationales seront enseignées à l’école à la rentrée prochaine : La Françafrique lâche du lest ?

L’introduction des langues nationales dans le système éducatif de notre pays  demeure une préoccupation majeure  pour le gouvernement et particulièrement pour le ministre des enseignements maternels et primaires, Eric Kouagou N’DA. Selon ce denier, toutes les dispositions sont prises actuellement pour que s’ouvrent dès l’année scolaire prochaine les premières classes bilingues. Grâce à un projet ambitieux appelé Elan-Afrique, les  enfants béninois pourront, non seulement  recevoir le savoir dans la langue française mais également dans  leur langue maternelle. Ce qui  contribuera à améliorer la qualité de l’enseignement au Bénin et à  aider les populations à participer aux débats engageant le développement et l’avenir de leur pays. L’enfant apprend mieux dans sa langue maternelle que dans n’importe quelle langue. C’est la raison qui a motivé notre pays  a adhéré à l’initiative Elan (Ecoles et langues nationales) qui regroupe huit pays d’Afrique Subsaharienne francophone  à savoir : Le Burkina Faso, le Cameroun,  le Mali, le Niger, le Sénégal, le  Burundi, la  République Démocratique du Congo et le Bénin. Ce projet vise la promotion et l’introduction progressive de l’enseignement bilingue à l’école primaire. A en croire Mathias Ago, Coordonnateur,  point focal du projet Elan Afrique au Bénin, la mise en œuvre de cette initiative sera bénéfique pour les apprenants béninois.

«Débuter l’apprentissage des compétences de base (la lecture, l’écriture et les calculs) dans la langue maternelle de l’enfant ou dans une langue qu’il comprend favorise la maitrise de la  seconde langue qu’est le français », a dit Mr Ago qui ajoute que,  sur le plan cognitif, des recherches menées sur l’enseignement bilingue attestent que les compétences académiques acquises dans la langue maternelle de l’apprenant  facilitent l’acquisition d’autres enseignements dans la langue française . En outre, l’enseignement des langues nationales peut entrainer des changements sociaux et culturels non négligeables. Sur le plan culturel, il favorise à la fois une connaissance de la culture du pays,  et une ouverture vers l’international grâce à une bonne connaissance de la langue française. lire la suite

No one will build Nigeria for us except we Nigerians – Daniel Nwodi

By Victor Gotevbe Daniel Chinedu Nwodi, is another young Nigerian who is taking the message of change from Nigeria to Republic of Benin where he recently organized the World Youth Summit under the platform of Students without Borders that he established.

His work has also taken him to the United Arab Emirates where he spoke at an international meeting.  Daniel  tells us how it all started and what motivates him to serve humanity from Asaba, Delta State. continued

Nigeria: Lagos Faces Own Flood

The huge flood experienced in various part of Northern Nigeria in recent times may be hitting the coastal city of Lagos as rainfalls increases in Lagos. Known as the Centre of Excellence in Nigeria, Lagos State is also known for its larger body of water that highlights the unusual landscape of the state surrounded by water. Seen as a major component of the water cycle, there is a continuous deposit of the fresh water on its lands and that provides suitable conditions for Lagos environments that brings a relief to its inhabitants.

Though, this positive side of rainfall, notwithstanding events in recent times, have shown that, like other natural blessings, rainfall could turn into a curse when it becomes too much and its related effects becomes unbearable. continued

What Nollywood tells us about Nigeria

Nigerian poet and critic, Odia Ofeimun, has been writing about life in Lagos for the last forty years. This past summer on a rainy June afternoon, I spent a few hours interviewing him while co-producing a radio documentary about Nollywood (streaming in full here). His observations reflect many of the key tensions in contemporary Nigerian life. The following quotes are culled from the interview at his home in the Oregun section of Lagos: Odia Ofeimun: "Lagos is a city you get to and feel like you can achieve anything in the world. It is not the most beautiful city, but it has its seductions. It is a society that sucks you in, and even when you are not part of the shaking or the moving of the city, you begin to have the feeling that you too will be there one day." "There is a headiness the average Lagosian has — you do not really feel that the big man, no matter how big he is, is your boss, the man you call "Oga." And he, the man you call "Oga," knows that you do not really regard him as your master. "Oga" does mean master, but the average Lagosian who calls you "Oga" is just doing it to silly you. Those who take him seriously are fools."

When the Nigerian film industry gets it right, it's marvellous, says poet and critic Odia Ofeimun

 

Screening for Glo Soccer Academy Opens October 8th

Screening of prospective participants for West Africa's biggest soccer reality television show, the Glo Soccer Academy, begins on 8th October in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. Glo, in a press release issued today, said all applicants in Kumasi and the city’s environ would be screened at the Paa Joe Stadium, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi after which screening will proceed in eight other venues across Ghana, Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. In the Northern city of Tamale, in Ghana, the screening will be held at the Tamale Sport Stadium between Friday 12th October and Saturday 13thOctober, 2012. The Screening train would subsequently move down south to the capital, Accra on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th October, 2012 for selection of talents for the Academy at Lizzy Sport Complex in East Legon. In Nigeria, selection of players would take place between Tuesday, 23rd October and 24th at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, while successful players would be selected from the Enugu Centre on Saturday, 27th October to Sunday, 28th at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium. The City of Port Harcourt would host the Glo Soccer Academy

Screening team from Wednesday 31st October to 1st November, 2012 at the Liberation Stadium while the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja will host the screening team from Monday 5th to 6th November, 2012 at the Old Parade Ground. Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos would host the screening team at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium in Surulere from Friday 9th to Sunday, 11th November 2012. The last batch of screening exercises would hold in two locations in the Republic of Benin. The capital city of Cotonou would screen potential academy footballers at Stade de Rene Prive on Tuesday, 13th November while the last screening would be conducted in Port Novo on Friday, 14th November, 2012 at the Charles de Gaulle Stadium. continued

As Chinua Achebe Publishes Memoir, Biafra War's Legacy Lingers In Nigeria

Most Nigerians are too young to remember the devastating civil war that ripped their country apart more than four decades ago. But for world-famous author and scholar Chinua Achebe, 81, the Biafran War of 1967-1970 is more than a moment in history. It is a lesson that should not be forgotten, especially as Nigeria witnesses a new wave of sectarian violence that threatens to split Africa's most populous nation again. Achebe’s new memoir, “There Was a Country,” was published in the United Kingdom on Thursday. It will hit the shelves in Nigeria any day now, and will be available in the United States on Oct. 11. It tells the story of Achebe’s experiences in the Nigerian Civil War, when he served as a diplomat representing the would-be breakaway republic called Biafra. Achebe is most famous for his 1958 novel, “Things Fall Apart,” which won him international acclaim. He now makes his home in Rhode Island, where he is a professor at Brown University. But with his new memoir, he hopes to remind his countrymen of a conflict not so dissimilar from the one that threatens to erupt in Nigeria today.

The price of such a clash could be horrific, just as it was during the days of Biafra’s attempted secession. In total, up to 3 million people -- most of whom were civilians -- lost their lives during less than three years of civil war. A Forgotten Story As often happened during the era of African colonialism, the British carved out the territory of Nigeria with little regard for ethnic, linguistic and cultural variations. When the country gained independence in 1960, the differences between the different regions of Nigeria were stark. Most northern Nigerians followed Islam, whereas Christianity had taken root more easily in southern regions. continued

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Nigeria/Benin: Flying Eagles Tackle Benin Republic in a Friendly

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will on Sunday in Cotonou take on their Benin Republic counterparts in a warm-up match ahead of their AYC qualifier in South Africa. The Nigeria’s U20s will leave their training base in Ilorin on Saturday for Cotonou. The Media Officer of the team, Samm Audu said: “And after the match in Benin, they will return to Lagos from where they will fly out to South Africa early next week.” Benin are also in the reckoning for a place at the 2013 AYC as they face Senegal in a second round qualifier after they

eliminated Cote d’Ivoire 3-0 on aggregate in the previous round. The match against the Amajita of South Africa is fixed for next week Saturday 7.30 pm local time (6.30 pm Nigerian time) in Nelspruit, which is about two hours by road from Johannesburg. continued

Genetic Make-Up Of Children Explains How They Fight Malaria Infection

 

Researchers from Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and University of Montreal have identified several novel genes that make some children more efficient than others in the way their immune system responds to malaria infection. This world-first in integrative efforts to track down genes predisposing to specific immune responses to malaria and ultimately to identify the most suitable targets for vaccines or treatments was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by lead author Dr. Youssef Idaghdour and senior author Pr. Philip Awadalla, whose laboratory has been performing world-wide malaria research for the past 13 years. "Malaria is a major health problem world-wide, with over 3 billion individuals at risk and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, a majority of which are African children under the age of 5. Why are some children prone to infection, while others are resistant and efficiently fight the disease? These are the questions we sought to answer with our study", Idaghdour says. However, to succeed where many other studies have failed, the team used an approach different from the classic in vitro one, where the genome is analyzed using cells grown in a laboratory. Instead, they used an in vivo approach, analyzing blood samples of children from the Republic of Benin, West Africa, collected with the help of collaborators in the city of Cotonou and the nearby village of Zinvié. "This approach

allowed us to identify how the "environment" engages in an arms race to define the clinical course of the disease, in this case the environment being the number of parasites detected in the child's blood running against the genetic make-up of the infected child", Idaghdour explains. "We used an innovative combination of technologies that assessed both genetic variation among children and the conditions in which their genes are "expressed". By doing so, we increased the power of our analysis by permitting us not only to detect the mutations, but also to capture their effect depending on how they affect genes being turned "on" or "off" in presence of the parasite", Awadalla explains. "Our approach made us successful, where million-dollar studies have failed in the past. There has never been this many genes associated with malaria discovered in one study." continued

 

Nigeria: You Have No Option Than to Behave Well in Lagos – Fashola

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, weekend, hosted a section of the media including Business, News and Political Editors at an interactive session focusing on recent developments in the state. Among the issues the governor brought to the discussion were the new traffic law in Lagos, the argument for and against State Police, and the effect of the new Atlantic City project on flooding in the state among others. Fashola also used the opportunity to address the allegation that he is an elitist governor empowering the rich at the expense of the poor. He pooh-poohed allegations that millions of people were displaced from the government’s recent actions in Makoko. The governor, who is exceptional among his colleagues by not using siren gave his reason just as he disclosed that the new traffic law was only a step towards changing the attitude of Lagosians. Excerpts: ON government’s activities in his second term What I have come to understand on this job is that it is a job that never finishes. It is true that there are places where we have nothing doing and we are elsewhere for longer than we should be. But as I have argued before, if all the work could be finished, maybe Alhaji Jakande or Governor Tinubu would have finished it before I came. So, it is an on-going process. But where we have sought to act methodically is where the problem is most intense. Given the limited nature of our resources, where can we make the biggest impact with those limited resources? For example, in my first term, we focused on the high traffic roads, Funsho Williams, Murtala Muhammed Way, Okota Link Bridge, Lekki Expressway and so on and so forth. Biggest traffic We freed up those roads because those were the roads that carried the biggest traffic. I venture to think what could have happened today if we had gone to do the inner roads first. I am sure that the complaint would have been that we cannot get to work ,our children cannot get to school. We shared with you that if we were elected for a second term that we would focus on the inner roads and that is what we are addressing now. From Ogudu to Badagry, Itire to Aguda, to Ajegunle. Those are some places where some

of you have never been, but I have been there. So every time they make this elitist argument, I trust that the people in those areas would say we are being served It is true; it may not be your route, so you may not know what we are doing there. Sometimes a decision to do something somewhere is made more difficult by community issues. You may just find a particular group there, either a particular ethnic extraction or by some accident, a religious colouration and it becomes a potential keg of gunpowder that needs to be properly handled so that you don’t lose your objective. We are trying for example to do a refuse recycling and sorting facility inside a waste dump and somebody has gone to build on the refuse dump and in addition to that, he has taken us to court! How do we handle that? We negotiated until we had to pay a settlement because when I looked at the time, four years to get out of court, but those are not things we will come and celebrate here. We were trying to do a stadium in Ifako Ijiaye, a community centre, because we see the traffic of people trying to come to Campos Square from there. The day we moved there, it was a court action and we had to settle! And we know that some people are benefiting from this resettlement hype. They get grants in aid in the name of those people which never get to the affected people. I have some allegations that we have displaced some millions of people from Makoko, I said give me the number, I will resettle those millions if you can produce them. Atlantic City and sea surge continued

South Africa: DTI Takes SA Business to Benin

Pretoria — The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Elizabeth Thabethe, accompanied by a 15-member business delegation, is in Benin on the first Outward Selling and Investment Mission. Thabethe arrived in Cotonou, Benin, with the delegation on Sunday night. The deputy minister is on Monday expected to deliver a keynote address at a trade and investment seminar that will be attended by businesspeople from Benin and South Africa. She will be accompanied by the Minister of Industry, Trade, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Benin, Madina Sephou. "The mission will also serve as an ideal opportunity for South African companies that would like to export value-added products and services, and for companies that are looking for investment opportunities in Benin," says Thabethe. The objective of the mission is to increase trade and investment between South Africa and Benin.

The mission takes place within the context of South Africa's strategic engagement with the rest of the continent, aimed at supporting Africa's economic revival, socio-economic development and promoting intra-Africa trade. The targeted sectors for the mission include agriculture and agro-processing; furniture and wood processing; infrastructure (rail, road and telecoms); built environment professionals (consulting engineers; civil engineering contractors; quantity surveying and architects); mining and capital equipment, and electro technical (electronics, electrical engineers, ICT). continued

Court refuses to grant former Ivorian Minister Justine Kone Katinan bail in Ghana

Justine Kone Katinan, a former Ivorian minister in Laurent Gbagbo’s administration who has been arrested by the Ghanaian security and is being held by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) has been refused bail by the Human Rights Court in Ghana. The presiding judge Justice Essel-Mensah ruled that the extradition charges brought against Mr. Kone even though not within his jurisdiction and while not also trying to prejudice the extradition process, are cogent enough for the case to

tried at the appropriate court.  “Although counsel for the applicant made brilliant submissions, I cannot pre-empt or prejudice the case. I cannot truncate the extradition process because such issues are not before me,” the presiding judge, Mr Justice Kofi Essel-Mensah, pointed out. continued

 

Suicide Rate On The Rise As More Citizens Snap

Although a survey sometime ago stated that Nigeria was the “Happiest Place on Earth,” EMMA OKEREH, Abuja, STANLEY UZOARU, Owerri, OSA OKHOMINA, Bayelsa, ABU NMODU, Minna and ONYEKAOZURULA OFOMA, Abakiliki report that many Nigerians are becoming more disenchanted for multifarious reasons, with quite a worrisome many buckling under life’s pressures to commit suicide. continued

Starbow launches flight to Cotonou, Benin, five times weekly

Starbow Airlines on Friday officially launched its regional flights to Cotonou, Benin at a ceremony at the Cotonou Airport. Starbow’s flights to Cotonou mark the beginning of what the airline’s Co-Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Brock Friesen, calls "its real mission" to serve all major cities in West Africa. Dr. Friesen, speaking at the launch, said he was struck by how difficult it was to travel around West Africa when he moved to Ghana from Canada, a problem that Starbow intended to solve. He noted that the need for the Cotonou service was obvious and was chosen first because the Accra- Cotonou route had no direct air service whatsoever, compelling travelers to travel by road. “Travelers deserve better”, he said, adding that Starbow’s Cotonou flight from Accra took only 45 minutes and cost less. Dr. Friesen said the airline had started with five flights weekly to Cotonou on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays but would increase it to daily flights and ultimately twice-daily flights-morning and evening. Dr. Friesen commended the Civil Aviation and Airport .

Authorities of Ghana and Benin as well as other travel agencies for their roles in making the Cotonou flights possible. He revealed in an interview with the GNA that the airline would commence its Accra- Abidjan flights in about four weeks. On how Starbow’s services would be affected by competition in the industry, especially with new airlines set to provide services on West African routes, Dr. Friesen said the market on Accra- Abidjan route was a big one and was enough for other airlines too. “we are not worried about other carriers, we know we have a superior product; better aircrafts, high safety standards and on-time reliability, we have built trust in our customers that we will fly when we say we will”, he said continued

Université béninoise : mort programmée ou revitalisation ?

Selon l’auteur, la création tous azimuts par l’État, des facultés dans plusieurs localités du Bénin, constitue une menace pour l’enseignement supérieur. Curieuse et mal à propos fut cette visite que fit le ministre béninois chargé de la Communication à l’Institut Cerco baptisé, comme bien d’autres structures d’enseignement supérieur privées du pays, « Université », même si rien ne peut justifier cette appellation malgré tous les équipements ultra modernes dont il dispose. Mais là n’est pas notre propos en ce moment. Elle est venue bien mal à propos, en effet, cette visite parce qu’au moment où l’Etat veut créer des universités dans tous les bourgs, une autorité gouvernementale s’extasie devant des équipements sophistiqués d’une institution privée et promet même au Directeur de ladite « université », une aide pour développer l’existant. Ce qui est étonnant Des équipements dont ne pourront disposer, pas de si tôt en tout cas, les universités envisagées. Ce qui est étonnant, c’est qu’il ne s’agit même pas d’une démarche initiée par le Ministre chargé de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la recherche scientifique. Est-ce à dire que chaque département ministériel peut rêver et créer une institution universitaire partout où bon lui semblerait ? C’est à se demander alors s’il existe dans notre pays une carte universitaire et un ministère chargé de l’établir.

La grande question qui se pose dès lors est de savoir si, en créant une faculté dans toutes les localités pressenties, notre pays peut prétendre disposer demain de cadres compétents nécessaires pour la marche en avant du Bénin. Regardons, en effet, la situation de plus près. Combien de villes peuvent abriter, sans être confrontées à une extrême indigence matérielle et technique, une université digne de ce nom? Quand on vit à Cotonou, à Porto-Novo, à Abomey, à Parakou ou à Natitingou par exemple, quelle expérience avons-nous de la situation de l’énergie électrique fournie par notre Société nationale ? Tout, absolument tout est à la merci d’un courant électrique erratique ; à moins que, pour les besoins de la cause, l’on pense installer partout des panneaux solaires pour éradiquer ce fléau. Et, à quel niveau se situe la possibilité d’utilisation des technologies de la communication, l’internet et autres facilités techniques modernes ? Toutes choses indispensables et nécessaires de nos jours, en ce 21e siècle, pour pouvoir espérer que le Bénin se rapproche quelque peu de certains pays africains et pour voir fonctionner dans des conditions acceptables une université. lire la suite

Pourquoi la Presse Française est Favorable à Obama et contre Mitt Romney

Question au Professeur Cossi Bio Ossè (2)

Eh bien en effet la presse française, quand on l’analyse en long et en large, apparaît très favorable au président Obama et, disons-le, sournoisement défavorable à son challengeur républicain Mitt Romney. Ce constat peut se faire indépendamment des sensibilités politiques car elle se distribue à l'envi, au détour des pages et des lignes dans toutes sortes de journaux et de magazines mais aussi dans la presse audiovisuelle. Ce positionnement peut s'expliquer par deux ou trois raisons essentielles : Premièrement par conservatisme ; c'est-à-dire que les Français considèrent que le monde actuel est plus apaisé que naguère sous le président Bush ; que l'hégémonisme américain s'est atténué, et cette atténuation est portée par l'illusion d'un monde plus multipolaire. L'action géopolitique du président Obama peut s'identifier par rapport à deux axes complémentaires : d'un côté il a promis et effectivement réalisé le retrait des forces américaines de l'Irak ; de l'autre côté, il s'est rabattu sur la guerre en Afghanistan qui aux yeux du monde justifie plus la répression américaine consécutive au 11 septembre 2001 avec l'attaque terroriste attribuée à Al Qaeda. Deuxièmement, en France Obama, le démocrate, est perçu comme un homme « de gauche ». Et, bien que la France soit historiquement et sociologiquement un pays à droite, on aime bien en France parader à l'extérieur comme un pays à sensibilité humaniste avec des idées de gauche que l'on voudrait répandre dans le monde. Cela donne de soi une bonne image croit-on. Ainsi, la France redore son blason de pays des droits de l'homme, un pays qui se veut le laboratoire et le champ d'application des principes humanistes. Troisièmement Obama est perçu comme un « Noir ». Et pour les Français qui dit « noir » dit Afrique. Les Français sont satisfaits d'avoir affaire avec Obama car avec lui ils peuvent mettre en œuvre

l'expérience et le savoir qu'ils estiment avoir de la psychologie des noirs. De plus, en termes de relations de l'Occident avec l'Afrique, Obama et les États-Unis leur ont fait de très belles concessions en leur laissant carte blanche à la fois sur le plan diplomatique comme sur le plan militaire. Ainsi c'est sous Obama que la France a exaspéré son intervention dans son dominion ouest africain de la Côte d'Ivoire alors que jusque-là sous les présidents précédents, aussi bien aux États-Unis qu'en France, l'interventionnisme français était mesuré. Et puis, il y a l’épisode libyen à travers lequel le président Sarkozy s'est illustré comme le champion de l'Occident dans la guerre contre Kadhafi qui a été déposé puis assassiné froidement. Pour toutes ces raisons donc pour les Français tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles sous le règne d’Obama, et au-delà des idéologies et des positions politiques, le sentiment général des Français traduit par la presse correspond à l'adage qui dit que le diable que l'on connaît est encore mieux que l'ange qu'on ne connaît pas. Or, s’il n’est pas un ange, Obama est loin d'être un diable… Prof. Cossi Bio Ossè

Complètement Givré le Desmond TUTU !

Desmond Tutu estime que Blair et Bush devraient être jugés pour avoir menti sur l’Iraq et conduit une guerre homicide en ce pays ! Aussi il a renoncé, cette semaine, à participer à Johannesburg à une conférence à laquelle assistait aussi l'ancien premier ministre britannique. Des Chefs d’Etat Blancs à la Haye ? Ah, quelle idée…! Ne sait-il pas que  la Haye est Black Only ? Complètement givré le Tutu !

 

Le Sosie de Ouattara

Les Caméléons de la Citoyenneté : Tous les Dramane sont-ils des Burkinabè ?

Nigeria: Why Jonathan Fired Power Minister, Barth Nnaji

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, ordered power minister Prof Barth Nnaji, to resign following an alleged involvement of two companies linked to him in the ongoing privatisation exercise in the power sector. LEADERSHIP gathered that the president might have been embarrassed by media reports that the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) had to cancel the technical bid evaluation process conducted for Afam Generation Company Limited and Enugu Distribution Company Limited because of the minister's perceived personal interest and suspicion of lack of integrity.

The president's decision to sacrifice Nnaji might not be unconnected with the fact that he considered  the ministry too sensitive to the transformation agenda and could not tolerate any rumour of unethical behavior. A statement by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, noted that Nnaji tendered his resignation letter, which Jonathan accepted with thank continued

Nigeria: Lawmakers Overrule Sanusi On N5,000 Note

The Senate yesterday faulted the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) currency policy and consequently asked it to stop the plan to introduce the N5,000 note immediately. The Senate also warned that no such policy that has far reaching implication on the people must be embarked on without its knowledge of and other stakeholders, adding that ‘until this is done the CBN’ must stop action. Senate handed down the order through its Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Currency, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Bassey Otu (Cross Rivers, South). Addressing a press conference in Abuja, he informed that the Senate was sending a letter to CBN to stop all further actions on printing of the new N5,000 note until the Senate of the Federal Republic was properly briefed. The new policy, he added, was scary and would send wrong signals to both the domestic and international business community. Senator Otu said the Senate believed the action was only taken where there was a major crisis and “the CBN must be very careful in order not to send a wrong signal or message to households, domestic sector and even the external ones that the Nigerian currency is valueless, which I believe it is definitely not, and that for every unit of value they need to carry a large quantity of cash. “As a committee, we should do our work. This morning there is a burning issue that is going on in our country and there is need for us; as a committee to comment on this topical issue. I am the chairman of the senate committee on banking, currency and other financial institutions. We have also read in the papers just like you about the currency restructuring that the CBN embarked on.

“I believe that a project of this nature requires parliamentary approval because there are numerous fiscal implications on the entire economy. The CBN in 2008 and 2009 came up with a proposal to re-denominate the currency, that was even to take off the zeroes. This was just 2008 and 2009 and here we are in 2012 we have seen a kind of policy somersault even though we understand the dynamics of the sector very well. I believe that we have to be well briefed on this.” He further disclosed that in 2005, the CBN undertook a major currency restructuring which ran into billions of Naira, adding that till date, a proper valuation had not been done to know it’s costs to the Nigerian taxpayers the extent of the benefits and in that 2005 coinage. “I think it did not work at all because both the goldsmith and the blacksmith converted the coins to molding bangles, earrings and so on,” he remarked. According to him, the CBN will have to prove that the policy is not a clear contradiction or at variance with cashless society, which they are even yet to justify and whether this is the popular economic way to go. continued

Anti-piracy group: Pirates seize oil tanker off Togo coast, kidnap 24 sailors amid gunfire

LAGOS, Nigeria — Pirates attacked an oil tanker Tuesday off the coast of Togo, taking control of its bridge and kidnapping 24 Russian sailors before escaping amid an exchange of gunfire with a naval patrol boat, officials said. It wasn't immediately clear if anyone was injured in the attack on the Greek-owned oil tanker, which had been anchored about 17 nautical miles (19 miles) away from Lome, Togo's capital. The pirates took control of the vessel quickly, though an alarm from the ship alerted the Togolese navy, said Noel Choong, an official with the International Maritime Bureau. The navy boat trailed the tanker and sailors exchanged gunfire with the pirates before the tanker escaped, Choong said. Togolese Security Minister Col. Damehame Yark and Togo's Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Mohammed Titikpina, confirmed the attack took place, but offered few other details. The attack comes as Togo is hosting U.S. officials in Lome for an anti-piracy conference.

Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry said Tuesday that the ship, registered in the Isle of Man to a company called Energy Centurion, is operated by a Greek firm called Golden Energy Management and had a staff of 24 Russian sailors. Calls to Golden Energy Management on Tuesday afternoon rang unanswered. Tuesday's attack is just the latest to target West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, which follows the continent's southward curve from Liberia to Gabon. Over the last year, piracy there has escalated from low-level armed robberies to hijackings and cargo thefts. Last year, London-based Lloyd's Market Association — an umbrella group of insurers — listed Nigeria, neighboring Benin and nearby waters in the same risk category as Somalia, where two decades of war and anarchy have allowed piracy to flourish. continued

Nigeria: Rape Cases in the East Should Raise Concerns Beyond the Region

editorial Frequent reports of rape in the eastern region should worry everyone. A disturbing aspect of these is that elderly women in their 70s and 80s that are the principal targets, although women have also fallen victims. A nongovernmental organisation of women from the South East recently drew public attention to the mass rape of elderly women by young men in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. According to the group, 30 of such incidents were reported in one month. The women's group documented cases of a 5-year old raped by a 45-year old man; and of an 8-year old victim who has been physically disabled as a result. This is a horrible trend that law enforcement and the society at large need to put a stop to. Although it appears to be more widespread in the east, the crime is by no means confined there; it is a nationwide problem. It is indeed disturbing that in the last one year, almost no day passes without reports of teenagers raping women old enough to be their grandmothers, apparently for ritual purposes. This repulsive depravity should not be allowed room in the society. It is also cruelty that must not take root in any civilized community. The authorities must take steps to effectively address the problem. Rape cases have unfortunately become common partly because aspects of the justice system that deal with them are a problem too. While the police that are empowered to enforce laws and protect citizens are themselves regularly accused of rape, suspects rarely get the punishment they deserve in courts. Law enforcement agencies must change their nonchalant attitude towards rape .

crimes if the situation is to change. Security personnel found to commit rape should be weeded out of the system after being punished. Unless perpetrators are brought to book and appropriately punished to serve as deterrent, this heinous crime will persist. No matter the status of the culprit, they should be made to suffer the consequences of their crime. Rather than merely paying fines, which many can easily afford, or spending a few months in jail, amounting to a slap on the wrist, offenders deserve stiffer penalties powerful enough to send the right messages, one to the perpetrators that their action cannot be condoned, and another to the victims and potential victims that rights and safety are being safeguarded. The statute books should be reviewed for this reason to demonstrate the seriousness in addressing this crime. To facilitate the justice process, forensic equipments should be made available to the relevant security agencies to facilitate the determination of the occurrence of rape continued

CBN redesigns Naira notes, introduces N5,000

By Emman Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief ABUJA—The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Thursday, announced the introduction of a new currency series under which the existing denominations of N50, N100, N200, N500 and the N1,000 notes will be redesigned with added security features. CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, told journalists in Abuja at a briefing that N5,000 note would also be introduced, while the lowest denominations of N5, N10 and N20 are to be coined. N5,000 NOTE: Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN (right) and CBN Deputy Governor, Serah Alade, at a briefing on the introduction of N5,000 note, with image of three Nigerian women, to be introduced in 2013, in Abuja. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

He said: “On November 28, 2011, the CBN Board considered and approved the new currency series. It subsequently sought and, on December 19, 2011, obtained the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan. “Under the new structure, the existing denominations of N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1,000 will be redesigned with added new security features. It is also our pleasure to inform you that a new high currency denomination will also be introduced. It is the N5,000 note.” continued

Chinese scientific ship starts joint research mission in Nigeria waters

Chinese scientific research ship Dayang Yihao leaves the Apapa Harbor in Lagos, on Aug. 21, 2012. Chinese scientific research ship Dayang Yihao, or Ocean One, on Tuesday started its nine-day exploration and research mission in Nigeria's waters with Nigerian and Chinese scientists. (Xinhua/Niu Xiaoxi) LAGOS, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientific research ship Dayang Yihao, or Ocean One, on Tuesday started its nine-day exploration and research mission in Nigeria's waters with Nigerian and Chinese scientists. More than 100 Chinese and Nigerian scientists and officials attended the launching ceremony for sailing at the Apapa Hourbor in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, on Tuesday. Liu Xianfa, China's consul-general to Lagos, said "all of us are here to witness an important moment for Chinese and Nigerian scientists for the first time to engage in an maritime research, aiming to find more information on the ocean.

The scientific joint research program will benefit both of the two countries and the world people." "This joint oceanographic cruise is the first of its kind between our two countries and indeed the first of its kind between an African state and the Chinese government," said E. A. Ajao, Director of Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research. continued

Nigeria faces imminent disintegration if… – Fasehun

By Abdulwahab  Abdulah Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, had said that recent events in the country were pointers to an imminent disintegration, urging the Federal Government to do something immediately to save the country from collapse. The group has also accused the leadership of  Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, of operating  discriminatory monetary policy, with the on-going cashless economy in Lagos, without extending same to other parts of the country. President of OPC, Dr. Frederich Fasehun, who addressed newsmen in Lagos, raised alarm that the unresolved problems of Boko Haram; the threat of the group to President Goodluck Jonathan; corruption and the economicy policy of CBN under the leadership of Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi were issues that are capable of breaking up a country.

He said, “We are all aware of these unholy facts in our national life. But we seem un-bothered about what happens to Nigeria, the Black man’s potential superpowers. Everybody seems to want to stop Nigeria from jumping out of this trouble boat. Everybody is thinking of his interest above national interest. Nobody seems genuinely committed to the unity of Nigeria. “The factors that unite civilised people in developed countries today have served to disunite us and destroy our country. The lack of respect for the country percolates down the entire system. There is no more respect for our institutions. We carry on like culture less barbarians,” he said. continued

Late Ghana President Atta Mills laid to rest

he Late President John Atta Mills, who was the Commander-in -Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), was on Friday buried with full military honours at the Geese Park, now called Asomdwe (Peace) Park, adjacent to the Independence Square in Accra. He was buried after a two-hour funeral service at the Independence Square attended by at least a dozen presidents and delegations from various parts of the world. The dark casket was lowered into the tiled grave at 1515 hours. The Most Rev. Emmanuel Asante, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, performed the committal. Two minutes’ silence were observed for the late President. The Right Reverend Francis Amenu, Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ghana, then said the final prayer and benediction at 1600 hours. President John Dramani Mahama, vice president Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur,  former First Lady Ernestina Naadu

Mills, family members, former President Jerry John Rawlings, ministers of state, politicians and thousands of people witnessed the burial. President Mahama laid a wreath, decorated in national colours, on behalf of the government and people of Ghana. Other wreaths were laid by Mrs Naadu Mills, Dr Cadman Mills on behalf of the family, Dr (Mrs) Mary Grant on behalf of the Council of State, David Asumeng, MP for Shai Osudoku on behalf of parliament and Lt.-General Peter Blay, Chief of the Defence Staff  on behalf of the Security Services. continued

Clinton pushes Nigeria on terrorism, corruption

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Nigerian authorities Thursday to boost their intelligence capabilities to better combat growing extremist violence. Clinton is proposing that Nigeria create an "intelligence fusion cell" that would combine information from the military, spy services, police and other federal, state and local agencies. The cell would also coordinate counter-terrorism activities and serve as a contact for foreign intelligence services, said State Department officials. The officials said the US was ready to assist the cell with organizational expertise, training and equipment, including computers, and would offer the aid to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and his new national security adviser, Mohammed Dasuki, on whom the U.S. has high hopes for expanded intelligence cooperation. The officials were speaking on condition of anonymity because Clinton had not begun her meetings with Nigerian officials yet. The US has become increasingly concerned about the threat posed by militant groups in west Africa such as the Islamist Boko Haram in Nigeria and cells of al-Qaida linked fighters in northern Mali. The security situation in Nigeria has deteriorated to the point where the movement of U.S. embassy workers is often restricted. Clinton will spend only about five hours on the ground and will not spend the night in Abuja, where the hotel traditionally used by visiting U.S. dignitaries has been the target of terrorist threats. After her meeting with Jonathan and Dasuki, Clinton expressed the U.S. commitment to Nigeria.

"We intend to remain supportive of your reform effort. We are very supportive of the anti-corruption efforts. We really believe that the future for Nigeria is limitless," Clinton said. A U.S. official said later that the Nigerians were very interested in creating the intelligence fusion cell. The U.S. agreed to send a team to Nigeria soon to help them set up the counterterrorist operation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to publicly discuss a public meeting. Boko Haram seeks the strict implementation of Shariah, or Islamist law, across Nigeria. The terrorist group is held responsible for more than 650 deaths this year alone according to an Associated Press count The group's gain in strength and lethality has led some US lawmakers to demand that Boko Haram be designated a "foreign terrorist organization" and subjected to enhanced sanctions. The Obama administration has said it is reviewing the case but notes that numerous individual members are already on US financial blacklists. continued

Senegalese youth: taking a stand

The recent elections in Senegal signalled the emergence of a youth consciousness in the country. Young Senegalese people have sent a strong message to the ruling elite that the times have changed, and nothing in their country will ever be the same again. Khaita Sylla analyses the success of their movement On 25 March 2012, the Senegalese people elected a new president in a highly charged second round election marred by violence. It was not the first time Senegal had experienced serious electoral clashes. Twice before, in 1988 and 1993, - the country bore witness to heated riots and upheaval. But this time round, the fear of uncontainable violence was much higher given the level of issues at stakes – one of which was President Wade’s much debated candidacy for a third term in office. The sweeping victory of the coalition supporting opposition candidate, Macky Sall, who won 65.80% of the votes compared to 34.20% for contender and

outgoing President Abdoulaye Wade, is testimony to the popular clamor for change and vitality of Senegal’s democracy. Despite an agitated pre-election period, Senegalese electorates demonstrated electoral maturity by ousting President Wade through a generally peaceful vote. Such attitude is now attracting the attention of political pundits. The Senegalese people have sent a strong message to Senegal’s ruling elite. Their message is that the times have changed, and nothing in their country will ever be the same again. continued

Àlọ́ onítàn: Iná àti Òjò

Ní ayé àtijọ́, Òjò àti Iná jùmọ̀ ń du obìnrin kan láti fi í ṣaya.
Nígbà tí ọjọ ìgbéyàwó pé wọ́n fa ọmọ sí ìta gbañgba.
Wọ́n sì sọ pé ẹni bá ti lágbára jù nínú awọn méjéèjì ni ki ó fi í ṣaya.
Iná ló kọ́kọ́ dé. Ó sì ki ọmọ mọ́lẹ̀, ó ń gbé e lọ.
Òjò sì ti ṣú kẹlẹkẹlẹ.
Ọmọbìnrin náà sì bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í kọ orin báyìí pé:
Iná o, ọ̀rara.                        Aráńta
Iná pupa bẹ́lẹ́jẹ́                    Aráńta
Òjò dúdú bọ̀lọ̀jọ̀                 Aráńta
Kàkà ñ fẹná ma fójò           Aráńta
Òjò lọkọ àgbàdo                   Aráńta
Òjiijì ni òjò bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í rọ̀,
Ó pa iná kú pátápátá.
Ó si gbé ọmọbìnrin náá lọ.

source

Les Toilettes Recycleuses et Génératrices...

Oṣù fún ìtàn adúláwọ̀ ní Amẹ́ríkà - 02/2012

Oṣù kéjì ọdún ní orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà (USA) jẹ́ àsìkò ti wọn máa ṣe ìrántí ìtàn àwọn adúláwọ̀ ti o jẹ́ ọmọ orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà. Nínú oṣù yìí, ní àwọn ará ilẹ̀ Amẹ́ríkà máa bojúwo ẹ̀hìn láti rántí onírúurú ohun ti o ṣẹlẹ̀ si ènìyàn aláwọ̀-dúdú ni ilẹ̀ Amẹ́ríkà ni sáà kan. Iṣe ribiribi ti Martin Lurther King àti àwọn aṣíwájú òmìrán, ṣe láti jà fún ẹ̀tọ́ (àti ìgbélarugẹ ipò) àwọn adúláwọ̀ ni ilẹ̀ Amẹ́ríkà pẹ̀lú ọ̀nà látí pèsè idọ́gbandọ́gba nípa: - ẹ̀tọ́ fún adúláwọ̀ lati dìbò, - àyípadà àwọn òfin ti o ya ọmọ aláwọ̀-dúdú sọ́tọ̀ ni ilé-ìwé, - ẹyawó láti ra ile, - àti àwọn ètò ìrànlọ́wọ́ míràn, jẹ́ nkan ìwuri nlá fún gbogbo ènìyàn aláwọ̀-dúdú káàkiri àgbáyé. Nítọrí àṣeyọrí ìjà fún ẹ̀tọ́ àwọn adúláwọ̀ ní ilẹ̀ Amerika, ní àwọn ọmọ bíbí ilẹ̀ Yorùbá fi pọ̀ ka kiri àwọn ìpínlẹ̀ àti ìlú Amerika. Ko si ìlú pàtàkì ní Amerika, ti ẹ ti ní ri ọ̀pọ̀lọ́pọ̀ àwọn ọmọ Yorùbá, bo jẹ ìlú Atlanta (ní ìpínlẹ̀ Georgia) tàbí ìlú Houston (ní ìpínlẹ̀ Texas) tàbí ìlú nlá New York. Ìtọ́ka sí ìparí – Oṣù fún ìtàn adúláwọ̀ ní Amẹ́ríkà – 02/2012 » source

Ìtúmọ̀ ìwé "Uncle Tom's cabin" sí èdè Yorùbá

continued

GHANAIANS ASSURED OF PEACEFUL ELECTION

By John Bediako The security services have assured the nation of a peaceful election come December 2012.The Deputy Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Akrofi Oyirfi gave the assurance on Monday at Tema, during a joint civil/security simulation, code-named “EXERCISE FRIENDS IN A RESCUE MISSION”. According to him, the collaboration among the security forces has of late yielded dividend, and this is evidenced in the reduction in the rate of armed and highway robberies. He lauded the effort of their men on the ground for this achievement. Mr. Akrofi said the world’s attention is focused on Ghana as we go to the polls in December, this year, and it is the promise of the security agencies to ensure that there is peace before, during and after the elections.

He particularly praised the military, whose collaboration with the police at Tema in joint patrols has brought calm to the Metropolis. “Exercise Friends in a Rescue Mission”, a simulation exercise involved search, locate and rescue of a personality. Intelligence report got to the One Garrison Commander, who is the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command of the sudden disappearance of a prominent person. The FOC brought this out at a District Security Committee (DISEC) meeting and the chairman, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, mandated the Tema Regional Police Commander to constitute a task force to deal with the situation. continued

Nigerian author wins Caine Prize with 'darkly humorous' prose

London, England (CNN) -- Nigeria's Rotimi Babatunde has won the 2012 Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story Bombay's Republic. His story follows a Nigeria soldier fighting in Burma campaign of World War II and returning home as a veteran with a strong sense of new opportunities. More: Young writers start new chapter in Nigeria's literary history

Speaking at the celebratory dinner in Oxford on Monday evening, Bernardine Evaristo, the chair of the judges, described Babatunde's work as "ambitious, darkly humorous and in soaring, scorching prose exposes the exploitative nature of the colonial project and the psychology of Independence." continued

Northern Region pledges peace in general elections

By Ameenu Shardow The Northern Regional Minister Moses Magbenba has pledged his region will not participate in any activity that will bring confusion during the December 7 general elections. Magbenba made the pledge during the commencement of a peace campaign waged by the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) in conjunction with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on Monday Tamale. The campaign will see the joint bodies promote and create awareness of the need for peace before, during and after the December 7 elections which connoisseurs predict will be keenly contested, hence efforts being made by individual and groups to preserve and enhance the peace in the country. The campaign which kicked off in Tamale will span a three-month period and will see several activities mainly through football to drum home the message across the country.

Tamale through its Regional Minister Moses Magbenba who donated Ghc 2000 towards the organization of the campaign says his region have completely signed onto the peace message delivered and will actually practice it during the elections. “We the people of Tamale have resolved not to engage ourselves in any activity that will bring about confusion and fights,” he said. “We are mindful of the fact that people are electe…. continued

Nigeria: Lagos Flood - Tears, Sorrow as Lagosians Count Losses

In Lagos, rainfall is fast becoming a curse rather than a blessing with the loss of lives and property occasioned as a result of heavy downpour, storm and flood. Last week, Lagos experienced that tragedy once again, Paul Dada writes. Rainfall has been known for century as divine showers of blessing, and through history, it had provided the much needed blessings that mankind needed to survive. The availability of rainwater has been nature's solution to vices like famines and drought. El Nathan, a Christian poet, once wrote that "showers of blessing ... we need". However, the rainfall that wrecked havoc in Lagos on the night of Wednesday, June 27 and Thursday, June 28, left little to be desired of the perceived blessings expected. Perhaps, if Nathan were to be living in Lagos, in this age, he would have sought a better analogy to pass his message. Lagosians today no longer see the raining season as a period of blessing, as it has become far worse than what they expected. Added to their predicament is the whirlwind that comes with the rains and the floods that ensue afterward. The rains in Lagos actually are not the major problem but the floods resulting from them, which normally lead to loss of lives and property.

Amongst the casualty of the rainfall was Ahmed Shotunminu who died as a result of the rainstorm that raged between the night of last Wednesday and Thursday. As the storm raged, the debris from two collapsed structures fell onto an adjoining storey building, housing the 22-year-old carpenter, Ahmed Shotunminu, who was sleeping alongside, Biola Adesanya, on the same bed. Ahmed was said to have died instantly, while Biola reportedly escaped with head and arm injuries. A neighbour, Odubanjo, who explained to LEADERSHIP SUNDAY, how the tragedy occurred, said: "At about 1.15am, Ahmed's father, Alhaji Olusoji, raised the alarm that we should help rescue his son. continued

Lloyd: Leaders Should Let Perceptions Of Corruption Be Adequately Dealt With, Legally And Politically

Mr. Andrew Lloyd, CMG MBE, is Her Majesty’s British High Commissioner to Nigeria, non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Benin and Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In this interview with ALABI WILLIAMS, he appraises relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom and commented on democracy, corruption and the security challenges of the moment. Shortly after the 2011 general elections and the post-election violence, you were quite optimistic that things would calm down and give way to good governance. What is your assessment one year after? I think that the stride of democracy continues and there is no doubt that it was a significant achievement for Nigeria to have so many people participate in the election of April last year. And so the challenge now, I know there are numerous challenges is to ensure the democracy that everybody believes in turns into delivery for peoples’ basic needs, for their security and for their

wellbeing. And of course there are significant challenges. Looking at the security, will you say some strides have been achieved? I think there are some huge challenges and we saw an example of that just this weekend (too weeks ago), with those terrible attacks in Kaduna. And I think it is important to remember that this is not a popular setback. The attacks taking place have been carried out by a very small number of people; they are indiscriminate, they are criminal and they are harming people who just want to get on with their live continued

Nigeria : Tensions High on Niger Delta’s Oily Waters

WARRI, NIGERIA — Environmental damage from oil spills in Nigeria's Niger Delta region has reached epic proportions and continues to threaten the stability of Africa’s most populous nation.  Locals say people are dying young or fleeing the region while oil companies and corrupt officials get rich on their resources.  However, oil companies say sabotage of their facilities accounts for 75 percent of the spills.   Before the war and before there was oil, the Niger Delta must have looked like paradise.  Even today it’s beautiful.  One of the most bio-diverse parts of Africa, the creeks and rivers are like a spider web on top of a lush swampy jungle. Only now if you look closely, you see that black oil coats the roots of the mangroves and floats in the water.  For local residents, the consequences are disastrous.

These people are standing on a dock by their village.  All of them and all of their ancestors fish for a living-or at least they used to, before the oil killed the fish.  In the past five years, they say, their catches have reduced about 80 percent. Decent Victor lives in another village on the riverbank.  She says the children here are constantly sick from drinking water polluted with oil and the nearest hospital in the city of Warri is five to six hours away in a dug … continued

Bénin : le Harcèlement du Maire de Dangbo à la Vie dure

Suspension de l’exploitation de sable lagunaire par le préfet Ouémé/Plateau :

Le préfet des départements de l’Ouémé/Plateau, François Houessou, par une décision préfectorale, a suspendu les activités d’exploitation de sable lagunaire et les travaux de lotissement qui constituent 65% des recettes du budget actuel de la commune de Dangbo. Faute de moyens, le maire de la localité, Clément Gnonlonfoun, éprouve des difficultés à gérer les affaires courantes.   Le torchon brûle toujours entre le préfet de l’Ouémé/Plateau, François Houessou et le maire de la commune de Dangbo, Clément Gnonlonfoun. La suspension des travaux de lotissement et d’exploitation de sable lagunaire, représentant 65% des recettes prévues au titre du budget exercice 2012 de Dangbo par l’Autorité préfectorale, est à l’origine du différend. Le montant total dudit budget s’élève à 395570186 Fcfa dont 15 millions à générer par l’exploitation du sable lagunaire, soit 4% des recettes et 239 millions Cfa pour les travaux de lotissement, soit 61% des recettes. En somme, 254 millions, soit 65% des ressources, sont bloqués du fait d’une décision le préfet des départements de l’Ouémé/Plateau. Dans sa décision, l’Autorité préfectorale a évoqué le souci de transparence des opérations pour suspendre l’exploitation de sable lagunaire et les travaux de lotissement. Cet argument est balayé du revers de la main par le maire Clément Gnonlonfoun. Ce dernier y voit des règlements de compte et le souci du préfet de rendre ingouvernable la commune de Dangbo.

« C’est le Conseil communal de Dangbo qui a voté ce budget comprenant les recettes de l’exploitation du sable lagunaire et des travaux de lotissement. Une fois cette étape franchie, le préfet Houessou avait même donné son avis favorable à l’exécution dudit budget… », a-t-il déclaré. De ce fait, Clément Gnonlonfoun interprête cette volte-face du préfet, comme une stratégie de déstabilisation. « Par ces manœuvres, le préfet et certains conseillers communaux de Dangbo veulent m’empêcher de continuer ma politique de réalisations d’infrastructures sociocommunautaires… », fait-il remarqué. Il faut rappeler que le vote de ce budget n’a pas été chose facile. Une dizaine de conseillers sur 17, lors de la dernière session budgétaire, avait soulevé des questions de non-paiement des primes pour bloquer le budget exercice 2012 de Dangbo. Il a fallu moult suite

SACRIFICES HUMAINS AU DANHOMÈ 2 : Formes, Genres et Fonctions

Ghana economy grows 8.7%

Ghana's economy grew 8.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2012 while a sharp rise in producer prices underlined persistent inflationary pressures, the West African country's national statistics office said on Wednesday. While the growth was slower than the 14.4 percent rate registered for 2011 - the first full year of commercial oil production - it was slightly ahead of analyst forecasts of around eight percent growth for this year. Ghana's statistics office said growth fell on a quarter-on-quarter basis by 22.2 percent in the first quarter due to seasonal effects. Magnus Ebo Duncan, head of economic statistics at the Ghana Statistical Service said overall, the year-on-year growth was supported by an increase in gold and bauxite production, which made up for lower-than-expected oil production. Ghana's economy has become one of the fastest growing in Africa. The country is the world's second-biggest cocoa producer and Africa's second biggest gold producer behind South Africa.

“Oil production was lower than expected in the first quarter, but gold did very well, increasing more than 50 percent. And also bauxite which rose by more than 40 percent,” Duncan told a news conference in Accra. Tullow Oil, operator of Ghana's Jubilee offshore field, said in May it was currently producing 70,000 barrels a day and that a long-delayed target of 120,000 bpd would now probably be reached next year. Ghana's statistics office also said producer prices in the country, a guide to consumer price inflation, rose 18.01 percent year-on year in May, well up on the 15.81 percent recorded in April, underlining inflationary pressures in the economy. continued

L’Ordre des avocats dénonce la dictature de Boni Yayi