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Issue 10
November 2006
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email: africanews@etnomedia.org
Public perception crucial for
effective management of migration
A new report reveals that
the public perceives migration increasingly negative.
The Report on Migration and
public perception, published
by the Bureau of European
Policy Advisers of the
European Commission suggests that migration needs to
be put in a broader context
implying that non migration
policies are as important as
migration policies. The report
also suggests that Europe
needs to break the negative
cycle that derives from hostility towards migration to
restrictive legal migration
policies and to a diversion of
migratory flows to asylum
seekers or illegal migrants. A
number of critical conditions
must be met for such an
expansion to be politically
feasible, including selectivity,
improved integration efforts
in particular to enhance family reunion and a reduction
of the illegal employment.
But none of these policies
will be effective unless public
perception of migration is
explicitly addressed, the
reports concludes.
UN
IMMIGRATION
NEWS
P. 6
Most countries
fail to implement
European Union
asylum law P. 2
UNHCR urges
highest asylum
standards
P. 2
Obasanjo warns of “near-genocide” in Darfur
200 euros for
Passport is too
much, Ghanaians in
Italy tell President
Kufour
P. 16
flict in Darfur as "genocide" before, the
pan-African body has always avoided
using the word to describe the ongoing
violence in the western Sudanese region.
The term has also been rejected by the
Sudanese government.
"We have seen near genocide before
the intervention of the AU forces; we
should not allow a full genocide to develop," Obasanjo said, warning that "If
nothing is done and AU forces have to
withdraw, we do not know what can
develop in Darfur. We should not
allow that."
P. 7
Marco Baroncini
Nigerian
President
Olusegun
Obasanjo (left) warns of the possibility of
genocide in Sudan's Darfur region, and
calls on Sudan's government and the
international community to act, as
African peacekeepers struggle to curb
the violence there.
"It is not in the interest of Sudan nor
in the interest of Africa, nor indeed in the
interest of the world, for us all to stand
by, fold our hands and see genocide in
Darfur," Obasanjo said. While the
United States and some relief agencies
have described the three-year-old con-
Father of
Malawi boy
adopted by
Madonna
angry at her
critics
P. 21
EU: Member
states must open
up to foreign
notaries
P. 4
Europe's first Human
Trafficking Centre
opens in UK
P. 4
UK to combat illegal
immigration through
ID cards
P. 5
AP
P. 3
AP
The National
Minimum
Wage in UK
2
November 2006
IMMIGRATION NEWS
Only six EU-member states
have transposed the EU-wide
law setting minimum standards
for granting refugee status
which took effect on 10th
October.
Member states are bound by
the UN refugee convention of
1961 whose article one on the
definition of a refugee is wide
open to legal interpretation.
The six countries that have
effected the law are Estonia,
Lithuania, Austria, France,
Slovenia and Luxembourg. The
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NEWS, ITALY EDITION,
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Email:
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fax +39-06 8741 0528
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
& EDITOR
Stephen Ogongo
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law was agreed in May 2004.
The European Commission has
threatened legal action unless
the 19th stragglers follow suit.
"We very much hope that
member states will implement
it as soon as possible or we will
make use of the powers available to us to enforce the
treaties."
This foot-dragging reflects
the sensitivity of the policy
with national governments
reluctant to concede powers to
Brussels on who they should let
across their borders.
The EU Vice President
Franco Frattini said this delay
in the implementation of the
Directive by the majority of the
Member States is "particularly
regrettable, given that this
Directive is a cornerstone of
the first phase of the Common
European Asylum system".
The EU said that the
Directive 2004/83/EC of 29
April 2004, on minimum standards for the qualification and
status of third-country nationals or stateless persons as
refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection and the content of the
protection
granted
("Qualification Directive") is
one of the building blocks of
the first stage of the Common
European Asylum System.
The Directive aims to ensure
that, throughout the EU, the
same criteria apply for the
identification of persons who
are genuinely in need of international protection and that a
minimum level of rights and
benefits are available for these
UN
Most countries fail to implement
European Union asylum law
Liberian refugees in Abdijan being treated in a programme supported by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
persons in all Member States.
Vice President Frattini,
Commissioner for Justice,
Freedom and Security, said:
"The importance of this
Directive cannot be underestimated; it guarantees that the
protection needs of asylum
seekers will be assessed
according to the same criteria
wherever they make their claim
in Europe and that, on the basis
of their protection needs, they
will be entitled to a consolidat-
ed set of rights and benefits in
all Member States. This will
greatly contribute to reducing
the current great variances in
recognition rates between
Member States and therewith
reducing one pull factor for
"asylum shopping."
The Directive introduces a
harmonized regime for the protection of those persons who
fall outside the scope of the
Refugee Convention, but who
nevertheless still need interna-
tional protection, such as victims of civil war. Furthermore,
it proposes a broad, progressive
interpretation with regard to the
concept of the perpetrators of
persecution, by recognizing
that it includes non-state agents
such as militia. The Directive
also adopts a gender-sensitive
interpretation of the Refugee
Convention, allowing for the
recognition as a refugee of
those persons who have a well
founded fear of being persecuted on account of their sexual
orientation or gender. It thus
recognises the legitimacy of
asylum claims by women, such
as those based on acts of sexual violence, domestic violence,
female genital mutilation, as
well as by persons facing persecution because of their
homosexuality.
For both the refugee and the
subsidiary protection status
granted in accordance with its
provisions, the Directive sets
out the rights and benefits that
attach to each status, regarding
inter alia residence permits,
access to education and
employment, healthcare and
social welfare, family unity and
integration. At the same time,
the Directive is clear that the
EU cannot become a safe
haven for terrorists who apply
for asylum. Tough clauses on
exclusion from both refugee
status and subsidiary protection
status are included in it to prevent the abuse of asylum systems by those who could be a
threat to the security of the EU
or who have committed serious
crimes.
UNHCR urges highest asylum standards
The UN refugee agency has
urged EU member states to live
up to their legal and moral obligation to protect refugees and
asylum seekers by maintaining
the highest possible asylum
standards, the UNHCR news
reported.
The EU countries were
expected to have implemented
the "Qualification Directive,"
which sets out minimum standards for qualification for
refugee status or other forms of
international protection in the
European Union by 10th
October 2006.
"This directive is meant to
be the cornerstone of the
emerging common European
asylum system," said Pirkko
Kourula, director of UNHCR's
Europe Bureau. "It seeks to
establish a uniform understanding of who is entitled to protection. This is very much needed,
for although every asylum
application must be examined
on its merits, the chance of
finding protection in the EU
ranges from zero to over 80
percent for certain nationalities, depending on where they
apply."
According to the UNHCR
news reports, an important
aspect of the directive is its
recognition that the 1951 UN
Refugee Convention, as currently interpreted, may not
cover all those in need of protection. The Qualification
Directive codifies a uniform
status, which it terms "subsidiary protection," for people
who don't fall under the 1951
Convention's refugee definition
but nonetheless face "serious
harm" in their countries of origin - death, torture or lifethreatening situations such as
indiscriminate violence in
armed conflict situations.
Among other important provisions, the Qualification
Directive confirms that acts of
a gender-specific nature can
constitute persecution. Genderrelated persecution has increasingly been recognized as
falling within the scope of the
1951 Refugee Convention's
definition. Furthermore, the
directive clarifies that people
may need protection regardless
of whether they face persecution by states, warlords, militias or other private actors, and
thus puts an end to a decadelong controversy in Europe.
Some of the Qualification
Directive's provisions have
been criticised by UNHCR for
not going far enough. "The definition of subsidiary protection
in the directive is quite restrictive and it remains to be seen
how many people who are in
need of it will be offered this
status in practice," said
Kourula. "Nevertheless, it is a
first step towards a harmonised
system in Europe and could
offer security to many who
have fled civil wars, ethnic
cleansing and other human
rights violations."
"The Qualification Directive
is not a perfect instrument,"
added Kourula. "It only sets
minimum standards which EU
member states are free to surpass. We encourage them to
offer the highest standards of
refugee protection."
The Qualification Directive
is but one element of a common European asylum policy,
the prerequisite of which is that
refugees are able to access
European territory and the asylum procedure. Tight border
control measures make this
increasingly difficult. Another
important element of the common system is the establishment of asylum procedures
which identify protection needs
quickly and correctly.
"Europe should be proud of
its tradition of giving asylum to
those fleeing persecution and
human rights violations. Living
up to our legal and moral obligations to refugees and asylum
seekers is one way of fulfilling
our responsibility to protect,"
said Kourula.
IMMIGRATION NEWS
November 2006
3
continued from page 1
There is an increasingly negative
perception of migration in Europe.
The Report on Migration and public
perception, published by the Bureau
of European Policy Advisers of the
European Commission suggests that
migration needs to be put in a broader
context implying that non migration
policies are as important as migration
policies.
The report observes that "the public
presentation of immigrants and migratory phenomena by the media and by
politicians is often biased or negative,
linking them often almost exclusively to
security issues. The terminology commonly in use (such as "bogus asylum
seekers" and "welfare scroungers") has
often become pejorative, while in reality migrants consist of different groups
with different expectations and opportunities."
The search for job that is key to better
life is the leading reason for immigration to Europe. "Even the pressure for
family reunion has labour migration as a
related cause, albeit indirectly. The public perception is that migration is by and
large a supply driven phenomenon. The
evidence shows that the reality is much
more nuanced. The demand for labour
that migrants can meet is often the
source of people's decision to migrate
and of their choice of destination. As
long as there are jobs for migrants, they
will try to come, one way or the other.
This phenomenon explains a substantial portion of migration to Europe in
the past, it explains the presence of
Mexicans in the U.S. today, and will
explain migration pressures on Europe
in the future."
The fact that Europe will continue to
need migrants in the coming decades is
clearly stated in the report. It quotes the
European Commission Vice-President
Franco Frattini who last year said that
'The new key message is: Europe will
need more migration, since labour and
skills shortages are already noticeable
in a number of sectors and they will tend
to increase."
Europe therefore needs to be "an
attractive place to work for the highly
skilled, but to a certain extent migrants
of a large variety of skills are needed to
partially offset demographic trends and
to be employed in areas where there is
insufficient supply of locals."
The Report on Migration and public perception notes that "Migration is
potentially beneficial for receiving countries and societies, as well as for countries of origin and migrants themselves.
Immigrants can make valuable contributions by relieving labour shortages,
increasing labour market efficiency, and
acting as catalysts for job creation,
innovation and growth. Immigrants can
enhance cultural diversity and stimulate
interest in other cultures and regions of
the world among native populations.
Immigrants have played such roles for
Europe in the past. In addition, they can
make important contributions to economic development in their countries of
origin by means of remittances."
In order for Europe to benefit from
migration, it must pay special attention to the promotion of integration.
According to the report, "Labour market
integration is especially important as it
encompasses other aspects of integration (e.g. language, culture). Integration
is a two-way responsibility. Migrants
need to make more serious efforts to
integrate, while receiving countries need
to continue to promote integration. The
latter involves labour market reforms
that yield equal opportunities to all,
while public perceptions of migrants as
'welfare scroungers' or 'job thieves' need
to be opposed."
Illegal migration, the report notes, "is
dangerous for the people involved, creates incentives for illegal activities and
impacts negatively upon public opinion,
damaging perceptions of legal migrants
in almost equal measure."
It suggests that breaking the cycle of
illegal migration "requires that Europe
uses opportunities for legal migration
beyond the strict conditions attached to
family reunion. This provides a legitimate route of entry for some asylum seekers or irregular migrants, who
would prefer to enter as legal or regular
migrants. For such an expansion of
migration opportunities to be beneficial
and politically feasible, careful selection
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AP
Public perception crucial for
effective management of migration
An injured African immigrant is carried away to receive medical
help as other immigrants sit and wait at the police station in the
Spanish enclave of Melilla
of new and existing migrants is necessary on the basis of employability, and
illegal employment needs to be reduced
as well."
One of the major conclusions of the
reports is that European labour markets need migrants in the future and
this requires effective management of
migration. It also notes that neither the
current profile of migrants, nor the level
of integration nor the public perception
is in a state that allows Europe to reap
the fruits from migration.
The report suggests that there is an
urgent need of breaking the negative
cycle of hostility towards migration
leading to restrictive policies towards
legal migration which in turn lead to a
diversion of migratory flows to asylum
seekers or illegal migrants. It says that
breaking the cycle requires a sufficient
quantity of legal migration beyond family reunion.
For such an expansion to be rewarding and politically feasible, the report
suggests that a number of critical conditions must be met including selectivity, improved integration efforts and a
reduction of illegal employment.
The report, however, emphasises that
none of these policies will be effective unless issues relating to public
perception of migration are explicitly
addressed. "Justified concerns have to
be tackled and misperceptions have to
be cleared up, without presenting an
overly optimistic view of the migration
challenge," it says.
It concludes that there is need of
putting "migration in a broader context
implies that non migration policies are
as important as migration policies. On
a global basis, policy areas such as
development, trade, external relations,
agriculture and fisheries should be seen
through a migration lens. On a national
basis, the same applies for labour market
policies, education, gender and housing
policies."
EU approves permanent joint sea patrols
The European Justice and
Home Affairs Council has
endorsed a proposal to establish permanent joint patrols
to pick up migrants on the
high seas.
Seeking to strike a balance between US President
George W. Bush's campaign against terrorism with
European privacy protection,
the EU and US reached a
new deal on 6 October 2006
concerning the disclosure
of extensive personal information about travellers on
flights to the US.
A previous agreement on
data sharing, widely criticised as being incompatible
with European law, expired
on 30th September, leav-
ing the airlines that operate
flights between the EU-25
and the US in limbo.
Mr. Franco Frattini, the
European commissioner for
Justice and Home Affairs
Commissioner
Franco
Frattini described the final
session leading to the deal
as "nine hours of very strong
negotiations" held by videoconference across the
Atlantic.
But civil rights groups and
MEPs claim that the deal still
does not do enough to protect
citizens' rights in the event of
information abuse or error.
Concerning immigration,
ministers pledged to speed
plans drafted by Frattini to
create permanent "rapid bor-
der intervention teams" with
boats, planes and experts
and a Mediterranean coastal patrol network. Frattini
added that the budget and
staff of the EU's external
borders agency, Frontex,
which runs joint patrols off
Africa's Atlantic Coast and
in the central Mediterranean,
would be increased.
Justice and interior ministers also committed their
individual nations to informing one another if they plan
to grant mass amnesties to
migrants - the first big steps
toward a cohesive European
policy on illegal immigration, which has become a
priority.
4
November 2006
IMMIGRATION NEWS
EU: Member states
must open up to foreign notaries
EU has said member States
must
abolish
nationality
requirements for notaries offering legal services in their country saying this should allow
more choice and better prices
for citizens.
The Commission on 12 th
October 2006 sent reasoned
opinions to Austria, Belgium,
France, Germany, Greece,
Luxembourg
and
the
Netherlands, requesting them
to scrap nationality requirements currently restricting
access to the notarial profession.
The seven states were given
two months from October in
which to act. If they do not, the
Commission could refer the
matter to the European Court of
Justice.
The Commission has also
requested explanations from
the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, Slovakia and
Slovenia about their regulations, which impose similar
nationality conditions.
Italy, Spain and Portugal
already abolished this requirement from their legislation following pressure from the
Commission.
The accused member states
stipulate that only their own
nationals can be appointed to
the profession in their countries
because notaries exercise 'official authority', therefore falling
within an exception to the freedom of establishment provided
by Article 45 of the Treaty.
However, the Commission
has taken the view that,
because notaries "cannot
impose a decision against the
will of one of the parties they
are advising", they "cannot be
deemed to exercise such
authority".
The notarial profession is
one of the most regulated professions in the EU, with very
high entry barriers. In 2005,
Luxembourg, had only one
notary per 12,750 people, and
Belgium, France, Germany,
and the Netherlands had roughly one per 8,000 citizens.
This lack of competition
means that competition is low
and prices paid by citizens
when seeking advice on important legal transactions, such as
buying a house or signing a
marriage contract, are too high.
With so many countries
applying nationality restrictions, the Commission's decision is likely to face strong
opposition - as was the case
when it attempted to include
notaries in the Services
Directive, which aims to facilitate cross-border trade in services within the EU, and both
the European Parliament and
the Council objected.
The Council of the Notariats
of the European Union
(CNUE) said it was shocked at
the decision to call into question the nationality requirement
and the forms of access to the
civil law notary profession.
"The decision appears to contradict the previous decisions
of the Commission and the
Parliament, which explicitly
recognise the role of public
official carried out by civil law
notaries. Civil law notaries
have certain similarities to the
category of 'governmental services' and contribute to the
smooth operation of Justice, by
issuing authentic documents
and thanks to their role as amicable magistrates."
The CNUE said "The
Commission's argument that
civil law notaries 'do not take
decisions with regard to State
authority' is unacceptable,"
stressing that it only refers to
notaries' activities as advisers
and ignores the fact that
notaries also provide a "public
service of authenticity."
The EU notariats recalled
"that establishing the conditions in which their delegations
of public power operate and the
effects of the documents they
issue is not the Commission's
responsibility but rather that of
the sovereignty of the Member
States. They therefore leave
this matter to their States to
decide."
Mark Kober-Smith, a UK
notary who has been fighting to
open up access to the profes-
sion in the EU since 1996, was
"absolutely delighted" by the
decision. Nationality restrictions do not apply in the UK
and many foreign notaries currently work there. He said the
removal of restrictions to the
profession should result in a
larger choice and better prices
for citizens.
Nevertheless, he remained
doubtful that member states
would actually comply with the
Commission's decision: "There
is a very strong lobby not to do
this," he said, complaining that
the CNUE seemed to act like "a
mouthpiece for notaries rather
than representing the views of
citizens".
He also cautioned that, even
if implemented, the decision
may not lead to any real
changes in practice. "Even in
the three countries (Italy, Spain
and Portugal) where countries
have removed their nationality
conditions,
the
freedom
remains largely theoretical,"
because countries continue to
shield themselves from foreign
competition by demanding that
notaries from abroad pass
examinations, by maintaining
strict 'numerus clausus' restrictions, by not replying to
requests for establishment or
by claiming that the 'official
authority exemption' continues
Europe's first Human Trafficking Centre opens in UK
Europe's first dedicated centre for
victims of human trafficking has opened
in Sheffield.
The United Kingdom Human
Trafficking Centre aims to provide specialist care for the victims - mostly
women brought from abroad and forced
into prostitution.
The unit run by the Association of
Chief Police Officers (ACPO) will coordinate and direct the country's law
enforcement handling of this sensitive,
damaging and complex crime.
The unique multi-agency nature of
the centre's team will combine the talents of law enforcement with those of
other disciplines that would each normally be fighting only its own part of
the human trafficking problem. These
include academic experts, victim care
organisations, representatives of the
Crown Prosecution Service and the
Serious and Organised Crime Agency,
and the Immigration and Nationality
Directorate.
Deputy Chief Constable of South
Yorkshire Police Grahame Maxwell
said the centre "will enable a more comprehensive and coordinated
to the problem than
Are you working with immigrants in approach
ever before, bringing in partany part of Europe?
ners from all agencies with the
Please share with us your activities
desire and expertise to tackle
and help us keep our readers informed of this 21st-century slavery."
The new centre will broadthe most relevant immigration news in
the scope of investigations
Europe. Feel free to share with us ideas en
into trafficking. Previous
on how immigrants in Europe can over- investigations centred largely
on trafficking for sexual
come the difficulties they face in their
but
DCC
daily lives. Address your reports to: The exploitation,
said the centre will
Editor, Africa News, Via Maroso, 50, CAP Maxwell
"allow us to learn about and
00142 Rome, Italy.
work to combat other, lesserE-mail: africanews@etnomedia.org
known problems, like trafficking for domestic servitude and
Tel +39-06-87410531.
forced labour, and indeed child
Fax +39-06-87410528.
trafficking."
He called trafficking a "heinous
crime" and said
the facility would "Human trafficking is
an appalling crime,
take a "victimwhich causes terrible
centred approach,
so that when a pertrauma to its victims.
son is discovered Anyone who participates
who has been traf- in this modern day slave
ficked, that first trade can expect to feel
point of contact is
the full weight of the
a positive one and
law when they are
we have the right
caught."
support mechanisms in place to
look after their Deputy Chief Constable
welfare." Home
of South Yorkshire
Office Minister
Police Grahame
Vernon
Coaker
Maxwell
toured the centre
in mid October
realise they are being trafficked
and said it would
"provide specialist advice and guidance until they arrive and then find the job
they were promised as a waitress turns
to police and partner agencies."
He added, "Human trafficking is an out to be enforced servitude as a prostiappalling crime, which causes terrible tute, including being beaten and raped.
"Today in London I am told that traftrauma to its victims. Anyone who participates in this modern day slave trade ficked women can be bought and sold
can expect to feel the full weight of the for as little as £3,000 each. They often
live in terror, believing that if they try to
law when they are caught."
Solicitor General Mike O' Brien who escape their pimps will kill them."
opened the centre at a secret location in
the city said: "Some victims do not even
IMMIGRATION NEWS
November 2006
5
Report: Immigration centre in UK
failing in provision of healthcare
Britain's
immigration
authorities have been criticised
for locking up torture victims
in a removal centre in breach of
official guidelines.
The recent report by Chief
Inspector of Prisons, Anne
Owers found serious failings in
the provision of healthcare at
Yarl's Wood centre, near
Bedford, which houses failed
asylum seekers and other
immigration detainees.
Concerns about the mistreatment of two Ugandan women
who went on hunger strike in
protest at efforts to deport them
prompted the inspection.
The government's policy on
detaining asylum seekers is
also questioned by the report.
The
Immigration
Nationality Directorate (IND)
officials, according to the
report, repeatedly ignored torture claims despite the concern
of doctors. The officials are
also accused of making their
own clinical judgements.
The report said "The inadequacy of healthcare systems in
the IRC [Yarl's Wood] was
compounded by the unresponsiveness of the IND to clinical
concerns about an alleged history of torture or adverse medical consequences of continued
detention.
"When clinical concerns
were raised the information
was
not
systematically
addressed, or actioned. Nor
was independent medical opinion sought or adhered to."
Chief Inspector of Prisons
Owers said: "Underpinning
systems were inadequate and
the healthcare service was not
geared to meet the needs of
those with serious health problems or the significant number
of detainees held for longer
periods.
"This was true for detainees
in general and for the care of
the two specific detainees
whose care had prompted the
review. This review also adds
weight to a growing concern
among medical and other commentators that the increased
use of immigration detention
raises serious concerns about
the mental health of detainees,
particularly in cases of prolonged detention of uncertain
duration and where detainees
arrive with underlying health
problems."
Anna Reisenberger, acting
Chief Executive of the Refugee
Council said: "We have serious
misgivings about the failure of
detention centres to meet the
healthcare needs of detainees.
We are particularly concerned
about the levels of self-harm, as
evidenced by several recent
inquests into deaths in detention.
"This report offers yet more
evidence that healthcare provi-
"Underpinning systems were inadequate and the
healthcare service was not geared to meet the needs of
those with serious health problems or the significant
number of detainees held for longer periods. This was
true for detainees in general and for the care of the two
specific detainees whose care had prompted the review.
This review also adds weight to a growing concern
among medical and other commentators that the
increased use of immigration detention raises serious
concerns about the mental health of detainees, particularly in cases of prolonged detention of uncertain duration and where detainees arrive with underlying health
problems."
Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers
sion in detention is totally
insufficient. It is becoming
increasingly apparent, from the
raft of reports and inspections,
that people should only be
detained for immigration pur-
poses in exceptional circumstances. In the meantime, we
urge the government to act on
the recommendations outlined
in this report without delay."
Responding to the report on
the quality of healthcare at
Yarl's Wood Immigration
Removal Centre, Home Office
Minister Liam Byrne said: "the
report makes recommendations
about how the delivery of
healthcare,
management
arrangements and the provision
of mental healthcare at Yarl's
Wood can be better still. I take
these recommendations very
seriously and an action plan
responding in detail to them is
currently being drawn up."
He added that "The standard
of healthcare at Home Office
removal centres is an important
issue and the health of all
detainees is monitored closely.
This includes access to primary
and secondary medical facilities, including psychiatric professionals.
"Healthcare professionals
who work in the Detention
Estate are required to report
cases where it is considered
that a person's health is being
affected by detention. Where
there is medical evidence that
intended actions would have an
adverse effect on the health of
any detainee, their case is considered fully in the light of that
evidence."
UK to combat illegal immigration through ID cards
UK's Government plans to
combat illegal immigration
through the introduction of the
National Identity Scheme.
Home Office Minister Liam
Byrne confirmed that ID cards
will be implemented rapidly,
starting with biometric cards
for foreign nationals in 2008.
These will prove eligibility to
work and provide the vast
majority of legitimate employers with a simple, secure means
of checking entitlement to
work.
Fingerprinting of visa applicants will be expanded to cover
all visa-issuing posts by April
2008, protecting UK’s borders
from those seeking to enter the
country illegally and abuse free
public services. An Identity
Management Action Plan will
also be produced by the end of
the year and a series of detailed
plans on how other government
departments will benefit from
using ID cards will be commissioned.
Mr. Byrne said: "The way
we prove our identity is changing. By requiring a standard
secure way for people to prove
their identity when accessing
services, it will be much harder
for people here illegally to
carry out their daily business.
"Illegal
working
will
become far more difficult as the
National Identity Scheme is
rolled out. Any employer
would be able to check a person's unique reference number
against registered information
about their identity to find out
whether someone is eligible to
work in the UK. ID cards will
give us a powerful tool to combat identity fraud which underpins organised crime, terrorism
and abuse of the immigration
system. ID cards will also help
transform the delivery of public
services to the citizen, making
interactions swifter, more reliable and more secure and helping to reduce costs by eliminating wasteful duplication of
effort."
The
first
report
to
Parliament about the likely
costs of the ID cards scheme
estimates that the total resource
costs of providing passports
and ID cards to UK nationals
from October 2006 to October
2016 will be £5.4 billion.
The government said that
around 70% of these costs
would be incurred in the issuing of new generation biometric passports - incorporating
fingerprints as well as facial
images - as the technical and
office infrastructure would be
largely
the
same.
Approximately 15% of costs
relate to technology with the
vast majority of estimated costs
relating to the people and
premises necessary to interview passport and ID card
applicants, detecting and deterring fraudulent applications.
Migrants experiencing higher levels of workplace accidents in UK
A new research has revealed that
migrant workers in the UK may be
experiencing higher levels of workplace
accidents because they are more likely
to work long hours, to work shifts and to
have limited understanding of health
and safety.
The research, Health and Safety and
migrant workers in England and Wales,
was carried out by London Metropolitan
University on behalf of the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE). According to
the report, other factors that may be
placing foreign workers at greater risk
are communication difficulties and the
fact migrants are more likely to take up
work in sectors that they have not been
trained nor had experience working in.
The research recommends better-targeted HSE/Local Authority inspection,
enforcement and supporting activity as
well as greater provision of targeted
health and safety advice and support for
migrant workers and those who employ
them.
Commenting on the report's findings
and recommendations, Jeremy Bevan,
HSE programme manager on migrant
workers, said: "HSE welcomes the
research, and accepts the broad focus of
the recommendations. We are already
taking action to implement the
research's key findings, in particular we
are continuing to target inspections and
enforcement in sectors where migrant
workers and other vulnerable workers
are most likely to work, and are currently reviewing how best to reach these
workers and their employers with key
health and safety messages. In other
areas where HSE involvement is recommended, planning is underway to con-
sider further resourcing during the next
year.
"We are also working with other government departments to stem the problem of illegal employment at source, by
detecting and deterring those who, as
employers, seek to evade regulation by
Government. In addition, pilot initiatives such as those being carried out by
the Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) have the potential to provide outreach to migrants' and other vulnerable
groups, and reduce their vulnerability to
exploitation at work."
6
THE GUIDE
November 2006
The National Minimum Wage in UK
Almost all UK workers
have a legal right to a minimum level of pay, called the
National Minimum Wage. The
level is set by the government
each year based on the recommendations of the independent
Low Pay Commission (LPC).
and you can ask for help in
claiming the minimum wage
including back pay. If necessary, National Minimum Wage
Compliance Officers can
investigate on your behalf and
take action to obtain payment
from your employer.
Not paying you the
National Minimum Wage if
you are entitled to it can also
count as an unlawful deduction from wages.
What is the National
Minimum Wage?
With a few exceptions, all
workers in the UK aged 16 or
over are legally entitled to be
paid a minimum amount per
hour. This is regardless of the
kind of work they do or the
size and type of company. The
rate is reviewed every year,
and any increases take place in
October.
How much is the
National Minimum
Wage?
There are different levels of
National Minimum Wage,
depending on the age of the
worker. The current rates are
as follows:
- adults (which means people aged 22 and over) receive
the full rate of £5.05 an hour
- a 'development rate' of
£4.25 an hour is paid to:
- workers aged 18 to 21
inclusive
- adult workers for the first
six months with a new
employer if they receive
accredited training (this
includes further education and
vocational training courses see the Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI) guidance
for more information)
- young people (older than
Where to get help
school leaving age and
younger than 18) other than
apprentices (who are exempted) receive £3.00 an hour
From October 2006 the
rates increased. The adult rate
rose to £5.35, the 'development rate' will be £4.45 and
the rate for young people
(older than school leaving age
and younger than 18) rose to
£3.30.
Who can get the
National Minimum
Wage?
Almost everyone who
works in the UK is legally
entitled to be paid the National
Minimum Wage. This is the
case even if an employer asks
a worker to sign an employment contract at a lower rate of
pay. It isn't necessary to be in
full-time employment, or to
work at an employer's premis-
es. For example, you're entitled to receive the minimum
wage if you're:
- employed by an agency
- a homeworker
- a part-time worker
- a casual worker
- a pieceworker
- a worker on a short-term
contract
However, you are not
entitled to receive the
minimum wage if
you're:
- a worker under school
leaving age (you're under
school leaving age until the
end of summer term of the
school year in which you turn
16)
- genuinely self-employed
- some apprentices
- an au pair
- in the armed services
- a voluntary worker
Agricultural workers
Agricultural workers have
separate pay rates set by the
Agricultural Wages Board
What to do if you're
not getting the minimum wage
First of all you should try to
make sure you have calculated
your pay correctly. All
employees have the right to be
given a document setting out
how your pay is calculated. If
you think you're not getting
what you are entitled to, you
can first of all try talking to
your employer, who may have
made a simple mistake.
If speaking to your employer doesn't help, or if you don't
want to speak to your employer, you can call the minimum
wage helpline on 0845 6000
678. Calls are confidential,
HM Revenue and Customs
(HMRC) National Minimum
Wage Helpline gives confidential help and advice on the
minimum wage. You can also
call the helpline if you want to
make a complaint about an
employer who you suspect is
not paying the minimum
wage. Call the helpline on
0845 6000 678 - lines are open
Monday to Friday 9.00 am to
5.00 pm. All calls are charged
at local rates. You can also
contact the helpline via email
The Advisory, Conciliation
and Arbitration Service (Acas)
offers free, confidential and
impartial advice on all
employment rights issues. You
can call the Acas helpline on
08457 47 47 47 from 8.00 am
to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday.
Your local Citizens Advice
Bureau (CAB) can provide
free and impartial advice. You
can find your local CAB office
in the phone book or online.
If you are a member of a
trade union, you can get help,
advice and support from them.
By Direct.gov.uk
National Insurance
You pay National Insurance contributions (NICs) to build up your entitlement to certain social security benefits,
including the State Pension. The type
and level of NIC you pay depends on
how much you earn and whether you're
employed or self employed. You stop
paying NICs when you reach State
Pension age.
Who pays National
Insurance?
You pay NICs if you are an employee or self-employed and you are aged
16 and over, providing your earnings
are more than a certain level. You stop
paying NICs at State Retirement age.
This is currently 65 for men and 60 for
women but will gradually increase to
65 for women over the period 2010 to
2020.
Your National Insurance
number
Your National Insurance number
(NI number) is your own personal
account number. The number ensures
that the National Insurance contributions and the tax you pay are properly
recorded on your account. It also acts
as a reference number for the whole
social security system.
Who uses your NI number?
The only people you should ever
give your NI number to are:
- HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
- your employer
- Jobcentre Plus, if you claim
Jobseeker's Allowance
- your local council, if you claim
Housing Benefit
Entitlement to many benefits
depends on your National Insurance
contribution record so it's very important not to give your number to anyone
else.
You will also be required to provide
your NI number if you open an
Individual Savings Account (ISA).
How to get an NI number
If you don't already have a NI number you must apply for one:
- as soon as you start work
- as soon as you or your partner
claims benefit
To be able to apply you
must be:
- over 16 years of age
- resident in Great Britain (England,
Wales or Scotland)
You apply through your local
Jobcentre Plus, Jobcentre or social
security office who will arrange an
interview with you.
If you are a parent or guardian and
receiving Child Benefit, any children
you care for will automatically get a
card showing their NI number just
before they reach the age of 16.
National Insurance Rates
The following amounts apply for the
2006-2007 tax year:
pay eight per cent on annual taxable
profits between £5,035 and £33,540
and one per cent on any taxable profit
over that amount
- if your earnings in the 2006-2007
tax year are expected to be less than
£4,465 then you may be entitled to the
Small Earnings Exception (SEE),
meaning you don't have to pay any
Class 2 NICs - you can apply for SEE
for the 2006-2007 tax year on form
CF10
If you're employed
Benefits that depend on NIC
- if you earn above £97 a week (the contributions
Your entitlement to the following
'earnings threshold') and up to £645 per
week you pay 11 per cent of this
amount as 'Class 1' NICs
- you also pay one per cent of earnings above £645 a week as Class 1
NICs
- you will pay a lower amount as an
employee if you are a member of your
employer's contracted out pension
scheme
If you're self-employed
- you pay 'Class 2' NICs at a flat rate
weekly amount of £2.10
- you also pay 'Class 4' NICs as a
percentage of your taxable profits - you
benefits and/or the amount you can get
will depend on your (or in some cases
your spouse or civil partner's) NIC
contributions:
- Contribution based Jobseeker's
Allowance (Class 1 NICs only)
- Incapacity Benefit (if you can't
work for long periods due to illness or
injury)
- State Pension
- additional State Pension (Class 1
NICs only)
- Widowed Parents' Allowance
- Bereavement Allowance
- Bereavement Payment
By Direct.gov.uk
AP
IN AFRICA THIS MONTH
November 2006
7
Obasanjo warns
of “near-genocide”
in Darfur
the three-year-old conflict in Darfur as "genocide" before, but the panAfrican body has always
avoided using the word
to describe the ongoing
violence in the western
Sudanese region. The
term has also been rejected by the Sudanese government.
"We have seen near
genocide before the
intervention of the AU
forces; we should not
allow a full genocide to
develop,"
Obasanjo
repeated later at a joint
news conference with
Ethiopia's
Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi.
"If nothing is done
and AU forces have to
withdraw, we do not
know what can develop
in Darfur," he insisted.
"We have seen near genocide before the intervention of "We should not allow
the AU forces; we should not allow a full genocide to
that."
Nigeria has 2,300
develop. If nothing is done and AU forces have to within Darfur out of
draw, we do not know what can develop in Darfur," he troops
7,200, with Rwanda,
insisted. "We should not allow that."
Gambia, South Africa
and Senegal also contributing peacekeepers.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo
At least 200,000 people
are estimated to have died
Nigerian
President tributing country to the AU's
Olusegun Obasanjo has warned protection force in Darfur - set from fighting, famine and disof the possibility of genocide in out the need for the AU to hand ease, and 2,5 million people
Sudan's Darfur region, and over to the United Nations have fled their homes in Darfur,
called on Sudan's government there, while retaining its since fighting began between
rebels, government forces and
and the international communi- African composition.
ty to act, as African peacekeep"It is not in the interest of pro-government militias in
ers struggle to curb the vio- Sudan nor in the interest of February 2003.
"The great challenge before
lence there. In an address to Africa, nor indeed in the interAfrican and western diplomats est of the world, for us all to us now is how to strengthen
at the headquarters of the stand by, fold our hands and see and sustain [the AU Mission in
African Union (AU) in Addis genocide in Darfur," Obasanjo Sudan] until the transition to a
UN mission with the support
Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, said.
on 10th October, Obasanjo The United States and some and cooperation of the governpresident of the largest con- relief agencies have described ment of Sudan, and while
retaining its African ownership
and character," Obasanjo said.
In August, the UN Security
Council agreed to send 17,000
UN troops and 3,000 police to
Darfur to take over from the
AU mission. But Sudan's government has repeatedly rejected
a transfer to the UN, calling it
an attempt to recolonise Sudan.
In September, the AU decided
to boost its mission to 11,000
troops, but said its plans were
uncertain because of a lack of
funding and transport. "If the
need arises, and if the AU has
to secure more troops, and if
the resources are found,
Nigeria will surely consider
giving more troops to the AU,"
Obasanjo said.
The AU is waiting for a formal response from Sudan on
when a UN support team of 200
staff intended to support it will
be permitted to deploy to the
Darfur region, the AU said on
Tuesday. "We have received
information informally that the
government is willing to facilitate this arrangement, but we
have not seen a formal decision
yet from the government," the
ambassador of the AU's mission to Sudan (AMIS), Sam
Ibok, told IRIN on 10th
October. UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan and AU Peace and
Security Council Chairman,
Alpha Omar Konare, wrote to
Sudan's President Omar al
Bashir in September, appealing
to him to allow the UN to support AMIS with communications equipment, logistics and
transport. In early October,
Sudan agreed. The UN package
includes about 100 military
advisers. "We are very keen on
making sure that they start get-
ting deployed soonest," UN
spokeswoman Rhadia Achouri
told IRIN.
Since a 5 May peace accord
for Darfur - signed by only one
of three rebel negotiating factions - the AU has been able to
do little but monitor and
observe increased violence in
the region, with inter-rebel
clashes and the emergence of a
new rebel alliance.
Obasanjo called on the two
Darfur rebel groups that have
not signed the AU-negotiated
peace deal to sign the pact.
Rebel factions who refused to
sign said it did not meet their
basic demands of political
power-sharing and as much
monetary compensation for
ethnic majority Fur victims of
the war in Darfur, as already
promised to minority Zaghawa
victims.
The AU says Sudan is now
considering raising the amount
of compensation from US $30
million to $100 million. But
Ibok stressed that non-signatories to the deal were still
unlikely to sign unless further
agreements were reached on
security and the disarmament
of government-backed Arab
militias, known as janjawid.
The Darfur conflict began
when rebels attacked Sudanese
government positions, complaining that Darfur remained
undeveloped due to neglect by
the central government. The
government has been blamed
for arming ethnic Arab militias
to crush the rebellion, using a
brutal campaign of arson, rape
and murder.
By IRIN
Sudanese government, eastern rebels sign peace agreement
The Sudanese government and
Eastern Front rebels have signed a peace
agreement designed to end conflict in
the east of the country, officials said.
The agreement, signed on 15th
October in the Eritrean capital, Asmara,
follows several months of talks between
Sudanese officials and representatives
of the Eastern Front. It provides for
power- and resource-sharing between
Sudan's Government of National Unity
and the three eastern Sudan states of
Kassala, Red Sea and Gaderaf.
"What is unusual about this agreement is that both sides had the political
will to resolve the conflict and there was
no pressure from external forces," Ali
Abdu, Eritrea's information minister
told IRIN, adding that his country had
only facilitated the peace process.
"It is an exemplary message to the
world that Africans can solve their prob-
lems without foreigners," he added.
The Eastern Front - an alliance
between two rebel movements, the Beja
Congress and a smaller insurgent group,
the Rashaida Free Lions - has been
active in the remote region near the
Eritrean border. The front said it had
taken up arms against the Sudanese government in a bid to end the marginalisation of the region and to demand greater
autonomy.
The Eastern Front saw the signing of
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
(CPA) between the government and the
southern Sudan People's Liberation
Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in January
2005, to end civil war in southern
Sudan, as a model political arrangement
for its own region.
Under the power-sharing part of the
deal, the Eastern Front will get the post
of one assistant to the president, a pres-
idential adviser and one state minister's
post. The front will also be given eight
parliamentary seats in Khartoum, the
nation's capital, and 10 parliamentary
seats in each of the three eastern states.
"The sharing and the allocation of the
wealth of Sudan shall be based on the
premise that all parts of Sudan are entitled to development and that war-affected areas should be beneficiaries of affirmative action," according to the text of
the agreement.
Many members of the Beja community live in shantytowns on the outskirts
of Port Sudan, having moved there to
work as labourers after famine killed
their cattle and mechanised farming
took over their lands in the 1980s.
Eastern Sudan is strategically important for the country. Significant installations in the area include Port Sudan - the
country's economic lifeline since most
trade passes through it - the oil pipeline,
many irrigated and semi-mechanised
agricultural schemes, and a long border
with Eritrea, with whom Sudan has had
rocky relations for the past 12 years.
Due in part to the region's economic and
strategic significance, as well as the military activities since the mid-1990s, the
government has a heavy security presence there, involving, according to the
International Crisis Group, three times
as many forces as in the war-ravaged
western region of Darfur, where insecurity has escalated since May.
The SPLA, which was allied to some
of the rebel forces in the east before the
signing of the CPA, withdrew its forces
from the east in June, following which
more Sudanese armed forces were
deployed in the area.
By IRIN
8
November 2006
IN AFRICA THIS MONTH
Sierra Leone angered
by FGM asylum in UK
A decision by the British
House of Lords to grant a
teenager asylum because she
feared female circumcision has
been condemned by Sierra
Leone's information minister.
Mr. Septimus Kaikai told
the BBC that Zainab Fornah,
18, had denigrated Sierra
Leone by her claims, because
she wanted to live in the UK.
According to BBC reports,
Female Genital Mutilation
(FGM) is extremely common
in Sierra Leone.
Mr Kaikai said that women
could choose whether or not to
undergo the traditional procedure.
"We believe in the freedom
of people to choose where they
want to live," Mr Kaikai told
the BBC's World Today programme.
"What we are opposed to is
the deliberate and conscious
and premeditated attempt by
individuals to malign and
besmear the reputation, integrity and character of a government and its people."
An Immigration Appeal
Tribunal and the Court of
Appeal initially overturned Ms
Fornah's initial asylum applications but the ruling was overturned by five Law Lords.
The Refugee Convention
says successful asylum seekers
must come from a social group
fearing persecution.
The Law Lords ruled female
members of communities
where FGM was almost universal were such a group.
Baroness Hale of Richmond
said it was a mystery why the
case had reached the House of
Lords as it was so "blindingly
obvious" that asylum laws
applied, BBC reported.
Female circumcision
is
legal and often
performed
before puberty
in Sierra Leone
where up to
90% of women
have faced the
procedure.
FGM sees part
or all of the clitoris surgically
removed, often
resulting
in
reduced or no
sexual feeling.
L o r d
Bingham said:
"The operation,
often
very
crudely
performed, causes
excruciating
pain. Even the
lower classes of
Sierra Leonean
society regard
uninitiated
indigenous women as an abomination fit only for the worst
sort of sexual exploitation."
The UN Refugee Agency's
UK representative, Bemma
Donkoh, told BBC News the
agency had "consistently advocated that the refugee definition, if properly interpreted,
can encompass women who
have been persecuted for gender-related reasons".
"Significantly, all the parties
involved in this case accepted
the fact that female genital
mutilation constitutes a particularly horrendous form of
treatment and a violation of
human rights that amounts to
persecution," she added.
The Law Lords' judgment
would provide "invaluable
guidance on the interpretation
of the refugee definition as set
out in the 1951 Refugee
Convention", Ms Donkoh said.
FAO: New locust
invasion could hit
North and West Africa
The United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) has warned the North
and West Africa to raise its
level of alert against a possible
new invasion of the cropdevouring insects.
Only two years ago the
worst locust infestation hit the
region, UN News Service
reported. FAO said that important desert locust infestations
have recently been detected in
northwest Mauritania, raising
concerns of an upsurge of
swarms there and in Algeria,
Mali, Morocco and Senegal as
well as other countries if
favourable weather and ecological conditions continue.
"Locust adults are now present in areas of recent rainfall
about 150 kilometres northeast
of Nouakchott (the Mauritanian
capital) where they are concentrating in green vegetation,"
FAO added, noting that it cost
affected countries, the international community and the
agency itself more than $400
million to fight the 2004 infestation.
"Surveys are currently in
progress in summer breeding
areas in southern and central
Mauritania, northern Niger and
in the southern parts of
Morocco and Algeria," it said.
FAO's Assistant DirectorGeneral
for
Agriculture
Alexander Müller said the current situation is an opportunity
to field test environmentally
friendly alternatives to conventional pesticides, such as the
use of a natural fungus called
Metarhizium anisopliae, which
causes locusts to stop feeding,
killing them in one to three
weeks.
FAO expects that the current
level of resources in Mauritania
such as pesticides, equipment
and staff will be sufficient to
address the current situation,
but whether external assistance
will be needed depends on how
the situation develops during
the next two months.
AU Ministerial Summit to
deliberate on United States of Africa
The next African Union
Ministerial summit taking
place this month will deliberate
on the proposal for the establishment of the United States of
Africa, AU
Commission
Chairman, Dr. Alpha Oumar
Konaré has said.
Addressing journalists after
meeting
President
Paul
Kagame of Rwanda at State
House in Kiyovu in October,
Mr. Konaré said the issue was
top on the summit's agenda.
"The Ministers will only look
at the strategies ahead of the
formation of United States of
Africa. I believe the process
will take sometime because I
think forming it (US Africa) is
not easy," New Times quoted
Konaré to have said.
The ministers' recommendations, he said, would lay a firm
foundation for the project.
Mr. Konaré, who is a former
president of Mali observed that
"Africa is facing a lot of problems that if we don't join our
efforts, we are likely to continue delaying in development."
The creation of United States
of Africa, he said, would help
spur the continent to development.
Spain signs anti-illegal migration deals with Senegal and Gambia
Spain and Senegal have signed an
agreement as a way of promoting legal
migration of Senegalese to Spain.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel
Angel Moratinos signed the accord during a visit to the Senegalese capital
Dakar in early October.
Mr Moratinos said the deal would
discourage illegal migration and give
Spain the opportunity to recruit a significant number of workers, BBC reported.
Mr Moratinos also signed a co-operation deal that will give Senegal up to
15m euros (£10.3m) of Spanish aid
annually over five years.
"Immigration must be legal and
matched by development aid, technical
assistance and the fight against clandestine immigration," he said.
Mr Moratinos announced that Spain
will open a recruitment office for workers in Senegal.
"We are going to establish a new
mechanism, a kind of window in order
to contract directly and legally
Senegalese who want to work in Spain,"
he said. The Senegalese foreign minister, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, said he
hoped the two countries would establish
a satisfactory mechanism of cooperation.
"If we give young people a chance...
to present papers to migrate legally to
Spain... that could discourage those who
fall prey to smugglers and traffickers,"
he said.
Spain also signed an agreement with
the Gambia and promised to give the
country 5 million Euros.
Mr Moratinos revealed that the aid is
to finance micro-enterprise and microprojects geared towards encouraging
Gambian youths to stay put in The
Gambia, and not risk their lives in perilous endeavours to travel to Spain via
the Canary Islands.
Mr Moratinos said the Spanish government would give economic and
development assistance, as well as technical assistance-training for Gambian
Security personnel to help build their
capacity to control the illegal immigration problem, thepoint.gm reported. The
two West African countries will help
repatriate their nationals who have
entered Spain illegally.
IN AFRICA THIS MONTH
November 2006
9
Liberia has been awarded
two grants, totaling close to
$500,000, to formulate an anticorruption strategy, professionalize the legislature and
encourage more youth participation in the political process.
"Democracy requires that all
of the public be outraged when
there are examples of corruption; the public must have the
ability to engage in the processes that put a check on issues of
corruption," said the UN
Deputy Special Representative
of the Secretary-General for
Recovery and Governance,
Jordan Ryan, in the Liberian
capital at the signing ceremony
in October.
The grants were awarded by
the UN Democracy Fund
(UNDEF), a new financing
mechanism, established last
year and supported by Member
States contributions, to promote democracy and human
rights.
"Participation in the activities of UNDEF is a badge of
achievement and signifies a
high level of commitment to
democratic values," the UN
Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
added in a statement. "Liberia
should be proud to have been
awarded" the two grants, said
Mr. Ryan.
The anti-corruption grant -
AP
Liberia receives grants to fight
corruption, strengthen legislature
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
worth $360,000 - is being
directed to the country's
Governance
Reform
Commission (GRC) which is
charged with setting up a
"national integrity framework"
to promote transparency,
accountability and the rule of
law, with the aim of substantially minimising or eliminating corruption.
The other, funded at
$120,000 over two years, is a
legislative study grant aimed at
strengthening the professionalism of the legislature and
encouraging the participation
of youth in the democratic
process.
"These grants demonstrate
that peacekeeping is not only
about ensuring security or
silencing the guns but
also about sustaining
peace," said Edwin
Snowe, the House of
Representatives speaker,
expressing his appreciation for the UN's continued efforts to rebuild the
country. "By empowering our young Liberians,
the UN is not only setting
the pace for lasting peace
but also ensuring that we
can all live together and
develop our nation as one
people."
Liberia is recovering
from a brutal 14-year
civil war that ended after
claiming 150,000 lives.
UNMIL, which was set
up in 2003 to secure a
ceasefire and support a
subsequent
peace
process, has more than
14,800 military and
police personnel. The
Security Council recently
extended its mandate
until the end of September
2007.
UNMIL played a critical
role in supporting and overseeing last year's elections which
selected a new Senate and
House of Representatives and
also elected Ellen JohnsonSirleaf, the first elected female
head of state in Africa.
Alan Doss, the lead UN official in Liberia, recently said the
UN's work in Liberia is "not yet
done," while noting the continuing threat of cross-border
arms trafficking and mercenaries.
"The UN Security Council
has just extended our mandate
because it knows that Liberia
still needs UN help to deal with
the many challenges that lie
ahead as the country begins to
rebuild itself," he said earlier in
early October.
Meanwhile Liberians have
been urged to work closely
with the UN mission to prevent
any recruitment of mercenaries
or arms trafficking over its borders.
Alan Doss, the Head of the
UN Mission in Liberia
(UNMIL) said "We should
remain alert and ready to deal
with any troubles that may
come from across the border."
He said UNMIL needs particular help from Liberians living
close to the borders.
He also assured Liberia that
the UN system remains committed to helping the country
deal with any problems that
emerge from across its borders
and work on consolidating
peace after a brutal 14-year
civil war that ended in 2003.
Oxfam International has revealed
that bullets manufactured in Greece,
China, Russia and the USA have been
found in the hands of rebel groups in the
Ituri District of eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC), which is
under a UN arms embargo.
Oxfam said the research from the
Control Arms Campaign underscores
the urgent need for an Arms Trade
Treaty to stem the flood of arms into
conflict zones.
This is believed to be the first time
that US and Greek bullets have been
recovered from rebel groups in eastern
DRC, highlighting the global sources of
the arms fuelling fighting in the region.
The research which was conducted in
September 2006 reveals the origins of a
sample of arms and ammunition recovered from rebel groups since the imposition of the UN arms embargo in 2003.
Small arms made in Russia, China,
Serbia and South Africa were also
found.
The Campaign believes it is very
unlikely that these weapons and bullets
were sold directly to rebels in the DRC,
which would be a breach of the UN
arms embargo. It is more likely that they
entered the Ituri District from neighbouring countries, illustrating the need
for an Arms Trade Treaty to establish
global standards for arms sales based on
international law.
"This is just one example of how lax
arms controls fuel conflict and suffering
worldwide. UN arms embargoes are like
dams against tidal waves; alone they
can't stop weapons flooding in. Only a
tough global Arms Trade Treaty could
stem the flow of arms to the world's war
zones," said Jeremy Hobbs, Director of
Oxfam International.
"Rebel groups in the Eastern DRC
have an appalling track record of rape,
torture and killing of civilians as well as
a history of using children as soldiers.
That bullets from so many countries
have fuelled these abuses is yet another
indication that an Arms Trade Treaty
must become a reality," said Irene Khan,
Secretary General of Amnesty
International.
An estimated 3.9 million people have
been killed as a result of conflict in the
DRC since 1998. Fighting continues in
eastern DRC despite a peace deal in
2002, fuelled by weapons and ammunition from around the world. Exactly
how the arms identified by researchers
found their way to rebels in the Ituri
District is not known, but they included:
Sniper rifle bullets manufactured by the
UN
DR Congo rebels have bullets
from Greece, China, Russia & USA
Federal Cartridge Company in the USA;
Rifle bullets manufactured by the
Pyrkal Greek Powder & Cartridge
Company in the late 1980s; An R4
assault rifle manufactured in South
Africa; Chinese assault rifles, and a
Serbian pistol, which were all damaged,
suggesting that they had been buried or
stored in wet conditions.
According to Oxfam, 50 to 60 per
cent of weapons used in the DRC are
believed to be AK-47s. "With 1000 people dying every day from gun violence,
governments can no longer ignore this
horror story that repeats itself from
Congo to Colombia to Iraq. It is time for
an Arms Trade Treaty to stop these
weapons from falling into the wrong
hands," said Charles Nasibu, Congolese
small arms researcher, activist and
member of IANSA.
10
November 2006
IN AFRICA THIS MONTH
“It will be politically unwise for
Annan to become Ghana's president”
A recent survey
carried out by a private polling institute
suggests that Annan
would gain more
than thirty per cent of
the total votes if he
agrees to take a shot
at the presidency.
According AntwiDanso, Mr. Annan's
international experience will not necessarily make him successful in Ghanaian
politics.
"I strongly suspect
that, being a successful UN Secretary
General does not
translate into being a
successful president
of a country. You
need to really know
your country. And I
know Kofi Annan
knows Ghana, but
you need to be part of
the stakeholders. You
need to be part of the
making of the history
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
of politics in Ghana,"
just flop and fail."
he said.
Commenting on the survey indicatMr. Antwi-Danso said that since Mr.
Annan has not been involved in ing that Mr. Annan may get thirty per
Ghanaian politics and therefore doesn't cent of the total votes, Mr. Antwi-Danso
know the terrain very well and know said that may not make him successful.
how to play Ghanaian politics, "he may "He is not going to be a successful pres-
ident because of the
nature of Ghanaian politics: because of the
stakes, because of the
type of politics we are
playing, because of the
NPP (New Patriotic
Party) - NDC (National
Democratic Congress)
dichotomy, and because
of a whole lot of things
that have gone on. I'm
saying this is not the
right time for such a
highly esteemed person
to delve into the murky
waters of Ghanaian politics," he noted.
Mr. Annan who is
soon retiring as UN
boss has not yet disclosed his plans for the
future.
Meanwhile Ghana's
Finance and Economic
Planning Minister, Mr.
Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu
has debunked speculations that he would
contest for the NPP
presidency race. He
told The Sun that he
has "no ambition to contest the presidential race, it is not on my agenda."
Mr. Kwadwo said he would have
made it clear that he would run but since
it is not on his agenda, "I think it is better not to draw me into the race."
UN
It would be unwise for the outgoing
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to
become the President of Ghana, says a
lecturer on international relations at the
University of Ghana Legon.
Talking to the Voice of America
(VOA) on a campaign that has begun in
Ghana to make Mr. Annan an independent presidential candidate for the country's 2008 general elections, Mr.
Vladimir Antwi-Danso said "It will be
politically unwise for him, I don't think
the time is right, I do not think it is in his
favour to come all the way from a high
position of the highest international
civil servant to become the President of
Ghana. And I gave reasons; I gave the
example of Pérez de Cuéllar. I also reiterated that he has not shown that indication that he himself wants to be
(President). Secondly he has not got
classmates in the political terrain of
Ghana right now. It would be suicidal
for him to come home and disgrace himself. So I just felt it is politically unwise
for him to quickly go into the straight
jacket of becoming the President of
Ghana soon after becoming that very,
very successful Secretary General of the
United Nations. If anything, he should
come, study the terrain, be a statesman,
an advisor. You know, people will just
rush to him for his wisdom, rather than
rushing in to become the President. And
if after being the statesman and endearing himself with the people of Ghana,
then he may be asked for the mandate to
become the President of Ghana."
Promote participation of women in Botswana denies 33%
politics, political parties in Africa told Aids prevalence rate
Political parties in Africa
have been urged to urgently
address the "gender agenda".
Namibia's Deputy Prime
Minister Dr Libertina Amathila
appreciated what some African
countries have achieved in
advancing the role of women in
politics, New Era reported.
She said there was need of
reforming electoral systems
and introducing special measures such as women quotas so
as to promote the participation
of women in political leadership and decision-making
processes.
Ms Amathila said women
continue to face socio-cultural,
economic and political obstacles to effective participation in
politics. "When a man decides
to go into politics all he does is
to simply tell his wife, but for a
woman to think of going into
politics she first and foremost
asks her husband for permission," she noted. She also
observed that the traditional
role assigned to women does
not make it possible for them to
easily join politics.
She said the double burden
of being a mother attending to
the basic needs of her family
and being a politician, is over-
countries that provide
state funding for political parties represented
in parliament.
"We believe that
unless we make money
available to our political parties, we shall not
have a solid democracy," she said.
According to New
Era reports, the funds
are allocated to political parties in proportion to the number of
seats they hold in parliament and are meant
to assist parties to run
their offices, develop
policies and conduct
outreach programmes
election
Namibia's Deputy Prime Minister including
campaigns.
Dr Libertina Amathila
"If we do not give
our parties the money
bearing.
She also observed that they need to function effectivewomen lacked education and ly in between elections, and to
training to enable them become mount effective campaigns
effective career politicians. during elections, they may be
"Furthermore, politics is a tempted to solicit illicit money.
game of which the rules have This [illicit] money could come
already been defined by men, with conditionalities that may
to the extent that women feel be repugnant to our sovereignand
independence,"
this is not their game," she said. ty
She praised Namibia for Amathila worried.
being one of the few African
Botswana President Festus
Mogae has denied reports that
the overall HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Botswana is 33
percent reported by the
UNAIDS organization and said
the exact figure is about 17.1
percent, Mmegi/The Reporter
reported.
"The figures used by the UN
were based on sample surveys
on expectant women, who were
not adequately representative,"
Mogae said. "And the correct
national prevalence rate is
about 17.1 per cent."
"There are age cohorts
where the prevalence is much
higher, almost double the
national rate ... and as you see
at the bottom, in the 15 to 24
age cohort, the prevalence rate
is about 10 percent," he said.
"That's how we have 17 per
cent." Mogae acknowledged
that Botswana was "seriously
affected by HIV/ AIDS" and
the country "has had to take
special measures to fight the
pandemic." The president
acknowledged that "on the
whole, the problem remains
very, very big." According to
Mogae, roughly over 75,000
people in Botswana have registered as HIV positive, and over
68,000 of them are on the free
Botswana President Festus
Mogae
anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy.
"This means that substantial
resources have been diverted
away from development projects and developing programs
into curative services to fight
HIV. And the administrative
and management capacity has
also been diverted away from
development programs to managing the ARV program," said
Mogae.
IN GHANA THIS MONTH
November 2006
11
Kufour: "We must believe in ourselves and move ahead"
Government committed to improve
living conditions of Ghanaians
Ghana and Italy have had very
good relations over the past decade
and relations between the two countries
have now been lifted to a higher level,
President John Agyekum Kufour has
said.
President Kufour who was in Italy for
a three day State visit in October said he
was happy to be invited by the Italian
government to visit the country to meet
the new President of the Republic of
Italy Giorgio Napolitano and Premier
Romano Prodi.
President Kufour appreciated the
support Italy has been giving Ghana
and thanked the country for having
cancelled 42 million dollars of Ghana's
debt.
President Kufour caused laughter
when he said Ghana played very well but
lost to Italy during the last World Cup in
Germany not because Italy played better
than Ghana, but simply because Ghana
was playing for the first time in World
Cup and therefore suffered the new
comer's fear.
He told Italian team to prepare to meet
Ghana in South Africa where he hinted
different results should be expected.
President Kufour assured Ghanaians
in Italy that their government has been
working well to improve living conditions of people back home.
"Our partner nations are saying Ghana
has put herself back on the right track,"
he said. He said the government was
serious to improve on roads and build
modern schools throughout the country.
The government, he said, would like
to ensure that all Ghanaian children
have access to quality education. He
also affirmed that the government has
launched the free education policy.
The Government of Ghana, Mr.
Kufour observed, has launched the
National Health Insurance Scheme to
enable Ghanaians have access to free
medical care. He said that at the moment
only 25% of Ghanaians have registered
with the scheme.
Outlining what he termed "the
strongest points" of his government, Mr.
Kufour said no one in
Ghana can complain
that the Government
has confiscated his/
her property without due process. He
said there is no more
detention without
trial in the country
and that "people are
now free to express
themselves without
fear."
He appealed to
all Ghanaians to be
involved in the fight
against corruption.
President
Kufour
said those bribing
officials in order to
receive fast service
are also corrupt and
promoting corruption. "Don't promote
corruption, report
corrupt officials," he
said. He also appealed
to Ghanaians abroad
to help the country with know how,
investment in waste
management.
Mr. Kufuor said
his government has
since the beginning President John Agyekum Kufour of Ghana and President of the Republic of Italy Giorgio
Napolitano
promoted the policy
of good neighbourKufuor for the good performance of his
hood. He said Ghana has been living the country pay taxes.
The Government of Ghana was asked government.
harmoniously with all her neighbours.
President Kufuor thanked President
"We believe we are on the right track," by Ghanaian in Italy to ensure that
all foreigners in Ghana were properly Napolitano for the support Ghana has
he said.
He said the news about the country documented and issued Permits of Stay, been receiving from Italy. President
is good. "Rest assured your Ghana is which was suggested to be one of the Kufuor also called on the Speaker of the
doing well," he said. Mr. Kufuor said ways of collecting revenue from for- Italian Senate, Senator Franco Marini
at the Guistiniani Palace and Fausto
the world is saying Ghana is doing well, eigners.
Bertinotti, Speaker of the House of
During
his
visit,
President
Kufuor
and urged Ghanaians to believe in that.
"We must believe in ourselves and move and his entourage were received at the Deputies at the Montecitorio Palace.
Quininale Palace, the Italian Presidential A state Banquet was held in honour
ahead," he said.
President Kufour admitted that the complex by the President of Italy, Mr. of President Kufuor by President
country has not yet succeeded to collect Giorgio Napolitano with full military Napolitano.
enough taxes, revealing that slightly honours after which the two Presidents
By Stephen Ogongo
over five hundred thousand people in proceeded to hold bilateral talks.
President Napolitano praised President
Annan: Government not serious with fight against corruption
A National Democratic Congress
(NDC) presidential aspirant has accused
the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of
fanning rather than fighting the canker
of corruption in the country.
Mr. Edward Annan told The Chronicle
that NPP lacks commitment to fight corruption, which he finds very detrimental
to the nation's development efforts.
"If you are asking me about my view
on the fight against corruption by this
government, all I can tell you is that the
NPP government is not fighting corruption, but fanning it," he said.
Mr. Annan who is Chief Executive
Officer of Masai Group said he finds
the Office of Accountability, one of the
institutions created by President John
Agyekum Kufuor to deal with the problem of corruption, a mere structure put
in place by the President "just for the
sake of creating a structure to create the
"If you are asking me about
my view on the fight against
corruption by this government, all I can tell you is that
the NPP government is not
fighting corruption, but fanning it"
Mr. Edward Annan, National
Democratic Congress (NDC)
presidential aspirant
impression that there are efforts to fight
corruption".
Mr. Annan holds that ex-President
Jerry John Rawlings clearly demon-
strated that he was not prepared to countenance any acts of corruption within his
government.
"Mr. Rawlings made his commitment
very clear and so demonstrable to the
extent that Ministers could not even put
on expensive things for fear of being
queried about the source for the acquisition of such expensive items," he said.
Mr. Annan plans to fight corruption
by creating enough jobs for the majority
of the employed.
He also blamed the NPP for failing to
take advantage of tone for the nation's
development set by NDC.
"The NPP got the opportunity to
build upon the appropriate infrastructure that had been laid by the NDC, but
have unfortunately have failed to put
in place the necessary policies to make
what is necessary for development of
the nation possible," he stressed.
Mr. Annan promised to donate his
salary to charity if he became the president of the nation.
12
November 2006
IN NIGERIA THIS MONTH
Gunning for the VP's aides
Nigeria’s Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar
Garba Shehu, who is a career
Journalist and one of the Atiku's staff
relieved of his appointment in the wake
of the massive sack of the VP's staff,
was detained by the State Security
Service (SSS) and later arraigned by the
OBJ/Atiku peace talk fails
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai
Attempt to settle the rift
between President Obasanjo
and his Vice, Atiku Abubakar
has failed. Rather, it has led to
another round of verbal warfare with the Atiku camp
describing the Minister of
Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as
being economical with the
truth.
El - Rufai had revealed that
the Atiku's
camp
had
approached some people to
help plead with the President to
find a way to mitigate further
damage to his office and name.
A meeting he said was
arranged to this effect with the
Federal Government before an Abuja
High Court. At the sitting of the Court,
Shehu was charged on a three count
charge of obtaining documents without
authorization from the government
thereby breaking the official secrets
Attorney General Mr. Bayo
Ojo, Minister of Information,
Frank Nweke Jnr, Minister of
Culture and Tourism, Chief
Femi Fani Kayode and ElRufai
representing
the
Presidency. On the side of the
Vice-President, he nominated
Chief Yomi Edu, Dr. Usman
Bugaje, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim
and A.B. Mohammed to represent him.
The purpose of the meeting
according to EL-Rufai was to
review the unfolding political
situation which led to the faceoff between the President and
his Vice and find ways of
resolving the imbroglio without interfering with the legal
process which they all agreed
will continue until completed.
The peace talk was however
aborted as the Atiku camp has
continued to deny initiating
any peace talk even as there are
fresh reports in the media that
the Vice-President, Atiku
Abubakar plans to release in
the coming weeks 20 more
cheques which he says implicate President Obasanjo in the
alleged misappropriation of the
Petroleum
Technology
Development Fund (PTDF).
acts. He was later admitted to bail with
some stringent conditions which he was
asked to meet before he could regain his
freedom while Justice Binta Nyako
directed that Shehu should also surrender his travelling documents and inter-
national passport to the Court Registrar.
Like Garba Shehu, other aides of the
VP have also suffered similar fate since
the feud between the President and his
Vice began. The VP's aide - de - camp,
Abdul Yari Shuyan Lafia, was removed
by the police authorities for what it
termed unfavourable security reports
which included funding and participation in operations of the Turaki
Vanguard, a group set up to actualize
Atiku' s Presidential ambition in 2007.
Yari was later arrested by the SSS on the
orders of President Obasanjo for security breaches. This was aside from his
arraignment with seven other members
of the Atiku's Turaki Vanguard for
belonging to an illegal organization.
Other aides who have been removed
from the VP's office in the wake of the
massive sack of the VP's aides since
2003 include General Jafaru Isa, Dr.
Adeola Akande, Professor Sam
Oyoivbare, Chris Mamah, Shime Ayatu
not excluding Garba Shehu.
Most recently, a security service
operative attached to the VP, Mr. Victor
Okonkwo was shot dead by the police in
Keffi, Nassarawa State in the most mysterious circumstance. Commenting on
his trial, Garba Shehu said his arrest was
aimed at Vice-President Atiku Abubakar
describing himself as "too insignificant
to the big events that are unfolding in
the life of our country everyday"
The British High Commissioner in
Nigeria, Mr. Richard Gozney has however decried the arrest of politician's
aides describing their intimidation as
unnecessary.
By Stephen Oladipupo.
Africa News Correspondent,
Abuja - Nigeria
Tel: + 234 8055240516.
Stevliz01@yahoo.co.uk
campus_writers@yahoo.com
Soyinka: Nigeria in grave danger
Nobel Laureate,
Professor
Wole
Soyinka has warned
“If you people don't
that Nigeria is in
watch out, you will find
"grave danger."
The
Vanguard that you have a set back
quoted him to have for 50 years in terms of
said that "if you peodemocratic struggles.
ple don't watch out, This is one of the worst
you will find that you periods in our existence
have a set back for 50
in the struggle for
years in terms of dem- democracy. The courts
ocratic struggles. This
have been disobeyed.
is one of the worst
The constitution subperiods in our exisverted.”
tence in the struggle
for democracy. The
courts have been disProfessor Wole
obeyed. The constituSoyinka
tion
subverted.
Nobody says people
shouldn't go after
democracy
is
criminals, thieves and corrupt being fouled up in a way that it
people. We all agree on this. is of enormous danger to future
But if the methodology flouts generations."
the constitution of the land or
Prof. Soyinka who spoke to
the law or the methods being reporters at the maiden Benin
used, then we are in grave dan- Bronze Exhibition, in Benin,
ger.
Edo State said his heart bled
He warned that "What is each time he beheld art treasused against the felons today ures stolen from Benin and
will be used against the inno- other parts of Nigeria being
cent tomorrow. All I want to exhibited in private museums
say right now about the situa- in Europe and America.
tion in the country is that
"Each time I travel and see
AP
Like a recurring decimal, the arrest
and subsequent trial of Garba Shehu,
media consultant to the Vice-President,
Atiku Abubakar was not a surprise to
many. As the arrowhead of the Vice President media campaign, Garba
Shehu had engaged the Presidency in a
war of wits over the later allegations of
corruptions against his boss.
But for daring to raise questions
about the moral and legal justifications
of the Administrative panel and the
Economic and Financial crimes
Commissions, (EFCC) reports which
indicted his boss, it was only a matter of
time for the VP's media manager to
incur the wrath of the power that be.
Since President Olusegun Obasanjo
sent two reports which indicted the VP
to the National Assembly, the VP for
crying out loud has repeatedly spoken
through his media consultant, Garba
Shehu, stating his own side of the story.
This has led to the trading of accusations between the camp of the President
and that of the Vice-President with most
of the press releases from the VP's camp
issued and signed by Garba Shehu.
Indeed, the Atiku Abubakar camp
had on a particular instance gone to the
press with details of expenditure backed
by receipts against the presidency. This
was apart from the shocking revelation
that the marine float account for which
the VP was indicted jointly belonged to
the President and the Vice-president.
The insinuations in such a big allegation against the President has kept the
presidency on the defensive with the VP
camp alleging constant harassment and
intimidation which began with the
President's strange stop over at the VP's
media office. This strange stop over was
later to serve as a prelude to the arrest of
Garba Shehu from the VP's campaign
office at Utako District, Jabi, Abuja.
AP
More aides of the VicePresident, Atiku Abubakar continue to face arrest and trial on
account of the feud between the
President and his Vice.
the heritage of this nation being
displayed in the galleries of
other nations and private museums in Europe and America,
my heart bleeds. You will be
astonished at our treasures held
in private museums," he said.
Prof Soyinka called for a
progressive research into the
number of Nigerian bronze
works outside the shores of the
country, and the payment of
reparation for the stolen artefacts.
I’M SENDING
© 2006 WESTERN UNION HOLDINGS, INC. All rights reserved.
A GOOD
START
Fast, reliable, worldwide money transfer.
14
November 2006
IN NIGERIA THIS MONTH
FG declares state of emergency in Ekiti
Following the impeachment
of the Governor of Ekiti State,
Ayo Fayose and his Deputy,
chief Biodun Oluyinmi by the
State House of Assembly
through
a
controversial
impeachment process and the
attendant tussle for control of
the State between the House of
Assembly Speaker, Mr. Friday
Aderemi and the embattled
Deputy Governor, the Federal
Government has declared a
State of Emergency in the
State.
The State House of
Assembly had served Governor
Fayose and his Deputy notices
of impeachment for alleged
involvement in gross misconduct and abuse of office. But a
seven member panel inaugurated by the Chief Judge of the
State, Justice Kayode Bamisile
had cleared the Governor and
of the panel
while it suspended
the
chief
Judge,
Justice Kayode
Bamisile and
appointed
Justice
Jide
Alade Jana as
the acting chief
Judge.
The
new
Chief Judge in
turn inaugurated
another
impeachment
panel headed
by
Mr.
Emmanuel
Mr. Ayo Fayose
Bamidele
Omotoso which
his deputy of any wrong doing. found Fayose and his Deputy
In a dramatic twist of event, guilty of misconduct before
the State House of Assembly they
were
subsequently
had disagreed with the outcome impeached by the State House
of Assembly following the
panel's report.
But President Olusegun
Obasanjo in a nationwide
broadcast decried the impeachment process and the medley of
event in the State that led to the
struggle for control between
the Speaker of the House of
Assembly, Mr. Friday Aderemi
who was sworn in as the Acting
Governor and the impeached
Deputy Governor as illegal and
unconstitutional.
The President noted that the
impeachment process was void
abnitio because it was based on
a grave violation of the 1999
Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria which
should not be allowed to stand.
He said the Assembly flouted
the Constitution and did not
follow the process of impeachment stated in the Constitution.
According to the President,
"the speaker of the Ekiti State
House of Assembly instigated
serial unconstitutionality for
him to be the beneficiary"
The President said the
Federal Government will not
fold its arms and watch such
fragrant violation of the
Constitution that could lead to
the breakdown of law and order
in the State and therefore
declared a state of Emergency
and suspended all structures of
government at State level and
the State of Assembly.
An administrator, retired
General Adetunji Olurin was
therefore appointed to run the
State for six months on the first
instance.
By Stephen Oladipupo
Nigeria 3rd highest infested country with HIV/AIDS
Nigeria is the third country in the
world with the highest number of people living with the dreaded diseases,
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
and the Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS).
South Africa leads followed by India.
This has been revealed by the Country
Director of the United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS),
Mr. Pierre M'Pele, This Day reported.
He said "Nigeria is the third most
infested state in the world after South
Africa and India. There are over four
million
Nigerians
living
with
HIV/AIDS and in 2005, over 300,000
Nigerians died of HIV/AIDS related illnesses. In Nigeria, there are over one
million orphans whose parents died due
to HIV/AIDS scourge."
Mr. M'Pele said the biggest challenge
before this generation is the HIV/AIDS
scourge. He added that the UN System
was working together to provide care
and support as well as reduce the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV/AIDS, and alleviating the
impact of the epidemic. "The overarching goal of UNAIDS in Nigeria is to
support the country to achieve the
Millennium Development Goal
number six on HIV/AIDS", he said.
Mr. M'Pele who speaking during
a ceremony to mark the UN week
warned that Nigeria and other
President Olusegun Obasanjo has pro- African countries would be left
posed a budget of N2.3 trillion to the behind in regards to achieving the
National Assembly for appropriation. The Millennium Development Goals
budget is based on N1.8 trillion estimated (MDGs), unless stakeholders and
revenue of the Federal Government, made up government work together seriousof N1.7 trillion share of the Federation ly to meet the goals.
The Resident Coordinator of the
Account and N100 billion of independent
United Nations in Nigeria, Mr.
revenue.
The total revenue accruable to the Alberic Kacou, stated that the
Federation Account is projected at N4.3 tril- theme for the UN week which was
lion with oil revenue accounting for N3.2 tril- to "Make Poverty History: Achieve
lion. The proposed expenditure figure of the Millennium Development
N2.3 trillion represents 21 percent increase Goals in Nigeria" was informed by
over the N1.9 trillion approved by the 2006 both global and national issues.
Nigerian Government to
spend n2.3 trillion in 2007
Nigeria lost $300 billion to corruption
About $300 billion oil wealth has been
stolen from Nigeria in the last four decades,
says the World Bank President, Mr. Paul
Wolfowitz. The World Bank President who
stated this at the opening ceremony of the
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
(EITI) in Oslo, Norway, said that about 75
percent of the people in Nigeria now live on
less than one Dollar per day, adding that about
300 million Africans live below poverty line
as at today.
He decried this situation lamenting that the
Continent has seen about $500 billion oil
wealth that has not helped the people. With
specific reference to Nigeria, Wolfowitz said,
"yet over the past 40 years, about $300 billion
oil wealth has disappeared from the country.
By Stephen Oladipupo
He said "In truth, some
progress has been made,
but
not
significant
enough to arrest poverty's
relentless advance. The
worst hit continent is subSahara Africa, where
most countries are unlikely to meet the 2015 target
if present trend continues."
According to Mr.
Kacou, Africa cannot
meet the MDGs without
Nigeria. "The reason for
this is simple. One,
Nigeria is Africa's most
populous country, with at
least one in five Africans
being Nigerian. Two,
54.4 percent of Nigerians
living in poverty represents a staggering
figure not only for the country, but also
for the continent", he said.
While expressing UN's appreciation
for the efforts being made by the
Nigerian government to reduce poverty
and achieve the MDGs, he also cautioned that the reforms have to be sustained.
"These reforms have to be sustained
and a lot more still need to be done,
especially in placing the MDGs at the
heart of NEEDS II, continuing to
emphasise and strengthen fiscal responsibility, building the capacity of governments across board to invest wisely for
development, and strengthening institutions for the delivery of essential health,
education and other social services", he
noted.
He added that "We have just eight
years left (to meet the MDGs) and it is a
challenge for all to ensure we meet the
goals before 2015. I think we need to be
serious and work together in order to
achieve these goals to reduce poverty."
Corruption in Presidency stalls Nigeria's economic growth
High level of corruption in the
presidency is slowing down Nigeria's
economic growth, the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
(ICAN) has said.
ICAN also said the high level of
corruption has led to the feud between
the president and his deputy, Daily
Trust reported. In a communiqué
issued at the end of the institute's 36th
annual accountants' conference in mid
October, ICAN said "Recently happenings at the high level of the
nation's leadership depict a high level
of corruption which, to say the least,
is negatively affecting the image of
the country and its economic growth."
ICAN also appealed for the contin-
uation of the fight against corruption
in the country as a way of sanitizing
the system, and for equitable redistribution of resources through the provision of basic amenities especially education. "This is because inequality in
education creates a poverty dynasty
which is a raw material for criminal
tendencies and vices," ICAN said.
The Nigerian educational curriculum from the secondary school level
should be expanded to include courses in the development of entrepreneurship and leadership with a view to
combating the problems of unemployment and poverty alleviation more
effectively.
"Tere is need for sustenance of the
current drive towards the provision of
infrastructure to enhance rapid industrialisation. In addition give attention
to human capital development with
good incentive structure," it said.
ICAN also urged the National
Assembly to ensure that the Police get
the necessary funding to enable it
combat the rising spate of insecurity
in the country. "For economic development to flourish, the symbiotic relationship between security, the rule of
law and welfare of the civil society
must be strengthened. In addition, the
national Assembly should address the
specific need for increased police
funding in order to combat the rising
state of insecurity in the country."
AFRICANS IN EUROPE
November 2006
15
Presidential hopeful Raila Odinga meets Kenyans in the UK
“Kenyans abroad are big
contributors to our economy”
98.7% Luos voted for Kibaki while 62% Kikuyus voted for him
Left: Princess Jane Mpologoma of Buganda welcoming Hon. Raila: Right: A large number of people where eager to met him
Kenyans in London recently hosted a
lecture by Hon. Raila Odinga the MP for
Langata and presidential candidate of
the Orange Democratic Movement
(ODM). The meting held at The School
of Oriental and African Studies,
University of London, was attended by
more than 400 people. Upon arrival at
the venue, Hon. Raila was met by Mr.
Solomon Mugera a senior producer with
BBC World Service and Mr. Phillip
Aliker, a Tanzanian who co-ordinated
the lecture. After a 40 minutes lecture
about Kenyan politics by Hon. Raila,
there was question time. During his
speech, the Langata MP explained that
corruption started way back from
Kenyatta's time and what President
Moi's regime did was just to perfect it.
He also talked of the long road to
multi-party system in Kenya which he
has been part of. Hon. Raila observed
that the presidential race in Kenya is
like a tribal race where tribes compete
against each other. They come up with
“Yes, the NARC government has
done some good work and we had
5% economical growth. This is not
good enough as there are some
other countries who are registering
14% growth. The services growth
has been registered because of
money laundering, people who hide
money abroad are bringing the
money back because they think the
country is now safe. Drug money is
also another issue. That is why
there's a property boom in Kenya.
Nevertheless, the truth of the matter
is that the life of the common man is
worse than before.”
Opposition leader Raila Odinga
cheap politics of tribes and other useless
agendas like who is circumcised or not.
At this junction he caused a big laughter
when he mentioned that most of the
people who complain about who is circumcised or not are men and he wondered why men complain as it is the
women who should be complaining of
such issues.
"Many things have gone wrong in
Kenya, the agreement we had in the
National Rainbow Coalition (NARC)
has not yet been honoured and that is
why I had to leave NARC. NARC was
formed by a group of desperate people
hungry for power. ODM has now taken
over the NARC promises," Raila
explained. "We have been fighting for
the minimum constitutional reforms in
order to level the grounds for the 2007
elections. Some of the minimum
reforms include the right to vote while
abroad. This is because Kenyans abroad
are big contributors to our economy.
Last year Kenya received KShs 58 million sent by Kenyans abroad. This
amounts to the biggest source of foreign
currency coming into the country.
Kenyans abroad should not be ignored."
he continued. "Dual citizenship is
another, funding of political parties by
the government and independence of
parliament," Raila concluded.
During questions time, Hon. Raila
intelligently answered questions from
the congregation. Here are some of the
questions asked and how Hon. Raila
answered:
Question: You were not given the
post of the Prime Minister and you as a
tribal leader have decided to form
ODM to meet your requirements, what
do you have to say about this?
Raila: First of all there was no
change of constitution and hence there
was not post of a prime minister - it is
some MPs and other people who sug-
gested about me being a prime minister
but the constitution could not allow.
Talking about Raila being tribal is not
true. It is me Raila who said KIBAKI
TOSHA (Kibaki is capable). I convinced my fellow tribe to vote for
Kibaki as he was the man to deliver.
98.7 of Luos voted for Kibaki while
only 62 per cent of Kikuyus voted for
Kibaki. How can I be accused of being
tribal while I convinced my people to
vote for another tribe? It is me Raila
who said KIBAKI TOSHA and it is me
Raila now saying KIBAKI TOKA
(Kibaki leave).
Question: Haven't you seen the
good work that the NARC government
have done in Kenya?
Raila: Yes, the NARC government
has done some good work and we had
5% economical growth. This is not good
enough as there are some other countries who are registering 14% growth.
The services growth has been registered
because of money laundering, people
who hide money abroad are bringing the
money back because they think the
country is now safe. Drug money is also
another issue. That is why there's a
property boom in Kenya. Nevertheless,
the truth of the matter is that the life of
the common man is worse than before.
Question: You have now formed
ODM. According to history you have
been moving from one party to another, how can we trust you while keeping
on moving from one party to another?
Raila: In Kenyan politics, moving
from one party to another is the order of
the day. As a politician you have to
move to where it fits you. If you look at
the records, most politicians in Kenya
have moved from one party to another.
President Kibaki was the vice chairman
of Kanu for more than ten years. Njenga
Karume was in Kanu throughout before
joining the DP.
Question: Why do you think you are
the best candidate in the presidential
race in 2007? Why do you let President
Kibaki continue with his administration to finish what he has started?
Raila: I am not forcing my way in. If
the Kenyan public vote Kibaki back to
power in 2007, I have no problem with
that. It is the public who must demand
change. We in ODM are 100 per cent
sure that if the elections are called today,
we would get between 65-70 per cent of
the votes.
Question: What can be done with
African countries to shun away tribalism?
Raila: The question of tribalism has
to do with the leaders. The leaders are
the ones who fuel the issue to benefit
themselves. When the late president of
Tanzania Julius Nyerere came to power
in Tanzania, he preached about unity
among the tribes and spearheaded for
one language. Today if you go Tanzania
and you ask a Tanzanian - 'which tribe
are you?' they will know automatically
that you are from Kenya.
During his visit to the UK, Hon.
Raila addressed the Labour Party
Conference, and met with businessmen
and friends. He also visited Arch Bishop
Deya at his offices in South London. At
the offices of Arch Bishop Deya, Hon.
Raila was met by Simon Hugh,
President of Liberal Democratic UK and
a representative of Lord Steel, Pastor
Joseph Odima, Mr. Macharia Gakuru of
Eastern Africa Magazine and other
ODM-Kenya officials in the UK.
Report and pictures by Misterseed
16
November 2006
AFRICANS IN EUROPE
The Council of Ghanaian
Nationals Associations in Italy
(COGNAI) has asked Ghana's
President John Agyekum
Kufour to seek agreement with
Italian government so that
Ghanaians working in Italy can
have right to their pension
when they return home before
reaching the pension age set by
Italian government.
During a meeting with the
Ghanaian community in Italy at
the Ambassador's Residence in
Rome on 17th October, Mr.
Kofi Omari Somuah, the
President of COGNAI said that
Italian government requires
people to have contributed for
at least 20 years before having
a right to receive their pension,
a law that doesn't favour many
Ghanaians who work in Italy
since most of them don't come
to the country while still young.
Ghana's
Minister
for
Finance & Economic Planning
Baah-Wiredu present at the
meeting appreciated the proposal and said he would present
it the Italian authorities. He
also urged Ghanaians with
knowledge on how such an
agreement could be worked out
to contact the Embassy.
President Kufour and his
entourage were in Italy for a
three-day State visit at the invitation
of
the
Italian
Government. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
Finance Minister Kwadwo
Baah-Wiredu, Ambassador D.
Marco Baroncini
200 euros for Passport is too much,
Ghanaians in Italy tell President Kufour
Traditional dancers entertain guests during the meeting with President Kufour in Rome
K Osei, Deputy Minister of
Education, Science and Sport O
B Amoah, Andrew Awuni,
Press Secretary, and Mr
Fabrizio De Agostini, Italian
Ambassador to Ghana.
President Kufour said Italian
Premier Romano Prodi and
President of Italy Giorgio
Napolitano told him that
Ghanaians in the country are
well-behaved, hard working,
and that Italian people are
happy of them. He said he was
told that Ghanaians have contributed to the introduction of
shift work in Italy.
President Kufour also
revealed that the Italian gov-
ernment has allocated 1000
quotas to Ghanaians to come to
Italy legally for work.
The issue of high passport
fee was raised up with many
speakers informing the president that 200 euros was too
high for obtaining a Ghanaian
passport in Italy. The community representatives complained that Ghanaians in Italy
have been paying 200 euros
while their compatriots in other
Eurozone were only paying 115
for the passport.
But the Minister of Foreign
Affairs Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo explained that the
decision to increase the pass-
port fee in Italy was motivated
by the higher demand for
Ghana passports in Italy. He
said Italy had the highest number of applications for Ghana
passports in Europe and therefore the high fee was put to
control the demand. He
revealed that since the high fee
was introduced, the demand for
passports has gone down.
The minister also assured
Ghanaians in Italy that soon
there will be a uniform fee for
Ghana passports throughout the
Eurozone with the introduction
of the new generation passports.
When informed of the fact
that Ghanaians are normally
discriminated against at Ghana
airports when they return
home, the apparently disappointed president said "this is
immoral." He asked Ghanaians
to complain every time they get
mistreated.
President Kufour showed a
rare quality of allowing his
compatriots to ask him questions about his government. He
personally co-ordinated the
Question and Answer session,
allowing Ghanaians to ask him
questions which he carefully
noted down and either
answered or called on the concerned minister to answer. The
president ensured that all the
questions were answered.
This is not usual of African
presidents who come to Italy.
Most of them hardly arrange
to meet their compatriots and
whenever this happens, they
limit the meeting to delivering
their speeches without allowing
their compatriots to express
their views and ask questions.
This is a unique quality that we
highly appreciate.
Before the meeting the president went round to shake
hands and chat with Ghanaians
at the event. More than 300
Ghanaians from all parts of
Italy attended the meeting.
There were also Ghanaian pilgrims from other parts of
Europe and Ghana. The
President was welcomed with
Ghanaian traditional dances.
Hamburg SDA Men Celebrate Day
Support National Health Insurance Scheme, Ghanaians urged
A Ghanaian Pastor in Hamburg,
Germany has noted that the government
will need the support of the citizenry to
sustain the National Health Insurance
Scheme. He has therefore urged all
well-to-do individuals and corporate
bodies to support the scheme to ensure a
better health care delivery for the populace.
This could be done by sponsoring
some identified venerable and poor relatives and individuals to benefit from
the scheme. The Head Pastor of the
Ghanaian Seventh-day Adventist in
Hamburg, Pastor Elijah Nyamaah, made
this known in an interview with this
reporter on the occasion of MENS DAY
in the church held in mid October.
The occasion, which is held annually,
was aimed at bringing all Ghanaian men
residing in the German capital to discuss
issues affecting them and contributions
they can offer towards the development
of Ghana. The men virtually led all the
activities for the day including singing,
drama and other related services of the
church. They also served the women
and children present with Ghanaian
dishes they prepared themselves.
In the view of the Pastor, the scheme
is the best means of ensuring efficient
health delivery and urged Ghanaians to
support it, adding that “there are so
many individual who can sponsor others
to benefit while at the same time there
are so many citizens who cannot pay.
Let us look out for these people and help
them while at the same time we will be
helping in sustaining the scheme.”
Pastor Nyamaah called on churches
especially those in the rural areas not
only to take offerings and tithes from
members for their own good but also to
seek the welfare of members by ensuring their good health. “When members
have good health, half of the pastors' job
is done,” he noted.
He said Ghanaians living abroad
must take advantage of the Scheme to
provide good health care for their poor
relatives and other needy people in the
society.
He observed that by taking the
scheme seriously, it will not only help
the government to sustain it but more
importantly, it will relieve them of the
agony of sending money, even in times
of difficulty, to their sick relatives.
Pastor Nyamaah noted that the government has done all it could to bring
the scheme in place and it is up to the
individual Ghanaians to help sustain it.
He was of the view that it might be difficult for some individuals in the coun-
try to afford the monthly minimum sub- been a source of assistance to many
scription of six thousand Ghanaian Ghanaians living in the country. They
cedis (US $0.66), and added that “this is acknowledged that social, financial as
why God in His wisdom has positioned well as spiritual problems of the
some of us to enable us be our brothers' Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians alike are
of paramount concern to the leadership
keeper.”
According to him, although it is not of the church.
all rosy for those living abroad it is not
Elder Wilberforce Antwi-Nyamaah,
impossible for them to pay less than one who organised the event of the day,
dollar a month for what he termed as a thanked members and guest for their
'poor soul'.
contributions towards the success of the
Pastor Nyamaah stressed the need for programme.
Ghanaians in the diaspora to be responBy Nana Sifa Twum
sible in paying the premium for at least
two poor individuals
to
ensure that they
enjoy
good
medical care
when they are Do you have a story to share with our readers?
sick.
Are you planning for a community function (wedThe Elders ding, naming ceremony, graduation, cultural fesof the Church
Paul
Ofori tival, independence celebration, etc)? Please send
B o a t e n g , us reports of these activities and we will publish
A c h e a m f o u r them in Africa News. Address your reports to:
Debrah
and
Dacosta Asare The Editor, Africa News, Via Maroso, 50, CAP
Baffour said the 00142 Rome, Italy. E-mail: africanews@etnomechurch estab- dia.org
lished
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AFRICANS IN EUROPE
November 2006
17
Nigerians in The Netherlands
celebrate Independence in style
Left: Mrs Dorothy Ofehe & a section of Nigeria. Right: Ambassador Prof Mary Lar & Comrade Sunny Ofehe
It was glitterati all the way
as Nigerian Embassy in The
Netherlands rolled out the red
carpet and hosted guests to a
dinner buffet at the prestigious
Crown Plaza Hotel in Den
Haag, to celebrate Nigeria's
46th independence anniversary.
Resplendent in her casual
traditional Nigerian attire, the
chief host, Professor Mary Lar,
Nigerian Ambassador to The
Netherlands, stood to welcome
guest swith a warm handshake
and a charming smile. She was
ably assisted by her Deputy Mr.
Nicholas Davies who himself
was dressed in a flowing blue
agbada.
The invited Guests represented a colourful spectrum of
the multi-diversity for which
the Nigeria society is famous.
In attendance where Nigerians
in Diaspora, the Diplomatic
corp., Dutch nationals, business and civil liberty organizations, well wishers and so on.
Amongst those present where
Mr. Wahab Ishola, Victor
Rammer, Toju Eyesan and
many others. Guests were treat-
ed to a wide variety of Nigerian
cuisines, ranging from half rare
lamb to yam porridge; eba to an
assortment of famous Nigerian
Soup tastefully prepared by the
renowned African Restaurant
& Catering Services "Ultimate
Services" in The Hague.
The ambiance was positively charged as wine, beer and
soft drink flowed freely and
couples after couples took to
the dancing floor moving their
bodies to the rhythm of timeless Nigerian musical melodies
playing sweetly from state-ofthe-art musical sound system
while in the back ground was
an enlarged screen image projector
which
displayed
Nigerian proud histories and
triumph.
Evelien Weller, Programme
Officer of Pax Christie was
especially beautiful and expressive, as she interacted with
Nigerians of all works of life,
discussing with them and making suggestions. Looking at the
radiant faces of diners she was
quick to reaffirm the popularly
held belief that Nigerians are
the happiest people on earth.
Also present was the president of the HNDC Comrade
Sunny Ofehe, his wife Dorothy
and two lovely boys Kelvin and
Spencer. They quickly settled
to their dish of Porridge as Mr.
Ofehe had to do a job of making introductions. Mr. Atigari a
Nigerian free-lance journalist
was also very visible as he
chatted with one group after
another.
The High-point of the ceremony was the presentation of
gifts and commendations to the
embassy's driver for the past
twenty-nine years by the
ambassador Prof. Lar. She
praised his dedication to duty
and wished him well in retirement. Mr. G.K. Kwabena is a
native of Ghana, but has
worked with the Nigerian
Embassy in Netherlands for
almost Three decades.
The organization of the ceremony was impeccable but was
not surprising owing to the
effort that had been put into the
event planning by the embassy
officials under the watchful
eyes of Mr. L. M Hamidu,
Minister
Economy
and
Consular matters with the
Nigerian embassy and his lieutenant Mr. A. J Ebipador, second secretary. The atmosphere
was easily nostalgic and a tribute to the famous cliché "There
is no place like Home.”
Nigeria regained her independence from British colonial
rule 46 years ago on October
1st 1960 and since then have
seen a bitter past of Coup d' tats
, massive corruptions, secessionist attempts, disgraceful
and unlawful extra-judicial
murders before eventually, a
democracy which only just
conducted a successful civilian
to civilian transition. Even
though the country has come a
long way since independence, a
lot still needs to be done. The
democracy which was bought
and secured on the blood of our
great national heroes like Ken
Saro Wiwa must be preserved
and guarded jealously, this can
only be achieved through an
effective, free and non -violent
opposition apparatus, which is
free to criticize and check the
excess of power. It is the duty
of all Nigerians to build a
healthy and sustainable democracy which is adherent to the
international tenets of a modern
and effective civil society; freedom of press and association,
an independent and efficient
judicial system, an unprejudiced legislature and an even
handed and accountable executive system and above all
respect for human life and freedom.
As the Nigerian embassy in
The Netherlands join Nigerians
world over to celebrates her
46th
year
independence,
Nigerians must always remember that there is unity in diversity and our country will
always continue to be a reflection of our lives and culture, we
have no other sovereign geographical boarder by which we
are defined but by our country
called home, The Federal
Republic of Nigeria. God bless
Nigeria.
By Comrade Sunny Ofehe
Old Orlu Association - The Netherlands celebrates 10th Anniversary
The Old Orlu Association in The
Netherlands recently held a big party to
mark its 10th Anniversary in The
Hague. The Association's Chairman Mr.
Chris Onyemma praised the founding
members of the Association for wise
leadership. Those honoured at the occasion included D.I. Emeh (ex-Chairman),
I.J.Mbachu (Secretary), V.I.Ekpemogu
(Fin. Secretary), E. K. Emeh (Director
of Socials-PRO), M.U.Ibeawuchi
(Treasurer) and Nze P. Ezeagu (exOrder Officer). The Old Orlu
Association, which comprises indigenes
of the then, Orlu Zone of Imo State resident in The Netherlands was estab-
lished in 1996 and is registered with the
Dutch Chamber of Commerce, in The
Hague.
The major aims and objectives
include to provide a forum for social
interaction and mutual understanding,
enhance unity, promote Orlu traditional
hospitality and cultural heritage and
make members good ambassadors of
the Zone in particular and Nigeria at
large.
The Association also offers humanitarian assistance to the less fortunate
ones including victims of natural disasters and other acts of nature. It also runs
a pet project - the Orlu Cheshire Home-
Orlu, Imo State. This is a Centre for
handicapped children.
Every year the Association organises
a family reunion, which is a mirror
image of their 'family day', back home.
The occasion provides a convivial
atmosphere for the interaction of members and their families. Furthermore,
they open their hands and hearts to welcome friends from far and wide. This
they said is based on the notion that;
"love like a candle can light a whole
pack and still remain undiminished."
The main theme of the family
reunion is the promotion and propagation of the ideals of the family.
This year's occasion attracted dignitaries; Nigerians and Dutch citizens
from different walks of life. The
Nigerian
Ambassador
to
the
Netherlands, Prof M.N. Lar, one of the
guests at the party was full of praise for
the members of the Association for their
wonderful organizational ability and for
providing a stress- free environment for
all the people that gathered. She specially thanked members of the
Association for projecting their town
and country in a good light. She also
tasked them to find a way of incorporating other Nigerian Associations in the
Netherlands in subsequent celebrations.
18
November 2006
AFRICANS IN EUROPE
Ugandans in The Netherlands hold a peace conference
Involve international community in
peace initiatives, Uganda Gov. told
Ugandans in The Netherlands have
appealed to the Government of Uganda
to "accept International community
interventions to embark on a peace
keeping force and a peace enforcement
force that will deliver the Internally
Displaced
People
from
the
Concentration camps, deliver them to
their villages and provide security to
them and peace keeping force."
At the end of a two-day conference
on peace in Uganda held in early
October, Ugandans in The Netherlands
produced a resolution called the
"Amsterdam Resolution" stating that
"The Cessation of hostilities Agreement
should be adhered to and reinforced i.e.
use of abusive language, uncoordinated
statements, war threats, attacking and
killings of civilians, combatants or army
personnel should be stopped completely
by both the Government troops and the
LRA."
The event in Amsterdam was an initiative of Pearl of Africa, an organisation of Ugandans in the Netherlands,
along with the aid agency, Oxfam
Novib. The Ugandan opposition leader
Kizza Besigye addressed the confer-
ence. He said Uganda's
current problems have
mainly been caused by
fraudulent actions by
President
Yoweri
Museveni. "He has sidelined the constitution by
manipulation, so that he
could become president
for a third term. Also,
the elections which were
held at the beginning of
this year were held in an
atmosphere of fraud and
the use of violence".
Mr. Besigye said he
is convinced that "I A cross section of participants at the Conference
would be released even
of Africa, also appealed to the internaby the most biased judge because there tional community to "reinforce the on
is absolutely no evidence against me. going peace process in Juba with fundThe accusation [of treason] is totally ing and a stronger neutral, mediator, that
politically motivated and is only meant is acceptable and has full trust of the
to thwart my work." He also said it was protagonists."
impossible for him to organise a "decent
It also urged the United Nation's procampaign for the presidential election fessionals in Peace and Conflict resoluthis year" because of restriction of his tion to be involved in the Peace talks in
movements.
Juba to help in the mediation. "The govThe "Amsterdam Resolution" signed ernment should withdraw the charges
by Mr. Ali Balunywa, Chairman of Pearl
Afro -Italian White &
Gold Summer
Extravaganza in Italy
A special African fashion show was
recently held in Pordenone, Italy. The
special show, which was organized by
The Finest Productions, was part of the
producer's programme to popularize
African artists and fashion designers.
Under the theme, Afro-Italian White
and Gold Summer Extravaganza, the
programme's objective was two-fold.
The first was to unearth the Ghanaian,
and for that matter, the African dignity
through fashion. The second objective
was to use the programme as a stressbuster for the African working community in this area.
The highlight of the programme was
to select the best White and Gold costumed personality for the evening.
The programme also had the intention of releasing some stress on the
Ghanaians after working throughout the
whole year. The attendance was fantastic as both the African and Italian communities emerged in different assort-
ments of costumes to catch the eyes of
the judges. At the end of the hotly contested sessions Mrs Janet Yamoah, alias
Kay, from Pordenone won the overall
best White and Gold award ahead of
two other price takers. The three winners went home with full pieces of
Holland Wax Prints and Lace materials
donated by Saal Textiles, UK, one of the
sponsors of the extravaganza.
The brain behind the show was Mr
Kwasi Kyei Darkwa, popularly known
as KKD by many Ghanaians in Italy
over the Rainbow Radio where Kwasi is
a maestro. KKD is a multi-talented
young Ghanaian man based in UK. He
is the Creative Director of The Finest
Productions.
Mr. Darkwah invited all the Unions
in Italy to the show and gave each union
five minutes to deliver an educative
speech to the Ghanaian community.
Other sponsors for the summer show
included Jones Owusu's Unisex Hair
Salon and Communication Centre and
Mr Willie's Home Delivery Africa
supermarket all in Pordenone.
The next production is tentatively
scheduled for Brescia, but the home Rep
for The Finest Production, Mr Kwadwo
Amaning hinted the Africa News that,
the date and venue is being worked out
and will be made public soon.
By LSK Marfoh
against the leadership of the LRA from
the (International Criminal Court) ICC,"
the conference appealed.
Mr. Balunywa emphasised the
importance of involving the Ugandan
Diaspora and international community
in the peace initiatives because they
play a leading role in the development
of Uganda. The conference resolved
that the Ugandan Diaspora should
"Develop a unified strategy for national
dialogue and reconciliation, develop
ideas and programs that will translate
into local national reconciliation
process, establish framework and structures for collaboration among the
Diaspora community and link up with
local stakeholders in Uganda."
The conference was attended by
among others; a delegation of the government of Uganda, a child mother and
victim of the conflict, concerned
Ugandans in the Diaspora from Europe,
America and the human rights activists
from different parts of the world plus
members of the Netherlands civil society.
By Stephen Ogongo
AFRICANS IN EUROPE
November 2006
19
Ghanaians in South East
London unite for development
The number of Ghanaian associations in the city of London, continue to
multiply with inaugurations almost
every month.
Research by this reporter has indicated that there are nearly 200 Ghanaian
clubs focusing on ethnic, professional,
regional, cultural, religious and in some
cases age and gender. All of these clubs
are aiming at the unity and development
of Ghana. They also aim at seeking the
holistic welfare of members and other
needy members in the larger society.
The inauguration of yet another
Ghanaians association took place in late
September. Ghanaians living in the
South East section of London took the
city by storm when over 300 resplendently dressed men and women converged at Saint Mary's Banqueting Hall
for the inauguration of their association.
It was a great moment of joy and excitements as they enjoyed good smooth
bone stimulating Ghanaian hip life and
Hi life music on offer. The dancing area
of the banquet hall was filled to capacity as members expressed their joy for
coming together
In the words of the founder of the
association Nana Dwamena Akoto the
primary aim was 'to get Ghanaians
together to help each other and their
nation as a whole'. This laudable initiative propelled her to invite a few members to her home for monthly meetings.
The idea caught on well and the formal
inauguration of the Association was a
dream come true. She stressed the need
for Ghanaians to look beyond coming
together for merry making, adding that
'each of us needs to be his or her brothers' keeper'. Nana Dwamena Akoto who
is also a queen mother in Goaso in the
Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana also reiterated the need for coming together to
benefit Ghanaians back home especially, those in the remote parts of the country by helping to provide them with
basic facilities that would enhance their
living conditions.
She expressed the optimism the new
association would be one that will
attract many people irrespective of
where they reside in the city to assist in
helping others who need help.
On his part the President of the
Association Dr Thompson mentioned
that the association was not a tribal or
ethnic group and it was not formed to
champion the agenda of any individual.
"It is a Ghanaian group formed to unite
us as a people in order to raise our economic and social status," he observed.
He asked Ghanaians to love one another
and exhibit high sense of care for each
other as practised in some ethnic communities in the UK. Dr. Thompson lauded the entrepreneurship acumen among
such communities which has helped
build their respective countries and
urged members of the association in
particular and Ghanaians in general to
emulate the practice.
Quoting from a study on how many
times money turns over in some particular communities, Dr Thompson said
"when money enters the Jewish community it turns about seven times before it
leaves the community. Amongst the
Greek community money turns around
about five times, amongst the Indian
community it turns around about four
times before it leaves the community.
"Sadly, money within the Ghanaian
community leaves the community as
soon as it comes in," he lamented. He
therefore urged the members to use the
platform the association has created to
create a financial and business support
group to assist each other economically.
He cautioned that the association
should not only use their monies for
organising parties, funerals and picnics.
The association should look to invest its
money in profitable ventures so that it
can help its members and Ghana as a
whole.
By Nana Sifa Twum/Isaac Amo
Kyereme
Help Nigerian family stay together in the UK
A Nigerian woman whose husband
has been denied right to stay in the UK
is seeking your help in asking the government to grant the husband the right to
stay together with his family in the
country. Mrs. Colleen Aigbekan's husband, Mr. James Aigbekan fled Nigeria
in September 2002 to save his life from
the persecution he was enduring there,
she says. Collen and James got married
on 1st April 2003 whilst she was pregnant with their first child now aged
three. She says that after marriage they
submitted their marriage application to
the Home Office for her husband to stay
in the UK as her spouse. In the process
of that they had another baby now aged
one.
"For over two and a half years we
never heard anything from the Home
Office. We just waited and prayed for a
hopeful outcome. On the 19th August
2006 we received a letter from the
Home Office stating that my husband's
application has been refused and he has
no further right of appeal. The Home
Office stated that my two children and I
can go and live happily in Nigeria and
adapt to life in that country."
According to the latest U.S.A.
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices, The Nigerian government's
human rights record remained poor, and
government officials at all levels continued to commit serious abuses.
Inadequate infrastructure, endemic cor-
ruption, and general economic mismanagement hindered economic growth.
Much of the country's wealth remained
concentrated in the hands of a small
elite. More than 70 percent of citizens
live on less than one dollar per day. The
following human rights problems were
reported: abridgement of citizens' right
to change their government, politically
motivated and extrajudicial killings by
security forces and use of excessive
force, vigilante violence, arbitrary arrest
and prolonged pre-trial detention, executive interference in the judiciary and
judicial corruption, infringement of privacy rights o restrictions on freedom of
speech, press, and assembly, limited
freedom of religion and movement o
domestic violence and discrimination
against women, female genital mutilation (FGM), child abuse and child prostitution.
Colleen and James have been married for over three years now with lovely daughter and son. "It breaks my heart
that the Home Office are trying to
destroy and break up my family by
deporting my husband. He would not be
safe in Nigeria but nobody seems to care
about our two children and me. My children love their dad very much, and now
they are old enough to know that he is
their dad but the Home Office want to
take that memory away from my children by deporting my husband, and giving us an inconsiderate option of us all
going to Nigeria
where my husband's life could be
in danger."
She adds, "I am
22 years old with
no one but my children and my husband. How would I
survive without my
husband and how
would my children
survive? I have to
work and take care
of our two children. All I want is
that my husband is
given the right to
stay here with his
wife and two children so that we can
Colleen Aigbekan & James Aigbekan
live in peace and
safety. My husband
to your Union/faith group/local commuis a good man, dedicated to supporting nity group for signatures. "Every signaand taking care of me and our children, ture will help," The Aigbekan Family
is that such a bad thing that the Home Campaign says. You are requested to
Office feel they have to break up a fam- return completed petition to the camily? What about our feelings and rights paign office. When enough signatures
to live as a family?
are gathered a local MP will be asked to
The Aigbekan Family Campaign has present them to the Home Office. Please
bee n formed to spearhead the campaign send the petitions to Aigbekan Family
to keep the family in the UK. They've Campaign; C/o Hackney Law Centre, 8
prepared a petition which you can Lower Clapton Road, London, E5 0PD.
download
from You can also email them to caighttp://www.ncadc.org.uk/newszine75/c bekan@yahoo.com
olleen.html, make copies and circulate
20
ENTERTAINMENT
November 2006
No Money for World Cup song
It would be incomplete to tell the
World Cup success story of the national
football team, the Black Stars, without
the musical role of gospel songstress,
Grace Ashy.
The only difference is that while the
World Cup greatly enhanced the financial fortunes of team officials and players, Grace is yet to measure her own
from the release of 'Yenie,' the music
video which jammed television programmes and defined the Stars campaign in Germany.
"It's amazing how people think I have
suddenly become a millionaire, I have
not received a pesewa from that work,"
she told this reporter.
Grace Ashy (her maiden name Grace
Appiah Kubi, or Obaa Yaa as she is better known and called) said for that reason she had petitioned President John
Agyekum Kufuor, with the hope that he
will talk to the parties involved to at
least sort her out.
"Let's not lose sight of the fact that I
did it as a contribution for Ghana my
motherland, but those in charge of
affairs of the Black Stars should at least
have sorted something out for me," was
her plea.
According to Grace, her support for
the senior national team was not limited
to the music video Yenie from her latest
album, "In Germany, I was almost
for new ones so I believe that I will be
in it for as long as I'm meant to," she
said.
Though Grace joined the gospel train
six years ago, it is the last couple of
years that has seen her shine. She admits
that the career comes with fame and
opens other doors.
"My little advice for the up and coming ones is that they should not be satisfied with one successful album but aim
at coming out for more in order to stay
up the success ladder"
To those who have been in the field
for some time, here's what Grace had to
say "I will urge you to make way for the
new ones," she said.
Of course there are a whole lot of
people Grace has to express gratitude,
top on the list is her husband and producer Mr Bright Ashy, with whom she
has two sons.
"There are so many people I have to
mention some of whom are Bishop
Annor- Yeboah and his family, Christian
Praise International (all church elders
and the entire congregation."
Others are Lawyer Sarfo Abebrese
and his wife, and finally the Supporters
Union of Ghana (SUGA).
always with them, during their training sessions and every activity
they were involved in"
"Let's not lose
sight of the fact
that I did it as a
contribution for
Ghana my motherland, but those in
charge of affairs
of the Black Stars
should at least
have sorted something out for me"
Gospel singer
Grace Ashy
she said with no sign of
regret.
Having said all this,
this reporter delved into
her career as a gospel
musician. On how long she intends to
win souls for Christ through music,
Grace said it will depend on how long
the good Lord keeps her going.
"The system is such that those who
have been in for sometime make way
By Jayne Buckman-Owoo, Graphic
Showbiz
Courtesy of Ghanamusic.com
Joycelyn Baddoo launches hot Gospel album
A new gospel sensation who
goes by the name Joycelyn
Baddoo's has released her
debut album "Mi Wo Gyedi" (I
have faith).
Joycelyn Baddoo's songs are
powerful, danceable tracks, full
of anointing, and move the
audience.
This is an album that will
blow your mind and lift you up
physically and spiritually - it's
so inspirational. The beat is
danceable; the lyrics are comforting, full of anointing and
healing to the core of your soul.
This is a MUST HAVE in a
music library. "You need to listen to it yourself". The album
consist of 10 great songs and
each track is a hit - check it out!
When asked to describe herself, Joycelyn Baddoo says that
she is "a heartfelt singer, you
can feel all the passion and love
I have for Christ when I am
singing."
Joycelyn dedicated the CD
to all victims of rape, abuse,
TOP CHARTS
battered women and orphans in
the world and she encourages
them to hang in and have
"Faith" for God has heard their
cry and He's able to change
their condition beyond meas-
ure. The album opens with "Me
Wo Gyedi" (I have faith) "I
have faith that my God is able
to do it". The second track is
medley, "Ataa Daniel", it says
(Daniel don't be afraid) this is a
bouncy, congregational praise
song, mostly in unison. Track
three is "Adea Yesu Aye
Amame", which says (What the
Lord Has Done For Me). As I
am living under the dispensation of God's grace, it is imperative that I praise him. Track
four is "Onyame Hwan Kora
Na Esewo", that is (Lord Who
Can Be Compared Unto You).
"No one can be compared unto
this great God; there's none
before Him, neither after him;
He's a prayer answering God;
therefore, I will praise him."
Track five say "Open My
Eyes Lord" (Lord, open my
eyes to see and my heart to
know you more). Track six,
"Your Grace" (Your grace is
sufficient for me and your word
has been made perfectly in my
weakness) when all hope is
gone - know that He's always a
phone call away. Track seven
"Have Your Way" (Father, you
know my troubles and my pain;
my life is in your hands; have
your way). Track eight "I Love
Him" (He's a wonderful man
and his name is Jesus; I love
him). Track nine, "I Will Lift
up My Eyes" (I will lift up my
eyes unto the hills; where my
help will come from; from him
my way maker).
Finally, the last track is "
Yehowa Gye Me Kwalo" which
says (The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want). Track 1, 2, 3,
4, 8 and 9 are danceable, highgeared church-beat; 5, 6, 7 are
mid-tempo worship and track
10 is a slow melodious acoustic
trumpet.
Joycelyn gives glory to God
for giving her such songs to
write and most importantly to
sing them to draw souls to him.
She also extends her sincere
gratitude you to; Ghanaweb,
Ghanamusic.com,
Ghananewsreel.com, myzongo.com, sikaradio.com, myghanaradio.com,
The
New
Ghanaian Newspaper , all the
listeners and prays that as they
listen to the lyrics, their hearts
will be filled with joy by the
Spirit of the son of the living
God.
Joycelyn would like to
express her sincere gratitude to
the following who supported
the entire launching; Mr.
Michael Turkson & Mr. Tony
Opoku on keyboard, Mr.
Bartels on Bass guitar, Mr.
Akrofie, Twum on trumpet, Mr.
Osam on drums, Mr. Alexei on
lead guitar. And Mr. William
Quartey, assembled and soundcheck and last but not the least;
Mr. Quojoe -Marcus of Quo
sounds.
By GHP,
Courtesy of
Ghanamusic.com
ENTERTAINMENT
November 2006
21
Father of Malawi boy adopted by
Madonna angry at her critics
Pop star Madonna's decision
to take an orphaned child from
Malawi's orphanage with hope
of adopting him has met strong
resistance from some human
rights bodies in the country.
The singer in October come
under fire for adopting
Malawian David Banda, since
some human rights bodies
claimed she was neither a citizen of Malawi nor a resident in
the country.
But he father of the oneyear-old boy has hit back at
rights groups who are aiming to
challenge the singer's plans in
court. "Where were these people when David was struggling
in the orphanage?" Yohane
Banda told the AP news
agency. "These so-called
human rights groups should
leave my baby alone," he
added.
The boy who is now in
London with Madonna, will be
monitored by Malawian officials over a period of 18
months before the adoption is
approved, BBC reported.
Mr Banda, whose wife died
a week after giving birth to
David, said he was forced to
give his baby up to the Home of
Hope
Orphanage
in
a
Malawian village. The couple
had two other sons who died in
infancy from malaria. "I was
alone with a baby, I had no
money. I couldn't buy him
milk. That's why I surrendered
him to the orphanage," he said.
"Orphanage life is no good. We
leave kids there because we
can't look after them properly
ourselves. Now my son has
been taken by a kind-hearted
woman, these people want to
bring him back to the orphanage," he added.
David's
grandmother
Asianati Mwale, 56, also
backed Mr Banda. "Where
were they when I and my son
were trying to get someone to
look after this child? Do they
even know what we have had to
go through to save the life of
David?," she said. "We trust
that Madonna will look after
our child well and he will have
NEW RELEASES
AP Photo/Shavawn Rissman
Madonna: “It was my wish to open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship"
Music legend Madonna visiting with children during her trip to Malawi in
October
a better life," she added.
In late October Malawi's
Human Rights Consultative
Committee (CHRR), a coalition of about 40 organisations,
launched a legal challenge to
the adoption. According to
CHRR, the government in
Malawi has relaxed the usual
ban on adoptions by foreigners
and a requirement that prospective parents have to stay with
the child in Malawi for 18 - 24
months before the adoption is
approved, BBC reported.
Chair Justin Dzonzi said the
group was not against the adoption but wanted Malawi's laws
adhered to. "If Madonna really
wants the child, she has to
apply for a residency permit in
Malawi," he said. But a government official told AP that the
laws the group referred to were
"archaic". "These laws date
back to the 1940s; things have
changed now," said Penston
Kilembe, director of the Child
Welfare Services in the
Ministry of Gender, Child
Welfare and Community
Services. "Madonna and her
husband have broken no laws
as far as the government is concerned. They have followed all
the legal steps," he added.
Singer Madonna has defended her intention to adopt David.
She said in a statement that
"My husband and I began the
adoption process many months
prior to our trip to Malawi. I
did not wish to disclose my
intentions to the world prior to
the adoption happening as this
is a private family matter."
She said that "After learning
that there were over one million orphans in Malawi, it was
my wish to open up our home
and help one child escape an
extreme life of hardship, poverty and in many cases death, as
well as expand our family.
Nevertheless, we have gone
about the adoption procedure
according to the law like anyone else who adopts a child.
Reports to the contrary are
totally inaccurate."
Madonna further said that
the
adoption
procedure
"includes an 18-month evaluation period after which time we
Research
at
Chancellor
College,
near
Blantyre,
Malawi's commercial hub,
holds that "foreign adoption"
contributes to the erosion of the
extended family system. "I do
not think that our law provides
for adoption. The government
is quiet on the matter because it
knows it is not in its interest.
Even the orphanage centres
that are sprouting are being
allowed because the ... [number
of orphans] has been worsened
by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and
government cannot do anything
about it."
Malawi has about 1 million
AIDS orphans and UNAIDS
estimates that 14 percent of the
sexually active adult population is infected with the virus.
Tsoka said the child "will
have to grow in a different cultural and social environment",
and it was unlikely that his biological father would have any
parental claims on the boy.
Madonna's adoption of
David was also criticised by
Mr. Levision Ganiza, director
of
Youth
Development
Initiative, a local nongovernmental organisation, who said
the boy was "too young to be
adopted, and I think something
sinister is going on," IRIN
reported.
"Why should the authorities
give away a boy of one year? If
the boy was over five years,
that would have been fine. As a
hope to make this adoption permanent. This is not a decision
or commitment that my family
or I take lightly. I am overwhelmed and inspired by my
trip to Malawi and hope that it
helps bring attention to how
much more the world needs to
do to help the children of
Africa. My heartfelt thanks for
all the good wishes I have
received and I hope the
press will allow my
family some room for
us to experience the joy "Where were these people when
we feel to have David
David was struggling in the
home."
orphanage? These so-called
Madonna's trip to
Malawi was billed as a human rights groups should leave
my baby alone"
private visit to participate in her 'Raising
Malawi' project, which Mr. Yohane Banda, the father of
David Banda
is constructing an
orphanage that will
provide food, education and shelter to about 3,000 country, I think we are being
children, and where the mysti- taken for a ride just because we
cal Jewish faith of Kabbalah are poor," said Ganiza.
will be taught for spiritual "Government signed a number
instruction, IRIN reported.
of charters on child rights, and
Maxton Tsoka, a research it should respect them."
fellow at the Centre for Social
22
November 2006
SPORTS
The CEO of the Local
The
South
African
Organising Committee in
charge of preparing the 2010
FIFA World Cup™ has said the
"KFF officials
to blame for
chaos in Kenyan
football"
Kenya Football Federation
(KFF) officials have been
blamed for the chaos in the
country's football. National
captain Musa Otieno said Fifa
had previously warned the
KFF officials but "they did not
heed due to their individual
interests," BBC reported.
"They will bear the blame if
Fifa bans us because of their
ineptitude."
Fifa proposed the KFF's
suspension for recurrent problems within the Kenyan game.
Fifa chief Sepp Blatter gave
Kenya a deadline of 18
October to sort out the mess or
face sanctions.
"For the past decade, I
haven't seen officials with the
interest of the game (at
heart)," Otieno, who plays for
South Africa's Engen Santos,
added.
"Instead, I see people
whose sole interest is to gain
political mileage from the
sport."
Former Kenya coach Ghost
Mulee backed Otieno. "A ban
will bring sobriety and maybe
people will start thinking
straight," he told BBC Sport.
"Certain people within the
KFF always want to favour
their self-interests and these
people should not be in football in the first place."
The CEO of
the
Local
Organising
Committee
(LOC) Danny
Jordaan said
that there were
no major crime
concerns looking ahead to
the
global
event,
and
plans
are
already
in
place to ensure
the safety of
fans and players. He did
however take a
cautious route,
warning that
general crime
remains
a
South African
problem,
Organising Committee (LOC) Danny
FIFA.com
reported. "We
Jordaan
( S o u t h
Africans)
committee would consider
some of its Southern African should not make the mistake of
neighbours as base camps for thinking that we must wait until
2010 to deal with this matter,"
teams during the event.
Jordaan remarked. "As far as
2010 and 2009 is concerned
around event status and security, this country has demonstrated its ability to safeguard these
events."
Jordann was referring to the
relative success of the 1996
African Cup of Nations, the
1995 IRB Rugby World Cup,
and the 2003 ICC Cricket
World Cup which all proved to
be incident-free events. There
was also the World Summit on
Sustainable
Development,
which South Africa hosted in
2002 and the country's security
plan was declared by the
United Nations as a benchmark
for future conferences.
The committee also decided
to seriously consider South
Africa's immediate neighbours
as possibilities for team base
camps. Countries such as
Angola and Mozambique, both
Portuguese-speaking countries,
could be easier for Portuguese
and Brazilian players to adjust
to. Similarly, German is spoken
in parts of Namibia and could
be considered as bas venue.
Jordaan also assured that
there is a comprehensive timeline in place to ensure the renovation and construction of stadiums will be completed in
time for the June 2010 kick-off.
It has also been revealed that
South Africa's projected bill for
hosting the 2010 World Cup
has ballooned to over four
times the original cost, BBC
reported.
The Organising committee
put the total cost at US$1.59
billion, far in excess of the
original estimate of US$295m.
The cost of building the stadiums has been put at US$1.1b,
while transport and broadcasting infrastructure will cost
$486m and $52.5m respectively.
The organising committee
justified the huge increase saying they have to build new football stadiums rather than renovate existing rugby grounds as
previously planned. "There has
been no increase in the costs of
stadiums (but) we (will) have
built five new stadiums specifically for football," said
Kanu keen to lend a hand
to World Cup preparation
Two-time CAF African Footballer of the
Year Nwankwo Kanu was at the headquarters of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™
Organising Committee (OC) in late
October to discuss his potential involvement in helping South Africa 2010 go off
with a bang.
The Portsmouth striker was taking time
out following Nigeria's CAF Africa Cup of
Nations qualifier against Lesotho, for
which the Super Eagles had been preparing
at a base camp in their opponents' neighbouring nation, South Africa.
During his meeting with the OC, Kanu
received a full briefing from its CEO,
Danny Jordaan, on the progress being
made in preparing for the tournament and
expressed strong interest in becoming
involved in the African Legacy Programme
and supporting FIFA in its unwavering
commitment to African football.
"However they want to use Kanu, they
can use me," he told FIFA.com. I am just
trying to help where I can."
An African legacy
Kanu has already seen the impact made
by FIFA programmes such as Futuro, the
GOAL project and the Financial Assistance
Programme (FAP), and sees the African
Legacy programme as crucial to building
on the progress already made. This particular initiative aims to ensure that South
Africa and the continent as a whole enjoys
a positive social legacy as a direct result of
hosting the FIFA World Cup™, while also
helping facilitate the development of more
players as gifted and successful as Kanu.
"I think this World Cup will show what
Africa is made of and show off the African
continent as a whole and how beautiful it
is," enthused the Nigeria star.
"This is not a South African
World Cup - it is the whole of
Africa hosting the whole of the
world."
In addition to volunteering
his assistance in any area in
which his support could be of
benefit, Kanu also discussed the
possibility of involving his own
charity, the Kanu Heart
Foundation, in the African
Legacy Programme. In 1996,
the then Internazionale striker
underwent open-heart surgery
to repair a faulty heart valve
and, inspired by the experience,
he went on to found a charitable
foundation that has since helped
almost 1,000 African children
travel abroad for life-saving
operations.
'I have no doubt we will qualify'
On the field, of course, Kanu needs no
introduction. Renowned for the flair and
charisma with which he plays, the in-form
Portsmouth forward can already reflect on
having won some of the game's most
sought-after titles, such as the UEFA
Champions League with Ajax, the English
Premier League with Arsenal, and both the
FIFA U-17 World Championship and
Olympic Football Tournament in the green
of Nigeria.
There is, however, one glaring omission
from his trophy cabinet: a FIFA World
Cup. Nigeria's failure to qualify for
Germany 2006 denied the 31-year-old a
third crack at landing the game's ultimate
prize, but that has only served to increase
AP
AP
Southern Africa may host
base camps in 2010 World Cup
Nwankwo Kanu
his desire to ensure that the Super Eagles
are invited to the party when the FIFA
World Cup pays its first-ever visit to Africa
in 2010.
"First we have to qualify, but I have no
doubt we will do that," he declared confidently. "And because it is in Africa, I think
we will be a force to be reckoned with."
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is certainly
benefiting from a great deal of backing
from the cream of African football fraternity. Already, five former African Footballers
of the Year - Kalusha Bwalya, Roger Milla.
Moustapha Hadji, Abedi Pele and George
Weah - are actively involved in preparing
for and promoting the tournament, and
with Kanu now also coming on board,
South Africa 2010 could hardly want for a
better calibre of support.
By FIFA.com
SPORTS
November 2006
23
AP
Four African players
nominated for Euro award
Liberian-born, George Weah raises the Golden Ball trophy to
receive a standing ovation from his fans. Weah received the award
of French magazine France Football as best player of 1995.
Four African players have been
included in the 2006 European
Footballer of the Year award. A total of
50 nominees are in the list for the prestigious Ballon d'or which was published
in late October by France Football magazine.
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o,
Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast,
Ghana's Michael Essien, and Mali midfield enforcer Mahamadou Diarra have
all been shortlisted, BBC reported.
Eto'o is currently sidelined by a knee
injury and is not expected to play again
for Spanish giants Barcelona until next
year.
The winner of the Ballon d'or will be
decided by a panel of European journalists and unveiled on Monday 27th
November. Liberian legend George
Weah is the only African to have won
the most coveted individual award in
European football. In 1995, Weah was
named World, African and European
Footballer of the Year.
The Ghana captain Stephen Appiah
said his compatriot Michael Essien
deserves to win this year's title, Ibrahim
Sannite reported. Appiah led Ghana to
the second round of the World Cup in
July and says Essien's performance for
both club and country makes him the
favourite for both awards.
"Essien plays with the best players in
the world in the England as well as the
Uefa Champions League," Appiah told
Rainbow Radio in London.
"His outstanding performance among
the best players in the world this season
makes him the best of the best players.
"No one gave Ghana a chance at the
World Cup but thanks to the performance of all the players and the key contribution of Essien we emerged as one
of the best teams at the tournament in
Germany.
Appiah said he will cast his vote for
the Chelsea star.
"I will vote for Essien and I am confident that because of his performance,
national team coaches and captains
across the world will vote for him."
Appiah, who is target of several
English premiership sides, ruled out a
move to England when the transfer window opens in January.
"The management of Fenerbahce and
the fans have been extremely good to
me. I have promised the president and
the fans that I will stay on to celebrate
the club's 100th anniversary which
starts in January. The club has also
agreed that they will listen to the offers
from all the clubs in England in June
when the season ends," Ibrahim sannite
quoted him to have said.
There is a growing number
of people critical of the decision of Nigeria's Sports
Ministry and the Nigeria
Football Association (NFA) to
"Before we can say that
Austin Eguavoen and other
local coaches have failed,
we must have given them
the tool to do their work
with. When we give them
all the needed tools and
they still fail, then we can
look elsewhere for a
coach."
Nathaniel Idowu
hire a foreign coach for the
national teams, especially the
Super Eagles.
The doyen of professional
football in Nigeria, Nathaniel
Idowu, has termed the decision
"a waste of public funds," The
Guardian reported. According
to Idowu who is a football club
former proprietor and sponsor
of the yearly Idowu U-15
Championship for boys and
girls, it is unfair to say that
Nigerian coaches have failed
the nation when they were not
given the right tools to operate
with.
"Before we can say that
Austin Eguavoen and other
local coaches have failed, we
must have given them the tool
to do their work with," he said.
"When we give them all the
needed tools and they still fail,
then we can look elsewhere for
a coach." He also criticised the
employer of Nigerian coaches
for failing to fulfil his own contractual obligation to the coaches. "The local coaches in the
national teams, I heard, are
being owed salary for about a
year. Even Shuaibu Amodu and
co that worked before the present coaches are still being
owed," Idowu said.
"If the coaches are corrupt,
the ministry and the NFA are
encouraging their corruption,
because when you don't pay a
man who is married with kids
his wages, you are telling him
to go and steal and find other
means of survival."
Idowu is convinced that
there is nothing the foreign
coach can go to do in Nigeria
that local coaches cannot do.
He said "If they think there is
something the foreign coaches
have that our players don't
have, they should send them for
training. Ultimately, Nigerians
will run Nigeria and in any way
they are lacking, we should
assist them to improve."
But elsewhere, the former
Team Manager of the Super
Eagles, Chief Mike Umeh supported the search for a foreign
coach saying that whatever
financial requirement that is
needed to get a world-class
coach for the Super Eagles can
be sourced.
"What's the fuss over the
hiring of a quality technical
adviser for the Super Eagles?
After all that happened over
our failure to qualify for the last
World Cup in Germany, do we
AP
Nigeria's search for foreign coach condemned
Nigeria's soccer team players
still need to debate whether a
foreign technical adviser is
desirable or not?" This Day
quoted Umeh to have said.
According
to
Umeh,
Marcello Lippi, Filipe Scolari
and Guus Hiddink who were
reported to be on the card for
talks were not beyond what
Nigeria can afford if they are
available. Scolari has a contract
with Portugal while Hiddink is
with Russia, that leaves Nigeria
with only Lippi who is out of
job since after Germany 2006.
LuaLua: I'll "let the football do the talking"
DR Congo's Lomana LuaLua has
said he will not allow reports concerning his private life overshadow his
recent performances.
Portsmouth striker said he will
instead "let the football do the talking." BBC reported that LuaLua was
arrested but released without charge in
early October following a domestic
incident.
He believes there are critics with an
agenda looking to drag him down. He
said: "It's been a difficult time but
sometimes it is better to let the football
do the talking. The rest of it is all nonsense. It's just rubbish. I'm just happy
to be back playing again. I'm getting
my fitness back and focusing on getting sharper. "I'll focus on that because
that is what matters. All the other stuff
is just talk. Well, let them talk."
wish you a happy
Ramadan.
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