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New LRA attacks leave 26 dead in Central Africa
(AFP)
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BANGUI — New attacks by the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army in Central Africa have killed 26 fighters and civilians, including a woman burnt alive, and at least 40 people were abducted, officials said Tuesday.
The attacks were revealed after Human Rights Watch claimed Sunday the rebel group massacred 321 people in December in a previously unreported incident in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
The DR Congo's Justice Minister Lessa Bambi Luzolo disputed the charge on Tuesday saying that civilian victims totalled "no more than 25".
In Central Africa the fighters stormed three villages near the southeastern border with the DR Congo between March 21 and 28, Central African officials said on condition of anonymity.
They struck the village of Agoumar on March 21, a military source told AFP from the southeastern border city of Bangassou.
"The attack on Agoumar lead to the deaths of 11 people -- 10 civilians including a woman who was burnt alive by the rebels, and an element from the LRA who was killed by the villagers who organised to defend themselves," he said.
In the village of Dembia, attacked on March 28, "LRA elements were chased by the Ugandan army, which killed at least 15 rebels," the source added.
Karmadar village was attacked on March 25 but did not suffer any casualties.
In each case the rebels used "the same process of going door to door, taking hostages from the population, and taking away items of value, as well as provisions," he said.
More than 40 people were abducted from the three villages, said another official in Bangassou, where about 400 people had taken refuge from the fighting.
Residents of the city demonstrated Tuesday to demand the authorities force out the Ugandan rebels, who have been operating in the Central Africa since June 2009.
They alleged the Ugandan army was working with the LRA because the rebels attacked villages soon after Ugandan soldiers had been to them.
A senior Central African military official dismissed the allegations, telling AFP on condition of anonymity that "without the presence of our (Ugandan) brothers who are helping us, the damage would be even more serious."
The officer said President Francois Bozize had on March 7 ordered a battalion of soldiers be sent to the area but "only 15 men, under-equipped, could be deployed. And that annoys the people."
The LRA took up arms in 1988 in northern Uganda and has acquired a reputation for brutality with its leaders wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Since 2005, under pressure from the Ugandan army, the fighters pulled back from their bases in Uganda to move into the remote northeast of the DRC, where they were said to number fewer than 100 late last year, according to the UN mission in the country.
In its report released on Sunday, Human Rights Watch said LRA rebels killed at least 321 civilians in a four-day "rampage" on villages in the DR Congo on December 14-17.
The dead included at least 13 women and 23 children, the youngest a three-year-old girl who was burned to death, according to the report written after a mission visited the region in February.
The attacks showed the "LRA remains a serious threat to civilians and is not a spent force, as the Ugandan and Congolese governments claim," it warned.
But Luzolo, the DR Congo justice minister, said the HRW claim was "clearly exaggerated".
"When it comes to victims in the civilian population, the number of victims is no more than 25," he said in a statement in Kinshasa.
Nigerian Universities Gets Some Needed Upgrades
Thanks to the Petroluem Development Funds
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Calabar — As part of efforts to bridge the yawning gap between Nigerian graduates and their overseas counterparts, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund-PTDF, has upgraded facilities in Nigerian universities valued at Three Billion Naira (#3 Billion). PTDF Executive Secretary Engineer Muttagha Rabe Dame stated this at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Monday at the commissioning and handing over of a new Department of Applied Chemistry built by PTDF to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bassey Asuquo.
The Department of Applied Chemistry of the University of Calabar is the fourth of the eight upgraded departments of selected universities to be commissioned this year under the second phase of PTDF University Upgrade Project. Already commissioned and handed over to the respective universities are the Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, University of Uyo, Department of Electrical Engineering, Bayero University, Kano and the Department of Geology and Mining Sciences, University of Illorin. The other four upgraded departments in the second phase of the programme are the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, scheduled for commissioning on November 12, and the Department of Geology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ille-ife scheduled for commissioning on November 18,while the others are the Department of Chemical Engineering, Abubakar Tafewa Balewa University, Bauchi and the Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Ericsson and Columbia University Join Forces to Fight Poverty in Ghana
Millennium Development Goals
Working with the Millennium Villages Project, collaboration between The Earth Institute at Columbia University, Millennium Promise and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Zain have deployed mobile communications services to fight poverty in the Amansie-West district of the Ashanti region of Ghana.
The Bonsaaso cluster of Millennium Villages consists of 6 distinct villages namely; Bonsaaso, Watreso, Datano, Keniago, Takorase and Asamang, with an estimated population of 5,000 residents per village. These villages are in a largely rural area of the country and are some of the poorest regions of Ghana. The project will enable them to work towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were endorsed by all world leaders in 2000.
Nneka Wins Origin Music Award
Its About the Continent and Its Music
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Nigerian musician Nneka Egbuna has won the Best African Act at the Music Of Black Origin Awards. The 27-year-old, who described herself as a daughter of Nigeria's troubled Niger Delta region. "It's not about me, it's the continent and its music," she said.
Her haunting voice and political lyrics have won her fans worldwide.
"It is Nigeria that has made me to who I am today," she said in her acceptance speech at the awards ceremony in Glasgow.
The singer says her influences include Nigeria's iconic Afro-beat performer Fela Kuti as well more contemporary acts like a US rapper Mos Def.
She also cites Nigeria writer and human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa as an inspiration. Mr Saro-Wiwa was executed by the Sani Abacha government in 1995 for his efforts to campaign against corruption in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
"Stand up against; corruption, against injustice, against bribery and hypocrisy. Nneka, whose mother is German, grew up in the oil town of Warri and only went to Germany and met her mother at the age of 19. Nneka's music paid for her university education
In her song Half Caste, Nneka addresses the difficulties of those who grow up as mixed-race children.
Nneka herself has shown a steely determination to get where she is.
She initially played music to pay for her university education - she has a degree in anthropology and archaeology.
"I stepped out of Nigeria for the first time ever in 2000 without knowing the German language or anything about my German background.
"It was a culture shock. "I did music to finance my studies and I got a record deal two years later and that kind of brought change entirely and I was able to finish my studies very fast." Although she does not see herself as an activist she says it is important to have a message in her work, which is perhaps a product of her upbringing.
Southern Africa slipping Down in Good Governance Ranking in Africa
Zimbabwe, Somalia, Sudan among the Worst
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According to the annual Index of African Governance report released by Harvard University Kennedy School of Governance,South Africa slipped from fifth place to ninth, while Mauritius, Seychelles and Cape Verde, all small islands are the continent's three best governed countries. At the bottom of the list are Chad, Sudan and Somalia.
South Africa, however, slipped from fifth to ninth. The report noted that that was due to the country's low scores in the areas of respect for civil and political rights and the rule of law. Zimbabwe ranked 45 out of the 53 nations surveyed.
When the report was first published in 2007, Ghana stood at the 8th position, making the current position an improvement from the first.
For the first time the index included North African countries and Tunisia and Algeria were in the top ten.
Top oil producers Angola and Nigeria landed at 46 and 38.
The 2009 Index of African Governance used 57 indicators, including maternal mortality, gross domestic product per capita, respect for human rights and judicial independence, to rate governance in the continent's 53 nations. It was coordinated by Robert Rotberg and Rachel Gisselquist.
Nigerians Wins the African Battle of Brains
By Phillip Oria
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NIGERIA'S IBADAN U WINS BATTLE OF THE BRAINS
Sep 22 (GIN) - Nigerias University of Ibadan walked off with the top prize at the 2009 Zain Africa Challenge, a TV quiz show involving 32 universities from eight nations across East, West and Central Africa.
Nigeria bested competitors from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia. At stake during “the Battle of the Brains was not only the prestige of taking the crown, but also a share of the more than US$1 million in prize money and educational grants donated by telecomm giant Zain.
Contestants fielded questions on Twentieth Century History, African Literature, the Science of Nutrition, Notable Places, Fifa World Cup, Geometry, Nature in the News, Who Am I, Traditional Sound, Animals, and Heads of Government Meeting. Kenya's Kenyatta University took second place. Information on the contest can be found at the website: www.zainafricachallenge.com
Paradoxically, academic activities in Nigerian universities have ground to a halt pending resolution of a 10 week old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities over what they called the the decay in university education and under-funding of the education sector in the country.
Nigerian Professionals Abroad Speaks To Nigerian Government
By Janet Fashakin
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Nigerian Intellectuals in Diaspora wades into the ASUU strike!
September 15th, 2009 Washington,DC USA: The ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN PROFESSIONALS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE, (ANPPC,INC), a non for profit International organization of Nigerian Intellectuals in Diaspora with headquarters based in New York, USA has waded into the present ASUU strike. In a Communique issued by its executives, they called on the Nigerian Government and the Leadership of ASUU to go back to the drawing table with the mind of reaching a working compromise that can end the present stalemate.
According to its president, Lawyer Janet Fashakin, "education is the back bone of any progressive society which should not be toyed with and which should not be politicized."
The Association condemns in no unmistakable terms any circumstance that deprive students the opportunity to stay in school and receive qualitative education. While there appears to be lots of factors affecting the positive image of Nigeria, it should not add lack of adequate education (due to frequent strikes and student unrests) to the list.
As members of the intellectual society of the world, we know the big role that education plays in making ”great nations" great.
When we take good education away, we create a wasted generation of half illiterates and criminals while subjecting the country to international ridicule.
Shaping the present and the future of any viable and progressive society depends largely on awareness and sophistication that comes largely from proper and adequate education.
We call on the Nigerian government to wake up to its responsibility in re-ordering its priorities and putting the first thing first. Educational funding should take priority over many unreasonable spending. We equally call on the ASUU leadership to put the 'best interest' of Nigerian students at heart in decision makings.
Nigerians as a whole should stop toying with our children's future.
PLEASE END THIS IMPASSE NOW!
Signed:
Janet Fashakin, Esq., RN, RM, LLB(Hons), LLM., PH.D(Scholar in Public Policy & Administration-Criminal Justice)
President
Tel: 718-805-2522
Elijah Ukoha, MSPH, PhD ( Epidemiology).
Gen Sec.
Tel:469-834-1990
www.anppc.org
180 Children Stigmatized as Witches and Thrown Out in Nigeria
Rescued by Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network
Septmber 1, 2009
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY children in Nigeria's south-eastern state of Akwa Ibom stigmatized as witches, and sent away from their homes have been reunited with their families after going through a rehabilitation process at the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRRAN) at Eket Local Government area of the state.
The Executive Director of CRRAN, Mr. Sam Itauma disclosed this at a two-day Media Advocacy for the Protection of Children by UNICEF for media drawn from Akwa Ibom, Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River and Enugu States.
Despite the Child Rights Act signed into law by the state government, he regretted that a cross section of people in the state are still feigning ignorance of the law as children are still being maltreated and branded with all forms of negative names.
Recently, Itauma said he was invited to rescue a baby thrown into a pit of soldier ants while a 4-year-old child was strangled to death after being branded as a witch by the parents.
He thanked the media for being pro-active on issues affecting children as well as UNICEF for its numerous programmes for child survival, development and protection.
A Child Protection Specialist of UNICEF, Nneka Oguagha in her paper titled: Building a Protective Environment for Children: Protecting Children from Violence, Abuse and Exploitation, stressed the need for the provision of protective environment for children.
A protective environment is one where every one children, governments, health workers and private sectors live up to their responsibilities to ensure that children are protected from abuse and exploitation, she explained.
Iwu's Nationality - Court Dismisses AC's Suit
A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday dismissed the suit by the Action Congress (AC) seeking to remove Professor Maurice Iwu as chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that he holds dual citizenship.
Delivering judgement on the matter, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdullahi Mustapha, said that section 28(1) of the 1999 Constitution, allows Iwu to hold dual citizen and still be qualified as chairman of INEC.
According to him Section 66(1) of the 1999 Constitution must be read together with section 28(1) of the same constitution.
Section 28(1) reads "subject to the other provisions of this section, a person shall forfeit his Nigerian citizenship if, not being a citizen of Nigeria by birth, he acquires or retains the citizenship or nationality of a country, other than Nigeria of which he is not a citizen by birth."
Justice Mustapha also held that the action is statute barred, having been brought outside the mandatory 30 days prescribed by section 2(a) of the public Officers Protection Act.
Furthermore, he said "nothing is illegal, nothing is irregular, nothing is unconstitutional about Iwu's appointment" and dismissed the application and all the reliefs sought.The AC filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking for the immediate removal of the chairman of INEC.The party wants Iwu sacked becuase he holds dual citizenship as a citizen of the United States of America with conflicting declaration of allegiance.But Iwu in his counter motion said that the action is statute barred having been brought outside the mandatory 30 days prescribed by Public Officers Protection Act.Also, he said his appointment and confirmation by the Senate followed due process, stressing that he met all constitutional requirements before he was appointed.
AC is contending before the court that Iwu is a bonafide registered voter in the United States and as such was not qualified to be appointed as chairman of INEC.
The party is asking the court to determine whether by virtue of the combined effect of sections 28, 66(1)(9) and 15(1) of Nigerian Constitution, Iwu a Nigerian citizen with dual nationality, and conflicting declaraion of allegiance to a foreign state, United States of America, is qualified to be appointed and continue to hold or remain in office as INEC chairman.
Also for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Iwu from continuing to act as chairman of INEC.
FG Approves 27.5 Percent Salary Increase for Teachers
The Federal Government yesterday approved 27.5% salary increase for its teachers under a new salary structure and called on them to resume work without delay.
The government said it had since approved the implementation of the new salary scheme which is captured in the 2008 budget and described as disruptive the strike action embarked on by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT).
In a statement signed by the Ministry of Education's, Director of Media, Mr Alphonsus Okorafor, the government said it remained committed to paying teachers in "Federal Government Colleges an enhanced salary as contained in the TSS and arrangements have already been concluded to commence payment of the new salary structures to federal government teachers."
The statement quoted the minster of education, Igwe Aja Nwachuku as saying it was unfortunate that the NUT decided to still proceed on a strike action after the government had indicated its seriousness concerning the implementation of the Teachers Salary Scheme.
The statement added that though the federal government has decided to pay the 27.5 % increment to its employees, the decision is not binding on states and called on the NUT to begin its own negotiations with states.
The statement then reads, 'It may however be noted that education being on the concurrent list in the constitution, basic and secondary education remain primarily the concern of states and local governments, who are the major employers of teachers nationwide.
"However, that the Federal Government decided to implement the TSS does not necessarily imply that the states are bound to do the same. The leadership of NUT is expected to negotiate with various state governments on the issue.
However in a telephone interview with Daily Trust, the Acting president of NUT, Comrade Onem Nelson said the recent statement by the government has nothing to do with them because it has no bearing to the strike action.
He pointed out that until the government releases the circular which officially implements the TSS, the teachers will remain on strike.
He described as quite unfortunate the minister of education's statements that the government was not perturbed by the recent strike action.
Comrade Onem Nelson added that it was clear that the minister had no stake in the education of the Nigerian child because he was not concerned that most primary and secondary schools would be shut down.
His words, 'this goes to show that the minister is insensitive to the plight of teachers, and it is obvious that none of his children is studying in any of the public schools in the country. This is not the kind of statement that should be attributed to a minister, the government should show some seriousness and implement the TSS to ensure sustainability in the education sector.
Meanwhile a document attached to the statement from the ministry of finance and signed by the Director Expenditure , C.D. Gali revealed that the sum of N780,689,189 representing the teachers' salary structure is captured in the 2008 budget.
Meawhile, the House of Representatives has summoned Minister of Education, Igwe Aja Nwachukwu to appear before its committee on Education Tuesday over the three days warning strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT).Chairman of the Committee, Farouk Lawan told newsmen yesterday that the House was not comfortable with both the position of government and the striking teachers as the current industrial dispute 'will worsen the already bad situation in the sector'.
"Our educational system has already suffered from myriads of problems associated with neglect, poor funding as well as a very low level of morale, not to mention those who work in the sector; strike can worsen the situation.
"For us in the House of Representatives, and the committee on education, we have already resolved to intervene in this matter and so, we have sent invitation to the NUT to discuss with them on Tuesday next week and we have also invited the minister of education as well as other officials of that ministry to equally come and brief the committee on education on the issues.
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