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John Abraham Godson, a Polish citizen born and raised in Nigeria, has been sworn in as the first black member of Poland’s parliament.
Mr Godson had served as a councillor in the city of Lodz before taking up a parliamentary seat, vacated by a party colleague after local elections.
His entry into parliament has created a media stir in the mainly white country.
He came to Poland in the 1990s, opening an English-language school and working as a pastor in a Protestant church.
He has since married a Polish woman and the couple have four children.
Beaten up twice
A member of the centre-right Civic Platform party, he was appointed to the seat vacated by party colleague Hanna Zdanowskaafter after she became mayor of Lodz.
It is still quite rare to see black people even in the Polish capital Warsaw, Poland’s most cosmopolitan city, the BBC’s Adam Easton reports.
Racism is still a problem in Poland, where it is not uncommon for well-educated people to make racist jokes, our correspondent says.
Mr Godson was beaten up twice in the early 1990s but he says attitudes to black people in Poland are changing for the better, particularly since the country joined the EU six years ago.
Speaking earlier to Polish radio, Mr Godson said: “I am from Lodz, I will live here, I want to die here and I want to be buried here.”
GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says a massive malaria control program since 2008 has helped reduce infections across Africa and eradicate the disease in Morocco and Turkmenistan.
The U.N. health agency says the billions of dollars poured into the program have helped buy anti-malaria nets for almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.
It said this has contributed to a drop of over 50 percent in malaria cases in 11 African countries, and two-thirds of the 56 malaria-endemic countries outside Africa. Malaria cases, however, increased in parts of Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe and Zambia.
S. African to double HIV patient treatment
(AP)
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s health minister says he has brought down the cost of HIV drugs by 53 percent, enabling the government to treat twice as many patients in the next two years.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in a statement Tuesday that the government saved 4.7 billion rand ($689 million) by encouraging potential suppliers to participate in the bidding process, requesting a breakdown of costs from suppliers and monitoring price changes.
South Africa has the largest anti-retroviral distribution program in the world but pays significantly higher drug prices than other countries, Motsoaledi says. South Africa has more people living with HIV than anywhere else in the world, with 5.7 million of 50 million people infected
New UN partnership seeks to promote reproductive health in Africa
http://www.un.org
December 2010 – The United Nations has teamed up with the Millennium Villages Project (MVP) to promote universal access to reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing mainly on young mothers.
The partnership between the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and MVP will use the Project’s primary health-care provision strategy and the UN agency’s expertise to promote reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health.
The MVP initiative seeks to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – eight anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline – in African countries within five years through community-led development.
Infant mortality rates are almost double among women who have children before the age of 20, compared to mothers in other age groups, a factor that makes it necessary to improve maternal and child health by providing voluntary family planning, medical supplies, training and education among younger women.
The UNFPA-MVP partnership will help local governments to provide supplies to clinics and hospitals in Millennium Village clusters. It will also identify trainers for health personnel.
“We look forward to joining forces with the Millennium Villages Project to widen the availability of sexual and reproductive health services – including family planning, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care and prenatal and postnatal care – across sub-Saharan Africa,” said UNFPA’s Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.
“This partnership will go a long way in saving the lives of more mothers, and allowing more families to enjoy a life of prosperity and good health,” she added.
Jeffrey Sachs, the Director of the Earth Institute, said: “Many programmes such as those in the Millennium Villages show that scaling up primary health systems in rural and remote areas plays a decisive role in reducing child and maternal mortality.
“It is partnerships like these that will make a difference and enable us to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 in the toughest parts of Africa,” Mr. Sachs added.
MVP, a partnership between the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Millennium Promise, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and governments, provides a new approach to fighting poverty.
Currently covering approximately 500,000 people, the Project has shown that an integrated package of development interventions, supported by a modest financial investment, about $110 per person annually over 5 to 10 years, can facilitate the achievement of the MDGs.
A young girl receives a vaccine on November 23, 2009 in Monrovia, Liberia in a file photo. Photograph by: Glenna Gordon, AFP/Getty Images
In spite of a global perception as being “dependent, pestilence-ridden and suffering,” Africa has the ingenuity and conviction to solve its own health problems, Canadian researchers say in a sweeping new look at the continent.
A team of researchers conducted hundreds of interviews in nearly 100 locations across sub-Saharan Africa to offer a “unique microscope” on neglected health problems for Afica.
The “landmark collection” of papers — published Sunday in the U.K.-based BioMed Central — outlines 25 innovative health technologies they say deserve more attention.
The researchers paint Africa as a hub of innovation, being held back only by finances and cultural biases, resulting in a lack of access to global markets.
“The bottom line is there’s a lot more ideas and talent in Africa . . . than there are products on the market helping people improve their health,” says Peter Singer, director of the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, which conducted the research.
“In the long term, the sustainable solutions to Africa’s health problems rest with the home team.”
According to lead researcher Ken Simiyu, the 25 technologies are considered “stagnant” because they languish in African health institutes instead of being converted into a viable product or service for local markets.
Examples include a portable medical-waste incinerator created in Kenya that can cut down on byproducts produced during mass vaccinations in rural areas, or a Ghana-developed diagnostic test for schistosoma, a parasitic disease that affects as much as 50 per cent of the population in some areas of Africa.
And in Kenya, scientists have isolated human odours that effectively repel mosquitos; an adapted insecticide could cut down on malaria, which kills nearly one million people — mostly African children — annually.
“What is holding them back is they have not been able to get a commercial partner who can transform these chemical entities . . . into a product that is really deliverable to the market,” said Simiyu.
THE Nobel Prize in Literature was presented to Mario Vargas Llosa at an awards ceremony on Friday in Oslo. This reawakened the disappointment felt by many fans of African literature, who had hoped that this would be the year for the Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o. But there’s actually reason to celebrate Mr. Ngugi’s loss. African literature is better off without another Nobel … at least for now.
A Nigerian publisher once told me that of the manuscripts she reads from aspiring writers, half echo Chinua Achebe and half try to adopt Wole Soyinka’s style. Mr. Achebe and Mr. Soyinka, who won the continent’s first Nobel in literature in 1986, are arguably the most celebrated black African writers, especially in terms of Western accolades. But their dominance causes problems in a region where the common attitude is, “If it already works, why bother to improve on it?”
Here, each successful seller of plantain chips spawns a thousand imitators selling identical chips; conformity is esteemed while individuality raises eyebrows; success is measured by how similar you are to those who have gone before you. These are probably not uniquely African flaws, but their effects are magnified on a continent whose floundering publishing industry has little money for experimentation and whose writers still have to move abroad to gain international recognition.
An Ngugi Nobel would have resulted in the new generation of aspiring writers dreaming of nothing higher than being hailed as “the next Ngugi.”
This would be a shame. Of course, it would be a relief to know that there’s at least one more option for young writers besides becoming the “next Achebe” or the “next Soyinka.” But what African writing needs now is real variety and adventurousness — evolution, not emulation. Messrs. Ngugi, Achebe and Soyinka are certainly masters, but of an earnest and sober style. What about other styles?
As a lover of humorous books, I’m often saddened that I can find hardly any by African authors. Fans of lighter literature or commercial fiction often make the same complaint. I know some young writers who are experimenting in these and other genres; an Ngugi award could have pushed them back to the old tried and tired ways.
I should say that Mr. Ngugi remains one of my literary sweethearts, and he’s hardly a conformist. Many fans have extolled his brave decision to write in his mother tongue, Kikuyu, instead of English. If he truly desires a Nobel, I can’t help but wish him one. But I shudder to imagine how many African writers would be inspired by the prize to copy him. Instead of acclaimed Nigerian writers, we would have acclaimed Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa writers. We suffer enough from tribal differences already. This is not the kind of variety we need.
I’d rather we miss out on this year’s Nobel party and are able instead to celebrate the accomplishments of more literary groundbreakers in the future. African writers will achieve more greatness when they are rewarded for standing on the shoulders of their elders to see farther ahead, instead of worshiping at their elders’ feet.
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, an editor at the Nigerian newspaper NEXT, is the author of the novel “I Do Not Come to You by Chance.”
(A version of this op-ed appeared in print on December 12, 2010, on page WK9 of the New York edition)
There was a presidential election in Cote d’Ivoire in December 2010, as required by the peace agreement after the civil war of 2002/2003. The arrangement allowed the then incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo to stretch his hold on power.
He has been in power for ten years and just lost the 2010 presidential election to his rival, Mr. Alassane Ouattara.
Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, however, refuses to leave office, citing a supposed vote rigging by his rival in the northern half of the country as his reason.
The UN has declared Gbagbo the loser after the vote count. Major European countries have backed the UN’s decision.
ECOWAS, the West African regional economic group, has given the nod to Gbagbo’s rival Ouattara as the winner and president elect.
At a meeting held in Abuja on December 7, ECOWAS members went a step further to suspend Cote d’Ivoire from the group because of Gbagbo’s refusal to step down.
The United States and the European Union are considering other sanctions should Gbagbo continue his grip on the presidency.
So far, the situation looks ominous with Mr. Gbagbo’s refusal to back down. Not surprising, he is being encouraged by none other than Russia, the old nemesis of the West in the cold war days.
The BBC quotes diplomats who say “Russia is blocking a Security Council statement endorsing Ivory Coast opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara as president” because Russia claims the UN has no mandate on the issue, notwithstanding the fact that the Russians are aware of the peace agreement that gave the UN the right to supervise affairs in the Ivory Coast election.
Gbagbo knows that Russia’s stance at the UN can easily re-ignite the Ivorian conflict. With America supporting President-elect Ouattara, chances are that the West African region may erupt into a super-power rivalry that will be costly. But because of personal ambition, Gbagbo is blind to this possible outcome.
Why Russia doesn’t understand the UN position on the matter should not be a mystery. Rather, it should be understood as a classy case of mischief making at the expense of the Cote d’Ivoire and West Africa.
This same Russia that hamstrung the US in the UN on matters leading to the Iraq war is at it again; this time, in another part of the world; all in the name of ideological and super-power struggle.
So the Civil War, as part of Cote d’Ivoire’s history, may rear its ugly head again. But not to blame the Russians, there is no reason why they should love Africa, much less Cote d’Ivoire.
The blame must go to Gbagbo who should know better to help the Cote d’Ivoire come out of this chaotic situation.
For the Russians this much can be said: the messier the situations in Cote d’Ivoire, the better the chances are to turn her into a client state.
But the same cannot be said for ex- President Laurent Gbagbo, a citizen of Cote d’Ivoire and the man with the insatiable ambition.
Ten years in office as president is a lot for most, except leaders in the Third World. And given the odds, the remainder of Gbagbo’s Ivorian generation, within that same time frame, can never constitutionally arise to the presidency because he is in power.
How does one account for the loss of potential leaders if one were to allow an incompetent like Gbagbo to straddle his rule to two or more generations?
Amazing and cruel as it is, the above is lost on Gbagbo. For his personal ambition, the whole of Cote d’Ivoire and generations of citizens after him may likely come to ruin.
Instead of looking at the looming danger ahead, Gbagbo has insolently named himself the president of Cote d’Ivoire even though he lost the 2010 election.
Corruption is a worldwide problem. For convenience sake, it has been widely associated with developing countries for the most part. It would be dishonest on my part to defend the developing world against charges of corruption. But the story is never complete when we only call the developing country like Ghana or Nigeria corrupt. That means we are only looking at one side of the coin.
Multi-national Corporations (MNCs) with roots in the developing world have a dominating role in propagating this disease in the developing world.
Last week, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria announced plans to charge Dick Cheney, former Vice President (VP) of the US, with corruption. Mr. Cheney acted as the CEO of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000. Documents coming to light reveal that during that time, the company participated in corrupt and fraudulent activities in Nigeria. One source states that about $180 million was used by Halliburton to bride its way to acquire lucrative natural gas contacts in Nigeria.
[ad#Adsense-200by90] This is just one example of large companies who have the resources to hire experts who can cope with the bureaucratic hurdles normally characteristic of most African countries and obscure rules of play.
I’m very much aware of the situation in Ghana. Local entrepreneurs fight and give up in securing land and other licenses to start operating businesses while International Corporation can work around the system overnight and be in business the next morning. They have the means to “oil” the administrative machinery and speed up long drawn-out decision-making processes.
These corporations are not only infecting our system with the disease that we’ve been fighting for decades, in fact, some of them are directly or indirectly responsible for civil unrest and wars.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it is estimated that nearly five million people have died in wars, the primary drive of which is the fulfillment of the Western economies and people’s unquenchable craving for high-quality jewels and precious minerals such as diamond. Where do the rebels get their arms from? They’re surely not locally made.
The educated elite in Africa benefit from this serfdom. This has become a war of attrition. The system of corruption propagated by MNCs in collaboration with African politicians has become a type of civil war in which the man or woman on the street cannot distinguish between a friend and a foe. They know that these corporations and their local leaders are making fortunes but they see none of the benefits in their everyday lives. Gold and diamonds from Ghana, diamond from the DRC, oil from Nigeria, cocoa from Ivory Coast and the list goes on, but a tin of milk is a luxury to most families.
It is easy for richer countries to attribute African development problems to corruption by African leaders. That is just part of the story. The role multi-national Corporations play should be addressed by their respective governments if these governments really care about Africa. The Western media needs to do a better job covering their corporations doing business in Africa.
I trust that the Nigerian EFCC hold Halliburton according to the very letter of the laws of the land. I’ll also have my ears widely open with regard to what steps the US Department of State takes. If I find something that I think will interest you, I’ll report it as usual. After all, that’s the very purpose this website was built to serve. Please check back
I am not a fanatic of anything, let alone the round-leather games, whose players only entertain and then smile to the banks. Why should people bully and kill themselves over a “game”? The result of a game can go either way. So, it is important for the supporters of players to withstand the outcome of football matches, even when they are not happy about it.
Suleiman Alphonso Omondi, a 29-year-old Kenyan football fan was once reported to have committed suicide just because the club he supported (Arsenal) lost a match. This is not proper. Maybe psychoanalytic experts may help us explain why some people take football as a religion, and often allow their emotions to overcome their reason when watching the game. The losing players may weep, and react negatively on the pitch, and may even call the bluff of the referee, as Drogba (some Nigerian supporters call him Aderogba!) once did when Chelsea played with Barcelona. But players don’t kill themselves. Look at Kanu or Essien, win or lose, they always take it easy; gentle, cool, calm and collected. It is because they know it is a game.
The problem with fanaticism is that it leaves a bitter taste after a sweet experience. While the players play with one another and even exchange jerseys, knowing that losing a match is not the end of their career, their fanatic supporters fight against one another. Informed investigations show that some football fanatics don’t talk to their spouses for days, some go on sex strike, and some don’t even eat at home in protest of ‘their’ loss. This is still bearable. But ending one’s or other people’s life as a result of a football match is the most unthinkable.
In fact, If Drogba’s Chelsea did not win and Eto’o’s Barca won, what do you stand to lose? If there was no game called football or soccer would you not live your life? If your club does not win today, can it not win tomorrow? We must watch matches responsibly. In short, we should be enthusiasts and fans of football, and not fanatics of it.
§ Earlier version published in The Guardian (Lagos)
Strikers Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o and Asamoah Gyan have been named as finalists for Africa’s 2010 player of the year award.
Ivory Coast’s Drogba is a two-time winner and last claimed the honour in 2009. He won the English Premier League title with Chelsea last season, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 29 goals in 32 games.
Eto’o of Cameroon, Africa’s player of the year in 2003, 2004 and 2005, won an Italian league, cup and Champions League treble with Inter Milan in 2010. Gyan starred as Ghana advanced to the quarter-finals at the World Cup.
The winner will be decided by a vote of the coaches or technical directors of the 53 countries that make up the Confederation of African Football on Dec. 20.
