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17 - 30 July 2015
Issue No 056
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ukba alarm
Fears grow among
diaspora over a return
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page 6
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ONe iN a milliON
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NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
2
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NEWSwatch
A new deAl for A new
fArewell sAlvo to uk
NIGERIAN
WATCH
CommENt
IDP: an acronym we
all need to know
ry this test on a friend or acquaintance; in
conversation, mention that you are concerned
about Nigeria's IDPs and see what response you
get. I have. It is not good, most people look puzzled.
It is only when you spell it out, Internally Displaced
Persons, that recognition dawns. yet everyone knows
Boko haram. That is the problem with government
speak, it reduces people to acronyms.
yet behind that convenient dehumanising
shorthand there is always a human face, a human
story. The mute, 6-year-old orphan, who sleeps rough
and lives off scraps from the kindly chef at a small
buka. The 12-year-old girl who fled when her mother
and father were shot by Boko haram gunmen.
one and a quarter million Nigerians have such
stories, mostly children and women.
Imagine the scale of the problem. The population of
the UK’s second largest city Birmingham is 992,000.
As Nigeria’s Ambassador to the UK Dr Dalhatu Sarki
tafida, oFr, CFr, said in his momentous speech to
Chatham house on July 9, Nigeria would like to see
Britain do more. As we all must do.
This is a battle that will have to fought and won on
two fronts. rescuing the Internally Displaced
Persons – the IDPs – from a
life of penury and illiteracy is
of equal importance to the
routing out of Boko haram.
t
maryanne Jemide, mD
publisher
tevin Jemide
publisher/managing director
maryanne Jemide
managing editor
Jon hughes
art editor
Cathy Constable
contributors obah Iyamu; harriet ogbeide;
AJ James; Ayo Akinfe; Funmi odegbami; Samuel Kasumu; Ngozi
mbana; Ekanem robertson, Jessica onah, laura Adenuga; Edel
meremikwu
chief cartoonist
harold ogbeide
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ISSN 2051-4670
An era has come to an end. Nigeria’s
High Commissioner to the UK, Dr
Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, OFR, CFR, has
been recalled from his post. His
record-breaking tenure – he is
entering his eighth year as
Ambassador to the Court of St James’
– comes to an end on August 6.
The position was made public over the
weekend in Nigeria by Femi Adesina, the
special adviser to President Muhammadu
Buhari on media and publicity, who
confirmed to the Punch newspaper that
letters of recall had been issued by the
Federal Government to all non-career
ambassadors.
The order comes into effect on August
6, allowing a little over three weeks for
“non-career diplomats to brief their
hosts and carry out all exit formalities”.
While not unexpected the finality is
still shocking. The chairman of the
Central Association of Nigerians in the
UK Babatunde Loye told Nigerian Watch,
“If those of us here had our way I am sure
no one would want him to leave.
“Dr Tafida has been a mentor, a great
leader, a father and indeed a great source
of inspiration. He is a man of great
honour and integrity who can always be
taken for his word.
“I have never seen someone like him
before, who has achieved so much in
terms of his impact on the lives of those
of us around him and what he has done
for the community he leads; Dr Tafida
has reached out like none other before
him to impact those in the community.”
Henrietta Abraham, chairwoman of
Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation, said,
“The news that the High Commissioner
will be leaving office, though expected,
has come with sadness.
“Dr Tafida has made such an impact on
the Nigerian community in the UK that
he will be dearly missed by the whole
community. He has been very supportive
and operated an open door policy which
drew us closer and reinforced the positive
relationship
between
the
High
Commission and the community. We will
miss him very, very much.”
Sir Martins Bakare of the National
Association of Nigerian Communities,
said, “It is sad that our Father Dr Tafida
will be leaving after the wonderful turn
around he has made to the way our
mission used to be.
“His Excellency created a conducive
environment of belonging to all us
Nigerians; he is accessible and kind
hearted man.
“He refurbished the Mission to a
world standard, the immigration section
is superb, as citizens can come from
Wakefield, Bradford, Birmingham,
Liverpool and beyond for either renewal
or to obtain a new passport and return
back to their abode on the same day,
which is an laudable achievement. We all
wish him well in his continued service to
humanity.”
Since arriving in the UK Dr Tafida has
become equally revered by British
Parliamentarians and the diplomatic
community as he is by the Nigerian
Who will step into Dr tafida’s shoes?
When
Nigeria’s
High
Commissioner to the UK Dr
Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, OFR,
CFR, steps down on August 6
his
current
deputy
Ambassador
Olukunle
Akindele Bamgbose will
assume his duties on an
interim basis.
He took up his role as
Deputy in the London Mission
in September last year. In his
diplomatic career, he has
served
in
Mauritania,
Permanent Mission of Nigeria
to the United Nations, New
York, and most recently Japan.
Prior his appointment, he was
the
Director,
Joint
Commission,
Trade
and
Investment Division, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Abuja,
Nigeria.
From 2012 - 2013, he was
the Director North and Central
America Division of the
Foreign Ministry.
He graduated from the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka,
Enugu State, Nigeria in 1982
with a degree in Mass
Communication. He also holds
a diploma in International
Finance from the Stilman
University, New York, United
States of America.
His hobbies include soccer,
tennis,
sumo,
reading
autobiographies, gospel music
and movies amongst others.
He is married with three
children.
But naturally there is
widespread speculation as to
who will permanently succeed
Dr Tafida as President
Muhammadu
Buhari’s
representative at the Court of
St James’.
London being Nigeria’s
largest mission in the world
and the centre of the global
economy it is certain to be a
high-profile champion of
business and reform.
This has led many to
speculate that it may well be
Professor Pat Utomi. One of
the founding philosophers of
the APC with a global
reputation in business circles
he seems a natural fit for the
role.
The former Presidential
candidate and chief operating
officer of VW in Nigeria is
renowned for his “passion for
the dignity of the human
person and the spirit of
enterprise”.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
NEWSwatch
3
nigeriA, Advises AmbAssAdor in
diaspora for “being a superb leader”.
This was reflected by Baroness
Linda Chalker, who chairs the biannual British Nigeria investment
forum and said at the launch of a
biography of Dr Tafida, “I have
known a number of Nigerian High
Commissioners and many more
High Commissioners since entering
parliament over 40 years ago. But I
have to say I don’t think that I’ve
ever come across somebody who has
so taken the hearts and minds not
only of his staff and the Nigerian
community but of almost everyone
he meets.”
She continued, “Leadership is a
word I use quite sparingly these days,
but not tonight, because this man is
an example to every Nigerian and to
millions of others, including Brits. To
do a job thoroughly, to do it with
understanding and compassion and
always to have his community first.
Thank you Dr Tafida for being a
superb leader.”
His Excellency will have been
aware of his imminent departure
when he addressed the worldrenowned foreign affairs think-tank
Chatham House on Thursday (July 9).
He had been invited to deliver his
“reflections of Nigeria-UK relations;
evolving engagements in a changing
global context” to a roundtable of
past and present ambassadors, civil
servants and invited community
leaders and media.
As is to be expected, the High
Commissioner’s
agenda-setting
assessment was frank, constructive
and respectful of the special
relationship that exists between the
two countries. But reading between
the lines it was evident there exists a
growing mood of impatience in
Nigeria with Britain’s foot-dragging
on key issues.
His Excellency was clear that he
felt there was not only room for
improvement in the relationship but
a great opportunity and need to
strengthen those bonds in light of the
peaceful transition of power in the
country to an administration “whose
guiding principles are honesty,
transparency and accountability in
governance”.
He was concerned this was failing
to materialise, first in relation to the
Boko Haram insurgency and then
trade and investment.
On Boko Haram he told the
gathering, “Even though Britain has
shown
great
concern
and
demonstrable commitment to assist
Nigeria to rout out the insurgents this
has not been fully translated to the
expectations of Nigerians. It is the
considered view of many including
my humble self that Great Britain
would demonstrate its greatness by
being more engaging and proactive to
stamp out insurgency in Nigeria.”
In relation to trade and
investment he spoke at length about
the UK's reluctance to enter into a binational commission with Nigeria; an
increasingly common feature of
international relations.
“Unfortunately,” Dr Tafida said,
“there appears to be a disturbing
hesitation on the part of the UK to
have a BNC with Nigeria.”
He said such an institution would
be “catalytic” to addressing capacity
building
and
human
capital
development and boosting trade and
investment to the
benefit
of
both
countries.
Yet the UK has
“waved off this noble
bilateral framework
with
the
simple
excuse that it could
create a large global
bureaucracy
that
could end up being a talking shop”.
This has left many Nigerians
perplexed. The country is a gateway
to a market of 300 million people,
boasts huge investment potential in
the mineral and agriculture sectors,
and has double-locked security for
investors.
“British investors should take the
lead for the mutual benefit of our two
countries,” he advised.
The speech also addressed the
worrying rise in “xenophobia” in
Britain. “The situation gets worse
with every downturn in the
economic situation in Britain, where
foreigners, including Nigerians are
made scapegoats. It becomes more
xenophobic when they are accused of
taking jobs from Britons.”
The “discriminatory” treatment of
Nigerian students compounded the
impression that Nigerians are
unwelcome. “We have a situation
where students are made to pay a huge
deposit to prove they can afford their
studies before getting their visas. This
practice
is
discriminatory
because it is not
universally
applied.”
He called for
it
to
be
reviewed
favourably
alongside the
post-study visa policy, to allow
Nigerian students to remain for one
year after graduation “to gain some
experience before returning to
Nigeria”.
He lamented the fact that on visas
in general “attention is more focused
on removals and cutting down
numbers of migrants rather than
their contribution to the economy”.
Turn to page 12 to read His
Excellency’s address in full.
“There is
impatience in
Nigeria with the
UK’s foot-dragging
on key issues”
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NEWSwatch
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
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Nigerian is top Cambridge law graduate
NIGERIAN
student
Oluwatobi
Olasunkanmi has won the William
Charnley Prize for being the best First
Class law graduate at the University of
Cambridge.
Mr Olasunkanmi, 24, who is the
son of the former Nigerian minister of
youth development, Senator Akinlabi
Olasunkanmi, happened to be the
only student of African heritage in the
graduating
set.
In
official
correspondence addressed to Mr
Olasunkanmi, the university’s senior
tutor, Dr Philip Johnson, wrote,
“Many congratulations on obtaining
the best Hughes Hall First Class in
your BA in Law. In recognition, the
College has awarded you with the
William Charnley Prize.”
Senator Olasunkanmi expressed
his joy at the achievement attained by
his son, noting that it has not only
brought honour to his family but to
Nigeria as a whole. “Sincerely
speaking, my joy is not only because
he is my son but because he has
represented Nigeria well.”
safeguarding children conference
launches essential advice booklet
Despite the Tube strike, over 100
people attended the World of Hope
conference
on
Safeguarding
Children at Lambeth Town Hall on
Thursday (July 9).
The conference had been called
because increasingly excessive
physical
chastisement
within
diaspora families is resulting in more
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children being taken into care and
more parents being imprisoned.
Ms Florence Ekampose, founder
and CEO of the world of Hope
Charity said, “We need to adapt to
the system here. Parents are being
arrested, children are being taken
away, often because they don’t
understand the laws of this land. I do
not want to see our community
suffer like this, thats why we have
staged
this
conference
and
published an advice booklet.”
Attending the conference were
child protection experts from five
London boroughs – Greenwich,
Croydon, Lewisham, Southwark
and Lambeth – and specialist family
lawyers, who gave
talks
and
ran
workshops
on
parenting skills and
the letter of the law
when it comes to
child protection.
The occasion was
also used to launch a
pamphlet offering
guidance
on
safeguarding
children. In an easy
and accessible format this gives
essential advice on how parents can
build a better relationship with their
child, the limits to chastisement and
what the law says.
To receive a copy contact the
world of Hope Charity at either
[email protected] or call
07776 992138
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Writer, performer, and choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili has been named the next
resident commissioned artist by New York Live Arts. The two-year residency supports the work of mid-career artists with nearly $200,000 in funding, a salary, and
health benefits, and a commission for New York Live Arts.
For Okpokwasili, the funding will underwrite a performance piece co-created
with Peter Born, and titled Poor People’s TV Room, which explores the women’s resistance movement in Nigeria through dance, song, text and film.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
NEWSwatch
5
Government announces
aid package for refugees
A range of new programmes from
the UK will provide emergency aid
as well as jobs and education to
help address the root causes of
the migrant crisis, International
Development Secretary Justine
Greening announced on July 2.
This new support forms part of
a wider approach by the UK government and will focus on the
fragile and vulnerable states from
which the majority of migrants
are leaving. This includes Syria and
its neighbours as well as a number
of African countries such as Nigeria, South Sudan and Kenya.
Justine Greening said, “As well
as providing immediate lifesaving
aid, it will create jobs and help
people find work, improve health
services and boost education in
the longer term. That means people who might otherwise feel they
have no choice but to risk their
lives by making perilous journeys
to escape war or poverty instead
have the opportunity to build a
better life where they are.”
The new support for Africa includes:
l £30m of support for over
580,000 South Sudanese
refugees – providing emergency
assistance and meeting longer
term needs
l £18m of support for vulnerable
people affected by conflict in Central African Republic, including
170,000 refugees from CAR living
in Cameroon, helping them to
meet their basic needs and build
their own livelihoods;
l £4 million of support for over
75,000 vulnerable and displaced
people in north east Nigeria –
providing emergency support for
the UN and NGOs who are responding to urgent needs for
water, sanitation, and nutritional
support;
l £111 million of support in the
Sahel for 500,000 people affected
by food insecurity and 300,000
people affected by conflict - improving their resilience to shocks
and crises. DFID’s Sahel programme is also providing support
to 81,000 Nigerian refugees in
Cameroon and Niger.
l £38.7 million to support vulnerable people in Sudan, in particular those most affected by
conflict. This will support the provision of food, clean water, access
to healthcare, nutrition, education, and protection services.
l £15 million of assistance for
more than 533,000 refugees living in camps in Kenya – providing
support in critical areas including
health, nutrition and food, water
and sanitation.
mAsquerAdes, music And drAmA tAke centre
stAge At igbo festivAl of Arts And culture
Thousands of Nigerians gathered at the
Jubilee Park in Edmonton, north London,
on Saturday to celebrate the 2015 Igbo
Festival of Arts and Culture in what was a
rich display of African tradition.
Showcasing Igbo culture in all its
richness, the event featured music,
traditional
dances,
Egwugwu
masquerades, drama presentations and
citations.
Guests were treated to an array of
African foods, including traditional
African delicacies, with renditions of
classic Igbo songs from the likes of the
Oriental Brothers, Nico Mbarga, Sir
Warrior, Osta Osadebe and Oliver De
Coque.
Among the prominent guests that
attended the event were Councillor
Patricia Ekechi and Councillor Sade Etti,
the Mayors of Enfield and Hackney
respectively. Several former mayors
including Kate Anolue from Enfield and
Anna Mbachu from Waltham Forest were
also in attendance. Community leaders
Alex Achebe, the first vice chairman of the
Central Association of Nigerians in the UK
and Godson Azu, the secretary of the
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation were
also present.
During the event, books were also
presented highlighting rich Igbo culture
and history and representatives from the
various communities gave speeches
detailing their history and past. There
were representatives from Nigeria's six
Igbo-speaking states, with all the
disparate communities manning stalls that
showcased their cuisine and culture.
6
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
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@NigerianWatch
NEWSwatch
Anti-Raids Network
AlArm rAised over ukbA ‘spot-checks’
Fears are mounting among the
diaspora that the UK Border
Agency is undertaking spotchecks of papers - rapidly
removing those who’s documents
are found wanting.
While the tactic of stopping people
on the street and demanding to see
their papers is deemed unlawful, and
caused an outcry when it was
revealed to be happening in 2013, it
seems to have re-emerged since
May’s general election, during which
the home secretary Theresa May
pledged to make the UK a “hostile
environment” for migrants.
It has led to a flurry of
‘immigration surgeries’ being staged
within the diaspora, the latest by the
Central Association of Nigerians in the
UK in Kidbroke on Saturday July 4.
Just days earlier the Nigerian
Community in Manchester (NCM)
raised the alarm that spot checks
were being undertaken in the
northern city.
The chairman of NCM Ade
Arogundade took to Facebook to
share the details as a warning to
Nigerians to regularise their status.
He wrote, “When I received a
whatsapp message yesterday (June
30) that I ‘should stay away from
Manchester Piccadilly and adjoining
areas because immigrants were being
stopped and arrested in the streets’, I
thought it was a joke.
“This morning, I was informed
that they were at a primary school at
Openshaw together with police
officers. Then, I knew it’s getting
serious!”
He continued to detail legal advice
given at a recent immigration seminar
in the city. “At a recent seminar, an
immigration law expert reiterated
that whatever your position as an
immigrant, ensure that at all times,
you are processing your papers with
the UK Boarder Agency. There is
always a case for everyone, no matter
what. It is dangerous not to have
anything done at all. That will indeed
lead to an automatic removal from the
UK, if you get caught.”
“If you are in a situation that
demands for paper regularisation,
please, act now. Seek advice from
those who might have gone through
your present situation in the past. You
may not necessarily need a solicitor
for everything at all times. When you
need one, you will get an appropriate
referral.”
He signed off, “I have a feeling that
if they could be chasing people for
their papers in the streets, at schools
and at work, very soon they may start
going to churches. A word is enough
for the wise, please, ACT NOW!”
The threat is very real. As Sarah
Campbell, a research and policy
manager at Bail for Immigration
Detainees explained to Vice news,
many foreign national offenders are
residents “that have been in the UK
for years, in some cases decades”
often with “children born and
brought up here”.
The report continued, “With these
kind of offenders now being deported
without an opportunity for their cases
to be heard, Campbell says, many
with a legitimate claim to remain
could be permanently, unjustly
expelled.”
Aside from Manchester, there is
increased activity by officers of the
Border Agency in London. The
AntiRaids network, posting on
Twitter @antiraids, delivers a running
commentary on activity that has been
concentrated in south and east
London.
The rapid removal of suspects
who’s papers are found not to be in
order was raised by Nigeria’s High
Commissioner to the UK Dr Dalhatu
Sarki Tafida, OFR, CFR, during his
recent address to the foreign affairs
think tank Chatham House.
He told the roundtable of
diplomats and civil servants,
“Nigerians who have gone through
the trouble of obtaining visas and
have travelled to the United Kingdom
are increasingly being denied entry at
the various airports in this country.
The Mission is neither notified nor
contacted. Rather, they are deported
on flimsy excuses. In addition, for
those seeking the right to remain in
the country also gives rise to a
situation where many of those who
apply while still having valid visas are
made to wait for periods of over a year
before a decision is made on their
application.
In this period, visas have often
lapsed leaving repatriation as the only
option available, for no just cause.
This is not very fair as people with
very legitimate reasons are refused
resident permits on these grounds.
My belief is that the processes of
normalising the stay of individuals
who have been law abiding should be
streamlined and given adequate
attention.”
A spokesman for the Home Office
confirmed that spot checks are
unlawful and that Immigration
Enforcement Officers only act on
intelligence, of which operational
details cannot be shared.
He
told
Nigerian
Watch,
“Immigration Officers attended a
crime reduction operation on 30 June
within the confines of Manchester
Piccadilly Train Station. This was an
operation led by the British Transport
Police, who referred individuals to
Immigration Enforcement officers
where they suspected an immigration
offence
may
have
been
committed. On this occasion no
arrests were made for any
Immigration offences.”
In reference to the visit to
Openshaw
School
he
said,
“Immigration Officers have also been
to Openshaw School several times to
help out at fayres with the pupils and
to help them with mock interviews
and confidence skills. The Police have
also assisted at similar events.”
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NEWSwatch
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
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@NigerianWatch
NIDO establishes Nigeria office church lAments its fAilure
The global Nigerian diaspora remitted as
whopping $63.17bn back home between
2011 and June last year, according to figures recently published by the Nigerians in
Diaspora Organisation (NIDO).
Speaking on July 10 in Abuja ahead of
Diaspora Week 2015, Dr George
Manuwuike, the chairman of NIDO’s board of
trustees, said the diaspora remittance was
second only to oil and gas
revenue as the highest
foreign exchange injection to the economy. This
year’s diaspora workshop
will take place between
July 23 and 27 in Abuja
and is expected to be attended by thousands of
Nigerians from the global
diaspora.
Dr Manuwuike said, “As the umbrella
organisation of diaspora Nigerians, we are
proud to associate with the phenomenal
amount that Nigerians living abroad have
been bringing to the national economy.
Recently, the World Bank reported that between 2011 to June 2014, Nigerians in the
diaspora had remitted about $63.17bn
(N10.35trn) into the country and in terms
of remittance from her citizens living
abroad, Nigeria was ranked five globally
next to China, India, Philippines and Mexico.”
He added that since its inception in
2000, NIDO had served as a forum for
Nigerian diaspora networking and advocacy.
According to Dr Manuwuike, it had organised scores of trade and investment
conferences that brought Nigerians and
foreign investors together for dialogue opportunities, technological, educational, industrial and other forms of investment in
Nigeria.
In addition, he said
Nido intended to reverse
and convert the braindrain the country had suffered for so long into a
brain-gain. Dr Manuwuike
stressed that the organisation wanted to use this
year’s Diaspora Week to
raise funds for a number
of projects that were proposed for the benefit of
Nigerian people.
“Nido plans to ramp up
its engagement in Nigeria to ensure that its
mission and goals are achieved, and the
impact of its actions are felt by both government and the Nigerian masses. It is for
this and other purposes that a Nido office
has recently been registered here in Abuja
as a non -governmental organisation," Dr
Manuwuike added.
According to him, key among the projects Nido plans to work on are a multi-million naira diagnostic and trauma centre and
a Boko Haram Victims Rehabilitation Fund
to assist victims of terrorism and minimise
the trauma experienced by survivors. He
added that this would be done through facilitating access to proper medical and
psychological treatment through the Diaspora Liaison Office in Abuja.
to promote bAme clergy
The population of England is
growing more diverse, and
Christianity is getting much less
white, but the Church of England
is going backwards when it comes
to selecting and promoting
minority ethnic clergy, a senior
bishop has told the General
Synod.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the
Right Rev Stephen Cottrell, whose
diocese extends into east London,
told the synod that when he
ordained one black and one Asian
Archdeacon in 2013, he doubled the
number of senior ethnic minority
clergy
“without
particularly
realising it”.
The archbishop of York, John
Sentamu, and the dean of
Manchester, Rogers Govender, were
then the only senior non-white
clergy despite at least 30 years of
exhortation, the Guardian reported.
It continued, there have been a few
highly visible ethnic minority clergy
in recent decades – among them
Rose Hudson Wilkins, the Speaker’s
chaplain, and Michael Nazir-Ali, the
former bishop of Rochester, but the
proportion had not risen and in
recent years has shrunk.
“The figures this year are not
massively different [from last year]
but when you think it’s going the
other way, it’s pretty shocking,”
Cottrell said.
“The number is going up slowly
but not reflecting the wider
community,” the bishop added. The
static
or
backwards-moving
Anglican picture contrasts with a
great growth in Christianity among
the minority ethnic populations of
Britain.
Between the 2001 and 2011
censuses, the number of black
Christians increased by 58% and of
Asian Christians by 390%. The
number of white Christians
decreased by 17%.
Almost all the growth, though,
came outside the Church of
England. Cottrell said, “Quite
simply the leadership and ministry
of the Church of England no longer
looks like or adequately reflects the
diversity and creativity of the
communities it serves. This should
be a huge concern and directly
affect our credibility as a national
church and our mission.”
But Cottrell denied that the
church was institutionally racist. “I
think that to describe the church as
institutionally racist is to miss the
point. Unconscious bias is a better
way of approaching it. That is
borderline racist, but there are ways
to confront that.”
The future of Christianity in
Britain is certainly less white.
Minority ethnic churchgoers are on
average 18 years younger than white
churchgoers and form 10% of the
children in the Church of England.
Cottrell said later that the very
high visibility of Sentamu (pictured),
who was born in Uganda, might
have served inadvertently to conceal
the problem, since Anglicans could
look at him and think that there was
not a problem if the second-highest
ranking prelate in the country was
black.
According to figures released to
the synod on Friday, there are
presently 80 clergy being fasttracked for promotion as eventual
bishops; a quarter of them are
women and seven are black or
Asian.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
KASUMUwatch
9
The
Samuel KaSUMU Column
ShAKESPEArE Got It
WroNG oN NAmES
The
famous
verse
from
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet –
‘What is in a name? A rose by any
other name would smell as sweet’
– is something that I struggle to
believe when it comes to the art of
naming a new child.
The argument that a name is simply
a name contradicts the very essence of
how we as humans are designed to
identify value. Companies every year
spend billions across the world trying
to figure out how to name a product
that often has limited lasting worth, so
how much more should we value the
name bestowed upon an individual?
Some of the greatest people to
grace this planet have had names
fitting for their character and
achievements. But of course some
would argue that there have been
people who the world would have
been a better place without that also
had names aligned to a positive
message. The question therefore is,
what is in a name? Is there power in
a name, or is it not a defining factor?
Take Martin Luther King for
example. His name ‘Luther’ means
soldier of the people. He was also
named after Martin Luther, the great
Christian reformer who took on
vested interests.
We can also look at the great
Winston Churchill for a name fitting
of a man. Winston means ‘joy’ or
‘stone’. What a fitting description for
Mr Churchill who helped to bring joy
to the free world as he led Britain’s
resistance to Nazi Germany. He was a
stone that lead by conviction, echoed
in his famous words ‘we shall never
surrender’.
As someone of Nigerian heritage I
believe my parents and other people
in their generation saw the power that
is in a name and as a result we have so
many people who were named with a
powerful message for them to hold
onto all the days of their life.
I think that perhaps where we go
wrong when naming a child is that we
do not consistently remind them of
just how special their name is. We
seldom explain to them the meaning
of their name, how their name was
selected, and why their name is
special.
This constant reminder, in my
opinion, is what allows people to not
only live up to their name, but also to
live a life with a conviction that they
are important and have a purpose.
So what is in a name? I will have to
disagree with Shakespeare. A name
brings with it the potential to look
into tomorrow and see just what a
child can be. A name in a sense has a
chance to be a self-fulfilling
prophecy.
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probably agree with. It’s a reality that will
probably still continue in many circumstances, even with the proposed reforms.
The honest truth is that the Chancellor is not the principle owner but a
guardian. His role is to look after what
are the assets of the tax payer and
therefore the working person must be
the primary stakeholder when decisions
are made.
On May 7 we had a choice as to how
we wanted our finances to be managed.
We knew that a £12.5 billion reduction in
welfare spending was part of the Conservative plan and the majority of us
voted for it. Osborne has therefore delivered the will of the people. It is now
for us all to look at the bigger picture as
the economic landscape of this great
nation changes.
A Conservative utopia is one where
the state gets out of the way when people wish to fulfil their potential, where
the state intervenes only where needed,
and where everyone plays their part
whether rich or poor. Time will tell if
over the next five years we are able to go
a step further to creating ‘One Nation’.
where do we go
from here?
The first Conservative budget for a generation lived up to its hype! George Osborne spelt out an economic vision for a
country where people have a living
wage, small businesses can survive,
and where work always pays.
Of course the decision to reform
various benefits was controversial and
will affect many of the poorest families
in the land. We are living in a period
where many single parents have to do
the work of both parents, with the
state filling the gaps where possible.
The question the Chancellor has had
to ask himself is what is fair in today’s
society. His conclusion, that someone
I hope PMB was right
to purge the Generals
President Muhammadu Buhari has wasted little time
in trying to deal with his greatest challenge in office.
The sacking of the military chiefs less than a month
into his Presidency shows that he knows he must be
seen to deliver a strong and robust response to Boko
Haram.
Whilst I understand the politics of the decision, I
can’t help but feel that politics may be the only
winner.
The reality is that these same chiefs that have been
relieved of their duties are the ones to have led the
battle so far and will probably be better placed to
explain what has worked and what hasn’t.
These are men that have probably been fighting a
battle with fewer resources than they needed, as they
waited for the country’s army to re-equip itself.
Let us not forget that Nigeria has not fought a war
since the civil war.
If previous Nigerian governments had spent
significantly on weapons whilst their people
continued to live in great poverty what would people
have said? Hindsight is 2020.
Of course very few of us will ever be privy to the
conversations and analysis that led to the military
chiefs being relieved of their positions.
Perhaps there are or were underlying reasons or
there simply are better people available to take this
battle forward.
For the sake of the Nigerian people I hope that this
recent decision proves to be the correct one.
claiming benefits should not be better off
than someone that works, is something
that most people in the country will
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10
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
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@NigerianWatch
NEWSwatch
Letters to the Editor
It’s Not Just about the Money: To Change the World We Must
Change Ourselves
The Mediterranean sea has
become a graveyard for
Africa’s youth. Every day, we
see images of what would
appear to be a continent
racked by conflict and poverty,
and people risking – often
losing – their lives in an
attempt to flee . Yet Africa has
11 of the 20 fastest growing
economies in the world. Africa
has enormous resources, and
almost half of the world’s
uncultivated land that is
suitable for growing food
crops. So why are so many
people desperate to leave
behind a land of such
opportunity?
Part of the answer is that
the vast wealth of Africa is
often not being translated into
development. Often it benefits
only a few, or is squandered
altogether. Illicit outflows
from Africa totaled $69 billion
in
2014.
To
achieve
development we need much
more than just resources.
Certainly, money can
address some of the deficits
that trap millions of people –
especially rural people -- in
poverty.
They
need
infrastructure, starting with
the roads that will take them to
school or market, as well as
electrification, water and
sanitation systems. They need
education, health care, decent
wages, access to finance.
But there are also things
that money can’t buy.
Leadership, good governance,
commitment to the rule of law,
and an enabling environment
to attract investment. The
social responsibility to pay fair
wages,
create
decent
employment, and pay taxes.
The Third International
Conference on Financing for
Development (FfD), soon to
convene in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, is one leg of the route
that global leaders have
charted toward a new
international consensus to
change the world we live in
and to eliminate extreme
poverty and hunger. Ahead lie
the finalization of the Post2015 Agenda and Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)
and a new global agreement on
climate change. The goals are
necessary for our collective
future. Without a solid
consensus over the financing
and
resources
needed,
however, goals remain simply
wishes.
But it’s not just about the
money, still less about aid in
the conventional sense. The
key to a sustainable future free
of poverty and hunger is
people. The world leaders
gathering in Addis need look
no further than the continent
where they are meeting to see
this.
Africa is rich. Its extractive
industries have provided
revenues in the hundreds of
billions of dollars. Yet Africa’s
resource-rich countries have
some of the world’s highest
child mortality rates, and a
dozen have in excess of 100
child deaths for every 1,000
live births. This travesty
illustrates that there are other
resources besides money that
are
necessary
for
development, starting with
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let us know what you think. Put pen to paper and send your letters to: The Editor, Nigerian Watch,
Chartwell house, 292 hale lane, Edgware, middlesex hA8 8NP, or email us at: [email protected]
letters to be included in the next issue must be received by no later than may 29, 2015. Anonymous
letters will not be published. Please include your full name, postal address and contact telephone
number. Names and addresses can be withheld, if preferred.
letters may be edited for publication.
leadership, accountability and
commitment.
Three quarters of the
world's poor and chronically
hungry people live in rural
areas and are also mainly
dependent on agriculture for
their livelihoods. Smallholder
farmers
and
rural
entrepreneurs
could
contribute much more to
producing food, job creation,
national economic growth,
and the preservation of natural
resources. Yet they often lack
the tools to do so. And many of
those who are producers of
food go hungry themselves.
Investment
in
rural
development is key to
delivering
a
host
of
development
objectives,
including adequate food, clean
air,
fresh
water
and
biodiversity. And growth in
the agricultural sector has been
estimated to be at least three
times more effective in
reducing poverty as growth in
any other area. In sub-Saharan
Africa, the figure is 11 times.
Change must start from
within. An institution like
mine, the International Fund
for Agricultural Development,
offers support. We are
investing. We are sharing
knowledge and best practices.
As the only IFI in the United
Nations we are committed
partners
in
rural
transformation. But the fact
remains that no donor
institution can transform
countries unless they are
willing
to
transform
themselves.
Ethiopia, a country once
synonymous with famine, is
now among Africa's fastest
growing
economies.
Investment
in
rural
infrastructure and agricultural
transformation have done
what no amount of aid could
have. Ethiopia is Africa's
number one exporter of
honey, and has the second
largest horticultural industry.
So let us remember that not
all commitments are measured
in dollars. True, to save
ourselves, our future and our
planet, we need major
resources, both public and
private. But we also need the
commitment of responsible
governors,
legislators,
investors, business people and
partners of all kinds to see that
the investments are just and
inclusive. And this has to
happen beyond Africa. The
Addis Ababa Accord provides a
chance not just to count the
money, but make sure the
money counts.
By Kanayo F. Nwanze, President
of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development
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NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
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EMBASSYwatch
News from the
NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSION London
UK told it could do better in relation to Nigeria
and diaspora in Dr Tafida’s end of term report
on Thursday July 9, Nigeria’s high Commissioner to the
UK, Dr Dalhatu Sarki tafida, oFr, CFr, addressed the
influential foreign affairs think-tank Chatham house.
his Excellency was invited to deliver his reflections on
Nigeria-United Kingdom relations: Evolving Engagement in a Changing Global Context.
Speaking to an influential round table of current and
former ambassadors and senior civil servants Dr tafida
let it be known Nigeria expects and is perplexed and
concerned about the UK’s reluctance to engage.
he also voiced the concerns of the diaspora regarding
increasing xenophobia and discrimination, evidenced
by scapegoating and visa restrictions.
It was an incisive, agenda-setting presentation – reproduced here in full – which the former UK Ambassador to Nigeria Sir robin Wells said he was sure would be
heard in the right places with a great deal of sympathy.
INtroDUCtIoN
The Nigeria United Kingdom relations
which pre-dated the independence of
Nigeria in October 1960 has
undergone what the scientists call
metamorphosis.
Starting, as it did, in a kind of
master-servant relationship, through
partnership for mutual co-operation
to a now formidable bilateral
relationship that is anchored for
mutual
goodwill,
mutual
understanding and mutual cooperation, finding expressions in
concrete terms, as in high level visits
and memorandum of understanding.
This has remained the wellgreased pillars of the relationship
between
Nigeria
and
United
Kingdom, which has continued to
wax stronger and stronger in
political,
economic,
consular,
immigration and media relations.
PolItICAl mAttErS
INSUrGENCy
The very first lever to propel bilateral
relations is the political aspect of
those relations. Here I hasten to say
that the two countries enjoy a robust
political relation that is necessary to
advance the cause of all other forms of
relations. Over the years, the ‘Patron
Clientele Partnership’ withered away
giving rise to a partnership that can be
called equal and mutual.
Here, I wish to recall with
nostalgia the role of Britain in the
struggle to keep the corporate
existence of Nigeria from 1967 to 1970.
Over four decades after that, Nigeria
is again beset by another challenge to
its security in the North Eastern plank
of the country. Even though Britain
has shown great concern and
demonstrable commitment to assist
Nigeria to rout out the insurgents, this
has not been fully translated to the
expectations of Nigerians.
However,
with
the
new
administration in Nigeria, whose
guiding principles are honesty,
transparency and accountability in
governance, it is the considered view
of many, including my humble self,
that Great Britain would demonstrate
its greatness by being more engaged
and proactive in assisting to stamp out
insurgency in Nigeria.
As an aside, it is in the news that
our president, Muhammadu Buhari
will be the guest of the American
President Obama in the course of July,
at the invitation of President Obama,
ostensibly to discuss a
regional approach to
stamping out the
insurgency. This is
because Boko Haram
is an international
phenomenon
that
requires concerted
international action. I
believe Great Britain
and the United States in a
transatlantic cooperation on behalf of
Nigeria can make the required push in
the fight against insurgency in
Nigeria.
To date, Nigeria maintains binational Commissions with the
United States of America, Canada,
South Africa, Germany and Poland,
with arrangements in final phases for
same framework of cooperation with
Turkey and Russia. Unfortunately,
there appears to be a disturbing
hesitation on the part of the United
Kingdom to have a bi-national
Commission with Nigeria.
As I speak to you, there is a draft
BNC between Nigeria and the United
Kingdom, outlining four great
structures that would enhance the
relationship between our two
countries. They are in power and
energy, economic relations, political
consultations,
education
and
migration,
and
cultural matters. A
BNC between Nigeria
and the UK would
definitely
be
catalytic
to
addressing capacity
building and human
capital development, opportunities
for exchange programmes on
information technology, fight against
irregular
migration,
cultural
diplomacy,
prisoner
transfer
agreement and media related
exchanges.
In their hesitation, the UK
authorities waved off this noble
bilateral framework with the simple
excuse that it could create a large
global bureaucracy that could end up
being a talk shop. We in Nigeria fail to
see this as a good ground to downplay
the utility of this framework of
cooperation. This is because it has
worked for us and for our other
partners very well to resolve thorny
“[On BNC] there
appears to be a
disturbing
hesitation on the
part of the UK”
BI-NAtIoNAl CommISSIoN
On the economic side, it is well
acknowledged in contemporary
international relations that countries
bring
on
stream
Bi-national
Commissions (BNC), to facilitate their
relations. Bi-national Commissions
not only symbolise a deepening of
relations, they also symbolise a
widening of same for the rapid and
mutual benefit of the two countries in
such a framework.
bilateral issues.
It is again our considered belief and
hope
that
with
the
new
Administration in Nigeria and a new
Government in the United Kingdom,
both with resounding mandates of
the electorate, we would consider
BNC as a way to further push our
cordial relations to the next level.
trADE & INVEStmENt
Can you imagine even in the absence
of this fast-track framework of
cooperation in the BNC, Nigeria and
the United Kingdom signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
during the visit of the Prime Minister,
David Cameron to Nigeria in 2011. Our
then President Jonathan and the
British Prime Minister strove to
double the volume of trade between
the two countries from £4 billion to
£8 billion. I am glad to say this target
has been achieved and is in the
process of being surpassed for the
mutual benefit of the two countries.
Nigeria’s economy is riding high
despite the security challenges in
parts of the country. As you are all
aware, Nigeria’s economy was
recently rebased, finishing as the
largest economy in Africa and 26th in
the world, with extensive expansion
of scope in the private sector as the
main driver of the economy.
This is just, as the incentives are
enormous and robust, including a
constitutional guarantee against
nationalisation or expropriation of
foreign
businesses
by
any
Government of the Federation, with
free repatriation of capital (and
profits) and remittances of foreign
businesses in the event of sale or
liquidation of businesses.
One of the factors that attract
Foreign Direct Investments is
population. It is gratifying to note that
Nigeria is richly endowed with that,
with about 174 million people in
addition to access to the ECOWAS
market of about 300 million people.
With this, and the largest oil and gas
reserves, expanse of agriculture as a
business, coupled with large deposits
of minerals, such as iron, ore,
columbite, coal, lead, buxoide, gold,
gemstones etc etc, the opportunities
abound for foreign direct investment,
where we hope and believe that with
the accident of history coupled with
lots of incentives, British investors
should take the lead in investing in all
these areas for the mutual benefit of
our two countries.
As expected of us as Mission and in
tandem with my station charter, we
have facilitated the flow of trade and
investment between our two
countries,
working
in
close
partnership with the United Kingdom
Trade and Investment (UKTI),
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation,
and the Nigerian British Chamber of
Commerce.
The
Mission
has
organised numerous trade and study
tours to the United Kingdom and we
will continue to do that as a matter of
routine. Our burning ambition is to
deliberately diversify trade between
Nigeria and the United Kingdom,
from the heavy dependence on oil and
gas into agriculture. That is why we
believe Britain should lead the way.
hUmAN rIGhtS & CUltUrE
Whether in the fight to preserve
human rights and fundamental
freedoms or as a pressure group to
fight for or project a preferred
viewpoint,
non-governmental
organisations (NGO) have become
integral to diplomacy.
On many occasions, NGO’s have
played vital roles in governance. It is
recalled that immediately on
assumption of power by President
Muhammadu Buhari, the renowned
human rights NGO (Amnesty
International) called on the new
Nigerian President to investigate
allegations of human rights abuses in
the fight against insurgency in the
North Eastern part of Nigeria.
Believing in the reputation of
Amnesty International in fighting for
social justice and human rights, the
Nigerian President has promised to
investigate all the allegations.
Regrettably, the United Kingdom
and
its
non-governmental
organisations, stretching human
rights to the very heart of culture,
pressurise Nigeria to abrogate its
democratically enacted laws on
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual
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(LGBT).
I know there is an emerging trend
to look at human rights as a universal
and indivisible category but in some
cases we have to defer to the cultural
patterns and differences of a people.
It is just like saying since we believe in
polygamy and accept it
as integral to our
culture we would then
insist that we export
the same to the UK for
it to be practised here.
We would not do
that as we know under
UK law, marrying
more than one wife or
more than one husband is bigamy,
which the law here frowns on very
seriously. The point being made here,
in relations between countries, the
‘no-go’ areas of such a country must
be respected lest it becomes an
unnecessary irritant in an otherwise
excellent relation.
StUDENtS DISCrImINAtED AGAINSt
CoNSUlAr mAttErS
DIASPorA mADE SCAPEGoAtS
VISAS & PrISoNEr trANSFEr
A related issue is that of the rigours
Nigerian students coming to the
United Kingdom go through in order
to study in this country. We have a
situation where students are made to
pay a deposit of a huge sum of money
to prove that they
can afford their
studies
before
getting their visas.
This practice IS
not
only
discriminatory, as
it is not universally
applied, but also
brings a lot of
hardship on families and the students
alike. Furthermore, we are of the
opinion that the post study visa policy
should be reviewed favourably so that
Nigerian students who complete their
studies can be given a one year post
study visa to gain some experience
before returning to Nigeria.
“We sometimes
see the British
attitude to
Nigerians as that
of irritation”
The nerve centre of Nigeria-British
relations has been at the Consular
level. This indeed is not by accident as
it is an attestation of the cross cultural
ties between the two countries, with
the British Colonial Administration in
Nigeria as the watershed. The natural
home of Nigerians outside Nigeria is
understandably Britain, where over
two million Nigerians live. When you
visit France, you would see it awash
with people from the francophone
Africa.
That is why we get worried when
we sometimes see the British attitude
to Nigerians as that of irritation and
lack of sympathy. On the far right of
the political spectrum, there have
been those, like Enoch Powell, who
are inclined to send them packing, all
the way back home. The situation gets
even worse with every down turn in
the economic situation in Britain.
where foreigners, including Nigerians
are made scapegoats. The situation
becomes more xenophobic when
they are accused of taking jobs from
Britons.
My Mission receives complaints on
a daily basis that they become the first
suspect by the British law
enforcement Agencies on virtually all
known vices that may be plaguing the
streets of London. Nigerians were
considered “high risk” group, citing
the example of Umar Farouk Abdul
Mutallab, a Nigerian and former
student of the University College
London, who tried to blow up an
American plane in December 2009.
Another Nigerian-born Briton and
student Michael Adebolajo, some
time ago, hacked a British soldier to
death in a street of London. In the
racial stereotyping that ensued
Nigeria became listed unofficially as a
terrorist nation.
As if matters were not bad
enough, the Visa bond proposal
opened a can of worms. Nigerians
were outraged of being labelled “high
risk” visitors to Britain. A tendency
which has had a negative effect of
driving away bonafide visitors to
France and Germany. Gladly,
common sense prevailed over other
considerations and the proposals
were shelved.
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
EMBASSYwatch
Furthermore, Nigerians who have
gone through the trouble of obtaining
visas and have travelled to the United
Kingdom are increasingly being
denied entry at the various airports in
this country. The Mission is neither
notified nor contacted.
Rather, they are deported on
flimsy excuses. In addition, for those
seeking the right to remain in the
country also gives rise to a situation
where many of those who apply while
still having valid visas are made to
wait for periods of over a year before
a decision is made on their
application.
In this period, visas have often
lapsed leaving repatriation as the only
option available, for no just cause.
This is not very fair as people with
very legitimate reasons are refused
resident permits on these grounds.
The attention is more focused on
removals and cutting down on the
number of migrants already in the
United Kingdom including Nigerians,
rather than their contributions to the
country.
My belief is that the processes of
normalising the stay of individuals
who have been law abiding should be
streamlined and given adequate
attention. In this connection, my
Mission has continued to work with
the Home office to see that Nigerians
are dealt with in a dignified manner
and within the ambit of the law.
On the contrary,
there is a degree of
understanding
between the officials of
both countries in the
Nigeria/UK
Commonwealth
scheme
for
the
transfer of convicted
offenders within the
British Commonwealth. The scheme
provides for and takes into account
conditions in the receiving state and
any concerns as to the prisoner’s
safety in the event of a transfer. Even
at that, during the course of the
implementation of the PTA with the
UK, emphasis is squarely placed on
the state of prisons and safety of
prisoners in Nigeria, forgetting that
Nigeria is not only signatory to many
international
human
rights
instruments but indeed has well
developed national institutions for
the promotion and protection of
human rights and fundamental
freedoms. In other words, with over
16 years of democratic experience, we
should believe that Nigeria has
squared up with like minded
countries in the respect for human
dignity.
13
Dr tAFIDA GEtS A mIlItAry SAlUtE
mEDIA rElAtIoNS mAttErS
The mass media has become an
integral part
of foreign policy
implementation. A country’s media,
as the fourth estate of the realm could
make or mar bilateral relations. It is
instructive that the United Kingdom,
a home to vibrant local and
international media, tends to also be
a home to negative reportage on
Nigeria. I am aware that negative
news makes the headlines but
negative reportage is an unfair and
perhaps an unprofessional practice in
my opinion.
Where reports of events are turned
sensational and exaggerated, loaded
with stereotypes, they create in the
process negative publicity that could
be injurious to a robust bilateral
relations. This is because negative
perceptions anchored on brazen
stereotypes about a country are
usually a disincentive. I therefore
believe, together, we can do even
better to engage the mainstream
media to emphasise the positive
rather than the negative.
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK Dr
Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, OFR, CFR, welcomed
a delegation of Nigeria’s military top
brass to the Embassy on Thursday July 2.
The delegation, which was led by
Major General Patrick G Ogah, Director of
Operations at Nigeria’s Defence Intelligence Agency, was visiting London to be
briefed by defence staff on the challenges
being faced, particularly in relation to the
need to “enhance support” for Nigeria in
its fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.
Their stopover in London had been
preceded by a visit to Moscow and was to
be followed by a visit to the Paris Mission.
The Major General took the opportunity to thank Dr Tafida for his championing of Nigeria’s defence establishment,
robust defence against criticism of its
actions in tackling Boko Haram, and support of the London department.
CoNClUSIoNS
It is my hope and belief that with the
resounding vote of confidence by the
people of Nigeria in Muhammadu
Buhari, and the people of the United
Kingdom in David Cameron, the
stage is indirectly set to have a hard
look at the overall bilateral relations
between the two countries.
The new Nigerian President has
set out his Agenda for Change to
include the fight against insurgency,
corruption
and
youth
unemployment. These are salient
virtues in governance as the new
president proceeds to fulfil his
covenant with the people.
This can be facilitated in no small
measure with vibrant bilateral
relations between Nigeria and its
friends, especially the United
Kingdom, a country where the
welfare and well being of the
citizenry, also anchored on
transparency and
accountability, is
at the centre stage
of governance.
Owing to the
importance
the
Buhari
administration
attaches to the
fight
against
insecurity, and the push for
economic development, his very
first sets of foreign visits were to
Nigeria’s immediate neighbours,
whose role is crucial in the
resolution of the problem, and to the
G7 meeting in Germany because of
the importance the G7 attaches to
the fight against the insurgency, and
sustainable development in our
country, for the overall wellbeing of
all Nigerians.
“Nigerians were
outraged at
being labelled
‘high risk’
visitors”
ambassador to assist in
study of maternal health
There was a fascinating meeting of minds
when Nigeria’s Ambassador to the UK Dr
Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, OFR, CFR, hosted a
party of fellow physicians at the High
Commission on Friday July 10.
The guest of honour was the vice
chancellor of the University of Ibadan Professor Isaac F Adewole, who was in the UK
to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Sunderland.
Such accolades are normally the preserve of high achievers who are alumni of
the awarding university. In this instance
this was not the case.
Professor Adewole received the award
for his notable medical research and institution building, including collaboration be-
tween the medical school at Ibadan and
counterparts in the UK, including Sunderland, which is one of the UK’s foremost
medical research centres.
The Professor also signed a memorandum of understanding between Ibadan
and Sunderland during his visit, to allow for
greater collaborative research.
The university boasts a population of
over 500 Nigerian students, who, under
the MoU, will be able to undertake patient
studies in Nigeria under expert guidance.
The Professor mentioned that he was
launching a National Institute of Maternal
Mental Health, to look at issues contributing to infant mortality in Nigeria, and extended an invitation to Dr Tafida – a
medical surgeon by training – to participate, which the Ambassador readily
agreed to. “I think I can contribute to that
and am willing to participate,” he said.
The Ambassador congratulated the
Professor on his achievement. His Excellency also took time out to hear about the
Nigerian community in Newcastle from
their community leader Feyi Awotona, also
a fellow surgeon.
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
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Having burst onto the fashion scene at African Fashion Week London in 2013 aged just 14, Tumisola Ladega’s star keeps burning
bright.
A student at the International School for Creative Arts – fashion’s equivalent of the Brit School –Tumisola recently received an
extraordinary award from shoe designer to the stars, Professor
Jimmy Choo.
The school’s honorary President, Professor Choo was guest of
honour at the 2015 Graduation Ceremony and End of Year Show.
While not yet graduating, Tumisola received the award – a travel
bursary – for her outstanding work and involvement in the school
community.
She said it was “amazing seeing him face to face” and is looking
forward to “a summer full of fashion and fun. Its definitely going to
be a busy one as I expect to do a lot more style blogging, work on a
new collection and hopefully an internship abroad.”
She will be showcasing her new collection both here in the UK
during Africa Fashion Week London in August and in off schedule
runway shows during Fashion Week in Paris in October.
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The late great Afrobeat
pioneer and inspirational
political activist Fela
Anikulapo Kuti has been
awarded a posthumous
honour by US Congress.
The singer was
awarded a Certificate of
Congressional Recognition, having been nominated by the Texas state
congress.
The citation was
headed “Fela Kuti, Musical Legend; Pioneer of
the Afrobeat Music
Genre”.
Nominated for the
award by Sheila Jackson
Lee the citation continued, “Beginning in the
1960s, Kuti pioneered his
own unique style of
music called Afrobeat.
Rebelling against oppressive regimes through his
music came at a heavy
cost. Kuti was arrested
200 times and endured
numerous beatings, but
continued to write political lyrics, producing 50
albums, before he died
on August 2, 1997.”
It concludes, “I salute
you for your commitment to musical excellence. Indeed, you are
deserving of the respect,
admiration and commendation of the United
States Congress.”
The award was received on his father’s
behalf by Seun Kuti on
July 2.
mAnchester reAdies for nigeriA@55
Preparations to celebrate Nigeria’s
Independence – dubbed Nigeria@55 – are
well underway in Manchester.
The venue has been booked and brochure is
in production with the organisers promising
this year’s event will be “bigger, better and
more action-packed than before”.
Nigeria@55 is to take place on Saturday
October 17, from 5-11pm, at the Iqbal
Banqueting Suite, Birch Lane, Longsight,
Manchester.
If you wish to advertise in the brochure,
arrange to have your banner displayed at the
event and receive ticketing details, you are
asked to contact the Nigerian Community in
Manchester,
either
by
writing
to
[email protected] or
[email protected]
0203 773 3407
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3517
16
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
NEWSwatch
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@NigerianWatch
we must not betrAy our
There has been much puzzlement
in the mainstream print and
broadcast media in the UK about
the number of Nigerians being
rescued from a watery grave in the
Mediterranean, writes T Jemide.
Those being interviewed as they
land along the coast of Italy generally
speak English, talk of wanting to
further their education and of
reaching Britain.
These snippets and soundbites
feed a pernicious stereotype; these are
economic migrants and the UK has
firmly shut its door to such people.
But these are not economic
migrants. They are internally
displaced people, seeking refuge from
the most deadly and dirty war.
A war that has created at the last
verifiable count over 1,250,000
internally displaced people in
northern Nigeria alone, who by sheer
geographic
misfortune
find
themselves at the epicentre of an
unprincipled insurgency.
It is not just Christians fleeing, it is
Muslims too. Boko Haram brook no
dissent, it is their way or no way, it is
their interpretation of Islam or you
are a disbeliever, an infidel and
therefore the enemy.
In the groups latest crazed video
they issue a list of groups, from Salafis
to Shias, as “disbelievers”. All
democracies are dismissed as
“disbelievers”. Saudi Arabia is
dubbed as “not Islamic” and
“disbelievers”.
No one is safe. They dress as
civilians, use children to plant suicide
bombs to advance their so-called
cause. They kidnap, rape and enslave.
From this bedlam, people
understandably flee and seek refuge;
shell-shocked, traumatised, in fear
for their lives. I have seen them, at a
camp about two hours outside Abuja.
Hundreds if not
thousands of people.
They are broken. You
can see it in their eyes,
in the droop of their
heads and shoulders,
in their abject misery
and hunger. All hope
has been extinguished.
I watched with a
heavy heart as they
sat, mute, waiting to
be handed a small relief pack. It hit
me hard to see these sorrowful faces,
and brought home the devastation
Boko Haram is doing to Nigeria.
There are scores of such camps
across Nigeria, where people live on
meagre rations, unable to help
themselves. The camp outside Abuja
is run by three heroic charities, Like
Minds Project, Victims of Violence
and Free. Yet they are underresourced and overwhelmed.
Most of the camps have few
facilities, no running water and
certainly no schools, which given the
stated aim of the terrorists is to
outlaw western education is
shocking. Many are starting to
wonder if they made the wrong
choice.
A 9-year-old pupil of Unique
Blossom School, Maitama, Abuja,
Miss Splendour Joe Abisoye has
placed this question
before our country's
leaders. She has
been to the camps
and
written
a
powerful
and
moving
book
entitled “Effects of
Terrorism
on
Children”, which
gives voice to the
displaced children.
According to her, the minds of
most of the children have been
twisted, with many of them saying
they would have preferred to join the
Boko Haram group to ensure their
protection rather than live as they are
now.
We must not abandon these
internally displaced people. If we
betray them we fuel the insurgency.
“They are
broken. You can
see it in their
eyes, in the
droop of their
heads”
INSIDE THE CAMP;
pictures showing
scenes in the
daily life of
the internally
displaced people
of Nigeria
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NEWSwatch
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
refugees
l The IDP population is composed
of 53 % women and 47% men.
l 56% of the total IDP population
are children of which more than
half are up to 5 years old, while
42% are adults.
l 92% of IDPs were displaced by
1,188,018 idps
(149,357 households) were identified in Adamawa,
Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states. (DTM)
Another
47,276 idps
(5910 households) were identified in Plateau,
Nasarawa, Abuja, Kano and Kaduna states. (NEMA)
totAl
the insurgency.
1,235,294 idps
l The majority of the current IDP
IDENtIFIED IN NorthErN
NIGErIA
population was displaced in 2014
(79%).
l The IDPs come mainly from
Borno (62%), Adamawa (18%)
and yobe (13%).
l 87% of IDPs live with host
families while 13% live in camps.
NUmBEr oF IDPS By lGA (States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe)
17
Nigerian London
BUSINESS
FORUM
Business, Trade Association, UK
UK-Nigeria Economic Forum
Globalize your business
Present your development projects to investors
Sell your products to UK market
Buy from UK market
Invest in UK
Meet business Leaders
Tap into property market in UK
July 29, 2015, 10.am to 5.00pm , Kingsway Hall Hotel,
London WC2B 5BX, United Kingdom
Conference Theme: Partnership for Mutual Benefits
Meet in London, Do Business in Nigeria
Register Now! Great Opportunity to Connect Business to Business
YOU ARE INVITED
Here comes another important trade, investment and
business networking event, being organized by the
Nigerian London Business Forum with support from
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This event is
reputed for bringing together Nigerian and British
business moguls, leading entrepreneurs, investors and top
government experts. July 29 in London is the date and you
need to keep it.
If you are looking to engage in British business, network
and attract British and non-British investors, or you want
to invest in the UK bubbling property market, or acquaint
yourself with the process of opening a business office in
UK, then this is the event to attend.
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
HOW TO BOOK
To book and for further information,
contact Danette Gayle,
Director of Operations,
Nigerian London Business Forum (NILOBF),
38, Mount Pleasant, WC1X OAN, London,
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 20 7278 3631
M: +44 (0) 7769 955838
E: [email protected]
W: www.nlbforum.co.uk
GOOD SPONSORSHIP DEAL
Sponsorship space is available in this forum, but only
five(5) corporate sponsors will be allowed space to
showcase their interests/activities on the floor of the
forum expected to attract over 500 participants. Any
organization or government agencies interested in taking
a gold, silver or bronze category of the event sponsorship
should send request to [email protected] or visit
www.nlbforum.co.uk and download the event
information flyer together with booking form. All
sponsorship must be finalized between now and four(4)
weeks to the event. Event sponsorship benefits are stated
in the forum’s flyer downloadable from the website.
NIGERIA CONTACT:
Prof. Chris Onalo,
Country Director,
Nigeria’s NILOBF Office,
213, Igbosere Street,
4th Floor, Lagos Island, Lagos.
Mobile: 08183569522, 08127808900
08034030160, 08023314598
Email: [email protected]
The UK-Nigeria Economic Forum is coming with very
high expectations, as it is designed to assist
participating organizations to find new business and
investment partners; meaning that participants are
coming with their minds-set to network, exchange
business cards, flyers and brochures with one another.
Nigerian delegation will have the opportunity to meet
top British investors, entrepreneurs, serious business
associates/partners, professional advisors and relevant
agencies of British and Nigerian governments. The
conference will meet everyone's expectation for a
constructive business and investment engagements.
We expect that at the end of this event, strong business
partnership and investment would be formed and the
trade and investment relationship between UK and
Nigeria will propel to new heights.
DO YOU HAVE UK ENTRY VISA?
If you need UK visa to attend this Forum, you must begin
the process now! And if you already have British visa,
finalise your participation now!
REGISTRATION FEE:
*
*
*
*
*
Small Company
Medium Company
Conglomerate
Financial Institution
Others
- £150 per person
- £350 per person
- £500 per person
- £800 per person
- £600 per person
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NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
LEISUREwatch
NiraN Obasa at The
southbank - see
music listings page
20.
Fortnight
WhAt to SEE AND Do oVEr thE NExt
the meeting which took place
in Manchester in October
1945, five months after the
end of the Second World War.
The Congress demanded
that European powers liberate
hundreds of millions of
Africans living under colonial
rule, and passed radical
measures condemning
imperialism, racial
discrimination and
capitalism.
DEAr WhItE PEoPlE
Ongoing until 12 Sept, Tues,
Wed & Fri: 11:00am – 6:00pm,
Thurs: 11:00am – 9:00pm, Sat:
12:00 – 6:00pm. FREE
Rivington Place, London, EC2A
www.rivingtonplace.org
Your chance to see this slyly satirical film
following a group of African-American students
at a predominantly white college.
At an ill-conceived Halloween party, with an
‘unleash your inner Negro’ theme, an already
smouldering fire of resentment and
FIlm
Black Genius + revolt and
revolution
FilmFest Salon conversations
with Mykaell S Riley, Akala
and Dionne Walker exploring
and challenging connected
themes at the heart of Black,
British and Diaspora
experiences on screen.
Jul 17th, 7:00pm
Tickets £10
Black Cultural Archives, 1
Windrush Square, Brixton SW2
bcaheritage.org.uk
The lower Cut
19
misunderstanding descends into mayhem where
everyone must choose a side.
Jul 18th 2:40pm & 11:00pm, Jul 20th 1:40pm, Jul
21st 4:20pm, 23rd 1:35pm & 6:25pm. From £7.
Picturehouse Ritzy, Brixton Oval, Coldharbour
Lane, SW2. www.picturehouses.co.uk
She emigrates to Europe
where she discovers that she
is not alone as a victim; her
closest friend and confidant
has also been through the
procedure.
Director, George Kelly
poignantly deals with the
issues of FGM without losing
his typical humorous flavour.
Jul 24th, 9:00pm. Tickets £20.
Odeon Cinema Greenwich,
Bugsby Way, SE10.
www.odeon.co.uk
African Warrior Queen
Nzingha movie
In Gambia, Bintu goes
through the excruciating
ordeal of Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM). Afterwards
her whole life is blighted by
trauma, flashbacks, pain,
sorrow tears and blood.
An epic, big budget, high
quality production with an
African woman as the hero.
The true story of the princess
- Queen Anna Njinga (c. 1583
–1663), who led her people
into war against the vicious
European slavers who wanted
to kidnap her nation - Congo.
Jul 26th, 2:00pm. From £7
Phoenix Cinema
52 High Rd, East Finchley N2
www.phoenixcinema.co.uk
ExhIBItIoNS
The Fifth Pan-African
Congress
Marking the 70th anniversary
of the The Fifth Pan-African
Congress a rare opportunity
to see John Deakin’s
photographs commissioned
by The Picture Post when the
British press scarcely covered
FEStIVAlS
The Nne Agwu Afrakan
Storytelling Festival
A weekend camping retreat in
the Ancient woodland of
Epping Forest, where global
storytellers Sandra Agard,
Angie Amra, Usifu Jalloh,
Amantha Edmead, Eli
Anderson, Ashanti-Michell
and Griot Chinyere are
gathering to captivate your
imagination and conjure
magic using the power of the
oral tradition.
Jul 31st 10:00am - Aug 2nd
8:00pm. Weekend tickets £80,
Day passes £20. Children from
£10.
Debden Campsite, Debden
Green, Loughton , Essex IG10
www.shanti-chi.com
Womad
Bringing together music, arts
and dance from countries and
cultures around the world.
Performances from; de la
soul (pictured below) and
Jazzie b headline. With, from
the UK; daddy g & mc
deemas J, eskA, ghostpoet
6th ANNUAl yorUBA ArtS FEStIVAl
Celebrating the rich vibrant, colourful arts and
culture of Yoruba’s and Africa. Featuring
cultural performances, workshops, childrens
activities, competitions, African market, DJs
and live music.
Jul 25th - 26th, 12:00pm - 9:00pm. FREE
Clissold Park, Green Lanes, N16
www.yorubaarts.org
and laura mvula. From
Africa; Acholi machon (South
Sudan), cheikh lô (Senegal),
The soil (South Africa) and
tiken Jah fakoly (Cote
d’Ivoire).
Don’t miss;
Atomic bomb! William
Onyeabor was, and remains, a
man of mystery – a Nigerian
musician who cut a series of
weird, synth-led funk records
in the ’70s and ’80s.
Atomic Bomb’s line up
features futurists Sinkane
alongside acolytes such as;
David Byrne, Damon Albarn,
Money Mark and Pat
Mahoney, it’s yet to be
confirmed exactly who will be
joining with them at Charlton
Park, although jazz
saxophonist Charles Lloyd
definitely will.
And mad professor, A disciple
of Lee “Scratch” Perry, Mad
Professor was one of the
leading producers in dub
reggae’s second generation, a
remixer of choice for
adventurous rock and techno
acts, most notably revamping
Massive Attack’s entire
second album under the new
title No Protection.
Jul 23rd - 26th. Weekend Ticket
£165
Charlton Park , Malmesbury,
Wiltshire, SN16
womad.co.uk
14 DAyS...
See website for further
performances
24th Jul - 2nd Aug
Bernie Spain Gardens,
Riverside Walkway, South
Bank, SE1
crickcrackclub.com
mUSIC
london Afrobeat Collective
Performing covers and
original material this
politicised party machine are
an incendiary live act with a
blend of folk, funk, jazz and
African rhythms.
Jul 18th, 7:00pm. Tickets £15.
The Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews
Streatham, SW16
www.hideawaylive.co.uk
Funmi olawumi
The Nigerian singer and
founder of the Yoruba Women
Choir brings together all the
infectious rhythms of
afrobeat, hi-life, juju and fuji
to create hypnotic and
uplifting dance music.
Jul 20th, 7.45pm. Tickets £17.50
Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth
Hall, Southbank Centre.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Gordon masiala & NKA
musica With moso Conde
Kaira Kora Afrika
The Fabularium Fairytale
Festival
A nomadic haven with
fairytales for grown-ups and
myths for kids.
Featuring; Jan Blake with
The Tempter and The Tempted
- Wild passions, dark secrets
and comedic transformation.
Jul 29th, 7.30pm. From £8.
Over 14 only. And Meet
Anansi – the original
mythical Spiderman. For
families with children aged
7+. Jul 30th, 3pm. From £5.
Representing the new
generation of Congolese
music NKA Musica fuses the
modern Soukous and Rhumba
with a touch of innovation,
while sticking to the roots of
Kinshasa appealing to the 21st
century diaspora and beyond.
Described as the Fashion
Icon of Soukous on stage with
a distinguished voice that
matches the dress code.
Jul 21st, 7:00pm. Tickets £10.
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green
Road, E1.
www.richmix.org.uk
The mahotella Queens
South Africa´s legendary
Mahotella Queens draw on
rural Zulu music and feature
three-part harmonies and a
guitar-driven sound.
Jul 22nd, 7:30pm. Tickets £14
The Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof
Garden, Southbank Centre,
Belvedere Road, SE1.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Niran obasa
Obasa’s own compositions
combine afrobeat, hi-life,
urban grooves and jazz solos
to create improvisational
20
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
music that brings something
new to African jazz. For his
debut performance at
Southbank Centre he plays
solo excerpts from Children of
Chibok – a piano suite
dedicated to the kidnapped
children of northern Nigeria,
which premiered during the
2014 London African Music
Festival.
experiences of launching and
running Africa-related
businesses in the UK, before
the launch of the ‘What is the
Africa Business Club?’
Jul 23rd, 7.45pm. Tickets £15
Purcell Room at Queen
Elizabeth Hall, Southbank
Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
raising voices of African
Diaspora Women: Diaspora
Engagement in
Development in Africa and
UK
othEr
Science Africa
UnConference: Africa’s
scientific independence: No
more business as usual
Diaspora organisations and
individuals have been key
players in advocating human
rights and sustainable
development in their
countries of origin.
Jul 23rd, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm.
Tickets £5.00.
Betsey Trotwood, 56
Farringdon Road, EC1R
www.meetup.com/AfricaTBN
Delegates from business,
academia and policy will
come together for a day of
exciting and interactive highlevel panel discussions, focus
groups and workshops, to
discuss businesses key role in
spuring scientific and
technological progress.
Jul 21st, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
FREE.
Ravensbourne, 6 Penrose Way,
Greenwich Peninsula, SE10
planetearthinstitute.org.uk
UK-Africa Startup Stories
Entrepreneurs Charles
Ajidahun, Bamidele Owoola,
Rita Usanga and Dumebi
Okwechima share their
Follow us on Twitter
@NigerianWatch
LEISUREwatch
mANDElA WEEKEND
Highlighting the contribution
of African women to the
development of the continent
regardless of their location,
with a key note speech from
Ngone Diop of The United
Nations Economic
Commission for Africa and
speakers; Ekanem Robertson,
Faith Mwangi-Powell and
Leyla Hussein.
Jul 25th, 2:00pm - 8:00pm. FREE
Impact Hub Westminster,
Haymarket, 1st Floor, New
Zealand House, SW1Y.
www.forwarduk.org.uk
Honouring Nelson Mandela with a
festival over his birthday weekend,
The Southbank Centre asks; “How can
we make the world a better place?
What would Mandela do now?” With
music, talks, film, performances and
debates, about South Africa today.
Live events include;
mandela in his own words
Toni Stuart and Leeto Thale perform
writings and speeches of Nelson
Mandela, interspersed with his
favourite poems.
18 Jul, 11:00am - 11:20am. Free
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival
Hall
madiba
Modern chants, ancestral voices and
dozens of dancers come together in a
piece inspired by Nelson Mandela's
message of love and reconciliation.
18th & 19th Jul, 2:00pm and 6.30pm
daily. Free.
Riverside Terrace
lift your voice with Eugene Skeef
South African percussionist
28th Jul, 7:00pm - 9:00pm. FREE
Marcus Garvey Library,
Tottenham Green Centre, 1
Philip Lane, Tottenham Green,
N15.
www.haringey.gov.uk
Black health and Well Being
Vasco Stevenson explains
arthritis, and how to reduce
symptoms by eating foods
that benefit and avoiding
certain foods that make
symptoms worse.
iCAN Social Network
Evening
An informal Caribbean
African Network
social/network evening, with
guest speaker Nubian Ski,
and poet Eugene Skeef lead jazz
pianist Robert Mitchell and vocalists
Deborah Jordan and Mpho Skeef, in a
participative open-air concert.
19th Jul, 4:00pm - 5:00pm. Free.
Riverside Terrace
human rights Struggles; over there,
over here
The anti-apartheid struggle
culminated in perhaps the most
progressive constitution of the
twentieth century. By contrast, the UK
Human Rights Act and the continuing
membership of the European
Convention on Human Rights are now
under threat. Join Shami Chakrabarti,
Director of Liberty leading a debate on
What South Africa’s fight for freedom
can teach those of us in the UK.
19th Jul, 5.15 - 6.15pm. Free.
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival
Hall
For further listings see website
18th - 19th Jul, 11:00am - 6:00pm.
FREE
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
who will be discussing their
Ski Club for Black people.
Jul 30th, 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm.
FREE.
JD Wetherspoon, The Ledger
Building, 4 Hertsmere Road,
West India Quays, E14.
ican-network.co.uk/
UK-Nigeria Economic
Forum
Nigerian London Business
Forum with support from
London Chamber of
Commerce and Industry,
trade, investment and
business networking event,
reputed for bringing together
Nigerian and British business
moguls, leading
entrepreneurs, investors and
top government experts.
28th Jul, 10:00am - 5:00pm.
From £150.
Kingsway Hall Hotel, WC2B
www.nlbforum.co.uk/
Like us on Facebook
facebook.com/NigerianWatch
EDUCATIONwatch
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
21
Work ban on foreign
students will hurt UK
The Institute of Directors has warned that
the proposed ban on foreign students,
including Nigerians, working in Britain
after graduating could rob Britain of vital
skills.
Seamus Nevin, head of employment and
skills at the Institute of Directors, said, “The
Home Secretary's proposals to eject foreign
students after graduation are misguided and
would damage the British education system,
our economy and global influence.
“Britain already makes it difficult and
artificially expensive for international
students to enter and stay, and now these
proposals would eject them ignominiously
when their studies are finished.
“Restricting talented workers from staying
on in the UK would damage business and lead
to a loss of important skills.
“Shutting the door to highly-trained
international graduates at a time when our
economy needs them most would be hugely
damaging for UK businesses.
“In the interest of our education sector, our
businesses, and our international standing,
the Home Secretary should reconsider this
proposal.”
Under the new rules, from this Autumn,
after graduating students from outside the
European Union will have to leave the country
before reapplying to return for a job. The
Education Visa’s length of stay will be cut to
two years.
RANKED
No.15
UK UNIVERSITY
ian
Source: Guard
2016
University Guide
Home Secretary Theresa May says the new
rules, will stop colleges being used as a “back
door to a British work visa”. Official figures
show that 121,000 non-EU students entered
the UK in the 12 months to June last year, but
only 51,000 left – a net influx of 70,000
The
immigration
minister,
James
Brokenshire, also announced on Monday that
from next month students from outside the
European Union who come to study at publicly
funded further education colleges will lose the
right to work for up to 10 hours a week.
The number of foreign students at British
further education colleges has slumped in
recent years from a peak of more than 110,000
in 2011 to 18,297 in the last 12 months.
Ministers say the fall is also a result of a
drive to reduce visa fraud and close down
hundreds of privately funded “bogus”
colleges.
The Association of Colleges warned that the
government measures risked seriously
restricting Britain’s ability to attract
international students.
“Preventing international FE students
continuing to study in the UK after they have
finished their studies will limit the progression
of students from colleges to universities,” said
its chief executive, Martin Doel .
He added that the colleges had stringent
monitoring systems to check attendance and
were keen to see any evidence that they were
being used as a back door for bogus students.
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From page 24 insurmountable
task".
Alongside the Eritreans the
team includes three South
African riders - Louis Meintjes
and the unrelated Jacques
Janse van Rensburg and
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
and Briton Steve Cummings,
Norwegian Edvald Boasson
Hagen, American Tyler Farrar
and Belgian Serge Pauwels.
"We are not just here to
make up the numbers, we are
here to compete," Ryder said
before the start of the tour.
"This team has earned its
right to be in the Tour de
France. They have risen out of
the also-rans of the peloton
and really shown that they are
able to compete at this level.
"Our team will be a breath
of fresh air for the Tour because
cycling is not just a European
sport, it's a sport that should
be participated in by people all
around the world."
The team which is based in
South Africa takes its name,
Qhubeka, from the language of
the Nguni people of southern
Africa that means "to carry
on", "to progress", "to move
forward". Qhubeka is also a
foundation that provides
bicycles as a means of
transport to underprivileged
populations.
23
lIVErPool lAND NIGErIAN ‘mArADoNA’
AND thE GUNNErS UNlEASh JAy-JAy mk 2
Nigerian teenage sensation Bobby
Adekanye has left Barcelona and joined
English Premiership giants Liverpool.
Adekanye, 16, has been regarded as
the next Maradona at Barcelona and is
a mercurial midfield talent expected
to fill the vacuum left in Nigeria's
midfield by former skipper Augustine
Jay-Jay Okocha.
Born in the Nigerian city of Ibadan in
on February 14, 1999, Bobby, who's full
name is Habeeb Omobolaji Adekanye,
moved to the Netherlands at the age of
four to live in Amsterdam with his
family.
He spent his formative years in
Ajax’s academy before an acrimonious
move to Barcelona as a 12-year old in
2011. Last season, he was sent back to
the Netherlands for a season on loan at
PSV Eindhoven, where Barcelona had
hoped to keep him until their dispute
with Fifa over a transfer ban had been
resolved. But the player is unwilling to
wait and has cut his ties with the
Catalan giants, allowing Liverpool to
pounce.
Adekanye impressed for PSV’s youth
teams during his loan spell last season
and both PSV and Ajax were eager to
sign him permanently this summer,
according to reports.
He has also become a Dutch youth
international, with the Dutch FA wary
that he could choose to represent
Arsenal FC
CyClING
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
SPORTSwatch
Nigeria, the winger was called up by to
represent the Netherlands’ U16s at a
Uefa development tournament in
Portugal in February.
A skilful left-footer with electric
pace, Adekanye has already drawn
comparisons with Bayern Munich’s
Arjen Robben.
While he is most comfortable on the
left, Adekanye can also play on the right
flank or just behind the striker and as
well as being a creative spark, the
youngster is also known for having an
eye for goal.
At just 16, he will continue his
development in Liverpool’s Kirkby
Academy with the intention of working
his way up into the first team picture.
Having already been coveted by
Barcelona, Ajax and PSV, it appears the
youngster has more than enough
potential to make the grade.
Adekanye wrote on his Instagram
page: “I am very happy to sign for
Liverpool.” Liverpool have promised
the young winger that he will be
integrated into the first team this
season.
Meanwhile Arsenal look set to
unleash the mercurial talents of Alex
Iwobi on the Premiership this season.
The 19-year-old is the nephew of
Nigerian hero Augustine 'Jay-Jay'
Okocha, according to the club's
website, the former Paris SaintGermain and Fenerbahce midfielder
who featured in three World Cups for
the Super Eagles, and also became a
household name in England when he
moved to Bolton Wanderers, and later
Hull City, just over 10 years ago.
With pedigree like that, it’s no
surprise that big things are expected of
19-year-old Iwobi, who has starred for
the Gunners development squads, and
has featured for the England youth
sides.
The Mail have reported that the
youngster is set to follow his uncle in
switching to play for Nigeria in the
future, quoting him as saying, "Austin
Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu have
influenced my decision to play for
Nigeria.
"My dad too has told me a lot of
things about the honour and pride that
goes with playing for Nigeria. So I
thought a lot about this and decided to
play for Nigeria."
It may be some loss for England, but
with Iwobi having scored 10 goals in 19
Under-21 matches for Arsenal last
season, he may well get the chance to
prove just how good he can be when he
takes to the pitch alongside the
Gunners' international stars in the next
few weeks.
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24
NIGERIAN WATCH
17 - 30 Jul 2015
Follow us on Twitter
@NigerianWatch
INSIDE
Nigeria’s ‘maradona’
joins liverpool FC
SportswAtch
africaN riders will cONquer
cycliNg
The first African team to be invited to take part in
cycling's blue riband road race, the gruelling Tour
De France, has emerged as a force to be reckoned
with.
Jubilation was unconfined when Eritrean Daniel
Teklehaimanot donned the polka dot jersey awarded
to the best hill climber when he won the seventh stage
of the Tour on July 10 (pictured).
He, along with fellow Eritrean Merhawi Kudus, are
the first black Africans to ride the Tour.
"This is a day I will never forget," Teklehaimanot
told the media after his victory. "It is a big step for
African cycling."
The Eritreans ride for the MTN-Qhubeka team,
whose principal Doug Ryder has predicted an African
rider will stand on the podium of a grand tour within
five years.
"This team, and Africa, can transform cycling," he
told BBC World Service.
"We will have an African rider standing on the
podium in a Grand Tour in the next three to five
years."
Ryder has been working on getting an African team
into cycling's most prestigious stage race for a decade,
and admits "it seemed like an Turn to page 23
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