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Vol 13 Issue 2

February 2021

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Stevie Wonder is moving permanently to Ghana

From the Editor

O u r G r eates t G lor y is n ot in n ever f a llin g b u t in r is in g ever y time we f a ll .

We a r e co mmittted to br in gin g th e co mmu n ity th e bes t in N ews f r om Af r ica a n d th e D ias p or a . Yo u ma y als o vis it o u r web s ite a t www.af r ikan pos t. co m f o r d a ily n ews u pd a tes on Af r ica .

D is cla imer : Th e o pin io n s ex pr es s ed in ar ticles an d s tor ies in th is N ews pa per a r e th os e o f th e a u th o r s an d do n o t n eces s a r ily r ef lect th e views o f Af r ik an Po s t . All co mmen ts a n d s u g ges tion s ar e welco me.

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D E PA R T M E N T S Vol 13 Issue 2

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Will Smith To Visit Namibia For Film Documentary Pg.21

Akwasi Frimpong only one representing Africa at BMW/IBSF 2021 Champs Pg. 23

24-Year Old Entrepreneur Gives Away $100K in Scholarships to 10 HBCU Students Page 6 U.S. Court Sentences Nigeria’s Invictus Obi To 10 Years Imprisonment Over $11m Fraud

Pg. 9

Magnolia Mississippi Mayor resigns: Returns to roots in Africa Pg. 14 Beverly Hills Surgeon Comes to Rescue in ‘Gorilla Glue' Hair Catastrophe Pg. 24

Stevie Wonder performs for President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, D.C. Photo: Pete Souza, official White House photographer

For five decades and more, Stevie Wonder has resided in the hearts, minds, discotheques and living rooms of millions of people across the world as his silky voice and soulful lyrics became permanently etched in lives. Now, one of the greatest American singers and songwriters of all time has decided he would live out the rest of his time in Ghana.

Wonder whose real name is Stevland Hardaway Morris (original surname was Judkins) told Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Conversation in November last year that he has already decided to move to Ghana, where he expects to be valued and respected.

Winfrey seemed a bit shocked when Wonder said: “I promise you [America], if you do the right thing, I will give you this song. I will give it to you. You can have it.

Because I wanna see this nation smile again. And I want to see it before I leave to travel to move to Ghana, because I’m going to do that”.

“You’re gonna move permanently to Ghana?” the talk show host asked. To which the singer replied, “I am”, making the case that his decision laid with finding a receptive environment for his humanity. Wonder also expressed worry about his family.

“I don’t want to see my children’s, children’s children have to say ‘oh please like me, please respect me, please know that I am important, please value me’. What is that?,” he asked.

But that revelation was not the first time the Happy Birthday singer had referred to Ghana as the destination he planned to escape the United States to. In a 1994 speech to the International Association of African

American Music, Wonder promised to relocate to Ghana where he believed “there’s more of a sense of community”. He has been to the West African nation a few times in the past.

The musician’s advocacy for racial justice is a known substance to his art that goes as far back as the 1970s.

Indeed, the hit Happy Birthday was recorded as part of a concerted effort to get lawmakers to pass a bill making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday.

In interviews over the decades, Wonder has spoken of his delight in how the song has become recognized globally.

If Wonder does make good on his promise and moves to Ghana, he will not only join a recent long list of African-Americans and Caribbean nationals who have relocated but also a historic collection of his compatriots who lived in Ghana at certain points in their lives.

Maya Angelou lived and taught in Ghana for a few years, and so did W.E.B. DuBois until his death.

As part of drives to boost tourism and also as a matter of purely philosophical traditions, Ghana is known to market itself as the first-choice spiritual home for people of African descent in the western hemisphere especially, who aim to return to the continent often dubbed “the motherland”.

NII NTREH | Associate Editor https://face2faceafrica.com/

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first African and Woman WTO Director-General

February 2021

What is the WTO

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.

Who we are There are a number of ways of looking at the World Trade Organization. It is an organization for trade opening. It is a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements. It is a place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates a system of trade rules. Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other.

WTO members made history today (15 February) when the General Council agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General.

When she takes office on 1 March, Dr Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African to be chosen as DirectorGeneral. Her term, renewable, will expire on 31 August 2025.

“This is a very significant moment for the WTO. On behalf of the General Council, I extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her appointment as the WTO’s next DirectorGeneral and formally welcome her to this General Council meeting,” said General Council Chair David Walker of New Zealand who, together with co-facilitators Amb. Dacio Castillo (Honduras) and Amb. Harald Aspelund (Iceland) led the nine-month DG selection process.

“Dr Ngozi, on behalf of all members I wish to sincerely thank you for your graciousness in these exceptional months, and for your patience. We look forward to collaborating closely with you, Dr Ngozi, and I am certain that all members will work with you constructively during your tenure as Director-General to shape the future of this organization,” he added.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala said a key priority for her would be to work with members to quickly address the economic and health consequences brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am honoured to have been selected by WTO members as WTO Director-General,” said Dr Okonjo-Iweala. “A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again. Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today.”

The General Council decision follows months of uncertainty which arose when the United States initially refused to join the consensus around Dr Okonjo-Iweala and threw its support behind Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee of the Republic of Korea. But following Ms Yoo’s decision on 5 February to withdraw her candidacy, the administration of newly elected US President Joseph R. Biden Jr. dropped the US objection and announced instead that Washington extends its “strong support” to the candidacy of Dr Okonjo-Iweala.

Amb. Walker extended his thanks to all eight of the candidates who participated in the selection process and particularly to Ms Yoo “for her ongoing commitment to and support for the multilateral trading system and for the WTO”.

The General Council agreed on 31 July that there would be three stages of consultations held over a twomonth period commencing 7 September. During these confidential consultations, the field of candidates was narrowed from eight to five and then two. On 28 October, General Council Chair David Walker of New Zealand had informed members that based on consultations with all delegations Dr Okonjo-Iweala was best poised to attain consensus of the 164 WTO members and that she had the deepest and the broadest support among the membership. At that meeting, the United States was the only WTO member which said it could not join the consensus.

The consultation process undertaken by the chair and facilitators was established through guidelines agreed by all WTO members in a 2002 General Council decision. These guidelines spelled out the key criteria in determining the candidate best positioned to gain consensus is the “breadth of support” each candidate receives from the members. During the DG selection processes of 2005 and 2013, breadth of support was defined as “the distribution of preferences across geographic regions and among the categories of members generally recognized in WTO provisions: that is (Least developed countries), developing countries and developed countries”. This same process, agreed by all members in the General Council in 2020, was strictly followed by Chair Walker and his colleagues throughout the 2020-21 DG selection process.

The process for selecting a new Director-General was triggered on 14 May when former Director-General Mr Roberto Azevêdo informed WTO members he would be stepping down from his post one year before the expiry of his mandate. He subsequently left office on 31 August.

Source: WTO

What we do The WTO is run by its member governments. All major decisions are made by the membership as a whole, either by ministers (who usually meet at least once every two years) or by their ambassadors or delegates (who meet regularly in Geneva).

What we stand for The WTO agreements are lengthy and complex because they are legal texts covering a wide range of activities. But a number of simple, fundamental principles run throughout all of these documents. These principles are the foundation of the multilateral trading system.

Overview The World Trade Organization — the WTO — is the international organization whose primary purpose is to open trade for the benefit of all.

The WTO in Brief A starting point for essential information about the WTO.

About the WTO — ‘Understanding the WTO’ An introduction, in more depth, to the WTO and its agreements.

10 things the WTO can do The world is complex. The World Trade Organization is complex. This booklet is brief, but it tries to reflect the complex and dynamic nature of trade and the WTO’s trade rules.

History of the multilateral trading system From the early days of the Silk Road to the creation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the birth of the WTO, trade has played an important role in supporting economic development and promoting peaceful relations among nations. This page traces the history of trade, from its earliest roots to the present day.

About WTO The World Trade Organization (WTO) deals with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. https://www.wto.org/

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Ghanaian jollof is the only authentic 24-Year Old Entrepreneur Gives Away $100K in Scholarships to 10 kind - Jon Benjamin HBCU Students February 2021

Former British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin has described Ghana’s popular Jollof meal as the only authentic kind there is.

Over the years, Ghanaians and Nigerians have taken several opportunities to argue and compete on which amongst the two countries prepares the meal better.

A Twitter account, @GhanaiansU wading into the Ghana versus Nigeria Jollof debate shared that authentic Ghanaian Jollof can only be made at home in the UK and not at Nigerian restaurants.

Mr Jon Benjamin who was tagged in the post however pointed out that there was no need for the post to refer to authentic Jollof as Ghanaian since Ghanaian Jollof is the only authentic one there is.

“I’m not sure you need to write Ghanaian Jollof, since that’s the only authentic kind, or at least the only kind worth mentioning. Otherwise, you’re inadvertently comparing Premier League Jollof with League Two Jollof,” Jon Benjamin wrote

Jollof is a rice dish usually made with rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, and spices.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

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Bryce Thompson, a 24-year old entrepreneur from Atlanta, recently surprised 10 HBCU students with $100,000 in scholarships. Bryce, who is the founder of IAMS Foundation, is also a former HBCU student himself.

In partnership with the Scholly app, Bryce awarded the scholarships to help ease the tuition burden in the midst of the pandemic, increasing unemployment, and racial violence. Ten students were chosen from hundreds of applicants.

Bryce gave away the scholarships by visiting the hometowns of each of the HBCUs where the students are enrolled. This included a visit to Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, Bethune-Cooke University, Livingstone College, Philander Smith College, Prairie View A&M University, Hampton University, and Howard University.

Bryce, who once was a struggling student himself while at Morehouse College, promised to give back to other students ever since his uncle paid for his first year of tuition.

“I realize there are people who don’t have a friend or family member that can step in and help the way my uncle did for me,” he told Forbes. “I told myself that I would one day offer scholarships of my own to help students like myself avoid a similar situation.”

While still in college, he was able to establish TradeHouse Investment Group with his brother and fellow students. The company, which teaches financial literacy through investment strategies and offers economic progress to disadvantaged communities, has grown into a multi-million-dollar business in just 2 years.

“I am a testament to how giving back can change the trajectory of one’s life,” he shared. “If it were not for my uncle’s generosity, I wouldn’t have been able to attend Morehouse and develop a network of like-minded individuals who would go on to become my business partners. Investing in my community will always be one of the smartest, most valuable business decisions I’ll ever make.”

https://howafrica.com/

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U.S. Court Sentences Nigeria’s Invictus Obi To 10 Years Imprisonment Over $11m Fraud

A U.S. court has sentenced Obinwanne Okeke also known as Invictus Obi to 10 years in prison.

Okeke was sentenced for his involvement in a computer-based intrusion fraud scheme that caused approximately $11 million in known losses to his victims.

According to court documents, the 33-year-old operated a group of companies known as the Invictus Group based in Nigeria and elsewhere.

The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Raj Parekh while sentencing him on Tuesday said, “Through subterfuge and impersonation, Obinwanne Okeke engaged in a multi-year global business email and computer hacking scheme that caused a staggering $11 million in losses to his victims.”

Parekh added that “Today’s sentence further demonstrates EDVA’s and FBI’s worldwide reach in vigorously pursuing justice on behalf of American victims and others and holding international cybercriminals accountable, no matter where they commit their crimes.”

From approximately 2015 to 2019, Okeke and others engaged in a conspiracy to conduct various computer-based frauds. The conspirators obtained and compiled the credentials of hundreds of victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Other details provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, revealed that Okeke and other conspirators engaged in an email compromise scheme targeting a company – Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and farm equipment.

“In April 2018, a Unatrac executive fell prey to

a phishing email that allowed conspirators to capture login credentials.

“The conspirators sent fraudulent wire transfer requests and attached fake invoices. Okeke participated in the effort to victimize Unatrac through fraudulent wire transfers totaling nearly $11 million, which was transferred overseas.

“Additionally, Okeke engaged in other forms of cyber fraud, including sending phishing emails to capture email credentials, creating fraudulent web pages, and causing other losses to numerous victims,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia revealed.

Okeke was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at Dulles International Airport while leaving the US for Nigeria.

However, after months of denying his involvement in the crime before a federal judge in the U.S. and argument of jurisdiction, he pleaded guilty to the allegation of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and agreed to cooperate with American authorities last year June.

“The FBI will not allow cybercriminals free reign in the digital world to prey on U.S. companies,” said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office.

“This sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to working with our partners at the Department of Justice and our foreign counterparts to locate cybercriminals across the globe and bring them to the United States to be held accountable.”

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after the sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. https://howafrica.com/

February 2 0 2 1

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Reactions as Nigerian man builds solar-powered cooker that has television

An African identified as Usman Dalhatu from Nigeria has got people talking on social media after building a sola-powered cooker that has a television.

Usman shared photos of two men cooking with the invention while the television was on. While the television is solar-powered, the burners are powered by gas.

Recall that the young man was recognised by the federal government which finalised plans to collaborate with him after building a portable E-vent automatic ventilator and road sweeping machine.

Tweeps flooded the comment section of the post after Usman shared photos of the solar-powered cooker. https://oneminutegh.com/

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Meet Iddris Sandu: A 23-Year-Old Ghanaian Tech Genius Behind Uber, Snapchat, And Instagram, And Creator Of The World’s First Smart Retail Store February 2 0 2 1

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they need to create the future; He led a Today At Apple Class on design as one of the youngest to do so in partnership with Apple; and as of May, he became one of the youngest to deliver a keynote at New York University’s graduation ceremony.

Iddris’ main focus comprises architecture, design, and cultural empowerment through technology. https://the-african-dream.com/

Abu Bakarr Jalloh Inspiring African Stories

As we’re celebrating ‘Black History Month,’ this month we will be bringing you exclusive content celebrating Africans that are doing amazingly well. Today, we celebrate a 23-year-old Ghanaian tech genius who is responsible for algorithms that have made Uber, Snapchat, and Instagram what they are today. He is also the creator of the world’s first smart retail store. His name is Iddris Sandu.

Iddris Sandu was born in 1997 in Accra, Ghana.

He is a Ghanaian architectural technologist. He was born in Accra, Ghana, and raised in Compton in Los Angeles, California. He created the world’s first smart retail store experience along with Nipsey Hussle. The store is called “The Marathon Store”.

Articulating his ideas with geometric complexity, Sandu, a visionary equipped with the virtual reality glasses it takes to see into our future, draws a certain future that is simple, relatable, and understandable.

When he was 10 years old, Sandu started learning programming on his own for the next two years at a public library and this was where he got spotted by a designer from Google, who offered him an internship opportunity at the company’s headquarters. Starting his career at Google at the age of 13,

Sandu is well versed in history, economics, and technological implication. At the age of 15, he created a smartphone app that made it easier for his classmates to find their classrooms. The invention made him meet with former US President Obama and received a recommendation certificate. At the age of 19, he was creating his apps and other software.

He has worked with cities to start STEM programs in local schools, developed algorithms for companies like Uber, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram.

In 2017, Iddris and hip-hop artist/entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle came together to create the first Smart Store leveraging the stealth and uniqueness of his AIPE technology and Nipsey’s cultural influence. The store displayed its’ groundbreaking features: the ability to scan album covers to activate new spins to scanning painted text on the wall and being (able) to stream video content.

Sandu has also served as a technical consultant for Kanye West and partnered with Jaden Smith. His work is recognized by many macro-influencers including the likes of Mayor Eric Garcetti and Barack Obama.

Iddris’ message is one that speaks of our youth being informed — and as such, Sandu recently delivered a Ted Talk aimed at providing youth with the exposure

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Ghanaian Architect David Adjaye Becomes First African To Receive Royal Gold Medal

tional facility set up in the memory of a young black aspiring architect murdered in a racially motivated attack.

He is also currently working on a memorial in Brixton to Cherry Groce, a black woman who was shot in her home by police in a botched raid in 1985.

Previous recipients of the RIBA Gold Medal include Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, Neave Brown, Nicholas Grimshaw, Sheila O'Donnell and John Tuomey, and Peter Zumthor.

Last year the Royal Gold Medal was awarded to Grafton Architects, the practice founded by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, making them first all-woman pair to win in the awards' history.

Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye has received the 2021 Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects in the UK. The award is one of the highest in the field.

It’s the first time in the award’s 172-year history that it’s been presented to a Black architect.

The judges praised Adiaye as “a singular and timely talent and a strong reminder of the insightful and integrative role of the architect.”

Congratulations to one of Ghana’s finest exports.

"It's incredibly humbling and a great honour to have my peers recognise the work I have developed with my team and its contribution to the field over the past 25 years," said Adjaye, who founded Adjaye Associates in 2000.

"Architecture, for me, has always been about the creation of beauty to edify all peoples around the world equally and to contribute to the evolution of the craft," he added.

"The social impact of this discipline has been and will continue to be the guiding force in the experimentation that informs my practice."

Adjaye, who was knighted in 2017 for his services to architecture, is the architect of projects including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Ideas Store Whitechapel in London.

Adjaye Associates is currently working on the National Cathedral of Ghana in Accra, where the practice has offices.

"David's contribution to architecture and design globally is already astounding, and I am excited that we have so

much more of it to look forward to," said RIBA president Alan Jones.

Adjaye designed the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

"At every scale, from private homes to major arts centres, one senses David Adjaye's careful consideration of the creative and enriching power of architecture," added Jones.

"I believe his both practising and teaching in schools of architecture has significantly enriched his work. His artistic and social vision has created public projects that perfectly demonstrate the civic potential of architecture – fostering empathy, identity and pride."

Adjaye made his name with residential projects such as Hackney's Dirty House. His housing projects range from Sugar Hill, an affordable housing development in Harlem, to a 66-storey skyscraper sete to be built in Manhatten.

The architect has been vocal about the power of architecture to counteract dangerous false narratives around white supremacy and climate change.

Adjaye designed Sugar Hill as an affordable housing development for Harlem

"I think it's important for architecture to be one of the devices that's not about propagating fictions about history and how history is written," Adjaye told Dezeen.

"When your monuments contradict the narratives that have been projected, it breaks the illusion."

Adjaye has designed monuments dedicated to important black figures, including a concrete memorial pavilion for trumpeter and anti-apartheid activist Hugh Masekela in Johannesburg. He built the Stephen Lawrence Centre in London, an educa-

London's Idea Store Whitechapel was designed by Adjaye

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Nigerian-American GOP candidate for Michigan says he’d cancel Black History Month if elected, here’s why

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Michigan gubernatorial candidate, Austin Chenge, says he'll cancel Black History Month if elected -- Photo via michiganradio.org

In a social media post on Monday, Austin Chenge, a Nigerian-American Trump loyalist and GOP gubernatorial candidate for Michigan, said he’s going to cancel Black History Month in the state if elected as he deems it “offensive.”

Instead, he said he’ll introduce what he calls “American History Month.”

A U.S. Army veteran, Chenge immigrated to the United States from Nigeria with his family in 2008, and they subsequently naturalized five years later, according to Michigan Radio. The 35-year-old, who has reportedly never held any public office, describes himself as an entrepreneur and conservative Republican in his Twitter bio.

In the post which was met with swift backlash, Chenge tweeted: “I will cancel #BlackHistoryMonth in #Michigan. It’s offensive, unfair, maybe illegal…

Americans from all backgrounds deserve a revered history. I’ll declare American History Month.”

Chenge, who is the first Republican gubernatorial candidate for Michigan and has set his sights on taking the seat from incumbent Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2022, is described as being “deeply conservative”, according to Detroit Metro Times.

Among his campaign promises, Chenge says he’ll sever the state’s contract ties with Dominion Voting Systems on his first day in office if elected. A section of pro-Trump supporters has accused the election technology supplier of manipulating the 2020 presidential elections in favor of Joe Biden. Those allegations are, however, unfounded and baseless.

In an interview with Detroit News, Chenge also defended the pro-Trump rioters

who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and clashed with law enforcement agents during protests against the 2020 presidential election results. Five people died in the aftermath of the January 6 incident.

“Some of them were overcome by passion, more passion than others and may have acted in a way that they didn’t intend to when they went there,” he said. Asked if it was right for the rioters to besiege the building, he said: “If someone is motivated by passion to do something, it’s more subjective than it is objective.”

Meanwhile, Chenge could become the first Black governor of Michigan if he wins the seat. He, however, told Michigan Radio that being a potential trailblazer isn’t of great significance to him as he feels it causes a divide.

“I don’t actually see myself as a minority, or a Black American, or a Black anything or a minority anything. I just see myself as an American,” he said. “When we start focusing on a person’s gender or race or anything that causes division, we lose our unity as Americans.”

“If I become the governor of Michigan, I’m not going to be the first Black governor of Michigan. I’m going to be just another American governor.”

Take a look at some of the reactions after he announced his intention to scrap Black History Month if elected: https://face2faceafrica.com/

Magnolia Mississippi Mayor resigns: Returns to roots in Africa

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in Tanzania.

Anthony also served as the President of the Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors and Second Vice President of the Mississippi Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials. In May of 2018, he served as an International Observer to the controversial Presidential Elections in Venezuela.

He said that his vision of helping Americans repatriate to Africa is inspired in part by the late Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican political activist who proposed that people of African descent should return to their mother continent.

“I come in with that spirit and at least want to help you explore Africa for yourself,” he said.

The former Mayor’s vision to help Africans in Diaspora to go back to their mother continent has been inspired by various travel and tourism campaigns to attract Americans of the African origin to visit their ancestral continent.

After a successful political life in the United States, the Mayor of Magnolia is going back to live and work in Tanzania.

Inspiration comes from the late Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican political activist who proposed that people of African descent should return to their mother continent.

African Tourism Board is campaigning to attract Africans in Diaspora to visit their home continent.

Respecting his ancestral continent of Africa, the Magnolia Mississippi Mayor resigns and Mr. Anthony Witherspoon last month dedicated his life and business to Africa.

The immediate former mayor of this small Mississippi town said he has moved to Africa to run a tourism business, and he is encouraging other Black people to also consider moving to the continent.

The Associated Press (AP) had reported this ending week that Anthony Witherspoon resigned December 31, 2020, from his Magnolia mayoral post. He had been Mayor since winning a 2014 special election, and he had 6 months remaining to conclude his 4-year term.

Reports said that the former Magnolia Mayor had migrated to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s sprawling commercial capital that was established about 155 years ago, to settle and then operate his business.

Further reports pointed out that Mr. Witherspoon had moved to Africa to settle in East Africa through his personal commitment to live and then run his business on

his ancestral continent.

“I am here in the Motherland, creating business partnerships and networks with my brothers and sisters,” Witherspoon said on January 24, 2021, through his Facebook posting.

He is also running a YouTube channel with testimonies of people who have moved to Africa.

Some of those enterprises include early childhood centers, pre-schools, private business colleges, and businesses including Back to Africa Tours, he said.

“The minute you step off the plane into Julius Nyerere International Airport and see the state-of-the-art, world class airport here in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, it will be the beginning of the end of all of the lies that have been fed to you by the Western media about our Mother Africa,” Witherspoon said.

Witherspoon is married to Senator Tammy Witherspoon (Democratic Party), representing the Mississippi State Senate District 38. The couple has two sons.

His wife is still living in Mississippi and serving at the Capitol. The former Mayor said she and the couple’s two sons recently visited him

The African Tourism Board (ATB) has been established in South Africa for 2 years now and is campaigning to attract Africans in Diaspora to visit their mother continent.

ATB is now working hard and closely with other travel and tourism partners across the world to promote Africa as a “One Tourist Destination of Choice” in the world, targeting key tourist source markets around the globe.

The primary agenda of ATB is to position Africa as a leading tourist destination through strategically-integrated tourism development and marketing with effective branding and marketing.

African Diaspora heritages are key tourist sites in Africa which ATB is now targeting for promotion and development into the future magnet that would attract Africans in Diaspora to visit, settle, and then invest in Africa.

An African Homecoming is a theme designed by various groups of Africans in Diaspora aimed at exploring and transforming African cultural heritage assets into tourist destinations to attract those people of African descent to travel back to their mother continent and then trace their origin.

The African Tourism Board is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from, and within the African region. For more information and how to join, visit africantourismboard.com .

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17 African Nations Listed On UK ‘Red List’ U.S. Deploys Naval Ship to Countries Boost Safety on East African Waters Afrikan

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FILE PHOTO: A medic examines a patient on the Phelophepa Health train in Springs, Johannesburg, South Africa.

(Xinhua/Yeshiel)

The UK has issued new travel measures to visitors from 17 African nations intending to travel to the island. Travelers will need to quarantine for 10 days in government-approved hotels and will have to pay for themselves during their stay. Travelers will foot a bill not less than $100 per night.

The UK had previously banned the entry of passengers from 11 African countries including South Africa in a measure to prevent the spread of the new Covid-19 variant.

The UK has issued new travel measures to visitors from 17 African nations intending to travel to the island. Travelers will need to quarantine for 10 days in government-approved hotels and will have to pay for themselves during their stay. Travelers will foot a bill not less than $100 per night.

The UK had previously banned the entry of passengers from 11 African countries including South Africa in a measure to prevent the spread of the new Covid-19 variant.

The UK had issued a time frame of February 15 to begin restriction on travelers from areas they perceive as red zone.

From Today, arrivals in England from 33 countries will have to pay some €2,000 to self-isolate for 10 days in a pre-booked hotel room.

Breaking the rules could see people charged fines of up to €11,500 – or even face 10 years in prison, according to the UK government.

As with all other travelers, in addition to having a negative test performed 72 hours prior to arrival, these arrivals must also be tested on the second and eighth days of the quarantine.

Travelers have to pre-book on a government website, which has already been reported to have crashed a number of times.

The 17 Africa countries included in the red zone include:

• Angola

• Botswana • Burundi

• Cape Verde • DRC

• Eswatini • Lesotho • Malawi

• Mauritius

• Mozambique • Namibia

• Rwanda

• Seychelles

• South Africa • Tanzania • Zambia

• Zimbabwe

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By Anthony Kitimo America has deployed the first naval ship to Eastern Africa in over a decade to boost maritime security and allow freedom of navigation in the region. This comes two months after Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta received the US-Africa Command (Africom) Gen. Stephen Townsend in Nairobi.

The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel 'Woody' Williams (ESB 4) has been deployed along the Eastern and Horn of Africa coastal line as Kenya and US seek to strengthen military co-operation.

The naval ship can be used for a broad range of military operations acting as a mobile sea base to support multiple operational phases. Its deployment comes amid a diplomatic crisis between Somalia and Kenya.

During the December 12, 2020 meeting between Kenyan and US officials in Nairobi, America promised to offer Kenya security assistance by professionalising the Kenyan military forces, increasing the country's counterterrorism as well as border security capabilities, besides others like increasing peacekeeping capabilities and maritime security.

Last week on Tuesday, Kenya's Defence Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma received the vessel at the Port of Mombasa. Details on how long the ship will be deployed along the Indian Ocean remain scanty.

The ship's commander Vice Administrator Gene Black said Kenya is a strategic partner and a priority for the United States and will remain an integral part of a successful US-African alliance.

During the stay of the ship, it will support security co-operation missions and operations in and around the African continent. The deployment of the naval ship demonstrates America's commitment to African countries through interoperability training, maritime security and safety to allow for freedom of navigation within the region. https://allafrica.com/

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www.esthershairwigbeautyshops.com

13895 Hedgewood Dr, suite 317 Woodbridge, VA 22193

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February 2021

Adjiringano Botwe Rd. Next to Goil StationEast Legon, Accra LOC: Abogba : Near the Cemetary Opposite Shell Petrol Station Accra

Kumasi Patasi Road Next to Mango Down E-Mail: dynacorpltd@yahoo.com E-Mail: dynacorpltd@yahoo.com Contacts: 0244 233 626 /0244 421 303 /0674 026 641

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8-year-old Ghanaian student tops class just a month after joining school in the U.S.

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the parents of the child, said he was impressed with her performance considering the duration that she had spent in the school.

“Maame Akua Aseda Manukure arrived here in New Rochelle in October 2019 from Ghana. She was welcomed into 3-Quinn by all of the students but within a month Maame has become a Maths and Language Arts star!” he said.

“Her outstanding performance in the 3rd grade exams placed her as the first Ghanaian female student to ever top all students in New Rochelle District over the past decade,” he added.

Her outstanding performance has earned her a certificate of Honour by authorities of Trinity Elementary School, New Rochelle, USA. As a result of her outstanding grades, she has also been promoted to take part in a national Third Grader Exams where she would be competing with thousands of students across the USA. The winners of the national examination will get scholarships from the government of the United States.

Maame Akua Aseda Manukure. Pic Credit: Ace Photography

Maame Akua Aseda Manukure, an eight-year-old Ghanaian pupil, has topped all students in her class in New Rochelle District, USA Manukure joined the Trinity Elementary School in New Rochelle, USA, in October last year and was able to exceed the pass marks for seven different subjects in the districtwide exams, after just a month of joining the school.

Mr. Hilderbrand, the Principal of the Trinity Elementary School, who broke the news to

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Ghana’s George Ntim named chairman of New York State’s Tourism board

George Ntim, the Market Director of Diplomatic and Community Relations at New York City Marriott Hotels, has been elected chairman of the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association’s Board of Directors.

A statement released Friday by the Association said its mission is to lead and protect the New York State hospitality and tourism industry by providing advocacy, education, and resources.

The Association is currently the oldest state lodging association in the country, representing 1,000 members including hotels, motels, resorts, conference centers, country inns, bed & breakfast establishments, reservation service organizations, and amusement parks It also caters to museums, ski areas, historical sites, convention and visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce, colleges and universities, hospitality students, among others.

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Will Smith To Visit Namibia To Film Documentary

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Will Smith is set to visit Namibia to shoot a documentary -- Photo Credit: Dick Thomas Johnson “His passion for the hospitality industry and his love for the state of New York is a great addition to the Association’s leadership,” said Mark Dorr, NYSH&TA President.

The only African to climb up the difficult ladder to become the Director of VIP Guest Relations and Community Services at the Marriot Marquis Hotel in NYC, Ntim has, over the years, been using his position to bring change to his country, Ghana.

Having worked at Marriott Marquis Hotel in mid-town Manhattan for some years, he’s come into contact with people from all over the world, including several baseball players.

He established good relations with these players, a lot of whom he convinced to contribute to his African Development Foundation (ADF), which he founded in 2003.

The aim of the ADF is to promote goodwill and strengthen relationships between America As the Market Director of Diplomatic and and Africa through youth-oriented initiatives, Community Relations at New York City with an outreach that includes providing Marriott Hotels, Ntim’s responsibilities African youths with computer training, healthinclude everything “from cultivating relation- related resources, and recreational outlets. ships with dignitaries, celebrities, and all other VIP hotel guests, to working with local, One of the many initiatives of the foundation is state, and national government agencies to to promote baseball in Africa. The foundation assist the hotel in its operations within the has taken many major league baseball players community.” to Africa to teach kids how to play and to encourage them to always use positive outlets.

With his experience in the hospitality industry, the Association said it is looking forward Hailing from Ghana, the FACE List Award to working with him “in a larger capacity as recipient believes that sports can play a signifihe brings an abundance of real-life and hotel cant role in Africa’s economic liberation. experience to the Chairman position.” https://face2faceafrica.com/

Seasoned Hollywood actor and rapper Will Smith is reportedly set to visit Namibia in February to shoot a part of the second season of One Strange Rock – a National Geographic natural history and earth science documentary he hosts, according to The Namibian.

A representative at the Namibian Film Commission, Florence Haifene, told the news outlet they had granted a permit for the production of the popular documentary in the southern African country, adding that their local facilitator was Namib Films. She, however, did not reveal any further details.

“All information is classified regarding that production, therefore the commission at this stage is in no position to provide you with information,” she said.

The production for the documentary will reportedly take more than 10 days, and the 52-year-old actor will be lodging at a hotel in the coastal city, Swakopmund. During their stay, the crew would tour and film some landmarks in the country as part of the production.

In its second season, One Strange Rock “explores what makes Earth unique, how the planet is able to sustain life and the fragile systems that keep it thriving,” the documentary’s developer, Nutopia explains. The first season comprised of 10 episodes and it was shot across 45 countries, six continents and in outer space.

“The tremendous success of One Strange Rock is a testament to the power of innovative storytelling and an exceptional creative team,” Courteney Monroe, CEO of National Geographic Global Networks, said. “With the creative vision of Darren Aronofsky and the expertise of Jane Root and Nutopia, One Strange Rock stretches the traditional boundaries of science and natural history programming. It takes viewers on a breathtaking visual adventure that not only entertains, but also amazes and surprises.”

The premiere date for the next season is yet to be announced.

FRANCIS AKHALBEY | Content Manager

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You probably didn’t know that California is named after a black queen

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Templeton, who curated the Queen Califia exhibit assembled by the African American Historical and Cultural Society Museum in San Francisco in 2004, says its part of a larger story that Africans were seen by Europeans as being culturally advanced in the 15th century. Even Columbus had a black navigator, Templeton points out.

As William E. Hoskins, director of the museum, explains, “one of the things we’re trying to do is let people have the additional insight and appreciation for the contributions of African Americans to this wonderful country and more specifically to the state of California”. “The Queen Califia exhibit is particularly poignant,” he asserts.

History is interesting. The deeper one digs, the more likely one can find many possibly true stories and explanations for the same incident. Take the case of the origin of the name of the state of California.

Although some historical documents suggest that California was named after “calida fornax” (hot furnace) and “cal y fornos ” meaning “lime and furnace”, there is growing interest in another possibly true story about the state’s origin: that California was named after a black queen by the name of Queen Calafia.

Historians say that a Spanish writer by the name of Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo wrote a widely popular novel called Las Sergas de Esplandián (The Adventures of Esplandián) around 1500. Las Sergas was staged on the Island of California, said to be east of the Asian mainland. Here is Montalvo’s description:

“Know that on the right hand from the Indies exists an island called California very close to a side of the Earthly Paradise; and it was populated by black women, without any man existing there, because they lived in the way of the Amazons. They had beautiful and robust bodies, and were brave and very strong.

Their island was the strongest of the World, with its steep cliffs and rocky shores. Their weapons were golden and so were the harnesses of the wild beasts that they were accustomed to taming so that they could be ridden, because there was no other metal in the island than gold”.–Las Sergas de Esplandián, (novela de caballería); published 1510.

Montalvo’s island of California was named after its Queen, Califia, who is said to have been a beautiful black Moor and pagan.

She was on a mission to raise an army of women warriors and sail away from California with a women army so to join a Muslim battle against Christians who are defending Constantinople. Though Queen Califia would ultimately face defeat, she captured the imagination of many around the world, especially that of Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés who would come to explore and name the state of California.

Why is this important? Historian John William Templeton says,”Califia is a part of California history, and she also reinforces the fact that when Cortes named this place California, he had 300 black people with him.”

Though some would like to contest Queen Calafia importance, she continues to be depicted as the Spirit of California in modern-day sculpture, paintings, stories, and films. Famed African American actress, Whoopi Goldberg depicted Queen Califia in the Disneyland Film, Golden Dreams. There is a seven-foothigh panel of Califia with her Amazons at the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel in San Francisco. There is also another depiction of Califia on the 4th floor in the Senate Rules Committee Hearing Chamber in Sacramento titled, The Naming of California.

For many, she symbolizes “an untamed and bountiful land prior to Europeans taking the land by force”.

https://face2faceafrica.com/

“Origin and Development of the Name of the State of California”.

Lucille Lloyd

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Meet the US-based Akwasi Frimpong only one representing Africa at BMW/IBSF 2021 Champs Ghanaian playing an integral role in the fight against corona virus in Ohio

The deadly coronavirus which took over the world as well as shook global economies last year is still making waves in 2021.

With some countries experiencing a second wave, various heads of states are strategizing to secure the lives of their citizenry.

Health practitioners, on the other hand, are also trying their best to save the lives of persons who have contracted the virus and battling for life.

Everyone was excited when the news broke that a vaccine for the global pandemic had been found.

Michelle Braimah, a US-based Ghanaian works with the Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Infectious Diseases, Immunization Programme.

She works as an integral part of the coronavirus response team in Ohio.

In a video sighted by GhanaWeb, Michelle Braimah who has a lineage from the Northern part of Ghana explained that the COVID-19 vaccine boosts one’s system if the individual hasn’t contracted the pandemic.

For persons who have been infected, injecting the COVID-19 reduces the symptoms and helps in the recovery process.

According to Michelle Braimah, her office focuses on making sure the COVID-19 vaccines get to many service providers to help in the fight against the coronavirus.

She advised everyone to wear nose masks, wash their hands frequently as well as practice social distancing to stay safe.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

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Akwasi at the BMW IBSF Altenberg World Championships 2021 / IBSF Viesturs Lacis

Akwasi Frimpong overcame an injury to finish 32nd overall at the BMW IBSF world championships in Altenberg, Germany. Frimpong worked with TeamRussia leading into the tournament on one of the toughest tracks in the world that showed its strength against world-class athletes. His reward was a qualification to become the only African athlete representing the continent at this 2021 BMW International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Championships.

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time of 60.75 seconds. In his second run, he finished 31st with a start time of 5.43 seconds and downtime of 60.42 seconds. The third time became a charm with the Ghanaian improving again when his third run secured a 5.41 seconds start time and his best downtime during the championships at 60.11 seconds.

“Of course I didn’t want to come in last,” Frimpong said. “But with my current fitness condition, battling with injuries all season and with so little experience on the toughest track in the world, I gained an important experience going into the pre-Olympic season where I Frimpong initially did not plan to compete at the want to fight for a spot for Ghana and Africa for Beijing World Championships because it was not on his sched- 2022,” he added. ule and he only had 20 runs from the top of this track.

That aside he also suffered a major crash on the The history-making Akwasi went on to acknowledge Altenberg track a month back, which caused a badly that “it’s not going to be easy since there is no continensprained ankle and limited his ability to walk. Akwasi tal spot for Africa and five fewer spots for the men than said it was Russian Skeleton coach, Dirk Matschenz, there were in 2018. There is a lot of room for improvewho challenged him to race at the World ment and still so much to learn before the Olympics.

Championships for the experience as a sport skeleton I’m truly grateful for the help and support of Teamathlete.

Russia. They treat me like family and give me all the Frimpong made progress with each run during the help I need to improve daily. The results never really World Championships qualifiers. In his first run, he tell the athlete’s entire story, but believe me, I’m putting was 32nd with a start time of 5.43 seconds and down- in work and fighting for Africa on ice, giving people time of 60.75 seconds. In his second run, he finished from my continent hope and breaking barriers.”

31st with a start time of 5.43 seconds and downtime of 60.42 seconds. The third time became a charm with Frimpong will stay in Europe for another week to learn the Ghanaian improving again when his third run and race at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton secured a 5.41 seconds start time and his best downFederation Inter-Continental Cup skeleton races in time during the championships at 60.11 seconds.

Innsbruck, Austria from where he will then head home to his family in the United States by way of Salt Lake Read also: Akwasi Frimpong competes as Africa’s first City, in Utah. Frimpong and his wife Erica Frimpong male skeleton athlete at 2018 Winter Olympics are expecting their second child in April 2021.

Frimpong made progress with each run during the World Championships qualifiers. In his first run, he Source: Team Frimpong was 32nd with a start time of 5.43 seconds and down-

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Beverly Hills Surgeon Comes to Rescue in N Police in Malawi have ‘Gorilla Glue' Hair Catastrophe arrested four people for using bank notes to decorate Valentine’s Day bouquets.

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Plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng offered to help after seeing Tessica Brown’s plight documented on TikTok.

By Angie Crouch

February 2021

A GoFundMe page has raised more than $18,000.

In an interview with TMZ, Brown said she’s A Louisiana woman who went viral online for using still in excruciating pain.

Gorilla Glue on her hair after she ran out of hair“The headaches got worse, the tingling got spray traveled to Beverly Hills to get help from a worse. We couldn’t think of nothing else to do plastic surgeon Wednesday. so I went to social media with it,” she said.

The doctor offered to help after he saw a video of Tessica Brown’s painful plight. Brown arrived in Los Angeles Wednesday morning on her way to the Beverly Hills office of plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng.

He offered to help after seeing a video Brown posted on TikTok, confessing that when she ran out of her usual hair product she used Gorilla Glue spray adhesive, and her hair hasn’t moved in a month.

A Louisiana woman who went viral online for using Gorilla Glue on her hair after she ran out of hairspray traveled to Beverly Hills to get help from a plastic surgeon Wednesday.

The doctor offered to help after he saw a video of Tessica Brown’s painful plight. Brown arrived in Los Angeles Wednesday morning on her way to the Beverly Hills office of plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng.

Her videos prompted Dr. Obeng to offer help.

Originally from Ghana, he runs a charity providing free medical services and has experience with burn victims.

“The goal is to be able to dissolve the glue and not burn her scalp,” Obeng said.

Gorilla Glue tweeted a statement saying: “This is a unique situation because this product is not indicated for use in or on hair as it is considered permanent. Our spray adhesive states in the warning label ‘Do not swallow.

Do not get in eyes, on skin or on clothing.’”

Late this afternoon, Dr. Obeng said after working with Brown for more than an hour, the procedure was successful.

“We had to use chemicals that were safe and wouldn’t cause burns to the scalp and detanHe offered to help after seeing a video Brown posted on TikTok, confessing that when she ran out of her gle. The scalp is healthy, and she’s doing usual hair product she used Gorilla Glue spray adhe- great,” he said. sive, and her hair hasn’t moved in a month.

Brown has been documenting her agony online. She https://www.nbclosangeles.com/ took a trip to the emergency room, but that didn’t help. Neither did assistance from a friend who cut off her ponytail.

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Police in Malawi have arrested four people for using bank notes to decorate Valentine’s Day bouquets.

Photos of the roses wrapped in 2,000 kwacha notes - worth about $2.60 or £1.90 - went viral on WhatsApp groups in the southern African country on Sunday.

Malawi central bank’s senior investigation office Emmanuel Malasa said his office had been carrying out joint operations with the police to arrest people for wilfully damaging bank notes.

The bank has previously said it is costly to replace worn out ones.

Police say that those arrested in Blantyre stand accused of the “unlawful use of currency” and may be liable for a fine of up to 5bn kwacha ($6.4m, £4.6m) if found guilty.

All four have pleaded their innocence.

Peter Jegwa

Lilongwe, Malawi

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Nigeria’s Iroko TV plans to list How this SA entrepreneur in U.S. went on London Stock Exchange, ng from homeless refugee to creating a targets $30m $100m investment fund .

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ees, and advisors in several pioneering technology startups. Kanyi also served as a Partner at Collaborative Fund, where he was an early advisor to Tala and Walker & Co., and a board member at Buffer, Camino Financial, Spruce, and True Link, a post on Kindred Ventures’ website said.

In addition to co-founding Kindred Ventures, the Soweto born is also a cofounder of Heartbeat Health, a telehealth platform for cardiology that incorporates telemedicine, remote diagnostics, and digital heart health programs.

Indeed, Kanyi prides himself on founding the only virtual heart health app with video visits and at-home diagnostics. The app now has over 20,000 patients or subscribers as per its figures in 2019.

Nigerian-based streaming platform Iroko TV plans to go public on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) Alternative Investment Market in the next 12 months, TechCrunch reports. The company plans to raise $30 million or less than it did in January 2016.

In an interview with Tech Crunch explaining why the company is not planning to raise more than it did in 2016, co-founder Jason Njoku said: “We don’t need more. To be honest, $10 million to $15 million will be for corporate development; the rest will be secondaries for shareholders. As a private company, IROKO’s valuation was never priced above $70 million so anything in our target range wouldn’t be a down round at all.”

“Especially if you consider in that time we exited ROK for close to the total amount of capital we raised for IROKO; we have returned $11 million to early investors and shareholders already. We still have material capital left from the ROK-Canal+ acquisition coming in every six months until 2023.”

Iroko TV had planned listing on the LSE back in 2019 but a few mishaps derailed that move. After putting a few things in proper check, the company is confident enough to go public.

“What we can achieve in private, we can equally achieve as a public company. We will likely open up the IPO to our loyal members too so they can capture the value too, which I am super excited about. One thing about IROKO is that we have always been pioneers and we’re okay being super experimental,” Njoku told TechCrunch. “I plan to open-source the entire process so any other African company coming behind — if we’re successful — will benefit from our experience.”

Iroko TV, founded by Njoku and Bastian Gotter, is regarded as one of the largest streaming services in West Africa, featuring mostly Nigerian and Ghanaian movies. The company saw its subscription drop by 70% during the imposition of lockdown measures by governments across the sub-region. However, subscriptions in the US and UK saw a remarkable 200% growth.

Njoku told TechCrunch that this helped financially cushion the company as it gears up for growth plans this year. “The costs of pursuing Africa growth is what was really resized dramatically,” he told TechCrunch. “We pulled back to focus on where our economics actually makes sense. Our international business organically grew double-digit in 2020 and we expect it to continue this way for the foreseeable future.”

https://face2faceafrica.com/

The stories of refugees pursuing economic ventures to contribute to the growth of their host country are replete in the literature. However, because of their status as refugees, their success stories are often not given attention in the media. In cases where stories of refugees are reported, they are often about their involvement in crimes and other social vices.

Despite the seeming lack of growing interest in the economic persuasion of refugees which leads to job creation, some of their success stories have attracted the world’s attention. One of such is Kanyi Maqubela, who migrated to the US with his family as refugees from South Africa.

The US remains one of the favorite destinations of refugees worldwide partly due to their refugee policies and their respect for human rights, although those were nearly wiped out during the Trump administration.

Kanyi arrived in the US at the height of the apartheid regime in South Africa. After living in debilitating conditions in his own country, he and his family felt migrating to the US will pay off for them. And as faith would have it, Kanyi has become a successful entrepreneur in the US and his parents got employed.

Kanyi co-founded Kindred Ventures with Steve Jang after successfully raising $56 million. Kindred Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital fund based in San Francisco, California. According to Shoppe Black, Kindred Ventures has invested in over 40 companies located in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Previous Kindred Ventures investments count companies like Uber, Coinbase, and Virgin Hyperloop One.

Also, Kanyi recently raised $100 million in capital commitments from a mix of major university endowments, foundations, fund-of-funds, and strategic investors, according to Techcrunch.

Kanyi and Jang have served as founders, early employ-

Despite making it in the US, Kanyi and his family’s story ‘in the land of freedom’ was not all rosy. They lived in a homeless shelter and were on food stamps until his mother got a job as an ESL teacher at Fashion Institute of Technology, and his father got a job as a cashier and coat checker at the Museum of Natural History, according to Shoppe Black.

Today, both parents are not only gainfully employed, but they are both accomplished educators while Kanyi did undergraduate and graduate studies at Stanford University, where he majored in Philosophy, and studied among others computer science, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.

He taught elementary and middle school math and science and claimed to have worked on Obama’s 2008 campaign team.

“I really enjoyed being on the teaching team for Design Your Life, a class for undergraduates out of the Stanford Design Program,” he says on his website.

“We’re over-mentored and under-capitalized,” the venture capitalist told Bloomberg on why Black businesses need investment than activism. “I believe there’s an opportunity to use the acute national attention to catalyze structural change but it doesn’t happen on its own.” https://face2faceafrica.com/

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The Best 5 Forex Broker For Africa In 2021

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Plus500 provides a proprietary platform to its users, which is designed to be navigatable, streamlined, and user-friendly. The platform can be accessed from a range of devices such as Windows PCs, smartphones, tablets, and several web browsers.

Plus500’s WebTrader platform has a simple to use interface that lets users easily create watchlists, go through charts, place trades and monitor them. They get a collection of technical analysis charts that offer more than a hundred technical indicators, ready to be applied to different time frames.

Overall the WebTrader platform offers clients more than 2000 instruments. However, Since WebTrader is a closed system, it does not allow traders to incorporate third-party analytical and automation tools. Additionally, Plus500 does not provide the popular MetaTrader 4 platform.

Forex trading has been growing in popularity in the African continent for almost 5 years. This is evident from data that show countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and others experiencing an increase in online traders and trading activity.

tory bodies including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission(ASIC) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the U.K.

Plus500 has customers across 50 countries, whom they provide tradable instruments such as All of this has been achieved despite the sweep- stock indices, forex, individual shares, commodiing regulations and challenges that have crept up ties, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. It was one of the world’s first brokers to introduce over the years.

Bitcoin CFD trading in 2013.

The growth in Forex trading can be directly attributed to the success attained by the online brokerage and trading platforms, especially ones that provide their services to nations in the African continent.

Plus500 provides a proprietary platform to its users, which is designed to be navigatable, streamlined, and user-friendly. The platform can be accessed from a range of devices such as Windows PCs, smartphones, tablets, and several web browsers.

The growth of internet connectivity and favorable trading conditions have both played parts in Plus500’s WebTrader platform has a simple to attracting an increasing number of traders use interface that lets users easily create watchtowards forex online trading. lists, go through charts, place trades and monitor That being said, not all brokers are reliable and them. They get a collection of technical analysis provide the same level of services. This makes it charts that offer more than a hundred technical critical to evaluate various factors before settling indicators, ready to be applied to different time for a particular broker. To make things easier for frames.

traders based on the African continent, a list of 5 of the best and most reliable brokers operating in Overall the WebTrader platform offers clients more than 2000 instruments. However, Since Africa has been prepared.

WebTrader is a closed system, it does not allow traders to incorporate third-party analytical and Plus500 Based in London, Plus500 is a well known glob- automation tools. Additionally, Plus500 does not provide the popular MetaTrader 4 platform. al CFD broker that was initially founded in Plus500 has customers across 50 countries, Israel in 2008. Unlike several other brokers, whom they provide tradable instruments such as Plus500 is listed on a stock exchange, which stock indices, forex, individual shares, commodirequires it to disclose its financials regularly, ties, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. It was increasing its legitimacy. one of the world’s first brokers to introduce It comes under the jurisdiction of several regula- Bitcoin CFD trading in 2013.

When it comes to security, Plus500 offers negative balance protection for its clients, which is required under ESMA directives that came into effect in 2018. It also allows guaranteed stop-loss orders to be used on some instruments, which are usually subject to a wider spread. Overall Plus500’s spreads are competitive, which results in low costs and favorable trading conditions.

RoboForex Founded back in 2009, RoboForex is a reputed and reliable online brokerage service that has received over 20 titles and awards. It comes under the direct regulation of the International Financial Services Commission in Belize.

The IFSC is compliant with international anti-money laundering policies and works to enforce regulations for the protection of investors. To increase even more transparency, RoboForex has also worked with Verify My Trade, an authoritative service that provides quality auditing reviews of a platform’s order execution.

RoboForex offers its users the opportunity to trade more than 9400 trading instruments which include stocks, indices, metals, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, CFDs, energies, and foreign exchange.

It offers the MetaTrader platform, the cTrader platform as well as its proprietary R Trader platform. All the platforms can be accessed easily from desktop and mobile devices through provided apps.

RoboForex caters to the growing needs of its customers and provides several different account types: Pro Standard, ECN- Pro, Prime, R Trader and Pro-Cent. All these account options vary when it comes to spreads and commissions.

While some of them offer lower variable spreads with a chargeable commission, others provide variable spreads with no commission needed. The minimum deposit requirements of all these account types except for the R Trader Account is $10.

As mentioned before, RoboForex provides CFD trading in forex consisting of more than 40 major, minor and exotic pairs. They also provide options to trade more than 26 major cryptocurrencies, including the likes of Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin,

26

Afrikan Post feb 2021_June 2011.qxd 2/20/2021 1:52 AM Page 27

The Best 5 Forex Broker For Africa In 2021

February 2021

Page 27

IC Markets comes under the jurisdiction of the Financial Services Authority of Seychelles, along with ASIC and Cysec. There are three main account types to choose from.

The Raw Spread Account, cTrader Raw Account and Standard Account. IC Markets provide MetaTrader4 and 5, WebTrader, cTrader and ZuluTrade( which allows social trading). Additionally, clients can also choose a multi-account manager

When it comes to depositing, IC Markets provide 15 flexible options for funding accounts. There are also ten different base currencies to choose from. Funding options include credit and debit cards, Neteller, Neteller VIP, PayPal, Wire Transfer, Broker to Broker, POLI, Bpay, FasaPay, Thai Internet Banking, Klarna, Bitcoin Wallet, rapid pay, and Vietnamese internet Banking.

One of the reasons behind the spectacular increase in customers for IQ Option is its favorable trading conditions. IQ Option has fixed the minimum deposit amount at $10 for traders having a real account, while RoboForex also provides a range of different VIP accounts have a $1900 minimum deposit requireuseful tools. This includes the Analytics Center which provides signals, a calendar, chat ment. It does not demand any commissions from its options, videos, and educational resources, the traders and offers typically tighter spreads.

Additionally, users are protected by Negative Balance RTrader Strategy Builder, and the Virtual Protection.

Private Server.

along with stocks, ETFs, indices, metals, soft commodities, and energies.

IQ Option IQ Option first entered the market as a binary options broker back in 2013. The broker has since expanded its offering to include numerous asset classes including Forex, CFD, and cryptocurrencies. The broker is headquartered in Cyprus and provides its services to more than 27 countries.

It is registered under the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, which is regarded as one of the most reliable regulatory bodies in Europe. Additionally, IQ Option ltd is also registered in Seychelles.

IQ Option provides a host of different tradable instruments which include binary options, digital options, CFDs on stocks, Forex and cryptocurrencies. Their offering includes 27 forex pairs including EUR/USD and GBP/USD, 15 cryptocurrencies and over 433 different stock options from major companies such as IBM, Apple, Google and others.

There are 66 options for options traders as well. Traders can use a demo account to get acquainted with all these different instruments using virtual money.

Unlike many other brokers on this list, IQ Option depends entirely on its in-house, uniquely developed trading platform which is constantly updated. The trading platform is available via apps for PC and mobile devices, making it compatible with most browsers like Google Chrome, Opera, and Mozilla Firefox as well as with mobile operating systems like iOS and Android.

To make it even more convenient for traders, IQ Option offers a myriad of deposit and withdrawal methods, including via credit/debit cards, bank transfers, eWallets, and payment processors. A responsive customer service team is always on hand to guide users through any queries they might have while using IQ option.

IC Markets IC Markets is one of the most reputed CFD providers, offering favorable trading conditions for traders of all experience levels: beginners, active day traders and scalpers. The broker is known for providing cutting edge trading platforms that are complimented by low latency connectivity and superior liquidity. The minimum deposit requirement is $200 of the currency equivalent, while the minimum trading amount is 0.01 lots per trade.

IC Markets also provides educational resources including a video tutorial, a help center, educational webinars and online education on various trading topics. There is also 24/7 customer support available along with a FAQ page that does a great job in answering some of the user queries.

Instaforex Instaforex is another online brokerage service that encourages forex trading. It is the current partner of the Loprais Team taking part in the Dakar Rally. It is registered under the British Virgin Islands Services Commission and is also compliant with ESMA and Cysec regulations. Its impressive track record is further complemented by a string of awards it has won, including the “Best Forex Broker Central and Eastern Europe 2020”.

Instaforex provides four types of trading accounts which differ in terms of features, accounting spreads, and commissions. These are the Cent Standard Account, Insta.

Standard account, Cent.Eurica account and Insta.Eurica account. Additionally, it provides a demo account as well which provides virtual money for traders to practice trading.

Instaforex provides educational courses that encompass videos, blogs, and a forex trainer program. A support team is available for answering any question related to the platform. With multiple offerings such as MetaTrader 4 and 5, Multiterminal, InstaTick Trader, and WebTrader, Instaforex is one of the best brokers available to African traders.

Conclusion

As more and more people are attracted to the prospects of online trading, traders have to be careful about the brokers they choose. The above-mentioned brokers are just some of the best options open to African nations, which provide favourable conditions for trading success.

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February 2021

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Uproar over establishment of LGBT Heroes of COVID-19: Maame Efua M office in Ghana De-Heer is TheAfricanDream.net February 2021 Heroine

There is public uproar over the establishment of an office in the Ghanaian capital Accra, for the LGBT community.

It follows viral photographs of the commissioning of the office and it’s fundraising programme attended by some diplomats.

We are well aware of the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values aims and we strongly condemn their plans to sow discord and incite violence against an oppressed minority group like ours,” it said in a statement.

The coronavirus, having killed over 2,328,940 persons worldwide, in a seemingly endless battle to triumph against the well-being of humans, has forced so many to reinvent their lives and priorities. There have been heroes out there, who in their small way, have aided in salvaging the gruesome situation created by this pandemic. TheAfricanDream.net in its Heroes of Covid-19 series celebrates many of “The presidency, the ministry of foreign Affairs those who continually contribute to the and the IGP have every right to investigate that efforts of preserving humanity while the office to close it down immediately and arrest world fights this pandemic, one such perand prosecute those people involved in it,” he son is Maame Efua Desaid.

In August 2020, Kematim Concepts was recognized for designing a device with Mr Foh-Amoaning hinted that his group will which people could wash or sanitize their push further against activities of the LGBT comhands without touching the tap, soap or munity in Ghana. hand sanitizer case. This, as explained by the Team Lead – Mr. Innocent Ayodele, “We will put the appropriate petitions before was to “avoid potential contamination and Parliament for the immediate passage of a comtransfer of the virus.” In a similar tradition, prehensive legislation and then we will prohibit the Heroes of Covid-19 committee has their motion” he indicated. come across Maame Efua De-Heer, anothBut in a sharp rebuttal, the LGBT group has coner hero (in this special case – a heroine) demned the demand for the closure of its office. worthy of recognition for February, 2021.

The presence of the diplomats including Australian High Commissioner Gregory Andrews has fuelled speculations about their support for the activities of the LGBT group.

The National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, a civil society group in Ghana is demanding that the offices are shutdown.

“LGBT+ Rights Ghana has an irrevocable right to exist as a recognized entity and movement entitled to all the rights and protections guaranteed under Ghana’s 1992 constitution.

We have the rights as Ghanaians to live in peace, join groups, be protected from harm and have our privacy respected.

Maame Efua De-Heer – YouTube image De-Heer is a Canada-based Ghanaian graduated from the University of Toronto – Dalla Lana School of Public Health with a Master of Public Health in Social and Behavioral Science. She was one of 120 young Canadians (out of 1,000 applicants) selected as delegates for RBC’s Future Launch’s Fast Forward 2020 – Youth Summit.

Our February 2021 COVID-19 Heroine who is the first person to be recognized by TheAfricanDream.net in Canada is also founder of the Power of Love Foundation Canada, an entity established to support the underserved and marginalized populations.

Her efforts in that regard won her the Award for Diaspora Achievement at the Africa Youth Awards in 2020.

De-Heer is recognized for her special efforts in fighting against the ramifications of a COVID-19 influenced world of lockdown; where her non-profit organizational intentions would have rather faced a hiatus, if not for her relentless determination to keep sailing despite the stumps. Rather than generalizing her efforts, De-Heer chose to narrow her focus on a particular demographic – not merely the woman but the single mother. That, she believed, will have the true trickle-down effect, opposed to the one often jeopardized by some African governments in a bid to be selfish when aid is received on behalf of their citizens.

Her decision to work with the Single Mother demographic is backed by arguments found in Humanitarian led International Conferences. One of which is the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (EARTH Summit) of 1992.

At the 1992 EARTH Summit held in Rio de Janeiro contributors argued; women were more likely to be affected by negative environmental impacts [which almost 2 decades down the line ended up including pandemics such as Covid-19] than men because

of their relatively poor social and economic position which is usually intertwined with their domestic roles.” The situation of the single mother was a special case that required attention because of the absence of a supportive partner to aid in the parenting of vulnerable children involved. It was further argued that homes which were poor enough to lack food security and shelter were more likely to be headed by women (usually single-mothers).

Having secured funding from the City of Toronto, the Power of Love Foundation Canada financially supported Single Ghanaian mothers found in Etobicoke that needed assistance during this era of lockdown that has affected their economic and social securities.

In an interview with TheAfricanDream.net, De-Heer named her mother as her greatest inspiration and reason behind what she does. To that effect she disclosed that; “My mother! She is my biggest inspiration. Being raised by a Single Mother has taught me the important life lessons of resilience, persistence, determination and perseverance.”

When asked who else she would love to work with and why, De-Heer replied; “I have had the pleasure of working with the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, but look forward to working with diverse organizations that share similar missions, visions and values to my Organization; which is to support the underserved and marginalized populations.”

There are many others out there like Maame Efua De-Heer doing everyday things to positively impact their lives and communities and even sometimes people living in other continents. To all such persons we stand in awe of your amazing work and the selflessness with which you do it. For De-Heer, it is always a blessing to “be able to serve my community“.

Congratulations De-Heer, keep making the world a better place in your small way.

Find her on Instagram as Maame.DeHeer.

Written by Oral Ofori

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February 2021

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ua Meet King Oyo, The World’s Youngest King Who Ascended The Throne et At Age 3 of royal blood. Upon passing the test, Oyo was allowed to sound the Nyalebe, a sacred Chwezi drum, as his forefathers had done. Then he was blessed with the blood of a bull and a white hen.

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Many kids will play games or have fun outside with their friends at age 3, but not for King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who was already learning how to rule a kingdom of more than 2 million people at that young age.

Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, King Oyo, is the reigning Omukama of Toro, in Uganda. He was born on 16 April 1992 to King Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo Olimi III and Queen Best Kemigisa Kaboyo. Three and a half years later, in1995, Oyo ascended to the throne and succeeded his father as the 12th ruler of the 180-year-old Toro Kingdom.

King Oyo of Toro Kingdom, one of four kingdoms in Uganda, East Africa is holding the record as the “World’s Youngest Monarch” in the Guinness World Records Book.

Background What is now Uganda was made up of independent kingdoms and communities led by Tribal Chiefs and Kings in pre-colonial times. Although most societies in Uganda, like communities in its north and northeast, were loosely established by clan leadership structures, other communities such as Bunyoro, Buganda, Ankole and Toro were organized monarchies.

In 1966, in addition to their potential to be dividing forces and thus a threat to the nascent republic, the political powers of the traditional leaders were abolished by the nationalist movement led by Milton Obote, who opposed the kings because of their association with British colonialists.

Political turmoil and civil strife dominated the 1970s and 1980s, contributing to severe consequences for cultural institutions.

Many of the leaders, including Buganda’s Kabaka Mutesa and Toro’s Omukama Patrick Kaboyo, were forced into exile to

escape the government of terror. It was not until 1986 that the kingdoms were restored

by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni through an amendment to the Constitution in 1993. In pre-colonial times, the kingdoms would never enjoy the sovereignty they had, but they would be instrumental in mobilising the nation toward social and economic recovery.

Toro Kingdom Toro lies in the mid-western part of presentday Uganda, with its capital, Fort Portal.

The community of Toro, known as Batooro or Batoro, make up 3.2 percent of Uganda’s 35.5 million people (2012 estimate). The Kingdom is controlled by the dynasty of Babiito, whose history goes back as far as the 14th century. According to oral history, in 1822, Prince Olimi Kaboyo Kasunsunkwanzi, son of the King of Bunyoro, annexed the southern part of the Kingdom of his father and founded what is today known as Toro.

Title of king Oyo Oyo Nyimba, is known as Omukama, meaning “King” and Rukirabasaija, meaning “the greatest of men” in Toro. Even though he is considered the Batooro’s sovereign king, the authority of Oyo Nyimba is restricted to cultural duties.

Coronation of the young King Oyo The death of his father King Kaboyo in 1995 simply means that the Crown Prince had to take on the role of King in his childhood. The rituals of handing over the reins of power to Oyo began at 2 a.m. on 12 September 1995, a week after the late King’s burial. They included a mock battle at the entrance of the palace, fought between the enemy forces of the “rebel” prince and the royal army, and a test of Oyo’s divine right to the throne, in which the Omusuga, head of the royal clan, called upon the gods to hit Oyo dead if he was not

At 4 a.m., Oyo was crowned King in the midst of a jubilant crowd and entered the palace as the new ruler of the Kingdom of Toro. His first meal was served as King, consisting of millet dough. He sat in the lap of a virgin girl and swore allegiance to the Crown while lying on his side on the ground.

Cultural rites followed a religious ceremony presided over by the Anglican Bishop, Eustance Kamanyire. President Museveni attended the coronation celebrations, paying tribute to the new King.

Regency Three regents were tasked with overseeing the growth of King Oyo in the role of King and dealing with the cultural affairs of the Kingdom during the childhood and youth of the King. At the time of his crowning, the three regents included his mother, Queen Best (Queen Mother); his aunt/godmother, Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya; and President Museveni.

The late Colonel Muamar Gaddafi, the former President of Libya, was the patron of the Kingdom of Toro, who had close ties with the royal family. King Oyo, 9 years old, named Gaddafi the “defender” of the Kingdom and invited him to attend the 6th anniversary of the coronation in 2001. Gaddafi made donations to the Kingdom to help pay for the restoration of the Palace in Fort Portal.

Education background of King Oyo

One of the King’s key tasks is to campaign for financial and social well-being donations to his subjects. Health, education, economic and cultural initiatives are all concerned. Also it is important to build people’s confidence in the King and strengthen cultural identity. Oyo travels the world with the help of his regents and family to seek international support for Toro development. Most recently, on behalf of the Kingdom, Oyo received 100 wheelchairs distributed to five Toro regions. The Kingdom endorses other charitable programs through the Batebe Foundation of Toro, which operates a special education fund for children in need.

Oyo said that growing up he was more interested in playing with other children than running a kingdom. “When I was

eight years old that’s when I realised the responsibility I had, who I was and what I had to do.

“Everything fell into place; everything clicked. How I was going to do it, I wasn’t sure, but I definitely knew who I was and what I had to do.”

In school, where he had military guards hovering all over, Oyo said he realized that he was different from his colleagues as he had huge responsibilities.

“Outside of school is probably when I had to be a bit more serious, but when I was at school it was basically an environment that allowed me to be myself because the students around me treated me like any other student, which allowed me to be like them and to also see another side to me as a person — as a king, an individual and a student. It made me very down to earth, which I am very grateful for.”

His kingdom is blessed with green pastures, wildlife and national parks, making it a tourism hub in Uganda, despite its socio-economic challenges.

King Oyo, who once said his mother was his greatest source of help, hopes to bring about the desired change that his subjects are hoping for, with a specific emphasis on health and education.

“I’d like to empower my people, to see them thriving, to see them out of poverty, to give them that platform or survival kit so they don’t have to struggle to send their kids to school or to get money for transport or to take them to the hospital, while there aren’t that many hospitals as well,” he said.

“His age brings a lot of financial support from leaders who want to mentor him and see him succeed,” Ruhweza Remigious, a 34year-old carpenter who lives around the palace in Fort Portal was quoted by news site CNN in 2010.

“Most Africans are led by older people who don’t do anything.”

“He is young and eager, and we hope he will give us a better life and modernize our infrastructures.”

Afrikan Post feb 2021_June 2011.qxd 2/20/2021 1:52 AM Page 30

4 BEDRROM HOUSE FOR SALE $110,000

STEMi Makers Africa launches STEM Education in South Eastern Nigeria February

2021

Page 30

House for sale $110,000

This home is newly built, carefully planned with appealing spaces. Upon entering this cozy home., you are greeted by an open plan lounge and dining room where your family and friends relax and socialize. The house has a separate visitor’s bathroom/toilet and a fully fitted and functional kitchen with a stress-free space to enjoy. Ready to leave in with electricity and water on a 100 x 50 ft plot of land situated on the main road to Millennium City, Kasoa, Built to last with original features in a quite desirable area.The home offers 4 bedrooms each with en-suite bathroom that has a shower, basin and toilet. Original plan was for an Airbnb.Main features are as follows:A beautiful kitchen, dining room and lounge.4 large bedrooms and four large bathroomsTank for water and hot water, molded ceiling3 biodegradable manholesBig purposely build underground water tank linked with water harvest pipesParking space for 3 cars, airElectric fence/fire & smoke alarm, air conditions, fansAntique and modern lights from London all in boxes ready to be fixedSmall landscaped garden (still growing)

All finishing/fittings are from UK: other fittings still in import boxes.

Contact Nana Kwasi on:703-725-6968 or

Phyllis on WhatsApp 0447440225799 for further information.

Africa faces huge challenges in reforming its education sector. Many people are still not learning what they need to thrive now and in the future. If current trends continue, by 2050 some one-third of Africa’s one billion young people will lack basic proficiency in math, reading, and other subjects. Millions will be unemployable and unproductive.

Recognizing this, STEMi Makers Africa in partnership with the U.S Consulate General, Lagos organized the STEM Integration and Development Training for Educators in the South-Eastern region of Nigeria for Educators to adopt new skills and knowledge that will strengthen competencies, particularly in STEM and digital literacy, for students to effectively transition from education to employment.

This project was held in the four eastern states of Nigeria, that is, Abia, Imo, Enugu, and Anambra state.

The project commenced from February 1-12, 2021, during which STEMi Makers Africa visited each of the states for a 2-day intensive and hands-on training. Each of these states brought together a diverse group of Science and Technology, Education, and socio-economic empowerment stakeholders, and encouraged practical hands-on activities around improving teaching practices and learning outcomes through quality capacity building for Educators in the South-Eastern region of Nigeria.

Educators were exposed to design thinking, programming, circuiting, embedded systems, prototyping, computing, STEM Pedagogy, skills of the future, and entrepreneurship.

The program also encouraged break-out sessions for Educators to identify existing societal problems and come up with sustainable solutions like products, applications, and technology innovation.

Commissioner of Science and Technology of Enugu State; Sir Obi Kama in Enugu on attended the February 8 edition of the event, while the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education of Abia State, Sir Eze Ajuzie in Umuahia, and Remy Chukwunyere, a representative of the former Chief of Staff to the Imo State Government, Uche Nwosu Ugwumba in Owerri attended on respective days to show their support.

A representative and the Strategy Lead of STEMi Makers Africa, Amanda Obidike, stated that the project is to empower educators to raise students’ achievements in STEM “so that they can excel and become more experienced for Africa’s workforce. The future economic growth of Africa depends on an aligned education and futurefocused system that supports developmental efforts in generating talents needed to become self-reliant and problemsolvers using Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, and Innovation,” Amanda said.

To remain competitive in a growing global economy, we must raise students’ achievement in STEM subjects and skills. “This is why we are therefore looking forward to ensuring that educators serve as role models, career and academic supporters, and as nurturers of the younger generation. We will be following up on the schools, Educators, and their students towards ensuring they are given the adequate and technical support they need,” Amanda assured TheAfricanDream.net in an interview.

Key Stakeholders at the event noted that educators are foundational in preparing students for a world where they must collaborate with others, adapt quickly to change, and where success will hinge on attitudes and behaviors as well as knowledge.

Resource partners that were present at the project included the U.S Consulate General; Lagos, Ministry of Science and Technology, Enugu State, the Ministry of Education, Abia State, and supporting partners like the Ugwumba Leadership Academy, TheAfricanDream.net, General Electric, Calal Global, the MAI Foundation and Global Shapers, Ozubulu.

Some 289 educators selected from the public, private, and missionary secondary schools across the participating states were present.

Source: TheAfricanDream.net

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Top 10 Countries With The Highest Number Of Scammers; African Nations Included February

2021

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Scamming has become a global problem over the years.

Ecommerce which is one of the methods used in scamming is a trillion-dollar business and this is so because so much money is changing hands over the internet.

Here are the top 10 countries where the risk of being scammed is high.

After the fall of communism, Romania slumped to poverty and corruption.

10. Romania

https://howafrica.com/ Over years Romania has built a reputation over internet scams that have been successful. Scammers have been able to dupe innocent people through online dating, phishing, and also the sale of non-existence products.

Romanian internet scam artists use some tried methods to con you, it’s not always A- list but it always works.

Besides the common romance scams the Philippines have taken it a notch higher, one of the used schemes is called the familiar face where somebody approaches you and claims you look familiar and in the process, they decide to show you around where later you get robbed.

9. Philippines

7. Venezuela

6. Indonesia

5. Pakistan

4. Brazil

3. China

2. India

1. Nigeria

Horse Trading is another way they robe you. You negotiate a price with the driver and during the ride they change shift, where the entrant comes and takes the price almost 10 times the original price.

Since its economy plunged into recession, there have been massive cases of scamming ranging from online dating to fake government bonds.

Currently, the street value of greenbacks has soared to 7x the government’s rate of VEF6.3 to the dollar.

In 2016 alone the consumer prices rose to 800% and the economy had contracted by 18.6%. This resulted in massive unemployment and also in local stores there were empty shelves. These factors coupled with others led to massive scamming schemes.

Indonesian scammers are tech-savvy where they are able to con people without knowing.Fraud cases have increased since the year 2000; bank customers have been victimized by syndicates with the use of data-capturing devices illegally installed in bank machines.

Military scams have become so common that many crime fighting organizations are sending an alert.

They are not easy to detect, scammers use high-ranking officials and pose as military members on online dating sites and social networks and engage in relationships whose only goal is to use people’s images which they will later use to fool other people.

At the moment scammers pose as a soldier, currently deployed in Pakistan and they will find a way to get you to send money to them.

Criminals are also installing a virus on your computer where they steal everything in your computer and in the process blackmail you to send them money. Also, Pakistan has the world’s most corrupt police force.

Brazil is the hub of scammers.

It is been discussed how Brazil scams people by posing as beautiful ladies. Pick-pocketing which was more evident in the 2016 Olympics put a bad picture.. There are also cases of express kidnappings that happen around foreign currency exchange banks.

Chinese are very good at this; they have incorporated technology to scamming unsuspecting masses.

College Entrance Scam is one method they scam parents by convincing them that the child can get to college with poor results.

“I Am Your Husband’s Mistress” Scam is another method where they text husbands’ wives with a link to see images of herself (mistress) with her husband, to which wives quickly enter the link and her phone gets infected with a Trojan virus and they retrieve passwords and images which they use to blackmail the family.

It’s impossible to visit India and fail to encounter at least one scam or someone trying to scam you.

Pretending not to know the Way to Your Hotel is one scam taxi drivers use to rip you off. They will offer to take you to another hotel where it will be expensive. Importing Gemstones Duty-Free is another scam especially in the Jaipur area. The scam involves tourists being approached by a gem dealer, who convinces them to buy some worthless gemstones. You will be asked to import them under their duty-free allowance, then sell them on to one of his fictitious willing partners in their home country which will be much more money than they originally paid. You also like to see Curious Scandals of Indian Swamis..

A report by UJ Centre for Cyber Security has received during the course of 2015 South Africans were the most affected by banking-related fraud.

Nigeria uses one playbook to dupe unsuspecting people.

I believe everybody has seen this somewhere whether in email or Facebook messages where they will probably tell you an elaborate fake story about large amounts of money in the central bank or a large amount of inheritance that is difficult for them to access because of their government restrictions or taxes in their country and in the process they ask for your bank details so as to transfer the money to you and in the process they will use your information to steal your funds.

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World Marathon Record Holder, Eliud One In Two South Africans Has Kipchoge, To Feature In Hamburg Had COVID-19 According To Marathon Estimates

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge celebrates in the finish area of a special course after busting the mythical two-hour barrier for the marathon on October 12 2019 in Vienna. – With a timing of 1hr 59min 40.2sec, the Olympic champion became the first ever to run a marathon in under two hours. (Photo

by HERBERT NEUBAUER / APA / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by HERBERT NEUBAUER/APA/AFP via Getty Images)

Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge is set to participate in this year’s Hamburg Marathon set for April 11.

Kipchoge, who became the first athlete in history to run a sub-two-hour marathon at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in October 2019, will be among the big names in the one-off marathon that has been organised to serve up an opportunity for athletes to run a fast race and in many cases to help secure a qualification mark for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games.

people around the world by running a great race in the streets of this wonderful city.”

The race organised jointly by Global Sports Communication, the NN Running Team and the Hamburg Marathon will represent Kipchoge’s final outing over the classic 42.2km distance before the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

Kipchoge has won a remarkable 11 out of 13 career marathons and besides his gold medal at the Rio Olympics, other highlights Under the tagline ‘The fastest way to Tokyo’ include an unprecedented four London Marathon victories, three Berlin Marathon the race which will take place around a wins and a Chicago Marathon title. looped 10.5km city centre route is expected to attract around 100 invited elite athletes.

Confirming the news, Kipchoge tweeted on Thursday, “I am going back to the genesis of https://howafrica.com/ my marathon career. For me, Hamburg is where it all began. I hope to inspire many

File photo: Customers stand in a queue outside Makro in Pretoria East on March 24, 2020. – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on March 23, 2020 announced a 21-day national lockdown to start later this week to contain the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus which has affected more than 400 people and ordered the military to enforce the ban. Phill Magakoe / AFP.

Around half of South Africa’s population is thought to have contracted COVID-19, studies and statisticians say, suggesting the virus has claimed tens of thousands more lives than officially recorded.

The country worst hit by coronavirus in Africa has registered more than 140,000 excess natural deaths since May 2020, according to the South African Medical Research Council.

Leading private medical insurance Discovery estimates that around 90 percent of those fatalities are attributable to Covid-19, pushing the real death toll past 120,000.

Officially, South Africa has recorded close to 1.5 million coronavirus cases, of which just under 48,500 have been fatal.

But statisticians believe those figures are under-estimated.

Their findings are broadly consistent with coronavirus antibody surveys, which can detect whether a person has been infected with Covid-19 even after recovery.

A study released last week of almost 5,000 blood donors across four provinces found that between 32 and 63 percent of sampled individuals had contracted coronavirus since the pandemic started — compared with clinically confirmed case rates of two to three percent.

Most antibodies were detected in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, both epicentres of South Africa’s second infection wave when it started in December, one month before the study was conducted. https://howafrica.com/

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Six Defendants Arrested In Multiple States For Laundering Proceeds From Fraud Schemes Targeting Victims Across The United States Perpetrated By Ghana-Based Criminal Enterprise

Defendants Laundered Over $50 Million, Which Primarily Consisted of Proceeds of Fraud Schemes from Business Email Compromises, Romance Scams Targeting Elderly, and Fraudulent Small Business Loans for COVID-19 Relief Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced the arrests of FAROUK APPIEDU, FRED ASANTE, CELVIN FREEMAN, LORD ANING, SADICK EDUSEI KISSI, and FAISAL ALI, a/k/a “Clarence Graveley,” for charges in connection with their roles in a fraud and money laundering conspiracy based in the Republic of Ghana (“Ghana”) involving the theft of tens of millions of dollars. FREEMAN and ALI were arrested earlier today in New Jersey and will be presented in Manhattan federal court later today. ASANTE and ANING were arrested earlier today in Virginia and will be presented in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, Virginia. APPIEDU was previously arrested in Queens, New York on October 18, 2020. KISSI was previously arrested in Fargo, North Dakota on February 5, 2020.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “The fraud schemes alleged that these defendants facilitated were lucrative, diverse, and most of all, callous. As alleged, they engaged in email spoofing, duping elderly online daters into wiring them money, and applying for government-funded Coronavirus relief funds earmarked for the benefit of small businesses affected by the pandemic. Thanks to the determination of the IRS and FBI, these defendants face serious prison time, and their next online profiles could potentially appear in a place where they’ll be unable to catfish anymore – the website for the Bureau of Prisons.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. said: "The scams we allege in this investigation include romance scams targeting the elderly, business e-mail compromise scams, and even fraudulent covid-19 relief loans. In many of these and similar fraud cases, victims are reluctant to come forward because they fear embarrassment or reputational damage. Some may even believe the perpetrators are beyond our reach because they often live abroad. These arrests and indictments should serve as a reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are here to help you and bring these bands of criminals to justice."

IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen said: "The arrests of the alleged ringleaders of this more than $50 million scheme today dealt a death blow to the vast criminal activity in which the defendants were engaged, including elderly scams, COVID-19 fraud, money laundering, among others. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to aggressively pursue those who profit from illegal activity and ensure they are brought to justice.”

According to allegations in the indictments filed against APPIEDU, ASANTE, FREEMAN, ANING, and KISSI, a criminal complaint filed against ALI, and other court documents[1]:

From at least in or about 2013 through at least in or about 2020, the defendants were members of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in Ghana that committed a series of business email compromises and romance scams against individuals and businesses located across the United States, including in the Southern District of New York. The frauds perpetrated by the Enterprise have consisted of, among other frauds, business email compromises, romance scams, and fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. First, the objective of the Enterprise’s business email compromise fraud scheme was to trick and deceive businesses into wiring funds into accounts controlled by the Enterprise through the use of email accounts that “spoofed” or impersonated employees of a victim

company or third parties engaged in business with a victim company.

Second, the Enterprise conducted the romance scams by using electronic messages sent via email, text messaging, or online dating websites that deluded victims, many of whom were vulnerable older men and women who lived alone, into believing the victim was in a romantic relationship with a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise.

Once members of the Enterprise had gained the trust of the victims using the fake identity, they used false pretenses to cause the victims to wire money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when in fact the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise. Finally, the Enterprise submitted fraudulent loan applications through a loan program of the United States Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) designed to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program. The Enterprise submitted fraudulent EIDL applications in the names of actual companies to the SBA and when an EIDL loan was approved, the funds were ultimately deposited in bank accounts controlled by members of the Enterprise, including certain of the defendants.

APPIEDU, ASANTE, FREEMAN, and ANING received fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise in dozens of business bank accounts that they controlled in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.

The business bank accounts were opened in the names of companies formed by the defendants that were purportedly involved in, among other things, automobile sales, food imports and exports, and freight trucking and shipping. Once APPIEDU, ASANTE, FREEMAN, and ANING received fraud proceeds in bank accounts under their control, they withdrew, transported, and laundered those fraud proceeds to other members of the Enterprise abroad. The defendants primarily laundered the fraud proceeds through their businesses by using the proceeds to purchase automobiles, food products, and other goods from U.S.-based suppliers and distributors of such products and shipping those products to Ghana and elsewhere. The defendants’ transactions had the appearance of legitimate business transactions when, in fact, the products had been purchased using the proceeds of fraud schemes. This trade-based money laundering scheme was designed to obscure the origin of the fraud proceeds as well as the identity of the ultimate beneficiaries of these schemes.

Collectively, from in or about 2013 through at least in or about 2020, APPIEDU, ASANTE, FREEMAN, and ANING controlled more than 45 bank accounts that had deposits that totaled over approximately $55 million during that time period. A vast majority of the deposits consisted of large wire transfers and check or cash deposits from various U.S.based individuals and entities that were victims of fraud schemes of the Enterprise, or payments for vehicles, food products, and other goods sold by the defendants that were purchased using fraud proceeds. As part of the investigation of APPIEDU, the Government has seized and is seeking the forfeiture of four luxury cars purchased, at least in part, with fraud proceeds, including two 2019 Rolls Royce Cullinans, a 2020 Bentley Continental GT, and one 2020 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG.

KISSI received fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise in bank accounts that he controlled that were located in the Bronx, New York and elsewhere. Once he received the fraud proceeds in bank accounts under his control, KISSI withdrew, transported, and laundered those fraud proceeds to other members of the Enterprise located in Ghana.

ALI received fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise into a series of at least thirteen bank accounts at six different banks, which ALI controlled in the Bronx, New York. ALI used the name and identity of another person to open several of these bank accounts in order to conceal the proceeds of the fraud scheme. Once ALI received the fraud proceeds in bank accounts under his control, he withdrew, transported, and laundered those fraud proceeds to other members of the Enterprise.

FAROUK APPIEDU, 35, of the Bronx, New York, FRED ASANTE, 35, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, CELVIN FREEMAN, 47, of East Orange, New Jersey, and LORD ANING, 28, of Woodbridge, Virginia, were each charged in Indictment No. 21 Cr. 88 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of

conspiracy to commit money laundering, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The case against APPIEDU, ASANTE, FREEMAN, and ANING is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

SADICK EDUSEI KISSI, 24, of Dickinson, North Dakota, was charged in Indictment No. 21 Cr. 64 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The case against KISSI is assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.

FAISAL ALI, a/k/a “Clarence Graveley,” 34, of Orange, New Jersey, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of making false statements to a bank, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and IRS-CI. Ms. Strauss also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security investigations, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI Field Offices in Washington, D.C., Newark, New Jersey, Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Fargo, North Dakota, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Virginia State Police, the police departments of Fredericksburg, Arlington, and Prince William County, Virginia, and the Sheriff’s Office of Stafford County, Virginia for their assistance in the investigation of this case.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sagar K. Ravi and Mitzi Steiner are in charge of the prosecution.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Complaint and Indictment and the description of the Complaint and Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

https://www.justice.gov

U.S. Attorneys » Southern District of New York » News » Press Releases

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THE JOY OF HOMEOWNERSHIP

It is a known fact that the best single investment one can make is owning your own home.

Homeownership promotes a sense of achievement, positive self esteem and pride. It creates a sense of accomplishment and freedom!

The Biggest Benefit of Homeownership Homeownership makes good sense because there are tax privileges when tax time rolls around: • You get the benefit of deducting the interest paid on the mortgage throughout the year.

• You deduct any points paid, either discount or origination fees paid on loan.

• You can deduct a room in your home if it is solely dedicated for home business use.

• The biggest advantage, though, is the fact that the principle you pay on the mortgage is like putting money in the bank, in the form of equity.

Other Advantages of Homeownship • Owning your home gives you an individualized approach concerning landscaping, decorating, and curb appeal, which in the process can add value to the home. You do what you please when you please to your home which renting does not provide.

• If you have children, they will find stability in knowing that they aren't going to have to change schools, which can be traumatic for

younger children. They won't have to make new friends, and a sense of place becomes very real to them.

Disadvantages of Renting • When you rent, you do not have the flexibility to make aesthetic or cosmetic changes to the place as you please. You may be able to paint a room, but need to repaint back to the original color scheme when you move.

• You cannot make major structural changes or ground changes such as adding flower beds or even rock gardens and waterfalls to reflect your taste.

• You put up with an obstinate landlord that refuses to repair things in the apartment, or just "doesn't have time." This can build frustration and stress.

• You help the Landlord build equity on their property and gain tax write off while you are left with nothing at the end of your lease term I hope you enjoyed reading this article and it has provided helpful information in making your decision to home ownership a smooth one.

For more information about your real estate needs (buying, selling, leasing/renting a house) call me at 571-229-6694 and I will help you get started. Thank you.

Anita A. Bediako- REALTOR® Samson Properties

Licensed Real Estate Agent in Virginia and Maryland

Licensed Life and Health Insurance CONTACT 571-229-6694

Email: borderlessrealestate@gmail.com Website: borderlessrealestate.com

Man leaves UK to start business in Nigeria, builds the most beautiful and biggest beach in the country February 2021

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UK-born Nigerian returns to the country to create the biggest beach in Nigeria Photo Credit: screen grabs from tayoainafilms onYoutube Source: UGC In an interview with vlogger Tayo Aina seen by Legit.ng, Paul who was born to a diplomat and had his formative education in Lagos, added that his passion for making impact in the lives of those around him was also part of the reasons he had to leave the UK. The Landmark Beach is an ecosystem on its own that contains virtually all facility and sectors of lives needed to enjoy life to its fullest including bars, restaurants, an events centre, shops, hotels and so forth. "Europe and America are not easier than Africa by the way.

They have their own challenges as well but very different challenges.

So, one of the thing I made up my mind when coming to Africa was to create a business in Africa, for Africans, run by Africans. "That's what we do. We don't have any foreigner working for us. Everybody is African."

Paul however called for more partnership between the public and private sectors as lack of an enabling environment has been a major challenge he's faced. He said the partnership is necessary as public sector can give the private the leverage to grow businesses in geometric proportions. He also stated the putting structures on the ground in Lagos has been one of the biggest challenges he's faced as before he puts a stone in the ground he would have spent huge resources. Other issues he lamented are poor road system; public water and power supply.

Mrs Ashley left the United Kingdom to take up full-time farming as an occupation. She believes in the popular Nigerian saying that there is no place like home. According to her, life at home is very different from life abroad. The young lady admitted that life in Nigeria since her return hasn't been easy as she has had to struggle with so many things but at the end of the day, her resolve keeps her going. Victor Duru is a Legit.ng journalist with more than three years of working experience in the media industry. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management Studies from Imo State University, where he was a Students' Union Government Director of Information. Victor is a Human Interest Editor, Strategic Content Creator and a Google-certified Digital Marketer. Connect with him on Twitter @DuruCVictor2

Source: Legit.ng

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1635 Woodside Drive Woodbridge VA 22191

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The inside story of how a footballer was miraculously brought back from A the dead February 2021

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Africa Cup of Nations and studied for a degree in sports journalism at Staffordshire University, graduating with honors in 2015.

He also completed coaching qualifications with UEFA. What’s more, he started supporting scores of campaigns and products that promote heart health.

Since Muamba’s incident, scores of footballers have died after suffering suspected cardiac arrests in leagues around the world.

Doctors say a common cause of these deaths is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that causes the abnormal thickening of the heart muscle. HCM is usually difficult to detect. Players in leagues around the world are scanned for it and other heart conditions almost every year, but in Muamba’s case, no scan ever showed that he had an abnormal condition.

Fabrice Muamba's heart stopped just before the end of the first half in the FA Cup quarter-final tie between Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton Wanderers. Image via AFP/Getty It was March 17, 2012, just before the end of the first half in the FA Cup quarter-final tie between Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton Wanderers at White Hart Lane when midfielder Fabrice Muamba’s heart stopped. In what was described as probably the most public cardiac arrest in sporting history, doctors said Muamba was “in effect dead” for 78 minutes following his onfield collapse.

the situation was. They first sang Muamba’s name, over and over as if to compel him to stand up, but realizing he still wasn’t moving, the chants died down, and soon #Pray4Muamba started trending on Twitter.

At this time, Muamba was on a stretcher and headed into an ambulance. He was joined by Tobin and other paramedic staff as well as Dr. Andrew Deaner, Consultant Cardiologist at But a 23-year-old Muamba, born in Zaire before London Chest Hospital, who was at the game becoming a naturalized British citizen, was as a fan and had run on to the pitch to help. saved, and his recovery amazed many, including Muamba was taken to the London Chest doctors. Here’s his story.

Hospital, where staff had already prepared for the player’s arrival thanks to Deaner. While Forty-one minutes into the first half of the game players in the dressing room and fans were when Muamba collapsed near the center circle, waiting to hear good news, Tobin and his team yards away from the action, it was Bolton physio continued the chest compressions in the ambuAndy Mitchell who was the first to spot he had lance before handing Muamba over to the collapsed. “He went down in a sort of slowteam at the London Chest Hospital within 48 motion, face-forward way, which was just com- minutes. pletely not right,” Mitchell recalled in an interview. “My instincts were telling me something Muamba was then dead, medically speaking. was seriously wrong here.”Mitchell quickly After having received a total of 15 shocks in rushed to the field before he was joined by the ambulance, he received another 15 at the Bolton’s Dr. Jonathan Tobin and Tottenham’s Dr. hospital, but all those didn’t bring him back.

Shabaaz Mughal. Muamba was then face-down Still, the doctors went on to have a machine and gasping, and the three quickly started CPR. perform CPR. As they were conducting anothAs Vice reported, Mughal flipped the player on er test, Muamba’s heart finally began to beat. his back and began chest compressions while “He was placed in a medically induced coma Tobin began administering mouth-to-mouth. for the next day, and then as his body temperaSeventy-four seconds into receiving CPR, docture slowly rose, Muamba moved his head to tors placed a defibrillator on his chest, trying to the side and woke up,” Vice reported. restore his normal heartbeat. “It was a really, really speedy operation that was performed on Image result for the footballer who came back Fabrice,” Mitchell said. from the dead fabrice In an April 2012 interview, Muamba shared All the while, the more than 30,000 fans in what he remembers of that day he ‘died’. He attendance had gone quiet, realizing how serious said he felt dizzy towards the end of the first

half of the game. “It wasn’t normal dizziness – it was a kind of surreal feeling like I was running alongside someone else’s body,” he told The Sun. “Then I started to see double. It felt almost like a dream. The last thing I heard was our defender Dedryck Boyata screaming at me to get back to help.”

“He obviously had no idea what was happening to me and neither had I. Then I just felt myself falling through the air and felt two big thumps as my head hit the ground in front of me. Then that was it. Blackness. I was dead.”

Walking out of the hospital just a month after the incident, Muamba, who then had a threeyear-old son, said in an interview that he was glad for the defibrillator and the doctors that saved his life. Being a devout Christian, he also thanked God for protecting him.

“Someone up there was watching over me.

What happened to me was really more than a miracle. On the morning of the game I prayed with my father and asked God to protect me – and he didn’t let me down. I am walking proof of the power of prayer.”

https://face2faceafrica.com/

Following the incident, Muamba no longer played football but did not leave the sport. He worked as a pundit for ITV’s coverage of the

Abof tial l Beau Satu Golf Pine

Fabrice Muamba started supporting scores of campaigns and products that promote heart health after the incident. Image via Sky Sports

This stone profi State Obaa Ghan

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m Abofrem Area Foundation launches African Most Beautiful USA pageant 36

February 2021

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tled "African Most Beautiful USA." The pageant will not only provide another fund-raising avenue for the foundation, but it will also help to change the lives of the young women who will be competing in the beauty pageant.

In the end, the winner will become a star and a good-will Ambassador, giving back to all African-centric societies and championing the cause of young African women who wish to strive higher and become whatever they want to be to achieve their goals and objectives.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF PAGEANT:

Allowing young African women to participate in a celebratory event, which can provide a stepping-stone from beauty pageant contestants into successful people that will give back to society.

TARGETING AGE: 18-25 years of age.

REQUIREMENT OF PAGEANT AREAS: Native-born or direct lineage from Africa (all countries). Participants can then use the exposure provided by the beauty pageant to propel them into fulfilling and lucrative careers, such as Politicians, Entrepreneurs, Lawyers, Medical Practitioners, Entertainment and Media Figures, etc., and thus become shining examples of positivity to not only African but to the world.

THEME & AIM OF ORGANIZERS:

To attract many young, beautiful, and visionary women into participating in the "African Most Beautiful USA" pageant.

To allow these women to embrace their dreams for the future and to give back to society. To raise funds for the AAF to continue in their purpose to assist impoverished African villages through this yearly event. This is an opportunity for all contestants to show the world their unique talents and visions in a beauty pageant format.

VISIONARY/THE BRAIN BEHIND IT

Abofrem Area Foundation has announced the initial launching of the maiden African Most Beautiful USA Pageant which happens on Saturday, April 24th, 2021, at Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia 500 West Branch Ave. Pine Hill, New Jersey 08021.

This is another life-changing project and a milestone for Abofrem Area Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization based in the United States. The AAF is the brainchild of Nana Obaahemaa Nkrumah Akosua Adasa Ill, a Ghanaian-American based in New Jersey.

She desires to provide the village of Abofrem, her original hometown near the township of Nkawie located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, as well as the surrounding villages, access to food, employment, education, sanitation, and medical needs.

In the year 2019, the foundation constructed a new school building that encompasses Grades 1-5 to benefit the children in the village so that none would be left behind in gaining vital education. A medical hospital is currently in the process of being constructed in the village.

The latest concept in the works for AAF is to produce an annual beauty pageant, which will be enti-

Nana Obaahemaa Akosua Nkrumah, Adasa III, Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Producer.

Partner/COO/Co-Executive Producer, also CEO 3G Media Group USA - Evangelist Charles N. Ntiamoah-Mensah aka Mr. CNN. Backed by a team of renowned and experienced promoters, designers, and organizers who are willing to make this event a success.

The time for the event is 6 pm -10 pm EST, and this is an invitations only event and all media houses which would like to attend the ceremony must contact; Ms. Catherine Cudjoe aka Keymama, Media Director (Email: keymamafoundation@gmail.com/Cell 929-240-2149) https://www.ghanaweb.com/

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16-year-old stowaway survives flight from Kenya to Holland after hiding in plane’s landing gear

February 2021

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Covid vaccines: Macron proposes sending 4-5% of doses to poorer nations

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Europe and the US to urgently send up to 5% of their coronavirus vaccine supplies to developing nations.

Mr Macron told the Financial Times the failure to share vaccines fairly would entrench global inequality.

The vast majority of vaccinations have been administered by highincome countries so far.

Mr Macron proposed his plan to address the imbalance ahead of a G7 virtual summit of world leaders on Friday.

A 16-year-old Kenyan stowaway was found alive after he reportedly hid in the landing gear of an aeroplane that flew from the East African nation’s capital of Nairobi to the Maastricht Aachen Airport in Holland.

The unidentified teenager survived the dangerous flight despite sub-zero temperatures and lack of oxygen. The boy, who was found falling from the compartment of the airplane on Thursday, was taken to a hospital and treated for hypothermia, CNN reported. Police, however, say he has made a full recovery.

They are also investigating if it’s a case of human trafficking which is standard procedure.

“For us, it is a miracle,” a Dutch spokesperson told the news outlet. “Usually when someone stows away like this, they die because of the cold or a lack of oxygen,” Marvin Engh, a spokesperson for one of the national police forces in the country – the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee – said.

Engh said the teenager boarded a flight in Nairobi, and from there found his way to the Turkish capital of Istanbul before later arriving in London. Officials at London Stansted Airport said the flight the stowaway boarded touched down in London from Istanbul on

Thursday morning, and was at the airport for three hours before departing for Maastricht.

The plane reached altitudes as high as 5,791 meters (19,000 feet) and a 460 miles per hour speed, according to CNN.

Though the police could not establish how he was able to switch flights, a Stansted official told the news outlet the teenager did not board the flight in London, meaning he was already hiding in it when it arrived from Istanbul.

Engh said the teenager has since applied for asylum, and the Netherlands Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) is looking into it.

Aviation experts say stowaways who attempt the dangerous and daring act of hiding in the landing gear of airplanes are more likely to die from hypothermia or lack of oxygen. Out of the 109 known global stowaway attempts, only 24 who hid in the plane’s landing gear have managed to survive, Mail Online reported in January. https://face2faceafrica.com/

Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country How will Covid vaccines be shared with poorer countries?

Canada defends taking vaccines from sharing scheme The White House has said US President Joe Biden will announce a pledge of $4bn (£2.8bn) in funding for a global vaccine-sharing scheme, known as Covax.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson - who will chair the meeting - is expected to dedicate surplus doses to Covax.

To date, at least 110 million people have been infected with the virus worldwide and more than 2.4 million have died, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

What did Macron say exactly?

"We're not talking about billions of doses immediately, or billions and billions of euros," Mr Macron told the FT.

"It's about much more rapidly allocating 4-5% of the doses we have.

"It won't change our vaccination campaigns, but each country should set aside a small number of the doses it has to transfer tens of millions of them, but very fast, so that people on the ground see it happening."

Mr Macron said German Chancellor Angela Merkel supported a European vaccine-sharing initiative, adding that he hoped to win the backing of the US as well.

In the absence of such a scheme, China and Russia were filling the gap, "paving the way for a war of influence over vaccines", Mr Macron said.

https://www.bbc.com/

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