Afrikan Post - September 2020 Issue by Afrikan Post

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African Community News

UN Marks 75th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter

General Assembly to meet virtually amid COVID-19 as UN marks 75th anniversary Pg. 5

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Vol 12 Issue 9

September 2020

For All your Life Insurance and Auto Insurance Needs 703-725-6968

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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.

US Presidential Candidate Joe Biden kneels before Don Little

September 2 0 2 0

George Kwasi Bright Publisher and Editor

To Advertise Your Business or contribute

Call 703- 725- 6968 or

E-mail: editor@afrikanpost.com Address: Bright House Productions 6236 Oscar Court Woodbridge VA 22193

D E PA R T M E N T S Vol 12 Issue 9

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

The mystery of the Black couple who gave birth to a white baby Pg.22

Heroes of COVID-19:

Heroes of Change, Elite LadiesUSA, Continues to Make a Difference in Impacting Lives Pg. 4

That Time When Ghana, Guinea And Mali Tried To Become One Nation Page 30

Epidural Stimulation Spinal Cord Surgery Pg. 6

Mali's ex-defence minister named interim leader Pg. 23 United Nations Marks 75th Anniversary Pg. 31

A viral Photo of US Presidential Candidate Joe Biden kneeling in front of Ghanaian Diminutive actor Don Little has surfaced online.

The picture was posted on the Instagram page of the US Presidential Candidate.

Don Little in an interview with Kasapafmonline.com, confirmed meeting the US Presidential Candidate.

Don Little was stuck in the USA in the heat of the Coronavirus Pandemic and cried out to the Government to help him out, which is presumably the time that he probably met the US Presidential Candidate.

Mr Biden wrote: "Our children are a constant reminder of why I’m in this fight.

We need to build an economy that gives them and their families a fair shot.

We need to root out systemic racism so they grow up in a more just nation than we have now.

We need to combat climate change so there’s a world left for them to thrive in.

I believe in a better future for our children and will fight for them until the very end.

Biden announced his 2020 candidacy for president on April 25, 2019, and in June 2020, he met the 1,991-delegate threshold needed to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination."

https:Source: Kasapa FM

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Heroes of Change, Elite Ladies-USA, Continues to Make a Difference in Impacting Lives in Ghana The donations were received by Togbe Kehnabu II, Chief of Avufome (Representing Togbe Keh Agbezorli) , Hon. Elupeju Wellonton (Assembly member for Wudome), Prosper Gah (Sub District supervisor) The Elite Ladies representatives Jemima Mawusi, Fortune Wahidzah and Susan Mawusi presented the donations. Which is the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s token to support the community in the effort to fight against corona virus ( COVID-19)

Elite Ladies Club has made similar donations in the last year to Nwamasi Community Clinic in Ashanti region, Gomoa Aboso CHPS in Central Region and Mamprobi Polyclinic in Accra. The organization has also been involved in many charitable events in the United States including feeding the homeless, donations to the needy, caregiving services at nursing homes and many others.

To support our mission please visit online at www.elcus.org to donate

*Yes we did it again! Making impacts in our communities*

Elite ladies Club, is an American based non-profit organization with members in Ghana. Our mission is in building sustainable development and supporting various underserved communities both in Ghana and the USA. Our goal during this COVID 19 pandemic is to raise funds and donate PPES and supplies to hospitals and communities in need to help fight against Corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic.

On Wednesday September 16th, 2020, our local representatives in Ghana donated Plastic chairs, variety of cleaning supplies and PPEs to the Wudome Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS)in the Volta Region region, Ghana to boost their efforts in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility was presented with face shields, surgical masks, infrared thermometers, examination gloves, hand sanitizers, anti-bacteria liquid soaps, disinfectants, Veronica buckets, mops, brooms, dust bins, paper towels and other sanitary supplies.

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The Daughters And Sons Of Fela In African Pop

Decades after his death, Fela Kuti, Nigeria’s most famous musician continues to live on through his art. Afrobeat, a genre he pioneered, has transcended generations after him, existing in varying forms. Contemporary African pop stars are sampling his work in new records. Much of that music is called ‘Afrobeats’ today, (the ‘s’ is important) A new genre, partly inspired by Fela’s work. It’s the current flavour of Lagos, and the rest of the continent, where Nigerian pop music maintains a strong presence.

But how do these musicians portray this legend in their work? How do elements of Fela Kuti’s music get reproduced? Does his conscious approach to art travel through the years into today’s hedonistic popular culture?

A Brand New Life In 2019, Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage christened her first single after signing a recording deal with Universal Music Group, ‘49-99’. The inspiration came from overcrowded large ‘Molue’ buses that used to be a common feature of transportation in Lagos. At a listening party for the single, Savage explained that she chose to adopt some Afrobeat elements within the song, to draw attention to the continued plight of Africans suffering and smiling.

Four years earlier, Nigerian singer Niyola, featured on DJ Xclusive’s ‘Tonight,’ a song housed on the local disc jockey’s According to X album. On the party track, Niyola manages to include lyrics from Fela’s ‘Jeun Ko Ku (Chop and Quench),’ his first major musical success in 1971. Another singer, Niniola Apata, who is widely regarded as the Queen of Afrohouse, went a different route. She featured Fela’s first son, Femi Kuti, who added Afrobeat-esque saxophone sounds in her 2020 single ‘Fantasy’. Savage, Niniola and Niyola all drew from Fela in enriching their music for audiences.

This shows how female Afrobeats artistes—who we can refer to as the daughters of Fela—have kept Afrobeat alive. Through highly emotive records, infused with socio-cultural messaging and instrumentals, they are extending its life and relevance to a younger crowd.

Recently, rapper Naira Marley altered texts from Fela’s 1978 ‘Shuffering and Shmiling’ to fit into the polarizing 2019 single ‘Am I A Yahoo Boy’. For a song that is considered a subtle promotion of internet scams, using Fela’s lyrics came across somewhat as a negative.

Prior to the emergence of Wizkid and Naira Marley, veteran singer 2baba had already had his hands in Afrobeat. For him, Fela’s work offered opportunities sampling the messaging and sounds. His 2007 song ‘Pako’ samples lyrics from Fela’s 1972 ‘Swegbe and Pako.’ Idibia’s 2014 ‘Jeje’ is also notable for simulating certain Fela sounds and co-opting the call and response technique of Afrobeat. While trying to shake off public criticism of his personality at the time, 2baba arranged cuts from a Fela interview, for the intro to the video of his 2017 single ‘Holy Holy’. While 2baba would have his audiences believe that his attempt at damage control was in tribute to Fela, local audiences can tell a genuine dedication when they hear one. A good case can be

Epidural Stimulation Spinal Cord Surgery September 2020

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John Oduro (Baffour) was involved in a horrific car crash that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He has been confined to a wheelchair for 13 years with no hope of ever walking again. John Oduro needs our help to raise ($150,000) to undergo a life-changing Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation surgery so he can have the ability to WALK AGAIN after being in a wheelchair for 13 years now.Your contribution will go towards helping our beloved get the Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation Surgery.

Any little helps! Please follow the secured Gofundme link to donate and please share https://gf.me/u/x9cvds or use these other payment options: Zelle (rbawuah78@yahoo.com) Cash App 571-2908639 ($JohnOduro) GhanaMTN MoMo 0553005945

We appreciate your continued support.

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United States places sanctions on Zineb Jammeh, wife of exGambian leader

September 2 0 2 0

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how observers of soccer in the US have noticed great champions leaving leagues in Europe for the MLS championship for some years now…

"I’d like to close the deal of the century — Messi in MLS" "Well, we at Sport Man, my agency in Italy, are looking to positively add to that exodus by making the MLS look attractive so more great players of the caliber of French world champion and Juventus champion Blaise Matuidi and others I know will admire the American league."

Zineb Jammeh, a former First Lady of The Gambia, has been sanctioned by United States authorities for her part in helping her husband and former president Yahya Jammeh to illegally funnel money out of the West African nation.

On Wednesday, the United States Department of Treasury announced that it suspects Mrs. Jammeh helped her husband to illegally transfer money out of The Gambia as well as control his assets abroad.

The statement described the former president as a man who “used a number of corrupt schemes to plunder The Gambia’s state coffers or otherwise siphon off state funds for his personal gain”. On her part, Mrs. Jammeh is thought to have been “in charge of most of Jammeh’s assets around the world, and utilized a charitable foundation as cover to facilitate the illicit transfer of funds to her husband,” the Treasury Department.

Under the sanctions, assets owned by Mrs. Jammeh in the US have now been blocked. Individuals and organizations in the country are also banned from conducting property deals with the Moroccan-Gambian.

A house in Maryland that belongs to Mrs. Jammeh has already been seized by the federal government. The pair are already blocked from entering the United States.

Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year reign in The Gambia was marked by extrajudicial killings, human rights abuses as well as financial corruption. Although he is generally thought to have stolen more, the country’s Ministry of Justice says the ex-president took away $50 million right before he was sent into exile after losing the presidential election of 2016.

At a point, Mr. Jammeh refused to accept the results of the elections because of what he termed “unacceptable abnormalities”. It took the United Nations’ Security Council as well as forces put together by the regional intergovernmental body ECOWAS to usher Mr. Jammeh out of the power.

He currently resides in Equatorial Guinea.

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https://face2faceafrica.com/

In the business of football, precisely in the area of scouting and player management, Alessio Sundas is a household name in Europe. This Italian sports agent and founder of Sports Man (scouting agency) is also a media entrepreneur, author, and television personality who wants to imprint on Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States (US).

Recently, in 2020, Alessio Sundas who is also a renowned FIFA agent and players’ manager started making inroads into the MLS. The celebrated player-manager who in 2018 initiated the restoration of the Serie A Championship to its former glory, in an interview with TheAfricanDream.net revealed that: "MLS is a fantastic market and footballing communities are starting to like it here in the USA too."

The man has over 20 years of management experience managing great footballers like Italian-Tunisian goalkeeper Aladin Ayoub, and Ferjani Sassi who is one of Africa’s best midfielders now playing with Egypt’s Zamalek SC.

"I am trying to enter the American market and I must say that I am receiving great satisfaction. I am increasing my contacts and networks more and more in the process. I found many guys with a great desire to improve and do well in the MLS too. I’ve been working with several of them in the hope that I will be successful at placing European players into MLS to help enhance its championships," Alessio shared. Sundas MLS and World soccer initiatives Sundas is well known in the soccer community for proposing initiatives that lead to the development of league struc-

tures and football business in general. A recent example being in February 2020 where he proposed to FIFA to allow the use of non-EU players to play in Serie A and European clubs, he has also made a proposal for radical change in the American MLS championship.

He shared with TheAfricanDream.net that "the American championship, like everything here, is spectacular and indeed magnificent. However, I notice that many things are missing and certainly its regulation can be changed for the better. I am also working in this direction with targeted proposals." The Italian FIFA agent said of his sensational proposal to better MLS when he said "it will not derive enough money just from enrolling clubs in the championships, there needs to be some very specific rules."

"There will need to be a change in the rules, which will introduce guidelines on relegation and promotions. The aim of all this is to strengthen the teams and also the nurseries and increase the spectacle on the pitch to entertain the fans," he said.

"I want rules in the MLS that encourages priority for whoever wins and earns the most points in the standings, as normally happens in all European championships, and not who has the most money in their teams." More of his ideas could be seen at www.alessiosundas.eu which is his personal blog.

TheAfricanDream.net was curious to know what the future of the MLS looked like for Sundas. Especially considering

Alessio added that, "we are working hard at Sport Man to help also bring some younger but experienced African players and players from elsewhere into the MLS because we feel the game is still at its developmental stages in the US but it has a lot of promise in the future." When TheAfricanDream.net asked Sundas about his next big transfer move, the ace football agent who managed the transfer of Brazilian national player team player Andressa Alves da Silva from FC Barcelona to AS Roma, said he was in contact with some players like Andressa whom he brought from Barcelona to Roma, and Mister Sven-Göran Eriksson.

"Ultimately, I’d like to close the deal of the century and bring Lionel Messi to MLS,” Sundas revealed, adding if he pulls this off then “that will mean while half the world goes about their business, the other half will be watching the US because of Lionel Messi playing in the MLS."

We wish our friend Alessio Sundas all the best and bring you up to date with his MLS ambitions, feel free to reach TheAfricanDream.net if you want us to directly connect you with the Italian FIFA agent and manager.

Written by Oral Ofori

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A Kenyan couple called off their wedding after man stormed church claiming to be their father

“He said one of the children, the groom, was sired in an informal relationship that did not end well,” said pastor Muli. “The bride was conceived from the woman with whom he had a clandestine relationship at the time,” he added.

Currently, Sidai has three children with his new wife but has been keeping tabs on his ‘children’ through friends and relatives although he never approached them till now. His nephew claims his efforts to trace his children over the last 10 years have proven futile.

Sidai got wind of the nuptials through a WhatsApp group and decided to make an appearance and ‘save’ his children from committing incest. “This man married and has three children with the current wife but has never been in contact with the children he sired out of wedlock,” said the man of God.

Avery distraught young couple had to cancel their wedding in Kenya when a man barged in claiming to be their father. The story that backs his claim is certainly an entangled one that made the groom storm out of the ceremony angry while the bride was whisked away in a car by relatives. What was to be the beginning of their forever turned out to be something else. Anne Magwi and Jotham Munini were stopped just before they walked down the aisle in a church in Tana River county last Saturday.

The man, who claimed to their biological father, walked into the ceremony at the Holy Redemption Ministries flanked by his sisters to put an end to what he deems an abomination as siblings should not be allowed to exchange vows. Festus Muli, the pastor of the church, said the supposed father revealed that the couple were born out of his previous relationships with two different women.

What was to be the beginning of their forever turned out to be something else. Anne Magwi and Jotham Munini were stopped just before they walked down the aisle in a church in Tana River county last Saturday According to Daily Nation, the alleged father, James Sidai, was once married and his wife at the time discovered his affair with his lover. Sidai claims their relationship hit the winds and the wife left with their one-year-old son (the groom), whom he has never met to date. He tried to make things work with his lover after his wife left but the relationship did not last due to financial constraints, constant bickering, and misunderstandings.

The lover also walked out of the relationship when she was four months pregnant. The lover is believed to have married a teacher that same year and gave birth to a girl (the bride).

“He learned of the wedding through a friend who also shared it on a certain WhatsApp group. That is when he decided to make this trip and trace the church,” said the pastor.

Immediately this transpired, the wedding was called off and the pastor gathered the concerned parties for a meeting. The groom grew up with the story that his father had died in a car accident when he was a child and the bride was raised by the teacher and made to believe he was her biological father till his passing.

“The women did not deny knowing the man, and neither did they deny paternity. We sat down the couple in the nick of time and explained things out,” the pastor noted.

Now the wedding guests had their suspicions but to save the family more embarrassment, the pastor told them the couple had engaged in pre-marital sex.

The pastor later gave a word of caution to all parents to avoid such occurrences and be truthful with their children about the whereabouts of parents.

“If you happen to sire a child out of wedlock, tell them the truth about their father. Do not tell them he died in a road accident even if he is miserable in the streets, it’s ungodly,” he said. AMA NUNOO | Staff Writer https://face2faceafrica.com/

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Belgium will now return Lumumba’s remains – a tooth – after nearly 60 years September 2 0 2 0

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Congolese politician Patrice Lumumba after he was captured by soldiers under the command of Joseph Mobutu in 1960. Photo Credit: Twitter elgium will now return to his family the mortal remains of Patrice Lumumba, the DR Congo‘s first democratically elected prime minister who was slain in a Western-backed overthrow from power.

Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday that Lumumba’s family will receive a tooth, obtained by police officer Gerard Soete because Lumumba’s burned body could not be identified and recovered in 1961. Soete’s family held on to the tooth for decades in spite of requests to return it to Lumumba’s family. Now, Belgian’s federal prosecutor’s office admits there is no way it can absolutely ascertain if the tooth is Lumumba’s “since there could be no DNA test”.

“If such a test had been done it would have destroyed the tooth itself,” a spokesperson in the prosecutor’s office said on

Thursday.

The return of the tooth follows a plea in July to the Belgian government by Juliana Amato Lumumba, a daughter of Lumumba.

“We, Lumumba’s children, call for the just return of the relics of Patrice Emery Lumumba to the land of his ancestors,” read the letter.

Since January 17, 1961, no one has been held accountable for the brutal murder of DR Congo’s independence leader Lumumba who was shot dead along with two of his ministers, Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo. However, many in Africa and beyond have pointed fingers point at Western governments, including Belgium, and their imperial designs. They are said to have sanc-

tioned the elimination of one of Africa’s most vocal anti-imperial politicians and independence heroes who stood his ground against colonizers.

Lumumba led the DR Congo to independence on June 30, 1960, after the country was passed on from King Leopold II, who took control of it as his private property in the 1880s, to Belgium in 1908 as a colony.

/https://face2faceafrica.com/

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Top 10 Known And Little-Known African Kings 10 Known and Little-Known African Kings Afonso I King of Kongo Queen Mother Nandi Queen Nzinga Behazin Hossu Bowelle “The King Shark” Yasa Asantewa Sunni Ali Ber Osei Tutu Moshoeshoe Sundiata Keita Askia the Great The African history is among the oldest history in the world. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the place is full of some great leaders and kings working their ways in to building a better world. Even though some of them may not be very well known, that doesn’t count them off of being some of the greatest African kings. Here are 10 known and little-known African Kings: 10. Askia the Great

Askia the great was born as Muhammad Ture and went on to make the Songhai Empire the greatest and largest empire that West Africa ever saw. He gained the name Askia meaning ‘the forceful one’, after the battle at Aghoke where he defeated Sunni Ali and took the throne from Sunni Ber’s would be successor.

Once he took power he consolidated it by dividing the state into four principal provinces, each run by a viceroy of his choosing. To ensure their loyalty, he took a daughter from each of his vassal chiefs as wives and married off each of his own daughters to governors and dignitaries to ensure that each high-placed official was in some way related to him which tied his fate with theirs.

Sudan flourished in his rule however he went blind in his old age. He kept it a secret by spreading rumours that if anyone looked him in the eye they would be cursed and had his brother act as a spokesman in his stead. Unfortunately, word of his blindness got out eventually. One of his sons named Faria Mousa found out and forced him to abdicate his throne. Another of his sons eventually took the throne and forced Askia, one the greatest African kings, into exile. Fortunately for him he had one loyal son. Together they retook the throne of the Songhai and moved back into the capital. Askia saw out the rest of his days in the palace, living to the ripe old age of 80. He was buried in Gao and his grave is now a World Heritage Site.

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9. Sundiata Keita Destined to become one of the greatest African kings, at an early age Sundiata Keita and his mother were forced to flee their homeland of Kangaba out of fear that this half-brother wouldassassinate them. While they were away the Suso king invaded Kangaba prompting Sundiata Keita to return and free his people from their rule. Having defeated the Suso host he went on to expand his empire stretching it across Ghana and towards the gold fields of the Senegal River Valley. His empire came to be known as the great Mali Empire. He reigned for 25 years and died under suspect circumstances after an accident in his capital. 8. Moshoeshoe

Moshoeshoe the First founded the Sotho nation which is now known as Lesotho. He earned his reputation as a daring cattle raider and was generous to allies and enemies alike. Once he took the throne for his tribe he used military prowess and diplomatic ingenuity to repel African rivals to the South-East and colonial invasions from the British and the Boers. Defeating the colonial invaders proved to be difficult so he used diplomatic means by inviting French missionaries into the land although he still had to spend a large majority of his time repelling the Boers and the British. His resistance to colonial rule was largely successful however the long war took its toll on him and his resources and in 1887 he was forced to give up large swathes of his land. Today Moshoeshoe is counted among the most known African kings. 7. Osei Tutu Osei Tutu inherited the throne of the Ashanti Empire from his uncle. He learnt about politics while serving in the royal court from an early age where he won political support of established military generals to take the throne after the death of his father. When he got the throne he went on to conquer the Deikiyara kingdom as well as other neighboring states to make his empire the most powerful state in the region. Luck was on his side as the Akin-speaking people of his region were already in favor of creating a unified state. He took advantage of this by drafting a constitution where he outlined the Asantahene people as the supreme leader of the Ashanti Empire with the Golden Stool as the center of power and each of the local chiefs deriving their power from this seat. The empire that he started went to be prosperous for 200 years until they were defeated by British colonialists.

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Top 10 Known And Little-Known African Kings Majority of the expansion of the Soghai Empire took place under the

rule of Sunni Ali Ber, one of the cruelest African kings, over 28 years. He conquered Timbuktu in 1492 along with other important trading towns of Western Sahara and central Sudan. He saw the Arab Muslims as invaders into his land and defeated the Mandinka people who allied with them. He refused to employ Muslim scholars in his government and came down hard on Muslims in Timbuktu who resisted his rule. Ali Ber conquered the surrounding areas with apparent ease however he was never able to win the hearts of his people. They hated him for being a cruel dictator and accused him of not being a true Muslim.

5. Yaa Asantewaa

British colonialists came to the Gold Coast at the end of the 19th century and posed the greatest threat that the Ashanti Empire had ever known. They demanded that the Ashanti people surrender their symbolic seat of power, the Golden Stool to the colonial governor Frederick Hodgson.

Facing the might of the British Empire, many of the Ashantehenes were ready to submit to British rule however Yasa Asantewa, the Gatekeeper of the Golden Stool, would not entertain the idea. She came forward and said to them; “Is it true that the bravery of the Ashanti is no more? I almost believe it. It cannot be. If you, the men of Ashanti will not go forward then we the women will. We will fight the white man. We will fight until the last of us falls on the battlefield.

Yaa Asantewaa went forward with an army of 5000 and even though the British captured then deported her, her brave actions went on to set a fire under the Ashante people that brought about the return of Prempeh I and fueled the fight for independence which they eventually got in 1957. 4. Behazin Hossu Bowelle “The King Shark”

Called “The King Shark” among the sea of African kings, Behazin was the most powerful King in Western Africa in the last years of the 19th century and was so revered it is said that his spit was not allowed to touch the ground. His surname means strength and wisdom however he was unable to prevent the French from colonizing his lands. The French defeated him usingpsychological warfare by taking down the Dahomean sacred trees in the Zou and Oume forests then advanced their armies from PortoNovo and up the Oume Valley until they were close enough to attack the capital of Abomey. In 1894 he had no choice but to surrender himself to colonel Dodds. He may have been defeated in the end but he did not make it easy for the French.

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3. Queen Nzinga Among the African kings, here lies a Queen. Nzinga gained a reputation for being a ruthless and powerful leader of the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms in what is now modernday Angola. She fought primarily against the Portuguese colonialists who were after Luanda in order to have a steady stream of African slaves. She refused to give up to the Portuguese without a fight and made her kingdom a commercial powerhouse that could go toe-to-toe with the Portuguese colonies in the area. She enlisted runaway slaves and Portuguese-trained Africans to build up her power in Matamba which she developed into an economic powerhouse. She died in 1661 at the age of 81 and left behind a powerful Kingdom that resisted colonial rule for close to 200 years. 2. Queen Mother Nandi Known as ‘The Sweet One’ Nandi grew up in a culture where women were not allowed to speak their minds. As the third wife of Sezengakhana, ruler of the Zulu chiefdom, she was not recognized as a Queen and her son was not recognized as an heir to the throne. This led to her having a difficult relationship with her husband who eventually drove her away from the court. She left to seek refuge with her sister Dengiswayo and even there her son Shaka was resented for his claim to the throne. Dengiswayo supported Shaka’s claim to the throne and helped him assassinate his half-brother Segujana to claim the Zulu throne. He then built a royal household with over 1400 huts and declared his mother Nandi to be the Queen of Queens. When Nandi died in 1827 Shaka Zulu was inconsolable. Tradition held that when a person of Nandi’s note died then several servants were to be maimed or killed. Shaka Zulu took this tradition a little too far and anyone who was not felt to be grieving enough was put to death. Some people in the nation used this as an excuse to settle old scores and 7000 people were killed.

1. Afonso I King of Kongo Afonso I, born as Nzinga Mvembe before being baptized, was a Portuguese vassal king in the region. He oversaw the trade between Kongo and Portugal which reached heights that his predecessors could only hope for. Kongo’s Portuguese rulers were especially happy with his efforts to convert the region to Christianity. He did this by welcoming priests and missionaries to the area and he burned traditional arts the Portuguese found to be offensive. The only issue that he had with the Portuguese was that their traders and technicians did not respect the laws of the land in Kongo or follow the Kings’ instructions. He asked the King of Portugal, Manuel I to send in officials that would be charged with controlling the Portuguese nationals in the Kongo as he could not discipline them himself without risking reprisals. The officials were sent however they failed to have an impact as the Portuguese proved to be interested only in their own personal gain.

Afonso I’s naivety in dealing with the Portuguese led to the eventual downfall of his land however he is remembered as a ruler who had the vision to build Kongo’s infrastructure. https://www.theafricandream.net/

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Look up in the sky, it’s not a bird or plane, it’s a budding star called Chayuta!

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Ghanaian and Nigerian music industries. Chayuta is presently working with celebrated Ghanaian dancehall artist Jupitar, who wrote ‘Solo‘. According to TwinsDntBeg, Chayuta is also working on a collaboration with award-winning highlife artist Bisa Kdei of Ghana. “She will soon get into the studio with music duo and producers Dope Nation of Ghana and she’s in talks with several Nigerian music producers about collaborations there. We hope to travel to Nigeria before the end of the year to start working on some of those projects with her,” said TwinsDntBeg in a separate interview with TheAfricanDream.net for this story. When asked, Chayuta also disclosed to TheAfricanDream.net that the two Ghanaian musicians she would love to work some more with are Stonebowy and Adina. She added that she has been a fan of those two for many years. ”I love the energy they bring to their songs and live performances, and would be very excited to work with them“ — Chayuta.

Early in September 2020 was the exclusive premiere of the song titled ‘Solo’ on 4syte TV, a single by the teenage-singer Chayuta, who is bringing a heavy and positive momentum to the Ghanaian music industry as a female creative.

Following the launch of ’Solo‘, Chayuta has said her single was well-received by music-lovers and also revealed in an exclusive interview with TheAfricanDream.net that the producer and sound engineer behind ‘Solo‘ is none other than renowned music producer, Mix Master Garzy. This producer is known for his works with ace artists such as Stonebwoy, Patoranking, and Davido who are big names in Africa’s music industry.

In TheAfricanDream.net interview of Chayuta which looked at the life of the young Ghana-based singer who is boldly planting her feet in the Ghanaian music industry, Chayuta disclosed she was born with the name Layla Mokoena. The high schooler would sit for her Cambridge IGCSE exams in 2021. “Let me admit that it gets difficult sometimes combining school and my music career, but I am blessed to have people like my mother and other great mentors who encourage me on this journey.“

Chayuta — young but fast-rising Young but fast-rising Chayuta explained that: “there have been moments that I have doubted I could cope. Especially before I released my first single. It wasn’t always easy working behind the scenes without people

Dear Ghana music industry, keep an eye out for Chayuta for she’s about to make her mark on African and the world. TheAfricanDream.net is knowing my music. But now that I have released my first already in love with the energy she has started single and music video which has been received so well by with and we believe she will soon be a force to the public, I know all the hard work has definitely been be reckoned with. Follow her on Instagram as worth it.“ chayuta_music. Chayuta who is now managed by acclaimed Ghanaian twin-photographers known as TwinsDntBeg, started studying music and training her voice at a very tender age of nine-years-old. Her sleek voice and unique style make her a versatile singer and performer. She demonstrated to Written by Oral Ofori TheAfricanDream.net that “indeed I can take on any music genre, from classical to contemporary.“ Source: TheAfricanDream.net Having been astonished by her ‘Solo‘ music video, TheAfricanDream.net asked Chayuta about where she derived her inspiration from to which she responded “I draw inspiration from the successful artists who started singing at a young age just like myself, one of such is Rihanna and Beyonce. I look up to them and hope to achieve the same goals as they have, but in the end, I want to be myself,” she said. Also adding that she wants to be a shining example for young people in her home country of South Africa, “and show them that no matter what your circumstances are, if you work hard you can achieve your goals and dreams.“

A plethora of stars lined-up to work with Chayuta already She promised her existing and potential fans that the rest of the year will see her releasing more singles, music videos, and collaborations with some big names in both the

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Mixed-Race Congolese Women Sue Belgium For Separating Them From Their Families

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Belgian colonial era and to their families for the injustices and the suffering inflicted upon them,” he was quoted by The New York Times.

“I also wish to express our compassion for the African mothers, from whom the children were taken,” he said. The apology comes almost 60 years after the three African countries involved gained independence.

Belgian colonial rule, until the late 1950s, was against interracial romance, and interracial marriage was banned. Many white Belgian men, however, married black female settlers and they had children who were seen by Belgium authorities as undermining official segregation policies and destroying the prestige and domination of the white race, The New York Times report said. At the time, Belgium authorities also feared that the Red River Rebellion in Canada in the 1860s in which métis people revolted and overthrew the local government could repeat itself. Thus, they ordered métis children in Congo to be separated from their families, and from the black population.

Five mixed-race women have sued the Belgian government -- Photo Credit: EN24

Five mixed-race Congolese women have sued the Belgian government for forcefully separating them from their families when the European country administered Congo as a territory. The women – all in their 70s – said they were taken from their families and put in Catholic missions in the then Belgian Congo where they were treated as products of sin, according to BBC.

In the wake of the civil war that erupted in the former Central African territory after independence in 1960, the women said they were abandoned after White Belgians fled the country to escape the violence. Police officers who were subsequently ordered to guard them also allegedly sexually abused them at night. One of the women, Monique Bitu Bingi, told the BBC money isn’t the motivating factor behind the suit. Rather, they want Belgian authorities to acknowledge the damage caused by colonization.

Bingi finally met her biological father’s family in Argentina after six years of searching.

A preliminary hearing to map out the court timetable for the case was held in a Brussels court on Thursday. Apology

In 2019, Belgium apologized for the kidnapping of thousands of children born to mixed-race couples during its colonial rule of Burundi, DR Congo and Rwanda. The “métis” (mixed-race) children, who were produced out of relationships between Belgian settlers and local women, were abducted from Congo and put in schools and orphanages in Belgium run by the Catholic Church.

This occurred between 1959 and 1962 and about 20,000 children who were born in the 1940s and 50s were affected.

“Throughout Belgian colonial Africa, a system of targeted segregation of métis and their families was maintained by the Belgian state and acts were committed that violated the fundamental rights of peoples,” Belgium’s Prime Minister Charles Michel said on Thursday afternoon in front of a plenary session of Parliament, which had in its gallery a dozen of many people of mixed race.

“This is why, in the name of the federal government, I recognize the targeted segregation of which métis people were victims” and “the ensuing policy of forced kidnapping”, he said.

“In the name of the federal government I present our apologies to the métis stemming from the

Historians said that an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children were segregated from their parents and placed in orphanages and schools run by the Catholic Church. These children were often from single African mothers as most fathers refused to acknowledge the paternity of their children.

When Belgium’s colonies gained independence, in the early 1960s, thousands of métis children were taken from Burundi, Congo and Rwanda to Belgium. There, they were either adopted by white parents or raised in Belgian boarding schools. Many of them are still alive today. Some of the children also never received Belgian nationality and remained stateless.

In 2017, the Catholic Church apologized for its “participation” in the banning of mixed-race marriages and the subsequent kidnapping and segregation of métis children.

Source: TheAfricanDream.net

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The Daughters And Sons Of Fela In African Pop

September 2020 Page

provided at the intro to ‘Double Wahala’. Oritsefemi clearly states that “this song is dedicated to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti”.

socio-cultural messaging and instrumentals, they are extending its life and relevance to a younger crowd.

How have the male Afrobeats artistes fared as ‘Sons Of Fela’? Nigerian pop star Wizkid has gained popularity for his ability to draw on Fela’s texts, titles, imagery, symbolisms and much more. The singer has become so deft at it, that he regularly includes invocations of irony using Fela’s lyrics. Wizkid’s hit Joro, released in 2019, incorporated But how do these musicians portray this legend in their elements of Afrobeat in its production, but the work? How do elements of Fela Kuti’s music get repro- essence of Fela’s message was not infused. For lyrics, he looked elsewhere. duced? Does his conscious approach to art travel through the years into today’s hedonistic popular culRecently, rapper Naira Marley altered texts from ture? Fela’s 1978 ‘Shuffering and Shmiling’ to fit into the polarizing 2019 single ‘Am I A Yahoo Boy’. A Brand New Life For a song that is considered a subtle promotion of In 2019, Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage christened her first single after signing a recording deal with Universal internet scams, using Fela’s lyrics came across Music Group, ‘49-99’. The inspiration came from over- somewhat as a negative. crowded large ‘Molue’ buses that used to be a common Prior to the emergence of Wizkid and Naira feature of transportation in Lagos. At a listening party for the single, Savage explained that she chose to adopt Marley, veteran singer 2baba had already had his some Afrobeat elements within the song, to draw atten- hands in Afrobeat. For him, Fela’s work offered opportunities sampling the messaging and sounds. tion to the continued plight of Africans suffering and His 2007 song ‘Pako’ samples lyrics from Fela’s smiling. 1972 ‘Swegbe and Pako.’ Idibia’s 2014 ‘Jeje’ is also notable for simulating certain Fela sounds and Four years earlier, Nigerian singer Niyola, featured on DJ Xclusive’s ‘Tonight,’ a song housed on the local disc co-opting the call and response technique of Afrobeat. While trying to shake off public criticism jockey’s According to X album. On the party track, Niyola manages to include lyrics from Fela’s ‘Jeun Ko of his personality at the time, 2baba arranged cuts Ku (Chop and Quench),’ his first major musical success from a Fela interview, for the intro to the video of his 2017 single ‘Holy Holy’. in 1971. Another singer, Niniola Apata, who is widely While 2baba would have his audiences believe that regarded as the Queen of Afro-house, went a different his attempt at damage control was in tribute to route. She featured Fela’s first son, Femi Kuti, who Fela, local audiences can tell a genuine dedication added Afrobeat-esque saxophone sounds in her 2020 when they hear one. A good case can be heard on single ‘Fantasy’. Savage, Niniola and Niyola all drew Oritsefemi’s ‘Double Wahala,’ off the 2013 album, from Fela in enriching their music for audiences. Money Stop Nonsense. People believe ‘Double This shows how female Afrobeats artistes—who we can Wahala’ is a worthy Fela tribute for two reasons: The first is the effort to synthesize a recognizable refer to as the daughters of Fela—have kept Afrobeat Afrobeat melody that invokes dance movements alive. Through highly emotive records, infused with that are reminiscent of Fela. A simpler reason is

However, there is more to ‘Double Wahala’ than its melody and dedication suggest. The phrase ‘Double Wahala’ originally belongs in Fela’s ‘Confusion Break Bone’ (1990) which is a remake of 1975’s ‘Confusion’. In the former, Fela sings, “Double wahala for dead body/And the owner of dead body”. Oritsefemi’s appropriation of a phrase from Fela’s chorus in writing his for ‘Double Wahala’ was rewarded widely. The song became a mainstream favourite, and won him awards including the 2014 song of the year at the prestigious Headies award ceremony. Burna Boy’s successful career since 2018 has Fela’s DNA all over it. Although the pop singer has sampled Afrobeat throughout his career, he took this a notch higher in his 2018 single, ‘Gbona’. In the record, Burna Boy sang of citizens who have no money, yet, call on the police for justice. The artiste shows the reality of police unreliability and corruptibility in his country, a favourite theme of Fela’s work. Rather than criticise a police service that is stuck in its ways, Burna implores citizens to accept the make-up of their police. In addition, an extension of Fela’s ‘Shuffering and Shmiling’ is heard in the final verse of ‘Gbona’ where Burna refers to people sitting in a public bus, yet, regard themselves as bosses.

A while ago, artistes like Olu Maintain (Alo, 2001) and Dagrin (Democracy, 2010) appropriated Fela to fortify their delivery of protest texts. Through the last decade, however, Afrobeats artists appreciate that Fela was a lot more than protest. He was, after all, a man of pleasure man who once married 27 wives. For confirmation, look to young upstart Omah Lay, who likens his genitalia to Fela Kuti’s famous large ‘Jumbo’ blunts, on his song ‘Yeyeye.’ As does the South African rapper AKA through ‘Fela in Versace’ (2018). And how about the biological children of Fela? His sons Seun and Femi continue to uphold Afrobeat. Seun Kuti inherited Fela’s Egypt ’80 band and family name. Femi Kuti is renowned for his performance of Afrobeat around the world, and has been in contention for the Grammys, four times.

Conclusion

Fela Kuti created a rich body of work that defies time. Each generation after him has sampled and referenced Afrobeat as a valuable addition to the music from Nigeria. As sounds across the continent continue to evolve, more artistes are bound to look Fela’s way for inspiration and assistance. They will surely have more than enough to work with. Article by Garhe Osiebe, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Rhodes University https://howafrica.com/

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United Nations Marks 75th Anniversary

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List of Speakers

conflicts as well as security and stabilisation through their military and civilian missions. The EU is also committed to preserving and strengthening multilateral relations with its partners across the globe, with the United Nations at its core. As we mark the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, it is clear that the world has high expectations of us, as the main platform for multilateralism and cooperation on a rules-based international system. UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The theme of the high-level meeting will be “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism”. Created 75 years ago in the ashes of World War II, the United Nations today remains true to its founding mission: to bring nations and peoples together to preserve peace and security, and improve lives everywhere.

Equality and the dignity of all people remain its guiding principles, enshrined in the UN Charter, signed in San Francisco on June 26 1945. On this historic anniversary, let’s reflect on all that humanity has achieved together, and all that is still left to do. And let’s recommit to the vision of the UN Charter – it’s more relevant today than ever before.

The year 2020 marks a a special anniversary for the United Nations: 75 years from the signing of the UN Charter in San Francisco.

In 1945, soon after the end of the Second World War, nations worldwide decided to change the course of history and took the commitment to work together for peace. And this is the same path that the European Union chose to follow only a few years later.

In the last decades, the EU and the UN have been working hand in hand for peace, dialogue, and cooperation. Whether individually or together, they both promote Human Rights, the rule of law, sustainable development, and fighting climate change. They also support negotiated diplomatic solutions to

The Covid-19 pandemic is once again showing how global challenges can be tackled and overcome only through global, coordinated action.

The European Union has and always will be in support of cooperation - The European Union has and always will be in support of the United Nations.

World leaders will be meeting virtually at the annual UN General Assembly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The UN is also marking its 75th anniversary, at a time when political tensions are growing between the world’s superpowers. Sarah Walton reports from New York. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/

Opening Plenary Opening Statement by H.E. Volkan Bozkir, President of the General Assembly

Statement by H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, Seretary-General Statement by H.E. Ambassador Abdou Abarry, President, Security Council

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Munir Akram, President, Economic and Social Council Statement by H.E. Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, President, International Court of Justice Statement by Youth representatives Ms. Akosua Adubea Agyepong, Ghana Ms. Sharifah Norizah, Social Entrepreneur, Friends for Leadership (FFL), Malaysia Mr. N. Charles Hamilton, Climate Change and Public Health Advocate, The Bahamas Mr. Nathan Méténier, Environmental and Climate Youth Activist, France Adoption of the UN75 Declaration

United States of America Guyana on behalf of the Group of 77 and China Malawi on behalf of the Least Developed Countries

European Union Republic of Korea on behalf of MIKTA Group Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement Qatar

Sweden Kyrgyzstan China Uzbekistan Turkey Netherlands Mexico Mozambique Nicaragua Peru Tajikistan Nigeria France Honduras Kazakhstan Finland Lithuania Sri Lanka Costa Rica Colombia Uruguay Algeria Iraq Kenya Poland Chile Bosnia and Herzegovina Monaco Zambia Republic of Moldova Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Georgia Latvia Serbia Tunisia Spain North Macedonia Guatemala Seychelles South Africa San Marino Cyprus Djibouti Botswana Palau Nauru Lebanon Ukraine Zimbabwe Brunei Darussalam Afghanistan

Ghana Albania Argentina Liberia Namibia Chad Equatorial Guinea Togo Maldives Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Angola Sierra Leone Dominican Republic Gambia (Republic of The) Libya Benin Micronesia (Federated States of) Kiribati Liechtenstein Marshall Islands Gabon Uganda Democratic Republic of the Congo Comoros Slovenia Haiti Italy Ireland Cameroon South Sudan United Arab Emirates Tuvalu on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum Japan Luxembourg Thailand Singapore Fiji Andorra Greece Papua New Guinea Barbados Ethiopia Denmark Malta Australia India Israel Armenia Eswatini Bangladesh Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Germany Bhutan Portugal Iceland Nepal Bahamas Mauritius Belgium Cambodia Samoa Canada

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Austria Saint Lucia Lao People's Democratic Republic Lesotho Tonga United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Antigua and Barbuda Viet Nam Cabo Verde Croatia Malaysia Madagascar Somalia Oman Bulgaria Russian Federation on behalf of the CSTO members Belize on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States Egypt Indonesia Cuba Myanmar Jordan Pakistan Senegal Romania Philippines Norway Switzerland Brazil Iran (Islamic Republic of) El Salvador Czech Republic Mauritania Guinea Sudan Slovakia Ecuador Saudi Arabia Timor-Leste Panama Congo Estonia United Republic of Tanzania Burkina Faso Kuwait Suriname Rwanda Niger Trinidad and Tobago

Paraguay Montenegro Morocco Mongolia New Zealand Syrian Arab Republic

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6 Facts About Nigeria’s Pearlena, First Woman of African Descent to Head a Major American TV Studio

September 2020

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The mystery of the Black couple who gave birth to a white baby

In 2010 when white baby Nmachi Ihegboro with blonde hair and blue eyes was born to a Black couple in Britain with no known white ancestry, medical experts were amazed, and so were her parents, who are originally from Nigeria. “What the flip?” “Is she mine?” the father of the child, Ben Ihegboro, jokingly asked.

Doctors at Queen Mary hospital in Sidcup said that Nmachi is not an albino, though subsequent reports said they did not rule that out. Baby Nmachi’s parents had two Black children at the time, and so they were fascinated as they just “sat and stared” at their white newborn, they told The Sun in an interview.

Pearlena Igbokwe, a Nigerian-born media executive, has been appointed to Chairman of Universal Studio Group. As the new chairman, she replaces Bonnie Hammer, who will take a new role as Vice Chairman, as announced by NBCUniversal.

Programming, for NBC Entertainment, where she developed the top-rated new broadcast dramas. Before joining NBCUniversal, she worked at Showtime for 20 years and was involved in developing a variety of hit This makes Pearlena the first woman of African descent to series including “Dexter” and “Nurse head a major American television studio. Jackie.”

Universal Studio Group is a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information for a global audience.

According to a statement by Universal Studio Group, she will lead the company’s growing global television studio businesses and report directly to Jeff Shell, CEO, NBCUniversal. Here are six facts about Pearlena Igbokwe:

She currently serves as the Vice President of the Hollywood Radio and TV Society (HRTS) board and is a member of the Television Academy Executive Committee.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and an MBA from Columbia University.

Pearlena was born in Nigeria. She is marShe was the president of Universal Television, where she ried and has two children. She currently oversaw all aspects of the studio business and achieved resides in Los Angeles, California. record volume for the legacy studio. Some of the programmes under her purview include the critically acclaimed comedies “Russian Doll,” “The Good Place,” “Superstore,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and “Little Source: https://face2faceafrica.com/ America,” popular dramas “Good Girls” and “New Amsterdam,” and Dick Wolf’s new “FBI” and “FBI: Most Wanted,” among many others. She served as Executive Vice President, Drama

“She is beautiful, a miracle baby,” Angela Ihegboro said of her daughter while the dad, who had jokingly asked if the child was really his, said: “Of course she is mine. My wife is true to me. Even if she hadn’t been, the baby wouldn’t have looked like that!” In recent years, there have been cases of different colored twins born to parents with mixed-race ancestry. However, Ben and Angela do not have such origins that medical experts could have used to explain their situation.

So three theories were offered: Nnamchi is the result of a gene mutation unique to her, and if that is the case, she would pass the gene on to her children if she has any in the future, and they would also likely be white. The second is that she is the product of dormant white genes which entered both of her parents’ families long ago, and they never surfaced until now. And then the third — albinism. Professor Ian Jackson of the Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council explained that both parents could be carrying a copy of the albino gene that has no surfaced in any known family member for years.

“This is perhaps one of the most common recessive disorders in Nigeria, and we have to remember that it comes in different forms,” Jackson told BBC. “In Type 2 we would see creamy skin and yellow hair or light brown, which in some cases would darken with age.”

Essentially, Nnamchi’s skin could darken over time, experts believed. “She doesn’t look like an albino child anyway. Not like the ones I have seen back in Nigeria or in books. She just looks like a healthy white baby,” Ben later said in the interview with The Sun.

“My mum is a black Nigerian although she has a bit fairer skin than mine. But we don’t know of any white ancestry.

“We wondered if it was a genetic twist. But even then, what is with the long curly blonde hair?

https://howafrica.com/

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Mali's ex-defence minister named interim leader

Malawi: Joyce Banda Named in U.S. Confidential Report Over Arms Deal - Clarifies 'President Do Not Award Contracts in Malawi' September 2 0 2 0

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vate plane flights she took in just three months at the end of last year, it was said.

But when Banda was dealing with Cashgate, a major scandal over corrupt procurement deals made by government departments, leading foreign donors including Britain to suspend direct aid that had accounted for 40 per cent of the impoverished country's budget, a family foundation run by the directors of Paramount was paying for Bell Pottinger, a London PR firm, to burnish Banda's image.

Bah Ndaw served as defence minister under Ibrahim Boubacar KeĂŻta

Mali's former Defence Minister Bah Ndaw has been appointed interim president while coup leader Colonel Assimi Goita will serve as his deputy, state television has announced.

Mali's junta has been under intense pressure from West African leaders to return power to civilians following the coup that overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar KeĂŻta more than a month ago.

Mr Ndaw is a retired colonel-major who served as Mr KeĂŻta's defence minister.

West African leaders insisted last week that a civilian be appointed interim president, while signalling that they would accept a soldier as deputy leader, during an 18-month-long transition that would end with elections.

It is not yet clear if Mr Ndaw will be accept by Ecowas, or by the opposition parties.

By Mike Fiko Former president Joyce Banda appears in the US FinCEN files which have revealed how some of the world's biggest banks have allowed criminals to move dirty money around the world as she was investigated over Malawi government's arms procurement deal with South Africa's Paramount Group.

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), an agency in the US Department of the Treasury, who combat financial crime, has more than 2,500 highly confidential documents - the FinCEN Files - that have been seen by Nyasa Times as part of the latest project from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

Banda is featured in the report which was written by Barclays Bank which commissioned Orbis Business Intelligence - owned by Christopher Steel, a former British spy famous for his role in investigating Russia's meddling in the election of US President Donald Trump.

The report puts Banda in spotlight with her administrations barter-trading the Presidential Jet Dassault Falcon 900EX, valued at $15 million, to a Paramount Group subsidiary as part of the settlement for the arms deal. The jet was sold in 2012.

According to the report, Paramount - Africa's largest private defence and aerospace firm and its founder Ivor Ichikowitz benefitted from their cosy ties with African leaders by being awarded major contracts and Joyce Banda is mentioned alongside South Africa's ex-president Jacob Zuma as some of the leaders.

Banda administration had a deal with Paramount Group to supply Malawi with equipment that includes seven interceptor boats and training for the Malawi Defense Force (MDF).

The boats were delivered and deployed to maritime border patrol duties on Lake Malawi.

The deal also covered the supply of modern combat and camping gear for MDF units deployed on active combat with the Southern Africa Development Community Rapid Intervention Brigade, fighting rebel groups and militias in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The deal also gave the South African company lucrative contracts in the fuel trade and agro-trade businesses.

When Banda bartered the jet, she continued to use it regularly to travel to events around the continent. The trips formed part of a total of 20 pri-

However, Banda has maintained that she did not break any law in the awarding of the contract to Paramount Group and that she was not personally involved in the procurements of the boats. "Allow me to make is very clear once again. President do not award contracts in Malawi," said Banda in an e-mailed comments to ICIJ.

Banda states that she was informed that Bell Pottinger "certainly did not play any role in the awarding of the boat contract; hence any such suggestion is malicious and false."

She could not comment on the relationship between defunct Bell Pottinger and Paramount.

Banda said the boats contract was not awarded by her as a sitting President at the time, stressing that the contract between Malawi Government and Paramount was concluded according to Malawian Government processes and was signed by both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence.

She said at the time of signing, a legal opinion was sought from Malawi Attorney General "confirming both the legality of the agreement and its validity under Malawians law."

However, the deal was cancelled in August 2014 following a change if administration as the then Minister of Finance in the Peter Mutharika, Goodall Gondwe, who had also served Banda and Minister of Economic Planning, said the deal was substantially over-valued while its repayment terms were unsustainable for the struggling economy.

The bulk of the documents in the FinCEN Files were leaked to BuzzFeed News, which shared them with the ICIJ and 108 other media partners, including the BBC.

FinCEN "collects and analyses information about financial transactions in order to combat domestic and international moneylaundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes," according to the agency's website.

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COVID-19 initiative by Wealthy Nigerians Buying Ghanaian man Oral Ofori recognized by Citizenship In Caribbean shot and killed by German nonprofit Nations To Beat Visa Rules fellow countryman in Ohio alliance Afrikan

TheAfricanDream.net founder Oral Ofori was in late August 2020 recognized by GEMEINSAM FÜR AFRIKA in Germany for to the ‘Heroes of COVID-19’ initiative he started in April 2020 to highlight the works of volunteers and individuals fighting the novel coronavirus.

GEMEINSAM FÜR AFRIKA (GFA), a nonprofit alliance based in Berlin, Germany that is an association of numerous aid and development organizations that work for better living conditions in African countries according to Mr. Ofori. In an email to GFA acknowledging them, Mr. Ofori wrote to Lilli Gretemeier of the GFA alliance: “I am so privileged and honored by the opportunity and attention your prestigious entity has given my work, it provides much-needed encouragement to keep going on despite the limitations seen in these trying times… I am re-energized and will keep pushing on, greetings to all in Germany for showing such great love. I will soon come to visit you all.“ GEMEINSAM FÜR AFRIKA (GFA) which in English means ‘TOGETHER FOR AFRICA‘ has been pooling its resources over the years to

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paint a realistic picture of the African continent in the German public, including its potential and strengths. This is something TheAfricanDream.net has also been doing ever since Mr. Ofori founded TheAfricanDream LLC, a multi-award-winning information and communication research consultancy in Washington, DC in September 2015.

“We deem it highly important to correctly tell Africa’s beautiful stories for they are all not about wars and poverty,” Mr. Ofori said, “we are therefore gladdened by any source that seeks to project Africa positively and above all truthfully. To all out there doing their little bit to project the image of Africa we say keep pushing for you never know whose lives you are affecting or who is watching,” he concluded.

September 2020

For most Nigerian businessmen, holding a Nigerian passport raises a red flag and would often require extra documentation for validation.

Nigeria is placed 95 on the annual Henley Passport Index which ranks the world’s passport according to the countries they can visit without a prior visa. Ranked 95, Nigerian passport holders can visit two fewer countries now than they could in 2010 without a visa.

Faced with such difficulties, wealthy Nigerians are buying citizenship in Caribbean nations to ease business travel, get elite education for their wards and have a second home for holidays.

St. Lucia, a small island in the Caribbean, has issued 60 passports to Nigerians under its Citizenship Investment Program (CIP). The program grants resident permit or citizenship to foreigners for a fee.

“That pricing model has resonated well with the Nigerian community,” said Nestor Alfred, chief executive of St. Lucia’s CIP office. “A lot of our Nigerian applications consist of families.”

a Grenadian passport opens market opportunities for him. “We are treated as equals,” he said.

Henley and Partners, which advises people on how to acquire additional nationality, recently opened a new office in Nigeria. It also has offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa.

“The reason we opened in Nigeria is because we saw significant potential in the market with growth in private wealth without global mobility for high net worth individuals,” said Paddy Blewer, public relations director at Henley & Partners. “What you have is a community of wealthy individuals who cannot travel without visas.”

Nigeria and South Africa account for 85 percent of Henley and Partner’s customers with Nigerians having a keen interest in Caribbean countries, the firm said.

An IMF report in 2016 on citizenship investment said: “Offering citizenship in return for investment has been a “win-win” for some small Caribbean states. The substantial inflows of funds from these programs have helped boost employment and growth. Inflows to the public sector alone in St. Kitts and Nevis had grown to nearly 25 percent of GDP as of 2013.”

Other Caribbean islands such as Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis also offer investment migration programs with minimum costs of St Kitts and Nevis is one of the pio$100,000 and $150,000 respectively. neers of the Citizenship by Investment program, which it Citizenship by investment is estilaunched as far back as 1984 to help mated to be a $3 billion industry and develop the country. The program it is believed that around 40,000 has since been implemented by other passports have been issued under the countries as a means of generating program. The program attracts high- revenue. net-worth individuals from poor countries or weak passport power. https://howafrica.com/ Tari Best, a Nigerian logistics business owner, told The Economist that

The deceased, Prince Asare

Columbus police have launched investigations into the shooting death of a man Thursday night in the parking lot of an apartment complex on the Northeast Side. The police say they were called to the 1600 block of Harvester Lane around 7:30 p.m. where they found Ghanaian man Prince Asare, 31, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Asare was taken in critical condition to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:09 p.m. Asare, on the night he was killed, got into a vehicle crash with 29-year-old Dennis Mensah, and in the midst of the argument, he was shot by Mensah, according to the police. Mensah, who lives in an apartment on Hillsdowne Road, remained at the scene and surrendered to the police.

He was arrested and has since been charged with murder. Records show that he has been scheduled for arraignment Saturday morning. Asare’s death is the 107th homicide in Columbus this year.

Source:https://face2faceafrica.com/ MILDRED EUROPA TAYLOR

Dennis Mensah. Photo: NBC4 WCMH-TV

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Debunking 15 Common Myths and Misconceptions About Africa

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The African continent boasts several of the world's fastest growing economies. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump reportedly referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and several African countries as “shithole” countries in a meeting with politicians, the Washington Post reported. The president had been discussing immigration policy with the lawmakers and suggested that the US focus on bringing in people from countries like Norway over those from African countries. “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump reportedly said, comments which the UN condemned as racist on Friday. This is not the first time the president has allegedly made such comments. In a meeting with cabinet members and administration aides last year, Trump reportedly advocated against more open immigration policies, saying that all Haitians have AIDS and that people from Nigeria would refuse to go back to their “huts” if allowed into the US, according to the New York Times. But the idea that the entire continent of Africa is a disease-ridden land of “huts” is a myth, and a dangerous one at that.

Here are 15 other debunked myths about African countries.

countries in terms of sustainable energy use. Both the UK and the US source only 11% of their energy from renewable sources, less than Kenya sources from geothermal activities alone (13% of Kenya’s energy consumption). Meanwhile, a staggering 50% of Kenya’s energy comes from hydroelectricity. In terms of long-term sustainability, shouldn’t we be looking to Kenya for some answers?

6. There’s no arts industry in Africa Nigerian actress Taiwo Ajayi-Lycette gets makeup applied before performing a scene. 1. Africa is poor, and always will be. Every year, more films are made in Nigeria’s Nollywood Yes, 47% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $1.25 a than in the US’s Hollywood. FACT. day, and this is a scandal. However, this number is falling, and things are getting better. One in three Africans are defined as ‘mid7.Africans do nothing to help themselves dle class’, and whilst many Western economies are in crisis, Dr. Hawa Abdi and her daughters. Together they have Africa’s economy continues to grow. Did you know that 6 of the helped over 90,000 women & children in Somalia. Photo 10 fastest growing economies in the world are African? from the Dr Hawa Abdi Foundation.

2. Africa is all savannah and wild animals. Image credit: BBC In 2014, Delta airline, a major US carrier, made a huge mistake on social media. Whilst congratulating the US World Cup team on a victory over Ghana, they used a photo of a giraffe to represent the African nation. Unfortunately for Delta there are in fact no wild giraffes in Ghana, and the Twitter community was quick to alert them to this. Slammed by accusations of racism and stereotyping, Delta have since apologised for the image used. However, this highlights how widely such stereotypes are still accepted and perpetuated in Western media. Yes, there are a whole host of exciting wild animals, and gorgeous savannahs, in some regions of Africa. However, there are also huge cities, rolling beaches, historic ancient monuments and more. One region of Africa is not identical to another, and we shouldn’t stereotype a whole continent in this way. 3. It’s hot, dry and sunny all the time Photo credit: Kyle Taylor (Flickr) Band Aid may be a classic festive hit, but next time you find yourself singing ‘there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas time’ remember that Africa is a diverse continent with a huge variety of landscapes and temperatures. Take a look, for example, at this stunning snowy landscape on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania!

4. Africans have no access to modern technology. Technology in Africa is actually an incredibly fast growing market, with many global technology giants making big investments in the continent. Did you know that people in Kenya are 4 times more likely to own a mobile phone than to have access to a toilet or latrine? As of 2013, 80% of African people had access to a mobile.

Mobile technology is also being used in very innovative and exciting ways to help end extreme poverty across Africa. Check out this story of mobile insurance creating financial stability for people in Ghana!

5. In order to develop, Africa should become like the West Tana River, in Kenya, is one source of the country’s hydroelectric power. Image credit: Bedford Biofuels There are so many arguments against this presumption. Let me focus on one - many African countries are far ahead of Western

men, dispelling myths about themselves. Pretty cool, huh?

11.Everyone in Africa has AIDS At the end of 2013, Justine Sacco, a PR director from InterActiveCorp, posted this tweet just before boarding a flight to South Africa. Understandably, the world’s reaction escalated quickly from disbelief... ...to strong accusations of racism.

Oh. Hell. No. Did this Justine Sacco person just say that? Did she really fix her keyboard to type that mess? Whyyyyyyyy? You racist bitch!

— Amish Donut (@Lilikins8) December 21, 2013 After a worldwide twitter storm hit Justine, she did apologise for her remark. However, this appallingly insensitive tweet represents a terrible stereotype that is all too common. Not everybody in Africa is sick. Furthermore, we should treat those who do suffer from HIV, or any other illness, the way we would want to be The stereotype of African people as helpless and dependent treated - with dignity and respect. on Western help is one that has been built by decades of well meaning but arguably dangerous charity advertise12. All governance in Africa is bad. ments in the West. Bombarded by images of sad, dirty chil- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf speaking at the opening of Libera’s first dren with eyes that call you to urgently donate money, it’s tuition-free girls’ school, the More Than Me Academy. Photo no surprise that this is a common belief. The debate around from More Than Me. how development charities should advertise is a complex Let me dispel this myth with an example of one leader who is one, but these photos often ignore the fact that African peo- making incredible progress for her country. The current President ple can and do help themselves. of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is an inspirational woman who is leading Liberia out of the devastating damage caused by civil In 2010, Africans who lived outside the continent sent war, and kicking ass at it. President Sirleaf was awarded the 2011 $51.8 billion back to Africa. Meanwhile, $43 billion was Nobel Peace Prize for her “non-violent struggle for the safety of sent in aid from Western countries, known as Official women and for women’s rights”, and listed by Time as one of the Development Assistance (ODA). Yes, you read that right - top 10 female leaders in the world. African people who now live outside the continent send more money back to their families than the whole Western 13. Everyone in Africa lives in a mud house in the middle of world sends in aid. nowhere. Embed from Getty Images There are also countless examples of grassroot projects Where would you guess this city is? The US? Europe? Asia? established by African people, for African people. One is Nope - this is Lagos, in Nigeria, and it has a population of 21 milHawa Abdi, an incredible Somalian woman who establion - more than double that of urban London! In 2008, 39% of lished a health clinic in the 1980s. It’s now grown to the African population lived in urban areas, and this is rapidly encompass a school, refugee camp and hospital for over increasing. 90,000 women and children made homeless in the war. 14.There’s no partying in Africa Incredible, huh? Before I first visited the continent, I never thought about Africa 8. ‘African’ is a language (and African people don’t speak having parties, bars or clubs. I presumed they just didn’t exist, but boy was I wrong! Having spent nine years of my life working English) with Nakuru Children's Project in Kenya, let me tell you that most A student at Cambridge University challenges African stereotypes. Photo from Tumblr (We Too Are Cambridge) of my Kenyan friends know how to party hard. And by partying I don’t just mean pubs and clubs - I mean finding a reason to sing, dance and celebrate at any time of day! There are over 2000 languages spoken across the African continent, and ‘African’ is not one of them. This is the 15. It’s all doom and gloom equivalent of presuming that people who live in Europe speak ‘European’. English is also an official language in 24 This satirical meme reminds us of the common humanity that we African nations and taught to a high level in schools across all share, no matter where we’re born. Every 60 seconds bad things happen all over the world, not just in Africa. But an awful the continent. lot of good things happen too! 9.Africa’s not that big https://www.globalcitizen.org/ This is the real size of Africa. Pretty big, right? 10. African men always carry machine guns This brilliant video by Mama Hope is made by African

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The US military admitted following the attack it was not “as prepared as needed” during the attack on the base.

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“I think it’s self-obvious we were not as prepared there at Manda Bay as we needed to be. Al Shabaab managed to penetrate onto that airfield,” said the head of US Africa Command General Stephen Townsend in February while being grilled by a US congressional committee. Following the attack, the US military in January vowed to double down on fighting the Al-Shabaab days after the terrorist group launched an attack on a US base in Kenya.

The United States military is seeking powers to carry out covert drone strikes in Kenya, a farreaching proposal that would for the first time hand Washington military leeway to directly conduct counterterrorism combat operations within the Kenyan territory.

A report by the New York Times published on Tuesday quoted senior officials saying the US military’s Africa Command is pressing for new authorities to carry out armed drone strikes targeting Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab fighters in portions of eastern Kenya, potentially expanding the warzone across the border from their sanctuaries in Somalia.

The US considers Kenya a “strategic” partner in the fight against terrorism.

The deal would also see the US military conduct the so-called signature strikes only in a portion of Kenya, the report said quoting US officials, and would also require permission to commence a drone attack from Kenyan authorities.

Drone warfare has become a critical tool in the war against terrorist and militant organisations worldwide by the US military in countries like Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia. The US has however faced equal criticism on the alleged lack of transparency of its drone warfare programmes in the targeted elimination of suspected terrorists. The push for the expanded authorities, the Drones can silently observe an individual, report said, traces back to a Shabaab terrorist group, or location for hours on end, but take attack on the US military base in Lamu that left immediate action should a strike opportunity one American soldier and two contractors dead. become available–all without putting a pilot at risk. The Kenyan military did not respond by press time to a request by the Business Daily for The potential strike zones were identified by comment about the report. the report as Garissa and Lamu Counties, which encompass the airstrip camp at Manda Kenya has in recent years suffered deadly gun Bay the site of the Al Shabaab attack and the and bomb attacks from the Al-Shabaab militants nearby border region with Somalia. who are demanding withdrawal of Kenyan troops from the Horn of Africa nation. The attack by Al-Shabaab at the heavily guarded Camp Simba on Manda Bay in Under the proposed deal, the US military would Lamu in January this year quickly drew authorise not only drone strikes in self-defence fresh attention on the potent threat posed by of American troops or collective self-defence of the Al-Shabaab. partnered Kenyan forces, the report said, but also offensive strikes intended to pre-empt a The military site supports US operations in suspected threat — like if officials uncovered Somalia, where Al-Shabaab fighters have intelligence about preparations at a compound waged an insurgency for more than a to assemble a car bomb, the paper report added. decade.

News of the US plans come amid a Pentagon report published recently saying China is eyeing military logistics bases in a dozen countries including Kenya and neighbouring Tanzania – keen on building and sustaining its military power around the world. The Chinese Embassy in Nairobi however, rejected the Pentagon’s report, terming it propaganda.

Al-Shabaab has been attacking Somali government and military targets but occasionally launches high-profile assaults in neighbouring states, including Kenya.

https://howafrica.com

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Ghanaian-owned NGO, Abena Dokua Educational Foundation secures IRS tax exemption status in the US Page

(3) non-profit agency in Virginia, United States. Our organization seeks to support quality education for students all over Ghana. To date, the foundation has helped over 2,000 students from different schools in Kyebi , Ghana.Abena Dokua Educational Foundation (ADEF) was established to honor the memory of Abena Dokua,mother of the founder who sadly passed away in 2001. In 2011, on the tenth anniversary of her passing, her children decided to bequeath the younger generation an opportunity to excel in education, using the foundation as a vehicle. Abena Dokua believed in the power of knowledge acquisition and the sense of independence education offers. The establishment of ADEF is indeed a fulfillment of her legacy.

Abena Dokua Educational Foundation (ADEF), a Ghanaian-owned NGO, has received approval as a tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 501 (c) (3) of the United States.

President of the ADEF, Kwaku Boateng, explained that the exemption will allow donors to deduct their contributions to the organization under IRC Section 170.

It also qualifies the public charity organization which is based in the US, to receive tax deductibles on bequests, devises, transfers, and gifts under the tax code.

To celebrate this milestone, the ADEF also outdoors an eight-member Board of Directors and Officers, and announces the launch of an official website.

Since its inception in 2011, the ADEF has sponsored selected students in pursuit of quality education with the provision of scholarships to brilliant but needy students. Other support includes providing school uniforms, classroom furniture, backpacks, text books, mathematical sets, exercise books and even shoes to needy students. Annual Project, 2020

The organization this year, has selected a

Technical/Vocational Institute (KITECH) at Kyebi as its focus for their annual project of giving back to educational institutions in Ghana. ADEF is currently in talks with the school authorities to identify areas of need and opportunities for partnership. KITECH trains their students in Automobile Engineering, Plumbing, Fashion and Garment Design, Cosmetology, Computer Hardware and others.

The organization calls on donors to support this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project for the betterment of the future generation. Donors can visit the ADEF website to make any monetary contribution. Tax-exempt information can also be attained by calling or emailing the contacts on the website.

About the ADEF

A childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tiny dreams can evolve into a bigger picture and change the world with the right educational support. Especially in Africa, access to quality education has been a severe problem in many countries. In Ghana, particularly, many children suffer from lack of tools, books, and other instructional resources to support their education. As such, we offer assistance to help these individuals and guide them through mentoring to achieve their dreams.Abena Dokua Educational Foundation (ADEF) is a registered 501(c)

https://www.topstories.com.gh/

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Heroes of COVID-19: Amba Farmers Voice by Isaac Zama brings Southern Cameroon Agricultural Education

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guage that is spoken in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Southern Cameroons. SCBC-TV broadcasts the program via satellite, which is then captured in many African countries.

AFV has received positive viewer feedback not only from Southern Cameroons and Nigeria but also from Francophone African countries including Benin and Gabon where there are pockets of pidgin speakers watching. The program is broadcast every Sunday at 11AM EST and 4PM West African time on SCBC-TV and the official Facebook page of Amba Farmers Voice at www.facebook.com/ambazoniafarmersvoice. Also, watch previous episodes of AFV programs on its official YouTube page at www.youtube.com/channel/UC9gR2r5rBSFSK7ifkNkZ XUQ?view_as=subscriber.

Isaac Zama is a Southern Cameroonian based in the United States (US), who has dedicated himself to discovering ways to help his countrymen. With an estimated 100,000 Southern Cameroonian refugees in camps across West Africa, 60% of which are women and children, Isaac is using his Amba Farmers Voice (AFV) to help increase their sustenance.

Over the last 3 years, these refugees have relied mostly on handouts from Southern Cameroonians in the diaspora for support. This is however unsustainable given the growing refugee population, the increasing need for food, education, shelter, and health care. Competing demands for diaspora funding and the current economic realities are made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic that has deeply affected diaspora disposable incomes.

This is where TheAfricanDream.net September 2020 COVID-19 Hero comes in with ways to help some of these refugees discover ways to grow food for themselves with his AFV initiative. Isaac conceived with a focus on appropriate techniques and technology for Southern Cameroonians in refugee camps in Nigeria, Ghana, and elsewhere with no possibility and money to travel to towns to buy agricultural inputs.

He tells TheAfricanDream.net that “I don’t think I’m a hero, I am just the guy who figured out ways for these people to be able to make their fertilizer and insecticides by reaching them how to do so using available materials and herbs in their immediate environment...”

His modesty notwithstanding, we still think that about 80% of these refugees who were farmers before the war and even people in similar situations across Africa or even around the world can benefit from Isaac’s AFV initiative.

The birthing of Amba Farmers Voice initiative “In April of 2020 after thinking of ways I could help the situation, I ended up collaborating with Southern Cameroons Broadcasting Corporation Television (SCBC-TV) which is based out of South Africa because of the war. I shared with them my idea for a TV program called ‘Amba Farmers Voice’ (AFV).“

SCBC-TV bought into the idea of Isaac, who is an international development professional with a focus on agriculture and sustainable rural development. The program focused on education through television that will assist other farmers in the Southern Cameroons with practical information to assist them to grow enough food to sustain them during the war as people were no longer able to work due to the war.

Since then AFV has also explored pre and post-harvest appropriate

technology of saving and storing food. In addition to these emergency wartime agricultural methods and techniques, the program also encourages its benefactors in general and farmers, in particular, to see the potential for agriculture in the development of the Southern Cameroons and indeed all of Africa.

“AFV also explores topics including cottage industrial food production, transformation, marketing, and export as we feel arming our viewers fully with these kinds of knowledge in their own language makes it easier for them to digest and also transfer by teaching others,” Isaac explained to TheAfricanDream.net about the program.

The main goal of AFV is to assist the refugees and farmers with practical techniques, information, research, and scientific methods to increase food production during the war. AFV is focused on in-depth research, investigations, newsmaker interviews, and methods of successful agricultural techniques from countries across the world to assist farmers to become better.

How AFV is becoming more beneficial amidst COVID-19 As a result of COVID-19 protocols like social distancing that has created movement-limitation, AFV has enlightened its benefactors with practical programs to enable them to grow food in bags and sack mounds. This method of food production limits movements from one place to another, thus reducing the spread of the virus.

TheAfricanDream.net feels this is among one of the many cool ways AFV is bringing hope to poor folks across Africa who were heartbroken by the fact that visiting their farms had become impossible.

The saying that goes ‘use what you have to get what you need‘ came to mind as Isaac shared even cooler ideas like “how the AFV is teaching people to make their organic fertilizer using human urine, or the making of organic pesticides using leaves and other organic material found around their homes, refugee camps, or villages while making sure they do these hygienically and safely.“

“The possibilities are endless when it comes to defying the odds and learning new ways, or going back to old ways to adapt in hard times, which is why the AFV also educated people on how to make their solar dryers, as well as making local fridges without the need for electricity – a technology that is suited for all rural villages in Africa.“

From the AFV studios in Fairfax, an enclave located in the state of Virginia in the US, the program is produced in Pidgin, a lan-

Why Isaac Zama believes Africa is still capable of feeding herself and the world One of the main problems facing farmers in Africa is that they have imported foreign agricultural methods and processes and foods, which are more often than not very expensive. “There are local, cheap, efficient, and sustainable technologies that can be produced by the African farmers themselves without the need for spending huge sums of money on imported technology” Isaac believes, which is why his greatest dream is to one day see the total eradication of chemical fertilizers in Africa.

TheAfricanDream.net September 2020 COVID-19 Hero firmly claimed that “Africa can produce 100% of its food with an organic fertilizer that can be produced by farmers themselves. Can African leaders muster the courage to fight against neo-colonialist foreign fertilizer companies? Is there the political will in Africa to challenge the foreign international fertilizer lobby?” he asked.

Well, that is the million-dollar question we are also asking. And the answer is YES! With a new generation of progressive African youths and leaders that have proven their desire to see Africa and Africans everywhere prove to the world that the continent is capable of rising above limitations and difficulties like COVID-19, the war in Southern Cameroon, and a few bad seeds — there is still hope that Africa could become 100% organic in the not too distant future.

Isaac Zama is a lawyer by training and holds a Ph.D. from the Land Tenure Center, University of WisconsinMadison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He has spent most of his career working in the US, Cameroon, and also taught community forestry and rural development at the Ecole Nationale des Eaux et Forets in Gabon.

With more and more farmers becoming interested in the program, Isaac Zama envisages extending the program to other African countries to assist farmers. AFV can be contacted at WhatsApp with +1202-735-1145, and ambafarmersvoice@gmail.com is their email address. Written by Oral Ofori

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Akon Unveils Architecture For $6bn ‘Futuristic’ City In Senegal

Akon, a showbiz mogul, says he has kickstarted his long-announced project which seeks to build a futuristic city —not an estate — like the fictitious Wakanda in Senegal. Wakanda is the fictional, technologically advanced African nation depicted in ‘Black Panther’, a Marvel blockbuster movie.

The 47-year-old record executive, who had finalised agreement towards the construction of the city in January, recently unveiled the project with a video of its architectural splendour. It is believed that work will commence early next year with the completion of the first phase billed for 2023.

“We’re looking at Akon city to become the beginning of Africa’s future,” CNN quoted him as saying at an event attended by Alioune Sarr, Senegal’s tourism minister, and other government officials.

“Our idea is to build a futuristic city that incorporates all the latest technologies, cryptocurrencies, and also the future of how African society should become in the future.”

According to the project’s website, the city will witness the construction of solar-powered offices, luxury houses, healthcare facilities, shopping malls, skyscrapers, and eco-friendly tourist centers.

It was gathered that it will be a five-minute drive from the country’s international airport

and that the singer had been gifted 2,000 acres of land by Senegalese President Macky Sall for the project. Akon also said he has raised part of the $6 billion required to do so through unnamed investors, adding that he hopes to make Senegal the go-to tourist destination in Africa with his Akon city. “I wanted to build a city or a project like this that would give them (African Americans) the motivation to know that there is home back home,” the singer further explained.

“The system back home (in the US) treats them unfairly in so many different ways that you can never imagine and they only go through it because they feel like there is no other way.

“As you are coming from America or Europe, anywhere in the diaspora and you feel that you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop.”

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5 Africans Among 17 Young Leaders Feted By U.N. For Work On SDGs

Five African youth are among 17 young advocates recognized by the United Nations for their work helping the world combat challenges and playing a part in the push to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Unveiled on Friday, the young leaders — aged between 18 and 29 years — represent diverse voices of young people from every region of the world, and are credited with inspiring millions of young people around the world to support the SDGs. The five Africans named in the list of 17 include; Vanessa Nakate (Uganda), Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi (Nigeria), Mariama Djambony Badji (Senegal), Loay Radwan (Egypt) and Satta Sheriff (Liberia).

According to Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN SecretaryGeneral’s Envoy on Youth, amid unprecedented times, the 2020 Class are a “clear example” of how the youth are leading the way in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future for all. “Despite being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, young people around the world continue to demonstrate immense resilience, resourcefulness and leadership in finding innovative solutions to recover better and achieve the SDGs”, she said. Vanessa Nakate

https://howafrica.com/

23-year-old Vanessa Nakate, a climate activist, grabbed headlines earlier this year for being erroneously cropped out of a photo by a media agency after joint press conference in Davos alongside fellow activists including Greta Thunberg, Loukina Tille, Luisa Neubauer and Isabelle Axelsson.

She first came to the limelight in January 2019 for her solitary strike in her country against inaction on the climate crisis. She staged a solo protest outside Uganda’s Parliament for months, thereby drawing the country’s attention to climate crisis and eventually inspiring other youth to join in calls for action. Nakate founded the Youth for Future Africa and the likewise Africa-based Rise Up Movement. https://howafrica.com/

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That Time When Ghana, Guinea And Mali Tried To Become One Nation

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First, the UAS seemed worryingly like Nkrumah’s passion project rather than voluntary cooperation between equal partners. In 1958, it was Ghana that lent about $300 million in today’s money, £10 million at the time, to cash-strapped Guinea after the French threw a tantrum and left Guinea with nothing after independence.

was formed pragmatically as a strong bilateral relationship between Ghana and Guinea in 1958 but in 1959, the two countries entered into another alliance with the never-beforecolonized Liberia to enact the Union of Independent African States. After leading Ghana to independ- Liberia’s interests in this stead and the UAIS were rather shortence in 1957, Nkrumah thought the feat was “meaningless unless it lived. And so when Mali joined is linked up to the total liberation Ghana and Guinea’s UAS in 1960, the West African trio of the African continent”. became the near-crystallization It is very necessary to point out that this famous quote was uttered of a political and economic union in the form of what on the eve of Ghana’s independence to a jubilant crowd who had Nkrumah had always preached. not turned up for a lecture on PanAfrican philosophy. But Nkrumah, The UAS was, for its time and place, a dream equally beautiful the first leader of a free subSaharan African country, could not and scary. Juxtapose the Union with, for instance, the European help himself but state one condiCommission (EC), which was tion under which Ghana’s independence would be more fulfilled founded by historically free – be a lightning rod for other inde- European states in 1958 as a Pan-European effort at political, pendence struggles on the contisocial, and economic integration, nent. and you will come to the concluSoon after Ghana, Guinea defied sion that UAS was somewhat French colonial expectations in another intriguing story in 1958 to too heavy for the shoulders of become only the second country in three infant nations in exploited Africa. sub-Sahara to declare independence. Mali too, led by Modibo The idealism, however, needs to Keita, left the France Federation be applauded. In the founding two years after Guinea, and the newly-independent African nation charter, the UAS promised to joined the Union of African States establish a single currency and common central reserve bank for (UAS), previously Union of members as well as develop Independent African States shared citizenship for peoples of (UAIS), comprising its two West member states. African neighbors Ghana and Guinea. None of these things were anywhere close to fruition, sadly. The UAS was historically the first While the threat of neocolonialmove towards a post-colonial Panism lingered, much of the UAS’ African organization in Africa. It Although the dream of a United States of Africa has been situated in African intellectual history for nearly 100 years, the first substantial attempt to bring that dream to life was an ambitious project spearheaded by Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah.

This loan was the grounds upon which a bond between Ghana and Guinea was built.

Secondly, in spite of successful national propagandas that taught Ghanaians, Guineans and Malians that they would soon be “one country”, independence governments paid lip service to this vision. The strains of putting one’s house in order or quite literally, building one’s nation, before venturing into marriage, was a heavier cross than the founders of the UAS could bear. Despite also being a cooperative effort between former British and French colonies, the UAS was never attractive even as a multicultural association to other former colonial territories who had been under the French or the British. This staggering fact was not lost on Nkrumah who took the chance at every continental podium to admonish independent African states about the need to unite under one tent.

We may also speak of the fact even as the UAS was established, contemporaneous Pan-African conferences and corollaries were in effect, with Ghana curiously in leadership roles. The Conference of Independent African States as well as the All-African People’s Conference were much bigger instrumental umbrellas of Nkrumah’s philosophy of continental liberation.

By 1963 when the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union (AU), was founded, there was no longer a UAS. The organization had withered and died, leaving in its wake historic cordiality between visionary states as well as some sort of blueprint for future relationships between free African states.

NYANZA, RWANDA. NOVEMBER 2017 – Second stage of the Tour of Rwanda between Nyanza and Rubavu. Three riders of the national team of Eritrea. From left to right Aron Debretsion, Natnael Mebrahtom and Amanueal Tsegay. (Photo by Julien Goldstein/Getty Images) Africa is where the next Road World Championships will be held in 2025, as announced by the Switzerland-based world governing body for sports cycling competitive events, The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). This will be the first time as Africa will be the final continent to host the championships and the UCI hopes the event will consequently solidify the sport — which consists of gender-neutral cycling road races for all ages, in African countries.

Two African cities, Tangier (Morocco) and Kigali (Rwanda) — who have already sent in paid registration bids for the spot, are going head to head for the hosting privilege.

However, the final decision which was initially scheduled to be taken earlier will now be made in 2021 as the Covid-19 pandemic prevented UCI officials from visiting both countries.

https://howafrica.com/

Ghan on F Tom Septe Spea distin Dank Reite said, to co fami Barb Navy when to au The Orlan

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Ambassador Adjei-Barwuah Calls On Family Of Barbara Tommey.

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Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, on Friday, September 18, 2020, placed a call to the family of Barbara Tommey, the 27-year-old Ghanaian who was brutally murdered on Tuesday, September 8, in front of the Navy Federal Credit Union in Orlando, Florida. Speaking to the parents and siblings of Barbara, the Ambassador extended distinct condolences on behalf of the President of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Embassy and the entire Ghanaian Community. Reiterating his heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family, the Ambassador said, "We cannot attempt to understand your pain and will not even pretend to comprehend your grieve but it is our fervent prayer that God grants the family peace and comfort during these trying moments." Barbara Tommey was an assistant manager at the Orlando, Florida branch of Navy Federal Credit Union and was in front of her workplace last Tuesday when she was fatally shot several times by her estranged husband according to authorities in Florida. The deceased will be laid to rest on Saturday, September 26, 2020 in Orlando, Florida.

On Friday, September 11, 2020, the Executive Chairman of United Airlines, Mr. Oscar Munoz, called on Ghana's Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, to officially inform him about the company's plan to revive its nonstop service from Washington D.C. to Accra. As part of United Airlines' plan to expand its global route network, the company has announced new nonstop services to parts of Africa including Ghana, India and Hawaii. When operational, United Airlines will become the only U.S. carrier serving Accra nonstop from Washington, D.C. with three weekly flights beginning in late Spring 2021. Recounting the past, the Ambassador raised concerns about the standard of aircraft that will be used for the route, the cost of tickets and the quality of services that will be offered to Ghanaians. "Whereas we are grateful for your decision to expand services to Ghana, we are also concerned about the type of services that will be rendered to our citizens. We are counting on United to offer premium customer services and fair prices at all times. We expect a relationship where our citizens are provided with exceptional services and Ghanaian workers employed by United Airlines are treated fairly" the Ambassador expressed. Reacting to the Ambassador's concerns,

Mr. Munoz assured him of his company's readiness to treat Ghanaians fairly and with respect when it comes to prices and the quality of services. Emphasizing the company's commitment to safety, the Executive Chairman said "We recognize the challenges associated with international flights so we will do everything to ensure we provide quality, convenient and safe services to the good people of Ghana." United Airlines pledged to work closely with the Embassy of Ghana and other relevant agencies in Ghana to ensure smooth operations. Source:www.Ghanaembassy.org

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Senegal Remain The King Of African Football

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Oral Ofori of TheAfricanDream.net bags another US award, this time in Washington DC

consultancy, TheAfricanDream LLC. A week before the date of the awards, when Oral first received the nomination news, he took to his social media platforms (here is what he posted on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=302 4029340980318&id=758539970862611) to express his humbling gratitude to his supporters. Then to discover that he made it to the finals and became one of the awardees was just amazing.

he Teranga Lions remain the kings of African football.

The Senegalese national team starts the new season in 20th place in the FIFA world ranking list published this week. Far from Belgium in first place but ahead of all other nations on the African continent.

Senegal, whose national team relies on Liverpool striker Sadio Mané is preparing for a competition-free year – as The African Nations Cup, initially scheduled for January, was postponed to the same time next year in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Senegalese finalists of the last ANC beat Tunisia and Nigeria who placed continentally 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

The reigning African champions, the Algerian fennecs came in fourth place with Moroccan neighbour right behind and Ghana narrowly missing the top 5 in 6th place. https://face2faceafrica.com/

AYOO Africa organized its prestigious Top Ten D.C. Awards 2020 for African businesses in the Washington D.C. metro area of the United States (US) on June 19, 2020. In which awards, Mr. Oral Ofori, CEO of TheAfricanDream.net, was nominated in the media and film category https://hopin.to/events/ayoo-africa-top-tendc?ref=29c0db582d96

Wikipedia says Mr. Ofori is a Ghanaian-American award-winning digital media producer and blogger, freelance journalist, entrepreneur, and writer. I will however like to put this out there that from knowing Oral for almost a decade, this humble dude shirks all those titles and simply prefers to be known as a digital-storyteller.

Despite those of us who know him well and his love for helping people, some of us still think he deserves some of the positive accolades he shies from. Which is why some of us were right when we called him the Africa-US media magnate. He has interviewed and profiled many notable Africans who are making a difference in Africa, the Americas, and indeed the African Diaspora.

Speaking of the African Diaspora in connection with the Ayoo Africa Awards, the organizers disclosed that as COVID-19 ravaged, they noticed individuals and startups who despite the hardship continued to innovate from home and even sometimes outside. The protests across the US, that showed diverse people united against racial injustice through #BlackLivesMatter also brought to light a reckoning that exposed the fact that even though all companies worry about their financial future, African-owned startups, and minority entrepreneurs across DC and the US were particularly at a higher risk. Ayoo however saw the resilience of a select few and wanted to acknowledge their courage and work with its Top Ten D.C. Awards.

As an Ayoo awardee, Mr. Ofori has given so many young talented Africans and African-Americans a platform to display their skills or talent, many have become household names in their craft through him. As a digital-storyteller, Mr. Ofori captures the African hope and dream in his many stories about happenings in Africa and the African-American communities. Since 2014, Ofori has been host and producer of #TheAfricanDream show aired on Fairfax, Virginia Public-access television in the US.

The nomination was already a win for the man who has in the past decade produced and hosted over 60 episodes of #TheAfricanDream for TV in the US and telling the African story from an African perspective through his US-based communication

As one of TheAfricanDream.net correspondents in Ghana, I called up my his boss (he prefers I call him by his first name though) on his achievements in the African-American media, in his modesty, Oral Ofori dedicated the Ayoo Africa Award to his supporters and clients as he told me: ‘This award is yours, we got this far because of you, and we congratulate all our fellow winners. Thanks to you we are all now winners!’

He added that “We just want to thank you for the support, it continues to play a huge role in motivating us. Let me also thank Rexford Nkansah, Isaac Agbasi, Richard Lauter, yourself Oppong Clifford Benjamin, Joshua Anny Osabutey, and all the many others I’m failing to mention for the amazing ways in which they’ve stood by me since we started this journey way back in Ghana and from when we won our first national award here in the US in 2013 for Diversity Empowerment as an independent TV producer.”

Indeed, like most start-ups, TheAfricanDream.net also depends on the support of people to run, and knowing Oral, he’s always welcoming of people with talents and determination. Find out more about him at his official website www.oralofori.com or visit his news site at www.theafricandream.net and search Oral Ofori to read specifically about him. He’s on Twitter and Instagram as oralofori too.

AYOO Africa is a digital media platform based in Washington D.C. that curates content from different local news sources through an online cultural magazine and community platform covering experiences from music, food, startups, artists, film, and events from across the globe. Their Top Ten D.C. Awards 2020 featured 9 categories including Community & Governance, Nightlife & Events, Technology & Innovation, Music & Entertainment, Culinary, Curators, Art, Design, and Media/Film in which Oral emerged as a winner.

Congratulations! Oral Ofori!

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Rev. Fr. Adu Owusu-Agyemang becomes first Catholic priest High Court Judge in Ghana

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Rev. Fr. Joseph Adu Owusu-Agyemang, Parish priest of All Saints Catholic Church at Santasi Fankyenebra in the Ashanti Region, is now a Judge.

Prior to his ordination into the priesthood on July 14, 2007, Rev. Fr. Owusu-Agyemang was a practicing lawyer. He was the Director of Department of Legal in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi.

He becomes the first ever Catholic Priest to secure a High Court Judge position in Ghana.

This feat by Fr. Adu Owusu-Agyemang is described by some Catholics in Ghana as good news for the Church.

Some Catholic youth on social media have commended the priest for taking his legal profession farther and pray that he brings fairness and trust into the judiciary.

Amidst the congratulatory messages, some are in speculation about how Fr. Adu Owusu-Agyemang would be able to distinguish his Catholic faith which preaches forgiveness from his work as a judge, a profession that capitalises on punishment.

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House for sale $110,000

Rev. Fr. Joseph Adu Owusu Agyeman Congratulatory messages are pouring in from the Catholic community in Ghana for Rev. Fr. Joseph Adu Owusu-Agyemang, who has just landed a High Court job.

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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 “Congratulations, Father. But how will he combine his Millennium City, Kasoa, Built to last with origifaith which preaches forgiveness with law which focus on nal features in a quite desirable area.The home punishment,” Richard Kamba said in reaction to the news offers 4 bedrooms each with en-suite bathroom on Facebook. that has a shower, basin and toilet. Original plan Another Facebook user who is also in doubt said, “I will was for an Airbnb.Main features are as follows:A beautiful kitchen, dining room and lounge.4 large go to him for confession just before court and the world will be surprised as I get acquitted for the most grievous bedrooms and four large bathroomsTank for crimes.” water and hot water, molded ceiling3 biodegradable manholesBig purposely build underground Below are some Facebook comments in reaction to Rev. water tank linked with water harvest Fr. Adu Owusu-Agyemang new judicial role: pipesParking space for 3 cars, airElectric fence/fire & smoke alarm, air conditions, Catholic Priest Lands New High Court Job fansAntique and modern lights from London all in boxes ready to be fixedSmall landscaped garhttps://www.businessamlive.com/ den (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.

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THE JOY OF HOMEOWNERSHIP

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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

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Kenya To Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccine Trials In Weeks

Kenya’s top medical research body will begin trials for a COVID-19 vaccine in a few weeks as the East African country continues its fight against the virus.

Kombe Yeri, the Director-General of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), said on Saturday the institution was only waiting for the necessary regulatory approvals before rolling out the trials.

“We were conducting several preparations ahead of the trials,” local nation.africa website quotes Yeri. “First, it was important for us to get all valid licences from relevant authorities. The Kemri team must also ensure that the vaccine is of the required standards and is not harmful to humans.”

The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine trials will be conducted on 40 people.

Other countries that have already rolled out human trials for the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine include the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, with about 8,000 volunteers drafted.

The vaccine, developed by Oxford University, is made from the ChAdOx1 virus, a weakened version of a common cold virus (called adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees, genetically modified so that it is impossible for it to replicate in humans. https://howafrica.com/k

Afri

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1635 Woodside Drive Woodbridge VA 22191

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Buhari says Nigeria is the most prosperous Black nation in the world

Two African Writers Shortlisted For 2020 Booker Prize September 2 0 2 0

Two novels by African writers were among six books shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction. The shortlist was revealed on Tuesday by the 2020 Chair of Judges Margaret Busby during a virtual press conference. The president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has said the West African nation and Africa’s largest economy is “unarguably’ the most prosperous Black nation in the world, backing his claim with certain unique qualities he says the country’s citizenry possess.

Buhari, 77, made those comments on Wednesday during the unveiling of the logo and theme as well as activities in line to celebrate the country’s 60th independence anniversary on October 1, according to Vanguard.

Today, we stand on the threshold of history as we formally begin a series of activities commemorating Nigeria’s Diamond Anniversary.

The task history has saddled me with today is to proclaim a theme that will keep us united, help us forge ahead and unveil a logo that will form the critical pillars which our 11month modest commemorative activities would rest on.

Operating within the limitations placed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we created an internet challenge for Nigerians to make a choice from a set of four pre-selected logos that would appropriately define the theme. Of these four options, Nigerians from all walks of life participated in making a choice and I am happy to let you know that the logo I would be unveiling is a product of choice from the Nigerian people. The selected option depicts our togetherness,

a country of over 200 million people whose natural talent, grit and passion glitter like the precious DIAMOND we are.

This, to me, is a special appreciation to our most precious asset – our people. Everywhere you go, Nigerians are sparkling like diamonds in the pack, whether inacademia, business, innovation, music, movie, entertainment, fashion and culture.

Furthermore, the neatly encrusted Diamond on the Nigerian Map symbolizes our age of treasure, the worth of the Nigerian people with our sparkle to the admiration of the world.

In the same vein, the pear green and dark green colours should respectively remind us of our warmth, welcoming spirit and love as well as the abundant wealth inherent in our human capital and the richness of our land. All these properties make us unarguably the most prosperous black nation in the world and Africa’s largest economy.

https://face2faceafrica.com/

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Diane Cook (The New Wilderness), Avni Doshi (Burnt Sugar), Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain) and Brandon Taylor (Real Life).

“The shortlist of six came together unexpectedly, voices and characters resonating with us all even when very different. We One of the novels is This Mournable are delighted to help disseminate these Body by Zimbabwean Tsitsi chronicles of creative humanity to a global Dangarembga, a sequel to her 1988 book audience,” Busby said. Nervous Conditions. In 2019, British-Nigerian writer Bernardine The book is about a woman confronting Evaristo became the first black woman to the realities of life and morality in win the prize for her book Girl, Woman, Zimbabwe as she descends into poverty. Other. “I am overwhelmed. And delighted. And grateful to everybody who has been there for me on this road,” Dangarembga said on Twitter in response to her shortlisting. Dangarembga had been arrested by Zimbabwean authorities in the capital Harare during a peaceful protest against government corruption in July and is expected in court on September 18.

The other novel is The Shadow King by Ethiopian-American Maaza Mengiste which uncovers the extraordinary tales of the African women who went to war during Italy’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia. Mengiste is one of five authors in the shortlist who are from the United States or hold joint American citizenship. She is also the first Ethiopian writer to make the Booker Prize shortlist.

“The Shadow King is on #TheBookerPrize Shortlist!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know what to say. OH MY GOD!” Mengiste tweeted following the announcement. Other members in the shortlist are:

Africans to have previously won the prize are South Africans Nadine Gordimer, JM Coetzee and Nigerian Ben Okri.

The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on November 17 and will pocket £50,000 ($64,000). The 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English and published in the UK or Ireland between October 1 2019 and September 30 2020.

https://howafrica.com/

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September 2020

Using animation to change the African narrative -- the 'Modin Comics' story

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Jeffrey Abban shares revealed to TheAfricanDream.net that he was inspired by the late coming’s legend Stan Lee of Marvel fame and Jack Kirby to take this path, saying further that given the opportunity, “I will love to work with Roye Okupe and Jid Martin. This is because Roye and Jid, both stalwarts in the comic industry are driven by the same vision I hold of telling a new African story that is true.“

“My first important work is my collaborative work with my brother on the Kickstarter for Mighty Joo in an animated short titled ‘Galamsyed’ which tackled the issues of harmful mining practices of Galamsey (Small-scale mining) in Ghana,” Jeffrey reminisced. The projection of Jeffrey for Modin Comics this year is to come out with original stories for three of their characters; a debut novel unveiling Africa’s greatest superhero group, the African Defenders and another collaborative work with his brother’s Parable Studios that will feature the comic characters Mighty Joo and Asantewaa.

In concluding this inspiring and revealing interview, Jeffrey left TheAfricanDream.net with these words; “I would like to say, I am passionate about Africa and the opportunities present for us to change the unsavory narrative told on our behalf. The onus is on us to tell our story our way; the African way.”

In what has become stereotypical about Africa with wars, poverty, and others that demean the continent, many have put it upon themselves to in their own way help change that narrative, one of such many is Modin comics.

Jeffrey and Modin Comics are spread across various social media platforms. On Instagram, find them as modincomics_gh, they are move-in comics on Facebook and are on YouTube as Parables Animation Studio.

With the inspiration to challenge what they saw as unfair and untruthful stories peddled about Africa, Modin Comics is using graphic novels and animations to tell the world a whole newer and truer story about Africa.

Written by Oral Ofori

Modin Comics is a Ghana-UK based graphics agency owned by Jeffrey Abban who tells TheAfricanDreamw.net that ‘Modin‘ in the Ga language of Ghana means ‘black person‘.

Born and raised in Ghana, Jeffrey Abban, attended Soul Clinic International School for his basic education and Junior High School before pursuing High School education at Labone Secondary School in Ghana. At Labone he also studied for his sixth form education by majoring in geography, economics, and art.

Read also: How inspiration of Brandon Mkhululi Muchenje creates jaw-dropping pieces

From there, he went to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), then University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, where he studied what he describes as “passion” graphic design.

While in his second year at KNUST, he was poached by a graphic design firm in Accra called Legends after he was spotted on a field trip there. That was the beginning of a new working relationship with Legends that lasted for three years well after his graduation. He worked as a graphic designer and an illustrator for them. Before graduating KNUST however, Jeffrey told TheAfricanDream.net that together with his brother, they started producing a comic book series titled Mighty Joo. This project however did not see the light of day back then due to financial limitations and had to be shelved.

Inspired by the African proverb “until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter,” nurtured his Mighty Joo ambitions, and saw a moment to publish it when an opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom (UK) became a reality. “The UK wasn’t a bed of roses as I had imagined it, but it brought out my spirit of resilience that fed a burning desire to change the narrative about the African,” a feeling he shared with his brother.

It was their strongest desire to rise above all limitations that led to Jeffrey birthing Modin Comics in the UK whiles his brother, Jones Abban founded Parables studio back in Ghana. Both firms had the sole aim to “create a new breed of African superheroes indigenous in origin” with a strong belief that superheroes and their mind-blowing acts are in no way limited to skin color, race, or gender.

Read also: Meet Thomas Alicoe Appiah, one of Ghana’s avant-garde artists

They also want to use this means not just to change the African narrative but as well empower the young African, preserve history, and make culture fun to study and discover.

https://https://allafrica.com/

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Travel the world amidst COVID-19 with Jynna Asiedu-Ofei and her Borga Diaries

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What were your initial thoughts when you started “Borga Diaries”?: When I started, I had doubts. I did not think it would gain traction. I already considered failure before even starting. I was shy to put myself out there, even though deep in me I believed it was a good concept, my fears lingered, but putting the video out has encouraged me to overcome my fear. So far, it has been a blessing after blessing after blessing.

What advice would you give to people who are thinking about starting a YouTube channel?: Do it, it is now or never. Years ago, when I started a YouTube channel, I would get on YouTube, watch a few videos, and watch “how-to” videos on starting a YouTube channel. Every video gave the same advice- start immediately. Now, even today when you go online, you still find videos advising you to start your channel now. YouTube has grown over the years, and it continues to grow. You should start your channel because someone out there is looking for the information you are putting out.

In this age of the novel CoronaVirus, many people all over the world are either forced to stay where they are or have travel restrictions limiting their ability to travel. This new way of living has resulted in many people being forced to stay home and spend more time on their computers and electronic devices. Luckily for all of us, a new YouTube series, titled “Borga Diaries,” created by Jynna AsieduOfei, has entered the online environment.

Borga Diaries is an entertaining online series, capturing the personal and captivating experiences of African travelers around the world. The following interview for TheAfricanDream.net conducted by Afromusion with the creator of Borga Diaries, details the creation and purpose of the series.

Jynna (left) interviewing her first Borga Diaries guest Francesca Koduah Can you tell readers a bit about you and your connection to Ghana: My name is Jynna Asiedu-Ofei. I attended high school at St. Roses Senior High School in Akwatia, Ghana’s Eastern Region. I then completed approximately two years at the University of Ghana before migrating to the United States (US). I currently hold an MBA (Masters in Business Administration), with a concentration in Human Resources Management. I have been working in the Human Resources field over a decade.

How was the idea for “Borga Diaries” born, where did it originate?: As people, when we travel, we always share our experiences with family and friends around a table. The stories become a social event, where you may have people drinking while listening to the story, and also laughing and crying as a result of the story’s complexity. These stories are always interesting, and always include information that most people did not know, with some level of culture shock.

One evening, I was speaking on Instagram with Ernest Oppong Obobisa, a friend who was in the US completing an internship. During our casual conversation, he was telling me about all of his US experiences, the culture shocks, and more, and we laughed uncontrollably over so many relatable things in his stories. After our convo I thought to myself: “there’s nothing on social media talking

about funny first-time travel experiences—there’s nothing really on YouTube. People blog about their travel experiences, but there are not plenty of experiences like this shared.” So, the next day, I called Ernest, and I was like, “Hey, I think I have this idea where we should go around and interview people on video and post the videos on my channel on Youtube.”

Luckily, due to timing, two things played in my favor. One, Ernest liked the idea, and he was a free-lance photographer and a cinematographer, so he had some equipment. Two, Corona was wreaking havoc in America, therefore everything was shutting down, so we had a lot of time on our hands to strategize. I asked him to be my cinematographer, I scheduled interviews with people, and we traveled around capturing the interviews on video, and the rest is history.

How did you select the name “Borga Diaries” for your YouTube channel?: In the beginning, we were unsure about the name. First, we thought of the name Yawah Abroad—because we wanted to talk about embarrassing moments abroad. We wanted people to be able to reflect and laugh at their memories. After the first two recordings, we decided to come up with the name “Borga Diaries”, which is pretty much the diary of a traveler because in Ghanaian parlance “borga” is used to refer to folks who have traveled to or lived in developed countries. So, what do you write in a diary? You write about your experiences. So, while we were on lockdown, we were moving around and recording, giving guests the opportunity to tell their borga stories on video.

When I started, I did not have any suitable equipment for creating YouTube videos. For example I did not have lapel microphones, reflectors, lighting… nothing. Amazon became my best friend. I was ordering gizmos and gadgets, and all kinds of equipment online from Amazon weekly.

What makes your YouTube channel unique that will attract people to it?: Everyone who has traveled has a traveling experience and watching this channel will allow people to relate to others’ experiences or relive theirs. And for people who have not traveled before, they can learn something from it. At times, people who have not traveled have a Hollywood-like idea about being and living abroad in developed countries, so this channel will give them a little exposure, in a funny way, to the realities of traveling abroad.

What makes you peculiar from others? It is the content and what we are talking about. I can bet on it that no series talks about funny travel experiences. There are vlogs, but nothing as funny as the content being put out on Borga Diaries right now, don’t doubt me, just watch it for yourself with this short link bit.ly/BorgaDiaries.

What were the hardest moments for you on this journey that made you almost want to give up, and what made you keep going? My fear of people perceiving me in a certain way, and just the fear of putting yourself out there, is what scared me the most. It’s a different level when you decide to put yourself out there on YouTube. The sense of accomplishment and pride I’ll feel tomorrow will outweigh any doubt or worry I feel today.

Who do you want this YouTube channel to appeal to? Everyone, the young, the old, those with travel ambitions, those without travel ambitions, married and single (like me!).

In 3 to 5 years, where do you hope this channel will be, in terms of growth? The aim is to grow, to a point where it can be shown on national TV, whether in the US or Ghana, or on any major network globally. I would love for this channel to reach diverse populations. As of now, my current videos include travel experiences from Ghanaians who have traveled to Germany, Italy, and the US. I hope to capture more experiences from other Africans who have traveled the world.

To view Borga Diaries, please visit the following YouTube and Instagram pages: Instagram: @borgadiaries https://instagram.com/borgadiaries?igshid=le9ljbfsyc7q

Written by Afromusion Written by Oral Ofori

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Afrikan Post september 2020_June 2011.qxd 9/22/2020 9:10 PM Page 40