Issuu

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THE VOICE MAGAZINE TEAM Publisher: Stichting Paddi Europa Editor-in-Chief Pastor Amb. Elvis Ndubuisi Iruh elvisiruh@thevoicenewsmagazine.com Founding/Contributing Editor Edward Idahosa Ogbee apexbest2000@yahoo.co.uk Managing Editor Henry D. Oduenyi (Nigeria Office) henry@thenigerianvoice.com Project Coordinator Ifeyinwa Ezeagabu Joy Onoilu (JEBITV) (Belgium) jebitv2003@gmail.com Middle East Vice- President Amb. Laila EL Aftani Rahhal CORRESPONDENTS ABROAD Barrister Eze Eluchie (Nigeria) paddingr@yahoo.com Contributors Rev. Tammy Abusi (Nigeria) tamabusi@gmail.com Elizabeth Kameo (France) Eva Nakato (Uganda) nakatoeva91@gmail.com Jimmie Nicks (Kenya) kollywoodhorizons@gmail.com Eubaldus Enahoro (Nigeria) enabadus2000@yahoo.com PA to Publisher Lilian Akintokun (Mrs) raven_lilian@yahoo.com Magazine Designer David Banjoko davosban@gmail.com MEDIA CONSULTANT Jonathan Mgbejume Abeka Salmin Abdallah Amb. Patrick McCaffrey Mildred Kleinbussink

Guest Writer: Ms. Albena Jones

The Voice magazine The Voice magazine is editorially independent although we enjoys the support of our readers, subscribers, advertisers, non-governmental organizations and in dividuals of like minds; however the magazine publishers are in no way affiliated to any of these bodies or to any other publishing institution or political interest or group. The Voice magazine strives to foster awareness among the African audience and bridge the widening gap between Africans and the rest of the world in news gathering and dissemination. The Voice is published digitally online except on demand, we print hard copy.. If you want to receive a copy, send us your email address. On the Editorial board are Pastor Amb. Elvis Iruh, Jonathan Mgbejume, Sandra Iruh-Monsels, and Henry Oduenyi READ THE VOICE ON LINE AT www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com Our Affiliate partner: www.thenigerianvoice.com www.viceversaglobal.com Registration NO: (Kvk. Nr. 34.110.928) TAX (BTW) NO: NL806215809B01 ISSN: 1571-3466 (For Print edition) ISSN: 2588-8807 (For Digital edition) For payments, use these bank details: Stichting Paddi Europa SNS Bank Account No: NL29SNSB0908374372 Swift Code: SNSBNL2A

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Volume22

NO 219 JULY 2022

Contents 26-29

July edition 2022 - Volume 22. No 219 38-39

64-67

ARTICLES Pages 6 & 7 – With Peter Obi I stand – No Apologizes Pages 12 & 13 - My thought about Air France coming out of France to Africa Page 14 – One of Africa’s youngest female pilot Page 15 – Air France apologizes to travellers for poor service in the past two years Pages 18 & 19 - CRARN dedicates International freedom prize to Governor Udom Emmanuel Pages 20 – 24 - A think tank forum on political re-engagement in Nigeria towards 2023 Page 30 - Badamasi premiere at The Voice Achievers award in the Gambia 2022 Page 31 - Francia Márquez is Colombia’s first Black Vice President Pages 32 & 33- Defying gender stereotypes in sports Pagea 34 & 35 - American International University Celebrates Pages 38 & 39 - Dr. Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio (First Lady Of Sierra Leone) Page 42 - A sharing by MindBeautySphere, Caroline Omondi Compassion work(s) Page 43 - Post-Election Seminar With The National Assembly Of The Gambia Pages 44 & 45 - Gulf of Despair Written by Ritah Atuhaire (Part 1) Pages 48 – 50 - Unleashing the Leader in you, everyone is a Leader: Lead to Develop Page 51 - President Adama Barrow Appoints Dr. Mrs. Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay As Gambian Ambassador To South Africa Pages 52 – 54 - Peter Obi Is The Third Force Pages 56 & 57 - The Voice Achievers Award appoints a working committee for Business Summit/Award 2022 in The Gambia Pages 58 & 59 - Colombia elects Gustavo Petro as country’s first leftist President Pages 60 & 61 - The inadvertent climate change advocate Pages 62 & 63 - Yoruba community in the Gambia celebrates with their King on its 10th anniversary celebration Page 68 - Joshua: When I beat Usyk, I’ll get credit I deserve

REGISTER WITH NIGERIA EMBASSY THE HAGUE On behalf of the Nigerian Embassy in The Hague, this is a general public announcement and appeal to all Nigerians resident in the Netherlands either as Students or full time residents with Dutch Nationality or any other nationality but you have proof of being a Nigerian. We kindly advise you to register your current location address and contact details through the Nigerian Embassy for your safety and accountability purposes in case of an emergency of evacuation or exchange of information. The Russian /Ukraine conflict is a learning curve for us all. We live in a time of uncertainty around the world. Note: Your information is not going to be compromised or used for any other purpose than for documentation and records purpose if you are to be reached. Kindly register yourself, spouse, children or any other family member resident with you even if they are undocumented in the country. The link to follow is below or visits the Nigerian Embassy website at www.nigerianembassythehague.nl Signed: Nigerian Ambassador to The Netherlands Her Excellency, Ambassador Dr. Mrs. Eniola Ajayi The Hague, The Netherlands

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Editorial

WITH PETER OBI I STAND NO APOLOGIES.

he Peter Obi I know is still the same today, humble, willing and ready to serve. No apology to any Nigerian, home or abroad that l choose to associate with or support in the quest for a better Nigeria. My association with Peter Obi date back to a year before we recognized him at the Voice Achievers Award. I was introduced to him by a great man I so much respected and honoured, the former Director General of the Stock Exchange and a great man of God, Late Apostle Dr. Hayford Ikponmwosa Alile, OFR, B.A., MBA (Hon), D.Sc. He told me Peter Obi was a descent Nigeria who deserved to be recognized. After the introduction, I kept contact with His Excellency; he was persuaded to collect the award because he was working for President Goodluck Jonathan so he needed to be in Europe. I did not connect with him just because of the award, I helped to mobilize Nigerians in the Netherlands when he was campaigning for Goodluck Jonathan, and we spoke at length. I saw his frustration working for the system, as at that time, they would not listen to his advice; he could just the little he could. During the award in Almere, The Netherlands, he came face to face with Bianca Ojukwu whom they have rumoured they were not in talking terms, but they sat next to each other and chatted throughout his stay that evening.

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The award we gave him in 2014, he proudly today mentions it in his CV and for that some are jealous, worried or concern. Mr. Peter Obi I speak to him on and off and our contact remains intact. My organization saw the potential in him when we chose to recognize him as far back as in 2014. Now in 2022, he is aspiring to be President of the Republic of Nigeria. Why not! He has the audacity to hope and dream and my prayer is that his dream would become a reality. He only supports noble courses and do not waste money unnecessarily. I still remembered that I booked for him a suite during the award ceremony; he said he does not need it; I should give it to someone else. He preferred to drive back to Germany where he had already booked a hotel to attend another event and from there he came to Holland to receive his award. I stand with my organization and friendship with Peter Obi on this journey to rescue Nigeria. Although I have not been involved in Nigeria politics over the years but I am not afraid to make my stand known to my friends, well wishers and followers. I have been an advocate of change, looking outside the structure of APC and PDP. In fact my friends that are politically minded know my stand on the present Government from the start, never in support till date. I helped Peter Obi to support former President Jonathan and when he did not win that election, we let it go. Peter Obi knows my

reservation about politics in Nigeria but as things stand today, Nigeria needs a fresh start, a new direction. It seems Peter Obi is the vehicle to drive the new 3rd force agenda and for this course, I join voices of millions of Nigerians calling for change - joining the structure less group as our new slogan in Nigeria for the old structure has failed us woefully. I would within my capacity in my own little space support Peter Obi. His Excellency, Peter Obi stand to enjoy my support and that of my team with no apologies, my space is small that I cannot have any other name or organization alongside Peter Obi for now. I call on all well meaningful Nigerians to join forces, it is either to

elect a new fresh leader or continue with our re-circling process of the old structure. It is a two-way battle now for a new starts or changes or to continue with the same old structure, which has, not deliver a meaningful life to majority of the population. The choice is ours, the people. Thank you Pastor Ambassador Elvis Iruh Publisher- The Voice magazine Convener - The Voice Achievers Award

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Pastor Roel & Ida Van Rooij Senior Pastor 4Pillars Community Church Almere

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President Felix Tshisekedi of DRC: Excited to join the EAC

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My thought about

Air France coming out of France to Africa By Sierra Leone First Lady, Dr. Mrs. Fatima Bio

Bad Attitude Have no respect for Africans Have no sympathy for African passengers traveling with children Have no Empathy for Disabled Africans Bad and cheap food for Africans

Yesterday we checked in to fly out from Paris to Guinea via Sierra Leone after sitting in the flight for 2 hours we were asked to move from that plane because it was faulty thank God we didn’t fly up air then had a situation. Fast forward we moved in to another plane sat for another 2 hours and the pilot announced that we could not travel any longer because the crew has gone over their time. 12

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They asked everyone to leave the plane with no other explanation. Women with children where left roaming the airport not knowing what to do. People in wheelchairs crisscrossing to find a place to rest and there was no one from Air France to help them. To make matter worst no one was allowed to take back their suitcases so if you had your medication in them as far as Air France was concern you can die for all the care. A crew of 12 people who did not travel or do anything ground more than 150 passengers because they are Africans. When will Air France understand that we are there biggest customers in terms of pricing? Africans pay the highest to travel to Africa in an inferior planes all the time. We are treated like criminals at all European airports especially France. We are given the worst terminal to travel from like dogs. Even in the VIP lounges the food they present to us is only fit for prisoners. My advice to African Heads Of State is that they engage the management of Air France and demand better treatment for our people. We are not slaves any longer so Air France should remove that mentality of superiority from their selfish self and know that no African country will go under France as slaves again. Trying our luck today hopefully we will succeed to go home. Air France change your bad ways because we are watching.

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ONE OF AFRICA’S YOUNGEST FEMALE PILOT

eet - Audrey Maame Esi Swatson, Ghana’s youngest female Commercial Pilot. She is a First Officer with Passion Air, a Ghanaian airline company, flying the Dash8 Q-400 aircraft. She attended the University of Ghana Basic School for her basic education and Ghana Christian International High School for her secondary education. At age 18, she proceeded to the Mach1 Aviation Academy in South Africa, for her flight training. At age 19, she had her first solo flight with Mach1 Aviation Academy and went on to obtain her Commercial Pilot Licence at age 21. “Apart from God and my parents, I owe everything I am and everything I hope to be to school. Without the education I have received during my lifetime, the friends I have met and have networked with, the great teachers that have been there for me since day one, I would not be able to move on to a more positive place in my life. I would not be able to have a chance to even become a pilot, to be given a chance to inspire other children that whatever they dream of, they can actually be. Education has fulfilled me and I am a more positive person because of it,” said Audrey Swatson. Let’s celebrate her

Women Power in Africa! SOURCE: Dream Liberia

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AIR FRANCE APOLOGIZES TO TRAVELLERS FOR POOR SERVICE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS

ear Customers,

After 2 years of border closures that have grounded many of our aircrafts, we are happy to see you on board and travelling with us again. For months, we have been preparing for this summer to welcome you in the best conditions. To this end, we have maintained our investments in our fleet renewal, in the comfort of our cabins and in our lounges, and also resumed recruitment from 2021, despite the very great uncertainties related to the sanitary crisis. We have hired 300 pilots, 200 mechanics, many seasonal workers in our stations to be ready for the restart of our activity and in particular for summer 2022. In addition to our own resources, we also asked all our subcontractors and partners last January to prepare for a strong demand for travel, at 90% of the 2019 level. Our entire fleet is in service this summer and we have re-opened almost our entire network, with 196 destinations. We have thus prepared ourselves with maximum anticipation to accompany you on your holiday, being well aware of the difficulty of restarting our airport and aeronautical ecosystem, which had abruptly stopped in 2020 and had been idling ever since. We were on the right track with our operational performance back at satisfactory levels in the first quarter of this year. Unfortunately, we must note that over the past two weeks, our operations have been severely degraded by external issues, whether they are third party industrial action outside of our control or infrastructure malfunctions. This may have led to delays in your arrival at your destination, delayed luggage deliveries or even flight cancellations imposed on us by agencies to preserve the functioning of Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. I would like to offer my deep and sincere apologies to those of you whose travels have been affected by this situation. I would also like to assure you that all of us at Air France are working tirelessly at your service to resolve each individual situation, in particular in terms of baggage forwarding, which may have been delayed

last Friday due to industrial action outside of our control that have greatly disrupted the operation of baggage sorters. Re-routing all delayed baggage will take up to several days. Aware of the difficulties this causes you, we thank you for your patience. In parallel, the Paris Airport Authority (ADP) are fully mobilized to find solutions to the current difficulties under their control and put an end as soon as possible to the major disruptions of recent days. Nevertheless, I wish you an excellent summer while finally being able to enjoy the freedom to travel again, and I also want to reassure you of our total engagement to bring back as soon as possible smooth operations. Dear Customer, please accept my best regards,

Anne Rigail, Air France CEO

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YOUR COPY NOW.... Getting to know you written by Pastor Elvis Iruh Pastor Felix Asare wrote the foreword

BOOK REVIEW Pastor Elvis Iruh’s new book is out…… Title: “Getting to know you” - A book on marital steps with information about marriage Author: Pastor Amb. Elvis Iruh About the book Whether you’re preparing for marriage or want to enjoy a deeper union with your spouse, this guide will help you enjoy a relationship built on solid Christian values. Pastor Elvis Iruh is a licensed minister with Victory Outreach International. His book highlights simple principles that are often taken for granted. Learn how to: • get to really know a love interest before deciding to marry; • avoid mistakes that lead to divorce; • appreciate the sanctity of marriage;

partners can carry out with each other as well as guidance for pastors and church leaders who may need help in advising couples. This guide will help couples enjoy marriage that is built to last. ***** About the Author ELVIS IRUH is a native of Delta State, Nigeria. He attended numerous schools in Nigeria, including the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Lagos, Nigeria, before continuing his studies in Europe and earning a degree in theology from Victory Education & Training Institute. He worked for several media organizations in Nigeria as well and has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Voice news magazine since August 1999. He is serving as an associate pastor at Victory Outreach Almere, The Netherlands. The book can be used for educational purposes as well as educating your children on the subject of marriage. He is also available to speak on related topics covered in the book at any organized event or church activities. He is open for collaborative efforts to strengthen marriage institutions worldwide. It is a mission he has dedicated himself to helping the younger generation to talk and address the challenges they face in building good and solid relationships which could end up in marriage. You can purchase the book in Holland via his website: www.elvisiruh.com or through his publishers’: www.authorhouse.com/ Elvis Iruh or on www.amazon.co.uk via this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/ aw/d/1665580844/ref=ox_sc_act_

• forgive your partner when they make mistakes. Before you think of getting married, you should take the necessary steps to really get to know your partner. Your past should not contain any surprises - and your values must be aligned. This revealing book is filled with practical exercises that

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image_1?smid=AHRB2OK2Q2YCL&psc=1 You can contact him directly through any of his social media handle for your questions or comments, he would look into it and respond would be sent to you accordingly. Email: info@elvisiruh.com or elvisiruh@gmail.com

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CRARN DEDICATES INT’L FREEDOM PRIZE TO GOV. UDOM EMMANUEL

Rouen, the Normandy Region France, Ms. Lena Baro to nominate CRARN for this year’s Freedom Prize. Sam Itauma who received the award on behalf of his organization and the good people of Nigeria, appreciated the organizers of the world Freedom Prize and the president of France for the liberal contest, which saw CRARN as the winner. Dr. Itauma, a freedom fighter, a defender of the oppressed, and a crusader against witchcraft beliefs and superstition in Africa recounted various horrible ordeals he encountered in the course of fighting for freedom and appreciated the Nigeria Police Force for always standing by the organization where and whenever the need arose and at the same time appealed to the State Security Services (SSS) aka Department of State Security (DSS) to eschew intimidation and harassment of children-supporting organizations but return to the supportive role which the security outfit was previously known for as the cause of children rescue and support cannot be accomplished in an atmosphere of rancor, harassment and intimidation. “I’m glad to report that the Nigeria Police is the most child-friendly security outfit in the world. We see them as amiable partners because of the tremendous amount of support we receive from them despite their chequered and battered image in some quarters. In contrast, the Department of State Security (DSS), which was hitherto a friendly institution to our work, has now morphed its position into an antagonistic and repressive gamut. Reports from all the childrensupporting organizations in Eket are laced with harassment, intimidation, and bottlenecks from the once revered security outfit in Africa. I appeal to the DSS to take us back to the days when we see them as a beacon of hope and friends of the oppressed. We look forward to working with them in an atmosphere devoid of rancor, suspicion, and intimidation.” Itauma laid bay succinctly how and why he founded CRARN thus: “I founded the Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) consequent upon the massive discriminated, stigmatized and abandoned children abandonment of children after stigmatizing, torturing of Nigeria, which prompted a high school student of and abusing them in the name of witchcraft. It was he Freedom Prize award, which was presented to Dr. Itauma by the President of Normandy, France, His Excellency, Mr. Hervé Morin who assured Itauma of the France support for his fight for freedom. He stated that his office would consider options that will facilitate greater ties and leverage to support vulnerable people in Nigeria. The presentation of the Freedom Prize came as a result of the landslide victory recorded by the charity organization in an online contest organized among 370 countries where only three were selected to Contest for the prize. The Three countries, which contested for the final laureate, were Malawi, represented by Mrs. Theresa Kachindamoto, Lebanon represented by Muhammad Al Jounde and Nigeria where her charity organization, CRARN was adjudged as the winner of the 2022 world freedom prize. According to the president of Normandy of the French Republic, the activities and performance of the Nigerian charity organization is seen in the international fora, especially in the rescuing of

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actually an accidental phenomenon after I witnessed three children who were being dragged to the bush, beaten and tortured with sticks and almost killed by the adult who was about a dozen in number. I intercepted the Killings when I witnessed their torture and their torturer claimed they were bringing down the progress of a nearby market, which was close to me. This happened while I was preparing to return to the university in the year 2003...” Dr. Itauma recounted. The CRARN President assured the International Institute for Human Right and Peace as well as the mammoth crowd that played host to him that continuous enlightenment campaign was a sine qua non for to ending of witchcraft superstition countries of the world to grace the occasion while and abuse and his organization shall continue to carry out enlightenment campaigns in encouraging all to rekindle their fight for freedom. various quarters of Nigeria and other parts of Africa to eliminate the unfounded belief in witchcraft and to accelerate the peaceful fight for human freedom. Itauma thanked all those who came in from different

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A THINK TANK FORUM ON POLITICAL RE-ENGAGEMENT IN NIGERIA TOWARDS 2023 Written by Elvis Iruh

THEME: Restructuring our political arrangement in Nigeria : REFLECTION ON NIGERIA POLITICS IN NIGERIA (1999 TILL DATE)

023 politics would take the center stage in Nigeria and there would expectedly be new political realignments, with party politics taking center stage but unfortunately in the Nigerian setting, we are already witnessing the realignment of the two old parties (APC & PDP) and there is already carpet crossing from one party to the other. As a concern citizen and observer of the politics of Nigeria and other places around the world, I sense a danger of Nigeria falling into the trap of producing a one party state where one party wins it all and takes it all. This does not in any way help in the development of the country where we have great individuals and accomplishers scattered across the country and in the Diaspora. We need fresh hands in the affairs of running the country and we would not attain this from these present political arrangement. I remember how in 1983, under President Shehu Shagari, Nigeria was drifting into a one party state with one political party winning it all and everyone was being forced to join them or you get nothing. A similar trend is building up in Nigeria today with APC led government in power. WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD? We have 18 political parties registered in Nigeria according to The Independent National Electoral Commission website and probably a few more would be registered before 2023 elections. For a population of over 200 million people, it is not too high of political arrangement to cater for such a huge population but my honest question is, how effective is these so called smaller political parties in shaping the future of the country? The impact of these smaller parties are not felt by the population and for the simple reason they are all fail to recognize that they cannot make any political significance except they work together to form a

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Senator to be, Hon. Kenneth Gbandi in a chat with me, Pastor Elvis Iruh larger coalition of these small parties to contest against the established two major parties. Without this effort, it would continue to be a waste of time and resources. It is time for real change and we stop recycling APC & PDP. It does not matter what they promise, they are two parties of the same side, whichever side you turn to, you are going to get the same result from 1999 till date. Politicians are edging each other out of the so-called big parties with the mentality that once you are in a big party, then you stand a better chance of cinching the mantle. It’s clear that Nigerians have not learnt their lessons from these two political parties oligarchy. Until they come together and work together with their followers and the general populace, Nigeria political arrangement would remain a rotational arrangement of APC or PDP. It is a

motivation is to sincerely contribute to the change we desire so badly and it is possible. Political parties are of crucial importance, but over and above, there’s need to synchronize and resonate with the citizens to have a clear understanding of needs, expectations and desires. In my own opinion, this is the way to go. All those aspiring to lead must understand what our needs as citizens are. We want them to take their time to see which party best aligns with their manifesto before coming to join rather than being forced to join a party on the ground of being ‘big party’. WE DON’T NEED BIG PARTIES – WE NEED EFFECTIVE PARTIES which is possible through a coalition of these small political parties where everyone can aspire to be part of the system in a give and take manner and not winner take it all. We need sincere, honest, descent candidates from whatever political party who is willing to serve the people and not any umbrella of so called ruling or opposition parties as it has been the deep regret but this is the reality on ground today. The idea of independent candidate is not attainable in Nigeria because the money involved and political logistics make it practically impossible to accomplish that at nearly all levels of governance. However, I sit here and wonder who misled us to belief that we cannot make a difference if all the remaining 16 political parties form a greater force against these two ruling parties from now till the election proper, presenting a common front to clinch the parliamentarian seats, Governorship seats and ultimately the Presidency. It is based on this realization that I am putting together a round table international meeting for these political parties top leadership to come to the Netherlands, where I have arranged series of meetings and engagements and take them out of this distraction of Nigeria to hold serious talks, plans and strategize for the future of Nigeria. I know some people of like minds are already busy; this forum is an additional contribution. I would personally not be engaging in any political role, no interest in political position or appointment now or in the future, my only

case in the past since 1999 till date. We should be looking for leaders who can engage and interact with the people. We are looking for someone we can relate to the suffering of millions of people and majority of them are the voters. Why continue voting for people who do not have your interest at heart? I can only encourage the aspiring political parties and this is what I intend to do with this gathering, to take their time

Continued on Page 22

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Continued on Page 21

Peter Obi: Bringing some hope to a desperate population of Nigerian youth to interact with one another and agree on a template to engage the citizenry in a deep way so that they are well aligned. The rest will follow.

We need to come together to discuss how we can make the coalition of the smaller parties stronger and effective in the political arrangement of the country.

For now, I also want you politicians to think of engaging more youths in your political arrangement rather than mobilizing them to go and protest. They should get register to vote and position them for opportunity to serve at various levels of government.

The smaller parties are closer to the people at the grass root level and should have a significant contribution in the affairs of the country from bottom to top level political system instead of what we presently have where every interest is focus at the center

Finally, there is no short cut in electing leaders we want, we have to prepare and work towards it. We must do so by exercising our right to vote.

This gathering being put together by The Voice News magazine publication based in the Netherlands and United States of Africa Organization with headquarters in Dubai, UAE. The conveyers are from Nigeria therefore their special interest in contributing to the discourse of how best to prepare Nigeria for the coming times as they go into election year in 2023.

Let us make a difference in 2023 but the journey starts now EVENT’S BRIEF Following the unsuccessful political arrangement we have practiced since the return of political democracy in 1999; the present political structure success favours just two major political parties and every other political parties are assumed to be mere followers. This arrangement is dangerous for a developing country like Nigeria where we have seen such two parties becoming more into one strong party where every other party is shallowed up and the danger of this development is a weak opposition who is not able to make any effective change or contribution to the advancement of the country.

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The forum is a perfect educational and training program for all of these political parties outside the two main parties in Nigeria at the moment – APC & PDP. At the Forum, we would share knowledge on how best to make small political parties relevant in the future elections in Nigeria. How they can demand accountability, transparency and inclusiveness at various levels of governance of the country. So politicians would stop running from one party to the other to find relevance. The Netherlands and many other European countries have

multi-party systems where all political parties (Big or small) contribute to the political arrangement that eventually emerges after elections. They form inclusive governments where majority of the political parties contribute to debate on the structure and forming of the cabinet including appointment of ministers, departmental heads, diplomats alike. It is expected that the participants would expand their political knowledge, management and leadership skills, explore emerging best practices, and build a personal action plan to take them to their constituencies in Nigeria and begin to preach a different type of politics from bottom to the top. The Forum would engage European Parliamentarians with Africa to share their ideas and experiences in helping to shape politicians in some Africa countries; we would also engage local Dutch politicians to share their political parties experiences particularly the smaller parties and yet they are actively involved in the country’s government.

At the end of the 3 days visit and exchange of ideas, we expect that these political parties should develop an MOU on how best they can work together for the common good of their people and followers alike. WHY ARE WE DOING THIS This is part of our social responsibility to sensitize Nigerians and the general populace on what political arrangement would best fit our nation, Nigeria better as we continue to search for a way forward. Our politics need to improve. We need to “Build coalitions blocks of the smaller political parties”. Politics is not big/ small parties’ arrangement but coalition of people and interests, interactions. It is time for real change It is no more fashionable that two parties are monopolizing the whole country and it has become either A or B. What happens from C-Z? It is a big puzzle that needs to be resolved for the future to have meaningful bearing on the general populace. Conveyer Pastor Ambassador Elvis Iruh International Media Coordinator Publisher, The Voice media publication This was my presentation to an audience of friends of Nigeria willing to support a new 3rd force agenda towards 2023 elections in Nigeria.

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Is Peter Obi the ‘messiah’ Nigerians have been waiting for? By Uzoma Ahamefule

here is something unfamiliar that has been happening in Nigeria for some time now. Nigerians seem to have in unison resolved to forget their religious differences, political disparities and their ethnic backgrounds to liberate themselves from political deceits in the hands of political deities and destiny killers who have shamelessly continued to use electricity, water and roads to campaign for elections since 1960 till today. While some people describe the happening as “earthquake”, some say it is “a tsunami” and some say it is just “a movement,” but no matter the perspective one sees it, the testimonies are proofs that something tremendous and unusual they had thought impossible to happen is pleasantly happening because of the good name of one man, Peter Gregory Obi, the former governor of Anambra State. Obi is the kind of politician and leader one sees in developed countries where things work properly because the politicians think and behave normal and are very fair. “You can go and verify”. Obi’s record that ignited the raging fire has broken every yoke and all the barriers in every home and forcefully made nonsense of the anti-party rule by penetrating deeply in each political party and overwhelmed even their upper echelons to be “OBI-dient” and humbled to join in our national song of: “Obi kerenke Obi, kerenke Obi, give us Obi, Obi kerenke Obi”. “You can go and verify” by asking Godwin

Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, who is already shivering over the expected defeat of PDP and APC in 2023. Peter Obi is fair, selfless, sincere, visionary, courageous, humble and above all God fearing. His qualitative leadership and fantastic performances as the governor of Anambra and his simplicity have overwhelmed Nigerians and endeared him to their hearts. Since at least the new beginning of the Nigerian democracy in 1999, Nigerians have not found a politician like him. In Obi they have seen a prudent leader, a Nigerian politician with conscience, a man of high integrity that cannot be cajoled, intimidated or threatened with law enforcement agents, a man his records as an ex-governor speak volume, so transparent and impressive that whatever he said he did or that had happened while he was a governor he would say, “go and verify”. We are not saying that Obi is a saint because no one is, but we have seen the records of his transparency and sincerity in governance as he effectively managed the affairs of Anambra prudently that a few mistook him with his wise choices of spending to be stingy. The fairness and the compassion he had also used in approaching issues that had concerned the masses as a governor were second to none. He

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nor that had conscience, he reasonably paid all pensioners in Anambra their pensions and gratuities, even the ones the Anambra government owed before he became the governor of the state that were in arrears - he cleared all. If he has already done it in Anambra, he will also do it for all Nigerians.

has been tested and proven not to be a bigot but a reliable and a detribalized Nigerian with the vision for the benefit of all. Nigerians have absolute trust in him to bring for them a real change and to take them to real next level – not APC’s kind of change and next level. Anyone who knows Anambra very well and also other Nigerian states will agree with me that Anambra is one if not the most difficult state in Nigeria to govern. And if Peter Obi could lay very solid foundations and successfully succeed in reasonably delivering dividends of democracy in a state like that against all odds without any scandal or accusing fingers of corruption or embezzlement of public funds, when he becomes the president of Nigeria, he will establish and strengthen institutions with enabling and friendly environment for the emergence of factories and foreign investors that will create jobs, take youths out of the streets, permanently end ASUU strikes, give us reasonable volume of electricity supply and take us out from a consuming country to a producing country. All scrutinized available records prove that Obi never abused his power, and was not corrupt as he handled the affairs of Anambra with the fear of God. He did not use his privileged position as a governor to grab people’s land and build mansions like many ex-governors did and many governors are perhaps currently doing. He also told us that since he left the government house the Anambra government has not “bought a pure water” for him, nor paid him pension or gratuity, and we should go and verify. But as a gover-

He also told us that he paid all government contractors who did work under his administration before he left as a governor. But many ex-governors without conscience never paid a lot of contractors who had borrowed money from banks, well-wishers, friends and family members and executed jobs given to them under their reigns and which they took credit for. Many of these corrupt and greedy ex-governors never paid our senior citizens their pensions and gratuities as Obi while they were governors, but they themselves have received their gratuities and are today receiving their pensions as when due. Sadly, some of them were even accused to have forced INEC officials under hostage to declare them winners as senators-elect for elections they never won. Furthermore, and painfully too, this bunch of dubious groups are today not only receiving salaries as legislators, but are at the same time too getting pensions as ex

governors. But they shamelessly without any iota of guilt forgot that they had denied our senior citizens the same rights of pension and gratuities they are enjoying now, and by that singular act of venture brought many of the pensioners to their early graves. The rumor is that some political parties in their narrow Continued on Page 28 www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

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mindedness still believe that Obi has no structure, therefore they are trying to lure him over to their own parties. Please someone should tell them that the reality right now is that Peter Obi is not even in control of his own campaign for the 2023 presidential election anymore. While other political parties and their aspirants give people money to campaign for them, Nigerian youths and sincere concerned citizens all over the country and in Diaspora have buried their religious, ethnic and political differences and are coming together with their own little resources to fund Obi’s presidential aspiration and they have taken over the

steering of Obi’s campaign lorry. While a man in Gombe State reported to be an ex-military officer has donated his house for the Labor Party to use as office, a lady in Edo State has equally donated her office building because they believe in the project of Obi. Youths who feel the pains of Lekki toll gate shooting during the “ENDSARS” protest, who are affected by ASUU strikes, who are jobless and hungry, who are frustrated and intimidated by terrorist attacks and threats of taking over all the bushes in Nigeria, and who are scared of the increasing high rate of kidnappings and killings going on in every part of Nigeria are bringing their resources together for Obi’s victory because in the hands of Obi they feel save with a bright future. My personal interpretation of the unfolding events today with the massive support Obi is getting in every part of Nigeria is that, while Tinubu and Atiku etc. are the flag bearers of their political parties (APC and PDP respectively), Obi is the candidate and the flag bearer of the Nigerian youths and progressive Nigerians. I say so because in Nigeria politicians give and use money to entice the people to campaign and vote for them, but in Peter Obi’s case ordinary poor Nigerians like me are bringing their own money and their resources together to campaign for Obi. What a scenario! Many Nigerians who are still sleeping should not forget that PDP and APC can never help us. The two parties have failed us, though PDP seems a lesser evil in comparison with APC, but both parties cannot give us the president we want because we have seen them all and also their aspirants. However, Nigeria being what it is, whether this incredible support and mammoth fellowship of Peter Obi will translate to electoral victory will depend entirely on us, his supporters’ determination in making sure that we vote properly when the time comes and also protect our votes after voting. Correspondingly too, whether President Buhari and INEC are ready to sincerely conduct free and fair elections for Nigerians and leave an everlasting legacy will be a major factor we should pray to go very well. Therefore, let me use this medium to equally congratulate President Buhari on the successful

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conduct of APC’s convention, because every evidence points that he never intervened as to influence the outcome in favor of any candidate. So, we appeal to you Sir, to please give us a free and fair election in 2023, by making sure that no one uses the military, the police, or any of the security forces to intimidate, disrupt or rig the elections. Don’t forget that when it goes well you take the credit and when it goes bad it also comes to you, and it will make no sense to soil your name for any reason. Work very hard to protect voters and INEC officials from harm because many rejected politicians have no other plan than violence. Please take note of this Sir. “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward,” said Martin Luther King Junior. Consequently, do all that is necessary and just concerning 2023 and make no mistake. However, mistakes are human and can be tolerated, but no matter what may happen, one mistake that should not be allowed to happen by hook or crook and that cannot be tolerated is to have the name of APC at the center of the Nigerian governance. It would be another tragedy; a disaster Nigeria may not be able to recover from considering the fallacy that was sold to us in 2014 that Buhari was a messiah. But today the reality stands fully stark naked before all of us that Buhari’s administration was a collateral damage we all are suffering and are yet to recover from - a disastrous damage its pain and injury inflicted on us are still very fresh. Nigeria is right now in a very precarious situation, and any mistake will be too disastrous. Therefore, 2023 has presented itself for us to collectively change the narratives. We have been used and abused for too long and we cannot allow this golden opportunity to slip out of our hands. Consequently, we must be prudent, futuristic, sincere and wise in making our choice for the next president because we must get it right this time, and in Peter Obi and Labor

Party the hope for this new Nigeria we all strive and crave for beckons. “Obi kerenke Obi, kerenke Obi, Give us Obi, Obi kerenke Obi, gbarashi na obi ...” Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen and a refined African traditionalist, writes from Vienna, Austria. uzomaah@yahoo.com +436607369050 (Please WhatsApp messages only)

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Badamasi premiere at The Voice Achievers award in the Gambia 2022

adamasi: Portrait of a General is a biopic about former Nigerian head of state, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB). It was directed by Obi Emelonye and stars Enyinna Nwigwe in the lead role as Babangida. It is the first Nollywood political biopic. Badamasi tells the story of Babangida from his origins in the village of Wushishi in Northern Nigeria to his joining the army and time as a Nigerian military head of state. It also portrays significant events in Babangida’s life including the period of the Nigerian civil war where Babangida sustains injuries in an attempt to rescue a colleague. The subsequent military coups and annulment of the June 1993 presidential elections were also portrayed. Production for Badamasi commenced in 2017.The film is set in 1980/1990s Nigeria and was shot on location in Lagos, Minna, Abuja and the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka. The film director told an interviewer that it took him 4 years to convince Babangida to allow him make the biopic. The film was initially billed for a 29 November 2019 release date but was delayed due to reported “powerful people” who were against the circulation of the film. There were concerns that the biopic might be an attempt to whitewash Babangida’s story as the annulment of the June 1993 presidential elections earned Babangida condemnation. The first look trailer was released in September 2019. Badamasi premiered at the Cineworld O2 Arena in South London on 12 June 2021. A reviewer for The Guardian praised the film for its production and attention to technical details noting that “It did not ‘feel’ like Nollywood” and was in keeping with Obi Emelonye’s other films including Heart 2 Heart, The Mirror Boy, Last Flight to Abuja and Onye Ozi. Mr. Obi Emelonye is a proud recipient of the Voice Achievers Award in 2019 in Kenya. He is excited to give the Gambians the chance to the world acclaimed success movie during this year’s event in the Gambia.

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Francia Márquez is Colombia’s first Black Vice President

rancia Márquez is set to become Colombia’s first Black vice president after she and leftist Gustavo Petro won the `Colombia Presidential elections last month. The country’s Afro Colombian population is large but has been historically marginalized. Afro Colombians “are overrepresented in the numbers of forcibly displaced people and victims of violence” from the decades-old conflict in the country, Eduardo Restrepo, an anthropologist at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, told the press ahead of election results. What to know: Márquez is a lawyer and longtime activist and winner of the Goldman Prize, a prestigious recognition in environmentalism. Marelen Castillo, the running mate of runnerup Rodolfo Hernández, also identifies as Afro Colombian. Background: About one in 10 Colombians identify as Black, though that number could be higher because of a suspected census undercount. Academics say some people don’t identify as Black because of a long history of discrimination stemming from colonial times. What they’re saying: The women’s candidacies inspired a lot of racist and classist reactions due to “this idea inherited from colonial times that some people are meant to govern and others to be governed,” Restrepo said. By Marina E. Franco

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Defying gender stereotypes in sports Written by Martha Nalukenge

ports has always been used as a unifying factor the world over, a means of celebrating our unity and diversity. Yet, some quarters still believe that certain sports are for women and girls only. Mugisha Ali challenged that narrative and opted to follow his passion and is now one of the best netball umpires on the African continent. We are living in times where society stereotypes roles, characters, and personalities. Growing up, they say boys

to victory at the East Africa Club Championship, taking home the winner’s trophy. Uganda is currently ranked 6th worldwide —behind formidable powerhouses like Australia, New Zealand, England, and South Africa— and second in Africa. As a child, Ali saw how the older girls were unfair to the younger ones, often pushing them, literally, during the matches. Surprisingly the girls, including one of his sisters, never gave up and continuously showed up for the matches.

Ali Mugishas Women’s team should never wear certain colors, play certain sports like netball, or even show emotion. So many men today are scarred by this, thinking they will be considered inferior if they do not act or behave in a certain manner. Mugisha Ali, Uganda’s first Africa Grade ‘A’ netball umpire, pursued a sport that is considered the preserve of women and girls. Even associating yourself as a man with such a sport is considered an inferior act. Yet, he managed to defy the naysayers and through hard work, led his team

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This inspired him to go out and watch them play, something which made him realize that people were not aware of the rules of the game. He also felt that his sister’s potential and talent were not being fully utilized. After identifying the problem, he found the solution which would ultimately make him one of the best umpires in the country. Growing up in a polygamous family nurtured strength in Ali and his sisters, forcing them to develop and exploit their talents since this would be their only way out of

poverty. Having numerous mother figures at home meant that they had to be their own parents in order to bridge the ‘parental love’ gap they felt was missing. He admits another reason why he joined netball was that he thought

Instead, he has equipped himself with more knowledge and expertise in the sport. When asked how he handles coaching the women’s team, his answer is short and firm, ‘I keep it professional.’

Ali Mugisha 2nd on the left

it would contribute to developing motherly skills in him. “Giving his players all the necessary skills and information that will be theirs for life and would help them solve problems in their lives” Ali joined the women’s national team, the Uganda SheCranes, as a trainer and an umpire in 2018; a technical official in 2019; and as an assistant coach for U21 in 2020; He led the team at the SPAR Challenge in Cape Town, South Africa. However, success doesn’t come on a silver platter. He has been typecast within the industry because of his gender. He has also been discriminated against because of his age but this no longer bothers him.

Ali Mugishas Women’s team The end justifies the means. Let’s concentrate on what’s best for us rather than what people assume is. Instead of dwelling on senseless subjects that don’t add value to society, like gender sports and roles, our focus should be on more important issues. How can we make the sport more inclusive? How can we accommodate and cater to children and people living with disabilities? It is important to remember that success is a public affair that we can all celebrate in. ‘We all know a day without netball won’t kill me, but why risk it?’

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American International University Celebrates Dr. Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio (First Lady Of Sierra Leone) Written by E.N. Iruh

ollowing the conferment of Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (D.HumL.) on the First Ladies of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio and The First Lady of Republic of The Gambia, Dr. Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow respectively, the American International University took the celebration a step further by putting together an auspicious dinner in honour of their fresh graduates. The University’s Chancellor insists that the memorable dinner will in addition to award ceremony, stamp a statement of further authenticity whereby the new receipients will henceforth wear a new prefixof ‘Doctor (DR.)’ in their names. He described the celebration as a historic honor. The delighted Sierra Leonean First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio expressed her appreciation to the university for the recognition and acknowledgment of her modest contribution to humanity in a unique way. She urged the University to remain steadfast in promoting women in the region through recognition of their work and

formal knowledge imparting. The unpretentious First Lady of Sierra Leone expressed her undiluted love for Sierra Leone and The Gambia for making her the person she is today, with special reference to Sierra Leone for giving her the opportunity to serve as their First Lady while the Gambia remains her formative cherished birthland. She is gladdened in the fact that both countries love her very much as she too treasures the two countries. “Thank you Sierra Leone for giving me the opportunity to serve you; thank you Sierra Leone for making me understand what it means to be a woman that is determined to make a change; thank you for giving me this special privilege and space to be your First Lady. I pray that by the time I leave office, I would have served you with distinction and you would be proud to call me your First Lady,” she asserted. Dr. Bio expressed appreciation to all that have invested in her life in diverse ways.

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Sierra Leonean First Lady, Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio Receives Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (D.HumL.)

he American International University in West Africa has conferred Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters on the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio in recognition of her outstanding humanitarian and philanthropic interventions across the globe. This recognition was bestowed on the unassertive Sierra Leonean First Lady at an auspicious award ceremony in The Gambia on Saturday June 4 2022. During the citation, Prof. Adama Sallah described Mrs. Bio as an epitome of bravery, intelligence and servant leadership, as evident in the massive impact being recorded by her humanitarian interventions and activities across the globe. Prof. Adama Sallah highlighted the rich academic background of the First Lady including her graduation from the Roehampton University with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)) in Performing Arts, which qualified her as an International

Dr. Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio: First Lady Of Republic Of Sierra Leone Actress and Script Writer. “In 2015, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Journalism from the prestigious London College of Communication in the United Kingdom,” he stated. Mrs. Bio, he said, has led numerous gender, philanthropic and child welfare campaigns even before she became First Lady. According to him, Mrs. Bio in 1999 became the Champion of Meningitis Disease in Africa in her teenage years. 38

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“She was the first to donate the sum of $10,000 for the fight against Meningitis in The Gambia,” he disclosed. He further stated that Mrs. Bio was the Pioneer of the Face of The Gambia Beauty Pageantry as a beauty queen herself. He pointed out that “Many young ladies today In The Gambia who have excelled in their various fields went through the training of Mrs. Bio,” “In 2002, she launched the biggest award ceremony exclusively meant to celebrate and promote women, which is the Gambia Women of Excellence Award”. The First Lady has won the prestigious Best African Woman Actress Award, which she has been using to empower women and girls in the United Kingdom and Africa. Dr, Mrs. Fatima Bio: First Lady of Sierra Leone As First Lady, she is on record to have hosted one of the biggest peaceful She has constructed an ultra modern vocational school protest marche against gender and child abuses - a campaign for police wives, provided livelihood support through the that was not only attended by her counterparts in the region national food basket, constructed 11 Mosques with some but raised international attention to the issue of rape and having Arabic Schools. gender abuses. This marks the start of her flagship ‘Hands Off “She has distinguished herself in the entertainment industry Our Girls’ Campaign. as an actress, script writer, executive producer and multiHe described the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ Initiative as the award winner,” the Prof. revealed. biggest and most impactful child rights campaign that led to Her advocacy resulted in the recruitment of the first exclusive a presidential declaration of national emergency on rape and female brigade of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. sexual violence and the ultimate review and strengthening of The Prof. went further to reiterate that African Union the Sexual Offences Act. appointed Mrs Bio as Champion for Sanitation and Hygiene. She also played a major role in the establishment of the first The United Nations, he said, has also honoured the First ever Special Court that is now being used to prosecute rape Lady as the Champion for UNAIDS Education Plus Initiative offenders. alongside President Macky Sall of Senegal. He also highlighted the launch of free sanitary pads distribution She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the United campaign spearheaded by the First Lady as an offspring of Nations Institute for Training and Research. the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ Campaign and to complement “Her philanthropic character is inborn and she is a fantastic the Free Quality Education Initiative of the Maada Bio led role model that leads by example,” he highlighted. Government of Sierra Leone. “Her greatest strength is her ability to achieve any gaol she She is currently constructing an ultra modern 500 beds hospital, sets. Some say it is divine. People close to her say it is pure which will become the biggest hospital ever constructed by an undiluted hard work. While others insist it is a combination of African First Lady, a nursing school, center of excellence for both divine intervention and hard work.” rape victims and an administrative block.

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A sharing by MindBeautySphere, Caroline Omondi Compassion work(s)

he Dalai Lama is much quoted in saying, ‘I have no religion, compassion is my religion’. I am fortunate to share that I have been on the receiving end of compassion in crucial moments in my life. For one, my aunties, knowing that after the passing on of my dad, there was no money in the house to further my education, yet they made this possible, nevertheless. They were not asked to do so, nor was I entitled to their help, and I know they sacrificed for me having an education and in doing so they did make a difference that only I can witness the significance of. But also, outside the bonds of extended family I have received unexpected blessings, from men and women of various color and religious background that had one thing in common, they saw me and my immediate and long-term needs, and decided to be there for me, financially, emotionally and/or in an advisory capacity. No self-interest, payback or gratitude in the expectation were on any of their radars. God knows what motivated them. My best guess is that it must have been something that resonated from deep inside them, something that they genuinely believed in, and they saw me as deserving. Nana Cobbina-Scholten, Ghanaian Dutch, a wonderful friend of mine and the founder of Streets Kids Ghana (streetkidsghana.com) defines compassion as the ability ‘to suffer together’, the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s pain and feel motivated to relieve that. She decided to reach out to alleviate the hardship of street kids in the city of Koforidua and developed with likeminded individuals an integrated local initiative that creates foster homes, schooling, daily meals, and health care for youngsters that otherwise would be doomed to live and struggle for survival in the streets. Growing up in a relative affluent family herself, it was the compassionate values handed down to her by her father that motivated her to embrace an ethic that engages in acts of kindness to strangers, care without judgement. Working from the conviction that when we lift even only a handful, we are elevating mankind itself, including ourselves. The core of this inspirational message is that collectively we can transform suffering into personal and communal growth and that growing together makes us all stronger. If I had to describe the workings of compassion, I would say that it has at its base the acknowledgement that we are all human beings. It doesn’t matter whether people are beautiful or plain, friendly, or less so, ultimately, we all

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want happiness and we do not want to be in pain. When you recognize that we are all equal in both our desire for happiness and our right to obtain it, it’s not a big step to see that genuine compassion is not anchored in our own projections and expectations of what we think others should be or do, but rather in our sensitivity and kindness towards the needs of others. No matter how new the face looks or how different Caroline Omondi the dress or behaviour of that other is, there is in essence no significant division between us and other people. It believe it to be harmful to dwell on external differences because I choose to act on the premise that our basic natures are the same. My compassion is not aimed at changing who or how others are, it is about allowing others to be and where in my powers, enabling them to make the best out of who they are. Being able to play a modest part in this process also allows me to grow as a human being. Seeing the struggles of others, makes me aware that we are all fighting demons and that we are not unique in this. This awareness makes it easier to carry my own struggles. It helps to be more kind, more compassionate towards myself. It makes what I carry more bearable, more manageable. Compassion in feeling and action, kindness to myself and others, builds bridges towards a shared humanity. In allowing compassion to flow, I cultivate inner strength, self-confidence and reduce fear in moments of darkness and numbing solitude. Therefore, I argue, compassion is wholesome in two ways, it helps to see and contribute to the intrinsic values of others, and it brings calmness and happiness to ourselves. Compassion and kindness are without boundaries. They are, I keep reminding myself, not limited to any specific time, place, society, or culture. In my experience positive thoughts and acts always find their way back to you in greater inner strength and a more happiness. Compassion and kindness give rise to such essential things in life as hope, courage, faith in God, and confidence in the good of people and the universe. In being compassionate, my own pain becomes bearable, and we and the world more beautiful.

Post-Election Seminar With The National Assembly Of The Gambia

ollowing parliamentary elections on April 9, 2022, The Gambia elected new parliamentary assembly to legislate the second term of President Adama Barrow’s tenure. The Commonwealth parliamentary Association based in the United Kingdom with their partners, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is organizing a week long seminar titled postelection seminar for newly elected and returning Members of the National Assembly of The Gambia (NAMs). The programme is introducing the participants to the role and responsibilities of parliamentarians, complementing an initial induction by the National Assembly which took place immediately after they were sworn in as legislators. The event will take place from June 13-15, 2022 at the National Assembly complex in Banjul, the nation’s capital. The National Assembly of the Republic of The Gambia resumed sitting after the Speaker of the House, Honorable Speaker, Fabakary Tombong Jatta returned to the country after visits to Mali and Nigeria. In Nigeria, he prescribed the way to peace and security in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region by suggesting that the leaders of the region must commit themselves to working together as one block. “If we want to sustain economic prosperity, peace, and stability in our sub region, we must take note that

governance must be based on the pillars of justice, accountability, and probity and most importantly, the expressed will of the people must be sought and respected”, he said. Hon Jatta was speaking during the opening of the first regular session 2022 of the Parliament of the ECOWAS on 9th of June at the ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. It is expected at the end of the training that Gambian parliamentarians will be well informed and better prepared in attending to legislative matters which would be brought before the august assembly in the coming weeks and months of this new administration

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Gulf of Despair Written by Ritah Atuhaire (Part 1)

henever we hear about the tribulations that Africans in the diaspora are going through, especially those in the Middle East, our focus immediately goes to the often reported toxic work environment. We tend to forget that most of them actually went there because of problems back at home. Sylvia, a Ugandan living in Dubai, shares her experience of her first few months there and her plight back at home. My name is Ritah Atuhaire; a Ugandan hustler living in Dubai. I have been sharing my experiences in the diaspora under the pseudonym ‘Nsima Nyo’ which means ‘I’m grateful.’ Indeed I am grateful for the life lessons so far, the experiences, and how far God has brought me. We endure a lot more than we get to talk about whenever we leave our countries for greener pastures abroad. Many catch us by surprise because those who came before us never shared their stories. I am glad I broke the chain of silence by writing real-life stories on Vice Versa Global about the tribulations that most African youth living and working in the United Arab Emirates go through. Rita Atuhaire A few days ago, a 24-year-old Ugandan lady jumped off a building in Dubai, dying on the spot. It is believed that she committed suicide because she had no job, food, or even a place to stay, and had overstayed for 90 days. Her reserved persona meant she never shared her troubles with anyone,

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something which may have exacerbated her depression. Her scenario drew my attention to my reserved friend who came here with ‘the big dream’ only to face the rough realities of being away from home. However, she is unwilling to open up and share her problems with other people, including her family back home. Ascertaining what she is going through is very tough, yet I am the closest person to her at the moment. Sylvia is a 22-year-old girl who couldn’t pursue her education past the ordinary secondary level because her parents couldn’t afford to. She would wake up every morning and watch other teenagers go to school, admiring the advanced secondary level uniform until her stepmother calls her up to do the house chores. As her age mates went to school, she would spend quiet days alone, with no hope of ever going back to school. Her world seemed to have ground to a halt until her aunt came home with the exciting idea of going abroad to make money, instead of just seating at home. Sylvia saw this as the perfect opportunity to save money, which would enable her to go back to school and pursue her dream career of being a nurse. She was to work in Jordan for two years as a maid. Her aunt would cover the travel cost, which she would repay when she starts working. When she landed in Jordan at around 2 pm,

she was taken aback by the hot unpleasant weather. She had never imagined that a place could ever be that hot, having grown up in the cool equatorial Ugandan weather. A lady who introduced herself as Habiba, her boss, was already waiting for her at the airport. On their way home, Sylvia’s eyes were firmly fixed on the car window as she admired the beautiful city. ‘I will read you my house rules for maids before you get there. So, pay attention and make sure you understand them properly to avoid any retribution in the future,’ her boss broke the silence. ‘The most important rule is to take care of my mother’s needs. It doesn’t matter what she asks for, you must obey and fulfill,’ she said. ‘You cannot sit on the house furniture, it is for family only. No sleeping when my mother is awake…,’ she continued reading the house rules, making Sylvia more anxious. When they finally got home, Sylvia didn’t believe she was going to be staying in such a beautiful mansion. However, she was still uneasy. She couldn’t sit down for fear of breaking the rules. So, when they entered the living room, she opted to stand by the door. An old lady in her 60s walked into the living room and burst into laughter on seeing Sylvia standing by the door, nervous. Habiba laughed along. ‘My daughter is the biggest bully on earth. She must have scared you with her fake house rules. Relax, she just makes it up to see a new person’s reaction.’ Habiba apologized and asked her to feel at home, relieving the tension that Sylvia felt. The chores were manageable and everything was moving on smoothly. When she received her first salary of UgShs800,000 ($210) after a month, she sent the whole amount to her aunt to repay the travel cost debt faster. She did this for the first five months without fail, with her aunt urging her to continue. Concerned, she asked her aunt exactly how much money she was supposed to pay back in total and when she would complete repaying it. In Africa, it is considered disrespectful to question older people so her aunt did not take her concern lightly. She demanded that Sylvia keeps on sending the money until she tells her to stop. Her mother also got sick and needed around UgShs300,000 ($80) for treatment, while her dad asked her to lend him money to take her little brother back to school. She decided to send her sixth salary to her parents and would continue sending money to her aunt the following month, something the latter wasn’t happy about. The fact that she had worked for half a year without even saving a penny from her salary started getting to her. The Covid pandemic affected Habiba’s job and she

wasn’t able to pay Sylvia’s salary for about three months but promised to pay it all together when her workplace reopens. During this period, her aunt never believed that she wasn’t receiving her salary, accusing her of refusing to pay the remaining balance. This was too much pressure for the young girl to bear so she started wishing she could go back home. When she asked her boss whether she could go home, she was informed that this would only be possible once she repays the money that had been used to take her there. This was when it dawned on Sylvia that her aunt had been lying to her all along, in reality, it was her employer who had incurred the travel expenses. It was such a disappointment. From then, she refused to send any more money to her aunt, and boldly confronted her with the revelation. That’s when Sylvia and her aunt became enemies. It’s also when she started saving her money and paying school fees for her little brother. At the end of her two-year contract, she finally went back home through the money she had managed to save wasn’t enough to help her go back to school and support her brother’s education at the same time. She thought of an

idea: use the money and go to Dubai, get a better job and save more. She went to the same travel agency in Kampala that I used and that’s how we met. We met when we had to wait for a couple of months as the agency claimed they were still processing our travels. We were both frustrated about what was going on since we were both eager to start a new life elsewhere. Eventually, we did leave and that is when the real diaspora hustle started. This is the first article on Sylvia’s story. Her unbelievable experience in Dubai shall be revealed in the second and third articles on the “Gulf of Despair” saga.

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Nigerian Christians under persecution Help us please.......

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Unleashing the Leader in you, everyone is a Leader: Lead to Develop Written by Emmanuel Addo

eadership is a highly distinctive form of human behavior that calls for character integration, knowledge, and experience. So, what can you do if you procedurally unleash the leadership potential in you? Change the world! Many people think that they cannot make good leaders when everyone is in fact a leader. Leaders learn the art of leading, and thus great leaders are learners. So, everyone can make a great leader with a great understanding of oneself. Look at the mother back home nurturing the family, the father who confidently takes responsibility or the steward who delivers his services with excellence. They are all leaders. Have a scope of leadership from that perspective. It is what it takes to be a leader. Leaders lead from the front by confidently taking responsibility. For the triumph, they spread fame while for the failures, they take the blame. A person can be born with the innate abilities of a leader, while another can master the skills to be a good leader at work. The bottom line is regardless of whether you are born a leader or not, everyone has the room to learn new skills and ultimately advance in leadership competency. 48

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True leaders ensure they continue to develop their skills throughout their careers through continuous learning and development activities and materials. Apprehending your leadership style & skills At some point in your career, you may take on a leadership role. Whether it is a team, a project, an entire department, or it’s even a meeting you are leading, you might consider identifying with a defined leadership style. Community Project There is no doubt that while there are right and wrong ways to lead, we cannot point to any specific style that suits everyone. The only mechanism by which you identify what type of Leader you are is through your personality assessment. You closely examine the key aspects of your personality and pay attention to how they manifest in a work, family, or friendship environment. Think about most attributes ascribed to you by your colleagues and friends. Evaluating your character in these settings is vital to understanding how to lead a team. Think about what drives your choices, and know your values, strengths, weaknesses, and feedback by taking leadership personality quizzes. Block by block, you will gain a deeper

comprehension and leadership skills through habits and processes. What it entails to be a good leader. 1 Self-awareness and personal development. As Goode posits, good leaders emphasize developing their emotional intelligence. Leaders focused on refining this quality is more adaptive, resilient, good listeners, open to feedback, and change-oriented. To acquire this, it is imperative to set and prioritize goals while taking responsibility for accomplishing them. Retain awareness of your strength and weaknesses and potential biases that may impact decision-making. 2 They encourage innovation, Strategic thinking, and action.

and the organization. They are therefore good listeners and open to feedback. As a leader, you must learn the nuances of communicating on both print and online platforms. 4. Openness to feedback and constructive criticism. We all aspire to hear the positive and how great we are doing. But think of it differently. Would you like to get better at your job? In fact, constructive negative feedback with helpful intentions can be a golden opportunity to learn and grow. Emmanuel Addo As a leader, you should authentically ask for feedback often and ask for clarification, examples, and constructive recommendations for improvement and develop a sound plan to address your shortfalls. In addition, you should be

As a leader of an organization, you have to look forward. You have to keep in mind where the organization is going. Leaders must have flexible mindsets which are conscious of real-time developments. A leader encourages creativity and innovation through exercises such as brainstorming and prototyping and aligns the organization to technology advancement when making strategic decisions. Good leaders are vision-oriented and consider SMART reasonable goals for the team or organization. 3 They hold dear effective cross-cultural communication. Good and respected leaders express themselves clearly to individuals, organizational units, external stakeholders,

able to differentiate constructive criticism from destructive one, which you should treat as a distraction. Road mark to proactive leadership. Proactiveness is the key to productiveness. Being proactive prepares you for something before it happens. Unlike reactiveness, where a leader waits for something to happen, proactiveness helps one determine how events unfold. It prepares a leader for challenges noting that they are inevitable. To become proactive, a leader must; think long-term, seek advice, have a calm demeanor, advance his/her problem-solving skills, be a great communicator, have integrity, and inspire others. Imposter syndrome and leadership Continued on Page 50 www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

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Many leaders experience fear and imposter syndrome, and its impacts can indeed have far-reaching consequences. As a leader, if you experience phoniness and feel like an imposter, don’t be dismayed. It is pretty common in high achievers and leaders. This feeling arises from the fear that people under you expect you to know more than you do. To overcome, be honest with yourself about what you know and don’t know. Speak with colleagues and share this knowledge. Admittance that you don’t have all answers don’t turn you into a fraud but rather makes you human. Above all, perceive development as a series of experiments and start with one of your weaknesses, and finally, change will knock. Finally, to be a great leader, you should work for satisfaction but not recognition. Remember that recognition is a byproduct, while satisfaction is the end product. Be passionate while also remembering setbacks are inevitable and should

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not worry you. Be a continuous learner and be open to feedback. Emmanuel Addo is the founder and president of the Young African Leaders Summit (YALS); a platform for crosscountry idea sharing and assimilation, with the goal of bridging the identity gap that is commonly perceived to exist amongst Africa’s youth. References Dare to lead hub. (2021, November 1). Brené Brown. https://brenebrown.com/hubs/dare-to-lead/ Moral leadership: Goode, Francis K.: 9780557363025: Books – Amazon. (n.d.). Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more. https://www.amazon.com/Moral-LeadershipFrancis-K-Goode/dp/0557363020

President Adama Barrow Appoints Dr. Mrs. Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay As Gambian Ambassador To South Africa Witten by Pastor Elvis Iruh

resident Adama Barrow of The Gambia has continued in his drive to get the best hands available to serve in his second term in office as he settles down. The recent appointment of the Former Speaker of the Gambia National Assembly, Dr. Mrs. Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay as Gambia’s New Ambassador to South Africa is putting a square peg on a square hole. Part of her official responsibilities will be to oversee the neighbouring Southern African nations thereby enlarging her portfolio. The ambassador designate will bring to bear, her exceptional work ethics, bountiful experience and patriotism in service to her country both in government and out of government. In an exclusive chat with The Voice publication in Banjul on her arrival from Mauritania, she promptly cleared the air on the rumours making the rounds that she has rejected her appointment as Ambassador to South Africa. “Far from it my Editor, I am very honoured and privileged among many qualified Gambians to have been chosen by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of The Gambia, President Adama Barrow to represent him and the government of the Gambia as well as the good people of the Gambia in Southern sphere of Africa. I would do my assignment with all the energy left in me not to disappoint my President and the government of the Gambia for

the trust placed in me” According to her, she was out of the country on her personal activities when her appointment was announced, “I made a quick return to the country and gladly accepted my appointment”, she said . Am not associated with any runour of rejecting a National assignment. The Ambassador designate, says her priority is her wholesome commitment to the service of the President as his representative and her country in general. “I want to leave a legacy behind there after my tenure”, she stated. South Africa is a strategic partner of The Republic of The Gambia in terms of business and investment. Dr. Mrs. Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay has pledged to intensify drive in that direction as soon as she resumes office in South Africa.

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Peter Obi Is The Third Force

had earlier written a proposal to my dear friends in Dubai to support few others and me to initiate what we called the 3rd force political agenda for Nigeria. Discussions was on a very high level but unfortunately we discovered that the so called small parties were still indirectly financed by the APC and PDP click that nothing good was to come out of the project as good as the idea was. However God has intervened for Nigeria by bringing out a man who has now transcended political party to become a 3rd force. That man is Peter Obi. The mere mention of his name is giving sleepless nights to the APC and PDP camps, even though they do not want to admit it publicly. They are worried. For those who know me well, I have stayed away from Nigerian politics because I have never believed that the emergence of these two parties meant any good for Nigeria. I said it with President Jonathan; I repeated my stand with the election of President Buhari that things would only get worse. I wished they would not play along with my script but they did and see where they have left the nation, Nigeria? A mass movement has just begun. It is the type that will test the resolve or lack of it of Nigerians to change the way things are in their country. Mr. Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State carrying the banner of the Labour Party. Obi is in the new party to give full expression to his aspiration to be the President of Nigeria. His rivals claim Obi and his new party has not structure in place, the response has been that the enslaved Nigerians by other people’s systems and structures would deliver him the presidency. The mass movement represented by Peter Obi is a clarion call. It aims at a radical displacement. It is an invitation to all Nigerians to seize the day and use it to give their country a new and enduring meaning and a fresh start. Peter Obi has a story behind his name; his action has stirred Nigeria’s political waters and many are begin to think again. He is the apostle of a new order. He is making a case for a Nigeria that will work for all, particularly the youth. Following the mess that the APC administration has made of Nigeria, those who wish the country well had imagined that the PDP, which lost power by default in 2015, would stage a comeback through dexterous politics but PDP has made it business as usual, picking on the same old brigades to bring change. The atmosphere in PDP has been fouled by

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the politics of zoning. In the course of the ding-dong battle for the soul of the party, the watching world has come to discover to its chagrin that the party has not weaned itself of those mistakes that cost it the presidency seven years ago. Nigerians have seen through the wire mesh of devious intrigues going on in the party. Peter Obi says what drives him is not the urge to occupy the presidential office. He has said it clearly that he is not desperate to be the President of Nigeria. Rather, he is driven by passion and patriotism. The country has lost bearing and is in dire need of redirection. Obi does not think that we should resign to this ugly situation. He pities the country and its peoples. He is particularly worried about the plight of the Nigerian youth. He knows that crime and criminality have taken over the land because the youth have been abandoned. How can a country find it’s bearing if the youth are abandoned and disoriented? The disconnection between the leadership and the youth population has crippled the country. And that is the real malaise that has held the country down. Obi, like other patriotic Nigerians, is worried about this state of affairs. That explains his passion. He wants to enthrone an order that will make it possible for the youth to take back their country. If he succeeds, he would have toppled the apple

cart that has been holding the country down. The Peter Obi magic wand is coming at a time the country needs it most. In Nigeria, there has been so much motion without movement. Leaders have come and gone. But none could be said to have succeeded in pulling the country out of the woods. The same is true of political parties. Bereft of any ideological leaning, political parties in Nigeria merely amble along. Their only strength lies in the seasonal battle for political offices. Nothing else matters once power is grabbed or missed. The real problem here is that of vision and passion. Most of those who have ascended the presidential throne so far did not plan to go there. Even those who made spirited and desperate efforts to get there got overwhelmed at the point of entry that they could not deliver. The result is that Nigerians are worst for it. This joke must stop now and the time for that change come for Nigerians. If Nigerians miss this opportunity in 2023, it may just be the last of this once great nation. But at no time in the country’s political history have

things got so bad than now. The present leadership has been run over by contrary forces. The government has become a lame duck. It does not know what to do with the powers entrusted to it; the country is left in the hands of media aides to the President to address the country on crucial matters. I once queried the spokesperson to the President, all the press release I get is about condolence messages or birthday wishes from Nigeria presidency. Really it is that bad…… This has brought about the despondency that pervades the political landscape. But the saving grace is that the people are resilient. They have not given up on their fatherland. That is why there is clamour for a new order. Before now, Nigerians anchored their hopes on what the two dominant political parties could offer. They had imagined that either of them could make the desired difference. But that has not been the case. This is where a third force has become imperative. Nigerians have seen through the old order and they are convinced that hope does not lie in their actions and inactions. They now desire an intermediate force between the two opposing forces that have run the country down. Peter Obi and his politics, to all intents and purposes, represent this third force. He wants to bring about a new Nigeria. He wants to enthrone a paradigm shift. He wants Nigeria to be run efficiently. The real attraction to the Peter Obi quest is that he does not just have the ideas; he has the passion and the discipline to bring about the desired change. He is presenting Nigerians with an opportunity to reclaim

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their country. What they do with it is the choice before them. Peter Obi is not a saint as some has come out to argue, one person put it this way, among all the ‘evils’ before us, Peter Obi is a better evil to take on than those who thinks it is their birth right to rule and govern Nigeria even when it is obvious they do not have the pedigree for that now. My appeal is that all these other political parties should join forces to deliver the presidency to Peter Obi as he is the only person who stand a chance against the other names I do not wish to mention in this write up. He has started a movement, let others join this movement at the Presidential level, let them remain relevant at all other levels because both APC and PDP must be swept out of office and send into retirement – the money they claim they have belongs to Nigerians. Let us have the audacity to hope and dream in 2023, dreams do come true. As I wrote in favour of President Obama

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when no one saw it coming, I do declare I same a storm, political storm over Nigeria, a shift from our political arrangements, structures and systems. I STAND WITH PETER OBI

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The Voice Achievers Award appoints a working committee for Business Summit/ Award 2022 in The Gambia

he Voice Achievers Award appoints a working committee for The Gambia Voice Achievers Business Summit/Award 2022 in The Gambia. According to the Executive Head of the organization, Pastor Ambassador Elvis Iruh who recently returned from a fact finding mission to the Gambia where he held face to face conversation with the country’s First Lady, Her Excellency, Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow at the State House in Banjul. She gladly received and reaffirms her promise to ensure that this global event is held in the Gambia this year 2022. She delegated the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the office of the First Lady, Anne Jobe to liaise with organizer of the event and ensure that the Gambians are mobilized to support the event. Her Excellency informed Ambassador Elvis Iruh that he is welcome to the Gambia and he is assured that his organization as well as friends of Africa coming to the Gambia in August would receive the best hospitality the Gambia has to offer.

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“We are delighted that you kept your promise to bring this event to the Gambia and we are also proud that you have chosen to host the event in the Gambia this year as promised from last year’s event in Dubai on 19th September 2021. The publisher assured the First Lady and the people of the Gambia would enjoy a spectacular package of events, which includes a 2-day Gambia Voice Business Summit, entertainment, and tourism for the guests and a Gala/award night to recognize both Gambians and international awardees selected by a jury after vetting their profiles. Very high delegates are planning to meet with the First family and ministers to discuss possibilities of doing business with the Gambia. Mr. Iruh further disclosed that it would be a weeklong activities starting from 16th August to 21st August 2022 but the main event is from 18th to 20th of August. The venue for the event is the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, Banjul, The Gambia. During his visit he made courtesy

calls to some businesses in the Gambia including the Gambia Chamber of Commerce, Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency, Kanifing Municipal Council, TAF Africa Global Africell, GACH Global Trading Company, Global Properties, Nigeria High Commission in the Gambia; High Commission of The Republic of Sierra Leone, FaBB Foundation, Malick Mendy Tailoring Limited, Access Bank Gambia, Tamala Beach Hotel, Qcell, Star TV, OIC Secretariat, SmartMatic, Government ministries and agencies. I held a press conference with the media and visited a few media organizations as time permitted him. On the nominations for the 2022 awards, the process is closed now as the award committee is working on the screening exercise and by middle of this month, names of

the awardees for 2022 would be published. The names of the working team established and divided into two teams, media team and marketing team includes the following Gambians:- Mr. Modika Bah; Lamin Njie, Sarjo Barrow, Awa Bah, Jarie Bah, Efo Fatou, Neneh Adama Saidy, Alpha Bah and Aliue Ceesay. The tickets for the 3-day event is out and it could be order directly through any of these contacts below for D5,000 only. For further details, please reach out to Mr. Modika Bah - +2203540392 for Gambia contacts Pastor Ambassador Elvis Iruh: +31684999548 for others outside of the Gambia info@thevoicenewsmagazine.com www.thevoiceachieversaward.com

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COLOMBIA NEWS

Colombia elects Gustavo Petro as country’s first leftist President

ormer rebel fighter Gustavo Petro becomes Colombia’s first leftist president after narrowly defeating millionaire businessman Rodolfo Hernández in the country runoff election last month. The biggest news from the election is Petro’s running mate, Francia Márquez, who is becoming the first black Vice President in the history of Colombia Petro had more than 50.4% of the votes, compared to Hernández’s 47.26%, according to early results released by the national registry office. Official results are still being expected as at press time. Of note, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Colombia on holding a “free and fair presidential election” and said he looked forward to working with Petro “to further strengthen the U.S.-Colombia relationship and move our nations toward a better future,” according to a statement issued by the State Department. This election has shaken up Colombia’s political and economic landscape after several years of uncertainty. The success of Petro and Hernández — two anti-establishment figures in the first-round election late last month was seen as a major blow to Colombia’s political class. Petro will replace highly unpopular President Iván Duque, who could not run for re-election. State of play: Colombia, one of Latin America’s biggest economies and strongest U.S. allies, is facing high inflation and worsening unemployment and inequality. It’s also still reeling after a half-century-long armed conflict with the nowdefunct FARC guerrillas. The country has seen an uptick in violence, in part due to armed groups fighting over territory once controlled by the FARC. Petro, a former mayor of Bogota who was once a rebel fighter with the now-defunct M-19 movement, has promised to fight

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inequality, provide free public university education and tackle climate change, including opposing the expansion of the oil and gas industry. He also vowed to transform the economy by implementing tax reforms and other measures. Petro and Márquez campaigned on a promise to create a Ministry of Equality, which will be led by the vice president. The Afro Colombian population is large but has been historically marginalized in the country. What they’re saying: “Today is a day for the people to rejoice. Let’s celebrate the first win from the people and that all our sufferings be lessened by the joy in the heart of our” nation, Petro tweeted as results came in last month. “This win is for God and the people and its’ history. Today we celebrate in streets and plazas.” Conceding defeat, Hernández said: “I wish Gustavo Petro the wisdom to know how to run the nation, that he fulfills his promises to fight corruption and that he doesn’t let those who supported him down.” The big picture: Petro’s victory comes amid a surge in support for leftist candidates across Latin America. Chile and Honduras last year voted for left-wing candidates to replace conservative leaders.

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The inadvertent climate change advocate Written by Nicera Kimani

s the world grapples with the issue of climate change and trying to save the environment, the focus is slowly shifting to the Global South. The fact that we are still losing lives and properties to floods is appalling. Zambian Meekson Mwamulando, a victim of the effects of climate change, has made it his life mission to ensure that no one, let alone a child, should ever go through what he did. From a young age, Meekson—the second last born in a family of seven— always wanted to be a car salesman. ‘I love cars. I used to admire them on the road, praying that one day I would own one and even sell them to customers,’ he says. ‘Life was great back then. Unfortunately, everything came to a screeching halt in 2008 when the place we used to call home started flooding. Over time, whenever it flooded, we would have to move to higher grounds with all our belongings so as not to lose them.’

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‘This situation became the new norm whenever there was a heavy downpour. Due to the frequent flooding and the loss of livelihood, my parents were unable to resume their work schedule. The situation was so dire that the government had to declare a state of emergency. We ended up being relocated to a camp which wasn’t an easy thing. At the tender age of 14, I had already lost my friends and the place I had called home all my life. By then I had no idea what climate change was, though I used to wonder why our homes were suddenly being flooded. As we speak, I stay in a different place, Lusaka Matero North, all because of flooding,’ he says. His Motivation Despite the fact that his passion was for cars, Meekson never stopped thinking about the displacement of his friends. He came to learn about climate change —the fossil fuels, carbon, and industrial emissions—in 2011 through

the internet. He came to learn that the Ozone layer was at risk because of human activities, hence the abrupt change in weather patterns. He also learned about environmental protection which he says was the most important thing that one can learn because we all depend on the weather and climate for life to exist. His passion for cars had to take a backseat, he would now embark on the journey of saving the environment; his goal was that no one should ever lose their home due to floods. Meekson Mwamulando At 27 years, he is now an environmental protection advocate, a path that he chose more than 9 years ago. He mobilized other young people who he started working with and together, they managed to register an organization, Citizen Network for Community Development Zambia. They are now climate activists focusing on environmental protection and advocacy in their local communities by planting trees and creating awareness on the matter. They are also working with schools like Mt Sinai, St Paul, and St Francis to educate students on the importance of protecting the environment and creating climate change awareness. So far, they have reached out to more than 900 students in these schools. ‘We have gone ahead and planted more than a thousand trees. We also use music to create awareness around the subject by coming up with songs that speak on it. This is because music is a universal language that resonates with the majority. Despite this, we still face challenges like lack of material support, such as booklets that touch on the topic, which we can give out to students. The numerous engagements we get online means we have to be online at all times, which is very expensive, so at times we end up

missing important meetings,’ he states. Advice to Young People Every young person should know that climate change is real and it’s upon them to take the first step in keeping our planet safe. Change starts with them. It’s time that they start preparing for the future and a better tomorrow since time is not on our side. They should also take note of the 3Cs: Change our environment by making sure it’s clean and green. Let’s change our behavior towards the environment. Challenge everyone in our society, even the old, to take climate change seriously and also make sure they plant trees and embrace green energy. Cohesion since everyone is affected by climate change, we should stop looking at age, race, or religion. It is everyone’s responsibility to think and care about our environment. Meekson wants to cycle through Africa so as to create awareness around climate change. He says that for decades, climate conversation was always at the global level, with complex jargon that the Global South’s populace couldn’t relate with. ‘It’s time we localize climate change and this will only be achieved by creating awareness and I’m sure I will achieve this through cycling. I also call upon organizations and individuals to join me in this,’ he concludes.

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Yoruba community in the Gambia celebrates with their King on its 10th anniversary celebration. Written by Pastor Elvis Iruh

he Parade city of the Gambia came agong with the 10th year coronation celebration & conferment of chieftaincy titles celebration by HRH Oba (RTN) Dr. Moshood Kolawole Abolade (JP), Ariwajoy 1 of Yoruba Community in the Gambia last month. The week long activities commenced with a mosque building project, commissioning of businesses and charitable projects for various communities and recognition of distinguished citizens in the country who are supporting the efforts of the current government of President Adama Barrow to advance the course of the Gambia. The ceremony attracted guests fro across the world who joined to celebrate with the king and his royal family in the Gambia. Recently the Yoruba community in the Gambia celebrated with their king, HRH Oba (RTN), Dr. Moshood Kolawole Abolade (JP) as he marked 10th year coronation celebration and conferment of Chieftaincy titles on members of the community who is helping in advancing promotion and peaceful coexistence in the Gambia as Nigerians living in the Diaspora. After a short delay, hundreds of people gathered at the Paradise City play ground where the king has prepared with covered tents to celebrate this unique occasion with who and who from across the country and abroad attending the function.

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Among those who grace the occasion includes 3 traditional rulers; Oba Saheed Olamilekan Ibrahim, Oba Yoruba of Republic of Ireland, Oba Adeyinka Daso, Oba of Yoruba in the Netherlands and Oba Omobolaji Ogunkoya Adodua, Oba of Yoruba community in Liberia. Nigerian Ambassador to the Gambia, His Excellency, Ambassador Mohammed Manu and his staff were also present and the former Gambian Ambassador to Nigeria among other dignitaries across the country. After openning prayers in Islamic and Christian faiths, the President of the Yoruba Community in the Gambia, Deaco Ajibike Olusegun Matthew thank God for preserving them to this special day and pray for the King to continue to live in good health and govern the community in love and prosperity. He thanked all those who have supported and standing with the King in the past 10 years of his coronation. He wished everyone a good enjoyable time at the party. King Abolade (JP) on his part started by thanking the government of the Gambia for allowing religious and cultural tolerance in the country which has enabled the Yoruba community to continue to excel as law abiding citizens in the Gambia. The King was most grateful to God Almighty for the 10 years of his coronation and what he has been able to accomplish

during this period encouraging his people to continue to be hard working and law abiding citizens in the Gambia. “I am not the best person to deal with but he thanked his wives, children, his staff, team of advisers for tolerating him. He confessed, “I am not an easy person to deal with, you can ask my wives but they tolerate me, only God can change me but through it all they have stood by me through it all”. The Yorubas everywhere around the world are custodians of their culture and we are not an exception in the Gambia. “If you lose your culture, you lose your identity. If you throw your culture away, you pay for it dearly so let us continue to promote our culture, let us cherish it and I thank the Gambia government again for allowing us to promote our culture to the fullest”, the king added. “The Rotary club in the Gambia has also encouraged me and support therefore I am grateful to the Rotary club, if you are

not a member, I encourage you to join today. Rotary club has shaped me and Rotary club has modelled me. If you want to be a good leader, join the Rotary. I joined them in 1998”. The spokeswoman for the Ambassador said the Oba has played a significant role in propagating and promoting the Yoruba culture in the Gambia. In addition taken great responsibility

attached to his office. A Gambian friend of the Oba, Mr. Mohammed Jabbi said he has learnt a lot from this celeration of the Yoruba community in the Gambia. “They came to the Gambia and establish their culture in the Gambia. And what is even outstanding is that they have their Obas that flew from Ireland, The Netherlands and Liberia to celebrate this occasion. I think the Gambia with different diversity of cultures in the Gambia should copy the Yorubas; the government should encourage such activities in the Gambia”. The ceremony was characterized with music, dancing, eating and merriment. To crown the celebration, the King installed and decorated deserving citizens in the community with Chieftaincy titles. One of such recognized person is Chief Mrs. Ozorode. She said the recognition in a locality like this means you are place in a position of trust, kindness and empathy to the people in your community and the country in general. Finally the King said he has not been celebrating each year but 10 years was a unique number and it was an opportunity to thank all those who have stood with him all these years. The King also launched his book - The Making of a man (HRH Oba Moshood Abolade).

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THE CALL TO SERVE -

THE MAVOKO MAN OF THE PEOPLE ( Hon. Patrick Makau Kingola )

Written by Nicholas Jimmy (Jimmie Nicks)

ub-Saharan Africa, home to more than one billion people, half of whom will be under 25 years old in the next 3 decades, is a diverse continent offering human and natural resources that have the potential to yield inclusive growth and eradicate poverty in the region. East and Southern Africa, the hardest hit region by the third wave of the coronavirus, is expected to rebound from a 3.0 percent contraction of GDP in 2020 to growth of over 3.5 percent in 2023. Today, Africa countries have seized the opportunity of the crisis to foster structural and macroeconomic reforms that could pave the way for increased inclusive growth over the longterm. Several countries have embarked on difficult but necessary structural reforms, such as the unification of exchange rates in Sudan, fuel subsidy reform in Nigeria,

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and the opening of the telecommunications sector to the private sector in Ethiopia. Reforms that deliver reliable electricity, including better functioning of public utilities, can power the manufacturing sector and the digital economy. Finally, reforms that address digital infrastructure gaps and make the digital economy more inclusive—ensuring affordability and building skills for all segments of society—are critical for improving connectivity, boosting digital technology adoption, and generating more and better jobs for men and women. At the center of Africa societal development is the political class who by means of their action affect not only the rate of the economic growth in the entire region but also its integration, trade and unification. The idea that Africa of Tomorrow can have one currency and free pass for its people squarely lies in the hands of the Africa Government. The Members of the Parliament are the core of this changes.

“ Hon. Patrick Makau King’ola, whose contribution to nation-building and Kenya’s socio-economic development has captured the attention of Mizani Africa Awards” In the light of keeping up in par with development, our columnist Jimmie Nicks had candid discussion with an accomplished economist and Member of parliament Hon. Patrick Makau King’ola, whose contribution to nation-building and Kenya’s socio-economic development has captured the attention of Mizani Africa Awards. The Mavoko legislator Hon Patrick Makau has been awarded as the second best performing Member of Parliament Countrywide in The NG-CDF Patronage in an event held at Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi Kenya. Patrick King’ola has been a member of the Wiper Democratic Movement of Kenya (WDM-K) – the third largest political movement in the country, since 2013. Patrick King’ola whose social-personal life has remained private was schooled at Kagumo High School for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), later from 1986 to 1987, moved to Nkubu High School for his Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE). In 1991 to 1993, he joined I.B.B. to pursue Information Technology and later in 2012, he enroll at The Management University of Africa to study Bachelor’s degree in Continued on Page 66 www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com

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Business Management. In 1988, Patrick King’ola got a job at the Kenya National Assurance as a Claims Officer and later in 1991, he moved to Standard Chartered Bank as an Operations Manager. From 2004 and 2005, he was employed at Branded World as a Sales & Marketing IT services. Between 2005 and

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2006, he joined the Xexus Technologies as a Managing Director. In 2007, he went to Municipal Council of Mavoko as a Councilor for Mathwani Ward & Chairman Finance Staff & Planning Committee and then in 2009, he joined the Municipal Council of Mavoko as a Mayor. In 2013, Patrick King’ola joined the Kenya National Assembly as a Member of Parliament for Mavoko

Constituency where He has served for two terms and seeks to return for the third term. In the National Assembly he is a member of Departmental Committee on Lands and Natural Resources and Departmental Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade. Patrick Makau King’ola has spoken over 164 times in Parliament since March 2013. The law maker runs a foundation- HON. PATRICK MAKAU FOUNDATION which in partnership with MRM and Co-op Bank foundation have done several life lifting projects for his people including training and supporting SMEs. Among the programs is training Boda boda operators a program that aims to empower the Riders and give them a chance to build stability in their lives by scaling up their businesses to the highest levels attainable. Under his patronage as the chairman of parliamentary committee for Sports, Tourism and Culture, He has had a successfully lobbied and allocated 1.2 Billion shillings by the president State House Kenya for the construction of Makadara stadium in Mavoko constituency, a new FIFA standard Stadium which Will be completed in 7 months’ time. The project is aimed at creating job opportunities for young men and women during and after its construction as well as improving the quality of sports

for the entire Machakos County. Hon. Makau record has shined due to his consistency in development. Among his oversight has been establishing the New Mavoko Police Station, building schools, allocating adequate bursaries to needy students, training work force, giving people access to clean water, providing Water tanks to all Schools across Mavoko Constituency and constructing homes to excessively needy families. Makau believes that service to the people is his call and Machakos county can and will be a first class town with modern facilities and technology – the way to go for the rest of African towns and cities.

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Joshua: When I beat Usyk, I’ll get credit I deserve

he two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, shared his thoughts on the upcoming rematch with Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, the holder of four

titles. The Briton believes that he will become a world champion again, Ukrinform reports.

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“I feel when I go and beat Usyk, I’ll get the credit I deserve again. And I’ll get the admiration for being a true boxing legend. [...] I fought for the heavyweight championship in my 16th fight; I felt like it’s kind of overlooked. This is my 12th title fight in a row. I just feel like sometimes even though we’re selling out arenas and it’s good to be popular, I don’t really care for that stuff. I’d just want the respect in the division. This is definitely possible,” Joshua said. He also added: “I definitely feel my training approach changes because I knew where I wasn’t good enough, you know, areas where I was exposed. […] And look, I’ve got a ... third chance to become heavyweight champion of the world. ... I’m not just gonna go in there thinking it’s gonna be easy. I will address the weaknesses and then I’ll make sure I get it right and become champion again.” A rematch between Usyk and Joshua will take place on August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Last autumn, Usyk beat Joshua by a unanimous points decision to become the new WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight champion.