The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 470 (July 4 - 17 2018)

TheTrumpet Africans now have a voice...

Founded in 1995 J ULY 4 - 17 2018

V OL 24 N O 470

Albinism in Malawi must stop

THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE Campaign urges Londoners to prevent HIV this summer

ondon boroughs have launched a campaign encouraging Londoners to look after their sexual health and prevent HIV transmission.

The Do It London campaign aims to raise awareness of the multiple options now available for stopping HIV. Led by public health experts at the London HIV Prevention Programme, which is facilitated by London Councils, the campaign encourages Londoners to use PreExposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), alongside condoms and regular testing, as core HIV prevention methods. It also emphasises that someone with diagnosed HIV who achieves an ‘undetectable’ status cannot pass the virus on to their sexual partner.

Supported by a dedicated website, which signposts to further information and services, the panLondon publicity will run across a range of outdoor and digital channels, as well as through on-the-ground outreach and condom distribution teams, including at the London Pride event and at other events this summer and autumn.

Cllr Ray Puddifoot MBE, London Councils’ Executive Member For Health & Care, said: “HIV remains a major public health concern so it is crucial Londoners know how to look after themselves and each other. By working together on this Do It London campaign, London’s boroughs are ensuring consistent safer sex messages are promoted across the capital this summer.

“We know from previous campaigns that this collaborative approach is essential for raising public awareness, having an impact on

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he Malawian authorities must urgently overhaul the criminal justice system to protect people with albinism, who face the persistent threat of being killed for their body parts in a country where the vast majority of these horrific crimes remain unresolved and unpunished, Amnesty International has said.

Since November 2014, the number of reported crimes against people with albinism in Malawi has risen to 148 cases, including 14 murders and seven attempted murders, according to police figures. However, Amnesty

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International has established that at least 21 people with albinism have been killed since 2014.

“People with albinism deserve to see justice for these vile, hateful crimes against them. That it takes so long for cases to be investigated or heard in court is a sobering indictment of the systematic failures in Malawi’s criminal justice system,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for Southern Africa.

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News

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TheTrumpet

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Killings of albinos for body parts Continued from Page 1< “The authorities must end impunity for these crimes immediately. As a first step, they must ensure all pending cases are dealt with without undue delay, and in line with international standards of fairness.”

In its new briefing, “End violence against people with albinism: Towards effective criminal justice for people with albinism in Malawi”, Amnesty International has found that people with albinism face long delays in getting justice.

The rate at which their cases are concluded is slow compared to other criminal investigations. Only 30 percent of the 148 reported cases against people with albinism have been concluded, according to the latest statistics from the Malawi Police Service and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. To date, only one murder and one attempted murder cases have been successfully prosecuted.

Even the police have raised concerns with Amnesty International about delays in concluding trials due to the limited number of senior magistrates qualified to deal with cases relating to people with albinism.

In its 2016 report, Amnesty International found that attacks against people with albinism are fuelled by stereotypical beliefs that their body parts bring wealth and good luck.

Latest killings Among the latest victims is Mark Masambuka, a 22-year-old man from Nakawa

village, in Machinga District, southern Malawi, who disappeared on 9 March. He left his home to buy a mat in a company of a friend. His body was found buried in a shallow grave on 1 April.

On 7 December 2017, a two-year-old girl, Jean Ngwedula, went missing. Her father reportedly sold the child to a traditional doctor for ritual purposes in neighbouring Mozambique, which has been identified along with Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Swaziland and Tanzania as markets for the cross-border trade in body parts.

Jean’s father was later arrested on charges of murder and investigations were continuing at the time of the publication of this briefing.

Criminal justice failings The biggest challenges facing the judiciary, prosecutors and police in Malawi include a lack of financial resources and qualified personnel to handle crimes against people with albinism, which has resulted in a backlog of cases.

Although serious cases are dealt with in magistrates’ courts, most prosecutors are police officers with no legal training.

According to a senior magistrate interviewed by Amnesty International, most police prosecutors struggle to make sound legal submissions, resulting in either acquittals or convictions on lesser charges.

Ending the cycle of killings Amnesty International has noted as a positive step forward government’s recommitment to protect the rights of people

Protect people with Albinism

with albinism during a commemoration of International Albinism Awareness Day on 13 June 2018 in Kasungu.

However, the organisation believes that a human rights strategy, including through human rights education and awareness raising, is needed to address the root causes of crimes against people with albinism and to stop further attacks.

The strategy should also include tracing and identifying the source of demand for body parts, as well as enlisting the cooperation of Malawi’s neighbouring countries to stamp out the crossborder trafficking of people with albinism and their body parts.

“The Malawian authorities must ensure that people with albinism no longer live in fear of organized criminal gangs who prey on their body parts. The government must overhaul the judicial system to guarantee the security and safety of people with albinism, who are some of society’s most vulnerable,” said Deprose

Muchena.

Background Since November 2014, an unprecedented wave of killings and other human rights abuses including abductions and robberies against people with albinism has swept through Malawi. Similar attacks have occurred in neighbouring countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.

People with albinism are targeted for their body parts in the belief that they contain magical powers. The current population of people with albinism in Malawi is estimated at between 7,000 and 10,000, representing a ratio of 1 in every 1,800 persons. * Culled from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/ 06/malawi-impunity-fuels-killings-of-peoplewith-albinism-for-their-body-parts/

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TheTrumpet JULY 4 - 17 2018

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News

Offshore tax evaders face imprisonment and enormous fines K taxpayers who fail to disclose offshore income or gains, either by failing to notify HMRC of their chargeability to UK tax, failing to deliver a tax return or by submission of an incorrect tax return will face imprisonment and swinging penalties, says leading accounting, tax and advisory practice - Blick Rothenberg.

Gary Gardner, a partner at Blick Rothenberg said: “Individuals with offshore interests and their advisers should be aware that HMRC is committed to enforcing the new legislation introduced in FA 2016 in relation to undisclosed offshore income and gains in respect of which the maximum sanction is 6 months imprisonment”.

The new rules were devised partly in response to the immense political, media and public pressure for HMRC to criminally investigate and secure convictions against tax evaders, with the focus on wealthy individuals, and are likely to drive a further increase in the number of criminal investigations relating to offshore tax evasion.

Critically, the new rules do not distinguish between those who have intentionally misled HMRC and those who have merely “got it wrong” since the legislation is framed in such a way that the mere existence of undisclosed offshore income and gains is sufficient to enable the sanctions to bite. The prosecution does not have to prove that there was “mens rea” (a guilty mind).

Despite the “strict liability” nature of the offence, the taxpayer can put forward the defence that he had a reasonable excuse for the failures or inaccuracy. However the onus is squarely on the taxpayer to demonstrate this.

Gardner added: “The offence applies from the tax year 2017/18 which means that HMRC will begin to take action from 6 October 2018 because taxpayers have until 6 months after the end of the year of assessment in which to notify HMRC of their chargeability to tax which

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means the cut-off date for such notification is 5 October.”

Gardner says: “Practitioners have perhaps been overly focused with the Requirement to Correct (“RTC”) and Failure to Correct (“FTC”) rules and overlooked earlier legislation in 2016 which brought in a new strict liability criminal offence for offshore tax evasion.”

He added: “A preoccupation with the Requirement to Correct (“RTC”) rules is entirely understandable as the sanctions for failing to correct any inaccuracies in an individual’s tax affairs in relation to offshore matters by the 30 September 2018 deadline are severe; with penalties of up to 300% of the tax involved and a minimum penalty of 100% of the tax evaded. In addition, despite the drive to increase prosecutions, it is likely that the majority of cases will still be

dealt with on a civil basis, so will involve the imposition of penalties.”

Gary said: “It is not surprising that the earliest date that an offence can be committed coincides closely with both the deadline for the RTC and the first full automatic exchange of information by over a 100 countries under the Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”) on 30 September 2018. The huge increase in information that CRS will deliver to HMRC will enable them to escalate their drive to stamp out offshore tax evasion.”

Gardner advised: “Those with any doubt that their offshore tax affairs are all in order should without further hesitation ask their advisers to undertake a ‘health check’ to ensure that they not exposed to the sanctions associated with non-compliance.”

TheArts

JULY 4 - 17 2018

TheTrumpet

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Titus Agbara: Making a mark on Manchester’s art scene

By Chantelle Tindall

t was by chance that artist Titus Agbara captured my attention. An article about him in Signature magazine which my husband read and then brought home, led to an investigation before subsequently contacting him to secure this interview.

Conveniently the gallery where his work is displayed is only minutes away.

I arrived before the artist and came face to face with Damilola at Oldham Gallery and one could instantly see the beauty of the work. A seemingly traditional oil on canvas with a dark background that makes the character more arresting instantly capturing your attention with her radiant eyes that follow you wherever you turn. Although I am not an art expert, the brilliance in this painting shines through. It rightly deserves to grace the cover of the galleries season brochure.

Eventually, Mr. Titus arrived with his daughter and mother- in-law. After looking at the painting with me, you could clearly see the pride and joy on his face.

He is married and lives in Oldham, Manchester, with his family, and dedicates at least two hours a day to painting.

This is because he works fulltime in the Care sector. After relocating in late 2016 from London, he was keen to explore the art scene in Manchester, wanting to meet other artists in the city and exploring different art galleries. He then came across leaflets at the Oldham gallery’s Open Call requesting artists to submit their work through which he submitted two paintings. The gallery called and told him

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Titus Agbara

they loved his entry but were unable to afford it without the help of funding from Arts Fund UK. Fortunately, the funding was eventually granted and they were finally able to purchase the painting.

It turns out that Damilola is actually a good friend of his in London who was very kind to him when he arrived in the UK and helped him understand how things worked. It was as his thank you

Titus Agbara's 'Damilola'

and appreciative gesture that he decided to paint her. One thing that resonated with him and the name Damilola which is of Yoruba origin in South West Nigeria, was its meaning in English. Damilola signifies “prosperity and wealth.” To him, that is “why people migrate from their native land.”

He was already talented as a child but he eventually studied Art at Auchi Polytechnic in Nigeria which was not his father’s choice for him, as he wanted him to study Architecture.

His father‘s stance against him pursuing Art as a career is because in Nigeria, artists are not considered successful. Most end up in small kiosks and sheds on the road side designing signboards and printing leaflets. These images portray Nigerian artists in a bad light.

Furthermore, he explained how he eventually got his father’s blessings to study Art. It was through a family friend

- Felix Osiemi, who convinced his father to allow him to pursue his passion. He said through Mr. Osiemi, he met his mentor - Abiodun Olaku, whose studio he went to complete his industrial attachment after his Ordinary National Diploma (O.N.D).

Agbara also acknowledges Mr. Seth Ikusika, a practicing artist who noticed his talent right from secondary school and encouraged him not to deviate but stay focused and pursue a career in Art. He learnt how to paint using palette knives from Ikusika and that has been his tool for painting until this day.

A full time artist in Nigeria since leaving school, long before his brother invited him over to the UK, he had been having art exhibitions in Lagos, alongside other artists, and, gallery owners exhibited his paintings because they were “stand out art-works.”

Gaining recognition in the UK is still an ongoing process. His paintings are based on themes from his homeland and that can sometimes be a challenge to viewers. He had his first exhibition in 2007. It was a two week exhibition at Ilford Museum and Library which he really enjoyed.

With a tinge of regret, he said he wished he sold one of his paintings to a guy who wanted it for so little.

Looking back now, he realised the passion and desire the man displayed for that work: “He was a man who showed true respect.”

After the exhibition he began to encourage other Nigerian artists to form collectives and exhibit, as back home in Lagos, he was also always encouraging his fellow artists to work together in a bid to give their arts career a more dignified reputation.

Monet - the renowned artist is a great influence on his work. “I love his use of colour, light display and technical approach,“ he was happy to declare.

These are skills he tries to apply when working on his own paintings.

To him, art is an “ongoing process,“ which is why he has vowed to have his studio as near to him as humanly possible. He believes in communicating with his paintings. He want to be able to put paint to canvas “no matter how late or early, and as soon as I get any inspiration.” He hopes to become an

Chantelle Tindall and Titus Agbara

international renowned artist. According to him: “If I make enough fortune to live off and some excess, I would love to give back to society by embarking on community projects that would especially support and nurture youth skills.”

One important aspect he is looking at, is how to use knives for a good cause.

Given the high rate of knife-crime in London and other parts of the country, he would love to hold workshops where young people would be taught how to use knives for constructive creativity as against using them as harmful weapons.

He would also love to develop art skills for young people in Nigeria especially in Ajegunle, Lagos State, where he grew up.

Agbara is somebody the Nigerian and BME communities should be very proud of. A soft-speaking and unassuming man, he has showcased his work in competitive events like the: Sky Art Portrait Artist of the Year 2014, and SkyArt Landscape Artist of the Year 2015 and 2016. For someone who knows the value of his work, he is always on the lookout for avenues to showcase his work to the world.

Currently, his work are displayed and sold on the prestigious Saatchi Art website. For sale or sold out: are some amazing paintings like As Our Mother Told Us amongst many, that so captured our fancy we are looking to acquire a print or canvas.

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TheArts

Arp Frique:‘I extensively studied the greats‘

By David Tindall ust prior to New Year‘s Eve, Arp Frique’s Nos Magia single had me going a bit bananas on the dance floor. In a good way.

Americo Brito co-wrote and delivered the amazing vocals that make the song so memorable. Its B-side tracks were co-written

by Afro-beat maestro - Orlando Julius, but I did not know that at the time of buying, such was the power of the A-side. It was unsurprisingly short listed for Track of the Year 2017 at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards. After I finally got round to appreciating all three tracks, I was eagerly awaiting the debut album.

That wait is now over and Welcome to the Colorful World of Arp Frique does not disappoint.

Expanding the themes of collaboration with synth-infused disco, and including Nos Magia, the album is as fizzy as soda pop and as infectious as the classroom giggles. Ed Motta, famously the nephew of the legendary Tim Maia, really shines on a stand out track: Living in the Box. The album closer: African Love features flautist Ronald Snijders’ skills to wondrous effect. Kid Creole aka August Darnell told the New York Times: “the beauty of music is its possibilities for mutation. And that mutation represents a larger ideal: global coexistence.”

What sets Arp Frique apart is this very organic but fully realized melting pot of sound that gives seed to that very possibility.

Thankfully, I secured a Trumpet Media Group exclusive interview with Niels Nieuborg who is otherwise known as Arp Frique to familiarise you further.

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How did the wonderful collaborations on Welcome to the Colorful World of... occur?

Well the music was there first, the vocals I added later. Most of the songs are based on a bassline or guitar rhythm, that’s how I often build tracks. I just keep adding layers till I get the right feeling. It’s a very visceral thing, I make these songs standing up, dancing even, instead of sitting behind a desk. Ronald Snijders is on 2 songs, he has been one of my best friends for the last 15 years and we worked on so much stuff over the years. For instance: “The Nelson & Djosa Sessions”, an album we did together filled with his originals but in a new version with a host of guests such as Azymuth, Bassekou Kouyate, Ed Motta and many others. That’s also where my friendship with Ed really started growing.

We’ve known each other before but working

Arp Frique and family

on music together takes the connection to a whole different level. Another artist I started working within those sessions is Orlando Julius. We really hit it off and kept connected, beautiful guy this man! Americo Brito is a Cape Verdean singer living in Rotterdam, my original hometown. I started playing in Cape Verdean bands in Rotterdam decades ago, and always stayed in touch with the Cape Verdean scene even after I moved to Amsterdam.

Americo is so important in the RotterdamCape Verdean connection, very special man, who is also a regular member of the live band.

Ronald joins us when he can, that’s when we feel full circle, all together doing our thing live. Very exciting for Ronald and me because we have been working in the studio together all these years without performing together, it’s a big cherry on our cake so to say.

Ronald

Your music sounds so fresh and warm.

How much does being a DJ influence it?

Well, it was partly being a DJ, partly listening to other DJs and listening to music in general. So obviously there are Cape Verdean influences in there from the 70s golden era, Nigerian funk and boogie influences,

Americo

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Arp Frique:‘I extensively studied the greats‘ Continued from Page 6< Brazilian 70s vibes; but the warmth comes from somewhere else in my musical journey: I extensively studied the greats when I was younger, I mean everybody from Bowie to Marley to Stevie to Sun Ra. I started with guitar when I was 15, but later on I started appreciating synths and keyboards more and more. Especially Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Chick Corea. Not just how the synths they used sounded, but also what they played and how they played it.

I guess a lot of that stuff has influenced me heavily. I use analog synths only, no digital stuff. All playing, no midi allowed on my productions, I don’t even know how to use it properly. Guitar-wise, I listened to every single note Hendrix ever released, all the P Funk guitar players (Eddie Hazel is my favorite), and tons of Nile Rodgers. Also a big part of my sound comes from the bass, and for that I go in so many directions: Bootsy Collins, Paul Jackson Jr., Wally Badarou, Kassav, Pastorius, Stevie Wonder on synthbass. I love to mess with the bass sound.

On a track called African Love (last song on my album, original from Ronald Snijders - I covered) I tried to play the guitar arpeggio that was originally on Ronald’s version and that is the bassline you hear, I love how it sounds nothing like a guitar but does fill up the space like an arpeggio on guitar would. I played it on an Arp PRO DGX, my favorite synthesizer I own.

A perfect live band, just how difficult is it to get all the players under one roof?

It’s incredibly difficult, it’s the main reason I only did studio stuff for 15 years. I did live shows before, it was just too hard on a low budget. But this music screams for a live band. I wanted people who could translate what I played myself in the studio

the way I see it, as warm and fuzzy as it is on the record but with extra power. I often use Prince as a reference. He was so good at translating his silky studio stuff to bombastic live shows, that’s a big inspiration for me. I give the band members a lot of freedom as long as they get the basics right. I selected them over the years, although most of the people that actually are in the band now came in last. The band called The Family consists of Djosa, my music buddy for the last 15 years, Erik Ritfeld, the hottest piano player I ever met from Surinam originally, 2 youngsters from Ghana both from a church background: Marissa Nyamekye on vocals (also on the album: Awa Dupe together with Orlando Julius) and Emmanuel Afriyie on drums, Gianna Tam (Surinam roots) on percussion and vocals (also on the album), Marilonah Copra from Curacao on bass who is only 18 years old, and Americo Brito on vocals.

I am guessing that the huger the band becomes, the more chance there is of all playing together. What are the next steps towards becoming huge?

This album is step one. It was created over the last 4 years, so now I am already making stuff for the next record. Also, I will be releasing more music by other artists over the coming years. And I have my own festival called FESTIVAL MAGIA on September 1st which is gonna be bananas.

I never rest or wait, I am always working on the next thing. Many surprises coming up and not just dance floor stuff. I will be working with Americo a lot more in the future and with other new guests. I won’t be giving in to commercial temptations, I’m building this thing from the ground up and I love it when I can keep exploring new galaxies with this, regardless of commercial success. I will be diving deeper and deeper in the coming

With Orlando Julius

months and years, it will be a warm and at times, dark journey, always looking for new exciting music from my own mind and hands, the joy of creating is what pushes me forward.

Not just music, art as well, videos I do myself, all the artwork, fashion. I very much like to stimulate ALL the senses, instead of just making the tracks. Sky is not the limit in this case, there’s more beyond, and I stay connected to the universe for inspiration and stay grateful for all that is happening now. It’s a new level of happiness I experience through all these positive reactions to my music and the shows we do. It’s heart-warming and I am going to give that back to you all.

As a very part- time promoter who has tried and failed to put on a Manchester Arp Frique show, I will now have to content myself instead by watching the wonderful YouTube

clips.

Before finishing, l have to commend him on last year’s colossal Festival Magia line up which he did not do justice in his interview.

The aforementioned: Americo Brito, Ed Motta, and Ronald Snijders, all graced the stage of this free festival. Awesome Tapes From Africa who has done bucket-loads to promote West African music also performed as did one of its breakthrough acts DJ Katapila. The Ghanaian DJ made a splash last year with his fresh new work, the critically acclaimed Aroo EP. Co-founder of Red Light Radio, the revered Orpheu the Wizard who spins amazing music from all corners of the world, graced the very same stage. Also, amongst the many other acts, was Philou Louzolo, who performed a William Onyeabor tribute.

Rotterdam is very lucky and I cannot wait to see this year’s line-up. If only to roll my eyes in envy. I really hope after reading this, those of you uninitiated in the colourful world of Arp Frique soon will be. We are truly blessed that people like him work tirelessly and joyously to make the world a brighter place.

Links: http://arpfrique.com/ http://festivalmagia.nl/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYlGkDdG-9M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCs_zC3D2ZA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-JtnbJ2srQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VA9SY5TpqE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djTaf3Jhvh0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zBn7gQhQ0A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWTS4FclzpA

* Arp Frique‘s Welcome to the Colorful World of Arp Frique is out now on Colorful World Records.

Media

How to spot fake news ews that just one in 50 children can spot ‘fake news’ stories, is cause for concern.

The National Literacy Trust found that when 2,200 pupils aged eight to 16 took a fake news quiz, only a handful were able to spot all the fabricated stories.

So, we asked news expert, Dr Lisette Johnston who is ex BBC World News boss and now Head of School at ScreenSpace to give us some top tips on identifying when we’re being fed fake news. Here are her six top tips…

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Check the source Look at the publication or site and look at its other stories – try to think critically, consider whether there is any other questionable content.

Check the date Sometimes a story from years ago can be re run to give the impression of ‘new’ news.

Do your own research Check whether the story has been run on other sites, if so, how is the story presented?

Read beyond the headline Some publications and websites use sensational headlines as a way to encourage you to ‘click’ on the story, this is called ‘click bait’. Sometimes the actual story bears no resemblance to its headline.

Research the writer If the article has a writer’s by-line Search for them on Google to see what other articles they’ve written.

Check the facts There are some great fact-checking websites such as: https://fullfact.org and https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ to use when you’re really not sure about a story, whether it’s a statement from MPs or a piece from other organisations.

But, you can also ask yourself these three questions: • Can the statement be proved or demonstrated to be true?

• Can the statement be observed in practice or operation?

• Can the statement by verified by witnesses, manuscripts, or documents?

* Dr Lisette Johnston is Head of School at ScreenSpace, collaboration between MetFilm School and the University of West London offering a BA (Hons) degree in Content, Media and Film Production.

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TheTrumpet JULY 4 - 17 2018

Media

A day in the life of Noni Presenter - Juliana Olayinka he YANGA! television channel aimed at the African diaspora has created quite a stir since its launch in March. Broadcasting daily on Sky Channel 453 and Freesat 171, the network has a dynamic mix of music, comedy, current affairs, women’s issues, drama and much else.

Its highest-rated show is the no-holdsbarred female discussion programme Noni, which airs on the channel from Monday to Friday at 9.30am, full episodes of Noni are now also available for free online at www.yangatv.com/shows/noni. Noni is presented by an experienced British journalist of Nigerian heritage, Juliana Olayinka, who is also a brand ambassador for the network.

Married to Samuel, 32-year-old Juliana has three young daughters: Abigail, nine; Phoebe-Grace, four; and Camilla, who is six months old.

Unsurprisingly, with five editions of Noni to film each week and a busy family life, Juliana finds that time is at a premium.

We caught up with her to find out how she juggles her many tasks.

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awake at 6.45am and my middle child gets up at about 7am. I bathe the kids and give them breakfast, pick their clothes and make sure they’ve got their athletics kit and library books. There’s a lot of clothes, shoes and jewellery to choose for me as well. My youngest child, Camilla, may be awake. It’s very, very busy, which is pretty normal for a working mum with three kids. The nanny arrives around 7.15am and I leave the house at 7.30am to go to Chiswick Park Underground Station. I try to arrive for work at 9am.

The crew time is 10am, so I like to go to the studio first - it gives me the opportunity to relax, go through the script and get my head around what we’re going to be talking about.

10am The Make-Up Artist arrives at 10 and I get a really nice touch up. The Producer and the Assistant Producer come in, and we make sure everything is OK with the script. A good Producer gives you decent questions, but I like to have some of my own questions prepared. At 10.30, the guests arrive and I greet them - most I

Juliana Olayinka

Panelists on Noni

6am If I’m filming, I set my alarm for 6am and, once it goes off, I’m listening to the latest Nigerian news on the television.

When I get out of the shower, I put the coffee machine on. I don’t eat because there’s no time. My eldest daughter is

know or know of. We have a chat - it’s really important for them to be at ease. I get changed and at 11 we do a minirehearsal before I go through the script again. At 11.30, we shoot as live. The response to the show has been amazing Noni is the highest-rated show on

YANGA! My mission is to have more black British female voices on TV - black women are the most underrepresented people on TV. On other channels, you might see the odd black face, but they’re not talking about black stories; nobody in the UK is capturing that voice. We have black women talking about black hair or the importance of the black pound.

Another thing YANGA! has is the quality - Noni looks like the panel show Loose Women. We finish shooting at 12. After that we have a debrief, which is usually very quick. We move on to the next show and also have lunch - the runner brings in some sandwiches. I always ask him to bring in some chicken for me.

1pm As well as presenting Noni, I am a brand ambassador for YANGA!, and Lindsey, the CEO of the parent company,

Africa MediaWorks, is often meeting people and asking me to pop in. I also go through and check my emails. Especially now, a lot of people want to get on the show. There are also other emails that I have to answer. Sometimes there are some people Lindsey wants me to chase.

Every day when I am in the office, I have at least 10 minutes alone with Lindsey to talk about key events and people to meet.

We’re dealing with the Nigerian community, so there’s always some sort of event. It’s all about relationship building. I leave the office just before 5pm.

5pm I really look forward to going home.

On my way home, I pick up my daughter Abigail following her after-school club.

We have a nice walk, and we talk about what she did at school. My middle child tells me about nursery and I am mum with Camilla. We try to relax. I watch Noni with my husband. He’s my biggest critic – I appreciate it. He says, ‘You should be talking about this’ or ‘talking about that.’ I also tune in to YANGA! and watch the drama Wives on Strike and the comedy show Number 6. Once the kids are in bed, I flick through some social media. If I’m shooting the next day, I have to be up at 6am, so I like to be upstairs between 10pm and 11pm. It’s such a long day!

JULY 4 - 17 2018

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Opinion

Ten years after Lamidi Adedibu t has been ten years since the selfstyled “strong man of Ibadan politics,” Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Akanji Adedibu, died. He died on June 11, 2008. I do not recall seeing many tributes or advertisements in the newspapers or other media commemorating his life and legacy.

There was no public lecture or any important statements from those who were his protégés. That this is so, is a useful lesson to today’s political Godfathers and henchmen in Nigerian politics who behave as if history has already assigned to them an immortal space on its pages.

Lamidi Adedibu was a colossal presence in the politics of Ibadan, and Oyo State for more than 50 years.

Ibadan has a tradition of colourful politicians who wielded enormous influence: Adegoke Adelabu, the brilliant orator and intellectually gifted personality who authored “Africa in Ebullition”, and whose use of the phrase “peculiar mess” got transliterated by his illiterate audience as “penkelemesi”; Chief Mojeed Mobolanle Agbaje, the first Ibadan man to become a lawyer, and son of Alhaji Salami Agbaje of Ayeye, Ibadan who was the richest man in Ibadan in his time and the first to ride a car (1915) and build a house with cement; Chief Meredith Adisa Akinloye, an alumnus of the London School of Economics (LSE), founder of the Ibadan People’s Party (IPP), Chairman of Ibadan City Council and in the Second Republic, Chairman of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN); and Alhaji Busari Adelakun, the “Eruobodo” (“the river fears no one”) of Ibadan politics.

There is hardly any other Ibadan indigene apart from these gentlemen, who has been more influential in shaping the tone and shape of Ibadan politics and by extension, the politics of Oyo State. Local Ibadan politics is a

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combination of thuggery, populism, inconsistency, clientelism and intellectual opportunism, with service to the people thrown in as a lower measure.

Lamidi Adedibu lacked the intellectual gifts of Adelabu, Agbaje, and Akinloye, or the oratory of Adelabu – he was much closer to Busari Adelakun, who was his mentor. In an instructive book titled “What I saw in the Politics of Ibadanland”, Adedibu has already given his own eye-witness account from his days beginning with the Ibadan People’s Party and the Action Group, later the National Party of Nigeria during the Second Republic, but he truly came into his own as the main Godfather of Ibadan politics with the ascendancy of the People’s Democratic Party in 1999 and especially in 2003 when he was recruited by President Olusegun Obasanjo for his second term bid. He filled the vacuum created by the exit of Alhaji Busari Adelakun, and in that aspect, he established himself as a master of the game using violence, mass appeal, and philanthropy to determine political outcomes. During the Second Republic, Alhaji Busari Adelakun was credited with having helped Chief Bola Ige of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) to become Governor.

The main task of that branch of Ibadan politics represented by Adelakun and his followers, was to help deliver the votes, by any means possible. Adelakun would go from one polling booth to the other, and ensure that his clients won the vote. He was later rewarded with the position of a Commissioner (first Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and later, Health) in the Bola Ige government.

Both men would soon fall out, and Busari Adelakun resigned in anger. He famously swore that nobody could ever

occupy a position that he, Adelakun, left in anger. It then happened that his immediate successor in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy died in the hands of his own sibling. He was beheaded. Adelakun’s successor in the Ministry of Health also suffered stroke. He on account of this became a mythical figure. He would later defect to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) with the threat that he would get Bola Ige removed as Governor. He supported Chief Victor Omololu Olunloyo who eventually became Governor. His word came to pass. But the Olunloyo government was short-lived. General Buhari struck in December 1983 and Adelakun and other NPN chieftains were herded into detention. He took ill in jail and died subsequently.

It was Lamidi Adedibu who sustained this tradition of prominent Ibadan politicians playing the role of the Godfather, and masters of the politics of clientelism. Unlike Adelakun, he didn’t have to follow the able-bodied boys, masquerading as members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who snatched ballot boxes in those days and stuffed them. He had the entire city under his control in a manner nobody else before him did. Every major thug in the town reported to him, and he used them against the opponents, but he also at the same time took very good care of the ordinary people who delivered the votes to ensure victory for his clients and friends. Lamidi Adedibu, with the failure of the Alliance for Democracy in the 2003 election in Oyo State, became effectively the most influential politician in Ibadan politics, Oyo State politics, and one of the leading lights of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He held court and juggled the balls from his extensive home in Molete, Ibadan. That was where he held court. He was Ashipa Olubadan but he had his own palace where he decided the political fortunes of politicians who came to him for help,

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BY REUBEN ABATI or persons seeking political appointments. It was not for nothing that he was known as “Alaafin of Molete”.

His home was a palace unto itself.

He was also the exponent of “Amala politics” – what is now known as the politics of “stomach infrastructure.“ Every day, Adedibu kept his home open for the ordinary people of Ibadan.

Whoever was hungry knew that if they went to Adedibu’s home, they would get a good plate of piping hot amala and a drink to wash it down. Ordinary people who could not pay school fees or hospital bills or rent went to him in his palace to ask for help. He supported them willingly. He was not a herdsman but he had a mini-ranch in his home, at Continued on Page 11<

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Opinion

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Ten years after Lamidi Adedibu Continued from Page 10<

any time, there were more than a dozen cows waiting to be slaughtered to feed the people, goats also, and rams and pigeons. Every day in the Adedibu home was like a festival. He reportedly kept more than 100 vehicles, to be mobilized at short notice to pursue any political cause. The whole of Ibadan city came to regard Adedibu as the real government: he ran a government of his own. It wasn’t long before he became a national figure of real importance.

Prominent politicians visited him at home, and as they did, they brought bags of money, which in any case, Adedibu shared to the electorate. The politicians who took him as their Godfather expected him to help them deliver the votes on election day and the people who went to his house to eat and collect money waited on him to tell them how they should vote in every election. He would soon become so influential that the then Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali described him at a point, as the “Garrison Commander of Ibadan politics.” President Olusegun Obasanjo also visited him at home once, welcomed by a cavalcade of drums and pageantry, and he ended up describing him as the “father of the PDP”. Even politicians from other parts of the country who may not have needed him in their own constituencies, patronized him all the same. In his own immediate political constituency, his boys did as they wished. They unleashed violence on political opponents while the State authorities looked the other way. Adedibu was above the law. He was the ultimate Godfather. He once quipped: “…Let me tell you, constitution or law, that is for you men. God has his own law.”

There was no one like that before him, and there has been no other like that after him. He projected himself as a Robin Hood, but he didn’t really like the poor, he used them for his own relevance.

In 2003, he had reportedly helped to install Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja as Governor of Oyo State. He himself said so. That is what people like him do - they would help to install a client in a position of political authority.

They would then afterwards collect rent in form of cash and appointive positions and exercise influence over public policy. Adedibu and Ladoja soon fell out. Adedibu told the public that he had a prior agreement with Ladoja that he must pay to him, every month, 50% of the State’s Security Vote, which was at the time about N30 million. Ladoja reneged, insisting that the Security Vote was meant for security. The Godfather became angry –

he retorted that he was the main security of the State and did Ladoja realize that money was spent to get him into office? He swore to get Ladoja removed. And indeed he did. Eighteen out of the 32 members of the State House of Assembly, acting on Adedibu’s instructions, met and impeached Ladoja. His Deputy who

abattoir, they patronize the people by bribing them with motorcycles or boreholes. In Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom distributed wheel barrows with the inscription: “Gov. Ortom for you”. In another State, a serving APC Senator donated an electric pole to a community as constituency project and took

manipulation could not endure in the long run. One week after his burial, his political acolytes returned hoping that his family will sustain the feast. They were turned back. The pots and pans used for cooking had been packed aside. Over 90 mattresses used by the army of boys that thronged the “palace” had been packed together in a heap to

Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Akanji Adedibu

was also an Adedibu protégé was immediately installed as Governor.

After taking the oath of office, one of Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala’s first assignments was to go straight to Adedibu’s home to pay homage. He went down on all fours to say “thank you.” Ladoja would later be reinstated by court order 11 months later, but the Godfather had made his point.

The kind of influence that the likes of Lamidi Adedibu wielded is a metaphor for the character and level of Nigerian politics. Godfathers still exist in today’s politics and the new Godfathers are just as messianic and as arrogant as their predecessors were.

Violence also remains an instrument of persuasion and enforcement, even if since Adedibu’s exit, the level of violence in Ibadan politics has progressively reduced, across the country, many politicians routinely patronize thugs and enforcers. “Amala politics” still exists in form of “stomach infrastructure” – even when some politicians do not turn their homes into a public kitchen and

photographs. In Kano State, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje bought noodles, eggs, and beverages to empower tea hawkers. Now that we are in an election season, some other politicians will distribute cooked food, bags of rice or photograph themselves eating at Amala joints or buying roasted corn by the roadside.

Our politicians have learnt to exploit the people’s poverty.

Political Godfathers capitalise on this and turn it into a strategy. When the people are rescued from the poverty trap, they would be less susceptible to the greed and exploitation of politicians.

Institutions also have to be built and strengthened to check the menace of Godfathers and their boys who decide electoral choices on the people’s behalf and by so doing, frustrate democratic expression.

As a human being, Adedibu was obviously a strong grassroots mobiliser.

He was also a strong religious and community leader – he built 18 mosques - but his legacy of stomach infrastructure and political

be disposed off. The amala-seeking crowd went over to the home of Alhaji Azeez Arisekola-Alao, an Ibadan politician and entrepreneur, hoping he would provide “amala”. Arisekola was a prominent philanthropist but he wasn’t running a public kitchen in his home. One of Adedibu’s sons, ended up in politics and became a Senator, but he did not follow in his father’s footsteps.

Another son reportedly described the late politician as a “dishonest politician.”

Today, the Molete palace is desolate. The in-house ranch has disappeared. The Nigerian electorate, should be reminded that when a politician offers them food in exchange for their votes, that food will soon digest and end up in the toilet, and you’d need to eat again. When the politician dies, or leaves politics or no longer needs you, you’d still have to eat. It is better always to vote wisely and focus on the need to build and strengthen public institutions for the people’s benefit.

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TheTrumpet JULY 4 - 17 2018

Opinion

In defence of the Fulani in our midst

By Reuben Abati

Mass burial for victims reportedly killed by Fulani Herdsmen

State of the Nation: n the last two weeks, over 200 persons in Plateau State were reportedly killed by Fulani herdsmen, 45 villages were ransacked and sacked and those villages we are told have been taken over by Fulanis, and the original owners have had to flee from their homes. There has also been some frightening talk about the true ownership of land, and we have seen on social media, that territory where fake news is forever rubbing shoulders with true news, and nobody is sure of anything that - indeed our country is in trouble. The country where human lives no longer mean anything, where mass graves have become common, where one ethnic group kills the other, where the life of a cow is more important than that of a human being; that is Nigeria a country that currently drifts, simply drifts in the direction of nowhere.

On this account, I am awfully sorry to report that Nigeria, our country is indeed right now in a dangerous place and the injury is self-inflicted. How many more open graves will Nigerians dig? How many more mass burials are we going to conduct before we realize that the rain has perforated our roofs and we can no longer sleep in peace?

How many more condolence messages will heal our wounds, even now that we have been officially informed by the Presidency to tolerate more killings because a ‘quota’ left behind by the

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former President Jonathan has not been met? That is absolutely stupid but we are in today’s Nigeria where human lives have been officially determined to be a pawn in the political game, death has become a campaign issue, our politicians are now stepping on people’s blood to make political points, they don’t care, they don’t give a damn.

Good? No. Sad? Yes. Very sad. Pitiable.

Regrettable. Absolutely offensive.

When the Buhari government that is now in power came to office, Nigerians were told to expect miracles in three specific areas: security, the economy and the anti-corruption war. Under Jonathan, there was the Boko Haram problem. Every other week, there was a Boko Haram attack in the North Eastern part of the country. It was part of my brief to commiserate with Nigerians and express the President’s regrets. We did this so often that after a while, the public memorised our lines, and even before we issued the statements, the people themselves did so on our behalf. What is happening now is worse than whatever happened under Jonathan. Nobody bothers to commiserate with Nigerians anymore and when they do, they pass the buck.

They blame other people, including the victims. The Buhari government came to power partly on the basis of the assurance that it will deal with Nigeria’s security challenge but let us be honest with ourselves, it has not

been able to do so.

People are being killed, practically on a daily basis, the government can’t even afford to issue statements. When the President’s Spokesmen manage to issue statements, the only intelligent excuse they offer is to say that more people were killed under Jonathan and Nigerians should wait till more people are killed under Buhari before they can complain. This is a perfect case of the coffin-maker complaining about the lack of sales. Would he wish that his own family should die so sales can improve? When government officials have nothing intelligent to say, they are better off keeping shut, instead of opening their mouths and making their principal sound like an idiot.

The people who have been killed in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Adamawa are Nigerians. Every soul that is lost is important to Nigeria. Every man or woman or child that dies because Nigeria has gone to the worst end of the spectrum could have lived and be an agent of promise for Nigeria. In the last three years, more persons of promise have been killed in this country than at any other time in the history of Nigeria.

The civil war happened, yes, but that was a war situation, but right now, Nigeria is at peace, so we think, and yet, people are being killed, and the country simply folds its arms. Opinion leaders and State Governors as well as civil society groups have called for the

removal of the Chiefs of the Armed Forces and the Inspector-General of Police - because when these attacks happen, the various security agencies have been proven to be totally incompetent and inefficient - and they have been rightly accused of complicity. We are in trouble, because it has never been this bad.

But I do not agree with those who insist that this is a Fulani problem. The biggest damage that this government has done is to make the Fulani race look very bad in Nigeria, and in effect, this has sharpened ethnic and religious divisions. When President Olusegun Obasanjo came to power in 1999, his brief was to re-unite a divided country and keep it together. His emergence as President pacified the angry people of Yorubaland who were uncomfortable with the criminal abolition of MKO Abiola’s mandate.

Presidents Yar’Adua and Jonathan built on that foundation. The latter continuously insisted that Nigeria will not be divided under his watch, and that he would not preside over any bloodshed.

But under President Buhari’s watch, whatever unity was achieved post-1999 has been destroyed.

Nigeria today is a divided country. The Fulani who President Buhari represents, have become the biggest losers of the 2015 Presidential election.

If they thought their kinsman becoming Continued on Page 13<

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In defence of the Fulani in our midst Continued from Page 12<

President will serve their purpose, they have been proven wrong. By his style, methods, and circumstances, President Buhari has not helped his own people.

He has further alienated them from Nigeria. And he has not met the expectations of those who voted for him. National unity is the biggest challenge in Nigeria. After the civil war, going on with one Nigeria has been the main assignment of every successive administration. The Buhari government that emerged in 2015 has taken the position that this is not important and that is why Nigeria is in trouble today.

The problem is not the Fulani.

Every other Nigerian is blaming the Fulani man and woman. No. The Fulani man is a good man. As Mahmood Mamdani has argued in his book, Good Muslims, Bad Muslims, we need to take a practical look at existing situations, and be careful with moral labels and categorisations, before we jump to conclusions. Other Nigerians may have been suspicious of the ordinary Fulani man since the civil war, but there has been a process of reconciliation and reintegration that has produced a better Nigeria, but which under this government is now being destroyed.

Allowing this to happen is the biggest mistake Nigerians have made. Fulanis are now being blamed, as a group and as a category for the fault of a few.

Good Fulanis are being demonized for the errors of the bad Fulani that grabbed power. Herdsmen have always been in this country. How come we did not have any issue with them until now? When people say Fulani herdsmen have become a problem and that all Fulanis are bad, this is the question I ask.

The ordinary Fulani person is good.

Aliko Dangote is the richest man in Africa and arguably the richest Black man in the world. He is Fulani, and he is from Nigeria. If he didn’t have the kind of opportunities he has had, he will probably be one of those now being referred to as Fulani herdsmen. If you ask him, he probably knows some herdsmen, and he was probably a herdsman himself at some point in his life. But here he is today, a Fulani in Nigeria, doing good for Nigeria. He owns a company that provides jobs for hundreds of thousands of Nigerians and opportunities for millions of Nigerians.

He has lived in Lagos for more than 40 years and if he knocks on any door in Yorubaland or Igboland, and asks for a room to sleep overnight, he would be received with prayers.

Dangote runs one of the most diversified companies in Nigeria. When you go to any of his offices, you won’t

have the impression that you are in a Fulani man’s company. He runs a Foundation that has also been giving back to society, across geo-political zones. I don’t have information about his marital life, but I won’t be surprised if some of the women on his pension or pay list are from across Nigeria. And that is a Fulani man using his business and life to keep Nigeria together. I also know the current Sultan: The Sultan of Sokoto. The first time I met him, the people around him were Igbos! They were his main men and I was confused.

The present Sultan has friends everywhere in Nigeria, and he keeps in touch even with ordinary people like me. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the current Emir of Kano, lived and worked in Lagos. He probably has more Yoruba friends than Fulanis. He was one of the boys here in Lagos. General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau is Nigeria’s chief security overlord, in and out of office.

He has more proteges and friends in other parts of Nigeria than among his own Fulani kith and kin. There are many more good Fulani. I can also attest for example that new generation Fulani girls are the best in Nigeria: educated in England and the United States, they are untouched by the politics of ethnicity and religion. They relate with other Nigerians as human beings not as ethnic zombies. This is why inter-ethnic, inter-religious contact with the Fulani has increased in recent times.

But all of that is being destroyed by the bad Fulani who are in charge of Nigeria, and who by being bad, have managed to isolate the entire Fulani clan and have shaken the table of Nigerian unity. I say all of this, not because I want to make anybody unhappy but because I have actually observed a growing anti-Fulani movement in the Southern part of Nigeria. It is borne out of the resentment against Fulani herdsmen. It is so bad that, we, the people of Southern Nigeria, are now being told to stop eating beef. If no Southerner eats beef, then the cattle transportation and marketing business would have been destroyed. If you don’t believe this, well, believe the fact that meetings are being held to this effect.

My view: I don’t think the average Fulani man doing business and trying to earn a living and who is as angry as every other person that Buhari has disappointed, should be punished for the criminal conduct of a few. The proposed strategy is also wrong. The people who are saying for example that

we should boycott beef, are they also saying we should stop eating pepper and other farm produce that come from the North? Are they telling me that I should no longer buy suya from the Fulani man who runs a University of Suya at the Allen Avenue roundabout in Lagos? I don’t see how that can happen.

If we must boycott beef, am I also required to stop buying dambu nama and roasted guinea fowl from my friend, Mohammed at Sunday market?

I don’t understand this boycott game.

So, I mean, are we expected to cut off our Northern girlfriends? Ha. Ha. Ha. That won’t work. It is better for Buhari to leave power than for that to happen.

I can tell you, Fulani beef is ve-ry, very swe-et, and anybody who tries by any means whatsoever to take it out of the national menu is an enemy of Nigeria.

President Buhari was elected into power to make Nigeria whole. For some reason, he has made the country more vulnerable than he met it. He must deliberately stop giving the bad Fulani the impression that they can do as they wish because their kinsman is in power. He owes us a duty and a responsibility not to make things worse.

He must go after the bad Fulani and the other bad Nigerians who do not want his government to work and deal with them. Nigeria must make peace, not war. It is the simplest request we can make.

Rotary Club of Lagos on July 6. I am happy for him and I congratulate him.

Ehi Braimah was our President - young boys and girls who knew how to dig it, long before Nollywood and instatory at Niteshift Coliseum for many years.

Glad to hear that he has moved up and he is now the 58th President of the Rotary Club of Lagos. The Rotary Club of Lagos was chartered on May 30, 1961, making it the oldest active club in Nigeria. The Charter President of the Club was Chief S. L. Edu. There were distinguished members of the Nigerian and expatriate communities at the time including Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony, Justice O. Lambo, John B. Mandilas, C. P. Leventis, and Ambassador Joseph Palmer. This was way back in 1961. Ehi Braimah, that young man who came to Lagos in the 80s, with nothing, absolutely nothing except a degree in Mathematics, is today a multiple Chief Executive and President of the Rotary Club of Lagos. He is a true inspirational figure. The theme of the International Rotary Year, 2018 - 2019, which began on July 1, is: “Be the Inspiration”. My friend Foxy is “the inspiration”. Best regards, Foxy.

Foxy, the Rotarian Here is some good news: my friend and brother, Ehi Foxy Braimah is set to assume office as President of the

Ehi Foxy Braimah

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TheTrumpet JULY 4 - 17 2018

News

JULY 4 - 17 2018

TheTrumpet

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Josephine Ojiambo receives “Caring Citizen of the World” Award mbassador Dr. Josephine Ojiambo, the immediate past Deputy Secretary General at the Commonwealth Secretariat received the 2018 “Caring Citizen of the World Award” from the International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC), a New York-based not-for-profit organization with Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Although some 35 renowned world leaders have received the prestigious award since 1996, Dr. Ojiambo becomes

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its first African recipient.

While handing out the award at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Mr. Steven C. Rockefeller Jr. - the Chairman and CEO of the Rose Rock Group, the Co-Founder of China Culture and Art International Organization and grandson of Nelson Rockefeller, the 41st Vice President of the United States: stated that the Award was in recognition of Ambassador Ojiambo’s many special talents and achievements, including visionary foresight and creative endeavours, especially her inspiration

Campaign urges Londoners to prevent HIV this summer Continued from Page 1<

people’s behaviour, and delivering excellent value for money at a time when public health budgets are under pressure.”

Paul Steinberg, Lead Commissioner of the London HIV Prevention Programme, said: “We’re determined to do everything we can to help Londoners understand their HIV prevention choices. Whether through innovative digital marketing on ‘hookup’ apps and social media, on streetside adverts, or via face-to-face health promotion, Do It London’s messages about combination HIV prevention will again be seen across the capital in the coming months.

“Given the recent drop in HIV diagnoses in London, the campaign seeks to maintain that promising momentum and give everyone who lives, works or visits the capital the information they need to take care of their sexual health and prevent HIV transmission.”

Do It London is an award-winning public health initiative set up in 2015

by London’s boroughs in response to high rates of HIV. The capital is home to an estimated 38,700 living with HIV – accounting for 43 per cent of all

people with the condition in England.

Lack of awareness, late diagnosis, and continuing stigma, all increase the risk of onward transmission and poorer health outcomes.

Since Do It London began there has been a downward trend in the number of people diagnosed with HIV in the capital, despite more people testing.

This includes a remarkable 40 per cent reduction in HIV diagnoses in five central London clinics – a reduction that has not occurred on the same scale in the rest of the country.

Earlier this year, London joined the worldwide Fast-Track Cities initiative and became one of the first global cities to meet the UN’s ambitious HIV diagnosis and treatment targets.

Working together with other cities, London has pledged to achieve three key HIV goals by 2030: zero new transmissions, zero deaths, and zero stigma.

Do It London is the largest campaign for driving progress towards these ambitious goals in the city. If current trends continue, London can be confident of achieving them within the next decade.

and dedication to new mindsets, and for commitment to promote greater understanding between generations, governments, and her advocacy for a more holistic approach towards meeting the needs of the elderly and the ageing.

Attendees recalled Dr. Ojiambo energetic and solid contribution to diplomacy, multilateralism and intergovernmental processes when she served as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations.

In her acceptance speech, Dr. Ojiambo stated that she was both humbled and honoured by the recognition. She thanked ICCC for creating valuable platforms that foster inter-generational thinking, dynamism, creativity and the innovative capacity of the young people to tackle the attendant challenges that the elderly face today and in the coming years. She stressed the importance of meaningfully engaging the youth and young ones, and affording them opportunities to think, create and share solutions to our attendant challenges and contribute towards a more sustainable urban ecosystem.

Founded in 1994 by the late Dr. Albert

Dr Josephine Ojiambo

Bush-Brown, architectural historian and Professor Dianne Davis, ICCC stimulates and showcases innovative concepts that address global longevity challenges and opportunities.

Two other individuals were recognized for their work in this space: Dr. Urs Peter Gauchat - Dean Emeritus and Professor at the College of Architecture and Design, New Jersey Institute of Technology received the “Caring Citizen of the Humanities Award” while Mr. Bernahard Windrich CEO of Normfest, one of the largest suppliers of motor vehicle parts in Europe was given the “Public Private Sector Leadership Award.”Q

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TheTrumpet JULY 4 - 17 2018

Entertainment

‘African Scream Contest 2’ out on Analog Africa A new treasure-trove of Vodoun-inspired Afrobeat heavy-funk crossover greatness from Benin, West Africa, every bit as joyous a voyage of discovery as its predecessor was 10 years ago.

Listen & Share: Les Sympathics de Porto-Novo - “A Min We Vo Nou We” https://soundcloud.com/analog-africa/amin-we-vo-nou-orchestre-les-sympatics/sWPF5E Analog Africa links: http://analogafrica.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnalogAfrica great compilation can open the gate to another world. Who knew that some of the most exciting Afrofunk records of all time were actually made in the small West African country of Benin?

Once Analog Africa released the first ‘African Scream Contest’ in 2008, the proof was there for all to hear; gut-busting yelps, lethally well-drilled horn sections and irresistibly insistent rhythms added up to a record that took you into its own space with the same electrifying sureness as any favourite blues or soul or funk or punk sampler you might care to mention.

Ten years on, intrepid crate-digger and Analog Africa founder - Samy Ben Redjeb unveils a new treasure-trove of Vodouninspired Afrobeat heavy funk crossover greatness, featuring 14 tracks from 1963 1980. Right from the laceratingly raw guitar fanfare which kicks off Les Sympathics’ pile-driving opener, the previously unreleased “A Min We Vo Nou We”, it’s clear that ‘African Scream Contest 2’ is going to be every bit as joyous a voyage of discovery as its predecessor.

Herman Laléyé, founder of Les Sympathics states that: “The song was recorded at JKBK Studios in Lagos, which was run by a white man whose name I can’t remember. It’s just over 100 kms away from Porto-Novo, so we would drive there one day and come back the next. That was around ’73-’74, just at the beginning of the Beninese revolution. Albarika Store produced it as a sampler and it was given

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to radio stations who loved it - everybody was shouting my name in Porto-Novo! But the money proposed by Albarika Store wasn’t enough, so I refused the contract and the song was never released.”

Where some purveyors of vintage African sounds seem to be strip-mining the continent’s musical heritage with no less rapacious intent than the mining companies and colonial authorities who previously extracted its mineral wealth, Samy Ben Redjeb’s determination to track this amazing music to its human sources pays huge karmic dividends. Like every other Analog Africa release, ‘African Scream Contest 2’ is illuminated by meticulously researched text and effortlessly fashionforward photography supplied by the artists themselves.

The scene documented here couldn’t have been born anywhere else but in the Benin Republic, and the prime reason for that is Vodoun. It’s one of the world’s most complex religions, involving the worship of some 250 divinities, where each divinity has its own specific set of rhythms, and the bands introduced on the ‘African Scream Contest’ series and other compilations from that country were no less diverse than that army of different gods. At once restless pioneers and masters of the art of modernising their own folklore, the mystic sound of Vodoun was their prime source of inspiration.

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