5 Nov 2009 11:58 Africa/Lagos
Justice Jon Kamanda Elected President of the Special Court
FREETOWN, November 2, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Justice Jon Kamanda of Sierra Leone has been elected to a one-year term, effective 1 November, as Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chamber, a post which makes him President of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
Justice Emmanuel Ayoola of Nigeria was elected Vice President. Justice Ayoola previously served as President of the Special Court from 2004-2005.
Justice Kamanda was educated in Sierra Leone and in the U.K. He trained as a Barrister at the Inns of Court School of Law in London, and was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1975. From 1976-80 he worked as State Prosecutor in the Government Law Office, rising to the rank of Senior State Counsel. In 1980 he entered private practice in criminal law.
He has served as an Appeals Court Justice in the Sierra Leone judiciary since 2004, where he was the Presiding Judge in criminal appeals. He has also served as a High Court Judge in the Civil Division.
In 1982 he was elected to Parliament, and he has served as Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Minister of Health.
He was sworn in as a Special Court Appeals Judge in November 2007.
The Special Court is an independent tribunal established jointly by the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone. It is mandated to bring to justice those who bear the greatest responsibility for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996.
Source: Choisissez un élément.
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Thursday, November 5, 2009
International Civil Rights Center & Museum Appoints Curator
4 Nov 2009 16:30 Africa/Lagos
International Civil Rights Center & Museum Appoints Curator
Bamidele Demerson looks forward to mining historical gems in Greensboro's backyard
GREENSBORO, N.C., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Civil Rights Center & Museum (Museum) announced today that it has named Bamidele Demerson as curator and program director. Demerson will be responsible for overseeing the Museum's exhibits, artifacts and educational programming. The Museum, located in downtown Greensboro, N.C., will open Feb. 1, 2010, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins.
"Bamidele has an extensive leadership background in African-American museums," said Melvin "Skip" Alston, chairman of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. "We received interest from candidates across the country, and Bamidele's proven record for creating relevant and thought-provoking experiences for museum visitors stood out in our selection process. We are delighted to have him on board."
Demerson comes to Greensboro after serving as the executive director of the Harrison Museum of African American Culture in Roanoke, Va., where he planned exhibits and educational programs focused particularly on the history and creative experiences of people in that city. Prior to that, Demerson was curator of education and director of exhibitions and research during a 10-year tenure with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Mich.
As an anthropologist, Demerson believes he has something unique to offer the Museum and Greensboro. "The international aspect of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum caught my attention in a special way, because African Americans have had a profound impact on the quest for freedom, which has benefited everyone," said Demerson. "On many levels, Greensboro has always been a part of my consciousness whether reviewing a period photograph or document, creating a new exhibit or examining an historical object. I'm intrigued by the cultural dynamics behind social change, and my anthropological lens is always on."
Demerson brings more than 35 years of administration, instruction, research, collections' management and exhibition development to the Museum. In his visits to museums across the globe, Demerson has observed the practices of other acclaimed institutions and honed his knowledge of exhibit installation, as well as artifact collection and preservation.
"Museums are houses of memory and should help us not only to understand social change, but also make it," said Demerson. "From a curator and educational programming perspective, we have to be careful that visitors appreciate that we are not telling an exclusively African-American story. The narrative here in Greensboro, for example, is about a quest for freedom, and that is a human story."
Demerson believes one of the fundamental purposes of a museum is to provide service to the community through educational programming, exhibits and archival workshops. He actively worked with principals, superintendents and teachers in Virginia and Michigan to provide meaningful educational experiences for youth.
"One of my favorite things to do is create treasure hunts for kids," said Demerson. "I purposely don't call them scavenger hunts because we don't scavenge for history; history is filled with treasures. This Museum should be an active resource for teachers, youth and the community. It may take a whole village to raise a child, but it takes an entire community to support a museum."
Demerson's undergraduate and graduate studies at his alma mater, The University of Michigan, included a concentration in cultural anthropology, as well as a focus on African-American and African studies. While the Louvre in Paris, the Vatican in Rome, and the Ghana National Museum in Accra, Africa, are some of Demerson's favorite museums, it's the smaller museums and historic houses he frequents that resonate with him as an anthropologist. His extensive fieldwork also includes expeditions in Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil and the Southern United States.
"A museum should mine its own backyard," said Demerson. "We have a responsibility to both teach and work in the community; there are gems here in Greensboro that must be recognized as part of a national narrative."
The International Civil Rights Center & Museum will open Feb. 1, 2010, and function as an archival center, collecting museum and teaching facility devoted to the international struggle for civil and human rights. For more information about the International Civil Rights Center & Museum's grand opening schedule of events, visit www.sitinmovement.org/savethedate.
About the International Civil Rights Center & Museum
The International Civil Rights Center & Museum will function as an archival center, collecting museum and teaching facility devoted to the international struggle for civil and human rights focusing on the nonviolent protests of the Greensboro sit-ins. The 43,000 square-foot museum is located in the former F.W. Woolworth retail store where four courageous students from North Carolina A&T University began their protest at the whites-only lunch counter.
The Museum complex features educational exhibits, a gallery, auditorium, archival center, and a proposed Joint Center for the Study of Civil and Human Rights.
The International Civil Rights Center & Museum was founded by Melvin "Skip" Alston and Earl Jones in 1993 under the auspices of the Sit-in Movement Inc.
Editor's Note: Photo of Bamidele Demerson available upon request. Email mwallace@rlfcommunications.com
Source: International Civil Rights Center & Museum
CONTACT: Mary Leigh Wallace, +1-336-553-1802 (office), +1-336-307-9340
(mobile), mwallace@rlfcommunications.com
Web Site: http://www.sitinmovement.org/savethedate
International Civil Rights Center & Museum Appoints Curator
Bamidele Demerson looks forward to mining historical gems in Greensboro's backyard
GREENSBORO, N.C., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Civil Rights Center & Museum (Museum) announced today that it has named Bamidele Demerson as curator and program director. Demerson will be responsible for overseeing the Museum's exhibits, artifacts and educational programming. The Museum, located in downtown Greensboro, N.C., will open Feb. 1, 2010, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins.
"Bamidele has an extensive leadership background in African-American museums," said Melvin "Skip" Alston, chairman of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. "We received interest from candidates across the country, and Bamidele's proven record for creating relevant and thought-provoking experiences for museum visitors stood out in our selection process. We are delighted to have him on board."
Demerson comes to Greensboro after serving as the executive director of the Harrison Museum of African American Culture in Roanoke, Va., where he planned exhibits and educational programs focused particularly on the history and creative experiences of people in that city. Prior to that, Demerson was curator of education and director of exhibitions and research during a 10-year tenure with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Mich.
As an anthropologist, Demerson believes he has something unique to offer the Museum and Greensboro. "The international aspect of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum caught my attention in a special way, because African Americans have had a profound impact on the quest for freedom, which has benefited everyone," said Demerson. "On many levels, Greensboro has always been a part of my consciousness whether reviewing a period photograph or document, creating a new exhibit or examining an historical object. I'm intrigued by the cultural dynamics behind social change, and my anthropological lens is always on."
Demerson brings more than 35 years of administration, instruction, research, collections' management and exhibition development to the Museum. In his visits to museums across the globe, Demerson has observed the practices of other acclaimed institutions and honed his knowledge of exhibit installation, as well as artifact collection and preservation.
"Museums are houses of memory and should help us not only to understand social change, but also make it," said Demerson. "From a curator and educational programming perspective, we have to be careful that visitors appreciate that we are not telling an exclusively African-American story. The narrative here in Greensboro, for example, is about a quest for freedom, and that is a human story."
Demerson believes one of the fundamental purposes of a museum is to provide service to the community through educational programming, exhibits and archival workshops. He actively worked with principals, superintendents and teachers in Virginia and Michigan to provide meaningful educational experiences for youth.
"One of my favorite things to do is create treasure hunts for kids," said Demerson. "I purposely don't call them scavenger hunts because we don't scavenge for history; history is filled with treasures. This Museum should be an active resource for teachers, youth and the community. It may take a whole village to raise a child, but it takes an entire community to support a museum."
Demerson's undergraduate and graduate studies at his alma mater, The University of Michigan, included a concentration in cultural anthropology, as well as a focus on African-American and African studies. While the Louvre in Paris, the Vatican in Rome, and the Ghana National Museum in Accra, Africa, are some of Demerson's favorite museums, it's the smaller museums and historic houses he frequents that resonate with him as an anthropologist. His extensive fieldwork also includes expeditions in Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil and the Southern United States.
"A museum should mine its own backyard," said Demerson. "We have a responsibility to both teach and work in the community; there are gems here in Greensboro that must be recognized as part of a national narrative."
The International Civil Rights Center & Museum will open Feb. 1, 2010, and function as an archival center, collecting museum and teaching facility devoted to the international struggle for civil and human rights. For more information about the International Civil Rights Center & Museum's grand opening schedule of events, visit www.sitinmovement.org/savethedate.
About the International Civil Rights Center & Museum
The International Civil Rights Center & Museum will function as an archival center, collecting museum and teaching facility devoted to the international struggle for civil and human rights focusing on the nonviolent protests of the Greensboro sit-ins. The 43,000 square-foot museum is located in the former F.W. Woolworth retail store where four courageous students from North Carolina A&T University began their protest at the whites-only lunch counter.
The Museum complex features educational exhibits, a gallery, auditorium, archival center, and a proposed Joint Center for the Study of Civil and Human Rights.
The International Civil Rights Center & Museum was founded by Melvin "Skip" Alston and Earl Jones in 1993 under the auspices of the Sit-in Movement Inc.
Editor's Note: Photo of Bamidele Demerson available upon request. Email mwallace@rlfcommunications.com
Source: International Civil Rights Center & Museum
CONTACT: Mary Leigh Wallace, +1-336-553-1802 (office), +1-336-307-9340
(mobile), mwallace@rlfcommunications.com
Web Site: http://www.sitinmovement.org/savethedate
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
SANUSI LAMIDO SANUSI IS “NIGERIANS REPORT” MAN OF THE YEAR 2009
“NIGERIANS REPORT” MAN OF THE YEAR 2009
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi: A ‘sanitary officer’ to bank on for cleansing the stench in our banking stables
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, 48, has a strong mind. And he’s not afraid to open it up, especially to the clamourous clan of conspiracy theorists who rose up at the mention of his name, wielding prickly pens. But he has the last word on their tango: “Journalists and writers must respect the intelligence of their readers and understand that we read columns to be educated and not misled.” Fair enough. The naysayers have since realized they have a match in him.
At his inquisition-style confirmation hearing before the Senate for his suitability for the post of head of the Central Bank of Nigeria., CBN, SLS (it’s a close homonym of ‘excellence’), as he’s fondly called by friends and foes alike, took a swipe at the president’s hackneyed mantra of state of “7-point Agenda”; it is as effective, he surmised, as chasing after many rabbits. It was June 3, 2009; the apex legislative house would clear him to take up his presidential appointment.
And it was all in a day’s work for the lugubrious Big Man’s spokesperson who came out, nostrils flaring, with a retort to SLS. SLS would show he cared even less whose wrists were bloodied in the wake of the ‘bank-quake’ he set off on a very historic 14th day of August, 2009, which saw hitherto sacred cow topnotch bank executives booked for gross misconduct. That first wave swept away CEOs of one-fifth the Augean banking stables. He has sacked the president’s personal banker in the second wave of his decisive action taken to safeguard the financial sector from systemic collapse.
With a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, SLS first took up university teaching before going on to become Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of First Bank Plc, Nigeria's oldest bank and one of the biggest financial institutions in Africa. He was first Executive Director, Risk & Management Control, part of what commended for his latest assignment.
In Greek mythology, King Augeas’s stables had not been cleaned in 3 decades. Heracles got the unenviable task of cleaning them all in one day. He achieved the Herculean task by diverting two rivers through them. (Hercules is the Roman equivalent of the same sanitiser fellow.)
‘Augean’ is now an adjective for filthy fair, a dirty situation extremely difficult and unpleasant to handle--unless you possess know-how and are willing to use it to the best of your judgment. A second requirement is a tough skin.
Underneath the perfumed stench in the sector was a funny odour carried over from predecessor governor Charles Soludo’s consolidation drive; it had long been suspected that rot was rife in the sector.
More change would come to define things and the pace of things in the crucial sector. His call on the rarefied chambers of banking dons has now left many mantel place showpieces toppled, swept off their high horses. As the Yoruba of the Nigeria’s South-West say: The wind has ruffled feathers, now we can see the rump of the fowl.
Although Sanusi’s forebears are Fulani aristocrats from the North of the country, he’s never been far from Nigeria’s erstwhile federal and continuous financial capital. It was where he had his secondary education, at the elite yet egalitarian King's College, Lagos.
In a country where cleavages of religious and ethnic derivation always set pulses racing, his announcement that the Islamic banking model already ratified by his predecessor was ready for takeoff set off alarms. A highly conscientious Muslim, SLS uncharacteristically didn’t panic into a retreat on account of the seeming ‘conflict of interests’. He maintains his austere profile courageously as a ramrod posture under the fiery flurry of accusations of a ‘Northern agenda’ to take over banking in the country.
He’s made crystal clear the “need to strengthen” the regime of “consolidated supervision.” “It’s a learning point for regulators”; there’s “obviously…the need for risk-based supervision. If we have a risk-based supervision framework in place, anybody looking at the discount window would have been put on alert that there was the need to check certain things relating to certain banks, especially given the fact that the liquidity stresses came at the time of the global [economic] meltdown.
“And we know that [this] has affected Nigeria through two key channels—the oil price channel and the Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, outflow channel—which led to the crash in the stock market. Now, it would have been very clear that the problems of the banks were related to their exposure to the capital market and the oil market.”
We get the point now. Now the system is being set right side up. SLS burst onto the scene quietly not to rattle ‘the system’; he came to bell the very big cats in it. Married with children, SLS is widely published in many academic journals, books and newspapers in many lands.
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Monday, November 2, 2009
Press Preview and Tour of 'Yinka Shonibare MBE' Exhibit at the National Museum of African Art
IMimage 6.jpg
Yinka Shonibare, MBE
Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) (still) 2004
High definition digital video
32:00 minutes loop
Edition 1 of 6
Image courtesy of the artist, James Cohan Gallery, New York.
And Stephen Friedman Gallery, London.
Copyright the artist.
SOR - Africa large. Jpg
Yinka Shonibare, MBE
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (Africa) 2008
Type c photograph mounted on aluminum
Image size: 182.9 cm x 125.7 cm, framed size: 207 x 147.3 x 6.4 cm
Edition of 5
Image courtesy of the artist, James Cohan Gallery, New York
And Stephen Friedman Gallery, London
Copyright the artist.
2 Nov 2009 19:00 Africa/Lagos
Press Preview and Tour of 'Yinka Shonibare MBE' Exhibit at the National Museum of African Art
WHAT: Press preview and tour of "Yinka Shonibare MBE" exhibit at the National Museum of African Art
WHEN: Monday, Nov. 9
10 a.m. to noon
WHERE: Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art
Lecture hall, sub-level two
WHO: Johnnetta Cole, director, National Museum of African Art
Karen Milbourne, on-site curator, National Museum of African Art
Rachel Kent, senior curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Australia
Yinka Shonibare, one of the most celebrated Nigerian artists of this generation, is the focus of an exhibition at the National Museum of African Art. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia, the exhibit features dramatic paintings, photographs, film and sculptural tableaux that inspire reconsideration of class, race, nationality and history through their sensual beauty and use of irony.
The exhibit occupies two levels of the museum, assembling works of art never before seen together. The exhibit opens the National Museum of African Art's multiyear celebration "Nigeria: Then, Now and Forever," a series of exhibitions, public programs and special events showcasing the arts, culture and people of Nigeria. "Yinka Shonibare MBE" opens to the public Nov. 10 and continues through March 7, 2010.
About Yinka Shonibare
Born in England in 1962 and raised in Nigeria, Shonibare currently lives and works in London, where he has gained international attention by exploring issues of race and class through a range of media that includes sculpture, painting, photography and installation art. Shonibare is well known for his headless mannequins dressed in colorful batik fabrics.
CONTACT: Media only: Keith Blackman, +1-202-530-4585; keith.blackman@bm.com; or Kimberly Mayfield, +1-202-633-4649, +1-202-431-5954 (cell)
Media Web site: http://newsdesk.si.edu/
/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Nov. 2/
Source: Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Nigerians May Welcome Military Coup
A popular American online news channel Huliq has reported Saturday that a military coup might be what most people need now in Nigeria since they have lost faith in the corrupt ruling party.
Nigerians have lost faith in their political leaders and may even welcome a military coup if that can salvage the nation from the evils of corrupt political contractors in power.
With over 20 million unemployed in the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria is on the brink of the worst fears of disintegrating before 2015 as predicted by the CIA. But majority of Nigerians blame their political leaders for misplacing priorities and scuttling the great prospects of the innovations developed by the Nigerian intelligentsia of gifted artists, scientists and scholars who have proposed practical solutions to the problems plaguing the nation. The greedy political contractors in power seem to be more confused than the electorate. They are still abusing their positions in government as revealed by the scandalous reports of misappropriations of public funds when last Thursday, Mr. Olabode George, a former chieftain of the corrupt and notorious ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chairman of Board of Directors of the Nigeria Ports Authourity (NPA) was convicted for corruption. And he was not alone. Most of the former governors are still facing charges for corrupt practices. But many of them are still dining and wining and living large in their private estates in Lagos and Abuja.
Many banks have crashed and the manufacturing industry cannot function without regular power supply as daily outages have made many industries to collapse or relocate to Ghana where electric power supply is constant and cost of production is affordable.
There are public rallies against the government’s decision to deregulate the downstream sector and remove subsidies, and kidnappings are still common in the eastern states and Niger Delta region.
Millions of Nigerians say that Nigeria was better under military rule and have recalled that even though the country was bad under military tyrants, the corrupt shareholders of the PDP have made things worse.
Nigerians have lost faith in their political leaders and may even welcome a military coup if that can salvage the nation from the evils of corrupt political contractors in power.
With over 20 million unemployed in the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria is on the brink of the worst fears of disintegrating before 2015 as predicted by the CIA. But majority of Nigerians blame their political leaders for misplacing priorities and scuttling the great prospects of the innovations developed by the Nigerian intelligentsia of gifted artists, scientists and scholars who have proposed practical solutions to the problems plaguing the nation. The greedy political contractors in power seem to be more confused than the electorate. They are still abusing their positions in government as revealed by the scandalous reports of misappropriations of public funds when last Thursday, Mr. Olabode George, a former chieftain of the corrupt and notorious ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chairman of Board of Directors of the Nigeria Ports Authourity (NPA) was convicted for corruption. And he was not alone. Most of the former governors are still facing charges for corrupt practices. But many of them are still dining and wining and living large in their private estates in Lagos and Abuja.
Many banks have crashed and the manufacturing industry cannot function without regular power supply as daily outages have made many industries to collapse or relocate to Ghana where electric power supply is constant and cost of production is affordable.
There are public rallies against the government’s decision to deregulate the downstream sector and remove subsidies, and kidnappings are still common in the eastern states and Niger Delta region.
Millions of Nigerians say that Nigeria was better under military rule and have recalled that even though the country was bad under military tyrants, the corrupt shareholders of the PDP have made things worse.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Technorati: State of the Blogosphere
Technorati's State of the Blogosphere series chronicles the rise and evolution of the Blogosphere as we know it. Since 2004 we've seen explosive growth and maturing of this new arm of the fourth estate.
State of the Blogosphere 2009
State of the Blogosphere 2009
State of the Blogosphere 2008
State of the Blogosphere 2008
State of the Blogosphere 2007
State of the Live Web 2007 on founder Dave Sifry's blog
State of the Blogosphere, October 2006
Complete Report
State of the Blogosphere, August 2006
Complete Report
State of the Blogosphere, April 2006
Part 1, On Blogosphere Growth
Part 2, On Language and Tagging
State of the Blogosphere, February 2006
Part 1, On Blogosphere Growth
Part 2, Beyond Search
State of the Blogosphere, October 2005 (This report was truncated):
Part 1, On Blogosphere Growth
State of the Blogosphere, August 2005:
Part 1, Blog Growth
Part 2, Posting Volume
Part 3, Tags and Tagging
Part 4, Spam and Fake Blogs
Part 5, The A-List and the Long Tail
State of the Blogosphere, March 2005:
Part 1, Growth of Blogs
Part 2, Posting Volume
Part 3, The A-List and the Long Tail
Part 4, The Underlying Data Set
State of the Blogosphere, October 2004:
Part 1, Blogosphere Size
Part 2, Posting Volume
Part 3, Big Media vs. Blogs
Part 4, Corporate Bloggers
Friday, October 30, 2009
Nigeria: The Abyss of Ignorance in the Land of Fools
I stood with the vendors under the flyover at the Obafemi Awolowo Road roundabout in Ikeja, Lagos. I was waiting for Kazeem the Chairman of the vendors to bring copies of a magazine we needed for our advert executives. I loved to watch the rush hours of the morning and evening as commuters hurry to their different destinations. Most of them seemed ill at ease and I did not blame these people who are traumatized by the irony of living in the most populous country in Africa with abundant human and mineral resources but ranked among the poorest of the poor in the world. Nigerians are in the turmoil that would be best dramatized as Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s Season of Anomie.
The manufacturing industry has collapsed and many of the leading banks have crashed in the meltdown of the Nigerian Capital market and aptly illustrated by the prolific Nigerian novelist Bisi Daniels as a tower of Babel.. The shocking report that over 20 million Nigerian youths are unemployable and they are even ignorant of this fact and have chosen to wallow in the troubled waters in resignation of their fate in the hands of their brazenly corrupt rulers whose sons and daughters and arse-kissers continue posing and posturing with their false airs and graces in Nigeria, but cannot walk tall among "The real McCoy" in the developed countries. Even the only Nigerian bank that seemed to have escaped my danger list Skye Bank Plc has just admitted that it had swung to a 12.63 billion naira ($85 million) pretax loss in the 12 months to Sept. 30, compared with a pretax profit of 20.42 billion naira in the same period last year.
Inside Lagos city
It was Karl Maier Who saw it all in This House Has Fallen: Midnight in Nigeria, but as I feared, the sick patient refused to accept the diagnosis of his crisis and chose hemorrhaging instead of taking the bitter pills. And millions of her equally ignorant retards prefer to waste their time chasing shadows on Facebook that they are abusing and misusing as a dating site and are really clueless on why Mark Elliot Zuckerberg and his Harvard classmates Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin and Chris Hughes created and launched it on February 4, 2004.
Well, what can these millions of the vacuous youths do in a nation sinking in the abyss of ignorance?
I do really feel sorry for them as I see them hanging around and loitering with their cell-phones and sagging pants with their heads in the clouds while their visionless rulers in their stinking corridors of power bury their heads in the sand like ostriches. I wonder how many of the millions of them on Facebook have even attempted to develop applications on the Facebook Platform. How many of them can compare themselves to the First Class scholar Reuben Abati who had his Ph.D at 24 and Ben Okri who won the Booker Prize for his classic novel The Famished Road when he was 32 and many of us who were already authors and editors of national newspapers and magazines when were in our early 20s. I do feel sorry for them, because they are wasting away as they are celebrating their ignorance and mediocrity in their banal Hip-hop songs and pornographic videos, but cannot mention three books they have read since January to date. A generation of Intellectual morons? No. They are the Lotus-eaters of a generation sinking and wasting in the the abyss of ignorance in the land of fools.
Obafemi Awolowo Road, Ikeja, Lagos.
The greedy political contractors in power are misplacing our priorities and scuttling the great prospects of the innovations developed by the Nigerian intelligentsia of gifted artists, scientists and scholars who have proposed practical solutions to the problems plaguing the nation.
Millions of Nigerians say that Nigeria was better under military rule and have recalled that even though the country was bad under military tyrants, the corrupt shareholders of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) have made things worse.
It is unfortunate that the majority of the youths have decided to join in the rat race of the crooks and rogues and careless about nation building.
The youths must stop fooling themsleves by aping the Joneses and take up the challenges of the 21st century as the visionary youths of the Asian Tigers are doing and they are making great progress in the world.
Our destinies are not in the stars, but in our own hands.
Indian Businessman to Lead Rotary as its 101st President
29 Oct 2009 22:28 Africa/Lagos
Indian Businessman to Lead Rotary as its 101st President
EVANSTON, Illinois, October 29/PRNewswire/ --
- Banerjee will target polio eradication as his top priority
Kalyan Banerjee, a businessman from Gujarat, India, will become president of Rotary International -- one of the largest humanitarian service organizations in the world -- on 1 July 2011. As president, Banerjee will lead a global network of 1.2 million business and professional leaders from more than 200 countries and geographical regions who, through volunteer service, help meet the needs of communities worldwide.
Banerjee, a member of Rotary since 1972, and the international organization's third president from India said, "I am honored to lead Rotary as its 101st president." Banerjee added that Rotary's strengths include its ability to attract leaders from different vocations around the world, as well as its role in promoting peace. "My goal is for Rotary to become the preferred organization for today's generation to join and participate in, to make the world better, safer and happier," he said.
As president, Banerjee will oversee Rotary's top priority of eradicating polio, a crippling and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in Africa and Asia -- including India. Since 1985, Rotary club members worldwide have contributed more than US$800 million and countless volunteer hours to the effort, and Rotary is now working to raise an additional US$200 million to fulfill its commitment for a US$355 million challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Great progress has been made, and the incidence of paralytic polio infection has plunged worldwide from 350,000 cases in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in 2008.
As one of the four remaining polio endemic countries, which also include Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, India's fight against polio remains strong with the volunteer and financial support of more than US$106 million from Rotary. In addition, Rotary's sustained political, bureaucratic and religious advocacy efforts at national, state and district levels have made a discernible impact on the program in India. As the past chair of the Southeast Asia Regional PolioPlus Committee and member of Rotary's International PolioPlus Committee, Banerjee spearheaded many of Rotary's novel initiatives, which have given a new push to the polio eradication program in India. To learn more about polio eradication, visit www.rotary.org/endpolio or www.polioeradication.org.
Rotary also sponsors the largest privately funded international scholarship program in the world. Since 1947, Rotary has contributed roughly US$500 million to fund a year of study abroad for 38,000 students from 100 countries. These cultural ambassadors use the skills and knowledge they acquire through their time abroad to advance the cause of international understanding, goodwill, and peace. Rotary also sponsors seven Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution at eight leading universities in six different countries.
Banerjee is a director of United Phosphorus Limited, the largest Indian agrochemical manufacturer, and the chair of United Phosphorus (Bangladesh) Limited. He is a member of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society, a past president of Vapi Industries Association, and former chair of the Gujarat chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry. He earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Banerjee and his wife, Binota, have two children and four grandchildren.
Source: Rotary International
A. C. Peter (India), +91-98-111-11833, peter.arackal@rediffmail.com, Benjamin Cherian (India) at +91-44-24341079, benjamin@rajimpex.com, both for Rotary International; Howard Chang (U.S.A.) of Rotary International, +1-847-866-3408, howard.chang@rotary.org
Indian Businessman to Lead Rotary as its 101st President
EVANSTON, Illinois, October 29/PRNewswire/ --
- Banerjee will target polio eradication as his top priority
Kalyan Banerjee, a businessman from Gujarat, India, will become president of Rotary International -- one of the largest humanitarian service organizations in the world -- on 1 July 2011. As president, Banerjee will lead a global network of 1.2 million business and professional leaders from more than 200 countries and geographical regions who, through volunteer service, help meet the needs of communities worldwide.
Banerjee, a member of Rotary since 1972, and the international organization's third president from India said, "I am honored to lead Rotary as its 101st president." Banerjee added that Rotary's strengths include its ability to attract leaders from different vocations around the world, as well as its role in promoting peace. "My goal is for Rotary to become the preferred organization for today's generation to join and participate in, to make the world better, safer and happier," he said.
As president, Banerjee will oversee Rotary's top priority of eradicating polio, a crippling and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in Africa and Asia -- including India. Since 1985, Rotary club members worldwide have contributed more than US$800 million and countless volunteer hours to the effort, and Rotary is now working to raise an additional US$200 million to fulfill its commitment for a US$355 million challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Great progress has been made, and the incidence of paralytic polio infection has plunged worldwide from 350,000 cases in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in 2008.
As one of the four remaining polio endemic countries, which also include Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, India's fight against polio remains strong with the volunteer and financial support of more than US$106 million from Rotary. In addition, Rotary's sustained political, bureaucratic and religious advocacy efforts at national, state and district levels have made a discernible impact on the program in India. As the past chair of the Southeast Asia Regional PolioPlus Committee and member of Rotary's International PolioPlus Committee, Banerjee spearheaded many of Rotary's novel initiatives, which have given a new push to the polio eradication program in India. To learn more about polio eradication, visit www.rotary.org/endpolio or www.polioeradication.org.
Rotary also sponsors the largest privately funded international scholarship program in the world. Since 1947, Rotary has contributed roughly US$500 million to fund a year of study abroad for 38,000 students from 100 countries. These cultural ambassadors use the skills and knowledge they acquire through their time abroad to advance the cause of international understanding, goodwill, and peace. Rotary also sponsors seven Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution at eight leading universities in six different countries.
Banerjee is a director of United Phosphorus Limited, the largest Indian agrochemical manufacturer, and the chair of United Phosphorus (Bangladesh) Limited. He is a member of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society, a past president of Vapi Industries Association, and former chair of the Gujarat chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry. He earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Banerjee and his wife, Binota, have two children and four grandchildren.
Source: Rotary International
A. C. Peter (India), +91-98-111-11833, peter.arackal@rediffmail.com, Benjamin Cherian (India) at +91-44-24341079, benjamin@rajimpex.com, both for Rotary International; Howard Chang (U.S.A.) of Rotary International, +1-847-866-3408, howard.chang@rotary.org
Thursday, October 29, 2009
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U.S. Special Envoy Gration to Travel to Turkey, Nigeria, and Sudan
28 Oct 2009 20:55 Africa/Lagos
U.S. Special Envoy Gration to Travel to Turkey, Nigeria, and Sudan
WASHINGTON, October 28, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Office of the Spokesman
U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration will travel to Istanbul, Turkey; Abuja, Nigeria; and Khartoum and Juba, Sudan from October 27 to November 2, 2009.
Special Envoy Gration will travel to Istanbul, Turkey, to attend a meeting of the Elders, an independent group of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. Special Envoy Gration will discuss the current situation in Sudan with the Elders and update them on U.S. efforts to support peace and stability in Darfur and fully implement the CPA. The Elders is comprised of Martti Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando H Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu, and honorary Elders Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi.
Special Envoy Gration will attend the opening session of the African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council in Abuja, Nigeria and will be present for the release of the report of the African Union High-Level Panel on Darfur by former President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. On the margins of the AU meeting, the Special Envoy will also hold bilateral discussions with several of the African heads of state present in Abuja for the AU Peace and Security Council meeting. Special Envoy Gration will additionally participate in a meeting of the E6, comprising the envoys to Sudan from China, the European Union, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Special Envoy Gration will then travel to Khartoum and Juba, Sudan, where he will continue bilateral discussions with the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) on resolving the outstanding issues of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) implementation.
Source: US Department of State
U.S. Special Envoy Gration to Travel to Turkey, Nigeria, and Sudan
WASHINGTON, October 28, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Office of the Spokesman
U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration will travel to Istanbul, Turkey; Abuja, Nigeria; and Khartoum and Juba, Sudan from October 27 to November 2, 2009.
Special Envoy Gration will travel to Istanbul, Turkey, to attend a meeting of the Elders, an independent group of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. Special Envoy Gration will discuss the current situation in Sudan with the Elders and update them on U.S. efforts to support peace and stability in Darfur and fully implement the CPA. The Elders is comprised of Martti Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando H Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu, and honorary Elders Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi.
Special Envoy Gration will attend the opening session of the African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council in Abuja, Nigeria and will be present for the release of the report of the African Union High-Level Panel on Darfur by former President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. On the margins of the AU meeting, the Special Envoy will also hold bilateral discussions with several of the African heads of state present in Abuja for the AU Peace and Security Council meeting. Special Envoy Gration will additionally participate in a meeting of the E6, comprising the envoys to Sudan from China, the European Union, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Special Envoy Gration will then travel to Khartoum and Juba, Sudan, where he will continue bilateral discussions with the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) on resolving the outstanding issues of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) implementation.
Source: US Department of State
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