Sunday, February 24, 2013

Governor Amaechi: Security Challenges in Rivers State, His Strategies and Scorecard



AMAECHI: SECURITY CHALLENGES IN RIVERS STATE, HIS STRATEGIES & SCORECARD
~ By Eze Chukwuemeka Eze
 PREAMBLE
In my continuous efforts to appraise and review the activities of the enigma they call, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the indefatigable Governor of Rivers State and undisputed Chairman of the Governors’ Forum of Nigeria and having successfully treated his exploits and issues of governance in Rivers State pertaining to areas of Finance, Education, Health, job creation and some other sectors; the challenge of writing on the security challenges or insecurity in Rivers State, I must confess was the most exigent as I was at a loss on how to start bearing in mind that this should be the area of my next consideration. In this regard, Hon. Chief Dakuku Peterside, Chairman House of Representatives Committee on (Downstream) Petroleum came to my aid with his revealing article titled How to tackle insecurity in Nigeria’ in which he stated and I quote, “Security, law and order are the major preoccupation of any Government. Once a government gets this priority right, it has made the very first right step. Growing insecurity on the reverse side is the first sign of a failing state”


Security Communication gadgets donated by the Rivers State Government to the Nigeria Police Force.


Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi demonstrating the use of one of the security gadgets he donated to the Nigeria Police Force.




Security patrol jeeps donated by the Rivers State Government.

Poet and Political Philosopher, Samuel Taylor Coleridge view of security tallies with that of Hon Peterside when he stated, “The three great ends which a statesman ought to propose to himself in the government of a nation, are,-
1. Security to possessors;
2. Facility to acquirers;
3. Hope to all” while Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi concurred by stating that, “Government must not be for one section of the Society. It must be for the rich and the poor, emphasizing the upliftment of the poor...”
With the above, let me therefore state that the main treatise of this attempt is to review the strategies adopted by the Rivers State Government under the watch of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in tackling the menace of insecurity in Rivers State prior to his assumption of office on 28thOctober, 2007 with the hope that it will serve as a model to other States in any part of the globe in addressing the security challenges in their domain. For matter of clarity, Rivers State is the hub of oil industry in Nigeria and very rich in hydrocarbons from which the nation draws its major revenue and because it was confronted with key security challenges especially the challenges of illegal bunkering, piracy, kidnapping and armed robbery this attempt is embarked upon.
THE TYPE OF RIVERS STATE INHERITED BY GOV CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI!
According to records, Port Harcourt, the State capital of Rivers State that Amaechi inherited was more like a war zone or aptly put a jungle where the fittest determines the fate of the lesser animals. It sounds pretty surprising but not unexpected that the city of Port Harcourt, a once very glamorous city, was ranked among the three most dangerous cities in the world by then. The human resources unit of New York-based Marsh & McLennan Cos. had ranked Port Harcourt with Baghdad, Yemen's capital of Sana'a and Khartoum in Sudan, as the world's most dangerous cities. Going by the ranking published by Bloomberg, Port Harcourt ranked with Baghdad as one of the world's most dangerous cities for foreign workers as criminal gangs and militia groups seeking greater control of energy revenue step up attacks.

Ahamefula Ogbu, a Journalist with Thisday Newspapers described one of the scenes in the State at this period in these words 'Rambo could not have done better. With automatic rifles in their hands and hate, revenge and murder hanging around their necks, warring cultists took Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by storm yesterday for the second day running. Pandemonium broke out as residents ran for safety. It was sorrow, tears and blood. At the end of it all—or, more aptly, at the interval, for no one knows the end yet—15 persons had been dispatched to their early graves' and true to this unsung prophet nobody knew the end as the next few days saw about eighty innocent souls wasted by an agitation uncommon to our people in the Niger Delta.
While to my late friend and brother, Mr. George Onah reporting for Vanguard Newspaper captured Port Harcourt before the assumption of office by Gov Amaechi in these words; “For many residents, the capital of Rivers State, hitherto the Garden City where life was lived to the fullest is no longer the place to live in as rivers of blood flow ceaselessly following an unending siege by militants, kidnappers, cultists, and criminals of other hue”
“Violence in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has gone full circle and the guns are still booming. The casualties are pilling, even as blood of defenceless citizens’ flow endlessly. Neither the Police nor the government has answers to the brigandage. Security outfits do not have official figures, record or reliable estimates of casualties in the Rivers State orgy of killings”.
“Even the number of deaths during the Nigerian Civil War had a consensus of informed opinion on the number of deaths, on both sides, which hovered, realistically around 600,000 and below. But the rapidity of casualties in the onslaught by gunmen on Rivers State cannot simply be pigeonholed. The currency of killings is alarming and the growth of the economy of the state is heading for the deep”.
“The pattern of the crime ranges from kidnapping of expatriates and children of wealthy parentage, to outright violent robbery. Cultism and political vices equally occupy a frightening position on the crime chart. The volatile atmosphere appears to have annulled whatever achievement of the peace and reconciliation committee of the government”.
As if both Ogbu and late Onah did not capture the picture correctly, Okey Ndibe, a respected opinion leader on national issues in Nigeria in his article during this period published by the Sahara Reporters one of the leading online media on Nigerian political activities titled 'a blood soaked city' described the happenings in Rivers State then in these words 'That the once idyllic Port Harcourt was now a scarred place, a war zone, a city soaked in blood; the city under siege with thousands of citizens displaced; that its once quiescent boulevards and avenues were now ruled by marauding militiamen and by the fierce soldiers deployed to dislodge them. Sudden death by bullet was now a generalized hazard for the city's trapped and hapless residents'.
Proffering an answer or rather solution out of this madness, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, an elder statesman and a onetime Federal Minister of Information in the first Republic advocated that the only solution to the lingering security crisis in Rivers State, 'I implored President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua not to dilly-dally in imposing a state of emergency on Rivers State, not doing so would be tantamount to postponing the evil day' He continued, 'Omehia was not fit to be governor of Rivers State in fact he is a major part of the problem and an unserious and insensitive personality; where is the seriousness in Omehia? If he is a serious governor or politician, why should he abandon Rivers State when the state was still boiling to go and take part in a birthday bash in Abuja for his godfather, Peter Odili? We can't fold our hands as elders, and continue watching situation degenerate."
Affirming the unfortunate state of Rivers State then, an icon and Prince of Niger Delta Politics, Prince Tonye Princewill in a recent interview stated thus, “Rivers State, when Amaechi took over was a garrison state. Now that things have changed, people refer to him, like they do to Fashola as a performing governor though the only difference between the two is that Fashola had a foundation in Tinubu but in the case of Amaechi, it was not so!”.
THE CHALLENGES AND CAUSES OF INSECURITY IN RIVERS STATE
One of the major forces behind the menace of insecurity in Rivers State was class challenge and Lady Dorothy Alison captured this aptly when she stated, “The horror of class stratification, racism, and prejudice is that some people begin to believe that the security of their families... and communities depends on the oppression of others, that for some to have good lives there must be others whose lives are truncated and brutal”.
Affirming the truism by Lady Alison, Governor Amaechi enthused, “When we took over the reins of governance in the State we met a situation where people were being given cash, but we decided to take the extreme position of not giving money to people, but doing projects that would impact positively on the lives of the majority of our people”. This stand of the Governor to stop the method which was the practice hitherto of sharing State funds to some seasoned politicians and groups who in turn use it to sponsor militia groups that constitute security challenges in the State.
Apart from class challenges as postulated above, insecurity in Rivers State was occasioned by greed for power; empowering and arming our youths with sophisticated arms in order to undo political opponents in the State. Another great influence of insecurity was the wickedness of the politicians in undermining the future of the youths and misuse of public and the common patrimony of the State. Instead of investments that will create jobs for the teeming youths, the funds are distributed amongst friends and relations


Governor Amaechi with school children in one of the model schools built by his administration.


Pupils in class at one of the model schools.

According to Governor Amaechi who viewed insecurity in wider perspective stated, “Insecurity in Nigeria is caused by politicians and poverty pervading the country”. He stressed that armed robbery; kidnapping and Boko Haram insurgency were all products of the poverty occasioned by rapacious rulers. Accordingly, he said issues such as religion differences among the citizenry would only come to the fore when the political class had differences with one another in their sharing formula of the national cake, declaring that “when you see difference in religion, there is a particular political undertone. The governor noted that the situation in the country currently had been made worse by the mono-product status of its economy; a development he said had pitched the various regions and states against one another. He stressed that it was even worse that the Federal Government wielded enormous power and “made the centre a dispenser of patronage and rent.”
To Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, “inability of elected leaders to provide adequate security for the citizenry is an impeachable offence. The first offence governors commit is when they are unable to provide adequate security for the people. This is because the first oath taken by elected leaders is to protect life and property. It is the responsibility of the government to provide security for the people.”
STRATEGIES ADOPTED TO ADDRESS THE MENACE OF INSECURITY
According to Noam Chomsky, “the U.S. international and security policy ... has as its primary goal the preservation of what we might call "the Fifth Freedom," understood crudely but with a fair degree of accuracy as the freedom to rob, to exploit and to dominate, to undertake any course of action to ensure that existing privilege is protected and advanced”. The fact remains that it seems that Governor Amaechi on assumption of office adopted this US security policy in tackling the menace of insecurity in the State as he went out exploiting every means humanly possible to arrest this ugly trend. Apart from declaring war on all the militia groups in the State and refusing any form of dialogue or negotiations with them, he ensured that the security organs in the State were well motivated and trained to tackle the menace of insecurity in the State.
Explaining further on how Governor Amaechi handled the security challenges of the State at this period, an influential member of Amaechi’s Administration, former Commissioner of works and present member of the Nation’s House of Representatives, Hon. Dakuku Peterside in his article on insecurity in Nigeria stated as follows, “When I had the privilege of serving in the government of Rivers State under the leadership of Governor Amaechi, I observed that he placed high premium on security because he believed that security was the foundation upon which progress in every other facet of development depends. This is aside from government’s proactive disposition which drew substantially from intelligence gathering, surveillance and the fact that law enforcement agents could reasonably predict potential crime with near perfect accuracy.
Another interesting aspect of the Rivers model is the deployment of technology. Without sounding immodest, I can confidently say that the state’s security network is driven by excellent modern technology. Rivers was the first state to acquire a mobile scanning van known as back scatter. Around the Port-Harcourt metropolis, there are Gantry Scanners at strategic entry locations in Onne- Eleme Road, East-West Road, Choba Road, Oyibo Road, Ikwere Road, Aba Road and Mbiama Road among others”.
Throwing more light on the postulations of Peterside, a security expert and CEO, MPD Security Systems, Engr. David Meyer stated as follows, “The first step we took in Rivers State was to raise capacity among selected police personnel, over 200, through local and overseas training in Israel and other parts of the world on modern crime fighting techniques and intelligence gathering,” Meyer explained. Working with modern gadgets and substantial logistics including an Israeli trained concealed weapon detecting dog, these crossbred police team had since been strategically placed at main outskirt check posts witnessing mass movement in and out of Port Harcourt City. Others lead a number of metro patrol teams responding to security emergencies around the town and environs. These are far as the public can see.
Beyond public view, as part of Rivers current long term vision of security, Meyer pointed to underground application of ICT aided security hardware and software helping the police to sense and react to security situations with dispatch. This network of technology managed by experts from a hub which Meyer would not disclose its location for security reasons, employs the C4I urban surveillance cameras watching over the city and active 24hrs of the day in Port Harcourt and environs.


Model of the Specialist Hospital of the administration of Governor Amaechi.

The interactions between the seen and unseen infrastructures, according to Meyer, account for the recent security operatives swift bursting of some of failed organized crime operations, including an attempted raid of a bank in the Mile 4 area of the city last year. “These measures have been working well and while the public may not know, it has lead to several arrests and we have gained convictions against suspects on account of the improved network”, he emphasized.
Supporting the views of Hon. Chief Peterside and Engr. Meyer, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chibuike stated,. We have done a lot about security. We are doing more. Before we came to office, kidnapping was a serious challenge. We have dealt with it substantially. We are finishing December, 2012 without a single report of kidnapping or armed robbery. We have specially trained policemen handling security. Barring any unforeseen circumstance, any moment from now, the Rivers State Government’s security web would be two surveillance helicopters stronger, laying foundation for a standing air wing to give the state 24-hour security coverage.. He said the helicopters; costing $30m (N4.5bn) with surveillance cameras to fly all over the city of Port Harcourt and other parts of the state would arrive at the end of December and commence operations in January, 2013. He stated that Rivers now has in place a technology reliable for tracking criminals and their hideouts.
The Governor who is a major proponent of State Policing postulated, “
If we have State Police, Rivers would be able to train its police the way it wants. It would not have suffered the loss of those 500 policemen it trained. Most states are spending a lot of money improving the police which are not under their control. States can use the same resources to fund their own police. Only those with something to hide are afraid of State Police.
PRACTICAL SOLUTION TO INSECURITY CHALLENGES IN RIVERS STATE
All the above commendable steps totally unique by any other segment of governance in Nigeria, the fact remains that to Gov Amaechi the panacea to insecurity or stoppage of any form of crime in the State is to provide employment to our youths, according to him, “The first step to solving economic crisis especially crime is to provide people with source of livelihood. The challenge here therefore is to provide to the reader the steps and means through which this enigma who is misunderstood by some unprincipled politicians who want to pull him down using every means possible intends to handle the creation of job and reduce insecurity in Rivers State
1.      EDUCATION
To Horace Mann the great Educationist, “Education is our only political safety. Outside of this ark all is deluge”. Mann cannot have a better disciple better than Gov Amaechi who probably because of what he suffered to be educated due to lack of fund has sworn that he will not allow any Rivers State child to go through the hell he went through to be educated. In this regard, the Governor stated, “We flagged off the free education on 1 October 2010 – free text and exercise books are distributed every session to pupils in all state primary and secondary schools. Free education in the state’s standard educational facilities is expected to give children from Rivers State an edge in academics, particularly those from poor homes who ordinarily may not have been opportune to have such educational upbringing. Out of 500 new model primary schools being built across our 23 local government areas of the state, 254 are 100 percent completed, 92 are fully functional while the others are being furnished and equipped. Our initial plan was 750 primary schools by 2015. We have had challenges with getting land to build; there has been an increase in the number of pupils. We would do 500 schools, but a storey-building with 25 classrooms, instead of 14 and not more than 30 students per class. These primary schools are each equipped with ICT facility, modern library, science laboratory, football field, basketball pitch, volleyball pitch, a sick bay, nursery playground.
To arrest the sad wave of unemployment in the State the Governor has authorised employment of over 13, 000 Teachers apart from supporting staff to man all these schools.
2.      Health
160 model health centres are operational in our 23 local government areas. The free health care programme has contributed to a decline in the mortality rate of Rivers people particularly maternal and child mortality as the health centres are located to serve every part of the state. All indigenes and residents of the state are beneficiaries of the programme. People in the remote villages or coastal areas no longer have to visit the city for medical care. For secondary health care, there are three new hospitals all completed. They include the ultra modern Rivers State Dental and Maxillofacial Hospital on Aba Road. This facility is completed and being furnished and equipped. The Kelsey Harrison Hospital, formerly known as New Niger Hospital on Emenike Street, Diobu, is fully equipped and ready to take off. The General Hospital at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology is also completed. Doctors and supporting staff are employed to man these hospitals thereby reducing unemployment in the State.
3.      Agriculture
According to the Governor, “We have four fish farms-Buguma, Andoni, Opobo and Ubima. Banana Farm in Ogoni-100 hectares have been done out of the total 250 hectares. Therefore is among the big farms we have started to create jobs for rural dwellers. It will employ about 500 workers. Rivers Songhai learning initiative has a centre for training, agricultural production, research and development of sustainable agricultural practices. The farm project sits on a 314-hectares land in Bunu-Tai, an agrarian community in Tai Local Government Area of the state. It is about 20 times the size of the Songhai model in Porto Novo – an integrated farm which combines livestock, arable farming, fishery, snail farming and poultry. There is a 2,000-hectare farm in Etche with a total available land space of 3,000 hectares. The farm is projected to cost $140 million. The state is investing $100m; the foreign partner $40 million. The farm would have 300 farming houses, agro processing and 3,000 hectares for cultivation. The 300 houses would accommodate 300 farming families who would live and work on the farm.
All the above efforts not withstanding the Government of Rivers State based on the much she has done in the area of Power generation, the Governor has promised that by March, 2013 the residents of the State can be assured of at least 20hours of steady public power per day thereby resurrecting small scale industries and major industries in the State that will revolutionise and p[rovide employment amongst our people.
CONCLUSION
The results of the peaceful state of Rivers State under the watch of Gov Amaechi has resulted not only attraction of foreign investments but today Port Harcourt is now the haven of both International and National championships. Apart from hosting one of the best organised National Sports Festival ever in Nigeria, the just concluded School Sports was hosted by the State. The Police Games coming up by March is billed to be hosted by the State. Port Harcourt apart from Abuja and probably Lagos is the only State to have hosted US-Nigeria bie National Conference. The city has hosted the Miss ECOWAS Beauty Pageant, Pan African Parliamentary; Garden City Literary Festival, hosted CARNRIV involving several foreign countries to showcase the rich culture, potentials and beauty of her people, the 2nd Dr Claude Ake Memorial Lecture, Rivers State Investment Forum and Governor’s Interactive Session with Rivers State Youths amongst several other meets the city has hosted to prove its acceptability as the most peaceful and progressive city in Nigeria.
Kudos of course must go to Alh, Suleiman Abba the then Commissioner of Police now AIG for his commitment and no nonsense approach to crime in the State; the Brigade Commander, the Air force Commander, Director of SSS for their commitment in ensuring that Rivers State was recovered from the hands of these hoodlums! My commendation can’t be concluded without mentioning the then Secretary to the Rivers State Government now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dist. Senator Magnus Abe whose office then was coordinating and spearheading this onslaught against insecurity in the State.
If all these do not show that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is a committed, patriotic and visionary leader then I must be ignorant of what a true leader is all about and if Rivers State is not the peace haven of Nigeria now then I maybe at loss on what security is all about!
In conclusion, the bottom-line of this review exposing the revolutionary strategies adopted by Gov Amaechi in arresting the security challenges in Rivers State which was a war zone at the time he took over the reins of governance comparable to what is currently occasioned by the menace of Boko Haram in the Northern Nigeria is if the Federal Government can be wise and magnanimous enough to learn from these strategies and probably consult with Gov Amaechi to assist them  put an end to the menace and embarrassment Boko Haram activities have inflicted on our nation then the exercise of carrying this attempt may have been achieved!

 ~ Eze Chukwuemeka Eze is a Media Consultant based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.







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Friday, February 22, 2013

Eko Atlantic Celebrates Reclamation of 5,000,000 Square Metres of Land from the Sea


caption: 5,000,000 SQM Dedication Ceremony, Eko Atlantic, February 21, 2013. L/R Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, Former US President, Bill Clinton, Nigerian President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan
source: South Energyx Nigeria Limited
media contact info: info@ekoatlantic.com, +23418449900.


22 Feb 2013 17:57 Africa/Lagos

Eko Atlantic Celebrates Reclamation of 5,000,000 Square Metres of Land from the Sea

LAGOS, Nigeria, February 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, applauds a 'noble initiative' and gives the project the full support of the his Government

Eko Atlantic, the visionary new city for Lagos, Nigeria drew high-level presidential praise from both the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan and the former President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton during a dedication ceremony to mark a milestone event.


caption: 5,000,000 SQM Dedication Ceremony, Eko Atlantic, February 21, 2013. Former United States President Bill Clinton applauds the developers of Eko Atlantic City in Lagos, Nigeria. for reclaiming five million square meters of land and building The Great Wall of Lagos to protect the Lagos shoreline from rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
source: SOUTH ENERGYX NIGERIA LIMITED
media contact info: info@ekoatlantic.com, +23418449900.


Describing the development of Eko Atlantic as an outstanding initiative President Jonathan said, 'This landmark event is continuing the good news narrative that Nigeria must now embrace permanently. You cannot be hearing only ugly stories. Eko Atlantic City is bringing us happiness and this happiness has come to stay.'

Eko Atlantic land reclamation started in February 2008 with a 7-year dredging operation planned to create 8,000 square metres of new land every day.

A year after reclamation work began the Chagoury Group, the developers and planners of Eko Atlantic, based in Lagos, Nigeria, committed at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York to protect Victoria Island from coastal erosion through the forces of the Atlantic Ocean.

Since making their commitment the developers have built a sea revetment known as The Great Wall of Lagos that now stands at three and a half kilometres. Half the land needed to build the new city has been recovered from the ocean.

'They have reclaimed five million square metres of land from the sea. They have built the beginnings of this amazing wall. They have kept their commitment and it will help to diversify the economy of Nigeria, to brand Lagos all over the world and to create an enormous number of opportunities. I am convinced that within five years people will be coming from everywhere just to look at the wall.'

The Great Wall has brought back the coastline of Victoria Island to where it was a century ago before coastal erosion began to wash it away.

'This is an ingenious engineering feat,' said President Clinton, This is something I am telling you there will be countless numbers of people coming here to study. It is something you can be very proud of.'

The Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola hosted the dedication ceremony close to the massive sea revetment that protects the five million square metres of land. 'When all is done, a new city will emerge here from what was once a devastated area as a result of nature's onslaught, said Governor Fashola. 'But that devastation is now history. Our ultimate triumph beckons,' he said, 'the human spirit will prevail because of the goodwill of a few good men.'

The dedication ceremony was attended by high-ranking Nigerian Federal and State officials as well as international developers, financial institutions and the diplomatic corps.

In his address, the Executive Chairman of Eko Atlantic, Mr. Ronald Chagoury, said, "Nigeria is a great nation. Building a city of this calibre can only be achieved by putting our hands together. Today we are at a turning point where the real construction of the city has started." And he added, "Today Lagos is the economic capital of Nigeria. We pray by your blessing Mr. President, to become the economic and financial centre of Africa in the near future".

The construction of infrastructure for Eko Atlantic, such as roads, drainage and sewage systems has also started as has foundation work for Eko Atlantic's first commercial tower block. An international developer, Satellite Oil and Gas from Nigeria, has started to build Eko Energy Estate and numerous other projects are in the pipeline.

Upon completion, the developers and city planners of the new city will have produced 10,000,000 square metres of land, ripe for development: equivalent in size to the skyscraper district of Manhattan in New York City.

Eko Atlantic is designed to provide the space and infrastructure to house 250,000 people and become the workplace for a further 150,000.

info@ekoatlantic.com
+23418449900
Facebook.com/EkoAtlantic
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Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
22 Feb 2013
17:57 Eko Atlantic Celebrates Reclamation of 5,000,000 Square Metres of Land from the Sea  
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13:47 New West African Security Service to Protect Commercial Shipping in the Gulf of Guinea







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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Education South Africa to Honor 4 at Awards Gala in NYC


Professor Jonathan Jansen.

Education South Africa to Honor 4 at Awards Gala in NYC

NEW YORK, NY, February 21, 2013 / PRNewswire-US Newswire/ — A pioneering South African educator who is successfully transforming what was once a bastion of apartheid-era segregation and ideology into one of his country’s most inclusive and dynamic institutions of higher learning is to be honored in New York on June 3.

Professor Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State, is to receive the Education Africa Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his extraordinary work in helping South Africa triumph over the bitter legacies of its past and afford all its people the chance to achieve their full potential.

Past Awardees include Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Richard Branson, Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former New York Mayor David Dinkins.


Theresa Clarke.

Honoured with the professor will be Theresa Clarke, founder and CEO of Africa.com. Clarke is to receive the Education Africa Humanitarian Award as co-founder of the hugely successful Student Sponsorship Program South Africa (SSPSA) which is providing hundreds of disadvantaged students mentored access to the best schools in South Africa. This Award was first presented in 2011 to Herb and Joy Kaiser.


Ndaba Ntsele.

Ndaba Ntsele, president of South Africa’s Black Business Council, and Geoff Rothschild, former chairman of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, will jointly receive the Education Africa Allegiance Award for their steadfast support of the organization over many years. Past Awardees include the City of Vienna, Michael Geoghegan CBE, and Matthew Bosrock.


Geoff Rothschild.

The awards will be presented at a gala dinner at New York’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel hosted by Education Africa and Brand South Africa.

Education Africa was established in 1992. Its mission is to help disadvantaged South Africans obtain high quality educations that prepare them for fulfilling and successful careers into today’s highly competitive global economy. For more information on Education Africa and its extensive Project Portfolio, please visit www.educationafrica.org. Please also refer to the attached document, Education Africa at a Glance.

Brand South Africa (www.brandsouthafrica.com) is a publicly funded trust with trustees appointed by South Africa’s president. It works with partners in and out of government to see that South Africa’s value proposition as a place to do business, invest in and visit – and from which to source products, ideas and inspiration – is fully appreciated.

“We like to say that what makes South Africa globally competitive can be summed up in three words: inspiring new ways,” said Brand SA’s US Country manager Simon Barber. “Each of our honorees this year is, in their own way, an embodiment of inspiring new ways. That’s why we are so proud to join Education Africa in paying tribute to them.”

The Education Africa Gala Awards Dinner is set to be a celebration of all that is African, with delicious South African food and featuring our Marimba Band from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, which will be performing exclusively for our guests. This band is part of the Education Africa International Arts & Culture project where we give disadvantaged young learners the opportunity to perform on an international stage. Our Marimba Bands have over the years wowed audiences in Vienna, London, Slovakia and in New York. We are also honoured that Professor Jonathan Jansen, one of our Award winners, will be the keynote speaker.

The Awards are highly recognised and are set to be well attended by corporate and financial executives, leaders of charities and academic institutions, media organizations and South African Government representatives. We look forward to welcoming all corporates who have an interest in Africa or are wanting to increase their involvement in Africa, to come and attend this worthwhile event. A list of various sponsorship opportunities can be accessed at Education Africa Global Awards – New York


Contact

James Urdang (– 7 hours EST)
Executive Director: Education Africa
Tel: +27 11 685-7300
Cell: +27 83 708-3499
Email: james@educationafrica.org








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PR Newswire’s Meet the Media Event – An Evening With Marie Claire Magazine



PR Newswire’s Meet the Media Event – An Evening With Marie Claire Magazine

The first Meet the Media of 2013 featured Marie Claire, the largest fashion “glossy” in the UK reaching over 2 million people a month through its various platforms. The event was held in the sumptuous surroundings of the ballroom of 8 Northumberland Avenue, the greatest surviving Victorian ball room in the country according to English Heritage.


Justine Southall, Publishing Director and Trish Halpin, Editor-in-Chief, Marie Claire.

Trish Halpin, Editor-in-Chief, and Justine Southall, Publishing Director, gave in depth presentations on the Marie Claire brand and platforms with sage advice for PRs on how to increase the chances of getting their content in front of readers both on and off line. Trish also provided a ‘bible’ of the ‘dos’ and ’don’ts’ and the great insider tip of being able to be bribed by the power of cake!’


Trish Halpin, Imogen Powell and Justine Southall.

A lively and interactive Q&A with the audience was followed by drinks, nibbles and networking in the glorious ballroom.


Justine Southall, Garry Durston and Trish Halpin.

The goal of Meet the Media is to enable communications professionals to hear from leading media organisations on how their respective companies work, providing insight into their specialist areas, giving advice on achieving coverage and informing them on effective targeting of journalists within their sector and how to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

The next Meet the Media will be held in London in the spring, details to be announced soon. Further events are planned throughout 2013 in Bangalore, Paris and Milan.

Photographs and videos relating to this release are available for download in the multimedia assets section on the left-hand side of this page.

To register and receive more information on future events email marketinguk@prnewswire.co.uk
To receive updates via twitter follow www.twitter.com/meetthemedia







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Justus Esiri, One of the Greatest Actors in Nigeria Passes On


Justus Esiri. November 20, 1942 - February 19, 2013.

Justus Esiri, one of the most accomplished actors in Nigeria passed away on Tuesday, February 19, 2013. He was 71 years old.


Justus Esiri in The Assassin's Practice.

Esiri was a popular actor on TV and film, featuring in many TV soap operas, teleplays and was a household name for his unforgettable role of the incorruptible school headmaster in the nationwide TV series "Village Headmaster" of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) from the 1970s to 80s. He also played a prominent role in the 1987 TV drama adaptation of Chinua Achebe all time classic novel Things Fall Apart directed by David Orere and broadcast on the network service of the NTA. He was also a pioneer of Nollywood, the phenomenal Nigerian film industry of home videos and won many coveted awards including Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).

Esiri will be remembered as one of the greatest Nigerian actors of all time.
May his soul rest in peace.

Filmography

2010 Home in Exile

2008 Small Boy
Daddy Queen
2008 Kingdom of Men (video)
2008 Kingdom of Men 2 (video)
2007 Big Heart Treasure (video)
2007 Big Heart Treasure 2 (video)
2007 Cross & Tinapa (video)
2007 Cross & Tinapa 2 (video)
2007 Forgive Me (video)
2007 Forgive Me 2 (video)
2007 Keep My Will (video)
2007 Keep My Will 2 (video)
2007 Minority Tension (video)
2007 Most Wanted Bachelor (video)
2007 Spiritual Challenge (video)
2007 Spiritual Challenge 2 (video)
2006 Put It on Me (video)
2006 Put It on Me 2 (video)
2006 Angel in Hell (video)
2006 Angel in Hell 2 (video)
2006 Angels Forever (video)
2006 Angels Forever 2 (video)
2006 Blood on Ice (video)
2006 Blood on Ice 2 (video)
2006 Blood Stain in Bokodo (video)
2006 City of Kings (video)
2006 City of Kings 2 (video)
2006 Connected Firm (video)
2006 Connected Firm 2 (video)
2006 Dying for Tomorrow (video)
2006 Dying for Tomorrow 2 (video)
2006 Dying for Tomorrow 3 (video)
2006 Fair Game (video)
2006 Fair Game 2 (video)
2006 Married for Money (video)
2006 Passionate Crime (video)
Father Martins
2006 Passionate Crime 2 (video)
Father Martins
2006 Silence of the Gods (video)
2006 Silence of the Gods 2 (video)
2006 Sitanda
2006 Tomorrow Lives Again (video)
2006 Traumatised (video)
2006 Traumatised 2 (video)
2006 Women of Faith (video)
2006 Women of Faith 2 (video)
2005 Blood Battle (video)
2005 Blood Battle 2 (video)
2005 Day of Atonement (video)
2005 Eagle's Bride (video)
2005 Eagle's Bride 2 (video)
2005 Endless Passion (video)
2005 Endless Passion 2 (video)
2005 Indecent Desire (video)
2005 Indecent Desire 2 (video)
2005 My Precious Son (video)
2005 My Precious Son 2 (video)
2005 Never End (video)
2005 Never End 2 (video)
2005 One God One Nation (video)
2005 One God One Nation 2 (video)
2005 Rising Moon (video)
2005 Rising Moon 2 (video)
2005 Rising Moon 3 (video)
2005 Six Demons (video)
2005 The Ghost
Anderson
2005 The Ghost 2
Anderson
2005 The Tyrant (video)
2005 The Tyrant 2 (video)
2005 Unforeseen (video)
2005 Unforeseen 2 (video)
2005 Vampire's Call (video)
2005 Vampire's Call 2 (video)
2004 For Real (video)
2004 For Real 2 (video)
2004 I Swear (video)
Ezeigwe
2004 I Swear 2 (video)
Ezeigwe
2004 King of the Jungle (video)
2004 King of the Jungle 2 (video)
2004 Love After Love (video)
2004 Masterstroke (video)
2004 Masterstroke 2 (video)
2004 Melody of Life (video)
2004 Miss Nigeria (video)
2004 Miss Nigeria 2 (video)
2004 My Driver (video)
2004 My Driver 2 (video)
2004 Never Say Ever (video)
2004 Never Say Ever 2 (video)
2004 Shattered Illusion (video)
2004 Shattered Illusion 2 (video)
2003 Love Oh! Love (video)
2003 Love Oh! Love 2 (video)
2003 Sister Mary (video)
2002 Evil-Doers (video)
2002 Evil-Doers 2 (video)
2002 Wisdom and Riches (video)
2002 Wisdom and Riches 2 (video)
2001 A Barber's Wisdom (short)
2001 My Good Will (video)
2001 My Good Will 2 (video)
1987 Things Fall Apart (TV series)








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President Barack Obama On Nollywood Movie Poster



Anything can happen in Nollywood, Nigeria's phenomenal film industry. So, don't be surprised by this Nollywood poster with President Barack Obama posing as a native African Juju man.







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