Category Archives: Africa

Get the latest breaking news, features, analysis and special reports plus audio and video from across the African continent. We deliver daily round-up of the latest breaking news stories, information, online news service, high-profile global cases, and Nigerian and African current stories as they unfold.

 

Footballer Sidney Sam dumps Germany for Nigeria

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The young handsome dude Sidney Sam is a German-born Nigerian midfielder. His dad is a Nigerian, his mum German.
 
He was born and raised in Germany and has played there all his life…until now. He has agreed to play for the country of his father’s birth Nigeria.
 
The Bayer Leverkusen striker played for the German under-19 and under-20s national team but has never played for the German senior team which makes him eligible to play for the Nigerian senior national team.
 

Coach Stephen Keshi said on Wednesday that Sidney is willing to join with the rest of the Super Eagles players ahead of the African Nations Cup in South Africa.

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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University of Port Harcourt reopens

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University of Port Harcourt that was closed down on October 9, 2012 after demonstration by students over the brutally killing of four of their school mates in Aluu Community has finally reopened.
 
The school authority yesterday announced the re-opening of the institution and asked all students to return to campus as academic activities will commence on Monday November 12th.

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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I don’t know any Boko Haram member – Buhari

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Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has said he does not know any member of Boko Haram sect. He said this in an interview with journalists at his party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday during the party’s Board of Trustees meeting.
 
“I do not know any member of the Boko Haram sect. I do not believe and I do not know of any religion that will go and kill people, burn schools. There was a stage where I mentioned that I agreed with one intellectual where he said there are three Boko Haram, one of Muhammed Yusuf, whom we know. A leader of the military then in Maiduguri did what we know in the military about internal security. They looked for Yusuf, they handed him over to the police; healthy young man and he died under a very dubious account in the police custody.
 
"The second Boko Haram was a criminal attacking banks and market places stealing money. They issued a statement that they are Boko Haram, and I said and I have no regret saying it, that the biggest Boko Haram is the Federal Government itself, because it has all the powers to stop anarchy in the country. Continue to read after the cut:
 
“Now the social part of the country has been paralised, economic activities have stopped. People are no longer thinking of employment, they are thinking of what to eat and how to go about the following day.”
 
Buhari said the BOT reviewed what transpired in the party from the time of the elections through the tribunals to the Supreme Court.
 
 He said, “Among the things discussed is the matter of merger which has occupied the minds of most Nigerians. The only realistic way of consolidating the multi-party democracy system is for opposition parties to come together and fight the ruling party Peoples Democratic Party.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Guy Strips a lady for putting on his girlfriend’s clothes

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According to the person that captured the picture, he said the guy stripped the lady when fighting her because the lady had been wearing his girlfriend’s clothes and underwear’s.

Though the story is unconfirmed but shit like this happen often, the picture states it all. Some people are really losing their lucidity Gosh!

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Nigeria: Delta Lawmakers Pass Bill On Kidnapping, Terrorism

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Asaba — Delta State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed a bill stipulating death sentence for kidnappers and terrorists.

The bill, known as “Law to Prohibit Terrorism, Kidnapping, Hostage-taking, Cultism, Use of Bombs and Explosives and Other Matters thereto”, was unanimously passed by the 28 members of the House after consideration in a committee of the whole, presided over by the speaker, Victor Ochei.

Under the new bill, a traditional ruler in the state in whose domain hostages are held to his knowledge will be deposed or his kingship withdrawn.

Also, a telecommunications company, which refuses to make available to security agencies, within 24 hours of request, information on the communication made by a suspected kidnapper or terrorist, will pay a fine of N20 million for every request not granted.

The Clerk of the House, will, in the next few days, dispatch the bill to the governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is opposed to death penalty for such capital offences, for assent.

One of the lawmakers told Vanguard, yesterday: “I do not want to say that the governor will sign the bill or not. But suffice it to say that this is the second time the House is passing such a bill. He refused to sign the earlier one. If he does that again, we will invoke our veto power under the Constitution.”

Highlights of bill

Other highlights of the bill are that the governor, or his authorized representative, shall have power to sign an order authorizing the sealing up of premises used to harbor persons kidnapped or held hostage, with or without the demand of ransom.

The bill states that the sealing of the premises shall remain in place until a competent court decides on the forfeiture.

It is an offence under the Act, for a person, who, not being a member of the armed forces, unlawfully receives or has in his possession, bombs and other explosives with intent to cause harm. Such a person is liable, on conviction, to 14 years imprisonment. The same goes for those that manufacture the explosives.

It also forbids a person or group of persons from threatening the life of anybody through letters, phone calls or other electronic methods and gadgets, as any person found guilty is liable, upon conviction, to 14 years imprisonment.

Four person in authority who receives information on operations of kidnappers and terrorists and fails to take proper action, he is liable on conviction to three years imprisonment.

Community ruling organs, including executives of town, trust members and youth leaders in whose domain people are held hostage with their knowledge are also liable on conviction to be jailed for five years without option of fine.

Besides, those who aid and assist kidnappers to escape will be sentenced to 21 years imprisonment on conviction.

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Nigeria: Keshi Insists On No Automatic Shirt for Odemwingie

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Coach Stephen Keshi yesterday insisted that no single Super Eagles player, no matter how good he is, will not be handed an automatic shirt in his team.

The Eagles handler was reacting to a question on whether he would not substitute West Brom striker Peter Osaze Odemwingie again now that he has accepted to return to the national team.

The striker had not hidden his frustrations in the hands of the past handlers of the national team and was equally disappointed when he was substituted in the match against Rwanda under the present coach of the team.

However, Keshi said no Super Eagle is bigger than the rest of the team and he would not only substitute any player including Osaze, but ask them to excuse the team, if they are not able to live up to expectations.

“Of course there is no player that is bigger than the team. If you are not giving us what we think is good enough for the team, you may not even see any jersey. You guys got to know these things. The group we have here is not about sentiments or favouritism.

“If you good, you are good, if you are not good, we shake hands and say goodbye. Maybe when next you do better, we bring you back. It’s not like the door is shut for anybody. But this is what we have to do. We want the best for Nigeria.

“We want Nigerians to be happy and that is it. So if any senator’s child is coming here to play and he doesn’t know how to play, we send him back. Every player in the team has to keep proving himself. You cannot tell me that you have been here and you have proved yourself enough,” he said.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Californian death penalty fight goes on, despite vote

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A renewed battle to repeal the death penalty in California has begun, days after residents voted to keep capital punishment in the state. Proposition 34 – which would have seen capital punishment scrapped – was rejected by 53% of voters on Tuesday. Both pro and anti-capital punishment campaigners now expect that Californians will be asked again either to abolish the death penalty or to reform the state’s legal structure in order to get executions carried out more quickly.

The defeat came as a huge blow to capital punishment abolitionists who yearned for the most significant victory for a generation. Campaigners across the US hoped a yes vote for Proposition 34 on 6 November would provide a boost to their efforts and send a warning note to the other 32 states that still hand out the punishment.

California has the highest number of prisoners awaiting execution of any US state, with 724 death row inmates. The next largest total is in Texas, where there are 407. A moratorium on executions has been in place in California for nearly seven years.

Confusion and delays have been common in the state since a federal judge put executions on hold in early 2006 until prison officials adopt new lethal injection procedures to ensure no inmate suffers “cruel and unusual” pain. It is estimated it will be months, if not years, before the execution of the next death row inmate because of likely legal wrangling. If obstacles relating to to the method of execution are removed, however, at least 14 inmates who have exhausted their legal appeals could face immediate execution. The state has executed 13 inmates overall since 1978.

McGregor Scott, the former US attorney for Sacramento and co-chair of the opposition campaign, called for a reform to executions streamlining the appeals process and scrapping the state’s three-drug cocktail in favour of a single-drug lethal injection. “The problems with delay and expense of California’s death penalty are entirely fixable,” he said.

Death penalty abolitionists argued that the closeness of the vote – 53% of residents voted in favour of keeping the death penalty compared with 71% who voted to impose the penalty in 1978 – meant that voters were moving towards abolition. Campaign manager Natasha Minsker said there had been a “dramatic shift” in California voters’ view of the death penalty and the fight to have the penalty repealed would continue. “The results show the state is equally divided,” she said. “We are going to continue moving forward with the voters.”

San Mateo county district attorney Steve Wagstaffe is next week expected to ask a judge to bypass state and federal court orders halting executions to allow the state to immediately put condemned killer Robert Fairbank to death with a single lethal drug, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “A lot of things slowed down with this initiative on the horizon,” Douglas Berman, an Ohio State University law professor told the paper. “The pregnant question going forward in California is, OK, with (Proposition 34) cleared out, do we get a serious progression toward executions and, then, what’s the public response to that going to be?”

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Authorities blame faulty construction for Ghana building collapse that left at least 4 dead

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Authorities on Thursday blamed faulty construction for the collapse of a five-story building in Ghana’s capital that killed at least four people and trapped dozens of others until they were freed by crews picking through broken concrete with axes.

The five-story structure housing a popular home goods store crumbled early Wednesday, just nine months after it was built in a working-class neighborhood.

Kate Adobaya, a spokeswoman for Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organization, blamed the building collapse on structural weakness.

“The foundation was not good enough,” she said, adding that crews worked in shifts through the night to search for other possible victims.

President John Dramani Mahama toured the scene Wednesday and told reporters those responsible for the building’s collapse would be punished.

The building was being leased by Melcom Ltd., but the retail company did not construct the building, according to the chief operating officer of Melcom Group of Companies.

Arvinder Singh said he wanted to be “very, very, clear” that the property was being rented.

Ghanaian Information Minister Fritz Baffour says four people are confirmed dead. Accra’s mayor, Alfred Oko Vanderpuiye. said Thursday that 68 people had been pulled from the rubble.

An 18-man team from Israel was expected in Accra later in the day to help locate any remaining survivors.

“The team will make an initial assessment of the site using special equipment and sniffer dogs that will help identify the locations of possible survivors or corpses,” according to a statement signed by the president’s spokesman.

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Car bomb injures 21 outside Pakistani paramilitary building

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Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) — A truck laden with explosives rammed into the wall of a paramilitary complex in Pakistan on Thursday and detonated, a military spokesman said.

The blast in Karachi injured 21 — three critically — and damaged the wall of a Rangers housing complex, said Maj. Bilal Farooq. No deaths were reported.

Farooq condemned the attack as a “cowardly act.”

The truck had more than 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of explosive material, said Karachi police spokesman Javed Odho.

The Rangers are a paramilitary force in the Pakistani army often assigned to security detail in conflict regions.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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PM says conducting ‘business as usual’ with US

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Finance Minister Steinitz slams former PM Olmert for accusing Netanyahu of publicly backing Romney in US election.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he is conducting "business as usual" with the United States two days after the US President Barack Obama's reelection for a second term.

"I've heard voices in recent days, of all places voices coming from among us that are trying to create conflict between us and the United States. It won't help them; the alliance between Israel and United States is strong," Netanyahu said at the cornerstone laying of a hospital in Ashdod.

Following Obama's reelection,  former prime minister Ehud Olmert told Jewish community leaders in New York that "The prime minister has a right to prefer one candidate over another, but it would be better, obviously if he kept it to himself. What took place this time was a breaking of all the rules, when our prime minister intervened in the US elections in the name of an American billionaire," a reference to Jewish-American casino magnate and Netanyahu-ally Sheldon Adelson.

"Netanyahu's behavior in recent months brings up the question if Netanyahu has a friend in the White House, and I'm not sure," Olmert said. "This could be very critical in certain areas."

On Thursday, Israel radio reported, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz slammed Olmert, saying that whoever raises such accusations wants to harm the US-Israel relationship. Olmert's assertion that Netanyahu publicly endorsed Romney harms the deep ties between the two nations, Steinitz said.

Olmert's associates have said that he will decide on his political future following the US election, and Obama's reelection is encouraging to the former prime minister. He is expected to make an announcement soon after he returns to Israel after November 15.

Olmert's political prospects encountered new challenges Wednesday night when the State Attorney’s Office filed a Supreme Court appeal against the acquittals and light sentence he received over corruption charges.

If the state wins at the Supreme Court level, Olmert could be convicted of harsher crimes than he was at trial, and could even end up going to jail.

 

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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