the trumpet newspaper issue 411 (march 30 - april 12 2016)

TheTrumpetAfricans now have a voice... FFounded in 1995VO L 22 NO 411 MA R C H 30 - AP R I L 12 2016 TheTrump et

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Prominent Angolan

rapper - Luaty Beirão,

better known by his

stage name - Ikonoklasta, and

16 other activists, have been

convicted for allegedly

planning a rebellion against

Angola’s President Jose

Eduardo dos Santos.

Beirão was sentenced to

Continued on Page3>

‘One You’, a ground-

breaking new campaign

to help adults across the

country avoid future diseases caused

by modern day life is reaching out to

Black African and Caribbean

communities across England. OneYou’s aim is to encourage adults from

these communities, in particular those

in their middle age, to take control of

their health to enjoy significant

benefits now, and later in life.

It is well reported that Black

Africans and Caribbeans are more at

risk of preventable diseases like type

2 diabetes, high blood pressure and

stroke than the general population. In

comparison to the general UK

population Black Africans and

Caribbeans are up to 3 times more

likely to have Type 2 Diabetes; twice

as likely to have a stroke; and more

likely to have high blood pressure.

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Jailed for planned rebellion (Picture Credit - Pedrowski Teca)

Chris Kamara

Healthquiz: Only'One You',How areyou?

Jailed forrebellingagainstPresident

Jailed forrebellingagainstPresident

TheTrumpet MARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016

five-and-a-half years in prison, while the

16 other activists each bagged sentences

that ranged between two and eight and a

half years.

They were arrested last June after

discussing the 1993 book by Gene Sharp

called From Dictatorship to Democracy:A Conceptual Framework for Liberationat their book club.

Fifteen men were arrested and

detained while two women were charged

alongside them, but were not detained. All

17 were initially charged on 16 September

2015 with preparing a “rebellion” and

“plotting against the president.”

On 21 March, after closing arguments,

the Public Prosecutor dropped the charge

of “plotting against the President” but

maintained the “preparatory acts of

rebellion” (actos preparatórios de

rebelião) charge. He also added a new

charge of “criminal conspiracy”

(associação de malfeitores) which is

punishable with a jail term of between two

and 12 years.

The Public Prosecutor argued that they

were planning an uprising among students

and workers “with incalculable

consequences”.

Beirão, was also charged withfalsifying documents, which carries a

maximum penalty of eight years’

imprisonment.

The jailed activists, who belonged to a

youth movement, had previously held

demonstrations calling for a fairer

distribution of the country’s oil wealth and

demanding the resignation of dos Santos,

who has been in power since 1979.

Angola is Africa’s 2nd largest oil producer

after Nigeria.

Amnesty International described the

verdict as an affront to justice that must be

reversed and called for the prisoners’

immediate and unconditional release. The

human rights body has recognised the 15

men and two women as prisoners of

conscience and believes that the court’s

decision that each of the 17 be required to

cover legal costs of approximately £220

as a mockery of justice.

Amnesty International’s Director for

Southern Africa - Deprose Muchena said:

“This ruling flies in the face of justice.

“The activists have been wrongly

convicted in a deeply politicised trial.

They are the victims of a government

determined to intimidate anyone who

dares to question its repressive policies.

“This unjustifiable conviction and

draconian sentences against these peaceful

activists who should never have been

detained at all demonstrate how Angolan

authorities use the criminal justice system

to silence dissenting views.

“Amnesty regards these 17 activists as

prisoners of conscience. They should not

have spent a single day in prison and must

be released immediately and

unconditionally and the convictions

should be quashed.”

Page3TheTrumpetMARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016

News

JJaaiilleedd ffoorr rreebbeelllliinnggaaggaaiinnsstt PPrreessiiddeenntt

Angola's media covers the conviction

President dos Santos

Some of the activist including Beirao

Continued from Page 1<

Some of the activists including Beirao in high spirits during the trial

There is also a smoking prevalence of 37%

among Black Caribbean men and 22%

among Black Caribbean women compared

to 22% (men) and 17% (women) in the UK

general population. It is also forecasted that

1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer.

Modern day life makes it hard for

people to live healthily, with bigger

portions for everything we eat, a desk-

bound job or a long commute. One Yougives people the chance to reappraise their

lifestyle choices, put themselves first and

do something about their own health

before it’s too late.

Professor Kevin Fenton, National

Director, Public Health England said:

“Many diseases that affect African and

Caribbean people’s health and shorten their

active lives can be prevented. We

acknowledge that there are environmental

pressures that make it difficult for people

to make healthier choices, for example,

working long hours and having to sit eight

hours or more a day at work.

For the first time, Public Health

England is launching a campaign that talks

to adults directly about all of the things

they can do to improve their health. We

want to encourage African and Caribbean

adults to start by taking a new online health

quiz called ‘How Are You’. The short quiz

asks people simple questions about their

habits, health and how they are feeling and

then provides a score with personalised tips

and free tools to help them take action to

improve their health.”

As part of the campaign, football pundit

Chris Kamara features in a new short film

which prompts adults to take a moment in

their busy lives to ask themselves an

important question we rarely have time to

consider seriously: ‘How Are You?’ and

encourage healthy changes by taking the

online health quiz.

Since he hung up his football boots,

Chris has made the commitment to stay fit

and healthy. He wants to remind people

that there’s never been a better time to look

after yourself – after all, there’s only one

you.

Football pundit Chris Kamara said: “As

a former professional footballer, I like to

try and keep in trim as much as I can, but

it is far from easy sometimes when you are

dashing around. I wanted to bring a bit of

fun to being healthy with my film – it

doesn’t have to start with a trek up a

mountain or playing a full ninety minutes

of football. Starting with a walk or a gentle

jog round the block is the way to go, and

the How Are You quiz can put you on the

right path. Making those simple changes

means you can take control of your health

now, and will help you have a big impact in

the future. Give it a go – even if you don’t

like my film!”

One You helps adults to move more, eat

well, drink less alcohol and be smoke-free.

One You will also provide information on

how people can reduce their stress levels

and how to sleep better.

The campaign is being supported by a

wide range of exciting partners meaning

that One You will be part of people’s day-

to-day lives: on the high street, in local

services, in pharmacies and GP surgeries,

on the roads, and when shopping online.

Latest figures show that a life

expectancy at older ages is at record levels,

yet many are spending their retirement

living in ill health. Currently fifteen million

Britons are living with a long-term health

condition, yet studies show living healthily

in middle age can double your chances of

being healthy when you are 70.

For more information and to take the

‘How Are You’ online quiz, search ‘One

You’ online now or visit

www.nhs.uk/oneyou/hay.

Page4 TheTrumpet

TheTrumpet Group

Tel: 020 8522 6600Field: 07956 385 604

E-mail: [email protected]

TheTrumpetTeam

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

’Femi OkutuboAG. EDITOR:

Emeka Asinugo, KSC

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Kimberly Ward

CONTRIBUTORS:

Moji Idowu, Ayo Odumade, Steve Mulindwa

SPECIAL PROJECTS:Odafe Atogun

John-Brown Adegunsoye (Abuja)ESSEX BUREAU:

Olufemi IbiwoyeBusiness Development Manager

DESIGN:[email protected]

ATLANTA BUREAU CHIEF:

Uko-Bendi Udo3695 F Cascade Road #2140 Atlanta,

GA 30331 USATel: +1 404 889 3613

E-mail: [email protected]

BOARD OF CONSULTANTS

CHAIRMAN:

Pastor Kolade Adebayo-OkeMEMBERS:

Tunde Ajasa-Alashe Allison Shoyombo, Peter Osuhon

TheTrumpet (ISSN: 1477-3392)is published in London fortnightly

Advertising:

020 8522 6600

MARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016

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News

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Health quiz: Only 'One You',How are you?Continued from Page 1<

Jovago joined the Citi FM Foundation

on a visit to the Baptist School

Complex & Orphanage (BASCO) to

donate cash and items.

The gesture was part of Jovago’s

corporate social responsibility and falls

directly in line with the company’s core

values. This year marked the tenth year in

which Citi FM have donated to this

orphanage and a special solar plant was

unveiled as part of the company’s effort to

make life comfortable for the children

there.

Items donated to the children included

bags of rice and gari, used clothing, food

items, candy, biscuits, toiletries, and bags

of water, among others.

An undisclosed amount of money was

also donated to the orphans to help make

their lives comfortable while grooming

them to become very important people.

The Managing Director of Jovago

Ghana - Claire Staal said: “It gives us great

joy to be a part of such life touching

activities. It is important to make profit as a

business but we believe it is also very

important to share what you get with people

who do not have the means to provide for

themselves. We stand for hope, love and we

are always finding ways to contribute our

quota in the quest to help these young

children become great people in the near

future. We wish to commend Citi FM on

this great initiative and hope to partner with

them on subsequent donations and

projects.”

BASCO is situated in the isolated small

town of Suhum - Krotor in the Eastern

Region of Ghana, 70 miles inland from

Accra. It sits on a nine-acre parcel of land

between the cities Koforidua and Suhum.

The orphanage was established by

Pastor Victor Ofori-Amoah in 1999 with

four children who were abandoned after

their parents were killed in a road accident,

BASCO is an independent non-

denominational, faith-based organization

which welcomes children of all

backgrounds.

Money Transfer company - Western

Union has launched a video series

called “Stories of Better” in

which ordinary African men and women tell

of how remittances have impacted their

lives.

The short films demonstrate how

remittances have improved day-to-day

living for African communities in education,

health care and small businesses.

“The World Bank estimates that the

African diaspora residing in countries

around the world are over 30 million people.

Entire households and extended families

often depend on remittances from loved

ones abroad to meet their daily needs,” says

Aida Diarra, Regional Vice President

Africa.

“Remittances help to fund education,

provide for improved healthcare, help set up

small businesses, thus enabling sustained

growth and development of communities

around Africa.”

In one segment, a Nigerian wife and

mother of five shares her story, “My

husband produces T-shirts and polos in the

United States. He sends me money via

Western Union. I use that money for my

children, to pay their school fees and my

rent and to meet other everyday needs.”

In another, Joseph Blabo who lives in

Makoko in Lagos used remittances to create

and develop a micro business. He says “I

run a nursery and primary school. This

vision was between me and my uncle. We

thought about how we raise funds, we

contacted an aunt of mine and within a

twinkle of an eye she backed the idea and

sent money to us”.

In yet another testimonial, a Kenyan

woman testifies how remittances saved her

son’s life. She mentions “I have a son. He

was involved in an accident in 2011. The car

lost control, then it rolled three times. When

he was in hospital the bill was very high and

I couldn’t raise money to pay the bill. I

called my sister in America to send the

money. They used Western Union and the

money came very fast. If it was not Western

Union, my son couldn’t get help.”

Through these videos, Western Union

enables the key stakeholders in Africa’s

remittance chain – senders, receivers, agents

and the Western Union corporate team – to

put a face on these men and women, these

everyday African heroes, who leave their

home to find work, who cross continents to

make better lives and build a brighter future

for their loved ones.

Western Union is encouraging all

Africans to share the positive impact that

moving

money has had on their lives.

Individuals can log on to:

http://www.WUAfrica.com/Storiesofbet

ter.html to contribute with their personal

account through photos, testimonials and

videos.


News

Western Union launches video onremittances’ impact

Jovago donates to orphans

Jovago supports orphan

Jovago donates to orphans

The international hit musical TheBodyguard returned last month to

the West End for a limited six month

run with Beverley Knight playing the title

role of Oscar-nominated superstar Rachel

Marron. Public booking opened for

performances beginning at the Dominion

Theatre on 15 July 2016 playing in this

strictly limited season to 7 January 2017.

Thea Sharrock’s production of TheBodyguard received its world premiere at

the Adelphi Theatre in November 2012

where it opened to critical acclaim with

Heather Headley as Rachel Marron and due

to public demand, the show’s run was

extended. In 2013, Beverley Knight joined

the cast and took over the lead role. The

show continued to play to packed houses

and released a further 300,000 tickets for

sale. Alexandra Burke followed Knight as

Rachel Marron in June 2014 who continues

to play the role in the show’s UK and

Ireland sell-out tour which completes its hit

run in June this year.

International productions of TheBodyguard continue at the Beatrix Theater

in Utrecht, in the Netherlands and the

Musical Dome Theatre in Cologne,

Germany. Both productions opened in

2015 and have been playing to packed

houses and standing ovations since their

first performances. Later this year

productions will open in Korea and Italy

and a US production will open in

November.

Based on Lawrence Kasdan’s 1992

Oscar nominated Warner Bros. film, Thea

Sharrock’s production of The Bodyguardhas a book by Alex Dinelaris. With designs

by Tim Hatley, lighting by Mark

Henderson, sound by Richard Brooker and

video designs by Duncan McLean,

choreography is by Karen Bruce,

orchestrations by Chris Egan with musical

supervision by Richard Beadle, TheBodyguard is produced by Michael

Harrison and David Ian.

Joining Beverley Knight are Rachel

John (Nicki Marron), Carole Stennett

(alternate Rachel Marron), Mark Holden

(Bill Devaney), Alex Andreas (Tony),

Dominic Taylor (Sy Spector), Matthew

Stathers (Stalker) and Glen Fox (Ray

Court). Ensemble members are Faye Best,

Pablo Ceresuela Torres, Carlos Ugarriza

Crespo, Lisa Darnell, Charles Hagerty,

Emma Joy Hopkins, Ibinabo Jack,

Christopher Jeffers, Verity Jones, Phoebe

Liberty, Raul Naranjo Garcia, Mary Lynn

Tiep, Michael Wade-Peters, Matthew

Wesley, Emmy Willow and Mark

Willshire. Final casting, including the role

of Frank Farmer and the young boys who

will alternate the role of Fletcher, will be

announced shortly.

Former Secret Service agent turnedbodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to

protect superstar Rachel Marron from anunknown stalker. Each expects to be incharge; what they don’t expect is to fall inlove. A romantic thriller, The Bodyguardfeatures a whole host of irresistible classicsincluding Queen of the Night, SoEmotional, One Moment in Time, SavingAll My Love, I’m Your Baby Tonight, Runto You, I Have Nothing, I Wanna DanceWith Somebody and one of the greatest hitsongs of all time - I Will Always Love You.

Queen of British Soul - Beverley

Knight is a singer, songwriter and record

producer who has been one of the UK’s

most consistent artists since the release of

her debut album in 1995. She has sold over

a million albums in the UK, scoring several

top 10’s and four gold certified albums as

well as the platinum selling Voice: The Bestof Beverley Knight. To date, she has won

three MOBO Awards, an Outstanding

Achievement Award at the Urban Music

Awards, been three times nominated for

Best Female at the Brit Awards, as well as

for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize

and was also awarded an MBE for her

services to music and charity in 2007.

Knight has presented four series of Radio 2

show Beverley’s Gospel Nights and

appeared in two series of hit BBC1 show

Just The Two of Us as well as appearing on

stage with the likes of Prince, Stevie

Wonder and Take That. In 2012, she

wowed a viewing audience of one billion

with a rendition of the song I Am What I Amat the opening ceremony of the London2012 Paralympic Games. Beverley Knight

originally played the leading role of Rachel

Marron in The Bodyguard at the Adelphi

Theatre to great acclaim in 2013. She

followed this by playing the role of Felicia

in Memphis The Musical at the Shaftesbury

Theatre, for which she was nominated for

an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a

Musical, and recently completed a hugely

successful run at the London Palladium

playing Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd

Webber’s Cats. Knight will be releasing her

eighth studio album this Spring, her first in

almost five years, as well as embarking on

a solo tour across the UK in May and June.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Dates:

15 July 2016 - 7 January 2017

Address:

Dominion Theatre, 268-269 Tottenham

Court Rd, London W1T 7AQ

Performance schedule:

Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm

Wednesday and Saturday Matinees at

3.00pm

At Monday evening and Wednesday

Matinee performances, the role of Rachel

Marron will be played by Carole Stennett.

Tickets:

Box Office 0845 200 7982 (no booking fee)

Previews £25 - £52.50 Monday -Thursday,

£27.50 - £57.50 Friday- Saturday

From 21 July 2016 £25 - £62.50 Monday-

Thursday,

£27.50-£67.50 Friday and Saturday

Day seats A limited number of £25 day

seats will go on sale from the Box Office at

10am on the day of the performance

Website

thebodyguardmusical.com (no booking fee)

Twitter

@TheBodyguardUK

Facebook

Page7TheTrumpetMARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016TheArts

The issue of tipping has for a long time causeddebate on the African soil. While the practiceis largely considered as a Western culture,Africans have slowly but surely adopted thenorm.

Most wonder what is debatable about

giving tips. Why people are obliged

to tip service givers all the time; how

much is the standard tip, why people often feel

pressured to tip more than they had budgeted

for; are questions that we all seek to know as

far as tipping in Africa is concerned.

Jovago.com, Africa’s leading online booking

portal, looks at some of the concepts associated

with tipping in the African continent.

Underpayment is a major reason why

service givers expect tips

Most hotels, restaurants and tour companies are

known for under-paying their service givers

such as housekeepers and drivers; such that

they can barely make ends meet. Therefore, tips

from guests go a long way in supplementing

their daily expenses. Originally, tipping was

supposed to show appreciation, but some

employers have since taken advantage to

underpay workers, expecting that the tips will

fill that gap.

Tipping is an incentive

Despite the earlier mentioned adverse

perception, most of us will agree that tipping is

actually a good thing; as long as it is used for

the right purpose. Speaking of purpose, giving

tips is a way of appreciating the service you

have received. In that way, the service provider

will be motivated to offer even better services

next time, not only to the giver but to others as

well.

The amount tipped should be discretionary

As the saying goes, “Blessed is the hand that

giveth”. It is human nature, in most cases, to

feel happy when we freely give others; tipping

is no exception. No one should be forced to give

tips under any circumstance. Rather, if given

satisfactory services, people should feel free to

appreciate their service suppliers with an open

heart. Likewise, service givers should not

always expect to receive

tips in exchange of good

service. This can be a

huge burden particularly

for travellers as tipping

can be such a dilemma in

balancing their budget.

Appreciate when you receive a tip and be

satisfied for delivering a service even if you

don’t.

How much to tip

There is no such a thing as a constant amount

that one is supposed to tip. Since tips should be

a sign of gratitude, only give what you can

afford. Moreover, you alone can evaluate the

value of the service you have received. If you

are extremely pleased, why not appreciate more

as long as you have it. However, you don’t

have to tip if not satisfied with the service. The

choice on how much to tip is all yours.

Tipping is sometimes stereotyped

Do you sometimes wonder why two people

provide similar services and only one gets

tipped? Well in most cases only the tipper can

tell us why he/she chose to tip one and not the

other. But the truth of the matter is, there is a

high possibility that the tipper liked one and

disliked the other; perhaps due to physical

appearance or confidence and the list goes on.

On the other hand, service providers also

stereotype those who tip them. For example, if

one gives a small tip, he/she could be associated

with a particular race, class or status. This can

also apply to one who gives a large tip.

After all is said and done, we agree that

tipping is clearly a sensitive matter of the heart.

We can choose to tip or not. We decide how

much to tip and when to. In some cases, we also

decide who to tip and who not to. So, what’s

your personal opinion about tipping?

Hospitality

Tipping theories in Africa

The Bodyguard returns with Beverley Knight

The Bodyguard - Beverley Knight- photographer Uli Weber

TheTrumpet MARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016 GAB Awards

Continued on Page 9<

Get your event published to a worldwide audience via Trumpet Newspaper, Website and Social Media channels. Call +44 (0)7956 385604 or email [email protected]

Faces at the GAB Awards

TheTrumpetMARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016GAB Awards

Get your event published to a worldwide audience via Trumpet Newspaper, Website and Social Media channels. Call +44 (0)7956 385604 or email [email protected]


Faces at the GAB Awards

“Easter greetings”

“Ok”

“I am greeting you”

“I see”

“Are we quarrelling? Or you have

malaria?”

“Can’t you see that I am just not in the

mood?”

“Not in the mood to say same to you?”

“Okay. Same to you”

“This is the season of love, you know.

Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross of

Calvary so we may have everlasting life.

He made the ultimate sacrifice so that you

and I can be saved.”

“Keep preaching”

“We must learn to love others and be

prepared to imbibe the virtue of sacrifice.”

“I have never pretended that I want to

be like Jesus Christ. Thank you.”

“His teachings. His example.”

“Good. But look, listen to me, just don’t

go to Kaduna and go about preaching to

people. I hope you know. Keep your

teachings to yourself.”

“Even on a Good Friday? Oh, come on.

Nobody can stop us from proclaiming The

Word. And we need the message of love,

sacrifice and salvation in this land.”

“Sacrifice? Have we not sacrificed

enough?”

“It’s never enough.”

“We haven’t had electricity in our

neighbourhood for a whole week. We can’t

even afford to keep running the generator”

“All that will change.”

“When they have told us there will be

fuel scarcity till May? You may add two

more months to that.”

“No, oh. The Minister was misquoted.

He has since clarified his statement. He said

he was just being sincere.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning the journalists who reported

the story added salt and pepper to his

statement.”

“But have you seen the queues at the

fuel stations?”

“Seen? I spent a whole day looking for

fuel yesterday.”

“Very good. Don’t complain. You were

making sacrifice.”

“I love my country, no matter what. All we

need is just love.”

“Say that to the over 3 million workers

in the food and beverages industry who are

about to lose their jobs.”

“I read that. It is rather scary.”

“Many companies are shutting down, or

downsizing, or they are unable to pay

salaries.”

“Have faith. All that will change. All

these companies sacking people up and

down should also try and make some

sacrifice.”

“Business is business”

“Business should have a human heart.

Sometimes, when I read all those figures

about people being retrenched, I suspect

sabotage.”

“How convenient?”

“What I am saying is that Corporate

Nigeria should be prepared to support the

people and the government.”

“Corporate Nigeria should transform

into a wing of the Red Cross. Very nice.

Well, for your information, the economy is

imploding, the Naira is sick, there is no

electricity, no this, no that, and so

businesses are being disabled.”

“All that will change.”

“You keep saying things will change.

You know I don’t like slogans.”

“The Minister of Finance will soon

write another article about it, and may be if

you have been reading…”

“What article?”

“She likes to write essays to explain

things. Newspaper essays.”

“And who reads that?”

“You should. In one recent article she

said “we are undertaking an ambitiouscounter cyclical strategy to stimulate oursluggish economy….”

“Counter cyclical strategy. Please, I

don’t want to read essays.”

“Don’t worry. Even that will change”

“Go and say that to all the workers who

will not be paid salaries this month end. Go

to the streets of Osun and tell the workers

that in case they don’t receive their salaries,

they should be prepared to make sacrifice.

And that they should understand why their

State got only N6 million allocation this

month.”

“In the spirit of Easter, yes. Why not?”

“If they stone you, don’t expect any

sympathy.”

“Man shall not live by bread alone.”

“Can you stop?”

“We should never lose hope.”

“Sorry, the people want to live by bread.

Right now, yes. And I can tell you they

want to eat rice too”.

“Rice?”

“Yes, rice? Now that the importation of

rice through land borders has been banned,

the cost of rice has gone up again.”

“Land borders? So, rice can only be

imported by air or water? I don’t believe it.”

“I know many families who have

stopped eating rice in this country.”

“It is not that bad. Ah. People like to

exaggerate things. That is why I talk about

blackmail and sabotage. There are

saboteurs in this country. Economy no

good, economy no good, some of the banks

are declaring hundreds of billions as

profit!”

“Who is sabotaging who?”

“You should answer the question

yourself, since you seem to know it all.

Everything I say, you just wave it aside.

What’s eating you up?”

“Nothing. But you too, you are

beginning to sound like members of the

National Assembly.”

“What have they done again? I know

many of the members seem to have a

special talent for comedy.”

“You know the other day, the House of

Representatives hosted the gentleman who

graduated with a 5.0 Grade Point Average

from the University of Lagos. Good idea,

but do you know what the Speaker of the

House said?”

“No”

“He told the fellow that if he wants to

succeed in life, he should not let three

things get into him”

“Which are?”

“Money, women and alcohol”

“Alcohol, yes. I understand that part

about alcohol, but money and women?”

“Male chauvinist. Hypocrite.”

“And the female members of the House

did not protest?”

“By now, they must be used to their

male colleagues always making snide

remarks about women”.

“Do you know the Speaker’s wife?”

“What has that got to do with this

matter, if I may ask?”

“She should be the one to help settle the

matter on behalf of all Nigerian women. He

should deny him food, and constantly

remind him that it is not good for him to

allow a woman get into him.”

“Some of these people are tyrants at

home, you know. They won‘t even allow

their wives to express an opinion. And I tell

you, don’t offer advice to other people’s

wives. That can be dangerous.”

“But have you heard?”

“What again?”

“The Federal Government is planning

to organize a town hall dialogue between

herdsmen and farmers to address the issue

of constant violence between the two

groups.”

“Dialogue? What dialogue? To be

attended by the people of Agatu and the

herdsmen who slaughtered them? And who

are walking free, beyond justice?”

“Dialogue is always healthy”

“Justice first. The solution is simple.

Create grazing reserves. Set up ranches.

This is the 21st Century. Nobody should

graze cattle on highways, airports and on

farmlands.”

“There are cultural issues involved.”

“I don’t know what you are talking

about. They have cattle in other parts of the

world too. Nobody sheds human blood to

preserve the blood of cattle.”

“I think you should attend the dialogue

and offer some ideas.”

“I have said my bit. Certain things are

just straight-forward. Look at the case of

Page10 TheTrumpet MARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016 Opinion

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BY REUBEN ABATI


Signs of the times

Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu

Our neighbours to the West, the

Republic of Benin, have just

concluded a Presidential election,

which has been considered free, fair and

peaceful, from the first round, to the run-off

which produced businessman Patrice Talon

as winner and next President of that country

of about 10 million people. Commentators

have noted with delight the manner in

which incumbent Prime Minister and

Talon’s main challenger, Lionel Zinsou,

graciously admitted defeat even before the

release of final, official results, and

congratulated the winner. Zinsou has been

compared to former Nigerian President,

Goodluck Jonathan. In a continent

threatened by a renewed appetite for sit-

tightism by its leaders, it is exciting that

some politicians are setting good examples.

In the last one year, we have had the

example of Jonathan in Nigeria. And now

Zinsou, in the Republic of Benin. We hope

that there will be more of their kind.

For, indeed, Africa has been raising

some anxiety about the prospects of

democratic consolidation. In Burkina Faso,

the President had to be chased away after

27 years of corrupt and ineffective

leadership. In Congo Brazaville, which

held its election the other Sunday, President

Dennis Sassou Nguesso is sitting tight. The

February 2016 election in Uganda saw

Yoweri Museveni’s forces brutalizing the

main opposition leader, Kizza Besigye.

Two women politicians were also stripped

naked and publicly humiliated for daring to

decamp from the ruling National

Resistance Movement (NRM) to Besigye’s

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). In

Rwanda, President Paul Kagame had to

change the Constitution so he can have a

third term in 2017.

In Burundi, the incumbent President

Pierre Nkurunziza waged a similar war

against the people, leaving over 400 dead,

and he remains in office by force. In

Equitorial Guinea, Gambia, Cameroon and

Zimbabwe, the maximum rulers in power

are determined to die in office. The people

of the Republic of Benin deserve to be

congratulated for further raising our hopes

about the power of the people and the

prospects of democracy in Africa. They

were the true winners. But for me, the hero

is the incumbent President, Thomas Boni

Yayi. When he steps down on April 6, and

hands over power after completing two

terms as President, he will be greatly

missed by his fans and perhaps derided

almost to the same degree by those who

have accused him of running a government

that promoted cronyism, corruption,

clientelism, media repression and official

opaqueness. But my bet is on him being

well-remembered in the long run, for his

services to his nation, the sub-region and

the continent. He also did not try to change

the constitution or manipulate the process.

Patrice Talon, Yayi’s arch-enemy, who

did not pull punches during the campaigns

has accused Boni Yayi of creating a

“Banana Republic” which has become “the

laughing stock of the world.” Talon is

wrong; he is guilty of that newly discovered

disease called Trumpism, named after the

first host of the virus: a certain fellow

currently seeking to be President of the

United States called Donald Trump. Elected

President in 2006, Boni Yayi was again re-

elected in 2011, and although he faced

much opposition, including assassination

attempts, he has managed to survive the

various intrigues that dogged his

Presidency. He has also successfully

organized elections and ensured a smooth

succession.

Zinsou is a member of the ruling party

but there was no evidence that his party or

the incumbent President tried to subvert the

people’s will, despite Yayi’s undisguised

support for him. Domestically, President

Yayi may not have fulfilled all the promises

he made to the people in 2006 and 2011,

but he is leaving behind a country that is

much better today than he met it. The

Republic of Benin used to be a communist

enclave, which has gone through many

transitions, from communist dictatorship to

a Presidential multi-party system. Under

Yayi’s watch, the country’s profile rose.

Benin is far from being a Banana Republic.

Yayi gave his country a new bounce, a

stronger voice and presence within the

international community, and greater

stability within its borders.

President Boni Yayi is also Nigeria’s

very good friend. Nigeria’s relationship

with her Francophone neighbours is a

major plank of her foreign policy process.

The closeness of those Francophone

countries to France and the dominant

influence of France in their affairs has

always been part of the sub-text of our

interaction within the sub-region. Benin is

particularly strategic: close to half of its

population boasts of historical and cultural

connections with Nigeria, making the

geographical boundaries, largely artificial.

Long before Boni Yayi became President,

the relationship with Benin Republic was

not always smooth. The trigger areas

included ideological differences at the time

Benin was a communist enclave under

Mathieu Kerekou. During the civil war

also, there were allegations that Benin

provided a support base for the defunct

Republic of Biafra.

Nigeria is Benin Republic’s main export

market. But it is also the biggest smuggling

route into Nigeria. With the Lagos port not

functioning efficiently, and our customs

tariffs so high, Nigerian businessmen found

solace in the Cotonou port, creating a

revenue crisis for Africa’s largest economy,

and informal trade link that has not been

properly measured. Anything that could be

smuggled into Nigeria went through the

Cotonou port. It still happens. Across the

land border between the two countries, the

Beninoise gendarmes constituted

themselves into a threat to Nigerian

communities. They still pose a threat, but

just occasionally now. Due to the factor of

proximity, Nigeria’s biggest challenge with

its immediate neighbours has always been

one of security. Criminals have turned

trans-border organized crime into a major

source of economic leakage and basic

insecurity. There was the case of one

Hamani Tijani based in Benin Republic

who operated across the border. Nigerian

criminals also commit atrocities inside the

country and they slip into neighbouring

Benin. The borders between both countries

have been porous forever.

There are many Nigerians living in

Benin Republic and vice versa due to

linguistic and cultural affinity. But whereas

in Nigeria, we accommodate our

neighbours living among us, Nigerians

living in Benin Republic have not always

had it easy. In one instance, Nigerians in

Benin were repatriated in their thousands.

What has been demonstrated is that Benin

Republic’s closeness to and seeming

dependence on Nigeria could pose a threat

to Nigeria’s security. For example, petrol

smuggled from Nigeria finds a ready

market in Benin Republic. In 2003, former

President Olusegun Obasanjo had to close

down the border between the two countries.

Benin’s economy went into instant coma.

In 2006, Boni Yayi assumed office as


Opinion

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Boni Yayi: Our friend next door By Reuben Abati


TheTrumpet MARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016 Opinion

It will soon hit the one-year anniversary of

the new “change” Buhari government.

And while there is plenty to rejoice over

and much to thank God for escaping from; it

appears that as Nigeria takes two steps

forwards it also takes two steps backwards.

This is quite commendable, don’t get it

wrong. Zero advancement is a good deal

better than where the nation is coming from.

Nigeria used to be in reverse. The nation was

even speeding in reverse. So zero acceleration

calls for celebration.

It is also important to mention that

considering the challenges inherited due to

where we were and the state of the global

economy, zero is further commendable. But

the question is: can we ever do better and

actually solve our problems faster than they

are created to advance beyond this status?

Corruption and Padding TinsAs Nigeria addressed corruption, arresting

tons of suspects from the old gang, so also did

the nation face one of the largest scandals in

budgeting history. Borrowing the President’s

words, “all my life, I have never heard of

budget padding before.” Nigeria’s budget was

ridiculously padded. Government officials

hid largesses that were not only humongous

but also wicked. The Presidency’s offices got

larger allocations than the entire collective

schools of the country; it’s clinic got larger

lots than all public hospitals combined.

Ministers put projects like a single borehole at

the cost of building a thousand. It was

corruption at its finest.

Over a month later, no one has been

arrested for this corruption, a few were

simply moved to other departments, one or

two were fired and implicated ministers and

other officials are still in office. Unlike

neighboring Ghana where corrupt Ministers

are immediately sacked, Nigeria embraced its

continued corruption. In fact, the new budget

that just got passed still had most of the

padding in it. The Senate reportedly just

allowed it pass in the desperate need to move

the nation forward at the risk of contractors

of the government officials helping them

swallow millions of dollars hidden in the

padded allocations. The borehole is still to be

built by the Minister of Works and Housing at

$750,000. A world record!

Politics

President Buhari admitted today that he had

failed as far as politics goes. He confessed

that he failed with the Kogi polls, the Bayelsa

polls and the Rivers polls. That’s all the polls

there have been since he entered office. The

Kogi polls had the ruling party fielding a

dying candidate simply to grab the spot. It

also witnessed a never before-heard-of

gymnastics of replacing a governorship

candidate mid-race with another person all

together. I am sure the Tribunal is going to

knock that one out; but so far, it has been a

sham. Kogi State lacks a deputy governor and

you cannot blame Faleke for that.

In do or die politics, Bayelsa State

witnessed the APC embracing the same

corrupt men from the PDP; fighting an

impossible battle and refusing to accept that

they can never win the State, most especially

when all they offer the people is the same’ol

corruption as alternative with no thought of

giving the people a chance with someone of

decency.

Rivers was one of the most shameful

political episodes in recent global politics.

Dozens died including serving Youth corpers

and soldiers. What a shame. For

unexplainable reasons, the results are yet to

be released. So one way or the other, these

people died in perfect vain!

Soldiers were sent to Rivers, but what

their orders were, is in question. This is

because there is a pristine video that shows

an alleged above-the-law APC candidate

brazenly storm an INEC office and openly

demand a refund of the bribe money he paid.

While the candidate vandalized the office, the

police and soldiers stationed simply watched!

What orders Buratai gave them is in question.

Was it the type of orders given to officers who

took part in EkitiGate? If these officers were

dispatched to uphold justice and maintain

peace, then they would have immediately

arrested the alleged APC candidate who was

terrorizing the center. What happened to

Chief of Army Staff Buratai staing that he and

his men are the trigger-eager defenders of

Nigeria’s democracy? As Buhari said, it is a

failure.

Economy

Nigerias’s economy is in shambles. The

government is moving staccato. It is making

and reversing policies. While it strives to

create jobs, millions of jobs are being lost due

to brutal foreign exchange policies that limit

small businesses while only protecting the

same old big corporations of dem Dangote

and the like.

Small businesses are the largest

employers in Nigeria, employing more than

75% of the workforce. Millions of businesses

are folding, leaving more youths

unemployed. Recently Kano state

complained that millions in the pure-water

sachet line were losing their jobs because of

raw-material costs. The same trend is being

witnessed across the nation with so many

small businesses in massive debt and closing

their offices.

While the Buhari government creates jobs

here and there, jobs that were before are gone.

When will the creating rate catch-up with

what has been lost before we move from

point zero? I do not know. I am not an

economist, but I do know that where people

are unemployed and cannot put food on their

tables, patience quickly wears thin.

Petrol

What is so hard in importing refined fuel?

President Buhari promised that he was going

to incorporate the thousands of local

refineries into the fuel chain. I am not sure

this was more than just a promise like the one

they made to the Civilian-JTF to incorporate

them into paid national defense formations,

which is no where near materializing, as these

30,000+ boys left fallow promise to be an

issue to our redevelopment. But not to divert

from the topic. What’s really up with Nigeria

giving its people the fuel they pay refined cost

plus profit for? It’s not like the citizens pump

fuel into their vehicles for free is it? They pay

cost price plus profit for what they use, so

why is it impossible to satisfy the national

demand till some months to come as

promised? If it was Jonathan, I would have

said he was clueless and surrounded by

fellow inebriated scavengers who had no

ideas and were only preoccupied with filling

their bellies. But it is Buhari and it is only

about a year. So I ask, what’s up?

Ultra-Wicked Power

Do we need go there? Is there a quick fix to

power? I would say there might be one; but if

there is, this government is not finding it.

Nigeria’s power generation has hit all time

lows in recent days. Everything has been

blamed from vandals to strike-actions. Would

it not be wise the Ministry of Power opens the

sector up completely for all big and small

businesses and individuals to venture into

power generation, distribution and selling? In

the United States, if you generate more power

for your home than you consume, your meter

runs in reverse and you are paid by the

electric companies for the power you have

sold to them. I am not sure this obtains in

Nigeria. In any case, elitist Fashola is at the

helm of it, dishing extra charges for services

not yet provided. The Senate called it ultra-

wicked, and rightly so. We had predicted it.

Fashola is a cabal person. If and when Nigeria

gets power, Fashola’s cabal friends will have

been set-up to rake in a killing from Nigerians

for eternity in unjustified levies. As is with

Nigeria’s mobile networks and cement

oligopoly, you can bet your betweens that

when Nigeria finally has power, the country

will pay the highest rate in the world for it.

Unrest and Terror

On terror, while Nigeria has apparently been

quite successful in dealing with Boko Haram,

the nation has been wiling and desperately

attempting to create the very same terror, just

as Boko Haram was created by the Obasanjo

and predecessor Jonathan governments of the

past.

Nigeria is provoking people and

oppressing them to the point of riot and

rebellion. We must be grateful for the

patience and peaceful nature of the Islamic

Movement of Nigeria; because we all know

that had it been any other group in Nigeria

that had been so brutalized and continued to

be so oppressed, they would have resorted to

some form of civil or uncivil disobedience by

now. But the provocation and desperation to

evolve new terrorists does not just end with

the Zaria massacre. Nigeria is refusing to

receive and review the genuine agitations of

the East. We cannot deny the millions

protesting for self-determination. Denying

this reality is to our peril. Nigeria is remaining

unwise not to look into the practical

approaches to addressing the agitation, be it

by referendum or other means. The kettle is

boiling.

The Agatu people are also being

provoked to disobedience. They have

watched the government condone terror

against them. They have watched the

government refuse to arrest murderers and

terrorists who killed them and burned down

their homes. While the Agatu people may not

be the ones that directly approach resolution

and the pursuit of justice via violent means, it

may be some other sympathizers who may do

so on their behalf. I do not believe this

government can risk continuing to play with

its goodwill.

Similar acts of what may be regarded as

insolence and oppression have been

conducted by the new government as we try

to move forward. A High court judge just

called the Nigerian military and Economic

and Financial Crimes Commission, bullies

and terrorists who believed they were in the

military dictatorship era for detaining people

illegally for prolonged periods without trial.

A nation cannot move forward as long as

institutionalized disenfranchisement is

promoted and people feel neglected and

oppressed. This was the cause of terror in the

past and we hope we are not again planting

the seeds of terror for the future; because

then, what will be the use of the advancement

we may have made? The universal laws of

entropy state that while it takes high energy

and time to build, breakdown is a rapid,

favored process that even lets off energy. It

didn’t take long to destroy advanced Libya

and Syria, did it?

We hope and we pray.

God bless Nigeria.

Dr. Peregrino Brimah is of EveryNigerian Do Something (ENDS), Twitter:@EveryNigerian.

Are Nigeria’s problems impossible to solve?Dr. Peregrino Brimah

President Buharipresenting 2016 budget

TheTrumpetMARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016Opinion

the three girls who were abducted from

Babington Junior Seminary in Ikorodu,

Lagos State.”

“Yes?”

“The principal of the school is saying the

suspect in the matter has been sending text

messages asking for forgiveness and

prayers”

“He certainly needs prayers.”

“No. He doesn’t need prayers. He should be

handed over to the police and made to pay

for his crime. He abducted three young girls

for six days and he is asking for prayers!

We pray too much. We talk too much. And

it is a shame that anybody is listening to his

request for prayers.”

“Young girls in Nigeria are really

endangered. I was reading another story

about a female student at the Queen’s

College, Lagos, whose parents reported that

she was molested by a male teacher.”

“I read that too. But there are too many

versions of that story. What is certain is

that the right of young girls to grow up

without being molested and abused by

older men must be protected. You check the

newspapers, there is a hardly a day you

won’t read a story about young girls being

raped or abducted. What is wrong with

Nigerian men? Grown up women no longer

appeal to them?

“Please don’t generalize. Say some

Nigerian men. Don’t join people who label

all Nigerians.”

“Okay. Okay. At least, I can vouch for

you. And I am certainly a gentleman. And if

anyone is caught abusing a girl-child, that

person should be punished.”

“In the UK, they just sent a footballer to

prison for six years for having unlawful

carnal knowledge of a 15-year old girl.”

“Good. Good. Who is he?”

“Adam Johnson. He used to play for

Sunderland.”

“Never heard of him. But I hope Yunusa

Yellow and all such men in Nigeria also get

their day in court.”

“What’s the latest from Rivers State,

after the re-run election?”

“Nothing. Bad blood. Politics of hate.

Rivers of blood. My heart goes out to the

families of all the people who were

murdered during that election.”

“That was sad. It is so painful to see

how people shed blood because of politics.”

“Oh, you are not talking about sacrifice,

again?”

“I am not talking about that kind of

sacrifice. If people have to die to elect their

own representatives, it is a sign of sickness

in society.”

“Looks like INEC has changed. If they

can’t organize common re-run, how will

they manage a general election?”

“Ha.”

“Too much ego in that their Rivers

State. It was a fight-to-finish re-run. I just

hope the outstanding elections will not

again result in violence.”

“In fact, no member of the NYSC

should agree to serve as an ad hoc staff for

INEC again in Rivers State.”

“Governor Nyesom Wike says the State

government will immortalize Samuel

Okonta, the youth corps member, who was

killed. He has also increased the monthly

allowance for youth corps members serving

in the State”

“Immortalize?”

“Yes”

“But will that bring the dead back to

life?”

“I know. Really sad. National Service

yes, but these youth corps members should

not be exposed to danger. You remember

how they are always the victims during

elections.”

“I do. Nobody at all should die during

elections. Electoral violence must be

prevented by all means and whenever it

occurs, sanctions must be applied.”

“Yes.”

“Anyway, no government has ever

promised magic.”

“Well, at least, they now have a budget.

Has anybody analyzed what was passed by

the National Assembly?”

“Please. The analysis is enough.

Enough analysis.”

“I think the Ministry of Finance will

still make some presentations.”

“Can you tell them not to bother? Ha,

ha. Wetin?”

“Have a Happy Easter.”

“You, too.”

Signs of the timesContinued from Page 10<

Boni Yayi: Our friend next doorPresident. In fairness to him, he took

Nigerian-Benin relations far more seriously

than did his predecessors. As spokesman to

President Jonathan, I had the privilege of

watching him closely. President Yayi was

always a delightful visitor. He referred to

President Jonathan always as his “elder

brother”, and his own country, the Republic

of Benin as “Nigeria’s 37th State.” He didn’t

just say it. He meant it. And he repeated that

phrase at every turn. Of course, he wasn’t

asking Nigeria to annex his country. It was

his way of emphasizing the strategic

importance of good relations between both

countries.

Throughout his tenure as President, he

has managed to build a strong, personal

relationship with every Nigerian President,

starting with President Obasanjo whom he

refers to as “his father.” In his position as

Chairperson of the African Union, and as

mediator on many issues within ECOWAS,

President Boni Yayi always supported the

Nigerian interest. No other Francophone

country or leader within the sub-region has

tried as much to build a stronger

relationship with Nigeria. It should

therefore not be surprising that under Boni

Yayi’s watch, the frictions that used to

affect Nigeria-Benin relations were reduced

to the barest minimum.

The lesson of this is that country-to-

country or government-to-government

relations are often influenced by the

chemistry between the leaders of the

respective countries. Boni Yayi has proven

himself to be a great diplomat within the

sub-region and a forthright marketer of his

country’s interests. It was indeed proper

that President Muhammadu Buhari not only

attended Benin Republic’s 55th

Independence anniversary last August but

that the government also provided logistics

support to ensure the success of this

month’s Presidential elections in that

country. The principle of reciprocity

requires that we support countries, which

extend the hands of fellowship and co-

operation towards us. The only problem

with our foreign policy process is that we

often do not know where to draw the line

and act in enlightened self-interest. We

must keep an eye on Patrice Talon as he

assumes office as the President of the

Republic of Benin. He seems to have a

talent for the melodramatic.

It will be in his interest to learn from

President Boni Yayi and seek to sustain a

tradition of amity and brotherliness that has

resulted in better Nigeria-Benin relations

since 2006. Patrice Talon may be tempted

to embark on an internal mission of

vengeance, and extend that arrogance

beyond the borders. His supporters are

already suggesting that as soon as Boni

Yayi loses his immunity on April 6, Talon

who was once accused of being part of a

plot to poison President Yayi (he was

pardoned in 2014) should take his pound of

flesh. The “King of cotton” as he is called,

should resist the likely temptation to follow

the script of the sycophants who are now

getting ready to call the tunes of his

Presidency.

The people of the Republic of Benin by

voting for an opposition candidate have

spoken clearly that they want change. The

change that they seek cannot be the

humiliation or the harassment of Boni Yayi.

They want a different kind of change.

Despite post-communist era stability, Benin

remains one of the poorest countries in the

world. The people want greater prosperity,

they want the challenges of energy and

infrastructure and access to education

further addressed; they want a more

productive economy, they want jobs, they

want national progress. Focusing on these

priorities will move Benin Republic closer

to the people’s expectations, and indeed

beyond the politics of vendetta which

seems to be a growing sore point in Africa’s

politics of succession.

Thomas Boni Yayi


Guyana. The name rises from the

indigenous mists, meaning Landof Many Waters in a long-extinct

Amazonian tongue. Inky rivers cut the

dense rainforest like veins, criss-crossing

tangles of jungle. Football, in this tiny

country tucked away in the northeast

corner of South America, is the lifeblood.

“Everybody plays in the streets here,”

Vurlon Mills, a rising star in the national

team, told FIFA.com. “When there’s no

work, a ball hits the ground and it’s game

on. Boom, just like that.”

The country borders Brazil on its

southern edge. Most people live clustered

on a narrow strip of Atlantic coast in the

north. Once a Dutch holding and later a

British agricultural outpost, football came

to Guyana on the waves. The Golden

Jaguars, as the national team is known,

pulled on their yellow shirts for the first

time in 1905. Now, more than a century

later, they’re rising again. A six-spot jump

to 156th in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola

World Ranking is evidence of steps in the

right direction.

Ameri-bbean“We’re at a crossroads!” Mills added,

addressing the country’s curious position

at a cultural and geographic nexus.

Located in South America, Guyana plays

its football in the Caribbean. It’s the only

English-speaking country on the South

American continent and it’s a member of

both the Caribbean Community

(CARICOM) and the Union of South

American Nations. “We’re not one thing

or another,” he added, his creole patoishinting of the Caribbean islands that dot

the waters past Guyana’s coastline.

Travel in and out of the capital of

Georgetown is complicated at best. “We

play our neighbours Suriname all the

time, but getting farther than that is

tough,” Mills said, good humoured about

the complications of life as a footballer

on the fringes. “Travelling anywhere

down here is almost as hard as a training

session. Three and four connecting

flights. You need a day to recover!”

Guyana’s international trajectory

mimic the rivers that carve the

countryside, flowing north and then south

– stagnating for long stretches. They went

16 years without playing a game after

losing their first. But things took a turn

early in the current century. Guyana only

just missed out on qualifying for the 2007

CONCACAF Gold Cup, and, in

November 2010, they reached an all-time

high ranking of 86 globally. In 2012, they

pulled off their biggest achievement to

date when they knocked Trinidad and

Tobago out of the running for the 2014

FIFA World Cup Brazil™ and reached

the second group stage in CONCACAF

qualifying.

In those heady days the Jaguars

boarded planes, changed flights several

times, and arrived bleary-eyed in Mexico

City to hear their national anthem played

through the loudspeakers at the Estadio

Azteca, venue of two World Cup Finals.

It was a long way from Providence

Stadium, the cricket ground in

Georgetown where they play their home

games.

“Those were incredible times,” said

Mills, a creative central midfielder short

of stature but loaded with tricky footwork

born on the bumps of Guyana’s rough

streets. “Teams like Costa Rica, like

Mexico, are the next level. I loved it.

You’ve got nothing to lose and

everything to prove,” said the player, who

was substituted off in a 7-0 hammering in

Costa Rica. “When the crowds are huge

and hostile. You learn something about

yourself.”

A lesson it was for Guyana, who

earned only one point in the group, from

a draw with El Salvador. They scored five

times in the course of six games and

conceded 24, even though their line-up

include former England-based star Carl

Cort, local favourite Ricky Shakes and

current captain Chris Nurse of the Puerto

Rico FC in USA’s second tier.

New league, new number

A win last month against neighbours

Suriname sees Guyana, coached by

former Trinidad and Tobago boss Jamaal

Shabazz, on the move again. Out of the

running for Russia 2018 after losing to St.

Vincent and the Grenadines, Mills still

sees reason for optimism.

“This new league of ours has changed

things,” he said, of the eight-team GFF

Elite League established last year. It’s the

closest thing to professional in the

country. Slingerz – the side that Mills

captains – are out in front and favourites

to take the inaugural title. “Things were

disorganised before, but this new league

gives the local guys like me a chance to

play at a high level, and to be seen. The

national team player pool will keep

growing now.”

With the unmistakable guile of street

football and a new dawn of

professionalism and structure, Mills is

convinced the Golden Jaguars are on the

cusp of a balance, so difficult to reach. “A

lot of the guys weren’t exposed to the

basics early,” he added, an Atlantic wind

crackling the phone line. “But that’s

changing. The tactics and the smarts are

starting to bleed through.”

Page15TheTrumpetMARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016Sport

From the streets: Guyana on the riseBy FIFA.com

Guyana's playersTreyon Bobb (L)and Vurlon Mills(C) vie for the ballwith Costa RicanJose LuisCordero

Research by the University of Glasgow

reveals that humans and lions can live

together.

Humans and lions can coexist through the

creation of community conservancies – privately

protected areas that engage local people in

conservation and ecotourism. These

conservancies can help stem the unrelenting loss

of lions, whose population has been in decline

across Africa, and pose a viable solution to an

old problem.

The paper, by researchers from the

University of Glasgow’s Institute of

Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative

Medicine, the conservation group Living With

Lions and the University of Hohenheim’s

Biostatistics Unit, shows that lion populations

have increased substantially within Kenya’s

Masai Mara ecosystem over the last decade, and

that the creation of community conservancies,

which distributes tourism income to local

people, has had the greatest impact on lion

survival.

The data, published in the Journal ofApplied Ecology, demonstrate that the financial

benefits of conservancy membership can help

protect the lion population, and even allow it to

grow, by changing the local attitudes towards

wildlife.

Lions are often killed in retaliation for

causing significant costs to rural people through

attacks on their livestock. Until now, the benefit

of conservancies for protecting large carnivores

has been largely unknown.

Sara Blackburn, lead author of the paper,

tracked lion prides for five years within Kenya’s

Masai Mara region, on the northern side of the

Serengeti National Park, building up a database

of observations using the lions’ whisker spot

patterns to identity individuals over time.

She said: “We know that lion populations

are declining right across Africa, but

moratoriums on trophy hunting don’t prevent

local people from killing lions, and fences stifle

ecosystems. So we looked at the question ‘Are

there any scenarios in which lions can live

alongside people and their livestock?’”

There has been a dramatic decline in lion

populations in nearly all the areas where lions

and people overlap, indicating that habitat

fragmentation and human wildlife conflict has

been a major driver behind this loss. However,

the researchers found that in the Masai Mara

conservancies, the opposite effect was occurring

– a significant increase in lion survival.

Conservancy membership provides

households with financial benefits from wildlife

tourism and engenders an attitude of coexistence

with wildlife. The net effect is that people

become more tolerant of lions because they

attract tourists and bring an alternative source of

income to landowners.

Dr Grant Hopcraft, corresponding author on

the paper said: “The most important finding in

this study is that community conservancies are a

viable way to protect wildlife and pose an

alternative solution to building fences. If we are

concerned about the population of lions, we

need to let the people who actually live with the

lions benefit from their existence.”

The study illustrates that community

conservancies are a good strategy for the future

protection of lion populations and provides a

practical solution to the problem, especially in

areas where the expense of fencing is not a

realistic option.

Dr Laurence Frank, director of Living With

Lions, adds: “Due to rapid human population

growth, wildlife has been in free-fall across most

of Africa. Only local people can reverse the

downward spiral, and this study shows that

profits from tourism can motivate rural people

to tolerate rather than eliminate wild animals.”

The research illustrates a very positive

finding – community conservation allows

people to coexist with wildlife by bringing

benefits, not costs, to the people who live

alongside it. National wildlife policies should

therefore focus on developing opportunities,

rights and responsibilities for wildlife

conservation outside parks and reserves for

private landholders and communities.

This study, ‘Can predators persist in

community-based conservancies? Human-

wildlife conflict, benefit sharing and the survival

of lions in pastoralist wildlife regions’ was

published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. It

was conducted as part of Living With Lions’

Mara Predator Project, funded by the Banovich

Wildscapes Foundation, Panthera, the Wildlife

Conservation Society, Kicheche Trust,

Basecamp Foundation, and private donors, the

German Research Foundation. This project also

received funding from the European Union’s

Horizon 2020 research and innovation

programme.

Page16 TheTrumpet MARCH 30 - APRIL 12 2016

TheTrumpet is published in London fortnightly by Trumpet

Tel: 020 8522 6600 Field: 07956 385 604 E-mail: [email protected] (ISSN: 1477-3392)

News

Humans and lions can live together

Anew report on London’s inequalities has

found that African communities in the

capital are facing some of the most

unequal challenges, especially on poor living

conditions.

40% of Africans in London live in

overcrowded accommodation. The second worst

affected group was Bangladeshi, with 36%

suffering housing inequality.

On average Black African people are three

times more likely to experience overcrowding

compared to White British people. The average

housing inequality for Black Africans in London

was -26%. Between 2001 and 2011 the extent of

inequality fell by an average 5.2%. The worst

housing inequality was in Barking &

Dagenham, Waltham Forest and Croydon.

Almost every ethnic minority group

experienced employment disadvantages

compared to White British people. Between

2001 and 2011 Black African unemployment

rose from 13.2% to 15.1%.

Black African people experience

employment inequality in every borough in

London.

On average Black African people

experienced 3 times as much unemployment as

White British people in London: 5% compared

to 15%. The highest level of employment

inequality for Black Africans was in Kingston,

Greenwich and Islington.

On education, Black African 16-24 year olds

faced educational inequality in 38% of

boroughs. The boroughs with the best

educational outcomes for Black African young

people were Waltham Forest, Islington and

Southwark, and the boroughs in which Black

African young people had the largest

educational advantage are Barking & Dagenham

and Brent.

On health, Black African people

experienced health inequality in 38% of

boroughs. The average inequality of all the

boroughs was +1.3%, this means Black Africans

have a net advantage over White British people.

The worst health inequality for Black Africans

was in Kingston, Islington and Hillingdon.

Between 2001 and 2011 the Black African

population grew by 32% from 5.3% to 7.0% of

London’s population. The Black African

population is greatest in Southwark (16%),

Newham (12%) and Lambeth (12%).

Farah Elahi, Runnymede’s research and

policy analyst and one of the report’s authors,

said: “We found that all ethnic groups in London

were more likely to live in overcrowded housing

than the white population. Black Africans were

the worst affected, with 40% overcrowded. We

are calling on the next Mayor of London to work

with local boroughs and communities to tackle

this issue.”

African Londoners sufferthe worst housing

the trumpet newspaper issue 411 (march 30 - april 12 2016)

Documents