News & Announcements

Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s efforts as special envoy to Mali may have begun to bear fruits as leaders of the Malian opposition alliance that demands President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s resignation called off a high-risk scheduled protest, soon after former President Jonathan met with the influential Imam Mahmoud Dicko, a popular cleric and prominent force behind the protest movement. 

A spokesman for the June 5 Movement, organisers of the demonstration initially set for Friday, stated that they decided to transform the protest into memorial services to be held only in mosques for victims killed in violence last week.

Jonathan who had just been appointed ECOWAS’ Special Envoy to Mali began his mediation efforts to find lasting solution to the political crisis in the country, had in  arrival to Bamako Wednesday evening, held meeting with critical stakeholders including President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, leaders of the opposition and heads of international organisations.

A press statement made available to journalists on Thursday stated that the former president met with Dicko and other critical stakeholders for several hours Wednesday night after meeting with President Keita in his official residence earlier in the evening, adding that he continued his consultations early Thursday by meeting with the main opposition known as M5-RFP, with other consultations scheduled to follow later in the day. 

The statement noted that the June 5 Movement was an alliance of political, social and civil-society leaders who were loyal to imam Dicko.

It was reported that upon arrival to Bamako on Wednesday evening Jonathan, in an interview with newsmen at the airport, sued for cooperation from different Malian stakeholders, charging them to remain purposeful and patriotic as efforts were made towards resolving the crisis in the country. 

The statement reads, “Jonathan-led mission from the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is mandated to mediate the escalating political crisis.

“Since leaving office in 2015, Jonathan has been involved in peace mediations in many countries and has continued to lead several electoral observation missions for many international organisations including the Commonwealth and the African Union. 

“Mali’s international allies have continued to express concern over the ongoing crisis, given the country’s poverty, ethnic mix and strategic location at the heart of the Sahel region. Many Malians are however hopeful that the efforts currently being made by President Jonathan, given his records in office and peaceful disposition, could help restore calm the troubled nation.

A message issued by its embassy in Bamako, the United States urged all sides to show restraint and commit to a rejection of any extra-constitutional changes of government. It also welcomed the arrival of the ECOWAS delegation.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been facing anger over dire economic conditions, which could be termed, Mali’s worsening jihadist insurgency and the outcome of recent parliamentary elections.

Report had it that three days of clashes with the security forces left 11 dead and 158 injured, according to an official tally — Mali’s bloodiest toll from political unrest in years. Keita had however made several gestures toward the June 5 Movement, including the dissolution of the Constitutional Court in search of a solution on the contested seats.

It would be recalled that ECOWAS had last month sent a mission of foreign minister to Mali which made some recommendations and prepared ground for the current mediation led by President Jonathan.

Zindzi Mandela,  the daughter of former South African president, Nelson Mandela, tested positive for Coronavirus the day she died.

Her son, Zondwa Mandela, confirmed her diagnosis but didn’t state if it was what caused her death on Monday, July 13.

Speaking with South Africa’s public broadcaster, SABC, Zondwa said:  “My mother did in fact test positive for COVID-19 on the day of her passing.”

Although, this doesn’t, therefore, mean that she died of COVID-related complications, but simply that she tested positive for it.

He added: “Simply by the virtue that there was a positive test, we are therefore obligated to function and work within the framework of the existing regulation related to such cases.”
The 59-year-old, who rose to international prominence when she read out Nelson Mandela’s rejection of then-president P.W. Botha’s offer for freedom in 1985, served as South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark.  
She first took up her position as the ambassador to Denmark in 2015.

She is survived by her husband and four children.

The 2019/2020 season of the Sierra Leone Premier League season has been cancelled and declared null and void
It was gathered that after months of inactivity following the emergence of Coronavirus pandemic, the authorities deemed it okay to declare the league season null and void.

It was also gathered that all the fourteen clubs agreed to annul the season, though subject to ratification from the Sierra Leone Football Federation (SLFA).
Before the suspension of the league, Bo Rangers were on top of the table and two clubs are expected to represent the country in the CAF Champions League.

Having agreed to cancel the season, there will neither be promotion or relegation as the fourteen clubs will still remain in the elite division

In a meeting that preceded the cancellation of the season, the Premier League Board and the clubs agreed on that and they urged the trio of Bo Rangers, Kamboi Eagles and East End Lions to decide who among themselves will represent the country in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is leading President Donald Trump among registered voters by his widest margin in 2020, according to a new national poll.

The Quinnipiac University poll, conducted July 9 to 13 and released Wednesday, according to US Today, showed Biden leading Trump 52%-37%, a 15-point margin that increased since last month, when Quinnipiac found 49% of voters favored Biden and 41% favored Trump.

Biden’s lead is strong among Democrats, 91% of whom said they would back him and 5% of whom favored Trump, in line with their positions last month. Republicans chose Trump over Biden 84%-9%, a decrease from June when they backed the president 92%-7%. Independents shifted more toward Biden in the last month. Fifty-one percent said they now support Biden while 34% said they are for Trump, and last month 43% were for Biden, while 40% were for Trump.

“Yes, there’s still 16 weeks until Election Day, but this is a very unpleasant real-time look at what the future could be for President Trump. There is no upside, no silver lining, no encouraging trend hidden somewhere in this survey for the president,” said Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy.

As the country continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic, those surveyed said they thought Biden would do a better job with handling a crisis, health care and the coronavirus response. Voters also said they though Biden would do better handling the economy than Trump, 50%-45%, a reversal from Quinnipiac’s poll from June, when Trump had an edge over Biden, 51%-46%.

The president’s overall job approval rate also dropped to 36% with 60% disapproving. Last month, it was 42% approving to 55% disapproving. The current net rate is Trump’s worst in about three years of Quinnipiac’s national polling.

The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,273 who self-identified as registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Tragedy hit the Nigerian Air Force as the country’s first female helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile, has died

Born in 1995, Arotile was 24 years as the time of her death.
The late Arotile was decorated on 15 October 2019 as the first female combat helicopter pilot in Nigerian Air Force. 
Arotile, who hails from Iffe in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State in the North Central zone of Nigeria, died as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base Kaduna.

Her death came barely a year after she was winged as a combat helicopter pilot in the Air Force following the completion of her course in South Africa.
Confirming the accident, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said until her death, ‪Flying Officer Arotile, who was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64, was the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the service.‬
She would be missed by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF and the entire nation.

General Yusuf Rageh, the Army Commander of Somalia, early Wednesday, survived what was an obvious suicide car bomb attack, which targeted his convoy at the heart of Mogadishu, the country’s capital.
The attack, according to army spokesperson, Abdiqani Ali Ashkir, left one person dead and two others seriously injured.
Ashkir said they thwarted the attack after shooting bullets against the suspects, seconds before it went off.

“According to the casualties, at least one person was killed and two others injured in the car bomb attack, the scene which you can see from here,” Ashkir added.

According to the casualties, at least one person was killed and two others injured in the car bomb attack.
Ashkir noted that the Somali army promises the people of Somalia that they will foil any attempt by the militants to kill innocent people, and will defend and protect them from any blasts.
Eyewitness said a car laden with explosives was denoted just near the convoy of the General who at the time was leaving the Defense Ministry compound within Mogadishu.

Although attacks against military officers are common in Somalia, but an attempt against a high ranking general is the first in many years.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but but the nature resembles that of Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group that has been targeting military bases in recent months.

The death has once again hit the Nigerian football family as Henrietta Ukaigwe, a popular and renowned women football administrator, has passed on.
Announcing the death of the Nigerian women football league board member, Aisha Falode, the head of the board, regretted the death at this time.

She said that the veteran Journalist died on Tuesday morning after a brief illness.
Falode wrote: “It’s a sad day for women football in Nigeria and indeed in Africa, as the management of the NWFL and the family of Ukaigwe, with a deep heart of sorrow and total submission to the will of God announce the passing away of our board member and renowned Sports Journalist, Henrietta Ukaigwe. 

“She left us this morning, July 14, 2020 after a brief illness. The NFF has been duly notified and we shall be sending further information.

The Coronavirus pandemic has continued to ravage Africa as a total number of 55 students of  Accra Girls Senior High School (SHS) in Ghana have tested positive for the virus.

This was revealed by the officials of Ghana  Health Service (GHS), who said that the number of positive cases increased from 6 to 55 after tests were done on 314 students and staff of the school.

In a statement released to the media, the Ghana Health Service also said coronavirus cases have been recorded in some other schools in the country.
According to the statement jointly signed by the Director General of GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye and Director General of GES, Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, following reports of COVID-19 cases in some Senior High Schools in the country on 6th July, 2020, the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service instituted a number of measures to determine the extent of the outbreak and containment measures.

The statement said Accra Girls Senior High School has recorded most cases from the first report to date.

It says as at 13th July, 2020, a total of 314 persons (student and staff) from the School have been tested.

“Out of these, 55 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 while 259 persons tested negative,” the statement indicated.
The statement said a number of actions had been undertaken, including the “Identification and segregation of contact from other students; Sample collection and laboratory testing of all contacts identified and suspected cases.

It added that all confirmed cases have been transferred to designated national treatment and isolation centres for management.

“Restriction of number of students that attend dining at a particular time; Enforcement of social distancing protocols, enhanced hand hygiene practices and the proper use of the facemask; Disinfection of the entire school has been carried out; Adequate PPEs have been provided to health staff stationed in the school; Education on COVID-19 prevention and control has been intensified within the school.
“Counselling and psychological support is being provided to the students; The school has designated a quarantine and isolation centre; Parents and guardians of affected student have been duly contacted,” are among the measures taken so far.

With the countdown to the season five premiere of Africa’s popular reality TV show, Big Brother Naija officially on, MultiChoice Nigeria has revealed that this season’s winner will walk away with a whopping N85m grand prize!

The grand prize which includes a N30m cash prize makes this season’s winnings the biggest since its debut back in 2006 and highest prize for a reality TV show on the continent!

Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe said: “The fifth season of BBNaija marks a major milestone in the reality TV series. We are making this season significant by not only increasing the winnings but by also implementing other creative and innovative ways to ensure the show lives up to the premium entertainment especially during the current pandemic.”

The breakdown of the grand prize for BBNaija season five includes a N30m cash prize; a two-bedroom apartment courtesy Revolution Plus; a top of the range SUV from Nigerian automaker, Innoson Motors; a trip to Dublin courtesy Guinness; home appliances courtesy Scanfrost; a trip to Dubai packaged by Travelbeta; a year’s supply of Indomie noodles, Munch it and Colgate toothpaste; a year’s supply of Pepsi, a branded chiller and a trip to watch the UEFA Champions League finale; and a brand new Oppo mobile smartphone

Meanwhile, MultiChoice will in the coming days reveal other surprises for viewers and fans of the show.

Turkey’s chief diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that military preparations had been made to seize Libya’s city of Sirte and Jufra air base if forces linked to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar did not withdraw from both areas.

Turkish foreign minister said Ankara and the GNA want the eastern commander to abide by the 2015 Libyan political agreement.

Cavusoglu said in an interview with state broadcaster TRT Haber that the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) wanted to drive Haftar’s forces out of Sirte and Jufra, and had Ankara’s support.

“There are preparations for an operation but we are trying the [negotiation] table. If there is no withdrawal, there is already a military preparation, they (GNA) will show all determination here,” Cavusoglu said.

The foreign minister, according to middleeasteye.net, said Turkey and the GNA wanted Haftar to abide by the Libyan political agreement signed in 2015, which left the city of Sirte and the district of Jufra in the hands of the government.

“Of course the GNA doesn’t want a ceasefire without these places because Haftar is not sincere,” he added. “He is trying to buy some time while making preparations to attack Misrata and Tripoli. And he doesn’t offer anything meaningful for the political path.”

Cavusoglu vowed that Haftar would witness the same military decisiveness in Sirte and Jufra as was seen in the GNA offensive launched in May, which forced Haftar’s forces to cede territory.

Turkey recently said that the political route could not succeed with Haftar, saying there was a need for a replacement that could uphold promises.

Many observers in Ankara believe Haftar and his backers, including Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), want a ceasefire to momentarily freeze the conflict, regroup and later ignite a second wave of fighting to push back into GNA territory in the west.

Despite a UN weapons embargo on Libya, Turkey signed a military cooperation deal with the GNA and had sent drones, armoured vehicles, Syrian mercenaries and military officers to support the government, which had been struggling to fight off Haftar’s offensive to capture the capital.

Then GNA won a series of victories against Haftar’s so-called Libyan National Army, including the seizure of the strategic air base al-Watiya, which has seen the eastern commander’s yearlong offensive in western Libya crumble.

Neighbouring Egypt declared last month that Sirte and Jufra were a red line that should not be crossed and threatened to take action.