Friday 11 January 2013

 

 

Very productive visit to the UK for Ethiopia’s new Foreign Minister
PRESS RELEASE
Release: Immediate
10th January 2013
Ethiopia’s new Foreign Minister, H.E. Dr. Tedros Adhanom, met with UK officials earlier today on his first working visit to the UK in his new post.
Text Box: H.E. Dr. Tedros Adhanom with FCO Africa Minister, Rt. Hon. Mark Simmonds MP. The Minister met with Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the Rt. Hon William Hague, the Secretary of State for International Development (DFID), the Rt. Hon. Justine Greening and UK Africa Minister, the Rt. Hon. Mark Simmonds and other FCO officials for discussions on both bilateral and regional issues.

Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the expanding partnership between the two countries. Minister Tedros expressed his appreciation of the quality of the UK support for Ethiopia’s capacity building programme, which attaches key attention to the priority areas set by Ethiopia so that the country fully retains ownership.
On its part, the UK expressed its appreciation at the effective way that Ethiopia uses financial support and the productiveness of its various development programmes.
The two countries’ representatives also discussed issues of mutual interest which included inter alia the peace and security of the sub-region, the situation in Somalia, Eritrea and the peace process in Sudan and South Sudan.

The Foreign Minister with Rt. Hon. Justine Greening
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Later in the day the Foreign Minister met with representatives of the business community and led a round-table discussion with over 30 UK companies* who already invest in Ethiopia or are keen to take advantage of the many opportunities.
The Minister gave a detailed briefing on the policy framework, the regulatory framework and expanding businesses and investment in Ethiopia. He engaged in an interactive session where participants raised questions and gave comments on a wide range of issues.
The minister assured the participants of the commitment of his office to engaging them in the coming months and years with a view to fulfilling investment activities.
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On Saturday (12th Jan) the Minister will meet members of the Diaspora community and brief them on recent developments, encouraging them to further support development, investment and tourism opportunities.
---ENDS---
*These include Diageo, Tullow Oil, Nyota Minerals, Satya Capital, UK Chambers of Commerce, Chaucer Foods, British American Tobacco (BAT), Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, Herries Gibbs Ltd, Tricor, African Bamboo PLC, Global Counsel, the Eastern Africa Association, NEDBANK, Clyde & Co LLP, TVET, G4S, Margin Capital, Mott MacDonald Ltd., Business Council for Africa, Beale and Company LLP, British Expertise, Sagewood Ltd. and Addleshaw Goddard.
Background
Dr Tedros has a long association with the UK, where he did his MSc at the University of London and his PhD at the University of Nottingham and is well known for his award-winning work on health and tropical diseases both in research and in his previous post as Ethiopia’s Health Minister.
His former university, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, awarded him an Honorary Fellowship – the School’s most prestigious honour - during the annual graduation ceremony on 10th March 2012.
For further details contact the press office on 0207 838 3880/3

 

 

 

 

 


By OKI MARTINS >>> An international warrant of arrest has been issued for Ugandan celebrity Shanita Namuyimbwa aka Bad Black for failing to return to jail after a medical exeat. Bad Black a former prostitute and groupie jailed last year for fraud was released on a Shs100m bail to go for breast implants treatment in Dubai but has since not returned nor complied with the conditions of her bail. Bad Black is now required to go back to prison and serve her full four year jail term and the Ugandan authorities have enlisted the services of Interpol to help find her.

Bad Black was also supposed to report to court every two weeks during the exeat period but authorities said the mother of two had failed to comply. Last Friday, Bad Black was expected in court but she was nowhere to be seen and a warrant for her immediate arrest was then issued.

Reports say once outside jail, cash-strapped Bad Black who claimed to have seen the light and turned into a pastor inside prison immediately went for pastoral training. After being ordained she then hit the studios and recorded a single 'Nkyamuka' which she hoped would earn her a few Shillings. 
Apparently the bad Black Pastor is unperturbed by the warrant of arrest hanging over her head as she reportedly posted the following update on her Facebook wall:
"MMMMM UR Joking!!! Ok look for me??Where Malaysia, Dubai, China, America am in hospital (Dubai Breast Surgery Hospital)...But Uganda, I'm very sick and you are looking for me...try Masaka"


By MITCH NGAMAN AND BAMIGBOLA GBOLAGUNTE >>> Wonders they say shall never cease and some of these wonders can only happen in Nigeria where no fewer than five goats were yesterday arrested at Dele-Yesa area in Osogbo, the Osun State capital by officials of the state Waste Management Agency (OWMA) for allegedly violating environmental laws. In most countries it is the owners of animals that fall foul of the law that get prosecuted not the animals themselves but the Osun state Coordinator of the agency, Mr. Henry Ogunbanwo said the goats would indeed be charged to court by the agency and would be prosecuted in accordance with the laws guiding environmental protection in the state.
He said the state government had issued notice of warning to all residents of the state capital on the need to monitor their domestic animals to avoid public disturbance by the animals, which, he said, was against the environmental laws. Ogunbanwo disclosed that the five goats arrested were detained at the office of the agency in Osogbo from where they would be taken to court for prosecution.
He said the goats ran fowl of the laws guiding environmental protection by roaming around the residential area of Osogbo instead of being caged by their owners. He declared that the present administration in the state had zero tolerance for dirtiness and environmental hazard; hence the need for the enshrinement of the environmental laws.

Ghana's main opposition parties disputing the incumbent president Mahama's December election victory have boycotted his swearing-ceremony held Monday in  Accra. John Dramani Mahama, 54, took the oath of office in the Black Star Square, watched by heads of state of some of Africa’s most powerful countries, including Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.



By Wilson Uwujaren - Acting Head, Media & Publicity >>> The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, January 3, 2013 took possession of 48 properties of the former governor of Bayelsa state, Mr. Timpre Sylva who is being prosecuted at a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged misappropriation of N6.46 billion state funds when he was governor of the state.
The interim forfeiture order to attach Sylva’s properties was granted by Justice A. R Mohammed on December 28, 2012.

Assets belonging to the former governor against which a forfeiture order was obtained by the EFCC include a mansion at 3 River Niger Street, plot 3192 Cadastral zone AO, Maitama District Abuja; nine units (comprising six one bedroom and 3 two bedroom apartments) at 8 Sefadu Street Wuse zone 2, plot 262 Cadastral zone AO2, Wuse Abuja; 2 units duplexes at 5 Oguta Street, plot 906 Cadastral zone Wuse 11 Abuja.

Others are a duplex at Plot 1271 Nike Street Cadastral zone AO5, Maitama District Abuja;   a duplex at Phase 1 Unit No. 1 (Villa 1) Palm Springs Gold Estate, Cachez Turkey Projects Limited, Mpape, Abuja;  10 units of one room apartments at 8 Mistrata Street plot 232 Cadastral zone Wuse 11 Abuja;  5 units duplexes at Plot No 1070 Dakibiyu District Cadastral zone B10, Abuja; 16 units service apartments at Plot 1181 Thaba Tseka Crescent, Off IBB Way, Wuse 11, Abuja and  3 units of three bedroom flats at No. 1 Mubi Close, Plot 766. Cadastral Zone A01, Garki, Abuja.
Sylva was first arraigned on Tuesday June 5, 2012. The first three of the six count charge against him reads: “ That you, Timpre Sylva, as Governor  of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, sometime between October, 2009 and February, 2010, at various places in Nigeria, including Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did conspire to commit a crime to wit: conversion of properties and resources amounting toN2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira) belonging to Bayelsa State Government and derived from an illegal act, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the said amount and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act), 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act.
“That you, Timpre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 22nd of January, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N380,000,000.00 (Three Hundred and Eighty Million Naira), property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Habibu Sani Maigidia, a Bureau De Change Operator with Account No. 221433478108, in Fin Bank, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.
“That you, Timpre Sylva, as Governor  of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 5th of February, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira), property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Enson Benmer Limited with Account No. 6152030001946, in First Bank, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.”

The substantive suit is adjourned to 10th January, 2013.

- Culled from Saharareporters
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