We live in exciting times. The pace of events and activities worth talking about has become unstoppable. The much anyone can do is to make the all-important decision about where to key in – which events should be played up and which ones to be downgraded. The trick, it seems, is to keep one’s eyes on the public interest as well as on the money. For instance, the re-run of the presidential contest in Kenya was being held as we were putting finishing touches to this publication. We could have found good excuses to let the exercise play out first before reporting it. But in doing that, we would owe you, our readers/browsers, an explanation. Guided by the overall interest to serve you, we decided to get cracking on what was available.
Technology is supposed to help solve problems. The way it is advancing and pushing itself into all spheres of life shows that it has no qualms about creating its own set of problems. Technology has brought robots into existence. It has gone a step further by creating essential functions for robots. This realm, referred to as robotics, although quite exciting, will require the understanding of both the operators and onlookers. Luckily, there are already some professionals in this area. Click on our Robotics report and see how you can be part of the trend.
You reserve the right to like or dislike President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. But if you like him to the extent of picking him as a role model, you better get your facts right. Or else, you could be forced to make a U-turn, the way the World Health Organization, WHO, has just done. While some people credit the impact of the social media for the turn of events, News in Africa Online prefers to hail the promptness displayed by the leadership of the global health agency. See our report on the humiliation suffered by the nonagenarian Head of State in Zimbabwe.
This week, we are throwing our searchlight on two successful Nigerian citizens – Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra State and Business tycoon, Aliko Dangote of Nigeria – The former appears under Spotlight while the latter is featured under Personality Profile. We managed to do a brief assessment of the two eminent men. This week, the Nigerian apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria, occupies the second Spotlight slot.
Our choice under Entertainment for this week smacks of intrigue because, for once, we shunned the music makers and settled with the dancers, so to say. The latest One Love concert in the US caught five big fishes. It draws attention to the message of love in a real dramatic sense. And the message transcends political, religious and racial considerations. The motto of one small college in the little town of Berea, Kentucky, USA, states thus – God hath made of one blood all nations of men. (Yours truly blushes for having attended such a college). The five living ex-presidents of God’s own country apparently decided to attend the concert simply to identify themselves with Americans who had suffered all sorts of tribulation caused by the various hurricane disasters in their land. That singular action pointed to the common bond that unites humanity. Africa needs to take the lesson from that.
Be sure to click on our Blog column. One of our inimitable correspondents in Lagos, Nigeria, Innocent Onoh, has taken charge of the column. Read the scintillating reports there.
This edition contains our regulars – Politics, Economy/Business, Health, Diaspora Matters, Agriculture, Travel/Tourism, Women, ICT, Environment, Climate Change, and of course, Sports.
Thanks for coming our way.
Pat I. Chukwuelue
Editor-in-Chief
