The November 10, 2017 publication of News in Africa Online is geared towards keeping you browsing non-stop. For starters, in Nigeria, the good, the bad and the ugly have continued to mix and intertwine, sometimes making it difficult to assess the country’s mood. President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2018 Budget to the National Assembly last Tuesday, as the law requires him to do. But beyond the annual ritual, what does this mean to common Nigerians? We attempted to answer the question.
Still on Nigeria, the giant oil company, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, instituted two vital prizes – one for Literature and the other for Science, in a bid to promote indigenous intellectual enterprise. For many years, however, the Science prize was not awarded because the Advisory Board found the available entries below the expected level. But this year, five hard-working Nigerian scientists have clinched the prize. We will show you the smart guys.
The human spirit is indomitable. The inhibitions placed on it by culture, creed, colour or circumstances, are at best, only temporary. Once the right cord strikes the spirit, it responds positively. The battle between fashion and religion, which has gone on for decades in parts of Northern Nigeria unnoticed, has now come to the open. Islam has nothing against fashion, except perhaps, to make it tow its line. Ibrahim Aminu, a fashion designer and investor, understands this well. We have a must-read report on this trending issue.
Visa requirements are essential provisions in international law and diplomacy. It will be absurd if immigration officials have no way of differentiating between visitors and nationals. Diplomacy, however, allows for reciprocity between countries so that any benefits given by one country to the citizens of another will be returned almost at a commensurate level by officials of the receiving country. This has been the norm for centuries. But even a norm can be changed. This is what the leaders of CEMAC and the southern African nation of Namibia have set out to prove. Browse through our Travel/Tourism slot.
Issues pertaining to women tend to command emotional attention. Men are biological products of women. But when it comes to legislating about the sexes, the lawmakers, who are mostly male, tend to shun the concerns of the fairer sex. Sexual inequality resonates in many ways and News in Africa Online will never tire of focusing on such issues. Last week, in our column on Women Affairs, we simply scratched the surface. In this edition, we have tried to expound on Sexual inequality around the globe.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Western world has frowned at the efforts of the country’s ruling junta to perpetuate itself in power. President Joseph Kabila has been reeling out various excuses to postpone scheduling elections. The sit-tight syndrome eating deep among African leaders certainly fascinates him. But the US and the European Union have flashed the red card, warning Mr. Kabila to understand that power is transient. Reluctantly, his government has announced that the much-delayed presidential poll will be held in December 2018. We have a report on this.
Our regulars – Agriculture, ICT, World Report, Diaspora Matters, Health,
Environment, Climate Change, Regional Integration, Media, Entertainment and Sports – are yearning for your browsing.
Have a swell time.
Pat Chukwuelue
Editor-in-Chief
