Do they know it’s Christmas? Do not bother to deal with the question. Deal rather with the answer. As you may recall, this is the title of the musical production which young, popular, affluent and enchanted singers put together at the turn of the century to decry the level of hunger and poverty around the globe. Christmas is a matter of two days away. But it will only be marked by the wealthy and some lucky middle class folks.
News in Africa Online certainly knows that Christmas is around the corner although we do not feel it yet. What we feel and decry is the level of antagonism directed at journalists around the world. Why should people who work at feeding the world with vital information capable of helping the discerning ones to pull themselves up be targeted for extermination? Why? See our slot on World Report. Journalists are becoming endangered species, especially in the developing nations.
West African leaders believe in pursuing economic integration. But at the national level, a few leaders still find time to create and nurture nation-to-nation friendship and cooperation. Take the case of Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The outgoing Sierra Leonean leader, Ernest Bai Koroma, is passionate about it. Read our report under West Africa.
We will never tire of decrying the Sit-tight syndrome among African politicians. African leaders who served their constitutional terms and quit the stage when the ovation was loudest earned the respect of their people. They move about freely in the society as ordinary citizens after leaving great footprints in the sands of time. This is what it should be. Those who want to hang on to power because of its fragrance are like flies which follow the corpse to the grave. Their clan is depleting in Africa but the leaders of Burundi and Uganda are not perturbed.
The President of the African Development Bank, ADB, may have put forward a simplistic suggestion. He took one look at the mountain of problems created by migration in Africa and came up with a solution – turn the vast and uncultivated fields in Africa to fruitful farmlands and migration will cease. It sounds logical. Flip to Migration column and see why we think so.
Fashion, like food, should be a matter of choice. But the stipulation for decency is fair. If people are free to eat what they like, should they be free to dress how they like? That is where indecency comes in. If ladies wear trousers to a party to boogie down, is that indecency? In Sudan, the law is positive. We have a report on Women which shows that the judiciary is rather soft on this.
Opinion poll serves the interests of people in the Western world very well. It is a barometer to measure the way people feel about any particular issue or event. Polling people’s opinions is gradually creeping into the investigative system in Africa. Nigerians are reported to have given President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance in office 52% pass marks through opinion polling. Well, do not ask us how authentic the polling is. See the report under Governance and judge for yourself.
The ANC in South Africa is the most popular political party in the continent. Never mind the propaganda mounted by the PDP in Nigeria. The latter disintegrated after only sixteen years in power. The ANC should watch out after electing the wealthy trade unionist-turned politician, Cyril Ramaphosa, to lead it. Browse through our entry on Politics and you will understand.
We have fine reports in our regular columns. You need to see them. Our Sports column is colourful. An African adage says that when a child washes his hands very well, he will dine with kings. Thierry Henry has definitely washed his hands well and was duly invited to Nigeria not to dine with kings but to be crowned Igwe, which is, king. Hail the goals-smith of soccer!
We will crown our own publications for 2017, next Friday. Keep browsing!
Pat I. Chukwuelue
Editor-in-Chief
