David Lieber reviews Chinua Achebe’s recent book “There was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra”. Along with Amandla’s Doug Miller, he explores the historical context of the war and assesses Achebe’s work in the light of his personal involvement. The history of this war and the implications for Nigeria and Africa could have taken the whole hour. A must read for students of African history.
Filed under Africa, African history, Nigeria
Gwen Schulman takes a look a the case of oil spills coming from Shell oil fields in Nigeria.
In this installment Doug Miller looks at the case of a Nigerian man who is being deported for having planned a coup against ex-Nigerian dictator Sany Abacha.
Selon une ONG britannique, le groupe pétrolier Shell a payé des groupes armés pour entretenir un climat de terreur au Nigéria, engendrant des dizaines voire des centaines de morts.
Nigéria : Shell aurait financé des groupes armés qui ont fait des dizaines de morts
A report out this week finds that Shell oil company routinely paid armed militants in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta, during a decade of killings and rampant environmental destruction. The study also charges that Shell Oil is complicit with the Nigerian government in the “systematic killing and torture of local residents.” Counting the Cost is the report and it’s released by the NGO Platform, a UK-based oil industry watchdog. We’re joined now from London by its author, Ben Amunwa.
Filed under Nigeria
Voici les thèmes qui ont été abordés pendant l’émission Amandla du 12 décembre 2007 sur les ondes de CKUT 90.3FM (Montréal). Vous pouvez la télécharger ici (lien valide pour deux mois seulement).
Partie anglaise.
Description de la violence conjugale que vivent les femmes d’Afrique du Sud (par Gwen). Témoignages de sept femmes Sud-africaines qui parlent de la violence conjugale dont elles sont victimes.
Vous pouvez visiter le site Genderlinks.org.za qui présente les témoignages en ligne (en anglais).
Commentaires sur la situation de la grève des ouvriers de l’or en Tanzanie (par Gwen). Des ouvriers de l’entreprise Canadienne, Barrick Gold, sont en grève considérée illégale par l’entreprise. Cet événement coïncide avec la visite du Premier ministre canadien en Tanzanie. Ce dernier a rencontré les dirigeants de l’entreprise, mais pas les ouvriers, ni les groupes de citoyens interpelés par la grève.
Partie française.
Le phénomène des “vidomégons” (par Moussa). Au Bénin et en Afrique de l’Ouest, des enfants issus des milieux pauvres et ruraux, sont donnée en familles d’accueil dans les villes afin d’avoir la chance de vivre sous un toit et de bénéficier d’une éducation en échange de travaux ménagers. Un système traditionnel bien implanté au Bénin qui permet de donner une chance de réussite aux enfants pauvres: les vidomégons (expression de la langue Fon au Bénin). Ce système, à cause d’une décennie de pauvreté aggravante au Bénin et ailleurs en Afrique de l’Ouest, se pervertit et devient un système d’exploitation, voire d’esclavage d’enfants.
Pour une définition du concept de vidomégon voir ce fichier DOC. (Site http://www.aide-et-action.org/)
L’article d’Afrik.com: Bénin : les vidomegons, nouveaux esclaves urbains.
Rumeurs: Ibrahim Babangida reviendrait au pouvoir au Nigéria (par Moussa). Reprise de la nouvelle déjà mentionnée dans ce blog.
Here are the subjects that were addressed in the December 12th 2007 Amandla radio show on CKUT 90.3 FM (Montreal). You can download the show here (link valid for two months only).
English part.
Description of the domestic violence South-African women have to endure (by Gwen). Testamonies of seven women victims of domestic violence.
The testamonies can be heard online. You can download them at Genderlinks.org.za.
Comments on the strike started by goldminers in Tanzania. (by Gwen). Workers of the Canadian mining giant, Barrick Gold, are on strike. The company considers the strike illegal. This event coincides with the visit of the Canadian Prime minister. He met with the managers of the company, but not with the workers…
French part.
The “vidomegons” (by Moussa). In Bénin, and elsewhere in West Africa, children from rural poor families are sent to foster home in the cities. It gives them the chance to live under a roof and benefit from an education provided by the foster family. In exchange, the child does cleanup work around the house. It is a tradition well embedded in Bénin and which gives an opportunity for poor children to have a chance in life. Hence the word “Vidomegon” used in Benin (it is a word from the Fon language, widely spoken in the country). Because of decades of deepening poverty in Bénin’s rural society, the system has become perverted. It turned into a child exploitation system and some even talk about slavery.
For an explanation of the concept of “vidomegon”, see this DOC file. (in french). (Site http://www.aide-et-action.org/)
An article is available at Afrik.com (in french): Bénin : les vidomegon, nouveaux esclaves urbains.
Rumors: Ibrahim Babangida would come back and try to be elected Nigeria’s president.(by Moussa). It is news that’s already posted in this blog.
Le site Saharareporters est reconnu pour avoir des informations issues de personnes bien branchées au Nigéria. Cette fois ci, on nous annonce que l’ancien président du Nigéria, Ibrahim Babangida serait près à reprendre les rennes du pouvoir.
Pour l’instant, cette nouvelle ne provient que du site du Saharareporters, mais elle a été véhiculée dans d’autres sites de nouvelle dont ocnus.net, et le site nigérian “New Age“.
Selon, la nouvelle, l’actuel président Yar’Adua est malade et pourrait quitter le pouvoir pour des raisons de santé. À plus d’une reprise, il s’est rendu en Allemagne pour se faire soigner. On lui aurait recommandé de ménager sa santé et éliminer le stress. Ce qui complique l’affaire est que sa victoire aux élections d’avril dernier (voir notre post à ce sujet) est teintée par la corruption. Aujourd’hui encore, des voix s’élèvent au Nigéria pour exiger une nouvelle élection puisque la Commision électorale, dirigée par Maurice Iwu, aurait fermé les yeux pour permettre la victoire de Yar’Adua. Les tribunaux nigérians pourraient bien remettre en doute le résultat des élections et demander leurs annulations.
Or, qui voulait voir Yar’Adua gagner ces élections? Le président sortant de l’époque: Olusegun Obasanjo. Et il a réussit, grâce, en partie, à la collabotation de son “ami” Iwu. Selon Saharareporters, l’entente prise entre Obasanjo et Yar’Adua était que ce dernier n’intente aucune poursuite contre Obasanjo, une fois au pouvoir, permettant à ce dernier de jouir de la fortune personnelle qu’il a accumulée lors de ses années à la présidence. Yar’Adua a respecté l’entente, mais en partie. Il a entrepris des actions qui ont mis des batons dans les roues d’entreprises nigérianes qui appartiennent à Obasanjo. Ce dernier fulmine, mais il a de la chance puisque l’état de santé de Yar’Adua ainsi que la menace des tribunaux pourraient écourter son mandat. Obasanjo en profite donc pour pousser l’ancien dictateur Ibrahim Babangida à se proposer comme candidat aux éventuelles élections.
Pourquoi Babangida? Parce que lorsque Obasanjo fut élu président en 1999, il n’a pas intenté de recours légaux (ou autres) contre Babangida qui s’est enrichi lors des années où il a été président de 1985 à 1993. Obsanjo espère que si Babangida est élu, il lui retournera la faveur sans risque de dérapage comme avec Yar’Adua…Histoire à suivre…
The Saharareporters tells us that the former dictator Ibrahim Babangida could make a comeback in Nigerian politics, running for the presidency.We state this news as a rumor since we didn’t heard it form other sources. However, the newsfeed from Saharareporters has been circulated in other news websites like ocnus.net and New Age (nigerian news).
According to the news, the actual president Yar’Adua (we posted about his election) is sick and could leave power. Also, his election is contested by the people and the courts in Nigeria. This makes former president Olusegun Obasanjo happy, because Yar’Adua was giving him a hard time, enacting laws that prevented some of Obasanjo’s companies to benefit from illegitimate, if not illegal contracts. He wants to push Babangida toward the presidency because, while he was president (between 1999 and 2007), he didn’t cause trouble to Babangida even though he accumulated wealth during his own presidency (between 1985 and 1993). Obasanjo hopes that Babangida, once in power, and unlike Yar’Adua, will leave him and his business alone…
Saharareporters
Is Yar’adua Fading Out As Ibrahim Babangida Restarts His Presidential Campaigns
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Yar’adua Fading Out As Ibrahim Babangida Restarts His Presidential Campaigns
Saharareporters, New York
Dateline: Abuja, December 3, 2007
A major political shocker may be awaiting Nigerians in the coming year as subterranean plans are in advanced stages to maneuver former military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, into office as the nation’s president. With Yar’adua’s health deteriorating and the presidential electoral tribunal likely to annul his “election,” a coalition of political forces spearheaded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is soon to commence the public selling of Babangida as the next president.
Several sources close to Babangida and Olusegun Obasanjo told Saharareporters that Babangida’s presidency is, in the words of one of them, “all but a done deal. Nigerians are expected to oppose it, but it’s going to be a coronation.”
The move to install Babangida, the sources told us in separate interviews, has been afoot for several months, but is now in the stage of mobilization-meaning that the idea is now being sold to “critical stakeholders within and outside Nigeria,” according to one source.
Two factors have driven the effort to position Babangida for the presidency. One is the widely held speculation that the presidential election tribunal is likely to rule that the so-called presidential elections of April 21 were too marred by irregularities to stand. Our sources said that Obasanjo and his team have recognized that, even if the federal court of appeal upholds the election, that verdict would be overturned on appeal to the Supreme Court.
The second factor is the deteriorating health of Malam Umar Musa Yar’adua, the quiet Chemistry professor who inherited a manipulated election in April. Reliable sources have told Saharareporters that, during his most recent medical check-up in Germany, Malam Yar’adua received a dire prognosis. His German doctors told him that his health was now in an extremely precarious state, and ordered him to avoid undue stress. Part of his doctors’ suggestion was that he should drastically reduce his hours of operation and that he ought to consider quitting altogether.
On returning from his medical trip, Yar’adua told Obasanjo, the man who arranged his illegitimate ascension to power, that he was resigned to his fate. He also told the former president of his intention not to appeal should the ruling of the electoral tribunal go against his election.
Political associates of Yar’adua describe his mood as one of resigned acceptance of the impending, indeed inefact that a combination of factors may be converging to bring an inevitable end to his fabled tenure.
Our sources say that Obasanjo was elated when he heard about Yar’adua’s decision not to appeal any adverse electoral verdict-and his decision, on health grounds, not to seek to be the ruling party’s presidential flag bearer in new presidential polls.
According to one source familiar with the inside political calculations, Obasanjo welcomed the opportunity to sneak Babangida into the presidency. “Yar’adua has largely kept the pact he had with Obasanjo,” said this source who is now a go-between in the negotiations between Obasanjo and Babangida. “Yar’adua has protected Obasanjo’s massive fortune accumulated in office. He has also ignored calls for Obasanjo’s prosecution for criminal acts committed in office. However, Obasanjo feels humiliated Obasanjo that Yar’adua not only reversed some of his policies and last-minute deals but also made a fanfare of doing so. Obasanjo is particularly stung by Yar’adua’s cancellation of the sale of Nigeria’s refineries to a group in which the ex-president has substantial interests. OBJ is also irate that Yar’adua has openly admitted to flaws in the last elections which were designed by Obasanjo and executed by Professor Maurice Iwu.”
In addition, revealed several of our sources, the former president has been jittery lately. One reason is Yar’adua’s reluctance to publicly defend Obasanjo in the face of shrill denunciations of the former president’s tenure. Another is that Yar’adua’s associates have been quietly revealing to the media details of the former president’s corrupt deals, including billions of dollars of unaccounted oil revenues, fuel importation deals, and Obasanjo’s large interests in agro as well as telecommunications businesses.
“Obasanjo has come to the conclusion that Babangida as president is the ideal person to give him the kind of protection he wants from Yar’adua, but is not getting.”
Armed with news of Yar’adua’s precarious health and the high odds that the presidential election will be invalidated, Obasanjo dispatched his trusted aide, Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba, to meet with Babangida. “Over the last month, Uba has been a regular presence at Babangida’s Minna mansion,” said our sources. He is acting as Obasanjo’s chief point man in negotiations aimed at smoothing Babangida’s path to the seat of power.
While Babangida sits on assets worth billions of dollars that he accumulated during his years as a military dictator, Obasanjo has, through Mr. Uba, pledged to place billions more at the disposal of General Babangida (ret).
Babangida is one of the most hated public figures in Nigerian, but he as well as Obasanjo and others working on his ascendancy are banking on using their war chest to make him unstoppable. “There are only two viable opposition figures who can stand up to Babangida, and they are General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,” said one source familiar with the plan. “But neither man is much of an opposition. Not only does Buhari have no money, he is also effectively partyless.” A break-away faction of Buhari’s ANPP has been swallowed up by the ruling PDP. “Atiku is a more formidable opponent because, like Obasanjo, he also enriched himself in office and he commands the loyalty of some top politicians. But over the last two or three years, Obasanjo did a good job of whittling down Atiku’s business interests and wealth. The former vice president doesn’t have the cash to be a match in the coming political clash.”
Several sources told Saharareporters that Obasanjo and Babangida have wooed many politicians from within Atiku’s group with offers of plum contracts or political appointments once Babangida takes over.
The Babangida campaign has also began to mobilize international support. Last week, Babangida returned from a trip to Germany where he underwent medical check-up and sold his candidacy to German and European Union officials. Next on the agenda: To assure European, British and American corporations and nations that their business as well as strategic interests in Nigeria would be protected under a Babangida presidency.
Two days after he returned from the German trip, Babangida convened a meeting of top Hausa-Fulani politicians. The motive was to sell the idea for his adoption as the consensus northern candidate. Atiku, aware of the agenda of the meeting, refused to attend.
In keeping with his pledge of loyalty to Obasanjo, Yar’adua has been cooperating with the plan to position Babangida as his successor. A source told us that Yar’adua’s refusal to join the rising chorus of Nigerians who want Maurice Iwu to resign as chairman of the electoral commission is part of an agreement. “Once Babangida is adopted as the PDP’s candidate, the party needs Iwu to run the elections and announce Babangida as the winner. Obasanjo has told his inner circle that he has absolute trust that Iwu would execute the game plan. Obasanjo doesn’t want to risk having a more independent-minded umpire calling the election.”
One source said that Obasanjo has a deep psychological motive for backing Babangida. “It’s not just that Babangida can and will do a better job than Yar’adua of shielding Obasanjo from legal harassment. During Obasanjo’s presidency, he and Babangida had their fights. But Obasanjo, who has details of IBB’s corruption, gave his word to protect the ex-general against prosecution-and he kept his word. He trusts that Babangida will do the same for him.
“More importantly, Obasanjo has been rattled by the degree of criticism that has followed him since he left office in May. He calculates that Babangida is the man to match or surpass his record of corruption. That way, Nigerians would be forced to focus on the new bad guy in town. The former president is also betting that, when Babangida unleashes his thieving hordes on the nation, Nigerians would start speaking nostalgically about Obasanjo’s eight-year tenure.”
One source told us that Babangida’s “election” will eclipse the record of rigging established by the April 21 polls that produced Yar’adua. Local and foreign monitors had ascertained that Umar Yar’adua came to power through the most crooked of political processes known to electoral politics in the history of Africa.
Part of the tragedy is that Yar’adua was never interested in running for the presidency until Obasanjo drafted him into the race-and then used blackmail to force other would-be aspirants in the ruling party to renounce their ambitions and scamper for safety.
Yar’adua also has a history of serious health problems ranging from episodes of depression to a debilitating kidney disease that saw him collapse during the presidential campaigns. He was quickly flown out to Germany on a Julius Berger air-ambulance.
In a perverse attempt to cover up Yar’adua’s health crisis, the PDP leadership used top campaign officials, including Dr. Dora Akunyili, to spread rumors in the press to the effect that Yar’adua had died in Germany. The motive behind this deliberate falsehood sold by the PDP was simply to make Yar’adua’s survival look impressive.
The trick achieved its aim, as public worries about Yar’adua’s health problems disappeared altogether as soon as the candidate returned from his German trip.
Yar’adua’s hyped “death” provided melodramatic material for former President Obasanjo to showcase the candidate’s “vigorous” strength in rallies across Nigeria. Obasanjo would make telephone calls to Yar’adua’s hospital bed to ask the now infamous rhetorical question: “Umaru, are you dead?” to which Yar’adua would answer “No, Baba, I am still alive.”
As soon as Yar’adua arrived Nigeria, he managed to attend a major rally in Akure, Ondo State before going into limbo. It was left to Obasanjo and Maurice Iwu to perfect a rigging plan for the presidential election.
The rigging was so audacious that a bewildered member of their PDP caucus revealed to Saharareporters a day before the election that Yar’adua would win by 70%, with Buhari at second and Atiku a distant third. Some skeptical readers did not take Saharareporters seriously when we published the “pre-determined” election results. But many believed when Maurice Iwu announced his cooked results when only twelve out of Nigeria’s 36 state electoral commissioners had submitted their manipulated results to the electoral commission headquarters.
Obasanjo had set the tone by giving a short but sober national broadcast explaining why the nation must accept the electoral results. Shortly after Obasanjo ended his national broadcast, a boisterous but confused Maurice Iwu walked into a packed press conference accompanied by fierce-looking security agents to announce Yar’adua as the winner of the “Presidential Election” by our predicted margin of 69.9%. Iwu declined to take any questions from local or international journalists at the venue.
On May 29, 2007, Yar’adua took the office of oath and acknowledged that his election was marked by irregularities. His answer was to set up an electoral reform commission that many opposition parties and parties dismissed as a ruse.
Despite his outward mien of good health, the “new president” runs regular health therapy in Aso Rock. One source revealed that Yar’adua’s day starts with regular sessions with a medical team. His public appearances have been rare and sporadic, with ministers and other aides often delegated to represent him at events.
After receiving grave prognosis during his last health check-up, Yar’adua has further scaled back his involvement in the day-to-day running of his “administration.”
His health crisis and almost inevitable cancellation of his election has given Obasanjo the opportunity to once again manipulate the political direction of the country in a negative direction.
One concern is whether there is sufficient opposition within the nation to challenge the imposition of Babangida. One prominent opposition figure, a lawyer, was taken aback when Saharareporters apprised him of the plan to install Babangida. “If this is crazy plan is true,” he said in fury, “be sure that many Nigerians will fight it with every ounce of blood in our bodies.”
Ibrahim Babangida (66 ans). Le 27 août 1985, le général Babangida provoquait un coup d’État militaire qu’il expliquait en mettant en cause l’incapacité du général Buhari à résoudre les problèmes intérieurs (inflation et chômage) et extérieurs (négociation avec le FMI et rééchelonnement de la dette). C’est avec ce même général que Babangida pris le pouvoir en décembre 1983. Buhari, l’avait nommé chef d’état-major. Utilisant des tactiques imprévisible (on l’a surnommé “Maradona”), il dirigea le Nigéria fermement tout en faisant les yeux doux à la communauté internationale. Il a survécu à plus d’un putsch, mâté plusieurs émeutes et s’est enrichi grâce au pétrole durant sa présidence. Avant de perdre le pouvoir en 1993, il promit une démocratisation du pays qui ne vint jamais à part, peut-être, un redécoupage intérieur qui permis la création de nouveaux états fédérés et des élections locales. Sous la pression de la rue, il finit par laisser le pouvoir à un Gouvernement civil intérimaire en août 1993, ouvrant aussi la voie au coup d’état de Sani Abacha, trois mois plus tard. Dès 2004, Babangida s’était porté comme candidat à la présidence pour des élections de 2007.
Ibrahim Babangida (66 yrs). On December 1983, he and general Buhari, took power. Buhari named him Army Chief of Staff. On August 27th 1985, he led a military coup against Buhari, claiming that his regime couldn’t tackle the problems of inflation, unemployment and external debt. Using unpredictable tactics (he got the surname of “Maradona”) he firmly ruled Nigeria and, at the same time, “smiled” at the international community. He survived more than one putsch, quashed several uprisings and got very rich during his presidency, thanks to the oil money. Before loosing power in 1993, he promised the democratisation of the country but it never happened. He merely enabled a democratic process at the state level. Indeed, Babangida modified the constitution to created more federal States and local elections ensued. Under the pressure from the population, he left the power to an interim civilian governement in August 1993. But it led the way for the military coup of Sani Abacha, three months later. In 2004, Babangida showed interest in the upcoming 2007 elections, giving his name as a candidate.
Filed under Africa, Afrique, News, News/ Nouvelles, Nigeria, Nouvelles, Politics, Politique, Uncategorized
Voici les thèmes qui ont été abordés pendant l’émission Amandla du 18 juillet dernier sur les ondes de CKUT 90.3FM (Montréal). Vous pouvez la télécharger ici (lien valide pour deux mois seulement).
Émission entièrement en anglais
L’artiste zimbabwéenne Stella Chiweshe (voir photo plus bas) vient à Montréal pour donner un spectacle dans le cadre du festival Nuits d’Afrique. Elle est la première femme du Zimbabwe à diriger son propre groupe et elle joue le mbira (aussi connu sous le nom de kalimba). Nous vous présentons une entrevue qu’elle a donnée à un membre de notre équipe d’Amandla. Sa présence au Festival Nuits d’Afrique à été couvert par le journal “Le Devoir“.
The Ravaging of Africa: Coporate Plunder. Rediffusion d’une émission radio en quatre parties qui traite des impacts destructeurs de l’impérialisme américain en Afrique. “Corporate Plunder” détaille les effets désastreux de la présence de Royal Dutch Shell au Nigeria et ceux de la canadienne Tiomin Resources au Kenya. On souligne aussi les façons dont les entreprises occidentales réussissent à ne payer aucunes taxes en Afrique. Avec Ifieniya Lott, Mwana Siti B. Juma, Charles Abugre and John Christensen.
Here are the subjects that were addressed in the July 18th Amandla radio show on CKUT 90.3 FM (Montreal). You can download the show here (link valid for two months only).
Show entirely in english 
The Zimbabwean artists, Stella Chiweshe (see picture), comes in Montreal to perform at the “Festival Nuits d’Afrique” . She’s the first woman in Zimbabwe to lead her own group and she plays the mbira (also known as kalimba). We air an interview she gave to one of our Amandla crew member. Her presence at the Festival Nuit d’Afrique was alos covered by “Le Devoir” (in french).
The Ravaging of Africa: Corporate Plunder. It is a four-part radio documentary series about the destructive impact of U.S. imperialism on Africa. “Corporate Plunder” details the disastrous effects of Royal Dutch Shell’s operations in Nigeria and those of Canada’s Tiomin Resources in Kenya. Also highlighted is the massive tax looting of Africa by Western corporations. With Ifieniya Lott, Mwana Siti B. Juma, Charles Abugre and John Christensen.
Voici une petite video d’un spectacle donné par Stella Chiweshe en 2006. Here is a video showing a performance by Stella Chiweshe in 2006:
Filed under Africa, Afrique, Amandla, économie, Canada, Culture, Développement, Development, economics, Human rights, industrie minière, Kenya, La Presse de Montreal, Mining, Montreal, Natural resources, News, Nigeria, Nouvelles, Oil, Politics, Politique, Radio, Ressources Naturelles, Uncategorized, Video, Zimbabwe
After dubious pills, its is cigarettes that are offered to the Nigerian children
See below for the english version from the Times.
Après les pilules illégales voici les cigarettes qu’on offre aux enfants du Nigéria.
Deux cigarettiers ont mis en place une tactique pour compenser la chute des ventes de tabac dans les pays occidentaux. Philip Morris et British American Tobacco sont en effet accusés d’avoir fait campagne auprès des enfants du Nigeria pour booster leurs ventes, selon le Times.
Les avocats du plus grand état nigérian, Kano, vont tenter aujourd’hui de démontrer que les compagnies de tabac ont commandité des concerts et des événements sportifs, mais surtout, ils ont parfois distribué gratuitement des cigarettes à des mineurs.
Voici la nouvelle originale provenant du Times:
British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris face allegations that they targeted young and underage smokers in Nigeria to increase smoking rates in developing countries as sales decline in the West.
Lawyers for Nigeria’s largest state, Kano, will argue today that the tobacco companies sponsored pop concerts and sporting events and, in some instances, gave away free cigarettes, to recruit minors to smoking.
Kano is one of four Nigerian states suing BAT Nigeria, its parent company in Britain and Philip Morris International to recover the costs of treating smoking-related diseases.
They are seeking damages of at least $38.6 billion (£19.1 billion).
Kano’s first hearing is today and cases in Gombe and Oyo begin tomorrow and Monday respectively. The Lagos case began in May and more states are expected to join.
“They want to prepare for a problem they know has already been created, as well as restrict the distribution of tobacco to young people,” said Babatunde Irukera, a lawyer representing the state governments. “The public health facilities are overtasked.”
The biggest increase in smoking in Nigeria has been among young people. The number of young women smokers grew tenfold between 1990 and 2001, according to the World Health Organisation.
A large part of the plaintiffs’ evidence will come from the tobacco companies’ internal documents, which were released as part of a multibillion-dollar settlement that the US tobacco industry reached with state governments in the 1990s. The documents, some of which have been seen by The Times, show the companies’ attempts to reach younger smokers by sponsoring well-known musicians, and their efforts to fight tobacco control initiatives.
Although there are laws banning tobacco advertising on billboards and on television and radio, there is no explicit legislation restricting the sale of cigarettes to underage smokers.
The plaintiffs argue that the youth market was and still is important to the tobacco industry, citing a Philip Morris USA report dated March 31, 1981, which says: “Today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens.”
A similar document prepared for BAT, dated July 25, 1991, discusses the habits of younger smokers in Nigeria. “New smokers enter the market at a very early age in many cases: as young as 8 or 9 years seems to be quite common,” according to the report, entitled The Cigarette Market in Nigeria.
A report prepared by the tobacco industry’s lobbying group in Nigeria, TACON, on October 18, 1981, detailed its strategy to defeat a Private Member’s Bill introduced in the House of Representatives to make provisions for warning cigarette smokers of the adverse health effects of smoking.
“It was decided that TACON’s main strategy should be to play down the health argument and concentrate instead on the economic,” the report said. “This proved to be the correct approach especially as Nigeria’s economy has been suffering . . . from the world recession.”
In an internal memo dated May 13, 1991, BAT talked about the use of Nigerian artists to promote its Benson & Hedges (B&H) brand, saying: “The young adult music platform of the B&H label is the type of image enhancement we need in Nigeria.”
Stephen Swedlow, an American lawyer who is advising the Nigerian state governments, told The Times: “The international tobacco companies have to develop these . . . markets because the smoking rates in the US and the UK have consistently dropped, based on litigation in the US and public health pressures in the UK.”
A spokeswoman for BAT said that the allegations were completely unfounded. “We don’t market to children and we have never attempted to do so,” she said. “We also actively lobby governments to raise the age at which people are allowed to buy tobacco to 18.”
A spokesman for Philip Morris said: “Philip Morris International and its affiliates do not currently sell cigarettes in Nigeria.”
Combien d’Africains ont joué dans la Ligue Nationale de Hockey? Sachez que l’équipe des Blackhawks de Chicago vient d’en recruter un du nom d’Akim Aliu, un nigérian d’origine, lors du repêchage des recrues dans la Ligue Nationale de Hockey:
La deuxième et dernière journée du repêchage de la LNH a été le fait saillant de la jeune vie de Akim «The Dream» Aliu.
Né au Nigeria, il a grandi en Ukraine, puis il est déménagé au Canada quand il avait 11 ans. On l’a envoyé il y a un an à Sudbury, en Ontario, pour jouer au hockey junior. Et samedi, il a été sélectionné par les Blackhawks de Chicago lors du deuxième tour du repêchage.
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«Mon père n’a vu une patinoire pour la première fois qu’à l’âge de 40 ans», a raconté Aliu, qui veut devenir le deuxième Nigérian seulement à jouer dans la LNH. «Ma mère a grandi en Russie, mais le hockey ne faisait pas vraiment partie de sa vie, de sa culture. Ils sont heureux de ce que je fais maintenant. Je suis content de faire ce que je fais, moi aussi.»
Il lui a fallu 18 ans et de milliers de kilomètres pour se retrouver dans un maillot des Blackhawks et poser devant des dizaines de caméras.
«Nous sommes arrivés ici de la Russie avec une seule valise. Nous avons connu des années difficiles, sans connaître personne au pays, sans amis, a reconnu Aliu, qui a été le 56e choix au total. C’était seulement nous — ma mère, mon père, moi et mon frère — et nous n’avions pas d’autre famille ici.»
Aliu voulait jouer au soccer, mais il a été conquis par le sport national du Canada. Il y a un an, l’attaquant de six pieds deux pouces et 200 livres a marqué 16 buts et amassé sept aides avec les Wolves de Sudbury dans la Ligue junior de l’Ontario.
Aliu, qui s’entraîne l’été avec Rick Nash des Blue Jackets de Columbus, a affirmé que dans son pays natal, personne ne sait tout le chemin qu’il a parcouru.
«Ils ne savent même pas ce qu’est le hockey là-bas», a-t-il lancé en riant.
How many Africans have the opportunity to play in the National Hockey League? At least on of them, Akim Aliu, was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks during this year’s NHL rookie draft. He is from Nigeria but grew up in Ukraine and played his junior hockey in Ontario, Canada. It’s been a tough road for this kid how admits hocket isn’t in his family traditions and wonders if this sport is known in his home country: Nigeria.
Aliu has talent. The video below shows a terrific pass he does that leads to a goal for his junior team (he bears number 78).
Ce jeune homme semble avoir du potentiel comme en témoigne cette vidéo où il effectue une passe spectaculaire menant à un but (il porte le numéro 78):
(Merci à LNH Québec pour la photo. Thanks to LNH Québec for the picture)
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