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News and information from the fast-changing continent.
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Now Sole Importer of Petrol - Official
[Premium Times] "We are the only company importing premium motor spirit (PMS) into the country," an official said.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) said Monday it is the sole importer of petrol in the country.
The Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, disclosed this during the ongoing Energy Labour Summit organized by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in Abuja.
"We are the only company importing premium motor spirit (PMS) into the country.
"None of
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Nigeria: Tinubu Considers 71-Year-Old Retiree As ICPC Chair
[Premium Times] The 71-year-old retiree, if eventually appointed by Mr Tinubu, will be the fifth chairperson of ICPC which is in its 23rd year of existence.
President Bola Tinubu is considering recalling a 71-year-old former Justice of the Supreme Court from retirement to serve as the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), PREMIUM TIMES has reliably gathered.
Abdu Aboki, who hails from Kano State, north-west Nigeria, exited the Supreme Court bench after clocking the
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Uganda: If I Was in the U.S., I Would Be a Billionaire, Says Museveni
[Nile Post] President Museveni has underscored the role of regional integration, noting that if he was in the United States of America which has a big market, he would now be among the billionaires.
"The US has succeeded because of integration. The USA is successful because they united the 13 colonies, and they kept on expanding. If I was in the US, I would be a billionaire now because I would sell all my beef throughout the whole of America which has rich people," Museveni said.
"I would sell my milk, bananas and
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Nigeria Needs 250,000 Doctors, Says World Medical Association
[Daily Trust] The President, World Medical Association, Osahon Enabulele, has disclosed that Nigeria needs over 250,000 medical doctors to meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) doctor-to-patient ratio in the country.
Osahon said this in Benin at a public lecture organised by the Federated Chapel of the Edo Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
According to him, Nigeria has less than 100,000 doctors which is grossly inadequate to meet the doctor-patient ratio.
"Going by the international standard, a doctor
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Angola Clamps Down On Namibia Cattle Farmers
[VOA] Hundreds of Namibian communal farmers who seasonally cross the border into Angola in search of pastures for their livestock have been asked to leave and apply for permits as Angola clamps down on illegal cattle herders in their country.
Changing weather patterns attributed to global warming are causing a decline in pastoral land, which is affecting cross-border migration of farmers.
Immanuel Nangolo has a herd of 300 cattle and, when pastures are not green in Namibia, he makes his way north to Angola to
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Liberia: Election Day as It Happens
[Observer] The Election Observation Missions of ECOWAS and the African Union said they are observing and with keen interest the ongoing electoral process and the events leading to the 10 October 2023 General Elections.
The ECOWAS and AU Missions in a joint statement called on all stakeholders to preserve the peace and stability of Liberia before, during, and after the elections.
They urge political parties, candidates and thelr supportersto be guided by "the splrit of national unity, peace and stabillty, and adhere
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Gabon: Military Junta Says It Will Invest Recovered Wealth From Ousted Bongo Government
[VOA] Gabon's military-appointed government says it will invest more than $10 million and distribute hundreds of luxury vehicles said to be part of ill-gotten wealth recovered from family and friends of ousted President Ali Bongo since the military junta took power about six weeks ago. The government says the money will be used to provide public social amenities such as water, electricity and education.
Gabon's military junta says the government, appointed by transitional President General Brice Oligui Nguema,
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Malawi: Cyclone Survivors Commend UN for Providing Reliable Healthcare Support
[Nyasa Times] Survivors of the Tropical Cyclone Freddy sheltered at Bangula ADMARC in Nsanje have commended United Nations (UN) agencies in Malawi for mobilising and providing a robust healthcare support to them for nine they have been in the camp.
Chairperson of the Camp Management Committee, Stella Davie, said the temporary health facility UN agencies helped to establish at the camp has proven to be the most reliable in service provision and is always stocked with essential drugs.
She was speaking on Monday when UN
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Liberia: National Elections Commission Promises Credible Elections
[Observer] The National Elections Commission (NEC) has assured political parties and candidates that it will conduct the 2023 elections in a free, fair, and credible manner.
Davidetta Brown Lansanah, NEC's Chairperson, said the commission remains committed to ensuring that the elections are conducted peacefully.
"We want to assure stakeholders and electoral actors that the NEC remains committed to conducting the 10th October 2023 elections in a free, fair, and credible manner, as it has been the hallmark of this
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Nigeria: Tinubu Swells Media Team As Nigerian Economy Bites Harder
[Premium Times] The president, on Monday, appointed five more persons to the Presidential Advisory Media Team, bringing the total number of such appointments to at least 11.
Despite the bad state of Nigeria's economy, President Bola Tinubu has appointed more persons to his media team, further bloating the size of the government at a time of clamour for cutting down the cost of governance.
The president, on Monday, appointed five more persons to the Presidential Advisory Media Team, bringing the total number of such
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Liberia: Borders Closed to Safeguard Electoral Process
[Observer] In a bid to ensure the integrity and fairness of the upcoming elections, the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), in collaboration with the Joint Security, has taken the decision to temporarily close the country's borders as Liberians go to the polls on Tuesday, October 10.
This precautionary measure, according to Danny B. Sartee, LIS Director for Operations, aims to prevent any potential influx of aliens who may seek to manipulate or interfere with the voting process. The move underscores the commitment of
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South Africa: How Feasible Is South Africa's Offer to Mediate in the War Between Israel and Hamas?
[Daily Maverick] Pretoria has offered to mediate to try to end the devastating war that has erupted between Hamas and Israel and which has killed well over 1,000 people on both sides in just two days. But does the ANC government really have the diplomatic skills, the clout and the impartiality to be an honest broker? And is the conflict anywhere near ripe for mediation anyway?
President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading a seven-nation African Peace Mission to try to address Russia's war against Ukraine. Some believe it has
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South Africa: Child Support Grant Must Be Increased to Reduce Child Poverty, Review Finds
[GroundUp] Government could face court action for failing in its constitutional duty
A review of the Child Support Grant has found that unless the grant increases to match the food poverty line, child poverty will continue to increase. The report has modelled three different scenarios to determine how an increase in the Child Support Grant will affect child poverty. 65% of children in South Africa receive the Child Support Grant, yet seven million children in South Africa remain below the food poverty line.
A report
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Egypt: WHO Commends Egypt for Its Progress On the Path to Eliminate Hepatitis C
[WHO] The Arab Republic of Egypt has become the first country to achieve the "gold tier" status on the path to elimination of hepatitis C as per WHO criteria. This means that Egypt has fulfilled WHO's programmatic coverage targets that will set the country up to achieve the reduced incidence and mortality targets of full elimination before 2030.
WHO commends Egypt for its important achievement.
"Egypt's journey, from having one of the world's highest rates of hepatitis C infection to being on the path to
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Kenya: Court Restrains Kindiki, House From Authorizing Police Mission to Haiti
[Capital FM] The High Court has restrained Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki from deploying Kenya's police units as part of the multinational security mission in Haiti.
Haiti has been grappling with a surge in violence since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 at his private residence in the capital, Port-au-Prince, triggering calls for a security intervention to complement the efforts of understaffed and under resourced Haiti national police force.
Milimani High Court Judge Chacha
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Africa Isn't Ready for a Withdrawal of Peacekeepers
[ISS] Somalia, Mali and the DRC face significant security vacuums, which will undermine safety and worsen humanitarian conditions.
Peacekeeping operations have played a crucial role in stabilising fragile situations across Africa for over 60 years. More than 13 United Nations (UN)-led missions in Africa and about 27 African-led peace support operations since 2000 have incurred billions of dollars annually and cost thousands of peacekeepers' lives.
While these missions haven't met all their host countries'
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Nigeria: In Five Years, 99,985 Nigerian Students Enrolled in UK Universities - Interior Minister
[Premium Times] Mr Tunji-Ojo said his ministry is determined to support genuine partnership drives among Nigeria's academic institutions and their foreign counterparts.
Nigeria's Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has revealed that a total of 99,985 Nigerian students enrolled in universities in the United Kingdom for various programmes between 2017 and 2022.
The minister, who quoted data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), however, noted that the exodus cannot be dismissed as completely antithetical
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Liberia: Preelection Violence Raises Security Concerns in Liberia
[VOA] Security concerns have been raised In Liberia following the deaths of at least two people in preelection violence. Political watchers say campaign messaging has deepened political divides, and are calling on the national police to be more proactive during the presidential and legislative elections set for Tuesday.
On the streets of Monrovia, university students chanted, "We want peace, Liberia is our only country; we want peace," as they distributed peace-branded handbills to commuters, urging voters to
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Sudan: 19 Million Children in Sudan Out of School As Conflict Rages On - UNICEF, Save the Children
[Unicef] Academic year starts with all schools closed due to impacts of the war, risking a generational catastrophe
An estimated 19 million children in Sudan are out of school as the brutal conflict approaches the six-month mark next week.
Out of this total - or 1 in every 3 children in the country - some 6.5 million lost access to school due to increased violence and insecurity in their region, with at least 10,400 schools shuttered in conflict-affected areas. Meanwhile, over 5.5 million children who reside in
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Nigeria: Security Operatives Kill 67 Kidnappers, Rescue 20 Victims in Bauchi
[Premium Times] The suspected kidnappers were killed in the Lere communities in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.
A combined team of security operatives has killed 67 gunmen suspected to be kidnappers terrorising the Lere communities in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The team also rescued 20 kidnapped victims in the area.
This is just as the state governor, Bala Mohammed, donated 30 brand new motorcycles and the sum of N10 million to assist the local security in their operations.
The District
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Liberia: Advocacy Group Tracks Candidates' Campaign Promises
[New Dawn] Liberia's pro-democracy and pro-advocacy group Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has released campaign tracking report for presidential candidates in the 2023 elections.
Addressing a news conference at Naymote head office in Rehab community Paynesville over the weekend, Executive Director, Eddie D. Jarwolo, revealed that a total of 665 campaign promises were tracked from the manifestos of
political parties, rally speeches, debates, media engagements, town hall meetings and social media posts,
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South Africa: After 54 Years, Activist's Family Hears the Truth Behind His Death At Hands of Apartheid Police
[Daily Maverick] Fifty-four years after his death in detention, a judge has confirmed what the family of Imam Abdullah Haron always knew -- Haron was tortured and murdered by members of the apartheid Security Branch.
The Muslim cleric and anti-apartheid activist Imam Abdullah Haron died a brutal death at the hands of the Security Branch during his incarceration in September 1969.
He was repeatedly punched and kicked with booted feet on his chest. He was prodded or pressed with either knuckles, the point of a truncheon or a
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Sudan: North Kordofan Clashes 'Most Violent Yet' As 14-Year-Old Dies
[Dabanga] El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, witnessed renewed violence between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Sunday morning. A 14-year-old child was killed, and at least 17 people sustained injuries in the clashes.
North Kordofan's Health Minister, El Fatih Abdelrahman, told Radio Dabanga that the emergency department at El Obeid Teaching Hospital documented the child's death and the injuries of 17 additional people. "Among the injured were three healthcare
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Kenya: Chained, Locked Up, and Abused ... Because of a Disability
[HRW] Sitting in a dusty courtyard of the Holy Ghost Coptic Church in Kisumu city, in western Kenya, I heard Paul (a pseudonym), approaching before I saw him. Clink. Clink. Clink. The sound of a human being struggling to walk with heavy metal chains around his ankles, waist, and hands. Paul had been living in chains for five years.
"The chain is so heavy, it doesn't feel right," Paul said. "It makes me sad. I stay in a small room with seven men. I'm not allowed to wear clothes, only underwear. I have to go to
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Nigeria to Rehire Retired Healthcare Workers to Combat Brain Drain
[Premium Times] This is part of efforts to mitigate the mass exodus of health workers to developed countries, which has led to an acute shortage of health professionals in the nation's health sector.
The Nigerian government has approved the appointment of doctors, nurses, and other clinical healthcare workers as contract staff after attaining their compulsory retirement age or years in service.
This is part of efforts to mitigate the mass exodus of health workers to developed countries, which has led to an acute shortage
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Zimbabwe: Villagers Abandon Market Gardening, Farming for Coke Scavenging As Climate Change Takes Toll
[263Chat] Some villagers in the arid Hwange District are leaving their homes to scavenge for coke in Hwange Town, abandoning their chores including market gardening and farming in rainy seasons due to low rains and yields at a time studies are showing that temperatures have risen from a maximum of 25 degrees Celcius in the 1980s to around 35 degrees Celcius in recent years, as the effects of climate change bite.
To aggravate the situation, the little crops that survive the extreme heat are often at the mercy of
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South Africa: Power Utility's Board Chair Resigns, Deepening Leadership Crisis - South African News Briefs - October 10, 2023
[allAfrica]
Eskom Board Chair Resigns, Deepening Leadership Crisis
Eskom board chair Mpho Makwana has resigned, deepening the leadership crisis at the state-owned power utility, reports Moneyweb. Makwana was appointed to the position barely a year ago. His resignation comes shortly after he and the board clashed with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan over the appointment of a new Eskom CEO. The board failed to present Gordhan with the required shortlist of candidates, causing uncertainty in the CEO
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African Firms 'Need Know-How to Make New Malaria Jab'
[SciDev.Net] Vaccine developers must share the know-how behind a groundbreaking new malaria jab so it can be rolled out efficiently to poor populations in Africa that need it most, according to a senior malaria advisor to the continent's main healthcare agency.
"We need to start having this conversation around tech transfer and IP," said Nicaise Ndembi, advisor to the director general of Africa CDC, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
"All these pharmaceutical companies are not based in Africa and the problem is in
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Uganda: NUP's Joel Ssenyonyi, Lewis Rubongoya Arrested
[Nile Post] The National Unity Platform spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi and the Secretary General, Lewis Rubongoya have been arrested by security at the party headquarters in Kamwokya.
The two had gone to the party headquarters where the NUP president, Robert Kyagulanyi is expected to give his 61st independence day address to the nation.
However, the duo were not allowed to reach the party headquarters and were arrested by a join police and army team.
They are currently detained at Kira Road police station.
The army and
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Liberia: Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Calls for Civic Responsibility Ahead of Historic Elections
[FrontPageAfrica] Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a towering figure in Liberian politics and the first woman to be elected as a head of state in Africa, underscored the significance of the October 10 elections and highlighted the critical role that peace has played in Liberia's progress.
The former President emphasized the country's potential for development. While acknowledging past achievements on the path to development, she also alluded to the challenges that have at times hindered this progress.
"Through it
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