The Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday said President Olusegun Obasanjo did not win the 1999 elections but was selected and imposed on the country by a few.

According to him, the President was also re-selected” in 2003.

Soyinka spoke at the National Seminar on Economic Crimes organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at its training centre in Karu, Abuja.

The seminar had as its theme, Leadership and Governance Challenges in Africa.”

Among the dignitaries in the audience was President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

Reacting to a statement by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, that Obasanjo was duly elected by Nigerians, Soyinka said, I dont want the Rwandan President to leave this place with the wrong impression that President Olusegun Obasanjo was elected and re-elected by Nigerians.

President Obasanjo was not elected, but was selected in 1999. Again in 2003, Obasanjo was not re-elected but was re-selected by his party.”

Soyinkas statement drew an immediate response from the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, who sprang to his feet and asked for the microphone.

In defence of his boss, Ojo argued that it was wrong to say Obasanjo was selected in 1999 and re-selected in 2003.

He said, I dont think it is right to say that the President was selected and re-selected in 1999 and 2003. The President was duly elected and re-elected by Nigerians in 1999 and 2003.”

Earlier, Soyinka, while commending the Chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for the commissions performance, criticised the perks attached to public office.

He said, The first thing that anybody asks when he or she gets into position of authority is what he or she is entitled to. It is high time we terminated the culture of entitlement of those who govern this nation.”

On the forthcoming 2007 elections, the Nobel laureate advised members of the public to collect money from whoever offers it to them, but to vote according to their conscience.

He said, If people offer you money, please take it and vote according to your conscience. Nigerians should subvert the purpose for which the money is given and vote in line with their conviction.”

Soyinka also advised the Independent National Electoral Commission against restricting registration to people wishing to come together to form a party.

He said he and some other people had been trying to register a political party that would represent the masses, but that INEC refused to register the party.

Soyinka warned that he would in due course lead a protest to INECs office to demand the certificate of registration of the party.

The President of Rwanda, who presented a keynote address, decried the high level of corruption and greed among politicians and called for a movement towards politics of ethics” on the continent.

He noted, Politics on our continent (Africa) remains generally wanting, so to speak. It is not an exaggeration to say that the term ‘politics or ‘politician remains, on our continent, almost synonymous with corruption, greed, self-serving, extravagance, superficiality, cronyism and violence, among other failings.”

According to the Rwandan leader, this dismal scenario was not the case in the past, when political leadership in Africa was considered a calling for men of integrity.

He added, This was not the case historically. In pre-colonial and immediate post-colonial Africa, political leadership was considered an occupation of integrity and honour, and a means to serve society. Somewhere from the late 1960s onwards, the ethical essence of politics was lost on our continent.”

Kagame called on African countries to reclaim the glorious past in order to ensure the long sought development of their economies.

He said, We in Africa have the responsibility for reclaiming lost moral high ground, so that the term ‘politics can begin to become perceived and seen as constituting individual and collective responsibility for making positive changes towards greater well-being in the communities and nations.”

In an apparent reference to the orgy of political violence on the continent, he said, I maintain that the struggle for ‘politics of ethics must begin with the acknowledgement that our continental political realm reflects unacceptable level of malevolence - imagined or real.

We must therefore be seen and believed, especially by African populations, to be concretely and actively devising means of reinventing politics. Politics must become once again a worthy occupation that provides African people with hope and opportunities for achieving their own goals in life.”

Kagame also condemned the entitlement syndrome,” which he said had seriously encroached on the culture of merit needed for enabling politics to become a vehicle to serve.”

This syndrome, according to him, is to be blamed for the high rate of financial misappropriation among political leaders.

He added, In this attitude, some political leaders at all levels of society seem to believe they do not have to honorably earn what they get from the national treasury.

A merit culture, in which able leadership is held accountable and when leaders in turn hold responsible those they enlist to support them in delivery of public services, should be a way of life that we must uncompromisingly foster on our continent.”

He challenged Africans to refuse incompetent leaders, saying, The launch pad of a culture of merit is a refusal to blindly accept leaders. The merit way of life creates an unreceptive and antagonistic environment to mediocrity - a climate that continuously applies peer pressure for achieving positive societal change.”

Kagame further challenged Africans to combat corruption in order to check its corrosive effects on national life.

He added, Let us be frank about this, corruption breeds more, which continues like an infection to infest more people. Surely we must find ways of doing the reverse whereby more people are infected by good practices.

I realise, of course, that confronting bad governance and corruption is a difficult and risky business, but it must be done with urgency and purpose. Sacrifices have to be made; some people simply have to stand up to corruption, because lack of action is far more costly in human terms, with serious consequences for society.”

The EFCC chairman, Ribadu, explained that the topic on leadership became imperative because of the approaching transition to a new administration, and the need to continue the reform programmes.

EFCC charges three Ekiti commissioners with money laundering
By Kayode Ketefe
Published: Wednesday, 23 Aug 2006

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, dragged three commissioners in Ekiti State to court over alleged money laundering.


The Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Boboye Olanipekun; the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Kayode Osho; and the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Richard Ojo, have now been charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Also charged along with them is Mr. Gbenga James, an associate of the state Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose.

James‘s company, Biological Concepts Nigeria Ltd, was also joined as the fifth accused person.

James is already standing trial alongside the governors Personal Assistant, Mr. Goke Olatunji, before Justice Tijani Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Lagos over similar offences.

Both James and Olatunji were granted bail on Monday by Justice Abubakar and were yet to perfect the bail.

In the EFCC‘s new charge against the commissioners, dated August 16, 2006 and signed by Mr. Seidu Atteh, the accused persons were alleged to have ”concealed the true origin” of N11.5m which was part of the state‘s poultry project fund.

The 12-count charge consists of alleged money laundering, concealing the source of funds, acceptance of fraudulent money and conversion of funds.

The EFCC also alleged that Osho ”accepted the cash payment” of N10. 5m between April and December 2004 from one Wale Aromole ”on the instructions of Gbenga James.” The money was said to be part of the Ekiti poultry funds.

Ojo and Olanipekun were also accused of having ”accepted cash payment” of N1m each from the Biological Concepts Nigeria Limited between September and November 2004.

James was accused of conversion of N720,000 of the poultry funds which was entrusted to his company.

All the offences were said to be punishable under Sections 14 (1) and 15 (2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004.

The count 12 of the charge read, ”That you Gbenga James, Biological Concepts Nigeria Ltd and Kayode Osho on or about March 31, 2004, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did convert the sum of N720,000 from the money meant for the execution of the Ekiti State Integrated Poultry Project, which money was entrusted in the hand of Biological Concepts Nig. Ltd. as a consultant to the Ekiti State Government.

”In respect of the said scheme, to buy ten air conditioners for Kayode Osho which sum you knew represented the proceeds of crime with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said crime and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 (1) of Money Laundering Act.”

The court is yet to fix the hearing date for the arraignment of the accused persons.

Every day, Tracey Zulu walks from Zimbabwe into Zambia and sets up a stall selling baking powder, nuts, tomato sauce sachets and biscuits. On a good day she can make a US$2 profit; on a bad day she makes nothing at all.

Her economic decline mirrors Zimbabwe's. "Once, I had a powerful business selling expensive duvets, blankets and clothes," the 48-year-old mother of four said. "Everything is gone and I can't even have a decent meal."
Zimbabwe's economy is in free-fall: inflation is hovering at around an annual rate of 1,000 percent and unemployment levels are more than 70 percent.

As a result, cross-border traffic has risen dramatically, from about 40 vehicles and 30-odd people a day, said a Zambian immigration official, to more than 300 small traders and 200 vehicles.

The Zimbabwean government tries to discourage this by introducing specific regulations. Zimbabwean traders are limited at the Kariba border post to carrying only US$10 worth of customs-free goods, in contrast to the international norm of US$250.

On the Zimbabwean side of the border, soldiers search traders to make them abide by the letter of the law. "If I carried more goods, I would have to declare them at the border with proof of receipts," Zulu said.

This keeps her profit margins negligible. "Because of limiting the cash flow, two of my children have now stopped going to school because I can't raise enough money to pay for their fees," she said.

Sometimes traders increase their earnings by smuggling alcohol, but "Zimbabwe alcohol is very strong and when our people begin to consume it, cases of violence and thefts begin to rise in Siavonga", a Zambia Revenue Authority official said. Zambia taxes Zimbabwean alcohol heavily.

In Siavonga, traders knock on people's doors, their desperation further eroding their already puny profits. "They will keep on begging me to buy and reducing the price further," said Milimo Mudenda, a Zambian government worker.

Zimbabwe's economic meltdown has changed the flow of people across the border. In the past, it used to be Zambians who bought cheap groceries in Zimbabwe. Now, Zimbabweans go to Zambia to buy basics such as detergents, cooking oil and salt.

"We also buy anti-malaria tablets from the chemists here, because in Zimbabwe we must have a doctor's prescription to buy any medicine," Zulu said.

Full text of President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.

Address On the Celebration of Peace and the Presidential Parade to Formally mark the withdrawal of Nigeria Armed Forces From the Bakassi Peninsula on August 21, 2006



Address by His Excellency, President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR
On the Celebration of Peace and the Presidential Parade to
Formally mark the withdrawal of Nigeria Armed Forces
From the Bakassi Peninsula on August 21, 2006



PROTOCOL
I greet you all on this occasion of the peaceful and graceful pull out of our troops from the Bakassi Peninsula. You would recall that the unresolved border dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon made Cameroon to take recourse to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, which gave a ruling in October 2002.

Disputes resulting from improper delineation of boundaries, particularly in Africa, have their roots in the outcome of the Berlin Conference of 1884/1885, where colonial powers drew artificial boundaries without regards to the demographic realities on the ground. States so formed, in the pursuance of their national interests, continued to clash with others leading to brothers, sisters and governments being constantly at logger heads with one another.

In spite of efforts at adjudication and legal dispositions instituted for most of these cases, experience has shown that the real solution lay beyond legal paradigm. For as long as the goal is peace, security, development and freedom for our people; we need a combination of factors spanning faith, understanding, compromise, negotiation, diplomacy and creativity, all based on sincerity and simplicity. This is because successful conflict transformation and even resolution in our region and sub-region could only be hinged on empathy and creativity in building a true culture of peace, security, stability and cooperation for the future generation.

This peaceful preemption is imperative and is less expensive, at least when compared with outright war, in assuring the lives and property of our citizenry and allowing our society to continue to move on the path of sustainable development. This is all the more reason why President Paul Biya of the Republic of Cameroon and I have deemed it wise to show full commitment to the peaceful resolution of the long standing border disputes.

Consequently, my brother and I worked out modalities to willingly and peacefully implement the ICJ ruling by establishing the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission under the auspices of our brother, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. Kofi Anan. This further led to the Greentree Agreement, which took place in New York on 12 June this year.

By this Agreement, the seeds of discord and hatred, which were sown and allowed to germinate, had been replaced by a bond of brotherhood, friendship and true civility. After all, the character of civilization is not founded in political subterfuge but in finding common answers to common problems and practicing friendship and friendliness in addition to brotherhood and brotherliness of the mind such that mankind will continue to have hope of joy in their relations; not hopelessness and despair.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Officers and Men and Women, from this Agreement, a timetable for a gradual handover of the disputed area was drawn. It is this timetable that occasioned the total voluntary withdrawal of our troops from the Bakassi Peninsula while guaranteeing the security, welfare, well-being and interest of Nigerians who have opted to remain in what will now and later be administered as part and parcel of Cameroon. We are proud that you, the officers and men, have done this gracefully, obediently and loyally and in a most professional manner. I am particularly proud of you as your Commander-in-Chief.

I want to felicitate with you therefore on this occasion as you have shown valour, discipline, commitment and gallantry. In protecting lives and properties of our citizens on the Peninsula you have demonstrated your full commitment to protecting and defending the dignity of our citizens. I salute your courage and steadfastness. Some of your colleagues have paid the supreme sacrifice while carrying out their constitutional roles and responsibilities and we pray solemnly for their departed souls. We thank you all for the self-sacrifice that you have made to ensure peace, security, harmony and progress.

You gave us confidence. You inconvenienced yourselves to give is convenience and comfort. We use this medium to welcome you back home having proved your mettle. We thank you and we celebrate you as heroes in your own right. The path to peace may at times be symptomatic of courage than the path of war.

Let me use this medium to call on all Nigerians to embrace peace. Let it be known that Nigeria will not condone any destructive action of the criminal youth from the Niger Delta in the Bakassi area. We most sincerely thank our citizens living in the Bakassi Peninsula for their patience and understanding. We beseech them not to see our actions as a denial of their ancestral and inalienable rights, rather as an indication of our civility, respect for international agreements, absolute belief in the rule of law and love for peace.

Our action in this respect is an inescapable necessity for peace, security and stability; as there can be no credible and lasting solution in this matter without the collective efforts of Nigeria, Cameroon and the international community. I must add, however, that the Agreement reached has taken due cognizance of the need for protection of lives, properties, welfare, well-being and dignity of our nationals, who choose to remain on the Peninsula after this withdrawal and subsequent handover of all of Bakassi in two years time.

I must also mention that the Nigerian Government shall be ready to assist our nationals who would want to relocate to our side of the border. Furthermore, we remain resolute in protecting the interests of our nationals wherever they may be in any part of the world as long as they are law abiding and are engaged in legitimate endeavours. It is therefore our sincere hope that the Greentree Agreement shall be implemented to the letter and in the true African spirit of respect and honour.

At this juncture, I must thank my dear brother, President Paul Biya for his profound understanding and firm stand on a peaceful resolution of our boundary problem. This understanding will no doubt further promote our peace and security initiative whose mechanisms acknowledge the inextricable linkages between peace, security, stability, democracy, good governance and sustainable development on one hand; and the inseparability of our fortunes as Africans, on the other hand.

We have set a lesson for Africa and the world. We have shown that it is possible to resolve a difficult border problem without war and unnecessary loss of lives and property. We have shown the value of understanding, accommodation, tolerance, discipline, negotiation, dialogue and commitment to peace. We have given true meaning to the common saying that democracies do not go to war against each other and as true Africans, we have shown what brotherhood and good neighbourliness are all about. We have reason to congratulate ourselves for what we have achieved.

Permit me to once again thank the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Anan, on whom the world had conferred a sceptre, which he has used most positively to touch the spirit and mind of humankind in order to create a peaceful environment throughout the world. His commitment to the process of peace is indescribable. He mid-wifed the tripartite Summits involving Cameroon, Nigeria and the United Nations and also helped us to establish the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission chaired by the Secretary-General’s personal representative. The result of his determined and thorough efforts has today brought us together to celebrate peace. We thank him most profoundly.

Let me also appreciate the efforts and the commitment of the United Nations, Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission and the subsequent Follow-up Commission for their dedication to peace in the Bakassi Peninsula in particular and the sub-region in general. Your invaluable work made it possible for us to be here today for this epoch-making ceremony.

I will also like to thank our friends, the Governments of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and Germany as witnesses to the Greentree Agreement.

We extend our gratitude to several international organizations that in one way or the other contributed to the process that culminated in the peaceful resolution to the conflict over the Bakassi Peninsula.

I must not forget to thank the Government and people of Cross River State whose territory diminishes and would also bear most of the burden of resettlement. Our love for our brothers and sisters must be enduring. We must care and share.

The new settlement for the people of Bakassi will be carved out of three Wards of the present Akpabuyo Local Government. The new settlement will retain the name Bakassi Local Government so that legally and constitutionally no change will be required. Provision of infrastructures for the settlements will commence immediately.

History we remember us all for opting for peace rather than war, embracing harmony rather than discord; celebrating unity and love rather than destruction and chaos, appreciating peace and dialogue rather than promoting uncertainty and insecurity. For all these we say, to God be the glory.

May God continue to bless Nigeria. Thank you.

Chinese Confronted On Labour Abuse

Source: AllAfrica.com

Windhoek



The Chinese business community in Namibia was yesterday confronted head-on over alleged unfair labour practices by many of their members. At a consultative meeting called by Labour Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja, Chinese business leaders were subjected to a barrage of criticism about their failure to adhere to Namibian labour laws. This includes persistent claims of hiring and firing workers at will and failure to comply with established minimum wages in certain industries.



Chinese businesses have also been criticised for not providing employees with minimum benefits and failing to respect work-hour regulations for public holidays and Sundays. Another common complaint against Chinese companies raised by Shinguadja was their negative attitude towards trade unions. There have been allegations of "union-bashing" at Chinese companies and not allowing trade unions to organise at their workplaces. This, Shinguadja said, made it impossible for a proper and orderly collective bargaining process with management to take place.



He acknowledged that one of the reasons he called the meeting was because Chinese investment and labour practices in Namibia had been the subject of widespread public debate recently. Shinguadja said Namibia valued the investments made by Chinese businesspeople and their contribution to the Namibian economy. However, this did not mean they do not have to comply with the statutory provisions of Namibian labour law just like any other investor. They were reminded that compliance with relevant statutory requirements was not a matter of choice, but an obligation of both employers and labour. "Orderly collective bargaining is not optional but a prerequisite for conducive labour relations, high productivity, profit and better conditions of employment," Shinguadja said.



Representatives of trade unions, the Namibian Employers Federation, the Ministry of Trade and Industry's Investment Centre and an observer from the Chinese Embassy also attended the meeting. The Chinese businesspeople present at the meeting listened to the criticism mostly in silence, with only two venturing to defend their companies. Chris Lim of China Jiansu company argued that labour problems often arose because of communication problems, because while some Chinese businesspeople could express themselves in English, others could not. Lim also pointed to a lack of skills in the country, saying that often Namibians claimed to know a certain job but after a few hours it would become clear they did not. "We cannot afford to waste money by employing people who are not qualified to do the job. We often have to send them back to the Vocational Training Centre to upgrade their qualifications," he said.



Mara Zaire of the Namibia Investment Centre however pointed out that according to the Investment Act it was the responsibility of investors themselves to train Namibians. General Secretary of the National Union of Namibian Workers' (NUNW) Evilastus Karonda rejected the perception that the unions were going easy on Chinese companies for political reasons. The NUNW in fact made visits to places such as Katima Mulilo to investigate the alleged ill treatment of workers by Chinese businesspeople. The visits revealed their members were being "abused" by Chinese employers, particularly in terms of wages and benefits.



Karonda pointed out that Namibian labour laws only reflected what was agreed on at the international level - agreements that China was part of. This meant many of the laws applicable in Namibia should also apply in China, and that the excuse of cultural differences should therefore not be a big factor. He said Chinese companies often submitted the lowest bid on construction tenders, but what value was this to Namibia in the long-term if it led to the abuse of Namibian workers. Chinese businesspeople were also accused of being insincere because they spoke English when there was no problem, but as soon as problems arose they would pretend to not understand the language. He also referred to Chinese companies alleged hostility to trade unions saying, "When someone joins a union, you come back tomorrow and he is no longer there."



The union leader appealed that for every foreign worker employed by Chinese companies there should be a Namibian understudy. He questioned why Chinese people should be brought to Namibia to do work such as bricklaying, as there were enough qualified Namibian bricklayers. Karonda further deplored the lack of a proper industrial policy in the country, which allowed foreigners to engage in retail businesses and even go to the extent of owning taxis. This not only drove local entrepreneurs out of the retail sector, but also diverted foreign investors away from the vital manufacturing sector.



Paulus Hango of the Trade Union Congress of Namibia appealed for a minimum wage to be introduced in the retail sector. He further criticised the Namibian government for being reluctant to enforce laws regarding work permits. "If someone breaks Namibian laws they must be punished. Everything must be withdrawn, including work permits and trading licences," Hango said.

Obasanjo Seeks Special Fund

Source: AllAfrica.com

Niger Delta



President Olusegun Obasanjo has formally sent a request to the Senate for $1.062 billion to finance the Niger Delta Independent Power Project (NIPP) and the two extra days of the March 2006 national census. The President's letter dated August 16, 2006 and addressed to Senate President Ken Nnamani reads: "Following my letters of September 9, 2005 and June 12, 2006 on Power Sector Development and 2006 National Population Census respectively, I hereby present, for formal consideration and passage into law by the Senate, the attached Bill for an Act to provide for the issuing out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, an additional total sum of $1,062,591,071. 85 for the funding of the Power Sector Projects in Nigeria and an additional two days of the National Population Census 2006. "I hope this Bill would receive prompt attention of distinguished members of the Senate."



To address a shortfall in the nation's projected revenue for 2006, the President also forwarded a N600 billion request to the Senate, to be taken from the excess crude proceeds. The President further asked the Senate's permission to draw from a $2.5 billion concessional facility from the Peoples Republic of China to finance major infrastructural projects in the country. The shortfall in the 2006 budget has been attributed to the incessant hiccups experienced in the Niger Delta.



Obasanjo, in a July 13, 2006 letter addressed to the Senate president had said rather than produce 2.5 million barrels upon which the 2006 Appropriation Act was predicated, the nation is producing only 2 million barrels of oil per day. "Distinguished Senate president, you may wish to recall that in crafting Budget 2006, oil production of 2.5 million barrels per day was used at a price of $35 per barrel. "Immediately the budget was passed, the problem in Niger Delta assumed a different dimension resulting in oil production shortfall of about 600 thousand barrel per day. Currently, we are producing about 2 million barrels per day which has significant negative variance on oil revenue. This is, therefore, affecting the full implementation of the federal budget and the states and local government budgets as well. "I, therefore, wish to seek the understanding of the Senate to make up for the shortfall estimated at N600 billion for the federal budget from the excess crude proceeds. Each tier of government will get its proportionate share. This is borne out of my concern to ensure that Budget 2006 is fully implemented at all levels of government."



Meanwhile, the president has asked the Senate to approve Nigeria's request to access a concessional facility of $2.5 billion from China for the purpose of financing critical infrastructural projects in three sectors of the economy. "The proceeds of the proposed facility will be applied as follows: (i) Construction of the first phase of a 2600mw hydro-electric power plant on the Mabilla Plateau ($1 billion); (ii) commencement of construction of the first phase of Standard Guage Railway ($1 billion) and (iii) implementation of Phase Two of the Rural Telephony and NICTIB Projects valued at $.5 billion.



"I want to let you know that we urgently need the Chinese facility. In the first place, much of the infrastructural projects to be financed have high import content and their funding with such cheap facility would obviate the need to draw down on our external reserve, thereby enhancing the stability of the exchange rate of the Naira, among other benefits. "The use of the Chinese facility will also assist us in keeping within the framework of our Policy Support Instrument with the Bretton Woods Institutions as it would relieve part of the burden which the implementation of the projects would have exerted on the Budget. "I will, therefore, be most delighted if the Senate will consider the strategic importance of the projects to be funded with the concessional facility and indicate its understanding accordingly", he said.



The president harped on the long-term benefits of the projects to the nation, adding that, "since the Chinese loan offer is concessional and has a tenor of 10 years, I am convinced that it is appropriate for funding such a vital project." The first phase of the railway project, according to the president, would run from Apapa/Tin Can Island Ports in Lagos to Ibadan, Oyo State while part of the loan would be used to bridge the financing gap in the provision of the National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone, which would among others, facilitate the implementation of the nation's e-government programme.

Towards making more out of biotechnology

Source: Ethiopian Herald

(Taken from a document by Dr. Tilahun Zeweldu)



Biotechnology is a science that uses living organisms or substances to make or modify a product, to improve the productivity of plants or animals for specific purposes. This technology has it sown pivotal roles in the advancement and improvement of productivity as well as quality of products of agriculture, industry, medicine and other areas of production. For example, biotechnology is used in Ethiopia to improve and create new high quality seeds and better agricultural products. It is also used to enhance productivity in plant crops, forestry, animal husbandry, soil fertility and the like.

However, Ethiopia has still no biotechnology strategy and proclamation that promote the science so as to ensure development in various fields. To this end, Dr. Tilahun Zeweldu, Coordinator of Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Programme (APEP) of East Africa and advisor of the same project in Uganda, has proposed a policy document for Ethiopia in his writing under the title “Biotechnology Development Strategies for Ethiopia.” The proposal paper was distributed at the regional workshop on biotechnology organized by the Horn Biotechnology Forum (HBF) on the 20th and 21st of July 2006 at the UN Conference Centre here in Addis.

According to Dr. Tilahun, currently, Ethiopia is suffering from the major problems, in the main, food in security, energy constraints, poor health care, poverty and the like, despite the fact that Ethiopia is considered as one of the biodiversity rich countries in the world, and rich in water resources as well. Biotechnology is one of the most promising scientific tools for the speedy economic development of countries like Ethiopia through sustainable exploitation of biological resources for agricultural, manufacturing and processing industries, health care and other services…

Current Status of Biotechnology in Ethiopia

Biotechnology and issues related to it are being discussed globally in multitude of international forums. Several international organizations have direct competence in dealing with issues relating to biotechnology. Biosafety is addressed by Cartagena Protocol, biodiversity by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Agriculture by Food and Agriculture Organization (F AO), intellectual property rights and technology transfer by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and World Trade Organization (WTO), trade by WTO, risk analysis of foods derived from modern biotechnology in Codex Alimentarius under the World Health Organization (WHO)/F AO, plant protection under the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), and the development of consensus documents by the organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Moreover, recently organizations like World Bank and UNIDO are engaging themselves in biotechnology and related issues increasingly. For instance the World Bank has launched a consultative process on proposed international assessment of the role of agricultural science and technology in reducing hunger, improving rural livelihoods and stimulating environmentally sustainable economic growth.

In the view of this international prospect regarding biotechnology and related issues, the question remains as to what has been and is happening in Ethiopia. The awareness of the Ethiopian Government, the scientific community, policy makers and research managers, as well as the general public with regard to the economic importance of biotechnology in the areas of health, industry, agriculture and energy has been extremely low. If there is any sort of awareness at all, it is mainly related to genetically modified food crops. This is basically because of the nature of the technology and associated environmental and food safety concerns.

As the result of this very low level of awareness and understanding of biotechnology, Ethiopia so far does not have a national biotechnology policy, strategy and legal framework for judicious use of biotechnologies in different sectors of economy. Thus, biotechnology capacity and capability in the country is extremely low. Ethiopia does not have any sort of approved national or institutional biosafety policy and national legal framework to regulate importation, exportation, research and development or testing of transgenic technologies or products. However, recently 2002/3, Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia has received funding from United Nations Environmental Programme Global Environment Fund (UNEP-GEF) to develop a National Biosafety Framework (NBF) which should be in compliance with CBD and Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The emphasis of this biosafety is regulating development and/or trans-boundary movement and handling of genetically modified organisms from the environmental safety point of view which also takes into account the protection of biological diversity from being contaminated through gene/pollen flow or from being harmed by whole transgenic organism.

Comprehensive national and institutional biosafety policies, regulations, and guidelines are the major prerequisites for applying genetic engineering tools to develop technologies and novel products for health care services such as vaccines and therapeutic drugs; for industrial use such as highly efficient recombinant enzymes and micro organisms; for agriculture such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerant transgenic crops and trees, and developing highly efficient recombinant rhizobia to improve the soil fertility; and to develop biotechnologies for environmental protection, rehabilitation and management purposes.



To be able to fully benefit from the advancement of genetic transformation technology, Ethiopia needs to put in place comprehensive national and institutional biosafety policies; and national as well as institutional biosafety regulations and guidelines parallel to biotechnology research and development capacity building efforts. Otherwise, development, access, and transfer of modern biotechnology into Ethiopia will be very difficult if not totally impossible. Protection of intellectual and technology properties (IP and TP) developing mechanisms for accessing technologies and transfer and commercialization of research outputs (technologies and or products) are very critical factors in the use of science and technology for economic development. A nation that does not have mechanisms to protect, transfer and commercialize its scientific research results, inventions and discoveries is not viable for economic social and cultural development. Therefore in order to do this, it requires setting up systems for intellectual property (IP), technology transfer (TT), technology and product licensing, and commercialization policies and implementation strategies.

Ethiopia does not have explicit IP, TT, Licensing, commercialization and management policy and strategic plan related to life sciences and biotechnology. Not having this policy framework and implementation strategy in place has significantly contributed to the existing scientific, technological, economic, social and cultural situation of Ethiopia. Therefore, putting in place the national and institutional IP policies that are conducive to the local and national private and public sector development is a very critical step forward for the national scientific, technological and business development.

Full article available at: http://www.ethpress.gov.et/Herald/article.asp?categoryid=44&categoryName=Economy+%26+Development

Open University Holds Public Lecture

Source: AllAfrica.com

Lagos



Nigerians have been advised to look inwards for solutions to the country's socio-economic problems from her vast and natural resources, which God has graciously endowed her with. Dr. Paul Omaji, gave the advise at this year's first public lecture, titled 'Managing For Results: A governance Challenge for public Institutions', organised by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), at its headquarters in Lagos. Omaji, who is a Nigerian criminologist and management expert working with the Australian government said, "When God was distributing natural resources, he never forgot Nigeria.



But the problem lies in the fact that governance has been compromised. Though we are on the right path, we are not there yet, our management ability is very poor, our asset and maintenance culture is at a zero level, and our commitment to duty and courtesy to visitors is non existent", he lamented. He said the old paradigm, which was process and rule driven, has been replaced with that of management by objectives and performance. According to him, our reforms should go from process-based to results oriented strategy. " There is need for leaders to be accountable and for this to be possible, you must have the fear of God to do the right thing", he said



Addressing the press later, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede assured the students and the general public that the university was striving hard to achieve its set objectives of training and producing graduates who can hold their heads high in the society. He disclosed that the school resumed for the current semester since July 17, and that 107 course materials have been printed and delivered to the study centres across the country. Admission of 30, 225 new applicants have also been processed, with their course materials delivered", he said



To fast track admission processes, Jegede added, the purchase of forms, processing and registration are now being done on-line. All that students need do is go to their study centres for clearance. He assured that within the next 12 months, study materials will also be accessed online, to eliminate time wastage arising from printing the hard copies. More study centres that will cover every state of the federation will also emerge. He commended President Olusegun Obasanjo for his directive that old party offices in each state be given to NOUN as study centres. He specifically commended Niger and Bauchi States, which have since carried out presidential directive.



Jegede said Bauchi State has magnanimously renovated the place it allocated to the university, adding that this was a challenge to the South-South and South East governments, which have not deemed it fit to allocate study centres to the university for the training and education of their citizens. He appealed to other private organisations to help create more study centres for NOUN. "We want to have study centres in each of the states, including Abuja to make them at least 37 in all", while a state like Lagos would have not less than three centres to cater for its teeming applicants. The Vice Chancellor disclosed that the university council has approved the hiring of substantive officers of the university, including Registrar, Bursar, Internal Auditors and others to move the university forward.

GM potatoes for UK 'in 10 years'

Source: BBC News



A chemical company has asked for permission to grow the first trial crop of genetically modified (GM) potatoes in the UK. BASF says it hopes GM potatoes could be sold in the UK within 10 years. It says they would be resistant to late blight disease, meaning no need for spraying fields with fungicides, and could save millions in damaged crops. But environmentalists say consumers do not want GM potatoes even if it means cutting back on chemicals. Two genes from wild potatoes have been discovered which make them resistant to late blight - the disease which caused the Irish potato famine. The only way to get those genes into new varieties is by genetic modification.



BASF says blight resistance means farmers could avoid losses of up to �50m a year through damaged crops. It says the trials would take place in Cambridgeshire and Derbyshire. BASF spokesman Barry Sticking said the application was about providing choice for farmers. "Farmers ought to have the choice between growing organic crops the traditional way - using fungicides and herbicides - or crops which are grown from GM varieties," he told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme. But Claire Oxborough, from Friends of the Earth, said there was no market for GM goods. She said: "Consumers have already made that choice and that's why all the supermarkets and food companies have stopped using GM ingredients in their foods. "They've recognised that people don't want to eat it." If trials went ahead, crops in future years could be contaminated, she added.



The article can be viewed at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/5277152.stm

Statement by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns Regarding Genetically Engineered Rice

Source: USDA

August 18, 2006



"The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration have been notified by Bayer CropScience that the company has detected trace amounts of regulated genetically engineered (GE) rice in samples taken from commercial long grain rice. Both have reviewed the available scientific data and concluded that there are no human health, food safety, or environmental concerns associated with this GE rice.



"Bayer has developed many GE herbicide-tolerant products with the protein called Liberty Link, three of which are rice. The regulated line is LLRICE 601 and Bayer reports finding only trace amounts of it during testing. LLRICE 601 was field tested between 1998 and 2001. Two deregulated lines, LLRICE 62 and LLRICE 06, have been through thorough safety evaluations and have been deemed safe for use in food and safe in the environment, although these lines have not been commercialized.



"Based on the available data and information, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has concluded that the presence of LLRICE 601 in the food and feed supply poses no safety concerns. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service also conducted a risk assessment, which indicates LLRICE 601 is safe in the environment.



"Bayer indicated it had no plans to market LLRICE 601 and therefore had not requested deregulation. Based on reports that LLRICE 601 is in the marketplace and a petition from Bayer, APHIS will conduct a deregulation process, including an opportunity for public comment. "Because the line of GE rice in question was regulated, APHIS is conducting an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the release and whether any violations of USDA regulations occurred.



"The protein found in LLRICE 601 is approved for use in other products. It has been repeatedly and thoroughly scientifically reviewed and used safely in food and feed, cultivation, import and breeding in the United States, as well as nearly a dozen other countries around the world.



"Since 1987, APHIS has deregulated more than 70 GE crop lines and in the last decade farmers have increasingly planted biotech varieties engineered mainly for herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, and enhanced quality traits. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates that in 2006, 61 percent of the corn, 83 percent of the cotton and 89 percent of the soybeans planted in the United States were biotech varieties."



Full article can be viewed at: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1RD?printable=true&contentidonly=true&contentid=2006/08/0307.xml