Editorials

News : Editorials

It has been called the next golden commodity by investment firms, and 'neocolonialism' by the now repentant director general of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Jacques Diouf. (AllAfrica)

ONE of the most significant developments regarding the Government's role of economic management has been the implementation of a budget cycle that will run from January to December of every year. (AllAfrica)

The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has announced a rebranding campaign tailored to the pursuit of its mandate of assisting every Nigerian to own a house of his or her choice. The bank believes that the exercise would create a new corporate identity for the bank. (AllAfrica)

A new report released by the African Network for Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect recently confirmed what has long been known in this country - that the tragedy of child abuse accruing from broken, dysfunctional homes or any other reason, is on the rise. (AllAfrica)

JUDGMENT day is here. The Namibian people will speak today and tomorrow on the direction in which their country should move and the captains that will take command of the ship. Their verdict will be final. (AllAfrica)

Last November 19 marked the day that a group of concerned private citizens of the world under the aegis of World Toilet Organization (WTO) decided to draw global attention to the dire consequences of neglecting man's toilet needs. (AllAfrica)

The rape, in Kano recently, of two female members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) by suspected robbers, is another in the growing number of cases of desecration of a national symbol, which must be roundly condemned. (AllAfrica)

Now that the power rationing that gripped the country forcing some areas to go without electricity for more than 10 hours is over, the government must start preparing long term strategies that would make the country insulate itself from this perennial power load shedding problem. (AllAfrica)

This week, the heads of more than 50 former British colonies will be in Trinidad and Tobago for the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. (AllAfrica)

THE MDC-T leadership has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of the launch of their party over the past few months culminating in the finale held at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield yesterday. (AllAfrica)

Kenya seek to leave a lasting mark when it competes at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore next year. The event, which was established by International Olympics Committee, aims at promoting a culture of Olympics among young athletes. (AllAfrica)

Public universities are in a rush to introduce new courses to cash in on the rising demand for higher education among Kenyans. (AllAfrica)

As expected Rwanda was over the weekend admitted into the Commonwealth of Nations. This marks a significant step forward in consolidating herself as a player to reckon with on the international scene. (AllAfrica)

EVERYONE says they support private power producers. No one is actually prepared to sign any of them up. And as it becomes increasingly clear that Eskom is not capable of funding the new power stations SA urgently needs, nor even of building enough of them, the go-slow on private producers becomes ever harder to understand -- or excuse. (AllAfrica)

NIGERIANS have good reasons to be concerned about the health of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who is off to Saudi Arabia for treatment again. His office said the visit was a routine follow-up check. We wish him quick recovery and return to his duties. (AllAfrica)

A new survey by respected pollsters Synovate indicates that Ugandans are losing confidence in public universities. These findings should be an eye opener to protagonists in the Higher Education sector, since the nation is trying to position itself as a centre of learning in the Great Lakes Region. (AllAfrica)

I have heard many people utter the phrase "money makes the world go round". Some say the opposite and disagree by saying that "money can't buy you happiness". Both these phrases are very popular today. They are fed by past experiences and perspectives on how the world works from each individual's view of the world. (AllAfrica)

The Ethiopian flag contains the universally recognised tri-colours (green, yellow, and red). Different regimes have always embellished it with emblems that define their political ideology. The founding fathers of the nation chose those tri-colours for political and religious reasons. The flag gave legitimacy to their monarchical rule and authenticity to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which practices a unique brand of Christianity, the official religion of the monarchy until 1974 - the military junta (1974-91) ended the church's monopoly as a state religion. (AllAfrica)

In the wake of the May 2005 Ethiopian parliamentary elections, paramilitary forces under the command of Meles Zenawi orchestrated the massacre of 193 innocent men, women and children and wounded a further 763 people involved in civil protest, writes Alemayehu G. Mariam. Ignoring the efforts of the country's regime to besmirch their memory, Ethiopians must honour these victims of oppression as patriots, Mariam stresses, and recognise their sacrifices as profound inspiration for future generations. (AllAfrica)

The recent (or current) issue of where the Annual Budget should be presented by the President of the Federation, Alhaji Umar Yar'Adua, might be described as uncalled for. (AllAfrica)

Renowned political scientist Larry Diamond, in Foreign Affairs magazine (April 2008), clustered Kenya together with an emerging axis of democracies at risk. (AllAfrica)

For those who had no opportunity to obtain the basic education in the four walls of the class room due to lack of finances in their youthful days, the free and compulsory education policy introduced by Governor Godswill Akpabio-led administration in Akwa Ibom state has been a big relief. Hence, not even age nor sight can deter them from maximizing such opportunity to enrol in any public primary school nearest to them. (AllAfrica)

This week, world leaders will gather in the German city of Copenhagen to argue over issues related to climate change and anticipation is that a global treaty would be the outcome. (AllAfrica)

Today, I should be answering more than a few questions. Obviously, it is threatening to become a matter the Japanese like to call 'loss of face' if I don't seek a time out to answer a few. (AllAfrica)

The signing of the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol by leaders of the EAC partner states on November 20 in Arusha was a significant step towards achievement of total integration of East Africa. (AllAfrica)

In the gossipy column that is Uganda, where young and old now rejoice in conspiracy, precious few people know the truth when they see it. It shows in how we react to mysterious deaths, in how some of us despise officialdom, and, dangerously, in the myriad ways we generalise phenomena. (AllAfrica)

It is now official. The mode and conduct of debate on the floor of Parliament has stooped to an all time low and is now only akin to the banned public Bimeeza debates. (AllAfrica)

My phone rang. I was deep in sleep, but I was rudely woken up Wednesday morning by the call. "Sorry to wake you up, Simon. Have you heard? The president is dead," the voice said. (AllAfrica)

Despite the fanfare which characterised the signing of the protocol for a common market for the East African Community - the partner states would appear to be still far from rolling out a robust common market where labour and capital can move freely. (AllAfrica)

Yet another session of the World Trade Organisation's Ministerial Conference on November 30 will hear appeals to save the crumbling free-trade Doha Round from US and EU farmers' subsidies - but that boring news hides an exciting fact: Africans can free themselves. (AllAfrica)

Climate change will hit Africa - a continent that has contributed virtually nothing to bring it about - first and hardest. (AllAfrica)