World

Mugabe Beats Sanctions

Published

9 years ago

February 10, 2015

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe inspects an honor guard of police officers Thursday in Harare, the country’s capital. (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/Associated Press/June 13, 2013)

by Omowale Clay
Special to the NNPA from the New York Amsterdam News

Jan. 30, the 54 nations of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government unanimously elected Robert G. Mugabe, president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, to its chairmanship. And with this chairmanship, which compliments his recent election to the chairmanship of the 14-member Southern African Development Community, Mugabe has emerged has one of the most powerful men in the world, representing Africa and its Diaspora.

Ironically, as most of the world applauds Mugabe in his new leadership roles, Western countries are still making him, the government’s leaders and the people of Zimbabwe targets of their “illegal” sanctions.

In his acceptance speech to the African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mugabe referenced the price one pays in holding true to the principles of the African liberation movement, stating, “Given that the continent is rich in mineral resources, such resources should be seen to contribute more meaningfully to Africa’s development … Since the majority of our people depend on the land for sustenance and livelihood, we need to ensure they have access to the land and that Africa’s vast agricultural potential is fully harnessed. The land reform program, that my government embarked upon since the year 2000, was precisely meant to achieve this, notwithstanding the political demonization that my country has endured from those who had selfish and vested interests in our land. The positive impact the program is having on some sections of our farmers has vindicated us. Our production in the tobacco sector, for example, has by far surpassed levels attained by former white farmers.”

In seeking to effect regime change in Zimbabwe, to reverse the land reform program’s transfer of stolen land back to its indigenous owners, the United States passed legislation (sponsored by Sens. Bill Frist, Jesse Helms, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton) called the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001. This legislation, passed to support private business interests in the U.S. and Britain that suffered monetary losses from Zimbabwe’s land reform program, is estimated to have cost the Zimbabwe economy $42 billion over the past 14 years.

The most recent presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe, held in 2013, where the people re-elected Mugabe by more than 65 percent and returned the ZANU-PF political party to an overwhelming majority rule in parliament, was certified by the African Union’s election observer team as free, fair, without violence or any significant irregularities.

In this light, the African Union, SADC, Non-Aligned Movement (103 countries) and the United Nations, along with many and various other international organizations and groupings, even within the U.S. and Western European countries, have called for the lifting of the “illegal” sanctions.

Here in the U.S., the December 12th Movement International Secretariat has consistently called attention to the injustice of ZDERA and the human rights abuses it has brought upon the people of Zimbabwe, where sanctions have halted medicine, medical supplies, agricultural supplies and fertilizers, access to international aid and loans, while creating the conditions for a cholera epidemic, food shortages and hyperinflation.

The ZDERA legislation gives the president of the United States, through executive order and certification, the power to lift the illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe and join the international community in respecting the people of Zimbabwe and the African Union electoral processes.

As we enter Black History Month 2015, we recall one of the adages of the late Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who instructed Black people, in our struggle for civil and human rights, “to use what’s in our hands”. Thus, the December 12th Movement International Secretariat, in heeding words of our former congressman, has launched a campaign called “Obama, With the Stroke of a Pen.” It recognizes that the first Black president of the United States has the power to recognize the will of Africa and the international community to do right by Zimbabwe and, with the stroke of a pen, lift the sanctions against Zimbabwe.

For further information on the campaign and Mugabe’s impact on the African Union, please call 718-398-1766.

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Oakland Ambassadors Strengthen Ties and Aid Efforts in Ghana

Oakland natives and esteemed members of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), Jonathan P. Jones and Dr. Maritony Efua Jones, recently embarked on a significant journey to Ghana as guests of the World Martial Authority Ghana. This trip signifies a crucial opportunity to bolster partnerships, explore new avenues of collaboration, and contribute to impactful initiatives in Ghana.

Published

14 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Elder Jorg Klebingat, Flint Mensah, Richard Burton, H.E. Dr. Maritony Jones, Amb. Jonathan Jones, Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, Elder Alfred Kyungu. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

This trip signifies a crucial opportunity to bolster partnerships, explore new avenues of collaboration, and contribute to impactful initiatives in Ghana.

Upon their arrival at Katota Airport in Accra, Ghana, the Joneses were warmly received by His Royal Majesty Okatakyie Asafo Boakye III, the distinguished king of Sanzule Kingdom in the Eastern Nzema, and Etse Nyamedi of World Martial Authority, Ghana.

Nyamedi accompanied the Joneses to the city of Mepe, which had recently experienced flooding, to assess damages and engage with local leaders, elders, and youth regarding the city’s urgent needs after major floods last fall.

Key concerns and priorities identified by the community include comprehensive flood mitigation measures, agricultural support, housing initiatives, educational enhancements, improved healthcare access, and the development of communal recreational spaces.

The Joneses were also graciously invited to meet with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at their headquarters in Accra. This meeting provided insights into ongoing humanitarian efforts in Ghana and explored avenues for collaboration to further assist Ghanaian communities.

The LDS leaders shared their prompt response to the recent flood, demonstrating their commitment to humanitarian aid by dispatching substantial supplies including medical provisions, sanitation items, blankets, and food to assist flood victims just four days after the disaster.

Additionally, Boakye extended a special invitation to the Joneses to his palace, where they were pleasantly surprised with a heartfelt recognition ceremony. Maritony Jones was honored as the Queen Mother of the Sanzule Kingdom in acknowledgment of her dedicated work, while Jonathan Jones was lauded and welcomed as the ambassador of the Sanzule Kingdom, symbolizing a meaningful homecoming to their ancestral land.

The visit not only strengthens ties between Oakland and Ghana but also underscores the collaborative spirit and commitment to meaningful progress and humanitarian endeavors shared by all involved parties.

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza 

On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

By California Black Media

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.

The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.

Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.

“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.

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Bay Area

Nigerian Bank Chief Killed in Helicopter Crash on Way to Superbowl XVIII

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept., the crash occurred near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve. The poor weather conditions — rain, wind and snow showers—may have contributed to the accident, although the investigation is not complete. All six aboard were killed. Herbert Wigwe, 57, founded Access Bank in 1989, and it became the country’s largest competitor, Diamond Bank in 2018.

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Herbert Wigwe with his wife, Chizoba Wigwe, left, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, right. ENigeria Newspaper image.

By Post Staff

The co-founder of one of Nigeria’s largest banks died with his wife, son and three others when the helicopter transporting them from Palm Springs, Ca., to Boulder City, Nev. to attend the fifty-eighth SuperBowl at the stadium outside Las Vegas crashed on Feb. 9.

Herbert Wigwe, 57, founded Access Bank in 1989, and it became the country’s largest competitor, Diamond Bank in 2018.

More recently, Wigwe was planning to open a banking service in Asia this year after making successful expansions to other parts of Africa, including South Africa, Kenya, and Botswana.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu described Wigwe’s death as an ‘overwhelming tragedy.”

Oakland resident and Nigerian immigrant Kayode Gbadebo agrees with Tinubu. He met Wigwe in Nigeria but crossed paths with him in London in 2006. Wigwe, he said, “took risks.”

He was young and people thought he couldn’t do what he intended, which was not so much about money but community.

“He was more like Jesus in washing the feet of the poor– Wigwe was culturizing community,” Gbadebo said.

“There will never be another like him. This is a deep, deep loss” and he hopes everyone will eventually “be comforted.”

He was also disappointed that a replacement has already been named even before Wigwe is buried. “It is not reasonable. You don’t want a vacuum, but it’s” not fair to the family, Gbadebo observed.

Wigwe had also been working to solve the migration issues from African countries, believing that “investing in higher education was key to controlling mass migration, which “is destabilising countries across the world,” BBC News reported.

“We need to take a holistic approach to address global migration, starting with our traditional framework for international development,” Wigwe wrote.

To that end, according to BBC News, Wigwe was preparing to open Wigwe University in Niger, where he was from.

“The best place to limit migration is not in the middle of the Mediterranean or the English Channel or the Rio Grande. It is in the home countries that so many migrants are so desperate to leave,” he wrote, saying his university was an opportunity for him “to give back to society.”

Besides Wigwe and his wife, Chizoba Nwuba Wigwe, and one son, two crew members and Bimbo Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, were also killed in the crash.

According to Wikipedia, three other children survive Wigwe.

In his statement reported in People magazine, Tinubu described Wigwe as “a distinguished banker, humanitarian, and entrepreneur.”

“I pray for the peaceful repose of the departed and ask God Almighty to comfort the multitude of Nigerians who are grieving and the families of the deceased at this deeply agonizing moment,” the president said.

He added, “Their passing is an overwhelming tragedy that is shocking beyond comprehension.”

Besides feeling the tremendous loss, Gbadebo fears the disorder and greed that will follow. “It’s a mess,” he said.

People magazine, BBC News and Wikipedia were the sources for this report.