Cameroonian foreign minister, Lejeune Mbella, on Friday said that all applications for entry visas to Cameroon will be done online as from April 30.

According to the minister, applications would be carried out “exclusively” through a dedicated website, www.evisacam.cm, after which an online visa authorization will be issued to the applicant.

The applicant can then go to either a diplomatic mission or a border post to actually obtain the visa, Mbella said in a statement earlier on Thursday night.

Mbella said for applicants in areas far-flung from a diplomatic mission or those not covered by a mission, “an online visa authorization, together with a QR code, shall round off the phase.”

The procedure will be completed within 72 hours from the date of pre-enrollment, or 24 hours in the case of express visa applications, the minister said.

“Cameroon’s e-visa system is part of an effort to turn Cameroon into a more attractive destination, while at the same time addressing some of the concerns of Cameroon’s diaspora and aligning our consular system with the highest international standard.” (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

================
Edited by Halima Sheji/Vincent Obi

Four-time Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been diagnosed with leukaemia, a source close to the matter said on Thursday, a day after he was admitted to intensive care with breathing problems.

The 86-year-old, whose media empire has made him a billionaire, is being treated in a cardiac unit of Milan’s San Raffaele hospital.

There has been no official comment on his condition, but the source’s diagnosis of leukaemia, which is a cancer of the blood cells, confirmed a report in the Corriere della Sera daily.

Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition, though the former prime minister does not have a role in government.

“I spoke this morning with Professor (Alberto) Zangrillo (Berlusconi’s personal doctor) and he told me that Berlusconi spent a quiet night, his condition is stable,” Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani told RAI state television.

Tajani, a long-time Berlusconi ally within Forza Italia, noted Berlusconi had survived a series of health problems.

“We all want to be optimistic and we hope that the lion will return soon to take charge of the party.

“He’s our political leader and of course, he never gives up,” Tajani told the broadcaster.

The party subsequently released a statement saying Berlusconi had spoken in the morning to senior Forza Italia allies and urged “maximum commitment” in parliament.

“The country needs us,” he was quoted as saying.

Berlusconi, who made his fortune from commercial television, has suffered repeated bouts of ill-health in recent years and came out of the same hospital just last week after being treated for a few days.

“There is obviously concern… (He) is alert but not in a position to deal with every situation,” Paolo Barelli, leader of Forza Italia in the lower house of parliament, told Italian radio.

Berlusconi stepped down as prime minister for the last time in 2011, weighed down by sleaze and scandal, including his notorious “bunga bunga” parties, as Italy came close to a Greek-style debt crisis.

But he returned to the Italian Senate after a national election last September and there is no obvious successor as leader of his party.

As well as his enduring influence on Italian politics, Berlusconi’s Fininvest family holding group retains control of the MediaForEurope broadcast business.

His son Pier Silvio Berlusconi is the chief executive of the company.

Berlusconi built Italy’s biggest commercial TV network and gained an international profile as the owner of European soccer champions AC Milan before entering politics in 1994 when the previous political class was brought down by a corruption scandal.

His health has deteriorated in recent years. He had heart surgery in 2016, has also had prostate cancer, and has been repeatedly admitted to the hospital since contracting Coronavirus in 2020. (Reuters/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Cecilia Ologunagba

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the Taliban ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations (UN), describing it as violation of their inalienable fundamental human rights.

Guterres in a statement by his Spokesperson, Mr Stephane Dujarric, said the latest escalation of the de facto authorities’ suppression of women violated their obligations under international human rights.

“It violates Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law, and infringes on the principle of non-discrimination, which is a core tenet underpinning the United Nations Charter,” he said.

Since overthrowing the democratically elected Government of Afghanistan in August 2021, Taliban leaders have steadily eroded the rights of women and girls in public life.

It has ended the right of women and girls by introducing a ban on secondary schooling, higher education, working for non-governmental organisations, and their rights to freedom of movement.

Bans are already in force preventing them in effect from working, studying, and travelling without male chaperones.

The UN chief said that female staff members were essential for all UN operations, which are directed by the Assistance Mission in the country, (UNAMA), and which include the delivery of life-saving assistance.

“The enforcement of this decision will harm the Afghan people, millions of whom are in need of this assistance.

“The secretary-general calls on the Taliban to immediately revoke the decision and reverse all measures that restrict women’s and girls’ rights to work, education and freedom of movement,” he said.

In the same vein, Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed, described the latest escalation of the de facto authorities’ suppression of women, as a violation of their inalienable fundamental human rights.

Speaking with journalists at UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday, ahead of a sustainable development report briefing, Mohammed recalled the plight of women in Afghanistan in her last visit to the country.

The UN deputy chief said that she had met many of the women now facing a ban and the loss of their livelihoods, in a visit to Afghanistan at the beginning of the year.

“We reiterate that both Afghan women and men are essential to all aspects of our work,” she said, adding that the UN is taking all possible measures right now to support its national female staff at this difficult time.

She said UN national female staff would continue to receive their salaries, but until further clarification is received, all national staff – both men and women – are being told not to report to the office.

Mohammed said she had been involved in a meeting with the Foreign Affairs minister of the de facto authorities on Wednesday morning.

She pledged that UN leadership would continue to engage with Taliban representatives, as well as neighbouring countries” to resolve the latest human rights infringements.

The President of the General Assembly, Csaba Korosi, also strongly condemned the move, calling it a “blatant violation” of women and girls’ human rights.

“The consequences of this decision would harm the Afghan people, in particular the most vulnerable segments of the population,” he said.

He noted that Afghanistan needed to get on the path towards sustainable development, “and for that, it should mobilize the country’s full potential.”

Also, the UN human rights chief Volker Türk, described the latest erosion of rights for women in Afghanistan as an “utterly despicable” move.

“This is a systematic, relentless assault on the people of Afghanistan as a whole by the Taliban”, he said, who he said seemed to be working to incapacitate, intimidate and harass half of the population.

He called on the leadership to rethink all of the restrictive policies introduced to curb women’s rights, for the sake of the future of the country. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

======

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Taiye Olayemi

The Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS) has embarked on a four-day workshop on developing Civil-Military coordination strategies to aid humanitarian action across West Africa.

Dr Sintiki Ugbe, Director, Humanitarian and Social Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, during the workshop in Lagos said this was necessary considering the varied humanitarian challenges confronting the region.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that delegates cutting across the 15 member states of ECOWAS were represented at the workshop which began on Monday, April 3.

The workshop will end on April 6, 2023.

Ugbe noted that humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable citizens was a critical mandate that ECOWAS had to pursue with all vigour.

“Today, ECOWAS is hosting a regional workshop on Civil-Military coordination,.

“Our region is faced with conflicts, terrorism, impact of climate change, food insecurity and many other challenges as this has led to a surge in humanitarian assistance.

“But, in providing humanitarian assistance, civilians cannot do it alone, they need military assistance to work together in a coordinated fashion to deliver assistance to vulnerable population.

“So, what we are trying to do as ECOWAS is to see how we can strengthen Civil-Military coordination, as it has become important in our region because it is difficult for humanitarian actors to reach those who are in need.

“The only way to enhance humanitarian access is to strengthen the synergy of Civil-Military coordination to promote compliance with humanitarian principles with comparative advantage in the use of our resources as civilians and military,” she said.

According to Ugbe, ECOWAS had enjoyed the support and cooperation of ECOWAS countries’ Heads of States over the years.

She said: “Through their approval and mandate, we have the ECOWAS community levy that we use for implementing our programmes but that is not enough.

““We also mobilise resources from our partners, just like this workshop is done with partnership between ECOWAS commission and some other organisations, with funding from the European Union and we have our United Nations partners who are providing technical support.”

Earlier, Mr Usman Obeche, Programme Officer for the workshop said the rationale behind the workshop was to organise ECOWAS working groups.

According to him, the workshop is also meant to establish linkages between the working groups and other relevant forum such as the regional committee for disaster management in West Africa, the ECOWAS standardised emergency management system and the national disaster risk reduction platform.

He said at the end of the day, some of the outcomes would be to have established standards and guidelines for the use of national military assets in emergencies and  ECOWAS and member states would have been developed.

“Challenges in military coordination would be identified as well as emerging policy issues and gaps in the field of response,” Obeche said.

In his goodwill address, Mr Trond Jensen, Head of Office, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), assured participants that the workshop would be strategic.

Jensen emphasised  the need for meaningful collaboration and constructive dialogue between the military and civilians.

He said this was essential in solving common problems and building a brighter

future for the many people

“This workshop will be strategic and deliberations will design an appropriate civil-military coordination strategy for the ECOWAS region that meets the requirements of international best practices,” he said.  (NAN) (nannews.ng)

Edited by Modupe Adeloye/Vivian Ihechu

R-L: Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, Amb. Bello Kazaure, Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero standing side by side in Abuja on Thursday during the launch of the book, “Humility in Diplomacy”, authored by Kazaure.

By Lizzy Okoji

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, says humility can achieve better results in diplomacy when applied to the implementation of Nigeria’s foreign policy. 

Onyeama stated that this postulation goes contrary to the ideology presented by some scholars who prefer Nigeria to “throw its weight around”.

The minister expressed this thought on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the book, ‘Humility in Diplomacy’ authored by the Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bello Kazaure.

According to him, humility does not connote weakness but rather shows the strength of the country.

He lauded Kazaure for the book title which he described as a departure from the everyday perception of so many. 

“I really like the tittle which is humility in diplomacy and I think this is very important for a country like Nigeria. 

“Very often, over the past seven years, we hear scholars and others in international relations and foreign affairs writing about what the ministry should and should not be doing, as well as what the diplomats should and should not be doing. 

“They expect us as a big country to be banging the tables hard and throwing our weigh around.

“Humility in diplomacy is very apt, especially in the context of a lot of what is happening globally. Yes, you might be big, but ultimately, humility is very important. 

“And humility does not denote weakness, rather strength, and especially in the context of diplomacy where you are trying to achieve your own national interest. 

“You very often find that humility can actually help you to be more successful and achieve those interests rather than throwing your weight around, being a bully and being extravagantly proud. 

“So, I think it is a very apt tittle and it also represents the individual. 

“It is an excellent read and also an important tool for generations to come and history.

“And it is testament to a very important period in the life of not just the author and the country but also where the world is at this particular period of time and to development during this period,” Onyeama said.

Also speaking, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari said it was a kown fact that diplomacy had helped to create an international order conducive for non-violent approach to the resolution of disputes.

Gambari, who was represented by Amb. Janet Olisa, Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, added that diplomacy has also fostered greater cooperation among state and non-state actors for sustainable peace and security.

“There is gainsaying that public diplomacy encourages people-to-people contact across borders or boundaries which the author is vastly conversant with,” Gambari said.

Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado–Bayero, described the book as a hallmark in the history of foreign affairs.

“I have read two books and I find it very rich in content and detailed in presentation which I believe will provide some good lessons to foreign officers. 

“It will also be a reference book to students and researchers of international studies,” Ado Bayero said. 

Kazaure expressed appreciation to all the dignitaries for their commendation, said that he was inspired by his experiences and the need to contribute to the development and improvement of the Nigerian Foreign Service..

“When I joined foreign service, I noticed it is a profession that connects the world and I am opportune to move around. I travelled all over the world.

“In the course of my work, I noticed that humility is key to succeeding if you want to become a diplomat and so I came up with the idea of putting my experiences both at home and abroad in a book.

“This is to enable me pass the message to the younger ones and those interested in becoming diplomats,” Kazaure said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that also in attendance were the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami; Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Musa Bello; amongst others. (NAN)  (www.nannews.ng)

=======

(Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

By Adebola Adegoke 

 A leading Zimbabwean property company, WestProp Holdings, has announced its official listing on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange.

Dr Michael Louis, Chairman of the Board, announced at a news conference held in Zimbabwe  that the company would formally be listed on April 29.

He said  the company had received approval to list two categories of share capital namely its ordinary shares and preference shares.

“It is my privilege to formally announce that on the 7th of March, the Registrar of Companies approved West Property Company Pvt Ltd., to become a public company and West Prop Holdings Ltd. was birthed and issued with its certificate of name change,” he said.

Louis said the shares would accordingly be opening an offer for public subscription for the securities from March 27 to April 21, 2023.

He said the decision was in line with the National Development Strategy of ZImbabwe to achieve an empowered upper-middle income society by 2030 to chart a new transformative and inclusive development agenda.

“The board thought of creative ideas to have a participatory inclusive economic model that really can help the poor and give everybody a secure future.

“We are further elated to announce that we have decided to list on the victoria fall stock exchange because of the numerous benefits it holds for shareholders, including but not limited to shares trading in US Dollars, no capital gains and minimum transaction costs.

“If you buy preference shares the company underwrites a minimum return of 7.5 per cent per annum on investments,” he said.

Louis added that WestProp’s IPO is to raise 30 million dollars in capital to accelerate the development of the company’s existing projects such as Pokugara Residential Estate, Millennium Heights, Pomona City, The Mall of Zimbabwe, Millennium Heights Office Park and the Hills Golf Estate.

This, he said, was in line with the company’s 2050 vision of one billion bricks resulting in thousands of jobs and a total value of five billion dollars.

“As we have now gone public, the board is convinced the time is now for individuals to be part of a bigger family to start investing in their long-term future and especially encourage the youth to start participating.

“To this end, the board will be investing in educational literacy programmes to transform and educate the public and especially the youth regarding their responsibility of securing a generational future,” he said.

Louis, the new chairman of the board acknowledged the achievements of Kenneth Sharpe, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and his team that have led the company to receive several international and national awards.

The awards included Company of the Year 2023 ( Zim land Developments and construction Awards); Property Development Company of the Year 2021. ( Property Magazine); Company of the Year National Awards 2021 (Zimbabwe Business Awards).

Others were Best Real Estate Innovative company of the year 2021 (Zim Infrastructure Investment summit);

Outstanding Property Development company 2022. (Zim CEO Network).

In his remarks, Sharpe announced that the company was offering one million ordinary shares at 10 dollars each and 5.4 million preferential redeemable convertible shares at 5 dollars each.

According to him, the preferential shares allow investors five years to decide to become ordinary shareholders during which time they will benefit from a minimum guaranteed return of 7.5 per cent per year as well as dividends from the company’s profits.

“This is likely to result in over 10 per cent per year being paid out which is an amount that no other listed company or bank in Zimbabwe is currently offering investors.

“We have a goal of taking our company from the current annual sales of 40 million dollars to over 100 million dollars within seven years and to create a balance sheet that will exceed one billion dollars in value which is more than five times the one today.

“All the shareholders will benefit from this growth. We know It is achievable and within our grasp,” he said

He said  the company’s corporate strategy statement was to pioneer world-class, vertically-integrated, premium lifestyle communities in Zimbabwe by 2025.

“It is not a coincidence that we have targeted one billion bricks if you look at our projected construction for the projects we have designed, it will take one billion bricks and five billion dollars to complete them.

“Every day we are putting bricks into the ground working towards the vision where we know that within the next 27 years, we will have laid one billion bricks.

“As of today, we have laid 5,298,975 bricks and we have 55, 626,972 committed bricks from our existing sales,” he said.

“This ensures we have smart cities encompass the live, work, shop and play model which means we provide social amenities like shopping malls, sporting facilities, creches, churches and many other recreational facilities in a safe 24 hour secure gated community,” he said.

He also assured the public that the benefits of investing in the company were multi-dimensional.

According to him, the company guarantees a secure investment where someone who’s investing 50 dollars will know that their money will still be there in one month, in one year and five years.

“It’s an alternative to the banks. There’s no cost we deduct for holding that value on behalf of the investor, and they are guaranteed that their investment is safe with us.

“Once they have invested with us, the investment doesn’t just stay at the 50 dollars that they invested. We give a solid return. The reason why we’re able to give them an expected return of over 10 per cent a year in USD is that we are highly profitable.

“We are saying that together with the public, we can join hands and build Zimbabwe because the opportunity to invest with us will allow us and the public to come together, hold hands and build our country brick by brick.

“We are doing this today through IPO and the listing, benefiting yourself in becoming a shareholder with us, you are joining hands in owning the assets that we own,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chioma Ugboma

By Temitope Ponle

Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), said the onus lies on Africans, at home and in the diaspora, to rewrite the narrative for a progressive Africa.

Dabiri-Erewa said this at a joint world news conference ahead of the Global African Diaspora Symposium (GADS) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The news conference was held virtually for participants from other countries, and physically for participants in Abuja.

The chairman said the narrative for a progressive Africa was because the African Diaspora had proven their talents, vibrancy and competence in all fields, internationally.

She said there was the need for Africans to continue such positive actions to dismiss the negative perception of its citizens abroad.

“It is good to know that efforts are being made by Africa to effectively harness the human and economic potentials of its diaspora, for continental, national and even grassroots development.

“This is demonstrated in the areas of diaspora remittances, skills and knowledge transfer plus socio-economic investments.”

She also said the GADS would take place on April 27 to 28 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

She said the symposium was the second after the one held in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2020.

More so, she said, it was inspired by the Declaration of the 2012 Global Diaspora Summit, which recognised the need for Africa to form impactful engagement with its Diaspora.

She said it was also inspired by the African Union’s (AU) first African Global Diaspora Summit in 2021, in which member states promised to partner with one another politically, socially, economically, and in other aspects.

“This is in consonance with the fifth aspiration of the AU Agenda 2063: “The Africa We Want”, which is Africa with a stronger cultural identity and Pan-African movement.

“Also, the Symposium gives Africa, the chance to engage with its Diaspora, and build upon the first African Diaspora Symposium (ADS-2020), held in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2020, as well as, the maiden outing of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Diaspora Forum in Luanda, Angola, on December 7, 2022, for its 10th Summit Edition.”

More so, she said, the symposium had as its theme, “Building Stronger Connections between Africa and the Global Diaspora”, and was designed to address and proffer workable solutions to Africa’s most pressing issues.

She also added it would offer strategies and necessary partnerships between important diaspora leaders in business and the professions with leaders, on the African continent, to achieve successful results.

Dabiri-Erewa, however, said few objectives of the symposium were to create an interface for networking among Africans and Diaspora globally, and promote the implementation and institutionalisation of Pan-Africanism at the United Nations.

She said the implantation and institutionalisation would be through the celebration of the “International Decade for People of African Descent”.

She further spoke on other objectives of the symposium, saying “Build bridges between Africa and the Diaspora by deepening relations between the AU, OACPS, among others in realising the Diaspora as the sixth region of the AU.

“Explore and engage the contributions of Diaspora skills, particularly in scientific knowledge and technology transfer.

“Mobilise Diaspora savings and Diaspora philanthropic contributions and harness migration, remittances and Diaspora contributions for suitable development.

“Enhance participation of the Diaspora in Africa’s development process to support the development of the roadmap for the Diaspora as the sixth region of Africa towards the attainment of AU’s Agenda 2063.

“Advocate policy and practice changes conducive for more effective integration of Diaspora-led actions in the national development plans of their countries of origin through organisations such as the OACPS.”

Moreover, she said, GADS was the brain-child of the African Diaspora Alliance, (AfDA), OACPS, NiDCOM, the Directorate for Technical Cooperation for Africa (DTCA) and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dabiri-Erewa said the two-day event would be a hybrid one, geared to bring over 3,000 individuals of African descent, worldwide, to have constructive dialogue for better socio-economic opportunities and favourable policies for Africa.

“The symposium will focus on key areas in: science and technology, agriculture, manufacturing and industry, energy, infrastructure development, tourism and culture, green energy and technology, health, information communication technology, education, finance, and economic development, among others.”

Also speaking, the Director-General, DTCA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Rabiu Dagari, said the symposium was similar to the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) that was held in Nigeria in 1977.

Dagari, however, said there was more structure in place, like NiDCOM and the DTCA, to promote the Diaspora community in a positive perception.

“When Nigeria hosted FESTAC ’77, it was sponsored by the Nigerian Government. Nigerians built the town for Africans in Diaspora and for foreigners also. It was a huge success.

“There was a lot of cultural displays and exchanges, and it was the turn of Senegal to host next and when the country saw the success of Nigeria, that it built a town, the money invested, the cultural festival died.”

The director-general also reiterated that the symposium would be intellectual, full of cultural exchanges and contribute to Africans wanting to do more to promote development in their different countries. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vincent Obi