The historical adventure behind Ghana

Little is known of the small African kingdoms in the region between the Tano and Volta rivers until the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century. Portugese navigators, working their way down the west African coast, reach this area in 1471 and build a fortress at Elmina in 1482. But others follow fast. As early as 1492 a French buccaneer, marauding off the coast, deprives a Portuguese ship of its precious cargo.
That cargo is gold, and the Gold Coast becomes the European name for this part of Africa. The trade in gold with the Europeans makes possible the development in the early 17th century of Akwamu, the first African state to control an extensive part of the coast.
During the 18th century the dominance of Akwamu is replaced by that of a much more powerful group, the Ashanti, with their capital inland at Kumasi. By this time the British, Dutch and Danes are the main European traders on this part of the coast, and the most valuable commodity for export is not gold but slaves.
Trading slaves for muskets, among other western commodities, the Ashanti acquire great local power. Their king, the Asantehene, enthroned on a traditional golden stool, holds sway over the entire central region of modern Ghana. But the Ashanti suffer a series of major blows between 1804 and 1814, when the Danes, British and Dutch each in turn outlaw the slave trade

The resulting tension leads to warfare in the 1820s (with the defeat of a British force in 1824) and again in the 1870s. In 1874 a British army briefly occupies Kumasi.

In 1901, taking effect from 1 January 1902, Ashanti is declared a British crown colony. The regions further north become at the same time the Protectorate of the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast.

The colonial years are relatively prosperous and untroubled. At first little is done to involve the African population in the political processes of the colony. But in the years immediately after World War II events move so fast that the Gold Coast becomes the first colony in sub-Saharan Africa to win its independence. The turning point is the return home in 1947 of Kwame Nkrumah after twelve years of study and radical politics in the USA and Britain. 
Nkrumah is invited back to the Gold Coast to become general secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention, an organization campaigning for self-government. The UGCC has won the right (in 1946) for an African majority in the colony's legislative assembly, but the fight is now on for a share in executive power.
Nkrumah rapidly extends the movement's popular base, with the result that there are widespread riots in February 1948. The older UGCC leaders are alarmed by this (and by their brief arrest with Nkrumah). A split within the movement leads to Nkrumah founding in June 1949 the Convention People's Party, committed to immediate self-government. 
From January 1950 Nkrumah organizes a campaign of nonviolent protests and strikes, which lands him back in gaol. But in the colony's first general election, in February 1951, the CPP wins convincingly even in the absence of its leader. Nkrumah is released from prison to join the government. In 1952 he becomes prime minister.

During the years of preparation for independence the neighbouring British Togo votes, in a 1956 plebiscite, to merge with the Gold Coast. It is therefore a slightly extended territory which becomes independent in 1957 under Nkrumah's leadership. A new name of great resonance in African history is adopted - Ghana (although the ancient kingdom of that name was far to the north, in present-day Mali).
Independence: from1957

Nkrumah, well aware of his status at the head of the first west African nation to emerge from colonialism, dreams of leading the continent into a Marxist future. This requires a republic, which Ghana becomes in 1960 with Nkrumah as president for life. It also needs only one political party, the CPP. However Nkrumah's authoritarian rule, combined with a collapse in the nation's economy, prompts a coup when the president is away in China in 1966 (he goes into exile in Guinea).

It is the first of several such coups in Ghana's short history, but the nation remains true to the hope of democracy. In four decades Ghana establishes as many new republics.

Culled from http://www.historyworld.net/

Facts about the Maasai tribe of Kenya

Made up of sixteen sections, the ancient warrior tribes of the Maasai people have called southern Kenya and northern Tanzania home for centuries. Their population numbers nearly half a million and altogether, they occupy a total land area of some 160,000 square km. Living within semi-arid and arid lands, these fascinating people once dominated the plains of East Africa and were considered by European explorers to be fierce and dangerous. Today, their domination has waned, however the Maasai are still very much alive and well. Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about these intriguing people.

• Maasai homes are called Inkajijik. They are rectangular and loaf-shaped and constructed from the land. The women of the tribe are responsible for building the houses using materials such as sticks, grass, mud and even cow dung. Women are also responsible for supplying water, gathering firewood, milking the livestock and preparing meals for their families.

• The men of the tribe, in addition to being hunters and “warriors”, are responsible for building fences made out of acacia thorns, which form a circular shelter called a Kraal in which communities and extended families live. These fences are primarily used to prevent lions from attacking the tribe’s livestock.

• Sometimes referred to as “people of cattle”, Maasai value cattle and other livestock highly and use it as a both a form of internal currency and a means of obtaining outside goods such as clothing, beads, grains and uniform and school fees for children. Everything from culture to social relationships to symbolism and language are dominated by cattle. Livestock is frequently traded for milk, siege, cash and other livestock and close familial ties are established through cattle exchange.

• On special occasions, such as when a person is circumcised, gives birth or is sick, the Maasai people may drink cattle blood as it is considered to be good for the immune system. Additionally, the elders of the tribe often use cattle blood to alleviate intoxication or hangovers after a night of drinking alcohol.

• The Maasai rarely farm (only doing so when they have no other choice). This practice is frowned upon because they believe that manipulating the land for crop farming is considered a crime against nature. Maasai feel that once land is cultivated, it is no longer suitable for their precious livestock to graze on.

• Lion hunting is considered a symbolic rite of passage to the Maasai. They consider the experience a personal achievement and a sign of bravery among warriors. The Maasai also respect the lion and understand the important role it plays in the surrounding eco-system, so they only hunt in groups to protect the waning lion population. Additionally, female lions are never hunted because the Maasai believe that females of every species are the bearers of life. Successful lion hunts are met with week-long celebrations. Lion meat is not consumed, but rather only the mane, tail and claws are used by the Maasai people.

• The Maasai are savvy investors when it comes to their currency, livestock. To alleviate risk, herders will often give livestock as loans to relatives or other tribe members. This way if a disaster should strike his herd, he will still have the chance to collect the debts of his “loaned” livestock and begin rebuilding.

• The life cycle of the Maasai is marked by key milestones called “age-grades”. Moving from one age to the next is celebrated with ceremonies and marks critical transitions for both the individual and the community as a whole. Maasai men pass through three main stages: boy, warrior and elder. Maasai women, on the other hand, do not pass through stages like the men do.

• Aside from cattle, Maasai value children as extremely important and they are considered to be a blessing on the tribe. Women contribute to their family’s success and well-being by bearing as many children as they physically can. For a woman to die without mothering children is considered to be a sad and tragic fate.

• Maasai respect the elements of nature, particularly thunder, lightning and rain, as both gifts and punishments on the tribe. They use the term “engai” when they speak of God or the elements, as they believe these natural occurrences shape the earth on which they live. The Maasai pray to Engai as a spiritual force that governs the universe.

While there are many thriving tribes throughout the African continent, the Maasai are one of the most interesting and successful. A colorful and proud people, the Maasai provide a fascinating glimpse into what life may have been like in East Africa centuries ago. Age-old traditions and deep-seeded beliefs govern this captivating tribe and they continue to breathe life and character into the African plains that they call home.

Culled from http://www.reallifeadventuretravel.com/

GAMBIA BANS FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

The Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has banned female genital mutilation (FGM) saying it is not required in Islam; only males must be circumcised in Islam.

The president, Yahya Jammeh, said last night that the controversial surgical intervention would be outlawed. He said the ban would come into effect immediately, though it was not clear when the government would draft legislation to enforce it.

The practice is widespread in many African countries, including the Gambia, where 76% of females have been subjected to it. The age at which FGM takes place in the Gambia is not recorded, but it is reported that the trend of practicing FGM on infant girls is increasing. By the age of 14, 56% of female children in the country have had the procedure.

SMOKING KILLS: IT IS NOT JUST A SLOGAN

Tobacco smoke is enormously harmful to your health. There’s no safe way to smoke. Replacing your cigarette with a cigar, pipe, or hookah (Shisha) won’t help you avoid the health risks associated with tobacco products.

Cigarettes contain about 600 ingredients. When they burn, they generate more than 7,000 chemicals, according to the American long association. Many of those chemicals are poisonous and at least 69 of them can cause cancer. Many of the same ingredients are found in cigars and in tobacco used in pipes and hookahs. According to the National Cancer Institute, cigars have a higher level of carcinogens, toxins, and tar than cigarettes.

When using a hookah pipe, you’re likely to inhale more smoke than you would from a cigarette. Hookah smoke has many toxic compounds and exposes you to more carbon monoxide than cigarettes do. Hookahs also produce more secondhand smoke.

One of the ingredients in tobacco is a mood-altering drug called nicotine. Nicotine reaches your brain in mere seconds. It’s a central nervous system stimulant, so it makes you feel more energized for a little while. As that effect subsides, you feel tired and crave more. Nicotine is habit forming.

Smoking increases risk of muscular degeneration, cataracts, and poor eyesight. It can also weaken your sense of taste and sense of smell, so food may become less enjoyable.

Smoking also depresses appetite, so you may not be getting all the nutrients your body needs. Withdrawal from tobacco products can cause nausea.

Pregnant mothers who are exposed to secondhand smoke are also more likely to have a baby with low birth weight. Babies born to mothers who smoke while pregnant are at greater risk of low birth weight, birth defects, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Newborns who breathe secondhand smoke suffer more ear infections and asthma attacks.

It is very important to advocate a smoke-free environment, for that we need to provide help to people who want to quit smoking. We should start a campaign against tobacco from door to door, school to school. For this, everyone has a role to play – the government, the private sector, academic institutions, civil society and communities.

Culled from www.health.com

N7bn Kano hospital ready in 2016 —Dangote

Chief Executive of the Dangote Foundation, Ms Halima Dangote, has said that the ongoing construction of a multi-billion naira state-of-the-art Operating Theatre and Diagnostic Centre  at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano will be completed next year.

*Alhaji Aliko Dangote

Ms Dangote, who disclosed this when her team visited the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, weekend, said the Operating Theatre and Diagnostic Centre will cost the Foundation N7 billion.

She attributed the earlier delay to technical hitches and said the new contractor, Dantata and Sawoe, has returned to site.  She   also   said the routine immunization  programme  of  the Foundation has been extended to Bauchi, Yobe, Maiduguri and Katsina.

She  said the foundation’s Business School’s Project at  the Bayero University Kano has gulped N524 million, even as it injected N500 million into Kano School of Technology.

Ms Dangote also revealed that the Foundation was determined to build a 500MW of electricity station in Kano. She described some of the projects as “game changing projects” to be completed in the next two years.

Responding, Governor Ganduje said the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has done a lot for the people of Kano who will remain grateful forever. He singled out the contribution of the Foundation to the fight against polio disease, adding that it was indeed a massive intervention.

He said with the help of the Dangote Foundation, the state will soon be given its polio free certificate, adding: “We are ready to do anything to support your effort.”

He further described  Dangote’s intervention at the   Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital as massive, saying the hospital is one of the oldest in West Africa.

The Foundation has also completed the construction of seven out of the 11 primary health care centres it is building in the state.

Russian clubs banned from signing Turkish players

Russian clubs have been banned from signing Turkish players during the January transfer window as a result of the current political tensions between the two nations.

A Russian warplane was shot down by Turkish forces over the Syrian border on November 24, leaving one pilot dead, while another was rescued in a Special Forces operation.

Consequently, Russia have implemented economic sanctions against Turkey, which also includes transactions between football clubs in the two countries.

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko told the R-Sport news agency: "If anyone wants [to sign a Turkish player] during the break, there will not be such a possibility."

However, he also added that Turkish players plying their trade in Russia would not be forced to return to their homeland

He added: "Everyone who has an existing contract will carry on working.

Is this the Nigeria of our dream?(How Angry Mob Stripped & Beat Armed Robbers)

With due respect,i am disappointed because there is a slogan that is being about my country that "Great Nation,Good people".I am sorry but its a lie.Nigeria my beloved country is still backward with people who still behave as if they are not human beings.Whenever there is a crime in our nation,we always take laws into our hands and unfortunately,it becomes an animalistic approach.
Are we animals or human beings?
Some Armed robbers were caught,stripped and terribly man handled at  Olowotedo,Mowe along Lagos Ibadan express way,Ogun State,Nigeria today and it was a sorry state.Nigerians are always ready to mete out jungle justice to the men of the underworld who wants to live like kings in the jungle.They were terribly beaten and handed over to the police.

You may not like the graphic picture of what you see but bear with us.