Nigerians lobby for vice-presidency

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan being congratulated after the swearing-in ceremony. Pic BBC World Service.

By BBC World Service

Nigerian groups are lobbying for the post of vice-president after Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as president following the death of Umara Yar'Adua.

Whoever is named vice-president could be a strong contender for presidential elections due in 2011, analysts say.

It remains unclear whether Mr Jonathan will seek to stand for the governing People's Democratic Party.

There is no deadline for him to name a new deputy but an announcement is expected within the coming days.

Many shops and business in Nigeria remain closed as the seven days of official mourning continue.

But the BBC's Caroline Duffield in the capital Abuja says politics ticks on - over the phone and in private meetings.

POSSIBLE VICE-PRESIDENTS

Nuhu Ribadu - former anti-corruption chief
Aliyu Gusau - newly appointed national security advisor
Alhaji Yayale Ahmed - cabinet secretary
Sule Lamido - governor of Jigawa state
David mark - president of the senate
Murtala Yar'Adua - late president's nephew

She says there are still no answers to the big questions about Nigeria's future.

The political deal that has traditionally ensured peace between north and south is coming under strain, our correspondent says.

The PDP has a tradition of alternating power between the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south.

Mr Jonathan is a southerner and Mr Yar'Adua died less than half-way through the north's "turn" of two presidential terms.

To maintain regional balance, Mr Jonathan would be expected to name a northerner as his deputy, which could put that person in a strong position to contest the elections due early in 2011 on behalf of the PDP.

However, there is strong speculation that Mr Jonathan may seek to defy political convention and stand himself.

Thousands at funeral

Tens of thousands of men shoved and pushed their way into the stadium in Katsina to pay their respects to Nigeria's later President Umaru Yar'Adua.

Chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) began as his body - on a bamboo stretcher and wrapped in a Nigerian white and green flag - was carried in by military men.

Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari and Ibrahim Babangida were among the mourners. Other dignitaries included Niger's interim prime minister. There was also a government delegation, but Mr Yar'Adua's deputy, newly sworn-in President Goodluck Jonathan, was not among them.

Security was tight during the prayers, which lasted about 30 minutes in the 40 degree heat; and the mood was sombre as the body was removed to the cemetery for a burial mainly attended by those close to the late president.

Mr Jonathan has been acting president since February and will serve out the rest of the current presidential term.

Mr Yar'Adua died on Wednesday in the capital Abuja.

Thousands attended the funeral in his home town of Katsina.

Mr Yar'Adua's election in 2007 marked the first transfer of power from one civilian president to another since Nigeria's independence in 1960.

He promised a string of reforms in Africa's most populous nation, including tackling corruption and reforming the inadequate energy sector and flawed electoral system.

Analysts say he made the most progress in tackling unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta by offering amnesties to rebels.

His long absence and the lack of detailed information about his health led to a political limbo in Nigeria, which was only filled when Mr Jonathan was named as acting president.

However, there was constant tension between supporters of Mr Yar'Adua and Mr Jonathan and in March the acting president dissolved the cabinet and later put his own team in place.

During Mr Yar'Adua's absence, Nigerian Nobel prize-winning author Wole Soyinka was involved in the campaign to resolve the power vacuum.

On Thursday he said Mr Yar'Adua's illness had been manipulated by politicians who had concealed the fact he was in a vegetative state while making arrangements for the forthcoming election.

He told the BBC the late president had been a victim of a macabre game over his succession and not been allowed to be ill in dignity-BBC World Service

Prof. Mutharika says Africa can export food

Malawi President Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika greeting the African ambassadors after the meeting. Pic by Samuel Makaka.

By Samuel Makaka in Shanghai, China

Malawi State President Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika has once again delivered an emotionally charged speech telling African ambassadors based in the Peoples Republic of China that they have a critical role to play so that Africa does not only become food sufficient but also a net exporter for the whole world.

The Malawian leader was speaking in the Chinese commercial capital, Shanghai, where he convened a meeting for all African ambassadors based in the country.

“Africa is not as poor as we are meant to believe. It is important that we change this mindset.

The industrial revolution in Europe is based on resources from Africa and these include food, timber, meat, cotton, coffee and many more raw materials. We have the resources, what we need is to develop scientists, industrialists and technology to transform our natural resources and create wealth,” Professor Mutharika told the ambassadors.

He explained that when he was elected chairperson for the African Union (AU) he made a proposal to fellow African heads of state and governments to make a resolution that within the next five years, Africa must be able to feed itself because most of the problems on the continent come from the fact that Africa has not been able to feed herself.

President Mutharika reminded the ambassadors that in the 60s, Africa was exporting food to the world but it was ill advised to diversify its products by venturing into other agricultural productions like coffee, tea, cotton. He said while Africa was busy producing these raw materials for western industries, food production stopped and Africa became a hungry continent.

He told the gathering that it is possible to turn this mindset around: “Africa can feed itself within the next 5 years.”

Professor Mutharika argued that if a tiny country like Malawi has been able to make it what can stop other countries in Africa to achieve the same.

He then disclosed that alongside food production, there are also other elements to be considered and he cited transport and communication, energy, and environmental impact studies and climate change amongst the important areas of focus.

“Food processing needs adequate energy, and we need good transport infrastructure to transport food from food sufficient areas to where it is needed, where there have been draughts for example. We need highways from one country to another so that one is able to drive from Harare to Nigeria without problems and our immigration rules need also to be simplified because we cannot talk of African Union when one can hardly travel from his country to the next neighbour because of tough immigration laws,” he explained.

He also told them that Africa needs to harness its power so that national grids are linked to regional grids and regional grids go into continental grid so that a man in Uganda can use electricity without knowing that the power is from Mozambique.

“We also need ICT so that we develop data banks to record who eats and produce what. If Malawi is able to easily produce rice but doesn’t need, it must produce abundantly and transport where it is needed,” he stressed to the ambassadors.

President Mutharika then appealed to the ambassadors to work together, fight for priorities as a continent and not as individual countries.

He called upon them to be proud Africans.

The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation representative in China, Korea and Mongolia, Victoria Sekitoleko praised Malawians for electing a good and wise man in Ngwazi Professor Mutharika which she said is not often common in Africa.

“In Africa, it is not common that good men win elections, so Malawians must be praised for electing a good and wise man in the name of President Mutharika,” she told this reporter after the meeting.

During the meeting, Sekitoleko, an African appealed to President Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika to encourage fellow African heads of state and government to see China as a true friend indeed and work along with it.

Malawi on right path-Minister of Justice

Malawi's Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Professor Peter Mutharika is reported to be growing in popularity each day passing. Pic by Malawi Digest.

By Emmanuel Muwamba

Malawi’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Professor Peter Mutharika has said the country has to move on the path of human rights, law and democracy.

Mutharika said this on Friday at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College in the former colonial capital of Zomba when he delivered a lecture on the role of the Ministry of Justice.

He said it is the duty of his ministry to advise government on policy and the law, prepare bills before being presented to Cabinet and Parliament and defend the independence of the Judiciary.

Mutharika, however said the ministry does not have enough lawyers to effectively carry demanding tasks.

He disclosed that there are only 66 lawyers, which is inadequate considering the volume of work they have to handle.

“We don’t have enough resources to help everyone. We appeal to the legal profession to join us,” he said.

He said the ministry is also formulating a bill on the Wills and Inheritance.

“There will be no more property grabbing in Malawi,” he said.

Professor Mutharika’s address at Chancellor College marked the launch of public debates by the country’s state owned, Malawi Television (TVM).

According to the station’s Public Relations Officer Ruth Gama, the debates are aimed at allowing viewers and the public at large to interact with public figures in Malawi.

During the programme at Chancelor College which was beamed live on TVM and aired on the national broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation student’s from the university were allowed to ask questions relevant to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

The minister Professor Peter Mutharika, an internationally decorated lawyer and lecturer ably handled the questions in a moving way.

Each time the Professor articulated issues to do with the Law and his ministry, there was a round of applause from the students who swarmed the college’s famous Great Hall.

Professor Peter Mutharika, President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika’s younger brother is reported to be growing stronger politically, each day passing.

He is reported to be one of Malawi’s most popular politician at the moment.

Apart from Professor Peter Mutharika, there Professor Matthews Chikaonda and Deputy Minister in the Office of President and Cabinet, Nicholus Dausi spoke at the event-The Nation/additional reporting by Malawi Digest.

Wedding of the year, Bingu & Callista 'I do'

Malawi President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika recently officially wedded former cabinet Minister Madame Callista Chapola. The two were officially married before a huge crowd at the Civo Stadium in the administrative capital, Lilongwe.

The marriage ceremony was presided over by the head of the Roman Catholic church in Malawi, His Grace Archbishop Tarcizious Ziyaye and all Malawian bishops.

In the picture, Dr Mutharika and the First Lady kneels before Archbishop Ziyaye in the course of the church service.

Call him Prof. Ngwazi Bingu wa Mutharika

President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika and the First Lady Madame Callista at the East China University during the ceremony on Sunday.

By Samuel Makaka in Shanghai

Malawi President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika said on Sunday that Malawi values the support it is receives from the Peoples Republic of China in human capacity building as many Malawian students are on Chinese sponsored academic scholarships, studying in Chinese Universities.

Dr Bingu wa Mutharika was speaking at East China Normal University in his acceptance speech after the institution conferred on him an honorary professorship in economics.

In accepting the honorary professorship title, the Malawian leader, joins his younger brother Professor Peter Mutharika.

The young Mutharika is a respected international decorated professor at Law.

In his address to the gathering at the ceremony, Dr Mutharika said that Malawi and Africa as a whole cannot develop without well trained experts who he said are lacking at the moment.

“We need human capacity building in our countries and Malawi is looking forward to new areas of cooperation between the East China University and Malawi’s University of Science and Technology being established with assistance from the Peoples Republic of China,” he said.

The State President said that it is possible for Africa to be developed but only when African experts take a lead in the fight against poverty and ignorance.

“Through education and human capacity building we can change humanity for the better and Malawi as a country is happy that we are doing just that,” he said.

President Dr Bingu wa Mutharika reiterated his conviction that Africa will develop and become a major contributor to the global economic development.

At this point he repeated his view that Africa is not poor but that the people on continent are the ones who are poor.

The President said that this is the case because of the vast resources Africa is endowed with. He said that he is aware that Africa needs financial resources and well trained human resources to turn the raw materials on the continent into wealth.

Dr Mutharika disclosed that Africans are aware that they are marginalized in many ways by the rich nations.

“Africans are aware that they are being marginalized in global politics, science and technology, economic development and trade. Africa is also marginalized in global resource financial allocation simply because Africa is poor,” said Dr Mutharika who is also the chairperson for the continental country grouping, the African Union (AU).

But he said AU sees emergence of globalization as an opportunity for the people of Africa and other nations to work together through the pursuit of global peace and security and fight against terrorism so as to create new wealth through promotion of industrial development, manufacturing, mining, agro-processing and promotion of human capacity.

He told the gathering that Malawi has improved tremendously in the last five years he has been in power, explaining that more and more people are living above the poverty line because of the abundant availability of food.

He said 75 percent of Malawians are already accessing clean portable water, beating the UN set target of 74 percent by 2014.

Dr Mutharika, also commended China for being one of the biggest cooperating partners in Africa and hope that African countries will benefit much more as the cooperation gets closer and closer reducing poverty among the people of Africa through support from China.

Speaking when he introduced President Mutharika to the audience, president of the University, Professor Yu Lizhong said it was a great honour and pleasure that President Mutharika agreed to accept the title of honorary Professorship in Economics.

“His Excellency, Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi and chairperson of the African Union is a well known economist and politician. He holds a PhD in development economics from the Pacific University of Los Angeles-USA,” the University President told the gathering. He also disclosed to the gathering of other positions that Dr Mutharika held before becoming State President of the Republic of Malawi.

Prof Lizhong also pointed out that President Mutharika spearheaded the formation of several regional economic organizations including the Association of African Central Banks, Conference of African Ministers of Finance and many more.

“So it is therefore our pleasure and honour that President Mutharika agreed to accept the title of Honorary Professorship from our University,” he said.

Currently, there are four Malawian students studying at the East China University.

During the ceremony, President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika donated to the institution several books that he has written in his lifetime career as an economist.

Amongst the donation, was his yet to be published book which the President described as somehow controversial.

Malawi at the World 2010 Expo in China

The Malawi first couple of Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika and Callista being welcomed by their Chinese counterparts of Hu Jintao and his wife at the official opening ceremony for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China.

Young girls holding flags from countries all over the world that are participating in the World Expo 2010. This was part of the performances during the official opening of the Shanghai World Expo on Friday evening.

The Shanghai Expo Culture Center were the opening ceremony took place.

World Expo 2010 fire works lighting up Shanghai skies on the official opening evening.

Some of the structures which befit modern cities being shown at the World Expo 2010.

Malawi gets financial boost from China

Malawi President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao just before the talks.

By Samuel Makaka in Shanghai, China

One of Malawi’s closest allies, the Peoples Republic of China has provided over MK3 billion as top up to the projects it is sponsoring in Malawi for any financial problems that may arise due to depreciation or any other problems requiring more expenditure.

This was disclosed when the visiting Malawian leader, Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika met his host, the Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday.

“The Peoples Republic of China has provided about US$22 to 25 million to meet any financial hiccups that may arise in the course of carrying out works on the projects they are financing,” said Kachale adding, this is just to make sure that the projects are finished on time.

Some of the main project the Chinese are financing in Malawi include the Chitipa/Karonga road, the new parliament building in Lilongwe, the five-star hotel project and international conference centre in Lilongwe and the sports complex in the same city, Lilongwe amongst many other projects.

The minister said that following this huge financial assistance from the Chinese, the Malawian President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika had proved his critics wrong when he decided switch ties from Taiwan to the Peoples Republic of China.

When Malawi changed ties about two years ago, there were a lot of skeptics and critics who blamed government for dumping long time ally Taiwan for Mainland China. However, the Mutharika administration put its foot down and justified its move.

Malawi is currently enjoying huge financial help from the Peoples Republic of China.

Kachale also commended President Hu Jintao for being keen in seeing that the Malawi-China relationship grows from strength to strength.

He said the relationship has only been in place for two years but within this short space, already, huge projects are being implemented in Malawi.

On her part, Malawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Etta Banda said during the discussions, President Dr Mutharika began by condoling his counterpart for the loss of life and property during the earthquake which hit China about three two weeks ago.

She said Dr Mutharika asked the Chinese government to assist Malawi with specialists to do extensive exploration work in Malawi for minerals that exist in this southern African country not known and in unknown quantities.

The minister said Dr Mutharika took advantage of the talks to invite President Hu Jintao to visit Malawi on his next leg of tours to Africa.

The Foreign Affairs Minister has since disclosed that President Hu Jintao has accepted to visit Malawi.