Here’s what you need to know now that 2 key emergency rental assistance programs in Milwaukee have paused accepting applications | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
July 12, 2023
Both Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee have now paused accepting rental assistance applications.
“We’re still working on applications in the queue, but the reality is the money is going to run out,” said George Hinton, the CEO of the Social development Commission, or SDC.
The county paused applications in mid-June, and the Milwaukee Emergency Rent Assistance Program – administered by the city and disbursed by the Social Development Commission – stopped taking applications July 1.
The SDC has disbursed approximately $90 million in assistance to individuals and families to offset current and late rent, electricity bills, gas bills, water bills and security deposits through the program.
Hinton said the SDC has helped more than 10,000 households, with an average of $4,000 going into rent and monthly utilities.
“This kind of support has enabled residents to restart their lives, regain employment and come out of the pandemic with a better outlook than they had forecasted,” he said.
But Hinton recognizes the continued need for assistance, and that many people are still unable to meet their monthly obligations for rent and utilities.
“This is the reality of poverty and low income amongst families,” he said.
Hinton said an immediate goal for the SDC is to try to reassign and assist as many staff as possible. Both the SDC and Community Advocates brought on extra staff to help process rental assistance applications.
“Once the queue is empty, we have to either find those staffers positions here or help them find work elsewhere,” said Hinton. “They were the first ones to know about this shift because I wanted them to be prepared.”
According to Hinton, the SDC will encourage people in need to reach out to the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center moving forward.
The center is a collaborative network that provides assistance and resources to both landlords and tenants and is housed inside of Community Advocates.
“That’s the only resource that I can think of,” Hinton said. “They are the experts on what, if any, resources are out there for people as rent assistance phases out.
Nick Toman, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, said a big part of getting cases dismissed and settled has been the ability to connect people to rent assistance through Community Advocates and the Social Development Commission.
He said Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee continues to run its program, EvictionFreeMKE, providing legal services to Milwaukeeans facing evictions.
You can call the hotline at<PHONE_NUMBER> or check out the website.
The Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center is still open to support those in need.


Africa: best blog in english · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Black Looks wins user prize for Best Weblog in English, “I Just received an email from Sean Sinico of the BOBS award congratulating me on winning the public’s choice award for the Best WeBlog in English.”


South Africa: Happy Birthday, Nelson Mandela · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Happy Birthday, Nelson Mandela, writes guest blogger Rethabile on Black Looks: “When Nelson Mandela was released, I was on a sofa in a small French village called Lamorlaye, staring at the telly. We waited quite a long time because something wasn’t right or wasn’t ready, and we waited. I was excited. “What does he look like?” I’d only ever seen two or three photos of him, and they were 27 year-old photos (or older).”


NBTE Seeks Replace Of ITF With National Skills Fund - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
December 14, 2021
Executive Secretary of NBTE, Idris Bugaje, who made the call at a news conference in Kaduna, said this was part of the resolutions reached at the 7th Industry Stakeholders’ Consultation on Skills Development held recently.
Bugaje said that to avoid over taxation of industries, the stakeholders recommended that ITF be transformed into NSF to fund and support skills development.
He said the proposed NSF should not be a trainer or certificate awarding body.
According to him, the idea is to refocus ITF to fund skills development, that is, to provide funds for skills training and support training of national skills qualification NSQ verifiers and assessors.
Bugaje added that the stakeholders also proposed an executive bill on NSQ framework to be sent to the National Assembly for passage.
He explained that the resolutions had become necessary, following the challenges affecting the vocational training sector in the country.


Enter the Global Voices Valentine’s Day poetry contest! · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

HERE AT Global Voices we're in love with lots of things: blogging, international friendships, foreign languages, free wi-fi. And there are even some of us on the GV team who don't consider Valentine's Day a cheesy occasion viewed positively only by Americans, florists, chocolatiers and the CEOs of greeting card companies.
So, when — on soliciting suggestions for a way to mark Valentine's Day in these pages — our co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon mentioned a poetry contest she ran on her blog a couple of years ago, we fell so deeply in love with the idea that we decided to steal it for ourselves.
So if you're in the mood for love, or even if you view Valentine's Day (or love) with a jaundiced eye (as we all know, some of the best poetry is born of distress), please take part in our Valentine's Day poetry contest.
CONTEST RULES
- Entries must be in some sort of verse, not necessarily rhyming
- Entries must be no more than 30 lines long
- Entries must in some way have to do with 1) love/Valentine's Day and 2) blogging/citizen media, and have some sort of “regional flavour” (we'll leave it up to you to decide what that means)
- Entries may be submitted in any language, though submissions NOT in English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Farsi or Mandarin Chinese MUST be accompanied by an English translation
- Entries are open to anyone anywhere in the world, including Global Voices editors, authors and advisory board members
- Entries must be the original work of the entrant and should not have been previously published elsewhere before February 1, 2007
- Entries  and will be moderated according to the guidelines governing all other comments received at Global Voices (ie no hate speech, obscenities etc). Feel free to send in as many as you wish, but please submit only one poem per comment box
- Entries must be posted  on Wednesday 14 February, 2007 to be considered for the contest (please provide a genuine email address)
The winning entries will be showcased on the Global Voices web site.
So what are you waiting on? In some parts of the world it's already Valentine's Day, so get cracking on that haiku/limerick/ghazal/madrigal/sonnet/ode/gangsta rap/elegy about the wonders/joys/perils of love!
UPDATE: The contest is now closed!
Image: A costume component from the “Heart that Sings” section of “The Sacred Heart”, Peter Minshall's 2006 presentation for the Trinidad & Tobago carnival. Courtesy caribbeanfreephoto.


Train attack in Japan exposes misogyny and gender violence · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

A commuter railway station in suburban Tokyo. On August 6, 2021, a man attacked 9 people on a train in Tokyo. Photo by Nevin Thompson, adjusted slightly to protect privacy.
Content warning: This story contains details of targeted violence against women.
A knife attack on a train in Tokyo in August has highlighted a culture of misogyny in Japan, while leaving some women fearful for their own safety on their daily commute.
On August 6, a 36-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly attacking passengers with a knife on a train on Tokyo's Odakyu commuter line. Four women and five men were injured in the attack, with one woman transported to the hospital with serious injuries.
When arrested, the suspect allegedly stated his motivation for the attack was that he was targeting women:
6年ほど前から幸せそうな女性を見ると殺してやりたいと思うようになった […] 誰でもよかった。
For the past six years, whenever I saw women who looked happy I wanted to kill them… Anyone would do.
Women in Japan regularly experience sexual assault in everyday situations, such as commuting. Following the attack, many women on social media expressed fear about their own commute in Tokyo and in other parts of Japan.
In the last year alone I’ve had a man grope himself on the train in my face, multiple men approach me on the street for sex, several follow me through stations and on roads, a man rub his genitalia on me on the crowded train. 14 years of stories I don’t have enough characters.
— Ebby (Spooky Baphomet Prophetess ) (@anitapam22) August 8, 2021
Various news outlets including wire service Kyodo and the Japan Times reported the alleged assailant “suffered” rejection in past relationships with women. In the days following the attack, more evidence came to light that the suspect had allegedly considered or planned even more attacks before being apprehended.
This is the guy certain publications wanted us to feel sorry for yesterday. hm. https://t.co/0aCrFRVP6y
— B² (@whocares876) August 10, 2021
Rather than focus on the suspect's lack of success in human relationships, some media commentators instead called out the attack as a “crime of misogyny” (ミソジニー犯罪), and as a “hate crime against women.”
Writing for Yahoo! Japan News, Ito Kazuko, a lawyer and secretary-general of Japan-based Human Rights Now, classified the attack as an (attempted) “femicide.”
被疑者が逮捕され、これから真相が究明されることになりますが、報道される被疑者の発言を前提とすれば、女性を狙った憎悪犯罪(ヘイトクライム)、フェミサイドという性格が色濃いことが懸念されます。
While more details will become clear, assuming the remarks of the suspect are as reported, there are strong concerns that this is a hate crime against women and an [attempted] femicide. Women are growing more and more afraid.
“The common trait among mass shooters, serial killers, and other serial perpetrators of gendered violence is an intense hatred of women,” said Julia DeCook in an interview with Global Voices. DeCook is Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at Loyola University Chicago, whose research focus includes online hate groups, and race and gender, particularly male supremacism and masculinity.
“I don’t think [the Tokyo train attack] is an example of far-right extremism towards women, but rather a harrowing example of how violent and fatal misogyny and backlash against feminism and women’s rights is for women,” said DeCook. “The violent misogyny that women are subjected to in everyday circumstances and day-to-day is an example of how patriarchy exerts political control through these (often private) fear tactics and terror.”
Japan generally enjoys a reputation for personal safety, with 73 percent of people responding in a recent survey that they feel safe walking alone at night.
However, historian Sayaka Chatani questioned this categorization:
日本は治安大国だと思ってるのは、大概なmythなので。女性が毎日のように痴漢や変態行為や殺傷被害にビクビクしながら生きる社会で、どの口が治安良いって言うん。
— Sayaka Chatani (@SayakaChatani) August 8, 2021
I think it's mostly a myth that Japan is a “safe country.” In our society, every day, women must live in fear of groping, sexual harassment, and the threat of being murdered. Who exactly is saying that “Japan is safe?”
In a 2019 report by the Japanese government, 65 percent of women who responded reported experiencing groping, unwanted touching, and similar kinds of sexual assault, commonly experienced on crowded trains.
By some estimates, over 95 percent of incidents of sexual violence in Japan are not reported to the police. A 2019 report by the Japanese government found that sex crimes continue to be significantly underreported in Japan, with just 14 percent of women who experienced sexual assault reporting the incident to police.
According to statistics published in 2021 by Japan's National Policy Agency, the number of reports of gender-based crimes, such as stalking and domestic violence, has increased in Japan over the past twenty years. This increase in reported crime has occurred since legislation was enacted to address stalking in 1999, and domestic violence in 2001.
For example, there were 2,280 complaints about stalking in 2000, compared to 20,189 in 2020. The peak of these complaints was in 2017 at 23,079 cases reported. In 2000, there were 3,608 formal complaints about domestic violence to police in Japan, compared to 82,643 formal complaints and nearly 120,000 calls to domestic violence hotlines in 2020.
Some forms of violence against women still go officially unreported by the National Police Agency — as of 2021 there is still no law criminalizing non-consensual sex (in contrast, “forcible sexual intercourse”  and similar offenses are only recognized as such under Japanese criminal law if they are committed through “assault or intimidation.”)
As well, not all women will report their experiences to the police.
“In Japan, women tend to not report the abuse that they suffer in, and police are notoriously not that helpful in these kinds of cases,” said DeCook.
This is not unique to Japan, but rather an experience that women all over the world face, according to DeCook.
“We can see this in cases of rape and domestic violence where perpetrators are given laughably short sentences, just face fines, or are even still allowed access to weapons and firearms even after being charged with domestic and sexual violence,” she said. “These are all influenced by the logic and terror of misogyny. All of these things combined deter women from being able to fully live and participate in all areas of life.”


Ukraine: In Chinese, Yanukovych is Yushchenko? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Evgeny Morozov of Foreign Policy's Net.Effect writes: “It turns out that when you use Google Translate to translate (from Chinese to Russian) the expression “Vote for Yanukovych” (Yanukovych was Kremlin's favorite candidate), Google gives you “Vote for Yushenko” in the translated version. Global conspiracy orchestrated by Google!”


Zimbabwe: The word on the street · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Zimpundit interviews people on the streets of Harare about the government's recent move to double fuel prices, and its impact on their daily lives.


USA: Digital Migrant Voices · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The innovative digital project Mobile Voices (VozMob), based in Los Angeles, California (USA) “is a platform for immigrant and/or low-wage workers in Los Angeles to create stories about their lives and communities directly from cell phones.” Their mission is to appropriate technology to empower the community.


Bulgaria: Ukrainian gas crisis caused government fall · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user koltashov turns attention to [RUS] a report claiming that Bulgaria's government fell earlier this year due to the gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine.


Government launches a ‘Know Your College’ Portal
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 3, 2015
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has launched a Know Your College (KYC) portal that promises to be a one stop shop for students and parents to know about various colleges in the country. The portal is updated with relevant information about every college like lab facilities, faculty, intake, hostel facilities, library etc.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) launched a ‘Know your College’ portal in November 2014. Since this is the time for college admissions, MHRD has once again reminded the citizens about the existence of this portal.
In a press release, the MHRD spoke about the information available on the portal. The Press Release said, “There is often confusion in the minds of students regarding which colleges to join and the courses to be taken up. To help the students make an informed decision on the choice of college and the courses, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India has developed a “Know Your College” portal”
What does the portal promise?
The Portal promises to be a one stop shop for a student in making an informed choice about a college. This portal covers almost 10,500 colleges which conduct about 14,000 programs in Technical Education and 35000 colleges conducting at least 20,000 programs in Non-Technical education. The government says that the portal is a repository of information pertaining to colleges and information related to its faculty, labs, library, infrastructure, and availability of hostel facilities etc. The MHRD is also encouraging students to send their complaints about discrepancies in the information provided by colleges through this portal. This portal is being maintained by AICTE.
Does the Portal live up to its promise?
When one does a search using any of the search criteria, the list of colleges is displayed with details like the name of the college, type of the institute, Courses offered, address and the URL of the website. Some details are not accurate.
When you further click on the name of any of the college, the detailed information about the college is displayed. The college name, address, Name of the parent organization, year of establishment, name of the contact person etc are displayed. One can also check list of courses offered, intake for the current year, annual fees, details of laboratories present, details of faculty, Library, Hostel, details of the ombudsman, anti-ragging committee and also the student count.
The portal does give some important information at one place for all parents and students. The portal also gives information about other initiatives of the government like the e-learning platforms, student scholarships and other useful information.
The portal also provides a lot of other useful information to the students like the ‘Project Factory’ where students can upload and download various projects. The students are also encouraged to submit grievances and complaints.
Overall, the portal is a good initiative that will help students & parents in getting relevant information about various colleges. The challenze is in updating this data regularly and ensuring that the data is accurate. AICTE should also ensure that a system is set in place to deal with the complaints lodged and clear them within a time frame.


Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados: Song for Burma · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Bajan Reporter discovers a wonderful new song recorded by Trinidad and Tobago calypsonian David Rudder in support of the people of Burma.


Prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines injured in protests over move to make vaccines ‘mandatory’ · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Syringe with COVID-19 vaccine. Photo by Jernej Furman on Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
As citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines took to the streets on August 5 to protest proposed changes to the country's Public Health Act, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves found himself caught in the crosshairs. He was allegedly stoned by someone in the crowd on his way to parliament and is nursing a head injury after anger surged about the suggested removal of the word “voluntary” before “immunisation” in the Act, as well as concerns about whether or not people could continue to be exempted from taking the COVID-19 vaccine.
Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, was injured today during a protest in Kingstown. The demonstration was reportedly against a proposed change in the Health Act, which would make coronavirus vaccination mandatory for certain classes of workers. ?? pic.twitter.com/nig9RFqc05
— ????? ?????????? (@terryfinisterre) August 5, 2021
Vaccine hesitancy has been a challenge for the islands that comprise St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to the point where the government has gifted the country's doses to its Caribbean neighbours rather than waste them. As of August 4, the country, which has a population of just over 110,000, had 53 active COVID-19 cases and 12 total deaths from the virus. An update from the Ministry of Health noted that 9,998 people were fully vaccinated (about 9 per cent of the population), with another 15,768 having received their first dose.
While the prime minister has said that the vaccine is not mandatory “in the sense that if you don’t take it there will be a criminal penalty or some kind of civil penalty,” the proposed amendments to the Act will deem it necessary for frontline public sector employees to be inoculated. He added that the move was a pandemic-related emergency measure, and suggested that anyone who was against it was “fighting against the best interest of the country.”
Some reports credit this particular demonstration to the country's opposition party, the island's vibrant trade union movement is also against the amendments. Saying it was “not anti-vax but pro-choice,” president of the Public Service Union, Elroy Boucher, advocated protest action to “kill this Bill,” as it was infringing on people's rights.
Meanwhile, the chair of the Police Welfare Association, Brenton Smith, brought religion into the issue by saying that “SVG is a Christian nation and many are still praying” about whether or not to take the vaccine, while the president of the country's Teachers’ Union, Oswald Robinson, accused the government of not facilitating dialogue around the issue.
Video of the aftermath of the attack on the prime minister soon began making the rounds region-wide, with a lot of the content being shared on WhatsApp:
The Facebook group Caribbean Lives Matter also posted a video of the scene, commenting:
Vaccination should never be mandatory. We have no issues with Caribbean people fighting for their rights to make the decisions they deem fit for themselves and/or their families. To change laws/implement legislation to prevent persons from making a living if they choose not to vaccinate is absurd. With all that said, we do hope that the Vincentian leader is ok. Violence is never the answer unless it is in response to violence upon you.
Trinidadian Amilcar Sanatan added:
Make noise. Scream. Shout all you want. Protest and mobilise. WE CANNOT TOLERATE VIOLENCE as a means to get a point across in the Caribbean. ??
Prime Minister Gonsalves received medical treatment and is reportedly fine, but the same may not be able to be said of the country's Public Health Act amendments.


Poland: Elevator Graffiti Transformation · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Boo writes about an anti-Semitic graffiti in a Polish elevator that was later replaced with a message of tolerance.


Russia: Perelman Riding Metro · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user ub7com posts pictures of the famous Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman, taken on a subway train in St. Petersburg.


China: Where the world’s e-waste goes · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Academic-blogger Bill Chameides at The Huffington Post looks at the issue of e-waste in China, noting that 70% of it worldwide ends up there: “Even though the Chinese government has banned the importation of e-waste, the stuff continues to find its way in.”


Nigeria: Starting from the top · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Grandiose Parlor comments on  “the anomalies of the Nigerian psyche: we all want to start from the top of the leader. Even when we can hardly crawl, we want to not climb the ladder but sit at the very top!


Cuba: Castro on Twitter  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Along the Malecon thinks one of the reasons that Hugo Chavez has more Twitter followers than Fidel Castro is because “Internet use in Cuba much more restricted and expensive than it is in Venezuela.”


False claim suggests 40 out of 62 AAP MLAs are accused of rape - Alt News
Priyanka Jha
15th February 2020 / 8:56 pm / Last updated: 15th February 2020
On February 13, JDU leader Dr Ajay Alok tweeted (archive link) that 40 out of 62 AAP MLAs are accused of rape.
His complete tweet reads: “62 में 40 रेप के आरोपी , उनके समर्थन से @ArvindKejriwal जी मुख्यमंत्री , वाक़ई नई राजनीति की शुरुआत हुई हैं , दिल्ली को रेप कैपिटल कहने वाले आप लोगों ने तो RJD को पीछे कर दिया, @laluprasadrjd ख़ुश होंगे आज की कोई तो आगे निकला , समझ आता हैं की निर्भया कांड क्यों होता हैं जनता ??”
The claim is viral on Twitter and Facebook.
On February 12, Economic Times published a reported which stated that 37 out of the 70 newly-elected MLAs of Delhi have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, including attempt to murder, and at least one related to rape. The report credited a study by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) as the source.
According to the ADR report, 33 out of 62 MLAs of Aam Aadmi Party have serious criminal cases against them. The report includes a comparative study of criminal cases declared by candidates in 2015 and 2020. As per the report, since 2015 there has been an increase in the number of candidates who declared criminal and serious criminal cases.
The subheading ‘party-wise candidates with criminal cases’ on page 5 states, “Among major parties, 42(60%) out of 70 candidates analysed from AAP, 26(39%) out of 67 candidates analysed from BJP, 18(27%) out of 66 candidates analysed from INC, 12 (18%) out of 66 candidates analysed from BSP and 3(60%) out of 5 candidates from NCP have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.”
Page six states, “Among major parties, 36(51%) out of 70 candidates analysed from AAP, 17(25%) out of 67 candidates analysed from BJP, 13(20%) out of 66 candidates analysed from INC, 10 (15%) out of 66 candidates analysed from BSP and 2(40%) out of 5 candidates from NCP have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.”
The same page, under the sub-heading ‘candidates with declared cases related to crime against women’ states, “32 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women. Out of 32 candidates, 1 candidate has declared cases related to rape (IPC Section-376).”
The details ‘Candidates with Declared Criminal Cases’ can be viewed onward page 78 in the report. Page 122 mentions Mohinder Goyal from Rithala who has declared rape charges against himself. Goyal also has charges related to ‘Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman.’ As per the report, Goyal isn’t convicted of any of the charges against him.
Alt News also searched Goyal’s credentials on My Neta and found that one serious case is pending against him.
According to the ADR report, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan from Okhla, Prakash from Deoli, Abhay Verma from Laxminagar, Jarnail Singh from Tilak Nagar and Dinesh Mohania from Sangam Vihar have been charged with IPC 354, assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty. But only one case related to rape is stated in the ADR report which is against Goyal.
Therefore, the claim made by Dr Ajay Alok is false. 40 out of 62 AAP MLAs are not accused of rape. Even after the conclusion of Delhi assembly elections, rumours are being spread on social media about AAP. Ahead of the polls, a fake list was circulated to claim that most of the candidates of AAP hail from the Muslim community.
She specializes in information verification, examining mis/disinformation, social media monitoring and platform accountability. Her aim is to make the internet a safer place and enable people to become informed social media users. She has been a part of Alt News since 2018.
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile…
Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…


Bosnia & Herzegovina: Srebrenica Perpetrators · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Srebrenica Genocide Blog begins to repost “a list of over 800 Bosnian Serbs who allegedly participated in the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995, and are still believed to be in positions of power.”


Joey’s Live Notepad (Short Updates) for December 6, 2023 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

December 6, 2023
Joey’s Live Notepad is my effort to move off the platform formerly known as Twitter. I’ll post short notes, updates, and links throughout the day.
City Council GIC adjourned at 3:04 p.m.
More to come in the end-of-the-week summary.
City staff recommend the City transact four surplus City properties to non-profit housing providers, including potential use for social housing.
Two proposed sites are under-utilized parking lots in Downtown Stoney Creek: 5 Lake Avenue South and 13 Lake Avenue South.
Ward 5 Councillor Matt Francis says there needs to be public consultation before Council makes decisions that affect communities.
A debate followed, which became testy at times.
Francis won a vote to amend, 8-7, to open a public comment period.
Council directed staff to continue work towards transacting the properties.
The vote goes to Council’s ratification meeting next Wednesday. Ward 6 Clr Tom Jackson was absent, he often votes with Francis.
See the 1:00pm section below for an update on 186 Hunter Street East, affordability definitions released.
The City of Hamilton’s livestream of Council meetings crashed again today.
The City told the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman – when the City claimed it streamed a meeting that it had not – that it never continues meetings without a livestream.
“The City has adopted a robust procedure to address technical issues with a livestream. A designated staff person is responsible for periodically checking the livestream, and their contact information is included on the agenda so the public can contact them in case there is an issue. As soon as staff becomes aware of a problem with the stream, the meeting is to be recessed so the issue can be addressed. If the issue cannot be fixed within fifteen minutes, the meeting is adjourned.” – Ontario Ombudsman report, September 2022.
The City announced it will continue meeting with a live stream, promising to post the video later.
Hamilton City Council declined a delegation request from an individual who wrote they seek Council to pass a motion “to demand a permanent ceasefire, return of all hostages from both sides and a resumption of dialogue between the representatives of Israel and Gaza” and “Recognition of International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in line with the United Nations.”
Ward 8 Councillor John-Paul Danko moved the denial, stating that international relations is the jurisdiction of the federal government.
Hamilton City Council is permissive towards delegations, welcoming both Hamiltonians and people from outside Hamilton to speak to them on nearly any issue.
The OLT settlement hearing for 186 Hunter Street was slightly delayed this morning.
The City and developer stated they had some minor details to finalize before submitting their agreement for approval.
The hearing resumed at 1:00 p.m.
TPR has requested a copy of the OLT documents from the Tribunal.
Past TPR coverage here: 186 Hunter Street on TPR.
2:30pm Updates
TPR does not yet have the public filings. During oral submissions, the developer’s planner, Matt Johnston of UrbanSolutions, stated that “not less” than 25 percent of the units will be “affordable units” for at least 20 years.
Affordable is defined as 30 percent of household income at the 60th percentile of incomes for the Hamilton area.
The Ontario Land Tribunal’s first order in the non-decision appeal at 499 Mohawk Road East is now public.
The developer is seeking to build “1,995 dwelling units in the following forms: two 25-storey multiple dwellings, one 20-storey multiple dwelling, two five-storey multiple dwellings, one 13-storey multiple dwelling, two eight-storey multiple dwellings and seven three-storey townhouse dwellings. A total of 1,945 dwelling units would be in the proposed multiple dwelling buildings, with 50 units in the proposed townhouses.”
The site was formerly a commercial plaza anchored by a Wal-Mart, previously a Zellers.
Fifteen members of the public were granted participant status, meaning they can make written submissions to the Tribunal.
The City and developer need to meet to discuss issues and the potential for mediation. (Council Planning Committee discussed its position in closed session yesterday.)
A second OLT case management conference was already scheduled for Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
The developers’ information site for the project is here.
The City of Hamilton did not stream the morning session of the Planning Committee on Tuesday.
As of 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the City has not posted its video recording.
I’ve begun the process leading to a Freedom of Information Request if needed.
Ontario’s Auditor General released its 2023 annual report this morning.
“Most Ontario government ads last year were partisan: auditor general” – The Canadian Press
“Hospitals plagued by staff shortages and ER closures under Ford government, auditor general finds” – Toronto Star
“Ford government promised dedicated parking for Ontario Place private spa: Auditor General” – Global News
Hamilton’s new Integrity Commissioner introduced himself to City Council this morning.
Boghosian, one of Ontario’s best-regarded municipal lawyers, emphasized that he and his law firm are accessible and responsive.
Council and citizen committee members can seek the IC’s advice on conflict of interest and ethics.
Boghosian’s CV is available in a City of Sudbury report.
Hamilton City Council uses a WebEx group chat to organize their speakers list.
[Other municipalities use their meeting management software, but Hamilton’s motto seems to be ‘Why do what works?’
The use of a group chat causes frustration and confusion.
Today, the laptop connected to the Council Chamber display monitor wasn’t plugged in. The laptop is moved between meeting rooms. The City has not purchased extra power adapters.
[I own four adapters for my laptop. Two remain at home, and one in each of my carrying bags – I am terrible about remembering cords]
The Ontario Court of Appeal says the Landlord and Tenant Board committed “an error of law” when it did not adequately consider evidence that an ‘own use’ eviction was questionable after the owner’s family member only lived in a unit for about 25 days before leaving and the unit going back on the rental market for a higher monthly price.
The case is a judicial review, meaning the ONCA is sending it back to the LTB to conduct a new hearing.
“[71]      Had the Board approached the first issue correctly, it would have considered the relevant circumstances both before and after serving the s. 49 Termination Notice. In addition to the two evidentiary considerations noted above, the Board would have had to consider that: prior to closing, the Vendor Landlords and/or their lawyer knew title to the Property was to be taken in the name of a corporation and a corporation cannot personally occupy residential premises; the Residence remained vacant for five months after closing; it was then occupied for only about 25 days by one of the Original Purchasers’ sons; and, thereafter, the Residence was rented out for a higher price than that which the Tenants had paid.”
The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, a specialized legal aid clinic, assisted the tenants at the Court of Appeal.
From the ONCA summary, this appears to be a good case for the tenant to win a declaration of bad faith eviction. However, even if they win at the LTB, the fine for bad faith evictions is so small, it’s just a cost of doing business.


A staycation anyone? This Kenyan hospital defied the law to advertise a vacation with social media influencers · Global Voices
Njeri Wangari

A photo of a room in a Kenyan Hospital. Image source SIM USA. Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
On October 28, 2022, Kenyan social media influencer Mungai Eve posted photos advertising a staycation at a small outpatient clinic on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi. The Instagram post, which appears to be a paid engagement, elicited strong reactions and public discourse among Kenyans online around the advertising and ethical standards of healthcare providers.
The clinic, Komarock Modern Healthcare, has a controversial history of working with social media influencers. However, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KPMDC), a statutory authority established to ensure the provision of quality healthcare, has neither commented on nor fined the clinic in the past or recently. In April 2021, the Council fined three hospitals for false advertising.
Komarock Modern Healthcare also has a controversial history of medical abuse and misconduct. From being accused of negligence that led to the death of patients undergoing procedures, to former patients lodging a formal complaint with the KPMDC against the clinic in 2021. As Dr. Rowena Njeri a health systems activist advised the public to lodge official complaints to the council over and above just sharing their stories and experiences on Twitter, little remains to be seen of the past formal complaints that former patients have lodged against the clinic.
In her Instagram post, Mungai, a  journalist and digital content creator with more than 500,000 followers on Instagram wrote:
A post shared by Mungai Eve (@mungai_eve)
The post which, at the time of publishing this story had over 21,000 likes, has so far elicited scores of comments as her followers “try and guess.” It doesn’t disclose that it's a paid partnership.
However, it is the question that Muthuri Kinyamu, an expert in the hospitality industry and the founder of Turn Up Travel posted on his Twitter page that has elicited strong commentary whilst eliciting two moral questions into the public discourse.
Is Komarock hospital now offering staycations to influencers? pic.twitter.com/4ouFYAEEmz
— Muthuri Kinyamu (@MuthuriKinyamu) October 28, 2022
What are the rules and regulations for healthcare providers around advertising and the use of influencers? Is it ok for hospitals to offer staycations?
But first, what are staycations?
Staycations — holidays spent in one’s home country, more often involving day trips to local attractions — became popular in 2020 following the COVID outbreak which restricted international travel. Faced with an international tourism crisis that lasted over two years, Kenya’s hospitality industry, which for the longest time only focused on and catered to international tourists, had no choice but to find innovative ways of attracting citizens as local tourists. Despite being Africa’s top travel destination for safaris, Kenya’s tourism industry suffered devastating effects from the pandemic.
As the demand for quick yet affordable getaways has grown, so has the need by companies to create awareness about themselves and their service offering. Enter social media influencers.
Whereas the concept of using social media influencers to market staycations is now a mainstay with the hospitality industry globally, the idea of a hospital using an influencer to advertise and market their premises for a staycation not only seems absurd but morally appalling, according to many Kenyans online who reacted to the Instagram post after it was cross-posted onto Twitter.
Clause 7 of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board Act of 2016 prohibits health institutions from advertising, soliciting, or attracting business or patients where undue influence is used through arranged referrals.
No medical or dental practitioner or health institution shall
seek to advertise, solicit or attract business or patients
through any of the following means—
Prohibited means of
attracting business.
(a) an “intermediary” that would amount to professional touting;
(b) unsolicited contact;
(c) false or misleading statements, or where undue influence is
used; and
(d) arranged referrals where commission or otherwise is
arranged or paid.
It is therefore not surprising that many Kenyans were quick to call out the clinic even as many brought the advertising to the attention of the medical practitioners’ board for their intervention.
It bothers me when people want to invest more in influencer advertising than actual Quality improvement. But the public needs to understand that stories on the streets don’t help. Please file a complaint officially with @KmpdcOfficial if you feel violated in any way.
— Dr Rowena Njeri (@footsoldierRow) October 29, 2022
Influencer marketing has become a multi-billion dollar industry as social media continues to form an integral part of the strategy for businesses and organisations due to its relatively lower cost of advertising compared to Above the Line (ATL) channels such as TV and radio.
A 2019 Social Publi study by research firm GeoPoll found that 93 percent of marketers have used Influencer Marketing. Over half of those surveyed said they regularly allocate at least ten percent of their budget to advertising via social media.
Komarock Modern Healthcare is hardly the first clinic in Kenya to use influencers to advertise its services a clear contravention of the act. However, they have become the most visible due to their engagement of various well-known Kenyan personalities for social media marketing. While speaking to the media in April this year, the KMPDC Deputy Director Communications and Public Relations Simon Kiraithe said:
“The use of celebrities, influencers and other high profile individuals to advertise or subtly recommend some hospitals is not in line with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists (Practitioners and Health Facilities) Advertising Rules, 2016.”
Beyond issuing press statements, the council is yet to set a precedent that will reign the hospitals in despite calls by the public. Whilst some questioned why the clinic, Komarock Modern Healthcare, needed so much ‘hyping,’ others shared their disturbing history with the health institution. Many have raised red flags about the clinic’s aggressive marketing strategy with some suggesting that it may be a case of ‘where there is smoke, there's fire.’


NYSC: No compromise in mobilisation process | EduCeleb
18th August 2021
The National Youth Service Corps has again restated that it would not bow to pressure to compromise its mobilisation process.
It said anyone caught with fake certificates during registration would be prosecuted as enshrined in the NYSC Act.
The Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim disclosed this today, when he hosted the Registrar/CEO of Health Records Officials Registration Board of Nigeria, Alhaji Babagana Mustapha who paid a courtesy visit to him in his office in Abuja.
He said NYSC would not relent to do the needful in line with the NYSC Act.
“I want to assure you that we will move our collaboration to the next level and will continue to post graduates of Health Information Management to medical facilities”, he said.
Speaking earlier, the Registrar of the Board, Alhaji Babagana Mustapha who described the NYSC as one of the critical stakeholders of the Board expressed gratitude to General Shauibu Ibrahim for his support to the Board since assuming duty as the NYSC helmsman.
He commended the DG for preventing unqualified persons from being mobilised by the Scheme for service. .
He also expressed gratitude to the Corps in respect of having graduates of Health Information Management licensed before mobilisation for service in order to forestall quackery and posting of unqualified persons to health institutions.
“Considering the fact that Health Records Professionals are critical to any effort at healthcare delivery, therefore, if left in the hands of quacks, it will jeopardize the confidentiality of patients’ data and management of patients’ care in general.
I am here to inform you sir, that since approval, our graduates are now gladly and wholeheartedly posted to hospitals and health centres which has helped in no small measure in combating quackery and exposing our graduates to the practical aspects of all they learnt while in school”, he added.
The Registrar hinted that one major challenge facing the board is the presentation of licence by its graduates at Orientation Camps.
“We had stated categorically in our Memorandum of Understanding that only Higher National Diploma certified licences are to be presented at camps for acceptance/clearance from camp officials, not National Diploma licences as presented by some.of the graduates.
We entreat you to kindly give consideration and action in this regard at future camps which we are confident you will oblige”, Babagana stated.


Bangladesh: Abdur Rahman · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

imperfect world 2006 on developments in Bangladesh – “Politicians of every hue have been lining up to condemn Shaekh Adbur Rahman after his capture this morning.”


Azerbaijan: Overbearing Landlords · Global Voices
Pervin Muradli

Aaron in Azerbaijan recounts two upsetting experiences with renting apartments in Azerbaijan. The blog notes how irritating  it can be when landlords appear anytime they want without notice or reason and even decide to stay overnight or impose their own way of keeping things in order.


Bangladesh: A healthy debate · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Unheard Voices on the loss of a space for a healthy debate in Bangladesh.


Bahamas: Junkanoo as metaphor · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Junkanoo just isn't junkanoo without the rhythm drum says Nicolette Bethel, who suggests that the traditional Bahamian street parade could teach Bahamians a few lessons about priorities.


37 Finalists Selected for the 2015 Social Impact Media Awards  · Global Voices
Morgan Meaker

Screenshots from 2015 film finalists. From the SIMA website.
Thirty-seven stories from 35 countries have made it through to the final round of judging in this year’s Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA). Subjects include the trans-community in Puerto Rico, unrest in Haiti and tracing the migrant trail from Nigeria to the Netherlands.
Daniela Ko, SIMA Founder and Chief Executive says: “These filmmakers and activists re-imagine socio-political filmmaking, they set new standards for transparency, integrity and creativity, while transforming their camera, their narratives and by extension, their audiences, into vehicles for social justice”.
Finalists are entered into the SIMA Collection and Travelling series, a platform which works to showcases the documentaries around the world.
The winner of last year’s Best Feature Documentary award was ‘A World Not Ours’ by Mahdi Fleifel – a portrait of statelessness and frustration in a Palestinian refugee camp in South Lebanon.  Now in its third year, SIMA has grown to become an international film program and  collection, curating and distributing the best impact cinema from around the globe.
Global Voices is a partner of SIMA 2015. SIMA is sponsored by the Creative Visions Foundation, G technologies, and the Angel Station.


Top Ten Communist Jokes · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Owen of Lex Libertas posted a list of the top ten communist jokes from an online competition where people sent in their favorite.


Trinidad & Tobago: Christmas Drinks  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In preparation for the Christmas season, TriniGourmet.com posts a recipe for Punch de Creme, “another of Trinidad’s traditional Christmas drinks”, while Simply Trini Cooking does the same for Sorrel: “To me Sorrel is synonymous with Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago.”


Detained Ship: FG Defends Rights In Dispute Against Switzerland - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
July 9, 2019
TheFederal Government says it has successfully defended its rights in the disputebetween the country and Switzerland in an International Tribunal for the Law ofthe Sea, ITLOS.
TheSolicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Adetayo Apata,Federal Ministry of Justice said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
Apatasaid that the tribunal delivered the important ruling in favour of Nigeria inan order on Provisional measures announced on July 6, 2019.
Thecase is on Nigeria’s arrest and detention of a Swiss-flagged Oil Tanker, itsCrew and Cargo for violating Nigeria’s laws by engaging in ship-to-shiptransfers of fuel oil for use in hydrocarbon production activities in Nigerianwaters without the required permits and authorisation.
He hailed the tribunal’s decision as a `Vindication of Nigeria’s right to proceed with prosecuting these serious violations of Nigerian law, which is a key part of its efforts to combat maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.


Fiji: No Coup · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Ms. Vakaivosavosa in Fiji downplays the coup rumours. “Life is normal here and there's so much more to worry about than the war of words in the media. I spent the day out of the office today and nothing is unusual or out of the ordinary. People are aware of the war of words but they are going about their everyday business.”


Cuba: On the Front Line  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense says that “Orlando Zapata Tamayo's fight for liberty is not over, as reports…are that other Cuban freedom fighters are taking his place on the front lines of the struggle.”


Keeping traditional knowledge free - 360
Raghunath Mashelkar
Published on July 20, 2022
Recent work has strengthened the intellectual property rights ecosystem to protect traditional knowledge from commercial patents.
It’s poetic justice: attempts to misappropriate the developing world’s traditional knowledge by claiming patent rights over it have led to a better, fairer intellectual property (IP) system that safeguards traditional knowledge from future such attempts.
It began with the University of Mississippi’s claim for a US patent on the wound-healing properties of turmeric, and US company RiceTec’s claim for a UK patent on genetically Indian basmati rice. Those who fought these claims prevented the commercial patenting of traditional knowledge, something that has existed for generations in developing economies. They also helped create a global monitoring and watch system for future patent claims. The resultant Traditional Knowledge Digital Library and Traditional Knowledge Resource Classification link to patent offices across the globe.
In March 1995 the US Patent and Trade Office granted the University of Mississippi Medical Center a patent on the “Use of turmeric in wound healing”. The patent application had claimed that the administration of an effective amount of turmeric through local and oral routes to enhance the wound-healing process was a novel finding.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in India followed a “re-examination process” permitted under the law to challenge the validity of the patent. The CSIR showed that the wound-healing properties of turmeric were well-documented traditional knowledge in India. It cited 32 references, from centuries-old Sanskrit texts to references in Hindi, Urdu and other Indian languages.
The CSIR filed a formal request for re-examination with the US patent office in October 1996. Five months later, in March 1997, the patent office issued a re-examination order rejecting all six patent claims.
The judgment said the result was “anticipated by the submitted references” – the CSIR’s evidence. The medical centre’s claims were found to be invalid under the US legal code that lists the conditions for patentability and novelty.
In a bid to enter the international basmati market with its brands Kasmati and Texmati, RiceTec applied for a trademark over ‘Texmati’ with the UK Trade Mark Registry. It provided as evidence the US patent granted to it by the US patent office in 1997 for a basmati-like rice. It lodged 20 claims covering not only a novel rice plant but also various rice lines (parents), resulting plants and grains, seed-deposit claims, and methods for selecting a rice plant for breeding and propagation.
Some of its claims were for a rice grain with characteristics similar to those from Indian basmati rice lines. If legally enforced, these claims would have shaved billions of dollars off  Indian exports.
The Government of India swung into action. Basmati, an aromatic rice, has been grown in the Indian subcontinent for centuries. In many countries the term is often applied only to rice grown in the subcontinent. A technical committee gathered evidence and decided on a strategy to challenge the trademark application.
A re-examination case was filed in April 2000. Soon afterwards, RiceTec withdrew its basmati-like claims for its brand Texmati. Later, the US Patent Office passed a judgment that “a substantial question of patentability has been raised in respect of the remaining claims” of RiceTec. RiceTec later withdrew the crucial patent claims and the threat to the export of basmati rice lines from India was averted. India also learnt its lesson and introduced sui generis systems – i.e. ones developed to suit each country’s needs and priorities – to avoid future challenges.
The turmeric and basmati cases, and later the attempt to patent the fungicidal properties of the neem tree, brought into focus the threat to traditional knowledge and the need to protect the rights of communities to such knowledge by keeping it in the global commons. In 1998–99, your correspondent chaired the Standing Committee on Information Technology of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva. He used this opportunity to sensitise the 170-plus member states to misappropriation of traditional knowledge, using the example of the turmeric case.
During a special visit to the US patent office in Washington, your correspondent pointed out that the claims to novelty in several patents awarded by the office were invalid, since the relevant knowledge already existed in India’s traditional knowledge systems.
The patent office wondered why its search process had not revealed that prior knowledge. It was because it had conducted its search using the International Patent Classification system, which did not consider traditional knowledge. This led to the idea of creating a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library.
The Indian CSIR and the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy set up an interdisciplinary Traditional Knowledge Digital Library task force, drawing top experts from organisations across the country.
The task force evolved a scientific classification and retrieval system called the Traditional Knowledge Resource Classification. The system’s structure enabled an easy link with the International Patent Classification used universally by all patent examiners.
In turn, the World Intellectual Property Organization set up an International Patent Classification taskforce comprising the US, Japan, the European Union, China and India to look at the challenge of modifying the International Patent Classification to include traditional knowledge. India’s proposal to create a Traditional Knowledge Resource Classification was fully endorsed by the taskforce. From just one subgroup for medicinal plants in the International Patent Classification, the categorisation rose to 207 subgroups, besides having access to the Traditional Knowledge Resource Classification’s 27,000 subgroups.
To solve the problem of issuance of wrong patents, access to the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library – with 34 million pages of formatted information – was given to 14 patent offices around the world, including in the US, Canada, Japan, and some countries in Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. For the first time, these IP offices were equipped with a search tool to eliminate potential misappropriation of traditional knowledge.
In addition, the CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit has an integrated global piracy-watch system. It files third-party observations and pre-grant oppositions to patent applications related to Indian traditional knowledge. So far 265 global patent applications have been withdrawn, amended or set aside on the basis of Traditional Knowledge Digital Library evidence.
For the first time within the global IP rights framework, traditional knowledge has been recognised as a legitimate knowledge system. Efforts to achieve this recognition have demonstrated that authentic and accessible documentation as well as easy access based on trust and global partnerships can resolve conflicts over IP rights and avoid the misappropriation of traditional knowledge that is free and must remain free.
Raghunath Mashelkar, FRS, is Chancellor of the Jio Institute and former Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India. He was involved in the response to the patent claims on turmeric and basmati.
Dr Mashelkar has declared no conflict of interest in relation to this article.
Main image licensed under creative commons.
Editors Note: In the story “Who owns IP” sent at: 13/07/2022 10:48.
This is a corrected repeat.


Banned Iranian Reporter Turns to Weblogs · Global Voices
Hossein Derakhshan

Iranian regime is the best promoter of weblogs.
The latest example is Massih (Masoumeh) Alinejad, the parliament correspondent for reformist newspapers who was banned from the parliament building last week because of the troubles she had made for hardliner MPs.
It took 80 signs to oust her who had revealed financial interests the supposedly God-fearing and people-serving had secretly received as new year gifts and other occasions. Although they said she was banned for being “rude and intrusive”.
But now she has a weblog in which she continues to reveal more about the hypocrite MPs.


UAE: Twenty seven million flowers · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Seabee shares his thoughts after Dubai Municipality said they planted 27n million flowering plants in Dubai last year.


#KnowYourDictator: Political Emigres and Their Hashtags Haunt Azerbaijan’s Re-elected Strongman · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

A gathering of anti-Aliev activists in Berlin. Posted on Facebook by Pervin Ismayilov. Intended for wider use.
As I interviewed Ordukhan Teymurkhan over the phone, the monumental stress he was under seeped through his voice. “I cannot keep my emotions under control. . . My family is broken,” he said, when I asked him how he was.
Ordukhan's story is sadly typical for Azerbaijani exiles that publicly oppose the country's hereditary authoritarian regime.
In February of this year, two of his brothers-in-law were detained and sentenced to 30 days’ administrative detention on charges of resisting the police. Last year, 12 of his family members were called in for questioning.
Many of Azerbaijan's politically active emigres have seen their families back home suffer as a result of their activism. The space available to oppose 56-year-old President Ilham Aliyev inside the country was always small, but thanks to a growing crackdown in recent years, it has shrunk to almost nothing.
Aliyev (left) meets with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the Iranian capital Tehran (Russian government image. Licensed for reuse).
Ordukhan is part of a new, nameless and unofficial movement formed by Azerbaijani political dissidents living in Europe. It was formed in early March following protest actions organized in Berlin.
According to group members, the movement has no structure, no authority, and any Azerbaijani living inside or outside the country is welcome to become part of it.
Its goal is a simple one: to bring down the Aliyev dictatorship which emerged in the early years of the country's post-Soviet independence period.
The thing that has most angered authorities back in Azerbaijan seems to have been the movement's involvement in a creative poster campaign titled diktatoru tanıyaq, or #KnowYourDictator.
Poster of Ilham Aliyev (right) and his late father Heydar. Widely distributed.
The posters from #KnowYourDictator traveled through European capitals as well as to Canada, Azerbaijan's neighbour Georgia and even Azerbaijan itself, as the country prepared for presidential elections on April 11.
The campaign later morphed into a hashtag on social media.
“If there is one word Ilham Aliyev does not like, it is being called a dictator,” explains Ordukhan. This, he says, is why the authorities have come after activists’ families.
Inside Azerbaijan, it is even harder to speak out against Aliyev.
One Baku-based activitst, Fatima Movlanli, was detained on March 26, but released after several hours under the supervision of police, who tried to convince her of the importance of rallying behind Aliyev.
Ilham Aliyev's regime is a harsher continuation of the authoritarian structure put in place by his late father Heydar, a communist-era bigwig who became president in 1993.
It has honed a reputation for muzzling media, blocking access to independent and opposition online news sites, arresting activists, journalists, rights defenders and bloggers, and dismantling the legal system.
The government even has a troll factory. A leaked document purported to be from one of these “armies” emerged online last week.
Straight from #Azerbaijan troll army. This list you are seeing has been assigned to our hardworking trolls. It contains names of opposition political parties, independent media and opposition leaders. pic.twitter.com/vh916ZtulE
— Arzu Geybulla (@arzugeybulla) April 5, 2018
For weeks now, outspoken critics of the regime have joked about being harassed by trolls. The usual bogus accusations aimed at Aliyev critics see them accused of receiving money from the West, or spying for Armenia. The frequency and tone of these false allegations was ramped up as the vote approached.
I have experienced them on many occasions myself. A few days ago, I even discovered a Facebook post on the page of the ruling party’s youth branch which accused me of being a mole financed by the Armenians and working in league with Hagop Berberian, a man I have never met.
I did not read all 946 comments, but what I saw was enough to confirm that in a tightly-controlled society, there are few checks on the power of government-spun myths and misinformation.
A gathering of anti-Aliyev activists in Berlin. Posted on Facebook by Pervin Ismayilov. Intended for wider use.
As it turned out, Aliyev won a barely contested vote with a 86% majority the head of the Central Election Commission confirmed April 12.
In a hallmark of ex-Soviet authoritarianism, other registered candidates even praised the incumbent in the run-up to the vote.
Seven other #candidates did not only avoid criticizing the government but also openly and actively campaigned for Aliyev during the debates on Public #TV. #Azerbaijan #azvote2018 #Elections2018 #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/4lHfF3N9LK
— SMDT (@SMDT_EMDS) April 9, 2018
There is no alternative choice of voters among candidates on 11 April early presidential elections in #Azerbaijan according to observation by @SMDT_EMDS on pre-election campaign. @eapcsf @EPDE_org @stefanschennach @Dunja_Mijatovic @gndemexchanges @arzugeybulla @Khadija_Ismayil pic.twitter.com/nOi7mHEOfA
— Anar Mammadli (@anarm2013) April 5, 2018
Reports of violations on the day were numerous. Although the opposition and youth movements called on people to boycott the elections, it is not clear what effect this could have had on the outcome. Turnout, which the CEC said reached 75%, is routinely inflated in Azerbaijaini ballots.
Thanks to constitutional changes that extended presidential terms in 2016, Ilham Aliyev is now set to rule the country for at least seven more years. Should anything happen to him, there are several members of his family well-positioned to extend the Aliyev dynasty.


The Castor Project Causes Seismic Movements on the Spanish Coast · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

View of the Castor platform from the Vinaroz coast (Castellón province). Image from lanoticia.cat, used under the CC 3.0 license
Spain is not a country that has strong seismic activity. With the exception of a few limited cases, like the Lorca earthquake of 2011, the country's seismic activity is very low, and tremors don't usually cause any damage.
For that reason, when frequent seismic movements were registered a few weeks ago–more than 350 tremors in the last month– in the gulf of Valencia, opposite the coast of the Castellón province, alarms went off especially when, in the early morning hours of October 1, an earthquake registered a 4.2 on the Richter scale.
This unusual seismic activity may be caused by the injection of natural gas into the area that surrounds an old oil reservoir, now empty, which is 1750 meters deep and lies 22 kilometers from the Vinaroz area within the Castor project, which hopes to convert that reservoir into a gas storage facility [es]:
de acuerdo a la regulación europea, los comercializadores (…) tienen la obligación de mantener unas reservas equivalentes a 20 días de ventas en firme del ejercicio anterior.
According to European regulations, suppliers (…) are obligated to keep reserves equal to 20 days of stable sales from the previous year.
Even though other types of these deposits exist in Spain that have not caused problems until now, the Castor project appears to be located in an especially unstable area. The seismic activity may be caused by the injection of what is called “cushion gas,” which, according to the blog Sience, Information, and Emergencies [es], deals with:
600 millones de m3 [de gas] (…) cuyas funciones básicas son rellenar espacios “muertos” de difícil drenaje del yacimiento, servir como aislamiento entre el Gas de Trabajo y el acuífero subyacente (para evitar la posible producción de agua libre) y, en menor medida, contribuir al mantenimiento de la presión del yacimiento.
Six hundred million m3 [of gas] (…) whose basic functions are to refill “dead” spaces of difficult deposit drainage, to serve as insulation between the Gas de Trabajo and the underlying aquifer (in order to avoid the possible production of free water), and in small part to contribute to the maintenance of deposit pressure.
Structure of the Castor project of gas storage. Image from meteoweb.eu
Furthermore, the Castor project is located over the Amposta faultline, which runs through the eastern coast throughout 51 kilometers and acts as the reservoir's border [es]. José Luis Simón, Geology professor from Zaragoza University and an expert in the tectonic study of the area, told the daily Levante [es]:
se inyecta gas a una presión bastante alta en un subsuelo submarino del que se conocen pocas cosas, pero una de las que se conocen es que justamente bajo el emplazamiento del pozo pasa una falla que se considera activa. (…) Las tensiones hubieran tardado cientos o miles de años [en producir un terremoto], pero al inyectar gas hacemos que se produzca ahora.
Gas is injected into a below underground undersea area about which little is known, at rather high pressure, but one thing that is known is that a faultline passes just under the reservoir site and is considered active. (…) The tensions have taken hundreds or thousands of years [to produce an earthquake], but upon injecting gas we are causing it to produce one now.
The minister of industry ordered to stop work [es] on the platform this past September 26 and the experts from said ministry are considering completely stopping the project if a connection is shown between the project and the earthquakes. The autonomous governments of Cataluña and Valencia have activated their earthquake risk plans.
Area neighbors’ worries have been reflected on social networks, which have also served to bring together demonstrations and protests in the affected towns. It has to be pointed out that in a radius of 100 kilometers from the Castor platform, there are tourist areas like Salou and historic villas like Peniscola and the ruins of Tarraco, but also installations of the Tarragona petrochemical industry[es] and nuclear centers of Ascó I and II and Vandellós[es].
Economically, the project–which many emphasize is unnecessary–has overshot its budget. At the end of 2011, 1195.5 million euros were already invested, 89.54% over the initial foreseen cost. According to the Confidencial [es], the previously mentioned budget presently
se ha disparado hasta los 1.700 millones. Todo un ejemplo emblemático de los modificados que han hecho de oro a las constructoras al calor de las vacas gordas.
(…) Un dinero que será sufragado por los usuarios del gas a través de la tarifa. (…) [Castor recibirá] En total, 250 millones de euros por ejercicio. Unos fondos que, como costes del sistema, se incluyen en el recibo [al consumidor].
[Solo podría] evitarse el impacto de esa instalación en los recibos del gas si puede demostrarse que ha existido una negligencia grave en el proceso de puesta en marcha.
has skyrocketed to 1,700 million. A characteristic example of the changes that have benefited the construction companies.
(…) A cost which would be defrayed by gas users throughout the rate. (…) [Castor will receive ] In total, 250 million euros per year. Some funds which, as system costs, are included in the bill [to the consumer].
[The impact] of this installation could only be avoided in gas bills if it can be demonstrated that grave negligence existed in the start up process.
On Twitter, the topic has been commented on a lot. The Tarragona resident Andrea Lahoz shows her worry about the effect of the earthquakes in her area:
Vivo en una ciudad rodeada de fábricas y petroquímicas. Ahora gracias a #castor vivo acojonada esperando al próximo terremoto…
— Andrea Lahoz (@Andrea_Lahoz) October 2, 2013
I live in a city surrounded by factories and petrochemical plants. Now thanks to #castor I live freaked out, waiting for the next earthquake…
Location of the Castor project and the Vandellós nuclear centers and Ascó I and II. Image from Google Maps.
The construction of Castor is paid for by the ACS company, whose president is Florentino Pérez, also president of the soccer club Real Madrid [es] C.F. Trapichaire[es] underscores the double standard that Pérez shows at the time of approving certain expenses:
#sismicat Castor (de Florentino Pérez) no realizó un estudio sísmico para ahorrar, pero compró a Bale x 100 kilazos. #terremoto #RealMadrid
— Trapichaire (@Trapichaire) October 3, 2013
#sismicat Castor (Florentino Pérez) didn't do a seismic study to save money, but he bought Bale x 100 kilazos. #terremoto #RealMadrid
Blanca Civit paraphrased the speech from Madrid's mayor before the COI in order to defend the city's Olympic candidate, which caused an avalanche of scathing jokes[es] on the Internet:
There is nothing like a relaxing #terremoto in the gulf de Valencia . #castor is not fun. #terremoto #terratremol
— Blanca Civit (@blancacivit) October 3, 2013
El buen progre also doesn't take the humor seriously:
No se pq tanto escándalo en castellón. Si llenas la tierra de gases es normal que se tire pedos. #Castor
— El buen progre (@Elbuenprogre) October 3, 2013
Don't worry so much about the scandal in castellón. If you fill the ground with gas its normal for it to fart. #Castor
According to a report by El Periódico[es], “The District Attorney's Office for the Castellón Province has agreed to initiate proceedings for a criminal investigation” to clarify the origin of the earthquakes. On Friday, October 4,
Sobre las dos de la tarde, miembros del servicio aéreo de la Guardia Civil, junto a varios agentes del cuerpo en Castellón, llegaron a la planta, situada a unos 23 kilómetros de la costa de Vinaròs. Según las fuentes, los agentes se trasladaron para “comprobar cómo se encuentra la plataforma y su funcionamiento”.
At about 2:00 in the afternoon, members of the Civil Guard air service, together with several agents from the group in Castellón, arrived at the plant, located 23 kilometers from the coast of Vinaròs. According to sources, agents moved the platform in order to “check the platform and its functioning.”
Agents verified that the plant has stopped. Now its a matter of waiting to get the report from the experts to know the final destination for the Castor project.


Jigawa Golden Stars Sack Chief Coach, Assistants - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
August 13, 2021
The Management of Jigawa Golden Stars FC has sacked the Chief Coach of the club, Gilbert Okpana and his two assistants, Auwalu Bade and Abdulaziz Adeza.
Jafaru Mohammed, the club’s Secretary, in a statement, said the sack of the coaches was with immediate effect.
Mohammed said Ado Suleiman and Yakubu Umar Aleka, had been directed to take over as chief coach and assistant.
According to him, Babangida Mohammed remains the club’s goalkeeper trainer.
The secretary added that the steering committee of the club had approved a four week holiday for all players and members of the technical crew.
According to him, all activities and programmes for the 2021/2022 season will commence from September 14.


Bangladesh: Weddings Here And There · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mezba at A Bengali in T.O. compares Bangladeshi wedding ceremonies in Bangladesh and Canada and you will be surprised with the findings.


OAU amphitheater ceiling collapse on students | EduCeleb
16th May 2024
Scores of students at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun state, were injured on Thursday, May 16, when rain and a whirlwind caused the collapse of the Amphitheatre ceiling.
It was gathered that many students were attending lectures when the wooden ceiling fell on them.
A source revealed that two students were in critical condition following the collapse at Oduduwa Hall.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, said: “Rainfall with whirlwind affected the ceiling of the Amphitheatre as it fell off and injured a few of the students.
“The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire led other principal officers to the Medical and Health Centre of the University, and ensured that the injured students were given adequate medical attention.”
Olarewaju added that VC also followed two other students, whose cases demanded more medical attention to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), where the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor John Okeniyi, physically supervised the proceedings.
He added: “The Vice-Chancellor has, therefore, appealed for calm and urged students and staff to go about their academic and administrative activities without any form of untoward action.
“Meanwhile, the management of the University has sealed off the Amphitheatre, the venue of the unfortunate incident, until further notice.”


Ghana: Chocolate memories · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Ramblings of an African Geek is presently visiting his home in Ghana.  Here he remembers fondly the chocolate of his childhood.  Ghanaian chocolate  Ghana is one of the largest producers of cocoa in the world.  He posts some photos of Tree Chocolate – a Ghanaian speciality.


South Africa: Fasten your seatbelts · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Says commentary.co.za: “There's a very well-sourced rumour flying about the South African aviation world at the moment about the South African Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) and its alleged failure to meet the standards of the last regular six month safety check up by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).”


Russia: Ukok Princess · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about plans to re-bury the mummy of a Scythian princess in the capital of Russia's Altai Republic.


Brunei: Getting out of the Rut · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Old man in Brunei contemplates the future of his country, one of the richest in South East Asia, and wonders if the easy going attitude of his countrymen will lead to Brunei loosing out to its neighbors.


MAUSTECH gets first governing council | EduCeleb
15th April 2019
The Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH), Abeokuta has got its first Governing Council.
This is following the inauguration of a 10-member council by the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun.
Addressing the pioneer Governing Council members after their inauguration held at the Governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Monday, the governor charged them to ensure a smooth take off of the new institution.
Amosun said the university is expected to take off with the already existing site of the former Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere. The polytechnic, which is now known as the Ogun State Polytechnic has been relocated to Ipokia, west of the state.
“I am happy with the calibre of people in the council. We don’t just appoint anybody,” he said, adding that each of the council members have expertise and years of experience that makes them suited to carry out the task ahead.
The Chairman of the council, Oye Hassan Odukale, promised to take up the challenge and make the university a pride to the state.
Odukale added that the council, together with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Akinwale Coker, would seek assistance from knowledgeable professionals.
Other members of the council are Professor Adeoye Akinsanya, Chief Wale Taiwo, Professor Najeem Adesola Babarinde, Ms Ibukun Sonola, Ms Bunmi Oke, Engr. Segun Adeleye, Mr Dapo Adesega and Ms Amina Oyagbola.
The governor charged members of the Council to start work immediately.
EduCeleb.com recalls that the University got its accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2017, making it the 45th state university in Nigeria at the time.


ASUU begins indefinite strike | EduCeleb
23rd March 2020
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced an indefinite strike.
The union’s President, Biodun Ogunyemi, at a press briefing in its National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday, noted that the Federal Government had failed to address the issues raised by its members.
Already, the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) had led to the withholding of salaries of lecturers who failed to register on the payment platform.
ASUU had two weeks earlier declared a warning strike during which it held meetings with government to reach an interim agreement.
In a related development, ASUU has expressed disappointment over Federal Government’s failure to implement the agreement reached with them in order to end the ongoing warning strike.
Speaking with newsmen yesterday at their University of Jos Secretariat, ASUU Zonal Coordinator for Bauchi Zone, Prof. Lawan G. Abubakar, said even the National Assembly does not “demonstrate enough muscle on the matter” whenever they meet with them and the Federal Government.
Represented by the University of Jos ASUU chairperson, Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, the Zonal Coordinator reaffirmed their commitment to the struggle, saying that there shall be no retreat and no surrender in the fight for the souls of the Nigerian public universities”.
“The Bauchi zone of ASUU, while re-iterating and reaffirming its unrelenting support to ASUU National leadership and NEC in the on-going struggle, wishes to assure the Federal Government of Nigeria that the faithful implementation of the memorandom of action (MoA) coupled with a meaningful engagement of ASUU on the IPPIS is the only way towards the resolution of this problem. There is no alternative to this.
“The adverse effects of IPPIS on the University system are so enormous as it has remained unfortified and inflexible to the system.The universities should be allowed to operate an individually independent system, controlled by their various councils and supervised by the National University Commission (NEC), in line with international standards and global best practices and not a centralized and dependent structure of the civil service.
“ASUU views the implementation of IPPIS as diversionary from the main issues in contention and is forthwith rejected. As a rider to this, ASUU is proposing an alternative to IPPIS in the universities, which is the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which is consistent with the University laws and accommodating to the peculiarities of the university system in Nigeria,” he said.
He stressed that “ASUU will neither be intimidated nor diverted by the antics of government”.


Old videos are shared as visuals of Telangana police beating citizens during recently imposed night curfew - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 22, 2021
As COVID-19 cases are increasing in Telangana, the State government has imposed a night curfew (9 PM to 5 AM) from 20 April 2021 to 30 April 2021 (till 5 AM, 01 May 2021). In this context, few videos are being shared widely on social media with a claim that they show the police beating citizens for coming out during the latest night curfew in Telangana. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the posts.
Claim: Videos of police beating citizens for coming out during the latest night curfew in Telangana.
Fact: The videos in these posts are old. The same videos are being shared on social media at least since March 2020. They are not related to the latest night curfew in Telangana. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Video 1: (archived)
When we searched with a few relevant keywords and using a time filter, the video was found to be uploaded by a user back in March 2020. So, the video is old and not related to the latest night curfew in Telangana.
Video 2: (archived)
When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same video was found to be posted by ‘Sach News’ YouTube channel in March 2020. So, this video is also old.
Video 3: (archived)
This video was also found to be uploaded by a Facebook user in March 2020. While we could not independently verify the exact locations of the posted videos, it can be concluded that the videos are not related to the latest night curfew in Telangana as they are old videos.
To sum it up, old videos are being shared as visuals of police beating citizens for coming out during the latest night curfew in Telangana.


How one project is helping women in the sex trade get off the streets and into stable housing | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
January 13, 2021
Many women involved in the street-based sex trade in Milwaukee are homeless.
In 2019, Rhonda Reid, a housing navigator for the Milwaukee County Housing Division, received a referral to help a chronically homeless woman who had also been involved in the street-based sex trade.
The woman, in poor health and struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues, wanted to turn her life around.
“Housing was her starting point,” Reid said.
She’s been housed for a year now, Reid said, has improved her physical and mental health and worked on her substance abuse issues. And she just went on a job interview.
That type of progress is what a group of local organizations envisioned when they created Milwaukee Providing Opportunity for Wellness, Empowerment and Recovery, or MPOWER. The project seeks to help women involved in the sex trade obtain stable housing, treatment and long-term recovery support. The goal is to reduce an overreliance on emergency health care, arrests and overdose deaths, while helping these women turn their lives around.
According to Jeanne Geraci, executive director of the Benedict Center, one of the organizations leading the project, homelessness is a major obstacle to recovery.
“Before we started this work, there was limited awareness of the homelessness of women we work with,” Geraci said.
Not having access to housing, she said, prevents women in the sex trade from gaining the stability and safety they need to address other issues such as extreme physical and emotional trauma and drug addiction.
“It’s not fair to ask women to change if she doesn’t have the resources,” Geraci said.
The need to provide stable housing to help women escape the sex trade was never more evident than when the pandemic struck. The Benedict Center operates the Sisters Program, which provides services during street outreach or at two drop-in centers, one located on the North Side and one on the South Side. Unfortunately, once the pandemic hit, the drop-in centers closed, leaving the hundreds of women served annually with no safe place to go.
“The drop-in center was providing fundamental basic needs to women who are homeless — food and a place to rest for women who haven’t had a place to sleep,” Geraci said. Losing use of the centers also made it more challenging to connect the women with much-needed services such as treatment for opioid addictions. (The drop-in centers are reopened now on a limited basis, providing some relief.)
In addition, a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice allowed the Benedict Center and the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services’ Housing Division to expand their partnership with other groups, including the Southside Organizing Center, the Milwaukee Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office and the Medical College of Wisconsin to create MPOWER.
Eric Collins-Dyke, assistant administrator in Milwaukee County’s Housing Division, said the project aligns with the county’s “housing first” philosophy. That philosophy centers on providing housing to those who are most vulnerable, along with direct services such as treatment to address chronic homelessness.
Reid said the women she helps through MPOWER are perpetually in survival mode.
“Lack of housing has led to them ending up in very dangerous situations,” Reid said. “They are unsafe in the community and now unable to get away from a certain lifestyle that they are used to.”
So far, 47 women have received housing navigation services since July 2019, including 12 who were placed in a safe-haven-style house and 11 who have been placed in permanent housing, Geraci said. In addition, since July, 18 women have been placed in hotels where they are able to receive services through the Sisters Program.
Assistant District Attorney Ann Lopez, who works in the Community Prosecution Unit for MPD’s District 2, said an outside-the-box approach is needed to tackle the issue of prostitution, a major concern for the residents she serves. District 2 is located on the South Side, which has prostitution hubs along West Greenfield Avenue, West National Avenue and West Lincoln Avenue, according to Lopez.
Although residents appreciate seeing arrests of johns or prostitutes, she said police alone can’t solve the problem.
“Jails do not have the capacity to provide the resources to help them change their lives,” Lopez said.
She believes the MPOWER model provides a more effective intervention to help women get off the streets.
“You’re investing in them and helping to teach them how to live their life independently and obtain the housing, counseling or treatment services they need,” Lopez said. “Instead of arrest and prosecution, we are trying to work collaboratively and find some real interventions.”
Tammy Rivera, executive director of the Southside Organizing Center, agrees.
“Historically, arrests for prostitution have been disproportionate towards women and not the men who are solicitors,” she said.
Those arrests do not address the root problems these women face, such as the trauma they have from being abused and addiction struggles, she said. Rivera’s organization and several of the other organizations involved in MPOWER have been working to address these issues for several years.
She said adding the housing component, especially during the pandemic, became necessary during this stage of that partnership. Her organization’s role is to help create and develop a community engagement plan to support the project.
“When people understand it better, they have more empathy,” Rivera said. “The goal is to understand and tackle the root causes and assist the women to be safer and healthier as residents of the community.”


Makinde visits Oyetola over LAUTECH | EduCeleb
30th November 2020
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde was on a “thank you visit” to his Osun State counterpart, Gboyega Oyetola on Monday in Osogbo.
He was there over the amicable resolution of the age-long ownership crisis which had rocked the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, for years.
He noted that politics and other considerations cannot distract him and his colleague governors in the South-West geopolitical zone from cooperating to ensure the development of the Zone and Nigeria.
He warned naysayers and detractors to quit trying to drive a wedge between him and other governors, adding that such persons should look elsewhere.
According to him, politics and party affiliations will not cause a division among the governors.
Governor Makinde added that Oyo and Osun States demonstrated that an amicable resolution of the seeming intractable ownership crisis was possible and that the decision would ensure that LAUTECH returns to the pinnacle of excellence, which it was renowned for, years back.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor stated these while speaking at the Executive Chamber of the Osun State Governor’s Office.
The statement added that Makinde commended Governor Oyetola for the statemanly role he played in the process.
This was as the Osun State governor also expressed confidence that Makinde would implement the MoU on the resolution of the LAUTECH ownership to the letter, declaring that the Oyo State Governor is a man of honour.
In his speech, Governor Makinde maintained that a lot of people had been reading wrong meaning into the recent dissolution of the joint ownership of LAUTECH, describing it as being against the spirit of regional cooperation.
He said, however, that the decision by Oyo and Osun States to have a divorce over LAUTECH ownership would pay off in the long run.
“To the naysayers, they should look for other things that will divide us. Politics has not divided us. Party affiliations did not do that. LAUTECH did not do it. And we will continue to cooperate for the progress and prosperity of both states, our zone, and our country,” he said.
According to Governor Makinde, the visit to Osogbo was to appreciate Oyetola for the role he played in the process that led to the amicable resolution of the issue, noting that without Oyetola playing that role, the problem could not have been solved.
He said, “I came here to basically thank my brother, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, for the role that he played, which eventually led to us being able to resolve the LAUTECH issue.
“So, I came to thank Governor Oyetola. Without him playing that role of being a statesman, we could not have solved the problem.
“There have been a lot of thoughts, insinuations out there in the Press but what we have both done is to put the interest of our children that are students of that university over and above politics, partisanship and ego. Yes, somebody said that we failed because, in the spirit of regional integration, oneness in the region, we should have been able to jointly manage the institution.
“And I said that position was well-thought-out and lucid but they missed the point.”
He explained that the joint ownership of LAUTECH led the university to experience challenges and setbacks, noting that the need to find a lasting solution to the challenges led to the dissolution of the joint ownership.
“The point is, the joint ownership, over the years, has become really challenging in terms of funding, in terms of even the stakeholders in there. When you go into LAUTECH, you have Oyo Forum, you have Osun Forum. They come in to whisper to me and they also come in to whisper to the governor here.
“In the middle of that, the institution was closed down for several years. And I said to those people that there are several ways to skin a rat but what is important is, we want to get results.
“We want to get our children back to school. We want to get the university to a point where it can fulfill its original mandate, which is to train graduates that will be impactful in our environment, in our state, in our region and in our country.
“So, what both of us have done is to come together to say that this problem has lingered over several years, over several regimes and we have had different players. When it started, it was PDP and PDP in Oyo State. Later, it was APC and APC. But now, PDP and APC solved the problem. So, for us, we are all winners.”
The governor also appreciated the Osun and Oyo States teams led by Emeritus Professor Olu Aina and Professor Deji Omole, noting that the work they did and the roles they played in resolving the issue would be appreciated by generations to come.
The governor further noted that that there would not be any discrimination against Osun State indigennes in LAUTECH, explaining that students from the two states will continue to have the privilege of owner-states.
“On a final note, I have said it before now that in LAUTECH, there is no Oyo Forum anymore. There is no Osun Forum anymore. There is only a LAUTECH forum.
“So, both Osun and Oyo States students there will continue to have the privilege of the owner-states. There will be no discrimination. The field structure is the same and the products of LAUTECH, whether from Oyo or from Osun, we look forward to them contributing immensely to the progress and development, not only of Oyo and Osun States but of Nigeria because that is the mandate of that university.”
In his remarks, the Osun State Governor said that the disengagement of Osun from LAUTECH ownership was done in a painstaking process midwifed by the NUC, which lasted for almost a year, noting that the decision was taken in the interest of students, staff of the university and all stakeholders.
He maintained that he and Makinde put politics aside to address the ownership issue in a way that would take care of the interest of the two states.
He noted that while Oyo would have sole ownership of the institution, the chances of students and staff of Osun origin would be protected.
“It was good enough that we have decided to have joint ownership of the University but, sometimes, you have issues of funding, management. We have a marriage that is not working, you don’t keep it until the marriage dies naturally. You seek divorce voluntarily and it is a win-win situation for the two states.
“So, if people say they are not happy, they are not happy because they don’t understand the intricacies involved in joint ownership. The students have had cause to suffer a lot through issues of crises of management. Sometimes, politics come into it, especially when you don’t have the same party in the two states.
“There is no year that we didn’t have a crisis in LAUTECH for the past 15 years. Must it continue to be in crisis? No. So, there is a need to take decisions when it is desirable to do so,” Oyetola said.


Samoa: No Peace in Pacific · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Fagogo in Samoa lists the latest happenings across the Pacific islands and remarks that the Pacific ocean is anything but pacified.