Muslim picks Christian running mate

Nigeria’s main opposition contender Muhammadu Buhari has picked southern Christian lawyer Yemi Osinbajo to be his running mate for the elections set for February 2015, the party leader said last Wednesday.

Choosing a Christian from the south to run for the number two job alongside a Muslim northern presidential candidate fits a pattern in Nigerian elections of trying to balance ethnic and religious sentiments to maximise voter appeal.

President Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian who will seek re-election in the polls, picked his current vice president Namadi Sambo, a Muslim northerner, to run with him.

“I ask the people to remove religion from the electoral equation now that the tickets of both parties are one,” opposition All Progressives Congress leader Bola Tinubu said in a statement.

“I ask you to select the ticket best able to end the downward slide that Nigeria has endured . . . I ask you to remember that too many Christians and Muslims are poor.”

Picking running mates from both ends of the country of 170 million people split roughly evenly between the two religions is unlikely to dampen the sectarian and ethnic sentiment that could be a flashpoint for trouble in Nigeria’s most closely fought poll since the end of military rule in 1999.

Buhari’s loss against Jonathan then caused parts of the north to erupt into violence, were more than 800 people were killed and 65 000 displaced.

How Africa’s largest economy and leading energy producer conducts this election will be closely watched by investors.

The last vote in 2011 was deemed Nigeria’s cleanest yet, while the polls before it were marred by widespread ballot box stuffing, intimidation and sometimes completely falsified results. – World Bulletin.

 

Rev Masuku leaves great legacy

Methodist Church in Zimbabwe’s Reverend Mafala Masuku will at the end of this month retire as the congregation’s education secretary.

Having served as education secretary for seven years, spearheading several projects, Rev Masuku, who was initially supposed to retire at the age of 65 in 2012, will hand over to Rev Elliot Mashonganyika.

“One lesson I learnt from my time in office is that if you work hard in everything you, results will surely follow. When I got into office our ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level results were very low, but as I leave Moleli and Chemhanza high schools have 100 percent pass rates while Waddilove, Kwenda and Thekwani high had 99 percent pass rates,” Rev Masuku said.

“I also noticed positive competition among the schools when we introduced Results-Based Recognition. With this system every teacher who had students who scored ;A’ grades in his class would get US$10 for each grade.

“For ‘A’ Level the teacher would get US$20.

“At Waddilove a teacher walked away with US$360 for 18 students who each had an A grade,” Rev Masuku said.

He said they also introduced a recognition of students programme.

“In 2013 the church sourced US$5 000 for this programme which drew 32 former students. The Grade 7 students walked away with US$102, ‘O’ Level with US $150 while the ‘A’ Level students got US$190 as a reward for the high scores.”

Rev Mashonganyika will assume office in January 2015. – Extra Reporter

 

Presbyterians focus on AIDS orphans

The Church of Central Africa Presbytarian (CCAP) in Mufakose, Harare will next year step up its focus on orphaned children many, of whom have lost parents and guardians to HIV and AIDS.

CCAP Mufakose leader Reverend Pattison Chirongo said, “Due to the economic hardships we realised that most people are no longer working and children are being left to fend for themselves after guardians or parents pass away due to the AIDS pandemic.

“We need to be looking in that area, more come 2015.”

According to a report by the Organisation for Public Health Interventions and Development, families, communities and healthcare providers must enhance efforts to identify those left exposed by HIV and AIDS, especially children.

Meanwhile, CCAP will today donate groceries and blankets to less-privileged congregants.

“It is our culture to help our less-privileged members in the church. And we do this twice in a year, first in June and then this month.

“So those who are taking care of children and can’t afford school fees will also receive money for the coming term,” Rev Chirongo said.

The church is currently raising funds for expansion of their building which is expected to be complete in 2015. – Extra Reporter.