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5, March 2024

Boxing: Ngannou ready to face Joshua ⁰

It was one of the most arresting spectacles in boxing for some time: Francis Ngannou dancing a jig of pleasure while leaning over a floored and obviously dazed Tyson Fury.

For boxing purists, disaster was brewing. Was a UFC fighter, in his very first boxing match, about to knock out a reigning world heavyweight champion?

Fury got back up and eventually won a much-discussed and unconvincing split decision victory, but Ngannou had made a spectacular entrance into the boxing world.

On Friday, the Franco-Cameroonian has another chance to shake up the established order and prepare for a new showdown with Fury.

Ngannou is back in Saudi Arabia for the second fight of his career, this time against another Briton, former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua.

Much of the pre-fight news assumes a victory for Joshua which would allow him to face Fury, provided that the latter – WBC champion – beats Oleksandr Usyk – WBA, IBF and WBO champion – in their rearranged fight on May 18 which will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since the year 2000.

Ngannou is; however, ready to make headlines in his bid to become a boxing champion so soon after dominating the UFC scene.

“I exposed myself – the next opponent (Joshua) knows what to expect,” Ngannou said upon his arrival in Riyadh. “I’ve lost the element of surprise. So how can I surprise him again? What can I pull out of my sleeve one more time?”

Ngannou exudes a cool and confident air. He may be new to elite boxing, but the sport was his first love during a difficult upbringing in Cameroon, and he said it was only a matter of time before he returned to it.

“At the beginning, it was boxing. I didn’t know MMA. And for more than a decade, I only thought about boxing, I dreamed about boxing,” he said.

“Then even when the opportunity presented itself (in the UFC), it was an opportunity for me to shine, to be a world champion, and then potentially change to transition and come back to boxing. I feel like it was something that I needed, that I had to accomplish, to be at peace with myself.”

Ngannou, 37, fell out with the UFC and UFC president Dana White stripped him of his belt in January last year. Within five months, Ngannou signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), a rival organization.

However, he has yet to fight in the PFL as he is focusing on boxing. He intends to continue his career in MMA, but alongside boxing, not instead of it.

The big question heading into the Ngannou-Joshua fight – the latest high-profile boxing event in what is quickly becoming the sport’s new home in Saudi Arabia – is: Fury won’t Is he just not prepared well enough? Did Fury simply prepare poorly against Ngannou, thinking he would be easy to beat, but instead finding himself sprawled on the canvas in the third round of a fight that, against all odds, went the distance? Or is Ngannou a true champion and a born pugilist?

The answer should come on Friday, in the final fight for Joshua, who regained his place after two consecutive defeats to Usyk, which cost him his titles and put his career at a crossroads.

Since then, he has won three consecutive fights, but none of them were against elite opponents. His fifth-round stoppage against Otto Wallin in Riyadh in December was a comeback performance, demonstrating his powerful jab and then his renowned power, following disappointing victories against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.

Ngannou promises to be a much tougher challenge and the prize is huge, with Fury having already called out Joshua to be his next opponent if he gets away with Usyk.

“It’s the fast track to undisputed,” said Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, who is already planning a big-money Joshua-Fury fight that he has failed to secure several times. repeated over the past five years.

As for Joshua, he focuses on the present. “Francis is a hell of a fighter,” he said, “strong, a big hitter and a much better boxer than we all thought he would ever be.”

Source: Africa News

5, March 2024

FECAFOOTgate: Samuel Eto’o facing a legal storm ⁰

During his address to the youth on February 11, 2024, the Head of State, Paul Biya, instructed the government to undertake a profound reform of football administration in Cameroon.

“I understand the importance you place on football. The state, in our difficult context, makes significant financial sacrifices in this regard. It is therefore entitled to demand better organization and better results. We will ensure this. The government, and particularly the Ministry of Sports, have received clear instructions on the matter,” declared the Cameroonian leader, himself a keen sportsman.

Promptly, hearings were conducted at the Prime Minister’s Office, involving even the president of the FECAFOOT, as part of government measures aimed at improving the management of resources allocated to football. The final report will be submitted to the president soon. Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narcisse Kombi Mouelle, has chosen not to renew the contract of Rigobert Song and his coaching staff. Additionally, an investigation has been announced by the Special Criminal Court (TCS) into the management of FECAFOOT, particularly regarding the use of public funds.

At the time, whistleblower Boris Bertolt had specified the 2.7 billion FCFA. This investigation, reportedly entrusted to Commissioner Oko Petit Joël, will focus on the allocation of funds by the state to FECAFOOT, estimated at nearly 30 billion FCFA, as well as the use of the 2.7 billion FCFA intended for the World Cup in Qatar.

It is necessary to look back to the eve of the World Cup to understand the causes of this situation. Indeed, a few weeks before the start of the 2022 World Cup, a subsidy of 14 billion was requested by the Cameroonian football governing body for the participation of the Indomitable Lions in the tournament. However, this amount was deemed too exorbitant by state decision-makers, who decided to grant only 4.176 billion.

Additionally, it was agreed that FECAFOOT should cover roughly half, which is 2.732 billion FCFA. Lacking the necessary financial resources to pay this amount, the head of FECAFOOT turned to the Cameroonian public treasury to secure a loan under certain conditions. He had promised that Cameroon would reach the final of the World Cup and that repayment would be made with the prize money bonuses provided by FIFA. However, the use of the 2.7 billion FCFA has become problematic.

Source: Afriquesports

5, March 2024

US Supreme Court rules Colorado cannot ban Trump from presidential ballot ⁰

The US Supreme Court has struck down efforts by individual states to disqualify Donald Trump from running for president using an anti-insurrection constitutional clause.

The unanimous ruling is specific to Colorado, but it also overrides challenges brought in other states.

Colorado had barred Mr Trump from its Republican primary, arguing he incited the 2021 Capitol riot.

The court ruled that only Congress, rather than the states, has that power.

The top court’s decision clears the way for Mr Trump to compete in the Colorado primary scheduled for Tuesday.

Mr Trump is the front-runner for the Republican nomination and looks likely to face a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November’s general election.

On Monday, the ex-president immediately claimed victory following the ruling, taking to his Truth Social media platform to claim a “big win for America”. The message was followed by a fundraising email sent to supporters of his campaign.

Speaking from his estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, soon afterwards, he said that the decision was “very well crafted” and will “go a long way towards bringing our country together, which it needs”.

“You can’t take someone out of a race because an opponent would like it that way,” Mr Trump added.

Colorado’s Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, said that she was disappointed by the ruling and that “Colorado should be able to bar oath-breaking insurrections from our ballot”.

Additionally, the watchdog group that brought the case in Colorado, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), said in a statement that while the court “failed to meet the moment”, it is “still a win for democracy: Trump will go down in history as an insurrectionist”.

Maine and Illinois had followed Colorado in kicking Mr Trump off the ballot on similar grounds.

The efforts in both those states were put on hold while his challenge to the Colorado ruling was escalated to the Supreme Court.

“We conclude that states may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office,” the court’s opinion says. “But states have no power under the Constitution to enforce Sections 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the presidency.”

The nine justices ruled that only Congress can enforce the 14th Amendment’s provisions against federal officials and candidates.

Part of the Civil War-era amendment – Section 3 – bars federal, state and military officials who have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the US from holding office again.

Groups including Free Speech For People had argued that the attempt to delay the peaceful transfer of power on 6 January 2021 matched the definition of insurrection outlined in the amendment.

One of the court’s justices, Amy Coney Barrett, wrote separately that the fact that all nine justices agreed on the outcome of the case is “the message that Americans should take home”.

Source: BBC

4, March 2024

Mbappe tension overshadows PSG’s crunch Champions League date ⁰

Paris Saint-Germain’s preparations for Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg away to Real Sociedad have been overshadowed by coach Luis Enrique’s handling of star man Kylian Mbappe.

PSG have suffered numerous humiliating defeats at this stage of the Champions League in recent years but they are ideally placed to advance to the quarter-finals this time after winning 2-0 at home to the Basque side in last month’s first leg.

Mbappe scored the opening goal in that game but the following day the superstar striker informed PSG of his intention to leave when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.

Luis Enrique might have been expected to make the most of being able to call on Mbappe until then, but instead he has made a point of reducing his top scorer’s playing time.

Mbappe was left on the bench for PSG’s next game at Nantes, although he came on to score a penalty in a 2-0 win.

A week later he started as captain at home against Rennes, but was substituted on 65 minutes. His replacement Goncalo Ramos went on to score the equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

Mbappe has made almost 300 appearances for PSG since arriving from Monaco in 2017, but he had only previously been taken off earlier in a game either due to injury or with PSG already winning.

Yet last Friday he was hooked at half-time in a 0-0 draw at Monaco, and once again there was no question of him being injured or even of Luis Enrique trying to save his superstar for the Champions League.

“Sooner or later we are going to have to play without him, so I am trying to find the best way of doing so,” the coach said.

His comments came after he pointedly declared in a press conference last week that PSG would have “a much better team” next season, by which time Mbappe is expected to be playing for Real Madrid.

Punished?

Mbappe, who is PSG’s all-time top scorer with 244 goals, appeared eager to make a point that there was nothing wrong with him in Monaco as he emerged from the dressing room after half-time.

Having changed into a tracksuit, he walked around the pitch waving to fans and then took a seat in the stand beside his mother, rather than on the bench next to his teammates.

PSG can afford to experiment in Ligue 1 given they lead the table by nine points from Brest with 10 games left.

However, Luis Enrique’s decision to handle Mbappe in this way ahead of such an important European date has been questioned.

“I don’t understand. I get the impression that ever since he told the club he was leaving he has been punished by the coach, or maybe the punishment has been imposed by the directors,” said Alain Roche, a former PSG defender and sporting director now working as a pundit for broadcaster Canal Plus.

“I think it is inappropriate to create such a controversy four days before a game as important as the second leg against La Real.”

Mbappe has scored 32 goals in 33 games for his club this season, including four in the Champions League.

No other PSG player has reached double figures and Mbappe will surely start in San Sebastian as the French champions look to finish the job.

They have a comfortable lead against opponents who lie seventh in La Liga and have won only once in nine games.

Then again the Parisians are all too familiar with dramatic collapses in Champions League knockout ties.

Two of their most notorious defeats came on Spanish soil in last-16 ties after they had won at home in the first leg.

Two years ago they beat Madrid 1-0 in Paris and then went ahead in the return thanks to Mbappe, only to concede three times in the second half and go out.

In 2017 they hammered Barcelona 4-0 at home only to cave in and lose 6-1 at the Camp Nou.

Another exit this time, against weaker opposition and given Luis Enrique’s handling of Mbappe, would be disastrous for coach and club.

Source: AFP

4, March 2024

Putin seeks to ‘destabilize’ Germany with wiretap leak, defense minister says ⁰

Germany on Sunday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to sow disunity with the wiretap leak of a confidential German army discussion on the Ukraine war, at a time when Berlin is under pressure to supply the Taurus missile to Kyiv.

A 38-minute recording of the talks was posted online late Friday on Russian social media, with the participants discussing the possible use of German-made Taurus missiles and their potential impact.

The discussions also covered the use of long-range missiles provided to Kyiv by France and Britain.

“It is about using this recording to destabilise and unsettle us,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, adding that he “hoped that Putin will not succeed”.

“It is part of an information war that Putin is carrying out,” he added.

Pistorius said he was not aware of any further leaks at the army.

He added that he would await the result of a military probe into the case to decide what consequences to draw.

Germany’s Scholz vows probe into ‘very serious’ leak of army talks on Ukraine war

Kyiv has long been clamouring for Germany to provide it with Taurus missiles, which can reach targets up to 500 kilometres (about 300 miles) away.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far refused to send the missiles, fearing that it would lead to an escalation of the conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia.

The acquisition of German Taurus missiles would provide a massive boost for Ukraine as Kyiv struggles to fend off Russia’s invasion.

France and Britain have supplied Kyiv with SCALP or Storm Shadow missiles, both of which have a range of about 250 kilometres.

But Scholz has said that Germany could not justify matching British and French moves in sending long-range missiles to Ukraine and supporting the weapon system’s deployment.

“This is a very long-range weapon, and what the British and French are doing in terms of targeting and supporting targeting cannot be done in Germany,” Scholz said, without specifying exactly what he meant.

Britain denied that it had any direct involvement in operating the missiles.

“Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow and its targeting processes are the business of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.

Source: AFP

4, March 2024

Revisiting the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo’s greatest contribution to Manyu ⁰

A man who had perhaps the most significant influence on Western political thought and education is the Greek philosopher Plato. As a student of Socrates and later the teacher of Aristotle, he cherished education and believed in its power to change people and create a stable state. Plato believed that all citizens in a society needed to be educated for it to be stable and prosperous. Inspired by the wisdom of Plato, Ahmadou Ahidjo who became Cameroon’s first head of state embarked on that great journey to educate all in his new country.

This heroic and commendable vision of President Ahmadou Ahidjo led to a national policy of sending the brightest minds the country produced to study at the finest universities in the West. Most of these students left Cameroon after A’ Levels in the ’60s, ’80s and 90s with full tuition and accommodation expenses paid for by the government of Cameroon. They studied at University College London, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, Imperial College London, and University of Oxford, Yale, Harvard and many other great institutions of higher learning in the West.

One of the communities that greatly benefited from Ahmadou Ahidjo’s policy of education for a prosperous state was the Manyu. Manyus are renowned for having an inborn aptitude for education and have consistently produced smart and fertile minds. They contributed vast numbers to the scholarship community travelling to the US and UK. A recent survey by this media outlet found that Manyu had more young men and women on the scholarship train than any other constituency in Ahmadou Ahidjo’s United Republic of Cameroon. Manyus will live to enjoy for a very long time due to the vision of one person-the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo.

Today in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Manyu celebrates Dr Ben Tanyi, who studied Mathematics and Statistics and has distinguished himself in the global mining and petroleum industry.

Manyus bow and tremble when the name Dr Henry Tabe is mentioned! A man who navigated from a BSc in Mathematics and Statistical Science into a PhD in Pure Mathematics, which he completed in 18 months at the University College of London. Dr Henry Tabe is a prominent finance expert who can hold his own against anyone in the City of London.

Another recipient of Ahidjo’s scholarship was Ayuk Akoh-Arrey, a Senior Policy Actuarial in London who knows almost all that is about insurance products.

Dr Peter Ashu made the most of his opportunity and obtained a PhD in Physics from the renowned University of Cardiff before establishing himself in the global Information Technology sector.

Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia and formerly of the American University of Nigeria, was another beneficiary who moonlighted himself as a global Information Technology Expert. The Manyu list is long, great and remarkable.

President Ahidjo like many other African leaders was a man with many faults! He was a tricky and canny political operator who tolerated no political opposition to his views and ambition. He single-handedly brought so much benefit to the Cameroonian nation ranging from great infrastructure projects to economic growth and prosperity, building of a welfare state and instilling in the consciousness of Cameroonians that education remains the key to a prosperous society.

As we approach the centenary of his birth, (born August 1924, Garoua, Cameroon—died Nov. 30, 1989, Cameroon Concord News Group is imploring its readers to celebrate a man who had a vision for a united people and a united nation. This publication is calling on Manyus around the world to raise a glass to this visionary that used the levers of power to set the foundation for the academic take off of Manyu as a constituency and the economic profits that Manyu is enjoying today.

Plato and Ahidjo believed education was the key to eradicating evil and achieving stability in a community and State. They were both correct, for the Manyu community at home and in the diaspora is a better place today because Ahidjo lived.

By Isong Asu

The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Cameroon Concord News Group

3, March 2024

Nollywood mourns as Mr Ibu dies ⁰

Veteran actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, who was loved for his comic roles in movies and skits, was confirmed dead on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at a hospital in Lagos. He was said to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

His death came barely 24 hours after another actor, Quadri Oyebamiji, aka Sisi Quadri, passed away in Osun State.

Paying tributes to the late Okafor, the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, wrote on his Instagram, “Sad day for the Actors Guild of Nigeria. Kate Henshaw lost her mother earlier today, and Mr Ibu suffered cardiac arrest, according to his manager of 24 years, Don Nwuzor. I announce with a deep sense of grief that Mr Ibu did not make it. May his soul rest in peace.”

On her part, an actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, wrote, “It is well…rest well, sir.”

Peter, a singer and member of the pop group, P-Square, wrote, “Rest well, Mr Ibu. We will definitely miss you, brother.”

Recall that had battled ill health for some time, leading to the amputation of his legs. This was after he had appealed to his fans and members of the public to prayer for him and render financial assistance to cover his medical bills.

However, as the actor lay on his hospital bed, members of his family were in a fierce battle, During this period, his family seemed to have been in a fierce battle, as they accused one another of wanting to embezzle the money raised by members of the public.

It was also alleged that the actor was involved in an affair with his adopted daughter, Chioma (Jasmine); though both parties denied the allegations.

Indeed, the actor’s last years had been tumultuous. On different occasions, he claimed to have survived several poison attempts. According to him, three attempts were made on his life but he survived them all.

Actors who have passed on this year include Sisi Quadri and Deji Akinremi, aka Olofa Ina.

Source: Punch.ng

2, March 2024

Onana says he will ‘shine’ after struggles at Man Utd ⁰

Andre Onana believes he has turned the corner off the pitch after enduring a “difficult time” mentally during the early months of his life at Manchester United.

The Cameroon international joined the club from Inter Milan in July in a £47.2 million ($60 million) deal but a string of costly errors put him under huge pressure.

Onana, 27, said it had been tough to adjust to life in Britain.

“It took me six months or seven months not to play good, just to feel good,” he said.

“It was a difficult time for me. Now I’m feeling a bit better because everything was new. It was difficult for me to feel at home because of so many reasons, a new country.

‘I will shine’

“But now I’m feeling good. I don’t want to talk about my performance because I know the goalkeeper I am and I have done much more than what I just did.

“So, for me, the most important thing is to be set, to be happy and I will shine.”

Onana spoke openly about his challenging start to life in Britain ahead of United’s match against Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday.

The goalkeeper’s errors during United’s short-lived Champions League campaign were costly but his performances have since improved markedly and he believes he is now on an upward curve.

Turning point

“I think I had a turning point, but not on the pitch because, like I said, more mental because everything was different,” he said.

“Of course, I moved last season from Amsterdam (Ajax) to Milan, but that adaptation was quite easy.

“But it took me seven, eight months here. It was just time to learn and just go game by game. I hope we will end on top.”

Onana said he had received support from his teammates as soon as he arrived at Old Trafford.

“They always believed in me, they told me from the beginning, ‘Andre, listen, the quality is there, it’s just a matter of time,’ he said.

Move on

“I am very happy, especially with the supporters, the fans. They were nice with me even in difficult periods and I’m very thankful. I can only thank them.

“I think everything is behind me. Now we have to move on and I think together a great time will come.”

Source: TrtAfrica

2, March 2024

Douala: Mr Leo on finding the ‘power of our voice’ ⁰

Mbolé-pop star Mr Leo’s next musical mission is to break through to English-speaking audiences – and he hopes his new album will do the trick.

The singer-songwriter from Cameroon has been wooing French-speaking West Africa and the diaspora with his melodious love songs and infectious dance tunes since 2015.

Born Fonyuy Leonard Nsohburinka, Mr Leo shot to fame with E Go Betta. That first single was one of the biggest tunes on radio and TV in 2015 – in and out of Cameroon.

He fuses Afrobeats with the country’s home-grown mbolé music, a blend of the rhythms and sounds of Cameroon like makoosa.

He’s won multiple awards – and in 2021 he was selected to be part of the musicians who cast votes for the prestigious Grammys.

Mr Leo’s path into music wasn’t straightforward. As a schoolboy, he joined the school choir – only because that was the only way to spend time with a girl he liked. His father, a stern military man, blocked his path because he wanted his son to be a medical doctor.

But “music chose me”, says Mr Leo.

“Each time I sang, it got me into a place where I really enjoyed myself. I created a world that I could fully control – without my father telling me exactly what to do – and I could just be myself,” he says.

His third, 14-track album, Good Vibes drops in March – and as its title suggests it is full of positive lyrics and uplifting melodies. He sings in English, French and Lamso.

“I’m all about the One Love spirit, being there when people need and bringing out positivity,” he says.

“I just feel like if this is a gospel that people really preach around the world, it will change something, – because everyone is going through a lot of trying times.”

His music and musical growth has been influenced by the conflict in Cameroon. Since 2017, Cameroon’s mainly English-speaking north-west and south-west regions have seen a guerrilla war between government forces and insurgents fighting for the independence of the region they call Ambazonia.

Mr Leo has been personally affected – like hundreds of thousands other people, he’s been displaced and had to move from his hometown of Buea to the main town of Douala. And many of his friends and acquaintances have been killed.

“It makes me value my time more and it makes me want to do something as an artist,” he says.

“We’re not politicians, we don’t have seats in power – but we do have the power of our voice and the least I can do is use my voice to talk through one or two of my songs.”

Source: BBC

2, March 2024

Yaoundé: prosecutors wind up probe into the murder of Martinez Zogo ⁰

The Yaoundé military court in Cameroon on Friday closed their judicial investigation into the murder of journalist and former director of radio amplitude FM, Martinez Zogo who died just over a year ago.

The trial will now open in the coming weeks according to the counter-espionage service. The twenty or so accused have all been referred to the court on various charges.

In Cameroon, the end of this judicial investigation comes just five days after five of the detainees had their charges reclassified. Three members of the DGRE, Cameroon’s counter-espionage service, will be prosecuted for “assassination”.

The businessman and the head of the Direction générale de la recherche extérieure (DGRE) are accused of having played a role in the death of the director of radio Amplitude FM, whose tortured body was discovered on the outskirts of Yaoundé in January. Zogo had not been missing for five days before his remains were located January 22 near Soa, a suburb of Yaoundé.

Léopold Maxime Eko Eko is suspected of “having provoked in any way whatsoever the torture of Martinez Zogo or given instructions to commit it”, in the words of the examining magistrate. In the course of the investigation, the intelligence chief was questioned several times on the substance of the case. In particular, he was confronted by his sole accuser, Justin Danwe, as well as several agents working within the DGRE at the time of the events.

Among the incriminating elements that interested the investigators: the holding of a meeting during which Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, Justin Danwe and several DGRE technicians allegedly listened to an audio tape attributed to Martinez Zogo, in which he allegedly made defamatory remarks about the head of the intelligence services.

In the minutes of the release order, quoted by jeune Afrique, the magistrates noted that Eko Eko, Danwe and the witnesses cited had assured them “that a meeting had never been held at the situation center with the journalist Martinez Zogo as the subject”.

Outrage over Zogo’s murder

The murder of Salomon Mbani Zogo better known as Martinez Zogo left many shocked in Cameroon as NGOs continued to call out violations of press freedom and freedom of speech.

The man in his fifties was the host of popular daily radio show, Embouteillage or Gridlock in English. On the air, he regularly tackled cases of corruption and alleged embezzlement, not hesitating to question important personalities by name. Amougou Belinga was one of them. The businessman is reputedly a friend of several ministers.

Fellow journalists paid their respects to Zogo and called for an investigation which Cameroonian President Paul Biya ordered on Thursday, February 2. The probe into the abduction and subsequent brutal killing of the journalist led to the arrests of Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga and Léopold Maxime Eko Eko.

Reporters without Borders alleged that “the outcome of the investigations [remained] very uncertain as the affair’s ramifications reach up to the highest level of the state while the political environment [was] described by several local sources as verging on insurrection.”

Source: Africa News