What every journalist wished they knew

Kidnap picture by John Owen

Finally, we were kidnapped. The jungle where we were 'ambushed' is located in Hereford somewhere close to Wales. Twenty-five postgraduate students of International Journalism from City University London, led by John Owen who teaches International News at City and a proponent of safety training for journalists in all climes, took us to the ‘lion’s den’ and for two days we were at the 'mercy' of our tough, war-like trainers who themselves have fought in many battles and attended to war victims in many parts of the globe. The 'incident' took place in the afternoon of 19 June 2008 when some serious farmers in the community were tending their farms.
Two masked gun-wielding men in their mid forties and a young woman armed with an AK-47 rifle suddenly emerged from a nearby bush as we made to leave the fringes of the farms in Hereford and released two quick shots into the air. “Stop there”, they ordered as they moved towards one of the female students in our midst. Follow me”, one of them barked as the rest ordered all of us to lie face down under a crushing heat. Could this be a dream or a reality, I began to wonder. It was and were relieved to know it was just a mock kidnap.
Fret not about this and take it not to heart. It was a mere simulation carried out by the firm of AKE Ltd based in Hereford in the United Kingdom, one of the most sought-after safety training institutes in Europe and America.
As part of the one-year MAIJ training, Owen had taken us through many reporting fields around the world and exposed us to the hazards inherent in reporting the world and stressed the need for us to get some training as we prepare to round off the course. That is what took us to the serene atmosphere in Hereford surrounded by farms, shrubs and jungles-a sight we all wanted to embrace for many days or even weeks.
For two days-June 18 and 19, Andrew Kain, Paul Brown and another took us through the rudiments of safety, weather, first aid, food, security issues and working in volatile areas where land mines and other lethal weapons may be on display.
We were also exposed to the different techniques of avoiding becoming an easy prey to adversaries of journalists in conflict zones.
Indeed, it was an eye-opener. It made sense to us, as our teachers made us to be conversant with the different ways of offering first aid to anyone around us and what do in different circumstances where someone has been injured in the course of our work.
Perhaps, the highpoint of the training came when we were split into groups of ‘medics’ and ‘victims’ and made to attend to ourselves in turns. I could see how difficult it was to render medical service to one of my colleagues from Kenya who was assigned as a wounded journalist to me to handle.
Clearly, every journalist who wants to excel in the trade should never hesitate to get a lesson in this area. It is something I believe every journalism institution should incorporate into its curriculum and even make compulsory. I do not think anyone who wants to operate safely can go far without gaining insights into the training course. Andrew Kain and his friends at Ake need to even get their safety training package across to schools and other organisations that train media operatives.
City University, which is noted as the ‘University for Employment’ should consider adding safety training into its MAIJ curriculum and encourage others to join the fray as it is one of the leading journalism institutions in Britain and Europe.

The mystery behind London tube names

Tube by pdphoto.org

Some of them evoke excitement. Others simply sound mysterious while many leave you with a feeling of spiritualism but yet none is really what it suggests.

Angel, Seven Sisters, Whitechapel, Blackfriars, Upminster, King's Cross at St. Pancras, Elephant and Castle to name but a few, all sound somehow weird and may make you begin to wonder what they mean and how they came about. But don't be deceived into thinking that Angel Tube station has anything to do with the Heavenly Angels or that Seven Sisters has anything to do with women."Those stations are named after the areas of London they serve", says Nathan Fletcher, Head of Transport for London Press Desk Communities.
I used to feel somehow about the names but my doubts began to fade after going through a book by Cyril M. Harris on the origin of the tube names.
Angel for instance, according to Harris, takes its name from a once famous coaching inn that dates from 1638 and was one of the commonest mediaeval inns on City Road in mid 18th century.

Think about Seven Sisters: It is said to have emanated from seven elms trees, which stood near Page Green where seven sisters Road built in 1831-1833 joined old Ermine Street in London. Worried about Upminster? It evolved from Upminster in 1602, a church served by several clergy rather than a monastery. The prefix ‘up' means ‘higher ground' although the town does not rise above 60 ft.

Similarly, Whitechapel derives its name from the white stone chapel of St. Mary Malfelon first built in 1329, bombed in 1940 and demolished in 1952. Today, there is no trace of the church that gave rise to the name
Perhaps, King's Cross at St. Pancras is close to what it connotes: It gets its name from Battlebridge-site of one of the battles between Boudicca, The British Queen of Iceni and the Romans about AD 59 or AD 61 at the Bridge near the River Fleet. The district later took its name from the famous King George 1V stature which stood from 1830-1845 at a crossroads. St Pancras was once a solitary village later granted a manor by Ethelbert to St Paul's Cathedral and recorded as Sanctium Pancrutiu and dedicated to a boy martyr named St Pancras.

Blackfriars takes its roots from the colour of the habits worn by the friars of a Dominican Domesday monastery known as Blackfriars, established by the Earl of Kent in the 13 century. Arsenal is named after the famous Arsenal Football Club, which relocated from Woolwich in 1913 where it founded its Royal Arsenal Factory in1884, while Elephant and Castle is named after a tavern that became popular in the 16 century and later hosted the Newington Theatre that featured Shakespeare plays in the 18th century.
I came off with the feeling that the more one reads the book, the more curious and awed they become because the small book has not cleared all the mysteries behind the tube station names.

Links:

Transport for London

Allinlondon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk

Lifting the veil off skunk to save lives in Britain

London by Dior Man

The current debate over the upgrading of cannabis from class C to B by Gordon Brown does not excite me at all. The crime statistics from the police should guide those who are opposing the jerking of punishment for the abuse of cannabis in changing their mind, if they truly love this country. Tony Blair had downgraded cannabis to its current position on the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in 2004. But things have since changed along with the dynamics of London. More and more people are known to be taking not only the type of cannabis on which the report was based but are also sniffing the home-grown and more active type known as ‘skunk', thus making a review of the report necessary.

The Metropolitan Police Authority, MPA, recent report on youth crime is a clear pointer to where cannabis is leading many youths to and what it can do if not checked at once.
In a 147-page report last Thursday, the MPA attributed the rise in drug-related crimes from 20 percent in 2006 to 32 percent in 2008 to the use of cannabis by young people. Blair might not have had any reason to disagree with the experts when they voted 20-3 to reduce the ranking of cannabis given the conclusion of the committee that scientific evidence pointed to a "probable, but weak, causal link between psychotic illness, including schizophrenia, and cannabis use". But Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, whose office oversees serious crimes, has made a good point on the issue. She has told the Commons recently: "I have decided to reclassify cannabis to a Class B drug, subject to Parliamentary approval. There is a compelling case for us to act now rather than risk the future health of young people; I make no apology for that - I am not prepared to 'wait and see'."
One can also understand how Brown, a father and others who want a good future for British children feel when the recent statistics on drug-related violence, binge drinking, gun and knife crimes, the number of youths taken off school on account of alcohol-related ailments and are added up. No one who loves this country should applaud the selling of cannabis as sandwiches or chewing gum on the roadside and all men of good will should for once see reasons with the government and take a deterrent action to keep the drug off the menu of young elements by taking the veil off skunk. One problem though, is that the British system abhors corporal punishment in schools and at home and it becomes difficult for parents and teachers to enforce discipline.



Links:

Guardian

MPA

MPA Youth Scrutiny report 2008

Home Office

Sky News

Home Office

BBC

Guardian

The Times

BBC

A menace verbal onslaught can't clear

The lion of Zimbabwe is still barking and biting while the world is unbelievably and inexplicably watching. I make bold to say that the United Nations and other nations that have the political and economic nerves to keep Mugabe in check and bring about a popular government have lost a golden opportunity to effect that change. Let's face it, Mugabe himself knows that Morgan Tsvangirai defeated him on March 29 but he did not know how to take that other than to joggle with the results for over a month and nobody did anything to stall the stealing of that vote.
Neither the United Nations, which has a wide range of powers to call some nations and their leaders to order nor any of the world leading powers took a pragmatic step to get that result out on time and protect the opposition victory.
Now with barely three weeks to the rerun, Mugabe has gone full blast arresting and detaining anyone he perceives wound not support him. His agents have even stopped Tsvangirai from public rallies and prevented aid agencies from supplying food to the poor. As if that is not enough, his men are now arresting and insulting diplomats, a domain always held sacrosanct by world leaders.
In all this, it is as if Mugabe has sealed the lips of his victims' countries and tied their hands as well because only a few dare to speak out against the barbaric acts.
The latest wave of crackdown on the opposition and the international aid agencies in Zimbabwe raises fear about the safety of Tsvangirai.
Would he be alive to take part in the June 27 rerun? If he survives, would his supporters be able to come out and cast their votes for him? If they do and he wins, will Mugabe allow the electoral commission to release the result?
The state of tyranny ochestrated by Mugabe and his thugs demands more of action and less talk by world leaders and international bodies. This is the time to tame Mugabe and his mad dogs or the world should prepare for a bloody situation in the weeks ahead.

Links:

Guardian

Independent

International Herald Tribune

Reuters

Fox News

Washington Post

The sign of things to come before Mugabe’s, Tsvangirai’s second clash

To borrow from Rev. Jeremiah Right, the controversial Barack Obama’s pastor, the chickens have come home to roost in Zimbabwe. These are the days of mayhem in the highly famished but repressive South African nation, as the leader of the opposition MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, returns home to prepare for the rerun of the disputed presidential poll, which many believe he won, but denied victory by Mugabe and his cohorts.
Tsvangirai, who spent six weeks in some African countries apparently to escape the wrath of his adverseries who see him as an agent of the West, returned to Harare on Saturday, thus setting the stage for the June 27 rerun.
However, Mugabe still roaring like a scourged viper, spit fire on Sunday against the U.S. Ambassador, James McGee .McGee incurred Mugabe’s anger for reportedly urging Tsvangirai to return from his six-week exile to prepare for the poll.
Mugabe said of the diplomat: He says he fought in Vietnam, but fighting in Vietnam does not give him the right to interfere in our domestic affairs.
"I am just waiting to see if he makes one more step wrong. He will get out. As tall as he is, if he continues to do that I will kick him out of the country."


Turning to the U.S. top envoy for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, Mugabe said: "You saw this little American girl trotting around like ... celebrating that the MDC had won. A disgraceful act."
Mugabe has bounced back and ready to sting any real or imagined MDC sympathiser. A broadcaster said to be aiding the opposition was sacked last week. Now, what gives the world the hope that Tsvangirai can survive and stand the election?

Links:

Observer

Guardian

U.S. State Department

Allafrica.com

Iyabo Obasanjo remanded over $2.5 million

After many weeks of evading the court and the law enforcement agents, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of Nigeria’s immediate past president, was today remanded in police custody on the orders of an Abuja Court.
Iyabo, who represents Ogun State, is being wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with allegation that she benefitted from the sharing of $2.5 million unspent health ministry budget over which two minsters -Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku, have been forced to quit.
Even with the court order, she declined interview with the EFCC. Although she pleaded not guilty to the charge, the court ruled that she be remanded until her bail application is considered on Wednesday.
Iyabo is claiming that she did nothing wrong in getting $85,000 for Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Health, which she chairs, to attend a capacity-building workshop in Ghana. She is also claiming that she is being witch hunted by the EFCC, which was set up by her father.
She has been running away from the EFCC for about a month, insisting that she is the object of attack by the anti-graft body. At a point in April, she was declared missing from the senate, as the commission began to trail her for possible arrest.
The 109-member senate has however declared that they will stand by Iyabo despite her trial by the court on the prompting of the EFCC.
Her arrest and detention is likely to send a strong message to the world that Nigeria is perhaps beginning to be serious in prosecuting the corruption war.
Obasanjo set up the anti-graft in his first term in office. Many, particularly, those who were opposed to his actions and policies, have been sent to jail by the commission in the last few years.



BBC

EFCC

Saharareporters.com

Sunnewsonline

BBC

BBC

Muffled applause for a tower of Babel

Burnt victim on the ground


Mob patrolling Jo'bourg streets in search of immigrants

Something very disgusting and disturbing is unfolding in South Africa, the bastion of hope for the continent. It started as a joke some weeks ago but it is actually gaining momentum as the days go by, raising fears that it might grow to take roots soon.
Club-wielding youths are attacking and killing immigrants without any justification. What has emerged as the background for the latest madness is the exhibition of extreme xenophobia by the mob against their brothers and sisters from nearby Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Pakistan and some other communities staying and doing legal business in South Africa.
As at Monday, the death toll had reached 22 but the mob were not yet satisfied as they continued to rampage on the streets of South Africa and hacking their enemies to death with ease.
It is difficult to understand why the police are merely firing rubber bullets into a crowd that it killing and maiming innocent persons in broad daylight. Most annoying is the scene in which a victim set ablaze by the mob is being spread with fire extinguisher by the police minutes after he had been set on fire. Where were the police when the attackers struck?
If it is a joke, let the government and people of South Africa remember that the country emerged from the brink of segregation to arrive at the present state. In those days when the ignoble apartheid kept Mandela and his compatriots in prison, the world rose in unison to condemn the atrocious act and it finally ended. It would be a serious setback for anyone to stoke the fire of apartheid in South Africa when the scars of the previous one are still fresh in our mind.
Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma must rise at once and put an immediate stop to the folly. The world cannot afford another apartheid in that country.


links:

New York Times

Punch

ANC

BBC

Timesonline