The Topics and Leture dates and times are as follow:

PAN-AFRICANISM,
AFRICAN UNION,
UNITED NATIONS: can they co-exist?
BY JOHN JOINER
MAY 13, 2010 @ 5PM IN ROOM 228

PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION
BY GLORIA NGEZAHO
MAY 20, 2010 @ 5PM IN ROOM 228

NIGERIA: PAST AND PRESENT
BY DR. DAPO SABOMEHIN
MAY 26, 2010 @ 12PM IN ROOM 228

Please come and be ready to hear what our speakers have to say.

                          

To make this tactical adjustment, we need players like Francis Dickoh, Junior Agogo (injured), and Ahmed Apimah Barusso in the team to neutralize our opponents’ height and size advantage. Francis Dickoh and Jonathan Quartey should be the backups for Isaac Vorsah and John Mensah instead of Eric Addo and Jonathan Mensah. Also, I believe that Ahmed Barusso should replace Anthony Annan. Anthony Annan, despite his great defensive work rate, lack size and height, and Ghana can be punished in the air during set pieces. Ahmed Barusso can also field in for Michael Essien, another star who is currently out injured and could be doubtful for the finals. Marislav Klose and Michael Ballach will have a field day scoring from crosses and corners if Eric Addo, Samuel Inkoom, Anthony Annan, Agyemang Badu are on the field defending corners and free kicks.

Considering both our probably central defenders John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah are not fully fit, it incredulous and unthinkable that Milo left out Francis Dickoh and Jonathan Quartey from his selected 30 men squad. Again, we need both to back up Vorsah and Mensah, respectively. Jonathan Mensah is a defensive star for the future. He is not ready for the senior level; nonetheless, the World Cup.

The Senior World Cup is not a U-20 tournament. This is the World Cup; it is a serious business and Milo has to know that we Ghanaians want to win the cup on African soil. We want to be the first African nation to get to that mountain top. We do not just want to show up like World Cup 2006, we want to win the entire tournament this time around!!

As a consequence, this tactical adjustment should be made soon. Ghana has a tall height to climb and the Germans, Australians and the Serbians have the height advantage. Unless we make the tactical adjustment to neutralize our opponents’ aerial superiority, they will punish us on that weakness and I hope Milo is reading this piece to make the necessary tactical adjustments to enable the Black Stars to stand on top of the World, as World Cup 2010 Champions!!!!

Good Luck Black Stars of Ghana!!!!

                          

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thousands at funeral

Local media have been speculating about those who could be named vice-president.

Some names suggested so far include former anti-corruption chief Nuhu Ribadu, Aliyu Gusau, who Mr Jonathan recently named as his national security advisor, cabinet secretary Alhaji Yayale Ahmed and Mr Yar’Adua’s nephew Murtala Yar’Adua.

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

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

Thousands attended the funeral in his home town of Katsina.

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

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

Analysts say he made the most progress in tackling unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta by offering amnesties to rebels.
His long absence and the lack of detailed information about his health led to a political limbo in Nigeria, which was only filled when Mr Jonathan was named as acting president.

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

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

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

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

                          

I love this guy.