Uganda: Oil Firms, Govts Differ On Export Pipeline

Workers in oil production.By Edward Ssekika

As heads of state under the Northern Corridor Integrated Project meet in Kampala next month, one of the key issues on the agenda will be the approval of the crude oil pipeline route from Uganda to an East African seaport, probably Lamu.

In November last year, governments of Kenya and Uganda signed a contract with Japanese firm Toyota Tsusho to conduct a feasibility study that will advise on the appropriate route for the crude oil export pipeline.

Ernest Rubondo, the acting director for the directorate of petroleum in the ministry of Energy, recently revealed that Toyota Tsusho had finalised and submitted its feasibility study report, and it is expected to be tabled and discussed by the heads of state of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan.

"We expect the heads of state to discuss and approve the route," he said.

Ambassador James Mugume, the permanent secretary in the ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the heads of state from the Northern Corridor Integrated project are scheduled to hold their 10th summit early next month in Kampala. He said one of the outcomes of the Kampala meeting will be the approval of the crude oil pipeline from Uganda to the coast.

PIPELINE ROUTE

The heads of state will have to select one out of the two possible routes. The much-touted route is the one they call the northern, which goes through northern Uganda to north Kenya around the Lokichar basin, up to the port of Lamu. This route is 1,380 kilometers long.

The second option is the route that is expected to run from the oil fields in Hoima through central Kenya to Mombasa.

From the corridors, the northern route is likely to be picked mainly because it fits in well with the Northern Corridor Integrated Infrastructure project. Speaking at the Oil and Gas Convention 2015 at Serena hotel last month, Jimmy Mugerwa, the general manager of Tullow Oil Uganda, said joint venture oil companies preferred the southern route as opposed to the northern route.

"From the joint venture oil companies' perspective, this is the route [southern] we are interested in. We have advised and we shall continue to advise on the most appropriate route," he said, adding that it is up to the regional governments to make a final decision on the route.

However, picking a southern route is likely to affect the position of Kenya and South Sudan under the northern corridor project, something that is expected to pit technical evaluations against geopolitics.

Under the northern corridor, Kenya expects to use the same crude pipeline to export its crude, which has already been discovered in the Turkana area. The northern route is also expected to bring South Sudan on board by exporting its oil through Kenya since it is already facing a lot of challenges with its northern neighbour, Sudan.

Mugerwa said although the oil companies prefer the southern route, it will be up to the heads of state to approve an appropriate route. Asked why the oil companies preferred the southern route ahead of the northern route, Tullow said all routes were viable.

"Without the pipeline, we don't have a project," he said. At least construction of the crude pipeline will require a total of 3,000 people, Mugerwa said.

It will require to be heated at every 30 kilometers because the waxy crude oil found in Uganda and Kenya solidifies at low temperatures. The pipeline will contain a specialised heating system and pump stations along the way to keep the oil flowing. This will require a lot of sophisticated technology. When completed, it will be the longest heated crude pipeline in the world.

Some sources within the industry say if regional governments approve the northern route, it is likely to cause a deadlock since oil companies preferred the southern route.

Highest Hunger Levels Reported in South Sudan

According to a top UN official South Sudan is facing a 'humanitarian catastrophe'.By Katy Migiro

Nairobi — More than 40 percent of South Sudan's 11 million people need food aid, the latest analysis shows, the highest hunger levels recorded in the world's youngest country, where fighting erupted 18 months ago.

Conflict, high food prices and the worsening economy have pushed 4.6 million South Sudanese into hunger, according to the analysis carried out by hunger experts from aid agencies and the government.

The number has almost doubled since the start of the year, and those facing hunger in the northeast African nation include 874,000 children under five, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis showed.

"The lives of vulnerable women and children - who have exhausted all coping mechanisms available to them - are on the line," Jonathan Veitch, United Nations children's fund country representative, said in a statement.

South Sudan, which declared independence from Sudan in 2011, plunged into fighting 18 months ago between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels allied with his former deputy, Riek Machar.

Famine "will become a serious risk" in some areas later this year if aid does not reach those in need, the experts said.

Hunger is worst in the three northern states of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity, where fighting has forced thousands to flee their homes in recent weeks.

Some 650,000 civilians cannot reach aid, the United nations said. Many are surviving on swild plants like water lilies as food traders cannot risk approaching the front lines.

People hiding in the bush are missing the planting season, which is crucial if they are to have a harvest in August. The country is experiencing its annual 'lean season' when food from the last harvest has run out.

It is also raining, which turns vast swathes of the country into swamps, inaccessible at times even by air.

"Unless humanitarians are given access to deliver lifesaving services to children and to continue prepositioning supplies before roads become impassable during the rainy season, an already fragile situation will become catastrophic," Veitch said.

In parts of Unity State, one in 10 children have severe acute malnutrition, UNICEF said, which means they are likely to die without therapeutic feeding.

Fighting has forced nutrition staff to withdraw from some areas and their supplies have been looted, it said.

Agencies are short of funds because of the many hunger crises facing the world and the waning international interest in South Sudan, where peace talks have virtually stalled. (Reporting by Katy Migiro; Editing by Tim Pearce)

Nigeria: Nollywood - How Too Many Movies Fuel Piracy

Photo: Kerala9 and Tech Digest

Top Yoruba actor, Olaiya Igwe, on Monday said that the prolific nature of movie production in Nigeria was the major cause of piracy in the industry.

Igwe told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that piracy in the country's movie industry, popularly known as Nollywood, emanated from a situation where numerous movies were churned out on daily basis.

"In fact, the menace is just a secondary problem; the primary problem is the excess (number of) films in circulation," he said.

He also posited that piracy was aided by the viewers' inclination to buy the most affordable films in the market.

"(When) you produce like 40 movies in a year and you sell it for N200 ... the pirate guy would reproduce it and sell it for 100 naira.

"So, which would the audience go for? It's the one with lesser price that they would buy.

"Whose fault is it? You as the producer, you are the cause because you produced too many movies," he said.

According to Igwe, the number of movies produced in the industry must be limited, to reduce accessibility to movie pirates.

"What we need to do is find how we can minimise the number of works we put into the market, from there, we now device a means of putting a good structure to protect our artistic work," the actor said.

South Africa: Bribery Allegedly Won 2010 World Cup for South Africa

The 2010 World Cup winds down at Soccer City, Johannesburg.

Cape Town — The FIFA corruption scandal rocking the football world has cast a shadow over the historic decision to stage the 2010 World Cup in Africa.

Announcing racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering charges against nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said of the lead-up to choosing South Africa as the 2010 host that "even for this historic event, FIFA executives and others corrupted the process by using bribes to influence the hosting decision."

While Lynch gave no details, the New York Times reported that the indictment unsealed by New York prosecutors listed "a South Africa World Cup bid committee official" as one of 25 unnamed co-conspirators in the case.

The Times said former FIFA vice president Jack Warner - one of those facing charges - "directed an associate to fly to Paris, accept a briefcase full of cash in $10,000 stacks from a South African bid committee member in a hotel room, and return the briefcase to Mr. Warner in Trinidad.

"Later, a Moroccan bid committee member offered Mr. Warner $1 million in exchange for his vote, but that person was outmaneuvered: the South African bid committee had arranged a $10 million bribe in exchange for the votes of Mr. Warner and two co-conspirators on South Africa's behalf. All three ultimately voted for South Africa."

In her statement, delivered at a news conference in New York, Lynch accused soccer officials of abusing their positions for more than two decades.

"In short," she said, "these individuals and organizations engaged in bribery to decide who would televise games; where the games would be held; and who would run the organization overseeing organized soccer worldwide."

A statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation quoted its director, James B. Comey, as saying that "undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks, and bribes became a way of doing business at FIFA."

Nigeria: Yvonne Nelson Leads Ghanaian Celebrities On Protest Vigil Tonight

Leggy actress, Yvonne Nelson and hip hop artiste, Sarkodie are leading an army of Ghanaian celebrities on a controversial procession this evening under the aegis of '#DumsorMustStop vigil' to protest power outage in that country. The celebrity vigil, which holds at Tettey Quashie Interchange, according to the organizers, will have who-is-who in the country's entertainment industry as participants.

The walk which starts from the Legon Road, through Opkonglo traffic light, then to Shiashi junction will finally terminate at Green Park opposite the Villagio at the Tettey Quashie Interchange. Celebrities expected to join the vigil include, DKB, Van Vicker, Confidence Haugen, Efya, Nikki Samonas, Lydia Forson, Prince David Osei, Sidney, Eddie Watson, E.L, Ama K. Abebrese among others.

The organizers were said to have taken the police around Legon, Tetteh Quarshie route where the vigil is expected to take place. One of the lawyers for the vigil organizers, Nana Kwasi Awuah, said they have "agreed with the police on how the thing will take place." The vigil was initiated by actress Yvonne Nelson who began a #dumsormuststop campaign on twitter. Her campaign is said to have received adoration as well as condemnation in equal measure.

The today's vigil reportedly did not only provoke dispute amongst political players but also triggered a major boundary dispute between two traditional councils in the Ga State. The Ga Traditional Council insists it will resist the organisation of the vigil because it will violate the ban on drumming and noise-making it imposed few days ago.

Zimbabwe: Mugabe Blasts Mandela, Claims SA Unemployment Causing Xenophobic Attacks

Admitting he was spewing "poison", President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday blamed unemployment in South Africa for the vicious xenophobic attacks against foreigners there, including Zimbabweans.

Clearly revelling in his role as Africa's political grandee and elder statesman, Mugabe claimed that Africa's second biggest economy needed help from its poorer neighbours.

"We must help them; they need another liberation," said the veteran leader who, at 91, is old enough to be the father of most SADC leaders.

He was addressing a press conference in Botswana after visiting the headquarters of the regional SADC grouping which he currently chairs.

Zimbabwe has struggled with a serious economic crisis for about 15 years. The crunch shows no sign of easing and has forced an estimated one million locals across the border into South Africa in search of a better life.

President Jacob Zuma, frustrated by criticism over his government's response to recent xenophobic attacks, challenged regional leaders to consider why their people were running off to South Africa.

Despite conceding that countries such as Zimbabwe needed to do more to stop the stream of migrants to South Africa at a SADC summit in Harare last month, Mugabe changed tack in Gaborone on Wednesday.

The problem, he claimed, was that South Africa is failing to create jobs for its people.

Independent economic commentators say unemployment in Zimbabwe is close to 90 percent but the Harare administration claims its just 11 percent since most of those without formal jobs work as vendors.

His government's optimistic view of Zimbabwe's jobless stats probably encouraged Mugabe to lecture South Africa.

"The pressures with people of South Africa are so much that we cannot avoid incidents of that nature (xenophobia)," said the Zanu PF leader.

"People are unemployed, lots of young men and women are in the streets so when they see people from neighbouring countries running small shops they conclude that it's these people that have robbed them of their chances, which is not the case.

"It's not the other African, but it's a factor of the whites that have kept opportunities to themselves.

"The political dispensation did not address the disparities between white and black with most of the land in the hands of whites and most of the employment opportunities enjoyed by them (whites)."

Mandela got it wrong

He would not resist another dig at Nelson Mandela - the globally revered anti-apartheid revolutionary who Mugabe sees as a rival in the pantheon of Africa's greatest liberation leaders.

Mandela, Mugabe said, forgot that political freedom meant little without the transfer of wealth from white former oppressors to the freed black majority.

"This is what Nelson Mandela forgot to do," said the Zimbabwean leader.

"He (Mandela) thought freedom was number one, which was correct but when they negotiated they got freedom but with European rights preserved.

"This was controlled freedom. So that is the problem. There has not been as much access (to resources) by Africans as we have here and in our countries."

After helping end white racist rule in 1980, Mugabe has overseen the transfer of prime farmland from a few thousands whites to black Zimbabweans and is now targeting foreign-owned mines and industries.

Critics however, say his much-vaunted black empowerment policies have impoverished Zimbabweans with the country - a former net food exporter - now relying on food aid and imports with no formal economy to talk about as industries have collapsed.

Still, Mugabe said the ANC-led administration in Pretoria must, as he did, target the country's wealthy white population.

"It's a xenophobia of whites, not of blacks. You cannot live in palaces while others are living in shanties. Anyway, the ANC should take care of that," he said.

Having helped South Africa attain freedom in 1994, Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries needed to do it all over again.

"So we must help them. They need another liberation," said Mugabe.

Aware that his remarks would likely cause disquiet across the border the Zanu PF leader remarked: "They will say this Mugabe talks poison.

"I give poison not for you to swallow but to give to someone else."

Tony Elumelu to Speak on Power Access, Climate Change, and Africapitalism at Major Events in New York, Paris, and Oxford

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Following his advocacy for entrepreneur led development for Africa at the White House and Georgetown University, African business leader and philanthropist, Tony O. Elumelu is billed to speak on African energy issues at the Sustainable Energy For All (SE4ALL) Global Advisory board ‎meeting in New York, on May 19. The event will be co-chaired by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim.

Mr. Elumelu, the Chairman of the United Bank for Africa and the Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is on the Advisory Board of SE4ALL along with global leaders such as US Secretary of State John Kerry, and the Directors General of the UNDP and UNIDO. The initiative brings together leaders from all sectors of society to collaborate to help increase energy access and build a more prosperous and safer world.

“I have a strong interest in ensuring that Africa has reliable access to power for all citizens,” Tony Elumelu said. “I look forward to sharing my thoughts on sustainable energy with global leaders at the SE4ALL meeting.”

Following the energy meetings, Elumelu will be in Paris, France at the invitation of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on May 20 to take part in a global business dialogue focused on influencing the agenda for the 2015 Conference of the Parties (COP 21), the leading annual negotiating summit on climate issues. Mr Elumelu, the only business leader invited from West Africa, has been invited along with an exclusive group of 40 Global Business leaders, including Jack Ma, the Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, and Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla.

“It is important for Africa’s private sector to be represented at high level discussions on energy and climate change,” Tony Elumelu said. “There’s still a lot to be done to increase Africans' access to energy ‎while simultaneously mitigating the risks of climate change. It is a delicate balance but one we are working hard to address on the global stage.”

To round up the week, on May 22, Tony Elumelu will deliver the closing keynote address on the topic “Africapitaliam as a Catalyst for the Development of Africa” at Oxford University courtesy of the Oxford Africa Society. The opening keynote of this year’s Africa conference will be delivered by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana.‎