Celebrated Ghanaian poet Awoonor killed in Westgate attack

A Ghanaian poet of distinction, and one of Africa’s greatest literary icons, Professor Kofi Awoonor, is dead. He died on Sunday morning from wounds sustained during Saturday’s ghastly and cowardly attack carried out by the Somali militant group – Al Shabaab, at the Westgate Mall, in Kenya. Ghanaian government officials in the Capital, Accra, have confirmed news of his untimely demise. “Prof. Awoonor died from injuries sustained during an attack on the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi… a statement issued over the weekend, partly read. His son, who was with him at the time of the incident, also sustained injuries. He is said to be responding to treatment.

Mr Isa Aremu, the Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Thursday charged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to adopt a better approach to resolve strike issues. Aremu said this at the 45th Annual National Conference of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) with the theme 'Evolve and Excel' held in Abuja. In his address to the conference on the topic 'Law at the work place', Aremu said a strike notice needs to make the needed impact. "ASUU may need to consider a better approach knowing that the real victims are not those who perpetrate the policies." "I am shocked that universities have been closed for almost two months now. I have not heard any activists' reaction to the strike," Aremu said. He condemned the exclusion of minimum wage from exclusive legislative list by legislators and urged human resource practitioners to apply the principle of ``injury to one is an injury to all’’ in their practice. Aremu also condemned strike embarked on by health practitioners, stressing that Nigeria has the world’s worst health indicators. "Our health indicators are extremely miserable. In the World Health Organisation (WHO) record, Nigeria is ranked 187 in the league of 190 countries and our life expectancy is lower than most countries," he lamented. He urged employers to manage disputes at work places to ensure maximum productivity. Aremu decried the way employers of labour hire and fire employees, and warned that such acts should be discouraged by labour laws. Mr Victor Eburujolo, the past president of CIPM, decried the bonding of staff by banks, stressing that it is illegal. "If you want to bond a worker after training, it should be for a specific period. "There must be a clause in the bond asking the person to pay specific amount of the training fee if he decides to leave," Eburujolo said. Mr Peter Esele, the former TUC President, urged human resource practitioners to stick to agreements on matters of interest to Nigerian workers. Prof Olawale Ajai of the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, said that labour laws that would protect weaker parties in work places should be emphasised. Ajai said that issues of sexual harassment, casualisation of employment, especially by banks, should be not be condoned. Mr Aderemi Adegboyega, urged employers of labour to train their staff for maximum productivity in work places. He stressed the need for safety in work places for employees and not compensations after they might have sustained injuries.

Basketmouth rated second best stand-up comedian in Africa

Nigerian comedian Basketmouth has been rated second best stand-up comedian in Africa, according a list complied by Officiallaughs.com.

Basketmouth has added another feather to his many achievements with the recent rating proclaiming him the second best stand-up comedian in Africa.
According to the list compiled by international comedy website, Officiallaughs.com, Basketmouth, 35, only comes second to Trevor Noah, a South African stand-up comedian.
Other Nigerian comedians that made the top 20 list includes Klint the Drunk in fifth place, I Go Dye (8) and veteran comedian, Ali Baba (12).
Also on the list are US based comedian, Foxy P (16), UK based A Dot (18) and Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st in the 20th position.
Only last April, the Glo Ambassador and TV host emerged the first Nigerian to host comedy gig and TV show 'Comedy Central Presents...Live at Parker's'.