LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; Ozioma Egemasi says Nigerian police slapped, whipped and struck him with the butt of a pistol when he refused to pay them a bribe. Then he heard them discuss whether to kill him.



The 24-year-old music label manager shared his experience on Instagram, one of thousands of mostly young Nigerians who are taking to social media to speak out against alleged abuses by police and to coordinate ongoing protests.



Thousands of people have taken to the streets daily across the country in one of the biggest shows of public anger in 30 years, posing a major challenge to President Muhammadu Buhari amid an economic slump made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.



“I was scared. It meant they were willing to do anything to get whatever they wanted to get from me,” said Egemasi, recalling the January encounter with members of Nigeria’s Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS).



Reuters could not independently verify his account. A Lagos state police spokesman did not respond to phone calls and a text message seeking comment on the allegations.



The police force has previously denied accusations against SARS that are fuelling the unrest, although it said earlier this month that “unruly and unprofessional” officers had been arrested and were facing disciplinary actions.







Other concessions have been made since nationwide demonstrations began on Oct. 8: SARS was disbanded on Oct. 11 and a new police unit, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, was created to “fill the gaps”.



But it has not had the desired effect. Protesters say they have heard such promises before and demand deeper changes, including the prosecution of police accused of wrongdoing.



Rallying under the #EndSars hashtag and harnessing social media to raise awareness and funds and to garner support from international celebrities, protesters have built a momentum that previous actions led by civil groups and unions failed to do.



There are clear parallels with anti-government movements in places like Hong Kong and Belarus, said Antony Goldman, chief executive of London-based political risk advisory firm ProMedia Consulting.



“They have increasingly connected young, urban populations that have found a cause, and social media has triggered very rapid momentum,” Goldman said.



RELATED COVERAGE<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-protests-police-minister/nigerian-anti-police-protesters-must-enter-dialogue-minister-says-idUSKBN2741ZT"></a><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-protests-police-minister/nigerian-anti-police-protesters-must-enter-dialogue-minister-says-idUSKBN2741ZT">Nigerian anti-police protesters must enter dialogue, minister says</a>



The Nigerian protesters have drawn support from Black Lives Matter activists in the United States, including the movement’s co-founder Opal Tometi, and from Canadian rapper Drake and British-Nigerian actor John Boyega.



A Twitter account using the name of the internet activist collective Anonymous said last week it had hacked into Nigerian government websites in solidarity with the #EndSars campaign. Government officials did not confirm any breaches. [L8N2H80L6]



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tech-targets">TECH TARGETS?</h2>



Members of Nigeria’s burgeoning tech industry, a bright spot for foreign investors in Africa’s most populous nation, say they are often singled out by police for spot checks.



Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, co-founder of software developer training firm Andela and payments company Flutterwave, said so many employees had been harassed that his companies had protocols in place to call senior police officials in the event of an arrest.







Egemasi said his laptop and financial transactions on his cell phone aroused the suspicion of the five SARS officers who stopped him in a Lagos street at the start of the year.



“This happens all the time to young people because they believe we are young and not supposed to have that kind of money,” he told Reuters.



He said he was freed after paying a 500,000 naira ($1,300) bribe.



As he spoke, Egemasi was surrounded by more than a thousand protesters at a toll gate in the upmarket Lekki district of Lagos on Saturday.



Music blared out of tall speakers. A giant electronic billboard displayed slogans such as “Soro Soke”, a Yoruba phrase meaning “Speak Up”. And activists doled out free food and collected litter in black plastic bags.Slideshow&nbsp;( 5 images )



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crowdfunding">CROWDFUNDING</h2>



Such gatherings have largely been financed through crowdfunding, activists say.



The Feminist Coalition, a Nigerian rights group coordinating some of the logistics, said on its fundraising page it had received more than 73 million naira ($192,000) as of Sunday.



The funds have been used to hire private security guards to defend protesters against armed gangs who attacked some demonstrations last week, pay for private ambulances and cover the legal bills of more than 70 participants arrested across Nigeria, according to a spokeswoman for the group.



Two Nigerian banks closed the group’s accounts last week, so they converted their savings to bitcoin and started fundraising in the cryptocurrency, she added.







The crowdfunding has helped make the demonstrations among the biggest and longest-running in decades, said Cheta Nwanze of SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based risk advisory firm.







The provision of free food was a “very good use of resources,” he added. Most people live on less than $2 a day.



“It’s helping to sustain the momentum.”

shutterstock_306272309

With Instagram, hashtags and bitcoin, young Nigerians boost anti-police protests

HARARE, Nov 4 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe police have given public sector workers permission to march for better pay on Wednesday in what is widely seen as a test of President Emmerson Mnangagwa&#8217;s willingness to tolerate dissent.



A notice received from police by the Apex Council of public sector unions said the protest could go ahead but also warned that police would stop the march if it turned violent.



&#8220;The regulating authority still reserves the right to stop the gathering should it turn out to a public order threat or violent. Police will monitor,&#8221; Oscar Mugomeri, police commander for Harare central district, wrote in the letter.



Mugomeri could not be reached for comment on Monday.



Unions say Mnangagwa&#8217;s government has not responded to demands for U.S. dollar-indexed salaries to cushion public sector workers against inflation that economists say reached 380% in September.



Daily life in Zimbabwe is getting harder, with prices of basic goods, fuel and electricity rising as hope fades for a quick economic recovery under Mnangagwa, who took power after the late Robert Mugabe was ousted in a coup in 2017.



Mnangagwa has banned several opposition protests and faces accusations that he is using Mugabe&#8217;s heavy-handed tactics.



Police have been on high alert since January, when fuel protests turned violent and at least a dozen people were killed during a security crackdown.



Unions want the lowest government employees paid the equivalent of $475 (7,251 Zimbabwe dollars) a month compared to the 1,023 Zimbabwe dollars they earn now.



Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, who projects the economy to contract by 6.5% this year, has said the government cannot meet the workers&#8217; demands.



Charles Chinosengwa, spokesman for the Apex Council, which represents 230,000 workers &#8211; excluding the health and security sectors &#8211; said unions were mobilising members from across Zimbabwe.



&#8220;This is strictly a labour issue. We don&#8217;t need support from politicians, we are saying hands off to politicians,&#8221; he said.



Shortages of foreign currency, fuel and power are among the most visible signs of a crisis that has revived memories of 2008, when hyperinflation wiped out savings and forced the government to abandon its currency.



Mnangagwa says Zimbabweans should be patient while his government pursues economic reforms, including gradually cutting subsidies on fuel and electricity and the re-introduction of the domestic currency.



$1 = 15.2654 Zimbabwe dollars 



(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Zimbabwe police give unions green light for public sector protest, what you need to know…

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/annie-palmer/">Annie Palmer</a> 



<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=TWTR" class="">Twitter</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=FB" class="">Facebook</a>&nbsp;have suspended numerous accounts that they say are tied to a Chinese disinformation campaign against pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.



Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2019/information_operations_directed_at_Hong_Kong.html" class="">said Monday</a>&nbsp;it suspended 936 accounts likely related to the activity. The company said the disinformation campaign was designed to “sow political discord in Hong Kong, including undermining the legitimacy and political protest movement on the ground.”



Over the weekend, approximately <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/18/hong-kong-protesters-throng-streets-peacefully-in-heavy-rain.html">1.7 million anti-government protesters</a>gathered in Hong Kong to rally peacefully against the Chinese government, which assumed rule of the former British colony in 1997. Protests erupted in June following a now-suspended bill that would allow criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China.



“Based on our intensive investigations, we have reliable evidence to support that this is a coordinated state-backed operation,” the company said in a blog post. “Specifically, we have identified large clusters of accounts behaving in a coordinated manner to amplify messages related to the Hong Kong protests.”



Following Twitter’s announcement, Facebook&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2019/08/removing-cib-china/" class="">said in a blog post&nbsp;</a>that it was acting on a tip from Twitter. Both companies face increased pressure to crack down on fake accounts and false content on their platforms in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, during which foreign actors used the sites to sow division around social issues.



Twitter’s latest move comes after social media site Pinboard warned days earlier that China was using Twitter to distribute posts from state media discrediting the protests.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Every day I go out and see stuff with my own eyes, and then I go to report it on Twitter and see promoted tweets saying the opposite of what I saw. Twitter is taking money from Chinese propaganda outfits and running these promoted tweets against the top Hong Kong protest hashtags <a href="https://t.co/6Wb0Km6GOb">pic.twitter.com/6Wb0Km6GOb</a>&mdash; Pinboard (@Pinboard) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pinboard/status/1162711159000055808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



Twitter is blocked in China, but many of the accounts it discovered were using virtual private networks, which encrypt and anonymize web traffic. The accounts it suspended represent the “most active” portion of the broader spam campaign, which it estimates to include about 200,000 accounts.



As a result of the announcement, Twitter <a class="" href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2019/advertising_policies_on_state_media.html">said</a> it would no longer accept advertising from state-controlled news media entities.



The company didn’t call out any specific news outlets in the post, but said it was including any entities that are “either financially or editorially controlled by the state.” The organizations are still able to use the platform for communication, just not for advertisements.



Twitter clarified that the updated policy doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded entities, such as independent public broadcasters.



Facebook removed seven pages, three groups and five accounts in what it calls coordinated inauthentic behavior targeting Hong Kong. About 15,500 accounts followed one or more of the now-deactivated pages, while roughly 2,200 accounts joined at least one of the groups, Facebook said.



This article first appeared on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/19/twitter-accuses-china-of-running-disinformation-campaign-against-hong-kong-protesters.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/19/twitter-accuses-china-of-running-disinformation-campaign-against-hong-kong-protesters.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

Facebook, Twitter accuse China of running disinformation campaign against Hong Kong protesters

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/carmin-chappell/">Carmin Chappell</a> 



The city of Hong Kong has been roiled by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/11/protesters-clash-with-police-chant-liberate-hong-kong-as-unrest-continues.html" class="">protests</a>&nbsp;this summer. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have occupied the city’s streets, government buildings and even the main airport. All departing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/12/hong-kong-airport-cancels-all-flights-over-protests.html" class="">flights were canceled</a>&nbsp;on Monday, putting travel at a standstill.



Young people are at the forefront of Hong Kong’s protest movement. Many of the most prominent opposition leaders are still in their 20s, but they’re demanding big changes that could alter the future of their entire generation.



These are the issues they’re calling attention to:&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Democracy</h2>



Hong Kong’s protests were sparked in June by a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/09/hong-kong-extradition-bill-carrie-lam-says-bill-is-dead-after-protests.html" class="">proposed bill</a>&nbsp;that would allow extraditions to mainland China. Opponents of the bill feared it was a sign of the Communist Party’s growing influence over Hong Kong, which is designated as a Special Administrative Region of China that operates largely independently.



Although Hong Kong’s government&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/15/hong-kong-government-reportedly-will-suspend-china-extradition-bill.html" class="">suspended the bill</a>&nbsp;in response to the widespread backlash, the protests have continued. Demonstrators have harnessed the momentum to advocate for greater democratic freedoms overall.



Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow, both 22, and Nathan Law, 26, are three of the leaders of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.demosisto.hk/about?lang=en" class="">Demosisto</a>, a pro-democracy youth activist group in Hong Kong that has been on the front lines of the protests. Wong and Law were among several people&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/17/occupy-activists-joshua-wong-nathan-law-alex-chow-jailed.html" class="">sentenced to jail</a>&nbsp;in 2017 for their role in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/02/very-civil-disobedience-inside-hong-kongs-umbrella-revolution.html" class="">Umbrella Movement</a>, another wave of pro-democracy protests in 2014 led in large part by college students. But they haven’t let their previous run-ins with the law stop them from supporting this summer’s protests.



“What kind of young people does Hong Kong produce? Smart, efficient, attentive and freedom-loving,” Wong tweeted after protesters <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/01/fresh-hong-kong-protests-to-mark-22-years-since-handover-to-china.html">stormed the city’s legislative headquarters</a>. “I am proud of them.”



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">24. What kind of young people does Hong Kong produce? Smart, efficient, attentive and freedom-loving. I am proud of them, although I confess I do not have the courage to do what they did yesterday. I have been jailed three times, so I know full well what now lies ahead of them.&mdash; Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshuawongcf/status/1145971981759631360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic inequality</h2>



Hong Kong is known as one of the world’s major economic hubs, but it’s also home to extreme inequality. The gap between the rich and the poor is staggering: According to the latest census report, the wealthiest 10% of households&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-anniversary-wealth-gap/hong-kong-wealth-gap-at-its-widest-in-decades-as-handover-anniversary-nears-idUSKBN19I1E2" class="">earn 44 times more</a>&nbsp;than the poorest 10%.



<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/12/hong-kong-average-house-price-hits-1point2-million.html" class="">Housing prices</a>&nbsp;are also some of the highest in the world, surpassing even New York and London. To save money, many residents have opted to live in cramped, dorm-style rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms, known as “<a href="https://apnews.com/a8d99f34ca69410192747e62831ec231" class="">coffin homes</a>. ”



Half of the protesters identify as middle class, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022345/young-educated-and-middle-class-first-field-study-hong-kong" class="">field survey</a>conducted by local universities. But some experts say that the protests will ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/19/businesses-may-consider-moving-from-hong-kong-to-singapore.html" class="">hurt Hong Kong’s economy</a>&nbsp;overall, if companies decide to relocate due to the unrest.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hong Kong’s identity</h2>



Hong Kong’s transition from a British colony to part of mainland China was seen as a massive step for the future of the city. But many of those protesting today weren’t even born yet when Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997, and they now worry for the loss of the city’s autonomy at the hands of the Communist Party.



“Police and Chinese mob are ruling Hong Kong,” tweeted Law. “When the Chinese mobs are attacking the citizens, no law enforcements are there.” At times during the demonstrations police have fired <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/21/hong-kong-residents-deface-chinese-emblem-in-latest-protest.html">tear gas and rubber bullets</a> into crowds of protesters. 



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Police and Chinese mob are ruling Hong Kong. They are beating citizens everywhere and trying to threaten the people. When the Chinese mobs are attacking the citizens, no law enforcements are there. Shame on the government.&mdash; Nathan Law 羅冠聰 (@nathanlawkc) <a href="https://twitter.com/nathanlawkc/status/1152979346295930880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



Many young residents maintain a strong sense of identity with Hong Kong over China: 9% of Hong Kong residents ages 18 to 29 say they’re proud to be a Chinese citizen, while 38% of those over 50 feel the same way, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hkupop.hku.hk/english/release/release1594.html" class="">survey</a>&nbsp;by Hong Kong University.



The actions of Hong Kong’s youth mirror millennials around the world, who are increasingly standing up against the status quo and demanding more radical political change.



“If there is just one takeaway for the world: Events in Hong Kong are about so much more than the bill, more than Lam, more even than democracy,” tweeted Wong. “They all matter of course. But in the end it is about the future of Hong Kong beyond 2047, a future that belongs to our generation.” In 2047 the current political arrangement between Hong Kong and China will expire, opening up the possibility for a completely new system to take its place.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">28. If there is just one takeaway for the world: Events in Hong Kong are about so much more than the bill, more than Lam, more even than democracy. They all matter of course. But in the end it is about the future of Hong Kong beyond 2047, a future that belongs to our generation.&mdash; Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshuawongcf/status/1145975173234868224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



This article first appeared on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/12/meet-the-millennial-leaders-of-hong-kongs-protests.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/12/meet-the-millennial-leaders-of-hong-kongs-protests.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

Many of the leaders of Hong Kong’s protests are millennials—here’s why they’re taking action

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe’s main opposition party is planning street demonstrations next week to protest against the government’s handling of the economy, which is mired in its worst crisis in a decade and has plunged most citizens into poverty.



The southern African nation is enduring shortages of foreign currency, fuel and bread as well as 18-hour power cuts. The power outages threaten mining and industrial output and have upended lives. [nL8N24X7EO]



The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will hold marches in the capital on Aug. 16 against corruption, unemployment and power and fuel shortages and a deteriorating economy, the party said in a notice to the police dated Aug. 5.



“The national challenges are a result of a governance and legitimacy crisis arising primarily out of the disputed election of July 2018,” national organising secretary Amos Chibaya said in the notice, seen by Reuters.



The departure of long-time leader Robert Mugabe after a coup in 2017 was greeted with euphoria and hope, but this has gradually turned to despair as his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has failed to revive the economy or usher in meaningful political reforms.



Chibaya said demonstrators would present a petition to parliament after next week’s march.



Luke Tamborinyoka, the MDC deputy spokesman, confirmed the party had notified the police, adding that “we hope the police will allow us to exercise our constitutional right”.



Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said he could not immediately comment.



The MDC does not recognise Mnangagwa’s presidency and maintains that he rigged last year’s vote, charges that the 76-year-old leader denies. Last week, MDC legislators boycotted the mid-term budget statement in parliament because Mnangagwa was present.



The last big protest in Zimbabwe, organised by the main labour union in January against a sharp fuel hike, turned deadly after it spilled onto the streets and was met by an army clampdown in which more than a dozen people died. [nL8N1ZE26M]



Everyday life is getting increasingly tough, with the prices of basic goods spiralling and medical supplies in short supply. Motorists wait for hours to fill up at fuel stations despite fuel prices having gone up more than 500% this year.



Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Frances Kerry

Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC party is planning to protest next week, here’s why

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Reports from Sudan suggest that President Omar Al Bashir has stepped down after months of protests against his rule. According to government sources, consultations are under way to form a transitional council to run the country. For more CNBC Africa is joined by Rozan Ahmed, a Sudanese activist who has been part of the demonstrations.

Sudanese Activist speaks out on Bashir’s removal from power

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-kochan-155721">Thomas Kochan</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/mit-sloan-school-of-management-1878">MIT Sloan School of Management</a>
The <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-walkout-just-latest-sign-tech-worker-unrest/">recent walkout</a> by thousands of Google employees at offices around the world was the first protest of its kind by well-paid and benefit-rich high-tech workers.
The collective action was triggered by a report that their employer had <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/technology/google-sexual-harassment-andy-rubin.html">awarded several top male executives accused of sexual misconduct</a> multimillion-dollar exit packages. But <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpnoQ3DBRZ1/?taken-by=googlewalkout">their list of demands</a> suggests the roots of the crisis go much deeper.
To me, it’s a reminder of just how outmoded American labor laws are, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=QfH1gOcAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao">a primary area of my research</a> these days. In fact, the underlying grievances that motivated the Google employees to walk out are emblematic of what’s prompting millions of American workers to feel they have lost their voice.
And unfortunately, U.S. labor law no longer has their back. The walkout by these non-union professionals at Google, however, might change that.
<h2>Five demands</h2>
The brief walkouts took place in about 40 Google offices including New York, London, Singapore and the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California.
They followed a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/technology/google-sexual-harassment-andy-rubin.html">New York Times investigation</a> that found that the search giant gave Andy Rubin, the creator of its Android mobile software, a US$90 million exit package despite a credible claim of sexual misconduct. The report said two other executives received similar treatment.
The leaders of the walkout presented a list of five demands on an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpnoQ3DBRZ1/?taken-by=googlewalkout">Instagram page</a>:
<ol>
<li>an end to forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination</li>
<li>a commitment to end pay and opportunity inequality</li>
<li>a publicly disclosed sexual harassment transparency report</li>
<li>a clear, uniform, globally inclusive process for reporting sexual misconduct safely and anonymously</li>
<li>promote the chief diversity officer to answer directly to the CEO and make recommendations directly to the board of directors. In addition, appoint an employee representative to the board.</li>
</ol>
The demands signal, in my view, a deep dissatisfaction with the lack of effective channels for reporting and resolving harassment claims, as well as a distrust of human resources, a department tasked with looking out for employees’ legal rights and enforcing company policies.
<h2>Workers losing their voice</h2>
The Google walkout has little precedent to help us understand what might happen next.
For one thing, it’s the first time employees at a high-tech company – with their <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/coolest-perks-of-working-at-google-in-2017-2017-7#googlers-also-reap-the-benefits-of-working-at-some-of-the-most-unique-and-beautiful-offices-in-the-world-5">free meals and on-site gyms</a> – staged a public protest. For another, it spanned multiple countries, a feat that very few unions are able to pull off. Finally and perhaps most importantly, the demands put forward go well beyond those covered under U.S. labor law.
The thing that comes closest to it is the spontaneous strike by 25,000 executives, managers and employees at the Market Basket grocery chain in Massachusetts in 2014 to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-28580359">protest the firing</a> of their CEO in a family dispute over strategy. After a six-week strike and a consumer boycott, the board capitulated and sold the company to the CEO. At the time, <a href="http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2014/09/03/market-basket-collective-bargaining-thomas-kochan">I called it</a> the most successful strike of the 21st century.
Both Market Basket and Google are examples of outbursts of employee tensions that have long been simmering among the private workforce. In a <a href="https://gcgj.mit.edu/new-paper-worker-voice-appear-ilr-review">recent national survey</a> we conducted at MIT, a majority of workers <a href="http://theconversation.com/who-wants-to-join-a-union-a-growing-number-of-americans-102374">said they don’t have as much of a voice</a> as they believe they should on a range of issues, from compensation and benefits to protections against harassment and respect for their labor.
Astoundingly, almost half of respondents said they would join a union if given the chance, a number that has increased from about one third in comparable surveys conducted in prior decades.
Yet, in case after case, companies have suppressed worker efforts to form a union, as we saw at <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/business/boeing-union-south-carolina.html">Boeing facilities in South Carolina</a>, <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2017/08/04/uaw-wins-loses-organizing-vote-nissan-plant-mississippi/540679001">Nissan’s Mississippi factory</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/02/14/united-auto-workers-lose-historic-election-at-chattanooga-volkswagen-plant/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.77286762fbdb">Volkswagen’s Tennessee plant</a>.
<h2>No legal standing</h2>
Like at Market Basket, Google’s employees have no legal standing to require their employer to negotiate with them, particularly over the issues they care about.
Legal standing only comes if they go through <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/001979390806200101">what is almost always</a> a hotly contested, long and usually futile election process overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
And should they try, these employees would quickly find the board would rule a good number of them ineligible for coverage for several reasons, such as their being managers, contract employees or simply outside the U.S.
Furthermore, their demands – such as an employee rep on the board or requiring the chief diversity officer to report to the CEO – are outside the narrow confines of what the labor relations board considers “the mandatory scope of bargaining.”
And the demand to eliminate forced arbitration would likely end up at the Supreme Court, which <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-1379.ZS.html">has already issued a ruling</a> that backs companies’ right to do it.
<h2>But powerless?</h2>
All this is not to say that Google employees are powerless to achieve the “structural changes” they seek.
Although labor law won’t protect them, they might be able to use the hundreds of millions of Google’s customers – of its search engine, email program or mobile phone software – to pressure executives to negotiate in good faith.
In this regard, Google might be wise to look to Market Basket for guidance. Because of the strong customer support of the workers in that dispute, <a href="https://www.boston.com/news/business/2015/08/22/a-year-later-things-are-going-pretty-well-for-market-basket">business plunged by 90 percent</a>, which is likely what compelled the board to give in.
In other words, if Google’s employees hold steady despite the lack of federal protection, they could not only end up changing their company’s policy on harassment, but become the vanguard that could help disrupt U.S. labor law in the process.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106305/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-kochan-155721">Thomas Kochan</a>, George Maverick Bunker Professor of Management Professor, Work and Organization Studies Co-Director, MIT Sloan Institute for Work and Employment Research, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/mit-sloan-school-of-management-1878">MIT Sloan School of Management</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-googles-employees-walked-out-and-what-it-could-mean-for-the-future-of-labor-106305">original article</a>.

Here’s why Google employees at offices around the world are protesting

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Protests have re-emerged over the soot crisis in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State in Southern Nigeria. Professor Roseline Konya, The Rivers State Commissioner for environment joins CNBC Africa more about the problem.

Port Harcourt’s plan to tackle the soot problem

<div id="attachment_304820" style="width: 1060px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-304820" class="wp-image-304820 size-full" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mahikeng1.png" alt="" width="1050" height="576" />Picture: CNBC Africa</div>
By Unathi Sonwabile Henama
Violent and deadly protests occurring in Mahikeng last week have captured national attention. President Cyril Ramaphosa cut short the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in London, to attend to the protests that had engulfed the North West Province.
President Ramaphosa was leading Invest SA to London, to woo investors and sell South Africa as an investment destination. Foreign direct investment is important as a driver of economic growth. The absence of Cyril Ramaphosa would be felt in London, as the global media followed his hurried departure back to South Africa.
Protesters have clashed with police, participated in public violence, looted shops and disturbed traffic on major highways. There was the destruction of public property, which has become institutionalised within the protest culture in South Africa. This led to the torching of the Mmabana Cultural Centre, which showcases the arts and cultural practices of the Batswana.
Mahikeng, which is the provincial capital city, has been at the epicentre of the protests, with sporadic disruptions also occurring in Klerksdorp.
Police dispersed protestors with rubber bullets. There were several arrests and two fatalities have been reported. Police resources were stretched to the limit, as the number of protestors far outnumber police personnel.
Tensions remain high as the top 6 of the African National Congress (ANC) on the 20th of April 2018 met Premier Supra Mahumapelo. The protestors have demanded that Premier Mahumapelo, should resign as Premier.
The ANC found itself in a tight corner, as the protestors happened to be voters who might dump the ANC in the general elections in 2019, should a resolution remain deferred.
The ANC would recall that residents in Tshwane voted against the ANC. This led to the ANC not achieving more than 50% in the local government elections for the first time, and the ANC was dislodged after opposition parties formed a coalition government.
The violence in Mahikeng led to neighbouring country Botswana closing its border with South Africa. This might negatively affect religious tourism to Tshwane, as thousands of Batswana regularly cross the border to attend church services at Enlightened Christian Gathering, hosted by Prophet Bushiri. Botswana has declared Bushiri as an undesired visitor to Botswana.
The closure of the border must be one of the reasons that led President Cyril Ramaphosa to become pro-active in trying to resolve the issue in Mahikeng, by returning home from an international commitment. The unrest in Mahikeng occurred concurrently with the World Travel Market (WTM) Africa hosted in Cape Town from 18-20 April 2018. This trade show is important to exhibit travel products and is a marketing platform for travel destinations.
The events in Mahikeng have done a disservice to brand South Africa generally, and the North West specifically. Tourism is very sensitive to external events and shocks such as protests, crime, acts of terror and political unrest. The violence that is associated with service delivery strikes in South Africa can be regarded as a form of home-grown terrorism.
South Africa already suffers from a poor image because of low levels of personal safety and security. In the tourism industry, perceptions and image trump reality. Tourism requires a favourable destination image, in order to grow. South Africa has capitalised on the successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and this reality must be replicated daily in South Africa.
Tourism is the new gold and it must become everyone’s business if it is to succeed. Tourism growth in the past 24 years has surpassed the national growth rate, which has been pedestrian. The ability of tourism to grow with jobs is unparalleled, due to its labour intensive nature.
For many localities, tourism has emerged as the only economic sector that can restore human dignity through jobs and entrepreneurial activities. Because almost all countries have jumped onto the tourism bandwagon, this has meant that competition amongst destinations has increased.  South Africa must improve its tourism competitiveness.
This, therefore, means anything negative that occurs in South Africa might have an impact on tourism. This makes the business of tourism everyone’s business. Tourism more than any other sector demands a responsible and responsive public service. If tourism can ensure that the public service is more responsive to the needs of the citizens, then tourism will continue its human rights dividend.
I wish President Ramaphosa well in trying to find a resolution to the crisis in the North West. A speedy resolution could be the best dividend for his Presidency, that he is a pro-active President that is Mr. Fix-It.
Unathi Sonwabile Henama teaches tourism at the Tshwane University of Technology and writes in his personal capacity

Op-Ed: #Mahikeng – a tourism perspective

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Chude Achike the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Action force, joins CNBC Africa from Lagos to discuss the ongoing protests against the Land Use Charge.

Protests against Lagos land use charge continue

Headlines surrounding the G20 Summit held in Hamburg, Germany, last week have been nothing short of gloom, with some protesters waving signs directed at world leaders who gathered for the summit, reading “<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/06/welcome-to-hell-protesters-clash-with-police-g20-summit-hamburg.html">Welcome to Hell</a>”. It is reported that on the eve of the summit, water cannons had been deployed and directed at protesters attempting to disrupt the gathering of world leaders.
People are clearly very angry at the status quo. This was not the first time an expression of dissatisfaction by civil society was manifested at a high-level gathering of this nature. Recall the 1999 WTO Protests in Seattle, USA – when people gathered to protest during the WTO Ministerial Conference. The 1999 protests were anti-capitalism. Union workers, labour rights groups, and other civil society organizations took the streets to express their <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-dark-side-of-globalization-why-seattles-1999-protesters-were-right/282831/">frustration</a> with ‘globalization’ as they saw it.
<h4>Almost 20 years later, the cry is still the same</h4>
Last week, and almost 20 years later, the cry is still the same, with wide protests during the Group of 20 Summit held in another developed, high-income country, Germany. Protesters do not see the point of the G20 and the summit. In a <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/g20-summit-2017-protests-prompt-police-reinforcements/">news report</a>, one of the protest organizers is quoted as attributing economic inequality, issues surrounding climate change and the migration crisis on the G20 and its world leaders.
At a recent <a href="http://www.t20germany.org/">Think20</a> summit, on May 29, 2017 – May 30, 2017, held for the purpose of providing G20 leaders with policy recommendations for Global Solutions, various professionals &#8211; businesspeople, researchers, academics, media representatives, think tanks from around the world &#8211; gathered to engage in dialogue and debate surrounding ways towards economic growth, social cohesion, peace and security and ways to protect the environment.
Policy recommendations were researched, drafted and ultimately culminated into 20 policy proposals that were <a href="http://www.t20germany.org/2017/06/15/20-solutions-g20/">presented</a> to the German Chancellery Minister. The presentation of the policy briefs called on the G20 to take strides towards the implementation of the recommendations.
<h4>Where to these recommendations leave Africa?</h4>
Where is Africa in all of this? There is only one African nation in the G20, South Africa. There is a paradox to be drawn from this with respect to engaging Africa significantly on issues of global importance at such gatherings. This point, of “talking about Africa without Africa” and “a stronger voice for Africa at the G20 [and in other global settings]” was highlighted by one of the panelists during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7Pq6WQuVTQ">discussion</a> at the Think20 Summit. The current frustration
The current frustration, as manifested in Hamburg, is frustration against the status quo, frustration against a club of world leaders in an exclusive group driving the agenda for everyone else. Their inability to drive the agenda or to contribute significantly to the agend has frutrated African countries, who see themselves as being driven by the agenda. Even though Africa’s position is not significantly on the minds of those thousands of protesters in Hamburg, it is clearly part of the bigger problem with the formation of the existing structures and models.
<h4>Governance as we know it is being questioned</h4>
The protests surrounding the G20 summit are yet another reminder (after the 2016 US elections, the Brexit vote, the near misses in the Dutch and French elections) that governance as we know it is being questioned.
The tough questions and civic resistance is a wakeup call that it is no longer business as usual. Grassroots organizations also want a seat at the table; as do indigent communities and smaller economies, particularly those in Africa. It cannot be about ‘club governance’. If seats are not provided for all stakeholders, there are those prepared to bring folding chairs to disrupt the formal gatherings – as it was clearly being seen in Hamburg.
The G20 (and particularly the summit) was birthed from an attempt to learn lessons from and address the consequences of the 2008 financial crisis. As an informal political forum it has made significant steps towards being more inclusive and not simply a club for the biggest economies. It has engaged various groups: businesses, youth, think tanks, and others; however, it still is an exclusive group trying to be inclusive. Integration and cohesion is a global goal at this point, the stakes for further disintegration (socially and internationally) are all too high at this point.
Integration and Cohesion is a global goal at this point, the stakes for further disintegration (socially and internationally) are all too high at this point.
Author: Mary-Jean Nleya, Founder &amp; Editor of <a href="http://www.theglobalcommunique.com/">The Global Communiqué</a>. Mary-Jean was selected as a G20 Young Global Changer to attend the <a href="http://www.t20germany.org/">Think20</a> Summit in Berlin, Germany in May 2017.

Op-Ed: The G20 Summit – global goal of integration

Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Tanisha Heiberg | JOHANNESBURG
Police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at protesters in southern townships of Johannesburg on Tuesday to quell the latest violence over lack of housing and jobs, piling pressure on President Jacob Zuma&#8217;s government.
Residents in the Eldorado Park and Ennerdale townships in South Africa&#8217;s economic hub pelted police cars with stones and blocked a highway with burning tyres and rocks, prompting riot police in protective gear to fire back at them.
Police said at least 15 people were arrested during the unrest, which started as a protest against the lack of housing and jobs there, and several shops were also damaged and looted.
Poor South Africans in black townships and shanty-towns complain they have not seen any benefits since white minority rule ended more than two decades ago.
But the government is limited by South Africa&#8217;s weak economy and is wary of polices that might further tarnish its image as an investor-friendly emerging market.
Protester Marlene Loggenberg told Talk Radio 702 she has been on a waiting list for a subsidised house for over 30 years.
<blockquote>&#8220;They told me that my salary is too little for a (mortgage) bond and too much for an RDP house,&#8221; she said, referring to government-funded low-cost housing units.</blockquote>
&#8220;We are fed up with what&#8217;s happening here,&#8221; community leader Martha Pitt said, saying unemployment and poor local services were also fraying residents&#8217; nerves.
Another protester, who would not give her name, said she joined the demonstration to demand the government build her a subsidised house or give her a piece of land to build a shack.
Gauteng police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said police would remain in the area until the situation is under control.
(Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Tanisha Heiberg; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

Protesters over lack of jobs, houses clash with South African police

Felix Onuah | ABUJA
Nigeria has almost tripled the budget for an amnesty programme for militants in its oil-producing heartland, the presidency said on Saturday, a key factor in maintaining a tenuous peace in the Niger Delta and supporting crude production.
An additional 30 billion naira ($98.47 million) would be released for the former militants and an extra 5 billion naira added at some later stage, the presidency said in a statement. Until 2016 the annual budget was 20 billion naira.
Funding of former militants under the 2009 amnesty is key to maintaining the relative stability in the Delta and stopping attacks on oil facilities, as it was last year by militants who cut crude output by as much as a third.
Under the amnesty programme, each former militant is entitled to 65,000 naira a month plus job training. But in March a special adviser to Nigeria&#8217;s president said the programme was facing a cash crunch.
<blockquote>&#8220;Currently the Amnesty Office has now paid up all ex-militants backlog of their stipends up to the end of 2016,&#8221; the presidency said in a statement.</blockquote>
Authorities had previously cut the budget for cash payments to militants to end corruption. They later resumed payments to keep pipeline attacks from crippling vital oil revenues.
Last month, former militant leaders in the Niger Delta urged the government to pay out delayed amnesty stipends or face protests.
The government has been holding talks with militants to end the attacks that cut Nigeria&#8217;s output by 700,000 barrels a day (bpd) for several months last year, reducing total production at that time to about 1.2 million bpd. It has since rebounded.
The presidency also said all promises made by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on recent visits of the Niger Delta to boost development would be kept.
The damage from attacks on Nigeria&#8217;s oil industry has exacerbated a downturn in Africa&#8217;s largest economy, which slipped into recession in 2016 for the first time in 25 years, largely due to low oil prices.
Crude oil sales make up around two-thirds of government revenue.
($1 = 304.6500 naira)
(Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Nigeria almost triples budget for Niger Delta amnesty

On the 12th of April 2017, the nation celebrated the birthday of President Jacob Zuma. It was also the day that the opposition parties launched a national day of action, calling on citizens to converge at Church Square in Pretoria and then march to the Union Buildings.
South Africa is a country that has institutionalised marches. It began in the early 2000s with service delivery strikes in municipalities, and grew to crime-led xenophobic attacks all over the country. The new trend is increasingly violent political marches. Vuwani caught the national attention, when a municipal demarcation dispute led to the destruction of several schools, which is deeply regrettable.
The past two years have been dominated by #FeesMustFall, which captured international attention. On the 2nd of November 2016, the DA and EFF marched against the charges that were brought by the National Prosecuting Authority against the then Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. They marched from Church Square to the Pretoria Magistrates Court.
The #ZumaMustFall protest will be represented by citizens across racial and political lines and it will be a mass mobilisation strategy to send a message to the ANC to recall President Jacob Zuma, for a plethora of reasons.
Pretoria is the seat of the Executive and the head office of the majority of government departments and State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), hence the protests come to Pretoria. There is growing trend of marches that culminate at the Union Buildings. Remember the Million Man March in 2008 against crime, and the 2011 economic freedom march of the ANC Youth League, led by Julius Malema.
The #FeesMustFall movement led their struggles to the Union Buildings, where a concession by the government for a 0% increase in fees was achieved. And after the downgrading of South Africa’s sovereign credit rating to junk status, a march led by Save SA also ended at the Union Buildings.
Marches were staged in several other cities, including Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. The groundswell of support for President Jacob to be recalled has become a national talking point.
What is of concern is that the mass mobilisation that always descends on Pretoria has a detrimental impact on certain businesses that are forced close their doors because of these marches, which are sometimes hijacked by criminals that break into and loot shops.
Business prospects for growth diminish when several days in the year are lost to strikes in Pretoria. Bus companies also did not operate into Pretoria on the 12TH April 2017, even Gautrain buses, depriving many employees of their means to get to work. Those with cars, would not dare drive into town, and the Pretoria CBD would be a no-go area.
The deepening of political contestation will mean that rolling mass action will become the order of the day, the rule rather than the exception. We live in a globalised world, where at the click of a button, any image is shared all over the world. All these strikes, marches and protests are broadcast all over the world, and they create an image of a country that is about to implode.
This does little to restore investor confidence in our country. The downgrade can be likened to the descent of prime evil onto our wallets, heralding tough times and the increase of poverty. Society will rebel as they see their standard of living decrease, and cost of living rise. Citizens are already highly indebted, with the lowest household savings rate as a percentage of GDP. Worse, the majority of Blacks have no assets. They will experience the worst impacts of the downgrade.
The reputation of South Africa as an investment destination will continue to decrease and have a negative effect on tourism arrivals. Tourists want to travel to destinations that are safe and South Africa has consistently scored low on personal safety and security according to the World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report.
Tourism, the one sector that has been the perennial good news maker, will now suffer from fallout of our political challenges. Tourism has been called the ‘’new gold’’ as it attracts more foreign exchange and creates more employment than gold mining. But reputation is everything and we must be conscious that reputation is regarded as the truth.
We must seek ways to protect our tourism industry from our political contestation because peace is a pre-requisite for tourism growth. Growth in this sector creates jobs. For every eight international tourists one permanent job is created.
Unathi Sonwabile Henama teaches tourism at the Tshwane University of Technology and writes in his personal capacity.

South African tourism: Negative effects of marches and protests

By Tanisha Heiberg and James Macharia
South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday accused some protesters of racism after marches last week that drew tens of thousands of people demanding his resignation, while the opposition announced plans for a new protest.
More than 60,000 people marched in South African cities on Friday in largely peaceful protests to demand Zuma quit after a cabinet reshuffle set off the latest crisis of his presidency.
Speaking at a memorial to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the assassination of anti-apartheid and Communist Party leader Chris Hani &#8211; whose murder led to nationwide riots &#8211; Zuma said South Africa had not yet built a non-racial society decades after white-minority rule ended in 1994.
<blockquote>In his first public response to the protests, Zuma said they &#8220;demonstrated that racism is real&#8221; in South Africa.
&#8220;Many placards and posters displayed beliefs that we thought had been buried in 1994, with some posters depicting black people as baboons,&#8221; the president said.
&#8220;It is clear that some of our white compatriots regard black people as being lesser human beings or sub-human.&#8221;</blockquote>
A mixed racial profile of people attended the rallies. Police said about 60,000 people took part in the marches in the major cities.
Opposition leader Mmusi Maimane, head of the Democratic Alliance (DA), which has strong support among white people, had called for a march in Johannesburg, and held a rally of more than 10,000 people.
In the capital Pretoria, about 15,000 people gathered in a field outside the Union Buildings, the site of Zuma&#8217;s offices, in a march led by civil society group SaveSA. Other marches were held in Cape Town, Durban and other parts of the country.
Maimane&#8217;s spokesman Mabine Seabe said of Zuma&#8217;s comments: &#8220;He cannot argue based on policy and is trying to distract from the issues by using race as a scapegoat.&#8221;
Zuma&#8217;s spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga also said there were posters in Pretoria that depicted black people as baboons. Ngqulunga sent a picture to Reuters that has been used on Twitter showing a Zuma caricature.
Some placards during the protests used vulgar language against Zuma, Reuters witnesses said.
<blockquote>&#8220;It&#8217;s been proven before that if you place a racial bombshell in a conversation it clouds the issues,&#8221; said Gwen Ngwenya, the chief operating officer of the South African Institute of Race Relations in Johannesburg.</blockquote>
&#8220;It&#8217;s an effective spin strategy that&#8217;s very shrewd &#8230; because it plays on historical racial tensions in South Africa.&#8221;
NEW PROTEST
The DA, the ultra-left Economic Freedom Fighters and other smaller parties announced a new protest march dubbed &#8220;National Day of Action&#8221; on Wednesday at the Union Buildings, the seat of government, aimed at drumming up support for a no-confidence motion against the president in parliament on April 18.
The African National Congress, which has a commanding majority in parliament, has said its members would vote against the motion.
Zuma&#8217;s sacking of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in a cabinet reshuffle on March 31 has outraged allies and opponents alike, undermined his authority and caused rifts in the ANC, which has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid.
The rand has tumbled more than 11 percent since March 27, when Zuma ordered Gordhan to return home from overseas talks with investors, days before firing him.
Fitch on Friday followed S&amp;P Global Ratings and downgraded South Africa to &#8220;junk&#8221;, citing Gordhan&#8217;s dismissal as one reason.
On Monday, Zuma said he had met Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, the Governor of the South African Reserve Bank Lesetja Kganyago and Tom Moyane, the Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service, to discuss the impact of the credit rating downgrades and &#8220;how we should respond adequately.&#8221;
Zuma reiterated plans to transform the economy to include more black people, who, he said, were passed up for promotions and had lower salaries than white people doing the same jobs.
<blockquote>&#8220;The majority of black people are still economically disempowered. They are dissatisfied with the limited economic gains from liberation,&#8221; he said.</blockquote>
Black people make up 80 percent of the population, yet the lion&#8217;s share of the economy in terms of ownership of land and companies remains in the hands of white people, who make up about 8 percent of the population.
(Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

South Africa’s Zuma accuses protesters of racism after marches

Nigeria&#8217;s absentee president is in good health and is expected to return home soon, his deputy said on Monday, after mounting unease about the leader&#8217;s well-being spilled over into street protests.
President Muhammadu Buhari has been in Britain since mid-January for unspecified medical checks and many Nigerians suspect his health is worse than officials admit.
Hundreds marched through Lagos on Monday calling for a change of government, a rare show of public dissent reflecting worry over Buhari&#8217;s absence and a sputtering economy.
Some fear a rerun of the unstable three months in 2010 when then-president Umaru Yar&#8217;Adua&#8217;s illness was shrouded in secrecy before he died, after which Vice President Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in.
Current Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, acting leader in Buhari&#8217;s absence, told reporters in Abuja the president was &#8220;hale and hearty&#8221; when they spoke on Monday afternoon.
Buhari asked after progress of his proposed budget for 2017, which has not yet been approved by parliament, and plans for economic recovery. Nigeria is mired in its first recession in 25 years.
Osinbajo acknowledged Monday&#8217;s protests, saying: &#8220;I informed (Buhari) about the protest march and feedback about what people are saying about the economy,&#8221; without giving details of the president&#8217;s response.
The president needed to go for more tests, as outlined in a letter to parliament on Sunday requesting extended medical leave.
&#8220;Once he sees the test results and gets medical advice, we expect him very soon,&#8221; Osinbajo said.﻿

Nigeria's president expected home soon says deputy

A Zimbabwean pastor, accused last year of trying to overthrow President Robert Mugabe&#8217;s government after calling for protests, was arrested at the airport when he flew home from the United States on Wednesday, his lawyer said.
Evan Mawarire was previously arrested and charged last July, but was freed by a magistrate&#8217;s court which said police had not followed procedure.
Harrison Nkomo, his lawyer, said the pastor had been arrested at Harare&#8217;s airport and was taken to the capital&#8217;s central police station.
Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba confirmed Mawarire&#8217;s arrest, saying he had an outstanding warrant after failing to appear in court last year. She did not provide more details.
&#8220;The law will always catch up with you even if you go away. Mawarire had a warrant of arrest against him,&#8221; Charamba said.
After he was freed by the court in July, police had said they still wanted to file more charges against Mawarire. He travelled to South Africa and then the United States, where he had been living with his family since July.
His absence drew condemnation from supporters, who accused him of abandoning them when his leadership was needed.
Mawarire rose to fame after posting a video online last year that went viral, venting his anger about deteriorating social and economic conditions in Zimbabwe and urging citizens to hold the government to account.
The preacher&#8217;s social media movement #ThisFlag rattled Mugabe&#8217;s administration, leading to accusations by the state against Mawarire of inciting public violence.﻿

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Op-Ed: #Mahikeng – a tourism perspective

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Op-Ed: The G20 Summit – global goal of integration

Protesters over lack of jobs, houses clash with South African police

Nigeria almost triples budget for Niger Delta amnesty

South African tourism: Negative effects of marches and protests

South Africa’s Zuma accuses protesters of racism after marches

Nigeria's president expected home soon says deputy

Protest pastor arrested on return to Zimbabwe

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protests

With Instagram, hashtags and bitcoin, young Nigerians boost anti-police protests

Zimbabwe police give unions green light for public sector protest, what you need to know…

Facebook, Twitter accuse China of running disinformation campaign against Hong Kong protesters

Many of the leaders of Hong Kong’s protests are millennials—here’s why they’re taking action

Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC party is planning to protest next week, here’s why

Sudanese Activist speaks out on Bashir’s removal from power

Here’s why Google employees at offices around the world are protesting

Port Harcourt’s plan to tackle the soot problem

Op-Ed: #Mahikeng – a tourism perspective

Protests against Lagos land use charge continue

Op-Ed: The G20 Summit – global goal of integration

Protesters over lack of jobs, houses clash with South African police

Nigeria almost triples budget for Niger Delta amnesty

South African tourism: Negative effects of marches and protests

South Africa’s Zuma accuses protesters of racism after marches

Nigeria's president expected home soon says deputy

Protest pastor arrested on return to Zimbabwe

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