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African press review 22 May 2017

Why are some people in northern Nigeria unhappy about federal restructuring? What did the heads of state of the East African Community decide at their summit, which ended yesterday in Tanzania? And where does South Africa stand globally in the provision of healthcare?

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Northern Nigeria is unhappy about plans for federal restructuring.

According to the Lagos-based Guardian newspaper, the controversy continued at the weekend with two elder statesmen, Malam Tanko Yakassai and Chief Bisi Akande as well as former Nigerian ambassador to China, Olusola Onadipe expressing divergent positions on the matter.

The persistence of the calls for restructuring requires a decisive move by all the citizens to resolve the issue amicably instead of allowing it to breed ethnic suspicion and hostility.

In an interview with the Guardian, Yakassai says the north is uncomfortable with the idea of restructuring the country.

He says northerners are suspicious that the motive is to deprive the north in two important areas – representation at the National Assembly and equitable revenue allocation, both based on population density and thus currently favourable to the north.

Yakassai has called on those promoting the changes to be clear and honest about the implications of restructuring for all concerned.

East African trading bloc agrees to talk to European Union

East African leaders have agreed a common position on the economic partnership deal with the European Union, regional paper the East African reports.

The summit meeting of heads of state of the East African Community, which ended in Dar es Salaam yesterday, accepted that Kenya should not be disadvantaged because it had already signed the agreement.

The new chairman of the trading bloc, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has been asked to contact the EU with a view to bringing all member states into line.

Currently only Kenya and Rwanda have signed the partnership agreement proposed by Europe. Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda have yet to sign.

Burundi remains under European sanctions.

Also at yesterday's summit, says the East African, regional leaders briefly discussed the progress of the membership applications from both South Sudan and Somalia. Detailed reports are to be prepared before the organisation's next heads of state meeting in a year's time.

South African economy improves, health services stagnate

The Johannesburg-based financial paper BusinessDay has good news and less good news for South Africa.

The good news is that the International Monetary Fund has raised its forecast for economic growth in the country, saying the end of the worst drought in more than a century will lift agricultural production and rising commodity prices will boost the mining sector.

Africa’s most industrialised economy is expected to grow by one percent in 2017, up from the 0.8 percent prediction the IMF made in April.

The less good news is that South Africa is ranked 119 out of 195 countries in the latest Healthcare Access and Quality Index published by the respected medical journal The Lancet.

South Africa received a score of 52 points.

The country with the best score, Andorra, got 95 points, followed by 94 for Iceland and 92 for Switzerland.

The Central African Republic received the worst score, at 29, with Afghanistan and Somalia rounding off the bottom three, with scores of 32 and 34 respectively.

Although South Africa is ranked in the bottom half of the index, the researchers rated it among the countries that had improved their healthcare access and quality the most over the past 25 years. That last assertion is vigoruously denied by several contributors

Tough times ahead as ANC holds top table meeting

Looking ahead to political events this week, the ruling ANC is scheduled to hold its first national executive committee meeting since the controversial cabinet reshuffle in March.

BusinessDay says the meeting will take place against a background of growing protest over the state of the ANC and efforts by opposition parties to remove President Jacob Zuma through a vote of no confidence.

On the economic front, South Africa is waiting to see whether another ratings agency will downgrade the country’s sovereign credit status.

Moody’s said in April that the sovereign rating was at risk of a downgrade and its decision would be announced shortly.

Moody’s officials held talks with the Treasury and with business and labour leaders last week, ahead of the release of inflation figures for April, which are due out on Wednesday, and the Reserve Bank’s decision on interest rates, to be announced on Thursday.

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