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Letter from Rwanda: Speaking in Diverse Tongues

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By Dolapo Aina

Splendid salutations to you the reader. So, Kinyarwanda, variations of Swahili from Kenya or Congo (undiluted Tanzanian Swahili is the purest and unadulterated), Luganda (Uganda’s most widely spoken language), Lingala (Congo’s most widely spoken language), English, French, Sudanese Arabic (the purest form of Arabic on the African Continent), Middle East Arabic, Spanish, Chinese Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Persian (Iran), Hindi (India), Pashto (Afghanistan’s language), some West African languages and more are languages I get to hear people converse in, in Kigali.

Alas, as I reeled out the languages, some of the readers must have laboured under a misapprehension to assume that I have morphed into a multi-lingual strict high school no nonsense bespectacled headmistress or overly strict bowtie and waistcoat wearing bespectacled principal. But, far from it. The aforementioned languages are some of the languages you are bound to hear (if you are attentive and conversant with global languages) people speak in certain public and private places in Kigali. This is a different cornucopia of the unique characteristics of Kigali.

If you are a bi-lingual non-Rwandan in Kigali and the only languages you speak are your mother tongue and English, you end up trying to initially decipher what is being said when Kinyarwanda speakers, French speakers, Swahili speakers and other speakers are speaking, then, after a while, after your ears have attuned to the languages, you begin to pick up few words, make use of some words and after a while, you begin to understand to a limited extent what is being said on the radio, TV, markets, bars, restaurants et al.
As a city where Kinyarwanda, English, French and Swahili can be heard and spoken interchangeably a lot of times by educated Rwandans who most probably lived outside Rwanda (in Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Canada, Belgium just to name some specific countries) before returning home, or had their initial and early education in the French syllabus before English was adopted; or those who attend private schools or those who speak Kinyarwanda and Swahili, and just get by in English and French; as a bi-lingual who only speaks English, you realise you are processing three other languages as opposed to the single language if you were in another capital city of a country where several languages are not readily spoken by the citizenry.
An interesting feature is to realise that most people (Rwandans or even Congolese) who have lived in Congo can converse comfortably in English if they have to; same goes for people (Rwandans or Burundians) who have lived in Burundi. And this is aside that they speak fluent French.

Another interesting feature is that anyone who has lived for a long time in Uganda, tends to not only speak English and Luganda but at least four other Ugandan languages. And there are those who would inform you they can speak up to ten Ugandan languages. It should not come as a shock to you if you are invited (invitations for family events are unique in the sense that if you are not invited; you don’t turn up like an August visitor) for a Rwandan family gathering and family members who live in other East African countries turn up for the gathering and everyone is comfortably speaking Kinyarwanda, Luganda, Lingala, French, Swahili and English interchangeably (let me not include those who can speak German, Dutch or Flemish with a sprinkling of Spanish). Like a banquet of brochette, a display of an assortment of diverse languages (choose and pick yours); a United Nations translators department of sorts. And if you are not even bi-lingual and find yourself in such gatherings, dear brethren, fret not but console yourself with gastronomic victory as you deep dive into the delicious edibles on display and devour what rightly is yours.

On a serious note, and thinking long term, a country where the exposed and highly educated are multilingual, the quasi-literates are at least bi-lingual and the uneducated (who might not be able to speak French or English) can at least get by in Swahili, Luganda or Lingala; the country would be the darling of regional, continental and global institutions in the not-too-distant future. But I digress.

Back to an interesting recurrence, which is to find or meet non-Rwandans who speak passable or fluent Kinyarwanda and sometimes one is left befuddled as to how a non-Rwandan has become conversant and fluent in a language that can be quite tricky to learn (if you don’t have a flair for picking up languages.) But those non-Rwandans who really speak the language have one dominant currency, they lived outside Kigali for a while or a long time or still live outside Kigali.

In the early months of 2021, I met an American doctor who had been a missionary in Rwanda in the late 80s and early 90s and he was stationed outside Kigali. He still returns to Rwanda to execute some project. Not only is his Kinyarwanda good; it is fluent. I

Interestingly, when I met him, his French had a French accent and not an American accent.

Another example is a story I heard of a mechanic who called an acquaintance of mine, and spoke flawless Kinyarwanda. When they met, my acquaintance asked for the person who called him since he had not seen him yet. The man in front of him spoke to him in Kinyarwanda saying “I am who you want to meet. I called you.” My acquaintance narrated the story with shock still visible on the narrator’s face. Questions ranging from how long have you lived in Rwanda surfaced and the Caucasian man could not remember but he had been in Rwanda in the 80s and lived outside Kigali.

Same characteristic of West Africans who live outside Kigali as they tend to speak Kinyarwanda with more ease and fluency than those who reside in Kigali. This is a normal feature in any country as it is easier and faster to learn a language when one is in the midst of those whose first language is the mother tongue and not necessarily the lingua franca.

So, Brethren, at this juncture, I have come to convince and not confuse and bamboozle you with grandiloquent words that it should not come as a surprise to you when you visit Rwanda and see or meet non-Rwandans who reside outside Kigali, converse in fluent Kinyarwanda.

Like prophets in the Biblical days of yore who lived up in the mountains, they might be living upcountry (up north or up south) with the learned skill and acquired gift of speaking in diverse tongues. Selah.

Dolapo Aina writes from Kigali, Rwanda

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British-Nigerian, 14, Killed in Knife Attack in UK

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UK police named a 14-year-old boy killed in a sword attack in London this week as Daniel Anjorin, as officers released more details about how the violent rampage unfolded.

Anjorin, a British-Nigerian pupil attended Bancroft’s private school in Woodford Green – also attended by Nottingham attack victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar.

He died on Tuesday morning as he walked to school in Hainault, in the east of Britain’s capital, when he was attacked by a man wielding what appeared to be a Samurai-type sword.

Police tasered and arrested the suspect, a 36-year-old man who remains in custody on suspicion of murder. He has not been named and was not previously known to police.

The independent school attended by Anjorin said in a statement Wednesday that they had been left in “profound shock and sorrow” at the pupil’s death.

“He was a true scholar, demonstrating commendable dedication to his academic pursuits. His positive nature and gentle character will leave a lasting impact on us,” Bancroft’s, in Woodford Green, near Hainault, said.

London’s Metropolitan Police force said Tuesday’s horror unfolded just before 7:00 am (0600 GMT) when the accused crashed a van into a house fence, hitting a 33-year-old man before stabbing him in the neck.

A 35-year-old man was then attacked inside a nearby property, causing lacerations to his arm, before Anjorin was killed.

Police arrived on the scene 12 minutes after the first emergency call and attempted to neutralise the suspect with incapacitant spray and a Taser gun but these had little effect.

The suspect seriously injured two police officers, both of whom required surgery on Tuesday and remain in hospital.

One, a woman, suffered severe injuries to her arm and nearly lost a hand, the Met said.

The man fled again as terrified witnesses took cover in houses before police used a Taser to overpower him, detaining him 22 minutes after the initial call.

Police have said the attack was not terror-related.

It came amid a rise in stabbings in the United Kingdom and shortly before voters decide whether to re-elect London mayor Sadiq Khan for a record third term in local elections Thursday.

Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticised the opposition Labour Party’s Khan for his record on crime.

Anjorin’s death is the second recent tragedy to hit Bancroft’s, after a former pupil, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, was killed in Nottingham last year as she tried to save her friend from a knife attacker.

Valdo Calocane was sentenced to indefinite detention in a psychiatric hospital for stabbing to death 19-year-old O’Malley-Kumar, fellow student Barnaby Webber and 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates.

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Adebogun Commends Tinubu over Rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road

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Renowned educationist, and Proprietor/Chief Executive Officer, Caleb Group of Schools, Dr. Oladega Adebogun, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for speedy and comprehensive rehabilitation of the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road, which formerly ranked as one of the worst in Nigeria, and had been albatross to past administrations.

A statement signed by the Director, Public Relations, Caleb University, Imota, Mr. Abimbola Olulesi, and made available to this medium, noted that Adebogun gave his commendation during an interactive session with the media, affirming that President Tinubu, by his singular action, has renewed the hope of residents, motorists and commuters, who had lost hope that the road will ever be repaired, considering its total deplorable state.

He recollected that the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe road, before the rehabilitation, ranked among the worst roads not just in Lagos State but across the country.

“The road usually gets abandoned during the rainy season, and had posed a recurring nightmare to motorists and commuters along the Ikorodu through Imota to Itoikin axis, and as far as Epe. It was a particularly harrowing experience for road users during vacation and festive periods,” Adebogun said.

The Proprietor joyfully noted that it was a huge sigh of relief for residents when the rehabilitation was completed in March this year, reducing Ikorodu to Epe travel time from about two hours to less than thirty minutes.

He added that the rehabilitation of the road is a positive pointer and attestation to the fact that many more development projects promised by the people-oriented, focused and egalitarian government of President Tinubu would be completed and delivered.

Adebogun also commended the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Dr. Dave Umahi, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru for the various roles they played in the actualization of the rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Imota road.

He recalled that Governor Sanwo-Olu had personally visited to access the deplorable condition of the road early this year while Senator Abiru had moved a motion in 2021 on the floor of the Nigerian Senate on, “The Urgent Need for the Rehabilitation of the the Ikorodu-Sagamu and Ikorodu-Itoikin-Epe Roads to further bridge the Infrastructure Gap and Enhance Economic Growth in Nigeria”.

Senator Abiru also has to his credit many laudable achievements which earned him the appellation of “Doing Good Senator” such as: The Senator Abiru Innovation Lab(SAIL), which is “the first of its kind innovation hub” in Lagos East Senatorial District which he set up for young people and entrepreneurs; N300 Million Naira Constituency Intervention Revolving Loan, Health facilities and construction of blocks of classrooms he facilitated across the district, provision of grant to 1,250 market women, award of bursary to 600 higher institution students and monthly support for over 2500 vulnerable constituents. Others include provision of many transformers across Lagos East Senatorial District, building of Epe Sports Complex as well as sponsorship of many legislation and motions of national significance.

Adebogun also remarked that, in less than one year of assuming office, President Tinubu had performed beyond expectation and deserves the goodwill and support of all Nigerians to actualise all aspects of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He further paid tributes to President Tinubu for the promise announced by the Honourable Minister of Works, Dr. Dave Umahi, that the dualization of the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road would commence in earnest as the second phase of the road repair project.

He therefore appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians to put aside mundane differences and join hands with the government for the full realization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

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No Such Deals Exist, Maersk Debunks $600m Investment Agreement with Nigeria

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A report from Lloyd’s List has debunked the statement of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government that Maersk has concluded and signed an agreement for a $600 million into the port sector.

The paper’s report reads:

A $600m investment into Nigeria’s port sector from Maersk, announced personally by the West African state’s president Bola Tinubu on Sunday, appears to be less solid than the government initially claimed.

Despite a presidential statement from Tinubu detailing how he had secured the purported investment during a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh over the weekend, Maersk officials have confirmed that no such agreement is in place and no deals have been signed.

The Nigerian government statement detailed how A.P Moller-Maersk chairman Robert Maersk Uggla had discussed the investment with president Tinubu on the sidelines of a meeting discussing energy development and growth. The statement even included a direct quote attributed to Uggla saying: “We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600 million in existing facilities and make the ports accommodating for bigger ships”.

But according to Maersk, that deal does not exist.

Company officials said while Uggla did meet the president, no such deal had been signed.

“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to develop opportunities for growth to people, the port sector and businesses locally,” the company said in a statement to Lloyd’s List.

“Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks.”

Maersk is due to report first-quarter results on Thursday, meaning that management are in a regulatory quiet period limiting what they can say publicly about the company’s activities.

Nigeria has promised to revamp its ports, including in the commercial capital Lagos, to ease congestion.

Tinubu’s statement explained that his government would support the modernisation and automation of its ports to improve trade, reduce corruption and boost efficiency. He claimed that the purported Maersk investment would “complement the administration’s ongoing $1bn investment in seaport reconstruction across the eastern and western seaports of Nigeria”.

“A bet on Nigeria is a winning bet. It is also a bet that rewards beyond what is obtainable elsewhere,” he said. “We need to encourage more opportunities for revenue expansion and minimise trans-shipments from larger ships to smaller ships.”

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