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African press review 12 November 2015

Nigeria's cabinet finally revealed with some surprises, the migrant crisis issue in Malta as EU and African leaders meet, and South Africa's latest corruption scandal are in today's African press.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has finally announced the long-awaited portfolio of ministers, who were sworn in on Wednesday, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, headlines newspaper Vanguard.

Buhari named himself minister of petroleum, a choice being questioned by the Lagos based The Daily Independent.

It argues that, according to the Nigerian constitution, “the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not, during his tenure in office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever."

The Daily Trust reports that Buhari had said he wanted to do the job in order to bring integrity, transparency and responsibility to bear on it. Now, with the cabinet in place, he must bolster an economy hammered by falling oil prices and tackle the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east.

Newspaper Punch explains this move comes right after there were indications that the Buhari had reduced the number of federal ministries to 25 from about 29. Buhari had apparently decided at the very last minute to merge several ministries.

At thisweek's summit in Malta between over 50 EU leaders and African leaders, several African leaders have spoken up.

According to French-language website ActuSenegal, President Macky Sall said in a speech that “migration was a historical phenomenon" and that there was "a need for a convergence on migratory flows but also a balanced treatment of migrants coming from the south and from elsewhere". 

"Africa expects a hand-in-hand partnership from the European Union,” he declared.

Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara declared that his country had lessons to teach about dealing humanely with immigration, since “25 per cent of people in Côte d'Ivoire are from other countries".

The European Union and Ethiopia have apparently cut a deal to tackle migration and human smuggling: Ethiopia would have access to money from a 1.8 billion euros "trust fund" to help African nations better manage migration. 

According to the International Organisation for Migration, nearly 800,000 migrants have reached Europe by sea this year, just under a quarter of them from Africa. The EU predicts that three million more could arrive by 2017.

In South Africa Business Day reports that National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega was found guilty of gross misconduct, fraud and perjury in a damning report from Police Minister Nathi Nhleko made public on Wednesday.

EyeWitness News reports that the findings have been made public on the same day that MPs slated Phiyega for encouraging her provincial commissioners to voice their support for her before she was suspended.

Her leadership has been strongly criticised by parliamentarians across the political spectrum and after this report it seems unlikely she’ll gain support across the country.

The Journalist this week carries a range of content that reflects the unity, solidarity and anger of students as they demanded that the doors of learning and culture must be opened to all.

With several pieces dedicated to this hot topic, it looks at issues causing turmoil in the country, such as students standing side by side with their foreign national peers for a reduction or abolition of fees while others protest at xenophobia and violence.

All have one thing in common, the weekly website reports, “the state is not listening to them.”

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