Musings From Abroad

Former Ivorian ‘cleaner’ elected into French parliament

Published

2 years ago

June 21, 2022

A former Ivory Coast immigrant who made a living as a ‘cleaning lady’ in France has been elected into the French parliament on Sunday.

48-year-old Rachel Kéké thus breaks another glass ceiling when she was elected a member of the French parliament on the platform of the new left-wing alliance, NUPES.

Kéké who describes herself as a voice to the voiceless, promised meet with all the young people in her constituency and provide a voice for them.

“I am the voice of the voiceless. I am a maid, I am a cleaner, security guard, care assistant, home helper, I am all these invisible jobs. And at the National Assembly, these jobs will become visible,” the newly-elected MP said shortly after she was sworn in.

The Ivorian former ‘cleaner’ replaces President Emmanuel Macron’s former Sports Minister, Roxana Maracineanu, in a seat to represent a Paris southeastern suburb.

Sylvie Kimissa, a cleaning lady and former colleague of Rachel Kéké said of her victory:

“We are in joy so we have no words to say… We believed in it, we are there, we are going to the Assembly, we have a representative in the Assembly.”

Kéké has been a vocal advocate of lowly placed workers and was one of a group of cleaning ladies who took their employer to court over pay and working conditions and won.

“I will meet all the young people in my constituency, because these young people who no longer believe in life, these young people who are desperate, these young people who say to themselves: ‘No, France is not good, France is bad, I say no’.

“We are going to work together to offer young people a France with a new face”, the new MP said.

The left-wing alliance, NUPES, has emerged as one of the dominant political forces following Sunday’s legislative elections that resulted in the Macron losing the majority in parliament.

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Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

4 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

5 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.