Folks,
I m not a fan of this man and don’t know him from Adam, but I know common sense when I see it.
What do these mean?
“Utility Services and Accra Plains Irrigation Project.”
“Toll Road Project”
Come oooon!! These people cannot even tell us how much money has been collected on the Toll Roads and Bridges to date!!
Like the NHIL started long ago by the NDC to cater to improving the hospitals, clinics and heath facilities, it has become another fraud!! They collect the money but can’t account for it!!
SHAME!!
Gabby was even generous in saying the external debt as of Dec. 2008 was $4 Billion. No. According to the Bank of Ghana reports, Ghana has an accumulated debt of $8.1 Billion as of that time and earlier this year a report indicated it was then $13.5 Billion.
President Mills, I am sad to say, ought to take a closer look at some of these things as they reflect his leadership. Period!
It does not need a genius to put on a piece of paper, in a table, Project title, number of miles or description, Amount budgeted or loan procured, so that people can see through and compare.
The LAUNDRY LIST budgeting must stop!!
We are not children anymore. We can list and itemize what we want to buy, how much each will cost, and this is as honest as they come. If you are buying a product or services, and list it twice and put in numbers, as Otchere is saying here, it makes it suspect.
Folks, please those close to the President, can you advice this man to be a little more vigilant with these things. It makes me so sad as educated people we wait till some EU intelligence unit or some American Strategic Services (CSIS) or other such institutes, will make tables of our Economic and other indices, and they even exclude unemployment data, which is not important to them, but is a critical measure of our economic progress.
It really hurts when the world outside looks at us as children in a candy store when we borrow so much money, don’t even calculate what the monthly or annual payment requirement will be on these loans, and simply sign on them!! How does the President select these people and who are they? Or shall I say who born them on this earth!!
Stupidity in human organizations has a way of blowing up in people’s faces one day,, and I am listening and watching on CNN what is happening in Libya!! So sad!! Nobody ever thought Gadhafi would end up like this. A few months ago I advised on this forum, which I know does not go to Libya, and some of you were saying why should the West go and support the rebels, etc, etc. Okay.
I said the best way was for the man to give room for the expressed dissatisfaction of his people – have some kind of elections and local council control, change in management of the nation and as an old man, simply to build a long term sustainable form of government! No!! Not an African leader! Ghanaians in power think they are book-smart, so they created a document called a constitution and gave all powers to one man, the President, and think they have a democracy. Then they go out borrowing from the West, and knowing that their terms will be over by the time the loans are due! Road Projects, Water projects, electricity projects, all abandoned after a person’s term is over!!
One cannot stop having hope. When Mills came in, with all the goodwill and prayers of some of us to see him succeed, instead of finding out what went wrong, solving the problems, learning from the past, he also sat down finding new loans!! From $8.1 Billion in accumulated debt in Jan.2009, today is almost $20 Billion!! And electricity transformer for some of our most affluent areas is waiting for years!! God forgive these African leaders!! One day! It will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!! As the man from Galilee once said.
Come ooooooon!!!!!
Black Man!!
Where is the light!! Where is the hope!!!
Dr. Kwaku A. Danso (At Livermore, California, USA)
Lic. Real Estate Broker & Financier
East Legon-Accra, Ghana & Livermore, California, USA
President - Ghana Leadership Union (NGO), Moderator-GLU and GLF Forums.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Quake rocks Washington area
MINERAL, Va. (AP) — A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia forced evacuations of all the memorials and monuments on the National Mall in Washington and rattled nerves from South Carolina to Martha's Vineyard, the Massachusetts island where President Barack Obama is vacationing.
A District of Columbia fire department spokesman said there were numerous injuries, no reports of serious injuries or deaths.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was half a mile deep and centered near Louisa, Va., about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. Shaking was felt at the White House and all over the East Coast, as far south as Charleston, S.C. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated.
Two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station in the same county as the epicenter were automatically taken off line by safety systems around the time of the earthquake, said Roger Hannah, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The Dominion-operated power plant is being run off of four emergency diesel generators, which are supplying power for critical safety equipment. Hannah said the agency was not immediately aware of any damage at nuclear power plants in the Southeast.
Obama and many of the nation's leaders were out of town on August vacation when the quake struck at 1:51 p.m. EDT. The shaking was felt on the Martha's Vineyard golf course as Obama was just starting a round.
At the Pentagon in northern Virginia, a low rumbling built and built to the point that the building was shaking. People ran into the corridors of the government's biggest building and as the shaking continued there were shouts of "Evacuate! Evacuate!"
The U.S. Park Service evacuated and closed all National Mall monuments and memorials. At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. Authorities announced it was an earthquake and all flights were put on hold.
Amtrak said its trains along the Northeast Corridor between Baltimore and Washington were operating at reduced speeds and crews were inspecting stations and railroad infrastructure before returning to normal.
In New York, the 26-story federal courthouse in lower Manhattan began swaying and hundreds of people were seen leaving the building. Court officers weren't letting people back in.
More than 12 million people live close enough to the quake's epicenter to feel shaking, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The agency said this quake was in the yellow alert category for economic damage, meaning there was potential for local damage but it would add up to far less than 1 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
East Coast earthquakes are far less common than in the West, but they tend to be felt over a broad area. That's because the crust is not as mangled and fractured, allowing seismic waves to travel without interruption.
"The waves are able to reverberate and travel pretty happily out for miles," said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough.
The Virginia quake came a day after an earthquake in Colorado toppled groceries off shelves and caused minor damage to homes in the southern part of the state and in northern New Mexico. No injuries were reported as aftershocks continued Tuesday.
In Charleston, W.Va., hundreds of workers left the state Capitol building and employees at other downtown office buildings were asked to leave temporarily.
"The whole building shook," said Jennifer Bundy, a spokeswoman for the state Supreme Court. "You could feel two different shakes. Everybody just kind of came out on their own."
In Ohio, where office buildings swayed in Columbus and Cincinnati and the press box at the Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field shook. At least one building near the Statehouse was evacuated in downtown Columbus.
In downtown Baltimore, the quake sent office workers into the streets, where lamp posts swayed slightly as they called family and friends to check in.
A District of Columbia fire department spokesman said there were numerous injuries, no reports of serious injuries or deaths.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was half a mile deep and centered near Louisa, Va., about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. Shaking was felt at the White House and all over the East Coast, as far south as Charleston, S.C. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated.
Two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station in the same county as the epicenter were automatically taken off line by safety systems around the time of the earthquake, said Roger Hannah, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The Dominion-operated power plant is being run off of four emergency diesel generators, which are supplying power for critical safety equipment. Hannah said the agency was not immediately aware of any damage at nuclear power plants in the Southeast.
Obama and many of the nation's leaders were out of town on August vacation when the quake struck at 1:51 p.m. EDT. The shaking was felt on the Martha's Vineyard golf course as Obama was just starting a round.
At the Pentagon in northern Virginia, a low rumbling built and built to the point that the building was shaking. People ran into the corridors of the government's biggest building and as the shaking continued there were shouts of "Evacuate! Evacuate!"
The U.S. Park Service evacuated and closed all National Mall monuments and memorials. At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. Authorities announced it was an earthquake and all flights were put on hold.
Amtrak said its trains along the Northeast Corridor between Baltimore and Washington were operating at reduced speeds and crews were inspecting stations and railroad infrastructure before returning to normal.
In New York, the 26-story federal courthouse in lower Manhattan began swaying and hundreds of people were seen leaving the building. Court officers weren't letting people back in.
More than 12 million people live close enough to the quake's epicenter to feel shaking, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The agency said this quake was in the yellow alert category for economic damage, meaning there was potential for local damage but it would add up to far less than 1 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
East Coast earthquakes are far less common than in the West, but they tend to be felt over a broad area. That's because the crust is not as mangled and fractured, allowing seismic waves to travel without interruption.
"The waves are able to reverberate and travel pretty happily out for miles," said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough.
The Virginia quake came a day after an earthquake in Colorado toppled groceries off shelves and caused minor damage to homes in the southern part of the state and in northern New Mexico. No injuries were reported as aftershocks continued Tuesday.
In Charleston, W.Va., hundreds of workers left the state Capitol building and employees at other downtown office buildings were asked to leave temporarily.
"The whole building shook," said Jennifer Bundy, a spokeswoman for the state Supreme Court. "You could feel two different shakes. Everybody just kind of came out on their own."
In Ohio, where office buildings swayed in Columbus and Cincinnati and the press box at the Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field shook. At least one building near the Statehouse was evacuated in downtown Columbus.
In downtown Baltimore, the quake sent office workers into the streets, where lamp posts swayed slightly as they called family and friends to check in.
"It's over" cry rebels as Gaddafi HQ overrun
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Joyful Libyan rebels overran Muammar Gaddafi's Tripoli bastion on Tuesday, seizing weapons and loot and destroying symbols of a 42-year dictatorship they declared was now over as they set about hunting down the fallen ruler and his sons.
"It's over! Gaddafi is finished!" yelled one fighter over a cacophony of celebratory gunfire across the Bab al-Aziziya compound, from where Gaddafi orchestrated eccentric defiance of Western powers and disdain for his own people for four decades.
"It's over! Gaddafi is finished!" yelled one fighter over a cacophony of celebratory gunfire across the Bab al-Aziziya compound, from where Gaddafi orchestrated eccentric defiance of Western powers and disdain for his own people for four decades.
Nigeria launches monitoring satellites
Nigeria has successfully launched two satellites into space, which will be used for a variety of tasks, including security, agriculture and disaster monitoring.
NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X were launched on Wednesday from the rocket launch base in Yasny, Russia, the Nigerian government said in a statement. The launch was originally scheduled for July 7. The satellites can be used for forestry, mapping, disaster monitoring, military applications and security, amongst other functions.
"I congratulate our nation for this new chapter in our transformational efforts as we strive for self-reliance," President Goodluck Jonathan said. "Let me congratulate the resourceful Nigerians who made this history possible."
"Data from the satellites will help enhance food security in Nigeria through mapping of farmlands, providing advice to farmers on drought, when and how to plant their crops, soil quality and (to) monitor their crops to ensure they have high yields," Frank Chizea, project manager for the launched satellites, told AFP.
"We can use data collected from the satellites to monitor the activities and movements of criminals, smugglers, militants, oil bunkerers (thieves), movement of goods, arms and equipment within and across our borders," he said.
Both satellites were built at Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) in Guildford, UK, under contract with the Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). NigeriaSat-X was designed and built by Nigerian engineers and scientists. A total of 26 Nigerian engineers participated in the project, working on the satellite for 18 months throughout the design and test phases, according to Africa Science News.
NigeriaSat-2 will generate high resolution imagery that will be used to map the entire country every four months and enhance food security through monthly crop monitoring, and provide data for urban planning.
Nigeria has for years been pursuing its own satellites and in 2003 launched the still-operational SSTL-built NigeriaSat-1. In May 2007 the US$257 million Nigeria Communications Satellite NIGCOMSAT was launched in China with the aim of providing phone, Internet and broadcast services. However, it later failed in orbit.
A replacement satellite, NIGCOMSAT R, is said to be 75% complete and is expected to be launched at the end of this year. This should help save Nigeria around US$450 million spent every year on purchasing bandwidth from Europe and America, Africa Science News reports Minister of Science and Technology, Ita Ewa, as saying.
According to This Day newspaper, the construction and launch of the satellites cost N17.42 billion (US$112 million).
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A simple Request - taken from GLU
Kwaku,
These 3 days have been interesting.
However, friends, let us remember that we can easily be distracted and take our eyes off the ball, so to speak.
The President's staff or campaign has released an interesting 25 minute Youtube video showing him commissioning, opening new classroom blocks in the North, and lots of fanfare to demonstrate his love and hard work.
Some of us think it is the job of the President to manage the huge amounts of loans incurred in just over 2 years, doubling the national debt in 2 years, from $8.1 billion to what I have been told is now close to $20 billion.
I would love for us to demand and insist that the President share with the public, as an obligation and duty to the nation, the list of the loans and grants, the targeted Projects, How much money, who the Project Managers are to hold responsible, how long, and Payment terms for the loans.
A simple Spreadsheet table from the office of the President or the Ministry of Finance to the Media will suffice.
I consider it our constitutional duty for the government to release this information, our duty to demand it.
Obviously we don't want the Presidents security urinating in the street around his house at Regimanuel, and defecating around the Presidents or Regimanuel Grays residence should be against the law! If the CEO of the company has made an offer of a gift in rental and/or estate property for the President or to the government, it is fine, provided there is full transparent disclosure and there is a leadership guideline on such matters.
It is my feeling that the transition from Chieftaincy to Presidency has not been clearly explained to our people, and a friend told me of how many Chiefs would arrive at Kufuor's residence every morning, some with goats and sheep as gifts.
Folks, what makes me sad is the possibility that our seniors who have attained the status of President seem to have closed their minds as to their responsibility to set guidelines, rules, laws, for our people who seem lost in the wilderness of modern global jungle.
In the year of our Lord 2011, electricity, water, phone lines, Internet service are being rationed, and no new road designs are in the plan while a typical worker takes 4-6 hours daily in city traffic.
Such things os social neglect and negligence in the duty of our Presidents to set new guidelines to bring our nation at par with the world needs to be our emphasis.
Whether Colonel Koku Anyidoho got his tight muscles by sparring with Arnold Schwarzenegger or from his previous job at a block factory should be totally irrelevant, let alone whether he know the difference between rental and purchase, gift or deed.
Folks, please let us jointly hold the President responsible for ensuring the delivery of the needed basic human needs such as water, roads and transportation for our people and communication
And other services for us to conduct business.
We have another 4 months to see results or find another President. This is very critical. Please let us make our President aware the status quo will not suffice and he owes us all as a people a duty to tell us what he doing with and how he is managing the loans, grants, toll collections, duties and taxes, NHIL levies.
Thank you.
PS - I wanted to donate some shirts but can somebody tell me the size for Colonel Anyidoho?
These 3 days have been interesting.
However, friends, let us remember that we can easily be distracted and take our eyes off the ball, so to speak.
The President's staff or campaign has released an interesting 25 minute Youtube video showing him commissioning, opening new classroom blocks in the North, and lots of fanfare to demonstrate his love and hard work.
Some of us think it is the job of the President to manage the huge amounts of loans incurred in just over 2 years, doubling the national debt in 2 years, from $8.1 billion to what I have been told is now close to $20 billion.
I would love for us to demand and insist that the President share with the public, as an obligation and duty to the nation, the list of the loans and grants, the targeted Projects, How much money, who the Project Managers are to hold responsible, how long, and Payment terms for the loans.
A simple Spreadsheet table from the office of the President or the Ministry of Finance to the Media will suffice.
I consider it our constitutional duty for the government to release this information, our duty to demand it.
Obviously we don't want the Presidents security urinating in the street around his house at Regimanuel, and defecating around the Presidents or Regimanuel Grays residence should be against the law! If the CEO of the company has made an offer of a gift in rental and/or estate property for the President or to the government, it is fine, provided there is full transparent disclosure and there is a leadership guideline on such matters.
It is my feeling that the transition from Chieftaincy to Presidency has not been clearly explained to our people, and a friend told me of how many Chiefs would arrive at Kufuor's residence every morning, some with goats and sheep as gifts.
Folks, what makes me sad is the possibility that our seniors who have attained the status of President seem to have closed their minds as to their responsibility to set guidelines, rules, laws, for our people who seem lost in the wilderness of modern global jungle.
In the year of our Lord 2011, electricity, water, phone lines, Internet service are being rationed, and no new road designs are in the plan while a typical worker takes 4-6 hours daily in city traffic.
Such things os social neglect and negligence in the duty of our Presidents to set new guidelines to bring our nation at par with the world needs to be our emphasis.
Whether Colonel Koku Anyidoho got his tight muscles by sparring with Arnold Schwarzenegger or from his previous job at a block factory should be totally irrelevant, let alone whether he know the difference between rental and purchase, gift or deed.
Folks, please let us jointly hold the President responsible for ensuring the delivery of the needed basic human needs such as water, roads and transportation for our people and communication
And other services for us to conduct business.
We have another 4 months to see results or find another President. This is very critical. Please let us make our President aware the status quo will not suffice and he owes us all as a people a duty to tell us what he doing with and how he is managing the loans, grants, toll collections, duties and taxes, NHIL levies.
Thank you.
PS - I wanted to donate some shirts but can somebody tell me the size for Colonel Anyidoho?
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Ivory Coast to disarm, demobilize 10,000 fighters
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — A minister in Ivory Coast says the government plans to disarm and demobilize some 10,000 fighters in the wake of postelection violence earlier this year.
Minister of Defense Paul Koffi Koffi said Tuesday that the process should be completed by the end of the year and will increase security in the West African country.
People across Ivory Coast took up arms and battled during the six months of postelection violence sparked by strongman Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to cede power after losing a November poll. Gbagbo was arrested in April by forces loyal to President Alassane Ouattara.
Minister of Defense Paul Koffi Koffi said Tuesday that the process should be completed by the end of the year and will increase security in the West African country.
People across Ivory Coast took up arms and battled during the six months of postelection violence sparked by strongman Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to cede power after losing a November poll. Gbagbo was arrested in April by forces loyal to President Alassane Ouattara.
US general sees Nigeria terror link
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — A radical Muslim sect responsible for assassinations and bombings across northern Nigeria may be trying to link with two al-Qaida-linked groups in other African countries to mount joint attacks in this oil-rich nation, the commander for U.S. military operations in Africa said Wednesday.
Gen. Carter Ham told The Associated Press that "multiple sources" indicate the Nigerian sect known as Boko Haram made contacts with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in northwest Africa, and with al-Shabab in Somalia.
"I think it would be the most dangerous thing to happen not only to the Africans, but to us as well," Carter said.
Ham said there is no specific intelligence suggesting the groups plan attacks against U.S. or Western interests in Nigeria, but the nation is a major supplier of crude oil to the U.S. and is an economic hub drawing foreigners from across the world.
Ham's comments were the strongest official remarks on fears privately held by Western and Nigerian officials. However, it remains unclear what formal links, if any, exist between Boko Haram, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and al-Shabab. The three organizations have different ethnic roots and their objectives are not the same, but they are all Islamist militant groups.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, came to prominence in 2009 when sect members attacked local police stations and government buildings throughout northeast Nigeria. The riots and ensuing security crackdown left 700 people dead.
Last year, the group began assassinating clerics and police officers. It also has engineered spectacular attacks, including the June bombing of Nigeria's federal police headquarters, the assassination of a prominent politician and a prison break that freed more than 700 inmates.
Boko Haram seeks the implementation of strict Shariah Islamic law in the country. Nigeria, a nation of 150 million people, is largely split between a Christian south and Muslim north, where 12 states have a version of Shariah in place.
Ham said it appears Boko Haram may be splitting with one section focused on domestic issues and another on violent international extremism.
"What is most worrying at present is, at least in my view, a clearly stated intent by Boko Haram and by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb to coordinate and synchronize their efforts," the general said. "I'm not so sure they're able to do that just yet, but it's clear to me they have the desire and intent to do that."
Ham said that a "loose" partnership also would include al-Shabab. A suspected al-Shabab bombmaker now facing terrorism charges in New York was at one point detained by secret police in Nigeria. Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, also known as AQIM, has issued statements in support of Boko Haram, and both use similar logos in communiques.
A recent video indicates that two men, a Briton and an Italian who were kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria, are being held by AQIM.
Ham met this week with Nigerian military and security officials during his first visit to the country as the head of the U.S. Africa Command, known as Africom and which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Ham said the U.S. would be willing to share intelligence and offer training to Nigerian security forces.
"We have a lot of folks who are pretty good about taking multiple pieces of apparently disparate information and putting that in a way that can be useful to operational commanders in a very short period of time," the general said.
That assistance also could be used in Nigeria's south, if the country requests it, Ham said. There, criminal and militant gangs kidnap oil workers and middle-class Nigerians, while pirates attack vessels off the coast.
Gen. Carter Ham told The Associated Press that "multiple sources" indicate the Nigerian sect known as Boko Haram made contacts with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in northwest Africa, and with al-Shabab in Somalia.
"I think it would be the most dangerous thing to happen not only to the Africans, but to us as well," Carter said.
Ham said there is no specific intelligence suggesting the groups plan attacks against U.S. or Western interests in Nigeria, but the nation is a major supplier of crude oil to the U.S. and is an economic hub drawing foreigners from across the world.
Ham's comments were the strongest official remarks on fears privately held by Western and Nigerian officials. However, it remains unclear what formal links, if any, exist between Boko Haram, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and al-Shabab. The three organizations have different ethnic roots and their objectives are not the same, but they are all Islamist militant groups.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, came to prominence in 2009 when sect members attacked local police stations and government buildings throughout northeast Nigeria. The riots and ensuing security crackdown left 700 people dead.
Last year, the group began assassinating clerics and police officers. It also has engineered spectacular attacks, including the June bombing of Nigeria's federal police headquarters, the assassination of a prominent politician and a prison break that freed more than 700 inmates.
Boko Haram seeks the implementation of strict Shariah Islamic law in the country. Nigeria, a nation of 150 million people, is largely split between a Christian south and Muslim north, where 12 states have a version of Shariah in place.
Ham said it appears Boko Haram may be splitting with one section focused on domestic issues and another on violent international extremism.
"What is most worrying at present is, at least in my view, a clearly stated intent by Boko Haram and by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb to coordinate and synchronize their efforts," the general said. "I'm not so sure they're able to do that just yet, but it's clear to me they have the desire and intent to do that."
Ham said that a "loose" partnership also would include al-Shabab. A suspected al-Shabab bombmaker now facing terrorism charges in New York was at one point detained by secret police in Nigeria. Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, also known as AQIM, has issued statements in support of Boko Haram, and both use similar logos in communiques.
A recent video indicates that two men, a Briton and an Italian who were kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria, are being held by AQIM.
Ham met this week with Nigerian military and security officials during his first visit to the country as the head of the U.S. Africa Command, known as Africom and which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Ham said the U.S. would be willing to share intelligence and offer training to Nigerian security forces.
"We have a lot of folks who are pretty good about taking multiple pieces of apparently disparate information and putting that in a way that can be useful to operational commanders in a very short period of time," the general said.
That assistance also could be used in Nigeria's south, if the country requests it, Ham said. There, criminal and militant gangs kidnap oil workers and middle-class Nigerians, while pirates attack vessels off the coast.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Ghana Public-Sector Workers Receive 20% Pay Rise, Graphic Says
Ghana will give its public-sector workers a 20 percent pay rise in their base salary, the Daily Graphic reported, citing a statement from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Trades Union Congress.
The increase, which is for workers who are part of the so- called Single-Spine Salary Structure, will be retroactive to January, the Accra-based newspaper reported.
The increase, which is for workers who are part of the so- called Single-Spine Salary Structure, will be retroactive to January, the Accra-based newspaper reported.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Kwesi Pratt laments inaction in gov't
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Mr Kwesi Pratt, has said that though he has no shred of doubt about the moral integrity of President John Evans Atta Mills, he believes that alone is not reason enough for Ghanaians to want to retain his administration in power.
He said a lot more is needed to be done to improve the livelihoods of the people to convince them of voting to preserve the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in power.
During a discussion on Radio Gold’s current affairs programme Alhaji & Alhaji Saturday, Mr Pratt stated that it was time for the government to move forward in terms of its handling of the bread and butter issues of the citizenry.
According to him, the upcoming elections in 2012 – which many commentators believe is going to be a watershed in the country’s political history – will be based on issues affecting the living conditions of the people.
“The 2012 elections should not be taken for granted because this is going to be a keenly contested election and there are so many variables that need to be looked at properly,” said Mr Pratt.
One of the major features of the campaign, he noted, would be the level at which prices have risen since the Mills-Mahama administration took office in 2009.
“Have prices risen? What are the factors which have compelled prices to rise? Could something have been done about it? What is the rate of increases now as compared to the rate of increases in the Kufuor administration and previous administrations as well?” He asked.
Mr Pratt therefore urged the government to pay particular attention to the clarion call of the people in relation to the level at which prices rise thereby making life’s survival very difficult for many.
Mr Pratt quizzed: “What will be the message of this administration come 2012 with regards to increases in prices…?”
Further, the 2012 elections, according to him, is also going to be crucially decided based on the manner in which decongestion exercises, especially in the capital city Accra, is being done. He admitted that the city had to be decongested to pave way for waterways and also for the purposes of beautification.
However, the editor minced no words when he noted that “sending bulldozers around to Chokor and other places to demolish houses and push people into the rain without any consideration what happens to them thereafter is particularly reckless, politically reckless.”
Kwesi Pratt stressed that the issue of decongestion was very critical since it could have very serious repercussions on the 2012 elections; “it can, to a very large extent, determine who becomes president and who does not become president.”
The editor emphasized that it was important for all to understand that those who sell in the streets do so because they have no option “and they do so as a matter of survival.”
“You think that these boys selling chewing gums in the streets…have no ambitions? All of them would wish that one day they would also be ministers and be saluted by policemen…,” he argued.
Mr Pratt also noted that the role of ministers is to inspire for productivity but expressed disappointment that too many of government appointees have been glued to their seats.
He insisted that it is time for the appointees to reach out to the people and explain to their understanding government policies.
“…It is not sufficient to go out there and create the impression that everything is rosy rosy rosy rosy, it is time to compel people in the administration to focus attention on the needs of the people,” he persisted while lamenting the fact that in a tropical rainy belt like Ghana, people had to continue going round in search of water.
He claimed that the moral authority of the President is being chipped at gradually by the opposition and thus, advised the President to reinforce his authority by showing non-performing appointees the exit door.
“I have full confidence in the personality of John Mahama, I still believe in the moral integrity of the President but these are not enough, things need to be done,” maintained Kwesi Pratt.
He said a lot more is needed to be done to improve the livelihoods of the people to convince them of voting to preserve the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in power.
During a discussion on Radio Gold’s current affairs programme Alhaji & Alhaji Saturday, Mr Pratt stated that it was time for the government to move forward in terms of its handling of the bread and butter issues of the citizenry.
According to him, the upcoming elections in 2012 – which many commentators believe is going to be a watershed in the country’s political history – will be based on issues affecting the living conditions of the people.
“The 2012 elections should not be taken for granted because this is going to be a keenly contested election and there are so many variables that need to be looked at properly,” said Mr Pratt.
One of the major features of the campaign, he noted, would be the level at which prices have risen since the Mills-Mahama administration took office in 2009.
“Have prices risen? What are the factors which have compelled prices to rise? Could something have been done about it? What is the rate of increases now as compared to the rate of increases in the Kufuor administration and previous administrations as well?” He asked.
Mr Pratt therefore urged the government to pay particular attention to the clarion call of the people in relation to the level at which prices rise thereby making life’s survival very difficult for many.
Mr Pratt quizzed: “What will be the message of this administration come 2012 with regards to increases in prices…?”
Further, the 2012 elections, according to him, is also going to be crucially decided based on the manner in which decongestion exercises, especially in the capital city Accra, is being done. He admitted that the city had to be decongested to pave way for waterways and also for the purposes of beautification.
However, the editor minced no words when he noted that “sending bulldozers around to Chokor and other places to demolish houses and push people into the rain without any consideration what happens to them thereafter is particularly reckless, politically reckless.”
Kwesi Pratt stressed that the issue of decongestion was very critical since it could have very serious repercussions on the 2012 elections; “it can, to a very large extent, determine who becomes president and who does not become president.”
The editor emphasized that it was important for all to understand that those who sell in the streets do so because they have no option “and they do so as a matter of survival.”
“You think that these boys selling chewing gums in the streets…have no ambitions? All of them would wish that one day they would also be ministers and be saluted by policemen…,” he argued.
Mr Pratt also noted that the role of ministers is to inspire for productivity but expressed disappointment that too many of government appointees have been glued to their seats.
He insisted that it is time for the appointees to reach out to the people and explain to their understanding government policies.
“…It is not sufficient to go out there and create the impression that everything is rosy rosy rosy rosy, it is time to compel people in the administration to focus attention on the needs of the people,” he persisted while lamenting the fact that in a tropical rainy belt like Ghana, people had to continue going round in search of water.
He claimed that the moral authority of the President is being chipped at gradually by the opposition and thus, advised the President to reinforce his authority by showing non-performing appointees the exit door.
“I have full confidence in the personality of John Mahama, I still believe in the moral integrity of the President but these are not enough, things need to be done,” maintained Kwesi Pratt.
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Loans, Loans, Loans - endless Loans
LOANS, LOANS, LOANS - COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING SUHUM, TESHIE/AGBLEZA, MADINA AND KARACHIE CRY FOR HELP AND ACCOUNTABILITY ?
Ghana signs $13 bln in Chinese loan deals: government
Ghana taps China loan for $2.85 billion road project
World Bank Approves Ghana Water Privatization Loan
In July, the World Bank approved a new $110 million structural adjustment loan for Ghana
Ghana-Foreign Assistance and Loans
Government secures $ 273 million loan to improve water supply
World Bank Approves Loan for Ghana
Wednesday, 08 September 2010 18:01
Ghana: What Has the U.S.$5.3 Billion Loan Done?
Loans & Credits
Ghana Contracts Awarded
Government secures $166m loan for road construction
World Bank Approves Ghana Water Privatization Loan. In July, the World Bank approved a new $110 million structural adjustment loan for Ghana
NDC Contracts $600m Loan From A Clay-Maker
Ghana-Foreign Assistance and Loans
Government secures $ 273 million loan to improve water supply
World Bank Approves Loan for Ghana Wednesday, 08 September 2010 18:01
Ghana: What Has the U.S.$5.3 Billion Loan Done?
Loans & Credits
Ghana Contracts Awarded
Ghana Government secures $166m loan for road construction
The Government has secured a $166 million loan facility from the African Development Bank to construct the Fufulso-Sawla road.
Part of the loan will also be used to develop infrastructure around the Mole National Park to boost tourism.
Signing on behalf of the government, Deputy Finance Minister, Seth Tekper said the facility will help the Mills administration achieve its developmental goals in the Northern region.
“The mobilization of concessionary resources such as yours will play a very vital role in accelerating the goals of government. We are also paying close attention to the micro economy which is also very important,” he said.
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Joe Gidisu, said his ministry will ensure smooth commencement of the project.
Ghana Signs New Loan Agreement With France
Korea to give Ghana $67m loan to expand electricity supply
Government secures loan to fund Science and Research related projects Vice President John Dramani Mahama, has announced that government has secured a seventeen million dollar ($17 million) loan from the World Bank, a significant amount of which will go into funding of Science and Research related projects
Ghana Government, Chinese Delegation discuss terms for $9bn loan from China
Ghana signs $13 bln in Chinese loan deals: government
Ghana taps China loan for $2.85 billion road project
World Bank Approves Ghana Water Privatization Loan
In July, the World Bank approved a new $110 million structural adjustment loan for Ghana
Ghana-Foreign Assistance and Loans
Government secures $ 273 million loan to improve water supply
World Bank Approves Loan for Ghana
Wednesday, 08 September 2010 18:01
Ghana: What Has the U.S.$5.3 Billion Loan Done?
Loans & Credits
Ghana Contracts Awarded
Government secures $166m loan for road construction
World Bank Approves Ghana Water Privatization Loan. In July, the World Bank approved a new $110 million structural adjustment loan for Ghana
NDC Contracts $600m Loan From A Clay-Maker
Ghana-Foreign Assistance and Loans
Government secures $ 273 million loan to improve water supply
World Bank Approves Loan for Ghana Wednesday, 08 September 2010 18:01
Ghana: What Has the U.S.$5.3 Billion Loan Done?
Loans & Credits
Ghana Contracts Awarded
Ghana Government secures $166m loan for road construction
The Government has secured a $166 million loan facility from the African Development Bank to construct the Fufulso-Sawla road.
Part of the loan will also be used to develop infrastructure around the Mole National Park to boost tourism.
Signing on behalf of the government, Deputy Finance Minister, Seth Tekper said the facility will help the Mills administration achieve its developmental goals in the Northern region.
“The mobilization of concessionary resources such as yours will play a very vital role in accelerating the goals of government. We are also paying close attention to the micro economy which is also very important,” he said.
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Joe Gidisu, said his ministry will ensure smooth commencement of the project.
Ghana Signs New Loan Agreement With France
Korea to give Ghana $67m loan to expand electricity supply
Government secures loan to fund Science and Research related projects Vice President John Dramani Mahama, has announced that government has secured a seventeen million dollar ($17 million) loan from the World Bank, a significant amount of which will go into funding of Science and Research related projects
Ghana Government, Chinese Delegation discuss terms for $9bn loan from China
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Nigeria, Shell under fire after UN details oil devastation
Nigeria's government and oil giant Shell Friday came under heavy pressure following the release of a landmark UN report detailing oil pollution that may require the world's biggest ever clean-up.
The report set out scientific evidence for the first time of devastating pollution in Ogoniland, part of the country's main oil-producing Niger Delta region where Shell and the state petroleum company have operated.
"UNEP believes that oil contamination in Ogoniland has created an environmental crisis of unprecedented proportions," Joseph Alcamo, UN Environment Programme chief scientist, told journalists in London.
"The problem is quite clear and now the question is what's the way out."
Anglo-Dutch Shell was forced to pull out of Ogoniland amid unrest in 1993, though pipelines for its Nigerian joint venture, which includes the state oil company, and other facilities remain there.
The UNEP report, which details urgent health risks such as badly contaminated drinking water, led some to raise the possibility of lawsuits that could now be brought against Shell or others with scientific evidence to back them.
"This is a wonderful intervention on the part of the United Nations, and this has also in a way confirmed the cries of the Ogoni people over the years," said prominent Nigerian rights lawyer Femi Falana.
"There is now a scientific basis backed by the UN.... I think this now provides an opportunity for people to make legitimate demands."
Shell faced criticism from UNEP, which said "control and maintenance of oil field infrastructure in Ogoniland has been and remains inadequate: the Shell Petroleum Development Company's own procedures have not been applied, creating public health and safety issues."
UNEP also called for the oil industry and the Nigerian government to contribute $1 billion to a clean-up fund for the region, adding that restoration could take up to 30 years.
"The environmental restoration of Ogoniland could prove to be the world's most wide-ranging and long term oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken", it said.
Shell maintained its stance that most environmental damage has been caused by oil theft, sabotage and illegal refining.
The managing director for its Nigerian joint venture, Mutiu Sunmonu, says in a Shell video posted on YouTube that until illegal activity is brought under control, "there is little that can be done to bring an end to the problem of spills."
A UNEP spokesman told journalists Friday that the agency could not support Shell's assertion.
"UNEP would challenge that," said Nick Nuttall. "We don't have the data to say where the oil came from in any kind of comprehensive way, either historically or currently.
"... The fact is that the assertion of SPDC yesterday that it's largely or mainly from illegal activities, well, we can't support that statement."
SPDC is Shell's Nigerian joint venture, the Shell Petroleum Development Company.
The study of the effects of pollution in Ogoniland follows a two-year assessment by UNEP in the region of mainly farmers and fishermen.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, which has long pushed for action in the region, said it was not nearly enough.
It said in a statement that "what is needed and the Ogoni expectation is the cleanup of our devastated environment and not a mere study to tell us what we know."
The group also called for Shell's licence in Nigeria to be revoked.
Ogoniland was the native region of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the renowned environmental activist who was executed by a Nigerian military government in 1995 after what was widely considered a show trial, drawing global condemnation.
His activism and execution drew the world's attention to Ogoniland.
His son, Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr, now works as an adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, the first head of state from the Niger Delta.
He called the report a "vindication" and expressed confidence the government would take action.
"I think he is looking down on the whole thing and smiling widely to himself," Saro-Wiwa Jr told AFP, speaking of his father.
Spokesmen: Islamist militia leaving Somali capital
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Islamist fighters withdrew overnight from almost all their bases in the famine-struck Somali capital, the most significant gain for the embattled U.N.-backed government in four years. Commanders toured newly abandoned positions Saturday, including a former sports stadium where the militia's tire marks were fresh in the grass.
The militants have denied many aid agencies access to their territory and their presence in the capital has complicated famine relief efforts. The government said humanitarian agencies now were welcome to come and distribute aid, but many still insist on serving only precooked rations at guarded kitchens.
"It is of major significance, but the war is not over yet," said Somali Defense Minister Hussein Arab Esse as he stood amid the rubble and graffitied walls of the stadium.
Tanks belonging to the African Union peacekeeping force surrounded the former militia base as gunfire crackled outside. Government soldiers draped in bandoliers of bullets lounged on smashed concrete pillars, staring as Somali and AU officials embraced.
Somalia has been a failed state for more than 20 years. Its lawless wastes are a haven for pirates and international terrorists and the conflict has caused two major famines. Hundreds of thousands starved to deaths in 1992 and the current emergency is believed to have cost tens of thousands of lives already. It is set to worsen, partly because the Islamists, who call themselves al-Shabab, have banned many aid workers.
Al-Shabab controlled around a third of the capital until Saturday morning. They carried out public amputations and executions, and forcibly recruited children as fighters. They still hold most of southern Somalia, where tens of thousands are estimated to have starved. Desperate families are streaming into the capital from the country and setting up shelters made from twigs and tattered plastic bags.
Sodio Omar Hassan, who was seeking treatment for her child's malaria at a free hospital set up by AU peacekeepers, said people were incensed because al-Shabab had refused to allow aid agencies to distribute food.
"People are angry now they are dying," she said, as other patients nodded around her. "They (al-Shabab) don't bring us anything."
A year ago, even mentioning the word al-Shabab in the heavily guarded hospital — one of the most secure places in Somalia — would make patients fall silent or hide their faces. But in recent interviews with The Associated Press, men and women fleeing the famine gathered around to denounce the militia, which they said had tried to prevent families from seeking help, and stopped and sometimes killed the male family members.
"They tried to stop us so we came the back way around," said Mumino Bury Adan, waving her hands to demonstrate how she weaved through the streets with her three children into government-held territory. "They don't want to give us food and people do not agree. They just want us to stay there and die."
More than 12 million people in the Horn of Africa are in need of immediate food aid, including nearly half the Somali population. The U.N. says 640,000 children are acutely malnourished in Somalia, where the U.N. has declared five famine zones, including the camps for displaced people in Mogadishu.
There have been two deadly shoot-outs in the past week after aid agencies tried to hand out sacks of food. Both incidents involved government forces, some of whom are poorly trained and disciplined.
It's still unclear why the militia retreated or what its next move will be. There are several possible reasons: the drought and the movement of population away from areas it controls; the diversion of foreign fighters and funding to the Arab Spring; or infighting among its top leadership. It could simply be a change of tactics by a heavily outgunned force to a guerilla-style campaign of suicide bombings and hit and run attacks.
Al-Shabab spokesman Ali Mohamed Rage told a local radio station that the forces had made a tactical withdrawal and would soon launch a counter attack.
"We shall fight the enemy wherever they are," he said.
The militia's withdrawal appeared orderly and coordinated, following a four-hour assault on several AU positions overnight. Witnesses spoke of seeing large numbers of al-Shabab fighters moving in vehicles or on foot with their weapons.
Mohammed Ali said he saw about 150 al-Shabab fighters leaving the northwest part of the capital. He said they may have left town due to a lack of money and disagreements between top leaders, explaining that he had an insight into the militia because "our brothers are that side."
Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali estimated the militants now have vacated 90 percent of the capital and said forces were checking the rest. Ali said the government wants to send security forces into the new areas vacated by al-Shabab, describing the withdrawal as the "first phase of the new war."
In recent years, the Somali government has made little effort to provide services to its citizens despite receiving tens of millions of dollars in cash from foreign donors. Ali said he would declare such donations in the future, making it easier to see how the government was spending the money.
Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, a spokesman for the 9,000-strong AU force, said the al-Shabab has melted into the population and will become more difficult to deal with. Since it was born from the ruins of another radical Islamist group in 2007, al-Shabab has never abandoned Mogadishu entirely.
"We need more troops now than ever before. The area has become too big for the force to cover," Ankunda said, looking out at the ruined city from behind a thick pane of bulletproof glass.
Quarter-million Israelis march for economic reform
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - A quarter-million Israelis marched on Saturday for lower living costs in an escalating protest that has catapulted the economy onto the political agenda and put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu planned to name a cabinet-level team on Sunday to address demands by the demonstrators, who in under a month have swollen from a cluster of student tent-squatters into a diffuse, countrywide mobilization of Israel's burdened middle class.
Israel projects growth of 4.8 percent this year at a time of economic stagnation in many Western countries, and has relatively low unemployment of 5.7 percent. But business cartels and wage disparities have kept many citizens from feeling the benefit.
"The People Demand Social Justice" read one of the march banners, which mostly eschewed partisan anti-government messages while confronting Netanyahu's free-market doctrines.
Police said at least 250,000 people took part in Saturday's march in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities, a greater turnout than at marches on the two previous weekends.
Demonstrations on such a scale in Israel -- population 7.7 million -- have usually been over issues of war and peace.
In a "Peace Index" poll conducted by two Israeli academics, around half of respondents said wage disparities -- among the widest of OECD countries -- should be the government's priority, while 18 percent cited the dearth of affordable housing.
Some 31 percent cited the stalled Middle East peace talks, Israel's international image, or the need to bolster the armed forces.
The demonstrations have upstaged Netanyahu's standoff with the Palestinians ahead of their bid to lobby for U.N. recognition of statehood next month. Protests also deflated his celebration of Israel's stability as citizen revolts rock surrounding Arab states across the Middle East and North Africa.
"There has been nothing like this for decades -- all these people coming together, taking to the streets, demanding change. It's a revolution," said Baroch Oren, a 33-year-old protest leader.
The conservative coalition government has vowed to free up more state-owned land for development, build more low-rent housing and improve public transport. It also wants to lower dairy prices with more imports and boost medical staff numbers to address demands by striking doctors.
But the demands submitted by the National Union of Israeli Students go much further in calling for an expansion of free education and bigger government housing budgets.
Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon, named by a Netanyahu spokesman as a likely member of the cabinet troubleshooting team, said a solution was required even if it "cost billions" at a time when Israel is watching the debt jitters of the United States and parts of Europe. Israel's debt burden is 75 percent of GDP, lower than that of most major Western economies.
Interviewed by Israel Radio on Friday, Kahlon floated tax cuts and a breakup of cartels to benefit the middle class.
"If anything, this demonstration is a demonstration of trust in Netanyahu -- though that may sound upside-down: 'Sir, we demand of you, we insist, you know how to, you are capable of fixing this,'" Kahlon said, noting the lack of support for the centrist political opposition.
But he faulted Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz for trumpeting Israel's macroeconomic indicators.
"On the one hand we say we have a strong economy, on the other hand large groups of people are seeing that it is not reaching them. Hence the frustration and the outcry," he said.
Netanyahu planned to name a cabinet-level team on Sunday to address demands by the demonstrators, who in under a month have swollen from a cluster of student tent-squatters into a diffuse, countrywide mobilization of Israel's burdened middle class.
Israel projects growth of 4.8 percent this year at a time of economic stagnation in many Western countries, and has relatively low unemployment of 5.7 percent. But business cartels and wage disparities have kept many citizens from feeling the benefit.
"The People Demand Social Justice" read one of the march banners, which mostly eschewed partisan anti-government messages while confronting Netanyahu's free-market doctrines.
Police said at least 250,000 people took part in Saturday's march in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities, a greater turnout than at marches on the two previous weekends.
Demonstrations on such a scale in Israel -- population 7.7 million -- have usually been over issues of war and peace.
In a "Peace Index" poll conducted by two Israeli academics, around half of respondents said wage disparities -- among the widest of OECD countries -- should be the government's priority, while 18 percent cited the dearth of affordable housing.
Some 31 percent cited the stalled Middle East peace talks, Israel's international image, or the need to bolster the armed forces.
The demonstrations have upstaged Netanyahu's standoff with the Palestinians ahead of their bid to lobby for U.N. recognition of statehood next month. Protests also deflated his celebration of Israel's stability as citizen revolts rock surrounding Arab states across the Middle East and North Africa.
"There has been nothing like this for decades -- all these people coming together, taking to the streets, demanding change. It's a revolution," said Baroch Oren, a 33-year-old protest leader.
The conservative coalition government has vowed to free up more state-owned land for development, build more low-rent housing and improve public transport. It also wants to lower dairy prices with more imports and boost medical staff numbers to address demands by striking doctors.
But the demands submitted by the National Union of Israeli Students go much further in calling for an expansion of free education and bigger government housing budgets.
Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon, named by a Netanyahu spokesman as a likely member of the cabinet troubleshooting team, said a solution was required even if it "cost billions" at a time when Israel is watching the debt jitters of the United States and parts of Europe. Israel's debt burden is 75 percent of GDP, lower than that of most major Western economies.
Interviewed by Israel Radio on Friday, Kahlon floated tax cuts and a breakup of cartels to benefit the middle class.
"If anything, this demonstration is a demonstration of trust in Netanyahu -- though that may sound upside-down: 'Sir, we demand of you, we insist, you know how to, you are capable of fixing this,'" Kahlon said, noting the lack of support for the centrist political opposition.
But he faulted Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz for trumpeting Israel's macroeconomic indicators.
"On the one hand we say we have a strong economy, on the other hand large groups of people are seeing that it is not reaching them. Hence the frustration and the outcry," he said.
London rioters battle police after shooting protest
LONDON (Reuters) - Rioters throwing petrol bombs battled police in a economically deprived district of London overnight, setting patrol cars, buildings and a double-decker bus on fire in some of the worst disorder seen in the British capital for recent years.
About 200 people rained missiles and bottles on riot officers near Tottenham district police station after a street protest over the fatal shooting of a man by armed officers earlier in the week turned violent.
Mounted police and riot officers on foot in turn charged the crowd to push them back.
Eight officers were taken to hospital, one with head injuries, as rioters smashed windows and looted buildings including banks, shops and a supermarket and torched three police cars in the main road near the local police station.
The trouble broke out on Saturday night following a peaceful demonstration over the shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, who was killed after an exchange of gunfire with police on Thursday.
Duggan had been in a taxi when it was stopped by armed officers as part of a pre-planned operation. One policeman escaped unhurt after a bullet struck his radio. Duggan's death is being investigated by the independent police watchdog.
Although there have been riots in other European countries linked to austerity measures to tackle large national debts, London police and local community leaders said anger at Duggan's shooting was the cause of the riot.
Tottenham has a large number of ethnic minorities and includes areas with the highest unemployment rates in London. It also has a history of racial tension with local young people, especially blacks, resenting police behavior including the use of stop and search powers.
NOTORIOUS RACE RIOT IN 1985
The disorder was very close to where one of Britain's most notorious race riots occurred just over 25 years ago.
In 1985, police officer Keith Blakelock was hacked to death on the deprived Broadwater Farm housing estate during rioting in which around 500 mainly black youths rampaged through the streets, assaulting police, looting and setting fires.
Classford Stirling, a youth worker from Broadwater Farm, said there had been growing anger recently over stop and search practices by police. "It wasn't just black kids. It was the youth in general who are frustrated at the way the police are treating them," he told BBC TV.
"Everybody's now thinking of the way Mr Duggan was shot and they want answers. It's very difficult to turn round and say to them this is the wrong way because they believe this is the only way that they're going to get attention."
Television pictures showed a blazing bus surrounded by rioters and hooded youths pelting an abandoned police car with rocks and missiles. Media reported some locals had to flee their homes to escape the violence.
While the bulk of the disturbance had been brought under control early on Sunday, pockets of trouble were still erupting nearby. Buildings were smoldering with plumes of smoke billowing across the skyline.
"The rioting in Tottenham last night was utterly unacceptable," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said. "There is no justification for the aggression the police and the public faced, or for the damage to property."
Police Commander Stephen Watson said the scenes were "very distressing" for Londoners and perpetrators would be brought to justice. "Our intention ... is to bring things to as swift a conclusion as we can. Our absolute aim is to restore normality."
Local member of parliament David Lammy said: "The Tottenham community and Mark Duggan's family and friends need to understand what happened on Thursday evening when Mark lost his life. To understand those facts, we must have calm."
London also saw riots at the end of last year when protests against government plans to raise tuition fees for university students in the center of London turned violent with police and government buildings attacked.
During the most serious disturbances last December, rioters targeted the limousine belonging to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, kicking its doors, cracking a window and reportedly jabbing Camilla with a stick.
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