A Nigerian tribal king filed a lawsuit in a US court seeking $1 billion from Royal Dutch Shell to compensate for decades of pollution that sickened his people and damaged their lands, his lawyer said Thursday.
The suit was filed a day after the US Supreme Court said it will consider a lawsuit accusing Shell of human rights abuses in Nigeria in a landmark case that could make companies liable for torture or genocide committed overseas.
That case will assess the potential liability of corporations -- including multinationals with a US presence -- under the Alien Tort Statute, a US law dating back to 1789 that scholars say was meant to assure foreign governments that the United States would help prevent breaches of international law.
The latest case alleges that Shell's Nigerian operations are "well below internationally recognized standards to prevent and control pipeline oil spills" because the Anglo-Dutch company "has not employed the best available technology and practices that they use elsewhere in the world."
It cited a recent United Nations report that found that contamination was widespread in the Nigerian Delta after 50 years of oil extraction left groundwater contaminated and hydrocarbons penetrated the soil to depths of five meters.
The suit was brought on behalf of the people of Ogale in the Eleme local government area, where the UN team found the most serious groundwater contamination and people drinking water laced with cancer-causing benzene at 900 times World Health Organization guidelines.
Scientists found an eight centimeter layer of refined oil floating on the groundwater that served the wells. The oil was linked to a spill that had occurred six years earlier and was not properly cleaned up.
A spokesperson from Shell did not immediately return a request for comment.
The 32-page civil complaint was filed Tuesday at the federal court in Detroit, Michigan
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Libya's Gaddafi caught hiding like a "rat"
Rebels claim the ousted dictator was found hiding like a "rat" in a drainage pipe
SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - Muammar Gaddafi called the rebels who rose up against his 42-years of one-man rule "rats," but in the end it was he who was captured cowering in a drainage pipe full of rubbish and filth.
"He called us rats, but look where we found him," said Ahmed Al Sahati, a 27-year-old government fighter, standing next to two stinking drainage pipes under a six-lane highway.
Government fighters, video evidence and the scenes of sheer carnage nearby told the story of the dictator's final hours.
Shortly before dawn prayers on Thursday, Gaddafi surrounded by a few dozen loyal bodyguards and accompanied by the head of his now non-existent army Abu Bakr Younis Jabr broke out of the two-month siege of Sirte and made a break for the west.
But they did not get far.
NATO said its aircraft struck military vehicles belonging to pro-Gaddafi forces near Sirte at about 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) on Thursday, but the alliance said it was unsure whether the strikes had killed Gaddafi.
Fifteen pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns lay burned out, smashed and smoldering next to an electricity sub station some 20 meters from the main road, about two miles west of Sirte.
They had clearly been hit by a force far beyond anything the motley army the former rebels have assembled during eight months of revolt to overthrow the once feared leader.
But there was no bomb crater, indicating the strike may have been carried out by a helicopter gunship, or had been strafed by a fighter jet.
Inside the trucks still in their seats sat the charred skeletal remains of drivers and passengers killed instantly by the strike. Other bodies lay mutilated and contorted strewn in the grass. Some 50 bodies in all.
Gaddafi himself and a handful of his men escaped death and appeared to have ran through a stand of trees toward the main road and hid in the two drainage pipes.
But a group of government fighters were on their tail.
"At first we fired at them with anti-aircraft guns, but it was no use," said Salem Bakeer, while being feted by his comrades near the road. "Then we went in on foot.
"One of Gaddafi's men came out waving his rifle in the air and shouting surrender, but as soon as he saw my face he started shooting at me," he told Reuters.
"Then I think Gaddafi must have told them to stop. 'My master is here, my master is here', he said, 'Muammar Gaddafi is here and he is wounded'," said Bakeer.
"We went in and brought Gaddafi out. He was saying 'what's wrong? What's wrong? What's going on?'. Then we took him and put him in the car," Bakeer said.
At the time of capture, Gaddafi was already wounded with gunshots to his leg and to his back, Bakeer said.
Other government fighters who said they took part in Gaddafi's capture, separately confirmed Bakeer's version of events, though one said the man who ruled Libya for 42 years was shot and wounded at the last minute by one of his own men.
"One of Muammar Gaddafi's guards shot him in the chest," said Omran Jouma Shawan.
Army chief Jabr was also captured alive, Bakeer said. NTC officials later announced he was dead.
Fallen electricity cables partially covered the entrance to the pipes and the bodies of three men, apparently Gaddafi bodyguards lay at the entrance to one end, one in shorts probably due to a bandaged wound on his leg.
Four more bodies lay at the other end of the pipes. All black men, one had his brains blown out, another man had been decapitated, his dreadlocked head lying beside his torso.
Joyous government fighters fired their weapons in the air, shouted "Allahu Akbar" and posed for pictures. Others wrote graffiti on the concrete parapets of the highway.
"Gaddafi was captured here," said one simply.
From there Gaddafi was taken to the nearby city of Sirte where he and his dwindling band of die-hard supporters had made a last stand under a rain of missile and artillery fire in a desperate two-month siege.
Video footage showed Gaddafi, dazed and wounded, but still clearly alive and gesturing with his hands as he was dragged from a pick-up truck by a crowd of angry jostling group of government soldiers who hit him and pulled his hair.
He then appeared to fall to the ground and was enveloped by the crowd. NTC officials later announced Gaddafi had died of his wounds after capture.
Muammar Gaddafi is Dead - Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril
showing Muammar Gaddafi's body. Gaddafi is dead after being wounded during his capture in Sirte, Libya, on October 20, 2011, according to unconfirmed reports.
Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the most wanted man in the world, has been killed, Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said today.
The flamboyant tyrant who terrorized his country and much of the world during his 42 years of despotic rule was reportedly cornered by insurgents in the town of Sirte, where Gadhafi had been born and was a stronghold of his supporters.
National Transition Council leaders said Gadhafi's son, Motassim, was also killed though another son, Saif Al-Islam, fled Sirte in a convoy. Three of Gadhafi's children are in Algeria, and NTC leaders say they will ask the neighboring country to send them back.
"We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Moammar Gadhafi has been killed," Jibril said at a news conference in Tripoli.
He added that the rebel government will wait until later today or Friday to officially declare what it calls a state of liberation.
The National Transition Council earlier today said that its fighters found and shot Gadhafi in Sirte, which finally fell to the rebels today after weeks of tough fighting. Rebels now control the entire country.
An NTC fighter who says he shot Gadhafi told reporters the eccentric leader was carrying a golden pistol and pleaded to him not to shoot.
Word of Gadhafi's death triggered celebrations in the streets of Tripoli with insurgent fighters waving their weapons and dancing jubilantly.
Al Jazeera aired video of what appeared to be the dead leader, which showed Gadhafi lying in a pool of blood in the street, shirtless, and surrounded by people.
Libya's Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam told the Associated Press that Gadhafi was in a convoy when he was attacked by rebels.
A NATO official said that its jet fighters struck two military vehicles "which were part of a larger group that was maneuvering in the vicinity of Sirte conducting military operations that presented a clear threat to civilians." But NATO would not confirm whether Gadhafi was part of that convoy.
Gadhafi had been on the run for weeks after being chased out of the capital Tripoli by NATO bombers and rebel troops.
He had been believed to be hiding in the vast Libyan desert while calling on his supporters to rise up and sweep the rebel "dogs" away, but his once fearsome power was scoffed at by Libyans who had ransacked his palace compound and hounded him into hiding.
While reports of Gadhafi's death have been met with jubilation, Libya now faces a new challenge of establishing a government.
"Let us recognize immediately that this is only the end of the beginning," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
Gadhafi, 69, ruled Libya with an iron fist for almost 42 years. He seized control of Libya in Sept., 1969 in a bloodless coup when he was just 27 years old. The then young and dashing army captain and his small band of military officers overthrew the monarch King Idris, setting up a new Libyan Arab Republic that over the years became increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.
Gadhafi took over the top spot as the world's most wanted man after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. troops in Pakistan.
At the height of his ability to threaten terrorism, President Ronald Reagan dubbed Gadhafi the "mad dog of the Middle East."
He was accused of backing the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco popular with American soldiers, reportedly funding the hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985, and the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which resulted in the U.N. and United States imposing sanctions on Libya.
Airtel subscribers can pay "trotro" fares with phones
GNA
Airtel Ghana subscribers can now use their mobile phone devices to transact all forms of businesses from paying utility bills to boarding Trotros (commercial vehicles) in the country.
This followed Airtel Ghana’s new innovation in its award winning mobile commerce service formerly called Zap, which has now become Airtel Mobile to allow subscribers’ mobile phone to function as a mobile wallet.
In short, the Airtel Money has the most comprehensive package of e-commerce and payment features currently in the Ghanaian market that has brought on board financial institutions, super markets/shops, utility companies among many others to help facilitate Ghana's cashless system.
“Airtel Money is the first to launch in West Africa the mobile money banking part of the service,” Mr Emmanuel Kola, Head of Airtel Money told journalists in Accra on Wednesday at an experiential seminar on the offer.
Kenya, he said, introduced the system six years ago and today the country is largely a cashless society as commuters pay their lorry fares via their mobile phones and virtually buy everything with them.
Airtel Sales Director, Luck Ochieng said, “Airtel as a company has a track record that is unrivalled in mobile telecommunications for delivering relevant and innovative mobile solutions to help customers to overcome their daily challenges.”
“Our goal...is to make communications, banking, payments and infotainment affordable and accessible to all in Africa and especially in Ghana and through Airtel Money. We have created safety by initiating a cashless society....” he added.
The enhanced Airtel Money will provide millions of people with access to banking services for the first time and has the potential to transform banking in Africa and increase access to financial services.
Airtel customers can transfer funds from person to person, can access banking services, pay their bills and transfer airtime on and across networks.
Close to two million Airtel subscribers are currently registered with the service and more than 21,000 are using it for their day to day transactions.
Airtel Ghana subscribers can now use their mobile phone devices to transact all forms of businesses from paying utility bills to boarding Trotros (commercial vehicles) in the country.
This followed Airtel Ghana’s new innovation in its award winning mobile commerce service formerly called Zap, which has now become Airtel Mobile to allow subscribers’ mobile phone to function as a mobile wallet.
In short, the Airtel Money has the most comprehensive package of e-commerce and payment features currently in the Ghanaian market that has brought on board financial institutions, super markets/shops, utility companies among many others to help facilitate Ghana's cashless system.
“Airtel Money is the first to launch in West Africa the mobile money banking part of the service,” Mr Emmanuel Kola, Head of Airtel Money told journalists in Accra on Wednesday at an experiential seminar on the offer.
Kenya, he said, introduced the system six years ago and today the country is largely a cashless society as commuters pay their lorry fares via their mobile phones and virtually buy everything with them.
Airtel Sales Director, Luck Ochieng said, “Airtel as a company has a track record that is unrivalled in mobile telecommunications for delivering relevant and innovative mobile solutions to help customers to overcome their daily challenges.”
“Our goal...is to make communications, banking, payments and infotainment affordable and accessible to all in Africa and especially in Ghana and through Airtel Money. We have created safety by initiating a cashless society....” he added.
The enhanced Airtel Money will provide millions of people with access to banking services for the first time and has the potential to transform banking in Africa and increase access to financial services.
Airtel customers can transfer funds from person to person, can access banking services, pay their bills and transfer airtime on and across networks.
Close to two million Airtel subscribers are currently registered with the service and more than 21,000 are using it for their day to day transactions.
Ghana sourcing for $300m U.S. funding to fix irregular, insufficient power supply
The Ghana government is sourcing $300 million from the Millennium Development Account (MDA) to fix the irregular and insufficient power supply challenges facing the country.
The funds are expected from the country’s share of the second compact of the MDA, meant to support some selected developing countries including Ghana.
When successful, the Ghana government would construct a 400 megawatt thermal plant in the next three years to reduce the over-reliance on hydropower generation, which energy experts had described as unreliable in recent times becauseof climate change.
The Country Director, Department of Compact Operations of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the United States of America (USA) , Mrs Deirdra Fair, announced this at one of the workshops dubbed “Ghana and Mozambique; A Closer Look at Power Sector Development” during the US-Africa Business Summit 2011.
The biennial summit, which was under the auspices of the Corporate Council of Africa, was meant to strengthen commercial relationships between the nations of Africa and the United States of America (USA). The summit attracted scores of businesses leaders across the world who focused on activities concerning Ghana because of its rich oil and gas find and also because of the country’s potential to become the fastest growing economy in the world from next year.
Ghana’s energy demands are said to increase at about 10 per cent per annum while generation is far below, hence the frequent shortages which demand immediate solution.
“The government of Ghana made the request for the funds to be channelled to support the energy sector and the MCC has agreed to do just that to help the country solve its energy problems”, Mrs Fair said.
From the first compact, Ghana received more than $500 million which was used to support the agricultural sector, particularly, farmers in the non-traditional export sector, infrastructure development among others.
To qualify for the compact, a country must be one that adheres to strict democratic principles, good governance, rule of law among others things.
Mrs Fair said the decision to support the energy sector of Ghana was as a result of the request made by the government and indicated that the MCC had accepted the government’s proposal and had also noticed that the MCC would release the funds when it was ready.
She said the compact, after a review of the first one, had made some changes which would go a long way to benefit beneficiary countries.
“We will also work with private partners and donors to increase the funds available to the MCC to make more funds available to support the projects proposed by the beneficiary countries including Ghana which has qualified to benefit”, she added.
A Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Kofi Boah, later explained to the Daily Graphic that most of the transmission lines in the country were obsolete and needed to be changed to enable them to carry the load from the increasing power generated for supplies.
“This is one of the reasons the President, on the advice of strong team put together to draw Ghana’s proposal for the compact directed that we should source the funds to solve the challenges in the energy sector”, he said.
Mr Boah was not sure of how the MCC would release to the government but said “we have requested something above $300 million of which we are confident would be approved”.
He noted, however, that the total sum required to address all the challenges in the energy was in the region of about $1 billion in the next five years.
Mr Boah was, however, confident that the government would be able to provide additional resources for energy project to ensure sustained power supply to the various business ventures in the country
Source: Daily Graphic
The funds are expected from the country’s share of the second compact of the MDA, meant to support some selected developing countries including Ghana.
When successful, the Ghana government would construct a 400 megawatt thermal plant in the next three years to reduce the over-reliance on hydropower generation, which energy experts had described as unreliable in recent times becauseof climate change.
The Country Director, Department of Compact Operations of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the United States of America (USA) , Mrs Deirdra Fair, announced this at one of the workshops dubbed “Ghana and Mozambique; A Closer Look at Power Sector Development” during the US-Africa Business Summit 2011.
The biennial summit, which was under the auspices of the Corporate Council of Africa, was meant to strengthen commercial relationships between the nations of Africa and the United States of America (USA). The summit attracted scores of businesses leaders across the world who focused on activities concerning Ghana because of its rich oil and gas find and also because of the country’s potential to become the fastest growing economy in the world from next year.
Ghana’s energy demands are said to increase at about 10 per cent per annum while generation is far below, hence the frequent shortages which demand immediate solution.
“The government of Ghana made the request for the funds to be channelled to support the energy sector and the MCC has agreed to do just that to help the country solve its energy problems”, Mrs Fair said.
From the first compact, Ghana received more than $500 million which was used to support the agricultural sector, particularly, farmers in the non-traditional export sector, infrastructure development among others.
To qualify for the compact, a country must be one that adheres to strict democratic principles, good governance, rule of law among others things.
Mrs Fair said the decision to support the energy sector of Ghana was as a result of the request made by the government and indicated that the MCC had accepted the government’s proposal and had also noticed that the MCC would release the funds when it was ready.
She said the compact, after a review of the first one, had made some changes which would go a long way to benefit beneficiary countries.
“We will also work with private partners and donors to increase the funds available to the MCC to make more funds available to support the projects proposed by the beneficiary countries including Ghana which has qualified to benefit”, she added.
A Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Kofi Boah, later explained to the Daily Graphic that most of the transmission lines in the country were obsolete and needed to be changed to enable them to carry the load from the increasing power generated for supplies.
“This is one of the reasons the President, on the advice of strong team put together to draw Ghana’s proposal for the compact directed that we should source the funds to solve the challenges in the energy sector”, he said.
Mr Boah was not sure of how the MCC would release to the government but said “we have requested something above $300 million of which we are confident would be approved”.
He noted, however, that the total sum required to address all the challenges in the energy was in the region of about $1 billion in the next five years.
Mr Boah was, however, confident that the government would be able to provide additional resources for energy project to ensure sustained power supply to the various business ventures in the country
Source: Daily Graphic
Health Minister campaigning as doctors strike?
The on-leave Health Minister, who has come under severe criticism for taking his leave at a time his ministry is on fire, says reports that he is campaigning in his constituency are inaccurate.
He told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show his medical leave does not require him to bed-rest. If it did, his doctors would have advised him to do so.
According to him, the advice of his doctors is that he should do some exercises, emphasizing it is the reason he is in his constituency meeting with his people, especially when it has been long since he visited the constituency.
The government, in an attempt to douse the flames ignited by the announcement of the minister's leave, issued a statement saying that “the President granted the Health Minister his request for leave on the 11th of October, 2011 purely on medical grounds.”
The Chronicle newspaper however reported that Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh is busily campaigning in his Wa West Constituency of the Upper West Region.
According to the paper, “Mr Yieleh Chireh was at the Dabu Electoral Area in the Upper West Region on Tuesday, holding meetings with NDC executives in the constituency, in a bid to retain him to contest the [parliamentary] elections" next year.
The Health Minister is expected to visit the Boro electoral area at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, before dashing to the Boriman Electoral Area at mid-day.
Mr Yieleh Chireh however insists he is on medical leave but admits he has been interacting with his constituents.
Mr Yieleh Chireh said his personal involvement is not necessarily required to resolve the doctors’ strike, stressing the need for emphasis to be placed on institutional mechanisms to address the grievances of the striking doctors
Monday, October 17, 2011
Russia denies new facility in Serbia is for spying
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Russia has denied news reports that the emergency relief center it is creating in Serbia will be used to spy on neighboring Romania, where U.S. anti-ballistic missile interceptors are likely to be installed.
Those reports began two years ago when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Serbia and Russia had agreed to create the joint facility at the airport in Nis, Serbia.
But during a ceremony opening it Monday, Sergey Shoigu, Russia's minister for emergency situations, said such speculation is "a pure fabrication."
Shoigu says the center will house relief experts and their equipment, and is intended to fight major forest fires, flooding, earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Those reports began two years ago when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Serbia and Russia had agreed to create the joint facility at the airport in Nis, Serbia.
But during a ceremony opening it Monday, Sergey Shoigu, Russia's minister for emergency situations, said such speculation is "a pure fabrication."
Shoigu says the center will house relief experts and their equipment, and is intended to fight major forest fires, flooding, earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Homage to Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah
By Hassan a Karofi
allAfrica.com
Analysis
Spending time in several Ghana's tourist attractions is always a fantastic experience, but paying homage to one of Africa's most revered statesmen at his mausoleum is an even greater lifetime experience. Hassan A Karofi, who was in Ghana
Spending one's annual leave in a sister African country full of historical antecedents like Ghana was a great opportunity for me after working for a whole year in Nigeria's most dangerous city, Maiduguri.
So when the Development Research and Projects Centre (DRPC), in collaboration with USAID, invited me as a fellow of the international institute of education's LDM program on reproductive health, to spend 10 days understudying the health systems in Ghana along with 30 other senior government officials working in the health sector from the North West part of Nigeria, the invitation was excitedly grabbed.
Working in Maiduguri even for a week is hectic, dangerous, and exhaustive. Any opportunity to leave it, therefore, is always a welcome invitation. It is an assurance that you will at least, be alive for the period you will be away.
We left Nigeria on the September 22, and spent the rest of the month studying the Ghanaian health system, attending lectures and visiting their health facilities and universities. After an exhaustive four days, we were given a day off to visit tourism centres that abound across Accra. I chose, first, to visit one of my African revered icons, Kwameh Nkrumah.
Kwame Nkrumah was a philosopher, teacher, politician, elder statesman and one of Africa's greatest minds and leaders.
Paying homage at his mausoleum was a great experience any student of African history and politics will love to have. And so it was when, along with a friend from Zamfara state, and guided by a local, we spent three hours appreciating the life and time of a man who is still being remembered as the father of anti-colonialism in Africa.
His revered contributions to the emancipation of Africans may be controversial in some ways, but his dogged, consistent and intellectual perspective to the struggle against colonialism is universally acknowledged as unmatched by any other African nationalist.
Dr Nkrumah came to the fore of the struggle against colonialism when his contemporaries had almost given up on the possibility of chasing out the colonialists from the then Gold Coast. His radical views, intellectual approach, massive and consistent opposition rattled the British colonialists and his contemporary Ghanaian co-strugglers.
Despite internal opposition against his style and approach, he broke away from the conservative Ghanaian elites to form his political movement, a platform he used to not only chase the colonialists out of Ghana, but rallied the emerging intellectual young nationalists into a formidable force that would later lead Ghana to independence and prosperity.
His emergence as the president was one of the greatest political emancipation events that would come to shape the socio-political and economic history of one of the greatest nations in sub-Saharan Africa.
His views on international politics, his love for Africa and the defence of its people through his numerous intellectually well written books rattled the western powers and uprooted their local allies.
He would later be overthrown and forced into exile in Guinea-Conakry until he was pardoned and returned to his country where he died and was buried a hero, nationalist, and Ghana's most respected leader.
A visit to his mausoleum in the heart of Accra reminded none of his revered status in the history of modern Ghana. Within the mausoleum lies the collection of his books in big signboards.
Tourists could not but marvel at the intellectual contributions of this great African nationalist. His book, "Neo-colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism," welcomes visitors and opens a perspective into the man the mausoleum was opened to honour.
Several of his other books are erected around and labelled for visitors to see and appreciate his contributions, not only to politics and the economy, but to knowledge and the development of education in Africa.
The mausoleum contains resources on all the history of the people of Ghana, his life and his struggles in Ghana and around Africa. The mausoleum comprises five major components dissecting the life of this great African.
Apart from the tomb, where he, along with his beautiful Egyptian wife, Fathia lay, his statue is another attraction, dressed in the Ashante wrapper. Many tourists surrounded the sculpture admiring a hero many of them had only heard of.
A mini museum chronicling his life and work stands at the far end of the mausoleum. In this room lies a complete history, his belongings, his beddings, from university days, and almost all of the property he used during his life time.
Outside, near the tomb, stands the only vehicle he used while he lived in Accra. And around the beautifully adorned mausoleum, are sculptures of the many ethnic groups that form the present-day Ghana.
Visiting this significant historical mausoleum will not be complete without seeing the damaged statue of the great African, a result of the first coup alledgedly instigated by the West. This damaged statue stands next to his museum and library.
After relishing the memories of the great African leader, myself, along with my friend who is also the sole administrator of Tsafe Local Government Area in Zamfara state, Alhaji Saminu Tsafe, and our guide, Yusuf, a Hausa Ghanaian, moved to the Presidential Villa Beach.
The beach is sandwiched between the Independence Square and the Presidential Villa, where the president and his family reside. Although it is a stone's throw from the president's residence, it is still open to the public as families and friends could be seen enjoying the cool breeze.
Many women could also be seen bathing in the sea sand and I was later told it is believed that any skin ailment will be cured by the application of the beach's sand. And many believe in the superstition.
I made many friends there, including a young and beautiful Ghanaian lady who appreciates that we are Nigerians, and of course, her boyfriend who invited us for a group picture to welcome us to what they call 'the greatest land on African soil'.
Moving across the length and breadth of Accra is a mighty work of decision that requires sacrificing a deal of time, but as tourists, we were determined to do it. So, up we left to the beautiful, busy and blue beach of Bojo Island.
Bojo Island is located at the Bortianor, along Kokrobite road in the suburb of Accra. It could be described as nature's best secret in Ghana. It is a beach with white sand, blue sea and a clean environment.
The Bojo Beach is located near a fishing village along the delta of the Desu River and it is linked with the Atlantic Ocean. It is said that its origin came from the Atewa range and it is an island that visitors have to cross the Densu River before they can reach.
Cool and magnificent, Bojo island provides tourists with an opportunity to see nature's wonder as massive waves hit the banks; a combination of breeze and sounds rattle the island, making an interesting ocean rhythm in the area.
Riding the water cruiser was one of the attractions at Bojo island, and although neither myself nor my friend had ever done that, all we required was a five-minute mentoring before we spent the next 15 minutes riding at high speed deep inside the Densu River on the motorbike.
The island also has lots of entertainment; including golf, music and several water sports that many families could be seen enjoying.
Spending the remaining day at Bojo island was a fantastic and memorable experience I will always willingly repeat, especially as an inhabitant of the Sahelian region of Nigeria where beaches are not found, such experience is rare.
Ghana is a country of many beaches, many castles, many falls and historical monuments and one of such is the presidential office complex; a big architectural master piece; an aesthetically appealing structure. The Flagship House, as it is officially known, is a pride to behold, a sign of the emergence of Ghana as an economic giant in the West African region.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Ghana's Health Minister on leave as Doctors’ crisis deepens
Joy News
Health Minister Joseph Yieleh Chireh has been granted a leave of absence by President John Mills.
This was disclosed to Joy News by Communications Minister Haruna Iddrisu who has been asked to take provisional oversight of a ministry now in 'chaos'.
Doctors have withdrawn their services and have vowed not to accept even emergency cases at the various public hospitals.
Pharmacists are also threatening strike following botched negotiation on the SSSS.
It appeared rather unusual that the sector minister would voluntarily proceed on leave during a period like this.
But Iddrisu insists there is nothing wrong with the decision.
He explained Yieleh Chireh had long requested for his leave even before the doctors announced their strike and the president granted his wish.
He is expected to be back after a week.
Agogo: Man killed as residents demand immediate recall of soldiers from the area
Source: Joy Online
The Agogo Police Command has confirmed a shooting incident that occurred Thursday 13th October 2011, claiming one life.
The Agogo District Police Commander, Deputy Supt Nana Yawson said on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Friday that the victim was shot on his farm in a village called Bontire, but died on his way to hospital.
The deceased has been identified as Agya Kwame Abu who is reported to be in his late 40s. The body has since been deposited at Agogo Hospital.
The mother of the deceased, Maame Abunua, has also accused the Fulani Herdsmen of killing her son.
She said her late son was her fourth child whom she described as a hardworking farmer.
Adwoa Kuma, one of the 11 children of the deceased also said her father was killed by Fulani herdsmen on his farm without any provocation.
Meanwhile, DSP Yawson called for public collaboration to get the killers of the deceased.
The Youth of Agogo have threatened to burn down a community center that serves as a shelter for soldiers sent to protect the residents for their failure to protect them and have asked them to leave the town.
In response, Supt Nana Yawson has advised the youth to petition the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for the removal of the soldiers since they were not there at the invitation of the police but the REGSEC.
Since the deployment of soldiers to Agogo over two months ago, four indigenes have been allegedly killed by Fulani herdsmen.
Fulani herdsmen around the Afram Plains area including Agogo and Kwahu areas have been terrorising residents and raping women.
Residents of Agogo have agitated for the evacuation of the Fulani herdsmen from the area, staging series of demonstrations to register their displeasure over the activities of Fulani herdsmen.
President of Agogo residents in Abroad, Anyan Kusi also told Adom Fm that several attempts to resolve the heinous activities of the Fulani herdsmen have proven futile, and accused the government of doing little to protect the citizens.
The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem north in the Ashanti Region, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi said security personnel guarding the residents have failed to protect the indigenes and supported the call by the residents that the soldiers should leave Agogo area.
The Agogo Police Command has confirmed a shooting incident that occurred Thursday 13th October 2011, claiming one life.
The Agogo District Police Commander, Deputy Supt Nana Yawson said on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Friday that the victim was shot on his farm in a village called Bontire, but died on his way to hospital.
The deceased has been identified as Agya Kwame Abu who is reported to be in his late 40s. The body has since been deposited at Agogo Hospital.
The mother of the deceased, Maame Abunua, has also accused the Fulani Herdsmen of killing her son.
She said her late son was her fourth child whom she described as a hardworking farmer.
Adwoa Kuma, one of the 11 children of the deceased also said her father was killed by Fulani herdsmen on his farm without any provocation.
Meanwhile, DSP Yawson called for public collaboration to get the killers of the deceased.
The Youth of Agogo have threatened to burn down a community center that serves as a shelter for soldiers sent to protect the residents for their failure to protect them and have asked them to leave the town.
In response, Supt Nana Yawson has advised the youth to petition the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for the removal of the soldiers since they were not there at the invitation of the police but the REGSEC.
Since the deployment of soldiers to Agogo over two months ago, four indigenes have been allegedly killed by Fulani herdsmen.
Fulani herdsmen around the Afram Plains area including Agogo and Kwahu areas have been terrorising residents and raping women.
Residents of Agogo have agitated for the evacuation of the Fulani herdsmen from the area, staging series of demonstrations to register their displeasure over the activities of Fulani herdsmen.
President of Agogo residents in Abroad, Anyan Kusi also told Adom Fm that several attempts to resolve the heinous activities of the Fulani herdsmen have proven futile, and accused the government of doing little to protect the citizens.
The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem north in the Ashanti Region, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi said security personnel guarding the residents have failed to protect the indigenes and supported the call by the residents that the soldiers should leave Agogo area.
Ghana Economy May Grow as Much as 12% in 2012 on Oil Exports
Ghana’s economy may expand 8 percent to 12 percent next year as Africa’s newest oil exporter expects rising output of crude to boost revenue, said Deputy Finance Minister Seth Terkper.
“Oil revenue will be significant,” he said in an interview in Accra, the capital, yesterday. The forecast is greater than the International Monetary Fund’s 7.3 percent growth for 2012 made last month. This year, growth is seen at 13.5 percent, the fastest rate in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Washington- based lender. The Ghana Statistical Service gave a provisional projection yesterday of 13.6 percent.
Production at Ghana’s Jubilee oil field began in December, the country’s first output of crude for export, propelling growth to a rate of 31 percent in the first three months of this year and 34 percent in the second quarter, the Ghana Statistical Service said Sept. 22.
A target to produce 120,000 barrels a day by the end of the year may not be met, according to the Finance Ministry. The output forecast is likely to be met next year, adding the delayed revenue to the country’s economy, Terkper said.
Ghana wants to sustain the 12 percent growth rate beyond next year by “adding value to our crude,” Terkper said.
In August, Ghanaian lawmakers approved a $3 billion loan from the China Development Bank, $800 million of which will be spent on developing a natural-gas industry in the country’s Western region. Ghana has 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, Nana Asafu-Adjaye, managing director of the Ghana National Petroleum Corp., said Oct. 6.
“Oil revenue will be significant,” he said in an interview in Accra, the capital, yesterday. The forecast is greater than the International Monetary Fund’s 7.3 percent growth for 2012 made last month. This year, growth is seen at 13.5 percent, the fastest rate in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Washington- based lender. The Ghana Statistical Service gave a provisional projection yesterday of 13.6 percent.
Production at Ghana’s Jubilee oil field began in December, the country’s first output of crude for export, propelling growth to a rate of 31 percent in the first three months of this year and 34 percent in the second quarter, the Ghana Statistical Service said Sept. 22.
A target to produce 120,000 barrels a day by the end of the year may not be met, according to the Finance Ministry. The output forecast is likely to be met next year, adding the delayed revenue to the country’s economy, Terkper said.
Ghana wants to sustain the 12 percent growth rate beyond next year by “adding value to our crude,” Terkper said.
In August, Ghanaian lawmakers approved a $3 billion loan from the China Development Bank, $800 million of which will be spent on developing a natural-gas industry in the country’s Western region. Ghana has 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, Nana Asafu-Adjaye, managing director of the Ghana National Petroleum Corp., said Oct. 6.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
IMF, World Bank Support Chinese Loan
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have indicated their support for Ghana’s efforts at securing a $3 billion loan from China, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has said.
However, he said, the Fund would meet to take a firm decision in December this year, after a country economic review exercise which would determine the impact of the loan on the economy and whether it breached any agreements following a presentation to a joint World Bank /IMF Tam in Washington on September 28, 2011 by the government on what the loan would be used for and its viability.
The IMF, on the other hand, will send a team to Ghana on October 12, 2011 to conduct the fifth review of the economy under the Extended Credit Facility, which will cover areas such as recent economic policy performance and challenges going forward.
The IMF supports Ghana mainly to fix its macroeconomic indicators to achieve the stability needed for business planning and growth, while the World Bank broadly supports projects through the national budget and sector specific interventions to achieve growth and development while reducing poverty.
Dr Duffuor, who led the team that made a case for the $3 billion loan in Washington, told the Daily Graphic that “the two institutions have not shot down the loan; they are rather supportive, as they believe it will have a positive impact on the economy and the quality of lives of the people.”
He explained that the fifth economic review starting from October 12, 2011 under the Credit Facility Programme, which would have terms different from the fourth, the IMF Board would meet to take a decision in December, during which a new non-concessional credit/lending limit would be set.
The current agreement, reached in May 2011 and which expires in June 2011, puts the ceiling on non-concessional loans at $800 million. The limit was set at a time when oil revenue inflows had just started trickling in. Ghana’s remarkable and unprecedented growth of 23 per cent in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) means that an upward review of credit limit for non-concessional loans is likely.
Dr Duffuor said Ghana had already done its own assessment of the $3 billion loan from China, which will fund infrastructure projects, including a comprehensive gas infrastructure.
Parliament has already approved the Master Facility Agreement covering the $3 billion loan which will be used on a number of projects, such as gas processing facility, gas transmission pipelines and the building of railways and trunk roads
Position Economy As Hub For ECOWAS
The Delegate of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Patrick Martens, has urged Ghana to sustain its economic and political stability in order to grow the private sector to make it the hub for West Africa.
Mr Martens said although Ghana by itself was not a large market, many European investors preferred to adopt the country as their West Africa hub because of the economic and political stability.
Speaking on the sidelines of a cocktail organised by the German Tech Pavilion at the just ended German and European industrial fair, GEREU 2011, Mr Martens told the Daily Graphic that it was also important for managers of the economy to identify sustainable sources of infrastructural development and not necessarily those that were cheap.
Ghana has to take advantage of the stable conditions it has and work harder to sustain it. In doing so, the country should go for infrastructure solutions which are of a high quality and sustainable, and not just always the cheapest, Mr Martens said.
GEREU was organised by the Ghanaian –German Economic Association (GGEA) and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK) from September 29 to October 1, 2011, with companies exhibiting various industrial products in the areas of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, automobiles, information and communications technology (ICT), energy, construction, financial services among others.
The German Tech Pavilion at the fair was a dedicated stand for German companies to exhibit products and services. The pavilion had a total of six companies (Terra Trading International GmbH, Bay-Sat Engineering & Technology, Gebr. Willing, Hanwha SolarOne, Lahmeyer International GmbH and AG-Tech Ltd.) exhibiting the latest technologies in solar energy, self-sufficient housing and construction machines.
Other areas were concrete shuttering systems, construction, security engineering of buildings, pipelines and airfields as well as telematics.
Mr Marten said the idea was to encourage the German companies, which were averse to doing business in Africa, to enter the market and also have them partner with industries in Ghana to ensure efficient performance and growth.
We have companies interested in agriculture and agribusiness. We believe this sector can be a key driver of employment and exports. It is important to note that we are not here as donors but we want to do good business across the value chain, the Delegate of AHK said.
The German development bank, DEG, which offers cheaper financing, a key ingredient for investments, was also at the exhibition to express its readiness to support and promote viable private sector businesses in the country.
Mr Martens said so far the fair had been very successful in matching
Mr Martens said although Ghana by itself was not a large market, many European investors preferred to adopt the country as their West Africa hub because of the economic and political stability.
Speaking on the sidelines of a cocktail organised by the German Tech Pavilion at the just ended German and European industrial fair, GEREU 2011, Mr Martens told the Daily Graphic that it was also important for managers of the economy to identify sustainable sources of infrastructural development and not necessarily those that were cheap.
Ghana has to take advantage of the stable conditions it has and work harder to sustain it. In doing so, the country should go for infrastructure solutions which are of a high quality and sustainable, and not just always the cheapest, Mr Martens said.
GEREU was organised by the Ghanaian –German Economic Association (GGEA) and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK) from September 29 to October 1, 2011, with companies exhibiting various industrial products in the areas of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, automobiles, information and communications technology (ICT), energy, construction, financial services among others.
The German Tech Pavilion at the fair was a dedicated stand for German companies to exhibit products and services. The pavilion had a total of six companies (Terra Trading International GmbH, Bay-Sat Engineering & Technology, Gebr. Willing, Hanwha SolarOne, Lahmeyer International GmbH and AG-Tech Ltd.) exhibiting the latest technologies in solar energy, self-sufficient housing and construction machines.
Other areas were concrete shuttering systems, construction, security engineering of buildings, pipelines and airfields as well as telematics.
Mr Marten said the idea was to encourage the German companies, which were averse to doing business in Africa, to enter the market and also have them partner with industries in Ghana to ensure efficient performance and growth.
We have companies interested in agriculture and agribusiness. We believe this sector can be a key driver of employment and exports. It is important to note that we are not here as donors but we want to do good business across the value chain, the Delegate of AHK said.
The German development bank, DEG, which offers cheaper financing, a key ingredient for investments, was also at the exhibition to express its readiness to support and promote viable private sector businesses in the country.
Mr Martens said so far the fair had been very successful in matching
China hits back
It is entirely the duty of Ghanaian authorities to regulate trade and check the illegal activities of foreigners who do business in the country, Chinese officials have said in a response to complaints of malpractices by their nationals in the local trading sector.
Among the charges, Chinese traders and businesspeople have been accused of illegal mining activities, pirating local textile-designs, and venturing into the retail sector which by law is a preserve of indigenous entrepreneurs.
Chinese employers have also often been cited for their disregard for workers’ rights, with some reported incidents of inhuman treatment of local labour in their employ.
But in a response, the Commercial Counsellor of the Department of West Asian &African Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Xie Yajing, stated: “It is your government’s responsibility to regulate trade. We, on our part, encourage our businesses to respect and abide by local laws and regulations.”
A lot of these companies are not state-owned enterprises but personal, private businesses, she said. While state-owned firms and other registered contractors doing business overseas are regulated by authorities in Beijing, her ministry is not fully aware of the overseas ventures of many private businesspeople, she claimed.
Though an increasingly important trade partner, China’s exports into Ghana have not always been welcomed. Local industries fret about cheap and sub-standard Chinese imports which have taken over their markets, and are gradually pushing them to the wall.
Xie Yajing defended the quality of products manufactured in China, noting that different standards apply in different export markets, which could explain why, for instance, a product that is rejected by the EU market may be permitted to enter Ghana or some other African country.
Franklin Cudjoe, an analyst with policy think-tank IMANI Ghana, agreed with the sentiments of the authorities in Beijing during an interview with the Business & Financial Times.
“I absolutely agree with them. You don’t blame foreigners for a lack of focus or proper regulation.
“If you look carefully at the mining sector, the only reason why the activities of so-called illegal miners have become significant is simply because there is a failure of regulation; and to the extent that we haven’t seriously looked at the laws regarding mining by ordinary individuals, it opens up the space to other nationals as well.
“The other crucial point on the issue of piracy is that we have not invested sufficiently in strengthening our copyright system. If the investments matched the technology that is needed, you wouldn’t have customs officials going after traders selling pirated products that consumers want to buy anyway.
“It is important for the Ghanaian authorities to have technology and software that allows them to crosscheck electronically in order to detect pirated materials at their points of entry.
“Also, the local textile industry is now a very expensive industry due to the cost of production. About 90% of ingredients in textile manufacturing are imported; therefore the combination of import and local taxes makes it difficult for local producers to meet the demand or compete with imports.”
Ms. Yajing recognised the lopsided nature of trade between China and Ghana, but said it is largely the outcome of both countries’ economic structures. Exports from Ghana comprise mainly primary resources like cocoa and minerals, while trade in the other direction is made up substantially of high-end manufactures like electronic products, machinery and ICT systems.
China intends to further boost bilateral trade and its cooperation with African countries, she said. Accordingly, it plans to assist some African countries to establish logistics centres that will serve as focal locations for the distribution of Chinese-manufactured goods to different markets in Africa.
Among the charges, Chinese traders and businesspeople have been accused of illegal mining activities, pirating local textile-designs, and venturing into the retail sector which by law is a preserve of indigenous entrepreneurs.
Chinese employers have also often been cited for their disregard for workers’ rights, with some reported incidents of inhuman treatment of local labour in their employ.
But in a response, the Commercial Counsellor of the Department of West Asian &African Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Xie Yajing, stated: “It is your government’s responsibility to regulate trade. We, on our part, encourage our businesses to respect and abide by local laws and regulations.”
A lot of these companies are not state-owned enterprises but personal, private businesses, she said. While state-owned firms and other registered contractors doing business overseas are regulated by authorities in Beijing, her ministry is not fully aware of the overseas ventures of many private businesspeople, she claimed.
Though an increasingly important trade partner, China’s exports into Ghana have not always been welcomed. Local industries fret about cheap and sub-standard Chinese imports which have taken over their markets, and are gradually pushing them to the wall.
Xie Yajing defended the quality of products manufactured in China, noting that different standards apply in different export markets, which could explain why, for instance, a product that is rejected by the EU market may be permitted to enter Ghana or some other African country.
Franklin Cudjoe, an analyst with policy think-tank IMANI Ghana, agreed with the sentiments of the authorities in Beijing during an interview with the Business & Financial Times.
“I absolutely agree with them. You don’t blame foreigners for a lack of focus or proper regulation.
“If you look carefully at the mining sector, the only reason why the activities of so-called illegal miners have become significant is simply because there is a failure of regulation; and to the extent that we haven’t seriously looked at the laws regarding mining by ordinary individuals, it opens up the space to other nationals as well.
“The other crucial point on the issue of piracy is that we have not invested sufficiently in strengthening our copyright system. If the investments matched the technology that is needed, you wouldn’t have customs officials going after traders selling pirated products that consumers want to buy anyway.
“It is important for the Ghanaian authorities to have technology and software that allows them to crosscheck electronically in order to detect pirated materials at their points of entry.
“Also, the local textile industry is now a very expensive industry due to the cost of production. About 90% of ingredients in textile manufacturing are imported; therefore the combination of import and local taxes makes it difficult for local producers to meet the demand or compete with imports.”
Ms. Yajing recognised the lopsided nature of trade between China and Ghana, but said it is largely the outcome of both countries’ economic structures. Exports from Ghana comprise mainly primary resources like cocoa and minerals, while trade in the other direction is made up substantially of high-end manufactures like electronic products, machinery and ICT systems.
China intends to further boost bilateral trade and its cooperation with African countries, she said. Accordingly, it plans to assist some African countries to establish logistics centres that will serve as focal locations for the distribution of Chinese-manufactured goods to different markets in Africa.
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