Category: National

Mr Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, has charged metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to exhibit high sense of transparency and effective leadership.

That, he said, would help engender the trust of the people, especially the assembly members, to be able to unite and mobilise them for development in their communities.

They should also work closely with traditional leaders in their communities on all development initiatives and secure lands for future projects.

Mr Osei Mensah made the call during a meeting of the Offinso North District Assembly to approve the nomination of Mr Albert Safah as the new District Chief Executive.

Mr Sefah was nominated by President Akufo-Addo to replace Mr David Akwasi Asare, the former DCE (late) of the area.

Mr Sefah obtained 29 out of the total 34 votes cast by the Assembly members to secure his nomination.

Mr Osei Mensah commended the Assembly for exhibiting strong unity and working together to improve the lives of the people.

Mr Augustine Collins Ntim, the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, said effective leadership was needed to bring development to the people.

He commended the Assembly members for approving the nominee and called for support to enable him to discharge his duties effectively.

Mr Ntim, also the Member of Parliament for the area, appealed to the people to rally behind the Government as it worked to address the economic challenges of the nation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Regent of Agona Swedru, Nana Kweku Esieni V, has called on Parliamentary Aspirants of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to refrain from insults and attacks during their campaign to canvas for votes from delegates.

He said there was the need to use decent language in their attempts to win the hearts of delegates, adding that at the end of the day the party should be stronger and united to achieve its aims and objectives.

Nana Esieni made this known when the Agona West executives of the NDC led by its chairman, Mr Alex Asiedu Sekormy paid a courtesy call on the Swedruman Council of Chiefs to introduce themselves and asked for their blessings and support in the upcoming 2024 elections.

He said the NDC was in opposition and there was the need for the members at the various wards and branches to join forces and work hard to inspire people to give them their mandate in future elections.

Nana Esieni, who is also the Nifahene of Agona Swedru, said one out of the three aspiring candidates in the Agona West NDC, was disqualified by the vetting committee of the party, but that should not be a problem to cause mayhem in the party.

He stated that a clean campaign was the best way to go, to enable aspiring candidates to come out with their visions and policies that would entice the delegates to make their choice.

The NDC has fixed Saturday, May 13, 2024, to hold it parliamentary and presidential primaries to choose candidates to lead the party in the 2024 elections.

According to the chief, the NDC could be an alternative for Ghanaians to decide in the next elections, but infighting and internal wrangles could deny the party a chance to win.

Nana Esieni said though chiefs were not allowed to dabble in active party politics due to their position as custodians of the land, they could offer advice to politicians who were policy makers and implementers when it came to the governance of the country.

He therefore called on all aspiring parliamentary and presidential hopefuls of the NDC to endeavor to use decent language in their campaigns to ensure peace and stability as they seek to lead the people in the next elections.

Mr Sekormy, on behalf of the constituency executives, thanked the chiefs for the warm reception at the palace, and pledged to heed to the useful advice given to both executives and aspiring candidates.

He said the advice would go a long way to assist the party to achieve its goal and target in the upcoming parliamentary primary.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Angolan Head of State João Lourenço Wednesday in Luanda analysed the cooperation policies for development of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

This was during an audience he granted to the Speaker of the Parliamentary Assembly of this body, Ana Geremias Sithole.

The head of State discussed with Ana Sithole aspects related to the partnership between the OACPS and the European Union (EU).

Speaking to the journalists at the end of the audience, Ana Geremias Sithole, Mozambican MP, described the exchange of views as pertinent, due to the fact that João Lourenço currently holds the chair of the OACPS, for three years.

“The intention was to gather opinions and exchange ideas about managing the development expectations of the peoples of the member states as well as development programme with the EU, based on signing of a new agreement with this European body,” she explained.

Angola took over OACPS chair during the 10th summit of heads of State and Government of the Organisation held in Luanda from 6 to 10 December, 2022.

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States is an international body resulting from the evolution of the ACP Group, which brings together 79 member states from the three continents.

In another audience, also held on Wednesday, the President João Lourenço spoke with the ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Kwang-Jin Choi.

The meeting focused on issues of mutual interest as part of bilateral relations between the two states.

The Korean diplomat did not make any statements to the press at the end of the meeting.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Minister of Communication Rene Emmanuel Sadi, has told media practitioners that Cameroon is a State that respects human rights, with press freedom constituting the backbone.

Rene Sadi was invited to the brainstorming event organized by the Cameroon Association of English-speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) and the Cameroonian section of the International Francophone Press Union (UPF), to mark the 30th edition of the World Press Freedom Day.

During activities that took place in Yaounde, on May 3, the Communication boss said the liberalization of the national media landscape within a period of thirty years, has “profoundly transformed Cameroon from a monolithic system to an effective pluralist regime”.

The Minister said journalists have a duty to respect the ethics and laws which are part of the enabling factors of press freedom within the country.

“It must be noted that in many cases, national media practitioners are often at odds with the rules of the ethics and professional conduct that should guide their work. Such a deficiency is likely to discredit the press” Rene Sadi said.

“The abuses observed and induced by this lack of professionalism expose journalists and the media to the sanctions provided for by the laws and regulations in force.”

The Communication Minister also added that “there is the instrumentalization of the media by certain actors with hidden agendas”. He called on media professionals to exercise more vigilance.

Concerning the social security of journalists, media owners were urged to fulfill their social and legal obligations towards the journalists they employ, notably the provision of employment contracts and the regular payment of salaries.

Minister Rene Sadi said the government is aware of the difficulties faced by national media operators in the exercise of their profession, assuring them of the government’s efforts towards ameliorating the situation.

This year’s World Press Freedom Day was celebrated under the theme; “Shaping a future of rights: Freedom of expression as a driver of all human rights”.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Angola’s Parliament has discussed in specialty the issues related to the clarification of the Draft General Labour Act.

This was during a session that gathered members belonging to 1st, 5th and 10th Commissions of the National Assembly held Tuesday in Luanda.

In their debate, on the Draft Law, approved in general terms on April 24, the MPs focused mainly on the issues such as the beginning of the work provision, duration of the employment contract.

They also addressed matters on definitions, health checks, internships, increase in maternity leave, lactation rooms in companies, the preamble, terms that make domestic work more inclusive, among others.

Addressing the session, the Secretary of State for Labour and Social Security, Pedro José Filipe, said he had received more than 25 questions, whose contributions will serve to adjust some aspects of the bill.

He is of the view that the drafting of normative instruments has its own rules that are defined in Decree 25/17.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Parliament, at its emergency sitting on Tuesday, approved seven loan agreements for the Government, despite opposition from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority.

The loans include $150 million Financing Agreement between the Government and the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group to finance the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme – Phase Two.

Others are $170 million On-Lending Agreement between the Government and the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) to support the establishment of a Financially Sustainable Development Bank under the Finance Contract Agreement.

The contract agreement is between the Government and the European Investment Bank for $170 million for the establishment of the bank.

The House approved the Loan Agreement between the governments of Ghana and Republic of Korea for an amount in Korean Won not exceeding the equivalent of $30 million to finance the Medical Equipment Provision Project in response to COVID-19.

A $150-million Financing Agreement between the Government and IDA of the World Bank was also approved to finance the Primary Healthcare Investment Project and another $150 million Financing Agreement to finance the Public Financial Management for Service Delivery Programme.

A $200- million Financing Agreement between the Government and IDA of the World Bank was also approved to finance the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project.

The $60.6 million facility, which the House failed to approve as a third additional financing for the Ghana COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project before rising on April 1, was finally approved at the extraordinary sitting.

The facility is a financing agreement between Ghana and the IDA of the World Bank Group.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority Leader, and Leader of Government Business, urged members of the House to approve the various loan agreements to enable the Government to prosecute its agenda for the nation’s socioeconomic development.

Touching on the $150 million Financing Agreement to finance the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme – Phase Two, the Majority Leader said the facility would go a long way to increase farmers’ access to agriculture technology.

Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the NDC Parliamentary Minority Leader, said looking at the huge debts, which had saddled the nation, that was not the time to take more loans.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, and former Minority Leader, said the nation should not borrow exceedingly beyond a certain threshold.

Dr John Ampontuah Kumah, a Deputy Minister of Finance, addressing the Parliamentary Press corps, said the loan agreements, which the House had approved, were not new loans.

‘These are loans that are already on our books but require parliamentary approval,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency