Category: Business

The Vice-Chancellor of the Accra Technical University (ATU), Professor Samuel Nii Odai, has admonished fresh students and the entire student body of the University to report all forms of harassment to school authorities for appropriate sanctions.

He said the University was ready to offer students the necessary support to grow and develop, including protecting them from all forms of harassment during their time on campus.

Speaking at the matriculation ceremony of some 8,677 fresh students, in Accra, on Saturday, the Vice-Chancellor also cautioned the students to be modest in their dressing and grooming.

He said: “In the University, there are no uniforms, so you have the freedom to choose what to wear to lectures, church service and other functions.

“Please, just don’t dress like a dressed chicken, and lead yourself into unnecessary challenges. Please, remember that what you wear says a lot about you, so, be modest in your choice of dress and grooming,” he added.

A total of 13,015 applicants applied for admission into various programmes at the University for the 2022/2023 academic year.

Out of this, 12,267 applicants received admission to offer courses under its five faculties.

However, Prof Odai noted that, as of the end of Friday, Feb 24, 2023, only 8,677 applicants had paid fees for one of the University’s programmes.

That number, he said, included 1,312 students who applied for various programmes under the Faculty for Applied Arts, 2,241 Faculty of Applied Sciences students and 803 students belonging to the Faculty of Built Environment.

The rest are; the Faculty of Business— 2,529 and Faculty of Engineering — 1,792, while the male-to-female ratio stands at 5,437 and 3,240 respectively.

The Vice-Chancellor also revealed that the University had made significant progress in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), increasing its enrollment by some three per cent, to 71 per cent in the 2022/2023 academic year from 68 per cent in the previous academic year.

Prof Odai said, as a University, its philosophy of “education and training for employment and job creation”, was embedded in all curricula, adding that, it aimed to prepare courses that met the demands of the world of work.

“Your decision to enrol in ATU is one of the best decisions you have made,” he said, assuring them that “the hands-on, practical-oriented training you will receive here will prepare you adequately for the world of work.”

To improve the learning conditions and environment at the University, Prof Odai said, it had invested huge sums of money to procure vehicles, furniture, fixtures and fittings in lecture rooms, libraries and hostels.

He added that students’ hostels had recently received a facelift, while procurement of more classroom furniture was underway.

“New buses have been provided, while the old ones receive a facelift to enhance your study trips and industrial attachments,” he added.

He urged the students to be responsible by taking good care of the facilities.

The Vice-Chancellor also indicated that the University, through its Governing Council had approved an amount of GH¢400,000 to the ATU Students Financial Support scheme, to provide scholarships for students for the 2022/2023 academic year.

He cautioned students to be wary of the unlimited freedom the University environment offered, urging them to stay away from social vices such as drug addiction, gambling, prostitution and drunkenness.

Also, he advised them against examination malpractices, warning that the University took serious offence to such practices and would not shade anyone if caught.

“University examinations and assessment systems are serious business. We do not compromise on any form of academic dishonesty,” he said.

Source: Modern Ghana

Former Black Stars striker, Kwesi Appiah has opened up to provide the history around Christian Atsu’s nickname as Ghana Messi.

According to him, the nickname was given to the late Ghana winger because of his style of play and the fact that the national team relied on him most of the time during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

“He was nicknamed Ghana’s Messi for his style and also the way we relied on him as a team,” Kwesi Appiah who is currently based in England told BBC Sports Africa in an interview.

In remembering the late Black Stars attacker, Kwesi Appiah said it was an honour to play alongside Christian Atsu to create so many special memories.

“He was a joy to be with and a great team-mate, someone who had an abundance of skill and quality.

“He was an exceptional player and I’m really honoured to have shared some special moments with him on the pitch,” he said.

Both Kwesi Appiah and Christian Atsu played for Ghana at the 2015 AFCON tournament.

Source: Ghana Web

Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) of some 15 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Accra are attending a three-day training workshop to build their capacity on air quality monitoring. This is to help the officers to monitor air censuses placed in their respective assembly areas to collect data and analysis them to assist in their planning to solve air pollution issues. The workshop, organised by Ghana Urban Air Quality Project and led by Professor Kofi Amegah of the University of Cape Coast, was to undertake the data component of a two-year Breath Accra Project to mount low-cost air census in some parts of Accra. The project is being sponsored by the Clean Air Fund and working in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In October 2022, the Chief Executives of the 15 MMDAs made a commitment to implement the air quality project in their respective areas and the training of the EHOs in the local assemblies form part of the processes. Prof Amegah in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said what the project sought to do was to bridge the air quality data gaps in Accra, adding that; ‘There is limited monitoring going on and due to that there is lack of data on air pollution level in the city.’ ‘So, the first thing is to have hipper local air pollution data in Accra where we are going to deploy a number of low-cost censuses, which would be interspersed with monitors so that, we can have real time high pollution data for Accra,’ he stated. He said EPA has some Air Quality Management Plan, but its implementation was a problem, stating that, ‘it has not been implemented over years since it was developed because of lack of capacity. ‘If we really want to implement the plan to the letter then that implementation needs to happen at the assemblies. ‘So, what we want to do as part of this project is that we want to build the capacity of the assemblies in air quality monitoring so that they can take charge in addressing air pollution problems in their areas. That is the essence of the training,’ Prof Amegah stated. He said this would go a long way for air pollution issues to become central at the assemblies and, ‘if we are able to achieve that then of course the sky in Accra would be exceptionally clean. He added: ‘In recent times you heard of the story or in the news about Accra being one of the polluted cities in Africa, so such an endeavour would go to clean the air in Accra.’ Mr Desmond C. Appiah, Country Lead – Ghana for Clean Air Fund said having access to clean air was a human right, which was declared by the United Nations, and that it would not happen automatically. ‘We have to understand the causes, the current status of air quality so, we can then know the decisions that can be taken to ensure that the air becomes cleaner,’ he said, adding that; ‘In the past few days everybody is talking about the quality of air. ‘We are excited because at least it is bringing the issues to the fore. It is making people more aware. EPA is doing what it has to do and supporting this project. This project is going to help us collect more information about the quality of air.’ He said the training would be undertaken in series and that was the first one which focused on the data that would be collected by the census and analysis to understand what it means Mr Emmanuel K.E. Appoh, the Managing Consultant of Environfn Consult, said currently air monitoring has become a topical issue because about seven million people were dying annually worldwide. ‘In Ghana about 28,000 people are dying annually for breathing poor air and from the African perspective children are more vulnerable, especially children under five years about 400,000 of them die annually in Sub-Saharan Africa,’ he stated. Mr Appoh said according to the World Bank Analysis Report the economic cost of poor air was huge, and that in the entire world it cost about 450 million US dollars while in Ghana it was about 2.5 billion US dollars. ‘It is a huge cost to government because the GDP value of that amount is about 4.2 per cent. This cost has been assessed based on health outcomes of hospital attendance – medication, loss of man-hours, and productivity. ‘This amount of money could be used for the construction of roads and other serious things, if we have taken good care of the air we breathe,’ saying that there was the need to monitor the air, especially the dust which forms the particles that we breath.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Chief Executive Officer of Asante Kotoko, Nana Yaw Amponsah has become the latest club official to visit the family of late Black Stars winger, Christian Atsu.

Nana Yaw Amponsah was accompanied to Christian Atsu’s family house by David Obeng Nyarko, the Communications Director of Asante Kotoko.

The 2019 Ghana Football Association presidential candidate joins a list of high-profile personalities who went to the house on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, to pen down words of commiseration in the book of condolence opened for Christian Atsu.

Christian Atsu’s body arrived in Ghana in the late hours of Sunday after it was recovered from the rubble following an earthquake in Turkey on February 6.

The 31-year-old got trapped in his destroyed apartment for over a week before he was found dead.

The family is yet to announce plans for the burial and funeral of the winger who was crowned best player at the 2015 AFCON.

Source: Ghana Web

Businessman, Seidu Agongo has filed an application for the recusal of Justice Clemence Honyenuga from the ongoing GH¢217 million financial loss case.

Mr Agongo, who is the second accused person in the case, is being tried along with his agrochemical company Agricult (the third accused person) and the ex-CEO of Ghana Cocoa Board, Dr Stephen Opuni (first accused person).

Dr Opuni, Mr Agongo and Agricult are facing 27 charges including defrauding by false pretences, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and corruption by a public officer in contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

The two men have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GH¢300,000 self-recognisance bail, each.

Justice Honyenuga, on Monday, February 20, 2023, had to adjourn the hearing to Thursday, 23 February 2023, for the defence to move the application.

Mr Agongo’s lead counsel, Mr Nutifafa Nutsukpui, told the court on Monday that they filed the application on Friday, February 17, 2023 but their checks with the court clerk indicated that it was not served on the court.

Mr Nutifafa argued that the nature of the application makes its hearing imperative before the trial could continue.

Mrs Stella Ohene-Appiah, Principal State Attorney, confirmed to the court that the state had been served with the application.

Also, Mr Tony Nyarko Acheampong, who held brief for Mr Samuel Codjoe, counsel for Dr Opuni, confirmed that his side had been served.

He said they had received instructions from their client to file an affidavit, as a necessary consequence of the application.

“We do not intend to waive our rights to file an affidavit in any way so ever,” Mr Acheampong told the court.

Justice Honyenuga then said in view of the very serious matters being raised in the application, he had to adjourn the sitting to Thursday, 23 February 2023 for the application to be moved.

The almost-five-year trial has been dotted with recusal applications since its inception.

In one of such multiple applications, Dr Opuni, accused the Supreme Court judge, who is sitting as an additional High Court judge, of exhibiting “bias tendencies and open hostility” toward him.

Dr Opuni alleged that Justice Honyenuga had been giving the Attorney General preferential treatment in the case.

He filed the affidavit in support of the motion on Friday, 10 December 2021 after one of his many recusal applications resulted in the Supreme Court prohibiting Justice Honyenuga from continuing the hear the matter but victory was short-lived as an enhanced panel of the apex court overturned that ruling, thus, reinstating him on the case.

In his affidavit in support of the post-reinstatement Supreme Court ruling, Dr Opuni said: “I state further that this conduct of the learned judge in unilaterally imposing dates did not happen when the prosecution was presenting its case. During that time, the learned judge always agreed with the lawyers before adjourning the case. Unfortunately, the learned judge has refused to grant me the same conditions and facilities which were afforded to the prosecution.”

Dr Opuni also said Justice Honyenuga “has exhibited open hostility toward me since I opened my defence and this is evident where he (the learned judge), in open court, apart from not hearing my counsel with respect to adjourned dates, bangs his files on his table when giving dates and on his own, orders the court to rise while angrily screaming ‘court rise’. Indeed, at the last hearing on the 9th day of December 2021, the learned trial judge unilaterally adjourned the suit at a time my lawyer was on his feet and addressing him with respect to the proposed adjourned dates and walked away to his chambers.”

The conduct of the judge, Dr Opuni averred, breached his right to a fair hearing and also constitutes a breach of Rule 3 (5) of the code of conduct for judges and magistrates, which stipulates that: ‘A judge shall perform judicial duties without bias or prejudice, A Judge shall not, in the performance of Judicial duties, by words or conduct, manifest bias or prejudice including but not limited to bias or prejudice based upon race, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status, and shall require Court personnel and others not to do so.’

Additionally, Dr Opuni argued that “the fact that the judge is biased toward me is evidence by his prejudicial comment, which he made in court on the 9th day of December 2021 where he stated in open court that the evidence of my witnesses cannot exonerate me save my own evidence”.

“This shows a clear case of bias and that the learned judge has already made his mind even though my first witness has not yet completed his evidence-in-chief. I add that this comment is further evidence that the learned trial judge would not consider the evidence of my witness even though he has not completed his evidence-in-chief.”

The affidavit continued: “That during the examination-in-chief of my first witness, when my lawyer sought to elicit a response from my witness on portions of the findings of fact made by the judge in his ruling dismissing our application for submission of no case, including the above, the learned trial judge stopped him and furiously informed him that he was not going to allow my lawyer to ask questions by referring to his ruling”.

This conduct, Dr Opuni noted, “is one of bias since the questions to be asked are based on the express finding made by the judge with respect to the submission of no case in which the judge made extensive references to the evidence of various prosecution witnesses affirming the basis of his ruling”.

“I state that unless the learned trial judge recuses himself from hearing this matter, I would be denied a fair trial since I would be prevented from conducting the case in a way which I am entitled to by making references in this instance to specific portions of the ruling”.

“I state further that the fact that the learned trial judge is biased is further evidenced from his conduct of the 2nd day of December 2021, where the learned trial judge, even though aware of the fact that I had the constitutional right of deciding the mode of calling witnesses, initially objected to DW1 giving evidence. This was most unfortunate in that at no point in time during the presentation of the case by the prosecution did he seek in any way whatsoever and or howsoever to instruct on the sequence of calling their witnesses”.

“I state further that the learned judge has repeated on numerous occasions since I opened my defence that his diary at the Supreme Court does not afford him enough time, hence his act of imposing these said dates. It is, thus, clear to me that I will not get a fair trial as my trial would be rushed through by his Lordship the trial judge”.

Source: Ghana Web

Accra, Feb. 21, GNA – Vodafone Group Plc has completed the transfer of its 70 per cent majority shares in Vodafone Ghana to the Telecel Group after obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals.

A statement issued jointly by the parties said the agreement was the most recent major change for the Ghanaian telecommunications company since 2008 when Vodafone Group Plc purchased a controlling interest in Ghana Telecommunication Company Limited and established Vodafone Ghana.

Telecel is an Africa-focused telecommunication company, with a brand founded in 1986, operating primarily in Africa and converging telecommunication with fintech, e-commerce, and tech startups.

It said the completion of the agreement to acquire Vodafone Ghana by Telecel Group presented an opportunity for further innovation and continued delivery of unparalleled services to Ghanaians.

The statement said operations of Vodafone Ghana and its three subsidiaries – National Communication Backbone Company Limited (Vodafone Wholesale), Vodafone Ghana Mobile Financial Services Limited (Vodafone Cash), and the Vodafone Ghana Foundation, would continue operations uninterrupted while embracing exciting new possibilities.

Mr Malek Atrissi, Telecel Group’s Chief Operating Officer, said “this acquisition is a testament to our enthusiasm and positive outlook for the Ghanaian market, which we view as a vital market with unlimited potential for digitalisation and innovation in Africa.”

The Chief Operating Officer said the Telecel Group was eager to develop and bring forward-thinking offerings to subscribers, enterprises, and communities in Ghana.

“We look forward to a transformation journey of Vodafone Ghana with the contribution and growth of its human capital. ”

Mrs Patricia Obo-Nai, Vodafone Ghana’s CEO, assured customers and stakeholders of unwavering commitment to continuity across all services and products.

She said: “We are fully committed to delivering excellence across all facets of the business and providing our customers with innovative products and services. We embrace this change as an opportunity for us to explore new and exciting areas of growth.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Government has secured GH¢2,758.65 million from treasury bills in its latest auction on February 17, 2023.

Treasury bills were over-subscribed by GH¢1,050.65 million.

According to the auction results from the Central Bank, the government secured GH¢2.32 billion from the 91-day bill and GH¢435.19 million from the 182-day bill.

The 365-day bill did not have any subscriptions.

The target for the auction was GH¢1.7 billion. However, even though the subscriptions surpassed the target, it was lower than the GH¢3.35 billion secured by the government in last week’s auction.

The interest rates however hovered around 35.8%. Even though the interest rates are high and may be good for investors, this may cost the government more when they mature. After days of picketing, pensioner bondholders who did not sign on to the government’s domestic debt exchange programme, have been exempted according to the finance minister.

The government has therefore noted that the successful conclusion of the debt exchange programme will auger well for its negotiations with the IMF.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta noted that the main financing source for the 2023 budget is treasury bills and concessional loans.

According to him, this has become the case because of the closure of the international domestic bond market.

He made the comment when he appeared before parliament on February 16, 2023.

“Mr Speaker, as the domestic international domestic bond markets are shut, for the financing of government programmes, we are relying on treasury bills and concessional primary sources of financing for the 2023 budget,” he noted.

Source: Ghana Web

The Russian Foreign Ministry and the State Duma (the lower Chamber of Parliamentarians) have agreed to hold the next International Parliamentary Conference “Russia – Africa” in March.

In several official reports, this International Parliamentary Conference was considered as an important stage and integral part of the preparation for the Russia-Africa summit planned for late July.

Under the chairmanship of Boris Vyacheslavovich Gryzlov, the first Russia-Africa Inter-Parliamentary Conference and a special business forum with the theme “Russia – Africa: Horizons of Cooperation” was held on June 15 -17, 2010. The Federation Council and the State Duma still remember the final joint declaration made at the end of the gathering. Absolutely, nothing was pursued and nothing was achieved after that conference in 2010.

Significant change only appeared when Vyacheslav Volodin became the Chairman of the State Duma. The urgent revival of the idea to bring together African parliamentarians appeared on the political scene – a prelude to the first Russia-Africa summit in 2019.

The State Duma then with the Ambassadors of African countries in the Russian Federation held a preparatory meeting to brainstorm for views and opinions for consolidating the future of Russia-Africa relations. The meeting was also aimed at preparing for the proposed Inter-Parliamentary Conference Russia-Africa planned in 2019.

Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma, stressed the importance of regular meetings to shape the future relations between Russia and Africa. “We have great expectations for the inter-parliamentary conference Russia-Africa which we are planning to hold in 2019. In our opinion, it will serve as a stimulus and initiate some processes aimed at the development of relations between our parliaments,” said the Chairman of the State Duma, opening that meeting in April 2019.

“We are going to provide support through the parliamentary dimension for the development of inter-parliamentary contacts in terms of the preparation of the Russia-Africa conference. It was initiated by President Vladimir Vladimirovich during the 10th Anniversary BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in July,” the Chairman of the State Duma emphasized.

During that time, it was believed that such a format would allow to productively discuss the agenda on intensifying relations, bring together approaches on a number of issues and contribute to the preparation of the conference in the framework of agreements reached at the level of heads of state. Still, various agreements are undelivered as noted in the authoritative report titled ‘Situation Analytical Report’ complied by 25 policy experts headed by Professor Sergei Karaganov. That report was presented publicly in November 2021.

Leonid Slutskiy, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, expressed the hope that two-sided parliamentarians meeting would become regular and would be constantly held in Moscow. With the primary aim of creating the basis of a long-term cooperation and the intention of supporting the steady growing interest of Africans in geopolitical developments, Russia now plans to invite heads of African parliaments in March 2023 to Moscow.

The parliamentary platform could be used to exchange views on common problems, common issues for the African continent and the Russian Federation. In addition, as it is always noted and a standard approach, the line-up speeches and presentations full of anti-Western and anti-Europe confrontation instead of concentrating on development-oriented and business initiatives with African countries.

The State Duma, through constructive discussions with African parliamentarians, could possibly increase the efficiency of interaction on issues requiring joint decisions, including sustainable development, international security, environmental protection, fighting poverty and inequality and countering terrorism.

The State Duma has to outline Russia’s priorities for mutual cooperation and further offer useful comprehensive programmes, proposals for cooperation with African countries, with the regional economic blocs and with the pan-African Union. Majority of the African countries are currently looking to improve on their economies and consequently ready to welcome potential external investors with adequate investment funds, regards of political underpinnings. Understandably, geopolitical neutrality is a pragmatic approach for not dispelling potential genuine external players.

As Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted, in his speech delivered in July 2019 at parliamentary forum held in the World Trade Center (WTC) overlooking the Krasnopresnenskaya Naberezhnaya in Moscow, that the State Duma has to bring parliamentarians together for a common purpose of deliberating on the widest range of topical issues, such as global security, sustainable development, the fight against poverty and environmental problems.

Parliamentary diplomacy has to make significant and in-depth contributions to supporting trust and mutual understanding between countries in their search for compromises and balanced solutions to acute international problems, according to Foreign Minister Lavrov.

Interesting to note along these lines of our discussion that since that gathering in 2010, Russian and African parliamentarians have been interacting, mostly chatting over global and regional questions. Reports we have monitored show that many African legislators have visit Moscow. And in terms of reciprocity, Russian legislators have paid a number of working visits to Africa. That is highly commendable, but what African regions, what African countries and what were the results? What have been the achievements aside raising collective voices against “neo-colonialism” and “hegemony” and further make numerous pledges and promises.

Concretely aiming at strengthening further mutual bilateral parliamentary relations, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko headed a group of Russian senators on a reciprocal visit from May 30 – June 01, 2022, to Maputo, Mozambique. The Chairperson of the Federation Council delivered speeches to the deputies of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique and had a separate meeting with the Russia-Mozambique Parliamentary Friendship League.

She expressed satisfaction with the dynamic development of inter-parliamentary relations, the legal basis of which was the protocol on the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation between the Federation Council and the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique.

“Today we will take a new important step towards strengthening the legal framework and sign a full-fledged agreement on inter-parliamentary cooperation between the Federation Council and the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique that meets modern realities. This will allow us to bring our inter-parliamentary contacts to a higher level, and open up broad prospects for the exchange of experience in legislative activity,” Matviyenko emphasized.

In this context of bilateral economic cooperation, the Mozambican Head of State, however, expressed satisfaction with the openness that Russia has been showing high interest to expand bilateral cooperation with Mozambique, especially in the economic and social sectors. Reports monitored from local Mozambican media as well from both Russian and Mozambican government websites indicated that Russia has still been looking for feasible and viable economic sectors to strengthen and broaden cooperation with Mozambique.

Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, during discussions with the Mozambican leader Filipe Nyusi, referred to the need to increase trade between Russia and Mozambique, which amounted to approximately $109 million, and described trade figure as well below its potential. Senator Matvienko, then, invited the Mozambican government to identify more priority areas in which cooperation could be expanded, if Mozambique so agrees on this significant assignment or policy task.

After the Soviet collapse and throughout these three decades (30 years) of Russia-Mozambique relations, Russia and Mozambique have been appropriately described as “reliable and time-tested” partners in Africa. Reviewing the evolutionary processes of bilateral relations, it is about time to highlight development projects undertaken or are currently in progress. But for the Highly Respected Speaker Valentina Matviyenko requesting the Mozambican government to identify priority areas for expansion of cooperation, especially at this time in their bilateral history, seems completely out of place. Completely out, especially during the meeting with President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi.

Long before the Russian delegation’s visit to Maputo, Mozambican leader Filipe Nyusi was in Kremlin in August 2019, held business talks with President Vladimir Putin and then went on to deliver and answered several questions during a special business meeting with Russian entrepreneurs at the World Trade Center. According to several reports, there again bilateral agreements were signed between Moscow and Maputo.

Earlier during the month of February 2020, Chairperson of the Federation Council (the Upper House or the Senate), Valentina Matviyenko, headed a delegation of legislators on a three-day working visit aimed at strengthening parliamentary diplomacy with Namibia and Zambia. This visit showed Russia’s overwhelming commitment to pursuing its strategic interests and supporting its African allies.

According to an official release from the Federation Council, the visit was within the broad framework mechanism of parliamentary consultations between Russia and African countries. The key focus were on political dialogue, economic partnership and humanitarian spheres with Namibia and Zambia. In Zambia, there was an in-depth discussion construction of nuclear plant.

The Zambian Government hopes that upon commissioning of this project, excess power generated from this plant could be made available for export to neighbouring countries under the Southern African Development Community Power Pool framework arrangement.

Under the agreement that was concluded in December 2016 on the construction of the nuclear plant estimated at $10 billion. The processes of design, feasibility study and approvals regarding the project concluded. Russia was unprepared to make financial commitment, and Zambia lacks adequate funds to finance the project.

Russia and Zambia would find options for financing nuclear science and technology in the African country, Chairperson of Federation Council Matvienko said at a meeting with Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. “Now the start of the construction of a center for nuclear science and technology has been suspended due to financial issues. I would like to say that the request submitted to the Russian president is being carefully considered by the ministries and departments. I’m confident that we will jointly find options to promote funding to roll out the construction of a center for nuclear science and technology,” she re-assured.

While the significance cannot be under-estimated, it is also not worrisome that the trip, full of symbolism and promises, concluded without any new major policy announcement. On the other hand, it signals another bid by Moscow to boost relations with the southern Africa region. Without doubt, both Namibia and Zambia still have full-fledged commitments to scaling up traditional diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation.

Despite its highly praised global status, Russia has still lagged far and far behind, in practical terms, economic engagement in Africa. Moscow should begin to count its achievements in Africa, rather than so loud on confrontation. This confrontation approach negatively impacts on Africa’s dream of continental unity. Reports show that Africa is noticeably divided and its “unity” largely seems unrealizable. Chinese have also emphasized that Africa is a field for “cooperation” and not for “confrontation” – this position has been reported in media over the world. Waging war on “neo-colonialism” should rather be actively demonstrating investment capabilities, especially in economic sectors in Africa.

For these few years, in strengthening and expanding relations with African parliaments et cetera, African representatives have, often times, reminded that the relations between Russia and Africa have a long time-tested history, all that concerning Soviet-era assistance to Africa and lined-up on the principles of equality and mutual respect, and that Moscow supports the principle formulated by the African countries – “African solutions to African problems” – and yet Russia’s policy objectives seems far from the African Union Agenda 2063.

Source: Modern Ghana