Category: General

Mr Kofi Okyere Agyekum, the Ranking Member on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, has reminded teachers seeking study leave with pay to secure guarantee from the banks to show their commitment to serving their bonds or paying back to government chest.

More often than not, beneficiaries of the Study Leave with Pay Scheme by the Ghana Education Service (GES) refused to serve their bonds and pay back the money to the Government, he said.

He was of the opinion that when the banks were involved before the leave was granted, it would be easier to retrieve their monies from the beneficiaries.

Mr Agyekum said the Committee had made the recommendation in its 2022 report, but the Auditor-General continued to capture such irregularities in its annual reports.

The Ranking Member made these remarks at the commencement of the PAC Zonal Public Hearing in Tamale, a statement issued by the Media Department of Parliament, copied to the Ghana News Agency said on Wednesday.

The meeting was to consider the 202
2 Auditor-General’s Reports on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Technical Universities and Polytechnics – for the period ended 31 December 2022.

The committee also considered the Pre-University Educational Institutions for the year ending 31 December 2022.

Dr James Klutse-Avedzi, the Chairman of PAC, noted that study leave with pay helped the teachers to acquire additional skills in their field; however, some of the beneficiaries were abusing it and making it a disincentive to the Government.

The Tamale and Bolgatanga Technical Universities also appeared before the Committee.

Concerning the Auditor-General’s report on Pre- University Educational Institutions, the Bagabaga, St John Bosco, and Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya Colleges of Education also appeared before the Committee.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tema Traditional Council (TTC) has performed some traditional rights against the killings of two men and the injuries of three others during the final procession of this year’s Kplejoo festival.

The performance of the rites, which were to invoke the spirits of their gods and ancestors to intervene in such killings and deaths during the celebration of their festivals, was led by Nyaado Nii Dade Abo Hamler, the second Aboitse We Wolomo (traditional priest).

Clad in his white traditional priest apparel and accompanied by the Awudum chief priest, he led the host of priestesses, who were dressed in red, and chanted war songs to signify their hurt and pain as they moved to all 22 clan houses in Tema Newtown to pour libation and perform the necessary rites.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that the Aboitse We priest is the one in charge of all the priestesses in the town and also the priest of Ashaman, one of the two major shrines in the town.

Aboitse clan is said to be the warrior clan of Tema, and hist
ory has it that when their flag is lifted, it means the town is embarking on a war; in that light, their priest leading the traditional rites means the people of Tema were on a spiritual war with the killers of the two.

Mr. Henry Okoe Oninku, the youth spokesperson for the TTC, said even though they were waiting for the Ghana Police Service to investigate the matter, there were some important rites they needed to perform.

Mr. Oninku added that the rites were to ask for peace and rest for those who were killed, while they also invoked the spirit of their gods to intervene in the matter.?

‘We are invoking the powers of our gods; if they will sit and allow people to kill us because we are celebrating our festival, we leave it to them,’ he emphasised.

He said they requested the presence of the police for the performance of the rites to prevent some of the aggrieved youth from taking the law into their own hands, as the TTC was law-abiding.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The city of Accra has officially concluded its yearlong role as the UNESCO World Book Capital with a closing ceremony in preparation to hand over the title to Strasbourg, the capital city of the Grand Est Region, formerly Alsace, in north-eastern France.

The ceremony which was held at Accra City Hall on Wednesday saw officials, writers, and book lovers, gather to honour the city’s achievements and reflect on its accomplishments over the past year.

Accra was designated as the World Book Capital for the year 2023 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for its strong focus on the youth and their potential to contribute to the culture and wealth of Ghana.

During the title year, the city of Accra organised activities and programmes aimed at empowering the youth through the power of books to develop their socio-cultural identity for generational impact.

These included reading sessions in basic schools, carnivals, festivals, markets, inter-school debates, quizzes, train
ing of Persons With Disability (PWDs) and health screening activities, as well as initiatives to improve access to books and educational resources, particularly for underserved communities.

In a welcome address, the Mayor of Accra, Hon Elizabeth K.T. Sackey, disclosed that 5-acre land located at Mamprobi Sempe has been earmarked for the construction of the Accra World Book Capital (AWBC) legacy project.

The project, according to her, was expected to provide an accessible space for utilisation by book writers and other related professionals, to promote writing and reading.

She highlighted the city’s accomplishments during its time as World Book Capital and emphasised that the theme under which the title was launched, “Reading to Connect Minds for Social Transformation,” would “continue to be the driving force and motivation to change the development trajectory of Ghana through the power of books.”

The Mayor was hopeful that the Ministry of Education and other relevant agencies would undertake programmes an
d activities to deepen the culture of reading for the ideals, successes, and legacy of the title year to live on as the City of Accra, prepares to hand over the title to Strasbourg, France.

The Second Lady of Ghana, Samira Bawumia, in a speech read on her behalf by Hon. Ben Abdallah Banda touched on the privilege the country experienced during its tenure as World Book Capital, emphasizing the opportunity to showcase Ghana’s rich literary heritage and share the nation’s storytelling with the world.

She highlighted initiatives such as the Books-to-Go Projects and the African Story Box Project, which provided over 10,000 books and sparked an enthusiasm for reading stressing that these efforts fostered the next generation of writers and readers, paving the way for a prosperous literary future for the nation.

She assured that the government, in collaboration with the private sector, was exploring the creation of a reading and creative writing facility in Accra to foster the culture of reading and writing while
promoting socio-economic growth and addressing unemployment in vulnerable communities in Greater Accra and beyond.

The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, in a statement read on his behalf, disclosed that as part of activities to mark the year, reading materials were distributed to schools and communities across 12 municipalities in Accra and in the Central and Ashanti regions.

He acknowledged that significant progress was made with respect to the six thematic areas set out to realise the objectives of the AWBC adding that these achievements had helped in creating an avenue to discuss pertinent issues confronting the book industry.

Ghana’s Ambassador to France and Permanent delegate to UNESCO, H.E Anna Bossman who introduced a documentary on the AWBC, 2023, The Journey thus far pointed out that the activities held over the past year had created a solid foundation for the country, setting the stage for the initiatives planned for the African Union Year of Education in 2024.

The ceremony concluded with
the presentation of an award to the Akoto Lante Basic School for emerging winners of the AWBC debate on the motion ‘legislative framework and not the education system account for the lack of significant participation of Ghanaian youth in policy and decision making’.

Source: Ghana Web

Kofi Akpaloo, the founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), has stated that he will win the 2024 elections.

Akpaloo asserted that he holds the key to addressing the myriad of challenges facing the nation.

“I will win the 2024 elections. I have been prepared to be President of Ghana, and nothing will stop that. Forget about the strength of the NPP and the strength of the NDC; everybody knows those two are strong parties.

‘I don’t doubt it, but I have one thing within me, and that thing is the Holy Spirit, and I know I will win the elections,’ he said in an interview on Onua TV on April 17, 2024.

Dismissing the traditional dominance of the two major political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Akpaloo asserted that their influence would not pose a challenge to his electoral success.

Instead, he emphasized his conviction in the transformative power of his leadership.

Source: Ghana Web

An international arbitration tribunal has ruled that the seat of the international arbitration instituted by Cassius Mining Company Limited against the Republic of Ghana shall be Ghana, and not London, as claimed by Cassius Mining.

The Tribunal on February 28, 2024, delivered its decision on the main preliminary issues argued by Ghana’s Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, and lawyers of Cassius Mining in December 2023 and upheld Ghana’s contention that the High Court of Ghana retains supervisory jurisdiction over the multi-million-dollar arbitration between Cassius Mining Limited and the Government of Ghana (GoG).

The ruling means that the High Court can grant reliefs regarding the arbitration. Also, any resulting award or ‘judgment debt’ from the Tribunal is subject to the laws of Ghana and can be set aside by the High Court under the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 798).

This is the first time since 2003 that an international arbitration tribunal has ruled that the High Court retains jur
isdiction in an international arbitration to which the GoG is a party.

In the past, tribunals have determined that courts in the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Washington D.C. exercise such jurisdiction and can enforce processes for the execution of any award by international tribunals. This has been very costly for the GoG with Ghana’s assets seized in foreign courts and Ghana hiring foreign lawyers to seek remedies in those foreign courts.

In yet another fatal blow to Cassius, the tribunal held that the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules shall not apply to the international arbitration and that the arbitration is subject to the rules of Ghana’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Act. This is a resounding vindication of the position the Attorney-General of Ghana took right from the start of Cassius’ arbitration.

Whilst refusing to stay proceedings, the tribunal also upheld Ghana’s contention that Cassius is not entitled to invoke the arbitration provisions contained in section 27(3) of the Minerals and Mining Act,
2006 (Act 703). Ghana had argued that Cassius was not a holder of mineral rights under Ghanaian law. This ruling cast grave doubt on Cassius’ allegation that the GoG breached the Minerals and Mining Act.

The tribunal held that it was not in a position to determine whether the Licence of Cassius was invalid for lack of ratification by the Parliament of Ghana, and that Ghana may pursue that objection in the next phase of the proceedings.

Cassius Mining Limited has been fighting Ghana in various international arbitration forums since February 2023, seeking compensation amounting to about USD300 Million over what it claims were breaches of contract and Ghana’s mining laws when the GoG did not extend the term of the company’s Prospecting Licence Agreement (PLA) which allowed it to prospect for gold.

The PLA was signed on 28 December 2016 – a few days before the John Mahama administration handed over power to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has indicated tha
t with the tribunal upholding its contention that the international arbitration was subject to the jurisdiction of Ghanaian courts, he intends to seek a determination of the constitutionality of the PLA using the power of the High Court to determine any question of law that arise during an arbitration proceeding.

Cassius has made various attempts to escape the High Court’s supervisory jurisdiction. These attempts include arguing that the arbitration should be held under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, Netherlands, that the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 798) should not apply to the arbitration, and that the High Court in London should have jurisdiction over the arbitration.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame (the ‘AG’), has successfully resisted Cassius’ forum shopping attempts. The latest ruling from the international arbitration tribunal comes after multiple rounds of written submissions and an oral hearing held on 4 December 2
023, at which the Attorney-General personally conducted Ghana’s defence.

Cassius Mining was represented by both an international law firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan LLP and a Ghanaian law firm ENS Africa. It would be recalled that the High Court in July 2023, issued an injunction restraining the international arbitration from proceeding which Cassius ignored. This ruling by the international arbitration tribunal, however, affirms the jurisdiction of Ghana’s High Court.

The international tribunal’s decision is a significant boost to the Government of Ghana’s valiant efforts to resist Cassius’ claim. The Attorney-General has stated that his Office remains resolute in fighting unmeritorious international arbitration claims against the Government and negotiating dispute resolution agreements that protect the state’s interest.

Source: Ghana Web

Last week, senior Indian diplomat, Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, paid a pay a visit to Uganda, as part of his three-nation African tour.

Ravi addressed the Uganda-India Business Conclave, which saw a 35-member multi-sectoral business delegation from India traveling to the African country to seeking to expand ties in areas from manufacturing and agriculture to renewable energy, healthcare, and tourism. Expanding ties with Uganda is part of India’s broader strategy in Africa – and it comes at a critical time.

In January this year, Uganda hosted the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, followed by the third South Summit and the G77+China Summit. This is indeed an important milestone for the Ugandan President, both diplomatically and politically.

The landlocked country of East Africa, Uganda was recently suspended from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by the United States due to multiple accusations related to human rights violations. This was f
ollowed by the freezing of new lending to Uganda by the World Bank.

Given the above, President Yoweri Museveni ensured the guests were impressed during the Summit. In his speech, he pledged to realign the country’s foreign policy to emphasize greater cooperation among the Global South. In its bid to dodge the American economic bullet, Uganda seeks new partnerships beyond China. In India, Museveni may be seeing one.

India, as a founding member of NAM, actively participates in the Summits, and in 1983, hosted the 7th Summit in New Delhi. The fact that Dr S Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs, represented India at the 19th NAM Summit illustrates India’s support for Uganda.

As a matter of fact, to help Uganda host the Summits, India donated the government of Uganda 10 executive buses, five ambulances, ten tractors, 2,664 flags, and flag poles prior to the event. India may find Uganda to be a credible partner in East Africa. Undoubtedly, the endorsement for Uganda’s 2024-2027 presidency of the NAM
grouping is a testament to the country’s leadership and multilateral engagements.

India may find Uganda to be a credible partner in East Africa. Undoubtedly, the endorsement for Uganda’s 2024-2027 presidency of the NAM grouping is a testament to the country’s leadership and multilateral engagements. However, New Delhi is likely to tread carefully in furthering its relations with Kampala given its strong ties with China and recent altercation with the USA.

India’s Relations with Uganda: Past and Present

The relationship between India and Uganda dates back to when Indian sailors traded goods in dhows across the Indian Ocean, long before the Christian era, when European sailors sailed around the world. The word ‘dhow’ in Swahili refers to any pre-European ship found in the Indian Ocean, especially those that originate in India.

After the abolition of slavery in 1834, the British brought with them more than 30,000 Indian ‘coolies’, a racist term for indentured laborers, for the construction of the Uganda Rail
way. Eventually, a large number of them settled in East Africa and made Uganda their home.

India’s freedom struggle inspired the early Ugandan activists to fight colonization. In 1960, known as the Year of Africa, marked a turning point of African independence with 17 new countries created just that year, and another 18 in the next year.

On 14 December 1960, a “Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples” was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, which proclaimed the necessity to ‘steadfastly bringing to a speedy and unconditional end the provisions of the Charter and the present colonialism in all its forms and manifestations.’

The matter was initially proposed for inclusion in the agenda of the Assembly’s fifteenth session by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev, during his address to the General Assembly on 23 September 1960. Uganda became independent on October 9, 1962.

However, in August 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin ord
ered the country’s entire South Asian population to be expelled, accusing them of sabotaging the economy. Around 50,000 Indians and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) along with other Asians had to leave.

Five decades later, in January this year, the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni called that move a ‘mistake’ and expressed gratitude to the Indian community of Uganda for the service that they rendered over the decades. Indeed, anti-Indian policies were promptly reversed once Museveni assumed office in 1986. Several actions have been taken to guarantee the reinstatement of bilateral relations, including the return of belongings that had been confiscated from Indians and PIOs.

Uganda’s Growing Bonhomie with India

Kampala and New Delhi have significantly deepened trade ties over the past two and a half decades. Since 1995, when the constitution established Uganda as a Republic, India’s trade with Uganda witnessed a sharp rise, almost nine percent annually, and today, it stands at nearly $1.3 billion. Indian
exports to Uganda stand at $ 695 million rising from just $ 57.4 million in 1995.

Since 2008, Uganda has been part of India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme that India offers to almost 35 least-developed Countries. Based on the scheme, 98% of India’s total tariff lines are duty-free. Uganda’s exports to India consisted mainly of coffee, cocoa beans, and dried legumes, while it imported primarily pharmaceutical products, vehicles, plastic, paper and paperboard, and organic chemicals.

India’s Burgeoning Diaspora

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history in 2018 when he addressed the Ugandan parliament as the first Indian Prime Minister. During the PM’s visit, several agreements were signed, including one that waived the requirement for a visa for official and diplomatic passport holders, established a regional material laboratory in Uganda, and agreed to bilateral defense cooperation.

The PM also announced two Lines of Credit totaling $64 million for the production of dairy and agricultura
l products as well as $141 million for the construction of electrical lines and substations. Additionally, it was announced that numerous Indian Army training centers would provide additional training to the Uganda People’s Defence Force.

India’s first overseas educational campus was established in Uganda when, in April 2023, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) of India inaugurated its campus in Jinja.

Notably, this town, in southern Uganda, on the shore of Lake Victoria, is also the center of the country’s Indian community. In 1997, Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi there. Few know that in 1948, a portion of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed in the Nile near Jinja.

Today, the Indian diaspora residing in Uganda exhibits the most robust and long-lasting cultural and economic ties towards Uganda. There may only be 20,000 Indians in Uganda, making up less than one percent of the country’s overall population. Yet, they provide about 65% of all national taxes.

Inde
ed, Indians living in Uganda play a significant role in the Ugandan economy, especially in sectors like manufacturing, trade, agro-processing, banking, sugar, real estate, hotels, tourism, and information technology. They are not only some of the biggest taxpayers in the country but also provide jobs to thousands of Ugandans. Over the last two decades, these PIOs and NRIs have invested more than $1 billion in Uganda.

To further India’s connectivity with Uganda, last year, Ugandan Airlines launched direct flights between Kampala and Mumbai. The service, initially revealed in 2021, is Uganda Airlines’ only second destination outside of Africa.

As a result, Ugandan Airlines joined Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia as the fifth flag carrier to connect their national capitals with India. The airline now operates from Mumbai thrice a week and aspires to expand to include new and important destinations in Delhi and Chennai.

Diplomatic rapprochement

Uganda has vacillated between steady economic growth and aut
horitarian leadership. President Yoweri Museveni, who has been ruling the country for 35 years, has won another term in 2021 and is set to lead for another five years.

While the country has managed to rebound from the pandemic and marked a 5.3% growth in the 2023 financial year ($114 billion at the end of 2023 in PPP term), the state of its economy looks dire amid mounting debt from China the World Bank and the IMF, including $1 billion Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement for past-pandemic recovery from IMF.

Since Uganda’s severe anti-LGBTQ legislation, its relations with the United States have plummed. To recall, in May 2023, Uganda enacted its contentious Anti-Homosexuality Act, which carries a life sentence or perhaps the death penalty for homosexuality.

Since January 1, 2024, the USA has barred Uganda from benefitting from AGOA as a measure of punishment. AGOA is a preferential trade arrangement that allows member countries duty-free access to the US market for around 6,000 products.

The US dec
ision has created ripple effects for Uganda’s economy, deterring World Bank loans and many Western foreign direct investments. As this economic pushback may potentially increase the inequality in the already volatile nation, the country may eventually lean on economic support from China. In the words of President Museveni, ‘In case Uganda has no other choice than borrowing, there exists plenty of non-Bretton Woods sources who are eager to lend’.

With huge opportunities available in the Indian market, Uganda can make better use of India’s duty-free tariff scheme, and recover its losses from missing out AGOA. A stronger India-Uganda relations, including bilateral trade and increased investments from India, could deter the country from turning entirely towards China. Currently, India and Uganda are two of the closest allies.

As Uganda retains the Presidency of NAM for the next three years, India can make use of its historic and present relation with Uganda and together, may effectively assume the leadership of
the Global South under the banner of NAM.

Indeed, EAM Jaishankar’s second visit in as many years is a powerful sign of growing bonhomie between the two countries and the relevance of one to the other. Therefore, Uganda’s role as a champion and future leader of the Global South will be determined by how well it manages its multi-alignment.

Source: Ghana Web

At least one suspect has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery attack in which a level 400 student of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) was shot and killed Tuesday night.

The suspect is in custody, a source at the Odomase Police Station told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday.

The deceased, Abdul Aziz Issah, was among a group of students of the School of Energy, returning from an excursion to the Bui Power Generating Station when the incident occurred.

The body had since been deposited at a mortuary in Sunyani, while the police continued with their investigations, the source said.

Other students who sustained injuries are responding to treatment at the Sunyani Teaching Hospital.

Reports indicate that the robbery happened around 2130 hours on the Badu-Odomase stretch, where the GNA learnt the robbers had attacked the communities and motor riders along the stretch, before the students got there and were also attacked.

Mr Attah Kwasi Dognekoh, the Assemblyman, Abronye Electo
ral Area, Sunyani West Municipality, said he received a distress call on the alleged robbery and quickly rang to inform the Odomase police.

He said the robbers had left when the police arrived.

Mr Attah said the robbers fired sporadic gunshots and attacked residents at the Ahayenso, Wabiese and Tumiako communities and made away with undisclosed sums of money, mobile phones and other valuables.

They also attacked and robbed some motor bike riders who were using the stretch.

At the time of filing this report, the GNA learnt that the police had visited and interacted with authorities of the university.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Opare Addo, has declared that the party lacks trust in the judicial system as it prepares for the 2024 elections.

He emphasised that the NDC’s focus would be on securing votes at the polling stations rather than relying on the courts.

Opare Addo’s comments come in response to a warning from Interior Minister Henry Quartey regarding violent and inciting comments ahead of the elections.

Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on April 17, 2024, he criticised the minister, stating that he should advise his own party members, as they are the ones making inappropriate remarks.

“If he is giving any form of advice, he should advise his own party members because they are saying things that are not appropriate. They are saying they won’t hand over power; the NDC can’t win power.

“He should tell Jean Mensa to do things right at the Electoral Commission because no NDC member has gone to say any violent-inciting comments. All the people who h
ave said such things are his own party people, so he should advise them,” he said.

He emphasised that while the party would ensure that the right things were done, it would not allow anyone to cheat them.

“We are a law-abiding political party; we will do the right things, but we won’t allow anybody to cheat us.

“We will make sure the right things are done, and this time around, we have said that we don’t have any belief and confidence in the court, [so] we will display results at the polling station; we will make sure we secure the ballots at the polling station,” he added.

Source: Ghana Web