Category: General

By Charity Nginyu

On the night of Friday, April 26, 2024, a devastating tanker explosion rocked the Eleme section of the East-West Road in Rivers State, killing at least five persons on the spot.

Reports indicate that a petrol-laden tanker collided with a heavy-duty truck, triggering a massive fireball that engulfed the surrounding area.

According to an eyewitness, the collision led to the spillage of the tanker’s highly flammable contents, which quickly ignited, resulting in a catastrophic inferno.

The fire rapidly spread along the stretch engulfing over 70 vehicles trapped in the ensuing gridlock. The unfortunate incident occurred amidst ongoing construction on the road.

Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the State Police Command, confirmed the casualty figure, stating, ‘For now, about five persons are dead.’ She further noted that the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, along with law enforcement personnel and officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps, had been deployed to the scene to maintain
order and coordinate rescue operations.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Embassy of Hungary has hosted a wine and food pairing event to introduce Ghanaians to Hungarian wines.

The event afforded the Embassy the opportunity to share the wine history and tradition that transcends generations.

Mr. Tamás Endre Fehér, the Ambassador of Hungary to Ghana, said wine had been a key export product and a vital sustenance for the country’s citizens.

‘Today, Hungary is one of the major wine producers globally with a total of 22 wine regions,’ he said.

Reverend Dr Lawrence Tetteh, President and Founder of the Worldwide Miracle Outreach, said Hungary had a strong historic tie with Ghana back to the formative years of the country.

‘Hungary has played a lot of roles in the lives of Ghanaians. The 38 advisors Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah had all come from Hungary. I had the privilege to be thought by some of them in the Economic University of Hungary,’ he said.

He urged Ghanaians to consider Hungary as a key destination for studying abroad due to the high educational standards, favourable ed
ucational opportunities and the hospitality of Hungarians.

Mrs Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya-West Constituency and the Chairperson of the Ghana Parliamentary-Hungary Friendship Association, observed that the Hungarian Embassy had proactively promoted Hungarian businesses in Ghana.

The law maker who has Hungarian linage, suggested that Ghanaian businesses be promoted in Hungary, too.

‘…And I’m not saying this because am half Hungarian, half Ghanaian, but because that is the truth.

‘I think friendships like this are reciprocal and in as much as we are promoting made in Hungary product and businesses in Ghana, the GIPC and other investment partners should be able to promote Made in Ghana products in Hungary,’ she said.

The sampled wines, which included Vojtek Apainkra and Scamp Olaszrizling are to be imported into the country by Parvel Investment.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has said that the Federal Government is utilising a dual-pronged approach to combat illegal mining in the country.

Alake stated this while declaring open a two-day ministerial stepdown retreat, organised for the staff of the ministry and its parastatals on Friday in Abuja.

The theme of the retreat is ‘Delivering on the Eight Presidential Priorities.’

The retreat is geared towards ensuring that the workers performed their duties diligently in line with the eight presidential priorities of the Tinubu’s administration, particularly in unlocking energy and natural resources for sustainable development.

Alake said that the dual approach comprised both coercive and persuasive measures, being concurrently to get the desired result.

He explained that the persuasive method involved formalising artisanal and illegal miners into cooperatives, where they could attract adequate funding and be easily identified for incentives and other interventions.

‘Their b
usiness will become enhanced and they can attract funding from financial institutions.

‘They can increase their profits then government can identify with them and obtain the necessary royalties, taxes and revenue that have been lost before,’ he said.

According to the minister, within three months of the policy, no fewer than 70 cooperatives have been established.

He said that part of the coercive approach was the establishment of the Mining Marshal Corp who were recently deployed to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to secure the mining environment.

The Minister said that Africa possessed more than 60 per cent of the worlds natural resources and should take advantage of the resources to develop its economy by demanding value addition for its mineral resources.

He reiterated that approval for licences would only be given to mining companies that would comply with value addition to mineral resources.

Alake pointed out that Nigeria has the critical minerals needed for the global energy transi
tion in commercial quantities but required the cooperation of its workforce to assist in marketing the products and sanitising the sector.

He said that the government was marketing its solid minerals to attract foreign direct investment, create jobs, support small and medium-sized companies, and foster sustainable economic development.

The Minister said that the retreat was a period for the workers to reflect on their performance and make necessary adjustments, as productivity was key to achieving the presidential priorities areas.

He added that it was an opportunity for the workers to engage in fruitful discussions, especially towards the ministry’s seven-point agenda, shared best practices, and identifying innovative strategies to actualise the presidential priorities.

‘The importance of delivering on this priority area (energy and natural resources) cannot be over emphasised.

‘The Nigerian economy is in dire need of rapid economic growth through the solid mineral sector, given the limitless value this
sector can provide.

‘I believe with the efforts of everyone in this room, the Nigerian Economy can be positively catalysed,’ he said.

The Minister maintained that good character and the right mental capacity were required to achieve the ministry’s seven-point agenda.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Front, SDF party, Honorable Joshua Osih has revealed his plan of action, with focus of challenging the ruling CPDM party in the 2025 presidential election.

Chairman Osih made the revelation during his tour to Bamenda on Friday April 26, 2024.

The SDF Chairman who doubles as Member of Parliament and Questor visited Bamenda for the first time, since his election as Chairman in October 2023. The visit is inline with him mission to tour all ten regions of the country.

While in Bamenda, Osih met with section presidents and militants of the party, where he listened to their worries and proposed solutions.

‘Our task is to be back on the field. We are confident of our capacity to bring change. And for that to happen, we have to be in a situation of power. I have this strong feeling that when the SDF will win , it should win on the basis of a strong program,’ Osih said.

Osih also called on the population of the North West region to register and have their voters card
s.

Before arriving Bamenda, the delegation first visited Ni John Fru Ndi’s tomb in Baba II village, Santa subdivision, where they paid him respect.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

A new report by a pan-African organisation, Paradigm Initiative (PIN) spotlighting the state of digital rights and inclusion in 26 African countries, has been released.

The 2023 Londa report, which was released during the just ended Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in Accra, highlighted cross-cutting issues, including Internet shutdowns and disruptions, data protection, and disinformation during elections.

It further highlighted online gender-based violence, cyber-security, surveillance, digital divide, access to Universal Service Fund (USF), freedom of expression and access to information which arose in countries across the continent.

The three-day event, which took place between from April 23 to April 25, 2024, brought together hundreds of delegates from 61 countries, provided a platform to shape conversations on digital policy in Africa, debate policy directions and forge partnerships for action.

It incorporated a blend of panel sessions, launches, tech demos, pre-event workshops, lightning ta
lks, and exhibitions under diverse tracks, including digital rights, digital inclusion, and digital security.

There were over 80 sessions hosted and more than 1,000 registered delegates.

Speaking at the event, PIN’s Board Vice Chair, Dr Aida Opoku-Mensah, said:’We hope that the insights gained and connections forged during the forum would inspire tangible action and positive change in pursuit of a more equitable and just digital future.’

Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Director General, Ghana Cyber Security Authority (CSA), pointed out that a key pillar of digital inclusion was guaranteeing an affordable internet accessible to all segments of the society.

?’In Ghana, initiatives such as the National Broadband Infrastructure Project, Girls in ICT Programme, and the free Wi-Fi for senior high schools programme has helped to expand access to the internet in under-served communities and bridge the digital divide,’ he added.

Also, launched at the event were the organisation’s digital toolkits, Ripoti and Ayeta.

De
legates who attended the event had a chance to watch the organisation’s fourth film, Undersight, which will be premiered in May 2024.

The Londa report noted that 2023 was a progressive year with countries such as Nigeria and Malawi enacting and passing data protection laws.

However, it raises concerns about on-line gender-based violence, which is a barrier to women’s inclusion on online platforms.

It further revealed that in 2023, there were information disorders, with election period breeding disinformation in countries such as Nigeria.

Another major finding in the report was that last year, there were internet disruptions in five out of the 26 countries monitored.

Mauritania and Ethiopia had blatant internet shutdowns, while Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Senegal had varied degrees of internet throttling and partial shutdowns on mobile internet networks.

In Sudan, internet access disruption was caused by power outages. Tunisia had notable progress in expanding internet access and connectivity through initi
atives such as ‘the national education network, satellite internet trials, and efforts to bridge connectivity gaps in marginalised communities.’

Given the wide digital divide still being experienced on the continent, the report examines implementation of the Universal Service Fund (USF) aimed at addressing national access to universal services to bridge the divide.

The failure of governments to disclose the amounts available under USF, the report added, was a masking veil on transparency, showing gaps in good governance practices.

The report lauded the long-awaited adoption of the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) which came into force on June 8, 2023, following Mauritania’s ratification in May 2023.

‘An area for advocacy is calling for African states to accede to the treaty. This will ensure commitment across the continent to foster data protection practices that enhance trade and cross-border data flows guided by regional cooperation on universal
ly adopted and respected data protection principles,’ it added.

Another development witnessed in 2023 was the adoption of a resolution urging African states to refrain from deploying targeted mass communications surveillance to attack vulnerable groups such as human rights defenders and the media, promoting freedom of expression and right to privacy.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted Resolution 573 on the deployment of mass and unlawful targeted communication surveillance and its impact on human rights in Africa at the 77th Ordinary Session held from 20th October to 9th November 2023. ?

Partner organisations that worked with PIN to host DRIF24 in Ghana are E-Governance and Internet Governance Foundation for Africa (EGIGFA), University of Media, Arts and Communication- Institute of Journalism, Media Foundation for West Africa, Inclusive Tech Group, Internet Society (ISOC) Ghana Chapter and Human Security Research Centre (HSRC).

Event sponsors include Wikimedia, African Digital Rig
hts Network, Ford Foundation, Luminate, Google, Kingdom of The Netherlands, Mott Foundation, Open Technology Fund (OTF), Internews, Small Media, International Justice Clinic UC Irvine School of Law, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Alhaji Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Bishop Mathew Kukah, Founder of the Kukah Centre, have urged Nigerians to work toward building a united nation.

The duo made made the call at the National Integration Conference with the theme: ‘Revisiting the National Question: Nigeria’s Elusive Search for National Integration’, organised by the Kukah Centre.

The conference, which was held in Abuja on Friday, was organised with support from Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO).

Tajudeen, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, said that Nigeria’s pluralism and its vast diversity in ethnicity, language and religion, remain a valuable asset to the nation.

He said that embracing and leveraging its pluralism would propel Nigeria towards a more unified and prosperous future where the collective strengths of its diverse population would be fully harnessed.

‘Our diversity should be our strategic advantage, making us more resilient, innovative and cohesive as a natio
n.

‘Our ongoing constitutional amendment process also aims to strengthen these mechanisms, promoting a more inclusive, fair and just society.

‘As your representatives, we pledge to continue promoting policies that foster integration, celebrate our diverse heritage and build a stronger and more united Nigeria.

‘I challenge us all, as a people, to reject bigotry of any kind and embrace tolerance, empathy, and unity,’ he said.

Tajudeen said that by so doing, a Nigeria, where every citizen is valued and empowered, would be built.

‘Let us work towards a future united by the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood in one strong, indivisible nation,’ he said

Tajudeen spoke further: ‘Although Nigeria is a diverse country, the central challenge remains in balancing diverse interests in a way that promotes national unity while respecting the identities and rights of all constituent groups.

‘The burden of fostering national cohesion and effectively managing diversity rest on leaders across all facets of our society.
The challenge is for government, religious organisations, traditional institutions and families.

‘Holding government accountable, promoting economic empowerment, inclusive governance and education are important tools in fostering national unity,’ he said.

He called for the review of the primary and secondary school curricular to ensure that young Nigerians understood the various cultures and religions in the Nigeria.

Kukah, while stressing the urgent need for nation building, urged all Nigerians to stop the blame game and unite for the good of the country.

‘Building our nation is not about apportioning blames. It is about the urgency of national integration.

‘National integration doesn’t necessarily mean everybody must be the same. It is for us in Nigeria to understand the intricacies of managing diversity.

‘National cohesion is important because without it, it is impossible for us to grow.

‘This country is increasingly in recession. So, the urgency of national cohesion is a call that we must make and
continue to make,’ he said

Kukah said that anybody, who called himself or herself a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, should believe in the Constitution and build Nigeria.

Mr Annup Vyas, Head of Conflict, Stability and Security, FCDO, in a remark, said that as a partner in Nigeria’s democracy, UK is pleased to be supporting efforts to build a stronger and more resilient Nigeria.

Vyas said that integration and the democratic institutions that promote unity usually face many challenges.

He, however, expressed confidence that with the discourse and the important decisions that came from it, the nation had the potential to identify new ways to overcome such barriers .

‘Unity, purpose and national cohesion can help unlock Nigeria’s potential and generate inclusive growth for all.

‘So, I hope this discussion will pave the way for a brighter, more prosperous future for all,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Apostle Dr Moses Sepenu, the Chairman of the Akatsi Local Council of Churches, has called on Christians to promote unity regardless of their church affiliations.

‘I am calling on you to unite with other Christians regardless of your religious groupings in the uplifting of Jesus and for the unity of the body of Christ,’ he urged.

Apostle Dr Sepenu made the call at Akatsi in the Volta Region during the opening of this year’s Presbytery Representative Conference of the Global Evangelical Church (GEC) at the Shalom Chapel auditorium.

‘John 17:21 underscores the importance of unity among believers as a powerful testimony to the world,’ he said.

The call served as a challenge for Christians to strive for harmony, love, and oneness in the body of Christ, reflecting the divine relationship between the Father and the Son.

Apostle Dr Sepenu explained that Jesus’ prayer for unity serves as a call to embody the love and unity of God in human relationships with one another, ultimately glorifying God, and drawing othe
rs to faith in Christ.

Apostle Paul Gidigasu, the General Secretary of the Apostolic Vision Church International, in his see turn, commended GEC and the entire Presbytery for extending God’s love to other workers of the same faith.

That, he said, was proper in building God’s Kingdom by ensuring that all Christians worked in harmony and in love to the glory of God.

More than 120 delegates and church workers are participating in the three-day event on the theme: ‘Be Holy in All You Do.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Community volunteers trained to follow up on commitments by government, cocoa and mining companies to address forced/child labour issues in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality have called for an extension of such projects to other communities.

The project dubbed: ‘Tackling forced and child labour in Ghanaian cocoa and gold-mining sectors,’

Seeks to reduce the menace in those areas.

Rainforest Alliance, a non-governmental organisation, is implementing the project together with International Cocoa Initiative and Solidaridad West Africa.

It is funded from the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

Four districts: Atwima Mponua, Atewa East, Wassa Amenfi West and Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai in the Ashanti, Eastern, Western and Western North Regions, respectively, are benefiting from the project.

At a joint quarterly district dialogue with the stakeholders at Asankragwa in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality, the volunteers were appreciative of the positive impact of
the intervention on the lives of community members, especially children and vulnerable groups.

They discussed challenges and sustainability of the project while appreciating the donor and Rainforest Alliance.

They noted that school enrollment had increased, and they had been empowered to demand their due from companies and duty bearers and appealed to the donors to include more communities in the Wassa Amenfi West into the project.

Mr Manasseh Ameworlor, stakeholder from a cocoa buying company, said to sustain the project his outfit would continue to do its remediation services where they targeted children at risk or those already engaged in child labour.

‘We give them support to ensure they come out of the problem,’ he added.

He said last year his outfit enrolled 18 children into primary and junior high school, and three people into apprenticeship programme, and that it would continue to do same this year to safeguard the future of children in their operational areas.

Responding to the concerns raised
by the volunteers on the lack of classroom block at Aboi Nkwanta and Pantose, Mr Ameworlor said ‘we will take it up to my community development manager in our organization and see what can be done.’

Ms Naomi Krakue, a representative from the assembly, assured that the assembly had been working tirelessly to end forced and child labour in every community within the municipality.

She promised to forward all the issues raised by the various stakeholders to the appropriate authorities to be addressed as soon as possible.

Mr Anthony Kwame Darko, Programme Director for New Generation Concern, commended all the stakeholders for their dedication to duty and entreated them to work hard as the project had not yet ended.

Mr Richard Oblitei Tetteh, a representative of Rainforest Alliance, explained that the project was a step in the right direction as it aimed at complementing government’s efforts in eradicating child labour, forced labour in the Ghanaian cocoa and gold mining sectors.

He said over the last three ye
ars, the project had provided adequate support for cocoa companies, traders, cooperatives, farmer groups and gold associations to implement measures that would help to prevent, identify and address forced and child labour.

Significant achievements had been made and these included the training of 212 government agencies such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Minerals Commission and Child Labour Unit to enhance their knowledge and skills in child and forced labour issues.

Over 220 cooperatives representing 40,000 farmer cooperatives/ gold associations have been trained in a five -day Training of Trainers on Human Rights Due Diligence.

There has also been the formation and strengthening of 40 Community Child Protection Committees to identify, monitor and report child and forced labour related activities among others.

‘Undoubtedly, the achievements of these feats would not have been possible without the involvement of key stakeholders and the significant roles they played,’ Mr Tett
eh added.

He urged all stakeholders to continue to work together to end child labour and give every child a chance to succeed since they are the future of the world.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Vice-Chancellor of Trinity University, Yaba, Lagos, Prof. Clement Kolawole, has urged parents to show more commitment to the general activities of their children in their academic pursuit.

Kolawole in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said this would go a long way in enhancing their children’s success in their studies.

According to him, it is not enough to pay their children’s tuition and provide other requirements; parents must also check their activities.

He said that aside the major requirements, such as school fees, personal needs and other academic materials, parents should pay attention to the behaviours, attitudes and academic performances of their children.

‘This is more realistic and obtainable in private universities like ours, and the idea is for us school management and parents to work together to help these young minds to achieve their potentials.

‘We expect parents to link up with us so that we can work together to monitor, get the students on the right track and focus on
the reasons they are here on campus.

‘I have some parents that call me from to time to make inquiries about their children’s academic performances and behaviours on campus; that is the collaboration we are soliciting for.

‘On our part, we try to monitor the students and where we find any form of misbehaviour, we invite their parents to relate to them before sanctioning them, and some parents will be shocked,’ he said.

According to the vice-chancellor, students must know their obligations and rights, and be expressive. They must also ensure that they portray and uphold the good image of the institution.

‘We encourage them to open up where they are having difficulties, even among their peers, because some of them hide to do some funny things.

‘With such information, we will be able to respond swiftly,’ he said.

Kolawole, however, identified financial constraints as the major challenge facing the institution, adding that the management had been working within the limited resources available.

He said that
in spite of the challenges, the institution still allowed payment by installments from parents, irrespective of the courses and the stipulated fees.

According to him, the institution has facilities to accommodate about 85 per cent of the students on campus, adding that management is working within the limit of its resources so as not to add to the financial burden.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria