Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has said the Lagos Red Line rail would be unveiled in February.
Sanwo-Olu said he has written to President Bola Tinubu regarding the unveiling of the rail line.
He disclosed this at the Lagos West Senatorial District Town Hall Meeting held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton, Ikeja.
“Our Red Line rail will be unveiled in February. In fact, we have written officially to Mr President to come and help us unveil it in February this year,” Sanwo-Olu said.
In December 2023, Sanwo-Olu unveiled the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Red Line Ikeja Overpass.
Sanwo-Olu, while unveiling the overpass, expressed hope that the Red Line rail, which, according to him, is 95 per cent completed, will be unveiled by Tinubu before the end of the first quarter of 2024.
He added that the Red Line rail, when operational, will convey about 500,000 passengers daily. Credit: dailypost.ng
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has said that the Federal Government will commence discussions on the new minimum wage with labour unions in March.
Idris disclosed this at the 21st Daily Trust Dialogue and presentation of the 2023 African Award of the Year on Thursday in Abuja.
The dialogue, with the theme ‘Tinubu’s Economic Reforms: Gainers and Losers’, was organized by the Media Trust Group.
He said when the fuel subsidy was removed, President Bola Tinubu initially promised to pay N25,000 wage award to workers to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal.
“But Labour was not comfortable. We entered into negotiation with Labour and after a long discussion with them and President Tinubu, we arrived and agreed at N35,000 which was accepted.
“The President said the N35,000 will be paid for six months to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy. That would be from September 2023 to February 2024.
“So after the payment of the wage award for six months; in March, the government and Labour will come together again to deliberate on a new minimum wage for workers.
“However, it is important for Nigerians to understand the intention of Tinubu to address the welfare and well-being of all Nigerians. I know it is not easy but Nigerians will be better for it.
“I want to call on Nigerians to give President Tinubu the time to make things right for the country,” Idris stressed.
President Bola Tinubu will on Wednesday (today) depart Abuja for Paris for a private visit.
Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr Ngelale said the president will return to Nigeria in the first week of February.
“President Bola Tinubu departs Abuja for Paris, France, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, for a private visit.
“He will return to the country in the first week of February, 2024,” the statement said. The trip will be President Tinubu’s second to France since he assumed office in May 2023.
The president had, in June 2023, joined world leaders in Paris to review and sign a New Global Financial Pact that places vulnerable countries on a priority list for support and investment, following the devastating impact of climate change, energy crisis, and after effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The president participated in the two-day summit that looked at opportunities to restore fiscal space to countries that face difficult short-term financial challenges, especially the most indebted; mobilise innovative financing for countries vulnerable to climate change; foster development in low-income countries and encourage investment in “green” infrastructure for the energy transition in emerging and developing economies.
The African-focused lithium exploration and development company targeting to deliver Ghana’s first lithium mine, is pleased to announce that, in line with the non-binding Heads of Terms (“Strategic Investment”), announced on 8 September 2023, the Minerals Income Investment Fund of Ghana (“MIIF”) has completed a subscription for 19,245,574 Atlantic Lithium shares (“Subscription”) at a price of US$0.2598 (A$0.39 / £0.20) per share (“Subscription Shares”), for a value of US$5 million (A$7.60m / £3.93m).
Highlights;
Atlantic Lithium welcomes Ghana’s mineral sovereign wealth fund, MIIF, as a new major, strategic shareholder and funding partner, demonstrating the Ghana government’s significant support for the advancement of the Company’s flagship Ewoyaa Lithium Project (“Ewoyaa” or the “Project”).
MIIF’s US$5m Subscription forms part of its agreed total US$32.9 million Strategic Investment in the Company and its Ghanaian subsidiaries to expedite the development of the Project and the broader Cape Coast Lithium Portfolio in Ghana (“Ghana Portfolio”) towards production.
Subscription Shares to be held in escrow, equating to 3% of the total issued share capital of the Company.
Under the agreed terms of the Subscription, MIIF is entitled to nominate one person to the Company’s Board of Directors and will be granted 9,622,787 warrants at a price of US$0.3637.
In addition to the US$5m Subscription, and subject to the Company reaching a binding agreement with MIIF for its proposed investment in the Ghana Portfolio, MIIF to invest a further US$27.9m in the Company’s Ghanaian subsidiaries to acquire a 6% contributing interest in the Company’s Ghana Portfolio, inclusive of the Project, expected to complete in the coming months.
MIIF’s Strategic Investment to enhance the Company’s cash balance and contribute towards Project development expenditure, reducing the Company’s share of the total US$185m development expenditure, as indicated by the Ewoyaa Definitive Feasibility Study, further de-risking the advancement of the Project.
MIIF’s decision to invest in the Company serves as an indication of the country’s long-term green minerals ambitions with Atlantic Lithium as the government’s ‘partner of choice’, as well as an endorsement of the Company’s intrinsic value as an investment opportunity.
Commenting, Neil Herbert, Executive Chairman of Atlantic Lithium, said:
“I am delighted to welcome Ghana’s sovereign wealth fund, MIIF, onto the Atlantic Lithium register as a highly valued shareholder and partner. MIIF’s Strategic Investment recognises the considerable, long-lasting benefits that the Company, through lithium production at Ewoyaa and the broader Cape Coast Lithium Portfolio, can bring to Ghana, while also being indicative of Atlantic Lithium’s significant value upside to existing and prospective investors.
“As we near the commencement of construction at Ewoyaa later this year, we expect to benefit greatly from MIIF’s support. Notably, this includes MIIF’s contributing interest towards the Project’s development expenditure, which further de-risks the success of the Project.
“We look forward to completing the deal and working alongside MIIF as a partner in achieving Ghana’s lithium production ambitions.”
Commenting, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Income Investment Fund said: “MIIF has been at the forefront of leading co-investment opportunities within the mining sector in Ghana. This provides a de-risking mechanism for global investors such as Atlantic Lithium and cements Ghana as an investment destination of choice in Africa.
“Our strategy is to invest across the entire mining value chain of every mineral, with lithium not being an exception. In this vein, MIIF is prepared to invest in line with the Government of Ghana’s energy transition plan, including becoming the EV hub for Africa.
“Atlantic Lithium’s Ewoyaa Lithium Project has vast prospects with comparatively minimal initial capital requirements. The Project’s proximity to the Takoradi port and other infrastructure improves its profitability profile. We look forward to working with all parties involved to deliver Ghana’s first lithium mine, cementing the country’s position as a leading global minerals destination.”
Dr Bawumia with the Estonian President, Alar Karis
A high-level bilateral discussion on the significance of digitalisation in a modern economy was held Wednesday afternoon, in Talhim, Estonia, between Ghana, Africa’s fastest digitizing country and Estonia, renowned as one of the world’s most digitized countries.
The Ghanaian delegation, led by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who has spearheaded Ghana’s remarkable digital transformation and is on a three-day working visit to Estonia, held talks with Estonian President Alar Karis on Wednesday afternoon, before also calling on Prime Minister Ms Kaja Kallas and other officials, including Luukas Ilves, Under Secretary for Digital Transformation, Government CIO at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.
As a global leader in digital economic transformation, Dr. Bawumia’s visit to Estonia is to examine the remarkable story of the Northern European country, against Ghana’s own digitalisation journey, which has set Ghana apart, as a reference point in Africa.
At all the meetings with the Estonian President, Prime Minister and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the hosts shared how their country’s investment in digitalisation and their commitment to implementing same, in over two decades now, have resulted in a massive economic transformation.
Dr. Bawumia also shared Ghana’s digitalisation story of the past seven years and how it is already positively impacting the nation, especially in combating corruption, making things easier for the people and impacting on government revenue.
Interestingly, inspite of being years ahead of Ghana in its digitalisation journey, Estonia’s digitalisation, christened e-Estonia, shares striking similarities with Digital Ghana in the areas of national identification, addressing system, online government services and financial inclusion.
Dr Bawumia being welcomed by the Estonia Prime Minister, Ms Kaja Kallas to her office
Just like the Ghana card, e-Estonia is built on its digital national identity card system, which is mandatory for every Estonian citizen and can also be used as a digital signature without the person being present.
The Estonian national ID is the catalyst for everything, including filing tax returns, booking train tickets, banking and even voting, just as the Ghanacard is now the basis for many things in Ghana, including banking and seeking government services such as applying for passports, drivers license, social security, travel document, etc.
Another similarity between e-Estonia and Digital Ghana, is Estonia’s famed e-Government service, which has brought many public services on online, just as the Ghana.Gov online platform
Estonia’s e-Government has brought over 100 public services online, including filling forms online, paying fines, booking an appointment with a doctor, checking the expiry date of licenses and insurance, filling of tax returns and many others, just as the Ghana.Gov does in Ghana.
Financial inclusion is another digital success story Digital Ghana shares with e-Estonia.
It is estimated that 99% of bank transfers in Estonia are made electronically on a mobile phone or a computer the national ID card or Mobile-ID, just as in Ghana, mobile money interoperability has become the biggest method for financial transaction.
Dr. Bawumia and his delegation are expected to hold further discussions with Estonian authorities later on Thursday and Friday.
Minister Adutwum engaging the clergy after the service
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has started a policy dialogue that seeks to establish a policy framework for transnational education in the country.
The policy dialogue being done in collaboration with the British Council is geared towards engaging all stakeholders in the tertiary education space to come out with a policy framework to regulate the transnational education space in the country.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day transnational education dialogue at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Director General of GTEC, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai explained that the increasing number of institutions outside the country, expressing interest in operating in the country, triggered the need to get a framework in place to regulate their operations.
Officials of GETC and participants after the programme
He was upbeat that all stakeholders in the sector would contribute their quota towards getting the best ideas and suggestions that would help come out with the right policy to operationalise the trans-national education space in the country.
In attendance are Vice Chancellors of Traditional Universities, Vice Chancellors of Technical Universities, Council of Independent Universities, Principals of Colleges of Education, Registrars and College of Education Secretaries, Directors of Academic Affairs, Directors of Quality Assurance and Academic Planning among others.
Prof Jinapor stated that Ghana was one of the most attractive destinations when it comes to tertiary education, attributing these to the peace and conducive environment in the country, availability of reliable electricity, security situation, the nation’s democratic credentials, qualified staff and faculties to teach were among the reasons most foreign institutions feel comfortable doing business in Ghana.
He eulogised the British Council for its support to GTEC, lauding the Country Director, Mr Doodo Dodoo for his interest and supporting the agenda of GTEC in terms of establishing collaboration and dialogue among our different stakeholders.
He also commended VCs of Traditional Universities, as well as VCs of Technical Universities, Principals of Colleges of Education and other stakeholders for their special roles in helping shape the development of education in the country.
The Country Director of the British Council, Ghana, Mr Doodo, was happy to be part of the programme as he would be sharing some of the experiences of British institutions on transnational education with those in the country.
He indicated throwing in some seed funding towards the establishment of the policy framework and guidance as well as helping share those experiences with Ghanaian institutions.
The Country Director indicated that the collation of the views of stakeholders will help with the establishment of a policy framework to help regulate the sector which could also be replicated by other countries willing to learn from Ghana.
Staff and the clergy
Prof. Kwame Boafo Arthur, Board Chairman for GTEC, said, transnational education plays a critical role in the global exchange of knowledge, fostering cultural understanding, and preparing individuals for the challenges of an interconnected world”.
He explained that “as we navigate the complexities of this landscape, it becomes imperative for us to join hands, share insight, and create a robust framework that prioritizes collaboration and quality assurance.”
The Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Mrs Rita Akosua Dickson said that the transnational education development in the country would not only help train many people for the nation’s manpower needs but for the global market as well.
She lauded the GTEC and the British Council for their collaboration towards the policy dialogue which stood the chance to promote the development and transformation of nations through education.
Investment in education
In another development, the GNA is quoting the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum as saying government’s investment in education has resulted in an increase in school enrolment and envisaged learning outcomes.
He said the Free Senior High School (SHS) introduced in 2017 has increased admission from 800,000 students to over 1.2 million students.
The interventions, he stressed, had led to improvements in the West African Senior Secondary Examinations test scores, of which the average performance improved from 38.73 per cent in 2006 to 69.73 per cent in 2023.
The Minister said this on Friday at a Thanksgiving Service organised by the Ministry of Education on the theme: “The Lord is Good to all and His Mercy is Overall that He has Made.”
He said education played a key role in the country’s transformation and that it behooved them to thank God for the mercies bestowed on the Ministry.
The Minister, also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, in Ashanti, thanked President Akufo-Addo for the confidence he reposed in him.
“We have gone beyond our manifestos. We have promised Free SHS and added free Technical and Vocational Education Training,” he said.
He said the Ministry would continue to work hard to replicate the sterling performances of Wesley Girls’ SHS in other schools for holistic learning outcomes.
Dr Adutwum said the Ministry had engaged the services of retired headmasters and headmistresses to mentor teachers to give of their best.
“We need to move away from our fixed minds to progressive minds and believe that everything is possible with focus and determination,” he said.
On school infrastructure, he said the Government had started the construction of schools in the Ashanti, Northern, and other regions to improve learning outcomes.
“We have started construction of model Junior High School (JHS) and community schools from kindergarten to the JHS level with science laboratories and equipment,” he said.
Dr Adutwum stated that in April 2024, the Government would commission the projects to enroll students for the new academic year in September.
He said the Government had constructed new STEM schools across the country, including Accra High School and Abomosu, to compete with the rest of the world.
He commended the efforts and resilience of the staff of agencies under the Ministry to achieve such a great milestone in the educational space.
Dr Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar, National Teaching Council, commended the visionary leadership of the Minister, saying, “You are so good that everyone sees your vision and follows you.”
Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, Bishop of Methodist Church, Ghana and Reverend John Fordjour, Deputy Minister in Charge of General Education, prayed for peaceful elections and success for the Ministry.
The Minister presented a plaque and an undisclosed amount of money to some former headmasters and headmistresses of SHSs for their selfless contributions to education.
Good morning members of the media. I warmly welcome you again to the Office of the Special Prosecutor. One of the contemporary legal problems that confront us is the movement and the stashing of large sums of cash – with its attendant likelihood of distorting economies. Ordinarily, it is not unlawful for a person to move or keep large cash sums as long as the money was lawfully acquired.
After all, it is the person’s money and as owner, that person may choose to do what pleases that person with that person’s money. The important consideration is that the holder of large cash sums should be able to account for same as to the lawfulness of the source. Therefore, where the source of the money is cast in some considerable doubt, then legal hurdles are raised and questions are posed.
On this score, the antenna of investigative authorities swing into enquiring activity where public officials are detected to be keeping or moving large sums of money. This is because, in almost every jurisdiction, including Ghana, it is extremely unusual and highly suspicious for a public officer to have such large cash sums stashed in their homes – as it raises concerns of suspected inappropriate conduct.
And such occurrences dictate pause and reflection. 2 It is in this context that the Office of the Special Prosecutor commenced investigation in July 2023 in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding large amounts of money (mainly in foreign denominations) and other valuable items involving Ms. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, a former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and her spouse, Mr. Daniel Osei-Kufour.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by Ms. Dapaah and Mr. Osei-Kufour to the police against certain individuals on an allegation of the theft of large sums of money from the residence of the complainants. Ms. Dapaah was the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources at the time.
The complaint precipitated criminal proceedings in the Circuit Court, Accra against four (4) persons on various counts of theft in Court Case No. D4/155/2023 The Republic v. Patience Botwe & Three Ors.
The charges recounted that between July and October 2022 the accused persons allegedly stole valuable items from the residence of Ms. Dapaah and Mr. Osei-Kufour at Abelemkpe, Accra – including cash amounts of One Million United States dollars (US$1,000,000.00) and Three Hundred Thousand euros (€300,000.00).
The initial complaint to the police recounted that Eight Hundred Thousand United States dollars (US$800,000.00) of the amount reportedly stolen from the residence belonged to Ms. Dapaah’s deceased brother and Three Hundred Thousand cedis (GH₵300,000.00) was contribution towards Ms. Dapaah’s mother’s funeral which was contained in a box.
There was no indication as to the source of the remainder of Two Hundred Thousand United States dollars (US$200,000.00) and Three Hundred Thousand euros (€300,000.00).
On the basis of Case No. D4/155/2023 The Republic v. Patience Botwe & Three Ors. and the totality of the criminal intelligence gathered by the Office and that large sums of money were physically stashed at the residences of Ms. Dapaah and Mr. Osei Kufour, the Special Prosecutor directed full investigation into corruption and corruption-related offences involving the respondent (in accordance with regulation 6 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374)) as the circumstances reasonably indicated to the Office that the source of the cash sums stated as belonging to Ms. Dapaah (a public officer at the time) on the charge sheet in D4/155/2023 The Republic v. Patience Botwe & Three Others. was suspicious and that the cash sums were suspected tainted property as being proceeds from corruption and corruption-related offences.
On 24 July 2023, the Office placed Ms. Dapaah under arrest on charges of corruption and corruption-related offences. The Office subsequently conducted searches in three (3) residential properties associated with Ms. Dapaah and Mr. Osei-Kufour at Cantonments, Abelemkpe and Tesano in Accra.
The searches, which were carried out over a period of two (2) weeks, led to the discovery of the cash sums of Five Hundred and Ninety Thousand United States dollars (US$590,000.00) and Two Million Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand cedis (GH₵2,730,000.00).
Ms. Dapaah and Mr. Osei-Kufuor could not readily provide a reasonable explanation as to the sources of the cash sums. Authorized officers of the Office seized the discovered cash sums on reasonable grounds that they were suspected tainted property in accordance with section 32(1) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) as it was necessary to exercise the power of seizure to prevent concealment of the cash sums.
The Special Prosecutor, considering it necessary to facilitate the investigations, issued a freezing order against the bank accounts and investments of Ms. Dapaah domiciled at Prudential Bank Limited and Societe Generale Ghana.
Upon the refusal by the High Court to confirm the freezing and seizure orders in August 2023, the Office re-seized the cash sums and re-froze the bank accounts and investments and applied to the court again for confirmation in FT0074/2023 The Special Prosecutor v. Cecilia Abena Dapaah & Daniel Osei-Kufour.
Extensive investigation was conducted in-country involving twenty (20) persons and three (3) state institutions, and especially in the Ashanti Region to establish the financial standing of Ms. Dapaah’s deceased brother during his lifetime and at the time of his death.
From October 2023, the investigation became cross-border and trans-boundary upon the claim by the persons of interest that part of the seized cash sums was transported to Ghana from the United States. For that reason, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States became involved in a collaborative investigative work with the Office on the matter.
The investigation has been aimed at determining the source(s) of the large cash sums associated with Ms. Dapaah and Mr. Osei Kufuor. The Office has had the benefit of seven (7) months of in-country and four (4) months of collaborative trans-boundary investigation. On the totality of the gathered evidence and intelligence, it seems to us that the case is largely in the province of suspected money laundering and structuring.
By operation of law, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has a specific and direct mandate in respect of suspected cases of money laundering and its attendant activity of structuring. Consequently, the Office is referring the case to EOCO for continued investigation and further action.
The Office will be in close collaboration with EOCO and continued collaboration with the FBI. A little over an hour ago, the Office discontinued its application that was pending before the High Court for a confirmation of the seizure and freezing orders in pursuance of the referral of the case to EOCO.
The Court ordered a return of the seized cash sums and unfreezing of the bank accounts and investments within seventy-two (72) hours. The Office also discontinued the procedural criminal charge against Ms. Dapaah for failure to return forms on declaration of property and income.
The case says the pair “would not have paid for tickets” had they know it would finish so late.
The US singer’s representatives and promoter Live Nation said a technical issue caused the delay.
The joint statement read: “The shows opened in North America at Barclays in Brooklyn as planned, with the exception of a technical issue December 13th during soundcheck.
The case, brought by Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden, states that “many ticket holders who attended concerts on a weeknight had to get up early to go to work and/or take care of their family responsibilities the next day”.
They are suing Live Nation and the Barclays Center for “false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices”.
The Barclays Center is yet to respond to the lawsuit.
Mr Fellows and Mr Hadden attended the show on Wednesday 13 December 2023 and said it was meant to start at 20:30 EST but it did not begin until after 22:30, ending around 01:00.
The lawsuit claims that other nights at the same venue, on 14 and 16 December, also reportedly started more than two hours late.
The court papers also claim Madonna “has a long history of arriving and starting her concerts late, sometimes several hours late”, citing examples including “her 2016 Rebel Heart Tour, her 2019-2020 Madame X Tour, and prior tours, where Madonna continuously started her concerts over two hours late”.
Afrobeats sensation Omah Lay has reflected on his time in Ugandan prison, labelling it an “amazing time”
Omah Lay, along with Tems, faced legal consequences for performing at a concert in Speke Resort, Kampala, violating COVID-19 social distancing regulations at the height of the pandemic.
In the interview, Omah Lay shared that despite the initial rough appearance of the situation, he now sees it as a crucial experience that propelled him to the next level in his musical career.
He reveals, “my ordeal in Ugandan prison was an amazing time for me. Although it was rough at the moment, looking back at the whole thing, it had to happen.”
Recalling the events leading to their arrest, he explains, “we were in Uganda for a show during the pandemic. We had paperwork to perform, but for some reason, we got arrested after performing. And we were sent to jail. We were in jail for two days.”
Describing the ordeal as “a very horrible experience,” Omah Lay expresses gratitude to a prison official who was a fan of his music.
This connection led to them receiving special treatment in jail, sparing him from having his hair cut and providing a more comfortable stay.
Omah Lay concludes, “they were going to cut my hair, I wore a prison uniform. They were so close to cutting my hair, but the person who was in charge of the prison was a fan of my music. He got us a nice spot in jail and took care of us.”
A ceremonial cap worn by courtiers at coronations is among the items
The UK is sending some of Ghana’s “crown jewels” back home, 150 years after looting them from the court of the Asante king.
A gold peace pipe is among 32 items returning under long-term loan deals, the BBC can reveal.
The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is lending 17 pieces and 15 are from the British Museum.
Ghana’s chief negotiator said he hoped for “a new sense of cultural co-operation” after generations of anger.
An Asante gold ring (top left), a gold badge worn by the king’s soul washer and a ceremonial pipe
Some national museums in the UK – including the V&A and the British Museum – are banned by law from permanently giving back contested items in their collections, and loan deals such as this are seen as a way to allow objects to return to their countries of origin.
But some countries laying claim to disputed artefacts fear that loans may be used to imply they accept the UK’s ownership.
Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, told the BBC that the gold items of court regalia are the equivalent of “our Crown Jewels”.
The items to be loaned, most of which were taken during 19th-Century wars between the British and the Asante, include a sword of state and gold badges worn by officials charged with cleansing the soul of the king.
Mr Hunt insisted the new cultural partnership “is not restitution by the back door” – meaning it is not a way to return permanent ownership back to Ghana.
The three-year loan agreements, with an option to extend for a further three years, are not with the Ghanaian government but with Otumfo Osei Tutu II – the current Asante king known as the Asantehene – who attended the Coronation of King Charles last year.
The items will go on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of the Asante region, to celebrate the Asantehene’s silver jubilee.
