The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has said the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, would have the most difficult job in the world to handle.
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the spokesperson of NEF, said Tinubu would have a lot of challenges to tackle.
Tinubu, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, emerged winner of the just-concluded presidential election after polling the highest votes.
Following his victory, Tinubu would be sworn-in as President on May 29.
However, Baba-Ahmed said Tinubu faces challenges in the area of winning the trust of aggrieved Nigerians.
Writing in his weekly column, Baba-Ahmed wrote: “The President to be sworn-in on May 29 will have the most difficult job to handle in the world.
“His biggest challenge will be to win some trust. No leader anywhere can achieve anything of value unless he can get enough citizens to believe that he means well, and he respects them.
“The next president will have to build his own foundations of good and accountable government, because Buhari will leave none behind.”
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike says he never worked against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Wike, who spoke during a strategic meeting with petroleum marketers in Rivers State claimed he never plotted against any southern presidential candidate during the February 25th presidential election.
The Governor who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke, claimed his position during the presidential election was based on the principles of equity, fairness and Justice.
“You can agree with me that there are a lot of insinuations and misinformation that his excellency worked against the Labour Party presidential candidate.
“I want to stand here to tell you and of course, you know that his excellency is a man who will stand by his words any time any day and speak his mind.
“His excellency did not work against any southern presidential candidate. The position of his excellency is that of equity and fairness.
“The north has done their eight years and so it is time for the south. That is his excellency’s position. He did not hide it, he spoke about it. And so my brothers, there is nothing to shy away from because our hands are clean.” Woke said.
DAILY POST reports that the event had in attendance, national leaders and members of the Petroleum Product Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied appointing a former Commissioner in Lagos State, Femi Odubiyi, as the head of its Information and Communications Technology Department.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, debunked claims made by former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Bode George that the electoral body appointed Odubiyi to its payroll.
Okoye said the claim by the PDP chieftain is false, adding that INEC staff were non-partisan and have not occupied any political position in the past.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth,” Okoye said.
“To set the record straight, the name ‘Femi Odubiyi’ does not even exist within our ICT Department at the INEC headquarters in Abuja or any state office of the Commission.”
According to Okoye, ICT staff members were career officers of the Commission, adding “none has held any political appointment in any state of the Federation.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has included Nigeria and 54 other countries on its Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List 2023. The global health body stated that the countries face the most pressing health workforce challenges related to universal health coverage.
“In particular, these countries have: 1) a density of doctors, nurses and midwives below the global median (i.e., 49 per 10 000 population); and 2) a universal health coverage service coverage index below a certain threshold,” WHO said in the report released March 8.
A total of 37 countries were listed under the African Region category, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Gabon.
Others were Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Only Haiti was named under the Region of the Americas category, while the Eastern Mediterranean Region category comprised Afghanistan, Djibouti, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Under the South-East Asia Region category were Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste. Among the countries listed in the Western Pacific Region category were Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Micronesia (Federated States of), Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Samoa, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that foreign airlines’ blocked funds in Nigeria have risen to over 743.7 million dollars. IATA disclosed this in a letter written to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika in Abuja and obtained by Channels Television on Wednesday.
The letter dated March 14, 2023, and signed by the Area Manager, West, and Central Africa, Dr. Samson Fatokun showed that the airline blocked funds rose from $549 million in December 2022 and $662 million in January to $743.7 million.
IATA noted that for over a year, Nigeria has been the country with the highest amount of airlines’ blocked funds in the world.
According to the association, the increasing backlog of international airlines’ blocked funds in Nigeria is a potential threat to foreign direct investment into the country and could affect the operations of airlines leading to job losses.
While appealing to the Minister of Aviation to intervene in resolving the issues, the association also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to clear all airlines blocked funds before leaving office.
Mr. Dan M. Ofori, the State Secretary at Ofori Panin Fie addressing the media in Kyebi on Monday
Cross-section of chiefs and queen mothers at the press conference
The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council and that of Akyem Kotoku have renewed the ‘war’ over the true owners of Adoagyiri, near Nsawam, in the Eastern Region.
The two traditional areas have once again called press conferences to level accusations and counter accusations against each other.
The Akyem Abuakwa, which was the first to fire the latest ‘missiles’ insisted at a news conference at Kyebi that Adoagyiri is part and parcel of Abuakwa and will continue to remain so.
The State Secretary at Ofori Panin Fie, Dan M. Ofori Atta, who addressed the media said Adoagyiri is a border town and entry point into the Akyem Abuakwa Kingdom from Accra, which is indicated by the Nsawam Bridge across the Densu River.
He explained that the area has since historical times been part of Akyem Abuakwa and falls directly under the Apapam stool, which is an integral part of the Amantuomiensa Group of the Akyem Abuakwa state.
He also argued that the land on which the capital of Kotoku State, Nsuaem, which subsequently became Akyem Oda is situated, was granted rent free to them by the Akyem Abuakwa and Adoagyiri. The latter cannot, therefore, be claimed by any settler community, whether Ga, Ewe, Krobo or Kotoku.
The State Secretary at Ofori Panin Fie continued that, “records indicate that all successive Adoagyiri Chiefs have been part of the Akyem Abuakwa State Council, inclusive in the records are evidence of land transactions”.
Mr. Ofori Atta demonstrated that the late chief of Adoagyiri, Barima Adu Kokor, who passed on in 2007 served the Ofori Panin Stool as the most dedicated and one of the longest reigning chiefs of Akyem Abuakwa, after he was installed in 1953 as Chief of Adoagyiri.”
Ofori Panin Fie further stated that, “the Kotoku citizens, just as other ethnic communities are settlers, granted usufructuary rights and have no allodia right to any land.
“It should be clearly understood that lands by Akan Tradition is the fundamental condition for the exercise of customary right, the two being intricately linked and inseparable and Okyenhene being the allodia owner of the land in Adoagyiri exercising exclusive customary authority”.
According to Ofori Panin Fie, “there are no records that establish that Adoagyiri is and has ever been part of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area.
“Adoagyiri is not contiguous with any of the lands of the Kotoku State, more than five towns of Akyem Abuakwa separate Adoagyiri from Akyem Kotoku lands”.
The Ofori Panin Fie said this is not the first time Akyem Kotoku State has attempted to lay dubious claim to Akyem Abuakwa lands.
“This situation reflects the growing crisis of land theft as the commercial demand of lands in the southern stretch of the Eastern region has sky-rocketed due to open ended Western expansion of Accra,” Nanamom said.
Nananom averred that Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has been confronted with similar provocative situations in the past few years and wish to indicate that it will be unable to tolerate such development within those areas.
The Abuakwa State explained that Okyeman is not prepared to secede an inch of its land or tolerate customary violations and wish to indicate that any such infringements will have consequences.
The chiefs stated clearly that there is no Chief of Adoagyiri at the present moment, adding that the general public and particularly land developers who deal with any imposter does so at his or her own risk.
According to the Akyem Abuakwa chiefs, His Majesty Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has initiated measures for the selection and installation of a legitimate Chief for Adoagyiri.
Responding to the threat and intention of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council to enstool a new chief, Nkwantahene of Akyem Kotoku State, Nana Dwamena Akenteng, described the position of the former as laughable and child’s play.
According to him, the Akyem Kotoku State is resolved to resist any incursion, factionalism and insecurity in Adoagyiri lands and oppose any attempt to install a rival chief.
“This enterprise of the Okyehene is to legitimise his dark moves of trying to extend his control beyond his traditional borders which action, in the olden days, would have been the basis for starting a war”, he said.
In a counter press conference, the Nkwantahene of Akyem Kotoku State stated that the way is near, but men seek it afar. It is in easy things, but men seek for it in difficult things, adding that Adoagyiri has a substantive chief in the person of Nana Okonadwo Afutu Dompre II, who has been gazetted by the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs for the past seventeen years.
He explained that Adoagyirihene is head of the Ankobiahene Division of Kotoku Kingdom and has since 1860 paid homage to the Kotokuhene, hence it would be a disaster for the enstoolment of a rival chief who would pay homage to Okyenhene.
He has, therefore, called on the security services to call Okyenhene to stop his intention to install a rival chief in order to avert any mayhem, because they are solidly resolved to oppose any incursion.
Both Ghanaian and Ivorien ministers who attended the meeting
Mr Samuel Jinapor speaking on behalf of the Ghanaian delegation
The Government of Ghana has taken steps to resolve trans-boundary issues on river pollution regarding the Tano and Bia rivers, which also flow through Ivory Coast. To this end, the Ministries of Lands and Natural Resources, Sanitation and Water resources, Defence and Environment Science Technology and Innovation have met a high powered delegation from Cote D’ivoire, led by the Ivorian Minister for Water and Forest, Laurent Tchagba.
Ghana’s Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, who co-chaired the meeting with the Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, in Accra yesterday, informed the Ivorian delegation that there have been a lot of challenges in protecting the country’s river bodies. However, government has not relented for once as President Akufo-Addo keeps waging war against illegal miners in the country.
Samuel A. Jinapor, who also spoke on behalf of the Defence Minister, said the Ghana government has adopted a two-pronged approach to fighting illegal Mining, popularly known as galamsey, which is the main source of pollution of the country’s river bodies.
The two-pronged approach, which he mentioned to be law enforcement and reformation, has seen to the declaration of river bodies as red zones to mining and also authorising the involvement of the Military on Operation Halt, an initiative geared towards riding the rivers off illegal miners.
The Lands Minister further stated that although illegal mining continue to pose a threat to the countries river bodies, he is optimistic that after the deliberations, they will be able to come to a firm conclusion that will help resolve the issues of water pollution in both countries, adding that he looks forward to working closely with all stakeholders to come to grips on the matter plaguing both countries.
The Ivorien delegation at the meeting
The Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, on her part, noted that water is very central to the well-being of people around the world and not only Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, therefore, it is pertinent to take up the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6, which advocates for clean water and sanitation for all.
She also hoped that this bilateral meeting will help both countries take cognisance of the far reaching effects of a waterless world and make concrete decisions that will help both countries and the world at large.
The leader of the Ivorian Delegation and Minister for Water and Forests, in his submission expressed his gratitude for a warm reception from all participating Ministries.
He said the issue of water is important in the history of both countries as it binds them in one way or the other and hoped that together they will be able to confer on issues and resolve the common challenge.
Also at the Bilateral Meeting on the Ghana side were the Minister for Environment Science Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, CEOs of the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Martin Ayisi and Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu respectively.
Cassiel Ato Forson, Minority Leader and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
National Cathedral
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the National Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral to abrogate the project now.
The North Tongu Member of Parliament and the sole campaigner against the National Cathedral project, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who spoke on behalf of the Caucus, said that yesterday marked exactly a year since the contractors working on the project abandoned it for lack of funds.
According to Mr. Ablakwa, this should serve as enough proof to President Akufo-Addo and members of the National Board of Trustees that the project was a castle in the air.
“Today marks exactly a year to the day when the main contractors working on the National Cathedral project abandoned site …So, today is the first anniversary since the project stalled.
“What we are very worried about is that a year is enough time for His Excellency the President, who has declared this project his priority of priorities, and those remaining on the National Cathedral Board of Trustees; one year is enough time for them to come to the realisation that this project remains a castle in the air…
“It is time to close shop; it is time to totally abandon this project, because it cannot be completed as schedule,” he said.
He made the call when he and other Minority members addressed the Parliament Press Corps yesterday.
Providing more basis as to why the project should be abrogated, Mr. Ablakwa said that due to the suspension a lot of the works that had been done must be redone, and that would come at extra cost, which would not be borne by the contractors, but by the state.
“This one year of remarkable inactivity comes at considerable cost, as per analysis it would cost [extra] millions of dollars,” he stressed.
He said considering the delays and the associated cost of facilities that were pulled down to make way for the construction of the Cathedral, Mr. Ablakwa said, the project could cost one billion dollars.
“That is why we are saying that President Akufo-Addo, on the first anniversary of inactivity, we demand that they abrogate the contract, because we believe that as long as the contractors continue to hold valid contracts, it is [an] extra burden to the Ghanaian taxpayer.
“One year is enough for the Akufo-Addo government to realise that this project, which, per our analysis, will cost the Ghanaian taxpayer over one billion dollars, must not be continued,” Mr. Ablakwa said.
Mr. Ablakwa also pointed out that the country was facing difficult times, and so money must be used prudently.
He said the government was struggling to pay bonds that had matured; unable to procure vaccines and do so many things that would reduce the sufferings of the citizens.
He said the President and the National Board of Trustees should consider all these hardships and let go of the project.
Mr. James Agalga, Ranking Member of the Committee on Defense and Interior
The Ranking Member of the Committee on Defense and Interior, Mr. James Agalga, has admonished President Akufo-Addo to find space and address the nation on the insecurities in Bawku and Ashaiman.
According to Mr. Agalga, he was disappointed that the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, could not utter a word about these two incidents when he delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week Wednesday.
Mr. Agalga noted that for the mere fact that the Ashaiman incident preceded the SONA, the President should have commiserated with the bereaved family, and also apologised to the residents of Ashaiman for the abuse of their rights.
“…The President doubles as the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces. When he appeared before this House to deliver the message of SONA, he touched on a gamut of issues, including the security sector…
“As Commander-in-Chief, one would have expected that Mr. President would have told us the state of the security in our country before talking about procurement done under his watch ….he neglected to do so.
“The incident that occurred in Ashaiman preceded the delivery of SONA, but the President didn’t find space in the one and a half hour delivery to, at least, console the family of the bereaved,” Mr. Agalga said.
He made the comments when he was contributing to the debate on the SONA in Parliament yesterday.
It would be recalled that on Monday and Tuesday, 6th and 7th March, where scores of soldiers went berserk at Ashaiman Official Town, brutalised residents, motorists and commuters they came across on.
The actions of the soldiers were to avenge the alleged murder of their young colleague by some thugs at Official Town in the wee hours of Saturday, 4th March.
The soldier, who was reportedly carrying a laptop and was on his way to see his mother at that time on Saturday, was attacked and killed by some thugs.
Bawku, in the past month, has also recorded some conflicts that have affected lives and livelihoods in the Upper East Regional capital.
According to the West African Network for Peacebuilding, 23 people, including a 12-year-old, have been killed in the Bawku clashes between January 31 and February 10 this year.
Speaking yesterday, the Ranking Member, who is also the Member of Parliament for Builsa North, indicated that so many people had lost their lives to the insecurities in Bawku, and that should have been of concern to the President.
“Ghanaians expected that the President would have said a word about the age-old Bawku conflict.
“Mr. Speaker, that was unfortunate. The President simply did not live up to expectations as Commander-in-Chief. I will admonish him to find space and address the nation on Bawku and Ashaiman,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Committee on Defense and Interior, which is chaired by Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has indicated that it would pay a visit to Ashaiman to commiserate with the family of the deceased, and also comfort the innocent residents of Ashaiman who were brutalised by soldiers.
Despite all the challenges or difficulties confronting us as a nation, Ghana is still considered one of the most stable, if not the most peaceful, countries on the Continent of Africa. Whilst our peers are fighting tribal and civil wars, Ghana has remained peaceful. Though we admit that there are pockets of conflicts going on in some parts of the country, they are not on the scale that will make the world believe we have become a destabilised state.
This feat has been achieved because of the strategic policies put in place by both the state and the institution of chieftaincy. Whereas in some African countries it is even a taboo for one tribal chief to visit the other, that kind of antagonistic posture does not exist in Ghana.
It is on record that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, a few years ago visited the Ofori Panin Palace at Kyebi, in the Eastern Region. And just last year, he was also at Anloga in the Volta Region to celebrate the Hogbetsotso Festival with the people of the area. All these moves promote peaceful co-existence among the tribes.
It is upon this basis that The Chronicle is worried over the reported tension between the Akyem Abuakwa Palace and that of Kotoku. Both traditional areas are reportedly beating war drums over who exercises traditional authority over Adoagyiri, near Nsawam, in the Eastern Region.
What has sent shivers down our spine is the holding of press conferences by the two ‘combatants’, who have vowed never to allow Adoagyiri slip through their fingers. The disputed Adoagyiri town is just a stone throw from Accra, the national capital. It will, therefore, be easy for any disturbances in the town to spill over to Accra.
This will certainly send a wrong signal to the world that Ghana is no more a safe place to visit. The Chronicle is, therefore, appealing to both the Kotoku and Abuakwa paramount stools to ceasefire and use due process of the law to resolve their dispute. If the case is already not in court, then we advise both parties to do so.
The Chronicle does not think that the exchange of harsh words through press conferences will help in the resolution of the issue. Because of the Bawku conflict, both the military and police are overstretched. Kotoku and Abuakwa should not, therefore, come and add on to the problem.
If both traditional areas are claiming ownership of the disputed town, then it means they have enough proof to back their respective claims. We, therefore, suggest to them to put these evidences before the law courts for the latter to determine who really owns Adoagyiri lands. The Chronicle is also suggesting to the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs to call the paramount chiefs from both traditional areas who are also members of the House to order.
As we reported yesterday, the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament aborted their planned visit to Bawku on Monday, this week, due to insecurity. Should we, as a nation, sit down for the Adoagyiri issue to also degenerate into something else? The answer is obviously NO, and that is why we must all put our shoulders to the wheel to ensure that there is peace at Adoagyiri.
