Agency Reporter

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 2,215,216, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced yesterday.

The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that the death toll related to the pandemic stood at 52,824.

A total of 1,892,013 people infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far, it said.

The most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia, figures from the Africa CDC showed.

The southern Africa region is the most COVID-19 affected region both in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases as well as the number of deaths, it was noted.

The northern Africa region is the second most COVID-19-affected African region, according to the Africa CDC.

South Africa currently has the most COVID-19 cases, which hit 800,872.

The country also has the highest number of deaths related to COVID-19, at 21,803.

Morocco comes next with 368,624 confirmed cases and 6,063 deaths, followed by Egypt with 117,156 confirmed cases and 6,713 deaths, Africa CDC said.

By Bola Olajuwon, Foreign Affairs Editor

Ghana is currently gripped by apprehension as it holds presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7 with 17.029 million voters expected to cast their ballots.

The streets are already awash with posters, loud campaign music and large crowds at campaign rallies hosted by candidates seeking votes from the electorate.

The political parties are making the final push to drum up support for their candidates by campaigning in difficult and swing areas and energising their supporters in their strongholds to go out massively and cast their vote on Monday.

They are also combining the strength of the parties’ presidential candidates, their running mates, national officers and every other person to win more votes.

The 2020 general election will be the country’s eighth consecutive poll since returning to democracy nearly 30 years ago. Citizens will elect a President and 275 members of parliament.

The two front-runners in the crucial elections, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and former President John Dramani Mahama are under pressure to ensure violence-free polls while stimulating their strongholds for a higher turnout on the election.

Pressures are being put on the country’s political actors by the international community to ensure a peaceful election, especially as it is the first time a sitting president is being challenged by a former president.

According to Ghana’s Electoral Commission Chairperson, Mrs. Jean Mensa, 17,027,641 persons are expected to take part in this year’s general election.

She said the number comprised 8,810,283 females (representing 51.74 per cent of total voters) and 8,217,358 males (48.26 per cent).

Mrs. Mensa noted that the Greater Accra Region had the highest number of registrants, while the North East Region had the least.

The electoral commission has started deploying electoral materials to the country’s regions.

But, hordes of National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters on Tuesday took to the streets of Accra to protest against what they described as corrupt activities of the government.

Dubbed: “Yegye yen sika”, to wit: “We are retrieving our money”, the demonstration started at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, where hundreds of party supporters had converged, about 8 a.m.

Clad in party colours, the supporters paraded through some principal streets of Accra, amidst singing and dancing to party songs.

Some party executives were present to lead the demonstrators to ensure the success of the exercise.

Ghana’s Inspector-General Police (IGP) James Oppong Boanuh debunked assertions that officers were being bribed to vote for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Boanuh said the monies given to them were a routine duty allowance and not what the leading opposition politicians were saying in certain quarters, adding that there was a similar disbursement during the COVID-19 lockdown.

But, the African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) joint mission has advised the Ghanaian authorities to ensure violence-free election.

Besides, the joint mission also urged the country’s electoral commission to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

Also, former President Olusegun Obasanjo appealed to the two major contending parties in the poll, to show tolerance and abstain from conducts capable of discrediting the exercise.

The former president, in a letter to the Ghanaian parties particularly urged both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), being the leading parties, to ensure peaceful, credible and transparent general elections.

The election kicked off with some 109,400 members of the security services, journalists and special service workers who will be on duty on 7 December voting on Tuesday.

The 10 other presidential contestants include two women and one independent candidate, on the ballot. The other candidates include Christian Kwabena Andrews (Ghana Union Movement); Ivor Kobina Greenstreet (Convention People’s Party); Akua Donkor (Ghana Freedom party); and Henry Herbert Lartey (Great Consolidated Popular Party).

The others are Hassan Ayariga (All People’s Congress); Kofi Akpaloo (Liberal Party of Ghana); David Apasera (People’s National Convention); Brigitte Dzogbenuku (Progressive People’s Party); Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings (National Democratic Party) and Asiedu Walter (Independent).

This is the eighth presidential and parliamentary election since Ghana’s Fourth Republic was born in 1992, putting an end to military coups that truncated the First Republic on 24 February 1966, the Second Republic on 13 January 1972 and the Third Republic on 31 December 1981.

Voters will also elect 275 parliamentarians from 914 candidates.

However, the NDP has reiterated that its flagbearer, Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings will not withdraw from the presidential election, even though she is mourning the death of her husband, former President Jerry John Rawlings.

The party said although it held a news briefing to put to bed rumours of her withdrawal on November 26, the rumours which threaten its chances of victory in the poll have resurfaced in the Volta Region.

Its National Communications Director, Maame Yaa Edusei, said: “She’s (Nana Konadu) still in the race but we are still receiving many calls from the Volta Region that she has pulled out.

“Although she cannot campaign because she is mourning her husband, we have a running mate who has taken up the mantle and is campaigning across the country”.

By Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has emphasised the need for leaders to value their citizens, adding that their support must also not be taken for granted.

The President spoke yesterday at State House, Abuja, while receiving President of the Republic of The Gambia, Adama Barrow.

President Buhari, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, also noted that it is in the best interest of the citizenry to always opt to do the right thing in a democracy.

“The future of our countries lie in our hands. We must respect our people, and appreciate their support. And when the people do the right things, they do themselves a lot of favour,” President Buhari said.

Nigeria played a key role in ousting former President Yahya Jammeh, who had refused to accept results of election he lost in 2016.

Reacting to Nigeria’s role in the process that eventually got Jammeh to leave, President Buhari said it was the least the country could do in leading an ECOWAS onslaught against the sit-tight President.

“I was in Gambia physically at least two times,” President Buhari recalled, adding: “It was the least we could do to stabilise the region. We’ve accepted multi-party democracy, and we must comply with its tenets.

“By supporting you, we were supporting ECOWAS. We are dealing with our own troubles here, but we will continue to support you bilaterally, and through ECOWAS,” he said.

Meanwhile, as The Gambia goes to the polls next year, the President pledged Nigeria’s support in different ways possible.

Speaking during the reception, President Barrow said his visit was actually to say thank you to Nigeria once again for its multifarious helps, noting that the support had been unflinching since he got to office in 2017.

“You have given us technical support in the Ministry of Education, in Ministry of Justice, and in many other areas. We are grateful,” the Gambian President said.

He added that The Gambia was recovering from 22 years of dictatorship, security problems, lack of infrastructure and a parlous economy. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission was also sitting, to redress injustices of the past, and heal the injuries.

Going forward, President Barrow said his country still needed Nigeria’s stabilising force, “as things would have been very difficult for us without the invaluable support you gave.”

Agency Reporter

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has denounced a “suicidal” failure to tackle climate change and said recovery from the coronavirus pandemic could be humanity’s chance for a reset to save Earth.

His comments yesterday came as the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said in its provisional 2020 State of the Global Climate report that this year is on course to be one of the three warmest ever recorded.

“The state of the planet is broken. Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal,” Guterres said in a speech at Columbia University in New York City.

“Next year, we have the opportunity to stop plunder and begin healing,” he added. “COVID recovery and our planet’s repair must be two sides of the same coin.”

Guterres called for a reduction in the use of fossil fuels and said a summit planned on December 12 for the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate change agreement should chart a new way forward.

“A new world is taking shape,” he said.

“Biodiversity is collapsing. One million species are at risk of extinction. Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes. Deserts are spreading. Wetlands are being lost. Every year, we lose 10 million hectares of forests.

“Oceans are overfished – and choking with plastic waste. The carbon dioxide they absorb is acidifying the seas. Coral reefs are bleached and dying. Air and water pollution are killing nine million people annually.”

As such, “making peace with nature” must “be the top, top priority” of the 21st century, he warned, adding: “There is no vaccine for the planet.”

By Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sabri Boukadoum has stressed the need for his country and Nigeria to work together to ensure the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Boukadoum, who was in Abuja on official visit where he met with his Nigerian counterpart and other top government officials, stated this in an interview with The Nation.

The minister said both countries are big players in the continent and Nigeria can never be ignored in the scheme of things.

Speaking on the possibility of the January 2021 commencement date of the AfCFTA and given the COVID impact, Boukadoum said the date is sacrosanct as the continent is eager for it to begin despite the hiccups.

He said: “It is feasible but we have to start. We already have it in ECOWAS and now you have the bigger picture in Africa. Whenever you take off the tariff, you will help trade improvement and the wealth of every citizen because at the end of the day, every citizen will benefit from this. We have to start despite all difficulties. This is the first step and by God’s grace, in the future, we will overcome. You can see the example of Europe, when they started, whatever issues they had between themselves and the relationship with the whole world, they have improved the wealth of the Europeans. This is what we want to do in Africa.”

On the fear of dumping goods within the trade area by non-African countries, the minister said: “When we say Free Trade Area, we mean African products. Neither Nigeria nor Algeria will accept that others will come and sell their products to us. There is a level of integration of the products. Products from Algeria coming into Nigeria have to be at least 40%-50% Algerian and we do have them already and it is the case in Nigeria. I think we have no problem with Nigeria.

“There are other countries still depending on outside African countries that could use this platform to sell more. That’s the goal of the Free Trade Area. It is to improve the trade between Africa countries, to help boost the production of goods. We are trying to take off all the barriers and obstacles to trade in the continent. This is the main work, but there are many people working on that.”

On the importance of his visit to Algeria-Nigeria bilateral relations, he said: “First, it is a natural and normal way of working and we need to talk face-to-face and from time-to-time. We have the best relationship in Africa – Nigeria and Algeria. We need to rebuild and strengthen this brotherhoodness. We need to talk and work together. There are issues we cannot face alone, for example, Covid-19. No one can do it alone, not even the United States (U.S.). Nigeria is important in ECOWAS and Africa. So, we cannot imagine there will be any going forward without listening to Nigeria and working together. I told you that we have our own position in Northern Africa. We have this relationship with Nigeria for so many years. It is not new. The fact that Covid-19 has prevented us from seeing each other, we have decided with Geoffrey to move on to discuss. We need Nigeria. Africa needs Nigeria because it is the giant of Africa. We have to listen to Nigeria.”

On strengthening bilateral relations between both countries, Boukadoum said: “The trade level between both countries is a shame. So, we need to improve on that. There are so many things in Nigeria that are produced by Algeria and vice versa. We need to put business minds together. We need business counsel to be activated between Algeria and Nigeria. The politicians are supposed to help and we put all the operators together and create the best conditions. If there are bureaucracy and obstacles, we need to erase them. But then afterwards, it is up to the people who are dealing with the real things like the economy and the trade to show the advantages.”

Agency Reporter

President-elect Joe Biden formally introduced on Tuesday the officials who will lead his economic team, which is poised to take the helm of the federal government as the nation grapples with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Joined in Wilmington, Delaware, by each of the six future nominees and appointees as well as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Biden heralded his new team as “ground-breaking Americans who come from different backgrounds, but share my core vision for economic relief.”

If approved by the Senate, several of Biden’s intended nominees would break barriers, including Janet Yellen, selected for Treasury secretary, Wally Adeyemo, tapped as deputy secretary of the Treasury, and Neera Tanden, picked to helm the Office of Management and Budget.

Yellen, the former chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, would be the first woman to lead the Treasury Department. Adeyemo would be the first Black deputy secretary of the Treasury, and Tanden would be the first woman of color and first South Asian American to lead the budget office.

Read Also: Biden picks Nigerian-born for Treasury job

“A first-rate team that’s going to get us through this ongoing economic crisis and help us build the economy back, not just build it back, but build it back better than before,” he said.

Biden said his economic advisers will play a critical role in shaping a package he intends to introduce in the next Congress that will address the multitude of issues facing the nation, including the economic and coronavirus crises.

Biden said he was doing ‘good’ after he fractured his foot while playing with his German Shepherd Major and showed off the black medical boot on his right foot.

The president-elect was seen wearing the boot for the first time yesterday, when he arrived at The Queen Theater in Wilmington to introduce his economic team.

He thanked reporters for asking and raised his foot to show off his medical gear. He arrived at his economic event walking slowly but without a noticeable limp.

By Bola Olajuwon, Foreign Affairs Editor

 

 

NO fewer than 109,557 people made up of security persons, media practitioners and Electoral Commission’s (EC) staff took part in Ghana’s special voting which kicked-off smoothly yesterday in the 275 centres across the nation.

The voters, according to officials of the EC, will be engaged in official duties during the December 7 general elections. They may not be able to exercise their voting rights.

Reports from the voting centres showed that there were slight delays in some centres due to the late arrival of materials.

It was gathered that voting began in most centres and that the special voters were observing the COVID-19 safety protocols.

EC’s chairperson Mrs. Jean Mensa said yesterday that she and her team were expecting close to 100 per cent voter turnout in the special voting exercise.

Mrs. Mensa told reporters: “We expect a near 100 percent turnout and are confident that the outcome will be peaceful, credible, transparent and orderly, God being our helper.”

She assured that polling officers had been recruited and trained, and that all materials had been distributed in sufficient quantities and biometric verification devices (BVDs) prepared and deployed.

“In total, 109,557 people, made up of security persons, media people and staff of the EC, applied to take part in the exercise in the 275 constituencies. It is instructive to note that this is the highest number the commission has recorded for special voting in its history.”

The election process was being done under strict COVID-19 protocols, as buckets, temperature guns and hand sanitizers were provided by the EC.

Local media reported in Kwadaso in the Ashanti region that a number of security personnel who came to vote could not find their names in the register and had to return home.

The parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress for the area, Eric Assibey, intervened by asking the presiding officer, Mrs. Thelma Annan, to allow them to vote.

Mrs. Anna declined, saying they would have the chance to vote on Election Day.

The NPP parliamentary candidate, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, and his NDC counterpart, Mr. Assibey described the process as smooth and peaceful.

In Bolgatanga, 5,948 eligible voters were expected to take part in the special voting in the 15 constituencies of the Upper East Region.

In the Bono Region of Sunyani, it was gathered that enthusiasm among special voters was high as hundreds of them turned up to exercise their franchise. Voting was peaceful and smooth at the Sunyani East and Sunyani West polling centres.

Ghana’s Inspector-General Police (IGP) James Oppong Boanuh, who also cast his ballot at the Trade Fair site special voting centre in the capital, Accra, lauded the EC for the “smooth process”.

“The electoral officers are doing their work well, and I went through the system and it was so smooth. I urge everybody to come and cast their votes,” said the police boss.

IG Boanuh assured those who could not vote that a special arrangement would be made for them to cast their ballots before embarking on their election duties.

The Police Administration has, however, debunked assertions that officers were being bribed to vote for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Boanuh said the monies given to them were a routine duty allowance and not what the leading opposition politicians were saying in certain quarters, adding that there was a similar disbursement during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama, has appealed to security personnel to vote for him to help create an equitable society for all.

In a video and statement posted on his Facebook page and website on Monday, he said: “I encourage you to hope and vote John Mahama, for a prosperous Ghana that shares opportunities for all.

“As your former Commander-in-Chief, I will continue to respect and cherish your patriotic contributions to our dear nation.”

 

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

 

 

Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) Parliament Speaker Sidie Mohamed Tunis has urged member-states to address the problem of drugs and its abuse in the region.

He said some West Africa states lacked the requisite laws and legal framework to adequately address the issue of drug trafficking in the region.

Tunis spoke while delivering a keynote statement during a high-level virtual town hall meeting co-hosted by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the West Africa Commission on Drugs (WACD) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The meeting with the theme, “The pivotal role of parliamentarians in drug control,” was organised to discuss and explore parliamentary perspectives on how to address drug control policy in Africa.

The Speaker noted that emphasises have always been on punishing drug abusers who are themselves one way or the other victims.

He said: “There were several youths that had already been convicted and serving jail terms for possessing drugs, mostly cannabis.  In most countries in West Africa, the narcotic laws are mostly outdated and are punitively directed at victims of abuse rather than the organised drug marketers and traffickers.”

He, however, submitted that the current laws have not been able to tame youths from doing drugs.

The ECOWAS Parliament Speaker said there is need to address the problem of drugs and its abuse in the ECOWAS region.

“This problem is rampant and if not quickly addressed, it may pose a greater threat to the survival of our future generation and our promising political and social systems,” he said.

 

 

Agency Reporter

Failure to reach a post-Brexit trade deal would reflect badly on both the United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU), Angela Merkel warned as talks continued to thrash out a late agreement.

The German leader said an agreement is in the interests of all parties in the talks, but warned that it could not come “at any price”.

Her comments came after Ireland’s foreign minister warned that the collapse of talks would have “costly and disruptive” consequences.

Talks between the UK and European Union are continuing in London with time running out to strike a deal before the current transitional trading arrangements expire at the end of the year.

The thorny issues of fishing rights and the “level playing field” aimed at preventing unfair competition on standards and state subsidies remain the major obstacles to an agreement.

Mrs. Merkel told MEPs: “I hope that we will still come to a contractual solution.

“We, Britain and the member states of the European Union, are countries that are based on the same values, and it would not be a good example for the world if we didn’t in the end manage to craft an agreement.”

Dublin’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, said he believes a deal can still be done, but that it is time to stop the “blame game”.

“The British Government was offered a much longer transition period, and they turned it down, yet they’re now blaming the EU for it – that’s just ridiculous,” Coveney told BBC Radio Ulster.

He added: “I do think a deal is possible, but it needs to be finalised this week if possible, because we really are running out of time in terms of ratification and preparation.

“But I think a deal is possible because the consequences of no deal are so costly and so disruptive, particularly for the UK and for Northern Ireland, but for the Republic of Ireland as well. “So, I think there’s a big incentive to get a deal done.”

He said the negotiating teams – led by the EU’s Michel Barnier and the UK’s Lord Frost – need to find a compromise “that both sides can live with” on the fishing and level playing field disputes.

UK Environment Secretary George Eustice suggested talks could continue for another 10 days, leaving very little time for a deal to go through the ratification process, with votes expected in both the UK and European Parliaments.