President Mahama Receives AU Chairman At Castle

Mr Yayi Boni, Chairman of the African Union and President of the Republic of Benin, yesterday led a high-powered delegation from that country to commiserate with government and people of Ghana, following the death of President John Atta Mills.

Speaking in a dual capacity as Chairman of the AU and President of Benin, Mr Boni described the demise of President Mills as a great loss, not only to Ghana but to Africa as a whole. “The whole of Africa and the people of Benin offer their deep and sincere condolences,” recalling that the views and opinions of the late President Mills was always taken very seriously during AU and other regional meetings.

He told President John Dramani Mahama and government officials that had gathered at the Credentials Hall of the Castle that the best way to honour the departed leader was to carry on with his ideals and achievements.

In that way, the AU Chairman said, Ghana would be able to consolidate its riches and improve on the standards of living of its people.

The Beninois President described Ghana as a model of political stability, economic progress, social peace and security, which had made her the toast of the international community.

“Your country Ghana was one of the pioneers of Pan-Africanism, spearheaded by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who still remains the pride of Africa,” President Boni stated.

The AU Chairman implored President Mahama to also carry on with the work started by Pan-Africanist Dr. Nkrumah by helping to deepen regional integration.

President Mahama said the unfortunate incident came as a shock to the continent and the rest of the world as witnessed in the numerous expression of condolences and solidarity to the government and the people of Ghana.

He informed his guests that a committee was working feverishly in connection with the state funeral and added that the foreign embassies would soon be duly notified of the date and other arrangements of the funeral.  “We take consolation in the sympathy we receive from the international community and your country-Benin,” he told President Boni, stressing that “With this heavy responsibility, I can count on your good counsel and advice since you have the experience.”

President Mahama said Ghana and Benin share close cultural and historical relations and share common democratic values. “We will take his death as a signal for our two countries to push for closer relations and regional integration.”

“Ghana will continue to play the role as a leading voice in the Pan-Africanist struggle and to be a leading voice on the continent,” Mr Mahama assured the delegation.

PAP President Expresses Shock of President Mills Death

The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Hon. Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi, MP, expressed shock and sadness at the news of the untimely death of H. E. John Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana, which occurred on Tuesday, 24th July 2012.

In a message of condolence on behalf of the PAP, Hon. Amadi expressed sincere and heartfelt condolence to the government and people of the Republic of Ghana and stated that they have indeed lost a focused and visionary leader, a man of integrity and a social democrat who was dedicated to the welfare of his people.

Hon. Amadi said that “while we at the Pan-African Parliament join our brothers and sisters in Ghana to mourn the passage of this sportsman, lawyer, teacher, politician, statesman and great son of Africa, we shall always remember him for his legacy of consolidating democratic norms and values in Ghana”.

He further stated that Africa has been robbed of a calm and diplomatic peace-maker, a leading light of democratic stability on our continent and prayed that the Almighty God will grant his soul eternal rest.

WAEC Releases B.E.C.E. Provisional Results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) last Wednesday announced the release of the provisional results of the April 2012 Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E.).

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Principal Public Affairs Officer, for Head of National Office Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, and copied to the Ghana News Agency yesterday.

It said that one hundred and eighty (180) candidates had their subjects results cancelled for various examination malpractices, which include bringing of foreign material into the examination hall and conspiracy. Five thousand, two hundred and fifty-two (5,252) candidates results have also been withheld pending the conclusion of investigation.

The results for schools would be dispatched through the District Directors of Education. Meanwhile candidates have been advised to access their results on line.

Source: GNA

“Release Dr. Janneh” – Amnesty International tells Gambia President

Amnesty International, an organization against human rights violation in Ghana have called for the immediate release of the former minister of Information and Communication in the Gambian government, Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh who is serving life imprisonment for printing and distributing of hundred T-Shirts in the Gambia.

Dr. Janneh was charged with treason and sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour at the special criminal court in Banjul after he was nabbed in his office on June 7,2011 for being in possession of T-Shirts made by the NGO’s ‘coalition for change- the Gambia’ (CCG).

The T-Shirts at his disposal were witnessed to have been featured the slogan “End to dictatorship now” and that thrived the situation to caused his arrest.

In the nefarious nature of the above Amnesty international considers Dr. Janneh is a prisoner of conscience and is a symbol the frightening human rights situation that exist in the Gambia this day.

“He must be released immediately and unconditionally. Gambia must stop such acts of persecution and allow criticism to be heard in the country”, the angry amnesty international barks at the Gambia government.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International that seems to promote human rights protection have for the past three years raised concerns on human rights regarding The Gambia worldwide ‘Gambia Day of Action’

According to the organization, Gambia Day of Action follows Gambia president Yahya Jammeh’s ‘Freedom Day’ on July 22 he uses to commemorate the day he took power in military coup in 1994.

They hinted that, “The Gambia must stop making a mockery of its international and regional human rights obligations and ensure the human rights of all people in the country are respected”.

Amnesty International noted that after president Yahya grabbed power through coup’detat, the citizens have been subjected to unlawful arrest, torture, unfair trials, rape among others.

Unlawful killings and arrest dominates activities of the day in the Gambia when one flouts the law after the indigenes have been entangled with limitations to freedom of expression and assembly.

This wicked conduct on the part of the Gambian government have impeded journalists in discharging their duties to the required standard, Members of the opposition are harassed, threatened and arbitrary arrested or killed.

Amnesty International and DPP express sympathy

The Amnesty International has expressed its condolences to the family of the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the government and the people of Ghana upon receiving the sad news of his death.

A statement issued by the Director for Amnesty International, Mr Lawrence Amesu and copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra, said Professor J.E. Atta Mills had a listening ear, particularly to human rights issues and efforts to promote human rights and democracy not only in Ghana but the whole of Africa.

It said the former President was a great leader, a democrat and someone “we at Amnesty International and indeed all human right activists have identified as a great advocate for human rights”.

The statement expressed the hope that the immediate and future successors would continue to carry his good work in promoting development and human rights in Ghana and Africa.

It urged all Ghanaians to ensure that total peace prevailed from now, during and after the pending elections in the country since it was the only reward Ghanaians could give Prof Atta Mills “as he passed on from this world”.

In a related development, the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) has expressed its sympathy to Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills, wife of former President J.E. Atta Mills, his family, the National Democratic Congress and the people of Ghana “for losing a husband, son and president .

A release issued and signed by Mr. T.N.Ward-Brew, expressed hope that the rancor and bitterness that were rife before his death would be a thing of the past and give way to an atmosphere of forgiveness, love and fellow-feeling.

The release advised Ghanaians to rally round the newly sworn-in President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama and give him all the respect and corporation that he needed in order to promote a climate of unity and reconciliation, “which is badly needed by our nation”.

WiLDAF Ghana's letter to the NDC to appointment a woman as the vice to H.E. John Mahama

The Chairperson

National Executive Committee

National Democratic Congress

Accra

Dear Chairperson,

Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) Ghana is following the constitutional processes to appoint a new Vice President to support the new President HE John Dramani Mahama. We have also received information on a list of names which has only one woman. We have the conviction that the effort of the Late President Atta Mills to getting a Law passed on Affirmative Action to increase women’s greater participation and representation in political decision making bodies in Ghana can be achieved even upon his death. We are also convinced that giving the chance the late President would have appointed a woman as his Vice in line with his vision to have at least 40% women in political decision making structures.

We are therefore calling on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress to honour the late President by nominating a woman as the Vice President to H.E. John Dramani Mahama. We are therefore urging the party to foremost consider the worth proven women in the NDC.

We are by this letter proposing the following women as possible candidates for the position of Vice President to Mr. John Mahama:

1.       Hon. Hannah Tetteh – Minister for Trade and Industry.

2.       Hon. Akua Sena Dansua – Minister for Tourism

3.      Margaret Amoako-Nuamah – Former Minister of Education under Former President Rawlings

4.      Madam Faustina Nelson – Former Executive Member of the NDC

5.      Hon. Juliana Azumah Mensah – Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs

6.      Hon. Sherry Ayittey – Minister of Science and Environment

7.      Bertha Ansah Gyan – Executive Director, MASLOC

8.      Hon. Brookman Amissah – Former Minister of Health under Former President Rawlings

We are convinced again that there are other equally qualified women who are members of the NDC who can be considered apart from the unexhausted list of women mentioned in this letter.

We once again express the deepest condolences of Network Members, National Executive Committee, Management and Staff of WiLDAF Ghana to the National Democratic Congress on this sad occasion of the demise of H.E. Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.

For any further information please contact the undersigned on 0302 768 349 / 0244639539 or Frank Bodza on 020 9211 931.

Yours sincerely,

Bernice Sam

National Programme Coordinator

CC.   

1.       General Secretary, NDC

2.       National Women’s Organiser, NDC

3.       All Media Houses

MACRA report rates Airtel as number One network in Malawi

A quarterly Network performance assessment report released by Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) a few days ago shows that Airtel (http://www.airtel.com) is, by far, the number one quality network in Malawi.

The MACRA report looks at the performance of the two mobile phone service providers in the months of October, November and December in 2011 and analyses the Key Performance Indicators which have been achieved by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GMS) service in the areas of Radio Network, Call Set up Success Rate, SDCCH congestion, Traffic Channel congestion, Call Drop Rate, Trunk Congestion, and Mobile Switch Centre Availability and Intelligence Network Platform availability. 

The report which was published in the daily press shows that Airtel Malawi is leading in service performance as compared to other networks.  According to the report, Airtel managed to beat MACRA’s call set up  target of 98%  by posting 98.9% in October, 99% in November and 99.2% in December, 2011, whilst all other telecom players were below the target set by Macra. Airtel Malawi also consistently out-performed its competitors as well as MACRA’s targets in the following areas:-call drops, sms success rate, congestion, internet success rate, call handover success rate and network availability.

Commenting on the report, Airtel Malawi Managing Director Saulos Chilima described the report as a vote of confidence and a result of the company’s investments aimed at continuously improving its quality of service.

“We always strive to maintain high standards so that we continuously provide an unmatched customer experience.”  Chilima emphasized. “The report covers the period before we launched our 3.75G network and our customers should expect improved data services as we now have the fastest internet speeds in Malawi of up to 21 Mbps. Its super fast! ,” explains  Chilima.

With this in mind, Airtel has remained committed to deepening its network coverage, bringing communication opportunities to the rural populations that, until now, have been left out of the telecommunications revolution in the country. 

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Bharti Airtel Limited.