People, Places and Events
GUINEA
200,000 exiles return
About 200,000 Guinean exiles have returned home since the military coup last April, according to an official of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNCHR).M. Albert Peters told the Dakar newspaper, Le Soleil that many more were expected to return in the next few months, presenting a difficult problem for the country.
The UNCHR has agreed to help the military authorities resettle the returnees, he said.
An estimated two million Guineans, approximately one third of the population, left their country to escape economic hardship or political repression during the regime of the late President Ahmed Sekou Toure.
Almost one million Guineans settled in Senegal and the Ivory Coast.
LIBERIA
Conference on judicial reforms
The first national conference of cadres of the Second Republic has adopted the following principles:Equality before the law, collegiality, the system of having a single judge whenever necessary, the use of a jury in criminal cases, humaneness of justice, distinction between common laws and special jurisdiction, and permanent tenure of judges.
The conference also decided on the abolition of people's tribunals and to create justices of the peace in the most important sub-prefectures, a county court in the chief town of every prefecture, an appeal and an assize court in the chief town of every province, and finally a supreme court at the national level with its headquarters in Conakry and consisting of judicial, administrative, economic and financial and constitutional chambers.
A decision was again taken on the abolition of the following emergency courts: The economic and financial court, the lands tribunal, and the supreme revolutionary court, the usefulness of which is no longer justified.
Co-ordinating agency
Guinea and Morocco have set up an agency to co-ordinate and follow up projects, Moroccan Prime Minister Mohammed Karim Lamrani has said in Rabat.He made the announcement after a working session with Guinean Prime Minister Colonel Diarra Traore, who stopped in Rabat on his way home from Brussels.
Visit to Belgium
The Prime Minister, Diara Traore on an official three-day visit has launched an appeal to Belgian investors to participate in the efforts for financial reconstruction being undertaken by the country's new government.Belgian and Guinean delegations have signed an agreement governing maritime traffic between the two countries. Guinea and Belgium will share 80% of the traffic with the remaining 20% being allocated to other countries.
LIBERIA
Appointments in Information Ministry
Head of State, Dr. Samuel Doe, has made major changes in the Ministry of Information and the Liberian Broadcasting System (LBS). The Minister of Information, Dr. Peter Naigow, was named Director General of LBS, and the LBS Director General, Alhaji G. V. Kromah, became the new Minister of Information.The public affairs director of the special elections commission, Carlton Karpeh, was named Deputy Minister of Information (Administration) and J. Emmanuel Bowier, former Liberian press and cultural counsellor in Washington, became Assistant Mini ster of Information (Public Affairs). Karpeh replaces Capt. Z. Eesiah, who was recently appointed Minister Counsellor to Jerusalem, while Bowier replaces Mrs. Weade Kobbah-Wureh, who has yet to be reassigned.
Arrest of a journalist
A veteran Liberian journalist, Rufus M. Darpoh, has been arrested in Liberia as the person transmitting news clandestinely against the interests of the Government.A release from the Office of the Joint Security in Monrovia said that Mr Darpoh is reported to have admitted being the author of some of the articles which have appeared in foreign publications. Mr Darpoh once served as editor of the New Liberia and the defunct Daily Observer.
GHANA
Arms for people's militia
The implementation of plans to arm the country's People's militia has begun with the presentation of weapons to the Tema People's militia. The weapons were presented by the commanding organiser of the National Civil Defence Organisation, Brigadier Ben Addy.According to the organiser the action was necessary as the Tema group guarded vital installations in times of crisis.
Housing MD fired
Three top officials of the State Housing Corporation have been relieved of their posts.They are the acting Managing Director, Mr E.O. Bruce-Micah, the Financial Controller, Mr M. Donkor, and the Chief of Administration, Mr B.M. Ahadzie.
Mr Bruce-Micah's appointment as acting managing director has been terminated while Mr Ahadzie and Mr Donkor have been retired. An Interim Caretaker Management Committee has been appointed under the chairmanship of Mr A.K. Amartey, Director of Housing at the Ministry of Works and Housing, to manage the corporation.
Pay bills in foreign currency
As from 1 August, foreigners who lodge at any hotel in the country will have to pay their bills in foreign currency.A report in the Ghanaian Times gave a list of approved currencies to be accepted. These are dollars, pound sterling, Deutsche marks, Japanese yen, French franc, Swiss franc and the CFA.
The Naira and other non-convertible West African currencies will not be accepted.
However, businessmen, who are guests to their local partners, will be exempted from paying in foreign currency. Their partners will, however, be required to produce an exemption permit from the Bank of Ghana.
Green book club at Aburi School
The Aburi branch of the Green Book Study Club was inaugurated at Adonten Secondary School in AburiSpeaking at the inaugural ceremony, the Under Secretary for Works and Housing, Mr Steve Akuffo, noted that the Green Book was another contribution to the political doctrines which are dedicated to solving the problems of equality, liberty, democracy, freedom and economic emancipation.
The Secretary hoped the Club members would not only read the great book, but communicate its rich experiences to the broad masses of the people who might not have the opportunity to read it.
The Club, with 70 members, has Mr Sandy Asare and Master Isaac Obeng as its Chief patron and President respectively.
The National Secretariat of the Club later presented a number of books to the school's library. C224.4m collected from penalties The government has realised a total of C224.4 million in taxes, customs duties and penalties from goods seized from unregistered importers in the country early this year.
Mr Ato Ahwoi, Secretary for Trade, made this known at a news conference in Accra.
New working hours
New working hours in the country are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The new hours do not affect organizations where shift arrangements are in force.Late April the government suspended the double working session operated in the country by the Civil and Public Services. In its place it introduced a single working session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a half hour break from 12.30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Postal co-operation with Mali
The seventh ministerial session of the Ghana-Mali permanent joint commission for co-operation has ended in Accra. A communique was signed after the three-day meeting by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr Obed Asamoah, and his Malian counterpart, Alioune Blondin Beye.They agreed to sign a protocol agreement to complement the trade pact signed in 1969. Efforts would be made to introduce a postal system that can be used by both countries. Telephone links between the two countries would start operating between Accra and Bamako.
Mali expressed its readiness to provide Ghana with cotton and textile products from its textile factories. Ghana agreed to examine Mali's request for the storage and refining of crude oil.
Cruel customs banned
The Chairman of the PNDC, Flt-Lt. J.J. Rawlings, has signed a law which makes it an offence to compel a bereaved spouse to undergo cruel or indecent customary practices.This law is intended to prevent widows from being subjected to such customary indignities as being paraded naked through the streets at night, having pepper sprinkled in their eyes, being kept in confinement with little or no food and only a stone for a pillow, being unshaved unless the widow paid a fee, and other such outmoded customs.
The law also applies to widowers and relatives of bereaved spouses, who are in some areas subjected to similar customs.
An official release in Accra said cultural practices which infringe on human rights and degrade those who are made to undergo them, should be amended to conform with standards of dignity, decency, morality and fair place.
Jammed with passengers
Drinking bars and transport services along the Ghana-Togo border are reported to have resumed full business and the crossing point jammed by travellers from both countries following the opening of the border.A survey conducted by the Ghana News Agency, also said that Ghanaians, especially those stranded in Lome with their own means of transport, are feverishly winding up their affairs to return home.
CHAD
Habre opens congress
Almost 1,000 people assembled under the same roof in Ndjamena, Chad, to take part in the first extraordinary congress of FAN (Armed Forces of the North) the movement led by the President, Hissein Habre. It is the first congress since the arrival of Hissein Habre in the Chad capital.All the representatives of the fourteen administrative divisions of the country were present, as well as representatives of cells from abroad - France, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Cameroon and Saudi Arabia, for example.
The session was officially named the Frolinat (Chad National Liberation Front) Congress, to reflect President Habre's wish to give the session a national character.
In a long opening speech to the conference, which was scheduled to last five days, Mr Habre made an "appeal from the heart" to opponents of his regime to join him in a bid for national reconciliation. The main concern of the Ndjamena Government remained the occupation of northern Chad by Libyan forces, he said.
Frolinat dissolved to create new organisation
A resolution was adopted at the extraordinary congress of the Chad National Liberation Front, Frolinat, on the dissolution of Frolinat and the formation of a new political organisation, according to Ndjamena radio. The congress has transformed itself into a constituent congress and set up committees to prepare the text of a constitution for the new organisation, in view of "the urgent need to adapt the revolutionary movement to current realities in the country."The new political organisation was to be a new party calling itself Union for Independence and Revolution, "which makes the acronym UNIR (French: to unite)". The new party's motto would be solidarity, work and justice and it wanted to establish in Chad a democratic political life guaranteeing individual freedom of opinion and opposing religious views.
UPPER VOLTA
Sankara ends visit to Ethiopia
President Thomas Sankara has praised the victories achieved by the broad masses of Ethiopia in maintaining the long-standing sovereignty of the motherland and its revolution and condemned the acts of aggression carried out by expanionist and reactionary countries against the people of Ethiopia.The two countries examined the strengthening of their friendly relations and agreed to form an Ethiopian and Upper Volta ministerial committee to examine the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in political, economic, trade, cultural, communications and other sectors.
The two parties praised the OAU's efforts in trying to solve the problems of the Western Sahara and Chad and agreed that the implementation of the resolution passed by the 19th OAU summit regarding the Western Sahara issue was the only possible solution.
NIGERIA
Ex-governor jailed 44 years
The former Governor of Kano, Alhaji Sabo-Bakin Zuwo, has been sentenced to a total of 44 years imprisonment on two of a four-count charge by the Kaduna zone of the special military tribunal. The commissioner for rural and community development in Bakin Zuwo's government, Alhaji Sani Gule, was also jailed for 42 years by the tribunal.Delivering judgement, the tribunal chairman, Navy Capt. Babatunde Elegbede, said that Alhaji Sabo would spend 22 calendar years in prison while Alhaji Sani would spend 21 years as the sentences would run concurrently. The tribunal ordered the former Governor to refund to the Federal Military Government the sum of 100,000 naira, which he received as kick-back from a Bulgarian firm, Messrs Electro-Impex, Alhaji Bakin Zuwo and Alhaji Sani Gule denied demanding and receiving the money. Alhaji Sabo, who was represented by a Kaduna-based legal practitioner, Emmanuel Toro, said that Alhaji Madi Abubakar, who testified against him, was a political opponent and that the tribunal should reject his evidence.
Dr S. E. Mosus, counsel for Alhaji Sani, told the tribunal that there was no evidence that his client received the said kick-back from the contractor.
Just before the jail term was pronounced, Alhaji Sabo said: "I want you to continue to convict me, so that I die in prison."
The Chairman of the tribunal, after pronouncing Alhaji Sabo guilty, wanted to hear what Alhaji Sabo had to say in mitigation of sentence.
Alhaji Sabo reminded the tribunal members that he was one of the architects of the country's independence and pointed out that he had never been found guilty of any offence in public life. "For the panel to have found me guilty on the evidence of an NPN witness," he continued, "shows one what military justice is."
"With this in mind, I will continue to feel not guilty and I want you to continue to convict me, so that I die in prison," he said.
Nwobodo sentenced to 22 years
The special military tribunal on the recovery of public property in Enugu has found the former governor of Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo and his former secretary to the government, Mr Paul Egbogu, guilty of corrupt practices.Chief Nwobodo was also found guilty of enriching the proscribed Nigeria People's Party with £870,000 belonging to The State Government. Both of them were subsequently sentenced to 22 years imprisonment each. Air Commodore Mohammed said in his judgement that evidence adduced during the trial showed that the two convicted persons had misappropriated a total £5,127,780.
Both the £870,000 and the amount misappropriated are to be forfeited to the Federal Military Government.
Onabanjo's jail confirmed
The 22-year jail term passed on Chief Bisi Onabanjo has been confirmed by the Supreme Military Council (SMC). The decision has quashed any hope of pardon or reduced jail term for the ex-governor, by the Federal Military Government.Chief Onabanjo was the first to be jailed under Decree No. 3 by the Lagos zone of the Special Military Tribunals created by the decree.
Plans to topple FMG uncovered
Federal Military Government has uncovered plans to topple it by fugitives from the country, the Minister of Information, Group Capt. Emekas Omerua has said in Lagos. He told newsmen that the fugitives, who failed to carry out their earlier plan for the invasion of the country, had embarked on a programme of destabilisation.He said that a document, a copy of which fell into the hands of the Federal provides watery defence Military Government recently, revealed that a plan, titled "a strategy of pressure and containment in Nigeria, was prepared by a London based professor and that the plan was to force the present administration to relinquish power within three years.
The plan was to be implemented in three phases, the first being the spreading of rumours to embarrass the Supreme Military Council, liasing with ex-politicians and penetrating key figures in government and the armed forces as well as buying over sympathetic and willing members of Nigeria's intelligence organisation.
The second phase, he said, would include using sympathetic media to embarrass the Supreme Military Coun cil, engineering riots and demon strations, encouraging dissent among workers, creating artificial scarcity of essential commodities and criticising the proceedings and verdicts of military tribunals in order to subvert the loyalty of Nigerians.
Phase three of the plan, Group Capt. Omerua said, was to frighten the regime with anonymous letters and threats, to recruit respected citizens, serving and retired officers to persuade the regime to hand over power.
Warning against subversion
The Minister of Information, Group Capt. Emeka Omerua has warned that the Federal Military Government will not tolerate a misuse of the judicial process to subvert the loyalty of Nigerians and obstruct the on-going efforts to redress the ills of the society. He said the government will frown seriously on any attempt from any quarter and in whatever guise, to challenge any decision taken by the Supreme Military Council on issues that led to the change of government last December.The Minister of Information, Social Development, Youth, Sports and Culture, Group Capt. Omerua, in his address to media executives disclosed that the Government had received reports of plans by certain reactionary elements in the society, to indulge in these subversive activities.
The Minister remarked that these acts of subversion will be perpetrated by exploiting the much-cherished independence of the judiciary to institute unreasonable court cases against decisions and actions of the Government.
53 suitcases: Minister provides watery defence
The Minister of Finance, Dr Soleye, has claimed that the controversial 53 suitcases which passed unchecked through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport during the currency exchange contained personal effects and not hold currency notes. He told the news conference in Lagos that the clarification was necessary because of the seriousness with which the Federal Military Government considered the allegations.Dr Soleye said it was discovered after thorough investigation that the suitcases were personal effects of the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Haruna Gwandu who arrived at the airport from Saudi Arabia that day with 10 other passengers in his entourage.
The minister said out of the 53 suitcases, 11 of them and two cartons belonged to the emir and his entourage of 10 which, he said, made up a total of 13 packages.
He said that the other 40 packages belonged to the former Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador D.A. Waziri who was at that time returning home with his wives and 14 children.
According to the minister, the ambassador who was on the same flight with the emir, was finally coming back to Nigeria for redeployment.
Dr Soleye noted that there were at least two army officers at the airport, one of whom was Major Jokolo who went to the airport to meet his father, the emir.
The minister said during the examination of the luggages, a Customs Officer, who requested for the keys to some of the suitcases, was told that they were not available and that when the officer rushed upstairs to inform his superior officer of the situation, some of the luggages were carried away.
He also said that there was no instruction to exempt anybody's luggage from examination and that some of the suitcases belonging to the emir were thoroughly examined.
The absence of the keys and the presence of some soldiers and policemen, he observed, contributed to the error. There were obvious gaps in the Minister's explanations which compelled the newsmen at the press conference to tell him that he should have waited for a thorough' investigation before calling the press conference on the matter.
Dr Soleye however told them that the investigation was sound and he was satisfied with the outcome.
Trial of journalists - ruling July 4
The tribunal trying two journalists under the Public Officers (Protection) Decree No.4 against false accusation is expected to pronounce its judgement on July 4. The date was set after the prosecution had replied to the long drawn submissions of Chief Rotimi traditional council three months to Williams, counsel to the accused.The two accused journalists are Tunde Thompson and Nduka Ivabor, senior diplomatic correspondent and assistant news editor respectively of the Nigerian Guardian. Also on trial charged with false publications are their employees, Guardian Newspapers Limited.
One of the publications in the Guardian was titled "Foreign Missions to be Closed Down".
When the prosecution opened its case, Mr George Dove Edwin, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Internal Affairs said the Guardian story was correct in respect of ten out of the eleven names mentioned.
In his earlier address Chief Williams contended that the two journalists did not publish the stories for which they were charged. He defined the words 'publish', 'writer' and 'author' and then went into the provisions of the Lagos State Newspaper Law. His argument was that reporters or correspondents were not publishers.
In his argument Mr G.Ö. Soremi for the prosecution submitted that the tribunal was the creation of the Federal Government hence the laws of Lagos state did not apply.
The three accused persons, he argued, were charged as principal noted. offenders under Section 7 of the criminal code as aiders and abetters and should be treated as having committed the alleged offences.
Mr Soremi urged the tribunal to rely on the wordings of the provisions of the decree and give it the ordinary literal meaning as said by the Attorney General.
Government warns Obas
The Governor of Oyo Stage, Lt-Col. Oladayo Popoola has warned Obas in the state to put a stop to the rift between them forthwith.He also warned Obas to refrain from granting press interviews on controversial issues for the time being.
The governor was addressing an IMF emergency meeting of members of the state Council of Obas and Chiefs in Ibadan.
Threats to ban imported drinks
The use of imported spirits by traditional rulers in Cross River State to pour libations is reported in the National Concord to be causing the Cross River State Governor, Lt-Col. Dan Archibong, some concern.He has therefore given the state traditional council three months to convince him why traditional wines should not be used for the purpose. The governor who was speaking in Ogoja said if at the expiration of the three months ultimatum the traditional rulers were unable to convince him, "we shall ban the use of imported drinks for libation in this state".
Negotiations for N33m IMF loan
The government is negotiating with the IMF for a 45 million dollar (about N33.64 million) loan as part of the country's budget for the next fiscal year which begins next month, finance minister Alvin Jonas has said:A four-man IMF team headed by Mr Donald Syvrud, alternate executive director of the fund's headquarters in Washington, is in Monrovia discussing the loan with Liberian authorities to help formulate new programmes for the revitalization of the country's ailing economy.
Mr Syvrud said that there had been "some improvement in Liberia's economy, especially in the private sector". The country's deficit had declined from 100 million dollars (about N75 million) to 50 million dollars (about N37.4 million) during the last fiscal year ending June 30, he noted. Another currency tribunal Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon, has said that a tribunal to try currency traffickers would soon be set up.
Mr Idiagbon, who was the guest on a Radio Nigeria public affairs programme, 'Matters of the Moment' said the tribunal would, in conjunction with the Exchange Control (Anti-Sabotage) Tribunal, deal with currency offenders
in "the most severe manner". He told his listeners that the Federal Government was dismayed that Naira trafficking had resumed in London
